I’ve learned the best way to engage writers is to talk about their work. With KillerCon just weeks away, I wanted to catch up on some of the books of the authors attending. I also peppered in some books that have been sitting on my shelf for a while now.

Abhorrent Siren by John Baltisberger

The salamander-like axolotl is one of my favorite animals, but I had never realized their potential as a horror monster. After reading this book, I think about them in a much different way. Combine that with a mutation turning people into many-limbed abominations and you have a terrifying book. I picked this up after taking a break from extreme horror. While this subgenre can be nauseating and over the top, I thought Baltisberger used the disturbing violence expertly. It never felt unnecessary. That said, I think this book could use 100 more pages to really flesh things out.

Nekropolis: Dark War by Tim Waggoner

A couple years ago on a whim, I picked up the Nekropolis trilogy from Goodwill. This is the third book in that series, and I must admit that I’m somewhat glad its over. It’s centered around a zombie detective in a dark urban fantasy setting. That last sentence contains three things I despise, yet I enjoyed this book much more than I expected. It plays off horror tropes—often to comedic effect—and at times, had the feeling of a bizarro novel. The overly colloquial narration was a bit obnoxious as were some of the minor characters, but ultimately, I’m glad I took it off the shelf.

Just After Sunset by Stephen King

After my bad experience with his novel Insomnia, I was reluctant to dive back into Stephen King’s work so soon. But I am so happy I did. This collection is one of my favorite things he’s written, grouping together some of the best horror short stories I’ve read. Several stray into novella length, and I’ve found the longest stories to be the strongest. His homage to the work of Arthur Machen, entitled “N.” proved to be my favorite, though it’s hard to pick just one. King has more collections out there and I’m eager to read them all.

Saint Sadist by Lucas Mangum

Mangum’s novella Gods of the Dark Web messed me up, the most disturbing thing I’ve ever read. With this book, I expected more of the same. Instead, I found a powerful, beautifully written piece of art. There are certainly many disturbing moments, but I didn’t feel smacked over the head with them. It’s the story of a young woman who flees her abusive father only to find herself in the clutches of a doomsday cult. I can honestly say this is the best written extreme horror novel I’ve read. At the same time, it didn’t pull me in all the way.

New Era by Tommy B. Smith

After chatting with the author, I picked this book up at the last KillerCon. I had no clue what to expect. But on reading it, I was more than pleasantly surprised. This is a riveting tale that starts out slow and builds and builds until its heart-pounding conclusion. Terry and his wife Marjorie have settled in a cabin in the woods, but they soon discover its grounds have a dark past. The novel’s strength lies in its characters, expertly constructed into real-seeming people that we root for, care for, or in some cases despise. This is the first of a trilogy and I am eager to read more of Smith’s work.

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Tchau,

Zé