Slap Happy Fun Time

     Kill For A Copy - 5/5                                                        If you haven't heard about Dark Chapter Press odds are you will soon. I received a copy of their debut anthology Kill For A Copy in exchange for an honest review and this is a massive anthology. Three Hundred and two pages of horror, and splatterpunk. The problem though is that in a volume this size there's bound to be some filler right? Surprisingly the answer is no, and as I read it I knew that Rob McEwan not only has an eye for talent but he knows horror. This is for the true horror fan and while some the authors here may be new they won't be for long. Each story packs a punch and the volume flows extremely well.      If you've read my reviews you know that I never judge these just on the stories. It would take to long to go into each and everyone and to pick a favorite from a volume this good is nearly impossible. This features every aspect of the horror genre so no matter wh

Tables Without Chairs  #1 Brian Alan Ellis, Bud Smith and Waylon Thornton 5/5                                                                                                                                                                                   I haven't been into the bizarro scene for quite some time, but occasionally I'll drop back in for a visit just to see what's going on. Brian actually posted a picture of the cover to this on Facebook and it looked like someone ate a bunch of cotton candy and then got pedigreed onto the floor and promptly threw up. It's the kind of cover that you see and instantly want to read. I have read three of Brian's books so far and I find that with each book he just strings a bunch of random ideas together and they somehow form a cohesive story. Case in point each of these stories range in topics from lost car keys. tripping balls on New Years Eve and finding that you're locked out of the apartment and

        Clive Barker - The Hellbound Heart  5/5                                                                     Hellraiser is one of the greatest and most iconic horror movies ever created. You disagree and I will fight you. Horror had reached a new level and at the helm was a man named Clive Barker who was changing the landscape of horror. I was a young metal/horror fan of twelve when I stumbled onto Barker's classic Books Of Blood. I think it was either the second or third volume and my mind was blown. I had been worshiping at the altar of Stephen King for quite some time but wanted to branch out and see what else was out there so I gave Barker a shot and it reaffirmed this insane belief that I wanted to write. As soon as I heard about Hellbound Heart I was intrigued enough to read it and it became one of my favorite horror novels. I wanted to read it again just to see if I felt the same way and holy shit! Many years have passed as have many viewing of the film that i

The Woods Are Dark - Richard Laymon  Original Version 3/5 - Restored 5/5      This is the book that pretty much killed Laymon's career in the US which can be explained rather easily. Warner Books not only heavily edited the original manuscript but gave us this lovely cover. Atrocious isn't it? The problem was that even with this awful cover and numerous typos this was a classic horror novel. Laymon went places that no other writer dared, but sadly no one read it.                                                  The thing is that Laymon had built up a rabid following and despite Warner Books almost killing his career here in the States.  The UK loved him and this Ohio born horror fan stumbled onto his work. I read the original version of The Woods Are Dark so I knew what this book was all about. I knew that people were turned off by Laymon's style and penchant for over the top violence. What I loved, and still loved about The Woods Are Dark is that this is a novel t

       Greasepaint - David C. Hayes  5/5                                                                   When I received an advanced copy of Greasepaint I should have known what I was in for. For just a second let's talk about this new influx of clown horror and what it does to those who are deathly afraid of clowns, and also what it does for horror in general. I myself aren't afraid of clowns. Do I find them creepy? Hell yeah I do. With their floppy ass shoes. And big red noses. As a horror writer I have written a couple of short stories that features a few clowns and I can tell you that there is a lot there to work with and it's easy to see why clown horror is the new in thing. They've always been creepy and it's easy to look beyond the bright cheerful demeanor and peer into something darker. Horror is all about exposing the dark and bringing it into the light. After seeing the cover of David Hayes' new book all I can say is fuck clowns. Fuck them in

Blade Of The Destroyer - Andy Peloquin 4/5      I received Blade Of The Destroyer in exchange for an honest review and I have to admit that I didn't realize that it was a fantasy novel. I'm more of a horror/bizarro guy so I was a bit worried. I can't even tell you the last time a read a fantasy novel. I do have an open mind though and have been known to genre hop from time to time. I'm the kind of reader that likes a good story regardless of what genre it's in. It's quite nice to sometimes step outside of your comfort zone and see what other books are out there. As I started this I was instantly hooked. Blade is an often violent novel about a guy called the Hunter. This is one bad ass dude but unlike a lot of other novels Andy gives this guy some depth and it's the Hunter himself that fuels this novel.      Blade is the start of a new series and what I like is that the story moves quickly and unlike a lot of other novels you aren't mired in

     Finders Keepers - Stephen King 5/5                                                                           I started reading Finders Keepers on a Saturday but I couldn't read a lot due to my kids visiting, but on Sunday I started reading it before I went to bed. It was one of those nights when I couldn't go to sleep no matter what I did so I went downstairs for a cigarette and a cup of decaf, and read for two hours. I can't tell you the last time I read a King novel like this. To find two back to back is quite rare. The one thing I kept seeing in reviews is that this is sort of like Misery and that is pure bullshit. Misery is utterly terrifying, and while Finders Keepers does have some terrifying moments these are some misleading comparisons. At its core Keepers is a book about obsession and as I read this I realized that while I kept waiting for King to return to horror that was never going to happen. Everyone changes and evolves. We can't stay in th

     Stephen King - Mr Mercedes 5/5       Mr. Mercedes Review                                                   I know I complain a lot about Stephen King's current output, and maybe it's a little mean. King after all was a huge influence on me and made realize that I wanted to be a writer. Had it not been for Pet Sematary I would have never become a writer, and it's quite possible that I wouldn't have been such an avid reader. This was the only writer I have ever followed with rabid obsession. When you bought a Stephen King book you knew what you were getting into. To a twelve year old kid this was some serious shit. No one wrote like King. There would of course be other horror writers later on, but Stephen King was my gateway drug. Now the odds of him creating a classic horror novel are pretty slim, and I haven't been a fan for quite some time. His books just aren't as good as they used to be. They contain a bit too much filler and sadly they're a