Wildside – Page 2 – Larque Press | The Digest Enthusiast

Reviews July 24, 2018

James D. Mabe’s Touched

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.

Reviews July 18, 2018

Frank Duffy’s Anonymous Devil

From 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.

Reviews July 11, 2018

Frederick J. Mayer and Zhar’s Outré House

From Weirdbook No. 34:

Award-winning poet Frederick J. Mayer’s short story, “Zhar’s Outré House,” is a meld of poetry and narrative that delights in description over deed. For example: “The vivacious vixenish lead vocalist gave a fleeting foxy wink to her awaiting, appreciating, but inattentive friends situated in the darkly lit place’s menses red vinyl half-moon shaped booth. Dr. Anne du Voor, whose robust rotundity displayed how an obese form could show no excess fat; Dr. Koh Rei-mi’s, in her prime forties, physique could of been that of a young model for August Rodin and Lady Jones.”

Reviews June 29, 2018

Gregg Chamberlain’s Bunnies

From Weirdbook No. 34:

Dark humor abounds in Gregg Chamberlain’s “Bunnies of the Apocalypse.” A satanist, about to sacrifice a child to the glories of the dark lord, finds his young victim more resourceful than he even could have imagined.

Reviews June 24, 2018

Franklyn Searight: Excavation

From Weirdbook No. 34:

In “Excavation” by Franklyn Searight, a lightning strike in Morris Clooney’s front yard seems to have triggered something. Over the coming months the earth rises to form a rectangular bed, a puzzle with no logical explanation. Even when Morris hires a young neighbor to literally dig into the matter, his questions remain. Then, one night the answer begins to materialize in a remarkably explicit dream from a time long past.

Reviews June 14, 2018

J. Michael Major’s In the Gallery

From Weirdbook No. 34:

J. Michael Major gives readers a peek inside the art scene, with “In the Gallery.” It’s all quite inspirational as we follow an accomplished painter, who shares his life’s canvas with his new protégé—including some enjoyable asides on the ups and downs of the creative vocation—but don’t ignore the setting. This is Weirdbook, where the final sentence can shatter one’s naive illusions.

Reviews June 4, 2018

Sean Patrick Hazlett’s Mukden

From Weirdbook No. 34:

A dark tale of swords and sorcery, Sean Patrick Hazlett’s “Mukden” follows Captain Tanaka Hideki through a tenuous partnership with the bandit Fu Shih and encounters with the ghostly shikome, fell servants of the underworld, on his way to reclaim his honor and reach Mukden. Hazlett captures the bleak, brutal pall of war as the Japanese and Chinese battle their Russian invaders.

Reviews May 21, 2018

Adrian Cole’s Mirrorman

From Weirdbook No. 34:

“A Kiss for the Mirrorman” by Adrian Cole is a terrific fast-paced battle of wits and advanced weaponry. Set in the gritty streets of a future metropolis, an unnamed assassin tracks the Mirrorman and plunges him into a deadly trap. One for the issue’s best adventures.

Reviews May 15, 2018

Bret McCormick’s Demon

Weirdbook began life as a fantasy and horror fanzine in 1968. The creation of Paul Ganley, it ran for 30 issues, ending in 1997. In 2015, Doug Draa asked Paul for permission to relaunch the title. With publishing help from John Betancourt, Weirdbook was reborn in September 2015. With issue 34 the magazine went quarterly.

Bret McCormick opens Weirdbook No. 34 with a light-hearted look at reality, and triggers a more serious question about belief in “The Demon in the Doughnut Shop.” Is seeing believing? The lead character is left with doubts, even after a shape-shifting demon from hell gives him a personal demonstration. The facts are indisputable, but emotion and past experience still imprint his perceived reality.