This is going to be less of a review and more of a cautionary tale. I thought I knew what I was getting into when I started reading Sixty-Five Stirrup Iron Road. It is, after all, a collaboration of nine of the hardest-hitting horror authors working in the genre today: Brian Keene, Jack Ketchum, Edward Lee, J.F. Gonzalez, Bryan Smith, Wrath James White, Nate Southard, Ryan Harding and Shane McKenzie. These are not guys known for their restraint, and when you bring them all together between the same two covers, well, let’s just say the game of one-upsmanship is taken to a whole different level. I was not prepared for some of the things I read in this book. Clearly I’m no prude (I doubt I’d be writing for Fearnet if that were the case). I’ve pounded down more than my share of horror novels.
- 1/16/2014
- by Blu Gilliand
- FEARnet
When going through the new eBook releases this week, I ran into the anthology Midnight Symphony: 10 Novellas of Horror & Suspense edited by Robert Swartwood. I read through the contents of this huge book and immediately hit the buy button. It is an absolute steal at $0.99 (or £0.77 in the UK)!
This eBook is much longer than most books or novels, and it is filled to the rim with horror goodness! It is a collection of 10 novellas from some of the top indie names in the business. Kealan Patrick Burke, F. Paul Wilson, Tim Lebbon, Brian James Freeman... Oh heck, here, let me list the contents out for you real quick (with some quick comments by me):
"The Tent" by Kealan Patrick Burke (a creepy camping tale that is a must read for outdoorsmen…fun for the whole family…mmmwwwoooohaha!)
"The Painted Darkness" by Brian James Freeman (I've read this story...
This eBook is much longer than most books or novels, and it is filled to the rim with horror goodness! It is a collection of 10 novellas from some of the top indie names in the business. Kealan Patrick Burke, F. Paul Wilson, Tim Lebbon, Brian James Freeman... Oh heck, here, let me list the contents out for you real quick (with some quick comments by me):
"The Tent" by Kealan Patrick Burke (a creepy camping tale that is a must read for outdoorsmen…fun for the whole family…mmmwwwoooohaha!)
"The Painted Darkness" by Brian James Freeman (I've read this story...
- 12/6/2013
- by Robert Brouhard
- FEARnet
Kayla and the Devil by Bryan Smith
College student Kayla Monroe seems to have everything. Stunning looks, smarts, and loads of money thanks to her privileged upbringing. But something’s gone wrong. Ever since the start of her sophomore year, people have been avoiding her. Her friends shun her. Guys no longer flock to her. Even her former stalker, an awkward geek, now wants nothing to do with her.
She is on the brink of utter despair when she encounters a young man in the park. The man is charming and movie star handsome. Kayla thinks maybe her luck has taken a turn for the better. But she couldn’t be more wrong. Because this man is the Devil. Capital D definitely intended. The ultimate embodiment of evil. And he has something to tell Kayla.
Kayla hasn’t always been the nicest girl in the world. At times she has been downright mean.
College student Kayla Monroe seems to have everything. Stunning looks, smarts, and loads of money thanks to her privileged upbringing. But something’s gone wrong. Ever since the start of her sophomore year, people have been avoiding her. Her friends shun her. Guys no longer flock to her. Even her former stalker, an awkward geek, now wants nothing to do with her.
She is on the brink of utter despair when she encounters a young man in the park. The man is charming and movie star handsome. Kayla thinks maybe her luck has taken a turn for the better. But she couldn’t be more wrong. Because this man is the Devil. Capital D definitely intended. The ultimate embodiment of evil. And he has something to tell Kayla.
Kayla hasn’t always been the nicest girl in the world. At times she has been downright mean.
- 11/16/2011
- by Peter Schwotzer
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
If titles like Mangled Meat and Super Fetus and Depraved don't clue you in to the fact that Deadite Press (deaditepress.com) is all about hardcore horror, then the covers will remove all doubt. There's a flayed corpse fronting Bryan Smith's Highways to Hell, and a helmeted, faceless nightmare on the cover of Dave Brockie's Wharghoul, and I refuse to even speculate about what exactly the screaming….thing is on the cover of Wrath James White's His Pain. I can barely stand to look at it. The point is, Deadite Press wears its intentions right on its torn and bloody sleeves, and that's a mighty refreshing change of pace in a world where most mainstream publishers decline to even put the word...
- 10/18/2011
- FEARnet
Bloodrush by Bryan Smith
(Delirium Books – July 2011)
David Rucker wakes up to a scene of shocking violence. Blood and body parts are everywhere. At first, he has no memory of who he is or how he wound up unconscious in the midst of all this carnage. The mental fog engulfing him begins to clear and recognition dawns. The bodies of the dead belonged to people he loved. As he absorbs this information, a series of increasingly devastating revelations soon follow, including the realization that he is no longer alive. At least not in the technical sense. He is a monster. A killer. A vampire. At last he remembers something even more disturbing—Narcisa, the ancient and beautiful vampire queen who turned him and set in motion the events that led to this tragedy.
There’s still more David needs to remember, but first an even more crucial piece of the...
(Delirium Books – July 2011)
David Rucker wakes up to a scene of shocking violence. Blood and body parts are everywhere. At first, he has no memory of who he is or how he wound up unconscious in the midst of all this carnage. The mental fog engulfing him begins to clear and recognition dawns. The bodies of the dead belonged to people he loved. As he absorbs this information, a series of increasingly devastating revelations soon follow, including the realization that he is no longer alive. At least not in the technical sense. He is a monster. A killer. A vampire. At last he remembers something even more disturbing—Narcisa, the ancient and beautiful vampire queen who turned him and set in motion the events that led to this tragedy.
There’s still more David needs to remember, but first an even more crucial piece of the...
- 6/13/2011
- by Peter Schwotzer
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
When a fellow horror fiction fan said of Bryan Smith’s Rock And Roll Reform School Zombies (Deadite Press 2010) that “It’s fun, it’s fast, and it’s packed with Sex, Violence, and Heavy fucking Metal!” I knew I had to read it. As the title suggests, Smith combines rock and roll with flesh-eating zombies drawing from influences like Return of the Living Dead and the metal documentary The Decline of the Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years. This short novella lives up to its inspiration on both counts. If you are a fan of darkly comedic 80’s splatter horror or zombie comedies like Rotld you have to read Rock And Roll Reform School Zombies. There is non-stop action, gratuitous sexual content, over the top gore, rotten flesh-eating corpses, and of course heavy metal. Bust out your patch covered denim, throw up your devil horns, and get ready to kick some zombie ass!
- 4/4/2011
- by Meli YOROSHIKU!
- Destroy the Brain
“To the spoiled rich kids on spring break the rented beach house seemed like the perfect setting for partying, drinking and general fooling around. The neighbors wouldn’t be able to hear their music. But the unhinged killers about to crash the party think the house is perfect too—the neighbors won’t be able to hear the screams. And there will be much more blood flowing than booze. One by one as the night of terror wears on, the college friends will learn the gruesome results of meeting a very different kind of people… The Killing Kind”
First off, let me unequivocally state that Bryan Smith creates the most fantastic, sick, demented and twisted characters in horror fiction today.
His newest novel, The Killing Kind, available from our good friends at Dorchester Publishing continues Bryan’s seemingly meteoric rise to the top of today’s best in horror fiction.
First off, let me unequivocally state that Bryan Smith creates the most fantastic, sick, demented and twisted characters in horror fiction today.
His newest novel, The Killing Kind, available from our good friends at Dorchester Publishing continues Bryan’s seemingly meteoric rise to the top of today’s best in horror fiction.
- 7/1/2010
- by Peter Schwotzer
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
Hard to believe we are halfway through June already. Why does summer fly and winter drag on so? For your summer reading pleasure Dorchester Publishing has two new books from a couple of great authors.
Bryan Smith follows up his acclaimed novel Depraved with The Killing Kind. If you haven’t yet had a chance to read Bryan Smith now would be a good time to start. His books aren’t for the faint of heart, so if you like your horror bloody, you will love Bryan Smith.
W.D. Gagliani presents his third book in his much-talked about and praised werewolf saga, Wolf’s Bluff. These are werewolves as they are meant to be and the way I like them; evil, ferocious and bloodthirsty.
“To the spoiled rich kids on spring break the rented beach house seemed like the perfect setting for partying, drinking and general fooling around. The...
Bryan Smith follows up his acclaimed novel Depraved with The Killing Kind. If you haven’t yet had a chance to read Bryan Smith now would be a good time to start. His books aren’t for the faint of heart, so if you like your horror bloody, you will love Bryan Smith.
W.D. Gagliani presents his third book in his much-talked about and praised werewolf saga, Wolf’s Bluff. These are werewolves as they are meant to be and the way I like them; evil, ferocious and bloodthirsty.
“To the spoiled rich kids on spring break the rented beach house seemed like the perfect setting for partying, drinking and general fooling around. The...
- 6/15/2010
- by Peter Schwotzer
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
Hello all Monster Fans,
I have been away for a while and vehemently apologize. I have been bogged down in a project for a company I freelance for, for the past few months as well as my full time job. Deadlines, travel etc…you get the picture.
I wanted to close out 2009 with my top ten books of 2009. I managed to read 56 books this year, not as many as I would have liked but more than I thought. There were some great, some good and some not so good. But I tip my hat to anyone that has the stamina and fortitude to finish a novel.
In my position at Famous Monsters I have been lucky enough to be able to correspond with some of my favorite writers in the Horror field. Some of them have sent me manuscripts of some of their upcoming books. Even though a few of...
I have been away for a while and vehemently apologize. I have been bogged down in a project for a company I freelance for, for the past few months as well as my full time job. Deadlines, travel etc…you get the picture.
I wanted to close out 2009 with my top ten books of 2009. I managed to read 56 books this year, not as many as I would have liked but more than I thought. There were some great, some good and some not so good. But I tip my hat to anyone that has the stamina and fortitude to finish a novel.
In my position at Famous Monsters I have been lucky enough to be able to correspond with some of my favorite writers in the Horror field. Some of them have sent me manuscripts of some of their upcoming books. Even though a few of...
- 1/4/2010
- by Peter Schwotzer
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
Escape. The web isn't clamoring with that many series that truly rip us out of our office chairs. Often we're given mere momentary amusement. But I'm talking about the ones that suck us through our laptop screens and into a world so refreshingly different yet intimately familiar we actually feel transported. Everyone has something that gives them this kind of escape. For me, it's a show that propels me into the land of ski tracks in fresh powder, vertical drops and climbing 5.10's. Pure adrenaline daydreaming. Luckily, I may have just found my new episodic winter escape. Fitz Cahall is a natural storyteller, crafting 20 episodes of an NPR-worthy podcast of outdoor adventures called The Dirtbag Diaries. His real life human tales of triumph are This American Life for Rei junkies. But now, Cahall is taking the leap into web series, with the upcoming premiere of The Season later this month.
- 1/4/2010
- by Marc Hustvedt
- Tubefilter.com
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