Corpse Honey: A Banquet of Gruesome Tales by Michael J. Picco

 

"Out of the eater came something to eat; out of the strong, came something sweet." What is 'corpse honey, ' you ask? Is it something bitter or is it something sweet? Well, it is honey, after all, so let's assume it's sweet - so sweet in fact, that everything you eat afterward tastes like ashes. No? Then it must be bitter. So bitter that it leaves your tongue blistered and festering. Perhaps it's both bitter and sweet. Maybe it tickles the inside of your skull - like your head has been filled with bees. Some are there to make honey, some are there just to sting you... over and over. One thing is for certain: corpse honey is not for the squeamish. After all, even the sweetest honey is "loathsome in his own deliciousness..."Corpse Honey is a collection of twelve gruesome tales, drawing inspiration from the natural world, folklore, and fever dreams. Within these pages, you will find the lesser-known horrors that lurk in the shadows of our world: the possessed, the cursed, and the afflicted - and worst of all, the monsters with the all-too-human faces. For nearly a decade, award-winning author Michael Picco has brought his disturbing and strange visions to readers around the world. He is proud to present Corpse Honey, his second collection of disturbing stories - a banquet of grisly tales sure to satisfy even the most gruesome of appetites.

What first caught my eye was this gorgeous cover, designed by the author himself. It made me want to read Corpse Honey before I even knew that it was a collection of short horror stories, which of course made me want to read it all the more.

Some of these tales are more sci-fi than horror and others lean towards psychological thriller. My favorites are those with supernatural overtones. 

The author employs the stream of consciousness technique in the narrative which may be jarring for some readers who are not expecting the unusual syntax and rough grammar or heavy use of dashes and ellipses instead of the more conventional use of punctuation. For me, it put me into the characters' thought processes almost making me part of the stories.

Among my favorites were The Bark Men, which is a coming-of-age tale surrounding two young cousins' encounter with mysterious beings deep in the woods of Colorado. I would like to see this story developed into a full-fledged novel. It was both sad and creepy at the same time.

I also enjoyed Isle For One? - a Satirical, darkly humorous look at customer service that has not improved in pandemic times. If you've ever sat on hold while listening to a recorded voice this is for you.

Another favorite was Mortimer the Maus in which a man recalls a childhood visit to a cut-rate unsavory amusement park that went from unpleasant to horrifying when he became separated from his neglectful father. This one made my skin crawl.

Under My Bed... Where The Lower Things Crept - After being frightened by a story his older sister tells him, a boy is forced to give up his bedroom and move into the room where grandma died. Is there something evil under the rug? Or is it all in his mind?

All I have to say about The Popelick Goatman is Ladies, this is exactly why if you break up with your man on a dark and stormy night, you do not get into his junk car and drive off with nowhere to go. You stay inside where you are safe and warm and you toss his ass out. Let the Goat man have him, he deserves it. Trust me and learn from this.

Not every story was my cup of tea but these were my favorites, yours may be different. Recommended for readers who enjoy horror. sci-fi or weird tales.

4 out of 5 stars

My thanks to the Denver Horror Collective for the finished paperback copy.

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