Book Review: Monsters Exist – Edited by Jesse Dedman & Theresa Braun

MONSTERS EXIST

DEADMAN’S TOME

Edited by Jesse Dedman & Theresa Braun

148 Pages

MASTER VERMIN By Wallace Boothill: Baltimore is host to an infestation of deadly proportion.

LEGEND TRIPPERS by Theresa Braun: A reporter vies to get a controversial story on train wrecks but learns there is more carnage than meets the eye.

THE MURDER OF CROWS by S.J. Budd: A taxi driver with an obsession for murder makes the barter of his life.

WICKED CONGREGATION by Gary Buller: The sect with a dark perception encompasses the unknown.

PLAYING DEAD by S.E. Casey: The Carnival is no place for an estranged family man.

LAKE MONSTER by Mr. Deadman: A fishing accident causes Gary and Willie’s lives to dramatically alter.

NEVER SLEEP AGAIN by Calvin Demmer: Police grapple with finding a suspected serial killer who may have origins beyond this world.

THE VOICE FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE WELL by Phillip W. Kleaver: Johanna copes with nightmares and the thing that should not be.

ECLIPSE AT WOLF CREEK by Sylvia Mann: Caring for an invalid grandmother has horrific side effects.

NO 7 by William Marchese: Two boys struggle with the reality of a reanimated solider.

BITTEN by Christopher Powers: Arachnophobia utterly consumes Charles.

KELPIES by Leo X. Robertson: A man’s obsession with a siren call may be the last temptation he has.

BLOODSTREAM REVOLUTION by M.R. Tapia: One village’s Day of The Dead emulates hell on earth.

A collection of thirteen short stores of the macabre from thirteen different authors.

Monster’s Exist, the very phrase inspires primal fear. From childhood right up to and until the day we die we often reflect on the shadows, what is unseen and what evil lies within the darkened hearts of fellow man, nature and beast. This anthology exemplifies a plethora of fears while unapologetically exploiting each all the while managing to ratchet up the paranoia factor deep into the psyche of a vast reading audience from all walks of life.

Each of the thirteen tales are relatively brief averaging around ten pages. Monsters Exist is an ideal book to enjoy on the morning commute, taking a break or simply tearing in with rabid affection should the moment be just right. The stories manage to reel in the reader with even the shortest of attention spans making this a certifiable solid choice in anthology selections.

Diverse styles and prose from each author are every bit as unique as the submissions included within. Special attention to variety in the story telling process from third person point of view to first person is exceptional. Readers will rejoice with the gift of hacking away all the unnecessary exposition that fails to lie within the short story realm. As a result audiences will get to the meat of the matter reveling in satisfaction.

Monster’s Exist can be most alluring to the discerning reader being fashioned from a more literary cloth than commercial fiction. Make no mistake about it however readers will gravitate from a wide background to fully consume the pages. Deadman’s Tome is a press that will offer a bevy of hair raising experiences and what better, more fitting manner than to gain initial exposure through Monster’s Exist.

Brief author bois follow the end of each submission depicting contact information and additional endeavors ready to explore from each writer. So curl up, snap on the night light, double check the locks on the door and maybe have a peek under the bed and ponder long into the night do Monsters Exist?