Postcards from the Void

by Guy Smith, Lucian Clark

Ever see a photo of a place that never existed?

From the creative team behind the award-winning "Shadows And Teeth" horror series comes a reality-bending anthology that combines eerie vintage photos with terrifying stories.

The places in this book are shunned, abandoned and forgotten. They do not exist, and yet here you will find the stories of people who have gone and survived to tell their tales, complete with photographs. These are the postcards from the void, frightful evidence of places that should not be, and yet exist in our nightmares. Should you dare to venture into these blighted places, remember: don't talk to strangers; don't stray far from home; and never, ever go in alone.

Twenty-five tales of horror and dark fantasy by the legendary Guy N. Smith, Adam Millard, Nicholas Paschall, R. Perez de Pereda, and more!

The authors contributing to this anthology are: Guy N. Smith, Ramiro Perez de Pereda, Adam Millard, Jill Hand, Peter Oliver Wonder, Stephanie Kelley, Antonio Simon, Jr., Apara Moreiya, Joshua Bartolome, A.P. Hawkins, Douglas Fairbanks, Richard Ayre, Steven M. Fonts, Nicholas Paschall, Sarah Cannavo, Richard Beauchamp, Thomas Vaughn, Lucian Clark, David Owain Hughes, Michael Warriner, David Clark, Robb T. White, Daphne Strasert, Nick Vossen, and Johanna Vandredi.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Fiction, Anthologies

523 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 30, 2018

About the author

Guy Smith is a writer, songwriter, and political provocateur. At times Smith has been a cowboy, surfer, computer guru, and a marketing strategist. Smith contributes Op/Ed pieces to major metropolitan newspapers (San Francisco Chronicle, Oakland Tribune). He has published over 150 magazine articles, and writes both fiction and non-fiction books.

Reviews

[B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this collection. It represents a genre that really has no name, but appeals to me greatly-let’s call it Alternate Universe or Ghost Town genre. I would say all of these stories were better than the rest with the exception of the first and last story which I felt were exceptionally weak and lacking in any imagination-this stories read like goosebumps and some angry PC screed disguised as a short story respectively. Other than those, I ate this book up! If you like horror like movies like Silent Hill or Blair Witch,literature like Found Audio or the Red Tree....this is right up your alley!

[AJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is a tough one to rate because many of the stories were 5 star worthy (Circle Of Evil, Carcer, Pennsylvania, Four Beasts Gate, China, and my favorite, Barker, Alberta), and those that run on a bit too long for their (or your) own good, (Spirit, Ohio is the worst offender). Some are memorable for their plot, others for their characterization, or just good old fashioned writing. And then there's the downright horrible that could have been cut from the over-long running time (the inclusion of Springland Meadows, Virginia - the worst story in the collection - is the immediate standout.)

This is why the book is so hard to rate. It's rather hit-or-miss (though, thankfully, more hit than miss). But the low points are so low that it drags the entire book down overall. I think the editor made a wise choice in trying to appeal to as many readers as possible, but in doing so, many stories totally fall flat when they fail to grab your interest. I was determined to finish all of the stories, which made it an unbearably slog in a few places, but those that I did enjoy, I enjoyed a lot.

I'll admit to losing my patience over the last two hours, which may have tarnished my enjoyment of the last couple of stories (I stand behind my disdain for Springland Meadows), both otherwise it's an enjoyable read, best suited for a late night in front of a fire.

[Tom Garback]

The writing is too terrible for any of it to be scary.