Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror Edited by Jordan Peele

 The visionary writer and director of Get Out Us and  Nope, and founder of Monkeypaw Productions, curates this groundbreaking anthology of all-new stories of Black horror, exploring not only the terrors of the supernatural but the chilling reality of injustice that haunts our nation.

A cop begins seeing huge, blinking eyes where the headlights of cars should be that tell him who to pull over. Two freedom riders take a bus ride that leaves them stranded on a lonely road in Alabama where several unsettling somethings await them. A young girl dives into the depths of the Earth in search of the demon that killed her parents. These are just a few of the worlds of  Out There Screaming, Jordan Peele’s anthology of all-new horror stories by Black writers. Featuring an introduction by Peele and an all-star roster of beloved writers and new voices, Out There Screaming is a master class in horror, and—like his spine-chilling films—its stories prey on everything we think we know about our world . . . and redefine what it means to be afraid.

Featuring stories by: Erin E. Adams, Violet Allen, Lesley Nneka Arimah, Maurice Broaddus, Chesya Burke, P. Djèlí Clark, Ezra Claytan Daniels, Tananarive Due, Nalo Hopkinson, N. K. Jemisin, Justin C. Key, L. D. Lewis, Nnedi Okorafor, Tochi Onyebuchi, Rebecca Roanhorse, Nicole D. Sconiers, Rion Amilcar Scott, Terence Taylor, and Cadwell Turnbull.

To be honest the only thing that caught my eye on this cover was the name Jordan Peele. As far as book covers go it's kind of bland for the horror genre.

 Being a huge fan of Jordan Peele movies I had hoped that the stories here would be as "spine-chilling" as his films. (As claimed in the synopsis)

Unfortunately, it's an inconsistent mixed bag more like his hit-or-miss Twilight Zone episodes were.

Stories worth a mention were Eye and Tooth by Rebecca Roanhorse, about monster hunting siblings.

 Lasiren by Erin E Adams about children who have been warned to never trust a woman alone in the water.

The Rider by Tananarive Due in which two sisters take an unexpected detour on their way to join the freedom riders in Montgomery. and Hide and Seek by P. Djeli Clark about children being raised by a mother with a strange addiction.

You may enjoy it more than I did. For me it was just an OK read.

3 out of 5 stars

My thanks to Random House.

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Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig

 

A small town is transformed by dark magic when a strange tree begins bearing magical apples in this new masterpiece of horror from the bestselling author of Wanderers and The Book of Accidents.

It’s autumn in the town of Harrow, but something else is changing in the town besides the season.

Because in that town there is an orchard, and in that orchard, seven most unusual trees. And from those trees grows a new sort of apple: Strange, beautiful, with skin so red it’s nearly black.

Take a bite of one of these apples and you will desire only to devour another. And another. You will become stronger. More vital. More yourself, you will believe. But then your appetite for the apples and their peculiar gifts will keep growing—and become darker.

This is what happens when the townsfolk discover the secret of the orchard. Soon it seems that everyone is consumed by an obsession with the magic of the apples… and what’s the harm, if it is making them all happier, more confident, more powerful?

And even if buried in the orchard is something else besides the seeds of this extraordinary tree: a bloody history whose roots reach back to the very origins of the town.

But now the leaves are falling. The days grow darker. And a stranger has come to town, a stranger who knows Harrow’s secrets. Because it’s harvest time, and the town will soon reap what it has sown.

There's something new at the farmer's market in the town of Harrow this season.

Dan Paxon, having reclaimed his father's land and his father's dream, has brought to market a most unusual apple. At first, there isn't much interest in it until Dan's daughter Calla, who aspires to be a social media influencer, tells Dan to hand out free samples. One taste is all it takes to have nearly everyone in town clamoring for more. Soon, the apples are selling out faster than Dan can harvest them. Those who've eaten them have begun to change. They're more focused, faster, stronger, healthier, and ...meaner. They're more aggressive, dangerous, and deadly. 

I love small town horror.  Black River Orchard delivers a diverse cast of characters that drive the story forward from multiple points of view, including the small group of people (and a cat! I loved the cat) who have refused to eat the apple and are aware that something evil is afoot. The first half of this book held me spellbound as the effects of the apple took hold of the town and its history was revealed. The middle seemed to stretch on more slowly and I was longing for those who knew the apple was dangerous to get on with whatever they were going to do about it. The final third of the book not only picked up the pace but was sheer unmitigated suspense and horror. 

I would love to see this jump from my kindle screen to the big screen. It deserves to be a blockbuster movie. Horror fans are getting tired of stale sequels and reboots.

My thanks to Del Rey 

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Book Spotlight- Writers' Retreat by by J.P. Choquette

 

Coming soon from J.P. Choquette!

Writers' Retreat is available for pre-order

About this book:

You’ve never been to a writing retreat like this.

Flora Rossi is under deadline and her agent has made it clear: meet it or the publishing house will drop her. Still recovering emotionally from a tragic accident and with her creative muse missing, the acceptance letter to Idyll Weiss Writing Retreat comes at a perfect time.

A full week away to write in a rustic home deep in the Vermont woods with a handful of other writers will be just what Flora needs to rekindle her creative spark. The fact that the exclusive writing getaway is led by bestselling-author-turned recluse, Venetia Valentine? It’s the stuff of dreams.

Or nightmares.

Because the retreat isn’t quite what Flora, or the others expected. Secretive staff, no electricity, a missing writer, and unanswered questions about the Retreat Center’s dark past are just the beginning.

As hard as it was to get into the retreat, getting out may be even harder.

Readers of books by Ruth Ware, Jennifer McMahon, and Susan Hill will enjoy this slow-burn suspense. Loaded with twists and turns, Writers’ Retreat is another unputdownable suspense novel by J.P. Choquette.

Movie Review - The Goldsmith

 

Cinephobia Releasing is proud to announce the North American release of THE GOLDSMITH, a captivating home-invasion thriller with a bloody twist that offers plenty of violent fun. The debut feature from director Vincenzo Ricchiuto, and starring veteran Italian actor Giuseppe Pambieri and Stefania Casini (Suspiria), THE GOLDSMITH will arrive on DVD and VOD, digital platforms on October 3, with platforms including AppleTV, Amazon Prime, Google Play, Vudu/Fandango, Vimeo, YouTube Movies, and Kino Now.

THE GOLDSMITH held its International Premiere at Grimmfest 2022, where it won Best Screenplay, and went on to have a healthy festival run and winning multiple awards including Screamfest 2022 (Winner: Best Special Effects, Best Make-up), Santiago Horror Film Festival (Winner: Best Sound Design),Terror in the Bay (Winner: Best Original Score),, and HorrorHaus Film Festival.

A trio of lifelong criminals expects to have an easy time robbing an elderly couple. At first glance, these old folks (played by Stefania Casini and Giuseppe Pambieri) look like anybody's favorite grandparents. A cheery retired couple, happily married and enjoying their quiet life, until a home invasion interrupts their peaceful evening.

Unfortunately for this trio, instead of treasures, they find themselves trapped and there is no escape from The Goldsmith.

I generally like to see the bad guys get what's coming to them but I almost felt some sympathy for the would-be robbers as I began to question whether anyone was really innocent here.

I would have liked more backstory on The Goldsmith and his wife and what exactly they were hoping to accomplish. The movie begins with a scene of the three criminals as children when they were already well into their violent crime spree. Later when several of their secrets are revealed it gives the viewer a pretty good grasp of their background, but very little was told of what the elderly couple had been up to.

There was just enough gore to satisfy this horror fan without being enough to make me cringe. Stefania Casini was equal parts terrifying and hilarious in her performance as The Goldsmith's wife and was my favorite part of the movie.

If you enjoyed Don't Breathe, or other home invasion movies that don't go as planned for the invaders, I think you'll like The Goldsmith.

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Fiends by Richard Laymon

 This book was first published in the 90s but I missed out on it at the time.

I have read a lot of Richard Laymon. I actually thought I had read all of his books, but that is because I never knew he wrote short stories and this novella.

Of these thirteen tales, the title story is the longest and also my least favorite in the bunch. It's mainly about a rapist who is back for revenge against those who sent him to prison, but he is not the only "fiend" in the story. Some of the actions of his main victim were just too ridiculous. I suppose her unbelievable choices were needed in order to make this novella length since she had ample opportunity early on to make sure this man never bothered her again. 

The rest of this collection was thoroughly witty, clever, creepy, disturbing, and hilariously disgusting.

From bratty kids who face gruesome consequences to vampires, serial killers and freeze-dried corpses, this book is a must for all Laymon fans.

4 out of 5 stars

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Joey Leonard's Last Horror Movie Marathon by Kevin Lucia

 

In Clifton Heights NY, Showbiz Video, the last video rental store in the Adirondacks, is finally closing its doors for good. Though cinephile and store manager Joey Leonard has anticipated this moment for years, he's still crippled by the loss. The store's now-deceased owner has willed him the entirety of the store's horror movies, and all Joey wants to do is drown his sorrows in booze and escape into a familiar, comforting ritual: a weekend horror movie marathon.

However, among the tapes willed to him, he finds a strange home-recording which he initially passes off as a low-budget "found footage" movie. As he repeatedly watches it, however, it works an insidious change over him, fracturing his perception of reality and revealing to him a blasted and terrifying version of the world he knows.

So, get comfy on the couch, pour yourself a drink, and pour another one for Joey, too.

It's very likely this will be his last horror movie marathon.

I think I enjoyed the nostalgia as much as I enjoyed the plot. This is a book that brought back a lot of great memories of Saturday mornings spent in the horror section of the video store picking out movies.

But alas the store managed by Joey Leonard is going the way of all the others, closing its doors forever. Joey has been given the store's entire horror collection and intends to settle in for a marathon and some heavy drinking. He finds something strange in his tote full of movies. A store bought blank tape on which someone has recorded something unexpected.  Once Joey starts watching it he can't stop, and it brings on terrifying consequences.

This was a fast paced cosmic horror with an ending I never saw coming. At the start of the book it had me wishing I still had my old VCR but now I feel safer that we have parted ways.

Be careful what you watch, and always be kind, rewind!

My thanks to Kevin Lucia for the review copy.

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Book spotlight- Autumn Nights volume 4: Nine Stories to Nibble at Your Nape

Well, look at me not writing an actual review! I just want to say I am sad to see that this will be the final volume of Autumn Nights. It's a fun and festive way to kick off my pre-autumn reads. 

Autumn Nights is a charity anthology and has raised thousands of dollars for worthy causes. Proceeds from this volume go to The Trevor Project.

Stories this year mainly focused on bats. Humanoid bats, vampire bats, people getting turned into bats, dead stuffed bats, they went totally batty for bats in this volume and it was a lot of fun. No trigger warnings to speak of, suitable for teens as well as adults.
 

Book Description

Falling leaves cover dying flowerbeds, chill gusts herald frosty nights, and pumpkins reach peak season. The denizens of darkness prowl earlier each evening.

Weddings and changelings, carnivals and hauntings… creepy creatures, and murderous intent all meet in this cozy horror anthology.

Bundle up with cider and gather 'round the campfire, or stay at home with the windows shut and the lights on—read however your heart desires.

Autumn Nights Charity Anthology Series is proud to present the final volume: Nine Stories to Nibble At Your Nape. This finale provides autumn-themed horror that’s safe for adults and later teens alike. No graphic violence, no SA, and minimal cursing is the promise of all Autumn Nights Charity Anthology books.

This year’s profits go entirely to the Trevor Project, an organization dedicated to providing crisis support and safe spaces for LGBTQ individuals through trained crisis counselors and advocacy.

We offer for your reading pleasure:

Echoans by L.T. Ward: Never threaten a creature who is unable to defend itself. You never know who keeps an ear out for them. Should you make this unfortunate mistake, you best remember for their protectors will be coming for you.

Nightheart by Fay Lane: Life hasn't been just unkind, but cruel to Morgan. Then the nighttime calls to her, an irresistible siren song into the darkness. There, she learns it's not her childhood horrors she needs to fear; it is they who need to fear her.

Small by Alexis L. Carroll: Struggling with the loss of his grandfather, Mikael visits a mysterious carnival. A night of wonders, hot dogs, and strange oddities just might leave Mikael changed forever when he makes a wish he can’t take back with a mischievous fortune teller.

Forgotten by Helen Whistberry: We all wonder what really happens to all of those deeply cared for toys when their children are gone. How long do love and control really last… And which is stronger?

Pestilence by Stefanie Contreras: Día de los Muertos is supposed to be a celebration of life, but Soledad and her brothers want revenge. They’ve always known their fate tangled with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse...they just never knew how soon that fate would be revealed.

The Legend of Grey Hollow by Jeff Ehrmann: When two vagabonds discover an ancient amulet, a creature of folklore returns to haunt a community harboring a dark secret. Ed and Gillian must discover how to escape the evil of the cursed talisman before everything in their wake becomes ruins.

Caged Hunger by Jaecyn Boné: Life isn’t exactly sunshine and roses for Sage but it was definitely a lot less stressful before they had to lock up that thing in their basement a couple weeks ago. With their favorite holiday coming up, all they want is to have a fun night with their mom and their girlfriend, not deal with the literal nightmare downstairs.

The Soul of a Bat by Frank L Tybush V: Vic’s new place seems great, but the once-theatre revamped into upscale apartments comes with a special resident who is insistent on meeting the new tenant. Vic only hopes that solving a sinister secret will be enough to save their life and sanity.

An Unexpected Talent by Eileen Curley Hammond: Miranda had a bad day that she thought couldn't get a lot worse. And that was before she stumbled over the dead body. Now she's in the middle of a Halloween murderer hunt and failing to uncover the perpetrator will mean the end of the world.

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