Tag Archives: Horror

Bloodchild by Octavia E. Butler

Book Review, ,
Overview

Title: Bloodchild
Author: Octavia E. Butler
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Horror, Science fiction
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novella
Year: 1984

Thoughts

Bloodchild was a seriously uncomfortable and awkward science fiction story. It made me seriously uncomfortable, but yet, I actually really enjoyed it at the same time. Something about this majorly uncomfortable story called to me, something about it made me not want to stop reading. Even while I was feeling really quite icky about the whole thing.

I found it really interesting the afterword by Butler at the end of this novella. All of my preconceptions that I developed during reading this were shattered. Where is thought of this as a bit of a coming of age tale, and a story that was about the imbalance of power, particularly within age-gap relationships. Butler stated that this was a bit of a love story. I just… still can’t get my head around that approach. But I loved learning the difference in perceptions and thinking deeply upon this.

There were so many nuances within this short novella. It might not have been my favourite story to read, but it definitely makes me intrigued to potentially read more of Butler’s stories in the future – it was just so wondrously layered and unexpected…

<- More horrorMore science fiction ->

Image source: Moonshake Books

Fixer by Jeff Somers

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Fixer
Author: Jeff Somers
Series: The Ustari Cycle #0.5
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Horror, Urban fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook, Novella
Year: 2013

Thoughts

I absolutely loved the world building in this novella – it was a fantastic reality of blood magic and chaos. There was a whole underbelly of magic and mayhem that I can’t wait to dive deeper into. And that’s not accounting for the great character building of Lem and Mags. Blood magic isn’t a new concept in the stories that I read, but the way that it is portrayed is entirely new. I love that it is all built on a seedy underbelly of blood and life. All of which is transactional.

Lem is a fascinating narrator, one that I want to get to know more of. I love that, when there are constant bad decisions to be made, he chooses to do the “right thing”. All driven, of course, by his love of Mags. Love that the simplicity of Mags and the way he sees the world is what makes a man who could potentially be evil be a good man. And one that I want to get to know more of.

This is a fantastic prequel to The Ustari Cycle, I can’t wait to see how the occurrences in this story lead to a world of hurt for Lem and Mags. Forced servitude, blood trading and all sorts of horrible nonsense are going to be incredibly fun and interesting to read about!

<- More Jeff SomersWe Are Not Good People ->

Image source: Simon & Schuster

The Phoenix by Isobelle Carmody

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for green monkey dreams isobelle carmody book cover

Title: The Phoenix
Author: Isobelle Carmody
In: Green Monkey Dreams (Isobelle Carmody) & The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror 10 (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Dystopia, Horror
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Year: 1996

Thoughts

I honestly wasn’t expecting the tragedy at the end of this short story. I mean, I knew it wasn’t going to be all sunshine and roses, and I knew that it was going to be a little bit dark. But the tragic way in which this story finished? That I didn’t expect at all. It was seriously convoluted and hard to read. But, I loved reading it anyway!

This tale was all about twisted fate and twisted reality. It had a feeling of potential paranormal / mythological reality. But also just a feeling of mental illness and delusions. At first I thought it was a good metaphor for a dystopian reality, but then I realised that this story was a whole lot darker and more convoluted than anticipated. I mean, it ends in a really final way. And yet, there is still some kind of sense of hope throughout.

The Phoenix felt like a story in which you step into a mad man’s brain. It felt insane and chaotic. And honestly, I want to read it again to try and figure out just what in the heck was going on.

<- Seek No MoreLong Live the Giant ->

Image source: Allen & Unwin

The Missing Ingredient by Rebecca Roanhorse

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: The Missing Ingredient
Author: Rebecca Roanhorse
In: Hungry Hearts (Caroline Tung Richmond & Elsie Chapman)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Family, Food, Horror
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Year: 2019

Thoughts

I knew from fairly on that the missing ingredient in the mother’s food was going to be heart. I mean, good food always comes from the heart. But, what I really, really didn’t expect was how this story was going to end. That was just disturbed and uncomfortable.

This short story was a whole lot darker than any of the stories in the Hungry Hearts collection so far. And it actually broke my heart a little. I mean, there was dealing with death and the loss of a father. But then the mother-daughter relationship was so completely broken too. And by the end, it was even more disturbingly broken.

The Missing Ingredient was such an amazing story – I honestly need a whole lot more Roanhorse in my life. There is something really intense and wonderful about her words, and I look forward to reading more of her stories in the future.

<- Gimme Some SugarHearts a la Carte ->

Image source: Goodreads

The Forest by Laird Barron

Book Review, ,
Overview

Title: The Forest
Author: Laird Barron
In: Inferno (Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Horror
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Short story
Year: 2007

Thoughts

Something about this short story felt incredibly creepy and goosebump-raising. The entire time I was reading this, I was seriously wigged and uncomfortable. But the kicker? I don’t actually know why this story made me feel that way… which somehow just made it worse. And creepier. Which, of course is kind of why I read horror short stories – for the uncomfortable, creepy feelings.

There were a lot of layers of horror to this story. There were plenty of horrors in the present, but a whole heap in the past as well. And secrets. Which, I swear, sometimes it’s the secrets and realism that make things that little bit more creepy. The scary of the unknown and the knowledge that everyone has secrets helped to add to the layers of this short story – and makes me want to read it again so I pick up on more nuances.

The forest in this story kind of made me think of the Japanese Suicide Forest – in that the forest takes the lives of those who are willing. But, I’m not entirely sure why. It had that eerie feeling of inevitable death throughout. Which kind of made the ending feel a little sad to me – saying goodbye to the future and potential for someone.

<- MisadventureThe Monsters of Heaven ->

Image source: Goodreads

Riding Bitch by K.W. Jeter

Book Review, ,
Overview

Title: Riding Bitch
Author: K.W. Jeter
In: Inferno (Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Horror
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Short story
Year: 2007

Thoughts

Riding Bitch jumped around a little in its timeline, but overall had a pretty uncomfortable, dark vibe to it throughout. I kind of loved it too. The fact that it took me a little while to figure out what was going on from the bar to the past just added to that spooky and uncomfortable feeling. Which, of course, is what made me thoroughly enjoy reading this.

It was really hard to tell what was reality and what wasn’t throughout this tale. I mean, it involved drugs, speeding and gross bodily transportation. You don’t want to believe that everything within this is reality, but then, it felt like the majority of it was. I loved this blurring of fiction and reality throughout.

This short story left me feeling eerily uncomfortable. I can’t really explain why, but I definitely had goosebumps. Which is kind of why I enjoy reading horror short stories.

<- InfernoMisadventure ->

Image source: Goodreads

Misadventure by Stephen Gallagher

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: Misadventure
Author: Stephen Gallagher
In: Inferno (Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Ghosts, Horror
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Short story
Year: 2007

Thoughts

This was actually a surprisingly sweet short story, even if it was also horrible. I mean, it had this kind of nice quality about it that somehow softened the edges of the horror. I mean, it’s still slightly horrible, just less so than originally expected.

There are two parallel stories within this tale – both about children whose lives were put at risk because their friends just didn’t want to call for help. I hate that this is not a surprising bent in a horror – it just makes it all that much more depressing that for one of these stories, the outcome was not a positive one. This is probably where the greatest horror of the story comes from – that realistic aspect.

Alongside all of the different creepy parts of this story, I love how there are a lot of ghosts and their lingering. That they continuously linger all around us, trying to get their final bit of peace.

<- Riding BitchThe Forest ->

Image source: Goodreads

Two Houses by Kelly Link

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Hauntings: Datlow, Ellen: 9781616960889: Amazon.com: Books

Title: Two Houses
Author: Kelly Link
In: Hauntings (Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Ghosts, Horror, Space
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Tachyon
Year: 2013

Thoughts

This short story started out kind of fun, and not with too much feeling of a horror story. I mean, it’s a bunch of younger people, in space, celebrating a friends’ birthday. How could that not seem fun and innocent? But then it got a little bit darker… and kind of haunting. And then it just got twisted. I love that this horror feeling came out of left field and was quite unexpected.

To start with, the characters begin by telling each other ghost stories. A perfectly normal way to spend an evening when you’re young and bored. Again, it wasn’t overly freaky to begin with. Then we get to the story of the two houses – which is quite twisted in and of itself. But then the ship gets involved in the story and things get seriously… twisted. And horrible. Which made this a fantastic story – the unexpected nature of the ick and horrifying.

After reading this seemingly benign short story, I actually had to walk around my house and close all of the darker areas. I mean, this was a seriously creepy murder story that features a murder house. I might not live in a murder house, but it didn’t mean that I wanted to look out at the darkness that inhabits all of the shadows. I mean, you finish off this story wondering who is in the murder house, and who is in the replica…

<- Spectral EvidenceWhere Angels Come In ->

Image source: Amazon

Where Angels Come In by Adam L.G. Nevill

Book Review, ,
Overview
Hauntings: Datlow, Ellen: 9781616960889: Amazon.com: Books

Title: Where Angels Come In
Author: Adam L.G. Nevill
In: Hauntings (Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Horror
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Tachyon
Year: 2013

Thoughts

At the beginning of this Hauntings tale, I thought that this was going to be a fae / changeling story. But it wasn’t. It was actually seriously icky. And disturbing… and had absolutely nothing to do with angels or anything even remotely benevolent.

This story features horrible demon things that try to eat children. And they do succeed… which, of course, makes this the perfect short story for the Hauntings collection. But, it did make me seriously uncomfortable when the narrator started describing the “wet thing”.

There is something of this short story that is a bit reminiscent of IT. Which, of course, makes it all that much more terrifying. And honestly, it is just damn creepy. And not in the way that I usually enjoy…

<- Two HousesHunger, An Introduction ->

Image source: Amazon

Universal Donor by Jeri Westerson

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Murder and Mayhem in Muskego: Jordan, Jon & Ruth, Phillips, Gary, Richardson, Kat: Amazon.com.au: Books

Title: Universal Donor
Author: Jeri Westerson
In: Murder and Mayhem in Muskego (Jon & Ruth Jordan)
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Horror
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Down and Out Books
Year: 2012

Thoughts

The first half of this short story felt a whole lot less dark than I was expecting. Or that the tone of the story hinted at. After all, it was all focused on a guy trying to donate blood and constantly fainting… and then the darkness came in. And I realised that this story fits very nicely within this collection. And that it was actually MUCH more dark and twisted than I had anticipated.

As with everything with a “bad guy” I loved that the ending kind of had a moment of poetic justice to it. I mean, it was, again, very dark and twisted. But it was a good way for justice to prevail. Even if no one would’ve known that it was karmic justice of a kind.

This whole story was creepy and disturbing. But it did also highlight how dangerous entitlement can be. I mean, being a universal blood donor doesn’t entitle you to any kind of privilege, or special treatment. Particularly the kind this guy seemed to think he was entitled to…

<- Last CallMurder and Mayhem in Muskego ->

Image source: Amazon