Psycho Circus: A Collection Of Horror - T.S. Woolard 5/5 stars
I received a copy of Psycho Circus in exchange for an honest review
When you call a book Psycho Circus, you better deliver something unique, or at least a little weird. I've read a lot of weird books, and I've read a lot of extreme books as well. To describe this one would be a mixture of the two. While it's not a straight up horror collection, it's still pretty damn good. The problem I find with a lot of extreme horror is that it lacks a clear plot, and only wants to beat the reader into submission with its brutality. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I crave a little more from my books.
Woolard is a decent writer that explores the dark side of human nature and these tales aren't for everyone. Quite a few of them are pretty disturbing, but there's a reason for this. It's just the way the stories evolve, and you drift from story to story wondering what's next. The guy has talent, and a way of presenting his stories. As I read Psycho Circus I couldn't help but wonder what inspired these stories, and adding to the darkness is poetry that is clearly influenced by Poe. This is a collection for those that like their fiction dark. There's no other way to describe it, and sure, there's a bit of violence, but there's a reason behind it all. As a collection, it flows well, and the poetry gives it a bit more depth. Woolard is the kind of writer that pulls his influences from a variety of places to create something unique. Horror fiction can be pretty stale so it's good to have a book like this to lure us into the darkness.
If you like your fiction dark, and a little disturbing, this one's for you. He writes like a man possessed either by real, or personal demons, but thankfully, he's writing, and what a writer he is. To review each story would take way way too long, and I like to review these as a whole. How well does it flow? Are there any clunkers? It flows well, and as far as clunkers go, there isn't a bad story in the bunch. This is a decent collection, and shows a writer with immense talent trying to find a fan base. Psycho Circus is a nod to darker fiction which I miss. We don't see a lot of dark fiction anymore, but I have a feeling Woolard is about to change that.
I received a copy of Psycho Circus in exchange for an honest review
When you call a book Psycho Circus, you better deliver something unique, or at least a little weird. I've read a lot of weird books, and I've read a lot of extreme books as well. To describe this one would be a mixture of the two. While it's not a straight up horror collection, it's still pretty damn good. The problem I find with a lot of extreme horror is that it lacks a clear plot, and only wants to beat the reader into submission with its brutality. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I crave a little more from my books.
Woolard is a decent writer that explores the dark side of human nature and these tales aren't for everyone. Quite a few of them are pretty disturbing, but there's a reason for this. It's just the way the stories evolve, and you drift from story to story wondering what's next. The guy has talent, and a way of presenting his stories. As I read Psycho Circus I couldn't help but wonder what inspired these stories, and adding to the darkness is poetry that is clearly influenced by Poe. This is a collection for those that like their fiction dark. There's no other way to describe it, and sure, there's a bit of violence, but there's a reason behind it all. As a collection, it flows well, and the poetry gives it a bit more depth. Woolard is the kind of writer that pulls his influences from a variety of places to create something unique. Horror fiction can be pretty stale so it's good to have a book like this to lure us into the darkness.
If you like your fiction dark, and a little disturbing, this one's for you. He writes like a man possessed either by real, or personal demons, but thankfully, he's writing, and what a writer he is. To review each story would take way way too long, and I like to review these as a whole. How well does it flow? Are there any clunkers? It flows well, and as far as clunkers go, there isn't a bad story in the bunch. This is a decent collection, and shows a writer with immense talent trying to find a fan base. Psycho Circus is a nod to darker fiction which I miss. We don't see a lot of dark fiction anymore, but I have a feeling Woolard is about to change that.
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