Some call it courage in a bottle while others perceive it as the devil’s cocktail. Alcohol comes in all types, bringing along with it the temptation of sin, the eagerness of confusion and the psychological bombardment on the mind forcing us to play a game between life and death.
15 authors dive deep in the subconscious where the demons swim, blinding our judgment and guiding us to make horrific decisions.
ALL NEW STORIES BY:
- Dustin LaValley & Edward Lee - Jeff Strand - Ryan Harding - Gerard Houarner - Armand Rosamilia - Christine Morgan - Jeremy Thompson - Stephen Kozeniewski - John Wayne Comunale - Robert Essig - Dev Jarrett - C.M. Saunders - Rachel Nussbaum - Bob Macumber
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Edward Lee is an American novelist specializing in the field of horror, and has authored 40 books, more than half of which have been published by mass-market New York paperback companies such as Leisure/Dorchester, Berkley, and Zebra/Kensington. He is a Bram Stoker award nominee for his story "Mr. Torso," and his short stories have appeared in over a dozen mass-market anthologies, including THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES OF 2000, Pocket's HOT BLOOD series, and the award-wining 999. Several of his novels have sold translation rights to Germany, Greece, and Romania. He also publishes quite actively in the small-press/limited-edition hardcover market; many of his books in this category have become collector's items. While a number of Lee's projects have been optioned for film, only one has been made, HEADER, which was released on DVD to mixed reviews in June, 2009, by Synapse Films.
Lee is particularly known for over-the-top occult concepts and an accelerated treatment of erotic and/or morbid sexual imagery and visceral violence.
He was born on May 25, 1957 in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Bowie, Maryland. In the late-70s he served in the U.S. Army's 1st Armored Division, in Erlangen, West Germany, then, for a short time, was a municipal police officer in Cottage City, Maryland. Lee also attended the University of Maryland as an English major but quit in his last semester to pursue his dream of being a horror novelist. For over 15 years, he worked as the night manager for a security company in Annapolis, Maryland, while writing in his spare time. In 1997, however, he became a full-time writer, first spending several years in Seattle and then moving to St. Pete Beach, Florida, where he currently resides.
Of note, the author cites as his strongest influence horror legend H. P. Lovecraft; in 2007, Lee embarked on what he calls his "Lovecraft kick" and wrote a spate of novels and novellas which tribute Lovecraft and his famous Cthulhu Mythos. Among these projects are THE INNSWICH HORROR, "Trolley No. 1852," HAUNTER OF THE THRESHOLD, GOING MONSTERING, "Pages Torn From A Travel Journal," and "You Are My Everything." Lee promises more Lovecraftian work on the horizon.
A confession of a maddening drunk's bizarre scheme is exposed and driven by eccentric voices in his head. An unusual string of violent freakish events occur after a patron is questioned and challenged on his choice of bubbly...a Pink Passion. A man finds a strange surprise inside his can of brewski, only to discover a new form of evolution. Based on alcohol infused extreme horror, this anthology rightfully named Brewtality, is edited by K Trap Jones and released by The Evil Cookie Publishing. Top notch writing talents such as Edward Lee, Jeff Strand and Robert Essig are part of the mixture attributed to this nightcap concoction of extreme story telling. Immortality, madness and gruesome addictions are also incorporated, resulting in numerous cringe worthy intoxicating moments among these tales of morbid wine & spirits. The level playing field between humor and horror is well balanced among these talented authors that have contributed. From Ryan Harding's putrid moonshine jar of grisly induced karma. To Christine Morgan's stein of ale that focuses on a mythical legend by the name of Ullrik The Bottomless. To Stephen Kozeniewski’s bourbon whiskey which provides a pivotal function for a highly unusual case solving detective agency. This collection of well written short stories are on sale and ready for consumption. I had many favorite reading experiences in this anthology including the Jack Ketchum quote, it was a pleasant touch. For all these reasons, the reader should pour themselves a glass or shot of their favorite cold one, liquid courage or giggle juice. Raise a toast to Jack Ketchum, and raise a toast to your favorite horror fiction. 5 out of 5 Horror Bookworms. For more recommendations please visit https://horrorbookwormreviews.wordpre...
Author K. Trap Jones has brought together some of the biggest current and up and coming names in Extreme Horror and delivered fifteen brand new tales of horror at its worst, including;
• A group of friends who discover an event from their past may have blessed them with immortality • A party invitation that turns sinister when a group of friends find out that, while the drinks may be free, admission comes at a heavy price • A Vikings quest for a legendary drinking horn that can never be emptied that takes a dark turn when he discovers even his thirst has its limits • A celebration which turns to bloodshed and mayhem when the cost of one man’s promotion becomes more than anyone should have to pay. • A man’s hunt for his missing wife may that mean reliving past events he thought long-buried • An ageing hardman who is given a second chance at life, but will he be able to correct his past mistakes, or is he doomed to repeat them?
While all the big names in Extreme Horror are present and accounted for (Edward Lee, Ryan Harding, Christine Morgan and Gerard Houarner to name but a few), it was the relative newcomers that impressed most in this collection. The book starts out strong with Rachel Nussbaum’s ‘Whiskey to the Wound’, a uniquely depraved tale of immortality and wraps up with one of the books most memorable stories (John Wayne Comunale’s ‘You Know Who You Sound Like’) which features Johnny Depp and a suit of human skin, in a blackly comedic story you won’t soon forget. ‘Brewtality’ is strong evidence that the future of the genre is in very capable hands.
I also enjoyed the stories where authors took the opportunity to revisit some of their existing works. Gerard Houarner’s contribution features a story set in his infamous Painfreak (the aptly titled ‘Mister Fuckit’) and Stephen Kozeniewski gives us a welcome short set in the world of his novel ‘Braineater Jones’ with ‘Braineaters in the Mist’. Fans of either author will want to pick up a copy for their contributions alone.
As is typically the case with anthologies, some stories land better than others and while all stories are entertaining, few feel truly standout. The best (‘Choked Up’, by the always reliable Ryan Harding, which manages to simultaneously surprise and disgust in equal measure in a genuinely shocking story, and ‘Infinity Bottle’ by Dev Saunders, boasting easily the books most over the top visuals) manage the fine balance of a strong story with the requisite shock factor. Many stories, however, given the authors featured, are surprisingly tame. ‘Grower’ by C.M Saunders and ‘Pink Passion’ by Jeff Strand are both excellent, but seem out of place in an Extreme Horror Anthology, and even Edward Lee’s contribution doesn’t pack the punch you expect from the man who has all but defined the genre in its modern form.
Fifteen talented authors, each with a brand new short, more than justifies picking up a copy of Brewtality and, while it doesn’t quite live up to it’s ‘Extreme’ billing with every short, each story delivers in terms of quality entertainment, and that’s not a claim a lot of anthologies are able to make.
Some of the stories in this volume are amazing, the literary equivalent of a bottle of Kraken or a pint of Sierra Nevada. Others are more like Coors Light. Luckily, the good stories are so good that they make this volume well worth purchasing and reading.
Some highlights for me included ‘Pink Passion’ by Jeff Strand, a cocktail of blood and hilarity; ‘The Drinking Horn’ by Christine Morgan, a Viking-themed tale that needs to be skolled; ‘Braineaters in the Mist’ by Kozeniewski, a cheeky noirish tipple; and ‘Whiskey to the Wound’ by Rachel Nussbaum, a blood-fueled bender of a story. This is just the tip of the ice cube though, and there were at least three other good ones floating around in there that made for a pretty tasty punch overall.
“You know,” the officer said, screwing the lid back on tight. “You should probably get some help with your drinking problem. I think it’s about time you took a break.”
A collection of extreme short horror stories with the theme of acoholic beverages.
I enjoyed 10 out of the 14 tales presented in this anthology. Special mention goes to Jeff Strand, Dev Jarrett, Christine Morgan, and Ryan Harding whose stories were all outstandingly entertaining.
BREWTALITY has everything one might expect from an extreme horror anthology from evil dwarves and brain-eating zombies to cheating spouses, alien plants, and even Norse mythology. Though one of the stories didn’t quite do it for me, the juicy deliciousness of the rest more than made up for it. Some of my favorites include the contributions by Robert Essig, Jeff Strand, Dustin LaValley & Edward Lee, Christine Morgan, and Bob Macumber. Each story was unique and memorable in their own way, but for me, Ryan Harding’s “Choked Up” took the cake. I don’t want to give too much away, but this is one book you don’t want to miss! Another amazing anthology from K. Trap Jones that leaves only one question, can I order another round?
Twisted!!! Wow, every story in this anthology was fantastic, clever, and gruesome. Pink Passion by Jeff Strand was my favorite. However, I would love to see these all adapted for film. They would make perfect episodes for shows like Tales From The Crypt.
“Black coffee is a lot like whiskey, you know? All devil and no trimmin’s.”
This anthology is very accessible and explores extremity on multiple axes. “Pink Passion” by Jeff Strand includes snappy dialogue and ultra-violence. “Vodou Children of Dennis Alan” by Dustin LaValley and Edward Lee includes gore-soaked sex. “Blooze” by Armand Rosamilia includes a hazy devil’s bargain and manages to avoid redemption (probably due to Pork Roll, egg, and cheese on a hard roll.) Probably my favorite of the bunch was “The Drinking-Horn” by Christin Morgan, which is a beautiful grimdark fable about the legacy of Utgardr’s horn.
You get precisely what you might expect with this anthology, at least if you're familiar with any of the authors involved. It starts off strong, with contributors spinning alcohol-infused tales of unexpected immortality and strange alien plants and the rednecks who love them...and it continues on to deals with the devil and Norse mythology at the other end of the spectrum. There's sure to be something in here for anyone...assuming you're not in AA.
If this is the state of splatterpunk today, then splatterpunk is very tired indeed. Nothing spectacular on show (I'd rate Houarner and Morgan as good +, but not excellent), and while there are no truly embarrassing efforts, either, a certain failure of imagination is apparent. YMMV, of course.
Evil Cookie Publications have released a few horror anthologies throughout the years, but I've not picked any of them up until now. I'm not sure what to expect from these, but considering some of my favorite horror writers contribute to these anthologies I'm intrigued to see what they are like.
Whiskey to The Wound: Derek didn't know he was immortal until a criminal group out in the boonies tried to steal his kidneys. His friends Arin and Janet are also immortal and they think it has something to do with what happened to them all in High School. The question is if the pain is no longer a worry for these 3 what does it become instead?
Rachel Nussbaum has written a short and engaging story about a young man who discovers he's immortal thanks to something that happened to him in high school. It's a story about a trio of characters who find a strong sense of friendship between one another because of their incredible power. 7/10
Confessions of a Drunk Asshole: After killing his wife in a fit of rage, Jed has gone out to find who else his wife has been cheating on him with. But he has a little tool at hand to help, he's made some moonshine and fortunately for him, it has a certain ingredient in it that acts as a truth serum. Jed has plans you see, big plans, plans that could take this little town apart.
Robert Essig has written a fun and engaging story with a B-movie type of plot. It is a story about a mysterious plant that is a being of its own, it can uncover the truth hidden away by lies. It's a violent story with a grim ending. 9/10
Pink Passion: A mysterious stranger steps into a bar and orders a pink passion, but the other customers here don't take too kindly to that.
Jeff Strand has written a story that is both violent and funny. There's nothing to write home about with this story but seeing a bunch of insecure men get bothered by the color of somebody's drink is ludicrous, so watching as they get their ass kicked and beaten was both funny and satisfying. 7/10
Vodou Children of Dennis Alan: A couple's hope for immortality makes them instead monsters of the night, individuals who need to devour the blood and gore of their victims. Love is a beautiful thing, but it can also be painful.
Edward Lee and Dustin Lavalley have written a bloody and gruesome story that is violent, shocking, and incredibly short. Despite its length, however, I found this story quite effective and haunting. 9/10
Mister Fuckit: Mister Fuckit is an interesting individual who the attendees down at Painfreak beat up to a pulp. Yet he still manages to come back from the dead for yet another round of torture and humiliation, praising his abusers. But tonight he's come with a mysterious woman and together they have a horrifying surprise for everyone at tonight's show.
Gerard Houarner has written an interesting story, but it was ultimately very confusing and felt like being thrown into an acid trip that would never end. I would probably understand this story a lot better if I knew more about the Painfreak series and I'll admit despite my disappointment, I want to give this series a go now, so it was successful in that regard. 5/10
Blooze: Some have the talent to be a rockstar, while others have had to make a deal with the devil. Big Tony is driving his boss to their next gig, but someone has other ideas in mind and wishes to end their reign of devilry for good.
Armand Rosamilia has written a neat little story about a band whose lead has made a deal with the devil and has had to do terrible things over the years to keep his success. It's a fun story with a main character who you end up feeling a little sorry for despite the horrible things he has done. 8/10
Grower: Gary is a pathetic alcoholic who waits for the delivery guy every day to give him a box full of beers from other countries and beyond. But one day he stumbles upon a mysterious can, where he finds a tooth. Disgusted, he soon realizes that the tooth is evolving into a living being. Gary is so fascinated that he loses himself in the moment.
C.M. Saunders has written a story that I'm sure some people will get a kick out of, but for me personally, I didn't connect with it and it just fell flat. Some people will like this one, but it was more than a little weird for my taste. 3/10
Aetheric Ipa: Campbell and the boys are about to have a lonely night out at their mate's apartment, but when a young but attractive woman invites them to a party they take her up on that offer. But what they don't realize is that the party they're about to attend is at a mansion where all the people who've ever lived there have died a gruesome fate.
Jeremy Thompson has come up with a premise that would be interesting as a novella, but because it's a short story it suffers from a lack of characterization, atmosphere, and ultimately terror. This could have been a fun story with an awesome ending, but it suffers due to its length, and truth be told I didn't understand what the writer was trying to achieve with this story. I'm sure Jeremy had an idea in mind and that he's written brilliant stories before, but this didn't click for me. 3/10
The Drinking-Horn: Ullivk The Bottomless is an alcoholic, he is praised for his dedication to alcohol in these lands. He has always been a fan of the ancient tale of when Thor was defeated by a drinking horn. He hopes to come across something like it someday and show him what he's made of. It seems his dreams are about to become a reality.
Christine Morgan has written a fun little fantasy story that is very well-written and engaging. The ending of this story is brutal, harrowing, and quite depressing. Very surprised and delighted with this one. 8.5/10
Something to Warm The Spirit: Holt isn't as young and strong as he used to be. After he's thrown out of a bar by a bouncer, he wants nothing but revenge and a chance to feel young again. So when he stumbles into another bar owned by a small dwarf, he soon gets his wish but at a devastating price.
Bob Macumber has written a fun and engaging story that is atmospheric, depressing, and incredibly violent. It's a story with a shocking and brutal climax that is filled to the brim with blood and gore. 8/10
Braineaters in The Mist: Lazar a breathing and living human who pretends to be a zombie has come in contact with a zombie investigator to find out who brutally butchered a woman and tore her to shreds. He discovers the truth and soon the undead are out for revenge.
Stephen Kozeniewski has written a really fun, bizarre, and brutal zombie story that was a lot of fun, it's a crime story with plenty of horror, gore, zombies, robots, and a sense of humor. I got a kick out of this one, I had a really good time reading this one. I've also just discovered this is an additional short story to a horror novel that already exists so I'm excited to pick it up! 9/10
Infinity Bottle: Hank has recently come by a huge promotion and he only had to beat 4 other people to get it. He's well chuffed about it, so much so he's throwing a party at his apartment with a cocktail of his own. But when a mysterious girl comes by it seems he and his friends who helped him get his new promotion are about to say goodbye to their dreams.
Dev Jarret has written a very disturbing and brutal story about the dangers of mixing, corporate corruption, and online humiliation. It's a story with a hint of the supernatural, that starts off relatively simple before dissolving into a massacre that is outlandish, disgusting, appalling, and thoroughly brutal. Loved it. 9/10
Choked Up: Rick has been trying to get in contact with his pregnant girlfriend Cynthia for ages now, but she still hasn't answered, not since their argument. He soon gets into contact with her friends who attended her baby shower, but they haven't seen her. Rick is growing worried and soon he realizes where Cynthia is and he's terrified she might discover his darkest secret.
Ryan Harding has written a short story that is truly shocking and cleverly written, I adore the twist at the end despite how gruesome and truly horrifying it is. It's wonderful to see all the little elements that Ryan has thrown into this story all come together in a way that is incredibly satisfying and mortifying. One of the most disturbing yet brilliantly written short stories I have ever read. 10/10
You Know Who You Sound Like?: He has a few problems and drinking is only the start of them, but there's the voice in his head, his fellow companion to who he will someday give up his mortal body too. But first, he has to make a skin suit for his friend and wear it. It's funny that the voice in his head sounds oddly like Johnny Depp.
John Wayne Comunale has written a very disturbing and grim little tale about a man on the edge of a psychotic breakdown succumbing to the voice in his head's pleas to become an entirely new person. There is some graphic and grotesque imagery in this, but the twist at the end caught me off guard, and honestly, I loved it, not what I expected at all. 9/10
Overall: It's a really solid collection with 2 or 3 stories that were a letdown but honestly, I had a lot of fun with this collection. K. Trap Jones and the writers should give themselves a massive clap on the back, despite not enjoying all the stories in here, everyone deserves a bit of praise for their hard work. 104.5/140
This is an Anthology of 14 short stories. This was sort of hard to get through only because about half of the stories weren’t really vibing with me, but the other half were decent enough to make the read worth it.
This is a FREE book on kindle unlimited, so if you wanna test the book out for yourself then go for it.
Stories:
“Whiskey To The Wound” - I don’t understand what I just read. It reminded me of that episode on Black Mirror called “Black Museum” where you experience pleasure from pain stimulation, except instead of one person, it was three, and turned into a strange kind of threesome that I don’t care to know much more about lol.
Rating: 👻👻
“Confessions of A Drunk Asshole” - This one was actually pretty good. It kept my interest the entire time, didn’t feel like I was just pushing through it like I did the first one, and I would’ve actually been happy if that short story was just a little bit longer. Although I do gotta say, kinda feel a little bad for Mr. Jed in this story. Moral of the story? Don’t fuck with a lunatic who makes moonshine from mysterious plants. Oh, and I’ll never be touching any mysterious plants ever again. I do not wanna be *that* connected with Mother Earth.
Rating: 👻👻👻👻👻
“Pink Passion” - Sexist. If a man wants to drink a sparkly pink alcoholic beverage that tastes like a tropical island then let that man live his best life! - Jokes aside, decent story. Although tbh, after the second guy went down, the others only had themselves to blame.
Rating: 👻👻👻
“Vodou Children of Dennis Alan” - At first I had no idea what the hell I was reading. But in the end, it made sense. It was very short with a whopping 7.5 pages, but a worthy read unless you’re squeamish around gory erotica lol.
“Mister Fuckit” - What the flying holy hell did I just read???????
Rating: 👻 ??? 👻👻 ??? I don’t know
“Blooze” - I liked this one a lot. From the start it was interesting and engaging and I didn’t wanna stop reading it. It definitely wasn’t dull, but the reason it gets 4 stars instead of 5 is due to the unsatisfying ending. It didn’t really make all much sense to me to end it like it did.
Rating: 👻👻👻👻
“Grower” - This story was completely interesting and engaging up until the end. The end fell really flat, and I was just a little disappointed. I guess on one level it was kinda funny, considering what the story revolved around. But left too many unanswered questions.
Rating: 👻👻👻
“Aetheric IPA” - This story was okay. I found the beginning to be lackluster, but it started getting more interesting towards the end… Then the ending was a little disappointing and I think it could’ve been a bit better.
Rating: 👻👻👻
“The Drinking Horn” - A mythological God with a drinking problem. I have mixed feelings towards this story. The first half left me feeling bored, but towards the end the story started picking up and became more entertaining. However, this isn’t a horror story. It’s a mythological story with a strange ending (a good ending, though!). But since it wasn’t classified as a spooky, scary story to me, I’m gonna give it 3 ghosts.
Rating: 👻👻👻
“Something To Warm The Spirit” - This story was decently gruesome, which is something I was looking for in such an anthology series, what most of the other stories lacked. The plot of this story was good, I don’t really have any complaints about this one.
Rating: 👻👻👻👻
“Braineaters in The most” - Story was okay. Had a good plot that they probably could’ve done a little better with. Decently gross in one scene, but the ending was a little lackluster for me.
Rating: 👻👻👻
“Infinity Bottle” - Body horror, body horror, body horror! I have a phobia in regards to body horror, so this one really grossed me out, but that’s what I’m looking for in an extreme horror. Push me to my limits lol. Very pleased.
Rating: 👻👻👻👻👻
“Choked Up” - I was hooked on this story from the first page on. This story was definitely a slow burn, and was creepy and suspenseful. I think this was probably the best story in this Anthology. That being said, the ending was gross and I’m giving a trigger warning for pregnancy related stuff.
Rating: 👻👻👻👻👻
“You Know Who You Sound Like?” - Basically a lowkey version of Ed Gein with a drinking problem. Very detail oriented, however the ending confused me ever so slightly. I would give this story 4 ghosts out of 5 if it weren’t for the handful of typos in the story.
Let me start with, BREWTALITY is an excellent name for this collection. A clever pun and combination of alcohol and violence. With a tad more than a third of the stories being considered as favorites, this turned out to be a solidly entertaining anthology. The stories are mostly on the other side of that extreme line. Meaning, if you tend to get squeamish with blood, sex, violence or any combination of them, then please skip this book. Otherwise, give it a try. Chances are good that you'll find a new author to like. Or if you know the already, then something new to enjoy.
"Whiskey to the Wound" by Rachel Nussbaum - A guy finds out that he is immortal and he takes extreme advantage of that knowledge.
"Pink Passion" by Jeff Strand - A gentleman tries to relax after a hard day of work.
"The Drinking Horn" by Christine Morgan - Ullvik the Bottomless has his reputation put to the test.
"Braineaters in the Mist" by Stephen Kozeniewski - Braineater Jones! 'Nuff said.
"You Know Who You Sound Like?" by John Wayne Comunale - A man's internal demons want more.
Some good, some not so good. I was expecting to like more of the stories because I have read many of them before. They just didn't hit the spot on this one.
Tonight we’re drinking bourbon. The good shit, too. Pappy Van Winkle. Fifteen year. Sweet to the taste. Right to the head. Feels good, feels like what Heaven will be like, as if I’ll ever make it.
This was just all around blood-and-booze-splattered fun. This had been sitting in my Kindle forever in my tbr list and I wish I had read this sooner. Each story in this collection was unique, and I liked the idea that each one was centered around drinking, or a certain type of drink. In this collection you get some tongue-in-cheek humor, some sick splatterpunk horror, and some straight WTF-ness. I cackled and I cringed. While a couple of the stories were a bit out there for me, I still respected the style and originality of it all.
The only story I can recall from this after some time was basically a story version of the old "Well I'll have a gin and tonic then" joke. Not saying the rest wasn't good but I don't remember them.