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bickleyhouse's review
5.0
This was a delightfully horrible book! I really must get my hands on the first two volumes of "Dark Delicacies," because this one was very enjoyable. It is a book of short stories, edited by Del Howison and Jeff Gelb. It has quite a few stories in it, and I must say, I love the genre of short stories, especially of the horror variety. Some highlights...
"Children of the Vortex" by Simon Clark, features a supposedly abandoned Nazi genetic experiment. Only, it's not so abandoned, as the small group of people assigned to investigate find out. There are some extremely disturbing images in this one.
"Mist On the Bayou" by Heather Graham, feathers a unique haunted house setting, which, on this particular night, features a scene that is much more real than it was supposed to be.
"In the Mix" by Eric Red, features a rap music producer who has a very special way of making his records popular.
"How To Edit" by Richard Christian Matheson, is a brief, "instructional" essay on editing stories. By a writer who just might be a little mad. And decides that he doesn't need various body parts to be a successful writer.
"Resurrection Man" by Axelle Carolyn, features a surgeon/anatomy teacher who does not believe in the afterlife, and believes that corpses should be surrendered to him (as well as other scientists) for study, not wasted by being buried and/or cremated. As he tries to get his hands on one particular corpse, he is in for a gruesome surprise.
"A Haunting" by John Connolly, is about a couple who loved each other for many years. The wife dies and he goes to a hotel room where they used to stay, to reminisce. Then he sees a ghost. Or does he? Or is he the ghost?
"Church Services" by Kevin J. Anderson, is about a young man and his young wife. They are traveling "evangelists" of sorts, but with a special artifact. A jar that imprisons demons. At the end, she has a special gift for him...she is pregnant.
"Starlets and Spaceboys" by Joseph V. Hartlaub, is a bizarre tale about a young girl, a rock star, and some very special pills that make you hear music in your head.
"A Nasty Way to God" by Ardath Mayhar, tells of domestic violence and eventual justice involving a septic tank. It lives up to its title.
"The Flinch" by Michael Boatman seems to be about some gangster types with some unique talents.
"Tyler's Third Act" by Mick Garris is about a script writer whose life fell apart after the writer's strike in 2008. He decides upon a unique way to get notoriety and go out with a "bang," while ensuring that his mother, who is housed in a nursing home, will be well taken care of. It doesn't end quite the way he expects it to, though.
"Though Thy Lips Are Pale" by Maria Alexander, is about the youngest of several sisters, the last to be married off. She is being taken, or at least she is led to believe, to meet her new husband. It seems, though, that she has been deceived, and is merely bait. But for what?
"The Slow Haunting" by John R. Little, tells of a pair of twins, one of which died at an early age, and has haunted the other for years. Turns out, he has a grudge.
"Do Sunflowers Have a Fragrance" by Del James, features a girl who is being stalked by a man that loves her. Turns out he has loved her for a VERY long time.
"The Wandering Unholy" by Victor Salva, deals with some Nazi soldiers and some nuns. Oh, and a necromancer. Guess who wins?
"Man with a Canvas Bag" by Gary A. Braunbeck, is a delightful story about a young boy who, sadly, witnesses the accidental death of a good friend who is a Down's syndrome child. And a "visitor" who seems to be invisible to the rest of the world.
"Fetch" by Chuck Palahniuk, features a very strange tennis ball, a jar of old coins, and a desperate old woman.
"The Architect of Snow" by David Morrell, is a most charming tale about a man who is an editor for a book publisher, his eventual meeting of an author whom he has loved for many years, and a strange, unsolicited manuscript that has no return address.
The last thing in the book is a poem by Clive Barker, called "And So with Cries." It's very weird.
And there you have it. If you like the horror genre, especially that of the "haunted" nature, you will simply love this book.
"Children of the Vortex" by Simon Clark, features a supposedly abandoned Nazi genetic experiment. Only, it's not so abandoned, as the small group of people assigned to investigate find out. There are some extremely disturbing images in this one.
"Mist On the Bayou" by Heather Graham, feathers a unique haunted house setting, which, on this particular night, features a scene that is much more real than it was supposed to be.
"In the Mix" by Eric Red, features a rap music producer who has a very special way of making his records popular.
"How To Edit" by Richard Christian Matheson, is a brief, "instructional" essay on editing stories. By a writer who just might be a little mad. And decides that he doesn't need various body parts to be a successful writer.
"Resurrection Man" by Axelle Carolyn, features a surgeon/anatomy teacher who does not believe in the afterlife, and believes that corpses should be surrendered to him (as well as other scientists) for study, not wasted by being buried and/or cremated. As he tries to get his hands on one particular corpse, he is in for a gruesome surprise.
"A Haunting" by John Connolly, is about a couple who loved each other for many years. The wife dies and he goes to a hotel room where they used to stay, to reminisce. Then he sees a ghost. Or does he? Or is he the ghost?
"Church Services" by Kevin J. Anderson, is about a young man and his young wife. They are traveling "evangelists" of sorts, but with a special artifact. A jar that imprisons demons. At the end, she has a special gift for him...she is pregnant.
"Starlets and Spaceboys" by Joseph V. Hartlaub, is a bizarre tale about a young girl, a rock star, and some very special pills that make you hear music in your head.
"A Nasty Way to God" by Ardath Mayhar, tells of domestic violence and eventual justice involving a septic tank. It lives up to its title.
"The Flinch" by Michael Boatman seems to be about some gangster types with some unique talents.
"Tyler's Third Act" by Mick Garris is about a script writer whose life fell apart after the writer's strike in 2008. He decides upon a unique way to get notoriety and go out with a "bang," while ensuring that his mother, who is housed in a nursing home, will be well taken care of. It doesn't end quite the way he expects it to, though.
"Though Thy Lips Are Pale" by Maria Alexander, is about the youngest of several sisters, the last to be married off. She is being taken, or at least she is led to believe, to meet her new husband. It seems, though, that she has been deceived, and is merely bait. But for what?
"The Slow Haunting" by John R. Little, tells of a pair of twins, one of which died at an early age, and has haunted the other for years. Turns out, he has a grudge.
"Do Sunflowers Have a Fragrance" by Del James, features a girl who is being stalked by a man that loves her. Turns out he has loved her for a VERY long time.
"The Wandering Unholy" by Victor Salva, deals with some Nazi soldiers and some nuns. Oh, and a necromancer. Guess who wins?
"Man with a Canvas Bag" by Gary A. Braunbeck, is a delightful story about a young boy who, sadly, witnesses the accidental death of a good friend who is a Down's syndrome child. And a "visitor" who seems to be invisible to the rest of the world.
"Fetch" by Chuck Palahniuk, features a very strange tennis ball, a jar of old coins, and a desperate old woman.
"The Architect of Snow" by David Morrell, is a most charming tale about a man who is an editor for a book publisher, his eventual meeting of an author whom he has loved for many years, and a strange, unsolicited manuscript that has no return address.
The last thing in the book is a poem by Clive Barker, called "And So with Cries." It's very weird.
And there you have it. If you like the horror genre, especially that of the "haunted" nature, you will simply love this book.
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