Book Review: Sherry D. Ramsey "Unraptured" (Self published) by Devin J. Meaney

Unraptured

Author: Sherry D. Ramsey

Genre: Science fiction, fantasy

Format: Print, Kindle

Language: English

Length: 40 pages

Publisher: ‎ Sherry D. Ramsey

Release date: April 7, 2019

I wanted to do some reading, and although I purchased two new books recently I have been holding off on reading them. I was wanting to read something short! For some reason unknown, I remembered I planned to read Sherry D. Ramsey’s story “Unraptured” before and didn’t. I looked it up on Amazon, and the e-book version was available for under 2 dollars. I thought “what the hell?” and clicked the purchase button!

Overall this is a decent story. It is one of those post-apocalyptic type stories with “zombie like” people. As I do love stuff like this I found it to be an enjoyable read, and after finishing, it made me wish that Sherry wrote more stuff like this. The 40 or so pages that contained the story were the perfect length to keep my attention at 1am on a Friday night (Saturday morning)! Being woefully A.D.D. I sometimes find it hard to read lengthy novels so short reads that peak my interest are a must. I am glad that I retained the memory of this from the annals of my mind, and all in all I’d be happy to read more short stories from Sherry in the future!

Note: As an added bonus Sherry’s short story “The Girl in the Stones” is available for free when purchasing this and signing up for her newsletter. The only reason I did not do this is because I already read that story, and as I speak to Sherry in the real world if I want to know about her writings I can ask her myself! -Devin J. Meaney

Book Review: Harry Adam Knight "Slimer" (Valancourt Books) by Devin J. Meaney

Slimer

Authors: Harry Adam Knight with John Brosnan, Roy Kettle

Format: Paperback, Kindle

Language: English

Length: 161 pages

Publisher: Valancourt Books

Release date: October 26, 2023

I grabbed myself a copy of “Slimer” by Harry Adam Knight. I’d go into more detail about who “Harry Adam Knight” was (pseudonym) but I figure if you have interest that can all be found with a quick Google search.

I will start by saying I picked this up because in my childhood I was (and still am) a large fan of the movie Carnosaur. Harry wrote the original book that movie was based off of, and after reading it, I figured I’d look into seeing what other pieces of his work I could find. Most of his writings are long out of print and very expensive, but they did do re-issues of Carnosaur, Slimer and The Fungus.

Back to Slimer—as for this book I found it to be highly enjoyable. Aside from a handful of very forgivable typos, I can say that this was a refreshing blast of cheesy British B horror. The only thing I will add is that there was a lot of graphic sexuality, and if it didn’t exist within the pages of the book, Slimer would be more accessible to younger readers. With that said, I do understand it is acceptable to have things “just for adults” and overall I will say this was well worth a read (or two?).

Slimer was the basis for the movie “Proteus”—so I will need to look into giving that a spin. Next up—The Fungus! -Devin J. Meaney

Book Review: The Creatures from Beyond Beyond (Two Lions) by Devin J. Meaney

The Creatures from Beyond Beyond

Author: R.L. Stine

Format: Paperback, Audio CD, Kindle, Audible

Language: English

Length: 143 pages

Publisher: Two Lions; Unabridged edition

Release date: April 13, 2012

It is hard for me to find a book that I like—but I always have time for R.L. Stine! I was browsing Amazon and found a copy of “The Creatures from Beyond Beyond” for just under 7 dollars. As the price was good and the cover was appealing I decided to snag it. As usual, after reading the book I can say that R. L. is just as on par as usual and even though his books are short “The Creatures” made for a 2 hour jaunt within my mind—making use of my imagination and giving me warm vibes throughout.

Taken from back of book:

“I tugged at the monster’s warm, gooey hands. No use! It was too strong! I struggled for breath, but the monster held tight—tighter.”

Even though these books are marketed towards children as an adult who is slowly looming towards the big 40 I have no problem saying that I still enjoy these. Some books are just “too much” to drink in, but these you can read casually and enjoy the story. Again, these are marketed towards kids—but even I sometimes get caught up in a few spooky moments.

Overall I like anything that Mr. Stine writes. He is one of my biggest inspirations and I will continue to buy his books until the day that I die. I just hope he manages to stay on this earth for a good 200 years so he can keep up with the demand for his well-loved stories, from children and adults alike! -Devin J. Meaney

Book Review: When it Rains at Night (Cellar Dolls, 2022) by Devin J. Meaney

When it Rains at Night

Written by Rebecca MacFarlane

Format: Paperback, Kindle

Language: English

Length: 160 pages

Publisher: Cellar Dolls

Release date: April 21, 2022

I ordered myself a copy of “When it Rains at Night” by Rebecca MacFarlane. It didn’t take long for the book to arrive, and it took even less time for me to finish reading it after it came in! Here is the bio from the back of the book:

“A self-proclaimed lone wolf, Spencer is a drifter who lives life by his own rules.

When he crosses paths with a young girl walking alone on the highway, his gut tells him to keep walking. He nearly passes her by, but there’s something familiar about her that he just can’t ignore.

Paige claims to have lost her memory, and Spencer finds himself drawn into a stranger's bizarre predicament. Against his better judgment, the pair set off on an unexpected journey to uncover Paige’s identity. When a jittery trucker and a roadside café prompt some terrifying memories, the truth of who Paige really is unfolds into a mind-bending nightmare.”

I didn’t know what to expect when ordering this, but I can say without a doubt that this was one of the better novellas I have read in the last little bit. Some might consider this book short, but at just over 160 pages for me personally it was the perfect length. This allowed me to finish it in one sitting over the span of a few hours, and each hour of reading was filled to the brim with excitement—and I have no problem suggesting this one to readers everywhere!

The characters were intriguing, and in the long run, I plan to check out more from Rebecca some time soon. Rebecca is sincerely a talented writer, and she is deserving of any attention that she gets! -Devin J. Meaney

Book Review: Shivers #24: The Ghosts of Devil's Marsh (M.D. Spenser) by Devin J. Meaney

Shivers #24: The Ghosts of Devil's Marsh

Written by M.D. Spenser

Format: Paperback

Language: English

Length: 124 pages

Publisher: Mass Market Paperback

Release date: December 25, 1996

I did pay some shipping—but a book I snagged on Amazon for under a dollar was “The Ghosts of Devil’s Marsh” by M.D. Spenser. This is number 24 in the Shivers series and as I have read a few of the various Shivers books I figured I’d enjoy this one too.

Anyone that knows me knows I have a sweet spot for YA/youth horror. With that being said this was not one of my favorites from the series. Even though I usually enjoy the easy consumption of youth fiction the writing in this was a bit too simplified for my liking. Also—the story itself I found to be less enjoyable than the others.

With that said I can go out on a limb and say that young readers might enjoy this one. For fans of books like Goosebumps and FrightTime and American Chillers I could see this easily consumed by a vast array of kids around the globe—and even though it is a bit old and dated I’m sure the enjoyment factor would still be quite prominent! -Devin J. Meaney

Book Reviews: "The Land That Time Forgot: Commemorative Edition" (Edgar Rice Burroughs, Mike Resnick) by Devin J. Meaney

The Land That Time Forgot: Commemorative Edition

Written by Edgar Rice Burroughs and Mike Resnick

Format: Paperback

Language: English

Length: 434 pages

Publisher: Bison Books

Release date: March 1, 1999

Many years ago my uncle recorded a copy of “The Land That Time Forgot” on his VCR for me. As a kid I watched this many times and even now in my thirties the film still intrigues me. It wasn’t until many years later though that I found out this was originally a book written by Edgar Rice Burroughs. I did read it years back—but recently I had an urge to give it a re-read.

I went to the library and ordered a copy. This version was the “Commemorative Edition” and features all three parts. The Land That Time Forgot, The People That Time Forgot and Out of Time’s Abyss. It occurred to me that I never actually read the second and third installments so I was happy that I had snagged the commemorative edition.

All three parts take place in Caspak on the Island of Caprona. Caspak is riddled with many saurians and other pre-historic creatures—a lot of which are vicious “carnivora” that make journeying through the island a struggle. There are also different evolutionary forms of man ranging from primitive apes to speechless men known as Alu all the way to Galu (rope men) and a handful of different variations in between.

There is a lot to be said about Caspak and the adventures that take place in the land that time forgot—but I will just state simply. The first installment is a narration of the adventures of Bowen Tyler and his company, the second the escapades of Thomas Billings (a man who journeys to Caprona when he finds out Tyler was lost there) and the third the adventures of Bradley (one of the original party members that accompanied Tyler).

Many encounters are had—ranging from fights with dinosaurs to abduction by the “wieroo”—a higher form of winged humanoid that live on Caspak. I’d say more—but I think it would be best to just give a read yourself. The Land That Time Forgot and its second and third installments are lovely (although dated) stories—and aside from some old-timey sexism and racism it makes for a nice read in the wee hours of the morning—making the brain spiral with intrigue and thoughts of adventure—and really—who would have it any other way? -Devin J. Meaney

Book Reviews: The Big Shiny Prison, Fortress Europe, Return To Fortress Europe (Ryan Bartek, Anomie Press) by Dave Wolff

The Big Shiny Prison (Anomie Press, 2016)

Fortress Europe: (The Big Shiny Prison Volume II) (Anomie Press, 2016)

Return To Fortress Europe (The Big Shiny Prison Volume III) (Anomie Press, 2023)

Written by Ryan Bartek

Format: Paperback

Language: English

Available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Goodreads

I was inspired to begin writing about these books no sooner than I had begun reading them. For a seemingly endless period of time, I experienced whitewashed pressure to conform to the social structure that author Ryan Bartek rejects as a way of life. Such is the strength and conviction behind his “Big Shiny Prison” series that if you find yourself experiencing similar pressure to any degree, regardless of age, reading it creates a sufficient paradigm shift to break that indoctrination and view your surrounding world from other perspectives, creating an approach to journalism that hasn’t been tried before.

With the expression of Jack Kerouac, the autobiographical theme of Henry Miller and the realism of Hunter S. Thompson, Ryan Bartek eschews the American Dream for its ivory tower absurdity. Instead of taking the route of mainstream music magazines in interviewing bands and presenting the same rehashed information, he travels America and Europe like a modern day beat poet, years after this breed of humans seemed extinct. He meets known, respected figures in alternative subcultures including metal and punk underground scenes, speaking with them on a one to one basis and defying traditional journalism in his presentation of their views.

In an age of extreme yellow journalism, spin propaganda and less opportunity than ever for critical thought, when anyone expressing an opinion others find offensive essentially becomes an unperson, Bartek's writings are more necessary today than they were during the Reagan and Bush eras. His brutal realism remains a threat to middle and upper America as it exhorts readers to go beyond hack journalism and mainstream generalizations. But he’s not trying to piss people off as much as to appeal to the readers out there who are still thinking, shatter remaining lethargy and urge them to perceive with their own minds.

Bartek's interviews with musicians, artists, freaks and odd men out would take weeks to digest, especially since everyone has their own unique perspective. There is no sugarcoating or whitewashing, nor preaching about trying to change to better oneself, and his stark descriptions of the places he travels are equally raw and unromantic. This is the first written account of its kind I have encountered since Peter Kalafatis’ 2006 novel “A Rebel Life: Murder By the Rich,” which blows a hole in the illusion of the American Dream by juxtaposing the author’s “straight life” with his late brother’s experiences with drug addiction.

Each of these volumes delves deeper into the underworld of life in the United States and abroad. From metal, punk, alternative rock, and industrial scenes, he explores contemporary radical movements such as Occupy, and concludes by discussing the fabled Bohemian Grove. Despite their unvarnished accuracy in reflecting a world increasingly battle-scarred due to 9/11, the Covid pandemic, religious intolerance, book bannings, and the threat to world peace presented by Vladimir Putin, these volumes have potential to open the general public's eyes to the impact these events have on people who remain staunchly committed to freedom of expression.

The most extensive, in-depth critiques of Bartek's work would barely scratch the surface of what he attempts to accomplish. But it's intelligently written and arranged, and just reading it all in one sitting will have the effect of shredding your mind, but tearing apart your preconceptions about modern society will also give you the feeling that you have gained some knowledge that you had never imagined possible. This is where the real revolutions begin to take place. –Dave Wolff

Book Review: Carnosaur re-release (Valancourt Books, 2022) by Devin J. Meaney

Carnosaur

Written by Harry Adam Knight and Will Errickson

Format: Paperback, mass market paperback, Kindle

Language: English

Length: 206 pages

Published by Valancourt Books

Original publication: 1984

Re-release date: September 6, 2022

Months (leaning into a year?) back I purchased the re-release of the 80’s B- grade fiction book Carnosaur. I intended to do a review of this book sooner but other things got in the way. It is currently 11:11 at night as I am typing this and as I have reviewed all the music in my personal library I figured it was time to give this “classic” some proper words. Here we go…

Carnosaur was written by Harry Adam Knight. He has written a few other books—the only other one I remember being the similar B- grade style novella “The Fungus”. Carnosaur was first written in 1984 and was put out to the public six years before the release of Jurassic Park! The back of the book insinuates that both of these releases share some plot elements but personally I think they are vastly different. It is also worth mentioning that I for a long time didn’t know this was a book—but when I found out I had to purchase it due to the fact that I am a huge fan of the Carnosaur movie series from the 90’s. After reading the book I can state that the book and the movie are barely recognizable as being related—and Roger Corman’s interpretation was more of a re-write than an adaptation. Still—as a fan of the movie series I have no problem saying that the book was enjoyable to say the very least. The B- grade is evident, but as a lover of cheese this was by no means a problem for me.

Taking place in the English town of Warchester a farmer is found killed in what is believed to be an animal attack. It is at first believed to be the work of a Siberian tiger but after a witness describes something that is seemingly impossible everything takes a turn for the worst. Carnosaur involves the escapades of a local reporter Darren Pascal (the first movie’s main character is a night watchman known as “Doc”) and a rich zoo owner named Sir Darren Penward (in the movie the antagonist is a geneticist named Jane Tiptree) and a slew of other characters. If you want to know more I’d suggest giving the book a read for yourself!

In conclusion this book was a win for me. It had a few typos, run on sentences and a few moments of “ok get on with it” but otherwise I’m probably going to read this again once I’ve forgotten my first read through. Again, this is a book for lovers of cheese like myself so if you can dig scientifically reproduced dinosaurs ravaging a small town I’d say go for it! I have yet to read more from Harry Adam Knight but I do plan to pick up more of his work in the future. Sadly he died early due to alcoholism and a few other ailments so he won’t be putting out anything new—but I will be happy to dig into what is already out there and I’d suggest you do the same! -Devin J. Meaney

Book Review: R.L. Stine "Goosebumps #11: The Haunted Mask" by Devin Joseph Meaney

R.L. Stine

Goosebumps #11: The Haunted Mask

Scholastic, September 1, 2003
First edition published in 1993

Ah... R. L. Stine. The man who gave me nightmares as a child, but yet, I still read his books. Recently, due to this self-isolation stuff we are all having to deal with, I have been reading a lot of books. This quest for interesting text led to me picking up ''Planet of The Lawn Gnomes,'' which I reviewed about a week ago.

Because of that, I dug out a bunch of Goosebumps books that were in a chest in my Mother's room. There were eight in total, and one of them was ''The Haunted Mask.'' All the other ones looked interesting... but I chose to read this one next. Nostalgia, you know?

Needless to say, just like Planet of the Lawn Gnomes, I fully enjoyed everything about this book. While reading, I felt like a kid again... forgetting that I am now actually nearing 30 years old. And R. L. Stine has always been a great inspiration for writing, so I managed to get a fair but of fiction written due to my re-introduction to the Goosebumps series.

Taken from the back of the book: ''How ugly is Carly Beth's Halloween mask? It's so ugly that it almost scared her little brother to death. So terrifying that even her friends are totally freaked out by it. It's the best Halloween mask ever. It's everything Carly Beth hoped it would be. And more. Maybe too much more. Because Halloween is almost over. And Carly Beth is still wearing that special mask. . . .''

All in all, I'm pretty sure I would enjoy anything by R. L. Stine. At least I have up until this point in my life. Let's just say I am glad ole' Bob has written these works. I'm sure (very sure) that they were loved and enjoyed by many... young and old. Hell, I did. From age eight to age thirty (almost).

For the sake of nostalgia, if you read this series as a child. Please... read them again! I promise it will be a rewarding experience. And if you didn't read them already... I will say just the same. Great work, R. L. I hope you are keeping at it...

You rule! –Devin Joseph Meaney

Book Review: "Planet of the Lawn Gnomes" by Devin Joseph Meaney

Planet of the Lawn Gnomes (Goosebumps Most Wanted #1)

Author: R. L. Stine

Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks, October 1, 2012

Ah, that fresh Goosebumps smell. The other night I wanted to do some reading, but I did not want to invest myself in a really long book. After some consideration, I decided that I wanted to read ''Planet of the Lawn Gnomes'' by R. L. Stine. Aside from reading a few to my daughter, I have not picked up a Goosebumps book to read since I was a kid. But as soon as I opened the book, the smell of nostalgia quickly flooded my nose and I was transported to a time when all was well and forever would be.

This particular book is book one in the Most Wanted collection. I am only really familiar with the ones I grew up with, but it is good to see that ole' R. L. has gotten so far with this series. There are also ads for a “Horrorland” series and a “Hall of Horrors” series, so if I ever happen to see one I will pick it up for the sake of nostalgia... oh, who the hell am I kidding. I'm a huge kid. I LOVE this kind of stuff!

Pulled from the back of the book: “Jay Gardener can't seem to stay out of trouble. Even after a fresh start in a new neighborhood, he keeps finding himself in bad situations. But it's not his fault! Jay wants to be a good kid, he really does, it's just these strange things keep happening to him. What kind of place did his family move to? And why does every house have so many lawn gnomes in their yard? Jay better learn quickly that there are things a lot scarier than his parents…”

I don't want to ruin too much for anyone, but this book has buzzard hawks, gnomes, biting fish with legs, and enough twists and turns to fully envelop the mind of any young reader. Although the writing is very simple, even as an adult I found this to be highly enjoyable, and I would not be surprised if I read it again down the road.

R. L. Stine has always been one of my favorite authors and biggest inspirations as a writer, and everything he puts his hand to is pure gold. This book is no exception.

I am not 100% up to date with R. L. and I'm not even sure how long ago this book was released while writing this. Either way, I really hope Mr. Stine is continuing to push out works, as I am sure there are many young minds (and adult ones to) that would seriously enjoy his genuinely interesting and unique creations.

I am 100% inspired now to dig out any old Goosebumps books that may be lying around the house. I know we have at least a dozen or so. Over the next little while I may indulge in this nostalgia-laden series. Make that I KNOW I will.

Thanks R.L., as a fan, you are something special. –Devin Joseph Meaney

Book Review: NINE MICMAC LEGENDS (Alden Nowlan, Nimbus Publishing) by Devin Joseph Meaney

NINE MICMAC LEGENDS

Author: Alden Nowlan

Illustrator: Shirley Bean

Publisher: Nimbus Publishing, June 1, 2008 (first published 1983)

While I was rummaging through old magazines and ancient school material belonging to an older member of my family, I stumbled upon a few books. One of these books was ''Nine Micmac Legends,'' a collection of nine stories (obviously). It was originally released in 1983, but went through a series of reprints over the years. I could not sleep last night, and by five in the morning, I decided it was time to do some reading.

I am well aware that the spelling and pronunciation of ''Micmac'' has been changed a few times over the years, but aside from this, Nine Micmac Legends was a neat little collection of legends of indigenous nature. Written by Alden Nowlan and illustrated by Shirley Bear, I am now more than content to have this within my reading collection.

The stories included in this short anthology are The Star Brides, Three Boys and the Giants, The Man Who Hated Winter, The Invisible Boy, The Captive, The Snow Vampire, The Chief Who Refused To Die, Brother to the Bears, and The Man Who Wanted To Live Forever. They were all fronted by a short introduction. Five of the stories in this collection were previously published in ''The Atlantic Advocate.'' One appeared in ''Toboggans and Turtlenecks,'' and another in ''Hockey Cards and Hopscotch.''

The legends were not intended to be children's stories, although a handful DID appear in children's books. They were stories told by adults to other adults, ''The nearest a people without a written language could come to creating a literature'' as stated within the confines of the introduction.

This was a great story collection, and I am sure I will read it again. Featuring under sixty pages, it is not a very long read. Excellent material! -Devin Joseph Meaney

Book Review: THE WRITHING SKIES (Betty Rocksteady, Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing, 2018) by Devin Joseph Meaney

THE WRITHING SKIES

Author: Betty Rocksteady

Publisher: Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing, 2018

I have been following the works of Betty Rocksteady for a few years now, and I can say honestly that I am never let down. Her writing is creepy, grotesque, abysmally vile, and manages to hook the reader (me) every damn time.

Over a year ago, I snagged copies of her books Arachnophile and Like Jagged Teeth. To date, Arachnophile is one of the weirdest tales I have ever read, but it managed to drag me within the story, and I finished reading it within a span of six hours, stopping only once to shower. As for Like Jagged Teeth, when I first picked up that novella, I was in a pretty dark place and the content was a bit too much to handle. I never did read that book from start to finish, but now that I am back to being in a good head space, I plan to pick it back up very soon.

More recently (within the last week) I got a hold of Betty's most recent publishings, In Dreams We Rot and The Writhing Skies. In Dreams We Rot is a collection of stories spanning Rocksteady's career as a writer (which I did not read yet) but I did manage to lay down and read the innards of the gruesome novella The Writhing Skies. Just like Arachnophile, I was sucked in hard, and this novella will be the main focus of the remainder of this zine post.

With trigger warnings on the first page, one could probably make a stab that this book is not for the squeamish or the faint of heart... yeah, it's not. This novella was one of the most disturbing things I have read in my entire life, but I could not put it down. I read the first eight chapters before bed, and after sleeping for only four hours, I got up and finished the remainder of the book before ten a.m. I'm very glad I did the rest of the reading in the daylight, as I fear that vivid hallucinations of slippery tendrils and fleshy robes just may have adorned my mind. There would be no sleep for Devin Joseph Meaney, I am oh so sure.

Taken from the back cover: ''Glowing lights and figures in tattered robes force Sarah from the safety of her apartment. Outside, phosphorescent creatures infiltrate her every orifice. They want to know everything, especially the things she would rather forget.''

Put out by Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing, I suggest that anyone and everyone (above the legal age within their country) gives this a read... if they are brave enough, of course. I have a pretty strong stomach and even I felt the need to look away at times, even though I did not.

On a final note, Betty did her own cover art, and also featured twenty of her own black and white illustrations within this book, showcasing in more ways than one how her talent should never be questioned. This was a great (although vile) read, and I absolutely cannot wait for Rocksteady's newest creations. Great job, Betty! -Devin Joseph Meaney

Book Review: US AND THEM (Hugh R. Macdonald, CBU Press and Nimbus) by Devin Joseph Meaney

US AND THEM

Author: Hugh R. Macdonald

Publisher: CBU Press and Nimbus, 2016

A few months back I had the pleasure of reading the book ''Trapper Boy''. It was an excellent story, and I am more than glad that I had the chance to give it a view. More recently (within the last few days) I managed to read ''Us and Them'', the second book in the series. As stated on the back cover, Us and Them is set in a 1920s Sydney Mines, and is the story of sixteen year old JW Donaldson, who interrupts his high school education to work in the coal mine to help support his family. A fatal accident in the mine awakens JW to just how dangerous working conditions are and to how management seems to care more about production than about the men and boys who are the means of that production. Us And Them is just as enthralling as the first book, and I encourage one and all to give it a read for themselves. Both Trapper Boy and Us and Them are heartwarming in parts, well written, and bring light to a past that was once reality for the citizens of Sydney Mines, Cape Breton (Canada). Written by the talented Hugh R. Macdonald, Us and Them is now a personal favorite I will probably read again in the not so distant future. I am now looking forward to the third installment, and other works that Hugh may release. Great job, Hugh! -Devin Joseph Meaney

Book Review: VAMPIRE$ (John Steakley) by Devin Joseph Meaney

VAMPIRE$

Author: John Steakley

Publisher: Roc (MM), June 01, 1992

Recently, I got the chance to read a handful of books I was meaning to read for a while now. One of these books was ''VAMPIRE$'', a fantasy thriller written by John Steakley. This book is action packed, has a romantic side in parts, and was genuinely one of the best vampire novels I have read in quite some time. One of the main protagonists, Jack Crow, is the purest definition of ''anti-hero'', and the majority of the other characters are lovable and sometimes relatable in their own way. From drunken vamp hunters to cliché priests and forlorn gun-men, this novel has everything you might want for an intriguing and adventurous read. The only negative thing I have to say about this book is that there were quite a few run on sentences, but this is easily forgiven as everything else about it was excellent and entirely on point. Taken from the back cover: ''Suppose there really were vampires. Dark. Stalking. Destroying. They'd have to be killed, wouldn't they? Of course they would. But what kind of fools would try to make a living at it?'' This novel was excellent from start to finish, and I encourage anyone who gets a chance to read it to do so. Written and released within the early 90's, this book stands up to the standards of today and I can imagine it being read and enjoyed for years and years to come. Gold seal! -Devin Joseph Meaney

Book Review: TRAPPER BOY (Hugh R. MacDonald) by Devin Joseph Meaney

Trapper Boy, a Novel

Author: Hugh R. MacDonald

Publisher: CBU Press, 2012

For Christmas of 2018, I had bought some books for my mother as part of her gift. One of these books was ''Trapper Boy'', a novel written by Sydney Mines author Hugh R. Macdonald. My mother read it, telling me that it was absolutely excellent. It sat on the book shelf for a while, but recently, I picked it up to read it for myself... and I am glad that I did. As stated on the back cover of the book, Trapper Boy is set in a 1920's coal mining town, and follows the protagonist, 13 year old JW Donaldson. He is a gifted student, who seems to have a bright future ahead of him. JW's family falls on hard times, and decisions are soon made that will have a strong impact on JW's life. I encourage anyone who gets a chance to check out this tale to give it a read, as it is well written, well researched, has romance, and was enjoyable to read from start to finish. I read the entire novel in one day... I simply could not put it down. Congratulations Hugh, for crafting such a heartwarming story. Positively exquisite! I now look forward to reading the second and third installments of this series! 10/10 -Devin Joseph Meaney

Book Review: HANTU MACABRE: A SUZANNA SIM PARANORMAL CRIME MYSTERY (Jill Girardi) by Dave Wolff

Hantu Macabre: A Suzanna Sim Paranormal Crime Mystery

Author: Jill Girardi

Cover and layout artist: Teck Hee

Publisher: Fixi Novo, October 2018

I started corresponding with Jill Girardi through snail mail in 1996, when she was co-owner of the indie label Mortal Coil Records (with Insatanity guitarist Jay Lipitz if I recall correctly). After Mortal Coil she managed the indie label Razorback Records with Billy Nocera and wrote for indie fanzine Metal Mafia with Dea Evenbeck and Jenn Matthews. In the years I knew her she was dedicated to extreme metal and a passionate, resourceful writer. Her dedication, passion for writing and resourcefulness have spilled over into her novel writing, as shown in her latest opus published last October. Hantu Macabre: A Suzanna Sim Paranormal Crime Mystery is a tale that spans four worlds, the rich and famous on top, the homeless and rebellious on the bottom, the private investigators on the sidelines and the occult practitioners in the shadows. Those worlds are constituents of a much larger picture that should keep you turning the pages if you’re into murder mysteries, occult thrillers or biographies of punk rock personalities. Set in the country of Malaysia, it follows protagonist Suzanna Sim, described as “a hard-boiled, tattooed punk rocker forced to grow up on the streets of George Town, Penang when she was orphaned at a young age.” Sim runs a private investigation firm specializing in occult based crimes (in a plot somewhat similar to X-Files) with her partner Tokek, who is not of the physical world but rather a toyol (a mythical spirit in Javanese/Southeast Asian mythology), she searches for the murderer of a renowned actress and stumbles across a former disco singer and witch doctor who was supposedly hanged in the late 1970s. The characters and their experiences are grippingly real from the first sentence, no matter how unreal the circumstances faced by Sim and Tokek (those two character also have their own angle to enhance the novel). Hantu Macabre is available in print and ebook form and can be purchased through Amazon and Goodreads. -Dave Wolff

Book Review: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE FUNNY (Sherry D. Ramsey) by Dave Wolff

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE FUNNY

Authors: Sherry D. Ramsey, Kerry Anne Campbell, Devin J. Meaney, Jo-Ann D. MacDonald, Micheal Magnini, Nancy SM Waldman, Kyle MacNeil, Roberta Fraser, Samantha Grandy

Published by Sherry D. Ramsey, 2018

“The Good, The Bad, and The Funny” is a collection of short stories and poems from the Story Forge Writers Collective, a network of authors based in Canada. It basically consists of writers who have met and shared ideas independently since 1998. The group was organized by publisher Sherry D. Ramsey, who has published a host of fictional works including “The Seventh Crow,” “Toil and Trouble,” “The Girl in the Stones,” “Dead Hungry: An Olympia Investigations Novelette,” “The Goddess Problem: An Olympia Investigations Novelette,” “Waiting to Fly: A Nearspace Novella,” “Dark Beneath the Moon (Nearspace Book 2)” and “The Murder Prophet.” In twenty years this group has seen members depart and return, but their purpose of discussing new and inventive methods of writing has persisted throughout. Every author who comes to a meeting has free reign to offer input and feedback to the other authors, and brainstorming often happens between all the authors so plotlines and story development runs more smoothly. From reading about this I get the feeling Ramsey takes her group and colleagues seriously, whether they are unknown or known on a large basis, and she’s open to anything and everything they have to contribute. From sharing their interests came the idea of crossing over their genres under a common humorous theme. I was given a promotional copy of “The Good, The Bad, and The Funny” by Devin Joseph Meaney who has two of his pieces included, ‘The Slick Pastor Flax’ and ‘George: A Tale of Feathers and Fun.’ Some of the writers who contributed (Ramsey, Nancy SM Waldman, Jo-Ann  D. MacDonald) also went on to design illustrations for their work. The foreword by Ramsey states all revenue it receives through internet outlets (Amazon and Goodreads) will go to the Wilfred Oram Centennial Library, the group’s unofficial meeting place. -Dave Wolff

CONTENTS 
'Big Enough' by Nancy SM Waldman
'Mr. Malcolm's Folly' by R. Micheal Magnini
'Sausage, Eggs and Bacon' by Jo-Ann D. MacDonald
'Switch' by Kerry A. Campbell
'Snack Raps' by Kyle MacNeil
'The Slick Pastor Flax' by Devin Joseph Meaney
‘George: A Tale of Feathers and Fun’ by Devin Joseph Meaney
'Gram and Gramp' by Roberta Fraser
'Special Delivery' by Roberta Fraser
'The Care and Feeding of Superhero Pets' by Samantha Grandy
'Come-From-Aways' by Sherry D. Ramsey

Book Review: THE DEATHERCIZER (Craig Michael) by Dave Wolff

THE DEATHERCIZER: HEADBANGER'S POETRY

Craig Michael

Independent

Published privately March 12, 1989

I met the author of this collection of poems and prose at a punk show in New York’s Tompkins Square Park. This meeting with Craig Michael turned out to be an epiphany of sorts. The East Village seems to cater to affluent residents at an increasing rate, but there are still those residents who refuse to relinquish their ground and are more active than ever educating the underprivileged. Today you still meet people of all kinds by being there and talking to people. You’d never expect them to be poets, authors, photographers, artists or ballet dancers, and many certainly wouldn’t expect them to be educated or politically aware. My research of punk culture has shown me how much it has contributed to art, music and literature for the last forty years, and from what I’ve seen on the street the revolution is far from over. Cases in point are the writings of Jeremy Void and the writings of Craig Michael. But where Jeremy Void assaults the listener of his spoken word albums with manic onslaughts of extreme anguish, isolation and eventual psychosis, Michael demonstrates a conscious, almost calculated decision to follow his own path, even if it means leaving people behind who are hesitant to join him or understand his reasons for doing so. As he establishes in the first piece run in this anthology, he is on a mission to write about world strife as a firsthand observer. His journey began in the early 1980s and his experiences are chronicled in over a hundred and fifty poems, written in a two year period between 1987 and 1988. By the amount of content and its descriptive quality there was a lot he experienced in this brief amount of time, enough to fit several volumes for most authors. He is meticulous and descriptive in his writing, and really takes time to put you into the experiences he recaptures on paper. Michael published this anthology exclusively for his family and friends rather than on a larger scale. I don’t know if he continued to write afterward and you may wonder why he didn’t look for publishing companies. Since there was no social media in the 80s publishing was far different than it is today and it was much more difficult for independent writers to land a deal. In a way this can be considered a good thing because reading his verse on relationships, violence in society and private soul searching is like uncovering a rare and forbidden treasure. It also makes you wonder how many other undiscovered poets are out there who have something to say. -Dave Wolff

Book Review: ARACHNOPHILE (Betty Rocksteady) by Devin Joseph Meaney

ARACHNOPHILE

Betty Rocksteady

New Bizarro Author Series

Spiders. Sex. Adultery. All of these things combined make up some of the innards of ARACHNOPHILE, the seedy debut novella written by the talented BETTY ROCKSTEADY. This is a hard book to review without bombarding you with spoilers, but I will do my best. Alex has arachnophobia, but he still manages to live a decent life... until a giant spider decides to move in next door. His girlfriend is not a fan of his fears, and she convinces him to become ''friendly'' with the newbie living across the hall. Alex finds that he is deeply attracted to the giant carnivorous arachnid, pushing things to spiral out of control from then on.

This is a short novella, but once I picked it up, I could not put it down. An obscure masterpiece from a ''not so'' amateur writer. This novella is a part of the NEW BIZARRO AUTHOR SERIES. Check it out, you know you want to. Betty even designed her own cover art, her talent is monumental.

Would you make love to a spider? I hear that it is quite delightful.

Check out other works by BETTY ROCKSTEADY here. -Devin Joseph Meaney

Book Review: ALCHEMY OF PAIN (Tamara Picardo) by Dave Wolff

ALCHEMY OF PAIN

Tamara Picardo

Oulu, Finland 2016

As one half of the dark metal/dark ambient duo Upon Shadows, Tamara Picardo has done her part to crack, splinter and shatter the perceived misery of metal that radiates less light than usual, atypically presenting it in a manner that resonates of beauty rather than ugliness, longing rather than loss, pleasure rather than pain, serenity rather than suffering. The band (Picardo with Natalia Arocena) has proven on their ten-plus releases that there is still room for experimentation in extreme music, many areas that remain unexplored waiting to be discovered accidentally or through the proper combination of elements.

With her 2016 published anthology Alchemy Of Pain Picardo captures this quality in print while heading a step further into unknown nonexistent domains waiting to be brought to life. This is a series of written verses and accompanying artwork, providing a visual representation of her musical and lyrical contributions to Upon Shadows. The artwork is a variety of designs in black, white and several shades of gray; the utilization of these colors are of varied conceptual ideas. While some may think the scheme is limiting, the application of colors goes beyond its perceived limitations. Picardo’s approach shows one doesn’t need an overabundance of colors for its own sake and fewer shades does not reflect a lack of imagination. The pieces rely on curves, straight edges, shades, heavy and light lines, patches of dark and sudden patches of light to get their point across. The effect is quite striking and illustrate the poems memorably. Prose Of The Atheist’s Soul describes “a hollow muscular organ/that knows nothing of love or pain.” The design that follows is of a woman cradled in such an organ, visibly perturbed yet in some sort of healing process. Humanity questions where we came from and what we believe we know of the afterlife; the art accompanying this is a gray humanoid shape (not established as angel or demon) approaching a humanoid shape seated against a curved foreground. We don’t know for certain where this human soul is going but can only imagine. Gloom describes grotesque night shelters, rows of stone houses, and a nightly search for a lost dream. The stark city landscape drawn for this poem relies as much on edges as it does on curves, and is slightly darker where it needs to be. Nostalgia speaks of lost words, distant destinations and fake smiles. The accompanying piece is of a woman sitting behind closed doors drawn with edges to signify a rigid sense of being trapped. Romantic Vision Of Suffering hints at a deeper emptiness behind smiles and tears. The piece drawn to go with this is misty and filled with stars. Beneath this is a mother sitting at a table watching over a daughter pointing to something in an opened book. Again this is an ambiguous piece that allows the reader to decide what it means. I could go on for a long time describing Alchemy Of Pain, but this is a collection you should wander through on your own to find what most speaks to you. -Dave Wolff