book reviews
Book reviews for horror fans; weather a sleepless night with literary accounts of hauntings, possessions, zombies, vampires and beyond.
A Review about The Fall, The Night Eternal, The Strain by Guillermo del Toro & Chuck Hogan
The Fall began when the young Abraham heard her tell the legend of the evil that lurks and waits in the dark. Decades later, a plane landed at JFK airport in New York, but, something was wrong. The plane has been 'muted'. No lights, no noises from pilots or passengers. Everyone died and mysteriously drained their blood. The total solar eclipse coinciding with the death sentence on the plane was also the time when the demons' breath came to the surface. No more light, dark night dominates, vampires invaded the whole world like a giant pandemic that is constantly spreading and destroying. From here begins the war of the living to protect humanity and defeat the conspiracy of the devil.
By Thao Thao Tran6 years ago in Horror
The Philosophy of The Invisible Man
I have a rule about always reading a book before seeing the movie or TV show that it’s based on. If I read it after, I feel like my imagining of the characters is skewed. Also, in my opinion, it’s just more fun to see something come to life after reading it than it is to read something you’ve already seen.
By Chelsea Swiggett6 years ago in Horror
The Strange Case of Robert Lewis Stevenson & the Left Winged Radical
Upon Robert Lewis Stevenson’s publishing of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in 1886, the social classes in the "civilized world" were facing the threat of destruction by the hands of left-winged rouges and radicals. The political philosophies of Karl Marx, the Paris Commune, and the Anarchist riot in Haymarket Square made the message clear that social reform would be inevitable; be it in a year or in an entire generation’s lifetime. The elements of 19th century society and politics inspired Stevenson’s characterization of Edward Hyde as a left winged radical, fueled by the desires of chaos and anarchy.
By Jacob Herr6 years ago in Horror
Army Of One: The story that safety isn't in numbers
This was a story I strayed away from just from the tiny image I saw, it alarmed me from the image of two people stitched together. Any sinister story Junji Ito crafts into a cultivating tale of terror. We never know what to expect. This one took many different turns to the ending that was sewn into our psyche.
By Samantha Parrish6 years ago in Horror
Stephen King's Dreamcatcher - Looking past the Sh*t-Weasels
“Jesus-Christ-bananas, The Beav said. Pete had once made a list of Beav-isms, and Jesus-Christ-bananas was high on it. Along with such standbys as doodlyfuck and kiss my bender.” (King, Stephen. Dreamcatcher: a Novel. Scribner, 2001.) Does that sound like a quote from a familiar classic novel? A literature masterpiece, perhaps? Well, of course it doesn’t. Rather that quote comes from the mouth of Pete Moore as he muses on the fellow-character they like to call; Beaver, in Stephen King’s ‘Dreamcatcher’. King is an extremely popular writer whose body of work is widely known as large & daunting. Among his total of around 63 books is that title 'the average-reader’ might not recognize. With such a large variety of work, it comes as no surprise that ‘Dreamcatcher’ seems to have been overshadowed by some of King’s more hit classics. How well could a book about aliens eating their way out of people in….a distressing way (to be discussed later) do when paired against ‘The Shining’, ‘The Stand’ or ‘IT’ (And both of those titles concern Derry, Maine)? The answer is pretty poorly in the eyes of most Stephen King fans & followers. ‘Dreamcatcher’ is often ranked at the bottom of King lists (both book & movie adaptation). While the novel isn’t immune to problems, ‘Dreamcatcher’ is actually a secret little gem among King’s body of work. The novel expresses the classic King trope of following a group of old childhood friends in an endearingly familiar yet new way. Which inherently gives the reader one of the most important pulls to a book; genuine care for the fictional characters. And that is very beneficial considering the story itself is founded in body horror that is actually effectively creepy. From this creatively creepy story, there are just so many odd details that really enhance the story in a genuinely charming way. This is a Stephen King book that is truly unique. It’s time to take a deep-dive into the reasons why the novel is underrated yet also explain the reason why everyone hates it for the wrong reason while ignoring the completely valid reason to hate it, which is seemingly it’s own unpopular opinion.
By Jaime Burbatt6 years ago in Horror
My Favorite Horror/Spooky Books and Stories
It’s midwinter, which means it’s time to curl up with a good book. For me, this often means curling up with something spooky or scary. While the Autumn months are my favorite in terms of coziness and spooks, there is something about the dark of Winter that makes me want some darker spooks. If you also like to be spooked in the Winter months, or if you’re just looking for something a little more thrilling, here is a list of my favorite spooky books, stories, and authors so far (have I said “spooky” enough yet?).
By Abby Siegel6 years ago in Horror
Reed Alexander's Literary Review of 'The Parasite from Proto-Space' by Brett Petersen
I knew I was going to like this when it started out with some random douchebag mumbling nonsense, whacked out on a cocktail of drugs. Specifically ketamine, fentanyl, and crack. For sure, that would likely kill the most hard core drug addict, but it sounds like a wild ride down a short rabbit hole.
By Reed Alexander6 years ago in Horror
Top Five Junji Ito Stories
Junji Ito is hailed as one of the innovators for different takes on the idea of horror. He had made several stories over the last thirty years to present the abnormal ways anyone or anything can be a threat. From grease, balloons, or a shape. He's been the one to change our viewpoint on an average item or routine. And keep our lights on at night. My list will be ten of the stories that have changed my perspective as well as what still shakes me to my core. This list will not have what I believe is the scariest to downgrade other stories he's done. It's an equal list of eerie.
By Samantha Parrish6 years ago in Horror
Unspeakable Things by Jess Lourey (Book Review)
Just before Christmas I did what I usually do. Scour Amazon (UK) for new books, DVDs, Signed CDs, or whatever takes my fancy. This year was difficult. Having already spent what felt like a small fortune on books; hardbacks, limited editions signed copies, self published, traditionally published and secondhand. I was looking to pick up a few on the cheap. (Greatest achievement was a hardback at £0.88, and a very well reviewed crime thriller from J.D Robb for £1.30).
By Tom Sturtridge6 years ago in Horror
Reed Alexander's Horror Review of 'The Configuration Discordant' by John Baltisberger (2020)
I don’t normally do poetry. Like your typical ‘cain wagger,’ I don’t get it, and I’m not sure I even want it. If you’re going to ryme or rap, fucking throw a beat behind it.
By Reed Alexander6 years ago in Horror
'Magpie' - Sophie Draper (Book Review)
Magpie marks author Sophie Draper's second novel. Her first novel (Cuckoo) being a critical success and a worthy addition to any psychological thriller genre fan. Following on in those footsteps, Magpie marks a return to the psychological genre, but with a focus on suspense rather than being a thriller. This marks a nice distinction between the two books (as both being named after birds with a similar font and cover, I wouldn't blame you if you thought they were part of a series).
By Tom Sturtridge6 years ago in Horror
