The Essential Sick Stuff by Ronald Kelly

 

In the foul and fetid darkness, it awakens. Vile, unstable, brimming with ill intent, like pus on the verge of eruption. Repulsive to gaze upon and even more disturbing to comprehend. It reaches out and discovers that the others—its siblings—have abandoned this cancerous womb long ago. Angry and alone, it thrashes violently…tearing, clawing its way from dormancy into daylight…and onto the dark playground of your bookshelf.

Amid these pages, Southern horror master Ronald Kelly has brought together a
loathsome assemblage of stories that cut deeply and expose the raw nerves of
fright and revulsion. Joining his extreme horror collections, The Sick Stuff and More Sick Stuff, is a third installment of yarns both new and old…Even Sicker Stuff.
Combined, they meld and morph, forming The Essential Sick Stuff. Twenty-three abhorrent tales to tantalize and torture the fragile psyche; to cause the stomach
to revolt and gooseflesh to crawl as though something, visceral and alive, lurks just beneath the surface…

I love short horror stories and normally when reviewing a collection I will mention my favorites by name. I can't really do that here because it would end up being a table of contents. I would need to list them all, since they are just that good.  Ronald Kelly is a master of his craft and these 23 stories more than live up to the title. There is indeed some very sick stuff to be found in this book. Spiders, ticks, snakes and otherworldly parasites lurk among the pages and infest unsuspecting characters in the most gruesome of ways.

That is not to say the "sick stuff" is confined to blood sucking creepy crawlies. There are plenty of twisted individuals of the human variety as one man finds out on his way home from the happiest place on earth with his young family in tow, when a simple pit stop veers off into horror and depravity. A winter storm awakens a desire to feast on human flesh, a demonic presence waits to be fed, an evil man gets what he deserves on Halloween in a story that made me think if it were a movie I would have to look away and peek at it occasionally through my fingers, not wanting to miss anything but unable to bear the full scope of horror.  A mother curses the family who wronged her son with grisly, blood curdling results, culminating in an eerie horseback ride that brought to mind Sleepy Hollow in a far darker and more disturbing way.  I may have lost a pound from all the calories I burned due to cringing and squirming in my seat while I read.

5 out of 5 stars

I received an advance copy for review.

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About the author

Ronald Kelly was born and raised in the hills and hollows of Middle Tennessee. He became interested in horror as a child, watching the local "Creature Feature" on Saturday nights and "The Big Show"---a Nashville-based TV show that presented every old monster movie ever made ---in the afternoons after school. In high school, his interest turned to horror literature and he read such writers as Poe, Lovecraft, Matheson, and King. He originally had dreams of becoming a comic book artist and created many of his own super heroes. But during his junior year, the writing bug bit him and he focused his attention on penning short stories and full-length novels. To date, he has had ten novels and eight short fiction collections published. In 1992, his audio-book, DARK DIXIE, was included on the nominating ballot for a Grammy Award.

He currently lives in Brush Creek, Tennessee with his wife, Joyce, his two daughters, Reilly and Makenna, and his son, Ryan (Bubba).

Nightmare by Chad Nicholas

 

Had it come back? No, it couldn't have. He had buried it for good. Or at least that's what Scott told himself. But what if it had? Was that why the scarecrow now watched him?

But the more Scott tries to ignore it, the more the evidence begins to pile up. So do the bodies. Because sometimes, the dead don't stay buried. Sometimes the monster survives.

As the bodies mount, and the secrets of his past grow more haunting, Scott must do whatever it takes to save his family. But what if by doing so, they find out what happened all those years ago? What if they realize what he did?

Scott learns that there is no escape from his own past, or the crows that have crawled out of it. He can only watch, as his life is turned into a living nightmare.

When I was asked to read this book I was not sure from the description whether  it was some sort of supernatural horror or psychological. I'm game for either one, and always happy to hear from new authors so here we are.

I did enjoy much of this dark and chilling tale and as a life long horror fan I am willing to engage in a suspension of disbelief. However I prefer to limit that to ghosts and ghouls and all manner of otherworldly beings. If a story includes legal or hospital procedure I prefer it to be accurate. I will give a made up example which is similar to something in the book but not an actual happening so as not to spoil anything.

Suppose someone stole your jewelry and you describe the thief to the police. Suppose from your description they know who this thief is, and they get a warrant and go their home where they find your jewelry and arrest the thief. Then they find out that you had some sort of previous mental problem. The thief does not get to walk free because of your past, but in a similar scene they do in this book. Yes I know criminals get off on all sorts of technicalities but this is not one of them and a little research should have been done.

It also bothered me that there was more than one mention of "doing the psychological procedure"  but not what this procedure supposedly was. Again if you are bringing what is meant to be a realistic subject matter into the plot research it a bit. These were not the only instances but I don't intend to pick it all apart and certainly do not want to discourage a new author.  

This was, at it's heart the story of a man who would do anything to protect his family even if it cost him his own life. It was quite original and very creative. Within the first few pages there is a horrific occurrence that hooked me immediately so I would say the author recognizes the importance of grabbing a reader's attention.

I'm going to give this a 3 out of 5 stars because I did like it even if I didn't love it.

I received an advance copy for review.

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About the author

Chad Nicholas is an author who enjoys writing mysteries and thrillers. He also has a love for writing horror novels, despite the fact that he has to watch horror movies in the daytime, like a coward, or else he gets nightmares.

Speaking of Nightmares…

https://www.thechadnicholas.com/

A World of Horror Edited by Eric J. Guignard

 

Every nation of the globe has unique tales to tell, whispers that settle in through the land, creatures or superstitions that enliven the night, but rarely do readers get to experience such a diversity of these voices in one place as in A World of Horror, the latest anthology book created by award-winning editor Eric J. Guignard, and beautifully illustrated by artist Steve Lines.

Enclosed within these pages are twenty-two all-new dark and speculative fiction stories written by authors from around the world that explore the myths and monsters, fables and fears of their homelands.

• In “The Wife Who Didn’t Eat,” a modest Japanese farmer’s prayer to the gods comes true . . . much to his dismay.

• In “Things I Do For Love,” the intertwined lives in an Indonesian village are upended by as diabolical and otherworldly a device as a simple whisper.

• In “Mutshidzi,” an African teen must raise her brother and run the household after their mother dies. But there is so much to do . . .

• In “Sick Cats in Small Spaces,” a vacationing Australian family come upon a ghost town where the actual ghosts are bottled and kept.

Also encounter the haunting things that stalk those radioactive forests outside Chernobyl in Ukraine; sample the curious dishes one may eat in Canada; beware the veldt monster that mirrors yourself in Uganda; or simply battle mountain trolls alongside Alfred Nobel in Sweden. These stories and more are found within A World of Horror.

Enter and discover, truly, there's no place on the planet devoid of frights, thrills, and wondrous imagination!

Table of Contents includes:

“Introduction: Diversity in Fiction” by Eric J. Guignard
“Mutshidzi” by Mohale Mashigo (South Africa)
“One Last Wayang” by L Chan (Singapore)
“Things I Do For Love” by Nadia Bulkin (Indonesia)
“On a Wooden Plate, On a Winter’s Night” by David Nickle (Canada)
“Country Boy” by Billie Sue Mosiman (United States of America)
“The Wife Who Didn't Eat” by Thersa Matsuura (Japan)
“The Disappeared” by Kristine Ong Muslim (Philippines)
“The Secret Life of the Unclaimed” by Suyi Davies Okungbowa (Nigeria)
“How Alfred Nobel Got His Mojo” by Johannes Pinter (Sweden)
“Sick Cats in Small Spaces” by Kaaron Warren (Australia)
“Obibi” by Dilman Dila (Uganda)
“The Nightmare” by Rhea Daniel (India)
“Chemirocha” by Charlie Human (South Africa)
“Honey” by Valya Dudycz Lupescu (Ukraine)
“Warning: Flammable, See Back Label” by Marcia Douglas (Jamaica)
“Arlecchino” by Carla Negrini (Italy)
“The Man at Table Nine” by Ray Cluley (England)
“The Mantle of Flesh” by Ashlee Scheuerman (Australia)
“The Shadows of Saint Urban” by Claudio Foti (Italy)
“Warashi’s Grip” by Yukimi Ogawa (Japan)
“The White Monkey” by Carlos Orsi (Brazil)
“The West Wind” by David McGroarty (Scotland)

I suppose I say it too often, but I love horror anthologies. They are especially good for when I'm between novels or don't have a lot of time and just want to read a few pages here and there, on a lunch break or before bed. What I really loved about this anthology is that it took me on a trip around the world without having to leave the safety of my home. I also loved that each story was accompanied by an illustration, because what good is a trip around the world without pictures!  All of these authors are new to me except for the dearly departed Billie Sue Mosiman. I have been a fan of her work for ages, she was a talented writer and a wonderful lady.

I found this book to be an interesting mix of the supernatural, serial killers, and folklore and a peek into the customs and superstitions of other countries. I enjoyed every story but the ones that are still etched in my mind are  On a Wooden Plate, On a Winter’s Night which was not just the normal reunion story that I thought it was at first. I love the way it surprised me. Country Boy, which was about a killer on the loose, The Wife Who Didn't Eat, about a lonely man who  has his prayers answered... sort of. The Secret Life of the Unclaimed which I can't really go into without spoiling it for you, Sick Cats in Small Spaces finds a family on what is liable to be their last ever family road trip...

I would recommend this anthology to any horror fan, particularly if you are wondering where is the diversity in horror? Because here it is!

4 out of 5 stars

I received a complimentary copy for review.

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Coffin Shadows by Glen Krisch, Mark Steensland

 

12 YEARS AGO
Janet Martlee’s infant son died under mysterious circumstances.
Consumed with grief and anger, she ran away to start again...

YESTERDAY
A 12-year old boy with dead eyes appeared in her classroom,
begging for help. But Janet doesn’t believe in ghosts...

TODAY
Her psychiatrist tells her she must return home to confront
her past and uncover the mystery of what happened...

Only some questions don’t want to be answered.
And some answers hide in the shadows...
In the 

COFFIN SHADOWS

Life seems to be going pretty well for Janet. She's in a good relationship, has a stable job, and a best friend who would do anything for her. All would be perfectly rosy if not for the parts of her past she can not remember and the sudden appearance of what looks like the corpse of a 12 year old boy that is  watching and stalking her. Her therapist tells her she must return home, to her parents from whom she has been estranged for years, in order to seek out the truth of what happened to her baby. The therapist believes that confronting her past will rid her of these visions of a dead child. This was a fast paced, chilling read in which some secrets are horrifying but uncovering them can be deadly.

4 out of 5 stars

I received a complimentary copy for review.

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