[image error] I've been on a short story kick this week, trying to take in as much Halloweeny goodness as I can before the big day. The following are three new finds I recommend you all go pick up.



A Pound Of Flash

Here is another twisted collection of short horror stories from the author of The Lake and 17 Other Stories, Saying Goodbye to the Sun, GRUBS, and 33 A.D.

"Exhibit B"—Witness our talkative serial killer friend as he torments the detective assigned to his case.

"One of Four"—Deep in the bowels of an old Catholic Church, a seemingly frail old man lies chained to a bed. But this old man is anything but frail.

"Surviving the Zombie Invasion"—Some people will do anything to survive in a town overrun by zombies.

"Alone on the Mountain"—A man who has lived alone in the Appalachian Mountains for 15 years falls victim to the eruption of the Yellowstone Caldera.

Plus 12 mini horror "bites."

BONUS MATERIAL:

"Apology," by Michael Crane
"Return to Ravenworld," by Daniel Arenson
"Locked and Locked Again," by David Dalglish


My take: You can definitely call me a McAfee fan. David writes the kind of horror that got me into the genre in the first place. Gritty, fun, and sometimes shocking tales that'll keep you up with the lights on.





Darkness Under the Sun

The chilling account of a pivotal encounter between innocence and ultimate malice, Darkness Under the Sun is the perfect read for Halloween—or for any haunted night—and reveals a secret, fateful turning point in the career of Alton Turner Blackwood, the killer at the dark heart of What the Night Knows, the forthcoming novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz.
 
There once was a killer who knew the night, its secrets and rhythms. How to hide within its shadows. When to hunt.

He roamed from town to town, city to city, choosing his prey for their beauty and innocence. His cruelties were infinite, his humanity long since forfeit. But still…he had not yet discovered how to make his special mark among monsters, how to come fully alive as Death.

This is the story of how he learned those things, and of what we might do to ensure that he does not visit us.


My take: Darkness Under the Sun is a novella that introduces us to some of the characters in Dean's new thriller, What the Night Knows. I've been a Koontz fan for a long time and have read most of what he's written. Whether or not you plan to buy What the Night Knows, you shouldn't miss this story. It works excellently as a standalone tale.





Lessons (and other morbid drabbles)

A man learns a painful and valuable lesson…one finger at a time.
An old couple bickers over disgusting leftovers.
Kids go ignored when they tell their parents about the horrors that lurk in their bedrooms, until it's too late…

Lessons (and other morbid drabbles) is a collection of 25 100-word shorts that range from darkly comic to downright terrifying and wrong. Some shorts feature ghouls and monsters while others are simply about people behaving very, very badly. Which is scarier? Find out in this sick and twisted collection.

They may only be a few words long, but that doesn't lessen the bloodshed any…


My take: It's hard to write a story in exactly 100 words. It's even harder to do it twenty-five times in a row. I'm very impressed with this little collection, and I think you will be, too.



You can get all three of these for a grand total of $3.57. At that price, if you don't buy them all, you deserve a razor blade in your Halloween candy. That's right, I went there.

Seriously, these are great Halloween reads. Treat yourself.