Casey Douglass: Dark Ambient Review: Hastur

Those of you who've read Bloody Red Nose will already be familiar with Casey Douglass. However, what you might not have gathered from his deliciously distilled tale is that he shares my taste for Yog-Sothothery. So, it seemed a public service to ease you into the new arbitrary time division by mentioning his review of …

Advent Ghosts: Naughty or Nice

A joyous Yule or other festivals of choice to everyone. As in previous years, I am participating in Loren Eaton's Advent Ghosts 100-word scary story project. This year, I endeavour to shed light on the true magic of Christmas: Naughty or Nice He yanked the last girl from his sack and ripped his claws across …

A Vampire’s Guide to Surviving Holidays by Matthew S. Cox

Continuing his exploration of how a vampire might balance their new life and their old, Cox demonstrates that sometimes a vampire hunter backed by technology and magic can be less of a challenge to handle than that one relative who always spoils family gatherings. This novel is the eighth in Cox’s Vampire Innocent series. Probable …

Cirsova: Heroic Fantasy and Science Fiction Magazine, Volume 1, Issue 5, ed. P. Alexander

Alexander gathers a series of tales that suggest what might happen if people of violence and cunning rather than book-learning faced Lovecraftian threats. This edition contains eight short stories, one novelette, and one poem, The majority of the prose works are set in the Eldritch Earth, an alternate prehistoric era that blends classic swords-and-sorcery with …

Ordinary Problems of a College Vampire by Matthew S. Cox

With a title that is both descriptive and ironic, this novel blends the issues of attending college (and attending college as a vampire) with the decidedly not ordinary issues of being blamed for one’s maker’s actions and sharing a house with two ill-disciplined sources of magic. This novel is the seventh in the Vampire Innocent …

Curse of the Amber by Kathryn Troy

Troy balances universal human qualities with unsettling magics, to create a novel that will appeal to fans of both supernatural horror and paranormal romance. When Asenath Hayes uncovers not just a mummified man in the peat bogs of Anglesey but the best preserved one in recorded history, she hopes it will provide the sort of …

Really Real?

One of the most common statements in writing advice (and something that I mention in my book reviews) is that readers are likely to enjoy a story more if events and actions are realistic or plausible. One of the theories for why this is is that it allows readers to better imagine they are there. …

How Not to Summon Demons by Matthew S. Cox

Relying on strong characterisation rather than flashy effects, Cox skilfully extends his exploration of neophyte vampirism beyond the immediate challenges of metaphysical limitations while retaining the immediately accessible echoes of becoming an adult. This novel is the sixth in the Vampire Innocent series. Possible spoilers ahead. While being a vampire makes going to college a …

The Phantom Oracle by Matthew S. Cox

Cox displays the issues of starting college through the dark lens of vampirism, creating a teenage vampire tale that has much to interest both horror readers of all ages and members of non-existent Hermetic orders. This novel is the fifth in the Vampire Innocent series. So, there are probably spoilers ahead. With vampirism having ruined …

Horror Fiction Double Feature

Both volumes of the Fears of a Clown duology now have video trailers. Available now for your viewing pleasure in DaVision™! Deadman Humour https://youtu.be/sc1gTgxV8TA Find your favourite retailer here. Bloody Red Nose https://youtu.be/Gcrv1loyUJY Find your favourite retailer here.