My short story Departures was featured in this awesome collection, but I won’t review my story; I’ll let you make your own mind up about that one. I will, however, tell you about some of the other stories I loved.
Each tale and poem is unique and special. Vince A. Liaguno did an amazing job choosing them and putting them in an order which makes sense. I can honestly say that this is my favourite of all the anthologies I have been featured in (Zombie Punks Fuck Off being my second favourite).
As with the previous Unspeakable Horror collections, Liaguno begins with his own introduction, explaining the inspiration for the book and setting it in the real world.
Hailey Piper’s Bad with Secrets is a wonderfully weird tale that showcases her talent for Gothic storytelling. It’s set in the 1950s and casts McCarthy (yes THAT McCarthy) as an evil sorcerer. Honestly, I got chills reading it.
Queen of Dirt’s End by Oliver Nash is another favourite. Euchre is transitioning, but into what? It’s a touching yet disturbing story, and I loved the main character.
Paul Tremblay’s story If Dillon Believed in any Kind of Ghosts is brilliant. Nana is adorable, and I love the way it mixes mundane family interactions with moments of shocking violence and terror.
Border Towns by James Cato is filled with threat and suspense. Gael is an extremely sinister antagonist, and I enjoyed watching the way the artists treated their home and each other.
The Mikvah by Zachary Rosenberg was another great story. In it the dangers inherent in being gay were exceeded by the danger of being Jewish. I have always felt that all forms of prejudice come from the same place, and this story really reflected that belief.
Strange Enchanted Boys by Craig Laurance Gidney delighted me. It is a magical tale that manages to inject horrific realism into its narrative.
Bodies on the Dance Floor by Dan Coxen was lots of fun. I do enjoy nightclub settings in fiction.
And Dinosaur on the 18th Hole had me on the edge of my seat. Kaitlin Tremblay uses first person present tense in a precise and engaging way that pulled me into the narrator’s head.
The Thing That Crawls by Amanda M Blake was great too and shocking in the best way.
Each of the other stories were well written and executed. There wasn’t a single tale that disappointed, but we all have our favourites, don’t we? I’d love to know which were yours.
You can find Unspeakable Horror 3: Dark Rainbow Rising at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Unspeakable-Horror-Dark-Rainbow-Rising/dp/1957133457/ or https://www.amazon.com/Unspeakable-Horror-Dark-Rainbow-Rising/dp/1957133457/
The hardcover version is gorgeous.
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