Slap Happy Fun Time

The J.G. Clay Interview                                                               Many thanks to J.G. for taking the time to do this.  Q: Tales Of Blood And Sulphur is your debut. Where’d you get the idea to do a collection of short stories instead of a full-length novel? It was out of necessity and impatience to be honest. My original plan was to write and release a novel but the ideas I had at the time weren’t up to scratch. I had a few short stories hanging about, so I decided to write some new ones and release a collection as a kind of showcase, just to show people what I’m about and what I can do. The original version of ‘Tales’, which is no longer in print, attracted the attention of Booktrope and I got a deal on the strength of the book. Rather than re-release ‘Tales’ as it was, I t...

  Queen Of Hell - Jeff O'Brien 5/5      I have to tell you that Jeff O'Brien gave me an early peek at his latest novella Queen Of Hell. It's a remastered version of an earlier book, and I hear you mumbling. Why in the fuck is Jeff pulling a Stephen King? If you've read Devil Rain why you should you buy this right? Jeff has given this the George Lucas treatment and not only polished it but added some words. I have read both and while I liked Devil Rain I actually like what he did with Queen Of Hell. The story is tighter and flows a lot better so you get a better story. It's the same story but the added content gives you a lot more detail.       If you haven't read Devil Rain at all then you should be warned. Queen Of Hell is not the same goofy comedy horror that Jeff usually writes. Hell is is pure dark as night horror. This is a guy that clearly wants to be taken seriously for a minute and as the story unfolds you are front row center for it a...

    Tales Of Blood And Sulphur - J.G. Clay  5/5                                                                  I haven't read a straight up horror novel in a long time. I usually hit the splatterpunk section because it's what I usually navigate toward. I received a copy of Tales Of Blood And Sulphur in exchange for an honest review and dug right in. It reminded me of the first time I read The Books Of Blood. It's that dark visceral horror that lurks just beyond your comfort zone. While it may not be injected with gore, it's still an interesting read due to the fact that Clay is heavily influenced by Clive Barker. It shows in most of the stories in Sulphur. That is where it seems to drag a little. As an occasional fan of Barker I sometimes found that the hype of how great Barker was, was actually better...

     Long-form Religious Porn - Laura Lee Bahr 5/5                                                                It's a good thing I don't read a lot of popular fiction. There's nothing wrong with it, but sometimes you miss something unique and unlike the other paint by number books by the usual authors releasing the same rehashed idea and premises. I like a little variety in my fiction which is why I read the kind of stuff I do. Mainstream fiction bores me so I tend to read stuff that others find questionable, but the thing is everyone has their own limits and knows that just by looking at a book cover it isn't for them.  It's unfortunate because by limiting yourself to whatever paint by number author happens to be the flavor of the month you're missing out on something great. I have never read La...

     Texas Chainsaw Mantis - Kevin Strange 5/5                                               No matter what you may think of Kevin Strange or his writing style the guy is doing exactly what he wants without any care or concern for the mainstream and you know what? Thank God for Kevin because I think Mantis may in fact be the very first splatter/bizarro/insect novel. It seems like the craziest idea, and I couldn't even imagine the time he spent researching the praying mantis. That is true dedication to the craft. You have elements here that take from so many influences and styles that even the most jaded horror fan will actually devour this book. If this didn't feature a praying mantis I bet more people would actually read this. It isn't the kind of story that most horror or even bizarro fans would touch, but you should.        Kevi...

     Tribes Of Decay: A Zombie Novel                                                     I received a copy of Garza's latest novel in exchange for an honest review and I've read his work before. This is a talented that continues to release zombie novels that breath life into the genre. While this could appeal to just fans of the genre it also contains a bit of everything that appeals to fans of horror as well as straight fiction. In Tribes Garza presents us with a look at the world after the initial zombie outbreak and the tribes that are fighting to survive in this new world. The problem is that the zombies are evolving and gathering. That's what sets this apart from what you're accustomed to. You have a great story about survival and all the usual rules of the zombies are thrown out. Garza takes a huge risk and it pays off. As the ope...

     David Cross - I Drink For A Reason 5/5                                                                                I have to get this off my chest because for a long time I've been carrying around this anger at David Cross. The guy is funny, but Alvin And The Fucking Chipmunks?!! Are you kidding me? What kind of sell out, self absorbed bullshit is that? A true comedy genius resorted to doing a shitty kid movie?? What kind of shit is that? I expect that from assholes like Larry The Cable Guy, but not you. I forgive you. We all make mistakes man. Wait, that movie paid for your summer home?? Really? Well shit, I'd do a shitty movie to pay for a house. U feel better now. I can go and do this review without any malice or any deep rooted anger. David fuckin' Cross...

     The Church Of Fear: Inside The Weird World Of Scientology John Sweeney 5/5                                                  This was my first book about Scientology. It's a good time to delve into what Scientology actually is. If you believe Tom Cruise and all the other celebrities you get the idea that it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. Under the surface though you can see that something isn't quite right. Why do all of their answers sound the same? What the hell is Scientology anyway? If you want the answers there are a variety of books exposing it and according to those who adhere to the so called religion these are the ravings of lunatics that have some hidden agenda against the church. If you want the official version there's a variety of books on what Hubbard created. Yep, Scientology isn't really a religion. Like every...

     Jesse Ventura - American Conspiracies  5/5                                                      I know that as a lot of people are expecting me to rip this book to shreds and call Ventura a total whack job. The thing is that I'm a thinker and pride myself on thinking outside the box. Those are who follow me on Facebook probably know that I get most of my news from UK sources and I do believe in a variety of conspiracy theories. I guess that too makes me a nut. The thing is that Ventura's book is an interesting read. It's one that urges you to think for yourself and that's what scares people. The very idea that we should think for ourselves leads to a variety of issues. You can wave your American flag pom poms all you what while singing the Star Spangled Banner all you want but here's the truth. You're being lied to. The...

     Undead Fleshcrave - Jim Gorforth  5/5   http://www.amazon.com/Undead-Fleshcrave-Trigger-Jim-Goforth-ebook/dp/B01ADNDDZW/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1452549055&sr=1-1&keywords=Undead+Fleshcrave                                                                        I received a copy of Fleshcrave directly from Jim Goforth in exchange for an honest review and all I really had at the time to go on was the cover art and the realization that Jim had a new book coming out. If you've followed my reviews on Goodreads or even here you're probably aware that his novel Plebs was one of my favorite novels of 2014. Now I'm looking at Fleshcrave and I can't help but think; What if it sucks? It's a valid question because even guys like Stephen King have a bad yea...

    Black Metal: Evolution Of A Cult Dayal  Patterson 5/5                                                                                                It doesn't matter how I approach this review. As soon as you hear the term black metal you've already conjured this in your head. It's okay though because everyone does. Black metal has one hell of a reputation but where did it all come from? How did this blackened form of noise catch the ear of metal fans?      That's what makes this book so interesting. Dayal had written a book that is must read for metal fans and it shows just how impressive black metal is. Evolution is a book that explains how the blackest form of metal evolved and also gives us the ...