Brave New Weird: The Best New Weird Horror, Vol. 2 — A Review

The Brave New Weird World is here, and it’s an eye opener 

Cover image courtesy of Tenebrous Press
Click on image for where to buy

A brave series of shorts from Tenebrous Press where tales of the increasingly weird don’t feel so outrageously impossible at the dawn of the new world we’re living in. A new world where many of the wonderful stories within it could quite possibly get it banned. That isn’t hyperbole. These stories touch on a broad range of topics from transgenderism to environmental negligence to autonomous healthcare decisions to the advancement of AI for all the wrong reasons. Which is why you should check them out, because the Brave New Weird is here and now. 

Like most anthologies, not every story is going to hit you in the right way, but I didn’t find one story that was less than worthy of a 3 ( the average "I liked it" grade), with most being well worthy of 4s and 5s ("really liked it," or "best read ever!"). The list of the ones that resonated most for me include: 

In That Crumbling Home, by Thomas Ha—A post apocalyptic tale about a girl and a blood tree and the hope that resides in a future generation. 

A Balanced Breakfast, by Eirik Gumeny—A diabetic podcaster summons a demon for an interview by casting a spell with the use of sugary breakfast cereals. 

The Man Outside, by Simone le Roux—He's always present in a young girl's life, beginning at age eleven, and as she grows year after year toward adulthood, he creeps closer and closer. 

As the Music Plays Groovy, by Michael Bettendorf—When the voice of reason comes from Nic Cage through your AI assistant device, maybe you should rethink things. 

The Sound of Children Screaming, by Raechel K. Jones—Because the best defense in a school shooting is a portal to a different world. 

Quietus, by Premee Mohamed—The quest to find meaning through the eyes of an RPG soldier. 

These are by far not the only picks that I enjoyed, but they’re a good sample of what to expect. These thoughtful pieces of horror all have something to say about the world we live in now and the challenges we face in the very near future. Things to think about, things to defend in our lifetime, things to resist if we want to preserve our general humanity. And yes, I am writing this after the disappointing results of our 2024 election. But I was ready to give this book high praise before that. I find many of the stories here all the more relevant.

Click on the cover image for a direct link to Tenebrous Press, or look for the book at most online book retailers.

A Dark and Rising Tide — An entertaining creature feature by Debra Castaneda

Cover image courtesy of
Shadow Canyon Press

 A Dark and Rising Tide is a well written people vs nature story, with a monster akin to those horror movies of the late 70s through 80s to boot. I’m reminded of Tremors. I’m reminded of Jaws. I’m reminded of Aliens. I’m reminded of Chtuthlu, for obvious reasons, and I’m almost certain that I’ve spelled Cthulhu wrong. Again (one is correct, according to autocorrect, so I’ll trust it—just this once).

But I digress. Back on point, this is a fun, casual horror read about ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. Carla, a restaurant owner in a seaside tourist town, is just trying to make ends meet after the recent death of her son from a boating accident. She has regulars to her restaurant along the pier. She has a love interest in Peter, a retired lifeguard and park ranger. They make a nice couple, but Carla isn’t ready to commit due to the loss of her son.

Then a storm blows in, and the conspiracy theorist among regular patrons says there are monsters afoot. And he's right. Trapped by the storm, Carla and Peter, and a host of other small town characters are forced to deal with it. If you’re a fan of any of the classic movies that I’ve listed above, you just might like this read.

Check out this GoodReads link for where to find it, and for more reviews.

Short Story Review—Yellow Carousel by Timothy G Huguenin

 Yellow Carousel by Timothy G Huguenin

I don’t often make the time for short stories unless I find them in an anthology, which is a serious demerit for me, I know. But while cleaning out my emails, which are full of read requests for award considerations, I came across this gem from a year ago, written by HWA member Timothy G. Huguenin. It's a cosmic horror piece about the regrets we have, and the past we long for as our time on this earth grows short. It ends on a decidedly weird note, and I’m not going to spoil it, but it’s worth checking out here at the website Cosmic Horror Monthly: 

https://cosmichorrormonthly.com/fiction/the-yellow-carousel/

Timothy G. Huguenin is s new author to me, but after this quick read, he's one I will keep on my radar. His best known title, according to GoodReads, is Little One.

Look for more of his books here: https://tghuguenin.com/

Cover Image found at GoodReads

Horror Fantasy set in Appalachia -- Where Dark Things Grow by Andrew K. Clark

 

Cover image courtesy of
Cowboy Jamboree Press

A well written YA/New Adult piece of folk horror set in Appalachia during the depression. It took me a while to get invested in this story of a rural mountain boy literally just trying to survive with his family during the Depression. Fifteen year old Leo is a meek and obedient kid from the start, trying to earn coin to help pay for necessities for the household that includes a pair of brothers, a sick little sister and a mother who has lost any hope of a better life since her no good husband up and left the family. Again.

Mama tasks Leo with the job of going into town and finding dad, who is probably wasting what little money the family has on bars and brothels. But the first third of the book is Leo avoiding this chore. Instead, he hangs with an old widow who pays him for jobs she can't do, and who feeds him stories of the danger and magic in these woods--in particular, tales of wulvers. Author Clark spends a lot of time setting Leo up as a bit of a shy loser here. Leo avoids sharing his feelings for his crush named Lilyfax, he fails to stand up to bullies, and he kowtows to preachers who are clearly questionable men of the cloth. But he also has a special gift, it seems, when we learn that he has almost a sixth sense relating to wild animals. Enter that magical creature, the Shadow Wulver.

The story picks up dramatically at this point. The connection to this mythical beast changes both Leo and the course of the story, where the wulver could become the power that Leo needs to help his family through heartbreak and hardship, or something more dangerous that both exposes and feeds off of Leo's repressed anger. This dichotomy was what made the overall story most interesting for me. It propels Leo into his real journey, to find out what happened to his dad, which plunges him into another story altogether--to find out why several young women have gone missing--many of them from that brothel dad likes to visit.

Clark could have easily made a misstep here, where the young male lead plays the hero to the helpless beautiful girl, but he manages to avoid that trap. What I'm saying, is that the women in the story are not all helpless, and that's a good thing. Whether Leo helps save anyone or becomes an unassuming participant in their demise is for the reader to find out.

Also, categorizing this book can be tricky. It has young adult characters but may be more suitable for a slightly older readership. It contains themes of rape, and domestic and sexual abuse, but Clark manages to infer these things more than showing them. And the strength of the female characters is well done. In fact, while the story mostly focuses on Leo's perspective, there are a few chapters that jump to certain female characters using a first person perspective, and those brief passages are some mighty fine writing, imo.

All in all, an entertaining read for the folkloric horror fan.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Find a copy of Where Dark Things Grow HERE.

Experimental Film by Gemma Files — A Slow Burn of a Gothic Tinged Folk Horror Tale.

 A slow burn of a supernatural mystery that takes place in the world of film as art (and not standard storytelling), the actual storytelling can be profoundly deep at times. I feel like this piece is meant for a niche audience, and yes, I just happen to fall into that category.

Cover Image courtesy of 
ChiZine Publications

The protagonist is an art film historian, a student and teacher of the movement, and me, having graduated from a state school with a film degree—under the mentoring of the likes of Ken Jacobs and Ralph Hocking, felt comfortable in the environment that author Gemma Files has created.

Within that regard, this is an interesting story. You have a mother, torn between her passion for art and her special needs child Clark. Lois, the mom, finds an important discovery in the world of underground film and film history in general, when she stumbles upon a woman who was present at the start of it all, Iris Whitcomb. But because of her mysterious disappearance, after the disappearance of her own son at a young age, Whitcomb's potential mark on the history of filmmaking has been lost. That is until Lois connects some significant dots and garners a grant to suss out the entire story, and to prove it.

Lois becomes obsessed with the project, leaving the rest of the family —her mom and her overly patient husband Simon, to do the lion's share of caring for Clark. The trick here is empathizing with Lois in her quest to find the story for the sake of film history and women in film history, and I’m not sure Files pulls it off entirely. It’s important to note that the character Lois feels guilty about Clark in some ways, never feeling like Clark quite connects with her as a mom and always feeling like he is the way he is because of her own potentially neurodivergent inadequacies.

Clark, by the way is wonderfully portrayed in my opinion. And the culmination of the secondary story and of what Lois learns and accepts—because of Clark—is worth the time to tackle this otherwise slow paced read. The horror and supernatural elements have more of a haunting gothic quality rather than outright gore, so if you’re looking for a slow unraveling of creepy ambiance, this read might be for you. But solving the mystery of Iris Whitcomb's disappearance, and its connection to an ancient folktale of a goddess who needs to be seen and worshipped is the main story, and it takes time to link it to Lois's struggle with her responsibilities as a parent to Clark.

Click on the book cover above for a link to the book's GoodReads page. 

Cunning Folk by Adam Nevill -- A Horror Novel about How to NOT Deal with New Neighbors

Cover Image courtesy of
Ritual Limited

Beware of your neighbors. They’re exactly who you think they are. That’s essentially what this book is about.

When a young, financially struggling family finds a fixer upper in a wealthier countryside neighborhood, they dismiss the previous owner's suicide to achieve the dream of being homeowners. But it’s a challenge to live next door to the most perfect estate on the street, especially when the elderly couple living there has prejudices and standards and snooty rules. Grudges build quickly, and window watching from a house that falls apart faster than it can be fixed exposes creepy WTF suspicions and revelations that build with every new peek. There is something terribly wrong with the neighbors, and their poisonous ways are seeping into the new family's back yard.

I have witnessed (and been through) enough cringeworthy neighbor confrontations and unintentional glimpses to understand the increasing madness that our MC Tom experiences. He's driven to that madness because of one niggling disagreement. Then another. And another. Each, building on the other toward a horrific end.

This book is weird. And funny. And heartbreaking. And splattery. A worthy folk horror read. 

Click on the cover image above to check out more reviews on Goodreads, and to find links to your favorite bookstores.

Sacrilege by T. N. Vitus — Another Brief Book Review

Folkloric fantasy with a touch of magical realism and horror, Sacrilege is a well written novel with atmospheric charm. Emelie lives in a secluded village, cut off from the world surrounding it because of the religious elders who run it by sowing fear. When her childhood friend Halvar returns, having been banished along with his father when he was a boy, Emelie saves him from the wickedness of rumors and gossip by claiming he has returned to ask her hand in marriage. 

You see, the village has been increasingly under attack by what the elders claim are shifters and wolves, and Halvar's return coincides with a recent, and grisly death. This leads to an on the spot, forced marriage between two broken souls who…are ultimately meant for each other. Maybe Emelie's primary goal is to escape the control of her pious family and this repressive life, but leaving it under a ruse of a marriage to face the dangers of the outside world is daunting.

I found this story had hints of Beauty and the Beast in terms of the relationship between Halvar and Emelie, but make no mistake. The story and the relationship stand firmly on their own two feet. If you are more akin to romance over horror, well…this story is probably for you. The intimacy between Halvar and Emelie is perfect. Except that Maybe Halvar is too perfect. He's fairytale perfect. 

The story mostly touches on themes of being outcast and manipulated and repressed by religion—which is something I tend to gravitate to when I read (and write). Emelie is allowed to grow upon leaving her village, but ultimately she must return to face her past and the judgement of the village residents. If those are topics that you frequent, by all means check out Sacrilege.

Horror Movie -- A Brief (Book) Review of Paul Tremblay's Latest

Cover Image courtesy of
William Morrow

 Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay is one weird book, the kind that deserves a bit of serious contemplation after all is said and done, a true example of what some people like to call elevated horror. Horror Movie is only my second Paul Tremblay book, the first being The Pallbearer's Club, and this story has similar vibes. It cleverly tells the story of a young group of post college age adults who set out to make a low budget horror film, and our narrator is the man behind the movie monster mask thirty years later. He's only known to us as The Thin Kid.

The Thin Kid is our narrator for reasons. He's about to embark on a journey to make a "reboot" of a film that was never officially completed but had become a cult hit from leaked footage online. So what we get is three different narratives; our kid retelling the past during the shoot, then him revealing bits of the present and where the major players of the movie are now (including himself), then finally the horror movie itself as written in the form of the screenplay.

It's a slow and creepy unraveling of events as told by an unreliable narrator, and it's full of triggering topics including suicide, body horror (as in Pallbearers Club), bullying and ostracizing. Thematically, it touches on identifying the monster behind the mask, how those monsters just might be a reflection of ourselves in some ways, or how we as a society just might be responsible for creating the things that we fear.

It can get confusing with all the story jumping from the Then to the Now, plus a screenplay that feels like it would get thrown in the DNF heap if it was an actual real live submission (I've read a lot of screenplays, so I'm a little biased on this point). BUT this was a low budget horror shoot from a young writer character, so in that context, I need to give the script part of it some leeway. The plot twists show up through the last half of the book, and man are they some crazy, confounding and heartbreaking plot twists.

I want to thank Mr. Tremblay and William Morrow for approving ARC access via NetGalley. Look for it at all major and independent book retailers.

Daughter of the Beast—A Quick Review

 

Cover image courtesy of
DieselPunk Creative

Zyntael Fairwinter is a young Kimora girl whose village is raided by a rival race of wolflike beasts known as the Vulkari, then groomed to become a potential warrior among their kind in this well written folkloric fantasy tale. It’s a 3+ read for me while not quite tipping into 4 territory.

High marks for characterization and world building. Greaves builds a solid YA world for a high school junior through new adult reader. It's in tune with many an old world fantasy novel with its dwarves and goblins and the like in an ages old battle for domination. The Vulkari leader Karthak, who becomes Zyntael's teacher and surrogate mother, is an admirably complex antagonist who has a purpose for kidnapping and enslaving little Zyntael even though we might not entirely know what that purpose is by story's end.

The bulk of the story, though, feels like the backstory to a bigger epic, and since it’s the first of a trilogy that makes sense. But because of it, the middle half of the book dragged a bit for me. It focuses mostly on Zyntael's journey from unassuming 8 year old girl to her role in a war between nations by the time she reaches adulthood. The girl was enslaved, then accepting of her decided role among the Vulkari without question. Granted, she's eight at the beginning, and her life path, as decided for her, is unique—an admirably strong female character most definitely, but the one thing that nagged me (and which is eventually touched on in the last quarter of the book), is why she never sought out the life she had before, or the people in it. Because of this, I never developed a deeper connection to Zyntael. 

But this is a trilogy. This first book feels like it’s meant to be the setup for the real challenges to come. Zyntael makes connections from both her past, and most definitely for her future that might sway other readers to continue.

Also, I’m less of a fantasy reader and more of a horror reader, so I easily recommend fans of the genre to check it out.

A Very Short Review of a Very Short Horror Discussion

Cover Image courtesy of Oxford University Press                        

Horror: A Very Short Introduction by Darryl Jones, is part of a lengthy series of academic books that ranges through seemingly endless topics from science to history, philosophy, religion and entertainment. Type a word in your search engine, add very short introduction, and you’re more than likely to find a book from this series. These books are designed to give you a taste, an overview of the topic of choice, along with some initial insight into why and where to research further. And that's exactly what this particular book on horror does.

It's a short read that breaks down the fundamental subgenres of horror, from monsters to body dysphoria to  madness to fear of the uncommon or unknown. It touches on the origins of these subgenres, why they exist and the underlying meaning driving these kinds of stories. It's a fine book for a beginning researcher looking to understand the merits of the genre, maybe. I categorize myself as more than a novice when it comes to horror, so much of the book was a refresher as opposed to a presentation of a new outlook.

But the book proposes to be a very short introduction, and that's what it is. A fine starter for a beginning horror writer, aficionado or the horror curious.

Find a link to buy it here.  HORROR: a very short intro

Chuck Wendig's Black River Orchard — A Quick Review of a Delicious Horror Gem

Cover Courtesy of Del Rey Books

I don’t know where to begin, other than to say that this was one great book. Diverse and complex characters who find themselves up against an unusual cult of…well, people who don’t even recognize that they are being drawn into said cult. 

It begins with Dan Paxon—an apple orchard farmer who just wants to catch a break and make a successful living from his hard work and dedication. He just wants to pay the bills and be remembered for something. An apple. His apple. And when he stumbles upon one doozy of a vintage variety, his life, and the future prospects for his teenage daughter Calla, changes dramatically.

I don’t want to give away more than that. But the book starts as a slow unraveling of odd behavior as we get to know the characters and feel for the characters and understand the characters as they fall in love with these outrageously delicious apples that are, well, not what they seem to be. The villains here even garner my sympathy (until they don't) and I can’t help but wonder if the story is an allegory for things happening in our lifetime—without being too specific about those things happening in our lifetime.

Great read. Even at 600 plus pages. I highly recommend it and can visualize it as a limited series directed by someone like, I don’t know…Mike Flanagan? So hey, Mr. Flanagan, if you’re looking for something new, check it out! Give Chuck Wendig a call!

Friends With Death by James Wright—An apocalyptic horror comedy

Indie Published — Find it at
Amazon.com

Friends with Death, by James Wright is a debut horror comedy novella that follows the Grim Reaper, Death, when he finds himself out of a job as the harvestor of souls because of a zombie apocalypse. He befriends an isolated community of introverts and decides to befriend them, because he's never really had friends and he's sort of lonely. It turns out that the socially awkward introverts have similar degrees of loneliness, so this could be an interesting experiment.

It also turns out that socially awkward moments in a zombie hellscape can be quite funny when delivered in a narrative style that I, for some reason, heard in my head as being told by David Attenborough. Or Wes Anderson. maybe not as quirky as Anderson, but sometimes the inner thoughts and feelings of those characters were presented in a similar deadpan matter of fact way. I will admit, there were a few moments in the story that dragged because of it, but there were also some surpriingly funny tidbits that warranted a nod, a need to highlight some text on my kindle and to mark that text as Nice!

If you are a fan of zombie comedies like Shaun of the Dead or Zombieland, then this read might be for you. If you are a fan of Pratchett or Christopher Moore, and their depictions of Death as a character, then this read might be for you. Either way, check it out. You might be pleasantly surprised by what you find.

Blood Bank — A Very Short Review of a book by various horror authors

 

Cover image courtesy of
Blood Bound Books

It took me two years to get through this horror anthology of short stories that was published back in 2022, but that doesn’t make it any less worth your while. So let me justify the length of time.

I don’t give anthologies and short stories, in general, near the love that they deserve,  but they serve an essential purpose in my quest to keep reading — even if it’s only a little bit in a day. The short story anthology is the perfect book to leave on your nightstand when you know you have fifteen or twenty minutes, but you also know that you have to get up in the g*ddamned morning, and investing that time in a full length novel with its potential cliffhangers to push you past your designated lights out time is infeasible. Also, good for that quick dose of reading you might sneak in on a lunch break at work.

So, give the short story anthology some love, world! I was drawn to this horror collection for two reasons: Neil Gaiman, and a charitable cause. Gaiman's contribution, We Can Get Them For You Wholesale, does not disappoint. But there are other horror authors to enjoy here too. I really enjoyed Jeff Strand's First Date, because horror with a healthy dose of humor often gets me. Kristopher Triana's Pictures of a Princess is creepy and disturbing as it tackles obsession, and Mona Kabbani's Cursed Objects hits a nerve with the desire to get even when you've been labeled as an outcast. Patrick Freivald's A Better Hate serves up some poignant Indigenous holiday horror, and The End of Time on Rosewyld Lane, by Jay Wilborn is heartbreakingly excellent.

This short story collection has a number of snippets that you might love, or even hate, but it’s a solid collection of horror, and the proceeds go to a good cause—a literacy program called Read Better, Be Better, out of Arizona.

So, check this anthology from Blood Bound Books out! It encourages reading for everyone, whether it’s in support of reading programs in general or whether it’s just you or me trying to get a little bit of reading in on a daily basis.

The Third Installment of the Stephen Graham Jones Lake Witch Trilogy is HERE! (Almost…)

If you're looking for that next horror book preorder, and if reading My Heart is a Chainsaw and Don’t Fear the Reaper left a ragged hole in your heart because you needed more, well… The third and final (as of now) installment is heading to bookstores this March, and the chance to preorder is now.

Cover Photo courtesy of Saga Press

I was ever so fortunate to acquire an advanced copy, and I’m popping up this review now, so that you beautiful horror minded people can keep it on your radar. Because you are beautiful. The horror community, in general, is one of the best, right? Anyway, book review, below:

I was super excited to be granted an ARC copy of this book, the third in the Lake Witch trilogy written by Stephen Graham Jones. The first two books, My Heart is a Chainsaw, and Don’t Fear the Reaper were big, splattery tales of slashers gone wild, with metadoses of pop horror culture Easter eggs to lure in the hardcore horror movie fans. Or even the softcore ones. Angel is no different in this regard. It is often times an exploded, pulpy mess of confusion, but that’s what the truest forms of the horror genre are, I suppose. Lots of twisted trails of our blood soaked nightmares. I'm trying too hard to evoke images of guts and gore, I know. But that’s what the trilogy is; Jade Daniels, the Native American final girl who can never be that. A final girl. 

This story brings Jade back to Proofrock, the idyllic little lakeside community in Idaho that has become one of  America's top destinations for murder. Jade returns after being incarcerated for her crimes from the first two books, and after enduring some state mandated therapy. But she’s out and she’s back, and she’s snagged a teacher position at her old high school, thanks to online college courses and friends with money in high places. As Jade pops pills to help her stay sane, it happens again. Students go missing, wind up dead, and ultimately have a connection with Jade and her obsession with horror.

I feel like Jones felt the pressure of having to top the frenetic pacing of books one and two here, but as is the case with many a part three story ( especially in film), the attempt doesn’t always hit the mark. This does not mean that I wasn’t entertained. Far from it… But some of the deaths/mayhem felt gratuitous. And by gratuitous, I mean deaths that just happened without provocation. I’m talking Tucker and Dale level accidents. Some of the deaths were certainly unexpected but also random, as in Final Destination random, but they didn’t feel intrinsic here.

That having been said, I feel like the number of relevant shocks and surprises outweighed the baseless ones. Favorite characters are not safe here, and the first one to go (for me) had me shouting “you bastard," at Jones—in a good way. We see everything from Jade's POV, which can be challenging because she’s not a linear thinker, but it’s true to character so be prepared. Also, reading the first two books is essential.

I think two of my favorite things about how this story was laid out, were the asides written by an investigative firm about Jade's mental state and progress after jail (yes, Mr. Jones, sir. I’m calling it jail too), and the one story thread that had me comparing Jade to Ripley in Aliens. If there is one person to focus on saving, that’s the one.

And finally, thanks to Mr. Jones and Saga Press for providing the ARC. It was one wild ride!

Tap the link here to purchase from Amazon. OR tap here to purchase from Bookshop.org…

First Book Review of 2024 -- Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language -- by Gretchen McCulloch

Cover image courtesy of
Penguin Random House/Riverhead Books

 

My oldest son gave this book to me one Christmas, many many years ago, ;) ... and I've been gradually getting through it to the point where the new rules of language don't necessarily feel that new. My bad. Seriously it is, because while it took me nearly two years to finish this book, I actually did enjoy it.

My nonfiction reading generally tends to be historical research necessary for writing historical fiction. I am predominantly a fiction reader with fiction review goals, while my son... is not. Still, we manage to have meaningful conversations within an extended family that spans from the Silent Generation to the future--what are they, Alphas, now? I don't know yet, but the internet plays its role in keeping us together in spite of our vast differences when it comes to social media language. We share memes and catchphrases, movie quotes, and we often ask questions like "WTF is FUBAR?" or "What do you mean, 'You lost the game?' What game?" (For those who just lost the game, you're welcome...)

Language is meant to evolve, and this book breaks down why we need to accept this by focusing on the evolution of internet and social media language in particular. It gives a little nod to every generation for the complex nature of evolving language and their role in its progress. It might give older generations a better perspective on why, say, a period after a texted sentence is potentially a faux pas. Personally as a writer, I'm not fully accepting of the elimination of punctuation in text threads. Sue me. I was born before '69 (nice). But with the internet influence on the ever evolving fluidity of our language, maybe those Millennials, Gen Zs and Alphas (?) will one day change their minds. Gen X and the Boomers can only hope.

Click on the cover image to purchase through Amazon.