Stuart Aken: Horror fiction

Friday, 31 October 2014

#BookADayUK; A Reader Event For October. Last Day

Odd Thomas (novel) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Well, it's been a bit of a marathon, but hopefully has made some readers consider using their local independent bookshop (if you're lucky enough to have one!) to purchase their books. The Books Are My Bag.com promotion has lasted the entire month of October, and I've tried to post on each theme as it's occurred.

Todays, more or less inevitably, I suppose, is 'Spookiest read'. Spookiest? Well, I've read a lot of books that have set my nerves jangling, made me look over my shoulder for that vague sound behind me, got me twitching the curtains to see who is lurking in the back garden. Can I recall the title of a single one? Not today (but it has been a rather peculiar day with an early morning journey to rescue my daughter after she crashed her car - no injury, but a bit of a bent car. Didn't get to bed until 03:15 and then up at 08:00 to get the car recovered and into the garage for repairs!).

So, it looks as though I've had to call on Goodreads to remind me. And I've come up with Dean Koontz and Odd Thomas. Let's face it, a book about a guy who sees dead people is pretty spooky. It's a good read and I'd recommend you try it.

Friday, 15 August 2014

The Burning Circus, Edited by Johnny Mains, Reviewed.

Horror is a very special genre, and not to everyone’s taste, of course. But it’s not all blood and gore, as this anthology demonstrates. Here we have a collection of stories to engender dread, unease, shock and downright horror in the reader. Most leave you with the impression that the world isn’t quite as you thought it was.

There’s a subtlety to many of the tales, a subversive undercurrent that makes the reader question certain well-loved attitudes about people in general. There is much psychological tension here, stories to make the reader pause and to think. Amongst the stories, there are images fairly recognisable to readers of the genre, but these are then twisted and distorted so that unease replaces familiarity.

Eight tales written by masters of the craft inhabit the pages of this hardback publication. It is, by the way, only available to members of the British Fantasy Society. If you’re a fan of fantasy, horror or science fiction, you’d do well to become a member. The book, along with its partner publication, Unexpected Journeys, comes as part of the benefits of membership.

I enjoyed these tales. They’re all different, showing the diversity of the genre and demonstrating its ability to sow seeds of doubt, fear and terror. Well-written and entertaining, the anthology is definitely worth a read. Get hold of it if you can. How refreshing to handle a book that resides between hard covers for a change! Recommended.