Abolisher Of Roses by Gary Fry

In January 2011, Spectral Press dropped a great little chapbook on us called 'What They Hear In The Dark' by Gary McMahon. With that publication, Spectral Press peaked my interest, and satisfied my need for a emotional and evocative story.

This time around, Spectral is offering up an intense, emotional, and psychologically-challenging read with Abolisher Of Roses by Gary Fry, cementing themselves as a press to watch, and delivering yet another incredible piece of short fiction.

It's not always the guilty who have the darkest secrets...

Peter has been married to Patricia for nearly thirty years. He's a practical man, the owner of a thriving factory, and the father of two fine lads.

He also has a secret mistress.

One day, his wife takes him along to an outdoor arts exhibition involving some of her paintings, staged in a dark, deep wood.

But his are not the only secrets in this marriage, and as Peter strays off the only path through the woods, he soon realizes that Patricia has more than a few secrets of her own...

A powerful piece is always a great treat, and this story is just that. Psychologically gripping, Abolisher Of Roses makes the reader take a look at infidelity and relationships from a different angle. The relationship presented in this chapbook, between a husband and wife, is a perfect example of the idea that sometimes our past indiscretions can catch up to us and make us pay in the strangest of ways.

What the author does here is phenomenal. The story starts off at a walking pace, coaxing the reader into thinking that they're looking at a sleepy little tale, only to amp up the pressure like a slow cooker, and eventually throttling the reader into a forceful introspection of their own deeds. Fry decidedly plays with the imagination in a wonderful way, offering very subtle instances of creepiness that will haunt the reader long after the story is finished.

The characters are well played out, the setting and surrounding ambiance are delightfully transgressive, and the overall feeling is a mixture of a semi-sedated, creeping terror and an outright finger-in-the-face kind of accusation that makes this read feel like a roller coaster ride to certain doom.

Fans of UK horror will definitely love this story, and those who are unfamiliar with them will be in for a treat. This is definitely something to grab and throw yourself into.

Get a (very limited) copy of Abolisher Of Roses here, and check out Spectral Press' website here. You can also check out Gary Fry's website here. You can purchase a yearly subscription to Spectral's chapbooks (1 year, 4 volumes) at their website.

On another note, here is a video trailer for the story:

PBH.

Multiplex Fandango by Weston Ochse

Multiplex Fandango. Say it. Multi-plex Fan-dan-go.

It's beautiful, isn't it? Just rolls off the tongue.

It’s almost as beautiful and satisfying as the book you may now be holding in your hands, or reading a review about. What we’re seeing here is quite possibly the most comfortable, relaxed, and expert takeover that the horror genre has ever seen.

With Multiplex Fandango, Weston Ochse has created an incredible collection, and has given the reader one of the smoothest, most satisfying reads they could ever come across. To drive the point home, Joe Landsdale says in the intro that "This is a book that could almost have been written for me.", but I disagree - this book was written for anyone looking for imaginative, intelligent, and throughly awe-inspiring, but strangely uplifting scares that force the reader to think more than react.

From multiplexfandango.wordpress.com:

Multiplex Fandango is subtitled "A Weston Ochse Reader" for good reason. This collection contains a comprehensive representation of short fiction and novellas by the Bram Stoker award winner and Pushcart Prize nominee... (read more)

Not much of a synopsis I know, but then, there really is no way to synopsize this brilliant work. That said...here we go.

There are 16 short stories and novellas presented herein, 6 of which were written for this volume, with each and every one just as, if not more, impressive as the last. Ochse's words read like the poetry of a madman - urgent and direct, at the same time as being beautifully timed and designed to evoke emotions from deep inside. The reader can't help but be absolutely enthralled by this wordsmith's grand visions and engaging dialogue. This is a book that is virtually impossible to put down.

Pieces like Tarzan Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Fugue on the Sea of Cortez, The Sad Last Love of Cary Grant, and Catfish Gods speak of the choices we make that define who we are in the end, and directions we take in life that lead us to those instances. Ochse really blasts the reader with a keen blend of realism, tainted with a strange and unrelenting sense of unease that shows exactly how much of our lives is spent choosing between what is right, and what just comes naturally - regardless of whether or not it hurts or hinders someone else. The characters in these pieces are all people that the reader can instantly identify with, as Ochse finds the essence of what it is to be human, and gently exploits it for the purpose of proving a point. The point being, in most cases, is that we are all responsible for what we create in our own world, regardless of the outside influences and how strange they might be.

Where the writer succeeds most is in stories like High Desert Come to Jesus, The Secret Lives of Heroes, and A Day in the Life of a Dust Bunny - which, when read are actually quite comedic, but are presented in a deathly serious tone. High Desert reads like the serial killer stories that have permeated the genre as of late, but with a brilliant and sinister twist that sets it completely apart at the same time. The idea of a person that actually creates the things in people that most find eternally disturbing, is brilliant. The brief length of the story is incredible in that Ochse packs so much into it, leaving the reader begging for more and more. I, for one, really hope that Ochse expands upon this character in a full length work. This story is highly recommended.

Ochse also proves himself quite capable of writing some brutal and disgusting scenes that deliver a violent slap in the face to the reader. I’m generally very hard to gross out, having read a lot of work that has really made me question how an author managed to get some scenes published and sold to the public, but there were moments in some of these stories that just attack without warning. Now, the beautiful part of this is that Ochse almost downplays these moments in order to affect the reader more. Though they’re few and far between, gore-hounds can rest assured that they are there. If you’re a reader that yearns for prose that pushes boundaries and kicks you when you’re down - you’ll find that mixed in here, along with a complete world that you might have been missing.

While all of these stories are brilliant in their own way, there are some that stand out as the leaders of the pack. Big Rock Candy Mountain is a sobering, semi-political tale encompassed in a hallucinogenic yarn that entertains from start to finish; Hiroshima Falling starts off brooding and dark, almost overwhelming the reader before launching into a bizarro-styled story that picks up the pace, amps up the strange, and ultimately cements the author as a force to be reckoned with; The Crossing of Aldo Ray is, bar none, one of the best zombie stories I have ever read, taking a different path than most and treating the reader to a much needed change of pace in zombie literature; City of Joy is, as the author mentions in his notes after the story, a science fiction tale at heart, but holds enough power in itself that it becomes something of an emotional horror story that speaks to the innocence in all of us; 22 Stains in the Jesus Pool introduces the reader to Ochse’s expert knowledge of the inner workings of religious theory and cult thinking, but also invites the reader to meet one character that is so incredibly complex and, as it turns out, an unintentional villain in disguise.

The absolute shining achievement has to go to the last story - Redemption Roadshow. I've read this story before as a chapbook that was released by Burning Effigy Press, and am still blown away by it every time. This is not only a story that is completely re-readable, but is also haunting, terrifying, introspective, and downright impressive. This is easily one of my favorite reads of all time, and will continue to be etched into my mind for years to come. Ochse is writing on a Peter Straub level with this one. Absolutely brilliant.

Multiplex Fandango is an absolute must-have for anyone who calls themselves a collector of horror literature. No one should be without this book. No one. I am highly recommending this book to everyone.

You can check out Ochse's website here, check out the website for the book here, and follow the author on Twitter.

Multiplex Fandango will be available for pre-order from Dark Regions Press in May '11.

PBH.

The Collectors by Matt Bell

Matt Bell's The Collectors might really be the most disturbing but beautiful example of cross-genre literature I have ever read in the form of a chapbook. Short but epic, disturbing yet beautiful, and absolutely haunting to the core - this is truly the stuff of nightmares, and most assuredly, a diamond in the rough.

From mdbell.com:

The tale of compulsive hoarders Homer and Langley Collyer so shocked 1940s Manhattan that the brothers and their Harlem brownstone live on today as one of the most notable American case studies of acute disposophobia. With nervous energy and obsession to match his protagonists, Matt Bell's prose burrows, forensically, into the layers of the brothers' lives, employing a mutilinear narrative structure and a frenetic plurality of perspectives to reach a core of despair that is both terrifyingly primal and distressingly familiar.

First off, I have to thank the incredible Judy Black for pointing me in the direction of this little story. It's an incredible piece, and more incredible is the fact that you can catch it for free. In all honesty, this is an absolute crime, as I would pay good money for a story this impressive and satisfying.

Bell's prose is immaculately crafted, leaving the reader completely in awe and unable to tear him/herself away from the story. The words slide off the page beautifully, but leave a film on the brain that just reeks of desperation and sorrow. It's virtually impossible not to feel something deep down inside while reading this. This, in my opinion, is a work of art. A masterpiece.

The two main characters in this story - brothers Homer and Langley Collyer - were compulsive hoarders who lived in Manhattan - until 1947 - when their bodies were found in the Harlem brownstone where they lived as hermits. This part of the story is true. With Bell's help, we are given a unique, and harrowing fictional account of their last days in that brownstone, and the reaction of the community upon their demise. The truth of the story is just as terrifying as Bell's interpretation, but it is this author's ability to string words together so perfectly that really steals the show. Bell adds layer upon layer to a story that is already twisted and disturbing, thus giving it more of a dark fairy tale feeling than normal historical-fiction.

The overall result here is astounding. Bell has really created an incredibly unsettling, vibrant, disturbing, and beautifully haunting piece of fiction.

Grab yourself a free copy at Matt Bell's website here, or a direct download here. Also check out his collection - How They Were Found, available at Amazon, B&N, Amazon Kindle, and other online retailers.

PBH.

Here Comes The Rain by Rebecca Senese

Rebecca Senese is an up and coming horror/sci-fi author of immense talent that I think y'all need to know about.

I'm a fan of promoting those close to you, and being that Senese is based in Toronto (as I am), I couldn't think of anyone better to introduce you to.

Her short story - Here Comes The Rain - is a great example of psychological horror, and an unintended homage to the brilliant storytelling of The Twilight Zone.

It's really hard to review short fiction, but I'm going to give it a go here. Truth is, if I didn't think that this was a story and/or author that you should really check out, I wouldn't say anything. Here goes...

Over the past few years, Bertie has been working on his problems with his doctor, Paul Lansky. But one night as Bertie confronts his fear of carnivals, Paul discovers that maybe the Fun House isn't the worst thing to fear.

Senese's writing style really reminds me of the old Twilight Zone story lines, complete with wicked twists, strange occurrences, and red herrings. The flow is something I haven't seen in self published material in a long time, amounting to a very engaging and entertaining read. The description and setting in this tales is subtle, but when Senese wants to pack on the gore or produce a chill, she does so without a hitch.

The overall effect of the story is genuinely scary, leaving the reader with a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment. The old school vibe really sits very well and stokes the flames for a trip into memory lane with some of your old favorites.

This is definitely an author to check out. You can grab this story at Smashwords, and at Amazon. For 99 cents, you really can't go wrong. Visit Senese's website here, and follow her on Twitter.

PBH.

Snow by Ronald Malfi

Ronald Malfi has a way with words. His command of the language will leave you breathless, dreaming of vivid landscapes, and in terrible fear for your life. The monsters in Malfi's mind become tangible and all too real when he sets them loose on the page. Snow is an incredible modern horror story with a decadent feel, and the perfect marriage of beauty and brutality.

When a brutal snowstorm shut down all the flights in and out of Chicago, Todd Curry and a few other stranded passengers rented a jeep to drive the rest of the way to their destinations. But along a forested, isolated road, they picked up a disoriented man wandering through the snow. His car wouldn't start and his daughter had vanished. Strangest of all were the mysterious slashes cut into the back of the man's coat, straight down to the flesh.

When they arrived in the nearest town it seemed deserted. Cars sat in the street with their doors open. Fires burned unattended. But Todd and the rest of the traveler will soon learn that the town is far from deserted, for they're being watched... and hunted. Soon they will discover the inhuman horrors that await them in the... SNOW.

The above synopsis is from the Leisure/Dorchester edition, which saw a Mass Market Paperback (and more recently - ebook) release. It's far from adequate in describing the phenomenal effort present in this novel. Malfi's words are as magical as the snow itself, and go a long way in invoking terror in the reader.

If you're familiar with Canadian winters, you know very well the chill that runs deep into your bones, the shiver that creeps in and refuses to let go. Well, Snow delivers that feeling in spades. Malfi has crafted what is quite possibly the most brilliantly vivid world, leaving the reader no choice but to freeze along with the characters on the page. You can really almost see your breath at some points in the story. The virtually relentless action and scares are sure to turn any seasoned genre reader into a bubbling pile of awestruck goo, and will definitely bring new readers to their knees.

There's nothing special or new about the characters in Snow, and that's exactly what sets them apart. The dialogue sets out to show that you can have "canned" characters run all over your novel, but the art of mastering dialogue is the most important part. Malfi manages to make the characters become more real by creating dialogue and conversation within the novel that feels, sounds, and reads fluidly - making their plight that much more realistic.

One of Malfi's strengths is taking the reader by the hand and making him believe. The reader doesn't need to suspend disbelief when reading a piece of Malfi's work, as he has already done everything in his power to make everything so... sincere. Hell, you won't even have much of a chance to question anything. This novel is such a great ride, you won't have any time to.

The setting itself is beautiful. How Malfi transforms the idyllic little town into a snow covered Hell is both applaudable and amazing. Every creak and groan is heard through Malfi's expert descriptive ability. The reader can't help but wonder exactly what is hiding around the corner, adding so many layers to the terror experienced. It's right in the middle of the story, right about the time that Malfi has convinced the reader that this little town is about a creepy as it can get, that he swings for the bleachers and introduces some of the greatest monsters this reader has ever seen. This is truly an experience to behold.

Malfi has really done away with a lot of the genre trappings, and carved himself his own little corner of the market. His descriptive abilities alone bring him head and shoulders above the crowd, making him an author to keep your eye on. His writing is reminiscent of the old classics, but has all of the daring and flair of the modern genre. This writer is definitely going to become a favorite for many horror and thriller fans, and in most cases, already has.

Though the mass market format has now pretty much gone the way of the Dodo, Snow is still widely available. The mmpb format is a little more rare of a find, but you can catch a digital edition on Amazon and other retail websites. There is also an audio book version over at Dark Realms Audio, which I'm very interested in checking out and will report on if I get the chance. I can guarantee that this isn't the last you'll hear from me about this particular author. He has quickly become a favorite of mine.

You can check out more about Malfi over at his website. He's on Twitter, and over at The Keenedom (registration required).

PBH.

Letting Go by Mary SanGiovanni

I usually try to get around on the internet and read a few things while the kids are eating breakfast, and found myself clicking a link on Twitter that would end up throwing my day in a completely different direction. Why? Well, this morning, Mary SanGiovanni posted a reprint of one of her short stories in the Nightmares section of her website. The story is called Letting Go, and it completely blew me away.

See for yourself here.

I've read a few things by this author before, and I know that she's got a very strong voice. Her writing style is urgent and yet retains a sense of beauty and comfort. This piece is no different.

This story immaculately paced, starting off with a whisper, and ending off with a huge bang. If ever there was a piece of fiction that deserved to be read with a soundtrack, it's Letting Go. The mounting terror found within the story is remarkable. SanGiovanni really shows that her imagination is in top form, and brings a whole new, creepy feeling to the telling of a brilliant ghost story. Her version of which involves a brilliant manifestation of painful emotion, guilt, and regret. Like I've stated already: I was completely blown away.

It's been several hours since I read the story for the first time, and I still can't get it out of my head. SanGiovanni's writing is very visual, memorable, and smooth. No reader is going to walk away unsatisfied with this piece.

I strongly suggest you check it out.

Visit Mary SanGiovanni at www.marysangiovanni.com. Click on the Nightmares page to read Letting Go. You can also check her out on Twitter, and on her Forum at the Keenedom (registration required).

More information of Mary SanGiovanni's new novel, Thrall, is available at Thunderstorm Books here.

PBH.

After The Burn by Ronald Kelly

2011 may still be very young, but it is absolutely safe to say that Ronald Kelly's After The Burn is one of the best books you will read all year. Brutal, nasty, sick and twisted; this book has a little bit of everything for everyone, and absolutely no issues with pushing the boundaries. This is as balls-out-bizarre as horror fiction gets

It was a picture-perfect Fourth of July; one that heralded both celebration and pride for millions. Folks enjoyed parades and cook-outs, the playful laughter of children and a velvet sky alive with fireworks. Afterward, they went to sleep, happy and contented, without a care in the world. The at midnight, the sun came up, brighter than a billion sparklers and hotter than Hell unleashed.

They called it The Burn. The senseless detonation of nuclear devices across the face of the earth; randomly scattered, without rhyme or reason. Civilization as we knew it was consumed in the fire that day and, from it's ashes, rose a horrifying phoenix of boundless evil and depravity. Those who had once clung to the shadows, because of law and moral restraint, now stepped boldly forward to stake their unholy claim...

For one, it should be known that this is a collection of short stories, but not so short that the reader would feel that they would go too fast. I walked into this thinking that it was novel, but that's what happens when you don't read descriptions properly. After The Burn actually contains 8 short stories of varying length, subject, and brutality. The one thing that the reader can depend on throughout the book is the reassurance that you're in very capable hands. Kelly writes with incredible aplomb, and doesn't hesitate to take the reader to places he or she never planned to go. Ever. But with Kelly at the helm, you'll be glad you did.

A Shiny Can of Whup-Ass is the lead off story, and my god is it a ride.

An elderly handyman battles one of the most heinous serial killers in history as his picturesque small town becomes a violent nightmare come true.

If every book started off the way this collection does, things in the literary world would be a hell of a lot more exciting. Kelly jams this first story full of violence, mayhem, and a brilliant twist that will make the reader's mouth drop open in a way that only well placed kick in the balls can deliver.

Meat Is Life comes next, and gives the reader an interesting look what happens to someone with a special look on life when society as they know it comes to an end.

A well-known TV chef of culinary delights finds herself stranded and struggling for survival in the wilds of Virginia with her only friend, a stray dog named Compadre...and soon discovers that hunger and betrayal goes hand-in-hand.

The idea behind this story is awesome and hilarious. Watching a TV chef go through the backwoods of Virginia, starving and terrified, only to wind up the way that she does in the end, makes this a great cultural and societal commentary. This is the weakest story in the collection, but don't let that dissuade you. This story is leagues above most other short fiction pieces out there, and could only have possibly been delivered by someone with the imaginative power that Kelly offers up in spades.

The Happiest Place In Hell, the 3rd story in this collection, is at both times painful and hilarious. The hell that Kelly puts his characters through comes to a head with this story, and transforms the Happiest Place on Earth into a terrifying place of torment.

A band of unlikely survivors take refuge in the castle of an abandoned theme park, attempting to ward off an army of crazed lunatics who have come there in search of the only sustenance they crave...human flesh.

Like I said above, this story is painful and hilarious. Painful, in that it contains some of the most terribly sad back stories I've ever read in a short piece, and hilarious in the action and description of the characters once they've reached their current situation. Kelly really amps up the "adventure" aspect to this collection in this story, as well. The characters, while somewhat cookie cutter, are incredibly entertaining, and instantly memorable. Kelly's style takes on a bit of sarcasm with this one as well, lending a much needed brevity to such a dark collection without losing any of the horror at all.

In what is quite possibly the best, and most emotionally intense piece in the collection,Popsicle Man really grabs the readers' attention and rivets it to the page. If one were to read only one story from this book, this would definitely be my suggestion.

Two children strive to escape the evil clutches of a band of rapists and child molesters. They listen for the happy music of the ice cream truck and pray for the arrival of the Popsicle Man, a white-clad vigilante who has only hatred and fury for those who would prey upon the innocent.

This story reminded me of a very twisted play on The Warriors, replete with marauding gangs of murderers and rapists in different costumes and uniforms, and instantly securing a place as one of my favorite stories ever. It's an absolutely disturbed tale, wildly imaginiative, and screams to be read. Be warned though, the subject matter is not for the faint of heart. The imagery that Kelly uses in this story is as pitch black as it should be, and incredibly close to perfection.

Evolution Ridge is an incredibly weird story...but weird in a good way. This is what I can only imagine as Kelly's mind on a seriously terrifying LSD trip, while driving in the back country, or through an early american settlement. It also proves to be one of the more "out there" pieces, and brings a welcome intermission to the carnage that precedes it. This story is far from tame though. Very far.

A farm family attempts to forge a solitary life in the lofty mountains of the Tennessee Smokies. That lonesome pursuit for normalcy and peace is derailed when radiation mutates the wildlife and vegetation of their beloved home into their worst enemies...and threatens to evolve them into something less than human themselves.

The creatures that inhabit this story are the stuff of nightmares. I had a blast reading this story, as it was one of the most fully imagined pieces in the whole collection. Kelly really doesn't hesitate to get weird with his fiction, and just takes it that much further when you thought things were weird enough. The end of this story is absolutely beautiful, and really makes this a treat to check out.

Continuing the weird fiction trend, Kelly unleashes a tale that will make you question what you're reading. A couple pages into Taking Care Of Business, and after laughing at the sheer confidence and audacity that the writer displays with one very well-placed (and perfectly written) character from our musical history, this piece becomes the sort of story that could be easily translated to a Comic Book or Graphic Novel.

A middle-aged housewife and an Elvis impersonator journey to Memphis to pay homage to a long-dead rock and roll legend...and discover that iconic ghosts sometimes hold the true key to survival.

This is one of those outlandish tales that one hopes was as fun to write as it was to read. From the start, this piece is brimming with a sarcastic and funny air, and quickly introduces a character that will make the reader laugh out loud. I wasn't expecting Kelly to "go there", but he did, and it was 100% worth it. Both Action/Adventure and Survival Horror story, this is certainly one of the most fun reads in the collection. Very fast paced, re-readable, and very daring.

Flesh Welder seems to be the serious piece here. The premise is something reminiscent of the real life horrors faced in most 3rd world countries, but adds a character that has the ability to fix the broken bodies of the victims of this regime. Wonderfully written, and incredibly moving at it's core, this is the story that should be cementing Kelly as a writer who sets the bar high.

The survivors of Ruin Town must face evil in the form of a sadistic military commander known as The General. Their only hope is a man who can repair their broken bodies and, through a unique blending of medicine and mechanics, make them whole again. He is the healer supreme. The medico grande. The Flesh Welder.

This is the most powerful story in the bunch. It just resonates with the dark realities faced in a war torn society, a place that we, as Westerners, can only find in literature and on the screen. Kelly manages to transport the reader straight to Ruin Town, and away from all of the simple safeties that we take for granted. The Flesh Welder himself is an incredibly sympathetic character that will embed himself in the reader's mind, and make for an incredibly memorable journey. The final act in the story has a very "Twilight Zone" feel to it, as well, and was very welcome to this reader.

The Paradise Pill wraps up the collection with a heart breaking tale of sacrifice, loss, and pain. Kelly ups his game and delivers a very harrowing tale, tightening his grasp on the reader's heart strings, and giving them a severe emotional beating.

A woman and her daughter seek to escape the horrors of an inner-city Hell, strife with murder, torture, and rape, by partaking of a drug which transports them to their own private Heaven. But they soon discover that a chemically-induced paradise is limited in the protection it can provide.

The overall emotional outcome I felt after this story was just absolutely brutal. The mother and daughter characters are so sympathetic, so sad, that it almost overwhelms the reader with sorrow for their circumstance. The world that Kelly envisions for this part of the collection really isn't that far fetched, and that's what makes it so terrifying. The fact that there are people who partake in psychotropic drugs in order to escape terrible lives. Kelly really out-does himself with this story, smacking the reader in the face with a terrifying taste of reality, on LSD.

Kelly's handle on the subtle nuances of life is incredible, and his descriptions are brilliant. Why Kelly isn't being heralded as a master of the genre is beyond me. This is an author that needs to be a household name. His prose is often dark and sarcastic, but Kelly also proves capable of hitting on several emotions while still entertaining on a high level.

This collection of stories is a must have for all readers who enjoy "weird" fiction, and really anyone who likes wildly imaginative fiction. The subject matter is often very dark, and twisted in a "I can't believe he actually wrote that" kind of way, but nonetheless brilliant and thoroughly enjoyable.

You can contact Thunderstorm Books for more info on ordering here. Check out more of Thunderstorm's releases here, and check out Ronald Kelly's website here, and contact him here.

Personally, I can't wait to check out more of this author's work. His voice is very original and welcome. His words flow with beauty and brutality, making this reader a very satisfied new fan.

PBH.