Lovingly Crafted Fictions?

H.P. Lovecraft at all times presented as a rationalist (albeit potentially drawing upon now-discredited science), and described his creations in terms of a universe with principles we could not understand populated with beings that are alien rather than divine. So—barring a deep and sustained deceit—he didn’t believe he was writing about occult truths in the …

Hawthorne High by Jordan Elizabeth

Elizabeth transports the trappings of a classic ghost story to the tawdry dystopia of a US high school, amplifying the exclusion faced by those whose life includes—or publicly includes—other than the narrow list of socially acceptable things. Dylan Hatfield’s grandmother suffers from dementia. And, ever since moving to Hawthorne, Dylan has been followed by imaginary …

Joe Coffin, Season Two by Ken Preston

Preston’s alternate world of vampires stalking the dodgy backstreets of modern day Birmingham continues to deliver visceral action and moral choices with no good option. This book is the second in Preston’s Joe Coffin series. The vampire behind the loss of Coffin’s family has been destroyed by Coffin’s hand. However, the Slaughterhouse Mob’s club is …

Dark Fringe Anthology by Shaun Baines

Baines crafts tales of normal people encountering the subtle faults and fractures that exist in the shadowed corners of modern life, creating a collection that will appeal to fans of folk horror and psychological thrillers. This collection contains twelve stories spanning mysteries, thrillers, and horror. ‘To Cheshire, With Love’ At first, Carver felt joy in …

Go Back to Sleep by Robert Scott-Norton

Scott-Norton fuses the newly acquired knowledge of the supernatural with the embedded sense of duty owed to family, creating a tale of a psychic moving from witness to investigator under emotionally charged circumstances. This novel is the third in Norton’s Dark Corners series. Venturing beyond this point may reveal... Secrets from the Past! After being …

An Introduction to Paranormal Diplomacy by Matthew S. Cox

Cox adds a nuanced portrayal of the United Kingdom to his fresh take on new vampirism, allowing both power and obstacle to organically increase. This novel is the ninth volume of Cox’s Vampire Innocent series. Totes spoilers and other youthful expressions. After months of vampirism, Sarah has become both comfortable with unlife and resigned to …

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 …