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Resisting Madness
What drives a man mad?
Maybe it’s the death of a loved one...or the petrifying fear of hands around your throat…the dread of rejection…or maybe it’s the black, soulless eyes of a child that shatters your sanity…
Within these pages, delirium reigns supreme. You’ll discover how far a prisoner will go to be with his dying wife, and what lurks between the walls of that Louisiana jailhouse to keep him there. You’ll find out how deep a man can cut himself to dig out the past. You’ll meet a college professor whose fear of flying might be the least of his worries. And you’ll learn how a sister’s love for sweet treats can reunite a broken family…whether they want it or not.
Aliens and lot lizards…disembodied lips…the voice of God Himself…
Thirteen stories and a brand new novella from horror author Wesley Southard.
Within these pages, we all go a little mad…
Maybe it’s the death of a loved one...or the petrifying fear of hands around your throat…the dread of rejection…or maybe it’s the black, soulless eyes of a child that shatters your sanity…
Within these pages, delirium reigns supreme. You’ll discover how far a prisoner will go to be with his dying wife, and what lurks between the walls of that Louisiana jailhouse to keep him there. You’ll find out how deep a man can cut himself to dig out the past. You’ll meet a college professor whose fear of flying might be the least of his worries. And you’ll learn how a sister’s love for sweet treats can reunite a broken family…whether they want it or not.
Aliens and lot lizards…disembodied lips…the voice of God Himself…
Thirteen stories and a brand new novella from horror author Wesley Southard.
Within these pages, we all go a little mad…
173 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 28, 2019
29 people are currently reading
287 people want to read
About the author
Wesley Southard
37 books153 followersWesley Southard is the two-time Splatterpunk Award-Winning and Imadjinn Award-Winning author of The Betrayed, Closing Costs, One for the Road, Resisting Madness, Slaves to Gravity, Cruel Summer, Where the Devil Waits, The Final Gate, Try Again, They Mostly Come at Night, Disasterpieces, and The Better to Eat You With, as well as numerous short stories in various markets. Several of his works have also been translated into Italian and Spanish. He is a graduate of the Atlanta Institute of Music and he currently lives in South Central Pennsylvania with his wife and son. Visit him online at www.wesleysouthardhorror.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
June 17, 2020
Review originally published in issue #60 for SCREAM Magazine May/June 2020
A short story collection is a great way to get a well-rounded feel for an author’s storytelling voice and style. It’s my opinion that SCREAM fans would love the work of Wesley Southard. He has an accessible, casual way of writing that’s easy to settle into and get hooked right away. His characters are colorful, vibrant people with distinct personalities; they feel like real people ripped from Southard’s real-life experiences. In the first story, WITH MANY THANKS TO NEWARK, a man sits down on a plane next to this guy who is just a real pain in the ass. Everything out of his mouth is annoying--later in the notes, Southard reveals that the chatty passenger was based on a situation that actually happened-not the gorefest, just the passenger.
I particularly like Southar’s knack for dialog. He writes the way folks really talk. I’m reminded of this old truck driver in the story, HOME INVASION, talking about his multitude of sexual escapades and it makes me smile because it’s disgusting and hilarious.
RESISTING MADNESS collects 14 tales everything from Bizzaro flash fiction to splatterpunk creature-features. There are two longer stories that are worth the price of admission alone, HOME INVASION (co-written with Nikki McKenzie) and the title track, RESISTING MADNESS. Each story has author notes tacked to the end which is always a huge bonus for me.
It was fun learning that Southard would write notes when story ideas came to him at work so he’d write notes to himself: “What if you woke up and felt something sucking on your big toe?” This led to the flash fiction, “Lip Service” which was so odd, I’ll never forget it.
Southard is hell-bent on perfecting his craft with hungry, opportunistic strides. Definitely a writer on an upward trajectory.
Well, I decided to review this collection for SCREAM Mag because:
1. That cover.
2. I think the SCREAM audience should be all over Wes Southard's work.
3. Stories: Minor Leaguer, Between Those Walls, Home Invasion, Lip Service and Resisting Madness are standouts in the collection and worth the price of admission here. Not to mention story notes from the author embedded after every piece?? Who doesn't love that?
Watch for my FULL REVIEW at SCREAM Mag
Mother Horror Blurb: "Southard is hell-bent on perfecting his craft with hungry, opportunistic strides. This collection has everything: Bizzaro flash fiction, man vs. beast, and unique characters in horrible situations. Definitely a writer on an upward trajectory."
A short story collection is a great way to get a well-rounded feel for an author’s storytelling voice and style. It’s my opinion that SCREAM fans would love the work of Wesley Southard. He has an accessible, casual way of writing that’s easy to settle into and get hooked right away. His characters are colorful, vibrant people with distinct personalities; they feel like real people ripped from Southard’s real-life experiences. In the first story, WITH MANY THANKS TO NEWARK, a man sits down on a plane next to this guy who is just a real pain in the ass. Everything out of his mouth is annoying--later in the notes, Southard reveals that the chatty passenger was based on a situation that actually happened-not the gorefest, just the passenger.
I particularly like Southar’s knack for dialog. He writes the way folks really talk. I’m reminded of this old truck driver in the story, HOME INVASION, talking about his multitude of sexual escapades and it makes me smile because it’s disgusting and hilarious.
RESISTING MADNESS collects 14 tales everything from Bizzaro flash fiction to splatterpunk creature-features. There are two longer stories that are worth the price of admission alone, HOME INVASION (co-written with Nikki McKenzie) and the title track, RESISTING MADNESS. Each story has author notes tacked to the end which is always a huge bonus for me.
It was fun learning that Southard would write notes when story ideas came to him at work so he’d write notes to himself: “What if you woke up and felt something sucking on your big toe?” This led to the flash fiction, “Lip Service” which was so odd, I’ll never forget it.
Southard is hell-bent on perfecting his craft with hungry, opportunistic strides. Definitely a writer on an upward trajectory.
Well, I decided to review this collection for SCREAM Mag because:
1. That cover.
2. I think the SCREAM audience should be all over Wes Southard's work.
3. Stories: Minor Leaguer, Between Those Walls, Home Invasion, Lip Service and Resisting Madness are standouts in the collection and worth the price of admission here. Not to mention story notes from the author embedded after every piece?? Who doesn't love that?
Watch for my FULL REVIEW at SCREAM Mag
Mother Horror Blurb: "Southard is hell-bent on perfecting his craft with hungry, opportunistic strides. This collection has everything: Bizzaro flash fiction, man vs. beast, and unique characters in horrible situations. Definitely a writer on an upward trajectory."
January 10, 2020
This review has been edited to remove any comments or feelings that are speculation regarding the author.
This is a tough review for me. I'm trying to make sure that I articulate my feelings about this collection as best as I can. I also need to remember that reviews are for readers. This review is just my opinion, but I write reviews so that people who are trying to decide if they want to purchase a book can get a good idea if that book will be a good fit for them.
I've read two novellas previously from Southard, and I liked both of them, but there was an element or two to each of those books that kept me from absolutely loving them. However, I'm always eager to give an author another chance, especially if I think they have potential. And Southard has potential. Not to mention that the cover of RESISTING MADNESS is absolutely fantastic.
This is a collection of stories spans 2011 to the current year. That is a long time to refine your craft. The stories here are pretty much hit or miss for me. I actually enjoyed the stories with only male characters much more than any of the stories with women, (excluding HOME INVASION, because the part with female characters was written by a writer named Nikki McKenzie who collaborated with Southard). All of the women in this collection, a collection of stories which spans 8 years, are one of two character types. They are either sex workers or shrill, murderous, harpies who hate men. I'm not exaggerating.
Here's the deal: I don't need a female character to be in any story in any collection. Typically women are going to be in a story somewhere in a collection, just because women and men exist and that's just the way the world works. But I don't need a woman to be in a story to enjoy it. I do, however, need at least one story with a female character to represent women in a positive light. Quite a few of the men in this collection are rather abhorrent too, but there are normal men as well, and I feel that women could have been better represented. One normal female character would have bumped my review up a full star, but sadly I'm just disappointed.
However, you can see Southard's growth as a writer here, at least as far as his storytelling goes in regards to men. Like I said earlier, Southard has real potential. I enjoyed some of these stories. I just wish the collection had been a little more realistic when it comes to female characters. I really hope Southard takes this as constructive criticism, instead of just as a bad review (if he reads this at all). I will gladly give him another chance. 2.5 Stars
This is a tough review for me. I'm trying to make sure that I articulate my feelings about this collection as best as I can. I also need to remember that reviews are for readers. This review is just my opinion, but I write reviews so that people who are trying to decide if they want to purchase a book can get a good idea if that book will be a good fit for them.
I've read two novellas previously from Southard, and I liked both of them, but there was an element or two to each of those books that kept me from absolutely loving them. However, I'm always eager to give an author another chance, especially if I think they have potential. And Southard has potential. Not to mention that the cover of RESISTING MADNESS is absolutely fantastic.
This is a collection of stories spans 2011 to the current year. That is a long time to refine your craft. The stories here are pretty much hit or miss for me. I actually enjoyed the stories with only male characters much more than any of the stories with women, (excluding HOME INVASION, because the part with female characters was written by a writer named Nikki McKenzie who collaborated with Southard). All of the women in this collection, a collection of stories which spans 8 years, are one of two character types. They are either sex workers or shrill, murderous, harpies who hate men. I'm not exaggerating.
Here's the deal: I don't need a female character to be in any story in any collection. Typically women are going to be in a story somewhere in a collection, just because women and men exist and that's just the way the world works. But I don't need a woman to be in a story to enjoy it. I do, however, need at least one story with a female character to represent women in a positive light. Quite a few of the men in this collection are rather abhorrent too, but there are normal men as well, and I feel that women could have been better represented. One normal female character would have bumped my review up a full star, but sadly I'm just disappointed.
However, you can see Southard's growth as a writer here, at least as far as his storytelling goes in regards to men. Like I said earlier, Southard has real potential. I enjoyed some of these stories. I just wish the collection had been a little more realistic when it comes to female characters. I really hope Southard takes this as constructive criticism, instead of just as a bad review (if he reads this at all). I will gladly give him another chance. 2.5 Stars
December 22, 2019
RESISTING MADNESS is my first experience with Wesley Southard and it was a good one!
I've always been a big fan of story collections and anthologies. When I was a teenager, I would search out these types of books from my library, note down the authors I especially enjoyed, and then I would go on to search out novels by them. I will be doing the same with Mr. Southard.
The stories that floated my boat the most were:
WITH MANY THANKS TO NEWARK This was the first tale and a great way to start off. You've heard of SNAKES ON A PLANE right? Yeah, well these weren't snakes. :)
MINOR LEAGUER Even though I feel like I'm no longer a fan of the more extreme horror available these days, this one tickled me just fine.
GOD BLESS YOU A fast, direct, punch to the face. Loved it!
HOME INVASION (With Nikki McKenzie). A fun story on two fronts and I dug it. I dug it a LOT.
LIP SERVICE I don't even know what to say about this. This was more of a weird fiction tale than flat out horror. I sometimes think when authors try too hard to explain something, it ruins the story. The author did not do that here and I found the story more intriguing as a result.
BUST TO DUST was just nasty. Funny and disgusting all at once.
The final tale was a novella: RESISTING MADNESS. I started reading it last night and had one hell of a time putting it down. This story dug deep into what parenting is really about. It also featured some extraordinarily gory action which somehow reminded me of Bird Box and a Twilight Zone episode all tangled up together in one superb and bloody package. This was my favorite story in the collection.
I'm happy to report that my introduction to Wesley Southard's work went very well. With a large variety of tales featuring everything from flash fiction to a novella length work, I feel like this was a great way to start with a new to me author and I look forward to reading more of his work in the future.
Recommended!
Get your copy here: https://amzn.to/35Q890H
*Thanks to Wesley Southard for the paperback ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!
I've always been a big fan of story collections and anthologies. When I was a teenager, I would search out these types of books from my library, note down the authors I especially enjoyed, and then I would go on to search out novels by them. I will be doing the same with Mr. Southard.
The stories that floated my boat the most were:
WITH MANY THANKS TO NEWARK This was the first tale and a great way to start off. You've heard of SNAKES ON A PLANE right? Yeah, well these weren't snakes. :)
MINOR LEAGUER Even though I feel like I'm no longer a fan of the more extreme horror available these days, this one tickled me just fine.
GOD BLESS YOU A fast, direct, punch to the face. Loved it!
HOME INVASION (With Nikki McKenzie). A fun story on two fronts and I dug it. I dug it a LOT.
LIP SERVICE I don't even know what to say about this. This was more of a weird fiction tale than flat out horror. I sometimes think when authors try too hard to explain something, it ruins the story. The author did not do that here and I found the story more intriguing as a result.
BUST TO DUST was just nasty. Funny and disgusting all at once.
The final tale was a novella: RESISTING MADNESS. I started reading it last night and had one hell of a time putting it down. This story dug deep into what parenting is really about. It also featured some extraordinarily gory action which somehow reminded me of Bird Box and a Twilight Zone episode all tangled up together in one superb and bloody package. This was my favorite story in the collection.
I'm happy to report that my introduction to Wesley Southard's work went very well. With a large variety of tales featuring everything from flash fiction to a novella length work, I feel like this was a great way to start with a new to me author and I look forward to reading more of his work in the future.
Recommended!
Get your copy here: https://amzn.to/35Q890H
*Thanks to Wesley Southard for the paperback ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!
December 13, 2019
Loved this collection
I have always searched and read everything Wesley has written. This collection was wonderful. I love the way this guy's mind works. The last story being my favorite, but I also like He Loves Me Not and all the others. Highly recommend this gem.
I have always searched and read everything Wesley has written. This collection was wonderful. I love the way this guy's mind works. The last story being my favorite, but I also like He Loves Me Not and all the others. Highly recommend this gem.
September 28, 2020
3.5 stars but I'm bumping it up for Goodreads because many of these stories made me laugh and that counts for a lot these days.
Resisting Madness is a fun collection of little horror niblets that ends with a novella sized story. Books like these are a struggle to rate with stars because some stories always work better than others. Collections are always difficult for me to review because writing the review is basically me writing a zillion little mini-reviews and doing my best to say something to inform but also desperately trying to not give too much away because then why bother reading the book, right?
So here are some brief thoughts in order of appearance. Some will be rated others will not because this is how I operate.
With Many Thanks To Newark: A grumpy as shit man gets seated next to an obnoxious as shit man on a flight. This dude will NOT stop talking and I felt for the grumpy guy SO much because I have no patience for that in general but especially when forced to take a trip I don’t even want to take like this guy here. I’m saying nothing more except that this feels like a lost episode of Tales from the Darkside and I LOVED that show so much. 3.5 stars
Arrearages features a misogynistic prick finds who hurts others with reckless abandon. I thought this was a ton of gruesome fun and I will not apologize for saying so 😹. 4 stars
He Loves Me Not is a short piece all about love. The all-consuming kind of love. This is another that made me laugh and don’t we all need more laughter in our lives?
By the Throat - There are two very unsympathetic characters in this story but that doesn’t really matter because it was short enough where they didn’t annoy me and the ending made me laugh (again). So many points for the dark humor.
Minor Leaguer was not my favorite. It’s about a drug lord and there’s some mild torture which wasn’t a problem but there is way too much hockey talk for my delicate sensibilities and also too much jock braggery. But I’m not at all a sports fan if you’re wondering. Sports and sports talk and menfolk bragging about their sports prowess put me to sleep. My dislike of this dialogue is totally on me. You may love it and find it riveting but I’m giving it 2 stars. No thank you.
Between Those Walls is a sequel to the last story and to be honest I wasn’t excited about reading this once I read that tidbit in the author notes because I feared there'd be more hockey talk and I'd had more than enough. However, I am a glutton for punishment and I dug in anyway. This one is about a drug dealer and his misguided attempt at escaping his prison cell. This one is pretty darn weird and it wasn’t really for the likes of me but at least there wasn’t any hockey talk here to bore me to death. Sometimes it’s good to trust your instincts however and perhaps skip a thing or two . . . 2.5 stars
God Bless You was a quick and silly flash fiction.
Home Invasion written with Nikki McKenzie isn’t at all what I thought it was going to be and I am thankful for that because I thought it was going to be some sort of rapey home invasion murder story and I didn’t want to read that (but I would’ve read it anyway because this is how I am). It’s about an old coot aptly named Cooter who is abusing his young co-worker's ears with disgusting tales of his nasty sexual exploits. He’s terribly gross and horribly funny and this reminded me so much of a Richard Laymon dialogue that I felt right at home. Things take a turn when they spot something otherworldly crash across the way. This story is rather revolting and I loved it for that. Turns out it was a tribute to Ed Lee so even as gross as it was it could’ve been even grosser and gotten away with it, haha! 4 stars
Confusion in Southern Illinois was a little cruel and a bit mean and rather horrifying and that’s all I’ve got to say about that.
King Cake: Honoring their dead mom’s wish to be fruitful and expand the family a sibling brings a “King’s Cake” to dinner. Horrificness ensues! These siblings were SO rude to each other and I disliked them very much and wished for nothing but terrible things to befall them.
Now You Don’t is told from the POV of a dachshund. I read this story with my heart in my throat fearing for this sweet wee beast who was so scared. My poor heart can’t take another like this so I’m glad it was the only one!
Lip Service is a weird story about a lonely guy and the phantom toe suckers that keep him company in the darkest hours of the night. Such lighthearted silliness after that troubling pup story. What’s not to like here?!
Bust to Dust: Omg this one was so much ick! Loved it.
Resisting Madness is a novella-length tale about a special effects artist and his wife who birth a beautiful son who was born with an affliction. His wife skedaddled right the fuck out of there because she couldn’t take it. And NO I am not telling you what “IT” is! He raises his son on his own and let me tell you, I give this guy kudos because it was a struggle. I thought this story was a wee bit predictable but it kept me hooked and I felt for the guy.
Recommended for some dark laughs!
Resisting Madness is a fun collection of little horror niblets that ends with a novella sized story. Books like these are a struggle to rate with stars because some stories always work better than others. Collections are always difficult for me to review because writing the review is basically me writing a zillion little mini-reviews and doing my best to say something to inform but also desperately trying to not give too much away because then why bother reading the book, right?
So here are some brief thoughts in order of appearance. Some will be rated others will not because this is how I operate.
With Many Thanks To Newark: A grumpy as shit man gets seated next to an obnoxious as shit man on a flight. This dude will NOT stop talking and I felt for the grumpy guy SO much because I have no patience for that in general but especially when forced to take a trip I don’t even want to take like this guy here. I’m saying nothing more except that this feels like a lost episode of Tales from the Darkside and I LOVED that show so much. 3.5 stars
Arrearages features a misogynistic prick finds who hurts others with reckless abandon. I thought this was a ton of gruesome fun and I will not apologize for saying so 😹. 4 stars
He Loves Me Not is a short piece all about love. The all-consuming kind of love. This is another that made me laugh and don’t we all need more laughter in our lives?
By the Throat - There are two very unsympathetic characters in this story but that doesn’t really matter because it was short enough where they didn’t annoy me and the ending made me laugh (again). So many points for the dark humor.
Minor Leaguer was not my favorite. It’s about a drug lord and there’s some mild torture which wasn’t a problem but there is way too much hockey talk for my delicate sensibilities and also too much jock braggery. But I’m not at all a sports fan if you’re wondering. Sports and sports talk and menfolk bragging about their sports prowess put me to sleep. My dislike of this dialogue is totally on me. You may love it and find it riveting but I’m giving it 2 stars. No thank you.
Between Those Walls is a sequel to the last story and to be honest I wasn’t excited about reading this once I read that tidbit in the author notes because I feared there'd be more hockey talk and I'd had more than enough. However, I am a glutton for punishment and I dug in anyway. This one is about a drug dealer and his misguided attempt at escaping his prison cell. This one is pretty darn weird and it wasn’t really for the likes of me but at least there wasn’t any hockey talk here to bore me to death. Sometimes it’s good to trust your instincts however and perhaps skip a thing or two . . . 2.5 stars
God Bless You was a quick and silly flash fiction.
Home Invasion written with Nikki McKenzie isn’t at all what I thought it was going to be and I am thankful for that because I thought it was going to be some sort of rapey home invasion murder story and I didn’t want to read that (but I would’ve read it anyway because this is how I am). It’s about an old coot aptly named Cooter who is abusing his young co-worker's ears with disgusting tales of his nasty sexual exploits. He’s terribly gross and horribly funny and this reminded me so much of a Richard Laymon dialogue that I felt right at home. Things take a turn when they spot something otherworldly crash across the way. This story is rather revolting and I loved it for that. Turns out it was a tribute to Ed Lee so even as gross as it was it could’ve been even grosser and gotten away with it, haha! 4 stars
Confusion in Southern Illinois was a little cruel and a bit mean and rather horrifying and that’s all I’ve got to say about that.
King Cake: Honoring their dead mom’s wish to be fruitful and expand the family a sibling brings a “King’s Cake” to dinner. Horrificness ensues! These siblings were SO rude to each other and I disliked them very much and wished for nothing but terrible things to befall them.
Now You Don’t is told from the POV of a dachshund. I read this story with my heart in my throat fearing for this sweet wee beast who was so scared. My poor heart can’t take another like this so I’m glad it was the only one!
Lip Service is a weird story about a lonely guy and the phantom toe suckers that keep him company in the darkest hours of the night. Such lighthearted silliness after that troubling pup story. What’s not to like here?!
Bust to Dust: Omg this one was so much ick! Loved it.
Resisting Madness is a novella-length tale about a special effects artist and his wife who birth a beautiful son who was born with an affliction. His wife skedaddled right the fuck out of there because she couldn’t take it. And NO I am not telling you what “IT” is! He raises his son on his own and let me tell you, I give this guy kudos because it was a struggle. I thought this story was a wee bit predictable but it kept me hooked and I felt for the guy.
Recommended for some dark laughs!
March 24, 2021
A collection of stories ranging from short flash fiction to a 100 page novella and topics from humorous stories about senility to fear inducing creature features.
It was interesting how some stories were good but so far beyond the realm of possibility that it took away from the story, while with other stories were so far outside the the realm of possibility and made the story funny. As with most collections, some stories worked and some didn’t. The title story makes the whole thing worthwhile, consider the rest as bonus stories. Something that I really enjoyed about the book was that after each story there was a blurb from the author talking about where the idea came from, or issues with publication.
Overall you could sense a writing maturity as Wesley Southard got experience, some of the more recently published stories being my favorites.
It was interesting how some stories were good but so far beyond the realm of possibility that it took away from the story, while with other stories were so far outside the the realm of possibility and made the story funny. As with most collections, some stories worked and some didn’t. The title story makes the whole thing worthwhile, consider the rest as bonus stories. Something that I really enjoyed about the book was that after each story there was a blurb from the author talking about where the idea came from, or issues with publication.
Overall you could sense a writing maturity as Wesley Southard got experience, some of the more recently published stories being my favorites.
December 12, 2019
From a prison contained by an existence more than just a warden and his guards, to a new born infected with an extreme mania, Resisting Madness feeds off various types of phobic insecurities to terrorize the reader.
Southard composes extreme tense moments that consistently and effortlessly flow into moments of unsettling horrific conclusions. Readers will also receive a bit of a special entertaining treat in the form of Flash Fiction and Story Notes peppered throughout this book. Beware the Unholy Creepy Crawlers and enjoy the Madness!
Southard composes extreme tense moments that consistently and effortlessly flow into moments of unsettling horrific conclusions. Readers will also receive a bit of a special entertaining treat in the form of Flash Fiction and Story Notes peppered throughout this book. Beware the Unholy Creepy Crawlers and enjoy the Madness!
April 17, 2020
Besides the cover, this book did nothing for me. I hate giving one-star reviews but it just fell flat in every aspect for me. The last story "Resisting Madness" was the one I somewhat enjoyed but it still felt too in your face. I like subtle stories and not being told every second page that the kid has a condition or the wife left due to said condition. I am not the biggest fan of short story collections to begin with but there have been several I enjoyed, unfortunately this was not one of them. I will however pick up Wesley's future works and try again. There is a lot of promise there. The author notes were super cool.
December 7, 2019
A stellar collection ...
I'm usually not too keen on short stories, but maybe I've been reading the wrong authors. Southard's stories are compelling, imaginative, and vivid. Equally horrifying & entertaining, each story in this book will blow your mind.
I wasn't expecting to discover a new favorite author when I accepted a free copy of this book to review. I can't wait to read more of his work.
I'm usually not too keen on short stories, but maybe I've been reading the wrong authors. Southard's stories are compelling, imaginative, and vivid. Equally horrifying & entertaining, each story in this book will blow your mind.
I wasn't expecting to discover a new favorite author when I accepted a free copy of this book to review. I can't wait to read more of his work.
March 25, 2021
The cover of this collection immediately appealed to me with its retro looking cover art and title. Unfortunately as a whole I found this collection extremely underwhelming though. It didn’t really work for me at all. The latter part of the collection felt stronger and I did somewhat enjoy these stories but by this time it felt far too late as I already felt so disenchanted with the collection.
I also personally had one major issue with this collection and this was the portrayal of women. They seemed to be written as either submissive, unintelligent, disempowered or existing purely to be objectified by men.
I don’t know if this was intentional but this really irritated me and felt like an easy way out for the author. If this issue hadn’t been present I would have given this collection 3 stars even though many of the stories fell a bit flat for me.
There are some fun stories in this collection such as LIP SERVICE which was ridiculous but engaging (my favourite) and BUST TO DUST which involved some funky stuff which I found hilarious and have no idea why it worked but it did. I also enjoyed the final story and novella RESISTING MADNESS which was unique, a bit unnerving and had some heart.
I also liked the author notes which followed each story. This was a nice touch and did help me to appreciate the stories and their inspiration more.
As a whole this entire collection fell a bit flat for me and the portrayal of women left quite a sour taste in my mouth. Don’t take my word for it though. It may be just me. Read this collection and decide for yourself.
I also personally had one major issue with this collection and this was the portrayal of women. They seemed to be written as either submissive, unintelligent, disempowered or existing purely to be objectified by men.
I don’t know if this was intentional but this really irritated me and felt like an easy way out for the author. If this issue hadn’t been present I would have given this collection 3 stars even though many of the stories fell a bit flat for me.
There are some fun stories in this collection such as LIP SERVICE which was ridiculous but engaging (my favourite) and BUST TO DUST which involved some funky stuff which I found hilarious and have no idea why it worked but it did. I also enjoyed the final story and novella RESISTING MADNESS which was unique, a bit unnerving and had some heart.
I also liked the author notes which followed each story. This was a nice touch and did help me to appreciate the stories and their inspiration more.
As a whole this entire collection fell a bit flat for me and the portrayal of women left quite a sour taste in my mouth. Don’t take my word for it though. It may be just me. Read this collection and decide for yourself.
April 8, 2021
I was somewhat familiar with Wesley Southard having enjoyed CRUEL SUMMER a couple months ago, so I was all in when Sadie Hartmann lead a buddy read of this collection. RESISTING MADNESS checks a lot of boxes for me when it comes to what I'm looking for in a collection and I want more.
One of my favorite things about collections is the variety of the stories, and other than two connecting stories, this one is all over the place. From vampires and croc monsters to drug-lords and pocket universes, it's all here. For as different as the stories are, transitioning to the next world never felt jarring- Southard has a consistent voice that I find easy to read. Bonus points for the Story Notes; it's so much fun to learn how stories are born and how they evolved. Also, Justin Coons' amazing art; they say not to judge a book by it's cover, but he makes it difficult.
There are no bad stories in the collection, but of course I have favorites:
He Loves Me Not - Flash fiction from a POV I've never seen before.
Between These Walls - I have a thing for hidden or walled-off spaces. This story involves a prison inmate making an escape and what they find in those walls.
Resisting Madness - It's the last "story" in the collection, my favorite, and it's actually a novella. A young boy is born with an unusual abnormality. His father makes horror movies. Very original and there's more of this story coming, which I'm stoked about.
This collection is gross, funny, brutal, and unnerving at times. If you're not sure what type of horror you're in the mood for, you should check this out; it's got a little bit of everything.
4/5 stars
One of my favorite things about collections is the variety of the stories, and other than two connecting stories, this one is all over the place. From vampires and croc monsters to drug-lords and pocket universes, it's all here. For as different as the stories are, transitioning to the next world never felt jarring- Southard has a consistent voice that I find easy to read. Bonus points for the Story Notes; it's so much fun to learn how stories are born and how they evolved. Also, Justin Coons' amazing art; they say not to judge a book by it's cover, but he makes it difficult.
There are no bad stories in the collection, but of course I have favorites:
He Loves Me Not - Flash fiction from a POV I've never seen before.
Between These Walls - I have a thing for hidden or walled-off spaces. This story involves a prison inmate making an escape and what they find in those walls.
Resisting Madness - It's the last "story" in the collection, my favorite, and it's actually a novella. A young boy is born with an unusual abnormality. His father makes horror movies. Very original and there's more of this story coming, which I'm stoked about.
This collection is gross, funny, brutal, and unnerving at times. If you're not sure what type of horror you're in the mood for, you should check this out; it's got a little bit of everything.
4/5 stars
March 25, 2021
3.5 stars
Before I go into the book let’s first admire this cover for a minute. WOW!
As you all probably already know, I have a weakness for jaw dropping covers. After seeing this one it was decided that it is a must read. The artwork on the cover perfectly embraces the content of the book. Each story is an interpretation of madness of some sort.
“Resisting Madness” is a collection of short stories. They all vary in length from flash fiction to a full length novella.
“Resisting Madness” was a mixed bag for me. There were some stories I adored and others not so much. Some of the stories are so outlandish that they were loads of fun. There were also a few weak ones in the bunch; oh well. The collection was gory and hit the gamete from splatter punk to the supernatural. “Resisting Madness” was (also the title of the book) by far my favorite in the bunch and it wrapped up the collection quite well
I appreciated the author’s note following each story because it really helps the reader understand the “madness” behind the stories. It was also good introduction for me into the authors work and I am look forward to more books by this author.
Before I go into the book let’s first admire this cover for a minute. WOW!
As you all probably already know, I have a weakness for jaw dropping covers. After seeing this one it was decided that it is a must read. The artwork on the cover perfectly embraces the content of the book. Each story is an interpretation of madness of some sort.
“Resisting Madness” is a collection of short stories. They all vary in length from flash fiction to a full length novella.
“Resisting Madness” was a mixed bag for me. There were some stories I adored and others not so much. Some of the stories are so outlandish that they were loads of fun. There were also a few weak ones in the bunch; oh well. The collection was gory and hit the gamete from splatter punk to the supernatural. “Resisting Madness” was (also the title of the book) by far my favorite in the bunch and it wrapped up the collection quite well
I appreciated the author’s note following each story because it really helps the reader understand the “madness” behind the stories. It was also good introduction for me into the authors work and I am look forward to more books by this author.
January 6, 2020
Resisting Madness is a short story collection by Wesley Southard that has blown up all over Instagram. When I initially saw the cover, with its 80s VHS tape vibe and amazingly gorific artwork, I knew it was something I needed to get my hands on.
This collection housed 13 stories and a short novella, the namesake of the entire collection. I can honestly say that I enjoyed the novella, Resisting Madness, the most. Horror involving children always, ALWAYS, creeps me out, and this story thoroughly did just that. And, that ending! I didn’t know what to think…who I should feel sorry for, who I should dislike, who I should root for, or what I should feel. If you’re here for the gore, there is quite a bit in this story.
I also really enjoyed the very short story Good Bless You. It actually made me laugh a little. Although, I got this vibe from the lead female character that she was modeled after the young pretty girls you see in horror movies who run up the stairs or run through a forest and trip over literally everything while trying to avoid their captor. You know, the girl you’re yelling at because she is just so incredibly dumb and almost deserves her ultimate demise. I really would have liked to have seen her put up a little more of a fight.
Home Invasion was another great addition to this collection, told in alternating perspectives between a man and his wife (whose parts were written in collaboration with Nikki McKenzie). It was almost sci-fi horror in which a man turns into someone that his wife barely recognizes anymore. Remember the movie The Blob from the 50s? I couldn’t get that image out of my head when reading this for some reason.
The author also has little notes throughout the book at the ends of the stories explaining inspiration or background about each story. I loved that touch! It really added something different to each story.
Overall, I would give this collection 4/5 stars. Really the only reason I would take off a star is due to what some other reviewers have mentioned as well, the portrayal of women in the book was a little off-putting. Many of them were portrayed as prostitutes, unsavory characters, or just really dumb. This may have been purely unintentional on the part of the author, but it is worth noting. Overall, it was a good read that I would recommend horror lovers to check out.
** Thank you to the author for giving me a copy of this book to read and review.**
This collection housed 13 stories and a short novella, the namesake of the entire collection. I can honestly say that I enjoyed the novella, Resisting Madness, the most. Horror involving children always, ALWAYS, creeps me out, and this story thoroughly did just that. And, that ending! I didn’t know what to think…who I should feel sorry for, who I should dislike, who I should root for, or what I should feel. If you’re here for the gore, there is quite a bit in this story.
I also really enjoyed the very short story Good Bless You. It actually made me laugh a little. Although, I got this vibe from the lead female character that she was modeled after the young pretty girls you see in horror movies who run up the stairs or run through a forest and trip over literally everything while trying to avoid their captor. You know, the girl you’re yelling at because she is just so incredibly dumb and almost deserves her ultimate demise. I really would have liked to have seen her put up a little more of a fight.
Home Invasion was another great addition to this collection, told in alternating perspectives between a man and his wife (whose parts were written in collaboration with Nikki McKenzie). It was almost sci-fi horror in which a man turns into someone that his wife barely recognizes anymore. Remember the movie The Blob from the 50s? I couldn’t get that image out of my head when reading this for some reason.
The author also has little notes throughout the book at the ends of the stories explaining inspiration or background about each story. I loved that touch! It really added something different to each story.
Overall, I would give this collection 4/5 stars. Really the only reason I would take off a star is due to what some other reviewers have mentioned as well, the portrayal of women in the book was a little off-putting. Many of them were portrayed as prostitutes, unsavory characters, or just really dumb. This may have been purely unintentional on the part of the author, but it is worth noting. Overall, it was a good read that I would recommend horror lovers to check out.
** Thank you to the author for giving me a copy of this book to read and review.**
December 18, 2019
Great Collection
Got this as an ARC for an honest review.
I found some favorite short stories here and also found a new horror writer to glean.
Gave it 4 stars because only two of the stories really stuck with me. Without spoilers, here are highlights from those:
First story is a guy has found himself in darkness with a manacle around his ankle and there's a very painful buzzing noise coming from the back of his neck.... the rest of this gets even more terrifying.
The second story was the last one where a father comes to grips with a son that has a very disturbing way of viewing the world....
This collection, I'm sure, you'll find your own favorites but for me it has definitely got me looking into this guys other work as well.
Got this as an ARC for an honest review.
I found some favorite short stories here and also found a new horror writer to glean.
Gave it 4 stars because only two of the stories really stuck with me. Without spoilers, here are highlights from those:
First story is a guy has found himself in darkness with a manacle around his ankle and there's a very painful buzzing noise coming from the back of his neck.... the rest of this gets even more terrifying.
The second story was the last one where a father comes to grips with a son that has a very disturbing way of viewing the world....
This collection, I'm sure, you'll find your own favorites but for me it has definitely got me looking into this guys other work as well.
December 7, 2019
I was told to give my honest opinion, so here it is.
I really dug this book! Southard's way of bringing mystery and tension to his stories is excellent! Some of the creatures from his select stories are given a sense of realness to them which make them pretty horrifying. I dug every single story out of this book expect for one, the collaborative writing of Mr. Southard and Nikki McKenzie. The writing felt broken because the focus of the premise are the perspectives of the two main characters which keep shifting here and there, dragging the whole narrative and even kills the tension at times. It felt messy. But like I said, aside from that, all of the other stories in this anthology are pretty great!
Aside from Resisting Madness, which in my opinion, is the best one out of all of them, i also enjoyed Between Those Walls. I never thought a horror narrative about an alligator-like creature would scare the crap out of me but it did. It was very well written.
By the Throat, Confusion in Southern Illinois, He loves me not, and Lip Service are also standouts and while some of these are very short, it still managed to get into my skin and creep me the crap out.
All in all, it was an excellent book and I would recommend for ya'll to get a copy and read this one. I'm positive you won't regret it.
I really dug this book! Southard's way of bringing mystery and tension to his stories is excellent! Some of the creatures from his select stories are given a sense of realness to them which make them pretty horrifying. I dug every single story out of this book expect for one, the collaborative writing of Mr. Southard and Nikki McKenzie. The writing felt broken because the focus of the premise are the perspectives of the two main characters which keep shifting here and there, dragging the whole narrative and even kills the tension at times. It felt messy. But like I said, aside from that, all of the other stories in this anthology are pretty great!
Aside from Resisting Madness, which in my opinion, is the best one out of all of them, i also enjoyed Between Those Walls. I never thought a horror narrative about an alligator-like creature would scare the crap out of me but it did. It was very well written.
By the Throat, Confusion in Southern Illinois, He loves me not, and Lip Service are also standouts and while some of these are very short, it still managed to get into my skin and creep me the crap out.
All in all, it was an excellent book and I would recommend for ya'll to get a copy and read this one. I'm positive you won't regret it.
December 26, 2019
A few months ago, I read and enjoyed Wesley Southard’s novella One for the Road, so I was excited when I heard about the release of his current collection, Resisting Madness. Let’s start with discussing the cover of this book—it’s an eye-catching piece of work, made to look like an 80’s era VHS. The cover immediately drew me in and set the tone for the stories inside.
This collection contains a solid mix of writing, with pieces ranging from flash fiction to novella-length. I liked all of the stories in this mix, but there were definitely some standouts for me among the bunch. My favorites varied in length and topics, and I think that Southard does a great job of entertaining the reader no matter how many words are contained in the story. Some of the flash fiction pieces really packed a punch in a few pages.
My Top 5 in this collection are:
CONFUSION IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS: I had the pleasure of reading this story in the “Midnight Rituals” chapbook, and I really enjoyed it. It was another favorite among this bunch. It’s one that left me surprised and it’s hard to forget. I think this qualifies as flash fiction, and it’s a great example of a short story that leaves an impression on the reader within just a few pages.
HOME INVASION: this was a novelette co-authored with Nikki McKenzie, and I really enjoyed it. This one delivers a solid sense of dread and creepiness.
ARREARAGES: a memorable little tale of revenge; it’s cringe-worthy in the best way, and I won’t say more because it’s a short one and I don’t want to ruin it.
HE LOVES ME NOT: a flash fiction story and just a fun, creeptastic read—this one is unique.
RESISTING MADNESS: the title piece is a novella, and I thought it was great placement to finish out the collection with this story. I think this was my favorite story in the collection. I found myself steadily flipping the pages, eager to read what was coming next.
Wesley Southard has a unique voice and does a great job creating memorable stories. The characters and dialogue stand out and allow for these tales to stick in the reader’s mind. Even if you can’t find a relatable character or one to connect with in this collection, you won’t easily forget them. I also enjoyed the little bits of humor sprinkled into some of the stories. I’ve got another of this author’s books on my shelf and I look forward to reading that one soon, along with whatever else comes next.
Note: I received an advance copy of this title for review consideration.
This collection contains a solid mix of writing, with pieces ranging from flash fiction to novella-length. I liked all of the stories in this mix, but there were definitely some standouts for me among the bunch. My favorites varied in length and topics, and I think that Southard does a great job of entertaining the reader no matter how many words are contained in the story. Some of the flash fiction pieces really packed a punch in a few pages.
My Top 5 in this collection are:
CONFUSION IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS: I had the pleasure of reading this story in the “Midnight Rituals” chapbook, and I really enjoyed it. It was another favorite among this bunch. It’s one that left me surprised and it’s hard to forget. I think this qualifies as flash fiction, and it’s a great example of a short story that leaves an impression on the reader within just a few pages.
HOME INVASION: this was a novelette co-authored with Nikki McKenzie, and I really enjoyed it. This one delivers a solid sense of dread and creepiness.
ARREARAGES: a memorable little tale of revenge; it’s cringe-worthy in the best way, and I won’t say more because it’s a short one and I don’t want to ruin it.
HE LOVES ME NOT: a flash fiction story and just a fun, creeptastic read—this one is unique.
RESISTING MADNESS: the title piece is a novella, and I thought it was great placement to finish out the collection with this story. I think this was my favorite story in the collection. I found myself steadily flipping the pages, eager to read what was coming next.
Wesley Southard has a unique voice and does a great job creating memorable stories. The characters and dialogue stand out and allow for these tales to stick in the reader’s mind. Even if you can’t find a relatable character or one to connect with in this collection, you won’t easily forget them. I also enjoyed the little bits of humor sprinkled into some of the stories. I’ve got another of this author’s books on my shelf and I look forward to reading that one soon, along with whatever else comes next.
Note: I received an advance copy of this title for review consideration.
August 18, 2022
This is the 6th book I've read by this author. This collection of stories is very unique. It has a wide range of stories. Resisting Madness was a 100 page novella that really showcases Southard's talent. The story notes were an added bonus at the end of each story.
December 17, 2019
Solid collection all killer and no filler.
April 26, 2022
This is a great collection of horror stories. It really showcases what Wesley Southard is capable of. Every story in this collection is good, with stand outs being the novella 'Resisting Madness', 'Home Invasion', 'By The Throat', and 'With Many Thanks to Newark'.
December 3, 2019
Mr. Southard let me have a copy because he is a generous and beautiful man.
This has all of the things I love in horror and Southard made them amazing. Lot lizards (we need more lot lizards in books), aliens, vacuum cleaner babies, eyeballs, torture hockey, clingy parasites, and ALL of the gore. I'm going to be collecting all of his works and waiting for the next thing.
This has all of the things I love in horror and Southard made them amazing. Lot lizards (we need more lot lizards in books), aliens, vacuum cleaner babies, eyeballs, torture hockey, clingy parasites, and ALL of the gore. I'm going to be collecting all of his works and waiting for the next thing.
April 11, 2020
Of all the shorts leading up to the grand finale, Wesley; cracks insults into torture, horror on ice, a sneezing Wayne’s brothers laugh, cakes and bugs. A few others fall short of interest. Top favorites of the short stories I’d say “Between Those Walls” something is more hungrier than escape.
The grand finale is horrific, yet sad that the man uses what he loves the most to destroy the past he ruined on his own. Westley writes face-clawing horror, spatters blood like a pro and holds nothing back... open your eyes to the madness!
The grand finale is horrific, yet sad that the man uses what he loves the most to destroy the past he ruined on his own. Westley writes face-clawing horror, spatters blood like a pro and holds nothing back... open your eyes to the madness!
March 26, 2021
I really hate giving bad reviews to indie horror. It happens at times, and I believe it's important for reviews to be honest with their criticism.
DNF @ 25%. I may give the later stories another try in the future, but here's why I stopped:
On the author's part: The writing felt poor and the stories clunky. My suspension of disbelief was constantly broken. Of the stories I read, most of them had wonderful premises but the execution, in my opinion, fell flat. Just about every female character I came across seemed a horrible, one-note portrayal of women, which many other reviews have noted. Finally, I usually love it when collections include story notes, but often these made me cringe; one in particular felt to me to be a long-winded, over-sharing "here's why this one specific editor is a horrible person," and I wasn't sure why the author thought these notes were appropriate or added to the reader's experience.
There is some good here. I loved the author's ideas, and a few times I was genuinely engrossed. But it was too far in-between for me. Also, while I haven't read it, I've heard many other readers say that the titular novella at the end is so great it's worth pushing through the stories before it. (Which is why I've said I might go back in the future.)
On the publisher's part: I like Death's Head Press, love what they're doing in indie horror, and *absolutely* LOVE Justin T. Coon's covers. The exterior design of this book is simply among the very best. But inside... I was shocked when I opened it. To be blunt, the interior layout and editing are without a doubt the very worst that I've seen in a book that wasn't self-published. It was bad enough that I almost didn't read the book, but I decided to judge the book solely on Southard's stories. It is a massive shame that a publisher thought it was okay to represent his book in such an amateur way. Absolutely riddled with typos and errors. But let me reiterate: *this is not the author's fault and did not affect my rating.* This is 100% on the publisher's shoulders.
Maybe a surprising thing to say, but I would consider reading more of Southard's work. Although I couldn't make it through this collection right now, there was enough I liked that I'd be willing to try out other stuff from him to see if maybe this was an isolated case for me.
DNF @ 25%. I may give the later stories another try in the future, but here's why I stopped:
On the author's part: The writing felt poor and the stories clunky. My suspension of disbelief was constantly broken. Of the stories I read, most of them had wonderful premises but the execution, in my opinion, fell flat. Just about every female character I came across seemed a horrible, one-note portrayal of women, which many other reviews have noted. Finally, I usually love it when collections include story notes, but often these made me cringe; one in particular felt to me to be a long-winded, over-sharing "here's why this one specific editor is a horrible person," and I wasn't sure why the author thought these notes were appropriate or added to the reader's experience.
There is some good here. I loved the author's ideas, and a few times I was genuinely engrossed. But it was too far in-between for me. Also, while I haven't read it, I've heard many other readers say that the titular novella at the end is so great it's worth pushing through the stories before it. (Which is why I've said I might go back in the future.)
On the publisher's part: I like Death's Head Press, love what they're doing in indie horror, and *absolutely* LOVE Justin T. Coon's covers. The exterior design of this book is simply among the very best. But inside... I was shocked when I opened it. To be blunt, the interior layout and editing are without a doubt the very worst that I've seen in a book that wasn't self-published. It was bad enough that I almost didn't read the book, but I decided to judge the book solely on Southard's stories. It is a massive shame that a publisher thought it was okay to represent his book in such an amateur way. Absolutely riddled with typos and errors. But let me reiterate: *this is not the author's fault and did not affect my rating.* This is 100% on the publisher's shoulders.
Maybe a surprising thing to say, but I would consider reading more of Southard's work. Although I couldn't make it through this collection right now, there was enough I liked that I'd be willing to try out other stuff from him to see if maybe this was an isolated case for me.
March 27, 2021
Can we just take a look at this cover for a second, because it’s amazing. It’s one of the reasons why I opted to join in the read along hosted by @mother.horror on Instagram.
Resisting Madness is a collection of short stories and one short novella by Wesley Southard.
Alright so here we go, I’ll start with what I did like:
After each story, there’s a little blurb that gives you a bit of info about when he wrote it, if it was for a magazine or what inspired it. I thought that it provided some great insight for each story.
Arrearages: left me cringing, the foot. That’s all I have to say.
God bless you: had me laughing for a minute.
King Cake: the character Sam was channeling some Vera Smith/Margaret White vibes.
Now you don’t: from a dog’s perspective and it tugged on my heart strings a little.
Resisting Madness: my favourite story in the entire collection, which is about a film producer and his son with Devil Eyes.
But, these did fall a little flat for me. They were lacking something that I just can’t seem to put my finger on. It could also be that I went into this with such high expectations after being blown away by Christine Morgan’s Dawn of the Living-Impaired.
I am also going to note that the portrayal of women in this collection isn’t great; scorned women, prostitutes and women with traits of hysteria, mixed with nativity. So that’s something to consider if you pick this up.
3⭐️
Resisting Madness is a collection of short stories and one short novella by Wesley Southard.
Alright so here we go, I’ll start with what I did like:
After each story, there’s a little blurb that gives you a bit of info about when he wrote it, if it was for a magazine or what inspired it. I thought that it provided some great insight for each story.
Arrearages: left me cringing, the foot. That’s all I have to say.
God bless you: had me laughing for a minute.
King Cake: the character Sam was channeling some Vera Smith/Margaret White vibes.
Now you don’t: from a dog’s perspective and it tugged on my heart strings a little.
Resisting Madness: my favourite story in the entire collection, which is about a film producer and his son with Devil Eyes.
But, these did fall a little flat for me. They were lacking something that I just can’t seem to put my finger on. It could also be that I went into this with such high expectations after being blown away by Christine Morgan’s Dawn of the Living-Impaired.
I am also going to note that the portrayal of women in this collection isn’t great; scorned women, prostitutes and women with traits of hysteria, mixed with nativity. So that’s something to consider if you pick this up.
3⭐️
January 2, 2020
Wesley Southard is a writer whose name I keep seeing, and in the back of my mind, I kept meaning to get to one of his books. When this collection was released, the cover really grabbed my attention, so I gave it a go.
The collection is a bit...uneven. There are a fair few short pieces that really didn’t work for me. Some were due to an unclear tone, mixing humor with splatter, but not necessarily in a cohesive way. Some were flash pieces that might have worked better in a slightly longer form, but that’s just, like, my opinion, man.
So far this is reading like a 1-2 star review, but I went with 3. Why, you ask? A few of the stories were genuinely fun. Arrearages is the ultimate revenge fantasy, and is not for the squeamish. This is actually a case where inserting a bit of humor worked well. Home Invasion was written with Nikki McKenzie, and while it wasn’t a favorite, I did appreciate the way the two authors put their sides of the story together utilizing different locales. Lip Service should not have worked, but there was just something about taking a ridiculous idea and committing wholeheartedly that won me over.
Even if none of the short fiction is for you, the title novella, Resisting Madness, that wraps up the collection is a quick, very enjoyable read. It made me think that I just might enjoy other offerings from Southard in a longer form. This novella is every bit as brutal and gore-filled as the rest of the work, but it adds a bit of heart as well, something conspicuous in its absence from many other stories collected here.
The collection is a bit...uneven. There are a fair few short pieces that really didn’t work for me. Some were due to an unclear tone, mixing humor with splatter, but not necessarily in a cohesive way. Some were flash pieces that might have worked better in a slightly longer form, but that’s just, like, my opinion, man.
So far this is reading like a 1-2 star review, but I went with 3. Why, you ask? A few of the stories were genuinely fun. Arrearages is the ultimate revenge fantasy, and is not for the squeamish. This is actually a case where inserting a bit of humor worked well. Home Invasion was written with Nikki McKenzie, and while it wasn’t a favorite, I did appreciate the way the two authors put their sides of the story together utilizing different locales. Lip Service should not have worked, but there was just something about taking a ridiculous idea and committing wholeheartedly that won me over.
Even if none of the short fiction is for you, the title novella, Resisting Madness, that wraps up the collection is a quick, very enjoyable read. It made me think that I just might enjoy other offerings from Southard in a longer form. This novella is every bit as brutal and gore-filled as the rest of the work, but it adds a bit of heart as well, something conspicuous in its absence from many other stories collected here.
January 10, 2021
“Today, Doc, you’re going to be the experiment and we’ll see how long you can withstand the madness.”
Resisting Madness contains thirteen stories and the title novella, all concerned with the fine line between sanity and madness. How far does one need to be pushed before they’re driven into insanity? It doesn’t seem like much and alas, it is more than any human can bear.
These stories are gruesome. They’re not subtle. You’ll be avalanched with gorrific imagery and wild tales. Maddening horror with subtle morals and loads of shock value. I like the varying lengths of the stories in this one. Some, quick snippets like flash fiction, and others, slow burns. But that last story, the title novella, Resisting Madness, was by far my favorite.
My top three:
By the Throat (I love a good turn of events story where you’re betrayed by the characters.)
Now You Don’t (This was both incredibly adorably and creepy. The story is told from a dog’s point of view, watching us do the weird things we see go viral.)
Resisting Madness (My favorite of the pack. Terrifying righteousness that I both agree and disagree with.)
And once again, LOOK AT THAT COVER! 🤤
Resisting Madness contains thirteen stories and the title novella, all concerned with the fine line between sanity and madness. How far does one need to be pushed before they’re driven into insanity? It doesn’t seem like much and alas, it is more than any human can bear.
These stories are gruesome. They’re not subtle. You’ll be avalanched with gorrific imagery and wild tales. Maddening horror with subtle morals and loads of shock value. I like the varying lengths of the stories in this one. Some, quick snippets like flash fiction, and others, slow burns. But that last story, the title novella, Resisting Madness, was by far my favorite.
My top three:
By the Throat (I love a good turn of events story where you’re betrayed by the characters.)
Now You Don’t (This was both incredibly adorably and creepy. The story is told from a dog’s point of view, watching us do the weird things we see go viral.)
Resisting Madness (My favorite of the pack. Terrifying righteousness that I both agree and disagree with.)
And once again, LOOK AT THAT COVER! 🤤
Want to read
March 15, 2020E-book currently free:
https://www.amazon.com/Resisting-Madn...
January 7, 2020
Resisting Madness by Wesley Southard is a surprisingly fantastic collection. I say surprisingly because the insanity premise is so common, I expected it to be a bit trite, but it isn’t. It is not a regurgitation of the subgenre. It is not trite. The stories are unique and creative and horrifying and just might make the reader go a bit mad.
The collection is 5-star on the whole, but as with all collections, there are some stories I liked more than others. Let’s look at a few of my favorite stories in Resisting Madness:
“Arrearages” is a dark and brutal tale of torture. But I have to admit I laughed out loud inappropriately when I realized where the story was going. It is a disturbingly creative piece.
“He Loves Me Not” is profanely beautiful in the telling. The prosy first-person narrative flows and builds as the horror of it blooms like a flower in spring time.
“Minor Leaguer” is a tense and brutal story with an absolutely masterful beginning.
“God Bless You” … all I can say is you gotta love horror comedy!
“Confusion in Southern Illinois” is one of the most horrific, disturbing shorts I’ve ever read. Just saying.
“Bust to Dust” is absolutely blasphemous. The humor is so dark I’m not sure how I feel about myself for even saying it has dark humor. I am surely going to hell for finding humor in this twisted story, if not for enjoying it in general.
I bought Resisting Madness on kindle and now wish I had it in paperback. (Wesley, will you be at Killercon this year?) It is shelf-worthy. The stories stay in your head and beg to be read again—demand to be read again. And you can’t resist the madness therein.
Warning: brutal, disturbing, and not for the faint of heart
The collection is 5-star on the whole, but as with all collections, there are some stories I liked more than others. Let’s look at a few of my favorite stories in Resisting Madness:
“Arrearages” is a dark and brutal tale of torture. But I have to admit I laughed out loud inappropriately when I realized where the story was going. It is a disturbingly creative piece.
“He Loves Me Not” is profanely beautiful in the telling. The prosy first-person narrative flows and builds as the horror of it blooms like a flower in spring time.
“Minor Leaguer” is a tense and brutal story with an absolutely masterful beginning.
“God Bless You” … all I can say is you gotta love horror comedy!
“Confusion in Southern Illinois” is one of the most horrific, disturbing shorts I’ve ever read. Just saying.
“Bust to Dust” is absolutely blasphemous. The humor is so dark I’m not sure how I feel about myself for even saying it has dark humor. I am surely going to hell for finding humor in this twisted story, if not for enjoying it in general.
I bought Resisting Madness on kindle and now wish I had it in paperback. (Wesley, will you be at Killercon this year?) It is shelf-worthy. The stories stay in your head and beg to be read again—demand to be read again. And you can’t resist the madness therein.
Warning: brutal, disturbing, and not for the faint of heart
February 6, 2020
This is the first book by Wesley Southard I have read. We met briefly at KillerCon last year. He seemed quiet and kept to himself for the most part. I’ve learned it’s the quiet ones that have the most disturbing minds. Ryan Harding was the same way until we got to really talk and know each other better, haha! I hope to spend more time getting to talk with Wesley this year at the Con.
Resisting Madness is a compilation of short stories that is capped off with a fantastic novella titled Resisting Madness. Wesley writes about multiple subjects in his stories. Although they are short, he does a great job setting up the characters and plots. My favorite short stories in the collection are Minor Leaguer and Between Those Walls. Minor Leaguer takes place in an ice rink and had me writhing in my seat as I read the story. Between Those Walls is a continuation of the characters in Minor Leaguer. One of the coolest things about this book is we get Wesley Southard’s explanation of how the idea for each story came together. He gives us the background of what inspired those creative juices to flow. That small commentary allowed for a quick pause and reset before starting the next story. I really enjoyed reading this book and am looking forward to getting other books from Wesley Southard if he is at KillerCon this year!
Resisting Madness is a compilation of short stories that is capped off with a fantastic novella titled Resisting Madness. Wesley writes about multiple subjects in his stories. Although they are short, he does a great job setting up the characters and plots. My favorite short stories in the collection are Minor Leaguer and Between Those Walls. Minor Leaguer takes place in an ice rink and had me writhing in my seat as I read the story. Between Those Walls is a continuation of the characters in Minor Leaguer. One of the coolest things about this book is we get Wesley Southard’s explanation of how the idea for each story came together. He gives us the background of what inspired those creative juices to flow. That small commentary allowed for a quick pause and reset before starting the next story. I really enjoyed reading this book and am looking forward to getting other books from Wesley Southard if he is at KillerCon this year!
April 12, 2021
3.5 Stars rounded up.
This was my first time reading Wesley Southard and it won't be my last. While not every story worked for me I feel like there was a lot of diversity to the stories, from weird fiction to extreme horror, that kept me engaged.
Southard's strength is in his ability to write believable dialogue. The relationships didn't seem forced and there was humour in many of the exchanges.
Story highlights for me were Between Those Walls (a sequel to the previous hockey horror Minor Leaguer, about an attempted prison escape,) Home Invasion (creepy crawlers,) and the titular Resisting Madness (an ode to manifestation and B horror.)
A fun bonus is that he includes notes after each story to give background to the process, which I really enjoyed.
This was another read along with my Extreme Horror book group on Bookstagram organized by Mother Horror.
This was my first time reading Wesley Southard and it won't be my last. While not every story worked for me I feel like there was a lot of diversity to the stories, from weird fiction to extreme horror, that kept me engaged.
Southard's strength is in his ability to write believable dialogue. The relationships didn't seem forced and there was humour in many of the exchanges.
Story highlights for me were Between Those Walls (a sequel to the previous hockey horror Minor Leaguer, about an attempted prison escape,) Home Invasion (creepy crawlers,) and the titular Resisting Madness (an ode to manifestation and B horror.)
A fun bonus is that he includes notes after each story to give background to the process, which I really enjoyed.
This was another read along with my Extreme Horror book group on Bookstagram organized by Mother Horror.
December 21, 2022
Robin's Review: I was stoked to get my hands on a copy of this book at Living Dead Weekend! I was thrilled! It's imaginatively written, crosses multiple horror subgenres skillfully, and the stories are scary and deeply disturbing with twisty turns and incredible details. The stories in this collection are also freaky as hell and deeply disturbing--in a good way, if that sounds right. I found them fascinating, entertaining, and fun. I love his little tidbits, or as he calls them, Story Notes, which helped me to get to know him just a little bit more. I highly recommend this author and all of works. This is another author that I am now a fan for life. You just can't go wrong reading any of his books. Seriously.
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