thomaswjoyce's review
5.0
This was a fine addition to the previous anthologies in PMMP's series of "Lost" books. It opens with Michael Paul Gonzalez's "In The Wind" is a brilliant tale to open with, owing to the author's ability to present young protagonists in peril. I personally felt some nostalgia while reading it, which probably added to the effectiveness of the story.
"Ashes Ashes" by Jessica Leonard takes place in an isolated community during the aftermath of a storm, when a group of young girls appear out of the surrounding forest. There is a creepy vibe from the girls from the get-go, what with them not revealing where they came from. But the horror increases ten-fold when we are finally shown their true target. Eerie story.
"The Protopterygote Tapes" by Joshua Chaplinsky looks at how a father's obsession with a flying creature too small to see with the naked eye infects his daughter after his mysterious disappearance. The horror of the obsessive behaviour and how it infects those closest to us is almost matched by the epic scale of the unknown revealed in the story. Fascinating story, delivered through descriptions of video footage and diary entries.
Hailey Piper's "Life Begins at Injection" is an incredible story, all the more effective if you read her novel Queen of Teeth beforehand (seriously, read it). It goes deeper into events that are touched on in the aforementioned novel, where a young girl in Kentucky goes to extreme lengths to make her father happy and accepts experimental "treatment" to rid her of her attraction to women. It is an emotional story, which subtley leads into visceral horror through Piper's fantastic storytelling.
"It Takes Slow Sips" by Michael Wehunt is another story that has connections with earlier work, in this case his short story "Pine Arch Collection", which can easily be found and read online (you should do that). This story concerns a troubled young man who had to flee his life after some distrubing behaviour toward an innocent girl. I'm not sure whether he wants to scare her, or convince her to take him back, but he chooses to do this by hiring someone to film her and send him the footage. Naturally, there is something strange about the footage and he begins to feel a strange sensation just over his shoulder. This one left me with a creepy feeling, and the urge to look over my shoulder...
Sofia Ajram's "The Arborglyph" is less horrific and more sad, with lifelong friends Peter and Sebastian trying to get through life, with Sebastian clearly harbouring an unrequited love for his friend, but struggling to express it without damaging their relationship. Then a horrific accident puts an end to any prospect they have. Or does it? A solution presents itself, but not without terrible side-effects. This was a beautiful story.
"The Goat Pile" by Nathan Carson is a very short story about a missing child on a farm, that begins with a creeping vibe that never goes away. A great little story.
"Dobie's Call" by Anthony Wayne Hepp is another story that isn't outright horror, but which has some horror elements that work very well. Narrator Bobby must help best friend Vic deal with a terrible tragedy, but he can't do anything for his friend after he closes himself off and accepts a dangerous offer from a mysterious stranger. The story plays out with a hint of predictibility, but the strength of the story isn't in the mystery, rather the lengths a father will go to for his child, and how sometimes, no matter how hard we try, we can never get something back.
Douglas Wynne's "See You In Disneyland" is another story that uses horror elements to deliver a gut-wrenching story of loss. A mother struggles to come to terms with the aftermath of a school shooting, recounting the story of her son and the strange audio equipment she has at home that may have contributed to the awful events at the school. A story about the true nature of evil, and how it is passed on from one person to another.
"All of These Names Are Mine" by Rachel Cassidy adds a flavour of science fiction to the anthology, with the narrator recounting their many lives as software for various and varied systems, and the humans they encountered along the way, the good, the bad and the ugly. The way the story progresses, jumping from one incarnation to anther, and sometimes popping back to resolve something from the past, is very well done. And the voice of the narrator is beautifully written, their feelings clear for all to see.
These are just some of the great stories included and, in my opinion, there is plenty here for the horror fan to enjoy. A wonderful collection of stories and authors, beautifully curated by a pair of editors who love what they do, and it shows.
"Ashes Ashes" by Jessica Leonard takes place in an isolated community during the aftermath of a storm, when a group of young girls appear out of the surrounding forest. There is a creepy vibe from the girls from the get-go, what with them not revealing where they came from. But the horror increases ten-fold when we are finally shown their true target. Eerie story.
"The Protopterygote Tapes" by Joshua Chaplinsky looks at how a father's obsession with a flying creature too small to see with the naked eye infects his daughter after his mysterious disappearance. The horror of the obsessive behaviour and how it infects those closest to us is almost matched by the epic scale of the unknown revealed in the story. Fascinating story, delivered through descriptions of video footage and diary entries.
Hailey Piper's "Life Begins at Injection" is an incredible story, all the more effective if you read her novel Queen of Teeth beforehand (seriously, read it). It goes deeper into events that are touched on in the aforementioned novel, where a young girl in Kentucky goes to extreme lengths to make her father happy and accepts experimental "treatment" to rid her of her attraction to women. It is an emotional story, which subtley leads into visceral horror through Piper's fantastic storytelling.
"It Takes Slow Sips" by Michael Wehunt is another story that has connections with earlier work, in this case his short story "Pine Arch Collection", which can easily be found and read online (you should do that). This story concerns a troubled young man who had to flee his life after some distrubing behaviour toward an innocent girl. I'm not sure whether he wants to scare her, or convince her to take him back, but he chooses to do this by hiring someone to film her and send him the footage. Naturally, there is something strange about the footage and he begins to feel a strange sensation just over his shoulder. This one left me with a creepy feeling, and the urge to look over my shoulder...
Sofia Ajram's "The Arborglyph" is less horrific and more sad, with lifelong friends Peter and Sebastian trying to get through life, with Sebastian clearly harbouring an unrequited love for his friend, but struggling to express it without damaging their relationship. Then a horrific accident puts an end to any prospect they have. Or does it? A solution presents itself, but not without terrible side-effects. This was a beautiful story.
"The Goat Pile" by Nathan Carson is a very short story about a missing child on a farm, that begins with a creeping vibe that never goes away. A great little story.
"Dobie's Call" by Anthony Wayne Hepp is another story that isn't outright horror, but which has some horror elements that work very well. Narrator Bobby must help best friend Vic deal with a terrible tragedy, but he can't do anything for his friend after he closes himself off and accepts a dangerous offer from a mysterious stranger. The story plays out with a hint of predictibility, but the strength of the story isn't in the mystery, rather the lengths a father will go to for his child, and how sometimes, no matter how hard we try, we can never get something back.
Douglas Wynne's "See You In Disneyland" is another story that uses horror elements to deliver a gut-wrenching story of loss. A mother struggles to come to terms with the aftermath of a school shooting, recounting the story of her son and the strange audio equipment she has at home that may have contributed to the awful events at the school. A story about the true nature of evil, and how it is passed on from one person to another.
"All of These Names Are Mine" by Rachel Cassidy adds a flavour of science fiction to the anthology, with the narrator recounting their many lives as software for various and varied systems, and the humans they encountered along the way, the good, the bad and the ugly. The way the story progresses, jumping from one incarnation to anther, and sometimes popping back to resolve something from the past, is very well done. And the voice of the narrator is beautifully written, their feelings clear for all to see.
These are just some of the great stories included and, in my opinion, there is plenty here for the horror fan to enjoy. A wonderful collection of stories and authors, beautifully curated by a pair of editors who love what they do, and it shows.
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