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Wicked Weird
There’s a side of the world those deemed "normal" don’t see, save for glimpses in flashing moments of fear and confusion. These places exist just around the corner of our vision, beyond the ocean fog of memory and nightmare, where monstrous children cry for love and secrets are hidden in remote caves; where nature reclaims its own and a sweet taste in your mouth portends evil beyond imagining. Within these pages are twenty-one secrets hidden behind a veil only the most ancient of beings have dared to pass through, brought to you by some of the most talented and imaginative authors to come out of New England.
In short, these stories are Wicked Weird.
In short, these stories are Wicked Weird.
310 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 6, 2019
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96 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 16, 2019
WICKED WEIRD is a fun anthology of weird tales, all written by authors from New England. I enjoyed the hell out of it!
I can't go into each and every story, so here I'm going to stick to the ones that I thought were wicked good. (Here in the northeast, when we use the word WICKED we mean extraordinary. For example: Dunkin' Donuts coffee is wicked good. Dunkin'? I'll be waiting for my check!) With no further ado:
A STRANGE HAZE by Matthew Bartlett. For those of you that can identify with feeling like an outsider, always saying the wrong thing, and often saying it in the wrong tone of voice. 4*
A SONG OF WAR AND DEATH by Errick A. Nunnally. My notes say "Reads like a Twilight Zone episode." 4*
(The above two authors I've heard of and I was happy to find that I own books by both of them already! I need to get some reading done!)
SALT CAVE by Morgan Sylvia.
Here's one line from the story:
"The spiders sing madness into my thoughts."
I was not previously aware of this author and now I just want to hunt down everything they wrote. 5*
THE SWEETNESS AND THE PSYCHIC by LL Soares. Two words: Basement. Cockroaches. 4*
A FEAST OF FLIES by Steve Van Samson. A stranger visits the camp of starving men. 4*
THE MASS OF THE GREATEST SIN by Trisha J. Wooldridge. I really dug the narrative voice in this one, and I definitely could relate to a lot of the protagonist's feelings. 4* (I'll be searching out more work from this author as well.) 4.*
THE PAINTED GIRL by Paul McNamee. Native American Cosmic horror. How could it not be good? 4*
RECLAIMED by William D Carl. I feel like this story could have been written by Lovecraft himself, but I like this author's writing style better. 4.5*
STARRY NIGHT by Jason Parent. Features Merle Haggard, (no lie), AND it has creatures. 4*
SANGUISUGA by Kate Moulton. I'm not saying anything to ruin this, but it kicked all kinds of ass. 5*
THE LOST MINE OF ST. ELOI by J. Edwin Buja. Intense tunnel action in WWI. 4*
THE PROMISED DEATH OF ZEBEDIAH DEWEY by John Goodrich. When even the devil doesn't want you, you're in trouble! 4*
THE PERFECT PARENT by Peter N Dudar. Twisted and a little hilarious all at once. 4*
YOUR EMERGENCY RESPONSE GUIDE by Jeffrey Thomas. This was an excellent little tale, well told and left me wondering for long after. 5* (I am already a fan of Thomas' work and own several of his book that I haven't read yet. Story of my life!)
I found WICKED WEIRD to be an above average collection and I have no reservations about saying:
Highly recommended!
Get your copy here: https://amzn.to/2NZAtrv
*Thanks to Scott Goudsward for providing an e-copy of this anthology in exchange for my honest review. This is it!*
I can't go into each and every story, so here I'm going to stick to the ones that I thought were wicked good. (Here in the northeast, when we use the word WICKED we mean extraordinary. For example: Dunkin' Donuts coffee is wicked good. Dunkin'? I'll be waiting for my check!) With no further ado:
A STRANGE HAZE by Matthew Bartlett. For those of you that can identify with feeling like an outsider, always saying the wrong thing, and often saying it in the wrong tone of voice. 4*
A SONG OF WAR AND DEATH by Errick A. Nunnally. My notes say "Reads like a Twilight Zone episode." 4*
(The above two authors I've heard of and I was happy to find that I own books by both of them already! I need to get some reading done!)
SALT CAVE by Morgan Sylvia.
Here's one line from the story:
"The spiders sing madness into my thoughts."
I was not previously aware of this author and now I just want to hunt down everything they wrote. 5*
THE SWEETNESS AND THE PSYCHIC by LL Soares. Two words: Basement. Cockroaches. 4*
A FEAST OF FLIES by Steve Van Samson. A stranger visits the camp of starving men. 4*
THE MASS OF THE GREATEST SIN by Trisha J. Wooldridge. I really dug the narrative voice in this one, and I definitely could relate to a lot of the protagonist's feelings. 4* (I'll be searching out more work from this author as well.) 4.*
THE PAINTED GIRL by Paul McNamee. Native American Cosmic horror. How could it not be good? 4*
RECLAIMED by William D Carl. I feel like this story could have been written by Lovecraft himself, but I like this author's writing style better. 4.5*
STARRY NIGHT by Jason Parent. Features Merle Haggard, (no lie), AND it has creatures. 4*
SANGUISUGA by Kate Moulton. I'm not saying anything to ruin this, but it kicked all kinds of ass. 5*
THE LOST MINE OF ST. ELOI by J. Edwin Buja. Intense tunnel action in WWI. 4*
THE PROMISED DEATH OF ZEBEDIAH DEWEY by John Goodrich. When even the devil doesn't want you, you're in trouble! 4*
THE PERFECT PARENT by Peter N Dudar. Twisted and a little hilarious all at once. 4*
YOUR EMERGENCY RESPONSE GUIDE by Jeffrey Thomas. This was an excellent little tale, well told and left me wondering for long after. 5* (I am already a fan of Thomas' work and own several of his book that I haven't read yet. Story of my life!)
I found WICKED WEIRD to be an above average collection and I have no reservations about saying:
Highly recommended!
Get your copy here: https://amzn.to/2NZAtrv
*Thanks to Scott Goudsward for providing an e-copy of this anthology in exchange for my honest review. This is it!*
April 16, 2020
I bought Wicked Weird from Errick Nunnally at Boskone. I thought it would be a fun way to get introduced to local horror authors. I found it to be a solid horror anthology with an inclination to the Lovecraftian.
Wicked Weird is a solid horror anthology. A few stories really stood out to me, and I only disliked one. Most of the stories were entertaining, and will join the matrix of ghost stories, folk tales, and horror movies in the back of my mind.
“Those beneath, devour” by Victoria Dalpe
This story is about the aftermath of a magic ritual gone wrong. It opens on a grisly scene of a dead college student in the basement of a library. The protagonist Carmen then has to come to terms with the shock, survivor’s guilt, and Lovecraftian forbidden knowledge. I had trouble figuring out what happened, which interfered with my investment in the story. Quite honestly, I still have too many questions about the dead girl’s motivation and the accident. I wish Carmen had flashed back to when Georgie convinced her to participate, so I could at least understand why the characters attempted the ritual. 3/5
“A Strange Haze” by Matthew M. Bartlett
I did not like this story. The writing is stiff and unnatural. The protagonist is unlikable; unlikable on purpose, but that does not make reading about him any more entertaining. The horror slipped in out of nowhere and did not make a lot of sense to me. I had trouble keeping my eyes on the page. 1/5
“A Song of War and Death” by Errick A. Nunnally
In this story, a marine finds himself lost in the desert after training exercises. The situation is confusing, but I think the author handled limited and confusing information well: the reader knows all of the relevant information the protagonist knows, and the protagonist’s motivations are clear. It also provides all the answers I needed to invest in the story, while leaving the right questions unanswered for maximum creep factor. The story has a frightening threat, engaging action, and chilling implications. 4/5
“Salt Cave” by Morgan Sylvia
An unnamed female protagonist hires a guide to show her the cave she has been dreaming about for years. This is a Lovecraftian tale about discovering eldritch heritage. It reminded me of Brian Lumley’s “Sister City.” The writing is strong, pulling in the reader, constantly building tension and atmosphere, and slowly revealing hints of the truth. I liked the indications that this occurs in a devastated future. 4/5
“The Sweetness and the Psychic” by LL Soares
This story is a noir detective story that blurs into horror. The narration is good and atmospheric. The case, a search for a kidnapped boy with a hard deadline for the detective, is compelling. The psychic and the threat are weird and chilling. Overall, this is a good blend of noir and horror. 4/5
“A Feast of Flies” by Steve Van Samson
A Western horror story. A mysterious stranger rides up to a gang around a campfire, and suddenly everything goes wrong for the gang. The stranger is creepy. The Western atmosphere is strong. This story makes me want to look up cowboy ghost stories. 4/5
“Pet Shops of the Gods” by Rob Smales
This story is about a bullied kid getting an … unusual pet from a mysterious pet store. The pet changes the boy’s life in some dark ways. The implications of the end are really uncomfortable. I did not find this story surprising, but it was well executed. I think it could have used more pages to further develop the protagonist’s relationship with the pet, and the changes it brought. 4/5
“St. Scholastica’s Home for the Children of the Sea” by Emma J. Gibbon
This story may be described as “The Shadow Over Innsmouth” from the native perspective. This story is centered around an orphanage for fish people. I like the voice of the narrator, I like the sense of import and apprehension the story generates, and I like the ending. 4/5
“The Mass of the Greatest Sin” by Trisha J. Wooldridge
This is a horror story about the hatred society gives to fat women. The story is from the perspective of a fat woman struggling with weight loss and self-hate. The story has strong “kill your abusers” energy. 3/5
“The Painted Girl” by Paul R. McNamee
I am not sure I understand this one. It seems to be a cautionary tale about a criminal being supernaturally punished for their wicked deeds. I love those stories. I just do not know enough Navajo folklore to understand what happened. 3/5
“Reclaimed” by William D. Carl
I have a soft spot for maritime ghost stories. This is a good one, about a ship lost in the fog off the English coast and a ruined village. The climax could have been clearer. 4/5
“Better Late, Than Never” by Wicker Stone
I really like this one. It seems like an urban legend turned into a short story. I especially liked the twist. This story is going to stick with me. 5/5
“Starry Night” by Jason Parent
This story is a nice “monster in the woods” story with a generous helping of body horror and a creepy redneck. This one is higher action than most in the collection. 4/5
“Sanguisuga” by Kali Moulton
This story surprised me a few times. It starts with an attractive woman approaching our protagonist in a club, and goes some unexpected places. I would read an extended version of this story with a slower build of the supernatural horror and more explanation of the monster. 3/5
“The Lost Mine of St. Eloi” by J. Edwin Buja
This story is about a British WWI veteran recounting a secret story of the Actions of St Eloi Craters. It does a good job incorporating the secret horrors of the Cthulhu Mythos into a real historical event. It is an archetypal Lovecraftian story with solid execution. 4/5
“It is a Long Walk to the Ocean” by K. H. Vaughan
This was an unexpected story. I cannot think of another quite like it. Basically, one morning everyone wakes on fire. The story is surreal and existentially terrifying. Literally living Hell. 5/5
“The Promised Death of Zebediah Dewey” by John Goodrich
This story feels like a folktale. It is about a deal with a “hoodoo”, and a doctor with a shameful past. The flu backstory seems relevant to our current pandemic. 3/5
“Please Stay Dead, Aunt Marnie” by F. R. Michaels
This story is an interesting Southern Gothic style story with Lovecraftian themes. It has an interesting twist I often think about at the end of horror movies. It reminds me vaguely of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. 4/5
“The Perfect Parent” by Peter N. Dudar
This story really lives up to the title Wicked Weird. An author becomes a widower and single parent, so he pays a shady doctor to give him a third eye in the back of his head. I cannot recall any stories like this one. I also enjoyed the framing device of the lawyer reading in the author’s best friend. This would have made a great episode of The Outer Limits. 5/5
“Your Emergency Response Guide” by Jeffrey Thomas
This was my favorite story from the series. I love the unusual format - an emergency information pamphlet. The scenario described within is also truly terrifying. 5/5
“The Night and All Its Visitors” by Barry Lee Dejasu
This story starts as a cool cryptid tale, and then throws in a pair of twists reminiscent of King and Lovecraft. I liked the setting, and it only got better over the course of the story. The overall feeling is barely suppressed creepiness and oppression, like the calm small town is a tentative facade over pending disaster. The story ends with many open questions. I would actually like a short story collection exploring this town. 4/5
Wicked Weird is a solid horror anthology. A few stories really stood out to me, and I only disliked one. Most of the stories were entertaining, and will join the matrix of ghost stories, folk tales, and horror movies in the back of my mind.
“Those beneath, devour” by Victoria Dalpe
This story is about the aftermath of a magic ritual gone wrong. It opens on a grisly scene of a dead college student in the basement of a library. The protagonist Carmen then has to come to terms with the shock, survivor’s guilt, and Lovecraftian forbidden knowledge. I had trouble figuring out what happened, which interfered with my investment in the story. Quite honestly, I still have too many questions about the dead girl’s motivation and the accident. I wish Carmen had flashed back to when Georgie convinced her to participate, so I could at least understand why the characters attempted the ritual. 3/5
“A Strange Haze” by Matthew M. Bartlett
I did not like this story. The writing is stiff and unnatural. The protagonist is unlikable; unlikable on purpose, but that does not make reading about him any more entertaining. The horror slipped in out of nowhere and did not make a lot of sense to me. I had trouble keeping my eyes on the page. 1/5
“A Song of War and Death” by Errick A. Nunnally
In this story, a marine finds himself lost in the desert after training exercises. The situation is confusing, but I think the author handled limited and confusing information well: the reader knows all of the relevant information the protagonist knows, and the protagonist’s motivations are clear. It also provides all the answers I needed to invest in the story, while leaving the right questions unanswered for maximum creep factor. The story has a frightening threat, engaging action, and chilling implications. 4/5
“Salt Cave” by Morgan Sylvia
An unnamed female protagonist hires a guide to show her the cave she has been dreaming about for years. This is a Lovecraftian tale about discovering eldritch heritage. It reminded me of Brian Lumley’s “Sister City.” The writing is strong, pulling in the reader, constantly building tension and atmosphere, and slowly revealing hints of the truth. I liked the indications that this occurs in a devastated future. 4/5
“The Sweetness and the Psychic” by LL Soares
This story is a noir detective story that blurs into horror. The narration is good and atmospheric. The case, a search for a kidnapped boy with a hard deadline for the detective, is compelling. The psychic and the threat are weird and chilling. Overall, this is a good blend of noir and horror. 4/5
“A Feast of Flies” by Steve Van Samson
A Western horror story. A mysterious stranger rides up to a gang around a campfire, and suddenly everything goes wrong for the gang. The stranger is creepy. The Western atmosphere is strong. This story makes me want to look up cowboy ghost stories. 4/5
“Pet Shops of the Gods” by Rob Smales
This story is about a bullied kid getting an … unusual pet from a mysterious pet store. The pet changes the boy’s life in some dark ways. The implications of the end are really uncomfortable. I did not find this story surprising, but it was well executed. I think it could have used more pages to further develop the protagonist’s relationship with the pet, and the changes it brought. 4/5
“St. Scholastica’s Home for the Children of the Sea” by Emma J. Gibbon
This story may be described as “The Shadow Over Innsmouth” from the native perspective. This story is centered around an orphanage for fish people. I like the voice of the narrator, I like the sense of import and apprehension the story generates, and I like the ending. 4/5
“The Mass of the Greatest Sin” by Trisha J. Wooldridge
This is a horror story about the hatred society gives to fat women. The story is from the perspective of a fat woman struggling with weight loss and self-hate. The story has strong “kill your abusers” energy. 3/5
“The Painted Girl” by Paul R. McNamee
I am not sure I understand this one. It seems to be a cautionary tale about a criminal being supernaturally punished for their wicked deeds. I love those stories. I just do not know enough Navajo folklore to understand what happened. 3/5
“Reclaimed” by William D. Carl
I have a soft spot for maritime ghost stories. This is a good one, about a ship lost in the fog off the English coast and a ruined village. The climax could have been clearer. 4/5
“Better Late, Than Never” by Wicker Stone
I really like this one. It seems like an urban legend turned into a short story. I especially liked the twist. This story is going to stick with me. 5/5
“Starry Night” by Jason Parent
This story is a nice “monster in the woods” story with a generous helping of body horror and a creepy redneck. This one is higher action than most in the collection. 4/5
“Sanguisuga” by Kali Moulton
This story surprised me a few times. It starts with an attractive woman approaching our protagonist in a club, and goes some unexpected places. I would read an extended version of this story with a slower build of the supernatural horror and more explanation of the monster. 3/5
“The Lost Mine of St. Eloi” by J. Edwin Buja
This story is about a British WWI veteran recounting a secret story of the Actions of St Eloi Craters. It does a good job incorporating the secret horrors of the Cthulhu Mythos into a real historical event. It is an archetypal Lovecraftian story with solid execution. 4/5
“It is a Long Walk to the Ocean” by K. H. Vaughan
This was an unexpected story. I cannot think of another quite like it. Basically, one morning everyone wakes on fire. The story is surreal and existentially terrifying. Literally living Hell. 5/5
“The Promised Death of Zebediah Dewey” by John Goodrich
This story feels like a folktale. It is about a deal with a “hoodoo”, and a doctor with a shameful past. The flu backstory seems relevant to our current pandemic. 3/5
“Please Stay Dead, Aunt Marnie” by F. R. Michaels
This story is an interesting Southern Gothic style story with Lovecraftian themes. It has an interesting twist I often think about at the end of horror movies. It reminds me vaguely of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. 4/5
“The Perfect Parent” by Peter N. Dudar
This story really lives up to the title Wicked Weird. An author becomes a widower and single parent, so he pays a shady doctor to give him a third eye in the back of his head. I cannot recall any stories like this one. I also enjoyed the framing device of the lawyer reading in the author’s best friend. This would have made a great episode of The Outer Limits. 5/5
“Your Emergency Response Guide” by Jeffrey Thomas
This was my favorite story from the series. I love the unusual format - an emergency information pamphlet. The scenario described within is also truly terrifying. 5/5
“The Night and All Its Visitors” by Barry Lee Dejasu
This story starts as a cool cryptid tale, and then throws in a pair of twists reminiscent of King and Lovecraft. I liked the setting, and it only got better over the course of the story. The overall feeling is barely suppressed creepiness and oppression, like the calm small town is a tentative facade over pending disaster. The story ends with many open questions. I would actually like a short story collection exploring this town. 4/5
May 31, 2023
A mixed bag of some good stories and some not so good. Nothing really scary but it was worth a read. I don't enjoy ambiguous endings and there's a lot of those here. Just when a story starts to get interesting it comes to an abrupt end with no real closure.
September 1, 2019
A very enjoyable anthology with only a few that weren't the best. This contained three stories that really excited me to have read them. Below is the list of stories and how I rated them:
1. Those Beneath, Devour - 4
2. A Strange Haze - 4
3. A Song of War and Death - 3
4. Salt Cave – 5
5. The Sweetness and the Psychic - 5
6. A Feast of Flies – 4
7. Pet Shop of the Gods – 3
8. St. Scholastica’s Home for Children of the Sea – 2
9. The Mass of the Greatest Sin - 2
10. The Painted Girl - 3
11. Reclaimed – 3
12. Better Late, Than Never - 2
13. Starry Night - 4
14. Sanguisuga - 3
15. The Lost Mine of St. Eloi - 5
16. It is a Long Walk to the Ocean - 3
17. The Promised Death of Zebediah Dewey - 5
18. Please Stay Dead, Aunt Marnie - 4
19. The Perfect Parent - 3
20. Your Emergency Response Guide - 2
21. The Night and All Its Visitors - 3
1. Those Beneath, Devour - 4
2. A Strange Haze - 4
3. A Song of War and Death - 3
4. Salt Cave – 5
5. The Sweetness and the Psychic - 5
6. A Feast of Flies – 4
7. Pet Shop of the Gods – 3
8. St. Scholastica’s Home for Children of the Sea – 2
9. The Mass of the Greatest Sin - 2
10. The Painted Girl - 3
11. Reclaimed – 3
12. Better Late, Than Never - 2
13. Starry Night - 4
14. Sanguisuga - 3
15. The Lost Mine of St. Eloi - 5
16. It is a Long Walk to the Ocean - 3
17. The Promised Death of Zebediah Dewey - 5
18. Please Stay Dead, Aunt Marnie - 4
19. The Perfect Parent - 3
20. Your Emergency Response Guide - 2
21. The Night and All Its Visitors - 3
August 19, 2019
Normal is for boring people. Choose weird, and in this case, choose “Wicked Weird”.
This anthology rocks and the stories are all deliciously bizarre. A must-read.
This anthology rocks and the stories are all deliciously bizarre. A must-read.
December 2, 2019
If you like weird horror, you'll love Wicked Weird. So many distinct voices and original ideas. Really enjoyed this one!
December 13, 2019
No. I don't get how things make it into these anthologies. There were a handful of stories I liked. The rest were concepts that go nowhere. No one wants to write a third act. Most have no twist, they just go where they go, and you can predict the inevitability. I have been reading for 60 years and I have a good memory. You simply have to try to go places I have not been, and been repeatedly. Here's one example: a man goes to a funeral. He feels strongly that some entity is there. He goes home after. He feels strongly that the entity has followed him. The End. That's it. I challenge people to explore writing a satisfying ending to your tales. Because you are allowed to get away with obvious, or ambiguous, doesn't mean it's right to do that. Try harder.
September 27, 2019
About half the stories in this book were memorable and affecting, and the other half kind of predictable creature-horror, but that's a decent average for an anthology. Worth the price of admission for Trisha J. Woolridge's "The Mass of the Greatest Sin", a painfully realistic tale of the bullying that a fat woman endures...until she channels her inner octopus. Other favorites were F.R. Michaels' "Please Stay Dead, Aunt Marnie", which leavens Gothic horror with folksy humor in the vein of R. Chetwynd-Hayes, and Rob Smales' "Pet Shop of the Gods".
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