The first big volume of Nightmare Abbey features 19 tales of terror by such masters as Ramsey Campbell, Steve Duffy, Lynda E. Rucker, David Surface, Helen Grant, Gregory L. Norris, Robert Bloch, Douglas Smith, James Dorr, and others. Plus, articles on Jacques Tourneur's classic horror film I Walked With a Zombie, and the iconic TV fright series Kolchak: The Night Stalker. Tons of photos and illustrations by Allen Koszowski. (From the creators of the popular Black Infinity series.)
Wednesday, June 1, 2022
Nightmare Abbey 1 Edited by Tom English
Monday, May 30, 2022
Lingering by Chris Coppel
The woods looked dark and ominous. Between the trees, where the darkness was blacker than black, dozens of slanted yellow eyes flicked open and stared back towards the house. They weren’t the eyes of anything human...
When Paul and Christy purchase Croft House, they are both looking forward to a new start. Christy’s abusive father is dying and she is ready to put the past well and truly behind her. But the house has other ideas. They soon realise there is something in the house, something that’s trying to communicate with them.
In their fear, they ask a local psychic to remove this entity. And in so doing, release something far, far worse.
Chris is also an accomplished drummer and guitarist. He currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Clare, and their very own scaredy-cat, Samantha.
Thursday, May 26, 2022
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.
Monday, May 23, 2022
Alfred Hitchcock's Ghostly Gallery
Eleven spooky stories for young people. "Good evening, and welcome to Alfred Hitchock's Ghostly Gallery..." So begins the introduction to this marvelous book for young readers presented by none other than the master of the macabre himself, Alfred Hitchcock. Following his invitation to "browse through my gallery", readers will find ghoulish ghost stories "designed to frighten and instruct" -- instruct, that is, about the strange existence ghosts must endure! Stories include "Miss Emmeline Takes Off" by Walter Brooks; "The Valley of the Beasts" by Algernon Blackwood; "The Haunted Trailer," "The Wonderful Day," and "Obstinate Uncle Otis," by Robert Arthur; "The Upper Berth" by F. Marion Crawford; "The Truth About Pyecraft" by H.G. Wells; "Housing Problem" by Henry Kuttner: "In a Dim Room" by Lord Dunsany: "The Waxwork," by A.M. Burrage: and "The Isle of Voices" by Robert Louis Stevenson. Parents and kids can't help but chuckle at Hitchcock's comment, "I don't want to appear disloyal to television, but I think reading will be good for you." Contains some very spooky two-color illustrations by Fred Banbery
Even though I know not to judge a book by its cover, that is exactly what attracted me to this anthology. I should not have judged it by the title either since I expected ghost stories and the majority of these tales are absent of spirits.
There were a few stories that I enjoyed, even though there were no scares to be found. Most of the stories were just not to my liking. Even "The Waxwork" which was made into one of my favorite episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents was kind of dull and flat here. Whoever they hired to turn it into a tv script is the one who added all the flavor and flair that is missing in this book.
The few stories that I liked were more whimsical than scary
I did enjoy The Wonderful Day in which a young boy drifts off to sleep after listening to his family gossip about the residents of their town. He thinks to himself that adults are confusing since they often say things they don't mean. He makes a wish as he falls asleep and soon the figurative becomes literal which is wonderful for some people but less so for others.
I also enjoyed Miss Emmeline Takes off, about a woman who sneaks into the home she lost after a financial difficulty to retrieve an important item that the new owner refused to let her take.
The Truth About Pyecraft was a fun story about a prescription for weight loss that works far too well.
The illustrations by Fred Banbery are amazing
I'm not sure that 3 stories out of 11 make a convincing argument in favor of this book but you may enjoy the rest more than I did. If you are interested there are plenty of used copies in decent condition floating around out there.