In which we provide a quick review of a short horror story collection, and updates on some current and forthcoming Kickstarter or Indiegogo campaigns. Because we’re slamming things in as fast as we can, without any plan whatsoever. Yes, you’re listening to greydogtales…
So, I’m not a pure horror afficionado, but I decided to have a look at Andrew Freudenberg’s first collection, My Dead and Blackened Heart (Sinister Horror, 2019), which I’ve had for a few months. I already know Mr F as a fine chap, and entered into this with some trepidation – I can be a harsh judge, after doing too much editing for magazines and anthologies over the last few years…
It’s a good, quick read, to start with (great cover as well). Freudenberg is a very competent writer, and that’s a genuine compliment. For a debut collection, it has none of the ‘Oh dear’ sighs that some elicit. Where reviewing it overall becomes more difficult is that these are mostly short short stories, and some of them are basically glimpses into people or scenarios. Vignettes, and the click of a shutter. Yet, as it happens, this enhances a number of the tales included. Rather than laborious over-explanation, the author just does it.
This is, as noted above, defintely a collection of horror stories, and a very fleshy one. There’s some nasty stuff in here. Meat is Master. It’s either ideal for vegetarians who want to say ‘Told you,’ or a way of putting carnivores off their ‘beef’ teppanyaki. Blackened Heart also has a few inter-related stories, and it’s interesting to see the World War Two elements creeping in to add a sense of history – this works well.
Not all of the stories fully chimed with me. Freudenberg has a tendency to close with the ‘I think I’ll just go and put my head in the oven’ type ending, which can be sort of a downer. But when he hits his pace with this, he achieves something for which many more veteran writers strive. A number of the stories have clever twists, and two particular tales are really striking – pretty much worth buying the collection for in their own right.
In ‘Charlie’s Turn’ he provides a marvellous piece of observational, everyday horror about two children which really sticks with you. The sheer simplicity of it makes it chilling, not unlike some of Saki’s work. To say more would be a disaster, but you should read it. And in ‘The Last Patrol’ we have one of the best ‘circus’ stories I have ever read, in a way you would not expect. Bleak, powerful and humane. It’s the closest he gets to weird fiction rather than trad horror, and it’s absolutely excellent.
A diverting book which you can devour in a sitting, unlikely to disappoint.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07WHTKT2K/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_Zz1iFb62QEAHM
NIGHTSCAPES
And on to campaigns, because there’s a lot going on. First of all, the earnest and worthy folk at Nightscape Press are rightfully drumming up support for their projects, not the least because being a small press is hard, bloody thankless work a lot of the time. Nightscape are an ethical weird fiction outfit, always worth checking out, and have done some great stuff already. The KS is fully funded, but the more you pledge for some of their ace rewards, the more the press can achieve. Do check the campaign out here:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/robertswilson/secret-gateways-and-nox-pareidolia/description
Doungjai Gam Bepko with her charitable chapbook
Our piece on their excellent anthology Nox Pareidolia (2019) can be found here:
http://greydogtales.com/blog/disquiet-considered-as-a-helix-of-semi-precious-stories/
NICTITATIONS
Then there’s Nictitating Books, a new venture from Sean M Thompson, already known to many through his short stories. Sean also has a new collection, Screaming Creatures, out now. The Indiegogo campaign is to help establish Nictitating Books and let them move toward some new exciting projects.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/nictitating-books#/
You can also read a neat interview with the shy, reclusive Sean here:
https://gingernutsofhorror.com/interviews/interview-sean-m-thompson-is-a-screaming-creature
FOLK HORRORS
There’s just over two days to go for A Walk In A Darker Wood, a brand new folk horror anthology of short stories and poetry that features many well-known authors within the Weird Fiction Genre. They invite you into their weird world of Pagan worship and strange Old Gods that come from the most mysterious parts of nature.
This is a sort of cooperative venture to create something cool – and illustrated – and again, it’s fully funded, but if you pledge for a copy, you’ll be helping the thing happen and happen well. Includes a wide range of UK and US authors, and a new story by old greydog about the mythology of the North Sea coast.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1186832632/a-walk-in-a-darker-wood/description
Finally for today, another Kickstarter goes live on the 1st August, for Golden Goblin’s double book project – An Eldritch Legacy and Between Twilight and Dawn.
An Eldritch Legacy: We rejoin the cousins of the Morgan Clan 10 years later. Now in their early 20’s our six cousins from Dunwich, Arkham, Kingsport and Innsmouth as they make their way in the world. Each continues to face challenges as the malevolent forces of the Cthulhu Mythos surround them, and in some cases, reside within them as well. We are proud to offer this sequel to Children of Lovecraft Country. Six novelettes.
Between Twilight and Dawn: Cosmic horror tales, each set – surprise – between a single twilight and dawn. Thirteen stories from veterans of the cosmic horror field, and for some reason, John Linwood Grant, who asks what will Mamma Lucy, the 1920’s conjure woman, do, when trouble comes unbidden to her door…
The preview link is here: