Men of Five

by C. Bryan Brown

Publisher Misanthrope Press

Dealing with Sci-fi, especially soft sci-fi and even more so when it bears a horror bent, can be a bit of a sticky wicket due to the assumption that it is always a rehashing of a specific archetype. For instance, if I told you that Men of Five deals with Yerik Romanofski and his Interplanetary Task Force team who are searching a supposedlybarren, inhospitable rock of a planet, designated rather than named (HT 12-25), that possesses an inexplicable structure of obvious non-natural origin and have found it somewhat less uninhabited than they thought, you would be inclined to think Alien rehash. And you would be wrong here.

Instead, C. Bryan Brown uses that prejudice to misdirect the reader and keep them off balance when the true thrust of the story hits. Unfortunately, it is in that thrust that it fell flat for me. First off, it seems predicated on a surprise that didn’t surprise very well due to over use. About half way through, I had found myself muttering that “if the planet is (spoiler redacted) and they are (more spoilers redacted), then I’m gonna be pissed,” and I was. Part of my annoyance may be that I do not find the central conflict, as it is presentedhere, or even the mystery surrounding it to be particularly engaging. It certainly doesn’t help that the largely internal struggle, despite the presence of giant, man eating creatures, doesn’t leave much room for action. Someone else with a more religious bent may disagree with me, but even on those terms there isn’t enough meat and depth to make it truly affecting.

Now that I’ve complained, I’m going to backtrack a bit and say that this story could work quite well if used as an introduction to a larger conflict. There is a reason that so much of our classic literature has dealt with issues of fate and destiny and the struggles of man against those forces, both futile and fruitful: they strike a deep cord in us. It would need quite a bit of trimming but could prove to lead into a very interesting story. Unfortunately, as it stands it left me a tad empty.

Buy it here.

Reviewed by Anton Cancre

Anton Cancre is one of those rotting, pus-filled thingies on the underside of humanity that your mother always warned you about. He has oozed symbolic word-farms onto the pages of Shroud, Sex and Murder and Horrorbound magazines as well as The Terror at Miskatonic Falls, an upcoming poetry anthology by Shroud Publishing and continues to vomit his oh-so-astute literary opinions, random thoughts and nonsense at antoncancre.blogspot.com. No, he won't babysit you pet shoggoth this weekend. Stop asking.

Elements of the Apocalypse

by D.L. Snell, John Sunseri and R. Thomas Riley
Publisher Permuted Press

Permuted Press’ 2010 anthology, Elements of the Apocalypse, tackles the publisher’s bread and butter subject matter—the end of the world—as caused by the four traditional elements: Fire, Air, Earth and Water. Instead of the ever popular zombie apocalypse, we’re treated to spontaneous human combustion, transformation of Earth’s atmosphere and terrain by hostile aliens, a revolt against humanity by animals and the Earth itself, and finally the inexplicable dehydration of…everything.

D.L. Snell’s “Remains” waste no time with combustion as a bus driver bursts into flames for no apparent reason. From there, the rest of the story details a descent into hopelessness and insanity of an ever-lessening group of survivors. The main characters, Dylan, Friday and Shadow are detailed and three-dimensional. Snell does a great job of conveying their paranoia, despair, fear and, in the case of one character, madness.

In John Sunseri’s “Silence in Heaven,” thousands of people have spent the last three decades living below the Earth’s surface in a series of bunkers after the planet’s biosphere and atmosphere are rendered toxic by invading aliens. The aliens are monstrous flesh- and oxygen-eating creatures with great machines converting the atmosphere. The community’s chief of security, Bess, leads a small group in their attempt to interface their scientists’ new technology with the aliens’ machines in order to reverse the damage done to the air. The sense of urgency and sacrifices for the mission move the story forward in a rapid and convincing manner, and it ends on a note that some might find predictable, but fitting nonetheless.

R. Thomas Riley’s “Phrenetic” begins with a confusing barrage of multiple viewpoints that is somewhat headache-inducing but also oddly appropriate for a world that suddenly finds itself at war with everything from zoo animals to house pets. Riley takes time to touch on some examples of humanity’s moral decline in the face of disaster before unveiling the sinister force behind the animals’ strange behavior. The idea behind this piece; humanity is harming Earth and that the planet itself may someday take action against us, isn’t unique to Riley, but the journey is half the fun, after all.

The collection couldn’t end on a better, and more despair-inducing, note than “With a Face of Golden Pleasure” by Ryan C. Thomas. The story takes place over a nine-day period of time, beginning with what seems to be a minor annoyance at first (who the hell puts back a half-drunk beer?) and progressing to all-out murder as the members of a beach community slowly come to a realization that all the water—in their cars’ radiators, in the juice they buy at the store, in the ocean—is slowly disappearing without a trace. This is easily the hardest-hitting story in the book: nothing on Earth can survive without water. Period.

Overall, there’s not a bad story in the bunch, and this book will be a great read for anyone who loves a good disaster story but could use a break from zombies.

Buy it here.

Reviewed by Lincoln Crisler

Lincoln Crisler's debut novella, WILD, is due in March from Damnation Books. He has also authored a pair of short story collections, Magick & Misery (2009, Black Bed Sheet) and Despairs & Delights (2008, Arctic Wolf). A United States Army combat veteran and non-commissioned officer, Lincoln lives in Augusta, Georgia with his wife and two of his three children. You can visit his website at www.lincolncrisler.info.

Horror Library Vol. 4

by Bentley Little
Publisher Cutting Block Press (October 2010)

If Horror Library anthologies aren't already one of the standards by which modern horror collections are measured, it can't be much longer now, judging by 2010's Volume Four. The series, comprising the work of relatively unknown authors at its inception, has increased in both momentum and star-power with each new addition. Any collection is bound to contain some below-average work; you'd have an easier time finding Bigfoot than a perfect horror antho. However, Horror Library Volume Four has a higher-than-average amount of excellent work and even the subpar status granted some of these stories is a matter for debate rather than a cold, hard, statement of fact.

Standouts from this collection include the introductory “A Very Important Message for Those Planning to Travel to Costa Rica.” Unique in terms of its basis in real-world events and in its second-person narrative, “Costa Rica” is in keeping with the traditional opening pieces for these collections. “Into the After,” Kurt Dinan's story of a boy and his father seeking the help of a spiritualist in offloading excess baggage from September Eleventh, was a quick, surprising blow to the solar plexus. Bentley Little's “Jammers,” about a potential source of traffic jams, is based entirely in nonsense and comes with no suspension of disbelief whatsoever, but is fun all the same. “What Was Once Man,” by Michele Lee, is a nice little Easter egg for fans of her zombie novella, Rot. “The Healing Hands of Reverend Wainright,” Geoffrey Mudge's tale of a sinister traveling evangelist and his carnival-esque band of helpers, hints at a backstory that would make an excellent novel.

Less remarkable is Harrison Howe's “Driving Deep Into the Night,” about a dead prostitute and her many mourning suitors, told in a jumbled style that sacrifices easy reading on the altar of surrealism. “Sleepless Eyes” by Tim Waggoner would serve admirably as a lesson in how to properly gross someone the Hell out but is not a story at all, merely a study in scene-setting. “Continuity” by Lorne Dixon isn't necessarily a bad story, but sticks out like a sore thumb given that the author has another story in the collection. This is the first time two stories by the same author were included in one of these collections, and “Continuity” just isn't good enough to warrant such special treatment (though I do give Dixon credit for his demonstration of range), especially when “Ash Wednesday,” Dixon's other story, is so much more fun.

Overall, Horror Library Volume Four is another excellent feather in RJ Cavender and Boyd Harris' hats, and in those of the contributing authors, who can no doubt expect to see an award nomination or two come out of this book.

Buy it here.

Reviewed by Lincoln Crisler

Disclosure: This reviewer has been involved with the Horror Library since 2006, has served as a Contributing Writer for its late website and is proud to call many affiliated with the Horror Library his friends. This association did not affect this review in any way, any more than it has kept this reviewer's work from being rejected for at least two of the Horror Library anthologies. We're all professionals here.

Lincoln Crisler's debut novella, WILD, is due in March from Damnation Books. He has also authored a pair of short story collections, Magick & Misery (2009, Black Bed Sheet) and Despairs & Delights (2008, Arctic Wolf). A United States Army combat veteran and non-commissioned officer, Lincoln lives in Augusta, Georgia with his wife and two of his three children. You can visit his website at www.lincolncrisler.info.

I Shall Wear Midnight

by Terry Pratchett
Publisher HarperCollins Publishers

Terry Pratchett should need no introduction. He is a knighted author of Fantasy, most famous for his Discworld series, which has inspired everything from cartoons, BBC movies, figurines, t-shirts, postage stamps, street names in a Somerset city, their own convention, and even a line of beer. I Shall Wear Midnight concludes his Discworld based young adult series focused on the adventures of Tiffany Aching in a dark and thrilling novel.

Tiffany Aching is now a fifteen-year-old witch on the Chalk, an area known for soft soil and sheep. She is treated with respect, as any witch ought to be, but also with suspicion. Things get worse for her when the Baron, who owns most of the land, dies under her care and his nurse accuses her of black magic. She is sent on a mission to find the Baron's son, whom she saved in The Wee Free Men from the Queen of the Fairies. She was rumored to have feelings for the Baron’s son, even going so far as to use the necklace which he gave her to ensnare the Hiver in A Hat Full of Sky, and his fiancé, Letitia, and her mother, who is a Dutchess and makes it clear to everyone in the vicinity that this is her rank.

On the coach ride to Ankh-Morpork, the Discworld equivalent to London or New York, she meets The Cunning Man, a conjured spirit of a murdered Omnian witch hunter who is occasionally resurrected throughout the history of Discworld to hunt and pursue witches, fueled by the deep seeded fear and mistrust of the members of their communities.

Tiffany is helped by a few of the witches in Ankh Morpork, including the famous Mrs. Proust, who runs Boffo’s joke shop, and Eskarina Smith, who is the first ever woman bequeathed a wizard’s staff, and thus lives on the borders between witch magic and wizard magic. All of them are aware of The Cunning Man’s presence, but it pursues only Tiffany, who must ultimately battle him to the death in the final chapters.

As with many young adult series, as the characters grow and mature, so to do their worlds and the problems they must face. Tiffany Aching deals, within the first few chapters of the book, with alcoholism, domestic violence, infanticide and suicide, which is a far cry from slamming a river goblin in the face with a frying pan. Readers who have grown with the series will not be shocked, and indeed may champion Tiffany on these new adventures, but readers uninitiated may want to start with The Wee Free Men and work their way up through Tiffany’s life. Still, this book certainly could stand alone, and deals readers a more realistic version of young adult life than many novels currently available. Though the themes are occasionally dark and mature, this is still a very entertaining and thrilling read, heavily spiced with Pratchett’s trademark humor.

Buy it here.

Reviewed by Joshua Gage.

Joshua Gage is an ornery curmudgeon from Cleveland. His first full-length collection, "breaths", is available from VanZeno Press. Intrinsic Night, a collaborative project he wrote with J. E. Stanley, was recently published by Sam’s Dot Publishing. He is a graduate of the Low Residency MFA Program in Creative Writing at Naropa University. He has a penchant for Pendleton shirts, rye whiskey and any poem strong enough to yank the breath out of his lungs. He stomps around Cleveland in a purple bathrobe where he hosts the monthly Deep Cleveland Poetry hour and enjoys the beer at Brew Kettle.

The Wee Free Men: The Beginning

by Terry Pratchett
Publisher HarperCollins Publishers

Terry Pratchett should need no introduction. He is a knighted author of Fantasy, most famous for his Discworld series, which has inspired everything from cartoons, BBC movies, figurines, t-shirts, postage stamps, street names in a Somerset city, their own convention, and even a line of beer. The Wee Free Men: The Beginning is a collection of two of his young adult novels, The Wee Free Men and A Hat Full of Sky. These two novels follow the young protagonist, Tiffany Aching, through her adventures and lessons in becoming a witch.

In The Wee Free Men, Tiffany is nine-years-old, and works on her parents farm on The Chalk, making cheese, watching her younger brother, and helping take care of the livestock, mostly sheep. One day, she and her brother are attacked by a river goblin named Jenny Greenteeth, which Tiffany soundly defeats using a frying pan. Such actions do not go unnoticed, and under the tutelage of an experienced witch named Miss Tick and her talking toad, Tiffany learns that she has all the makings of a witch. When her brother is stolen by the Queen of the Fairies, Tiffany takes it upon herself to rescue him, armed only with a dictionary, a frying pan, and the help of the Nac Mac Feegle, tiny blue kilted pictsies with a penchant for drinking Special Sheep Linament and more than willing "to give any scunner a full of heid, ye kennit," even if that means fighting themselves, which they often do.

A Hat Full of Sky features Tiffany two years later, when she is apprenticed to Miss Level, a witch with one mind and two bodies. She learns that being a witch involves very little Queen of the Fairy fighting, and mostly taking care of those too old, too young, too sick or just ignorant to take care of themselves. Tiffany also finds herself battling with a hiver, a disembodied spirit that takes over the bodies of powerful beings in the same way a hermit crab takes over a shell, using them to their full potential until they are completely spent, then moving on once they die. Tiffany also finds herself pitted against a pack of the vilest, cunning and dangerous creatures know to man-- teenage girls. Led by a fellow apprentice named Annagramma, who spells magic with a ‘k’ and believes she is above all menial tasks Tiffany and Miss Levels perform. Through it all, Tiffany is once again defended and aided by the Nac Mac Feegle, who adopt Tiffany as their hag, and who are placed under a geas (a very important obligation, not a large bird) to save at any cost.

Both books have Pratchett's trademark comedy and satire imbued in them, as well as allusions that would make any adult reader chuckle along with the young ones. Through this humor, Pratchett offers readers young and old alike lessons and morals about life. For example, Miss Tick's lesson to Tiffany: "If you trust in yourself... and believe in your dreams... and follow your star... you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy." Pratchett clearly aims to take the traditional fantasy novel or Disney princess movie and flip it on its head, creating a very intriguing protagonist who readers of any age will enjoy.

Buy it here.

Review by Joshua Gage

Joshua Gage is an ornery curmudgeon from Cleveland. His first full-length collection, "breaths", is available from VanZeno Press. Intrinsic Night, a collaborative project he wrote with J. E. Stanley, was recently published by Sam’s Dot Publishing. He is a graduate of the Low Residency MFA Program in Creative Writing at Naropa University. He has a penchant for Pendleton shirts, rye whiskey and any poem strong enough to yank the breath out of his lungs. He stomps around Cleveland in a purple bathrobe where he hosts the monthly Deep Cleveland Poetry hour and enjoys the beer at Brew Kettle.