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SNAFU: Heroes
SNAFU Heroes
Four tales of military horror from Jonathan Maberry, Weston Ochse, Joseph Nassise, and James A Moore.
A supplemental volume to SNAFU, this book contains short stories and novellas from four of the best military horror writers in the field.
From demons to horrors from the deep, the battles keep on coming.
Fight or die…
50,000 words to keep you on the edge of your seat.
Four tales of military horror from Jonathan Maberry, Weston Ochse, Joseph Nassise, and James A Moore.
A supplemental volume to SNAFU, this book contains short stories and novellas from four of the best military horror writers in the field.
From demons to horrors from the deep, the battles keep on coming.
Fight or die…
50,000 words to keep you on the edge of your seat.
260 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 31, 2014
12 people are currently reading
189 people want to read
About the author
Geoff Brown
86 books129 followersGeoff Brown aka G.N. Braun is an Australian writer and twice Australian Shadows Award finalist-editor raised in Melbourne’s gritty Western Suburbs.
He is a trained nurse, and holds a Cert. IV in Professional Writing and Editing, as well as a Dip. Arts (Professional Writing and Editing).
At graduation, Brown was awarded ‘Vocational Student of the Year’ and ‘2012 Student of the Year’ by his college.
He writes fiction across various genres, and is the author of many published short stories. He has had numerous articles published in newspapers, both regional and metropolitan. He is the past president of the Australian Horror Writers Association (2011-2013), as well as the past director of the Australian Shadows Awards. He was an editor and columnist for UK site This is Horror, and the guest editor for Midnight Echo #9.
His memoir, Hammered, was released in early 2012 by Legumeman Books and has been extensively reviewed. It has been expanded on for rerelease in 2019.
He is the co-founder/director of Cohesion Press and Asylum Ghost Tours.
He is a trained nurse, and holds a Cert. IV in Professional Writing and Editing, as well as a Dip. Arts (Professional Writing and Editing).
At graduation, Brown was awarded ‘Vocational Student of the Year’ and ‘2012 Student of the Year’ by his college.
He writes fiction across various genres, and is the author of many published short stories. He has had numerous articles published in newspapers, both regional and metropolitan. He is the past president of the Australian Horror Writers Association (2011-2013), as well as the past director of the Australian Shadows Awards. He was an editor and columnist for UK site This is Horror, and the guest editor for Midnight Echo #9.
His memoir, Hammered, was released in early 2012 by Legumeman Books and has been extensively reviewed. It has been expanded on for rerelease in 2019.
He is the co-founder/director of Cohesion Press and Asylum Ghost Tours.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 20, 2015
As niche as military horror is, it's a sub-genre I find myself warming to. As such, after hearing editor Geoff Brown speak on the THIS IS HORROR podcast, I decided to track down the shortest of his military horror anthologies and check out what he was putting out there.
Snafu: Heroes brings together four tales involving soldiers taking on some kind of supernatural threat. The first tale, The Hungry Dark: A Templar Chronicles Mission by Joseph Nassise, depicts a sacred order of soldiers battling an outbreak of cadaver-controlling demons in small village Germany. It's a solid tale without being overly impressive, though perhaps some appreciation was lost for me as I was not familiar with the series of novels within which this story takes place. It's also by far the longest story in the anthology, even though it ends oddly suddenly, so I was ready for it to be over by the time it was. 3 stars.
The next tale, Tarzan Doesn't Live Here Any More by Weston Ochse is a little more sci-fi as well as a lot more out there than Nassise's contribution. Dealing with one man's effort to report on one of many deep rifts that have opened in the earth and from which numerous things try to escape, this story opts for an odd character point which drives the nerrative (and is hinted at in the title) that never really worked for me. Yet, the last third of this one is action-packed and had me on the edge of my seat, so it redeemed itself in a very entertaining way. 3.5 stars.
War Stories, by James A Moore, was easily my favourite of the three. A more personal take on returning war veterans and the bond they share - but, of course, with a horrific twist - Moore's story has a WWII vet grandfather offering his Vietnam vet grandson some words of wisdom before telling his most personal, terrifying story. Moore writes with an effortless power that completely won me over and has left me wondering about numerous facets of the story since I finished reading it earlier today. 4.5 stars.
The last story, Changeling: A Joe Ledger Adventure by Jonathan Maberry I did not read. Because there's an author's note saying that the events in this story take place after The Dragon Factory and that spoilers for that novel are sprinkled through this piece. Given I have that novel on my Kindle, I've decided to leave it alone for now and will return after I've gotten round to the aforementioned novel. So thank you to both Maberry and Brown for including this note.
All in all then, it's 3.5 FUBAR Enemies for the first three tales from SNAFU: Heroes, with an update to follow in future.
Snafu: Heroes brings together four tales involving soldiers taking on some kind of supernatural threat. The first tale, The Hungry Dark: A Templar Chronicles Mission by Joseph Nassise, depicts a sacred order of soldiers battling an outbreak of cadaver-controlling demons in small village Germany. It's a solid tale without being overly impressive, though perhaps some appreciation was lost for me as I was not familiar with the series of novels within which this story takes place. It's also by far the longest story in the anthology, even though it ends oddly suddenly, so I was ready for it to be over by the time it was. 3 stars.
The next tale, Tarzan Doesn't Live Here Any More by Weston Ochse is a little more sci-fi as well as a lot more out there than Nassise's contribution. Dealing with one man's effort to report on one of many deep rifts that have opened in the earth and from which numerous things try to escape, this story opts for an odd character point which drives the nerrative (and is hinted at in the title) that never really worked for me. Yet, the last third of this one is action-packed and had me on the edge of my seat, so it redeemed itself in a very entertaining way. 3.5 stars.
War Stories, by James A Moore, was easily my favourite of the three. A more personal take on returning war veterans and the bond they share - but, of course, with a horrific twist - Moore's story has a WWII vet grandfather offering his Vietnam vet grandson some words of wisdom before telling his most personal, terrifying story. Moore writes with an effortless power that completely won me over and has left me wondering about numerous facets of the story since I finished reading it earlier today. 4.5 stars.
The last story, Changeling: A Joe Ledger Adventure by Jonathan Maberry I did not read. Because there's an author's note saying that the events in this story take place after The Dragon Factory and that spoilers for that novel are sprinkled through this piece. Given I have that novel on my Kindle, I've decided to leave it alone for now and will return after I've gotten round to the aforementioned novel. So thank you to both Maberry and Brown for including this note.
All in all then, it's 3.5 FUBAR Enemies for the first three tales from SNAFU: Heroes, with an update to follow in future.
March 9, 2015
This is another sent into Ginger Nuts of Horror in exchange for an honest review of the book. This is an anthology of 4 military horror short stories.
I decided to grab this one because it features four different authors, two of which, Joseph Nassise and James A. Moore, I have read before and two others I have wanted to read, Jonathan Maberry and Weston Ochse. Military horror is a favourite of mine, if it’s done right. I have seen good reports about previous SNAFU anthologies so was looking forward to this one.
THE HUNGRY DARK: A TEMPLAR CHRONICLES MISSION BY JOSEPH NASSISE
Knight Commander Cade and his unit made up of Olsen, Riley and Duncan are sent to the remote village of Durbandorf in the Black Forest to investigate reports of strange creatures and unusual behaviour. On arrival they discover the place has been overrun by protean demons, they must try to keep the few remaining survivors alive while hunting down, and attempting to destroy the host demon.
I absolutely love books that feature the Knights Templar. I normally find them in historical / mystery thrillers so finding them in the middle of a horror story was great.
Right from the first paragraph this one kicks off with creepy scenes that perfectly set the atmosphere for the rest of the story. It’s dark, very dark. You can just imagine yourself in the middle of nowhere, with no resources, in the middle of a snowy, dark scene with no idea of what might jump out on you from a side street.
The idea of modern day Knights Templars is interesting. The characters in this are great. The four members of the team complement each other perfectly with the Knight Commander Cade, a perfect leader. They all have their own stories and, as it emerges, their own special “gifts”. There is an abundance of monsters in this. All horrifically mutilated and scary in their own ways.
It’s got the right amount of military action and an equal amount of creepiness, gore and tension. Extremely well written to make all of the above very effective. Only criticism I have is that the ending comes around way to quick. I know it’s a short but even a few more pages would have done the job.
4 stars for this one.
TARZAN DOESN’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE BY WESTON OCHSE
The Sonoran Rift was caused by something. It’s four miles long, hundreds of feet wide and more than a thousand feet deep. There is something in it that the military don’t want to escape. Andy is a reporter. Repeated attempts by his colleagues to find out what is in it have achieved nothing, No one has ever come back. Andy has a novel, yet dangerous suggestion for getting close to the rift. What he finds is way beyond anything he could have expected.
Superb. Sort of aliens land on earth, but not really, you never find out really. Plenty of monsters. Very scary for reasons that will become apparent. Reminded me a little of the film “Starship Troopers” only it was never in space, always on earth.
Really good tension and flashback’s to Andy’s past and his love of Tarzan novels. Scary, tense and very imaginative. I would absolutely love to see a full novel of this.
5 stars.
WAR STORIES BY JAMES A MOORE
Eddie is just back from Nam. He isn’t coping well. He is struggling with the traumas he saw. He feels guilty for coming home. His Grandpa served in WWII. He sits Eddie down one night to relate some stories to try and make him see how life should be after war. He tells the most horrifying story he can recall of a strange ally and Himmler’s monsters born of the occult.
This is without doubt one of the greatest short stories I have ever read. James A Moore has written something so beautifully atmospheric that it is mesmerising. He has taken a subject that still, so very little is known, and crafted an extremely creepy, scary and powerful story, it will stay with me for years.
Storytelling at its best. Nothing else to add!!
5 stars.
CHANGELING: A JOE LEDGER ADVENTURE BY JONATHAN MABERRY
The Koenig Group have been developing some things nobody knows about. Now they have been closed down and every government agency wants to know what secrets are held in their now empty building. A Captain of the DMS is first in. He has to battle his own demons, the ones in his head, before he can hope to uncover the real monsters.
To me this is more a thriller than a horror story but a good thriller it was. It’s a plot that’s been done before – secret government agency tries to solve the mysteries and strange goings on and uncover the rumoured monsters. The difference is Jonathan Maberry’s writing. He sucked me in from very early on with endearing and believable characters.
This story gets very creepy towards the end with a little supernatural thrown in as well.
4 stars.
Well there you have it. My first experience of SNAFU. This is an excellent concept for bringing together a particular brand within the horror genre. You know exactly what you are going to get. Military horror. Apart from that you get to read a lot of different authors you might never pick up.
Although I would have liked a bit more of the horror side of things, I really enjoyed this. It’s worth getting purely for James A Moore’s War Stories. I will definitely be picking up more SNAFU tales.
An overall 4 stars.
I decided to grab this one because it features four different authors, two of which, Joseph Nassise and James A. Moore, I have read before and two others I have wanted to read, Jonathan Maberry and Weston Ochse. Military horror is a favourite of mine, if it’s done right. I have seen good reports about previous SNAFU anthologies so was looking forward to this one.
THE HUNGRY DARK: A TEMPLAR CHRONICLES MISSION BY JOSEPH NASSISE
Knight Commander Cade and his unit made up of Olsen, Riley and Duncan are sent to the remote village of Durbandorf in the Black Forest to investigate reports of strange creatures and unusual behaviour. On arrival they discover the place has been overrun by protean demons, they must try to keep the few remaining survivors alive while hunting down, and attempting to destroy the host demon.
I absolutely love books that feature the Knights Templar. I normally find them in historical / mystery thrillers so finding them in the middle of a horror story was great.
Right from the first paragraph this one kicks off with creepy scenes that perfectly set the atmosphere for the rest of the story. It’s dark, very dark. You can just imagine yourself in the middle of nowhere, with no resources, in the middle of a snowy, dark scene with no idea of what might jump out on you from a side street.
The idea of modern day Knights Templars is interesting. The characters in this are great. The four members of the team complement each other perfectly with the Knight Commander Cade, a perfect leader. They all have their own stories and, as it emerges, their own special “gifts”. There is an abundance of monsters in this. All horrifically mutilated and scary in their own ways.
It’s got the right amount of military action and an equal amount of creepiness, gore and tension. Extremely well written to make all of the above very effective. Only criticism I have is that the ending comes around way to quick. I know it’s a short but even a few more pages would have done the job.
4 stars for this one.
TARZAN DOESN’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE BY WESTON OCHSE
The Sonoran Rift was caused by something. It’s four miles long, hundreds of feet wide and more than a thousand feet deep. There is something in it that the military don’t want to escape. Andy is a reporter. Repeated attempts by his colleagues to find out what is in it have achieved nothing, No one has ever come back. Andy has a novel, yet dangerous suggestion for getting close to the rift. What he finds is way beyond anything he could have expected.
Superb. Sort of aliens land on earth, but not really, you never find out really. Plenty of monsters. Very scary for reasons that will become apparent. Reminded me a little of the film “Starship Troopers” only it was never in space, always on earth.
Really good tension and flashback’s to Andy’s past and his love of Tarzan novels. Scary, tense and very imaginative. I would absolutely love to see a full novel of this.
5 stars.
WAR STORIES BY JAMES A MOORE
Eddie is just back from Nam. He isn’t coping well. He is struggling with the traumas he saw. He feels guilty for coming home. His Grandpa served in WWII. He sits Eddie down one night to relate some stories to try and make him see how life should be after war. He tells the most horrifying story he can recall of a strange ally and Himmler’s monsters born of the occult.
This is without doubt one of the greatest short stories I have ever read. James A Moore has written something so beautifully atmospheric that it is mesmerising. He has taken a subject that still, so very little is known, and crafted an extremely creepy, scary and powerful story, it will stay with me for years.
Storytelling at its best. Nothing else to add!!
5 stars.
CHANGELING: A JOE LEDGER ADVENTURE BY JONATHAN MABERRY
The Koenig Group have been developing some things nobody knows about. Now they have been closed down and every government agency wants to know what secrets are held in their now empty building. A Captain of the DMS is first in. He has to battle his own demons, the ones in his head, before he can hope to uncover the real monsters.
To me this is more a thriller than a horror story but a good thriller it was. It’s a plot that’s been done before – secret government agency tries to solve the mysteries and strange goings on and uncover the rumoured monsters. The difference is Jonathan Maberry’s writing. He sucked me in from very early on with endearing and believable characters.
This story gets very creepy towards the end with a little supernatural thrown in as well.
4 stars.
Well there you have it. My first experience of SNAFU. This is an excellent concept for bringing together a particular brand within the horror genre. You know exactly what you are going to get. Military horror. Apart from that you get to read a lot of different authors you might never pick up.
Although I would have liked a bit more of the horror side of things, I really enjoyed this. It’s worth getting purely for James A Moore’s War Stories. I will definitely be picking up more SNAFU tales.
An overall 4 stars.
March 24, 2023
Tarzan doesn't live here anymore and Changeling were interesting, but the other one that stuck with me was War Stories. I would love to know more. The characters, the events of WWII, and then following that up with the twist at the end made me WANT MORE!
November 16, 2014
The second SNAFU collection, this time four stories, three returning authors and Joseph Nassise. I enjoyed the three returning authors stories in the fist collection and was not disappionted. Jonathan Maberry 'Joe Ledger' short story was good and have read a few others in this series since the first collection. Do like James A Moore's 'Jonathan Crowley' character and would like to find more books. The only disappointment was with Joseph Nassise story, had already read this book, so was not an original and I do like his Cade William Templar Chronicles series.
November 13, 2014
Joe Ledger fans must read this!
Jonathan Maberry has brought us another ledger short story that will keep you wanting more! the rest of the stories are very well written too! make sure that you have a look at this awesome book!
Jonathan Maberry has brought us another ledger short story that will keep you wanting more! the rest of the stories are very well written too! make sure that you have a look at this awesome book!
February 23, 2015
In the interest of full disclosure, I received a courtesy copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Last year, I read the first in the SNAFU series of military horror short fiction, and it proved a pleasant surprise. A mix of new authors mixed in big name established genre heavies, the book paid dividends by way of great stories and introduction to authors I might otherwise have not run across so soon. I enjoyed it and remarked that I'd be eager for more.
The book starts of a bit 'rocky' in my opinion with the tale "The Hungry Dark" - a novella from author Joseph Nassise - with characters from his Templar Chronicles. In fairness, I am unfamiliar with both the author and the Templar Chronicles, but I found the prose stilted and wooden initially, but by the midpoint of the story, that smoothed out (like a runner hitting stride) and became more engaging. The main character, leader of Echo Team, Cade, made for an interesting lead, though it seemed like there was more history alluded to that was perhaps there as shoutouts to existing TC fans, but I didn't feel that the author teased it well enough to make me hungry to run out for more to fill in those blanks. That said, I liked the team dynamic, the characterization was good, and the established world of demons and hellspawn as antagonists in a global war the Vatican formed a team to fight was interesting. The action was good, so don't take my comments to mean that the story dragged or wasn't worth the time.
The second tale, "Tarzan Doesn't Live Here Anymore" was another tightly woven tale by Weston Ochse. This time the story is told from the perspective of a soldier stationed in a bunker near a rift that's spitting out strange creatures into our dimension. The protagonist is slowly coming to realize that the monsters that need feared aren't always the ones pouring out through dimensions in hordes, and that sometime they are the soldier standing watch next to you. It pays out through a tense page-turner as the lead is more and more unsettled as the monster reveals himself. Just more of the great characters I've come to expect from the author of the Seal Team 666 series.
"War Stories" by James A. Moore is the third story. A tale of a troubled Vietnam War vet returning home and trying to deal with what he's been through, and the grandfather who shares his own war experience to re-establish bonds with the grandson. Unfortunately, grandpa's tale details a brush with Moore's famous Jonathan Crowley (who made an appearance in SNAFU #1), and the horrors that ensue. I haven't yet gotten to Moore's other Crowley tales, but these SNAFU 'brushes' with him, have intrigued me to the point that I'll be rectifying that sooner rather than later. The characterization and dialogue between the grandfather and grandson was very engaging and it really drew you in, making the unsettling exposure to Crowley that much creepier.
Military Horror's grandmaster Jonathan Maberry's "Changeling" is how the book closes out, and talk about saving the best for last. I'm on record as a huge fan of Maberry's Echo Team series and series protagonist Joe Ledger. Once again, JM does not disappoint. This tale takes place after the Ledger novel "Dragon Factory," and Ledger is sent in to look over a crime scene much to his initial (and subsequent) chagrin, where he's to review the site with a Barrier operative for what really went down. In patented JM fashion, the action, pacing and dialogue are tight and keep you on a razor's edge, and even these shorter tales prove to flesh the character out more and more, without slowing the tempo the slightest. Yet another JM firecracker. A must-read for Ledger fans. This tale alone, makes the book worth the price of admission.
Once again, the editors have pulled together a tightly-knit collection of military horror. Bring on Volume 3, but don't stop there...keep 'em coming!
Last year, I read the first in the SNAFU series of military horror short fiction, and it proved a pleasant surprise. A mix of new authors mixed in big name established genre heavies, the book paid dividends by way of great stories and introduction to authors I might otherwise have not run across so soon. I enjoyed it and remarked that I'd be eager for more.
The book starts of a bit 'rocky' in my opinion with the tale "The Hungry Dark" - a novella from author Joseph Nassise - with characters from his Templar Chronicles. In fairness, I am unfamiliar with both the author and the Templar Chronicles, but I found the prose stilted and wooden initially, but by the midpoint of the story, that smoothed out (like a runner hitting stride) and became more engaging. The main character, leader of Echo Team, Cade, made for an interesting lead, though it seemed like there was more history alluded to that was perhaps there as shoutouts to existing TC fans, but I didn't feel that the author teased it well enough to make me hungry to run out for more to fill in those blanks. That said, I liked the team dynamic, the characterization was good, and the established world of demons and hellspawn as antagonists in a global war the Vatican formed a team to fight was interesting. The action was good, so don't take my comments to mean that the story dragged or wasn't worth the time.
The second tale, "Tarzan Doesn't Live Here Anymore" was another tightly woven tale by Weston Ochse. This time the story is told from the perspective of a soldier stationed in a bunker near a rift that's spitting out strange creatures into our dimension. The protagonist is slowly coming to realize that the monsters that need feared aren't always the ones pouring out through dimensions in hordes, and that sometime they are the soldier standing watch next to you. It pays out through a tense page-turner as the lead is more and more unsettled as the monster reveals himself. Just more of the great characters I've come to expect from the author of the Seal Team 666 series.
"War Stories" by James A. Moore is the third story. A tale of a troubled Vietnam War vet returning home and trying to deal with what he's been through, and the grandfather who shares his own war experience to re-establish bonds with the grandson. Unfortunately, grandpa's tale details a brush with Moore's famous Jonathan Crowley (who made an appearance in SNAFU #1), and the horrors that ensue. I haven't yet gotten to Moore's other Crowley tales, but these SNAFU 'brushes' with him, have intrigued me to the point that I'll be rectifying that sooner rather than later. The characterization and dialogue between the grandfather and grandson was very engaging and it really drew you in, making the unsettling exposure to Crowley that much creepier.
Military Horror's grandmaster Jonathan Maberry's "Changeling" is how the book closes out, and talk about saving the best for last. I'm on record as a huge fan of Maberry's Echo Team series and series protagonist Joe Ledger. Once again, JM does not disappoint. This tale takes place after the Ledger novel "Dragon Factory," and Ledger is sent in to look over a crime scene much to his initial (and subsequent) chagrin, where he's to review the site with a Barrier operative for what really went down. In patented JM fashion, the action, pacing and dialogue are tight and keep you on a razor's edge, and even these shorter tales prove to flesh the character out more and more, without slowing the tempo the slightest. Yet another JM firecracker. A must-read for Ledger fans. This tale alone, makes the book worth the price of admission.
Once again, the editors have pulled together a tightly-knit collection of military horror. Bring on Volume 3, but don't stop there...keep 'em coming!
December 10, 2015
The first volume in this anthology of military horror was something I absolutely relished reading and it was plainly obvious that I would pick up the second one too. While this is shorter in terms of the number of stories and the scope, the content still makes for good reading.
The stories :
The Hungry Dark : A Templar Chronicles Mission : A group of crack soldiers facing an army of monsters in a remote town in Germany. The town is isolated from the external world by a snowstorm and the soldiers only have their own wits to rely on. Pretty much fare for a standard Hollywood thriller and does a pretty decent job. It is also the longest novella in the collection. Except for the abrupt ending, I quite liked this one. 3 stars.
Tarzan Doesn’t Live Here Anymore : This story had the most melodramatic and clichéd plot of them all. A protagonist who is a weakling in a macho world of soldiers, an enemy who is unbelievably sinister, a woman to protect, a bad guy and so on and on. There is nothing fresh about this tale and the monsters resembled Xenomorphs a little too closely. Not many redeeming factors. 1.5 stars.
War Stories : This story worked on two levels for me. The first is from the character perspective where a grandfather-grandson duo try to exorcise the demons of their battles by talking to each other. The grandpa from his WWII times and the grandson from the Vietnam war. This catharsis leads them to trade stories from the warfront where one of them faced things that are best left to imagination. This premise is good and works effectively and in the words of the grandson, it helped him pull his act together. The second level why this story worked for me was because the author brought back the character of Jonathan Crowley from the story Blank White Page in SNAFU. Enigmatic and utterly unpredictable, you never know which way Crowley would swing and that made this story all the more interesting. 4 stars.
Changeling : American intelligence, monsters, Joe Ledger, sexy woman, mad scientists, monsters, Joe Ledger, sexy woman, firefights, monsters, Joe Ledger, sexy…ummm ! I guess that sums this up. 2 stars.
Pretty good as a companion volume to SNAFU but not great as a standalone one.
The stories :
The Hungry Dark : A Templar Chronicles Mission : A group of crack soldiers facing an army of monsters in a remote town in Germany. The town is isolated from the external world by a snowstorm and the soldiers only have their own wits to rely on. Pretty much fare for a standard Hollywood thriller and does a pretty decent job. It is also the longest novella in the collection. Except for the abrupt ending, I quite liked this one. 3 stars.
Tarzan Doesn’t Live Here Anymore : This story had the most melodramatic and clichéd plot of them all. A protagonist who is a weakling in a macho world of soldiers, an enemy who is unbelievably sinister, a woman to protect, a bad guy and so on and on. There is nothing fresh about this tale and the monsters resembled Xenomorphs a little too closely. Not many redeeming factors. 1.5 stars.
War Stories : This story worked on two levels for me. The first is from the character perspective where a grandfather-grandson duo try to exorcise the demons of their battles by talking to each other. The grandpa from his WWII times and the grandson from the Vietnam war. This catharsis leads them to trade stories from the warfront where one of them faced things that are best left to imagination. This premise is good and works effectively and in the words of the grandson, it helped him pull his act together. The second level why this story worked for me was because the author brought back the character of Jonathan Crowley from the story Blank White Page in SNAFU. Enigmatic and utterly unpredictable, you never know which way Crowley would swing and that made this story all the more interesting. 4 stars.
Changeling : American intelligence, monsters, Joe Ledger, sexy woman, mad scientists, monsters, Joe Ledger, sexy woman, firefights, monsters, Joe Ledger, sexy…ummm ! I guess that sums this up. 2 stars.
Pretty good as a companion volume to SNAFU but not great as a standalone one.
November 29, 2014
SNAFU: Heroes hits hard and keeps on hitting.This military anthology of horror/science fiction stories opens with a new novella by Joseph Nassise based upon his Templar Chronicles series.
The story is fast-paced and keeps the reader engaged, not wanting to put the book down. A blend of action adventure and dark urban fantasy, the story turns on a sophisticated plot where a team of special operatives confront creatures that are zombie-like but controlled by a higher being, demon. Nassise is at his best in this book, making it worth the purchase.
Weston Ochse delivers in a near future story that takes places in a desert. The characterization is as compelling as the imaginative world Ochse creates in his desert rift that releases creatures from the depths. The anthology shifts gears with a thoughtful story by James A Moore that draws the reader in with a literary quality, but continues to meet our expectations in the SNAFU series with its powerful images of a Nazi scheme gone awry.
The last story in this book is a Jonathan Maberry Captain Ledger tale. Like Moore, he draws the reader in with an appeal for a humanity quality, but then turns up the action and the supernatural elements. Another page turner that keeps you glued to this story.
The story is fast-paced and keeps the reader engaged, not wanting to put the book down. A blend of action adventure and dark urban fantasy, the story turns on a sophisticated plot where a team of special operatives confront creatures that are zombie-like but controlled by a higher being, demon. Nassise is at his best in this book, making it worth the purchase.
Weston Ochse delivers in a near future story that takes places in a desert. The characterization is as compelling as the imaginative world Ochse creates in his desert rift that releases creatures from the depths. The anthology shifts gears with a thoughtful story by James A Moore that draws the reader in with a literary quality, but continues to meet our expectations in the SNAFU series with its powerful images of a Nazi scheme gone awry.
The last story in this book is a Jonathan Maberry Captain Ledger tale. Like Moore, he draws the reader in with an appeal for a humanity quality, but then turns up the action and the supernatural elements. Another page turner that keeps you glued to this story.
April 8, 2015
while he book in itself was relatively interesting a couple of the stories didn't mesh well.
the story with the rift seemed forced and the creatures were just a bit strange. I found it also very weird.
the story of the soldier and his grandfather happened to be my favourite as it showed a lot of what soldiers can go through.
the last story of changeling was very interesting as it touched on mythology in a different time period.
a very interesting read and should I find other books I will pick them up as well
the story with the rift seemed forced and the creatures were just a bit strange. I found it also very weird.
the story of the soldier and his grandfather happened to be my favourite as it showed a lot of what soldiers can go through.
the last story of changeling was very interesting as it touched on mythology in a different time period.
a very interesting read and should I find other books I will pick them up as well
Read
March 28, 2016Not rating, as I am the publisher, but damn, there are some great stories in this.
October 14, 2019
A good collection of short stories from some of the best in military horror/sifi fiction.
June 12, 2019
Liking a book you expected to like is good, but having a good time reading something you didn't expect to enjoy is great. The latter is what happened to me with SNAFU: Heroes. The military subgenre has never been my cup of tea. In fact, much like Lovecraftian fiction, I think there's just too much mediocrity going around in it and that makes finding gems a little hard. I decided to give this one a shot because I knew that Jonathan Maberry and Weston Ochse always deliver top-notch fiction, and Joseph Nassise and James A. Moore quickly showed me they have the same ability.
You can read Gabino's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
You can read Gabino's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
May 31, 2020
Fun entertaining work from my favorite authors
Fun entertaining work of military horror. Loved it. Gimme moar!!
Can't wait to read next installment of snafu.
Be seeing you
Fun entertaining work of military horror. Loved it. Gimme moar!!
Can't wait to read next installment of snafu.
Be seeing you
March 6, 2016
I am really digging the SNAFU line of military horror and scifi. While this installment was not as thick as the others and it does contain a story I had read before (In the sampler I believe). Seriously though, I really didn't mind because "War Stories" by James A Moore is a kick ass tale. The only bad thing is that it is perhaps the strongest of the set. How do you say 'devil in uniform against the Nazi occult machine...' yeah its that awesome. Anyway the other stories did prove enjoyable as well and if you like heavy artillery and elite fighters you will so devour this series as I have! Moving on to the next with glee!
October 5, 2016
A collection of short stories about the nastiest of war with monsters, demons, all around bad stuff. Good fun reading. Authors that I have never read before. There is one that I may buy another one of his books so the collection worked. Page turning, fast action and your imagination leaves this book journey all up to you. I ordered the next in the series.
January 30, 2017
Four excellent novellas featuring badarse soldiers against weird supernatural horrors. All four are good but I especially like James A Moore's "War Stories".
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