pacardullo's reviews
278 reviews

Dead Earth: The Vengeance Road by David T. Wilbanks, Mark Justice

4.0

Fun all-out apocalyptic zombiefest continues where the authors’ "Dead Earth: The Green Dawn" leaves off. This time around, the authors greatly expand the cast and scope of their story, to good effect. Strong and novel sci-fi elements help separate this from run-of-the-mill zombie fare.

Shadowboxer by Trent Zelazny

5.0

Excellent novella of a man and the shadows of his soul as he attempts to recover from a personal tragedy. Even though it deals with the main characters' descent into a dark point in his life, it never overwhelms the reader. Compelling and cathartic.

The Book of Cthulhu by Ramsey Campbell, John Hornor Jacobs, T.E.D. Klein, Kage Baker, Steve Duffy, Brian McNaughton, Michael Shea, Molly Tanzer, Ann K. Schwader, Elizabeth Bear, John Langan, Edward Morris, Brian Lumley, Gene Wolfe, Laird Barron, Joseph S. Pulver, Sr., Charles Stross, Ross E. Lockhart, Tim Pratt, Charles R. Saunders, Joe R. Lansdale, Caitlín R. Kiernan, Bruce Sterling, W.H. Pugmire, David Drake, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Thomas Ligotti, Cherie Priest

5.0

A gigantic tome of Lovecraftian goodness. A great sampler of Mythos-inspired stories in a variety of styles and tones, and not a bad one in the bunch. If you enjoy seeing what various authors can do when playing in Lovecraft's world, you'll want to check out this collection.

Tentacle Death Trip by Jordan Krall

5.0

Truly inspired bizarro mash-up of "Death Race 2000" (the good one) and Lovecraft. The book races along at a brisk pace, taking the drivers and the readers through imaginative and nightmarish post-apocalyptic/Lovecraftian landscapes. Especially enjoyable are the many side-trips (flashbacks) that fill in the back-story and motivations for the characters. A strong finish grips the reader viscerally as well as emotionally. Good stuff.

Remember You're a One-Ball! by Quentin S. Crisp

5.0

"Remember You're a One-Ball!" is a fantastic and compelling novel dealing with the mistreatment of children by our society, the scars they carry to adulthood, and our possible complicity in all this. It is a tad hard to classify - horror, magical realism, bizarro, mystery? That doesn't really matter. It is an excellent read and well worth your time. Great stuff.

Oh, and no, he's not That Quentin Crisp (no relation). In fact, books such as this will let you know that This Quentin S. Crisp is his own person and his own voice. I definitely will be looking up more of his work.

Skeletons in the Swimmin' Hole: Tales from Haunted Disney World by Kristi Petersen Schoonover

4.0

Creepified Disney Fun. “Skeletons in the Swimming Hole” is a fun collection of short stories marrying horror and a love of the Disney theme parks. The stories range from funny to outright creepy and are all a blast to read. They will probably have the biggest impact on other Disney park fans, though the descriptions of the locations are enough that one does not need to be familiar with the details of the parks to enjoy the stories.

Mistification by Kaaron Warren

5.0

Excellent tale about tales and our need for them. The main character collects stories, and we are treated to them throughout the book in the form of flash fiction, poems, recipes, folk remedies, etc. Highly unusual in structure and voice, it may not be to all tastes. Those that are not off-put by the unusual nature of the book will find quite a gem. Frankly, I loved it.

Mr. Shivers by Robert Jackson Bennett

5.0

Excellent period horror/thriller. It's as if Tolkien and Steinbeck had a child who wrote somewhat cerebral horror. This is one of those books that I was sad to see end. (Chapter titles are in "hobo code" - a nice touch. A quick Google search can help bring up some resources for deciphering them.)

A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny

5.0

Super fun literary/cinematic horror mashup from [a:Roger Zelazny|3619|Roger Zelazny|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1207671346p2/3619.jpg] with illustrations by [a:Gahan Wilson|27075|Gahan Wilson|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1220802778p2/27075.jpg]. Two groups gather in Victorian London, one group attempting to open the way for The Great Old Ones and the other trying to close the way. Dr. Frankenstein, Dracula, Jack the Ripper, Sherlock Holmes,and many more come into play. The story is told through the point of view of their familiars, in particular through the eyes of Snuff the Dog, familiar to "Jack". Really fun stuff.

Made in Goatswood by Scott David Aniolowski

5.0

Great volume of Campbellian stories providing a nice variety of creepy and atmospheric tales all taking place in Campbell’s Severn Valley. The capstone on this collection is the fun tale “The Horror Under Warrendown” by Campbell himself. A nice read for Mythos fans.