A review by michaellouisdixon
Lost Signals by Lori Michelle, Max Booth III
5.0
So, I made a note after each story as I read it. This anthology was THAT good. Here are my thoughts below:
If He Summons His Herd by Matthew M. Bartlett. This is how you do Weird fiction! I absolutely loved this story.
Transmission by T. E. Grau. Another brilliant story for this anthology, and I'm only 2 in! Cosmic Horror at its finest!
The Dangsturm Interruption by Joseph Boutiette Jr. Science Fiction/Cosmic Horror. Super short experimental weirdness.
The Givens Sensor Board by Josh Malerman. I had a little trouble getting started on this. There is a rhythm to the text, and once I hooked into its cadence, the story unfolded in disturbing darkness.
Sharks With Thumbs by David James Keaton. This story is written in second person, and Keaton pulls it off excellently. The prose is so eloquently crafted that it's a joy to read them. I will definitely be revisiting this story again in the future.
Bad Lieutenant by Tony Burgess. This was a very short, and odd, stream of consciousness piece. I'm not entirely certain that I followed it. With this kind of story you experience it as you process the words. Narrative degrades as cadence and flow supersede story. Words turn on images and patterns. Like signals disrupted.
Yes, there are signals that connect us to everything from visual light, radio waves, and neurons in our brains. If something goes wrong, or is altered at any point, then our perceptions can change radically.
Yes, it's kinda like that.
How the Light Gets in by Michael Paul Gonzalez. Another excellent Cosmic Horror tale in this superb anthology.
Darkhorse Actual by George C. Cotronis in Lost Signals by Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing. Here we delve into a War story. It reminded me of the Weird War comics from when I was a kid. I loved those tales, and this one is right in there with the best. This felt like only a slice of a bigger story. Or, maybe I just wanted more because it was that good.
The Desert of Wounded Frequencies by Betty Rocksteady. This story reminds me of the old EC Comics stories, or something from The Night Gallery. Somewhat of a morality play that ends in a full on nightmare. Betty is a very good writer, and I recommend checking out more of her work.
Eternity Lie in its Radius by Christopher Slatsky. This is the kind of story that perfectly merges Horror and Metal. I want the movie!
Where Night Cowers by Matthew M. Bartlett. A boy finds a box that talks to him and nothing will ever be the same. A weird and surreal fairy tale.
Rosabelle, Believe by Amanda Hard. This story was as good as some of the most memorable Stephen King short stories. Seriously.
The Last Scream by Gabino Iglesias. I can easily imagine this story as an episode of Creepshow. That end! Fucking gnarly. Gabino Iglesias is a brilliant writer. I highly recommend you seek out his works.
The Man in Room 603 by Dyer Wilk. Another good story in this excellent anthology.
The Sound of Yesterday by Ashlee Scheuerman.
Children of a German Autumn by Matt Andrew. A good story for me to read today. This was an homage to Lovecraft, and it got me warmed up for seeing Color Out of Space this evening. Good stuff!
The Night Wire by H. F. Arnold. Another good and spooky story in this anthology. I'm loving this book.
Armageddon Baby by John C. Foster. A Noir style story. The premise is awesome, and I love where the story goes, but I personally feel it needs to be longer--like a novella length. I still really like this story, I just want more time with the characters.
The Small Hours by Vince Darcangelo. Short, sad, and disturbing.
Hush by Regina Solomond. Another short and sad story.
Feedback Loop by Joshua Chaplinsky. Another good story.
Little Girl Blue, Come Cry Your Way Home by Damien Angelica Walters. Maybe if you've never been the parent of a newborn child you might not connect with that special kind of terror that is so unique. Still, this story conveys it so well.
All That You Leave Behind by Paul Michael Anderson. I believe that this is the longest story in this anthology. This story will make you think deep thoughts. There is loss and despair. There is fear and confusion. But, there is ultimately hope. Beautifully done. It is a great story to put near the end of this book.
SOMETHINGINTHECODE by James Newman. A bonus track at the end of the book. Very funny guys! That sudden popup on my phone claiming to be the NSA. Hahaha! Wait, someone is pounding on my front door. Is that a helicopter overhead? What the hell is goi-
If He Summons His Herd by Matthew M. Bartlett. This is how you do Weird fiction! I absolutely loved this story.
Transmission by T. E. Grau. Another brilliant story for this anthology, and I'm only 2 in! Cosmic Horror at its finest!
The Dangsturm Interruption by Joseph Boutiette Jr. Science Fiction/Cosmic Horror. Super short experimental weirdness.
The Givens Sensor Board by Josh Malerman. I had a little trouble getting started on this. There is a rhythm to the text, and once I hooked into its cadence, the story unfolded in disturbing darkness.
Sharks With Thumbs by David James Keaton. This story is written in second person, and Keaton pulls it off excellently. The prose is so eloquently crafted that it's a joy to read them. I will definitely be revisiting this story again in the future.
Bad Lieutenant by Tony Burgess. This was a very short, and odd, stream of consciousness piece. I'm not entirely certain that I followed it. With this kind of story you experience it as you process the words. Narrative degrades as cadence and flow supersede story. Words turn on images and patterns. Like signals disrupted.
Yes, there are signals that connect us to everything from visual light, radio waves, and neurons in our brains. If something goes wrong, or is altered at any point, then our perceptions can change radically.
Yes, it's kinda like that.
How the Light Gets in by Michael Paul Gonzalez. Another excellent Cosmic Horror tale in this superb anthology.
Darkhorse Actual by George C. Cotronis in Lost Signals by Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing. Here we delve into a War story. It reminded me of the Weird War comics from when I was a kid. I loved those tales, and this one is right in there with the best. This felt like only a slice of a bigger story. Or, maybe I just wanted more because it was that good.
The Desert of Wounded Frequencies by Betty Rocksteady. This story reminds me of the old EC Comics stories, or something from The Night Gallery. Somewhat of a morality play that ends in a full on nightmare. Betty is a very good writer, and I recommend checking out more of her work.
Eternity Lie in its Radius by Christopher Slatsky. This is the kind of story that perfectly merges Horror and Metal. I want the movie!
Where Night Cowers by Matthew M. Bartlett. A boy finds a box that talks to him and nothing will ever be the same. A weird and surreal fairy tale.
Rosabelle, Believe by Amanda Hard. This story was as good as some of the most memorable Stephen King short stories. Seriously.
The Last Scream by Gabino Iglesias. I can easily imagine this story as an episode of Creepshow. That end! Fucking gnarly. Gabino Iglesias is a brilliant writer. I highly recommend you seek out his works.
The Man in Room 603 by Dyer Wilk. Another good story in this excellent anthology.
The Sound of Yesterday by Ashlee Scheuerman.
Children of a German Autumn by Matt Andrew. A good story for me to read today. This was an homage to Lovecraft, and it got me warmed up for seeing Color Out of Space this evening. Good stuff!
The Night Wire by H. F. Arnold. Another good and spooky story in this anthology. I'm loving this book.
Armageddon Baby by John C. Foster. A Noir style story. The premise is awesome, and I love where the story goes, but I personally feel it needs to be longer--like a novella length. I still really like this story, I just want more time with the characters.
The Small Hours by Vince Darcangelo. Short, sad, and disturbing.
Hush by Regina Solomond. Another short and sad story.
Feedback Loop by Joshua Chaplinsky. Another good story.
Little Girl Blue, Come Cry Your Way Home by Damien Angelica Walters. Maybe if you've never been the parent of a newborn child you might not connect with that special kind of terror that is so unique. Still, this story conveys it so well.
All That You Leave Behind by Paul Michael Anderson. I believe that this is the longest story in this anthology. This story will make you think deep thoughts. There is loss and despair. There is fear and confusion. But, there is ultimately hope. Beautifully done. It is a great story to put near the end of this book.
SOMETHINGINTHECODE by James Newman. A bonus track at the end of the book. Very funny guys! That sudden popup on my phone claiming to be the NSA. Hahaha! Wait, someone is pounding on my front door. Is that a helicopter overhead? What the hell is goi-