ISBN: 1-59374-546-X
Published By: Whiskey Creek Press
Review Date: 15 Aug 2006
Reviewed by Autiotalo
Due to be released in September 2006, this is an anthology of ten stories. Each reviewed separately, below:
In 'Night Crawls In' by Nancy Jackson, insomniac Lindsay believes her worst nightmare is coming true when she swallows a spider. She can feel it still alive inside her, crawling about. Terrified that it will lay its eggs inside her, Lindsay reaches for her husband's work knife to cut the spider out of her body…
This is a well-written short story that will freak you out if you dislike any kind of creepy-crawlies. 4 Wands.
'Possibilities' & 'Cara's Eyes' by Katherine Smith are two short poems. It's difficult to review poetry, which is an area even more subjective than reviewing prose. I found them average at best; others may disagree. 2 Wands.
'Frieda Mae' by Linda L Lattimer is the story of two young boys, Allen and Boyd, who lose their mother at a young age. Frieda Mae, a local woman known for her culinary skills, sets about becoming their stepmother. Over time, the boys begin to think she's poisoning their father, and so they try to expose her evildoing.
This story started very well, with attention-grabbing characters and good dialogue, but the ending was a pat disappointment. 3 Wands.
'Crime or Punishment' by Giovanna Lagana is the story of ten-year old Chris, a child afflicted by a stutter, who robs convenience stores for his drug addict stepfather, Jason. Chris is followed by the bogeyman, who looks human and rings a bell. One night, Jason runs over Chris' 'boogeyman', and things go wrong for them, culminating in Jason's death. Chris is saved by a white wolf spirit with a bell – his 'boogeyman'.
Again, I liked the premise and the character of Chris, but what began as a good story soon tailed off into a banal ending. Jason was too stereotyped and while I liked the paranormal aspect, the end just didn't work for me at all. 3 Wands.
In 'Feathers' by Louise Bohmer, esoteric specialist Garrett has abandoned his wife for an affair with the goddess Lilith. Garrett wants to keep their son, half-human, half-owl, in the mortal realm, but Lilith wants to take him to her side of the Veil. Garrett is driven to desperate measures to ensure the future of his son.
Yet again, a story that started well and then petered out. This was a great idea and I'd like to have seen it expanded. The story-length did nothing to showcase this writer's work, which was a real shame. 3 Wands.
'Vera's House' by Katherine Smith is the tale of Sheila, who inherits her grandmother Vera's house. Her cousin thinks she'll sell it, but Sheila had ensured that she'd won over her grandmother in her final days, and so she's looking forward to spending Vera's money and living in her house. Then she starts to have nightmares, ones that scare her enough that she tries to sell the property – but she can't. Believing that she's haunted by Vera's ghost, Sheila goes down into the cellar…
An enjoyable creepy story about a woman haunted by her own feelings of guilt; this is one of the best in the collection. 4 Wands.
In 'Cynophobia' by Janet Mills, widow Janie has a fear of dogs after being attacked by one as a child. A German Shepherd dog appears in her neighbourhood each evening, along with a mysterious non-descript man who's watching her. At first she thinks that man and dog are connected, by as events unfold, it seems that one is sent to protect her from the other.
A realistic story full of detail that makes Janie a very believable character. Her fear of the dog is well portrayed. One of the longer stories in this volume, it had me scrolling ahead to see what happened next. 4 Wands.
'Because I Wanted You' by Susan M Sailors is a short story of a watcher longing for a beautiful woman. He has been drawn to her by her poetry; now he waits for the woman to wake and gift him with immortality.
Too short and insubstantial to make much impact, it has some haunting prose but nothing to anchor it. 2 Wands.
'Eleven-Thirty Midnight Road' by Vickie Britton and Loretta Jackson has Paula and her high-school friends using a Ouija board to summon the spirit of Cathy, a girl who died in a car crash a year ago when Marc, one of the assembled friends, was at the wheel. Consumed by his guilt, Marc believes that Cathy is talking to him through Paula – in fact, he thinks that Cathy *is* Paula. Neighbour Andrew is concerned for Paul's safety as the anniversary of Cathy's death approaches – can he save Paula before history repeats itself?
A gripping action-packed story of jealousy and rage, showing that human actions are often far more terrifying than anything supernatural. 4.5 Wands.
'The Stick' by Richard A Satterlie is the story of teenager Xerxes, who learns that a boy has hanged himself from the tree that the local kids use as a swing. Xerxes goes to investigate, and is curious enough to want to touch the body. He recognises the body as Bobby, a bookworm who was later rumoured to have dabbled in the occult. Xerxes picks up a stick to poke Bobby with, and realises it's got arcane symbols carved on it. The stick takes on a life of its own, and toys with Xerxes until it helps him attack a bully. But the stick's work is not over yet…
An excellent short story, full of tension, mood, and good characterisation. The best of the stories in this collection. 5 Wands.
In 'Long Distance Call' by John Everson, Jack is disturbed when his wife Angela calls his office just as he's having sex with a colleague. Angela implies she knows what's going on, and that she and Ed – her brother, killed in a car crash – will be waiting for him at home. Since her brother's death, she's been trying to reach him on the other side, and she thought that giving up sex would help her quest. When Jack arrives home, he's horrified to see that Angela has hanged herself with the telephone cord. He tries to move on, but every time he's in bed with his lover Melissa, the phone rings. One night, Angela's spirit possesses the phone and Melissa is killed. Jack finally snaps and breaks into the funeral parlour to attack his wife's corpse…
Another great story, this one was quirky, off-beat and very enjoyable. 4.5 Wands.
Overall, a workmanlike anthology that for me didn't really live up to its promise. Only a few stories really stood out, while several had potential but didn't quite make it.
You can buy Fear: An Anthology of Horror and Suspense from…
(prices were checked when the review was first published, and might vary)
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Fear: An Anthology of Horror and Suspense
