If there is a theme to this book, it is “All Hope Abandon, Ye Who Enter Here.” Brannon, Brown, and Grover wouldn’t be out of place writing for “Steven King’s Horror Magazine,” if there were such an animal, and have presented 24 stories of varying quality, although all are horrific and none have what one would call an “upbeat ending.”
Horror publishing on the web is flourishing, and in this collection these three authors show why that is happening . Many of the stories are a combination of Science Fiction and Horror, with weird diseases and mutant monsters doing the things they do best. Some are very good, for example, the first three stories; “Kamikaze,” by Brannon; Brown’s “Nightshopping”; and Grover’s “The Red Book” are all quite well done examples of the genre. Some start out well, and then fizzle because the basic concept that drove them was minor. An example is “The Tomb in the Stars.” The encapsulating milieu leading to the denouement was intriguing, but the story just sort of stops.
Well, horror stories are not my cup of blood and eyeball stew, although obviously a lot of people like them, and we get plenty of submissions for our little webzine. However, having stated that, do I feel that the book is worth $5? (I know... it lists for $4.99...) If you like horror, you will like this book and will find much to send chills down your spine. Available from Fictionwise and Double Dragon Press.
Copyright © 2003 by Jerry Wright