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Halloween Party '23
Brace yourself for a heart-pounding journey into the unknown with HALLOWEEN PARTY ’23 ! Curated by the brilliant and enigmatic Jeffrey D. Keeten , who graces us with his captivating introduction, this year’s edition is a haunting masterpiece, featuring the wickedly talented “I Love Bad Art” artist, Juan Cantu . Immerse yourself in the eerie and captivating world of HALLOWEEN PARTY ’23 , boasting 21 brand-new works that will send shivers down your spine. This must-read collection is sure to become an annual favorite to read by the fire on dark October evenings. Don't dare miss it!
200 pages, Paperback
Published October 5, 2023
1 person is currently reading
38 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 9, 2023
I never review books.
I am making an exception for this one, which I felt compelled to add to my collection by the desire to read something written by my Goodreads friend Jeffrey Keeten.
All I'am saying is I am surprised - judging from the ratings number - it is going overlooked: it's a shame, because the book is good (and I am no easy-to-please reader) and a pleasure to the eye, owing to Juan Cantu's fancy artwork.
And Jeffrey, yours is one of my fav.
I am making an exception for this one, which I felt compelled to add to my collection by the desire to read something written by my Goodreads friend Jeffrey Keeten.
All I'am saying is I am surprised - judging from the ratings number - it is going overlooked: it's a shame, because the book is good (and I am no easy-to-please reader) and a pleasure to the eye, owing to Juan Cantu's fancy artwork.
And Jeffrey, yours is one of my fav.
February 14, 2024
As the book's curator, Jeffrey hits the bullseye with this collection of horror penned by twenty-one different authors. In addition to monsters and zombies, you'll read about, as Mr. Keeten notes, sea creatures, frictions between Pagan and Christian beliefs, haunted roadside ponds, well-fertilized rhododendrons, frosty visitors, and a wood witch named Gungleplop. Gotta love a witch with that name! Jeffrey concludes his cracking Introduction with these words of wisdom:
“Why do we like to scare ourselves with terrifying stories? Maybe it's because of the sometimes overwhelming fear we have of our incomprehensible universe. Maybe we find reading and watching horror to be a civilized way to quench our own dark impulses.
I personally subscribe to the theory that we scare ourselves for a simple reason: it make us feel more alive.”
To share a taste of how a reader can get the willies and feel more alive, I'll focus on the first three stories in the collection and then say a word about the book's artist.
BLUE ZONES by Robert Lewis Heron
Reading this story was a blast and a half. The narrator, a gent I'll call Bo, age 112, is on his way to Loma Linda, California to kill a woman by the name of Jacky Flag. By the way, Jacky lives in a Blue Zone, that is, a place where people tend to live long lives. You see, Bo wants to be the oldest living American, and once he does in this 114-year-old bag of bones, he'll achieve his goal and make it in the Guinness Book of World Records and win a $2 million dollar bet with the mob.
The good news: Bo has oodles of experience killing old people. God's honest truth. He's been killing old people throughout American since he turned 100 and knows just the way to go about killing Jacky. And Bo is in good shape. He shares the secret of his success: “A decent diet, a sharp mind, physical activity, and a meaningful life goal of becoming whoever you desire. In my case, the oldest living American.” One way Bo has kept his mind sharp is by reading lots of Chandler, Hammett, and MacDonald. “I've picked up a lot of good ideas on how to kill people from these books. Creativity is the key to life. To both enjoy and destroy.”
Will all go according to plan for Bo? Any bets? Hint: Bo rarely loses a bet.
Thanks a bunch for your story, Robert Lewis! You happy-go-lucky devil.
UNDER THE RHODODENDRONS by Morgan Golladay
“There was a dark patch in the grass and a slight depression where the body had been buried last year. Kathy noticed it first. “Sue, take a look out back where we planted the rhododendrons. Looks like the ground's sunk. We might need to fill it in.”
I knew where she meant. I'd hoped we'd buried George deep enough that this wouldn't happen, but looks like I was wrong. There was actually two problems. The second, the dark patch, would require more thought.”
Morgan, honey, you've written a dozy. You begin your story with the above lines, thus we as readers know THAT Kathy and Sue, two proper ladies who live in the Great Smoky Mountains, buried older brother George under the rhodys, but we eagerly savor each page as you explain WHY the two sweeties did what they did and what all lead up to the grand event. Well, were given what literary folks call a foreshadow when you have Kathy right off compare the rhodys with her troublemaker brother. “And they're a lot prettier to look at than George was.” Reading your story, we discover just how much prettier. What a Smoky Mountain Breakdown gem!
ALIEN NIPPLE by Jeffrey D. Keeten
You've done it, Sir Jeffrey! We're right there with you from the first page. Gordon Lish called an author's opening to a story an attack. And what an attack you've set down. As in these key lines: "She jammed it hard into the surface of the table. I jumped and glared with dismay as the knife handle wobbled back and forth like a misaligned metronome."
Nothing like building suspense. One of my fav lines deep into your tale: "A few months later, the news reported that a severed right arm had been found in the dumpster." Your story would give H.P. Lovecraft the willies.
ARTIST STATEMENT - Juan Cantú
Halloween Party '23 is peppered with the eye-catching work of this abnormally creative uroboric artist. Here's how Juan kicks off his searing statement:
"Art, for me, is a journey of authenticity, self-discovery, and mental well-being. I entered the world of creativity as a novice just five years ago, seeking a refuge for my restless mind. What I found was not just a medium of expression but a lifeline that has enable me to navigate the complexities of my mental health.
My art is unconventional, often labeled as "bad art." Yet, it's in this unpolished, unpretentious realm that I find my true creative voice. I cherish the authentically compulsive nature of "bad art" because it defies the constraints of perfection and welcomes the beauty of imperfection."
Halloween Party ' 23 - Read it. May the frightening force be with you.
November 21, 2023
Introduction
Jeffrey D. Keeten
“What scares me is what scares you. We're all afraid of the same things. That's why horror is such a powerful genre. All you have to do is ask yourself what frightens you and you'll know what frightens me.”
—John Carpenter
IN THE 1980s I DIDN’T JUST WATCH slasher movies on the big screen just so my girlfriend would
grab me every time she got scared, but also to experience those moments when the audience
became a breathless, petrified entity one severed head away from becoming a screaming, shuddering mass of shared terror. Reactions always varied. Some viewers would place their hands over their eyes or look down at their shoes, but most of the viewers’ dread-widened eyes were glued to the screen. Screams from audience members often punctured the air. When a climactic scene would finish, some viewers would sigh or shift in their seats apprehensively, or nervously laugh. I genuinely miss the experience of watching horror movies in packed theaters. Like most
people, I now utilize streaming services from the comfort of my own home. The experience is
satisfactory, but it can’t compare to the electric, pulsing atmosphere of shared terror found at the
theater.
You’re probably wondering why I’m writing about movies in an anthology of horror. Bear with me a little longer; hopefully, all will become clear.
I find it interesting to speculate about the Victorian readers who in 1886 read The Strange Case
of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. When these readers, freshly terrified by Stevenson’s vivid portrait of
depravity, left the safe brick walls of their homes to venture out into the London night, did they
imagine seeing Hyde lurking in the shadows? Can you imagine the whispered conversations between readers as they discussed the demise of Jekyll and the rise of Hyde? Doesn’t a similar phenomenon occur today when the grandmaster of horror, Stephen King, unleashes his latest masterpiece upon the frightened masses? Often, we share the same fears as our friends, so why not share that fear collectively?
Terror shared is an aphrodisiac and a thrilling way to inspire wonderful conversations about
the merits and the creeping dread you’ll experience as you read the stories that follow. I highly
recommend that you find friends to read this collection with you, hopefully at night and by
candlelight as a stiff wind moans beneath the eaves of the house. You will be able to share fear in the same way our ancient ancestors shivered together when a sabretooth tiger roared beyond the
firelight or the way moviegoers of the 1980s used to shudder collectively while watching slasher
films. I can assure you, the reading experience will be intensified.
This anthology was a pleasurable challenge to assemble. I sorted through a plethora of
interesting stories that provided me with a fascinating cross section of tales from which to choose.
A fair number of historical fiction stories were among the submissions, and many of these made the
cut into the anthology. We have sea creatures, frictions between Pagan and Christian beliefs, haunted roadside ponds, well-fertilized rhododendrons, frosty visitors, and a wood witch named Gurgleplop. You’ll find plenty of monsters in this collection as well. In recent years I’ve developed a fondness for zombies. Not long ago I read Lost in the Dark: A World History of Horror Films by Brad Weismann, in which he stated summarized the appeal of zombie tales: “Zombies make great antagonists; soulless, they can be destroyed easily and without any moral qualms.” I believe this also holds true for any monster. Perhaps we like to fight monsters in our imagination so that we don’t have to feel guilty about destroying, because we can’t destroy the very real monsters we deal with in life. I loved World War Z, which featured zombies that moved so rapidly that George Romero (who pioneered the modern zombie archetype in the film classic, Night of the Living Dead) declared them non-zombies. Personally, I don’t care what you call them. They scared the shit out of me. I thought Pontypool, 28 Days Later, Night of the Living Dead, Train to Busan, were all fantastic. So I was thrilled to find among the submissions a fun zombie scamper in which a writer is trying to escape the slathering, brain-eating creatures through the halls of his hotel. In addition to zombies, we have demon toys, massage resurrections, hauntings, an alien nipple, poems of horror that will play a tune on the xylophone of your spine, a sex doll creator with a head full of depravities, a centenarian psycho, and postcards more deadly than sweet.
Last but not least, you’ll find a new entry by James Goodridge. For many readers of the
Halloween Party anthology series, Goodridge’s supernatural investigating team of the vampire,
Madison Cavendish, and his werewolf counterpart, Sue Sunmountain, have been perennial favorites. Goodridge’s stories always brim with historical detail. Gravelight plans to release a collection of his tales in 2024. Meanwhile, you can enjoy the dynamic duo’s latest investigation presently.
Books stream like movies in my head crafted by one of the best cinematographers in the business. My impressions of what I read are turned into vivid, free-flowing images that allow me to
experience dread, happiness, sadness, and wonder as if the diegesis of any book becomes a subplot
of my own life. Horror stories like the ones you will find in this collection will create moving
pictures for you, too. You might squirm in your seat, imagine the shadows on the wall are morphing
into sinister shapes, or sleep with the lights on. It is so invigorating to feel the temporary unease of
uncertainty.
Why do we like to scare ourselves with terrifying stories? Maybe it's because of the sometimes overwhelming fear we have of our incomprehensible universe. Maybe we find reading and watching horror to be a civilized way to quench our own dark impulses. I personally subscribe to the theory that we scare ourselves for a simple reason: it makes us feel more alive.
Jeffrey D. Keeten
“What scares me is what scares you. We're all afraid of the same things. That's why horror is such a powerful genre. All you have to do is ask yourself what frightens you and you'll know what frightens me.”
—John Carpenter
IN THE 1980s I DIDN’T JUST WATCH slasher movies on the big screen just so my girlfriend would
grab me every time she got scared, but also to experience those moments when the audience
became a breathless, petrified entity one severed head away from becoming a screaming, shuddering mass of shared terror. Reactions always varied. Some viewers would place their hands over their eyes or look down at their shoes, but most of the viewers’ dread-widened eyes were glued to the screen. Screams from audience members often punctured the air. When a climactic scene would finish, some viewers would sigh or shift in their seats apprehensively, or nervously laugh. I genuinely miss the experience of watching horror movies in packed theaters. Like most
people, I now utilize streaming services from the comfort of my own home. The experience is
satisfactory, but it can’t compare to the electric, pulsing atmosphere of shared terror found at the
theater.
You’re probably wondering why I’m writing about movies in an anthology of horror. Bear with me a little longer; hopefully, all will become clear.
I find it interesting to speculate about the Victorian readers who in 1886 read The Strange Case
of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. When these readers, freshly terrified by Stevenson’s vivid portrait of
depravity, left the safe brick walls of their homes to venture out into the London night, did they
imagine seeing Hyde lurking in the shadows? Can you imagine the whispered conversations between readers as they discussed the demise of Jekyll and the rise of Hyde? Doesn’t a similar phenomenon occur today when the grandmaster of horror, Stephen King, unleashes his latest masterpiece upon the frightened masses? Often, we share the same fears as our friends, so why not share that fear collectively?
Terror shared is an aphrodisiac and a thrilling way to inspire wonderful conversations about
the merits and the creeping dread you’ll experience as you read the stories that follow. I highly
recommend that you find friends to read this collection with you, hopefully at night and by
candlelight as a stiff wind moans beneath the eaves of the house. You will be able to share fear in the same way our ancient ancestors shivered together when a sabretooth tiger roared beyond the
firelight or the way moviegoers of the 1980s used to shudder collectively while watching slasher
films. I can assure you, the reading experience will be intensified.
This anthology was a pleasurable challenge to assemble. I sorted through a plethora of
interesting stories that provided me with a fascinating cross section of tales from which to choose.
A fair number of historical fiction stories were among the submissions, and many of these made the
cut into the anthology. We have sea creatures, frictions between Pagan and Christian beliefs, haunted roadside ponds, well-fertilized rhododendrons, frosty visitors, and a wood witch named Gurgleplop. You’ll find plenty of monsters in this collection as well. In recent years I’ve developed a fondness for zombies. Not long ago I read Lost in the Dark: A World History of Horror Films by Brad Weismann, in which he stated summarized the appeal of zombie tales: “Zombies make great antagonists; soulless, they can be destroyed easily and without any moral qualms.” I believe this also holds true for any monster. Perhaps we like to fight monsters in our imagination so that we don’t have to feel guilty about destroying, because we can’t destroy the very real monsters we deal with in life. I loved World War Z, which featured zombies that moved so rapidly that George Romero (who pioneered the modern zombie archetype in the film classic, Night of the Living Dead) declared them non-zombies. Personally, I don’t care what you call them. They scared the shit out of me. I thought Pontypool, 28 Days Later, Night of the Living Dead, Train to Busan, were all fantastic. So I was thrilled to find among the submissions a fun zombie scamper in which a writer is trying to escape the slathering, brain-eating creatures through the halls of his hotel. In addition to zombies, we have demon toys, massage resurrections, hauntings, an alien nipple, poems of horror that will play a tune on the xylophone of your spine, a sex doll creator with a head full of depravities, a centenarian psycho, and postcards more deadly than sweet.
Last but not least, you’ll find a new entry by James Goodridge. For many readers of the
Halloween Party anthology series, Goodridge’s supernatural investigating team of the vampire,
Madison Cavendish, and his werewolf counterpart, Sue Sunmountain, have been perennial favorites. Goodridge’s stories always brim with historical detail. Gravelight plans to release a collection of his tales in 2024. Meanwhile, you can enjoy the dynamic duo’s latest investigation presently.
Books stream like movies in my head crafted by one of the best cinematographers in the business. My impressions of what I read are turned into vivid, free-flowing images that allow me to
experience dread, happiness, sadness, and wonder as if the diegesis of any book becomes a subplot
of my own life. Horror stories like the ones you will find in this collection will create moving
pictures for you, too. You might squirm in your seat, imagine the shadows on the wall are morphing
into sinister shapes, or sleep with the lights on. It is so invigorating to feel the temporary unease of
uncertainty.
Why do we like to scare ourselves with terrifying stories? Maybe it's because of the sometimes overwhelming fear we have of our incomprehensible universe. Maybe we find reading and watching horror to be a civilized way to quench our own dark impulses. I personally subscribe to the theory that we scare ourselves for a simple reason: it makes us feel more alive.
October 25, 2023
One of my favorite horror films to watch in October is an indie project titled, Southbound. It’s a unique, strange and whimsically wonderful piece that’s all atmosphere. Halloween Party ‘23 was oddly reminiscent of this film. From a 112 year-old serial killer, to immortal cannibals, to a (possibly) psychopathic woman who cuts off body parts she believes are infected with alien cells, Halloween Party ‘23 pushes the horror genre into new and interesting places. There are a couple of creepy poems in here, and some cool period pieces: Proper Substitute For A Pagan Holiday, The War Memorial Affair, and At Sea are all nicely detailed—I'm a sucker for anything set on a ship in the 18th century.
Overall, the standouts for me were Alien Nipple by Jeffrey Keeten, and Postcard Town by Emm Bucks.
All said, a really well-done anthology, suitable for the season. Happy Halloween!
Overall, the standouts for me were Alien Nipple by Jeffrey Keeten, and Postcard Town by Emm Bucks.
All said, a really well-done anthology, suitable for the season. Happy Halloween!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews