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josephvanburen's reviews
204 reviews
Cemetery Dance: Issue 71 by Richard Chizmar
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The Grey Album [poems] by Curtis Crisler
5.0
This whole collection indeed lives in the grey in the best possible ways. Life and death, history, social justice, personal memories, frighteningly deep contemplations, random moments of humor, and more musical references than a record store - it's all in these poems. But while other poets might place such subjects largely in black or white, Curtis Crisler summons both the dark and the light. This book embodies that Whitman variety of yin-yang, that Prince variety of precision. Each additional reading reveals another layer of complexity, another shade of grey. Highly recommended for anyone who appreciates how experimental language can speak of both personal expression and humanity's universal truths.
Garden of Fiends: Tales of Addiction Horror by Mark Matthews, Kealan Patrick Burke, John Fd Taff
5.0
The Rock N' Roll Horror Zine #5 by Ben Fitts
5.0
I really enjoyed this. It's a bit absurd, a little profound, and a whole lot of fun. The way rock n roll and horror should be!
The Voices of Martyrs by Maurice Broaddus
5.0
This is a truly amazing collection of short stories that span time, setting, and speculative subgenres: horror, dark fantasy, science fiction, afrofuturism, and steampunk. What sets this book apart from other short story collections I have read are three things Maurice Broaddus does extremely well: 1. His characters are believable and interesting. 2. His writing is brilliantly vivid. I'm talking close to Ray Bradbury imagery. 3. His messages are deep and inspiring. These stories have things to say, and they say them with pride and reverence for those that have fallen trying to say similar things. Most of the characters are of African descent, so some of the things being said revolve around race and culture, but that is only part of this book's magic. I am whiter than rice on a paper plate, and these stories moved me and made me think in profound ways. What the voices of the martyrs spoke to me is all about the awesome responsibility of humanity and the intense power of storytelling.
Dark Voices: A Lycan Valley Charity Anthology by Helen Mihajlovic, Lynn M. Cochrane, N.O.A. Rawle, Christine Morgan, Angela Slatter, Linda D. Addison, Sara Dobie Bauer, Charlie Hannah, Frankline E. Wales, Kitty Kane, Anne Nicholls, Kristal Stittle, K.D. Thomas, Eden Royce, Christa Carmen, Nancy Kilpatrick, Erin Sweet Al-Mehairi, Pauline E. Dungate, Michelle Scalise, Ruschelle Dillon, Angeline Trevena, Nemma Wollenfang, Hayley Orgill, Diane Arrelle, Marie O'Regan, Laura Mauro, E.F. Schraeder, Charlotte Bond, Keris McDonald, Theresa Derwin, Calypso Kane, Cara Fox, Amber Fallon, Billie Sue Mosiman, Penny Jones, Chesya Burke, Reen Jones, Mercedes Murdock Yardley
4.0
This is a huge charity anthology with a ton of great women authors of speculative fiction. The stories (and two poems) run the gamut from serious to whimsical and contain just about every horror trope possible plus moments of science fiction and fantasy. It was a great way to read some authors I already like and discover new authors as well. Featuring 38 authors, this tome has something for anyone who enjoys their literature on the dark side. Plus, 100% of the proceeds go to benefit breast cancer non-profit organizations, so you can support a great cause and get some good dark reads at the same time.