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josephvanburen's reviews
204 reviews
Hysteria: A Collection of Madness by Stephanie M. Wytovich
4.0
More than just horror poetry
I am a big believer that the best horror often makes social commentary, and many poems in Hysteria fall into that category. Sure, some are just demented fun, but others use dark prose and gruesome imagery to make the reader think. Wytovich is good at both.
I am a big believer that the best horror often makes social commentary, and many poems in Hysteria fall into that category. Sure, some are just demented fun, but others use dark prose and gruesome imagery to make the reader think. Wytovich is good at both.
Caged 1 by Chuck Buda
4.0
Good old Zpoc with some new twists
If you like zombie stories, you really have no reason not to check this book out. It is 99 cents and reads with the quick pace of a thriller. The prison is an interesting take on the old gothic trope of an isolated setting. Total cliff hanger, but now we know this is just the intro to the series. A must-read for zombie fans.
If you like zombie stories, you really have no reason not to check this book out. It is 99 cents and reads with the quick pace of a thriller. The prison is an interesting take on the old gothic trope of an isolated setting. Total cliff hanger, but now we know this is just the intro to the series. A must-read for zombie fans.
Breathe. Breathe. by Erin Sweet Al-Mehairi
5.0
In the foreword to this book, Brian Kirk admits that he doesn't understand most poetry. I tend to agree, despite being a poet myself, that poetry can sometimes be too personal or abstract to make a connection with a lot of readers. And then there is Erin Sweet Al-Mehairi's work in Breathe Breathe: the kind of poetry that is deeply personal yet universally resonant of the pain and darkness that we all encounter in our most difficult times. Her precise imagery adds a sense of beauty to those hopeless moments when we feel alone and uncertain. There is a raw realness to her work that struck a personal chord for me, especially in seemingly confessional poems like "You Say You Love Me" and "Anxiety of Darkness." As a fan of dark poetry that has heart and soul, I cannot recommend this book enough.
Where Nightmares Come From by Ramsey Campbell, Craig Engler, Elizabeth Massie, S.G. Browne, Richard Chizmar, Lisa Morton, Eugene Johnson, Taylor Grant, Bev Vincent, Tim Waggoner, Michael Bailey, Jess Landry, Del Howison, Amber Benson, Stephen King, Richard Thomas, Clive Barker, Jonathan Maberry, William F. Nolan, Fred Dekker, Kevin J. Anderson, Mort Castle, John Connolly, Charlaine Harris, Stephanie M. Wytovich, Mark Alan Miller, Joe R. Lansdale, Jason V. Brock, Christopher Golden, Marie O'Regan, Tom Holland, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Michael Paul Gonzalez, Marv Wolfman, Paul Moore, John Palisano, Mercedes M. Yardley, Ray Garton, Kevin Tenney
5.0
Crystal Lake Publishing puts out a lot of good nonfiction books, but this just might be my favorite one yet. This book is loaded with interviews and articles from some of the biggest and most successful names in horror fiction: Clive Barker, Joe Landsdale, Ramsey Campbell, Richard Thomas, Stephanie Wytovich, Lisa Morton, Christopher Golden, Jonathan Maberry, Stephen King, and plenty others. The wisdom within is like a treasure chest full of gold for writers, with some fascinating insights into the processes of established professionals. Some of it consists of practical tips, some is more abstract and philosophical. Definitely helpful for writers, but I also think a peek into the minds of the masters would be interesting to many fans and readers as well. Overall, a great collection of advice and anecdotes from those that have been there, done that, and brought us some of our favorite tales of terror for many decades.
Death Gets A Book by Frank J. Edler
4.0
Book Gets A Review
You know how when you get a new job, sometimes they just throw you in the fire with no training and let you suck at it until you figure it out? Well, this book answers the question: what about if that job was being death? I wasn't sure what to expect from reading this, but I enjoyed it. Genuinely funny, vulgar and gross but also whimsical and a solid story. It's kind of like a cross between a Tim Burton movie and a South Park episode. Good stuff.
You know how when you get a new job, sometimes they just throw you in the fire with no training and let you suck at it until you figure it out? Well, this book answers the question: what about if that job was being death? I wasn't sure what to expect from reading this, but I enjoyed it. Genuinely funny, vulgar and gross but also whimsical and a solid story. It's kind of like a cross between a Tim Burton movie and a South Park episode. Good stuff.
My Favorite Story Podcast Author Anthology by Armand Rosamilia, Christopher Golden, Brian Keene
5.0
I enjoyed every story in this anthology, and that is rare. This is a solid collection of entertaining fiction. Most of the tales would probably be considered horror, but there are also good doses of comedy, fantasy, psychological, western, suspense, and general weirdness. Some of the stories are serious, some are funny, some are a little disturbing. OK, a lot of them are disturbing, but in that awesome thought-provoking kind of way. This book contains a great variety and a chance to read new (to me) stories from authors I already liked as well as authors I never read before. Plus, each story has a blurb at the end in which the author explains why they chose it as their favorite. Very cool. This is easily one of my favorite fiction anthologies to come out in the past few years. Kudos to all the authors involved and to the Project Entertainment Network!