Book Review: MalContents

Independent newcomers Grand Mal Press have recently released MalContents, a kick ass quartet of novellas by four rising stars of the genre.

First up is Howler by Randy Chandler; a ripping tale set in the American South of the 1930s. When a hairy prostitute known as Wolf Girl escapes captivity in a whorehouse, she joins a carnival of sideshow freaks where she falls under the psychic influence of a strange specimen in a jar.

Historical horror can be difficult to pull off, especially when writers make the mistake of emulating the slower pace of yesteryear in their quest for a more authentic feel. Their dialogue can often sound stilted for the same reason, so it was great to see Chandler avoid these pitfalls with a contemporary style that was constantly engaging.

Next up is The Mushrooms by Gregory L. Norris. When a crazed woman attacks a celebrity chef over claims of plagiarism, the TV host retreats to an isolated cottage in order to recuperate, only to discover it isn’t the safe haven she thought it was.

This is a very well written story and Norris does a fine job of creating an atmosphere of claustrophobic terror within the cottage. He also displays considerable skill in handling a bizarre concept that could have easily come off as b-grade in lesser hands.

Choose by Ryan C. Thomas is the tale of a computer repairman on the run from a madman who’s threatened to kill the repairman’s wife and daughter unless he kills one of them himself.
This is perhaps the darkest of the four novellas, a powerful story that is every bit as bleak and harrowing as it is compelling.

Finally we have The Outsider Trio by David T. Wilbanks, where a man in search of the woman he loves gets caught up in supernatural events after discovering she’s been kidnapped by occultists. This is another fine story that ventures even further into the fantastical than the preceding three, and deftly contrasts action with an overall mood of creeping dread.

Wilbanks describes himself as a writer of horror, fantasy & adventure, and this is a great example of how he blends all three into his own distinctive style.

I really can’t find anything to dislike about MalContents, and look forward to reading more from each of these writers and more from Grand Mal Press.

The Campaign for Real Fear revisited

Peter Tennant is one of the editors and columnists for Black Static magazine. He recently posted his thoughts on the winning Real Fear stories here, which include a nice little summary of my story Showtime.

Thank you Mr Tennant.

Dawn of a different kind of dead

Dead Earth: The Green Dawn is the début collaboration from two writers I first became aware of several years ago when I stumbled upon their excellent podcast, Pod Of Horror. Not only was POH a highly informative report on the world of horror fiction and the small press in particular, but Justice and Wilbanks were smart and funny and all their joking and clowning around made it one of the most entertaining podcasts the internet had to offer.

These days Wilbanks is no longer a co-host (come back Dave, your country needs you!) and the podcast is a lot more sporadic, but it’s still great and always worth waiting for.

So, given how well these two guys worked together on air, I was keen to see how they would gel as a writing team.

I wasn’t disappointed.

Jubal Slate is a small town deputy who wakes up one morning to find the horizon green and soon learns that something has gone very wrong with the world. The townsfolk have been having lucid dreams about an un-dead army led by a mysterious figure in red and a strange virus has broken out that blisters the skin and turns people into walking corpses.

The plot seems familiar at first, as do the small town characters with their visions of a sinister leader that reminded me of Randall Flagg from Stephen King’s classic post apocalyptic novel The Stand. But where other zombie stories tend to plunge straight into the action from the first scene, Green Dawn takes the time to let the reader get to know the characters first, so that we actually care what happens to them when things start to go bad.

Jubal’s personal loss leads him to strike out on his own after realising he may be immune to the virus and at this point it becomes apparent that the novella is just a prelude to a much larger tale with a science fiction element that indicates it’s going to be something quite different from what the first half of the book would lead you to expect.

Justice and Wilbanks are not only two up and coming writers but also huge fans of the genre they’re now contributing to, and it’s this sense of fun and enthusiasm that makes Dead Earth: The Green Dawn such a fast and enjoyable read that promise great things to come in Dead Earth: The Vengeance Road.

Vermin

New review of Scott A. Johnson’s novel Vermin. Read it here.

Walkers In The Dark

Paul Finch is another great writer I hadn’t heard of until recently.
I’ve reviewed his haunting collection Walkers In The Dark over at Page Horrific. You know what to do.

Patrick Lestewka is a writer you need to read.

Some of you may be familiar with the excellent Canadian writer Craig Davidson. He’s the author of Rust and Bone, The Fighter and Sarah Court.
What most of you probably don’t know is that Davidson also writes hardcore horror under the pseudonym Patrick Lestewka.
The man is an amazing talent. I’m talking early Clive Barker, Charlee Jacob, Edward Lee level amazing. His work demands to be read.

I’ve reviewed his superb novella The Coliseum over at Page Horrific. Check it out.

Carnal Surgery

Review of Edward Lee’s latest collection from the excellent Deadite Press up now at Page Horrific.

The Autobiography Of A Werewolf Hunter

My review of Brian P. Easton’s excellent novel is up now at Page Horrific.

The Minotauress

My review of The Minotauress by Edward Lee is up now on Page Horrific.
Check it out.

http://pagehorrific.blogspot.com/2011/05/minotauress-by-edward-lee.html

Tragic Life Stories

My review of Steve Duffy’s excellent collection Tragic Life Stories is up now on page horrific.

http://pagehorrific.blogspot.com/2011/04/tragic-life-stories-by-steve-duffy.html