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Giallo Fantastique
An anthology of original strange stories at the intersection of crime, terror, and supernatural fiction. Inspired by and drawing from the highly stylized cinematic thrillers of Argento, Bava, and Fulci; American noir and crime fiction; and the grim fantasies of Edgar Allan Poe, Guy de Maupassant, and Jean Ray, Giallo Fantastique seeks to unnerve readers through virtuoso storytelling and startlingly colorful imagery.
What's your favorite shade of Yellow?
Table of Contents
“Introduction” – Ross E. Lockhart
“Minerva” – Michael Kazepis
“In the Flat Light” – Adam Cesare
“Terror in the House of Broken Belles” – Nikki Guerlain
“The Strange Vice of ZLA-313” – MP Johnson
“Sensoria” – Anya Martin
“The Red Church” – Orrin Grey
“Balch Creek” – Cameron Pierce
“Hello, Handsome” – Garrett Cook
“We Can Only Become Monsters” – Ennis Drake
“The Threshold of Waking Light” – E. Catherine Tobler
“The Communion of Saints” – John Langan
“Exit Strategies” – Brian Keene
Cover art by David Palumbo
Cover design by Scott R. Jones
What's your favorite shade of Yellow?
Table of Contents
“Introduction” – Ross E. Lockhart
“Minerva” – Michael Kazepis
“In the Flat Light” – Adam Cesare
“Terror in the House of Broken Belles” – Nikki Guerlain
“The Strange Vice of ZLA-313” – MP Johnson
“Sensoria” – Anya Martin
“The Red Church” – Orrin Grey
“Balch Creek” – Cameron Pierce
“Hello, Handsome” – Garrett Cook
“We Can Only Become Monsters” – Ennis Drake
“The Threshold of Waking Light” – E. Catherine Tobler
“The Communion of Saints” – John Langan
“Exit Strategies” – Brian Keene
Cover art by David Palumbo
Cover design by Scott R. Jones
230 pages, Paperback
First published May 15, 2015
25 people are currently reading
473 people want to read
About the author
Ross E. Lockhart
27 books216 followersRoss E. Lockhart is the Publisher/Editor in Chief of Word Horde. A lifelong fan of supernatural, fantastic, speculative, and weird fiction, Lockhart holds degrees in English from Sonoma State University (BA) and SFSU (MA). He is a veteran of small-press publishing, having edited scores of well-regarded novels of horror, fantasy, and science fiction. Lockhart edited the acclaimed Lovecraftian anthologies The Book of Cthulhu and The Book of Cthulhu II and Tales of Jack the Ripper (2013). Forthcoming are The Children of Old Leech (with Justin Steele, 2014), and Giallo Fantastique (2014). Lockhart's rock-and-roll novel, Chick Bassist, was published by Lazy Fascist Press in 2012. Lockhart lives in an old church in Petaluma, California, with his wife Jennifer, hundreds of books, and Elinor Phantom, a Shih Tzu moonlighting as his editorial assistant. Find Ross online at http://www.haresrocklots.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
April 7, 2017
Vote: 4 (5 if you add the awesome cover art)
A good anthology mixing all shades of giallo genres with horror and fantastique.
There are some beautiful gems here, but a few stories just went off-topic/target.
A must read for all fans of horror and crime stories with black gloved hands masked killers.
“Minerva” by Michael Kazepis: 4 stars.
A very good start of this anthology, filled with disturbing oneiric scenes and a twisted double ending 100% 70s Giallo Cinema style.
"In the Flat Light" by Adam Cesare: 4 stars.
A nice homage to Sergio Martino (main character's name is Sergio Martinelli) and other italian giallo/horror directors.
"Terror in the House of Broken Belles" by Nikki Guerlain: 3 stars.
A well written steamy-sex nightmare tale... It was like reading more an "horror-porn" screenplay from director Jess Franco than a giallo. A good story but it missed for real the essence of this anthology, I guess.
"The Strange Vice of ZLA-313" by M.P. Johnson: 5 stars.
An amazing weird sci-fi version of Sergio Martino's "The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh" (1971)... with robots.
I really enjoyed it very much and it left me wanting to watch again that classic giallo movie.
"Sensoria" by Anya Martin: 5 stars.
A surreal and supernatural nightmare with pinches from Lucio Fulci and Dario Argento's movies... You can almost hear Claudio Simonetti and Goblin playing the soundtrack of this tale, one of the longest of the anthology. A real page turner, until to the abrupt chilling ending.
"The Red Church" by Orrin Grey: 5 stars.
Another really good one, and I loved how the author totally managed to summon almost all of the signature elements of the genre: disturbing nursery rhymes, oneiric scenes, dirty vivid colors and a constant sense of menace/danger.
And I'm afraid (happy?) I'm going to dream about the red church in the red forest this night...
"Balch Creek" by Cameron Pierce: 3 stars.
A good story, but it was really too short for my taste.
And the abrupt ending just left me with too many unresolved questions..
"Hello Handsome" by Garrett Cook: 5 stars.
A disturbing and chilling descent into madness from the point of view of the killer. And now I'm going to get scared every time I hear a piano playing somewhere here in Rome...
"We Can Only Become Monsters" by Ennis Drake: 3,5 stars.
Well this was like reading a version of 1974 giallo "Madhouse" meets with Charles Manson's Helter Skelter massacre... The ending was great and I liked a lot Toombes' character, a well done mix of Vincent Price and Roman Polanski, but the final result was more near to a "rape & revenge" exploitation movie than a crime/horror one: not my most favourite one shade of giallo, I guess.
"The Threshold of Waking Light" by E. Catherine Tobler: 3 stars.
Well, this story just totally confused me... Was it set into an alternate black&white/Chicago mobsters universe or was it just the disturbing delirium of a sick (and dangerous) mind?
Not bad at all, but I'm afraid it missed for good the target here.
"The Communion of Saints" by John Langan: 5+++ stars.
An excellent story and my most favourite one of this anthology! It was like reading "True Detective" meets Dario Argento's "Three Mothers" trilogy. The author mixed for good the giallo as crime investigation genre with the weirdness of supernatural giallo/horror, and the result is just amazing.
My only little criticism is just one: Mater Lachrymarum, the Mother of Tears, is the most beautiful and powerful of the Three Mothers and she is Rome's "deus loci", the one ruling New York is Mother Tenebrarum and not Lacrhrymarum.
"Exit Strategies" by Brian Keene: 4 stars.
A real good cherry on cake story.
Sadly the serial killer"Exit" is a recurring character in Brian Keene's works and this is an "origin story" sequel to other ones. Having read just Keene's The Conqueror Worms I just couldn't fully appreciate all the references to his "Labyrinth Mythos"... Something I really have to fix for good sooner or later.
April 22, 2015
Giallo Fantastique is something special, and I'm not saying that just because it contains my story "The Red Church." I liked The Children of Old Leech as much as anyone, but with this anthology and 2013's Tales of Jack the Ripper, editor Ross Lockhart show's that he's got a master's eye for selecting "strange stories at the intersection of crime, terror, and the supernatural," as the back matter for Giallo Fantastique would have it.
If you're unfamiliar with either of the two terms that make up this book's title, worry not, as Lockhart's erudite and concise introduction gives a clear context for both the genres of the Italian Giallo and the French Fantastique. From there the book wisely opens with Michael Kazepis's "Minerva," probably the closest thing to a full-on Giallo film in print form that you'll find here, following that up with Adam Cesare's "In the Flat Light," which reminded me of a dead-serious take on the Giallo-parody/homage film The Editor in all the best ways.
Of course, as with any anthology, not every story is going to be 100% to my taste, and there are one or two tales in Giallo Fantastique that were great, but fell too far afield of the Giallo tree for my personal preferences. Still, for the most part, the anthology is a perfect cocktail of the vivid and surreal world conjured by the very best Gialli. Other highlights include MP Johnson's unusual and perfectly-titled "The Strange Vice of ZLA-313," and E. Catherine Tobler's "The Threshold of Waking Light." And John Langan's "The Communion of Saints" is worth the price of admission all by itself. Right after I read it, I described it on Facebook as "the bastard offspring of a John Langan story and a Stephen Graham Jones story, in all the best ways," and I stick by that. It's one of my favorite stories from one of my favorite contemporary writers, hands down.
Really, though, no matter how much some stories may stand out, no one tale is the real star of Giallo Fantastique. The real star is the book itself, the rare instance of a themed anthology that truly lives up to its high-concept. And even if you don't end up liking the book, just look at that amazing cover! Don't you want that thing on your shelf?
If you're unfamiliar with either of the two terms that make up this book's title, worry not, as Lockhart's erudite and concise introduction gives a clear context for both the genres of the Italian Giallo and the French Fantastique. From there the book wisely opens with Michael Kazepis's "Minerva," probably the closest thing to a full-on Giallo film in print form that you'll find here, following that up with Adam Cesare's "In the Flat Light," which reminded me of a dead-serious take on the Giallo-parody/homage film The Editor in all the best ways.
Of course, as with any anthology, not every story is going to be 100% to my taste, and there are one or two tales in Giallo Fantastique that were great, but fell too far afield of the Giallo tree for my personal preferences. Still, for the most part, the anthology is a perfect cocktail of the vivid and surreal world conjured by the very best Gialli. Other highlights include MP Johnson's unusual and perfectly-titled "The Strange Vice of ZLA-313," and E. Catherine Tobler's "The Threshold of Waking Light." And John Langan's "The Communion of Saints" is worth the price of admission all by itself. Right after I read it, I described it on Facebook as "the bastard offspring of a John Langan story and a Stephen Graham Jones story, in all the best ways," and I stick by that. It's one of my favorite stories from one of my favorite contemporary writers, hands down.
Really, though, no matter how much some stories may stand out, no one tale is the real star of Giallo Fantastique. The real star is the book itself, the rare instance of a themed anthology that truly lives up to its high-concept. And even if you don't end up liking the book, just look at that amazing cover! Don't you want that thing on your shelf?
May 28, 2015
I went in to this anthology knowing almost nothing about the worlds of giallo or fantastique, but editor Ross Lockhart gives some brief and very helpful background about both in his introduction. The stories that come after vary in tone and content, and I found them all to be at least enjoyable, often very good or even great.
Garrett Cook’s “Hello Handsome” and MP Johnson’s “The Strange Vice of ZLA-313” are both clever concepts written exceedingly well. Anya Martin’s “Sensoria” is fittingly surreal and a lot of fun, as is Cameron Pierce’s “Balch Creek.” My overall favorite is probably a tie between Orrin Grey’s “The Red Church” and John Langan’s “The Communion of Saints.” Both hit hard and stayed with me for a while.
Garrett Cook’s “Hello Handsome” and MP Johnson’s “The Strange Vice of ZLA-313” are both clever concepts written exceedingly well. Anya Martin’s “Sensoria” is fittingly surreal and a lot of fun, as is Cameron Pierce’s “Balch Creek.” My overall favorite is probably a tie between Orrin Grey’s “The Red Church” and John Langan’s “The Communion of Saints.” Both hit hard and stayed with me for a while.
May 18, 2018
like a 3.7 rounded up
http://www.oddlyweirdfiction.com/2018...
Now here's something you don't run across every day: a book filled with stories blending giallo and the fantastique, as interpreted by the twelve authors contributing to this volume. In his introduction Ross Lockhart says that what we're about to read is
"a paranoiac descent into a dark world of literary Grand Guignol like no other ... on the one hand grim and fantastic, on the other pure (if grotesque) cinematic fun"
and he isn't joking. Fun, for sure; grotesque, definitely; and grim is an understatement.
My top three in this collection (by order of appearance):
"Minerva," by Michael Kazepis (which, by the way, was the perfect way to open this book), "The Red Church," by Orrin Grey and "Sensoria," by Anya Martin. I don't think I'll ever forget any of these. I also have to acknowledge Garrett Cook for his "Hello Handsome," for its rather clever and unique approach; I fought it at first, decided to just go with the flow and ended up really liking it. What these three stories have in common goes far, far beyond the thematic elements of this book; these are some of the most literary, most well-written pieces of horror that I've encountered in some time. If more of today's horror writers could write like these three people, I might be tempted to read more contemporary work.
Pointing out these stories specifically as personal favorites doesn't mean I didn't like the other ones, because there is some really good, quality writing going on here. Quite honestly, the only one that I really didn't care for was the last story written by Brian Keene, "Exit Strategies. " Here we find a serial killer on a mission, but for me it read like the author just wanted to throw in a bunch of killings, violence, and gore for scare effect. Yes, there's a bit of plot, but it's nowhere near as nicely composed as the more literary offerings in this book, and I'm still kind of wondering how it fits with the rest of the stories here.
The other authors in this book are Adam Cesare, Nikki Guerlain, MP Johnson, Cameron Pierce, Ennis Drake, E Catherine Tobler, and John Langan, most of whom are new to me and all of whom bring a unique take on that space where, as the editor reveals, "crime and supernatural horrors" intersect. Recommended, for sure.
http://www.oddlyweirdfiction.com/2018...
Now here's something you don't run across every day: a book filled with stories blending giallo and the fantastique, as interpreted by the twelve authors contributing to this volume. In his introduction Ross Lockhart says that what we're about to read is
"a paranoiac descent into a dark world of literary Grand Guignol like no other ... on the one hand grim and fantastic, on the other pure (if grotesque) cinematic fun"
and he isn't joking. Fun, for sure; grotesque, definitely; and grim is an understatement.
My top three in this collection (by order of appearance):
"Minerva," by Michael Kazepis (which, by the way, was the perfect way to open this book), "The Red Church," by Orrin Grey and "Sensoria," by Anya Martin. I don't think I'll ever forget any of these. I also have to acknowledge Garrett Cook for his "Hello Handsome," for its rather clever and unique approach; I fought it at first, decided to just go with the flow and ended up really liking it. What these three stories have in common goes far, far beyond the thematic elements of this book; these are some of the most literary, most well-written pieces of horror that I've encountered in some time. If more of today's horror writers could write like these three people, I might be tempted to read more contemporary work.
Pointing out these stories specifically as personal favorites doesn't mean I didn't like the other ones, because there is some really good, quality writing going on here. Quite honestly, the only one that I really didn't care for was the last story written by Brian Keene, "Exit Strategies. " Here we find a serial killer on a mission, but for me it read like the author just wanted to throw in a bunch of killings, violence, and gore for scare effect. Yes, there's a bit of plot, but it's nowhere near as nicely composed as the more literary offerings in this book, and I'm still kind of wondering how it fits with the rest of the stories here.
The other authors in this book are Adam Cesare, Nikki Guerlain, MP Johnson, Cameron Pierce, Ennis Drake, E Catherine Tobler, and John Langan, most of whom are new to me and all of whom bring a unique take on that space where, as the editor reveals, "crime and supernatural horrors" intersect. Recommended, for sure.
May 20, 2015
This book is a hell of a lot of fun. As the title suggests, it leans towards the fantastique and not so much the police-procedural style of giallo fiction/cinema. There's not a dud in the batch, but two stories really stand out: Orrin Grey's "The Red Church," which perfectly captures the low-grade LSD weirdness of the second-run giallos before climaxing in a blood red final that feels just like a Soavi/Argento flick and Anya Martin's "Sensoria" which achieves the rare trick of being a story I couldn't put down for even a second that I immediately re-read upon finishing. I don't even know how to describe "Sensoria" without giving it away so just go buy this book now, support a cool publisher, a cool editor, a host of cool authors and get twelve fantastic fantastique yarns.
July 12, 2015
Giallo refers to the color yellow, and also a type of Italian crime fiction that emerged in the 1920s and later a genre of similarly themed films. This anthology seeks to evoke the world of both the novels and films, and succeeds stunningly. Thing thing that fans of the films love about them is STYLE. Giallo films are told with a great visual style, incorporating striking colors and recurring motifs that create a world of their own. They often also have superb dramatic soundtracks.
What is so triumphant about this anthology is that every single story and every single author manages to evoke this unique visual and auditory style with their prose. It's something that's a marvel to behold. As I read this book I found myself marveling at every new voice as I began each story. Each story is unique and startling, even though many of them share common elements from Giallo films- police investigations, interviews with film directors or artists, and those ever present black gloves. But it's the great facility each author created an atmosphere so strange and colorful, intense yet detached, perfectly creating a vibrant visual style with words.
Since this volume came from Ross Lockhart's Word Horde press, there's not a clunker in the entire book. There are not even any so-so stories. Seriously- every story stands out I give every author commendations: Adam Cesare, Garrett Cook, Ennis Drake, Orrin Grey, Nikki Guerlain, MP Johnson, Michael Kazepis, Brian Keene, John Langan, Anya Martin, Cameron Pierce, and E. Catherine Tobler- you ALL impressed me. Okay- I have to give a special mention to Nikki Guerlin. Her story is so intense I have to describe it as hallucinogenic.
If you enjoy crime fiction or horror stories, this volume will be a blessing. Get it. Absorb it. You'll be very happy.
What is so triumphant about this anthology is that every single story and every single author manages to evoke this unique visual and auditory style with their prose. It's something that's a marvel to behold. As I read this book I found myself marveling at every new voice as I began each story. Each story is unique and startling, even though many of them share common elements from Giallo films- police investigations, interviews with film directors or artists, and those ever present black gloves. But it's the great facility each author created an atmosphere so strange and colorful, intense yet detached, perfectly creating a vibrant visual style with words.
Since this volume came from Ross Lockhart's Word Horde press, there's not a clunker in the entire book. There are not even any so-so stories. Seriously- every story stands out I give every author commendations: Adam Cesare, Garrett Cook, Ennis Drake, Orrin Grey, Nikki Guerlain, MP Johnson, Michael Kazepis, Brian Keene, John Langan, Anya Martin, Cameron Pierce, and E. Catherine Tobler- you ALL impressed me. Okay- I have to give a special mention to Nikki Guerlin. Her story is so intense I have to describe it as hallucinogenic.
If you enjoy crime fiction or horror stories, this volume will be a blessing. Get it. Absorb it. You'll be very happy.
May 31, 2015
I received a free copy of this book through a goodreads first reads giveaway.
I started from scratch here. The genre of the anthology is one I haven't spent much time exploring and the authors were unknown to me. And it worked out pretty well! Only a few stories didn't quite hit the mark for me.
There's more or less a story for everyone here as long as they're in the mood for something creepy and not quite right. The stories in this book cover a good mix of strange worlds and unsettling tones (I decided reading this book while sitting outside by myself was a great idea - it wasn't). Some of these worlds are not too far from our own reality, some are nearly unrecognisable all together. And all of them will take you down the fine line of fantastic and bizarre. I don't want to give too much away about the individual stories because not knowing what the hell each one would bring made each story more intriguing.
This anthology was a seriously fun read and I'm looking forward to reading more of these authors.
I started from scratch here. The genre of the anthology is one I haven't spent much time exploring and the authors were unknown to me. And it worked out pretty well! Only a few stories didn't quite hit the mark for me.
There's more or less a story for everyone here as long as they're in the mood for something creepy and not quite right. The stories in this book cover a good mix of strange worlds and unsettling tones (I decided reading this book while sitting outside by myself was a great idea - it wasn't). Some of these worlds are not too far from our own reality, some are nearly unrecognisable all together. And all of them will take you down the fine line of fantastic and bizarre. I don't want to give too much away about the individual stories because not knowing what the hell each one would bring made each story more intriguing.
This anthology was a seriously fun read and I'm looking forward to reading more of these authors.
December 7, 2015
(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted illegally.)
Giallo Fantastique is the second in a series of titles we received this year from horror publisher Word Horde, and is pretty similar in makeup to the first title we reviewed, Children of Old Leech; it's another anthology consisting of previous Word Horde authors, in this case combining the Italian "lurid detective" genre known as "Giallo" with the otherworldly supernaturalism known as "Fantastique." And so as such, much again like Children of Old Leech, it's difficult to give one analytical summation of the entire book -- since this is made up of stories from twelve different authors, the quality ranges from okay to great depending on which piece you're talking about -- although in general I can once again confidently state that the overall quality of this anthology is well worth its purchase price. I look forward to starting to tackle the individual novels by individual Word Horde writers we have coming up in our "to-be-reviewed" queue; but for now, here's another compilation that's highly worth your time.
Out of 10: 8.5
Giallo Fantastique is the second in a series of titles we received this year from horror publisher Word Horde, and is pretty similar in makeup to the first title we reviewed, Children of Old Leech; it's another anthology consisting of previous Word Horde authors, in this case combining the Italian "lurid detective" genre known as "Giallo" with the otherworldly supernaturalism known as "Fantastique." And so as such, much again like Children of Old Leech, it's difficult to give one analytical summation of the entire book -- since this is made up of stories from twelve different authors, the quality ranges from okay to great depending on which piece you're talking about -- although in general I can once again confidently state that the overall quality of this anthology is well worth its purchase price. I look forward to starting to tackle the individual novels by individual Word Horde writers we have coming up in our "to-be-reviewed" queue; but for now, here's another compilation that's highly worth your time.
Out of 10: 8.5
June 8, 2015
I really wanted to like this more than I did. It's a great concept, but only about half of the stories really got under my skin. Nikki Guerlain's Terror in the House of Broken Belles was delightfully gruesome and weird; Orrin Grey's The Red Church and Ennis Drake's We Can Only Become Monsters both evoked that unsettling slow-burn horror with their exploration of artists and auteurs. Garrett Cook's Hello, Handsome played with point of view in an interesting and very creepy way. John Langan's The Communion of Saints was perhaps my favourite, a delicious and understated story that's self-aware on more than one level. The character development is quite touching and effective, too. The rest of the stories weren't bad, but they either didn't grab me or tended towards a clunkiness that became disengaging. A great idea though, and an interesting anthology with a nice variety of stories.
July 20, 2015
It should come as no surprise to those who know me that I am a huge Brian Keene fan. I have read almost all of his novels and novellas. When I found out that this book featured a story about one of his most popular characters "The Exit" it instantly rose to the top of my must buy list. After finally reading "Exit Strategies" I can say that Brian's short story delivers. Exit Strategies strongly connects to his overarching "Labyrinth Mythology" which is behind the scenes in all of his short fiction and full length stories. The Exit himself has strong connections to his past novels like The Cage and The Rising. I can see why The Exit is a fan favorite among Brian Keene's fans, especially since he is definitely one of my favorite horror genre characters.
For those who don't know The Exit is a serial killer who is also saving the majority of humanity from a supernatural Armageddon. The Exit is somewhat aware that humanity doesn't always survive in the parallel realities that coincide the one he lives in. He performs sacrificial rituals along certain highway exits, in order to prevent a entryway for those creatures that exterminated humanity. Exit Strategies explains a little more of The Exit's motive for saving humanity at the expense of certain unlucky individuals. For those who have read Tequila's Sunrise or Clickers Vs. Zombies, usually good can't win against evil without a sacrifice of someone's life force. It seems to definitely be a ongoing theme in Brian Keene's work.
Exit Strategies delivers on more of what Brian Keene's fan's love. I happily give Exit Strategies a five out of five stars. It is a fun quick read that any Brian Keene fan will enjoy. If you happen to be interested in more adventures of The Exit stay tuned for Brian's Labyrinth: Book One which fans can read now as it is being developed. Link: https://www.patreon.com/BrianKeene?ty=h
For those who don't know The Exit is a serial killer who is also saving the majority of humanity from a supernatural Armageddon. The Exit is somewhat aware that humanity doesn't always survive in the parallel realities that coincide the one he lives in. He performs sacrificial rituals along certain highway exits, in order to prevent a entryway for those creatures that exterminated humanity. Exit Strategies explains a little more of The Exit's motive for saving humanity at the expense of certain unlucky individuals. For those who have read Tequila's Sunrise or Clickers Vs. Zombies, usually good can't win against evil without a sacrifice of someone's life force. It seems to definitely be a ongoing theme in Brian Keene's work.
Exit Strategies delivers on more of what Brian Keene's fan's love. I happily give Exit Strategies a five out of five stars. It is a fun quick read that any Brian Keene fan will enjoy. If you happen to be interested in more adventures of The Exit stay tuned for Brian's Labyrinth: Book One which fans can read now as it is being developed. Link: https://www.patreon.com/BrianKeene?ty=h
May 21, 2015
I have a story in here, but beyond THAT, the others assembled are just brilliant. Ross has done an outstanding job, yet again, of piecing together some remarkable works. I am humbled to be part of it.
September 3, 2015
Giallo Fantastique is a high-concept anthology that’s built on the premise that two great tastes are going to taste great together. The stories took that idea in very different directions, resulting in an anthology that’s truly varied in type. Some are fantasias with nods in the direction of giallo, some are giallos with a hint of the fantastic, and some few strike a middle path that seems to incorporate both influences equally. This book has delights and surprises throughout!
For more detail, I wrote at greater length on my site, but the short version is that I'd gladly buy this again -- https://jtglover.wordpress.com/2015/0...
For more detail, I wrote at greater length on my site, but the short version is that I'd gladly buy this again -- https://jtglover.wordpress.com/2015/0...
May 21, 2017
I admit that the concept of Giallo is still new to me. When it comes to this anthology though, the quality of the stories and the editing are top notch. The eeriness of it all makes for a memorable read. My favorites of the bunch are:
Terror in the House Of Broken Belles by Nikki Guerlain
The Strange Vice of ZLA-313 by MP Johnson
Hello Handsome by Garrett Cook
We Can Only Become Monsters by Ennis Drake
Terror in the House Of Broken Belles by Nikki Guerlain
The Strange Vice of ZLA-313 by MP Johnson
Hello Handsome by Garrett Cook
We Can Only Become Monsters by Ennis Drake
September 20, 2016
Really good anthology! It was extremely well written and the authors truly managed to capture the essence of the genre and pour it into each story, even those that seem alien to this style. I loved it and it suprised me in the best way possible, amazing.
February 9, 2020
This book was an impulse borrow from the library, and I humbly admit it was due to the lurid cover (a clever throwback to mid-century pulp fiction) and the intriguing title, which evoked the "giallo" genre of detective and slasher books and films from Italy.
The quality of the stories varies widely. Some were a slog to get through. I found Nikki Guerlain's Terror in the House of the Broken Belles simply disturbing. It wasn't the explicit sexuality, or the explicit gore. It was the integration of the two, in the service of nothing in particular that I could see. That might be someone's gruesome cup of tea, but not mine. Other stories had a good idea or two but couldn't really figure what to do with them.
In many of the stories there is a noticeable feminist streak, which I for one found refreshing in a genre that gained readership at least partly because of its sadism towards female characters.
What matters are the real jewels in this collection. Brian Keene's "Exit Strategies" is a short, efficient, darkly funny, creepy and quite credible portrayal of violent schizophrenia.
Garrett Cook's "Hello Handsome" is a cleverly told slasher story as seen from the point of view of the killer's leather gloves. Oh yeah, they're into it.
My favorite though is "The Strange Vice of ZLA-313", a hilarious and ingenious mashup of "I Robot" and "50 Shades of Gray", by MP Johnson. It tells the story of a libidinous "fembot" growing bored with her prestigious "husbot" and who is being stalked by a mysterious killer. At one point she discovers the body of her best friend, "crumpled up on the lush emerald grass, as if already halfway through the recycling process." I will look for more works by this writer.
The quality of the stories varies widely. Some were a slog to get through. I found Nikki Guerlain's Terror in the House of the Broken Belles simply disturbing. It wasn't the explicit sexuality, or the explicit gore. It was the integration of the two, in the service of nothing in particular that I could see. That might be someone's gruesome cup of tea, but not mine. Other stories had a good idea or two but couldn't really figure what to do with them.
In many of the stories there is a noticeable feminist streak, which I for one found refreshing in a genre that gained readership at least partly because of its sadism towards female characters.
What matters are the real jewels in this collection. Brian Keene's "Exit Strategies" is a short, efficient, darkly funny, creepy and quite credible portrayal of violent schizophrenia.
Garrett Cook's "Hello Handsome" is a cleverly told slasher story as seen from the point of view of the killer's leather gloves. Oh yeah, they're into it.
My favorite though is "The Strange Vice of ZLA-313", a hilarious and ingenious mashup of "I Robot" and "50 Shades of Gray", by MP Johnson. It tells the story of a libidinous "fembot" growing bored with her prestigious "husbot" and who is being stalked by a mysterious killer. At one point she discovers the body of her best friend, "crumpled up on the lush emerald grass, as if already halfway through the recycling process." I will look for more works by this writer.
November 16, 2020
Una recopilación bastante irregular de cuentos. Me encanta el género cinematográfico del giallo y su forma original de crear ambientes terroríficos a base de tramas enrevesadas y explosiones de color, con directores tan buenos como Bava,Argento o Fulci.
Pero en este libro no he encontrado tantos relatos buenos como películas de giallo he visto, aún así hay algunos que valen mucho la pena como:
“Yellow: The Color of Decadence, Strangeness, and Fear” by Ross E. Lockhart: Es un ensayo sobre el giallo que sirve de introducción a los relatos y es muy interesante.
"Terror in the House of Broken Belles" de Nikki Guerlain(****): Una pesadilla que mezcla sexo y gore de manera perfecta. Un club de striptease esconde a unas bellas mujeres capaz de lo peor, allí arrastran a los hombres que pagarán por sus pecados.
"The Strange Vice of ZLA-313" by M.P. Johnson(*****): Una extraordinaria historia que mezcla giallo y ciencia ficción en un mundo donde los protagonistas son robots. Un asesino anda tras la pista de una actriz robot en el clásico esquema de las pelis giallo, muy original.
“Hello, Handsome” de Garrett Cook(****): Una historia sobre unos guantes con voluntad asesina que retuerze los clásicos tropos del giallo y es divertida.
The Communion of Saints de John Langan(****): Un psicópata se disfraza de diferentes monstruos del cine(Freddy Krueger,Jason,Alien,Hannibal) y un detective va detrás de él hasta el inevitable final. Se hace corto.
En general es un libro muy disfrutable y el resto de historias tienen conceptos interesantes pero es que tenia un hype muy alto con este libro. Un buen entretenimiento si te gustan los cuentos de terror.
Pero en este libro no he encontrado tantos relatos buenos como películas de giallo he visto, aún así hay algunos que valen mucho la pena como:
“Yellow: The Color of Decadence, Strangeness, and Fear” by Ross E. Lockhart: Es un ensayo sobre el giallo que sirve de introducción a los relatos y es muy interesante.
"Terror in the House of Broken Belles" de Nikki Guerlain(****): Una pesadilla que mezcla sexo y gore de manera perfecta. Un club de striptease esconde a unas bellas mujeres capaz de lo peor, allí arrastran a los hombres que pagarán por sus pecados.
"The Strange Vice of ZLA-313" by M.P. Johnson(*****): Una extraordinaria historia que mezcla giallo y ciencia ficción en un mundo donde los protagonistas son robots. Un asesino anda tras la pista de una actriz robot en el clásico esquema de las pelis giallo, muy original.
“Hello, Handsome” de Garrett Cook(****): Una historia sobre unos guantes con voluntad asesina que retuerze los clásicos tropos del giallo y es divertida.
The Communion of Saints de John Langan(****): Un psicópata se disfraza de diferentes monstruos del cine(Freddy Krueger,Jason,Alien,Hannibal) y un detective va detrás de él hasta el inevitable final. Se hace corto.
En general es un libro muy disfrutable y el resto de historias tienen conceptos interesantes pero es que tenia un hype muy alto con este libro. Un buen entretenimiento si te gustan los cuentos de terror.
August 7, 2021
Få av novellerna är riktigt riktigt bra. Andra är mest veliga och långtråkiga. Men absolut läsvärd och intressant att ta del av. Bäst var Nikki Guerlains nobell.
April 9, 2023
Stories don’t always stick the landing ⛷️ good variety 🎪
July 24, 2015
Giallo Fantastique is a solid new anthology from editor Ross E Lockhart and publisher Word Horde. The collection is both a collection of, and a tribute to, the Italian genre of exploitation films from the 1960s and ‘70s. Much like the original films, the stories focus on difficult, often brutal subject matter using artistic and stylistic flourishes to draw the audience in. All twelve stories are original to this collection and boast established, talented horror writers and is headlined by horror heavyweight Brian Keene.
The festivities begin with “Minerva” by Michael Kazepis. It’s a great story and the perfect choice for the first story, as it follows a traditional Giallo plotline while bringing it a fresh voice. Celia Marrast travels to Greece following the death of her brother to settle his affairs. Just days prior to his murder his girlfriend met a similar violent fate. Marrast becomes involved in intrigue, including a run-in with a mysterious man in a hoodie, a contemporary riff on the classic masked-man of Giallos past.
Nikki Guerlain’s sexually charged “Terror in the House of Broken Belles” is more than just a great title. A man enters a bar and is immediately sucked into the tractor-beam of a woman’s eyes. He, and other men in similar situations, become the audience and then the entertainment at a club with very specific, and horrific entertainment.
Serious Giallo enthusiasts will recognize the the title and story of MP Johnson’s “The Strange Vice of LZA-313”. From the classic Sergio Martino film “The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh”, also known as “Blade of the Ripper”, this tale reimagines the story as post-human, set in a world of “bots” that are trying to be less machine and more human. A very interesting and well executed story that the casual reader will enjoy and the film buff will love.
“Sensoria”, another in a collection of great titles, from Anya Martin, is one of the longest and most involved offerings in the collection. Unlike previous stories, this one explores the more fantastic and supernatural side of the subgenre. It’s a story driven by great characterization of Sasha and Dorian Cain, from their first meeting through the duration of their relationship. Rock and roll and psychoactive beetles collide with the afterlife in this compelling story. The description of a women plummeting through a stained glass window into a rock concert is vivid and a perfect touch.
The highlight of the collection is the fantastic, experimental and gutsy “Hello, Handsome”, from Garrett Cook. All I will say about this short tale is that Cook takes one of the trademarks of the genre and explores it in a truly unique way by employing the Giallo technique of varied points-of-view. This is a perfect example of an author taking a chance and succeeding on all levels.
Brian Keene provides the closing number to the anthology with “Exit Strategies”. He plays with another standard of Giallo, the lone psycho, in this first person story of paranoia, conspiracy and (possible) insanity.
Other authors, including Adam Cesare, Orrin Grey, Cameron Pierce, Ennis Drake, E. Catherine Tobler and John Langan, bring solid stories to the table. There are real highlights in this collection but there are no misfires, which is an impressive achievement by editor Lockhart. Any fan of dark and fantastic fiction will find more than a little something to enjoy here, and the Giallo film buff will be in for epic read with Giallo Fantastique.
The festivities begin with “Minerva” by Michael Kazepis. It’s a great story and the perfect choice for the first story, as it follows a traditional Giallo plotline while bringing it a fresh voice. Celia Marrast travels to Greece following the death of her brother to settle his affairs. Just days prior to his murder his girlfriend met a similar violent fate. Marrast becomes involved in intrigue, including a run-in with a mysterious man in a hoodie, a contemporary riff on the classic masked-man of Giallos past.
Nikki Guerlain’s sexually charged “Terror in the House of Broken Belles” is more than just a great title. A man enters a bar and is immediately sucked into the tractor-beam of a woman’s eyes. He, and other men in similar situations, become the audience and then the entertainment at a club with very specific, and horrific entertainment.
Serious Giallo enthusiasts will recognize the the title and story of MP Johnson’s “The Strange Vice of LZA-313”. From the classic Sergio Martino film “The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh”, also known as “Blade of the Ripper”, this tale reimagines the story as post-human, set in a world of “bots” that are trying to be less machine and more human. A very interesting and well executed story that the casual reader will enjoy and the film buff will love.
“Sensoria”, another in a collection of great titles, from Anya Martin, is one of the longest and most involved offerings in the collection. Unlike previous stories, this one explores the more fantastic and supernatural side of the subgenre. It’s a story driven by great characterization of Sasha and Dorian Cain, from their first meeting through the duration of their relationship. Rock and roll and psychoactive beetles collide with the afterlife in this compelling story. The description of a women plummeting through a stained glass window into a rock concert is vivid and a perfect touch.
The highlight of the collection is the fantastic, experimental and gutsy “Hello, Handsome”, from Garrett Cook. All I will say about this short tale is that Cook takes one of the trademarks of the genre and explores it in a truly unique way by employing the Giallo technique of varied points-of-view. This is a perfect example of an author taking a chance and succeeding on all levels.
Brian Keene provides the closing number to the anthology with “Exit Strategies”. He plays with another standard of Giallo, the lone psycho, in this first person story of paranoia, conspiracy and (possible) insanity.
Other authors, including Adam Cesare, Orrin Grey, Cameron Pierce, Ennis Drake, E. Catherine Tobler and John Langan, bring solid stories to the table. There are real highlights in this collection but there are no misfires, which is an impressive achievement by editor Lockhart. Any fan of dark and fantastic fiction will find more than a little something to enjoy here, and the Giallo film buff will be in for epic read with Giallo Fantastique.
September 25, 2016
Those who know me are aware of my love for giallo films. I've seen probably close to 80 of them and still do. I love it's themes, its convoluted storyline and weird killers. I love as well what this book calls Fantastique cinema, stories like Suspiria or Inferno or some other movies by Argento and Fulci. Well, just be aware that this anthology has barely any giallo stories in the traditional sense, all stories more like weird fiction than outright giallo. Maybe the only one that is closest to the genre is The Strange Vice of ZLA-313 which is pretty much a copy-paste of the film The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh (starred, btw, by my beloved Edwige Fenech) with the difference that instead of humans, the protagonists are robots. The first one I liked the most because it mixed both genres in a unique manner, although, again, this is no detective story either, it's more like Mulholland Dr and Berberian Sound Studio with some giallo plotline. Anyway, maybe I was expecting too much or the writers really did not get it right.
* Minerva – Michael Kazepis [****]
* In the Flat Light – Adam Cesare [***]
* Terror in the House of Broken Belles – Nikki Guerlain [**] (this one read kind of like a Jess Franco movie)
* The Strange Vice of ZLA-313 – MP Johnson [***]
* Sensoria – Anya Martin [**]
* The Red Church – Orrin Grey [*]
* Balch Creek – Cameron Pierce [*]
* Hello, Handsome – Garrett Cook [**]
* We Can Only Become Monsters – Ennis Drake [*]
* The Threshold of Waking Light – E. Catherine Tobler [*]
* The Communion of Saints – John Langan [**] (this one a detective story but not really a giallo)
* Exit Strategies – Brian Keene [**]
* Minerva – Michael Kazepis [****]
* In the Flat Light – Adam Cesare [***]
* Terror in the House of Broken Belles – Nikki Guerlain [**] (this one read kind of like a Jess Franco movie)
* The Strange Vice of ZLA-313 – MP Johnson [***]
* Sensoria – Anya Martin [**]
* The Red Church – Orrin Grey [*]
* Balch Creek – Cameron Pierce [*]
* Hello, Handsome – Garrett Cook [**]
* We Can Only Become Monsters – Ennis Drake [*]
* The Threshold of Waking Light – E. Catherine Tobler [*]
* The Communion of Saints – John Langan [**] (this one a detective story but not really a giallo)
* Exit Strategies – Brian Keene [**]
May 5, 2017
If you really dig film-inspired stories in general, and Giallo in particular, this anthology is for you. I consider myself more Giallo-adjacent, and while I can often appreciate the artistry, it’s not really one of my major buttons. That said, there’s plenty of excellent stories to seek out, even if you’re not enamored with The Yellow.
The essay “Yellow: The Color of Decadence, Strangeness, and Fear” by Ross E. Lockhart is a really good warmup and primer. I appreciate prefaces that set me up for the anthology, rather than tell me what I’m about to read.
The book really revved up in the middle for me. “The Strange Vice of ZLA-313” by MP Johnson is reminiscent of Metropolis reimagined through a Giallo lens. Since these are robots, we’re allowed a view more lurid and disturbing than humans would allow. “SENSORIA” by Anya Martin is an excellent goth-industrial Dream Cycle story with plenty of gritty Atlanta love. Orrin Grey mashes my Tortured Artist Button in “The Red Church”.
“Hello, Handsome” by Garrett Cook was fun and experimental. “The Communion of Saints” by John Langan is what we would have gotten if the writers of True Detective were inspired by modern horror cinema and the director by Giallo. It resonates with King’s IT while exploring saints and faith as monsters.
The essay “Yellow: The Color of Decadence, Strangeness, and Fear” by Ross E. Lockhart is a really good warmup and primer. I appreciate prefaces that set me up for the anthology, rather than tell me what I’m about to read.
The book really revved up in the middle for me. “The Strange Vice of ZLA-313” by MP Johnson is reminiscent of Metropolis reimagined through a Giallo lens. Since these are robots, we’re allowed a view more lurid and disturbing than humans would allow. “SENSORIA” by Anya Martin is an excellent goth-industrial Dream Cycle story with plenty of gritty Atlanta love. Orrin Grey mashes my Tortured Artist Button in “The Red Church”.
“Hello, Handsome” by Garrett Cook was fun and experimental. “The Communion of Saints” by John Langan is what we would have gotten if the writers of True Detective were inspired by modern horror cinema and the director by Giallo. It resonates with King’s IT while exploring saints and faith as monsters.
September 12, 2015
OMG! There is such a melding of weird crimes with the super natural and each story is very different in style and tone, but Anya Martin's "Sensoria" grabbed my reader's attention from the opening to the surreality that scarabs have psychotropic properties.
Each reader will find his/her favorite(s).
Each reader will find his/her favorite(s).
March 25, 2016
A bizarre and lucid compendium of tales based (sometimes loosely) on the legendary Italian fiction genre that also gave way to the infamous films by Italian horror directors such as Fulci, Bava etc. Here we see post modernist,sci-fi and the downright weird combine to give us a selection of tantalising peeks into the world of black gloves and homicidal motives we all know and love...
January 1, 2024
I contemplated whether it was worth it to review this or not since it was mostly a waste of time reading it, but then i thought of myself looking through the reviews and expecting a proper homage to the 'giallo' genre and to the directors that are referenced like Dario Argento, Mario Bava and Lucio Fulci, and finding a cocktail of poorly written stories that vaguely experimented with different notions reminscing of 'giallo' with a few exceptions of course. I am going to list the stories and my opinion on them:
1. Kazepis's 'Minerva': 2/5 had potential but the story was too confusing and the conclusion wasn't clear in the least bit. felt like something that was written by obligation.
2. Cesare's 'In the flat light': 1/5 literally no point or plot whatsoever, a supposed homage to director Sergio Martino; pointless thta is all I can say
3. Guerlain's 'Terror in the House of Broken Belles': 0/5 disgusting and way too sexual. thiswas supposed to be giallo not torture porn; my only thought while reading this was who even thinks of this stuff??!
4. Johnson's 'The strange vice of ZLA-313': 2.5/5 carbon copy of the movie 'The strange vice of Mrs Wardh' although it is to be noted that the story is set in a futuristic robot world now and all the details support this new setting which means it's more of a reboot readaptation so it is creative and overall worth reading, but it is lacking originality.
5. Martin's 'Sensoria': 4/5 really good and interesting. felt like a giallo with a twisting conclusion
6. Grey's 'The Red Church': 4/5 ingenious and original, thought of making this into a movie at some point in my career as movie director, worth reading!
7. Pierce's 'Balch Creek': 2/5 this could have been really good if it was finished but it's not
8. Cook's 'Hello, Handsome': 2.5/5 vile and dirty but respectful to the giallo genre. i personally didn't like it but it is well written.
9. Drake's 'We can only become monsters': 4/5 this was genuinely intriguing, it lacked a consistent plot but it has a lot of potential in the movie world but in a few years since it is pretty obvious who the story is referencing
10. Tobler's 'The threshold of waking light': 1/5 didn't understand it at all
11. Langan's 'The communion of saints': 3/5 a detective story it is well written but it didn't have much of a point at all
12. Keene's 'Exit strategies': 2/5 only because somewhere in there, there is a potential really good plotline but it is referenced poorly here
The final rating is based on all my reviews of the stories and sums up to a 2/5, but the book as an overall compilation of stories is a 1/5.
1. Kazepis's 'Minerva': 2/5 had potential but the story was too confusing and the conclusion wasn't clear in the least bit. felt like something that was written by obligation.
2. Cesare's 'In the flat light': 1/5 literally no point or plot whatsoever, a supposed homage to director Sergio Martino; pointless thta is all I can say
3. Guerlain's 'Terror in the House of Broken Belles': 0/5 disgusting and way too sexual. thiswas supposed to be giallo not torture porn; my only thought while reading this was who even thinks of this stuff??!
4. Johnson's 'The strange vice of ZLA-313': 2.5/5 carbon copy of the movie 'The strange vice of Mrs Wardh' although it is to be noted that the story is set in a futuristic robot world now and all the details support this new setting which means it's more of a reboot readaptation so it is creative and overall worth reading, but it is lacking originality.
5. Martin's 'Sensoria': 4/5 really good and interesting. felt like a giallo with a twisting conclusion
6. Grey's 'The Red Church': 4/5 ingenious and original, thought of making this into a movie at some point in my career as movie director, worth reading!
7. Pierce's 'Balch Creek': 2/5 this could have been really good if it was finished but it's not
8. Cook's 'Hello, Handsome': 2.5/5 vile and dirty but respectful to the giallo genre. i personally didn't like it but it is well written.
9. Drake's 'We can only become monsters': 4/5 this was genuinely intriguing, it lacked a consistent plot but it has a lot of potential in the movie world but in a few years since it is pretty obvious who the story is referencing
10. Tobler's 'The threshold of waking light': 1/5 didn't understand it at all
11. Langan's 'The communion of saints': 3/5 a detective story it is well written but it didn't have much of a point at all
12. Keene's 'Exit strategies': 2/5 only because somewhere in there, there is a potential really good plotline but it is referenced poorly here
The final rating is based on all my reviews of the stories and sums up to a 2/5, but the book as an overall compilation of stories is a 1/5.
August 31, 2022
Collections are hit or miss. Rarely will every story work for everybody. Themed collections even more so, because not only do the stories have to be good, they also have to fit the theme. I'd say about half of Giallo Fantastique's stories don't feel very Giallo-y. However, even some of those stories were interesting. In those cases, while they may have stretched to fit the theme, they were still worth reading.
Two of the best stories that also felt very thematically appropriate were Orrin Grey's The Red Church and John Langan's The Communion of Saints. I had already read both these stories recently in other collections, but I give them my highest recommendation, especially for those discovering them for the first time in this anthology.
Other highlights include Michael Kazepis' Minerva which is very on theme, Adam Cesare's In the Flat Light, about an aging Giallo director, and the uniquely formatted We Can Only Become Monsters by Ennis Drake. The creepiest story in the collection is Cameron Pierce's Balch Creek. It was probably my favorite after Grey and Langan's contributions but didn't feel very on theme at all. The haunting and tragic Sensoria by Anya Martin, the longest story included, is also well worth reading.
Overall, Giallo fans might be disappointed by some of the stories' perceived lack of thematic relevance, but those looking for well written horror will find more than enough to appreciate.
Two of the best stories that also felt very thematically appropriate were Orrin Grey's The Red Church and John Langan's The Communion of Saints. I had already read both these stories recently in other collections, but I give them my highest recommendation, especially for those discovering them for the first time in this anthology.
Other highlights include Michael Kazepis' Minerva which is very on theme, Adam Cesare's In the Flat Light, about an aging Giallo director, and the uniquely formatted We Can Only Become Monsters by Ennis Drake. The creepiest story in the collection is Cameron Pierce's Balch Creek. It was probably my favorite after Grey and Langan's contributions but didn't feel very on theme at all. The haunting and tragic Sensoria by Anya Martin, the longest story included, is also well worth reading.
Overall, Giallo fans might be disappointed by some of the stories' perceived lack of thematic relevance, but those looking for well written horror will find more than enough to appreciate.
February 17, 2024
🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪/5
To those who don’t know it, or haven’t watched my stories…I like giallos (gialli). A LOT. I watch a few a week, and I still have a decent amount I’ve still need to watch. Gialli are basically slasher/murder mystery movies that focus on splatter, psychological horror, and sexsploitation. The holy trilogy, if you will. *genuflects* Doing some research, I learned that a lot of them were adapted from books, so I went on the hunt and stumbled upon this gem.
Giallo Fantastique is an anthology of original stories done in the Gialli style, and wow were all these stories on the money. There wasn’t a story in here that I didn’t like, and it helped that it had some heavy-hitters like Brian Keene & Adam Cesare throwing in some great additions. They all varied in subjects but had similar moods: brooding settings, high tension, anxious prey being stalked, etc. The standout story to me was “The Strange Vice of ZLA-313” by MP Johnson, it blew me away. It was a perfect noir slasher, but done in a future where humans hide in the shadows and robot replicants take their place. Don’t ask me how they were able to create a dark world of android damsels fleeing a killer in a jazzy, smokey detective-comic universe…but they did. I want to read that one again actually, so that’s a good sign. So if you like a good giallo, or haven’t ever experienced one…go do that asap, then give this one a shot.
To those who don’t know it, or haven’t watched my stories…I like giallos (gialli). A LOT. I watch a few a week, and I still have a decent amount I’ve still need to watch. Gialli are basically slasher/murder mystery movies that focus on splatter, psychological horror, and sexsploitation. The holy trilogy, if you will. *genuflects* Doing some research, I learned that a lot of them were adapted from books, so I went on the hunt and stumbled upon this gem.
Giallo Fantastique is an anthology of original stories done in the Gialli style, and wow were all these stories on the money. There wasn’t a story in here that I didn’t like, and it helped that it had some heavy-hitters like Brian Keene & Adam Cesare throwing in some great additions. They all varied in subjects but had similar moods: brooding settings, high tension, anxious prey being stalked, etc. The standout story to me was “The Strange Vice of ZLA-313” by MP Johnson, it blew me away. It was a perfect noir slasher, but done in a future where humans hide in the shadows and robot replicants take their place. Don’t ask me how they were able to create a dark world of android damsels fleeing a killer in a jazzy, smokey detective-comic universe…but they did. I want to read that one again actually, so that’s a good sign. So if you like a good giallo, or haven’t ever experienced one…go do that asap, then give this one a shot.
April 9, 2023
There are some gems in this collection that really hit the eerie vibes I was looking for. I found that I couldn’t quite understand what connected these stories though. Even with the introduction, I felt lost about the concept of the collection.
May 2, 2024
In the intro, the editor lays out the scope of this collection, which is to be a book full of giallo-inspired tales (with a bit of the supernatural thrown in). That seemed pretty intriguing, so this book felt like a sure hit at first.
This was mostly a disappointment, as nearly all stories lacked anything to do with the giallo genre at all. Only "Minerva" (by Michael Kazepis), "In The Flat Light " (by Adam Cesare), & "Hello, Handsome" (by Garrett Cook) felt like unique riffs on this Italian film genre. The rest had barely existing connections to giallo, and were seemingly included in this book at random.
This was mostly a disappointment, as nearly all stories lacked anything to do with the giallo genre at all. Only "Minerva" (by Michael Kazepis), "In The Flat Light " (by Adam Cesare), & "Hello, Handsome" (by Garrett Cook) felt like unique riffs on this Italian film genre. The rest had barely existing connections to giallo, and were seemingly included in this book at random.
January 1, 2018
Not very Giallo. Only 2 good (complete) stories, the only one that would fit the Gallo aesthetic takes place in the far future with robots!
June 24, 2024
2.5 stars
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