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Weirdbook 34

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Rish Outfield’s Trick

Weirdbook No. 34 page 179From Weirdbook No. 34:

In “Trick” by Rish Outfield, a self-absorbed dad gets a handful on Halloween when he takes his daughter trick or treating.

I imagine poetry is even more challenging to write and sell than fiction. Weirdbook provides six poems in this issue, the short ones used to fill out the last page of a story, and the longer ones to provide a break between the fiction. This issue includes verses by Steve Dilks (2), Darrell Schweitzer, Ashley Dioses (2), and Lucy A. Snyder.

Editor Doug Draa has done excellent work curating a diverse mix of weird fiction and poetry
for Weirdbook No. 34. Highly recommended for fans of fantasy, horror, supernatural, and science fiction. Every story was entertaining and worth reading. My favorites were those by Adrian Cole and Sean Patrick Hazlett. And I’d rate James D. Mabe’s “Touched” as the best of the book by a shake—a tremble actually.

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Greg Jenkins’ Thrill

Weirdbook No. 34 page 170From Weirdbook No. 34:

A short excerpt from Greg Jenkins’ “Thrill My Soul” provides both the tone and gist of his story: “Right away, I had a bad feeling about what I was in for. Anytime Death offers you his hand and says Come with me, chances are you’re not going to Disney World.”

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James Ward Kirk’s Personal Dream

Weirdbook No. 34 page 152From Weirdbook No. 34:

The champion of weird in this particular Weirdbook is likely Dan Teagarden, protagonist of “My Personal Dream” by James Ward Kirk. Teagarden smirks at the funeral of his abusive father but writhes in agony at the death of his mother, whom he loves beyond reason. Afterward, his dallies with whores and an elusive theologian offer only meaningless diversion from his descent into madness—one that twists his perception of his own demise into the ultimate bliss.

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D.J. Tyrer’s Blood of God

Weirdbook No. 34, page 125From Weirdbook No. 34:

“Blood of God” by D.J. Tyrer takes place on an Anglo-Russian survey platform off Russia’s arctic coast. When the survey team discovers an extra-heavy oil deposit things turn dire. Tyrer’s frigid, isolated setting conjures memories of The Thing. As the crew opens a sample deposit it transforms their mission from research to survival in this tension-packed monster meddler.

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James D. Mabe’s Touched

Weirdbook No. 34 page 106From Weirdbook No. 34:

You don’t have to imagine the discomfort of Abigail Haynes when lawman Jim Barton stops by her place unannounced and invites himself in for a drink, a smoke, and a little chat. James D. Mabe serves it straight up in “Touched.” Barton’s down home charm draws you in like a blue-green fly crawling up the wall on a hot summer day, at least a mile from the nearest neighbor. As he pours out his spiel poor Abigail is bound, barely able to wonder why he’s telling her about the hideous Throckmorton murder scene. Unfortunately for her, she soon learns how all the disparate pieces squirm together.

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Frank Duffy’s Anonymous Devil

WB34 page 86From Weirdbook No. 34:

Frank Duffy builds a waking nightmare with a satisfying mix of specific detail and invention in “The Devil is Anonymous.” Its UK setting appears vivid and real. The relationship of its troubled couple and their technological life does too. But there is much unexplained, brushed aside by a narrative that throws the reader into a questionable reality of vitriol and mysterious circumstance. Who can you trust in this world of twisted corporate torment and virtual stalkers? The suspense and tension finally burst in a dark, bloody end that leaves you wanting more.