Review: THE IMAGO SEQUENCE (Night Shade Books)

In a word, WOW.

I have read Mr Barron's work on many occasions in various anthologies and enjoyed each piece so much, I decided it was time to explore the man's writing more thoroughly.  The Imago Sequence, published in 2007, is Barron's first collection.

WOW.

As I've said before, I am no expert in the field of "weird" fiction, but I do know when I've read a book that is special, and one that I am going to keep with me long after the spine is cracked and the pages are yellow.  The Imago Sequence is such a book.

What Barron does with this collection is slowly envelop his readers with an increasing sense of dread and horror, each tale like taking step after creeping step into the dark woods of the Pacific Northwest that feature in so many of his stories.  Barron is an expert wordsmith; his writing is unearthly and he dips his pen in noir, psychological and cosmic horror, and the weird.  The stories here are chilling and disturbing, and the horror here goes far beyond mere slasher and gore.  These stories stay with you, embedded in your memory for a good, long while.  My favorites:

"Old Virginia" opens the collection and also sets the tone for the entire set.  A government experiment has gone horribly awry and humankind are pawns in a game way beyond its ken...

"Procession Of The Black Sloth" is an atmospheric stand out in the collection.  It is a creepy, Chinese phantasia complete with ghosts and witchcraft...

"Bulldozer" is a type of Weird West story, with a Pinkerton detective hot on the trail of a mysterious serial killer...

"Hallucigenia"  is another story with Barron's signature brand of cosmic horror; the imagery here is surreal and unsettling.  Probably my favorite piece in the collection.

"The Imago Sequence" brings the collection to a close, and involves a series of photographs that are surrounded by mystery and the occult...

As a dark fantasy/horror collection, The Imago Sequence is amazing, truly one of the best such collections I've read in a long time.  With each story I finished, I was reminded of how excited I was reading Clive Barker's Book Of Blood for the first time.  Barron is showing here the same flashes of brilliance and is firmly establishing his own mythos with these tales.  As a collection of weird fiction, it is for me a great introduction of what heights the genre can reach, going beyond pastiche and into modern day classics.  If it isn't already, this volume needs to be on your bookshelves.

Happy reading!

Review: I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS by Andrew Wolter

It has been too long since we've heard from one Andrew Wolter.

The man is a prolific writer with many, many irons in the fire right now but just in time for the holidays, he has found the time to time to bestow a scary little stocking stuffer upon us, I'll Be Home For Christmas.

I'll Be Home For Christmas is the story of Jessie Sutter, all alone in the family home after the death of his mother, dealing with the first Christmas since her passing.  Christmastime holds the fondest memories of his childhood for him, because it was a time when the family acted as a family; no fighting, no screaming, only peace.

Wolter savors every word he writes and just as swirling wine in a glass releases the wine's bouquet, his storytelling swirls around us, enveloping us in his words.  You will keep reading til the end, as I did, as Jessie recalls a surreal meeting with Santa, the secret that Santa gave him and the reason why his hair and beard are white.

I'll Be Home For Christmas is a delicious little tapas of a tale, a tasty morsel to tide us over til Wolter's next big book and you will devour it in one sitting.  It's dark, it's glam...it's Christmas.

Happy Reading!



(This counts towards the 2013 Horror Reading Challenge hosted by Midnyte Reader)

I Couldn't Resist The Power of the Dark Side

Ok, only because she's hosting it again and only because I enjoyed last year's challenge so much, I am once again going to participate in  the 2014 Horror Reading Challenge hosted by the lovely Midnyte Reader.  It was a blast and I got to encounter a lot of book/authors that I hadn't had the pleasure of reading before.  So here we go again.  :)

Happy reading!

Review: BUDDY by Brett Williams (Zoe Books)

I read Buddy by Brett Williams based solely on Mr Williams' reputation, and I am glad I did.  In all honesty, there were several moments reading this story that made me cringe, or plucked unmercifully at my heart strings, but Mr Williams' skill as a writer was not to denied and I soldiered through til the end.  Buddy is a harrowing read, and not one for the faint of heart.

The story opens with our young protagonist, Danny James, saving a young puppy from attack by rats.  The vermin have already injured the dog but Danny rescues it and wanting to heal it from its injuries, sneaks it into the house to nurse it back to health.  Dogs are not allowed in the house, so Danny has to hide the puppy, which he names Buddy,  in his room, the better to avoid the wrath of his mother and her boyfriend.  We also find out that Danny's brother Tom bullies him at every turn, so Danny and Buddy spend alot of time in his bedroom.  Unfortunately, Tom finds out about Buddy and threatens both the boy and his dog daily, making life a living Hell for the young companions.

Again, Buddy is a hard read but it is fast paced and Williams knows how to keep you in your seat, hanging on every word.  There were plenty of times I wanted to put the book down for a minute, if only to shake off the emotions the story was wringing out of me but I didn't.  The material is not easy to stomach but Williams writes with a very sure hand, telling a story of abuse and love and companionship and trust that hits home all the more harder because stories like this are happening everyday, these things are real.  And that's the real horror.     


(This counts towards the 2013 Horror Reading Challenge hosted by Midnyte Reader)

Review: GHOSTS IN THE ATTIC by Mark Allan Gunnells (Evil Jester Press)

I love me some Mark Allan Gunnells.

He is an author whose work I enjoy reading again and again; whenever I'm immersed in one of his novels or  numerous short stories, I am never disappointed.  His writing is always a feast for the imagination.  And Ghosts In The Attic is no exception.

Trying to list my favorites from the choice morsels here was made nigh impossible by Mr Gunnells, as the stories range from great to excellent, but I managed to whittle it down to the gems:

The collection opens with 911, a poignant ghost story with its origin straight out of 9/11.

Another stand out for me is The Delivery Boy, a great thriller about a seemingly crazy pizza delivery boy that ends with a bang!

Wasted On The Young starts out pretty straight forward then takes an unexpected turn that brings the story to a creepy end.

The crown jewel of the collection, The Ghost Of Winnie Davis Hall, is a lovely, haunting story about belief and myth.  In it, we meet a ghost who over the years has become lost, and now only wants to find her place in the world again.  Beautiful!

Circular is a graphic tale about grief and desperation that can lead to obsession.  Very creepy!

A Stranger Comes To Lipscomb Street and Finders Keepers are both love stories at their core, yet surreal and weird.

Ghosts In The Attic is another superb collection by an author who injects his writing with thoughtfulness and heart.  Even his "horror" stories are emotive, and those collected here are wistful and wicked.  Probably my only complaint is that the majority of these stories are very short and while that makes for quick reading, when I am reading Mark Allan Gunnells, I want to be lost in the writing for as long as possible.

Happy reading!


(This counts towards the 2013 Horror Reading Challenge hosted by Midnyte Reader)

Review: THE SUMMER OF WINTERS by Mark Allan Gunnells (Evil Jester Press)

Readers of this blog will know that I am a very enthusiastic fan of Mark Allan Gunnells.  Ever since he came out with Asylum, his awesomely original take on the zombie apocalypse, I have been addicted to this man's writing.  I know that anytime I open a Mark Allan Gunnells book that I am in for a great story with memorable characters and powerful storytelling.  And The Summer of Winters is no exception.

Told in flashback, it is the story of Mike Guthrie during the summer of 1983.  He is eleven, a scrawny and awkward adolescent that gets bullied at school and has no friends.  His father has abandoned the family and his mother has to work twelve hour days at a textile plant to support Mike and his younger brother Ray.  It is during this summer that Mike meets his new neighbor, Paige Moore.

The Moores move into the house next door to the Guthries, and Mike hasn't ever met anyone like Paige before.  She takes a liking to him immediately, and in asking him to be her "guide" around town and to show her the sights puts Mike in a position he hasn't been in before; the role of friend and playmate.  Paige's enthusiasm for adventure is contagious, and Mike finds himself attempting things he would never had tried before, such as interacting with the other local kids.  He also develops a crush on Paige's older brother, Brody.  But Mike's summer of fun and new found friendship is soon brought to a terrible halt by the death of nine-year old Sarah Winters.

The Summer of Winters is an intimate coming of age story that is laced throughout with a quiet horror.  Gunnells tells Mike Guthrie's story with a very precise hand; he perfectly captures both the local color of the area, plus the thoughts and feelings of an eleven year old boy, with the twin emotions of dread and loss that young Mike experiences speeding the story right along to its chilling climax.

With The Summer of Winters, Gunnells cements his reputation as a master storyteller.  It is a poignant tale of horror and loss that will reverberate with its readers for a long time to come.


(This counts toward the 2013 Horror Reading Challenge hosted by Midnyte Reader )

New Year, New Challenges

So Book Chick City is hosting Zombie Reading Challenge 2013!!  I wasn't able to finish last year's challenge, so hope to redeem myself with this.  I am going for two chomps; wish me luck!  Click on the image in the sidebar for details on how to join the challenge!

Other challenges I thought sounded fun and decided to join are both hosted by Midnyte Reader, the Horror Reading Challenge 2013 and the New Orleans Reading Challenge 2013.  For details on these, again, click on the images in the sidebar!

Happy Reading!

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