Oh hell yaaass! This book is pure fire. It's an immediate favorite indie read, and ranks right up there with Termite Parade as my favorite Mohr novel.Oh hell yaaass! This book is pure fire. It's an immediate favorite indie read, and ranks right up there with Termite Parade as my favorite Mohr novel. And I'm already jonesing for the next book in the trilogy.
I love the way he writes his lead characters. They are complete pieces of shit yet they have so much heart that you just can't help rooting for them and and they just keep redeeming themselves and there's a part of you that wishes you knew them in real life. Like, these guys and gals are where it's at. They live on the edge and aren't afraid to bruise their knuckles or bloody their fists or gnaw off a fucking finger. They'd do anything to protect their own. And they are all just so perfectly badass.
Mohr hits a homerun with this one. It's all gritty LA punk scene, drugs and eyepatches, machetes and glowing reindeers, Viking bloodlines, and hallucinations in a Whole Foods. And it breaks the 4th wall the entire time which is just... mwaaaah! Chef's kiss!
This is a book you have to experience. Go pre-order it. You won't want to miss it. And if you've never read a Mohr before, now's your time to sneak a few in before it releases....more
I recently saw that Brian Evenson had a few copies of this one on hand that he was willing to sign and ship out and, I mean, how could I say no to thaI recently saw that Brian Evenson had a few copies of this one on hand that he was willing to sign and ship out and, I mean, how could I say no to that?! You could say I'm a bit of an Evenson fangirl, but again, if you've read his work, how could you not be?
Black bark is an incredibly dark collection - clocking in at just under 150 pages - that showcases some of Evenson's creepiest stories. Pitch black tunnels that house dripping, whispering creatures. A strange cabin that beckons to a lost and injured man may be the last threshold he crosses. Due to a series of unfortunate events, a young boy is forced to live with his estranged grandmother, who is anything but the kindly old woman he was hoping for. And two men are sent out on a one-way mission to follow a fence line to determine where the contagion began...
His writing gets under your skin. It itches. It twitches. It burrows in deep and never leaves you. It's the movement in the corner of your vision. The noise you hear downstairs just as you're about to drop off to sleep. The slight disturbance in the air that tickles the hairs on the back of your neck.
Which of Brian's books have you read? Do you have a favorite?
Danger Slater knocked it out of the universe with this one. I've been a big fan of his writing for years and this is quite honestly his best book yet!Danger Slater knocked it out of the universe with this one. I've been a big fan of his writing for years and this is quite honestly his best book yet! It's by far my favorite. And that's saying a lot because I love everything he's written.
Good lord! Channeling the wonder of 80's John Hughes films, our protagonist Elizabeth believes she's living smack dab in the middle of one - she's a loserish high school girl who's madly in love with the jerkwad basketball star Trevor. He's got a steady girlfriend and doesn't even know she exists but she won't let those social odds stand in her way. While she's obsessively planning their first kiss, her sidekick goth pal Stevius, who is secretly pining for her, agrees to help make her dream of going to the prom with Trevor come true, with world-annihilating repercussions.
This was the most fun I've had reading in a while! It's cutesy, it's crass, and it's full of creative new alt words for our unmentionables. Vaginas are now cupcakes, buttholes will forever be turd cutters...
If Little Miss Apocalypse wasn't on your radar before, it is now. Get this novella into your TBR! You deserve this! ...more
Oh gosh you guys. Why aren't more of you reading this book?!
The first sentence of the book's description says it better than I can: The sixteen storiOh gosh you guys. Why aren't more of you reading this book?!
The first sentence of the book's description says it better than I can: The sixteen stories in this collection surround queer men of various ages―teenagers, young adults, men in middle age―trying to temper their expectations of the world with their lived experience. Using the lens of the bizarre and fantastic, these stories explore discontent, discomfort, and discovery.
The stories all contain people in slightly strange and extraordinary situations. A man who can slip through walls begins to pull his boyfriend in with him, another who can identify other queers by the blue glow eminating from their hands, and a lover who regrows his grieving boyfriend's recently deceased father in his backyard. Houses randomly vanish into thin air, taking the families who are inside with them. Heads of households begin to grow fruits and vegetables under their skin when the ground can no longer produce them. Garden of Eden's begin to appear in unexpected locations, complete with their own Trees of Knowledge.
In Joe's deft hands, we are thrust straight into the heart of each of these tender and somewhat fantasical stories, sharing the characters' fears and confusion, suffering their rejections, experiencing their joys...
It was just wow. The blurring of reality and fantasy was just * chef's kiss *. An early favorite for me, and if you're into queer magical realism, you've got to trust me, it will be a favorite of yours as well....more
Moonfellows is an alt-historical sci-fi (without the science) story about a group of folks who are sent to the moon in the early 1900's to mine it forMoonfellows is an alt-historical sci-fi (without the science) story about a group of folks who are sent to the moon in the early 1900's to mine it for MacGuffinite, a precious mineral that has the potential to change the world as they currently know it. But the mission goes to shit pretty quick and the crew soon find themselves not only stranded on its dry, dusty surface, but also fighting for their lives as one of their very own begins to transform into something horrible...
I read this in nearly one sitting. You know how sometimes you pick up a book expecting to read just a few pages and before you know it, you've finished it? Well, this is one of those books, you guys. It was just. that. friggen. good! Absolutely unputdownable! Cosmic space horror goodness for the win!
And not to sound cheesy, but I believe this is his best book yet! It's been so amazing reading his work over the years and seeing how much he's grown as a writer. I cannot wait to see what he writes next. I'll be first in line to get my grubby, space-sluggy hands on it!!...more
And to think I almost turned down the review copy because it was pitched as historical fiction and a murder Best book I've read this year, by a mile.
And to think I almost turned down the review copy because it was pitched as historical fiction and a murder mystery... which are two of the most effective ways to ensure I say nope, not for me, that's a hard pass. But you guys, seriously! This book was so unexpectedly everything I absolutely love about small press fiction!
It's set in rural Arkansas in the 20's and revolves around a young man named Buddy who was shot to death by the town's sheriff and Coralee, Buddy's sister, who is deeply and emotionally rocked by the loss. Told in the alternating viewpoints of Coralee, her husband Earl, and Leroy the laywer, we quickly come to realize that there's more to the story than what was originally told, and it appears the town itself is hiding a whole lot of dark secrets.
It's ridiculous how good this book is! Do yourself a favor and pick it up. Don't read the jacket copy. Just trust me. You're going to love it.
Fucking brilliant, but I expected nothing less. Evenson honestly can do no wrong and this collection is proof of the crazy scary endless depths of thiFucking brilliant, but I expected nothing less. Evenson honestly can do no wrong and this collection is proof of the crazy scary endless depths of this man's imagination. These are creepy, unsettling, crawl up under your skin and hibernate in your brain kind of stories. The BEST kind of stories.
This was a book that I had started reading a few months ago. I had gotten about 3/4ths of the way through and then other priorities pulled me away. WhThis was a book that I had started reading a few months ago. I had gotten about 3/4ths of the way through and then other priorities pulled me away. When I went to pick it back up this month, I realized I couldn't remember much of what I had read, so I decided to chuck the bookmark and start from the beginning again. And oh man am I glad I did!
Such a powerful, visceral collection, even the second time around! A fabulous mix of body, ghost, and mental horror. Some of the stories unsettled me, others remained with me chewing on my brain, and one in particular completely grossed me out - I read it the way some people watch gory horror movies, through my fingers, with that weird icky feeling behind my knees, going no no no no noooo!
Undertow continues to knock it out of the park. They have ridiciously amazing taste!...more
Holy hell, Collective Gravities gutted me. Just pulled all of my insides out. It's one of those collections where the first story hooks you so hard anHoly hell, Collective Gravities gutted me. Just pulled all of my insides out. It's one of those collections where the first story hooks you so hard and you're rendered helpless, a willing victim to the words on the pages, pushed and pulled and dragged around like a fucking ragdoll, simultaneously ricocheted and riveted. If you're not reading this, what the fuck ARE you reading?!...more
An amazing, I refuse to put it down because I absolutely MUST find out what the hell is going on here, almost read it in one sitting but I started it An amazing, I refuse to put it down because I absolutely MUST find out what the hell is going on here, almost read it in one sitting but I started it too late last night, fuck with your head on a multitude of levels, this is why I read small press, book.
It's a wicked noodler of a dystopian/utopian/post apocalyptic novel in which the author drops us smack dab in front of Mark as he awakens, as he always does, at precisely 6:20am in his tiny room. Mark is one of four people who appear to have willingly/unknowingly gone into isolation together. They have been locked in some kind of bunker/building/spaceship/experiment underground/in space/on another planet for an unknown period of time, and there appears to be something wrong/not right/off about each of them, and they might be/are withholding/forgetting/lying about information/themselves as they move through their daily routine.
Are you wondering if I fell down and cracked my head because I'm not making any damn sense? Good. Because reading this book is very much like that, but in such a deliciously awesome way.
Think Immobility and The Warren by Brian Evenson. Think Wool by Hugh Howey. Think 10 Cloverfield Lane, think Passengers. We only know what the characters know and we are trying like hell to figure things out along with them. And yes, we are left just as confused as they are when the book draws to a close. that's not to say that I don't have my theories. Oh man, do I have theories!
Don't blink for a second. You can't afford to.
Undertow Press continues to show me that they are all that and a bag of chips. Every title I've read from them continues to raise the bar and blow me away. And now excuse me while I go find more Michael Griffin titles to devour....more
Don't let this little chapbook fool you. It's the creepiest little thing I've read in a long while. I'm off to read something else so it's not the lasDon't let this little chapbook fool you. It's the creepiest little thing I've read in a long while. I'm off to read something else so it's not the last thing I'm thinking of as I drift off to sleep tonight.
What a way to kick off the new year! Throwing all the stars at this book!
Krivak's The Bear is a quiet, poignant post apocalyptic novel in which we're What a way to kick off the new year! Throwing all the stars at this book!
Krivak's The Bear is a quiet, poignant post apocalyptic novel in which we're introduced to a nameless man and his young daughter. They are the last surviving people on earth, far removed from whatever catastrophic event took place, and we sit enthralled as he reads her poetry, passes down humanity's history in the form of stories, and teaches her how to survive in the middle of the wilderness they call home.
The human world has crumbled, disintegrated into nearly complete nothingness, save a few hand-me-down trinkets: a compass, a comb, a piece of glass, a set of flint and steel. Nature appears to have reclaimed the planet. And the two prepare to embark on a long trip out to the ocean to replenish their stash of salt. Of course, there'd be no book if tragedy didn't strike, so our final two become one, and the one who is left is now faced with overcoming their grief, racing against time, and braving the elements in an attempt to make it back home before the bitter winter sets in.
It's stark, and sparse, and by page 30 Krivak's words were already piercing my heart and stinging my eyes. The style and storyline is most comparable to Eden Lepucki's California, if the husband and wife hadn't ever left their home in the woods, with the middle of The Revenant tossed in, but with anthropomorphic animals that help rather than hurt, and the bleak hopelessness of The Road but without all the ash and cannibals. But it's also very much its own thing. And it's really a must read.
Shit. If Sam Pink writes it, my ass is reading it.
I feel sorry for the fuckers who give this book, or any Sam Pink book, a one star rating. His namelShit. If Sam Pink writes it, my ass is reading it.
I feel sorry for the fuckers who give this book, or any Sam Pink book, a one star rating. His nameless narrators are every single one of us at some sad, fucked up point in our lives. Ok. Sure. You don't want to admit it out loud. You're worried about what people might think of you if word gets out. I get it. But give the guys some props. Showing off the ugly is not easy. And he does it so effortlessly, so readably. I can't get enough of it. His protagonists are so honest it hurts... you can't seriously sit there and tell me you don't think (or ACT) like this sometimes? Not even on your worst day??? I call bullshit.
Robert Kloss broke ties with the publishing industry a few years ago, giving himself permission to write the books he wanted to write, to package themRobert Kloss broke ties with the publishing industry a few years ago, giving himself permission to write the books he wanted to write, to package them and format them in a way that was pleasing to him and true to his vision of them.
The book itself- a hybrid of dark and haunted photos from a long ago era, interspersed with some of the most haunted language I've ever read - is artful and creepy and gorgeous and mesmerizing and head-spinningly beautiful. The print copy is bare - no title, no author page, no praise or jacket copy. It simply.... is.
Is it a throwback to victorian ghost stories? A frankensteinian or vampirian horror? Is it a pergatory, a post-death psychologically terrifying statis?
Honestly, I don't think it matters. What I do think matters is that you read the shit out of it and fall in love with it, because you WILL fall in love with it, and spread the word because Kloss is breaking boundaries and laying down some pretty badass groundwork in the literary world.
He's made it available for you to download the book here for free. And you really really should.
'I know that the borrowed money and the books are neither ghosts nor corpses... and that neither cares if they are with my dead friends or me. I am th'I know that the borrowed money and the books are neither ghosts nor corpses... and that neither cares if they are with my dead friends or me. I am the only one who assigns any significance to them. Eventually I too will be dead, and they will once again be things plain and simple, with no clear history, making their muddled way through an indifferent world.'
'My great memory for numbers is no longer an asset. It is a skill like chipping a wheel out of stone, useful only as a novelty, and since I no longer use it, it has begun to atrophy. Or maybe it's simply that im getting older. I would like to know if my losing my ability to remember numbers can be blamed on cell phones or old age. Is there anyone who can tell me that?'
'There is one terrible thing about writing: the way it leaks out into life, whether you want it to or not.'
Fucking hell, Evenson. You slay me with your writing. Every. Fucking. Time....more
I'm working with the publisher to help provide publicity for this book. It's an amazing collection of flash fiction that each feature a dead woman whoI'm working with the publisher to help provide publicity for this book. It's an amazing collection of flash fiction that each feature a dead woman who sets the plot in motion. You don't want to miss this one! Message me here if you're interested in a review copy!...more
ML Kennedy has written a complete knock out with Things You Leave Behind. From the clever retro-book-cover-as-a-VHS-tape to the ok-seriously-wtf-is-goML Kennedy has written a complete knock out with Things You Leave Behind. From the clever retro-book-cover-as-a-VHS-tape to the ok-seriously-wtf-is-going-on-here twistiness of it, he hooks you straight on and refuses to let go.
The book starts "somewhere near the middle", with Kennedy courageously plopping us smack dab in the midst of something we have not yet been exposed to. It's jarring and disorienting but also, as the novel continues to thrust us forwards and backwards in time, pretty fucking brilliant. We don't understand what we're reading at first but when that veil begins to lift, holy shit you guys. Watch out. Kennedy is like a goddamn magician.
This gorgeous and eerie collection captured me completely, from the opening story "A Silly Little Love Story" in which the main character believed an This gorgeous and eerie collection captured me completely, from the opening story "A Silly Little Love Story" in which the main character believed an art appreciating ghost had taken up residence in his closet, through to the second-to-last story “Presque Vu,”, in which spirits begin walking an apocalyptic earth and humans find themselves visited with their own very strange and specific hauntings.
While each story doesn't contain ghosts perse, they do all interweave a paranormal element. A childhood home begings to shift and change as a mother succumbs to her dementia in "She Sometimes Hides"; "Let Down Set Free" features floating trees; "The Shape of My Name" features time travel.
Though these are my favorite within the bunch, every single story just impressed the living hell out of me. Nino is an amazing storyteller and a force to be reckoned with. ...more
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