Tag: dark fiction

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Bitters

** I received an ARC for an honest review **

Publisher’s Description

The giant metal man has stood for hundreds of years, head tilted back, mouth open. All the dead of the town are disposed of this way, carried up the long, staircase that winds around him and tipped in. At his toe emerges the Bitters, the lifeblood of the town, keeping them healthy and prosperous as the sick and needy come to buy and drink.

McNubbin is a happy man with all he wants in life. He’s carried the bodies up since he was 14, a worthwhile, respected job. But when he notices broken girl after broken girl, he can’t stay quiet, and speaking up will change his perfect life.

Summary

I recently read the dark fiction novella Bitters by Australian horror and dark fiction author Kaaron Warren.

The focus of Bitters is the township that both owe their existence and health to the gold statue of the Man.

After a post-apocalyptic plague hundreds of years before, the dead were thrown into the Man and the putrified liquid called Bitters used as tonic. Over time, scientists removed any sick or drug users from those whose bodies ended up in the Man and the resultant Bitters gave health to the township who benefited from the Man. But a darker secret lurks within the township and the control of those who do a duty in carrying bodies to the top of the statue to deliver them into the Man, those who carry salt and bugs for the quickening the process of decay and those who provide the Bitters into bottles.

Review

Bitters was an expertly crafted dystopian and post-apocalyptic novella that leaves no doubt that Warren is a master storyteller as her tale draws the reader deep into the mindset of the town that hosts the famous strong male statue and to whom they consign the bodies of the dead and reap the benefits of an elixir from the putrefied remains. Despite the darkness and horrifying truth of the Man – Warren focuses on the members of the township who owe their livelihoods and health the grim task they carry out daily. Warren writes without judgement but a sense of compassion for the characters who prosper from the deaths of others. A powerful dystopian novella that haunts you long after the last page has been turned.

Conclusion

A great read for fans of dystopian tales, dark fiction and psychological horror. A highly recommended read!

** This is my personal opinion and does not reflect any judging decisions **

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The New Wife

Publisher’s Description

Bluebeard’s seventh wife is the first to survive his wrath, courtesy of ghostly warnings and the timely intervention of her brothers. The village burns her murderous husband, his crimes laid bare and his wealth passed on to her… but even after his death, Bluebeard’s house won’t allow anyone to leave. All wives—living and dead—remain trapped in their husband’s manor, even as the man who terrorised them proves to be less dead than they had hoped.

Haunted by his vengeful ghost, can the wives find a way to break the curse that would bind them in darkness and torment forever?

Summary

I recently read the novella The New Wife (Never Afters Tales) by Australian dark fiction author Kirstyn McDermott.

The protagonist (following the Blue Beard tales) is a young woman who marries a very rich older man. When he leaves the house for a business affair, he tells her she can go anywhere in the house except his private room in the tower. Driven by curiosity about her new husband, she eventually unlocks the door to his tower room. Inside, she finds the corpses of his previous wives. She also is accosted by their ghosts – each bearing the brutal marks of how their husband killed them.

The key to the husband’s tower, now stained with blood, cannot be cleaned. On the husband’s unpredicted return, the new wife gains the assistance of the other wives’ ghosts and the housemaid skilled in witchcraft to finally end the bloody reign of the husband.

Review

The New Wife has strong characters and supernatural elements in a fascinating new re-imagining of the ‘Blue Beard’ fairytale tropes which is masterfully executed by McDermott. A dark fantasy tale that moves at the pace of a supernatural thriller while staying true to the fairytale foundations. An exciting new addition by McDermott to the fairytale retellings that should be highly prized.

Conclusion

A perfect novella for fans of Angela Carter, fairytale retellings, dark fiction and ghost stories. A fabulous blend of fairytale retelling, supernatural thriller and dark fantasy. A highly recommended read!

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Polyphemus

** I received an ARC for an honest review **

Publisher’s Description

When lead vocalist of Polyphemus Stephen Oaks’s near-fatal on-stage overdose leaves them under pressure from their label, the band’s remaining members must find a new vocalist, pick up the pieces and forge on without him.

Unfortunately, he’s fresh from rehab and desperate to reunite with his old band, In fact, he’s so desperate that he’ll bargain with dark forces and sacrifice everything – and anyone!

After the final encore is played and the house lights come down, there is no telling who will remain or who they’ll be in allegiance to. For Polyphemus, obsession costs far more than mere murder.

Summary

I recently read new horror novel Polyphemus by Australian author Zachary Ashford.

The protagonist is Stephen Oaks – a recovering junkie and former lead vocalist to the death metal band Polyphemus. After his addiction causes him to abandon the band when they most needed him – his return from rehab comes at a cost to his pride and desire to reunite the band and repay the debt he owes them.

Unfortunately, Stephen Oaks fresh from rehab is willing to do anything to recover his position in then and band their trust. He must be more than he was before. So he bargains unknowingly with a dark, demonic force that will grant him his greatest desires of fame – at the cost of his humanity and that of his band. For Stephen Oaks, the question becomes: how much will he and his band sacrifice for fame?

Review

A well-written and crafted dark tale of Faustian deal with a demonic force for the price of fame. The balance of fame versus humanity isn’t a new concept, but Ashford does a nice reinvention of demonic forces feeding off the energy a band generates – their audience. The cost of fame is high and the loss of humanity is brutal and raw. A dark fiction tour de force.

Conclusion

Perfect for fans of Faustian deals, death metal, raw and brutal horror but also dark fiction that reveals the cost of fame and humanity. A recommended read!

** This is my personal opinion and does not reflect any judging decisions **

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Appearances: Canberra Geek Markets

I’ll be at the Canberra Geek Markets this Saturday 29 April at EPIC, Canberra.

My stall is located next to the Canberra Speculative Fiction Guild (CSFG) stall

Come along and check out comics, books, media and merchandise for all your inner Geek desires!

I’m selling and signing books and have some cool merchandise all available at sale prices!

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Tesato’s Code

** I received an ARC for an honest review ***

Publisher’s Description

A reluctant corporate assassin who is losing her edge, discovers fellow assassins are dying after killing high-value targets. When she botches a hit, her employers assign her such a target—a top scientist.

Love and loss cloud her judgment, and only following her code will help her survive.

Futuristic thriller from Karen Bayly.

Summary

I recently read the novelette Tesato’s Code by Australian speculative fiction author Karen Bayly.

The plot follows the protagonist Lily, an assassin for the massive conglomerate corporation that runs everything from medical sciences, domestic servants and the more secretive arm of the businesses of assassination. This futuristic world includes genetic manipulation, implant enhancements and keeps a tight rein on dissent or rebellions.

But assassins are being taken out by their own kind as the cooperation clamps down on rising rebellions within the ranks of its own and in the Free-Willers society. Lily comes face-to-face with secrets from her past and an astonishing future is revealed.

Review

Tesato’s Code had some fabulous world-building and it would have been fantastic if it were longer to better explore the history and intricacies of the world. Bayly writes a fine science fiction that is solidly written with individualised characters despite the conglomerate corporation’s attempt to make all its citizens subservient.

Conclusion

A recommended read for fans of dystopian science-fiction, thrillers, LGBTQIA and dark fiction. A great read!

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The Trees Grew Because I Bled There

** I received an ARC for an honest review **

Publisher’s Description

Eight stories of literary dark fiction from a master storyteller. Exploring the shadow side of love, these are tales of grief, obsession, control. Intricate examinations of trauma and tragedy in raw, poetic prose. In these narratives, a woman imagines horrific scenarios whilst caring for her infant niece; on-line posts chronicle a cancer diagnosis; a couple in the park with their small child encounter a stranger with horrific consequences; a toxic relationship reaches a terrifying resolution…

Review

I recently read The Trees Grew Because I Bled There: Collected Stories by US LGBTQI author Eric LaRocca.

Each of these eight stories are so different from each other, explore very different aspects of life, love, loss and the darkness dwelling in the corners of the human soul. I was fascinated and even made uncomfortable in the way these stories challenge and test boundaries of what it means to be human.

Final Thoughts

A truly thought-provoking and at times uncomfortable exploration of the human condition. Stark and unflinching, LaRocca explores grief, tragedy and the harm done to others defined in singular events. A masterpiece of raw and powerfully undisguised humanity. Skilfully written and elegantly told stories that are at the darker heart of what makes us human.

Conclusion

A great literary collection of dark fiction. LaRocca holds a mirror to humanity and – without filters – it shows the darkness and love, the anguish of loss of each human experience without flinching. A highly recommended dark fiction collection!

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Black Cranes

*** I received a free copy in return for an honest review ****

Publisher’s Description

Almond-eyed celestial, the filial daughter, the perfect wife.

Quiet, submissive, demure.

In Black Cranes, Southeast Asian writers of horror both embrace and reject these traditional roles in a unique collection of stories which dissect their experiences of ‘otherness,’ be it in the colour of their skin, the angle of their cheekbones, the things they dare to write, or the places they have made for themselves in the world. Black Cranes is a dark and intimate exploration of what it is to be a perpetual outsider.

Review

I was thrilled to read and review Black Cranes: Tales of Unquiet Women edited by Lee Murray and Geneve Flynn.

This is a beautiful and rare collection of speculative fiction tales from women of southeast Asian descent writing about the culture where women are supposed to be quiet, unheard and remain in the shadows. Black Cranes brings these voices, cultures, folklores and legends into the open and shines a light on the powerful women of Southeast Asia.

Final Thoughts

There are so many different and wonderful tales in Black Cranes that I found it difficult to choose my stand-out favourites.

Some of my favourite stories were “The Genetic Alchemist’s;s Daughter” by Elaine Cuyegkeng, , “Kapre: a love Story”, by Ron Cupeco, “Vanilla Rice”, and “Little Worm” by Geneve Flynn.

Conclusion

An absolutely stunning, beautiful and powerful collection of tales about women emerging from the shadows of their cultures. A simply stunning collection!

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Hell Hounds

Hellhounds are demons or evil spirits that take the form of a dog.

Throughout history and in numerous cultures there are creatures known as hellhounds which appear in mythology, legend and folklore – sometimes as guardians of forbidden areas or as sinister loners that spread death and misery wherever they tread.

A Hellhound is not a demon that takes the form of a wolf – this is more accurately known as a Warg or Worg – as the two terms are likely interchangeable.

Hellhounds date back at least as far as Ancient Greece with the legend of Cerberus, the three-headed guardian of the Underworld. The fearsome beast appeared in one of Hercules’ twelve tasks and remains a popular figure in fantasy fiction.

In the British Isles, the ghostly black dogs – often of inhuman size – is an ancient and almost always warning of death. The creatures are embodied in legendary monsters like the Black Shuck which served as the inspiration for the Hounds of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle.

Japan has stories of the shapeshifting Kitsune, which were technically foxes. Koreans had an even more evil fox-spirit known as the Kumiho, which was almost always destructive, chaotic, and evil.

The Hellhound is a supernatural dog found in folklore. There is a wide variety of ominous and supernatural dogs occurring in mythologies around the world. The hellhound commonly has black fur, glowing red, or, sometimes, yellow eyes, with super strength or speed and ghostly or phantom characteristics, a foul odour, and sometimes even the ability to talk.

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Bluebells Book Launch

A very late posting of the offical launch of Bluebells on October 2nd, 2022 at Conflux 16 Convention in Canberra. The book launch which had been delayed due to my health issues and extended hospital stays. So this was time to celebrate!

@Cat Sparks

We kicked off the launch with Zachary Ashford giving a great introduction to my writing career and focus so far: I’m an LGBTQI and disability author of numerous short stories in the horror and dark fantasy genres. Bluebells was my debut novella.

Zachary had a couple of questions on what inspired me to write Bluebells. The answers ranged from climate change, an interest in WWI, vampires and the Black Death and ‘Spanish fever’. Alternate history had always fascinated me and the question in my mind became what if the world had fallen into a post-apocalyptic state during WWI? What if the future we know, never happened?

@Cat Sparks

Zachary invited me to do a quick reading from Bluebells. I chose a passage near the end where the vampire Nicolas confronts and debates his humanity alongside his vampirism.

@Cat Sparks

A book signing and purchase option for copies of Bluebells followed and I had a lovely time meeting new and old friends while I signed copies.

@Cat Sparks
@Cat Sparks
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Sallow Bend

Publisher’s Description

Something old and deadly has awoken.

When two teenagers go missing from the small, rural town of Sallow Bend, the residents come together to search for them. Little do they suspect that finding the wayward girls will be the start of their problems. An old evil is rising, and only one man seems to realize that everyone is in danger and this is not the first time it’s happened. With the carnival in town, people want to have a good time, but for many, this will be the worst time of their lives.

Review

I was keen to read Bram Stoker preliminary ballot folk horror novel by UK/Australian author Alan Baxter. It definitely delivered.

The protagonist of the novel is Caleb, school janitor who keeps himself isolated from people because of a unique talent to see through deceptions. An isolated lifestyle suits him fine. Everything seems to go well in the sleepy, backwater town of Sallow Bend. Everything until two girls go missing and the carnival arrives in town for the week.

When one the carnival workers joins the search party and unexpectedly finds the two girls in death-like sleep inside a cabin deep within the woods, he can’t shake the feeling something is very wrong. The girls awaken and – apparently unharmed- are taken back to their families at Sallow Bend township along with a third girl Hester, who the town remember also went missing, has always lived here. Things begin to unravel for Caleb when he has no memory of Hester or ever seeing her before.

It isn’t before long that men begin to die in strange and horrific circumstances and each time, Caleb has seen them moving after Hester like a marionette. Rumours that series of deaths have occurred before and go away in their own time don’t reassure Caleb.

Once Hester realises Caleb sees through her glamour to the shifting form within the body of a young girl, he knows she’ll come for him. He teams up with an unlikely grief-stricken mother fleeing her domestically abusive husband. Together, Caleb and Tricia devise a plan to stop the killings and put an end to Hester Black for good.

Final Thoughts

Sallow Bend is a well-written and fast-paced read. The characters are genuine and unique and the township itself recalls strongly the folk horror foundations of a haunted cabin in the woods near a sleepy town. Baxter has written a high quality work that keeps you reading well past midnight.

Conclusion

A highly recommended read for fans of folk horror, psychological horror and ghost stories. Magnificently drawn together for an addictive read!