A dark novella that focuses more on the horror people do than on the preternatural. Twelve year old Connor has just moved into his deceased grandfather’s house. He never even met the man, and now his distant mother has started drinking more than usual. Connor moves his bedroom down to the basement to have a… Continue reading Scratches by Joshua Marsella
Two different, but complimentary short stories make up a very satisfying package in this 49th installment of Short Sharp Shocks! In Moonlight, Gunshot, Mallet, Flame, an assassin reaches her breaking point. Characterization is key in this dark, gripping psychological tale of how far is too far when you kill people for money. The details are… Continue reading Moonlight, Gunshot, Mallet, Flame by Alicia Hilton
Garth Nix is channeling his inner Douglas Adams in this delightful take on the Arthurian legend. Tamara is an archeologist working near Hadrian’s wall when an encounter with a mysterious woman embroils her in a multidimensional game. Now she has to play her part or be responsible for the end of the world. Indiana Jones… Continue reading The Necessary Arthur by Garth Nix
The first appearance of the prince, but by no means his last. Sale’s debut novel is just the start of things. The prince, and his thirteen apostles, all graced with powers by the same dark touch, have destroyed their world and now rule over a ruined New York City. But those who are the destroyers… Continue reading The Darkest Touch by Joseph Sale
I love the anthologies Rhonda Parrish edits, but it’s nice to read her own short stories for a change in The Other Side of the Door. This collection of four ghost stories and a spooky poem kicks off with the titular The Other Side of the Door, which is a moving depiction of a child… Continue reading The Other Side of the Door by Rhonda Parrish
