tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15874763913691873792024-02-07T01:27:52.395-05:00Grade Z HorrorExploring horror in print.MOGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02175744480289101674noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587476391369187379.post-18186059312321621582013-05-06T15:34:00.000-04:002013-05-06T15:34:00.383-04:00Night of the Crabs by Guy N Smith<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Do you have movies or books that everyone seems to find fault with but they have been a part of you for so long that is impossible for you to form an opinion on them?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For me, I rented Halloween III as a youngster and watched it 5 times over the course of 36 hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can watch that film on a loop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The same goes for Guy Smith’s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0440203384/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0440203384&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">Night of the Crabs</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0440203384" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve read that thing more times than I care to count.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Between that and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140375953/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0140375953&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">Interstellar Pig</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0140375953" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> , its amazing that my mind is capable of reading any for of advanced prose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I read that Guy Smith had released his crab series as e-books, I had to give it a go.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">From Amazon:</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Holidaymakers on the Welsh coast bask peacefully in the summer sunshine, blissfully unaware of the huge and evil army of giant crustaceans that lurk in the dark, off-shore waters . . . watching, waiting . . . Then the drownings begin.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But it is not until the underwater army, driven by its need to kill and gorge on human flesh, crawls up on the beach that the authorities understand the massive threat they face.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And when the screaming stops, the crunching of bone and munching of flesh begins . . . <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0440203384/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0440203384&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">Night of the Crabs</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0440203384" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> is as pulpy as pulp can get but the crab theme is actually handled very well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As it usually goes with these types of stories, the audience knows that there are monsters ready to strike but the characters in the book have no idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also keeping with tradition, there is one character who tries to warn everyone but is quickly shrugged off until some super-sized crustaceans emerge from the sea and start running amok.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Smith actually does a better job developing the crabs than he does the characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The crabs were a unique choice at the time and are a perfect pairing for summer reading. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean, who isn’t scared of crabs?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is plenty of crab munching in this slim novel which is the main selling point of the story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The characters only serve as a vehicle to further the plot (and provide dinner for the abominations from the sea) and tend to be a little annoying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fairness to Smith’s characters, I’m not sure if the actual characters were annoying or the dialogue they spewed out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The dialogue reads like a castoff script from an Ed Wood film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is littered with clichés, lacks emotion and suits the overall tone of the book perfectly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The characters respond to these unimaginable events with such indifference that I found myself laughing out loud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve read that Smith never intended to make this book a campy affair but it is very tough to imagine him writing these scenes without his tongue planted firmly in his cheek.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the end of the day that is the charm of the story. It never takes itself too seriously (at least I assume it doesn’t) and I can appreciate that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Smith knows his weaknesses (all of which are apparent after about page 30) but he doesn’t seem to care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No sir, there is a story to tell and he’s a gonna tell it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To call <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0440203384/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0440203384&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">Night of the Crabs</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0440203384" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> pulp might actually be too generous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The book is about as mindless as it comes but that is why I’ve read it over a dozen times since I first stumbled upon it so many years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Much like those Stephen King short stories and Halloween sequels, it is tough for me to formulate an objective opinion because it is so ingrained in my personality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we approach the summer months, I urge you to give this cult classic a try as you lounge by the pool or spend an afternoon at the beach. Sure, it might be written at a third grade reading level but it is one wild ride! </span></div>
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It is pretty obvious that my love for Jeff Strand is almost as frightening as the tales that occupy the pages of his fantastic books but even I, the devoted fanboy, was a little skeptical when I heard that the author of Wolf Hunt and Dweller was about to pen a Young Adult novel. Of course, (as with most things in life) I was completely off-base as Strand delivers and instant genre classic. <br />
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From <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1402266804/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1402266804&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">Amazon</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1402266804" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> : <br />
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<i>When your best friend is just a tiny bit psychotic, you should never actually believe him when he says, "Trust me. This is gonna be awesome." </i><br />
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<i>Of course, you probably wouldn't believe a voodoo doll could work either. Or that it could cause someone's leg to blow clean off with one quick prick. </i><br />
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<i>But I've seen it. It can happen. And when there's suddenly a doll of YOU floating around out there—a doll that could be snatched by a Rottweiler and torn to shreds, or a gang of thugs ready to torch it, or any random family of cannibals (really, do you need the danger here spelled out for you?)—well, you know that's just gonna be a really bad day ... </i><br />
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The Young Adult genre suits Strand’s insane style perfectly. In <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1402266804/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1402266804&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">A Bad Day For Voodoo</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1402266804" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> , Strand uses the genre’s whimsical freedom to create a crazed tale of silliness gone wrong that will satisfy teens and horror-hounds alike. Strand balances the real life turmoil of being a 16-year-old boy with his signature flair for the gleefully macabre. Dismemberment and cannibals seem just as frightening as overbearing parents. Such is the teenage life in the wild world of Strand. The only reason all of this craziness is because the main characters are so grounded in reality. I felt like I had been transformed back to my teenage years and it was one heck of a ride. The story oozes with the authenticity usually reserved for a Stephen King story or a John Hughes film. It is that good, my friends. <br />
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Jeff Strand walks a very fine line in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1402266804/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1402266804&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">A Bad Day For Voodoo</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1402266804" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> (and most of his stories, really). He keeps the tone extremely light without ever venturing in the dreaded world of camp, while providing massive amounts of unique (albeit gory) plot points that keep the reader interested and the pages turning. I have seen this blend attempted many times with cringe-worthy results but this never happens with Strand. I would say that Strand is the preeminent voice of literary horror-comedy but he may, in fact, be the only worthy author currently taking up residency in that particular subgenre. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1402266804/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1402266804&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">A Bad Day For Voodoo</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1402266804" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> just goes to prove that Strand can extend his talents to any subgenre within the realm of Horror literature. <br />
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If you have or know someone with children in their teens, please make sure that those kids get a copy of this book in their hands. If you are looking for some finely crafted fiction that is so unique that it is sure to blow your mind, you should also make sure this finds its way into your library. MOGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02175744480289101674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587476391369187379.post-28797122986805410622012-05-02T15:21:00.000-04:002013-04-09T15:26:42.029-04:00The Lamplighters by Frazer Lee<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://store.samhainpublishing.com/product_images/Lamplighters72LG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bua="true" height="320" src="http://store.samhainpublishing.com/product_images/Lamplighters72LG.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It is rare to find a book that can combine so many different styles and attack you on every front.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is what the Stoker nominated novel, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1609286707/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1609286707&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">The Lamplighters</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1609286707" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> will do to you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Prepare to get out your Hawaiian shirt, flip flops and sunscreen as we take a trip through Frazer Lee’s brilliant story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just don’t forget to keep checking your back because this paradise isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">From Samhain:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Marla Neuborn has found the best post-grad job in the world – as a ‘Lamplighter’ working on Meditrine Island, an exclusive idyllic paradise owned and operated by a consortium of billionaires. All Lamplighters have to do is tend to the mansions, cook and clean, and turn on lights to make it appear the owners are home. But the job comes with conditions. Marla will not know the exact location of the island, and she will have no contact with the outside world for the duration of her stay.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Once on the island, Marla quickly learns the billionaire lifestyle is not all it is made out to be. The chief of security rules Meditrine with an iron fist. His private police force patrols the shores night and day, and CCTV cameras watch <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1609286707/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1609286707&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">The Lamplighters</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1609286707" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> relentlessly. Soon Marla will also discover first-hand that the island hides a terrible secret. She’ll meet the resident known as the Skin Mechanic. And she’ll find out why so few Lamplighters ever leave the island alive.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Frazer Lee has crafted one wild story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything about <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1609286707/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1609286707&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">The Lamplighters</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1609286707" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> is put in place to engage the reader and draw them into this strangely fascinating world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The characters are all just flawed enough to make them realistic, yet retain enough nobility to keep us rooting for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They smoke, they drink and they encounter hardship- just like us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only difference is we have to face our problems while the characters in story have the option to escape to an island paradise although given the island’s secrets, I’m not sure that escape is much better. There is an ample dose of mystery to keep the pages turning at a breakneck speed as we are treated to a mysterious killer, a crazy old lighthouse keeper and a security team led by one of the most ruthless characters you’re liable to run into. The reader is never able to get a firm grasp on the goings on of the island until the insanely unexpected climax. Think the mystery of ‘Lost’ mixed with the bizarre beauty of Dario Argento and you might just be close to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1609286707/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1609286707&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">The Lamplighters</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1609286707" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> .<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The true success of THE LAMPILIGHTERS lies in Lee’s ability to birth beautiful imagery with his prose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meditrine Island is a lush tropical locale that is painted with painstakingly fine detail as it wisps the reader away into a land of lush greens, vibrant oranges and juicy reds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the real deal people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When reading the book, I could not help but draw comparisons to the Giallo genre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whenever I am jonesin’ for a vacation, I can put in a Bava or Martino and simply escape to faraway lands for 90 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These directors understood that vivid scenery played a vital role in the story, much like Lee does. The man does such a wonderful job that I would be willing to plan my next vacation to Meditrine Island, despite my knowledge of its dark underbelly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is the mark of a master wordsmith.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">At its core, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1609286707/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1609286707&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">The Lamplighters</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1609286707" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> is superb story that teases the readers with all the subtle nuances of the genre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lee has a great knowledge of the genre as he mixes elements of subtle psychological horror with the over-the-top gore and sex of those Leisure pioneers, Laymon and Ketchum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This keeps the reader on their toes because Lee has the ability to gracefully torment your mind by working his way into your psyche or, if he so chooses, he can crack your skull open with violent blows from a splintered 4 x 4.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1609286707/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1609286707&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">The Lamplighters</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1609286707" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> is fast paced, unforgiving and flat-out fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Basically, the story is everything that one should expect from Samhain and genre fiction in general.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1609286707/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1609286707&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">The Lamplighters</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1609286707" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> marks the emergence of Frazer Lee as an elite voice in the genre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I expect to hear more from him in years to come.</span></div>
MOGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02175744480289101674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587476391369187379.post-73515498882901065232012-03-23T15:33:00.000-04:002013-04-09T15:36:24.229-04:00The Cage by Brian Keene<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Brian Keene has a knack for writing some of the most powerful novella length fiction in the genre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His no-nonsense style is well suited for format.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most authors introduce us to the characters and then allow the plot to unfold around them but Keene is a completely different animal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the strongest aspects of Keene’s writing is his ability to mesh character development with plot to form a fast paced, suffocating story that gets right to the action and rarely relents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This delightfully streamlined style allows Keene to tell a novel length story over the span of a hundred pages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With that in mind, I was absolutely delighted when I learned that Deadite Press would be releasing a paperback version of the long out-of-print novella, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1621050211/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1621050211&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">The Cage</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1621050211" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">For the employees of Big Bill’s Home Electronics, it’s just the end of another workday – until a gunman bursts into the store and begins shooting. Now, with some of their co-workers dead, the hostages are being slaughtered one-by-one, and if they want to survive the night, they’ll have to escape… The Cage.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As described in the summary, the story follows a group of six electronics store employees who are at the mercy of a madman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This man breaks into the store after-hours and locks the group up in the store room for very mysterious, yet surely sinister reasons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The majority of the story takes place in the store room as we play voyeur to the interactions of the employees, all while the mysterious intruder is busy in the front of the store.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One-by-one the man brings the employees to the front of the store leaving the remaining hostages to wonder what exactly is happening on the other side of the warehouse doors.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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is the perfect marriage of youthful hope, world-worn wisdom, nerve wracking tension and some gore soaked imagery that will leave your jaw hanging and your unmentionables soiled. What makes this story so damn engrossing is Keene’s ability to intertwine genuine supernatural terror with the everyday horrors that we all experience in our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The villain in the story will get your blood pumping and your palms sweating but the reason this tale will resonate with readers is the trials and tribulations of the common man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is completely evident that Keene knows quite a bit about strife and pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The characters in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1621050211/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1621050211&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">The Cage</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1621050211" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
discuss topics such as love lost, growing older and loneliness with such raw authenticity that the reader has no choice but to succumb to the story’s power. There is a certain power in prose that is born from a world of sweat and hardship. Keene wields that power with a reckless abandoned that only few in the genre can ever hope to harness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was also interesting to notice the subtle shift in style with the dichotomy between the real life fears and supernatural elements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keene wrote the conversations between the store employees with copious amounts pain and grit sprinkled in the interactions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are the conversations that we have had a thousand times yet they continue to be important because they are is the lifeblood of our daily routines and existence. Much like the author himself, there is no pretense with the characters and their interactions as the wear their hearts on their sleeves on every page. There is exchange that was particularly heart wrenching between Roy, the older warehouse employee and the younger store employees that I found to be especially heart wrenching :<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Your kids don’t know you, your wife barely tolerates you. You’re a stranger in your own house. And a stranger in the mirror, too. And when that happens, you look back on the last few decades and wonder where they went.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">These moments of gritty truth make the juxtaposition of the super natural so much more extreme. When Keene<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>isn’t describing the inner-turmoil of the Big Bill’s employees, his writing takes on a cinematic quality that would not be out of place in the world of Cronenberg or Lynch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The main villain in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1621050211/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1621050211&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">The Cage</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1621050211" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
is donned in black and sports an arsenal that would make Frank Castle giddy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keene creates one frightening villain who nonchalantly goes about his grisly business with the indifference of a T-1000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I use the Teminator example because this dude is straight out of a late 80’s action film but still maintains a surreal presence that is common with Keene’s other works..<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keene himself seems to realize the cinematic leanings of his writing as the characters joke about the clichés of action films. There is a particularly humorous exchange when the trapped employees attempt to lighten the mood by discussing how their ideal action film would play out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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comes to a very satisfying finale with absolutely every element of the story getting heightened to extreme volumes (literally and figuratively). Blood flows, hearts break and evil is everywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Much like some of my favorite Keene stories, everything ends as it should.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ending is in keeping with the rest of the tale with no surprises.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is always refreshing to read a story that does not stray from a previously established tone and plot in order to achieve a gimmicky twist.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is a story that is perfect for those looking for a quick scare.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is also a story that is MANDATORY reading for Keene fans that have an interest in his Labyrinth mythology.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Readers are treated to some added content as well. Included are three short stories that share the same themes and tone of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1621050211/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1621050211&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">The Cage</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1621050211" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
, as well as accompanying ‘Author’s Notes’ which add a tremendous amount of insight.</span></div>
MOGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02175744480289101674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587476391369187379.post-18690081714782783752011-11-29T11:34:00.000-05:002013-04-10T11:38:19.190-04:00In Laymon’s Terms Edited by Kelly Laymon, Steve Gerlach, and Richard Chizmar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjtd5cN04d6W8ofO64tUllyruXP3TvvwGeSEotZ4IeMji385-2jB7KBhfl8N-cJMhlTWgKXr9D9hAF1cXzQXK6D2nqj-Ia9Gk2CcBdlEvRxj-cW8LlRa0QayRTQA1C5p41VI1kMnZR1OI9G0jYUCevWurVO6NTTLiur7N1jo149N7B-a1GdMNhG=" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bua="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjtd5cN04d6W8ofO64tUllyruXP3TvvwGeSEotZ4IeMji385-2jB7KBhfl8N-cJMhlTWgKXr9D9hAF1cXzQXK6D2nqj-Ia9Gk2CcBdlEvRxj-cW8LlRa0QayRTQA1C5p41VI1kMnZR1OI9G0jYUCevWurVO6NTTLiur7N1jo149N7B-a1GdMNhG=" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">From Cemetery Dance:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This massive, oversized tribute anthology for Richard Laymon features short fiction and personal remembrances from dozens and dozens of the biggest names in horror and Laymon’s biggest fans.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In addition, there are more than one hundred pages of “Rarities and Fan Favorites” from Richard Laymon’s personal files — stories, interviews, and more, including a 17 page photo album personally selected by Ann Laymon. Several of these rare pieces were scanned directly from Laymon’s original manuscripts and contain his handwritten corrections.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Featuring more than 600 pages of fiction and essays written in honor of the man, author, and friend, In Laymon’s Terms is personal, moving, and wildly entertaining. This is a unique hardcover that would have made Richard Laymon proud.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Richard Laymon is the most respected author in the genre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a very simple and a very bold statement but it is also a statement that I believe to be completely accurate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Listening to authors talk about Laymon is like listening to veterans talk about a sergeant who saved his entire platoon because of his selfless devotion to the cause.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The love they have for Richard Laymon is genuine and boundless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve even spoken to authors who may not necessarily care for his style but they are quick to add that, as a person, Dick was in a league of his own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His love for the genre and his peers was unparelled and the man never took his success for granted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Simply put, he was a class act.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cemetery Dance did a fantastic job with this book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The look and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>feel of the book is absolutely breathtaking and it does the memory of Richard Laymon supreme justice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The amount of material presented within the covers is staggering and every word of it drips with the love and adoration for a man who was criminally underrated by a few and insanely loved by many.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The beauty of this wonderful Cemetery Dance release is that it will appeal to Laymon devotees, as well as non-fans equally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure there are stories here that could have easily come directly from Laymon’s pen (Keene’s Castaways and Smith’s Pizza Face) but there are a great abundance of tales that channel the spirit of Laymon without bearing much resemblance to his style (Ed Lee’s Chef).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A great deal of credit should be given to Kelly Laymon, Steve Gerlach and Richard Chizmar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are the editors who realized that there are genre fans out there that may not care for the Laymon style but are very curious about his impact on the genre and they did a wonderful job putting that on display in this collection. The stories range from despicable in the case of Torres’ Bestiality, to humorous in Piccirilli’s New York Comes to the Desert, to flat-out brilliant with Little’s Meeting Joanne. Every story really seems to take a theme present in Laymon’s work and exploit it to the fullest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The quality of work in this collection is amazing, as every story is memorable and executed impeccably.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is one of those rare collections where there really isn’t a weak spot to speak of.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then there are the remembrances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ah yes, the remembrances. There is no way I can adequately explain the emotion evoked in these heartfelt essays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For many of these writers, this was the opportunity to formally say goodbye to a friend that was taken from them too early. The magnitude of emotions displayed here will have your heart in your throat and tears streaming from your eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no way around it. The recollections range in tone but all are a testament to the fact that Richard Laymon was a great mentor and friend to many. The reader will feel slightly voyeuristic as these authors lay their souls on the paper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These essays are really that powerful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As a complete Laymon nut, the real highlight for me was the inclusion of actual Laymon works that I had never read.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reading Laymon’s dedication to pipe smoking in his short lived zine, ‘Smokers Blend’, was an absolute treat, while dissecting some poems from a college aged Laymon was more fun than I’ve had in awhile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are the real draw for the Laymon fan and make this collection well worth the price.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It adds a certain sense of validity to those years of clamoring about in used bookstores trying to find the Headline edition of In The Dark or selling various organs to afford that copy of A Writer’s Tale on eBay. This collection proves that we weren’t the only ones going crazy over the writings of Richard Laymon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is a most fitting farewell to a man who deserves to be appreciated in the same way that people appreciate names like King, Barker and Bloch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His writing was mean and gritty with a subtle undercurrent of brutal humor which made his style so damn unique.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More than any other writer, Richard Laymon sucked me into the world of genre fiction and, based on the brilliant display of emotion in this gorgeous collection, I am not the only one.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">James Newman has described <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004YEPAWQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004YEPAWQ&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">Animosity</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B004YEPAWQ" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
as his, “love letter to the horror genre.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I certainly think this is an apt description but I would take it a step further and argue that <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004YEPAWQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004YEPAWQ&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">Animosity</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B004YEPAWQ" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
is James Newman’s big ol’ bear-hug to, not only the genre, but the fans that keep it alive and kicking.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is the book that every horror fan needs to read because, lets face it,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it’s tough being a part of this community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People assume we are all crazed maniacs looking to undermine the moral fiber of society.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember going into my local indie bookstore, asking where the horror section was and the clerk glared at me as if I had just asked for a step-by-step guide for committing every carnal depravity known to man (and some that may have been brand new.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t stop there, though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cautious glances from store clerks when you pick up that amazing new edition of Cannibal Ferox or the frightened look your co-worker gives when they find that beat-up Laymon paperback sitting in your office- yep, we deal with a ton of (completely unjustified) persecution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why are we the only real literary and cinematic genre that has dozens of conventions devoted to it? I’ll tell ya’ why- because we are so marginalized from society that most of us don’t even bother talking about the genre in mixed company.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need these events so we can revel in our mutual love of the macabre. Well James Newman decided to step in and tell us that we are not alone. Nope, there are others just like us and a few that are little worse off.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">From Necessary Evil Press:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Andrew Holland is a bestselling horror writer. While none of Andy’s neighbors has any interest in reading his macabre books, they’re pleased to have a celebrity author living among them.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, one morning, Andy finds the body of a child several hundred feet from his front door. A little girl who has been raped and murdered.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And everything changes on Poinsettia Lane.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Andy’s neighbors turn on him. Their animosity is subtle at first: a dirty look from across the street, a friendly wave that is not reciprocated. The local media exacerbates the tension in the neighborhood by insinuating connections between the horror writer’s work and his role in the girl’s murder.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The authorities clear Andy of any wrongdoing, but the stain has set.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before long, this once-quiet, peaceful neighborhood becomes a maelstrom of anxiety and chaos. Andy’s neighbors surround his home like a horde of zombies – but instead of a hunger for flesh, these monsters are driven by lies, fear, and hatred.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Andy Holland’s neighborhood is just like our neighborhoods and his neighbors are our neighbors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are the people who we interact with on a daily basis and we can easily see them reflected in Newman’s characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is what makes this book so incredibly frightening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can easily see what animosity can do to a person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It can bring out the hatred and ugliness in the people we know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Newman’s vision of a picturesque community plays out like the classic Twilight Zone episode, ‘The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street’ as the true villains are those who claim to be “fighting the good fight”. Logic gets tossed to the wayside as mob mentality takes over and people begin looking for any reason to point the finger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The interesting thing is that in a world that claims to embrace diversity, the person with the slightest idiosyncrasy is the most commonly persecuted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the lesson that Newman is trying to get across to the reader.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is telling us that just because our tastes lean toward the macabre, we are no different than those people who paint their chests for sporting events or the bible thumper who condemns all non-believers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is taking us in and telling us that we should celebrate our passion instead of hiding it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004YEPAWQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004YEPAWQ&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">Animosity</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B004YEPAWQ" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
is a story that begs to be read in one sitting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This book starts off as a slow simmer and before you know what hit you, this thing is at a rolling boil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Newman’s ability to create tension is reminiscent of Ketchum as he sucks the reader in with very commonplace events and escalates the whole affair until the reader and characters find themselves in a frenzied free-fall with no hope of escape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The magic in Newman’s writing lies in his ability to keep the whole story planted firmly in reality as he presents these seemingly impossible scenarios.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004YEPAWQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004YEPAWQ&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">Animosity</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B004YEPAWQ" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
solidifies Newman as a must-read author for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His unique voice and blue collar style really speak to me in a way that few authors can.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004YEPAWQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004YEPAWQ&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">Animosity</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B004YEPAWQ" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
, much like his other work, doesn’t rely on supernatural monsters but, instead, explores the inner evil within humanity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have yet to read anything by this extremely talented author I strongly urge you to head over to the Necessary Evil Press site and pick up your copy today.</span></div>
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There is something special that happens when an author defies expectations and creates something that seems to be totally out of their comfort zone. There is a certain thrill that a reader gets when we realize that we are witnessing the evolution of a writer as he explores his craft. This is exactly what happened when Wrath James White and JF Gonzalez pooled their talents and unleashed <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1621050238/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1621050238&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">Hero</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1621050238" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
on the genre. <br />
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From Amazon.com: <br />
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<i>Adelle Smith has lived her entire life for the betterment of mankind. A Civil Rights Activist in the Sixties and Seventies, she has spent most of her adult life attending marches, giving speeches, and lending a hand to anyone in need. But on the very evening she is to be acknowledged with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her humanitarian efforts, a stroke leaves her partially paralyzed and unable to speak. Now Adelle’s in the care of a ruthless hospice nurse, who sees not a hero before her, but the cause of her many hardships growing up as a child of interracial parents, someone who decides to give Adelle her very own brand of Physical Therapy; consisting of pain and suffering, mental cruelty and torture. And now, after a lifetime of helping others, Adelle needs help, quickly, before another round of brutal treatment snuffs out her life.</i> <br />
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White and Gonzalez are two authors who really know how to bring the blood. In fact, these are two authors that I routinely hear people say that their books are “too much.” I guess that is why I was so surprised to see these two masters of gore rein it in a bit and deliver a story that explores the subtle nuances of racism and survival. <br />
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The writing is absolutely seamless, which is becoming rarer and rarer with collaborations. Many times, the difference in style is so discernible that it completely takes the reader away from the story- this isn’t the case with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1621050238/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1621050238&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">Hero</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1621050238" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
. White and Gonzalez approach this story with an air of confidence as they deftly craft one of the most tightly wound tales of medical terror that one is likely to come across. They assault us with their command of the craft and leave us cowering with the protagonist as we await the next onslaught. Make no mistake, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1621050238/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1621050238&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">Hero</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1621050238" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
puts the reader through some serious abuse. Sure, there are nasty bits of physical torture (it is a Wrath and JF collaboration, after all) but what really threw me for a loop was the emotional rollercoaster I found myself caught up in. The authors really engage the reader on an emotional level and this is where the story really shines. <br />
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The protagonist, Adelle, has been through quite a bit in her life and the authors take the time to explore her heart-breaking past. The reader is left to bear witness to the racial inequities that shaped Adelle into the strong civil leader that she is today. The authors do a sensational job of shaping her past which is why the present seems to be so much more unsettling. See, one gets the impression that Adelle has overcome all possible adversity and now she can ride off into the sunset and leave the younger generation to carry the torch. She deserves the time to herself and now she finally has it. Unfortunately, her new hospice nurse won’t let Adelle off the hook so easily. This particular nurse presents us with a very unique view of racism, as she combines elements of self-loathing with a balls-to-the-wall case of psychosis. Adelle is put in a hopeless situation as she finds herself at the mercy of the deranged nurse and the audience winces along for the ride which yields some very interesting and unexpected results. <br />
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The story plays out in reality. There are no sugarcoated characters with strong morals. Everyone in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1621050238/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1621050238&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">Hero</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1621050238" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
has flaws and they act accordingly. This allows the writers to lend a sense of credibility as they explore the various issues that are present with inner-city life. No one is glorified but there are aspects of their personality that should be celebrated. There is the local drug pusher who, despite the violent life he leads, is willing to keep a watchful eye over Adelle after she is released from the hospital. Then we have Adelle’s daughter, who has left the city for the suburbs and is constantly trying to suppress her urban upbringing while putting on a white collar façade. These are the types of characters that make <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1621050238/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1621050238&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">Hero</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1621050238" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
an absolute delight to read. Anyone can write a gripping story about a crazed nurse tormenting her patient, but it takes special talent to add layers of social commentary and authenticity to the proceedings. This is the magic of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1621050238/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1621050238&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">Hero</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1621050238" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
. If you have no prior experience with White or Gonzalez, you may see <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1621050238/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1621050238&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">Hero</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1621050238" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
as a well told exploration of tension but <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1621050238/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1621050238&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">Hero</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1621050238" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
is much more than that. Aside from being a great collaboration, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1621050238/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1621050238&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">Hero</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1621050238" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
is the manifestation of two writers challenging themselves and their craft. It is something that will be enjoyed by all genre fans but will mean so much more to fans of both authors.
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It is late and you are absolutely exhausted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another day struggling to make ends meet has taken its toll on you and you really just need to unwind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then it happens- the baby starts screaming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your paternal instincts kick in and you pick up the wailing infant in an attempt to soothe their pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, this is one of those times where nothing seems to work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, at this point any normal parent would take additional measures to ease the child’s discomfort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, normal parents are not the main character in Robert R, McCammon’s, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0671739441/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0671739441&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">Mine</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0671739441" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>See, the main character in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0671739441/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0671739441&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">Mine</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0671739441" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> is a woman known as Mary Terror and what she chooses to do is take the child and shove its face into a white hot oven range. Yep, you know that this is going to be an intense read from the get-go.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">From Amazon.com:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Laura Clayborne is a successful journalist with a successful stockbroker husband. But her marriage is foundering and her biological clock is winding down. David, her newborn son, is the only light of her life. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mary Terrell, alias Mary Terror, is a scarred survivor of the Sixties. A former member of the terrorist group, Storm Front Brigade, she now festers in a world of warped memories and unrelenting rage. Quite simply, Mary Terror is mad. Murderously mad. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When Mary Terror steals Laura’s baby and heads west, killing anyone in her way, Laura realizes the only way to stop her is to hunt her down. But the closer she gets to Mary, the more she must think and act like her….<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mary Terror is a child of the sixties, a lover of peace, except that somewhere along her life’s path hate and evil began to replace the concepts of love and empathy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These feelings have slowly devoured Mary over the years, to the point where she is just a shell of her former self. She is a pure ball of mangled insanity and misplaced madness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her distorted view of reality has led her to the belief that the only way to make things right is to get a child and take it to her ex-love in California.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mary is simply trying to find her place in a world where her ideals are no longer the status quo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of adapting, as many of Mary’s friends from the 60</span><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">′</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">s have, she still holds the same anger and hatred toward “t</span>he system” and attempts to fit them into modern society.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The result is one of the most frightening characters that you are likely to read.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mary’s drive knows no bounds as she steals a child and takes off for the West Coast, leaving a trail of death in her wake.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">McCammon writes Mary Terror with frightening realism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The descriptions of her thoughts, drug use and habits make this character really jump off the page.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>McCammon puts forth the present day Mary Terror without bias- allowing the reader to discover how far-reaching her madness truly is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These descriptions are contrasted beautifully with flashbacks of Mary with the group known as The Storm Front Brigade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reader can begin to make the connections in their head between the two eras as we slowly begin to see how Mary’s mind has devolved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having these flashbacks add quite a bit of “fat” to the story and also help the reader catch their breath during one heart-pounding story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0671739441/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0671739441&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">Mine</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0671739441" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> is one of the most intense reads you are likely to come across.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are points in the novel where the story works up to a pace so frantic that your palms will sweat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At its core, the book is about a mother’s love for her child and the lengths parents will go for the ones they love. This is the center of all the tension throughout the book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reader will cringe as Mary Terror attempts to care for poor baby David in her own unique way and they will certainly be on the edge of their seat as Laura realizes that the only person she can trust is herself in the pursuit of Mary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a classic cat-and-mouse game that is written with sniper-like precision.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For me, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0671739441/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0671739441&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">Mine</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0671739441" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> is McCammon stepping away from his normal style and writing something to have a bit of fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This book does not share anything in common with the deep emotional themes of Boy’s Life or the sweeping scope of Swan Song. Nope, this book is simply an action driven tale done to complete perfection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>McCammon is not reinventing the wheel here; he is simply making the most streamlined and ferociously fast wheel that we have ever seen. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you are looking for a wonderful page-turner with some truly horrific elements sprinkled in with non-stop action than <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0671739441/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0671739441&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">Mine</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0671739441" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> may just be the book for you!</span></div>
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<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1294291906l/8864550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bua="true" height="320" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1294291906l/8864550.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Do you remember those silly Choose Your Own Adventure books of your youth? For me, they played an integral role in my childhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I distinctly remember sitting on my front porch, trading Choose Your Own Adventure paperbacks as if they were baseball cards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Man, I wish there was an adult version for genre fans so I could still enjoy these books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, thanks to Max Brallier my prayers have been answered because he has unleashed an amazing Choose Your Own Adventure book aimed at the adults who grew up on them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">From <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/145160775X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=145160775X&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">Amazon</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=145160775X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> :<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Inside these pages lies unspeakable horror. Bloodsplattering, brain-impaling, flesh-devouring horror. You’ve probably read your fair share of zombie stories. But this time it’s different. No longer can you sit idle as a bunch of fools make all the wrong moves. All hell is about to break loose—and YOU have a say in humanity’s survival.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You have choices to make.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Moral dilemmas.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Strategic decisions.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Weapons. Vehicles.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will you be a hero?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or will you cover your own ass at all costs?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can you withstand the coming hours, days, weeks, and months? Or will you die amidst the chaos and violence of a zombie uprising?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or, worst of all, will you become one of them?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have read a few books trying to capitalize on the nostalgia of the Choose Your Own Adventure and, frankly, they have all been awful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They try to straddle the fine line between youth and adult and the result is a story that is haphazardly thrown together with the hope that the novelty alone will sell them some copies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily for us genre fans, Brallier breaks this mold and offers a refreshingly mature and thoughtful take on this well-worn format.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/145160775X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=145160775X&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">Can You Survive The Zombie Apocalypse? </a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=145160775X" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
is a gut-munching success because Brallier identifies his target audience and he writes to them, and them only.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is not a book for children or the young adult crowd. This is a book written for adult genre fans who are looking for a breath of fresh (or fetid) air within a zombie genre that has been run into the ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The subject matter plays upon the preconceived notions of what a zombie story should include, but then adds a hefty amount of action and humor to make it feel fresh and engaging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure, it contains all of the staples that fans of the undead have come to expect, but there is a sense of first-person realism that will resonate with even the most hardened zombie fan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The decisions that the reader is faced with are realistic ones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I never caught myself becoming frustrated with the possible courses of action because they were the same decisions that I would make if put in this situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This really helps elevate <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/145160775X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=145160775X&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">Can You Survive The Zombie Apocalypse? </a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=145160775X" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=145160775X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> beyond a gimmicky cash-in and puts it squarely in the potential classic category.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The best thing that <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/145160775X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=145160775X&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">Can You Survive The Zombie Apocalypse? </a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=145160775X" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=145160775X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> has going for it is Brallier’s attention to the story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure, this is a Choose Your Own Adventure but the story never gets lost in the gimmick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, the entire gimmick could be dropped and you would have a collection of short stories that would rival some of the best undead collection available.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The story is just flat-out fantastic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reader assumes<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the role of protagonist as Brallier leads us around Manhattan after a massive zombie outbreak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are roving motorcycle gangs, infested sports complexes (Yankee Stadium overrun with the undead is pretty impressive) and, of course, military involvement- all while the reader is given choices along the way which will determine their fate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is nothing short of amazing!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt like I was playing the starring role in some of my all-time favorite zombie films as I attempted to hack, slash and reason my way to safety.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Can You Survive The Zombie Apocalypse?<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=145160775X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> Is a very accessible genre entry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The books of Max Brooks immediately come to mind when trying to describe this to others- it is a book firmly rooted in genre fiction that will be widely consumed and appreciated within the mainstream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s like Brallier wrote the content for us genre die-hards and then included the gimmick to get everyone else to check out what<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is lurking in the underground of modern fiction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I strongly recommend that people who love the zombie genre check this out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Heck, I recommend that people who are sick of the zombie genre check this out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This should be required reading for those looking to see how versatile and inventive genre fiction truly is these days.</span></div>
MOGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02175744480289101674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587476391369187379.post-91736504190952012422011-07-02T14:48:00.000-04:002013-04-09T11:24:29.471-04:00The Circle by Bentley Little<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.cemeterydance.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/little02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" mta="true" src="http://www.cemeterydance.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/little02.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">From Cemetery Dance:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“The shrine. How does it operate? Do you just pray to it or do you have to bring it something or what?”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In this unsettling novella by Bentley Little, many strange occurrences unsettle the inhabitants of William Tell Circle:<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">For Helen, a knock on the door brings an unexpected visitor along with lavish gifts, and it seems all her wishes have been granted…but at what cost?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">For young Frank and his friends, a fabled neighborhood shrine may answer their prayers for a girlfriend, just as their older brothers hope the same source will grant them money. But the older boys’ improvised ritual turns into something horrible…<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">For Gil Marotta, a rescue mission to the shrine leads him into a chilling confrontation with the local witch…<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Circle</b> tells the story of a normally quiet community, plunged into the kind of surreal nightmare only Bentley Little can deliver</em>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Simply stated, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Circle</b> is not Bentley Little’s best work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I originally read the story about 10 years ago when it was part of the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0068EY9Z4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0068EY9Z4&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">Four Dark Nights</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0068EY9Z4" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
collection and remember being entertained by it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all of these years my opinion of the story has lessened quite a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you were to take the story apart and examine each of its “components” it works but unfortunately as a whole the thing just comes off as disjointed and confusing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The story takes place on a typical cul-de-sac in a mundane suburban neighborhood where the residents are as cookie cutter as they come.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately for the residents of the circle, there also happen to be a modern day witch living in their midst and they have just pissed her off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What follows is a series of horrific scenarios as the witch looks to bring retribution on her unsuspecting neighbors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The actual story was fresh, fun and surprisingly believable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Things just fell apart in the execution.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Little usually reaches the line where most authors would stop and he crosses it with a grin on his face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing seems too violent or graphic for Little. This wasn’t the case in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Circle</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On more than one occasion I was waiting for a huge payoff but was left complete blue balled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even in the opening (arguably the best part of the story) the premise is absolutely disgusting but it didn’t hit on an emotional level the way Little’s other “gross out” scenes play out. I guess this is what happens when you grow up with an author and then go back and re-read some of their earlier work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also explains why I may have enjoyed the story a bit more when a read it a decade ago.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m sure most Little fans will scoop this up immediately and I wouldn’t want to discourage anyone from doing so. As usual Cemetery Dance has done a bang up job with the presentation here and this will look beautiful on any collector’s shelf.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now for those who are not necessarily Little fans or those new to his work, this may not be the best read for you.</span></div>
MOGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02175744480289101674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587476391369187379.post-47642456154629156922011-05-09T16:07:00.000-04:002013-04-09T11:28:23.532-04:00The Haunted by Bentley Little<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/150460000/150461241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" mta="true" src="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/150460000/150461241.JPG" width="198" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">It seems that once an author achieves any type of success in this genre, there are a group of “critics” who are quick to knock them down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The critical attacks cite everything from their lack of literary prowess to the narcissistic love of their own style.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hell, there are people who begrudge authors because they feel that certain authors have already enjoyed enough success, as if we are only allowed a set amount of praise and celebration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When it comes to Bentley Little, this crowd loves to say that Little does not know how to properly close a story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, Little’s new haunted house story, cleverly titled <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0451236378/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0451236378&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">The Haunted</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0451236378" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
, is out and as the old internet meme goes “haters gonna hate”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">The Perry family’s new house is perfect-except for the weird behavior of the neighbors, and that odd smell coming from a dark corner in the basement. Pity no one warned the family about the house. Now it’s too late. Because the darkness at the bottom of the basement stairs is rising.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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is absolutely heartbreaking in its dissection familial relationships.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t be mistaken, this is a haunted house tale but it is also a study of the power and beauty of family and sacrifice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Perry’s have had their fair share of pain in their past but have moved on and established themselves as a “normal” family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, the Perry’s have to endure the struggles that most families face when they have two teenage children, financial uncertainty and disapproving in-laws but they meet these obstacles and work through them. That is why the actual haunting seems so frightening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Little creates rich characters that the reader can relate to and when we see them tormented, it hurts just a little bit more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As evidenced by his book titles, this is what Little does best.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He creates characters and worlds that are eerily similar to the places his readers call “home”, then he incorporates chilling elements spawned from the mundane to throw our precious lives into a tailspin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">The story is slightly flawed as certain plotlines are never fully hashed out and often end up going nowhere, making the middle of the novel slightly frustrating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were elements of the story that were incorporated out of convenience instead of necessity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, a local teacher who specializes in local history is brought into the story for no other reason than to create a bridge to flashbacks of the town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His story was never fully resolved and to say that his character was one-dimensional still wouldn’t begin to describe how flat he was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These complaints are trivial but they certainly detracted from the overall experience and are uncommon in Little’s work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">The fact that THE HAUNTED is so frightening makes it easy to forget about minor flaws.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Little crafted an ancient evil that had me waking up at night, hearing things creaking about the house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Little uses modern technology like cell phones and computers, mixing in the classic haunting staples to create a truly inventive tale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By having the Perry family receive lewd text messages and faces appearing on computer screens, Little walked a very fine line between silly and scary but I am happy to report that there is nothing lighthearted here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The terror is cranked up at an agonizing pace until the reader is too frightened to keep reading but too engaged to put the book down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It leaves the reader with a special reading experience that when firing on all cylinders, Little does better than anyone in the genre.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Now, it is time to talk about the ending.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I said in the intro, there are a lot of people who love to hate Little’s endings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As you may have guessed, I don’t really share that opinion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For years the same thing has been said about King, yet I’ve never experienced it myself. The initial buzz surrounding <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0451236378/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0451236378&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">The Haunted</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0451236378" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
was more of the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As usual, I thought Little wrapped the story up beautifully.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not too much of man to admit that I wept openly as I worked through the final chapters of the story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Little often takes a more human approach to his endings and THE HAUNTED was no different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite a book full of supernatural evil, Bentley is able to find powerful ending in the normal, not the supernatural.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The personal take on the ending was Little at his most literary as his prose achieved maximum emotional impact.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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isn’t Little’s best but it is far from his worst.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The characters are very strong and the story is a solid haunted house tale that will frighten and titillate exactly where it should.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Little’s pacing is fast as ever which makes <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0451236378/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0451236378&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">The Haunted</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0451236378" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
one of the quickest, most entertaining books you’re likely to encounter this year.</span></div>
MOGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02175744480289101674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587476391369187379.post-63907570775363044712011-05-06T14:22:00.003-04:002013-04-09T11:33:31.725-04:00Bleed by Ed Kurtz<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Have you ever been watching a really good horror film and you can just tell that the filmmakers were absolutely in love with the genre? It’s a good feeling, right? It’s like we are part of some special community where we are all just fans. That happens to me all of the time with film but it is rare that I get that feeling from a novel. Well Ed Kurtz has given me that feeling with his debut novel, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984751963/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984751963&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">Bleed</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984751963" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
. Ed knows what horror fans want because, at his core, he loves and understands the genre.<br />
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<i>When Walt Blackmore moves into an old gable front house on the outskirts of a small town, things are really looking up for him; he has an adoring girlfriend to whom he plans to propose, a new job teaching English at the local high school, and an altogether bright future. His outlook and destiny are irreparably changed, however, when an unusual dark red spot appears on the ceiling in the hallway. Bit by bit, the spot grows, first into a dripping blood stain and eventually into a grotesque, muttering creature. <br /><br />As the creature grows, Walt finds himself more and more interested in fostering its well-being. At first he only feeds it stray animals so that the blood-hungry monster can survive, but this soon fails to satisfy the creature’s ghastly needs. It is gradually becoming human again, and for that to happen it requires human blood and human flesh. And once Walt has crossed the line from curiosity to murder, there is no going back. </i><br />
<i><br /> </i>The audience has a front-row seat as Walt slowly begins his descent into the unthinkable. As the mysterious stain grows so does Walt’s insanity. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984751963/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984751963&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">Bleed</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984751963" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
is a slow-build with a quick pace. I know that sounds a bit contradictory but the pacing within each chapter is extremely quick while the chapters themselves build slowly to the climax. It is a very interesting dynamic that certainly helps <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984751963/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984751963&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">Bleed</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984751963" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
deliver the scares while building a fantastic amount of tension. <br />
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<a href="http://cdn.freado.com/cdn/img/user/160/d3daf8d34e549b9f664b47ec0ffbb39d.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="http://cdn.freado.com/cdn/img/user/160/d3daf8d34e549b9f664b47ec0ffbb39d.png" /></a>As Walt loses his mind and the stain takes on a more recognizable form, Kurtz brings the scares. I found myself honestly frightened at what may be waiting for me on the next page. Kurtz picks off “safe” characters with reckless (and grisly) abandon so you never get “comfortable” within the story. Again, this is a testament to Kurtz’s ability to masterfully understand and manipulate the conventions of the genre. </div>
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With all of the scares on display, do you know what really got me? The noises. Kurtz saves his most descriptive prose to describe the sickly noises throughout the novel. Whether it is the creaking bedsprings in the intense prologue or the slurping and sucking sounds that emanate from the stain as it begins to take shape, these sounds add to the terror more than any amount of blood and gore ever could. </div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984751963/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984751963&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">Bleed</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984751963" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
is a very simple novel done exceptionally well. Kurtz knows how to take a safe setting and few characters and twist it into an unpredictable mass of blood and scares. Kurtz is certainly a name to keep an eye out for in the future. I know I’ll be waiting with bated breath for his next release.<br />
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Recommended.MOGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02175744480289101674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587476391369187379.post-65035765503482149142011-05-03T07:49:00.001-04:002013-04-09T12:12:23.025-04:00Wolf Hunt by Jeff Strand<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://horrorbooks.co/images2/Jeff%20Strand/wolf_hunt_ebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="http://horrorbooks.co/images2/Jeff%20Strand/wolf_hunt_ebook.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I love Jeff Strand’s style. He can leave you cowering in the corner in terror or have you rolling on the floor in a bout of unbridled laughter (and at his best, he can have you doing both at the same time). There are a few authors who can craft a deeply frightening tale. There are a few authors that are able to tell a genuinely humorous story. There is only one author who can do both. That guy is Jeff Strand and <strong><span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Wolf Hunt</span></strong> may be the perfect balance between the laughs and the gore.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />
</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Two thugs. One innocent woman. And one VICIOUS frickin' werewolf.<br />
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Meet George and Lou, thugs for hire. The kind of intimidating-yet-friendly guys who will break your thumbs, but be polite about it.<br />
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Their latest assignment is to drive across Florida to deliver some precious cargo to a crime lord. The cargo: a man in a cage. Though Ivan seems perfectly human, they’re warned that he is, in fact, a bloodthirsty werewolf.<br />
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George and Lou don’t believe in the supernatural, but even if they did, it’s daytime and tonight isn’t the full moon. Their instructions are straightforward: Do not open the cage. Do not reach into the cage. Do not throw anything into the cage. And they don't.<br />
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Unfortunately, Ivan doesn’t play by the usual werewolf rules, and the thugs find themselves suddenly responsible for a ferocious escaped beast. One who can transform at will. One who enjoys killing in human form as much as he enjoys killing as a monster.<br />
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If George and Lou want to save their careers, dozens of people, and their own lives, they need to recapture him. Because Ivan the werewolf is in the mood for a murder spree…</span></i></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1286146323l/9449614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320px" j8="true" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1286146323l/9449614.jpg" width="217px" /></span></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Wolf Hunt</b> is set at a break-neck pace that will have you turning page after bloody page. Strand packs an unbelievable amount of action into the 336 pages. Grenades, dismemberment, crazed house pets, silver arrows- <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Wolf Hunt</b> has it all! Honestly, I think this may have been the fastest 300+ page read I’ve ever encountered. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Despite all of that blood soaked action, Strand’s dialogue is the real star of the show. I am amazed at his ability to consistently write truly inspired and humorous dialogue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>George and Lou create some insanely memorable banter that will leave you laughing out loud. The dialogue reads like a Kevin Smith film- the pacing and comedic timing were nothing short of perfection. In fact, there were more than a few times that I imagined George and Lou as the hapless loafers, Dante and Randal, from Smith’s ever-popular <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Clerks</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure they are hired thugs but their personalities are so strong and clearly defined that the reader cannot help but love them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Wolf Hunt</b> is so much more that a werewolf story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is an absolute riot but it also has quite a bit of heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are some truly gut wrenching scenarios that will leave you completely floored. This book will appeal to all fans of dark fiction regardless of which way your tastes lean. Believe me when I say there is something here for everyone. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Wolf Hunt</b> is a true genre masterpiece and only helps cement Strand’s status as one of the new masters of horror fiction. You would be doing yourself an unforgivable disservice by not checking this one out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Wolf Hunt</b> can be picked up in digital form for the ultra low price of $2.99 over at </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004RYVGQM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=grad08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=B004RYVGQM"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Amazon</span></a><span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> <stroke joinstyle="miter"></stroke><formulas><f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"></f><f eqn="sum @0 1 0"></f><f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"></f><f eqn="prod @2 1 2"></f><f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"></f><f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"></f><f eqn="sum @0 0 1"></f><f eqn="prod @6 1 2"></f><f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"></f><f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"></f><f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"></f><f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></f></formulas><path gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" o:extrusionok="f"></path><lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit"></lock></span></shapetype><shape alt="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=&l=as2&o=1&a=B004RYVGQM&camp=217145&creative=399349" id="Picture_x0020_3" o:spid="_x0000_i1025" style="height: 0.75pt; mso-wrap-style: square; visibility: visible; width: 0.75pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="ir?t=&l=as2&o=1&a=B004RYVGQM&camp=217145&creative=399349" src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\u9yb\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.gif"></imagedata></shape></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">. You can also head over to </span><a href="http://jeffstrand.wordpress.com/"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Jeff’s site</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> to bone up on all things Strand.</span></div>MOGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02175744480289101674noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587476391369187379.post-22422297947242987822011-05-02T15:09:00.000-04:002013-04-09T15:10:30.757-04:00Forest of Shadows by Hunter Shea<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I go to an amusement park the last thing I want to do is sit through some dopey stunt show or putz around an “educational” display.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hell no, I want to get on the biggest and fastest<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>roller-coaster, ride it until blood is dripping from my eyes and then vomit all over anyone unlucky enough to be in my vicinity. That’s just the type of guy I am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel the same way about my ghost stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, I can appreciate a slow burn that concerns itself with atmosphere but what I really like are the supernatural tales that get in there and get dirty…..real quick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess this is why I was so thoroughly satisfied with Hunter Shea’s newest novel, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1609286642/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1609286642&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">Forest of Shadows</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1609286642" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">From Amazon:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The dead still hate!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">John Backman specializes in inexplicable phenomena. The weirder the better. So when he gets a letter from a terrified man describing an old log home with odd whisperings, shadows that come alive, and rooms that disappear, he can’t resist the call. But the violence only escalates as soon as John arrives in the remote Alaskan village of Shida. Something dreadful happened there. Something monstrous. The shadows are closing in…and they’re out for blood.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hunter Shea is absolutely ruthless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The man writes with a passion and aggression that will leave you helpless in its grasp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shea keeps his eyes on the prize and everything else is secondary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wants you to cringe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wants your skin to crawl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wants to positively scare you out of your god-given wits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like I said, the man is ruthless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can appreciate Shea’s style.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wants to tell a ghost story that doesn’t meander around with sweeping atmosphere and slow progression.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His version of a ghost story involves some evil-as-all-get-out ghosts, some local legend and a hefty heaping of heartache.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Throw in ample amounts of booze and you have the makings for one refreshingly original tale.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Above anything else, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1609286642/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1609286642&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">Forest of Shadows</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1609286642" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
is a genuinely scary book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now that may sound a bit simple but after years of reading dreadful tales, it takes quite a bit to get my blood pumping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The real highlight of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1609286642/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1609286642&linkCode=as2&tag=grad08-20">Forest of Shadows</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=grad08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1609286642" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
is Hunter Shea’s ability to craft a tale that is so frantic with the pacing and yet, so subtle with the horror.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, I was having so much fun with the story that I didn’t realize how effectively the story was haunting my subconscious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took a few restless nights and one incredibly vivid nightmare about whispering shadows and the floating visage of a young boy, before I realized how successful this book was at scaring the living daylights out of me. It had worked its way into my brain and nestled in there, coiled to spring at any given moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This book scared me in a way I haven’t been scared in a very long time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is all a testament to Hunter Shea’s talent as a writer. He takes a premise that could quite honestly, be considered hokey and works it so well that it seems believable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Initially when I read the first pages that describe an amateur ghost-hunter who loses his wife and wins the lottery on the same day, I was a little skeptical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can you blame me?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This skepticism was completely unfounded as Shea sucked me into a world filled with ancient evil, teenage angst, heartbreak and a town with a very strange past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That town is Shida and it just may be one of the most frightening places you’re libel to visit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Alaskan town of Shida makes for the perfect backdrop to this bone chilling tale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shea creates a spine numbing sense of isolation as he draws a vivid portrait of this wilderness town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hell, Shea almost seems so confident in his ability to remove Shida from reality that he will tease the reader by discussing Shida’s proximity to many major Alaskan parks and cities, all while the reader knows that there is no escape from the diabolical events that Shea has in store for us. Shida is as much the star of this story as any character, all while the reader comes to realize that the dark shadows that obscure the towns past are more frightening than anything that may be whispering to them from the Great Beyond.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This book has me extremely excited about Hunter Shea. I can respect an author who takes the ghost story and completely disregards its well worn conventions to create something truly original. He preaches from the Altar of Pulp- spewing a sermon filled with his own merciless interpretation of what this genre should be. I love seeing a newcomer just completely rip it and own the living daylights out his writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I expect some very big things from Hunter Shea in the very near future.</span></div>
MOGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02175744480289101674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587476391369187379.post-76643885036926068002011-04-26T23:59:00.001-04:002011-04-27T09:49:48.626-04:00Laymon Month: Guest Post by Neal Hock<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWO88emv4jsUTqkrRA0KtWwbYTzKqtreMyCl5AbjmoT4KUtNsdT-ayJw9LugJKjVCBkeZ6PzAj1eiQAvzdQrAi3jRdDQyhVkeI_Pah2ToABLVRehFuulckxnOdl1oEI13L0pqouMajbya7/s220/biopic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWO88emv4jsUTqkrRA0KtWwbYTzKqtreMyCl5AbjmoT4KUtNsdT-ayJw9LugJKjVCBkeZ6PzAj1eiQAvzdQrAi3jRdDQyhVkeI_Pah2ToABLVRehFuulckxnOdl1oEI13L0pqouMajbya7/s220/biopic.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Recently, I had a “routine” surgery and suffered some complications from it. I became discouraged and one of the things that I’m passionate about no longer interested me: reading. I literally stopped reading and no matter what I tried I couldn’t break out of my funk. Then I went to a used bookstore a couple weeks later and found a book edited by Robert R. McCammon: <strong>Under the Fang</strong>. Intrigued and curious, I pulled it down from the shelf and opened it to the table of contents. At the bottom of the first page of the table of contents, a name jumped out at me like it was a neon sign: Richard Laymon. I closed the book and put it in my basket to buy. I didn’t need to see anyone else’s name or the price. When I arrived home, I immediately pulled out this collection and started to read Laymon’s entry, “Special.” Turns out that for $1 I reignited my passion for reading and I rediscovered my love for Richard Laymon’s work.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Richard Laymon. The name is polarizing. On the one hand, you have rabid fans that eagerly devour everything the man created. On the other hand, you have folks who say he wrote smut and decry his books. I guess there’s probably a middle ground too, but I haven’t come across many people who fall into that category.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I would fall into the first category, for the most part. I say for the most part because I don’t eagerly devour everything the man wrote for one simple reason: sadly, there won’t be any more books from Laymon due to his untimely death. So while I could plow through all of his books and have a Laymon marathon, I’m consciously choosing to space them out to enjoy them over time.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ll admit, I wasn’t a rabid fan of Laymon from the get-go. When I first decided to try out Laymon’s writing a couple years ago, I went to Amazon and picked out the highest-rated book of his to start with. That book was <strong>The Woods are Dark</strong>, and while I thought it was a decent story, I wasn’t crazy about it. However, because I continued to come across rabid Laymon fans, I decided to give another one of his books a try a couple months later. I found <strong>The Beast House</strong> to be much more appealing to me, but I still wouldn’t classify myself as hooked on Laymon at that point.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And then <strong>In the Dark</strong> came along. I had picked up a used copy at a library sale a few years ago and it sat on my bookshelf, untouched since. Once I started reading it, I was hooked from the very first page. What happened next was one of those magical moments every book lover looks forward to: I couldn’t put the book down. Literally, every spare moment I had was spent reading <strong>In the Dark</strong>. It was exciting, thrilling, and most importantly scary. It is one of the few books that has literally creeped me out. Since reading <strong>In the Dark</strong>, I’ve been a die-hard Laymon fan, scrambling to get my hands on a copy of everything he has written.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve spent some time wondering what it is about Laymon’s writing that appeals to me. Besides the efficient prose and dialogue that are trademarks of Laymon, I think the bottom line is his books are fun. Plain and simple. Are they for everyone? No, most certainly not. There’s sex, violence, and every other form of moral repugnance throughout his books. But if you look just a little deeper, below the repulsive and offensive surface, you’ll find a talented writer who had a knack for telling a compelling story with a lean, spare writing style.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Besides, if you read any amount of Laymon’s work, you’ll never see the word "rump" in the same light. That in and of itself is reason enough to become a Laymon connoisseur.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://twitter.com/#!/bookhound78">Neal Hock</a> is one of the good guys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His enthusiasm toward the genre is utterly infectious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He runs a fantastic review site over at <a href="http://bookhoundsden.blogspot.com/">Bookhound’s Den</a> and is a fantastic <a href="http://bookhoundsden.blogspot.com/p/proofreading-service.html">proofreader</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stop by <a href="http://bookhoundsden.blogspot.com/">his site</a> and show him sove love.</span></i></div>MOGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02175744480289101674noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587476391369187379.post-30649360363554768232011-04-25T14:05:00.000-04:002011-04-25T14:05:05.712-04:00Laymon Month: Richard Laymon's Heroines Examined by Lisa Mannetti<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="http://www.lisamannetti.com/bio_pic3_bandw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" i8="true" src="http://www.lisamannetti.com/bio_pic3_bandw.jpg" /></a>Opinions about Laymon's work often devolve into gripe sessions about whether or not the books are misogynistic, whether or not the characters and his heroines (especially the latter) are foolish or merely variations on stock types. Conversely, some long time fans posit that in Laymon's work the heroines encounter danger in order to grow and emerge stronger. I suppose a classic example of this plucky, resourceful type would be Slim in <i>The Traveling Vampire Show </i>which garnered Laymon a Bram Stoker Award.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">A little research into this area and a rereading of Laymon's <i>Into the Fire</i> sent me into another direction, something a little more offbeat than the usual right and left hand sides of the spectrum. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The novel itself is a wild tale that opens with its heroine, Pamela, having been abducted by a serial killer who's been fantasizing about her since his less than glorious days back in high school. He's murdered her husband and carried her off into the desert.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About to be killed, Pam is rescued by a very strange man driving a bus full of mannequins.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">We're also introduced early on to a college boy named <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Norman</place></city> who is shanghaied by an Elvis wannabe named Duke and these two 'characters,' in turn, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>pick up a nymphomaniacal hitchhiker known as Boots. As a trio, none of them seem to be drop-outs from the Bonnie and <place w:st="on">Clyde</place> school of derring-do.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Sound fantastic? </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">It is; but so was Voltaire's <i>Candide</i>, and it can be argued that Laymon's romp has much in common with both its more famous predecessor's picaresque mode and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>its <i>bildingsroman </i>attributes. Viewed in that light, Laymon's treatment of action and motifs in <i>Into the Fire </i>can be seen as a kind of purposeful chaos. In which case, one would not expect to find the typical arc characters follow in more traditional--or even necessarily genre--literature. One would expect (and indeed finds) a series of adventures that increasingly head for over-the-top.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><i>Into the Fire</i> can also be seen squarely in that classical mode with its humor; and, its relentless eroticism could be considered derivative of milesian tales, notably the <i>Decameron.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Dickens and Twain both wrote picaresque tales--but let's not forget Victorian sensibilities: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sex was given a pass in books like <i>Oliver Twist</i> and <i>Huckleberry Finn</i>.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">So, the next time that either/or question comes up about Laymon's characters (and heroines) you can come down on one side or another, or think about Lady Cunegonde (and yes, the name is meant to convey what it is nearly spelled like) and who knows, maybe you'll give <i>Candide</i> a whirl, or <i>Moll Flanders</i>, or <i>The Golden Ass;</i> or give <i>Tom Jones</i> a peek...you're sure to find plenty of action, outrageous plotting, and titillating sex. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><a href="about:blank" name="OLE_LINK4"></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK4;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>Lisa Manneti is the 2008 Bram Stoker award winner for her first novel, The Gentling Box.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her latest offering, Deathwatch, happens to be the best thing I’ve read all year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is a true master of the craft with a style that is both beautiful and heart-breaking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I strongly encourage everyone give her work a try.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You will not be disappointed.</em></span></span> <em>You can find out more about Lisa Mannetti at her </em><span style="color: #444444;"><em><a href="http://www.lisamannetti.com/index.html">website.</a></em></span></div>MOGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02175744480289101674noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587476391369187379.post-28190110698619112092011-04-22T09:03:00.000-04:002011-04-22T09:03:47.428-04:00Laymon Month: Your Secret Admirer Reviewed by Paperback Horror<div style="font: 14px Times New Roman;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><em>Leave it to <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/paperbackhorror">Colum</a> over at <a href="http://paperbackhorror.com/">Paperbackhorror.com</a> to write a killer review of a novel written under one of Laymon's numerous pseudonyms. The man is nothing short of amazing! I suggest you all head over to his site and check out his fantastic reviews. </em></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman;"><br />
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</div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Your Secret Admirer</b></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Carl Laymon</span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Scholastic (1980)</span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">When one thinks of YA novels these days, it usually has something to do with sparkly vampires (an overused scapegoat, in my opinion), badly used first-person narrative, and untold amounts of emotional baggage on the part of the characters contained within the story. Granted, none of these things are bad when meted out in small doses, but the general consensus about most modern YA fiction is that it tends to club the reader over the head with an overdose of all of the above. </span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Richard Laymon’s <b>Your Secret Admirer</b> is a very welcome departure from the modern standard, and will make the reader wonder why (and when) the YA style changed so drastically. Suffice it to say, the YA story telling of yesteryear could be considered far more compelling than it’s modern kin. Couple this with a tale told by a master storyteller like Richard Laymon, and you’re in for a great treat.</span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i>Dear Janice, </i></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i></i></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i>You don’t know me but I know you. I know lots about you... From the moment I saw you in the park I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind. Thoughts of you fill my days and haunt my nights...</i></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i></i></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="ecxApple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"></span>With all my heart, </i></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="ecxApple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"></span>Your Secret Admirer</i></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i></i></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i>Janice’s best friend thinks the guy who’s writing these letters is looney - and may be dangerous! After all, what kind of person goes around sending anonymous letters? But Janice is secretly thrilled about the mystery person who is in love with her. Maybe now, Mike, the guy she really likes, will hear about her secret admirer and begin to take notice!</i></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">What Laymon does with this book is magical. I can remember being a child and reading the YA horror fiction of the 80’s and 90’s, wondering how people got the ideas that they did, and why they affected me so much. Well, Laymon really brought me back with this one. The story starts off with the usual fare found in a YA novel, but with something that has become what I would call a ‘signature Laymon move’ - it starts off in the <i>middle</i> of the story. No introduction to characters, no boring preamble or back story, etc. Nothing but story. </span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Which is how it <i>should</i> be. </span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">As I said, we’re launched into the action right away, with Laymon establishing his main character, introducing the titular ‘Secret Admirer’, and throwing the reader directly into the mystery at hand - all within a matter of maybe 2 or 3 paragraphs. It’s brilliant, really. The hunt goes forth, with Janice and her best friend (thankfully this book was pre-”BFF” lingo...sigh) trying to figure out who sent a letter to her with the signature reading - “Your Secret Admirer”. The lists of possibilities are presented, and the stage is set for ample amounts of fun.</span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">What Laymon also tends to do in his books, is produce great secondary characters . Mike, the main character’s focus of interest, who is not only a solid male lead in terms of being strong and nice, but also provides a great deal of comic relief; his kid sister - Susan - who is funny, moody, and generally the closest Laymon has ever come to a “quasi-emo” character in any of his novels; and some other, more minor characters who all add top notch color to this fun little read. </span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">And, lest you be wondering, Laymon puts one of his best baddies in here. Glen is contemptible, disgusting, brash, rude, and massively annoying. As the novel moves forward, the reader also discovers that he is dangerous, and a lot like Toby Bones - the main (and brutally horrible) bad guy in Laymon’s <b>Come Out Tonight</b>...only less extreme and in kid form. If you get a chance to check this book out, I can guarantee you’ll see the resemblance immediately. </span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">It’s great to read something like this. All of Laymon’s usual scares are there, and the pieces are all put together as per usual...only in a more PG kind of way. Where Laymon would usually take his characters in a violent, often depraved adventure by any given point in his stories, here he brings them close, and then pulls them away expertly, making this a book that anyone can read - not just adults. </span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Laymon has one other YA novel written as Carl Laymon - <b>Nightmare Lake</b>, and a children’s book - <strong>The Halloween Mouse</strong> - which are also available online...but they’re somewhat rare. In <b>A Writer’s Tale</b>, Laymon mentions the fact that he wrote <b>Your Secret Admirer</b> for Scholastic and, after <b>The Cellar</b> was printed, never wrote another book for them again. This is a shame, as I can see almost all of his novels being adapted in a more child-centric sort of way.</span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">So if you’re at all interested in introducing your kids or teens to Laymon, but don’t know how to go about doing it, grab a copy of Your Secret Admirer. It’s a blast, and really does contain all of the spirit present in Laymon’s adult pieces. For you die-hard fans out there...don’t miss out. Get out there and add this to your collection now. </span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">PBH.</span></div>MOGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02175744480289101674noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587476391369187379.post-38041599121067418012011-04-20T15:11:00.000-04:002011-04-20T15:11:43.974-04:00Laymon Month: The Midnight Tour<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Midnight Tour</i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> is the final chapter of Richard Laymon’s Beast House Trilogy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is fitting that the book seems to encompass everything that made the series an utter joy to read.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please don’t read this review if you haven’t read the previous two books.</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.cemeterydance.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/laymon03.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" i8="true" src="http://www.cemeterydance.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/laymon03.gif" width="212px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>The Midnight Tour</strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Richard Laymon</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cemetery Dance (1998)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After the events of the second book, the Beast House is now a national tourist attraction thanks to Janice Crogan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Janice was one of the few survivors from <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Beast House</b> and she has cashed in on her story big time!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There have been two books published and an entire series of films that all deal with the rich history of the house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The once quiet town of Malcasa Point has been inundated with curious tourists who arrive by the busload.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Janice even runs a Beast House Museum in town.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Another new addition to the town of Malcasa Point is the Midnight Tour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the paltry sum of $100 visitors are treated to an evening of all things beast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The evening ends with the Midnight Tour of the Beast House which gets into some of the more “graphic” details that the regular tour may leave out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course there are various characters that share separate stories but are ultimately brought together by the Midnight Tour, only to have all hell break loose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is the same tried-and-true formula that Laymon implemented in the previous two novels and the results are no less shocking here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, the last 50 pages of <strong>The Midnight Tour</strong> may be the most intense of the entire series.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Midnight Tour</b> is quite long compared to the previous two entries and much of its bulk is devoted to the retelling of the Beast House’s origins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course this may turn some readers off, but I ate it up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Beast mythology was the most intriguing part of the entire series for me and I loved hearing the various interpretations of the tumultuous events that led up the final conflict at the Beast House.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is truly fascinating to hear so many interpretations of the same events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is also a large portion of the book devoted to Sandy Blume.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Readers will remember Sandy as Donna Haye’s young daughter in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Cellar. </b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sandy’s story is told through a series of flashbacks that bridge the gap between the end of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Beast House</b> and the beginning of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Midnight Tour. </b>While the Sandy character did get a bit stale and unbelievable at times, it was a welcome addition and it was the thread that really tied all three stories together.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Focusing more on atmosphere and less on splatter, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Midnight Tour</b> really showcases the evolution of Richard Laymon as a writer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I certainly love the balls-to-the-wall intensity of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Cellar</b>, it is interesting to see Laymon slowly establishing the tension and dread in the story. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Midnight Tour</b> he has a very strong command over his writing and is able to manipulate the mood better than in any of his other works.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is nothing better than being helplessly left in the hands of a master as he guides us through some horrific terrain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Aside from the writing, Laymon has also matured as a storyteller.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is able to take some pretty gutsy chances with the narrative. I like to equate <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Midnight Tour</b> to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Wes Craven’s New Nightmare</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The name of Janice Crogan’s novel is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Horror</b> and it does not take any great stretch of the imagination to assume the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Horror</b> bears a striking resemblance to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Cellar</b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Beast House</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As characters reference <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Horror</b>, I feel like I have read it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a very interesting approach to the story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reader almost feels like the first two books in the series were works of non-fiction as opposed to the first part of the fictitious series.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Midnight Tour</b> was a fitting end to the Beast House Trilogy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It stayed true to the conventions that were set forth in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Cellar</b> while putting its mark on one of the best genre series I’ve had the pleasure of reading.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This series should be mandatory reading for all genre fans.</span></div>MOGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02175744480289101674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587476391369187379.post-31535476050204034982011-04-19T16:19:00.000-04:002011-04-19T16:19:45.836-04:00Laymon Month: The Beast House<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Beast House</i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> is the second entry into the Beast House Chronicles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you haven’t read the first book I encourage you to stay clear of this review.</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.cemeterydance.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/laymon02.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" i8="true" src="http://www.cemeterydance.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/laymon02.gif" width="212px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>The Beast House</strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Richard Laymon</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cemetery Dance (1998; original publish date 1986)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><a href="" name="OLE_LINK8"></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK8;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Beast House</b> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">picks up a year after the events in <strong>The Cellar</strong>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Old Maggie Kutch and her merry band of beasts are still running amuck in Malcasa Point while one of the town’s residents, Janice Crogan, decides to try to cash in on the infamy of the Beast House by sending an inquiry to legendary genre author Gorman Hardy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hardy is intrigued by Janice’s letter and sets off to Malcasa Point to do some additional research.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Meanwhile two young librarians, Tyler and Nora, are also headed to Malcasa Point to seek out Tyler’s ex-fiance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In typical Laymon fashion, the two women run afoul of a belligerent traveler who wants to put a serious whoopin’ on the two little ladies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as the man is about inflict some serious damage (with a car antenna, no less!) two Marines come to the rescue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once the librarians have been saved, the four decide they will make the journey together to Malcasa Point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Much like Judge and Donna in <strong>The Cellar</strong>, love begins to blossom between one of the marines, Abe, and Tyler.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Laymon uses this budding romance to exploit the inner turmoil with Tyler.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is out to find her ex-fiance yet she is very much attracted to Abe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although not the same type of circumstances, this same type of turmoil was shown in Donna’s character in <strong>The Cellar</strong>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Once in town the librarians and Marines come across one of the most interesting characters I’ve ever encountered in a Laymon novel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His name is Captain Frank and he is a long time resident of Malcasa Point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The locals think that Captain Frank is nothing more than a crazy old drunk who will do anything to be the center of attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It turns out that Captain Frank really is a crazy old drunk but he also harbors a very dark secret- his father was the man who brought the beast to Malcasa Point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Frank’s telling of the beast’s origin story was nothing short of gripping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It added a new dimension to the beast and I thought it was the definite high point of the novel</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Beast House </b>speeds along, all of the characters eventually meet up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They all decide (for different reasons) to explore the Beast House after dark and chaos ensues. The last quarter of the book goes by in a flash as Laymon packs in the action and blood with total mastery. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Beast House </b>is an absolute blast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Laymon takes the reader on one wild rollercoaster ride resulting in some pure horror fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gone is the unsettling aggression of <strong>The Cellar</strong>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, Laymon keeps the mood light and the horror isolated within the walls of the actual house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This makes for a much more comfortable (but not necessarily better) read. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I loved the inclusion of the Gorman Hardy character.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hardy’s elaborate description of the house added a definite cinematic quality to the proceedings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could feel the house coming alive as Hardy made note of the soulless windows and Victorian architecture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hardy also made my inner fanboy jump for joy when he asked Abe how he knew about his pseudonyms and Abe responded by saying that he simply “checked the copyright page”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ah, Laymon you old devil!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Beast House </b>is an extremely solid entry into the Beast House Chronicles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love how the whole series is tied together in very subtle ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is like returning to a childhood vacation spot and seeing a landmark that triggers a wave of memories. If you were turned off by some of the more intense subject matter found in The Cellar, then give <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Beast House </b>a try.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a much more accessible entry point into the Beast House Chronicles.</span></div>MOGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02175744480289101674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587476391369187379.post-35853078707310422282011-04-18T15:55:00.001-04:002011-04-18T16:16:42.499-04:00Laymon Month: The Cellar<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Where do you start when looking to review <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Cellar</b>?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is the book that made the career of my favorite author so I have to admit that I’m a bit intimidated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the next four days I am going to review the entire Beast House Chronicles and I think that I’m going back to the formula I used with the ‘<a href="http://gradezhorror.blogspot.com/search/label/Mondays%20With%20Richard">Mondays With Richard’</a> feature- keep it casual and keep it personal.</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.cemeterydance.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/laymon01a.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" r6="true" src="http://www.cemeterydance.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/laymon01a.gif" width="130" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong>The Cellar</strong></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Richard Laymon<br />
Cemetery Dance (1997; oringinal publish date 1980)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Simply put, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Cellar</b> is Richard Laymon at his best.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He keeps the reader completely off-balance with a barrage of brilliant deviance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Laymon’s prose is fired off like bullets from an Uzi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bursts are short and EXTREMELY hard-hitting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is Laymon’s unique style that helps propel <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Cellar</b>’s frantic speed and gory narrative.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The story opens with Donna and her 12 year-old-daughter, Sandy, fleeing from her deranged ex-husband, Roy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Donna and Sandy make their way up the California coast until their car has an untimely accident and they are forced to spend a few days in the small coastal town of Malcasa Point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Malcasa Point has the dubious distinction of being home to a morbid tourist attraction known as the Beast House. The Beast House has long history which is soaked in blood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Locals will tell you that there is a mysterious beast that enters the house at night to destroy any trespassers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: white;">While Donna and Sandy are holed up in this tiny town Roy closes in on them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="OLE_LINK9"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="OLE_LINK10"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK9;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Calibri;">The thing about Roy is that he is an ex-con who has a penchant for abusing young girls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is also a total psychopath who will stop at nothing to destroy the lives of his ex-wife and daughter</span></span></a><span style="color: white; font-family: Calibri;"> and has no issue dispatching anyone who gets in his way.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As Roy closes in on Sandy and Donna we are introduced to two additional characters, Judge and Larry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a child Larry was attacked by the Beast of </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="OLE_LINK12"></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK12;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Malcasa Bay</span> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">but lived to tell the tale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a result he has spent numerous sleepless nights in the grip of the memory of the Beast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally he has had enough and enlists Judge, an ex-military type, to finally hunt down and destroy the Beast. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The story comes together as all five main characters end up meeting in Malcasa Point and are forced to confront their worst nightmares.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The finale is pure genre greatness.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Cellar</b> is the standard to which I hold all other horror fiction to. Laymon uses the horror of reality along with the terror of the fantastic in such a way that I am never able to get comfortable when reading <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Cellar</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Laymon approaches the horror of the story from so many angles that he leaves the reader no place to hide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether reading about the taboo exploits of Roy as he indulges his pedophilic urges or bearing witness to the Beast as he violates his prey, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Cellar</b> brings all types of scares.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I first read the back cover of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Cellar</b> I was giddy with excitement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was looking for a gory tale of a monster who stalks a small coastal town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can that not be fun?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, there are a lot of adjectives that can be used to describe <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Cellar</b> but “fun” is not one of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The real beast in the story is Roy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Laymon describes his crimes against children with an unflinching sense of realism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is absolutely nothing that is off-limits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This book was published 31 years ago and the descriptions of Roy’s atrocities are just as jarring today as they were then.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, this is a testament to Laymon’s greatness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As I mentioned earlier, Laymon also uses some surreal horror to keep the reader on edge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the reader is not being exposed to Roy’s heinous acts we get to meet the infamous Beast of Malcasa Bay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Beast has been terrorizing Malcasa Bay since at least 1903- claiming at least 10 “official” victims.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reader is introduced to the origins of the Beast through the found diary of Lillian Thorn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Lillian was the first inhabitant of the Beast House and t</span>he diary outlines how the Beast began entering her house (and the inhabitants of the house). It also explains Lillian's bizarre role in the Beast House murders as it traces the downward spiral which made the Beast what it is today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The diary was a truly unique way to introduce the audience to a very mysterious creature. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I understand that this book is not for everyone. It is an all out assault on the reader as Laymon attacks you from every possible angle. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a father of young children I found the Roy subplot to be especially unsettling but isn’t that what this genre is all about?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is about authors bringing their readers to a place they normally wouldn’t go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not supposed to be safe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything should not end well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is what Laymon understood and this is what made him one of the true masters of the genre.</span></div>MOGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02175744480289101674noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587476391369187379.post-84813630018300362152011-04-18T08:59:00.000-04:002011-04-18T08:59:52.053-04:00Laymon Month: RLK! is BACK!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Have you heard the big news?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, it is huge! Steve Gerlach is back online with the best Laymon related site going, <a href="http://rlk.stevegerlach.com/">Richard Laymon Kills!.</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Steve started the site way back in 1996 and was instrumental in the development of many Laymonites (myself included).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I urge you to take a few minutes to roam about the site and let Steve know what a fabulous job he is doing!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then later today we will be starting off our celebration of the Beast House Chronicles by posting the Grade Z Horror review of <strong>The Cellar</strong>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m really excited for you to share your memories of The Beast as we continue Laymon Month!</span></div>MOGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02175744480289101674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587476391369187379.post-66066495475950746772011-04-14T08:09:00.001-04:002011-04-14T08:10:05.105-04:00Laymon Month: Guest Post by Colum McKnight<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a1.twimg.com/profile_images/1088245378/DSC05527_reasonably_small.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" r6="true" src="http://a1.twimg.com/profile_images/1088245378/DSC05527_reasonably_small.JPG" /></a></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="ecxApple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"></span>My first experience with Laymon was terrible. I was 20, working at a department store on the overnight shift stocking shelves, and painfully bored while on my coffee breaks. Shit...this was before I even <i>started</i> drinking coffee! The sheer thought of having to talk to my co-workers about their home lives or their money woes wasn’t bearable anymore. By that time, I’d made it a habit to rifle through the magazine section in search of something that would keep me entertained for a couple of hours. This particular time around, nothing was speaking to me. Having read every magazine that was there to offer (including the hairstyle and hip-hop mags), I decided to go through the books. </span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="ecxApple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"></span><i>Side note: If you’ve ever scanned the shelves and impulse racks as Zellers, K-Mart or Walmart, you’re already familiar with the massive amount of Thriller, Romance, and best selling novels that are presented. At this point in time, though, Department stores, here in Canada, used to stock mass market paperbacks of all variations. Even the now stigmatized Leisure/Dorchester was present, but we all know how that’s going. Now there is nary a horror novel to be seen in department stores in Toronto, and the only books there at all are from the likes of Tor, DoubleDay, Random House, etc.; and authors like Patterson, Picoult, King and Koontz.</i></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i></i></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="ecxApple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"></span>To explain my choice that night, you’ll have to know that I was at a point in my life where I’d amassed quite an extensive collection of horror movies on VHS - which is still my favorite way to watch a movie. I was what I considered to be “a collector” (read: hoarder). To say that I was obsessed would be a complete understatement. It was known throughout my friends and family that I was the one to go to for all-things-scary, and I was completely okay with that. But keep in mind, this was also before I started reading avidly. This was even before I could say that I’d read anything even close to 50 books in my life. Thinking back, it’s actually kind of embarrassing.</span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="ecxApple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"></span>Getting back to my point, I’d like to repeat: My first experience with Laymon was <i>terrible</i>. Why? Because the first Richard Laymon book I ever picked up was <b>No Sanctuary</b>. If any of you have read this title, you’ll completely understand. This is, in my opinion, one of Laymon’s hardest reads. It begins with an incredibly sympathetic character that I could relate to somewhat, and then throws in the most disturbing, adrenaline packed, relentless scenes of brutality and depravity that I’d ever read in my life. Beyond that, it became something of an emotional trial. It was hard stuff to stomach.</span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="ecxApple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"></span>I’d read less than 50 pages of the book, put it down, and intended to <i>never</i> pick up another book by this maniac again. I was shocked and appalled. I couldn’t understand how someone like this could ever have something be published. It’s safe to say that, at that point, I was a completely new to modern horror, and not at all ready for what Laymon had to offer. </span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="ecxApple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"></span>*In retrospect, I should be glad I didn’t pick up something like </i><b><i>The Bighead</i></b><i> by Ed Lee first, shouldn’t I? </i></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="ecxApple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"></span>Fast forward a few years, add a wife and child to my life (we had our first kid when I was 23), and imagine me working in a lab at a hospital. Again, I was bored. I was reading a little more these days, but still nothing heavier than a magazine and/or re-reading my favorite Poppy Z. Brite or Clive Barker novels. I was facing a one and a half hour commute to work, was running out of music to listen to that was exciting me, and had nothing in the way of video games. I was lucky to be working only a few blocks from “The World’s Biggest Bookstore”, and found myself looking for solace in horror fiction once again. </span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="ecxApple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"></span>The horror section at this store used to be very impressive (<i>sadly, it’s now been downsized because of the lack of mmpb titles being released every year</i>). I started my one hour lunch break, took the trip down to the book store, and stood gawking at the choices that lay ahead of me. I went through everything from Lee to Keene, Gonzalez to Ketchum, and my beloved Barker and Brite. While I was checking out with a fist-full of novels, my eye caught a deliciously dark cover. A book called <b>The Woods Are Dark</b> (<i>the unexpurgated version - 2008</i>) stood out amongst the other “new paperbacks” near the cashier, so I grabbed it and checked out. I didn’t ever bother reading the back, nor did I recognize the name of the author. If I had, I wouldn’t be writing this right now. And yes, if you did the math correctly, you’ll now know that I’ve only been reading Laymon steadily for about 3 or 4 years. There are many other folks you’ve read on this blog, or <i>will</i> read this week, that have spent much more time with Laymon, and thus have more authority to talk about the master than I do. But finding that one piece of Laymon that speaks to you is like using a “gateway drug”, and after <b>The Woods Are Dark</b>, I was hooked! </span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="ecxApple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"></span>I don’t really remember what the other books I picked up that day were (Keene’s <b>Ghoul</b> was one of ‘em, that much I know), but I can tell you that I <i>devoured</i> <b>The Woods Are Dark</b>. I ate it right the hell up. The impassioned forward by Kelly Laymon touched my heart, and the novel itself seemed to burn up in my hands. It was disgusting, depraved, twisted, gory, and absolutely inappropriate in every-which-way. There were parts of it that made no sense to me at all, and still don’t. When I was done with that novel, I ripped through my book collection (which is probably 1/16th of the collection we have at home now), in search of something like it. What did I come up with? <b>No Sanctuary</b>. I couldn’t believe that Laymon had written both, and couldn’t understand why I’d not enjoyed it. With that in mind, I revisited the <b>No Sanctuary</b> and ended up loving it. </span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="ecxApple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"></span>Since then, I’ve made it a mission to collect all of the Laymon books I can possibly get my hands on. I’ve mistakenly given a few away to Value Village, found a few in used book stores, and even met a guy in a gas station parking lot in order to buy a box-full of his Headline releases for just under $200 (the <i>best</i> purchase I have <i>ever</i> made in my <i>entire</i> life). My collection is sitting at 30-something of his novels right now (including <b>The Halloween Mouse</b> - his children’s book), and with the help of friends, I’m getting closer to having everything he’s ever written. I hope to one day have a collection that can stand beside Brian Keene’s personal Laymon library. One can hope, right? (In a strange twist, my Laymon collection and my Keene collection ended up sharing a shelf by accident. It was only later that I found out they were friends. Weird.)</span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="ecxApple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"></span>My ultimate goal is to own a copy of <b>A Writer’s Tale</b>, which is limited to 500 signed and numbered copies, and 26 lettered copies. All of them are signed. I’ve had my eye on the eBay auctions for years now, and will one day own one. Mark my words, <i>I will</i> own a copy of that book.</span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="ecxApple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"></span><i>*Note: Since writing this post, I have managed to get my hands on the holy grail that is A Writer’s Tale, and it is in-transit as we speak. I couldn’t be more excited!</i></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="ecxApple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"></span>I honestly couldn’t imagine a life in literature without Laymon. There is nobody that comes close to reaching that particular brand of daring, yet comfortably formulaic writing. There are a few authors that I’ve been following for a while (like Brian Keene, Bryan Smith, Gord Rollo, Greg Lamberson, and John Everson, to name a few) who grab the literary world by the balls and show the genre who’s boss, but none that could ever replace the smooth style that Laymon left behind. </span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="ecxApple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"></span>Without Laymon’s fiction, I doubt I would have started Paperback Horror. My love of horror wouldn’t have gone any further than the screen, and my collection of books wouldn’t be nearly as large as it is right now. I doubt I would have found any of the authors that I’ve come to love, and I definitely wouldn’t be thinking about horror fiction all of the time. I’m indebted to the man, wherever he is. </span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="ecxApple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"></span>I’m glad that Grade Z Horror decided to throw this party in honor of a true master. It gave me a chance to really think about how I felt about his work, how I still feel about it. Horror fiction wouldn’t be where it is now, without him. I hope we can do this again next year, as I’m sure there is no shortage to love we can spread for Richard Laymon. Share his books with your friends, and introduce his work to everyone looking for something more. Keep the legacy alive. </span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 14px Times New Roman;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">PBH.</span></div><br />
<em>Colum runs the best damn genre review site out there over ar <a href="http://paperbackhorror.com/">PaperbackHorror.com</a>. Aside from being the author of some of my <a href="http://www.paperbackhorror.com/2010/07/wolf-hunt-by-jeff-strand.html">favorite reviews</a>, Colum is one of the nicest dudes in the world. Please, please, please head over to <a href="http://www.paperbackhorror.com/">his site</a> and prepare to be enlightened!</em>MOGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02175744480289101674noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587476391369187379.post-71882609064017244142011-04-13T15:36:00.003-04:002011-04-18T16:07:35.324-04:00Laymon Month: The Woods Are Dark<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.cemeterydance.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/laymon14.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="http://www.cemeterydance.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/laymon14.gif" width="210" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>The Woods Are Dark</strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Richard Laymon</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cemetery Dance (2008; original publish date 1981)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The story behind <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Woods Are Dark</b> is a very interesting one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1981 Richard Laymon was new to the scene.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had written <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Woods Are Dark</b> for Warner Books and was eager to be published.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Warner took Laymon’s chilling tale and gave it the ol’ strip job- cutting one very important subplot as well as a fair bit of the gore and sexuality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In short, Warner treated the pages of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Woods Are Dark</b> much like the savages on those pages dealt with the unsuspecting travelers who found themselves in the woods. They completely destroyed them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 2008, through the tireless work of the Laymon family, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Woods Are Dark </b>was released in a new restored edition as the author originally intended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a review of that book.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Neala and her friend Sherri only wanted to do a little backpacking through the woods. Little did they know they would soon be shackled to a dead tree, waiting for Them to arrive. The Dills family thought the small motor lodge in the quiet town of Barlow seemed quaint and harmless enough. Until they, too, found themselves shackled to trees in the middle of the night, while They approached, hungry for human flesh...</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Early Laymon novels always seem to get right to the action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These first works could never be considered a “slow burn”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Woods Are Dark</b> is no different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You open the book and BAM! - Laymon goes right for the jugular.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is blazing hot from the first page when a hairy, legless shape tosses a severed hand at a passing car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is one hell of way to open a story. The amazing part is that Laymon never waivers from this excruciating intensity.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Even with the non-stop action, Laymon peppers in some truly interesting characters. After the encounter with the legless monster the story devotes the first few pages to greetings as we are pleasantly introduced to the fun-loving Neala and Sherri as well as the good-natured Dills clan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the formalities are dispensed with, chaos ensues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Laymon assaults the readers with a barrage of grisly scenes involving unthinkable violence and graphic cannibalism. There is no reprieve from the horror.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything is fair game. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As the novel unfolds, we learn that there is a seemingly ageless race of feral cannibals lurking in the woods of a small town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The townsfolk have agreed to supply the cannibals, known as Krulls, with an endless supply of victims in exchange for their own safety.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once these victims are handed over to The Krulls it is absolute carnage as The Krulls do what cannibals do best- run amuck and bust up the joint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Picture <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Cannibal Ferox</b> mixed with <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Burning</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pure woodland flesh chomping insanity.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Aside from the very complex Krulls there are plenty of well developed personalities with the most interesting being the patriarch of the Dills family, Lander. Dills is a self proclaimed pacifist who is forced to survive alone in the treacherous woods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lander is separated from the rest of his family as he is stalked by The Krulls. Laymon allows Dills to slowly drift into insanity and he eventually begins to resemble one of the savages who are hunting him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The transformation of Lander Dills is masterfully executed with a frightening level of believability. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After reading the Lander Dills story (easily the strongest subplot in the book) I was amazed that Warner chose to cut it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It really grounds the novel in reality and makes the goings-on all the more frightening.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">No matter which version you read-The Woods Are Dark is a tough book. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is extremely mean spirited and completely unapologetic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is also a classic that every genre fan needs to read.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A word of warning though- please clear a few hours to reading The Woods Are Dar because you WILL NOT be able to put this one down. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I would like to recommend reading both the Warner version and the restored version.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Warner version is much less sexual and the Lander Dills plot is severely stripped down, but it does include some really interesting chapters dealing with the townsfolk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other major discrepancy is the ending.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The difference is night and day, my friends. Night and day.</span></i></div>MOGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02175744480289101674noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587476391369187379.post-43230029498720401282011-04-12T07:35:00.000-04:002011-04-12T08:02:05.990-04:00Laymon Month: Savage reviewed by Lincoln Crisler<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.feoamante.com/Stories/Reviews/images/savage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="http://www.feoamante.com/Stories/Reviews/images/savage.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><br />
I'm not the most well-versed Laymon fan (arguably a detriment to one pursuing a professional career in horror), but I have read enough to have a healthy respect for the man and his body of work. Absolutely, without question, I've read enough Laymon to buy more of his books, sight unseen, without so much as a friendly recommendation, until hopefully I've read them all at least once. More than any Laymon I've read, this attitude is shaped by <b>Savage</b>. <br />
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<b>Savage</b>, as described as simply as possible, is about a fifteen year-old boy who follows Jack the Ripper from the streets of Whitechapel, England to the dusty American southwest, first as a captive and later to bring the murderer to justice. To be more accurate, however, it's a long, involved story that's epic in the way King and Straub's <b>Talisman</b> is epic; for some of the vageme reasons, even. Trevor Bentley begins his story as a boy and finishes as a man, or close to it, and his journey takes him roughly halfway across the world. He is both hindered and assisted in his efforts by a diverse group of people, including a couple of lovers. And there is killing, of the exciting, shocking, brutal and heart-wrenching varieties. <br />
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<br />
Any writer would be lucky to write one book this good in his or her lifetime. Laymon managed to not only write something completely different from his typical book, but do it while including the splatter and sex a Laymon fan expects. I must say that no other Laymon book I've read, no matter how excellent, comes close to knocking <b>Savage</b> off its perch, or even sitting beside it. But, like I said before, I have a lot more Laymon to read, so I'm open to suggestions. <br />
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And if you've yet to read <b>Savage</b> yourself, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Savage-Richard-Laymon/dp/0747241201">you can fix that right now.</a><br />
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<i>Lincoln Crisler's debut novella, <b>WILD</b>, was released in March from Damnation Books. He has also authored a pair of short story collections, <b>Magick & Misery</b> (2009, Black Bed Sheet) and <b>Despairs & Delights</b> (2008, Arctic Wolf). A United States Army combat veteran and non-commissioned officer, Lincoln lives in Augusta, Georgia with his wife and two of his three children. You can visit his website at www.lincolncrisler.info. </i>MOGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02175744480289101674noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587476391369187379.post-85795352253951223052011-04-11T08:33:00.006-04:002011-04-11T12:30:52.301-04:00Laymon Month: In The Dark reviewed by Meli<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX259558445" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><div class="Paragraph SCX259558445" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, 'Sans-Serif'; font-size: 8pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><em><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">If you haunt any sort of literary sites on the internet then you probably know </span></em><a href="http://twitter.com/#!/meliYOROSHIKU"><em><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Meli</span></em></a><em><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">. Her unbridled enthusiasm regarding genre fiction is unmatched! She inspires me to read more and more and more! I am ecstatic to have her share her first real "Laymon experience" with us here at Grade Z Horror. After you read her wonderful review, head on over to </span></em><a href="http://www.destroythebrain.com/author/mdenton/"><em><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Destroy The Brain</span></em></a><em><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> and bask in her awesomeness!</span></em></span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.feoamante.com/Stories/Reviews/images/inthedark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><img border="0" r6="true" src="http://www.feoamante.com/Stories/Reviews/images/inthedark.jpg" /></span></a></div><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"></span></div><div class="Paragraph SCX259558445" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, 'Sans-Serif'; font-size: 8pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"><strong>In The Dark </strong></span></div><div class="Paragraph SCX259558445" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, 'Sans-Serif'; font-size: 8pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">Richard </span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">Laymon</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span></span></span></span></div><div class="Paragraph SCX259558445" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, 'Sans-Serif'; font-size: 8pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">Headline Book Publishing (1994)</span></div></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX259558445" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><div class="Paragraph SCX259558445" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, 'Sans-Serif'; font-size: 8pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"></span></div></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX259558445" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><div class="Paragraph SCX259558445" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, 'Sans-Serif'; font-size: 8pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">I am probably the newest fan </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">of Richard </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">Laymon</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">among the contributors celebrating </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">Grade Z Horror’s </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">Laymon</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> M</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">onth.</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">I am also</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">,</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> most likely</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">,</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> the least familiar with his work. </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">In fact, it is thanks to a few of these fine writers that I </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">decided to give</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">Laymon</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> a read. I logon almost daily </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">to talk horror fiction with a group of Grim Readers by way of the </span></span></span><a class="Hyperlink SCX259558445" href="http://rue-morgue.com/boards/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="TextRun Underlined SCX259558445" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: underline;" xml:lang="EN-US">Rue Morgue Mortuary</span></a><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> (the Rue Morgue Magazine message board) and it was there that I first heard the name </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">Laymon</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">. </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">Before</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> I joined the ra</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">nks of horror fiction </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">obsessives</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">, my </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">horror </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">reading was mostly dedicated to the classics, like H.P. Lovecraft, Poe, and E.T.A. Hoffman. </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">I was a late bloomer, but luckily </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">Colum of </span></span></span><a class="Hyperlink SCX259558445" href="http://www.paperbackhorror.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="TextRun Underlined SCX259558445" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: underline;" xml:lang="EN-US">Paperback Horror</span></a><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">, Capt Murdock,</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> Dark Mark</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> and other board members</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">helped</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> me familiarize myself with contemporary horror writers and revealed an entire library of sick and twisted fiction. These members </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">would go weeks it see</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">med reading nothing but </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">Laymon</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> and I later discovered he inspired and influenced many of my newfound favorite authors. </span></span></span></div></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX259558445" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><div class="Paragraph SCX259558445" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, 'Sans-Serif'; font-size: 8pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"></span></div></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX259558445" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><div class="Paragraph SCX259558445" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, 'Sans-Serif'; font-size: 8pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">Unlike Jeff Strand</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> (</span></span></span><a class="Hyperlink SCX259558445" href="http://gradezhorror.blogspot.com/2011/04/laymon-month-guest-post-by-jeff-strand.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span class="TextRun Underlined SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: underline;" xml:lang="EN-US">see April 4</span><span class="TextRun Underlined SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 9.5pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: super;" xml:lang="EN-US">th</span><span class="TextRun Underlined SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: underline;" xml:lang="EN-US"> guest post</span></span></span></a><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">)</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">, I had the convenience of the internet when I finally decided to give </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">Laymon</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> a turn. A</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> couple clicks and my copy of <strong>The Cellar</strong> (1980) was on </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">its</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> way</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> to my front door</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">. A simple </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">google</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> search and brief skim of Wikipedia informed me that this was his first novel, so of course this would be a good place to start, right? It was sick and twisted, mixing real life horrors with the unimaginable. To quote </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"><strong>In The Dark</strong> of which I am about to review</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">, I felt “fear, revulsion, and an unexpected surg</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">e of desire” reading <strong>The Cellar</strong>. Unfortunately, there was one scene in the book that completely</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> pulled </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">me </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">out of the story</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> and </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">I was </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">left </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">underwhelmed by my</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> first </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">Laymon</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> outing. </span></span></span></div></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX259558445" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><div class="Paragraph SCX259558445" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, 'Sans-Serif'; font-size: 8pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"></span></div></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX259558445" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><div class="Paragraph SCX259558445" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, 'Sans-Serif'; font-size: 8pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">I </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">returned to my online cohorts with strong criticisms of </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">Laymon’s</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> The Cellar</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">, particularly regarding the paper thin woman he cast as his lead</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">. Looking back, </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">I can’t say for sure why I was so </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">quick to write off the novel. M</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">aybe the scene was reall</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">y </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">ridiculous</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> enough to ruin the entire </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">story;</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> perhaps my head wasn’</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">t in </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">it</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">; or it’s possible I had specific expectations that inhibited my enjoyment</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">. W</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">hatever the case may be</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">,</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">to the credit of </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">Grade Z Horror’s</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">celebratory </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">Laymon</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">M</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">onth</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">and the kindness of Colum at Paperback Horror </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">for </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">s</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">ending me a copy of <strong>In The Dark</strong></span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> I </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">gave </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">Laymon</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> another chance</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">.</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">If I continue to devour </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">Laymon’s</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> novels with the same amount of fervor as I did <strong>In The Dark</strong></span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">, I will always remember this as the book that </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">sparked my obsession. </span></span></span></div></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX259558445" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><div class="Paragraph SCX259558445" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, 'Sans-Serif'; font-size: 8pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"></span></div></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX259558445" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><div class="Paragraph SCX259558445" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, 'Sans-Serif'; font-size: 8pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">When </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">In the dark </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">opens</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">, we find Jane Kerry behind the circulation desk of the </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">library</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> where she works</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> just</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> as she </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">discovers</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> a</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">n</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">envelope simply marked “JANE.” Inside she finds a letter with a cryptic message to “look homeward, angel,” si</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">gned only “Master of Games”</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> accompanied by a crisp </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">$50 bill</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">. </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">Upon solving the clue, s</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">he </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">finds</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">another letter promising further rewards for playing the game and </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">a $10</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">0 bill</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">. This simple hook drives the rest of the story in an unrelenting</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">, and often brutal, </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">treasure hunt of horrors. Once I started I couldn’t stop. I took the book everywhere I went. Any free moment was spent readin</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">g <strong>In The Dark</strong>. </span></span></span></div></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX259558445" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><div class="Paragraph SCX259558445" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, 'Sans-Serif'; font-size: 8pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"></span></div></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX259558445" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><div class="Paragraph SCX259558445" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, 'Sans-Serif'; font-size: 8pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"><strong>In The Dark</strong> has all the best elements of a great horror film put to print </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">–</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">gripping plotline, shocking twists, sweat-inducing tension, </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">brazen</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> nudity and sex – but has a sophisticated edge as well. The reader is equal parts participant and voy</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">eur which allows </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">Laymon</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> to compel</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> the reader to consider philosophical and moral issues. </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">As Jane pushes her own moral boundaries the read</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">er will wonder, how far </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">he or she</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> would</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> be willing to go and for how much?</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> As our Master of Games, or </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">Mog</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> as he / she is also known, continues to up the ante and Jane progresses further i</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">nto these exploits you will ponder that age-old philosophical riddle. </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? Or in Jane’s case, if no one’s watching</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">,</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> is it really happening? Would it be more exciting if they were? </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">Laymon</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> cleverly coerces the reader into these theoretical quandaries without upsetting the flow of </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">his</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> fast-paced plot. </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">I shifted naturally between being an active player – pondering what I would do in Jane’s situation –</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> to </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">being the </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">spectator</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">of</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> this sadomasochistic</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> game of puzzles</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">. </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">I</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">f no one’s watching me watching, am I really watching? Ah-ha! </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">Clever, </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">Laymon</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">, very clever. </span></span></span></div></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX259558445" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><div class="Paragraph SCX259558445" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, 'Sans-Serif'; font-size: 8pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"></span></div></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX259558445" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><div class="Paragraph SCX259558445" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, 'Sans-Serif'; font-size: 8pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"></span><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">The less you know about how this sinister game unfolds</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">, and to wh</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">at extent,</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> the better. </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">Laymon’s</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"> novel is a successful </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">representation </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">of H.P. Lovecraft’s famous quote, “…</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN">the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.” But </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN">Laymon</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN">doesn’t just play</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN"> on</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN"> his audiences’ worst fears; he also manipulates our dark sexual desires</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN">making this a </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN">phantasmagoric c</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN">ocktail of fear and perversion. The reader may be shocked by their own reaction to developments in the stor</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN">y and, like Jane, find your terror</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN"> mixed with an “</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN">unexpected surge of desire,” b</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN">ut, I’m sure that was </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN">Laymon’</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN">s</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN"> intention.</span></span></span></div></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX259558445" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><div class="Paragraph SCX259558445" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, 'Sans-Serif'; font-size: 8pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"></span></div></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX259558445" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><div class="Paragraph SCX259558445" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, 'Sans-Serif'; font-size: 8pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN">You probably wouldn’t be reading this right now if you weren’t already a fan or at least curious, but just in case here is a fair warning: </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN">Laymon</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN"> is not for the faint of heart or easily offended. His writing is often gory, graphic, and limitless in its brutality. </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN">If you are a fan of authors like</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN"> Edward Lee, Jack Ketchum, Bryan Smith, and J</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN">eff </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN">Strand</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN">, to name a few,</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN">Laymon</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN"> is a must.</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN"> </span></span></span></div></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX259558445" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><div class="Paragraph SCX259558445" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, 'Sans-Serif'; font-size: 8pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"></span></div></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX259558445" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><div class="Paragraph SCX259558445" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, 'Sans-Serif'; font-size: 8pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN">Perhaps it is premature to claim membership in the club of diehard </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN">Laymon</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN"> fans with just two books under my belt, </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN">especially since I was lukewarm </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN">on</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN"> the first, </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN">but I can admit with absolute certainty that <strong>In The</strong> <strong>Dark</strong> is just the beginning of my journey into the subversive world of this author. As this appreciation month </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN">proves</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN">, there is definitely no shortage of </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN">Laymon</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN"> lit to keep me busy. </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN">With more than thirty novels and sixty short stories to his credi</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN">t, I have plenty to whet my appetite for the strange and perverse and maybe even </span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN">chew over some deep philosophical questions too</span><span class="TextRun SCX259558445" style="font-family: Times New Roman, Serif; font-size: 12pt;" xml:lang="EN">!</span></span></span></div></div>MOGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02175744480289101674noreply@blogger.com5