Weirdbook #40

Weirdbook #40

by Douglas Draa, Adrian Cole (Contributor), Franklyn Searight (Contributor)

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

-Iconoclasm, by Adrian Cole
-Have a Crappy Halloween, by Franklyn Searight
-Early Snow, by Samson Stormcrow Hayes
-The Dollhouse, by Glynn Owen Barrass
-Elle a Vu un Loup, by Loren Rhoads
-Bringing the Bodies Home, by Christian Riley
-Restored, by Marlane Quade Cook
-Nameless and Named, by David M. Hoenig
-Playing A Starring Role, by Paul Lubaczewski
-And the Living is Easy, by Mike Chinn
-The Prague Relic, by Paul StJohn Mackintosh
-The Circle, by Matt Sullivan
-Sanctuary, by John Linwood Grant
-The Giving of Gifts, by Matt Neil Hill
-The Santa Anna, by Jack Lothian
-The Dread Fishermen, by Kevin Henry
-Blind Vision, by Andrew Darlington
-The Thirteenth Step, by William Tea
-This Godless Apprenticeship, by Clint Smith
-Waiting, by John W. Dennehy
-Pouring Whiskey In My Soul, by Paul R. McNamee
-True Blue, by Darrell Schweitzer
-The Treadmill, by Rohit Sawant
-The Veiled Isle, by W. D. Clifton
Poetry
-Gila King, by Jessica Amanda Salmonson
-Necro-Meretrix, by Frederick J. Mayer
-Grinning Moon, by Frederick J. Mayer
-The Burning Man, by Russ Parkhurst
-Silent Hours, by Russ Parkhurst
-The Old White Crone, by Maxwell I. Gold

256 pages, Paperback

First published September 26, 2018

Reviews

[Naomi Downing · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another instalment of Weirdbook has made it's way into my hands. I have always liked reading anthologies because it gives you stories from different authors, it's a great way to find new authors to read. I do want to say that the artwork on the cover really grabbed me the minute I saw it. Now because there are so many stories I can't review each, so here is a selection of random stories you can find inside.
ICONOCLASM is a very interesting story. I really like how the author mixed Christianity with a paranormal elements. I still want to know more about the man in the white van.
EARLY SNOW is a great short story. With Halloween cancelled because of cold weather, two children are determined to go trick or treating. This story may be short but it's full of emotion.
BRINGING THE BODIES HOME left me wanting more, I think it would be the beginning of a great book.
RESTORED is an interesting story about a woman trapped in a painting, sometimes things are not as they seem though. Very solid story with great descriptions.
PLAYING A STARRING ROLE didn't end the way I was thinking, I was expecting a ghost not an immortal. This is another story that could be turned into a good book.
SANCTUARY this story went a different way than i expected. It really pulls you in and leaves you wanting to know more.
THE THIRTEENTH STEP is a very creepy, descriptive story. I really felt pulled into the story, and it gave me a claustrophobic feeling. This story had to be my favorite out of the whole collection.
THE TREADMILL was definitely an interesting story. When the gym gets a new treadmill one man notices there is something wrong with it. This is definitely a story that would keep your from going on a treadmill.
GILA KING is the first poem you come to in the book. It is filled with great imagery.
THE OLD WHITE CRONE sounds like an old spoken folklore that you might hear around the campfire. I really liked how it was told in poem form, definitely added to the atmosphere of the story.
Each story in this volume is well written and entertaining, definitely a must read. The details in each story makes them really come alive. I'm definitely looking up some of these authors to see if they have other works out there, they have a writing style I liked and want more of.

[J.N. Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good! I can't recommend enough for readers who love short stories!

[Chris Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the variety of stories in this issue.

[Christopher Keiser · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just as previous issues, this one is marred by poor editing. I actually received a test copy with a marked up cover. The stories are hit and miss, some with good writers but poor stories, some with poor writers, but interesting stories. Ahhhh ... but when you get a good writer with a good story, it makes it all worth it.

Also, they moved all the poetry to the end of this edition. I greatly preferred having them inter-dispersed among the stories as a nice break.

[L.D. Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read many issues of this until fairly recently, and I greatly regret it. I will be ordering back issues every time I can scrounge up the extra funds.

First off, this is a collection of Weird Fiction. Think Lovecraft, Howard and Smith. I will admit that not all of the stories are right up my alley. I am something of an old soul and I prefer the more "classical" pulp narratives as opposed to more modern styles, but that is the best part about a magazine like this. There is something in here for every lover of the Weird.

I chose to give this 5 stars for two reasons.

1. I adore short stories. I am a busy guy. I don't have time to read 800,000 word novels in a 16 book series. The stories present in this magazine are just the right size to be read and enjoyed in a short amount of time. There is a bonus to that as well, if the story isn't quite your jam, it's over soon enough that you will be on to the next offering in no time.

Note: that is not to say any of these stories are bad. They are not. Expertly chosen and edited., for sure. But we all have our tastes.

2. I love the Weird. My first favorite author was H. P. Lovecraft. From there I did what I could as a 12 year old boy in 2001 to find more of the same stuff. It was hard. But eventually I came to C. A. S. and Robert E. Howard. The fast pace of the pulps really appeals to me and the subject matter makes it all the more appealing. These are things I don't think are typically touche upon in the long form novel outside of certain niches. We are talking alien gods, sword swinging barbarians, tentacle monsters and lost worlds.

If you like that stuff, you NEED to get some of these magazines!

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 3 out of 5]

The volume was, typically, full of readable stuff. A lot of them were 'meh' type. Some, like Adrian Cole's 'Iconoclasm', Samson Stormcrow Hayes' 'Early Snow', Paul Lubaczewski's 'Playing A Starring Role', Jack Lothian's 'The Santa Anna' and Paul R. McNamee's 'Pouring Whiskey In My Soul' were good. But I found the following works to be very good and befitting the high standards of this anthology:
1. David M. Hoenig's 'Nameless and Named';
2. Matt Sullivan's 'The Circle';
3. John Linwood Grant's 'Sanctuary';
4. W.D. Clifton's 'The Veiled Isle'.
If you get hold of this volume, do read it. It may not be unmissable. But it does contain several very good works.