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A review by cabinet_13_review
It Was All A Dream: An Anthology of Bad Horror Tropes Done Right by Helena O'Connor, Laurel Hightower, Cormack Baldwin, Eric Raglin, Madison McSweeney, Gabino Iglesias, Erin Brown, Drew E. Huff, Gemma Files, LC von Hessen, Alex Woodroe, Angela Sylvaine, Wendy N. Wagner, K.A. Wiggins, Erin Keating, Nikki R. Leigh, J.V. Gachs, Laird Barron, Tom Coombe, Belicia Rhea, Brandon Applegate, Taylor Rae, Hailey Piper, Patrick Barb, Die Booth, Edward Lodi, Danielle Davis, Lyndon Nicholas
5.0
Alien Abduction, Werewolves, and The killer who just won’t die are all too familiar horror tropes that even people who are not fans of the genre know. Is it possible to make these somewhat overused and tired tropes into something shiny and new again? That’s what It Was All A Dream and its various writers intend to do. I think it was a success.
I also loved the interior artwork provided for each story by Christopher Castillo.
Rated up. My rating is 4.5/5
There were 26 stories in total, loved 12 of them. Here are a few:
- Everyone’s Got a Little Devil in Them- based around the stories of the Jersey Devil author Erin Keating brings us a story that will make you question who is the devil in the story.
- Bloody Nights at Hippie Cliffs- author Eric Raglan flips the script on the “if you have the sex you die”
- Fuck this Shit Manor-Author Laurel Hightower explores one of my favorite tropes of the haunted house and puts a spin on what would happen if you couldn't get anyone to come to stay.
- A Maiden I Will Die- author LC von Hesson had to be laughing with this one, with an obvious play on Michael Myers, our FMC and Final Girl is the ultimate Final Girl as in, the last human left on Earth after the Killer who will not die continues to hunt her across the earth and time. Instead of the dread of a silent and unrelenting killer, our Final Girl, fed up with this tiring routine instead focuses on a more existential crisis.
- Don’t Go In the Woods…Or Do, See if I Care- author Patrick Barb also plays on the ever-present “foreshadowing, harbinger of danger” trope with the “crazy old man”, with plenty of chuckle-worthy moments
- Castoffs- takes the “Devil's Bargain” and turns it into a loophole that could make any Demon speechless and take pause.
I also loved the interior artwork provided for each story by Christopher Castillo.
Rated up. My rating is 4.5/5
There were 26 stories in total, loved 12 of them. Here are a few:
- Everyone’s Got a Little Devil in Them- based around the stories of the Jersey Devil author Erin Keating brings us a story that will make you question who is the devil in the story.
- Bloody Nights at Hippie Cliffs- author Eric Raglan flips the script on the “if you have the sex you die”
- Fuck this Shit Manor-Author Laurel Hightower explores one of my favorite tropes of the haunted house and puts a spin on what would happen if you couldn't get anyone to come to stay.
- A Maiden I Will Die- author LC von Hesson had to be laughing with this one, with an obvious play on Michael Myers, our FMC and Final Girl is the ultimate Final Girl as in, the last human left on Earth after the Killer who will not die continues to hunt her across the earth and time. Instead of the dread of a silent and unrelenting killer, our Final Girl, fed up with this tiring routine instead focuses on a more existential crisis.
- Don’t Go In the Woods…Or Do, See if I Care- author Patrick Barb also plays on the ever-present “foreshadowing, harbinger of danger” trope with the “crazy old man”, with plenty of chuckle-worthy moments
- Castoffs- takes the “Devil's Bargain” and turns it into a loophole that could make any Demon speechless and take pause.