Short Book review: Demons by Daylight by Ramsey Campbell

 

Image courtesy of Venture Press

A Hit and Miss Collection of Campbell’s Early Work

This is actually my first Ramsey Campbell book, and I know. What took me so long, right? That being said, I was a little disappointed. I thought, as an established author, this should have been better—I mean, am I the only one who is going to address the number of typos, particularly in The Guy, where double quote marks stood in for apostrophes? And it happened a lot! I mean, come on. I"m not the best at knowing what"s right and what"s wrong on the page, but when it"s as consistent as that, it"s pretty annoying...

But then that's an editor's job, so maybe I should cut Campbell a little slack. Maybe it's just the edition I happened to read, who knows? And then I reminded myself that this is a series of shorts from Campbell's early career, and I have to admit that there’s a clear voice and style that reflects real talent. Even if they are sometimes hard to follow or seemingly cut short at the end. It could also be, in part, to my limited exposure to British writing. But not by much.

The germ of an idea that inhabits each story is pretty brilliant in most cases. The Enchanted Fruit is delicious except for the ending that felt incomplete. Made in Goatswood, Concussion, The Stocking, Sentinels, Second Staircase—all worth discussion within the realm of literary horror.

Short Book Review: Man, Fuck This House -- by Brian Asman

Image courtesy of Mutated Media

Count this one as a quick, horror read with a wacky ending.

I hovered between a three and a four with this one until the ending took a turn for the bizarre. A family moves into a new house that is really nice. But the kids are creepy (at least one of them is), the dad is happily clueless, and the mom—Sabrina— is going through a bit of a midlife crisis over amounting to nothing more than being "mom."

Mom isn’t enthused with the move to satisfy her husband's job related advancements, but the house—it settles her, kind of. Eventually. Until it doesn’t. And there you have the title for the book.

Damien, the youngest of Mom's two children, and living up to the standard for the name, sets a living nightmare in motion when he sets out on a mission to scare the h-e-double-hockey-sticks out of his mother. But supernatural forces aren’t to be reckoned with, and his plans go awry. Deadly awry.

A touch of Poltergeist. A touch of King Kong in a very weird way. There is nothing truly "deep" about this one. But it's a worthwhile read in the category of horror lite.

Look for Man, Fuck This House here.

 Book Review: Blue, Upstate by John Painz

First and foremost, I really enjoyed this book. If you like Tarantino or Scorsese or Elmore Leonard, chances are you'll really like this book. Was it perfect? No. But that's the problem. Even though it wasn't perfect, I really enjoyed this book. I will read and review books to support the indie author community, and I have come across a few that, while well written, didn't completely grab me.

But this one grabbed me.

Maybe it's because I hail from Upstate New York. Maybe it's because I'm familiar with the roads that lead from Binghamton to Syracuse. The opening scene puts us in a small, barely on the map town where a bank heist is in progress. It's the only bank in town, probably the only bank for miles, and I'm thinking--damn! This could be the bank in my barely on the map upstate New York home town! So, maybe the story grabbed me because of the commonality.

But no, because the story takes a turn quickly. We go back in time and get to know the players who are instrumental to this flashforward beginning. They have lives in Pennsylvania, New York City, Texas...and as they grow up from young adulthood to old adulthood, we see how they become acquaintances and how they become associated with the mob.

Jumping back and forth in time to build a backstory for four major characters can easily lead to confusion. But Painz does a fantastic job of weaving this one without getting us lost. So, major points for going on tangents that draw us right back into why the opening bank job takes place.

The mob boss who ties these people together is Gino D'Escopio -- major stereotype of a character. Picture Paul Sorvino, and you've got Gino. At least that's who I pictured. Was the character original? Obviously not--I pictured Sorvino in a heartbeat. But I didn't care. Because I pictured the character so clearly, heard his words so organically that it worked. --I enjoyed the read--

Then you have Hal and John, two of the major characters. Think buddy cop movies, except they work for the mob. They're great. Again, enough stereotype thrown in to make them identifiable, but also enough depth to make them three dimensional. Then there's Carla, the put upon female lead of the piece whose significant other Alex has problems. To be honest, Alex IS her problem--he's got a gambling habit. Hence, their eventual connection to the mob.

I'm not going to go in depth and provide spoilers. Painz teases our interest with the opening heist, then builds in the lifetime of events that lead to it. And then, in the final 100 pages of a 500+ page book, he brings us back to that rinky dink little town where all hell breaks loose due to a long con gone wrong. Because it's never a good idea to try and outsmart a mob boss.

I did find moments--especially through that literal breakneck speed ending--that felt over the top or emotionally not-quite-true. But you know what? I was still entertained. Did I say I really enjoyed this book?

--I really enjoyed this book--

That's it. That's the review. Go read Blue, Upstate.

Book review: Steampunk Cleopatra by Thaddeus Thomas

 A well written story for those with a deeper knowledge of ancient Egypt

This is the story of a teacher and his student, and their influence during a steampunk inspired take on the history of Cleopatra. 

First and foremost, I found this book to be well written on many levels. There is a near poetic style to the narrative flow, and the main characters Amani and Philostratos are intimately and fully realized. But I'm legitimately torn between giving this 3 stars or 4. The characters are noble in their quest to save the history of their cultures during a time of war but, for me, it was easy to feel lost without a deeper knowledge of the history surrounding Cleopatra's reign.

I feel like if I knew more about that history, I would have gotten more out of the story. I would have better understood the logistics when it came to the historical power struggle. That’s what was missing for me. That’s what got me lost, a vague understanding of the politics fueling the overall mission.

That having been said, I think that anyone who has a deeper interest in the history of Cleopatra and ancient Egypt will really enjoy this take. The fan of Egyptian history will better understand the backstory of a number of secondary characters—sometimes historical figures—that were crucial to the plot. So, I’m hovering at a 3.7 or 3.8 rating that bumps this up to the 4.

You can find Steampunk Cleopatra here.

The End is Just the Beginning

Photo courtesy of imdb.com

It's December 31st, 2021 and Betty White has died.

"Awe, man! That sucks," is what I said after my son braced me for the most recent social media news I had yet to see.

Then I thought about it. Maybe it didn't suck in the way we are programmed to receive such news. Betty White, an icon for most of her 99 year life (so close to 100), the ray of sunshine that had carried us through these last three years of pandemic hell because she simply existed, has left us at the very bitter end of a very long tenure. 

Maybe her passing is her way of passing the baton. "It's been a good run, ladies and gentlemen. I've enjoyed being your symbol of hope, of cheer, of the promise that there is always a reason to laugh and smile. I hope I've taught you well. Now it's time for you to carry that baton for the generations to follow. Laugh. Enjoy life. Become a beloved example for your grandchildren to aspire to."

In short, I'm not going to mourn the death of Betty White. I'm going to celebrate her contribution to the world. Let's all thank Betty White for what she gave us through the end of 2021 and aspire to be the Betty Whites of 2022 and beyond.

God bless you, Betty White. Thanks for those memories.