A review by motherhorror
Welcome to the Show by Kelli Owen, Matt Serafini, Bryan Smith, Alan M. Clark, Glenn Rolfe, Patrick Lacey, Jonathan Janz, Rachel Autumn Deering, John Skipp, Adam Cesare, Brian Keene, Mary SanGiovanni, Robert Ford, Somer Canon, Matt Hayward, Max Booth III, Doug Murano, Jeff Strand

4.0

If you follow my book reviews or read my blog, you'll know I'm a huge fan of anthologies. I love a big round-up of horror's best, especially in a themed anthology.
WELCOME TO THE SHOW centers on The Shantyman, a bar in the Tenderloin district of San Fransisco. The tales are told from The Shantyman's past and present and not one story is alike because of the wide variety of storytelling voices represented here.
I thought I would highlight some of my favorites from the collection:
NIGHT AND DAY AND IN BETWEEN by Jonathan Janz- Set in the 1920s, I loved the descriptions of hard-edged men & a woman named Clara singing in a sequined dress. This one starts out innocuous enough, a tough guy goes to a night club to watch an old flame perform but then by the end, things are so much more...insidious.

WOLF WITH DIAMOND EYES by Pat Lacey- This one scared me! It was one of those tales involving the occult with a curse that could be passed on in a verbal chant. Very creepy.

A TONGUE LIKE FIRE by Rachel Autumn Deering- This one got under my skin. In just a few pages, Rachel managed to tell a lasting tale of a father's grief and the power of words.



OPEN MIC NIGHT by Kelli Owen- This was Kelli's take on the "Devil at the Crossroads" legend and I loved it. I always show up for a femme fatale/noir atmosphere.

TRUE STARMEN by Max Booth III-Laugh-out-loud funny. Max Booth III calls the corner pocket in horror comedy. Loved it!

I also enjoyed the stories from Matt Serafini, Adam Cesare, Bob Ford, and Somer Canon
Some of the stories were not as successful for me, Bryan Smith's, for example, was an odd mix of body horror and psychedelic imagery. It was just, not for me. There were a few missteps in here-they were not necessarily bad stories, I just think they either didn't mesh well with the others or they just were not a brand of storytelling that appealed to me. But a standing ovation to Matt Hayward and Doug Murano for having this brilliant idea for a theme and then editing such a huge group of talented authors. Well done! One little, tiny knit-picking complaint would be that I didn't like the font used on the titles of each story and the several first words...it was weird and hard to read. (sorry)
I would highly recommend this anthology for fans of who enjoy heavy themes of music, lyrics, rock & roll and cultural influences mixed with classic horror tropes like ghosts, hauntings, paranormal occurrences, and the occult.