Horror Books

This quasi-fantasy tale relates the story of 15 year-old Franklin whose Japanese-American girlfriend is killed in a car accident, then returns to him in spirit form to guide him through his grief. Hawes' young adult story would be bibliotherapuetic for a young teen who has experienced the loss of a loved one. The story also speaks to intercultural relationships and tolerance. Franklin's mother is raising him alone, and begins dating; which is another emotional challenge for Franklin, who is already dealing with more than a fair share of problems. The writing itself makes use of poetry and beautifully descriptive prose, providing young adult readers with a lesson in descriptive writing.

I so loved this book. I'm a big fan of what I guess you could term supernatural romances and this is one of the best I have ever read.This book shows that true love never dies, not even after death.It lives on. The book is fiction, but I was still so deeply touched by it.It could have been real. Pick this book up. You will love it.

Rosey In The Present Tense was an awesome book! This bookteaches you about how to cope with death, but not only that, but abouta a boy that won't let go of his girlfriend's death. Franklin just can't imagine life without Rosey in it, and he thinks he sees her...but is this a dream, or is it reality? Read the book to find out what happens next! This was an awesome book, and I encourage you all to read it! It makes you laugh, it makes you cry....all around, its a GREAT BOOK for young adults!

This book is a very great book. It was rosey who is this beautiful girl who has long black hair and she is very nice. There's this guy who had fell in love with her. He sleeps thinking of her, when he is a wake he just yhinks of her evry day and night.oh, and how great it felt to be with her, how deliget to hold her. It was like a dream had come true. He found rosey and automatical just fall in love. Rosey had felt the exact same way as her boyfriend. The sad thing is that they didn't really spend their life together for a long time. Rosey went and left him behind. She went up to heaven, but david always think that she is there still with him. David new that she was gone, but he just doesn't want to think that she had left him about two years ago. Rosey and david is very much in love, but their love is not close as it use to be. Yet still they still got each others in the heart.

Not because the book was unrealistic or overly romantic, but because it centered on such a genuine relationship. This short book was funny, touching, rich. One more example of what fine writing is being done for young adults in this country! I'd recommend it to anyone of any age.

An incredibly entertaining read.. this book was attached to my hand for a couple of days because i couldn't put it down. gary goshgarian is an extremely talented writer and should be put up there with the best.. i recommend this book to everyone and those that read it.. thank me.. if you like this book.. read "elixir" by gary braver (new pen name for gary goshgarian). his work is brilliant.. simply stated.

Gary Goshgarian should be right up there with Stephen King!
I could NOT put this book down. It was exciting/disturbing, yet intelligent. Lots of twists.

I made the mistake of reading the first chapter of Gary Goshgarian's Rough Beast at work. This is NOT a book one puts down lightly. The Hazzards, the family caught up in an environmental tragedy, are sympathetic and believeable. Matty, the son who goes through horrific changes as the result of the pollution, is drawn with compassion, but also a clear-eyed look at the torture of his condition. And Jerry Mars, the consummate assassin, is a wonderfully shivery bad guy. I highly recommend this book.

One major element in Goshgarian's writing that surfaces time and again is his amazing capacity to create real charcters that real people can identify with. Instead of letting action determine characters, in Rough Beast and others by Goshgarian, he creates tense situations one can't wait to see the characters react to. Another thing: few male authors write convincingly from the female point of view, but Rough Beast's main female character exemplifies the female perspective when confronted with the calamity circumstance brings upon her family. His scientific explanations also further the book's frightening edge by avoiding a plummet into psuedo-science. Goshgarian's eventual scientific explanations suggest real possibilities for a very real dilemma. Rough beast IS a cautionary tale. And this book keeps you guessing -- none of the predictablity typical of suspense thrillers. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as I did Goshgarian's latest, and recommend it to anyone interested in a page turner. I read it in two days!

A very disturbing, fast-paced thriller. The evil character Jerry Mars was quite twisted, and so fearless that he would introduce himself, not even making up an alias but using his real name, to his victims before killing them... The Boston background was pretty convincing. Either Gary Goshgarian lives here in Boston, or at least he did his homework. I wondered if this book was in any way inspired by the true story behind "A Civil Action", because they both take place in precisely the same region, with the same theme, etc. Being half of Italian descent myself, I was slightly taken aback at the portrayal of the Italian-American "goombahs" who gathered every weekend to sick their dogs on each other in an arena. Maybe that is an authentic subculture of the Italian-American experience, but I've lived around Boston for most of my life and I've never run into it.

But that is a pretty minor point. Primarily this book deals intelligently with some of the issues raised by biological warfare, and really makes you feel the pain and confusion of some of the characters. It is remarkable well-written, considering the genre. Gary Goshgarian must have some kind of serious background in professional writing, it doesn't seem as though this level of skill is likely to be a one-shot deal. Great stuff.

Do you consider yourself a completely sane and reasonable human being yet seek out the most depraved videos on Youtube.com, proudly admit to ogling human roadkill at freeway pileups and find un-PC humor often quite hysterically funny? If you're like me and this description fits you to a T, then you'll find Satan's 3-Ring Circus Of Hell to be very shocking. Shockingly funny that is. This generously thick-paged graphic comic book features dozens of wickedly black-humored tales of insanity and mayhem. Robert Rhine is the devilishly witty ringleader of this literary madness. His biting humor leaves welcome marks in your flesh that take a long time to heal, much like a hickey. In addition to also being a Rod Serling impersonator as well as best friend and confidant to the Prince of Darkness, he is the editor of Girls And Corpses magazine and various other 'Satan' comic books. The stories in Satan's 3-Ring Circus Of Hell are illustrated by Rhine's horde of evil minions who happen to be some of the finest and most creative graphic artists around: Frank Forte, D.W. Frydendall, Eric Pigors, Mike Sosnowski, William Stout, Tim Vigil, John Cassaday, Tone Rodriguez, Hilary Barta, Spain Rodriguez, Jim Smith, Vincent Waller, Alan M. Clark, Frank Dietz, Shannon Wheeler, Steve R. Bissette, Alex Pardee, Steven Mannion, Joe Vigil, David Paleo, Frankie B. Washington, David Hartman, Bryan Baugh, John Howard, John Watkins Chow, Matt Howarth, Jeff Gaither, Mark Covell, Jacob Hair, Gak, Nenad Gucunja, Joe Bucco, Kevin Colden, Steve Cobb, Rich Longmore, Rafal Hrynkiewicz, Steph Dumais, Aleksandar Sotirovski, Clay Henss, Alastair Fell, Omaha Perez and Norman Cabrera. So hang your good taste on the coat rack, have a seat and enjoy a nice evening of wickedly sick and twisted humor.

R.S. Rhine's disturbing, yet compelling, "Satan's 3-Ring Circus of Hell" would not let me sleep! After I received my copy, I spent the entire night reading and re-reading it. Rhine's choice to keep to smaller vignette's, each illustrated by a different artist, jolted me with each turned page into having to read the entire story. It's just the right mixture of gore and humor. There is certainly something for everyone here, too -- from "over the top" gorehounds, to those of more refined horror tastes -- this is a great piece to add to your collection of horror, comics and/or art. Buy two - one to read, and one to keep. Then more to give to friends as gifts.

i cannot begin to praise this horror in any way that will do it justice. there isn't anyone who can grab my attention with pure disgust and still make me laugh. until now. i happened to meet robert rhine, and can i say, i'm pretty sure i met the embodiment of gore and terror (yet friendly). the writing has no words to describe the wicked sickness it achieves, and the comic team behind him is flawless, yet disturbing (in a good way). the stories are amazing (i love hell's bells, eat me, and the symposium), yet i find myself a little partial to the single page concept art (sideshow surgury, and night of the living freaks). i believe Alan Katz said it right: "higher praise does not exist." i am extremely happy with this find. now, i have a piece of his mind. (come and get it mr. rhine, hahaha) i know whoever dares, will enjoy it as much as i do.

I discovered your website whilst doin a little search for girls and this , and girls and that, and that is how I found: girls and corpes.com---and in so doing your book: Satan's 3-Ring Circus of Hell.

"Satan's 3-Ring Circus of Hell"... I have to tell you folks, that it's made a fun read as I sit by the pool with my cigars and Gin & Tonic.

One story in particular "The Party Clown"... very cool. Also I dug : "Separation Anxiety" and "Fast Acting Xylotryptomine". All in all, it's a great summer book. I always loved comics anyway, and my favorites when I was a kid were always the Horror comics.. I never liked the Superman or Batman stuff. I did however love Mad Magazine.

Cudos to Mr Rhine for putting this all together. Additionally, there are some very funny full page spoofs on the advertisments in comics from the 1960s.

Disgusting, tasteless, repugnant..."Satan's 3 Ring Circus of Hell" is all of this. It's also pretty damn funny and a riot to read. The book is the brainchild of writer Robert Steven Rhine and a whole host of talented artists such as Tim Vigil, Steven Bisette, Frank Dietz, Hilary Barta, Jeff Gaither, and many more. This is a collection of horror and horrific stories and one page illustrations. At first glance one may think they are inspired by old Warren Mags like Creepy, but the level of gore hints at perhaps being inspired more by Eerie Publications magazines like Horror Tales and Tales from the Tomb, not to mention modern day splatter films.

Right out of the chute the book pounds the reader with morbid ferocity and oodles of slimy, sticky gore, but often infused with a dark sense of humor. "Separation Anxiety" with art by Frank Forte tells the story of the freak show sisters of Satan, a pair of conjoined twins, one a beautiful woman, the other a small, goblin-like beast. Their affair with the tattooed man goes awry when he wants to separate the pair.

"Bone Soup" was a favorite of mine with gorgeous art by Joe Vigil. Set sometime in old Eastern Europe during a great famine, a mysterious visitor to an inn decides to cook up bone soup. But he needs to acquire all the ingredients first: Bones, tongue, liver, heart...

A truly ghastly story of revenge is "The Roast" as hundreds of victims of botched cosmetic surgeries get their just revenge on the doctor who disfigured them, turning this tribute into a true roast!

"The Haunted Hood" is an outrageous story of the Braddock Downs Housing Projects filled with Hos, pushers, pimps, gangstas...and things much worse. It's a wonderful slapstick horror farce. "Fungus Among Us" with art by Nenad Gucunja is another favorite about a little boy who is unwilling to part with his foul, odorous sneakers that he used to score the winning goal in a soccer championship game. His mother learns the hard way that she should never throw her son's stuff out!

In addition to the stories there are some hysterical parodies of old comic book ads such as for the box of mini-plastic soldiers, Sea Monkeys, etc, and there's even a little bit of anti-Bush humor tossed in for good measure.

It's a wildly ghoulish ride from beginning to end and I highly recommend it for horror fans.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

I took a chance and read a genre I have never read before. After the first chapter I connected. I couldn't put it down. I was on vacation and my husband kept asking me if I really wanted to read that book. Well I finished it after two days by the pool. What a ride! I normally read non-fiction or a good mystery but this book had it all. Sophia Miller goes to an old castle per her grandfathers Will with her cousin Karl. Once they arrive, her cousin Karl turns malicious and she meets a man she is so drawn to; you feel yourself pulling toward the intriguing Peter Kreig. There are werewolves, a shadowy forest and chalk cliffs that draw you in repeatedly. Tracy Jones makes you feel as though you are right there in the cold damp castle in 1804 on the Island of Rügen. It's chilling and sensual. My husband read the book as soon as I finished it. He loved it too!

This was a spell-binding book. I really enjoyed the characters and could picture each of them disctinctly in my mind, great descriptions. It was hard to put down once I started reading, it always kept me wondering what was next. I fell in love with Sophia and Peter and am anxiously awaiting a sequel.

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

When Sophia Miller is summoned to Europe for the reading of her grandfather's will, she never expects her life to change as it does. She begins to have strange dreams that haunt her nights, and experiences sexual longings never before experienced, every time she is in the presence of mysterious stranger, Peter Krieg. All she wants is to gain her inheritance so she can return home and care for her ailing mother.

Peter Krieg is a stranger, and oddly enough, one of a family that was long thought dead. So when he appears at the castle, everyone is shocked that he even exists. He had been kept hidden his entire life, tasked with a duty to destroy an evil power lurking at the Mueller castle. No one knows his true purpose at the reading of the will, or why it was required that he even be there. When he meets the beautiful Sophia, he begins to realize his duty may be a little more difficult than expected. Love was never a part of the bargain.

Strange happenings occur at the Mueller home and new people arrive who seem to know more then they are telling. When Sophia's cousin, Karl, disappears, it is feared he has succumbed to the evil. Is there any truth to the rumors of an ancient family curse that they will become werewolves? And how can Sophia and Peter defeat the terror that permeates the entire island?

Sophia has some strong powers she's only begun to experience, and when they begin to awaken, her life changes permanently. These powers however, that should be her undoing, may actually be the key to conquering the evil forever. Peter Krieg is a dark, mysterious man who knows more than he is telling. The love he and Sophia discover together will inflame passions and a hunger that cannot be denied.

Sophia is a heroine strong in heart and mind. She is braver than most women would be of her era. She is selfless in her devotion to her mother, as well as any other people she calls friend. When her passion for Peter begins to develop, she is confused and frightened, convinced it is a result of her curse. Peter is deeply mysterious, never revealing his true reason for being there until it is absolutely necessary. He is there to do his duty, so is shocked to find himself falling for Sophia. When their love for one another overcomes them, it is extremely passionate and all encompassing. The secondary characters all add depth to the story... and secrets, from the servants of the household, to the family solicitor, to Sophia's cousin, Karl. All are well developed and fully fleshed out, making the reader feel for them as well.

This story is the stuff gothic romance is made of. There are dark secrets, an ancient mysterious castle, an unsuspecting heroine, and a mysterious dark hero. This book will delight readers and fans of horror, romance, and fantasy alike with the mystery and love story that unfolds here. The story grips readers in its clutches and will keep them reading long in to the night. The plot is fast moving and intriguing, with new details revealed at every turn. There is enough mystery throughout to keep one guessing and to make every character a suspect. When the true history - and fate - of the Mueller family is unfurled, readers will gasp in shock and a hint of fear.

Ms. Jones tells a chillingly, fascinating tale in Scent of the Wolf. Be sure to go out and pick up a copy of this book today. It is bound to satisfy.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, February 2005. All rights reserved.

This is a great book! It kept me on the edge of my seat thru the whole book wanting more. I just couldn't put it down!
This is an author that's going places!

Tracy Jones has captured the dark, haunting flavor of a spine-chilling Gothic tale in Scent of the Wolf. Her descriptions are visual. You are there, among these fascinating characters on their mysterious journey toward an outcome that is unclear until the very end, as is the way with all memorable works of fiction. There is nothing predictable here. And then, as if that isn't enough,there is a twist ending that will give you gooseflesh. Guaranteed.

The characters are real--not just Sophia and Peter, but the secondary characters as well, and they are woven in in such a way as to keep the reader guessing until the final page is turned.

Forget all you've learned about werewolves. These are a new breed. They will haunt you long after you close the book and consign it to your shelf until you're ready to take it down and read it again. It's that good.

If you want a fast-paced, dark and spooky read by a talent author who is sure to shine through many more compelling books to come, Scent of the Wolf will not disappoint. I can't wait for the sequel.

Dawn Thompson

Though a recent work, Michael Ehart manages to incorporate an element of classical mythology in Servant of the Manthycore. This tale is told in a collection of short stories about "Ninshi," the conflicted heroine/anti-heroine of the book.
I enjoyed each tale more than the last until the final climactic segment, which certainly delivers.
An excellent read.

The Servant of the Manthycore is a compilation of several short stories featuring a tragic, morally equivocal, but truly likable protagonist--a deadly warrior woman in a very small package who reminds us that we often do beautiful and awful things for love because we are human and cannot help it.

The stories are terrificly paced, filled with plenty of sword-and-sorcery action, and leave the reader pondering in the mist between right and wrong. Ehart skillfully treads the familiar ground of old myths while blazing a trail for a new one. This is part of what great fantasy is all about.

I do wish Ehart would have fleshed out the setting a tad more. I feel he could have described the Middle Eastern Bronze Age in more detail while maintaining the swift movement of the story--though this is a delicate balance.

Despite this, Ehart imbues Servant with the gritty flavor of the Pulp Era while maintaining his own distinct and modern style. Readers who enjoy the stories and style of Robert E. Howard, Harold Lamb, and other historical fiction authors from the early 20th century will enjoy this book, as will readers of modern fantasy.

I definitely recommend it.

I read Servant of the Manthycore on the recommendation of a friend. I was frankly skeptical, because shy of a couple of heavy-duty classics, I simply don't like to read fantasy. I find the attention to the "worlds created" typically outweighs the attention to the characters revealed. Not so here! Ehart pulls from a known world (expertly and factually), and while it's far enough removed from our own to solidly qualify as fantasy, it freed him to create a fascinating heroine and story. I like my characters morally ambivalent...people who do what they know they gotta do -- but suffer exquisitely and privately for their conviction. The Servant is that and more. She is a warrior woman hell-bent, literally, yet utterly sympathetic. (Buffy who?!) This book is fast-paced, terrifically-written, and character-driven - and it is both heart-breaking and optimistic. Buy it today - you won't put it down until you're done with it.

The Servant of the Manthycore is a series of stories I've been following for some time. These are just plain good; I love 'em and I think you will too. The book is nicely made, easy to read, and has some great illustrations.

The stories that make up the narrative arc are all top notch. They are filled with good guys and bad guys and fighting and blood and magic. There's just nothing not to like.

In all seriousness, what really attracts me to this story is the main character and the weight of betrayal that she carries around for many, many years. Ehart masterfully weaves her through her paces and combines longing sadness with grim determination. She is a character that reveals both the good and the evil that men do.

Buy The Servant of the Manthycore. You won't be disappointed.

"Reminiscent of the classic sword and sorcery tales by Robert E. Howard and Michael Moorcock, Ehart's yarn of servitude and choice is finely crafted. A vivid setting, a strong, intelligent heroine, a moody atmosphere... The ending is wickedly fun."
--Paul Abbamondi, Tangent Online

"Behold a warrior woman as ruthless, bloody, and honorable as the ancient world in which she walks, spanning more than forty lifetimes, while Ur and Babylon seethe with a thousand gods.... What we have here is no less than a bright new epic, written with the bold spirit of the 21st century, yet spanning back into the mists of time. From Michael Ehart's fierce imagination comes an unforgettable gritty heroine, both human and goddess, and yet something much more.... Gilgamesh, Elric, and Conan have finally met their female match!"
-- Vera Nazarian, author of DREAMS OF THE COMPASS ROSE and LORDS OF RAINBOW

"Michael Ehart's 'Servant' stories are thrilling, involving, surprising, and complex. The smell, touch, and taste of Bronze Age life come through sharply, clearly, with the tang of authenticity and the gritty detail of thorough research not just thought through but felt through. His sword-wielding heroine scythes down opponents like they were bad ideas, moving from episode to episode as gracefully and inevitably as death itself.
Also, these stories are just plain fun to read."
-- Nisi Shawl, co-author of WRITING THE OTHER

"Fast-paced, richly detailed, good, clean bloodthirsty fun."
-- Elizabeth Ann Scarborough

"Michael Ehart transports the readers of The Servant of the Manthycore back to a fantasy Bronze Age Mesopotamia. In this world, the Manthycore is a sorcerous Beast who feeds on human flesh. For centuries, the servant has served the Manthycore "in bitter unwillingness," until she has forgotten her own name and become an immortal legend in her own right: the Betrayer. Long ago, she fought to free her captive lover, but now, after so many centuries, she has come to seek death as the only way to be free of her curse. If she can only find a warrior skilled enough to defeat her - and the Manthycore....even the gods hate and fear the Manthycore."
--Lois Tilton, Author of WRITTEN IN VENOM

"Instead of the Tolkien emulation, so beloved even now by many authors, Ehart instead takes a far calmer, historical approach to his world. There are no guilds here, no huge kingdoms, just people trying to make their way and leave their mark. It's a stylistic move that reminded me a lot of David Gemmell's work; there's the same gritty, personal feel to the story that Gemmell brings to his work."
--Alasdair Stuart, Tangent Online

"Michael Ehart has given us an outstanding story of the ancient world... It resonates with the authenticity of genuine myth, bringing a deep, true sense of the past; a conviction which does not borrow from genre but mines our profoundest dreams and memories; the kind which give birth to myths."
--Michael Moorcock, creator of Elric

Set along the desolate coast of the Pacific Northwest, Shadow Coast, conjures up a wonderful supernatural story involving ghosts, fear of the unknown and Native American mythology.
Mark Sayles sails to a remote island off the Washington coast to visit his wife who has been working on an archeological site. A powerful storm sinks his ship and two of his crewmates are killed. Half drowned Sayles is rescued by local islanders but once he recovers from the accident his world is thrown upside down when he discovers his wife is missing, and she isn't the one.
Then the mist and fog envelopes the coastline and Sayles and the town's folk begin seeing visions of people that should not be alive. The story develops with Sayles having to accept his wife's disappearance and probably death as he wrestles with the fact that supernatural forces may be at work and that no one is safe from the town's past or the superstition of a mythological deity that comes in with the mist to cleanse the town for long ago misdeeds.
The physical descriptions of the area are magnificent. I have never been to the Pacific Northwest but through Mr. Halderman I could envision myself standing along the bleak rocky coastline, with thick forests standing behind me and I can envision the fog as it forms over the sea and moves inland--I get scared just thinking about it.
Hopefully, Mr. Halderman has some more stories for us in the future and I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a great supernatural tale. One word of caution: Don't read this book if you find yourself alone on a remote island and the fog starts to roll in.

James Clifford
Reviews Editor, Northwoods Journal
Author, Double Daggers

I love this book, it is quite simply the best thing I have read in a really long time. I am recommending this to everyone I know. The story is exciting, eerie and chilling. The writing is wonderful and the characters believable. I cannot wait for Mr. Haledman's next book!

My husband read the first chapter and made the mistake of putting the book back on the coffee table. I was curious about the book, picked it up and could not put it back down. I even got up an hour early one morning to read more - and I am not a morning person... At night, I turned my daughter's nightlight on because I was too afraid to sleep in the dark.

This is a great read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Very fast paced, very descriptive, very entertaining and may I say - addictive. I loved the writing style and character development. And I got that little kick in the butt which is always nice...

California architect Mark Sayres is on his way to the Pacific Northwest to retrieve his wife, Maggie, when the yacht he's traveling on is in a terrible accident at sea. Mark is hoping to get to Maggie as soon as possible; she's working at an archeological dig near the small island town of Neah Bay, and the last time he spoke to her she sounded strange. After recovering at the home of Sandra Torrel, Mark learns that Maggie has disappeared from the island without a trace. Hundreds of volunteers have been searching for her for days, with no luck. Maggie, though, is only the most recent person to disappear from the island; Sandra Torrel's husband is also missing, along with a string of others. And then, as the fog moves over the island, cloaking it to the point of invisibility, the missing begin to reappear against all odds, and there are whisperings that an ancient Native American evil has awakened from a century-long slumber...

SHADOW COAST's real strength lies in author Philip Haldeman's breathtaking physical descriptions, which evoke mist-laced beaches, verdant, dark forests, and an eerie coastal town brilliantly. These stunning descriptions are relayed with better-than-average prose in a tale of quiet horror. The novel moves along at a nice pace, and I could really feel the tension and fear in the narrative. The inclusion of Native American mysticism in the novel just made it ten times scarier for me.

While the novel's eerie atmosphere is clearly its strength, the characters are also well-fleshed-out and engaging. Haldeman does an excellent job of balancing Mark's grief with his desire to find out the truth, and he effectively relays Mark's internal struggle. Some of the more minor characters are equally fascinating; I really found myself trying to uncover some of the more mysterious characters' motivations and secrets.

SHADOW COAST isn't an in-your-face horror novel, not by any means. The horror here is quiet, subtle, soft as the fog in which it comes. It's psychological horror as much as it is physical, and it is relayed in a way that will send chills down your spine. And SHADOW COAST'S ending just blew me away; it almost reads like a really good horror movie ending -- twisty, unexpected, slightly repulsive, something you'll be thinking and talking about for days to come. SHADOW COAST was a deliciously scary treat, and I can't wait to see what Philip Haldeman does next!

A fantastic book. At once relentlessly paced, eerie, and terrifying, it's easily one of the most memorable horror novels I've read. The claustrophobia of a small town, the bleak forests and coastline, the mysterious mythologies of the Native American culture, and the increasingly bizarre and horrifying storyline combine to create something seriously original and engaging. Great, great stuff.

When I first saw the title of the book I just had to buy it. Being from Long Island myself I could picture the places in these stories. Having been away now for many years, it brought me back to my "home".

The stories are as different as the writers themselves.

I really loved Tom Hannon's stories. Crystal's Secret is about a man and a woman who meet again after 25 years and share more than he knows but is about to find out. Great ending with a few twists.

Tom has a great imagination on Purple Haze and Guilty was absolutely my favorite. 1942 had a really interesting twist. Tom is so good at the surprise endings. A Walk on the Wild Side is intriguing, naughty and again, a surprise ending. If you like surprises read his stories.

Paul Moran's Still Waters was great as was Rekindled Senses. That really tugged at my heartstrings.

I enjoyed all six authors and their different writing styles. I recommend this book to everyone. These short stories are great and keep you wanting more.

Enjoyable reading. Really shows the will of a group of talented writers who combined their skills to create a single work of art. Bravo! Well done!

This book has honestly made me rethink the idea of reading short stories. I never thought I cared much for short stories before, but I truly enjoyed reading this book, and I think that anyone would; there's something in there for everyone. Give it a try!

What a surprise! Six Long Island wrters (Easy Writers) have combined their efforts to prepare this feast for gourmands. A smorgasbord of friendship/fornication/forgiveness; horror/humor/hubris; death/delusion/destiny all stirred in with a pinch of incest and some funny bits seasoning this spicy jambalaya. My personal favorite is "Solitude." Have a taste.

This book has some very fine writing dealing with some common American themes: Loss, Disillusionment, Family. Anyone interested in truly pure, raw writing should give this book a chance. There are some shiny gems alongside some truly macabre tales that make for an interesting mix and (dare I say it) reflective of contemporary Long Island culture.

The book leads off with a punch (literally) "Sucker Punch" by Michael S. Brady - a story of a kid dealing with the loss of his sister and struggling to find himself. The first line:
"I remember Tom Hyland's cheek feeling soft as my fist connected with it."
is a compelling one. It's a good hook (pardon the pun) and his narration is muscular with some emotionally vulnerable passages to give the character, Jason, complexity and room to grow. In the background is Long Island "The rage came in slow waves like the Long Island Sound on a calm day. . ." The rhythm of the prose and the character's tormented soul reminded me of a song by Arcade's Fire "My Body Is A Cage."

Mr. Brady had 1 other story worth noting. "Taking things in stride" a story that uses running as a metaphor for life. I could very much identify with the character who is struggling to find balance amongst many of the normal stresses: work, family, marriage. The story spans the length of a run and evolves through discussions between Tom Kelly and the ghost of his high school running coach. His dialogue is quick and evocative. The ending, while slightly unexpected, worked to affirm Tom's self-knowledge gained in the story.

D. Scott Foreman's "(She's) The Devil on My Back" is an unusual story, a demented story, a wonderful story. Nestled in with more standard stories of suburbia, this one seems out of place until you realize that it is an extension of a marriage story with a little counseling thrown in - a concept to which many folks can relate.

Elizabeth's Stevens' "Some Sunday's Suck" was a charming little story describing a woman's struggle to maintain her principles in a shifting society and devolving dating scene. I liked the author's self-deprecating style and especially liked this line: "If rules were glass, the bottoms of her feet would have been sliced opened by then." Ms. Stevens' used similarly smart similes to convey the emotional challenges and pain of the character.

Overall, these stories are worthwhile reads and the authors should be commended for the perseverance and moxie to self-publish. For anyone interested in writing, the story that resulted in this book would be good to read sometime as well.

[Reviewer's note: I've known one of the author's for ~20yrs.]

In South Boston, defense attorney Marie Blackburn and her police officer spouse Taylor rescue their kidnapped seven year old niece Shaney. Taylor kills the abductor. A few days later, Taylor informs Marie they must hide as the kidnapper's cronies are coming to execute Shaney and her twin Sarah because they can identify them as the robbers of an armored truck containing millions. He also insists that he cannot trust his peers in blue as some mole inside tipped the bad guys.

The extended family flees to isolated Birch Lake, Maine, but on the way two thugs try to kill Marie, her nieces, and their mom. They make it to the family home, but the thieves are coming because they need to silence the siblings whose special gifts of seeing have turned into a nightmare.

This is an exciting thriller with a twist of an ending that will astonish most readers, but thinking back over the plot, Richard Wymes left clues for the reader to see what is coming (this reviewer failed at the obvious). Though one of the crazies to assault Marie and company seems too unstable for the pros coming after the women, the rest of the cast is solid especially the fears that the four females exude. Fans of terse action-packed thrillers with females in trouble story line will appreciate SILVER EYES, a fabulous thriller.

Harriet Klausner

The gist of this thriller is well-presented elsewhere in this book site, so I won't repeat it. Crime thriller story-telling at its best! This story captivates you......... be prepared to live with this one till you finish it!

John Mansour
Rochester, NY

Marie Blackburn is a defense attorney and her husband Taylor is a police officer. This book starts with Marie and her husband chasing the kidnapper who has her sister, Angela and her niece. Taylor kills the kidnapper and rescues her sister and niece.

Now you would think this was the ending instead of the beginning, but it isn't. This is a fast paced thriller that has more twists and turns than a mountain highway. Marie's twin nieces have second sight and have been helping the police in a crime of hijacking, which lead to the kidnapping of one of them and her mother. The perpetrators have discovered this talent of the twins and are after them.

Marie takes her sister, Angela and the twins to a remote cabin in northern Maine, hoping they will be safe there. Marie doesn't know who to trust, Taylor has informed her there is a leak in the police department. In trying to keep her sister and nieces safe, Marie has put her own life in danger.

Also, a million dollars is missing. The bad guys are desperate to keep its hiding place a secret from the police and they have to get to the twins to shut them up. Toss in increasing tension between Marie and her husband and a very twisted plot, you have a mystery that will keep you turning the pages. This is a must read for the mystery reader that likes a fast pace and many twists and turns.

Little Shaney and Sarah were special twins. They could see whatever the other was seeing. Their talent made some bad guys edgy though. So someone was coming to kill the little girls. No one knew WHO was coming or WHEN, only that someone was coming!

Marie Blackburn needed someplace safe to hide her sister, Angela, and her little nieces from the killer. They head to the wilderness of northern Maine. The entire trip would be spent looking over their shoulders and outwitting their pursuer.

***** An astounding thriller with a surprise ending! I HAD to see what was going to happen next, so I was up far into the night turning pages. Not many readers will figure this story's twist out. Recommended! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch.

Little Shaney and Sarah were special twins. They could see whatever the other was seeing. Their talent made some bad guys edgy though. So someone was coming to kill the little girls. No one knew WHO was coming or WHEN, only that someone was coming!

Marie Blackburn needed someplace safe to hide her sister, Angela, and her little nieces from the killer. They head to the wilderness of northern Maine. The entire trip would be spent looking over their shoulders and outwitting their pursuer.

An astounding thriller with a surprise ending! I HAD to see what was going to happen next, so I was up far into the night turning pages. Not many readers will figure this story's twist out. Recommended!

There is something strangely comforting about reading the bad review posted above, from Publisher's Weekly, and knowing that it refers to one of the greatest anthologies of horror literature published in the last fifty years. Just goes to show you that even the best writers in this genre are inevitably misunderstood: Here we have a man in the same league as Blackwood, M. R. James, Lovecraft or Poe--and he's still being dismissed in his own lifetime by TOTAL DUMMIES.

But Ligotti is certainly appreciated, at least by some. There is a published THOMAS LIGOTTI READER...despite the fact that almost all his books are out of print. His signed first editions are already priced like horror artifacts, and increasingly hard to come by.

Personally, if I had any signed first edition of Ligotti's, it would be SONGS. There is a tangible loneliness to the horror, an emotional dimension. The ending of ALICE'S LAST ADVENTURE, for instance, is simultaneously terrifying AND enormously sad. And a wry sense of humor is also present in this particular collection, though it's not remotely comforting--quite the opposite in fact. Something about the world of Ligotti's stories being so unforgivingly funny just makes it MORE threatening. Like his characters are caught up in a particularly cruel 'cosmic joke'.

Now it's also true that something about this first collection is more traditional than Ligotti's later work, and that turns off some of the die-hard Ligottians (who understandably prefer the lyric otherworldiness of his recent collections). But that also means SONGS is the best place to get introduced to this remarkable author.

Linguistically complex, structurally virtuosic and just plain brilliant. If you're thinking of reading SONGS, do it right now. You'll become a fan overnight, I promise.

This unarguable classic collection of stories appeared at the end of the 1980s. Horror fiction, or what publishers chose to market as horror fiction, was big business. However, there is a large variety of styles under this arbitrary umbrella ("Horror isn't a genre, it's an emotion", editor/author David Hartwell). Authors such as Stephen King and Dean Koontz had become best sellers with novels often using pulp-orientated elements (vampires, ghouls, werewolves, or assorted permutations) that invade our modern society. Others wrote popular horror novels with the villain(s) being psychotic or sociopathic, but an explainable (and real) element in our society. One of my favorite styles of horror, however, could best be described as "hallucinatory nightmare", which is rarer and probably more difficult to pull off. Ligotti succeeds time and time again with a rich lyrical style that is varied, multi-leveled, and often witty as well. There are the former mentioned types of tales here. There's a great vampire story, and you'll meet a few psychos, one for instance who loves flowers, but it's the stories of reality rotting away or perhaps take place entirely in an askew dream fantasy where Ligotti makes his mark. Stories like "Dr. Voke and Mr. Veech", or "the Greater Festival of Masks" take place in the landscape of a surreal nightmare. In one of his best stories, "Alice's Last Adventure", a twisted ode to Lewis Carroll, the narrator's reality may have literally turned inside out. Amongst all the vacuous abstract blather about literature and art, good fiction's ultimate goal, along with telling a good story, is to create the mental state in the reader of a "waking dream", as the late John Gardner accurately described it. A world is created in the reader's imagination and he or she, while reading, forgets it's merely words on paper. For myself, good horror fiction, for perhaps a number of reasons, has always produced the most vivid "waking dream" state, and the hallucinatory nightmare style best of all. Probably since the logic is often skewed or hidden as in actual dreams. "Notes On Horror: A Story", which unfortunately does not appear in his later comprehensive collection, "The Nightmare Factory" makes a great litmus test for whether you're a lover of "weird fiction". If you finish it and question what is this Ligotti guy's problem, this type of horror probably isn't for you. On the other hand, it may thrill, delight, and amuse you and you may after all, as Ligotti says, "find it all so easy".

Here's the biggest compliment I can pay Thomas Ligotti: he writes as though he were completely unaware of any other horror fiction written in his lifetime. There is not a major horror writer today whose work even vaguely resembles Ligotti's. I've heard him compared to Poe and Lovecraft but even these comparisons are misleading. His prose and imagery are far more akin to those of Bruno Schulz, the great Polish fantasist who wrote "Street of Crocodiles." These stories spill over with chilling images, irrational "plots," and a sense of dread that feels less like fiction than it does the kinds of horrible dreams we have while suffering a high fever. If you don't recognize that as high praise, you probably shouldn't read this book. But I love it.

"Songs of a Dead Dreamer" is his earliest collection, and perhaps because of this, I feel it still packs the biggest wallop. But if you like these stories, I recommend "Grimscribe" and "Noctuary."

A personal note: Years ago I had the chance to illustrate Ligotti's story "The Night School" for a small press publication. The editor sent me a copy of the manuscript, full of Ligotti's own notes and corrections. Reading the story in that form, feeling that much closer to the original process that brought the story into being, was an awesome experience. I felt compelled to examine the manuscript, as though somewhere amid its wandering margins and sloppy typing I might detect a sign, however cryptic, a clue as to how to tap into the same chilling dreamworld that Ligotti described so beautifully. It didn't work, of course. But "Night School" did inspire a pretty good illustration and reading Ligotti did provide one of the high points during my own dubious ventures into the realm of horror fiction.

Urban solitude, houses that are suggested to appear and disappear, empty voids laying hidden behind dark crumbled brick facades, streets with a mysterious accumulation of names seemingly coming from nowhere, doors hanging in their hinges but do not open that easily, pieces of clothing laying abandoned in the street, shadows rise and fall, voices in the distance calling your name, or do they?
These are the settings for the superb short story "The greater festival of masks" and believe me, this is just the beginning. From here on, from the moment lead character Noss walks in a shop that solely sells costumes and masks and falls asleep, it only gets worse, and more eerie, and untouchable. And at the end, you're not realy sure what you've just witnessed.
What happens exactly behind the deceitfull brick walls of the old houses and behind the wooden fence at the back of the shop? Why de some masks perfectly fit the customer's face while other hurt and slide of with every step you take. What cries out underneath the blank faces of the inhabitant who have no facial features or expressions what so ever?

Like the best poetry there is so much more than meets the eye. It's between the lines that the real things happen, but what is reallity and when do dreams and nightmares take over?
A lot has been said about "Songs of a dead dreamer", Thomas Ligotti's debut collection of short stories. The comparisons with Poe and Lovecraft seems endless, Kafka and Bruno Schulz are mentioned as well because of their nightmarishness and plotless compositions.
You could add the cinema of David Lynch and Roman Polanski if you like, even throw in the animated shorts of the twin brothers Timothy and Stephen Quay, especially their master creation "Streets of crocodiles" (and, why not, their solo feature film "Institute Benjamenta" as well.) And how about some hints at Jan Svankmajer's surreal work like "Faust", "Alice", and surely the suggested perversities of the absurd "Conspirators of pleasure".

And yet, with all these big names in a long line, if one author can be called original and being capable of standing completely on his own, it is Mr. Ligotti. One of the reasons why this is a justified statement is because Ligotti has a gift not many writers of the horror genre have: style. Ligotti's prose sings, cries, wanders, but never realy lingers off. Sentences can be long at time, but never tedious, their is a meaning in every word and an underlying motivation for each syllable. It's the horrifying stuff of heavey metal perfectly blend with the otherworldlyness of a choir chant and the bravoura of an opera.

You could call Ligotti's prose even autistic because it describes a world of its own in a language that stands on its own and seems to be introverted, no matter how many word-explosions and super nova's of illuminations and imagery it may contain. Its locked in itself, it is both lock and key, and the reader has but one choise, go along with the lyrical flow and enter the forbidden zone of Ligotti's unique language or stay out and leave.

Having said this, I would like to mention one more film to illustrate these last statements about this unique kind of literary autism, namely Andrei Tarkovski's "Stalker": a highly unique and eerie film, created by one of the worlds best cinematic stylists, and standing completely on his own, no other movie can be compared with it, and to make things even more interesting: "Stalker" is about a guide who takes two men, a writer and a scientist, into a mysterious "forbidden zone"; a dark, desolate place which dangers and clues consist mostly in the minds of the audience.
To me, it could have been made from the perfect Ligotti script.

In a way, this book could easily have been called "Movies of a dead dreamer" or "Dreams of a dead poet" or "In the twilight of dead films" or "A panorama of dead songs" and that just shows in how many ways you can look at Ligotti's craft. And that should tell you enough.

I could go on for much longer, there is so much to discover in this one volume. "Dr. Locrian's asylum" for instance, about the creepy, unimaginable history of an insane asylum where patients were kept for something other than a straight forward cure... Repelled citizens who have no other choise than to create a revolution against the building and the restless ghosts it keeps behind its windows. And the eventual downfall of the entire town as result.

I will say no more. You stop listening. Turn the pages before they crumble between your fingers. Be a blessed audience to these rare little songs. They will haunt you long after nightfall.... and thank all the Gods in the netherworlds for that.

I have to state right off the bat that most of the reason for giving this book 4 stars instead of 5 is that it suffers in comparison to some of Ligotti's other work, such as "Noctuary." "Songs of a Dead Dreamer" drags and wanders a little more. However, that should in no way discourage you from reading this book!

Ligotti writes horror. Not horror with lots of blood and gore; not the stereotypical fare of serial killers, vampires, werewolves, and witches. Even when he does touch on "standard" topics, they come to life in unusual and fundamentally odd ways. Ligotti writes a sort of text-poetry, a magic of words and images, shadows and light, madness and clarity, puppets and people. Ligotti's work mystifies and terrifies. He doesn't spell everything out. He leaves questions unanswered and oddities unexplained. But he does it well--I never feel as though I've been left missing anything.

Some of the pieces in this book are not entirely fiction. You'll find essays on the art of writing horror, but they'll send no less of a shiver down your spine than the stories themselves. There's even one piece that's an essay on writing horror and a story, both in one ("Notes on the Writing of Horror: A Story"). In this piece we follow the character of Nathan and the various versions of his life as might befit a horror story.

"By means of supernatural horror we may evade, momentarily, the horrific reprisals of affirmation."

Sometimes it can be difficult to tell what is essay and what is story, as Ligotti blurs the line beyond recognition. Ligotti speaks in analogy and metaphor, image and verse. Some may find this book slow, or too wordy. Ligotti is certainly not for everyone. But if you enjoy unusual, thrilling, subtle, lyrical, dark stories, then please give him a try. His is a voice worth hearing.

"And in darkness we open our eyes, briefly, and in darkness we close them."

Welcome to the world of Roland, his fellow Gunslingers and the Dark Tower - It is a wonderous and complex universe. This tome will act as a kind of guide and assist you with any questions you might have.

This concordance was actually put together as a reference for Stephen King himself, as he explains in the beginning of this very excellent and detailed document.

Here within lies the Dark Tower and all its mysteries, names, characters, locations, mythology, etc.

This is an ideal book for the Dark Tower fan, or fanatic. The details refer back to actual page numbers of the original novels, the new revised editions, etc and the format is easy to use.

Ideally, finding answers to your questions is the key to a well put together reference book - and this book has been researched and put together expertly.

I would strongly suggest this book for an accompanyment to the Dark Tower Series.

Long Days and Pleasant Nights.
turtlex

A concordance, by definition, is an alphabetical index of the principal words of a book, as of the Bible, with a reference to the passage in which each occurs. This does a most excellent job of doing so. Well studied! I almost wish I'd waited for it to come out before reading the series. A must have for all Tower geeks.

The Dark Tower series is as long and complicated as the Bible. The Bible has a concordance. This needs one too. There are so many characters and so many meandering sub-plots that you need a road map to keep everything on track. Robin Furth did it for us. Furth is dedicated to this series and seems to know every nuance. THis book helps. And it makes a good campfire game to open the book randomly and start a topic. Well worth your time and $$$...bg

Apparently being a personal assistant to Stephen King has certain perks, especially when you're writing a concordance to his bestselling Dark Tower series, both volumes of which are contained in "The Dark Tower: The Complete Concordance." Robin Furth doesn't outline much that isn't also in the book, but she does an excellent job outlining the information about King's entire series.

Furth includes plenty of data on the seven novels of the series, starting with an essay that refreshes the reader's memory. Furth starts the actual content with a list of characters with biographical info, from "Abigail" to "Zoltan." Then it's the areas of Mid-World, from the lair of the vampire nuns to Roland's long-lost homeland; the areas of our own world, and portals between the worlds. There are some pretty decent maps as well.

Additionally, she describes the various terms and phrases used in the High Speech, Mid-World language ("graf" is apple beer), prayers and sayings ("If it's ka, it will come like the wind"). And just for reference, she includes organizations, dances, holidays, magical items, instruments, as well as outlining various maps, as well as cultural items from our present world, and maps. Not to mention references to King's own work within the series.

The Dark Tower series -- which stretches through seven long novels and one short story -- is enticingly complex and mysterious, set in different worlds and times. It's also interlinked with other novels of King's, like "Insomnia" and "Eyes of the Dragon." So it's inevitable that even the die-hard fans will forget Character X or fair-day Z -- yet Furth's book allows easy clarification and consultation.

Furth does an excellent job organizing and annotating the book, including the books in which the items appear, and which pages are significant. She also maintains a calmly distant attitude in the book, without getting too gushy about King's work. But she does slip up occasionally; it's jarring to hear about "screwing" someone with a gun in a scholarly work.

Robin Furth's "Dark Tower: The Complete Concordance" is a good accompaniment to the Dark Tower series, and even those who have read the series many times will want to keep it at hand. Very useful.

I don't really want to get into this that much because what is there to say besides that if you have a Dark Tower question--you're going to find the answer in here.

This has everything...maps, family lineage charts, every character even hinted at, and every possible setting and/or situation in the seven books.