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A review by evavroslin
Diabolica Americana by Keith Anthony Baird
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
There are some pieces in this anthology that are on another level entirely. Rhonda Jackson Joseph's "Regrets Never Die" is chief among them. The story starts off with the voice of an engaging narrator who is done putting up with negative forces in their life. With a unique spin on zombies, set in the backwoods of East Texas, this story features powerful metaphors about secrets and who we tell them to. Trigger warnings include abuse and assault and harm to infants.
Hexenmeister from Sara Tantlinger is another excellent entry; one of the lines in particular is memorable:
"People like you, who steal power from others and call it your own, your time is ending"
The next favourite story for me was Gabino Iglesias's dark tale, "Black Teeth" about a man, Pedro, mourning the death of his wife while trying to look after his baby daughter, Natalia. Just when you think it couldn't possibly get darker, it does.
Hexenmeister from Sara Tantlinger is another excellent entry; one of the lines in particular is memorable:
"People like you, who steal power from others and call it your own, your time is ending"
The next favourite story for me was Gabino Iglesias's dark tale, "Black Teeth" about a man, Pedro, mourning the death of his wife while trying to look after his baby daughter, Natalia. Just when you think it couldn't possibly get darker, it does.