Joshua Gage Archives - Page 8 of 10 - Cemetery Dance Online

Review: Transmutation by Alex DiFrancesco

Cemetery Dance OnlineMay 17, 2021May 16, 2021ReviewsAlex DiFrancesco, Joshua Gage, Reviews, Seven Stories Press, TransmutationLeave a comment

cover of Transmutation buy Alex DiFrancesco Transmutation by Alex DiFrancesco
Seven Stories Press (June 8, 2021)
140 pages; $16.95 paperback
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Alex DiFrancesco is a multi-genre phenom who is taking the literary world by storm. In 2019, they published their essay collection Psychopomps (Civil Coping Mechanisms Press) and their novel All City (Seven Stories Press), which was the first finalist for the Ohioana Book Awards by a transgender author. DiFrancesco is the human companion of a rescue Westie named Roxy Music, Dog of Doom. Their newest book is a collection of short stories titled Transmutation, and it is a necessity for any fan of horror literature.Continue Reading

Review: The Golem & the Nazi by Anna Cates

Cemetery Dance OnlineMay 12, 2021May 11, 2021ReviewsAnna Cates, Joshua Gage, Red Moon Press, Reviews, The Golem & the NaziLeave a comment

cover of the golem & the nazi by anna cates The Golem & the Nazi by Anna Cates
Red Moon Press (2020)
118 pages, $15 Paperback
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Haibun is an interesting form. From 17th-century Japan, the term was first used by haiku poet Basho to describe a hybrid writing style of terse prose accompanied by haiku. In her book The Golem & the Nazi, Anna Cates uses a Western version of this form to weave a very dark and fantastic spell for her readers.Continue Reading

Review: A Collection of Dreamscapes by Christina Sng

Cemetery Dance OnlineApril 14, 2021April 10, 2021ReviewsA Collection of Dreamscapes, Christina Sng, Joshua Gage, Raw Dog Screaming Press, ReviewsLeave a comment

cover of A Collection of Dreamscapes by Christina Sng A Collection of Dreamscapes by Christina Sng
Raw Dog Screaming Press (April 2020)
169 pages; $14.95 paperback
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Christina Sng’s collection A Collection of Nightmares won the Bram Stoker award for best poetry collection in 2017. Her follow-up book, A Collection of Dreamscapes, has all the promise of her previous successes. It’s already been listed as one of Reading Vicariously’s Must-Reads from 2020, Tor Nightlife’s Ten Best Horror Poetry Collections of 2020, and Well Read Beard’s Top Five 2020 Poetry Collections, as well as being short listed for the 2021 Stoker Award. Reading the collection, it is obvious why it is receiving so many accolades. It’s a very strong collection of mythic horror poetry that readers will enjoy.Continue Reading

Review: The Crossroads at Midnight by Abby Howard

Cemetery Dance OnlineApril 12, 2021April 10, 2021Reviews, The Comic VaultAbby Howard, Columns, Iron Circus Comics, Joshua Gage, Reviews, The Comic Vault, The Crossroads at MidnightLeave a comment

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cover of The Crossroads at Midnight by Abby Howard

The Crossroads at Midnight by Abby Howard
Iron Circus Comics (February 2021)
320 pages; $18 paperback
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Abby Howard is a cartoonist whose interests include dinosaurs, horror, and Spoons, her beautiful cat. She’s been drawing comics since she first discovered there was such thing, eventually putting them online and gaining a following of over 30,000 fans. Her newest collection is The Crossroads at Midnight, a teen horror collection of five short comic stories.Continue Reading

Review: You Died: An Anthology of the Afterlife edited by Kel McDonald and Andrea Purcell

Cemetery Dance OnlineMarch 22, 2021March 15, 2021Reviews, The Comic VaultAn Anthology of the Afterlife, Andrea Purcell, Iron Circus Comics, Joshua Gage, Kel McDonald, Reviews, The Comic Vault, You DiedLeave a comment

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cover of You Died: An Anthology of the Afterlife

You Died: An Anthology of the Afterlife edited by Kel McDonald and Andrea Purcell
Iron Circus Comics (March 31, 2021)
260 pages, $20 Paperback
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

In her introduction to You Died: An Anthology of the Afterlife, Caitlin Dougherty compares the anthology to a medieval memento mori. This is a fitting comparison. This book is both a reminder, to the reader, that they will die, but also about the equanimity of death. Everyone will die, and once they’re dead, there’s nothing in this world that they can do about it. This anthology confronts these facts head on, and in a way, helps the reader confront their own deaths as well as the deaths of those they love.Continue Reading

Review: Cradleland of Parasites by Sara Tantlinger

Cemetery Dance OnlineMarch 18, 2021March 16, 2021ReviewsCradleland of Parasites, Joshua Gage, Reviews, Sara Tantlinger, Strangehouse BooksLeave a comment

cover of Cradleland of Parasites by Sara Tantlinger Cradleland of Parasites by Sara Tantlinger
Strangehouse Books (October 2020)
89 pages; $14.95 paperback
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Sara Tantlinger is a phenom when it comes to horror poetry. Author of three poetry collections, including the award-winning The Devil’s Dreamland, Tantlinger is one of the vibrant new voices in horror poetry. Her newest collection, Cradleland of Parasites, is no exception, and this take on the Black Death is a brilliant and chilling book of poetry.Continue Reading

Review: Many Restless Concerns by Gayle Brandeis

Cemetery Dance OnlineFebruary 15, 2021February 14, 2021ReviewsBlack Lawrence Press, Gayle Brandeis, Joshua Gage, Many Restless Concerns, ReviewsLeave a comment

cover of Many Restless Concerns by Gayle Brandeis Many Restless Concerns by Gayle Brandeis
Black Lawrence Press (February 14, 2020)
160 pages; $17.95 paperback
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Most horror readers are familiar with Elizabeth Batharoy, one of history’s most famous murderers and the source of much vampire lore. Much less is known about her victims, which leads readers and historians to a lot of speculation as to who these young women were and what drew them towards Batharoy’s clutches. In her newest poetry collection, Many Restless Concerns, Gayle Brandeis uses hybrid text techniques to give voice to these victims, channeling the idea of a collective voice, or chorus, as the persona in this really dark and enticing collection.Continue Reading

Review: Last Dance by Hanna Schroy

Cemetery Dance OnlineJanuary 27, 2021January 20, 2021Reviews, The Comic VaultHanna Schroy, Iron Circus Comics, Joshua Gage, Last Dance, Reviews, The Comic VaultLeave a comment

Last Dance by Hanna Schroy
Iron Circus Comics (January 2021)
200 pages; $11.99 paperback
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Hanna Schroy is a cartoonist and illustrator living in Austin. She has participated in a multitude of self-published anthologies including Girls! Girls! Girls! curated by Alex Perkins and Thicker Than Blood curated by Mengmeng Liu. She is a long-time dance enthusiast and recent amateur gardener. Her newest endeavor is the middle-grade graphic novel Last Dance.Continue Reading

Review: Aftermath of an Industrial Accident by Mike Allen

Cemetery Dance OnlineDecember 29, 2020December 19, 2020ReviewsAftermath of an Industrial Accident, Joshua Gage, Mike Allen, Mythic Delirium Books, ReviewsLeave a comment

Aftermath of an Industrial Accident by Mike Allen
Mythic Delirium Books (July 2020)
238 pages, $15.95 Hardcover
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Anyone familiar with horror and dark fantasy knows the name Mike Allen. He’s been a Nebula, Shirley Jackson, and World Fantasy Award finalist. He’s won three Rhyslings from the SFPA. He’s edited a number of award winning books and anthologies. It’s no surprise, therefore, that his newest collection, Aftermath of an Industrial Accident, is an incredible read. This collection of horror and dark fantasy poetry and short fiction needs to be on the shelf of any horror reader.Continue Reading

Review: Meaningless Cycles in a Vicious Glass Prison: Songs of Death and Love by Anton Cancre

Cemetery Dance OnlineNovember 12, 2020November 8, 2020ReviewsAnton Cancre, Joshua Gage, Meaningless Cycles in a Vicious Glass Prison, poetry, Reviews, Songs of Death and LoveLeave a comment

cover for Anton Cancre's poetry collection Meaningless Cycles in a Vicious Glass Prison: Songs of Death and Love by Anton Cancre
Dragon’s Roost Press (October 2020)
114 pages, $9.99 Paperback
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

In Meaningless Cycles in a Vicious Glass Prison: Songs of Death and Love, Anton Cancre creates scenes of death and works to capture them in short, poignant poems. Cancre works within various horror tropes but does his best to keep the ideas fresh and visceral for the reader. This is an interesting collection, and while the poetry is inconsistent at times, fans of horror poetry will enjoy perusing it.Continue Reading

Review: Something is Killing the Children Vol. 1 by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera

Cemetery Dance OnlineOctober 14, 2020October 12, 2020Graven Images, ReviewsBOOM! Studios, Columns, Graven Images, James Tynion IV, Joshua Gage, Reviews, Something is Killing the Children, Werther Dell'EderaLeave a comment

Something is Killing the Children Vol. 1 by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera
BOOM! Studios (May 2020)
128 pages, $13.41 paperback; $12.74 e-book
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Something has been taking the children of Archer’s Peak. At first it was just one girl, and the police assumed it was a typical family kidnapping perpetrated by an uncle. But then, young James and his friends have a sleepover, and when it’s over, James is the only survivor. There are bodies and blood. The whole town is in chaos. Then, a stranger with an uncanny knowledge of things who talks to her stuffed-animal octopus arrives and says she’ll take care of things. Something is Killing the Children is a really strong series from writer James Tynion IV and artist Werther Dell’Edera.Continue Reading

Review: The Harrowing of Hell by Evan Dahm

Cemetery Dance OnlineSeptember 16, 2020September 15, 2020Graven Images, ReviewsEvan Dahm, Iron Circus Comics, Joshua Gage, Reviews, The Harrowing of HellLeave a comment

The Harrowing of Hell by Evan Dahm
Iron Circus Comics (August 2020)
128 pages, $15 hardcover
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

In Christian theology, The Harrowing of Hell is the story of Jesus Christ descending into Hell after his crucifixion and rising, triumphant, three days later on Easter. Evan Dahm has taken this story, as well as some details from apocryphal gospels, and created a very dark graphic novel that, while still religiously based, is sure to appeal to horror readers as well.Continue Reading

Review: Twelve – Poems Inspired by the Brothers Grimm Fairytale by Andrea Blythe

Cemetery Dance OnlineAugust 28, 2020August 22, 2020ReviewsAndrea Blythe, Brothers Grimm, Interstellar Flight Press, Joshua Gage, Reviews, TwelveLeave a comment

Twelve: Poems Inspired by the Brothers Grimm Fairy Tale by Andrea Blythe
Interstellar Flight Press (September 7, 2020)
64 pages, $9.99 paperback; $5.99 e-book
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Andrea Blythe is a well-recognized name in speculative poetry. She is a widely published author, as well as a podcast host. Blythe is most known for her work with fairytales and folktales, and her newest collection, Twelve, based on the Brothers Grimm fairytale of the twelve dancing princesses, is a potent and exquisite addition to her already impressive body of work. Continue Reading

Review: On Quiet Earth: A Zombie Apocalypse Novel by Chris Kelly

Cemetery Dance OnlineAugust 12, 2020August 9, 2020ReviewsChris Kelly, Joshua Gage, On Quiet Earth, Reviews, Severed Press, zombieLeave a comment

On Quiet Earth: A Zombie Apocalypse Novel by Chris Kelly
Severed Press (May 2020)
155 pages, $9.95 paperback
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

At first glance, On Quiet Earth reads like a typical zombie survivor novel. The plot is formulaic—survivors band together, try to outrun zombies, and live in a post-apocalyptic world. What makes Kelly’s take on this genre unique is his sparse prose which, coupled with the psychological aspects of the book, make for an interesting zombie read.Continue Reading

Review: A Route Obscure and Lonely by LindaAnn LoSchiavo

Cemetery Dance OnlineJuly 22, 2020July 17, 2020ReviewsA Route Obscure and Lonely, Joshua Gage, LindaAnn LoSchiavo, poetry, ReviewsLeave a comment

A Route Obscure and Lonely by LindaAnn LoSchiavo
The Wapshott Press (December 2019)
60 pages, $7.50 paperback
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

A Route Obscure and Lonely is a unique artifact in horror poetry. It’s primarily in blank verse, and while formal horror poetry isn’t rare, what makes LindaAnn LoSchiavo’s poetry unique is that she doesn’t let the form control her poems. While many formalist horror poets fall back on outdated tropes and clichés in their writing, LoSchiavo is able to use those tools and make a very rhythmic poem, while also using modern ideas and imagery to update her poems to 21st century pieces.Continue Reading

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