Tag: Joshua Gage

Review: Split Scream Vol. 4 by D. Matthew Urban and Holly Lyn Walrath

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cover of Split ScreamSplit Scream Vol. 4 by D. Matthew Urban and Holly Lyn Walrath
Tenebrous Press (October 2023)
152 pages; $13 paperback; $3.99 e-book
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

This book begins with an introduction by the series editor Alex Ebenstein regarding the novelette. He describes it as “longer than a short story and shorter than a novella,” or between ten to twenty thousand words. As such, the book is presented as a “double feature” of sorts, pairing “Nonsense Words” by D. Matthew Urban with “Bone Light” by Holly Lyn Walrath. The stories have nothing to do with each other beyond being well written and scary, and the whole concept of this book is really quite clever and appealing. Continue Reading

Review: Under Her Eye: A Women in Horror Poetry Collection, Vol II edited by Lindy Ryan and Lee Murray

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cover of Under Her EyeUnder Her Eye: A Women in Horror Poetry Collection, Vol II edited by Lindy Ryan and Lee Murray
Black Spot Books (November 7, 2023)
200 pages; $14.95 paperback; $4.99 e-book
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

 In her introduction, Regina Yau writes “The Pixel Project is a global virtual volunteer-run 501c3 anti-violence against women non-profit whose mission is to raise awareness, funds, and volunteer power for the cause to end violence against women (VAW) through activism and advocacy at the intersection of social media, new technologies, and popular culture/the Arts. In 2022, Black Spot Books proposed putting together a poetry collection in benefit of The Pixel Project’s anti-VAW work. Co-editors Lindy Ryan and Lee Murray rallied 112 female and non-binary poets from across the world to contribute poems to the collection that would become Under Her Eye.”
This book is, unfortunately, a necessary collection on the shelf of every horror reader, not just because of its cause, but also because of its message.

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Review: Blood and Verse by Chris McAuley and Jeff Oliver, illustrated By Dan Verkys

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cover of Blood and VerseBlood and Verse by Chris McAuley and Jeff Oliver, illustrated By Dan Verkys
Cosby Media Productions (October 2023)
183 pages; $19.99; $5.99 e-book
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Chris McAuley and Jeff Oliver are no strangers to horror writing, nor to the character of Dracula. Chris McAuley is a writer of prose novels, magazine short stories, video and tabletop games and audio dramas. Together with Bram Stoker’s Great-Grand nephew Dacre Stoker, he has created the StokerVerse franchise. Jeff Oliver is a writer of intense emotions, having started composing his dark poetry at just 11 years old. Together, they have written a sequel to Bram Stoker’s Dracula titled Blood and Verse. Continue Reading

Review: Planet of the Zombie Zonnets: Seasons 1 & 2 by Juan Manuel Perez

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cover of Planet of the Zombie ZonnetsPlanet of the Zombie Zonnets: Seasons 1 & 2 by Juan Manuel Perez
Hungry Buzzard Press (August 31, 2021)
76 pages; $10.84 digital
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Juan Manuel Pérez, a Mexican-American poet of indigenous descent. He is the 2021 Horror Authors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award Winner. He is also the recipient of the Horror Writers Association Diversity Grant (2021) and the Poet Laureate for Corpus Christi, Texas (2019-2020). His newest collection is Planet of the Zombie Zonnets: Seasons 1 & 2.Continue Reading

Review: Songs in the Key of Death by JG Faherty

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covers of Songs in the Key of DeathSongs in the Key of Death by JG Faherty
Lvp Publications (October 3, 2023)
148 pages; $16.99 hardcover; $9.99 paperback
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

A life-long resident of New York’s haunted Hudson Valley, JG Faherty is the author of 19 books and more than 85 short stories, and he’s been a finalist for both the Bram Stoker Award (2x) and ITW Thriller Award. Songs in the Key of Death arrives ready to entertain horror poetry readers.Continue Reading

Review: Horror Unmasked: A History of Terror from Nosferatu to Nope edited by Brad Weismann

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cover of Horror UnmaskedHorror Unmasked: A History of Terror from Nosferatu to Nope edited by Brad Weismann
becker&mayer! books (September 2023)
232 pages; $24.99 hardcover
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Brad Weismann is an award-winning writer and editor who returned to the place he grew up, in the shadow of the Colorado Rockies, after 15 years of performing standup, improvisational, and sketch comedy on stage, radio, and television. He has worked as a journalist, feature writer, and contributor to publications and websites worldwide such as Senses of Cinema, Film International, Backstage, Muso, Parterre, Movie Habit, 5280, EnCompass, Colorado Daily, and Boulder Magazine.  As a film writer, Brad Weismann has interviewed figures ranging from Roger Ebert to Monty Python’s Terry Jones to Blaxploitation superstar Pam Grier, and legendary director Alex Cox. Lost in the Dark: A World History of Horror was his first book, and Horror Unmasked: A History of Terror from Nosferatu to Nope is his second.Continue Reading

Review: Hannah and Other Stories by Rami Ungar

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cover of Hannah and Other StoriesHannah and Other Stories by Rami Ungar
BSC Publishing (September 23, 2023)
120 pages; $3.99 e-book
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Rami Ungar is a horror and dark fiction novelist who resides in Columbus, Ohio. He has self-published two books (The Quiet Game: Five Tales to Chill Your Bones and Snake), and has traditionally published two novels (Rose and The Pure World Comes). In addition, he has had several short stories and novelettes published, including “Blood & Paper Skin” in The Dark Sire and “Cressida” in the anthology Into the Deep. Rami is an Affiliate member of the Horror Writers Association (HWA) and the Coordinator for the Ohio HWA. His newest collection is Hannah and Other Stories.Continue Reading

Review: anOther Mythology by Maxwell I. Gold

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cover of anOther MythologyanOther Mythology by Maxwell I. Gold
Interstellar Flights Press (September 4, 2023)
72 pages; $14.99 paperback; $9.99 e-book
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Maxwell I. Gold, in his end author’s note, argues that his purpose in writing this book was that “it didn’t matter how we as queer people were seen, but it mattered how we saw ourselves…” and “These are myths that are meant for us.” It is understood that the target audience for this book is specifically the queer community, written almost as a triumphant reclaiming of thousands of years of heteronormative patriarchy. This energy permeates the poetry in this collection, and anyone reading it will thoroughly enjoy it.Continue Reading

Review: Can You Sign My Tentacle? by Brandon O’Brien

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cover of Can You Sign My Tentacle? by Brandon O'BrienCan You Sign My Tentacle? by Brandon O’Brien
Interstellar Flight Press (August 2021)
89 pages; $11.99 paperback; $5.99 e-book
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Can You Sign My Tentacle? is a wild amalgam of Afro-futurism, Cthullu mythos, and social commentary with a finger on the pulse of hip-hop culture.Continue Reading

Review: The Price of a Small Hot Fire by E. F. Schraeder

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cover of The Price of a Small Hot FireThe Price of a Small Hot Fire by E. F. Schraeder
Raw Dog Screaming Press (July 2023)
72 pages; $13.95 paperback
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

E.F. Schraeder believes in ghosts, magic, and dogs. A Rhysling nominated poet, Schraeder is an Active Member of the Horror Writers Association. Her newest collection is The Price of a Small Hot Fire.

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Review: Beautiful Malady by Ennis Rook Bashe

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cover of Beautiful MaladyBeautiful Malady by Ennis Rook Bashe
Interstellar Flight Press (June 2023)
72 pages; $14.99 paperback; e-book $9.99
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Ennis Rook Bashe is a nonbinary graduate student from New York who loves their rescue cat, making cosplay TikToks, and watching horror game streamers. They write books about queer and disabled people surviving and recovering from trauma, finding community, living their best lives… and falling in love.  Their newest book of poetry is Beautiful Malady. Though short, this collection is a powerful exploration of what it means to be disabled in a world that is not willing to accommodate or undersand, written from a place of honest authenticity that will capture the attention of any reader.

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Review: The Sibyl by Hamant Singh

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cover of The SibylThe Sibyl by Hamant Singh
Partridge Publishing (December 2022)
102 pages; $27.99 hardcover; $8.03 paperback; $3.99 e-book
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Hamant Singh is a Singaporean writer who is influenced by horror, different cultures and the occult. He currently resides in the mountains of Chiapas, Mexico where he enjoys gardening, reading and making music. He is currently working on a second book featuring more international writers. In 2022, he completed his first collection of poems entitled The Sibyl. Continue Reading

Review: Horrific Punctuation by John Reinhart

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cover of Horrific Punctuation by John ReinhartHorrific Punctuation by John Reinhart
Arson Press (July 2021)
34 pages; paperback $3.99; $0.99 e-book
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

An arsonist by trade, John Reinhart lives in Maine. He is a Pushcart, Elgin, Rhysling, and Dwarf Stars Award nominee, and has had over 500 poems published internationally in print and on the internet. He was the 2016 Horror Writers Association Dark Poetry Scholarship recipient. His newest collection is Horrific Punctuation.Continue Reading

Review: Constellations of Ruin by Andrew S. Fuller

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cover of constellations of ruinConstellations of Ruin by Andrew S. Fuller
Trepedatio (April 2023)
246 pages; $18.95 paperback
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Andrew S. Fuller is a fiction author who grew up climbing trees and reading books, later dabbling in archery, theater, and heavy metal. He once stared at the waters of Loch Ness for nearly twelve full minutes, but his family made him leave early. His fiction appears in magazines, anthologies, and a few short films. His screenplay Effulgence won the Deep One Best Screenwriter Award at the 2009 H. P. Lovecraft Film Festival. He has served as Editor of Three-Lobed Burning Eye magazine since 1999. His debut short fiction collection, Constellations of Ruin, is a solid debut collection with over 20 stories of weird, speculative horror. Continue Reading

Review: They Hide: Short Stories to Tell in the Dark by Francesca Maria

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cover of They Hide by Francesca MariaThey Hide: Short Stories to Tell in the Dark by Francesca Maria
Brigid’s Gate Press (April 2023)
205 pages; $13.99 paperback; $4.99 e-book
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Francesca Maria writes dark fiction surrounded by cats near the Pacific Ocean. She is the creator of the Black Cat Chronicles comic book series. Her most recent short story collection, They Hide: Short Stories to Tell in the Dark is now available. It is an impressive collection of dark short stories, perfect for any readers looking for quick and spooky stories. Continue Reading