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'Fear Itself: The Horror Fiction of Stephen King' (Not Exactly A Review)

Cemetery Dance OnlineJune 9, 2016Horror Drive-InColumns, Featured, Horror Drive-In, Mark Sieber, Stephen King2 Comments

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Fear Itself: The Horror Fiction of Stephen King (Not Exactly A Review)

One of my favorite activities is treasure hunting at thrift shops, flea markets, estate and yard sales. I do it just about every weekend. I’m not looking for a deal on golf clubs, or vintage clothing. I don’t look at the tools or the toys. I pass the knick-knacks and the cooking supplies right by.

You probably guessed it. I look for books. And vinyl record albums. Movies, too but not as much as I used to. Books and records are mostly my things nowadays.

Sometimes I will be at a thrift shop, and I’ll see a jag of books all in the same genre, or bunches of them by an author or two. It always makes me sad. I imagine, and it’s usually true, that a reader and collector has passed away. His or her books found no new home from family or friends, and they get dumped at a thrift shop. Occasionally they will be inscribed, or have those accursed owner’s bookplates in them. The bane of any serious book collector.Continue Reading

Whispered Echoes by Paul F. Olson Just Announced! Brand New Signed Limited Edition Rolling At The Printer!

Cemetery Dance OnlineJune 8, 2016July 12, 2016Breaking NewsLeave a comment

Whispered Echoes by Paul F. Olson
Just Announced! Brand New Signed Limited Edition Rolling At The Printer!

Hi Folks!

We’re pleased to report that Whispered Echoes by Paul F. Olson, a brand new Signed Limited Edition hardcover, has been secretly rolling at the printer and will ship later this month!

About the Book:
An ancient voice speaks from the depths of a long-forgotten cave…

As a violent storm rages overhead, the scratching sounds begin in the cellar below…

A man inherits the family talent, but what price does that legacy demand…?

A return to the family homestead brings overwhelming memories, but the darkest memory of all still waits in the ravine out back…

An unassuming tourist quietly strolls through town, leaving devastation in his wake…

A late-night call from an abandoned camp brings a frightened cop face-to-face with his darkest fears…

A wild joyride ends with a surprise reunion and an encounter with the impossible…

A man searches for answers at an abandoned lighthouse and uncovers an unspeakable past…

Listen closely. You can hear them. The whispered echoes of your darkest fears. In this stunning new collection, Paul F. Olson delves into the quiet heart of terror. Featuring eleven long out-of-print tales from the ’80s and ’90s, and the debut of “Bloodybones,” a brand new novella of loss, longing, and chilling horror. With a foreword by Chet Williamson and an introduction by the author, Whispered Echoes abounds with subtle shivers that linger long after the last page is turned.

Published as a Hardcover Limited Edition:
• Limited to just 600 signed and numbered copies
• Personally signed by the author on a unique signature page
• Printed on 60# acid-free paper
• Bound in full-cloth with colored head and tail bands
• Featuring hot foil stamping on the front boards and spine
• Printed and bound with full-color endpapers
• Smyth sewn to create a more durable binding
• Wrapped in a full-color dust jacket
• Limited ONE TIME printing of this special edition
• Retail price just $40!

Thank you, as always, for your continued support and enthusiasm!

Review: 'Black Static' #52

Cemetery Dance OnlineJune 8, 2016ReviewsBlack Static, David Simms, Featured, Reviews, TTA PressLeave a comment

Black Static #52
TTA Press (May 2016)
164 pages; $5.99 print; $4.99 e-book
Reviewed by David Simms

Black Static is more than a British magazine of horror and dark fantasy. It IS the best magazine of dark fiction that is produced on a regular basis. While many have compared it to Cemetery Dance, including this reviewer, it transcends anything currently in production. Bimonthly, readers are treated to stories that are not of the norm in the genre and often evoke a cross between the Borderlands anthologies and Dangerous Visions. Yes, it’s that solid—and consistent.Continue Reading

Review: 'Freedom of the Mask' by Robert McCammon

Cemetery Dance OnlineJune 7, 2016ReviewsBlu Gilliand, Featured, Freedom of the Mask, Reviews, Robert McCammon, Subterranean Press1 Comment

Freedom of the Mask by Robert McCammon
Subterranean Press (May 2016)
528 pages; $24.26 hardcover; $9.99 e-book
Reviewed by Blu Gilliand

The Matthew Corbett books have historically been hefty affairs—Speaks the Nightbird, the first in the series, clocked in at over 800 pages, and the others have gone 400 or more. The lone exception was the fifth book, 2014’s River of Souls, which was a lean 256 pages. It’s my personal favorite of the series, the perfect mix of Robert McCammon’s incredibly detailed world building and action/thriller pacing.

Freedom of the Mask has put some of the weight back on—my advance copy hit 530 pages—but maintains the breathless pace of its predecessor. There’s enough story packed in it for two books, but it’s filler-free, and for good reason: there’s a ticking clock hanging over McCammon’s head now. He’s announced that the series will go nine books and no further, which puts us deep in the overall Corbett story arc at this point. McCammon is very calculated in the way he handles each book’s immediate plot while moving all the pieces toward the series conclusion. Continue Reading

Stephen King: News from the Dead Zone #191 — Review: 'End of Watch'

Bev VincentJune 6, 2016Reviews, Stephen King News from the Dead ZoneBev Vincent, bill hodges, brady hartsfield, city center massacre, Columns, end of watch, Featured, Finders Keepers, Mr. Mercedes, News from the Dead Zone, Reviews, Stephen King, trilogyLeave a comment

End of Watch by Stephen King
Scribner (June 7, 2016)
448 pages; $18.00 hardcover; $14.99 e-book
Reviewed by Bev Vincent

End_of_Watch_cover Shortly after the publication of Mr. Mercedes, Stephen King announced that the book was the first in a trilogy that would be connected by the City Center Massacre (in which a psycho named Brady Hartsfield stole a Mercedes and plowed into a crowd of people who were waiting in line at a job fair in a struggling Mid-western city).

Hartsfield got away with that crime but was—during the commission of an even more audacious and nefarious scheme—eventually brought to justice by a rag-tag group led by retired police detective Bill Hodges. Hartsfield was effectively taken off the playing board at the conclusion of Mr. Mercedes but, at the end of the second book, Finders Keepers, King hinted strongly that this villain would be back, front and center, for the finale. He also suggested that the third book would be closer to a traditional King novel, by which I mean it might have supernatural elements.

The phrase “End of Watch” will be familiar to anyone with more than a passing knowledge of police dramas. In one context, it refers to the day when a cop retires. On another, more ominous level, it refers to a cop killed in the line of duty. Bill Hodges has already experienced the first usage—the question the title of the third book poses is whether he will experience the other.Continue Reading

WHC Part 2: Spirits

Cemetery Dance OnlineJune 3, 2016Brian Keene's End of the RoadBrian Keene, Columns, End of the Road, Featured, WHC, World Horror Convention2 Comments

EndofRoad-web

WHC Part 2: Spirits

The first time I ever went to Utah, it was to meet with some producers who wanted to option my novel, The Rising. It didn’t work out because we had conversations like this:

THEM: “We see The Rising as sort of a buddy road comedy starring Chris Tucker and Gary Sinise.”

ME: “But it’s a serious novel about a father looking for his son during the zombie apocalypse.”

THEM: “Not if we option it.”

ME: “I’m leaving now.”

As if that wasn’t bad enough, during that trip, I also got hit by a van while crossing the street, which seems to be a common malady among horror writers. In hindsight, that wasn’t a good weekend.Continue Reading

Review: 'The Haunting of Lake Manor Hotel' edited by Nathan Hystad and Samanda R. Primeau

Cemetery Dance OnlineJune 2, 2016ReviewsFeatured, Josh Black, Nathan Hystad, Reviews, Samanda R. Primeau, The Haunting of Lake Manor Hotel1 Comment

The Haunting of Lake Manor Hotel edited by Nathan Hystad and Samanda R. Primeau
WoodBridge Press (April 2016)
202 pages; $13.99 paperback; $0.99 e-book
Reviewed by Josh Black

It’s been over a hundred and fifty years since a plague ravaged the area around Lake Manor. With few left to bury them, the corpses were unceremoniously dumped into the lake by their surviving loved ones.

Years later, Lake Manor Hotel is alive with the shadows of the dead. Within the hotel’s 13 rooms, there are 13 tales to tell. Guests will face evil demons, ghosts, creatures from the lake, and the worst monsters of all: the ones within themselves.

13 will check in, but how many will check out?

Review: 'Babylon Terminal' by Greg F. Gifune

Cemetery Dance OnlineJune 1, 2016Reviews- Frank Michaels Errington, Babylon Terminal, Darkfuse, Featured, Greg F. Gifune, ReviewsLeave a comment

Babylon Terminal by Greg F. Gifune
Darkfuse (June 2016)
$99.00 hardcover; $16.99 paperback; $4.99 e-book
Reviewed by Frank Michaels Errington

I can’t say I always connect with a Greg F. Gifune story, but I always try to read his work. He challenges me as a reader and Babylon Terminal did just that. This is not a casual read, it’s not light material. I feel I had to work for every bit of enjoyment I got out of this book, but it was worth it.

There is some stunning wordcraft in this story. At times Gifune’s prose is close to breathtaking. There is powerful, rich dialogue, as well.Continue Reading

Review: 'Borderlands 6' edited by Olivia F. Monteleone and Thomas F. Monteleone

Cemetery Dance OnlineMay 30, 2016ReviewsBorderlands 6, Featured, Olivia F. Monteleone, Reviews, Thomas F. MonteleoneLeave a comment

Borderlands 6 edited by Olivia F. Monteleone and Thomas F. Monteleone
Borderlands Press (June 2016)
258 pages; $50.00 limited edition hardcover; $15.99 paperback; $5.99 e-book
Reviewed by Josh Black

It’s been 26 years since Tom Monteleone brought us the inaugural volume of Borderlands. That volume and subsequent ones have been filled with stories that veer off the beaten path of genre tropes, journeying instead into the uncanny, the inexplicable, the unexpected. There’s a twelve year gap between this sixth volume and the fifth, but in this case the adage proves true: Good things come to those who wait.Continue Reading

WHC Part 1: A Brief History of the World Horror Convention

Cemetery Dance OnlineMay 27, 2016Brian Keene's End of the RoadBrian Keene, Columns, End of the Road, Featured, WHC, World Horror ConventionLeave a comment

EndofRoad-web

WHC Part 1: A Brief History of the World Horror Convention

The World Horror Convention, more commonly known as WHC, is perhaps best described as an annual trade show for horror writers, publishers, artists, booksellers, agents, and others with an interest in the field. Fans of horror fiction are welcome to attend, too, and they do, but WHC is a professional gathering, and it’s expensive, and you’re not apt to see cosplayers or a guy in the dealer’s room selling bootleg copies of Manimal on DVD like you would at a fan or media convention such as San Diego Comic Con or Dragon Con. The first WHC was held in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1991. There’s been one every year ever since, usually in the United States or Canada, although the 2010 event was held in the United Kingdom, finally putting the World in the World Horror Convention.Continue Reading

Review: 'The Moving Soul' by Joshua Criss

Cemetery Dance OnlineMay 25, 2016ReviewsFeatured, Joshua Criss, Reviews, The Moving SoulLeave a comment

The Moving Soul by Joshua Criss
Self-Published (October 2015)
262 pages; $9.95 paperback; $1.99 e-book
Reviewed by Josh Black

“Three hundred and thirty-five years ago, a settler in the Virginia colonies completed a sacrificial spell and buried a legendary occult book for the next one destined to find it. Now, that person has…”

The Moving Soul is a supernatural thriller that focuses on three main characters, all students at Jamestown University in Virginia. Louis is a meek, socially awkward kind of guy, Carolyn is the girl he longs for and eventually ends up in a relationship with, and Darin is his new roommate. Darin also happens to be a real piece of work, a sociopath who’s seeking everything he needs to complete a spell that will grant him immortality. When he makes a certain sacrifice and reaches that goal, he intends to taunt, torture, and kill for eternity.Continue Reading

Review: 'The Everything Box' by Richard Kadrey

Cemetery Dance OnlineMay 23, 2016ReviewsFeatured, Reviews, Richard Kadrey, The Everything BoxLeave a comment

The Everything Box by Richard Kadrey
Harper Voyager (April 2016)
368 pages; $17.14 hardcover; $15.29 paperback; $12.99 e-book
Reviewed by Frank Michaels Errington

“Earth. Four thousand years ago. Give or take.” When this is the opening line in your new novel, it better be epic. The verdict? Richard Kadrey delivers again.

It’s just after the great flood and the angel Qaphsiel is sent by God to finish off mankind, but he misplaces the Instrument of Destruction. Fast-forward to the present day where a number of individuals and groups are closing in on The Everything Box. Of course the usual Kadrey wit abounds. It’s a story filled with magic, where literally anything is possible.Continue Reading

THE SHINING Second LAST Chance! First Come, First Served!

Cemetery Dance OnlineMay 20, 2016July 12, 2016Breaking NewsLeave a comment

The Shining: The Deluxe Special Edition
LAST CHANCE TO RESERVE THE SLIPCASED GIFT EDITION!

Hi Folks!

We took purchase links for The Shining by Stephen King off our site on Monday, just FOUR DAYS after the official announcement, because we were speeding toward all 3,000 copies being reserved and we wanted to confirm our order numbers and make sure we didn’t oversell.

We now know exactly how many we have left and we can say for certain that this is your last chance to reserve your copy of The Shining with Stephen King’s lost prologue because we DO NOT have very many copies left available!

These last copies are being sold FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED. No second chances!

Thank you, as always, for your continued support and enthusiasm!

Making a Living in a Post Mid-List World without Borders

Cemetery Dance OnlineMay 20, 2016Brian Keene's End of the RoadBrian Keene, Columns, End of the Road, Featured3 Comments

EndofRoad-web

Making a Living in a Post Mid-List World without Borders

So, we ended last week’s column about the deaths of the mid-list and the Borders bookstore chain with the following question: “If self-publishing, independent presses, and independent bookstores are more preferable to former mid-list authors then why are you still selling books to mainstream publishers and signing in big chain bookstores, as well, Keene?” Is the answer:

A) Money.
B) People are stupid.
C) To have a stable, secure writing career in this post-mid-list world without Borders, full-time writers of genre fiction need to diversify.
D) All of the above.

Review: 'Mongrels' by Stephen Graham Jones

Cemetery Dance OnlineMay 18, 2016ReviewsBlu Gilliand, Featured, Mongrels, Reviews, Stephen Graham JonesLeave a comment

Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones
William Morrow (May 2016)
320 pages; $19.39 hardcover; $12.99 e-book
Reviewed by Blu Gilliand

The werewolves of Mongrels roam the South like a pack of feral dogs, surviving on the very instincts and abilities that often work directly against them. They live in ratty trailers, work an endless parade of menial jobs, subsist on road kill and strawberry wine coolers. They sneak into town under assumed names and sneak out under the cover of night when things go bad. And they always go bad.Continue Reading

Fear Itself: The Horror Fiction of Stephen King (Not Exactly A Review)

WHC Part 2: Spirits

WHC Part 1: A Brief History of the World Horror Convention

Making a Living in a Post Mid-List World without Borders

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