Weirdbook #39

Weirdbook #39

by Douglas Draa (Editor), Franklyn Searight (Contributor), Samson Stormcrow Hayes (Contributor)

Weirdbook returns with another jam-packed issue full of great fantasy and horror tales! Included this time are:

• HORROR AROUND THE BEND, by Franklyn Searight

• A TINY CUT, by Samson Stormcrow Hayes

• POSTHUMOUS, by Marlane Quade Cook

• PAGES FROM AN INVISIBLE BOOK, by Darrell Schweitzer

• THAT NAME WAS EVOC, by Lorenzo Crescentini

• MISDIAGNOSED, by Jackie Bee

• DOG DROOL, by Frederick J. Mayer

• THE VENUSIAN MANTIS, by Teege Braune

• THE COLOR OF THE GODS, by Ken Heuler

• SPAWNING GROUND, by Hannah Lackoff

• CURSE OF THE DARK QUEEN, by Lily Luchesi

• MONIKA UNRAVELING, by Rebecca House

• CRAWLING WITH THEM, by Jason Zwiker

• SEVEN SISTERS, by James Machin

• THE HOUSE IN THE MOUNTAINS, by Michael Washburn

• EYES WITHOUT A FACE, by Thomas Vaughn

• CLARTLEY CHOWDER, by Richie Brown

• DOMINION OVER ABBADON, by Richard J. O'Brien

• DIVINE WIND OF THE DARK, by Frank Schildiner

• SKRIK, by Bekki Pate

• THE FERRYMAN’S JOURNAL, by Ed Burkley

• DEMIURGE, by Mark A. Fitch

• AND IN HER EYES THE CITY DROWNED, by Kyla Lee Ward

• CLOUDS LIKE MEMORIES, WORDS LIKE STONES, by John R. Fultz

• UP THE LAZY RIVER, by Adrian Cole

• SYLVAN SIMALCRUM, by Chad Hensley

• MISTER DORTON’S CATS, by Russ Parkhurst

• THE AUTUMN PEOPLE, by Kurt Newton

Poetry

• EA CARPE NOCTIS, by Frank Coffman

• THE CURSED, by Julio Toro San Martin and Hank Simmons

• BAD NIGHT, by Lucy Snyder

• SONGS OF THE QUAIL, by Jessica Amanda Salmonson

• MISKATONIC ETUDES, by James P. Roberts

303 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 2, 2018

Reviews

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A humongous collection of weird tales— that's how I would like to describe this anthology. It contains a lot of readable stuff in small or large dosage. However, in my humble opinion, the following stands out by virtue of their sharp and succinct writing:
1. 'The Venusian Mantis' by Teege Braune
2. 'Spawning Ground' by Hannah Lackoff
3. 'Curse of the Dark Queen' by Lily Luchesi
4. 'Dominion Over Abbadon' by Richard J. O'Brien
5. 'Up the Lazy River' by Adrian Cole
The rest sometimes lost themselves in too many words. Or they lacked that bittersweet smell of dark humour. But they were also readable.
If you get an opportunity to read this hefty tome, do try to read it.

[Naomi Downing · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weirdbook is an anthology of short stories and poems. All the stories and poems in this collection are fantasy and horror. Even though i wish I could review each story and poem, it would make a very long review so I randomly picked out some of them.
Horror around the Bend is an excellent story. It has a very creepy and claustrophobic feel throughout the whole story. I've never liked outhouses and this story just makes me hate them more.
A Tiny Cut is a quick and horrifying read with a touch of humor at the end. Reminds you to be careful when you're outside.
The Cursed is a poem that packs a punch. I've never read horror poetry before but this one is making me want to find more.
Misdiagnosed wasn't what I expected at all but it was a great read. Probably one of my favorites in the whole book.
Monika Unraveling wasn't my cup of tea. Sometimes I feel that vampires, and other creatures like zombies, are way to overused.
Eyes Without a Face starts out where you think you know what's going on, then throws a huge twist at the end. This is another of my favorites in the book.
Clartly Chowder is definitely a story that leaves you going "what the hell?" It's a very interesting story and I'd love to read it as a full length novel.
The Ferryman's Journal is a unique story. It chronicles the job of the ferryman who takes your soul to where it belongs in the afterlife. I've never read something like this and would love to read more.
Bad Night is a short but powerful poem. Having dealt with depression it really resonated with me.
Sylvan Simulacrum is a story about a little girl finding a strange doll. The doll has some sort of powers, which you find out at the end. I really wish this story was a little longer so you could find out more about the doll.
There are many more stories within this book. This collection had some very good stories and poems, but it also had some that weren't so good. Overall it is a great collection with some authors I now want to look up to see if they have other writing out there. I really liked the variety of different themes and writing styles. I would definitely recommend it if you are a fantasy or horror lover.

[L.F. Falconer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best issue yet, in my opinion. I can usually narrow my favorite stories down to three, but not this time. Nearly all of them appealed to my darker side!

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Consistently one of the best magazines in the business