Filled with Fears and Fantasy. Death and Dark Dreams. Monsters and Mayhem. Literary Vision and Wonder. Each volume of the +Horror Library+ series is packed with heart-pounding thrills and creepy contemplations as to what truly lurks among the shadows of the world(s) we live in.
Containing 30 all-original stories, read Volume 7 in this ongoing anthology series, and then continue with the other volumes.
Shamble no longer through the banal humdrum of normalcy, but ENTER THE HORROR LIBRARY!
Included within Volume 7:
• In "Hand of Glory," a despairing prison inmate studies astral projection in order to escape his cell.
• In "The Key to Mabella," a cemetery groundskeeper discovers a mysterious vault key held by his predecessor and investigates what it unlocks.
• In "Abandon," a tour guide takes friends to visit his home village, long-since deserted and languishing under superstition.
• . . . and more!
• Also including a special guest-artist's gallery of Allen Koszowski!
I have had a love of short horror stories for as long as I can remember. Going all the way back to my childhood when my weekends were spent reading horror comics. Sometimes, in talking to people about horror I come across those who say they just don't care for short stories period. To each their own I suppose, but I often wonder if the reason they don't care for them is because they just haven't come across any that are especially well written. Its not easy to write short stories that have engaging characters and satisfying conclusions. Sometimes writers seem to skimp on the endings. There will be a dramatic buildup but then they don't leave enough time for an adequate ending. Just as you begin to enjoy it, poof it's over and you wonder why you bothered. I have read some of those too! But this is not that!
Having read some, but not all, of the previous volumes I can say that Horror Library Volume 7 is my favorite so far. I enjoyed the artwork, and all 30 stories are deliciously dark, with satisfying conclusions. That is not to say the stories all end well for our unsuspecting characters, these are definitely not your happily ever after type of tales, but they are well written, down to the last word.
Among my many favorites were Never Better by Michael Harris Cohen which begins with restaurant workers getting revenge on obnoxious customers, before it heads down an even darker path.
The Kid In The Ambulance by Suki Litchfield about an unexpected and unsettling encounter with a long lost friend.
Discovery of Blanks by Darren O. Godfrey about the fate of one man who believes not all people are real, and of his friend who finds out the truth.
Holder City by Garick Cooke In which man escorts a mysterious woman home after avoiding a collision on the road.
In The Valley by Bentley Little is a tough one to describe so I'll just say it's about the mother of us all.
I'm going to stop at this point because I've caught myself just going in order of the table of contents naming every story as one of my favorites. I don't think there was a bad tale in the bunch. There is mighty fine writing here.
I am going to recommend this to all horror fans, and lovers of dark fiction, including those who say they don't like short stories. This may be the book to change your mind.
5 out of 5 stars
I received an advance copy under no obligation to write a review.
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