I Can Taste the Blood

by John F.D. Taff (Editor), Anthony Rivera (Editor), Josh Malerman

Five Unique Voices From Bram Stoker Award-nominated authors Josh Malerman, the newly minted master of modern horror, and John F.D. Taff, the "King of Pain," to the mind-bending surrealism of Erik T. Johnson, the darkly poetic prose of J. Daniel Stone and the transgressive mania of Joe Schwartz, I CAN TASTE THE BLOOD offers up five novellas from five unique authors whose work consistently expands the boundaries of conventional fiction. Five Disturbing Visions I CAN TASTE THE BLOOD opens the doors to a movie theater of the damned; travels the dusty, sin-drenched desert with an almost Biblical mysterious stranger; recounts the phantasmagoric story of birth, death and rebirth; contracts a hit that's not at all what it seems; and exposes the disturbing possibilities of what might be killing Smalltown, U.S.A. One Nightmare As diverse as they are, in voice and vision, the work of the five celebrated authors assembled in this stunning volume of terror share one common theme, one hideous and terrifying nightmare that can only be contained within the pages of I CAN TASTE THE BLOOD.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Novella, Anthologies

310 pages, Paperback

First published August 23, 2016

About the author

John F.D. Taff is a multi-Bram Stoker Award short-listed dark fiction author with more than 30 years experience, and more than 100 short stories and seven novels in print.

He has appeared in Cemetery Dance, Eldritch Tales, Unnerving, Deathrealm, Big Pulp and One Buck Horror, as well as anthologies such as Hot Blood: Seeds of Fear, Hot Blood: Fear the Fever, Shock Rock II, Lullabies for Suffering, Gutted: Beautiful Horror Stories, Behold!, Shadows Over Main Street 2, Horror Library V, Best of Horror Library, Dark Visions Vol. 1, Ominous Realities, Death's Realm, I Can Taste the Blood and Savage Beasts. His work will appear soon in The Seven Deadliest and I Can Hear the Shadows.

His novels include The Bell Witch, Kill-Off and the serialized apocalyptic epic The Fearing. Thunderstorm Books and Grey Matter Press will release a one-volume version of The Fearing in 2021, in limited edition hardcover, soft cover and digital. Short fiction collections include Little Deaths: The Definitive Collection and Little Black Spots, both published by Grey Matter Press.

Taff's novella collection, The End in All Beginnings, was called one of the best novella collections by Jack Ketchum and was a Stoker Award Finalist. His short "A Winter's Tale" was also a Stoker Finalist.

His upcoming anthology Dark Stars, a tribute to that seminal '80s work Dark Forces, will be published by Tor/Nightfire 11/2/21.

His website is at johnfdtaff.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnfdtaff.

Reviews

[Icy-Cobwebs-Crossing-SpaceTime · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review: I CAN TASTE THE BLOOD Anthology
(Josh Malerman; J. Daniel Stone ; Joe Schwartz ;Erik T. Johnson; John F. D. Taff; edited Anthony Rivera)

I CAN TASTE THE BLOOD Is at once anthology of five discrete novellas penned by five separate and individual authors, and also in a sense a themed collection. In no way a "shared-world" set, instead offered here is a unique collection of creativity. The five authors involved worked from only one shared premise, the title, "I CAN TASTE THE BLOOD." Exactly what that statement specifies, and how and why to work it, relied on the individual writer--and how successful they accomplished!!

The five novellas will turn you inside out, upside down, and strip you of your preconceptions, whatever they may be. Prepare to be transported to the farthest reaches of extreme horror; to find the difficulty in identifying truth; and to be absorbed by five novellas you cannot forget.

[Angela Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is in no way reflected in my opinion of this story.

I Can Taste The Blood is an interesting anthology of novellas. A lot of anthologies have a theme to connect the stories but this was one of the most unique ones I've come across. All of the stories share the same title. The five novellas in this book are each very different in both style and content, ranging from horror to a stream of conscience type story straight out of a fever dream. My two favorite stories in this collection are John F.D. Taff's story, a phenomenal body horror nightmare with hints of The Old Ones. And Josh Malerman's story which is reminiscent of a fantastic folktale told around a campfire as a warning about strangers. This anthology is both entertaining and thought provoking. I highly recommend this 4 star collection.

[Shane Douglas Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read my full review at This Is Horror: http://www.thisishorror.co.uk/book-re...

Any time you see the name John F. D. Taff coupled with the words “short fiction” you can expect that you’re in for something special, and the same can be said of anything that Grey Matter Press puts their stamp on. So when the two forces join together, it’s probably safe to say that extraordinary things are going to happen, a statement that proves to be true in the new Rivera and Taff edited anthology of short fiction, I Can Taste the Blood. John finds his inspiration in strange and varied locations, often the last places you’d think of when asking an author the much hated question, “where do you get your ideas”. But he’d probably take great pleasure from telling you where this one came from, because it was in the men’s room of a dive pizza joint in St. Louis, Missouri. Specifically, the five words that make up the title scribbled on the wall at eye level if you were standing there—well, it’s a men’s room. You can fill in the blank.

John—having the kind of mind he does—didn’t just take this inspirational line and run home to write a story from it. He thought to take it one step further and create a completely different sort of anthology, one in which five different authors with very distinct voices and styles would each bring their own fresh vision to the same title. That’s it. Not a shared world or unifying theme sort of book. No guidelines for what type of content their tales should contain, just a title, a story prompt. But another thing about the collection of unique minds that are gathered in I Can Taste the Blood that should be mentioned is that they are all brilliantly creative wordsmiths and because of that, every offering in the book is exceptional.

Read my full review at This Is Horror: http://www.thisishorror.co.uk/book-re...

[Fuzzydice108 · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are 5 separate stories in this book, which means I’m rating each story separately.

Story 1, Josh Malerman: 5 🌟 Creepy, thrilling, and suspenseful. I loved it. This story has just been sticking with me in an eerie way. Josh certainly knows how to keep a reader enthralled.

Story 2, Daniel Stone: 1.5 ⭐️ I wanted to like this story. However it took me hours and hours to read only 57 pages. I’ve read books with snuff film plot lines before, and while those stories drew me in, this one did not.

Story 3, Joe Schwartz: 1 ⭐️ No, nope, no way! Wasn’t a fan of this story AT ALL. The needless suffering and murder of dogs isn’t something I find even remotely entertaining. Not to mention... wtf was this story even about?? Some guy is paid under the table to screw up people’s lives, and in doing so he lands himself in a bad situation with an “oh, okay” outcome? If the lesson in this story was to don’t-do-and-crap-because-karma-will-catch-up-for-you, then I found that to be quite lame. Like, obviously. There was no thrill for me with this story. And it certainly did not qualify as horror.

Story 4, Erik T. Johnson: 1.5 ⭐️ First off, there are two missing parentheses brackets from two separate sentences, all within the first page.
Now to the story—I had no idea what in the hell I just read. And not in the “Holy Hufflepuff, I need some time to process this information so it makes sense.” No. I literally have no idea. The entire thing was a mess of word vomit. I feel like I accidentally skipped over multiple pages, because the whole damn thing didn’t make a lick of sense.
I could take the time and go back to re-read the story, however that would just be a waste of precious reading time.

Story 5, John D. Taff: 3 ⭐️ I enjoyed picturing just what in the actual F I was reading. Bizarre doesn’t begin to describe. This stuff, right here in this story, is what nightmares are made of. Horror, and gore. Plus there was that overall creepy factor.
I was a little lost as to WHY. What was the why, the history? More could have been explained in order for the story to make a little more sense, as well as wrapped things up better.

[Adam House · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five novellas. Five authors. One publisher. I was thrilled when I first heard of ‘I Can Taste the Blood’ from one of John F. D. Taff’s (author/editor) blog newsletters. I’ve been a fan of all five writers involved for a while, as well as publisher Grey Matter Press, so to say this project had me excited would be an understatement. But could it live up to my expectation, or have I hyped it up too much before it even became a thing?

The first story is from author Josh Malerman, and it was a perfect way to kick off the book. Josh’s vision hooked me right away. The reader isn’t quite sure where or when his story takes place, but we don’t really need to know. Before we have time to question it, we are shown the world through action, mood, senses, dialogue, and are too much a part of it to stop reading—reminding me of the way Robert E. Howard would convey his worlds without telling, just dropping the reader in and letting them experience it. After reading Bird Box (which was excellent) I was really interested in this novella, and it stands up. Big time!

Next was J. Daniel Stone’s vision. If you have read any of Stone’s other works, you know he has a very poetic voice that accents his horrors in ways most authors hope to achieve. His vision of I Can Taste the Blood is the very embodiment of this. A young musician and his lover become something else when put in front of the camera. But which one is the muse? Stone weaves an intricate tale reminiscent, in feel and imagination, of Barker’s Books of Blood. Can’t wait for his new novel to drop.

Joe Schwartz brought a real dark crime-noir feel with his novella. I was hooked instantly. Joe has an amazing way of making you chuckle one second and wince another, making his voice a great addition to this collection. His vision points out the weird things people will do for money, and the weird things they’ll do for pleasure, but who’s to say what is weird? His story is raw, fast, and gripping. Loved it.

Next was easily the most experimental story in the collection. Erik T. Johnson’s novella has been labeled transgressive, and I think that fits far more accurately than experimental. His vision easily stands out, not as straightforward/linear as the others involved, and that’s why I enjoyed it as much as I did. His writing makes you think. His words are bold, his sentences challenging. Often times requiring a re-read to either clarify, or just to appreciate. Isn’t that what we, as readers, want in a writer? I’m not sure of another writer I could compare his work too (and that’s a good thing) but I get the same feeling reading Johnson’s work as I do watching films by David Lynch. This novella might not be for everyone, but I loved it immensely. There’s a fully realized vision here that I know I’ll need to read more than once to grasp wholly—and I’m looking forward to it. His voice was an excellent choice in the collection.

The final novella was from John F. D. Taff. He’s one of those writers I’ve pretty much loved everything I’ve ever read from. Known as the King of Pain, due to his emotionally charged characters, he deviates here and delivers a good old fashioned A to B horror story with still relatable characters—a little more horror than usual; a little more blood than usual—and it works. It takes place in small town America, complete with Veteran’s clubs, dive bars, and marital issues, making the setting as relatable as the characters. What starts out as a strange occurrence for our protagonist, Merle, quickly escalates, causing Merle to seek help and try to find answers. But will Merle like the answers he finds? Another great tale from Taff.

The five novellas presented in I Can Taste the Blood are solid on their own, but even more so together in this collection, as each story, author, and voice, accentuates the other. An excellent idea put together by a very talented pool, and beautifully presented by Grey Matter Press.

I tasted the blood, and I loved it.

[Zakk Madness · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can taste the blood. Such a simple phrase, that is until you actually take a moment to let it sink in. Let it ignite some synapses, follow the thoughts down the rabbit hole and explore what it can actually mean. Suddenly, that simple phrase becomes something quite heavy.

I can taste the blood. A collection of five ambiguously titled novellas connected only by a simple, yet complex phrase and the fire that it ignites. This is an enjoyable read, and a perfect time for it, as summer fades into fall and all the macabre thoughts and fancies take a magical spin. To me anyway. Really though, what better than reading dark fiction as the nights start to take on a chill? Not much.

I’m sure that I’m in the minority here when I say that going in to this read I had little to zero experience with the group of authors presented here. Yes, I was familiar all five names beforehand, as they are usually followed with “dude, you need to read…” And yes, yes I do need to read. It made this book all the more exciting.

This is not, generally speaking, a horror collection. It is dark for sure, dark as the day is long. But the five yarns that weave the book inhabit different styles, different tones. I wasn’t expecting this at all. With the cover an effective gore on white montage, I figured it was going to horror down the line. Alas, it is not. And anytime I get to step out of my horror comfort zone is a welcome time.

The line-up:

Vision I by Josh Malerman (dude, you need to read Bird Box…) starts things with a fable of sorts. It’s a good read, hypnotic in a way, and I really dug the circumstances as to how the tale unfolds. Great setting and interesting characters, it’s a nice way to kick things off. My first Malerman read, cheers.

Vision II by J. Daniel Stone (dude, you need to read Turn to Ash…) brings a tale of addiction and underground art-house cinema. It’s packed with many unsettling scenes and blanketed by a general sense of unease. My first Stone read, solid.

Vision III by Joe Schwartz (dude, you need to read A Season Without Rain…) is a twisted urban crime yarn. I dug the main character quite a bit. He’s a charmer, a violent charmer. And who isn’t enamored with the trials and tribulations of being hired muscle… My first Schwartz read and it’s an entertaining one.

Vision IV by Erik T. Johnson (dude, you need to read The Chapman Books) brings the mind fuck. Vision IV made me feel intoxicated, which I kind of like, a lot. This one needs a reread, as soon as possible, at least while it’s still fresh. I wonder if I read it while intoxicated will it stop the vortex of dizziness or drive me crazy? My first Johnson read… and probably my second as well. Knuckles.

Vision V by John F.D. Taff (dude, you NEED to read The End in All Beginings…) wraps up the collection with a fun creature feature-ish piece. I dug this one a lot as I am a long time fan of monsters, creatures, and the sort. This is my second Taff read having recently finished The Desolate Orchard, he is a hell of a storyteller, weaving an intricate yarn and this is a fine way to close out a solid collection. (pssst, dude, have you heard the legend about the elusive Sunken Cathedral…)

Step inside, crack that spine, taste the blood. You may find that you crave it.

Zakk is a big dumb animal!
https://zdubbzattmom.wordpress.com

**Note: I received a review copy of this book from the publisher/ publicist on the promise of an honest review. These are my unbiased feelings.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another good offering from Grey Matter Press. The idea came from graffiti John FD Taff saw in a restroom, the simple phrase "I can taste the blood." The result is this collection of novellas from five authors, all with the same title, but with very different takes on the phrase.

I really enjoyed this. Four of the novellas are outstanding. One I absolutely hated, and that's the only reason I didn't give it five stars.

Josh Malerman's offering is like an Arabian Nights folktale with a Tales-From-the-Crypt nightmarish twist. Malerman uses beautiful imagery and a unique voice to spin his yarn. I could feel the hot desert wind blowing in my face. That's the mark of an effective writer: putting me there.

J. Daniel Stone is a writer mature beyond his years. His version of ICTTB is hauntingly beautiful, gory, gritty and gothic all at once, a vision that is both revolting and mesmerizing at the same time. And the guy is barely 30.

Joe Schwartz is a guy who should be more widely known. His offering in ICTTB is a street-level crime tale as good as anything I ever read by Elmore Leonard, and that's not a comparison I just throw around. I love writers who can be descriptive without getting in the way and write dialog that actually sounds like the way people talk.

Then we come to Erik T. Johnson.

I'm a college-educated, longtime journalist. I'm a writer and an editor. I have edited other people's writing for a living for a very long time. And Johnson's tale? I just didn't get it. And by the end, I didn't want to get it, nor did I care.

I don't mind looking up a few words and expanding my vocabulary. I make my living with words after all. But after the 20th word I had to look up, I quit counting because at that point, you're just showing off. After about eight or 10 more, combined with a patchwork design that read sort of like a better written version of the emails this schizophrenic guy used to send me at the newspaper, and I found myself skimming, just trying to get to the end. There's literary surrealism, and then there's just a mishmash of images and scenes combined with a my-brain-is-bigger-than-your-brain vibe that's just a complete turnoff. The guy is obviously smart, and I just wonder what he'd do with a more straightforward story that didn't require me to have not just any dictionary on hand, but the big unabridged dictionary we keep on a stand in the newsroom. I would've sent this story back and said, "Write me something accessible." Luckily, it's the only miss in this collection.

The final novella is from Taff, who was nominated for a Bram Stoker award for another collection of novellas he wrote called The End in All Beginnings. I only discovered Taff a couple of years ago, but I'm now trying to read every word he writes because the man knows what he is doing. His offering here is part body horror, part Lovecraftian doom. I really liked it and found myself wanting it to keep going, which is always a good sign in any story.

This collection is full of some wonderful writing. And who knows? Maybe the one tale that was a drawback for me will make perfect sense to you.

[BookChampions · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of five novellas by five horror writers has an interesting genesis, and the collection nearly blew me away. Three of the novellas were truly irresistible mindfucks—brutal, unflinching, and hard to forget. It's these three writers who made me read the book, and none of them disappointed.

John F.D. Taff (a.k.a. The King of Pain) serves up a gory masterpiece that reminded me of an old Stephen King short story but with the heat turned up on high. I'm Italian, but I am for the first time ever not looking forward to the next plate of spaghetti I eat.

J. Daniel Stone writes fantasies that dance along the line between sensuality and torture—and he makes me think about the terrible magic of art in ways I've never imagined. I place his work alongside The Picture of Dorian Gray, and he is one of the dark, seedy sons of Oscar Wilde. I loved it.

Josh Malerman's story opens the collection, and it's unlike any Malerman story I've read so far. The folktale vibe had a chilling and classic vibe, and the ending of his story was my favourite ending of all five.

The other two writers were new to me. As a reader bashing around in St. Louis, I was excited to read Joe Schwartz. St. Louis features prominently in the story (Southern Illinois plays prominently in Taff's outing as well), and it was easy to "see" the environment described here. Schwartz's story about a hitman is properly brutal, and his tale also had a King vibe.

The last writer, Erik T. Johnson, wasn't one I could get into *at all*, but I'm guessing this isn't the best introduction to him as a writer. All five writers wrote an afterward to their story, which I loved, and I think Johnson's afterward was my favorite.

I'd definitely recommend this collection to horror fans, but also those interested in the genre and think they should start with Stephen King. King certainly cracked open the genre, but the risks that writers are taking now are even more terrifying and unexpected. Taff, Stone, and Malerman are three of the reasons I'm such a horror guy, and this was a treat to have all three of them featured here.

[Bob Comparda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Josh Malerman ⭐⭐⭐
J. Daniel Stone ⭐⭐
Joe Schwartz ⭐⭐⭐
Erik T. Johnson ⭐
John F.D. Taff ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Stephen Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly enjoyable, especially J. Daniel Stone.

[Katy Lohman · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars = I don't know if I like this or not...

From the reviews I've read, this anthology of gruesome stories is either the best horror ever, or the worst.

For me, it's a mixed bag. Josh Malerman's tale of a desert-dwelling family taking in a desperate man was great, keeping me curious until the end.

However, I found J. Daniel Stone's tale to be...well, disgusting. When the guys aren't destroying themselves with depression, drugs and ennui, they're being destroyed by a nasty filmmaker who enjoys making them watch and act in grotesque films. I suppose this is supposed to be a deep and surreal exploration of how humanity can be monstrous, but it was excessive in the gore/torture porn aspect.

Joe Schwartz' tale was quite enjoyable in its weirdness. What the heck is going on? Is there even a hero in this tale?

I don't know if I liked Erik T. Johnson's tale or not. The story of an odd recluse and his sick mother was gross and kind of confusing, but I wanted to find out what was going on, why. I was amused by Canny's vocabulary, how he used such complicated, precise words to express himself.

John F.D. Taff's tale is classic horror with some great body horror. What is happening to Merle, our recently divorced hero trying to make it on his own? What's with his hands? What is happening to the whole town? I did not expect the outcome, which is always great.

This book as advertised as having 5 novellas, so the 3 short-fiction works at the end were a nice surprise. Well, sad...a man mourns, a man dines, and a woman struggles; I don't want to say any more because they're so short, except the dining man one is the one I liked best.

[Leslie Wellins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting mash up of horror, noir and psychedelic stories. Inside this collection we have a gritty New York City story, a small town nightmare, a kidnapping, a man who can't keep away from his mother and a tale in the desert.

A standout for me was Vision II by J. Daniel Stone. The story was so sad, and maddening. His writing makes you feel as if you're there! That one I could not put down, as I love movies and Stone's philosophies rang true for me. Such a strong tale for a young author. You can taste, touch and feel everything he writes. This one may make you wince and cry.

My only complaint is where are the female authors? Grey Matter's line doesn't really have much diversity, but at least there was a gay author who actually write gay characters. Women exist in the world too!

[Paul Cutting · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three of the novellas fall into 5 star territory, one didn't quite provide the horror beats I was hoping for and another was almost unreadable, bogged down in inscrutable surrealism. However, I'm sure there's plenty of weirdos out there that enjoy reading stuff that's crazier than a bag load of Donald Trumps. But overall, 3 amazing stories out of 5 ain't a bad tally. Special mention for J. Daniel Stone and his no fucking holds barred approach. That's somebody I'll be looking to read lots more from in the future. Oh, and I'd never read any John Taff before...I'm now off to make up for lost time!
I can taste the blood and it's soooooooo sweet.

[Mommacat · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 novellas, 3 flash fiction shorts all with one title snagged from a mens room wall by John F.D. Taff. Doesn't that just make your brain squirm? I bought the book based on the title without looking inside or knowing a thing about it. It's just too cool.

It lived up to my expectations. The stories were totally and completely different. While two of them weren't really to my liking, the others were so engrossing that a couple of burnt pieces were of no matter to me.

This is a book well worth checking out. Don't miss the flash fiction at the back. Recommended reading!

[Thomas Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to this when I first heard John F.D. Taff, one of my new favourite writers, was putting it together. I was unfamiliar with a couple of the authors and didn't know what to expect. And even though there were a couple of stories I liked more than the others, they were all very well-written. Overall, I thought it was great and offers readers of 1 or 2 of the authors to broaden their horizon and experience something a little different from the other authors. Recommended!

[Xii · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 3/5 (EXACT!)

Good horror. Read after drinking wine in bed for the full experience.

[Booked podcast · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hear the complete review at our website: http://www.bookedpodcast.com/?p=5402

[SnazzyMoose (Lauren) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I DNF’d it at 48% finished. I loved Malerman’s story, but the rest wasn’t doing much for me. Maybe I’ll get back into it another time.

[Cynthia Raleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

The five stories written on the theme "I Can Taste the Blood" were as varied as individuals can be. Settings ranged from retro-futuristic to drug-hazed relationships to sci-fi. I particularly enjoyed Joe Schwartz's tale of a sad-sack guy just trying to get by and could almost hear Orson Wells reading John Taff's interpretation. I recommend this collection of short stories, all reflecting the author's take on the theme.

[Book lover · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anthology of bloody horror stories

An interesting collection of psychological and gruesome tales. The stories are diverse enough to not be monotonous. This book is not for everyone and can be slow going on certain tales. It's not for the faint hearted but horror fans can give it a try handbrake up their own minds.

[David Cluck · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read the story because I enjoy Josh Malerman. His story was different than his other works but enjoyable. After that it went downhill and fast. The novella from Erik T. Johnson almost got this book a DNF...perhaps enjoyable after a few shots of Jager? The last story made up for 2 of the 5 being below average.

[Beth · Rating 1 out of 5]

The only story even partially worth reading was by Josh Malerman.

[Jordan Whitlock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Brilliant concept and every story had it's own unique execution. Can't wait to read the follow-up from these guys!

[Jackie Francois · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not for me...

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Five authors. Five stories all based off the line, "I can taste the blood." This sort of reads like a lost edition of Barker's Books of Blood, it's so fresh and thrilling. There's something for every horror/thriller fan in here. My personal favorite? John F.D. Taff's nightmare Vision V: a down-on-his-luck small town Joe discovers the secrets lying underneath the already flawed facade of his life.