Book Reviews

VALLEY OF THE DEAD Author Kim Paffenroth Published by: Permuted Press Publication Date: 2010 Format: Black /White – 258 pages Price: $14.95 The Divine Comedy by Italian poet Dante Alighieri is, arguably, one of the most studied and celebrated poems of all time. Religious scholars have spent centuries analyzing it for its theological content. Students of literature have sung praises …

TRASHFIEND Written by Scott Stine Published by Headpress Publication Date: 2009 Format: B&W with color insert – 224 pages Price: $19.95 Headpress and author Scott Stine did the work for us. When I say “us” I’m referring to older generation that grow up in the 60’s and 70’s. At age 42, I still have fond memories of the materials that …

JAPANESE HORROR CINEMA (PAPERBACK) Author Jay McRoy Published by University of Hawaii Press Publication Date: 2005 Format: Black /White – 240 pages Price: $28.00 Author Jay Mcroy is a pretty smart guy. In “Japanese Horror Cinema” his latest book, he looks at the Asian culture (Japanese specifically) with a careful eye of detail, tight analogies and perspectives of what it …

THE NIGHTMARE FACTORY (PAPERBACK) Written by Joe Harris, Stuart Moore, Thomas Ligotti Art by Colleen Doran, Ben Templesmith. Ted McKeever, & Michael Gaydos Published by Harper Paperbacks Publication Date: 2007 Format: Color – 112 pages Price: $17.99 “The Nightmare Factory” as it is so called. A collection of 4 short stories based on the work of Thomas Ligotti . In …

Nocturnal Emissions by Jeffrey Thomas Supernatural “Black Dogs,” UFOs, a vampire shark, parasite-infested children, and a foul-mouthed marionette from another dimension. These are just some of the dark delights to be found in the forthcoming collection  set for release by Dark Regions Press in September, 2010. NOCTURNAL EMISSIONS, from Jeffrey Thomas – the fertile imagination behind the Punktown and Letters …

He Who Walks In Shadow By: Brett J. Talley JournalStone Publishing 179 Pages “Well, that’s quite the story, isn’t it? Not exactly what one wants to hear on the eve of an expedition,” He laughed, but it was no more honest than his smile. After the ominous book, The Incendium Maleficarum has disappeared from the personal safe of Carter Weston, …

Once again, I find myself reviewing a zombie apocalypse novel. While some may be growing weary of the genre due to the sheer volume of zombie novels that have came out lately, I personally enjoy the idea of stumbling onto a book that manages to take a fresh look at an undead corpse despite the fact that the genre is …

Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau’s 1922 film Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror holds a special place for me as I become aware of it when I was just two years into my love of the horror film genre. I had read about the film in Darrell W. Moore’s “The Best, Worst, and Most Unusual Horror Films,” a book that I purchased in …

Darkness Rising By: Brian Moreland Samhain Publishing 98 Pages Marty Weaver is a dreamer that expresses his romantic nature through poetry. Often going to a nearby lake for inspiration he ventures forth to ponder over his unrequited love Jennifer. On this ill-fated evening Marty is not alone. Three ruthless killers have occupied his sanctuary. As the killers commence a hellacious …

Saint Death By: Devan Sagliani Laughing Crow Media 96 Pages When a group of two separate tandem friends take a trip to Mexico for some fun in the sun, unbridled partying and wild abandon they soon realize their carefree soiree has come at a price. A most ominous cult by the name of Santa Muerte or translated Saint Death possesses …

THE SECRET HISTORY OF VAMPIRES: THEIR MULTIPLE FORMS AND HIDDEN PURPOSES Author Claude Lecouteux Published by Inner Traditions Publication Date: 2010 Format: Black /White – 200 pages Price: $16.95 Alot is misunderstood about the origins and legacy of the vampire creature. So much that over the years the interpretations have blended together based on legend, myth and cinema so much …

THE DEVIL’S OWN – ISSUE#0 (COMIC) Writer: Pete Mesling Artwork: Brian Beardsley Publisher: Night Rail Press Publication Date: 2009 Format: Full Color – 12 pages Price: $1.50 “Left with little choice after a ferocious female demon burns down his home as a demonstration of her abilities, Pedro Felsenstein agrees to take on the strangest clients of his career. Claudia and …

SHAMAN’S BLOOD By Anne C. Petty Something is terribly awry for Alice Waterston. Her emotionally estranged mother Suzanne has passed. While her own daughter Margaret, uncle Hal and even significant other Nik mourn her loss, she feels detached and numb. A sense of guilt eclipses the bereavement process. Sinister turmoil begins to shine just beyond leaving many questions unanswered. A …

Issue: Bela Lugosi’s Tales from the Grave #1 Writers: Kerry Gammill, Sam F. Park, James Farr, Rob Brown, Derek McCaw, John Cassaday, Joe Freire, Martin Powell, Gary D. Rhodes Artists: Kerry Gammill, Chris Moreno, John Cassaday, Rafael Navarro, Joe Freire, Terry Beatty, Tom Smith, Brian Denham, Kez Wilson, Jeff Preston, Frank Dietz, Paul Garner, Kim Loh Editors: Kerry Gammill, Kez …

By now, the term “The Walking Dead” is far from being an obscurity with a hit series just finishing its 2nd season prepping for more. Editor James Lowder has assembled an interesting cast of writers in effort to put together different viewpoints and thoughts in relation to this zombie-filled series. The book is titled “Triumph of the Walking Dead”. “Triumph” …