Book Review: Horror Library – Vol 1

When I decided to check out the short story scene, I stumbled upon a publisher called Cutting Block Press who published a series of short story anthologies called The Horror Library. The first book contains over thirty short stories written by extremely talented writers who all deserve Bram Stoker Awards in the future.

When I discovered they had published these anthologies I could not pass up the opportunity to read and review the first book.
The introductory story was written by Boyd E. Harris and was about the real life horrors of what goes on in the world. I couldn’t help but shudder after reading it. Although the violence was brutal, there was a sense of realism to the story, because in the end—this could happen to you. The twenty-nine other tales of horror are all as equally frightening as the first.
Jed Verity’s shocking short story “Oren’s Axe” was disturbing and depraved on many levels. Paul J. Gitchner’s story about a prisoner willing to go to great lengths (which may even cost him his life) in order to free himself definitely struck a chord on how desperate prisoners can be when it comes to one last chance at freedom.

Eric Stark’s “Little Black Box” was a disturbing tale about paranoia, involving a harmless little black box that could mean the end of mankind. Vincent VanAllen’s “Lemonhead “was yet another story of one man’s journey into self destruction with pain and suffering added with drugs that could land him on the Front Page. CJ Hurtt‘s “Garces Circle” tells a story of a legend surrounding a statue and a series of accidents— simply stating anything can happen in this unpredictable world. John Rowland’s “One Small Bite” tells the tale of how one small bite can turn into an epidemic.

There’s not enough room for me to review all the other stories contained inside this volume. The stories mentioned above are again, well written and has an immediate effect of catching your attention. If you are looking for a series of short stories to read on a dark and stormy night, Horror Library Volume 1 is the horror anthology to look out for. The authors did one hell of a job writing the tales within. There’s some really good stuff within the pages of this tome. Some of the tales are truly sick as hell, and that’s saying something. There’s not a moment when you think all is happy and joyful, that is not given to us readers. The authors of the stories prove to us that there is no such thing as a happy ending. Horror is brutal. It always has been.

http://cuttingblock.net/