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Weird Horror #3
Weird Horror, Issue 3, Fall 2021
Welcome to the new pulp! Weird Horror magazine is a new venue for fiction, articles, reviews, and commentary.
Contents (fiction):
- Gordon B. White "From October Vines"
- Rex Burrows "The Forest Has No Immediate Plans to Kill You"
- S.E. Clark "Feast"
- Jack Lothian "Susan and the Most Popular Girl in School"
- Saswati Chatterjee "In the War, the Wall"
- Donyae Coles "Thalia Was Alone"
- Theresa Delucci "Only My Skin That Crawled Away"
- J.R. McConvey "Code White"
- Josh Rountree "A Red Promise in the Palm of Your Hand"
Includes also: opinion from Simon Strantzas ("A Thing of Extremes"); commentary from Orrin Grey ("Your Eyes Will Leave Your Body: Coming Late to Ultra Q"); reviews by Lysette Stevenson.
Contents (fiction):
- Gordon B. White "From October Vines"
- Rex Burrows "The Forest Has No Immediate Plans to Kill You"
- S.E. Clark "Feast"
- Jack Lothian "Susan and the Most Popular Girl in School"
- Saswati Chatterjee "In the War, the Wall"
- Donyae Coles "Thalia Was Alone"
- Theresa Delucci "Only My Skin That Crawled Away"
- J.R. McConvey "Code White"
- Josh Rountree "A Red Promise in the Palm of Your Hand"
Includes also: opinion from Simon Strantzas ("A Thing of Extremes"); commentary from Orrin Grey ("Your Eyes Will Leave Your Body: Coming Late to Ultra Q"); reviews by Lysette Stevenson.
84 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 12, 2021
2 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
Michael Kelly
74 books67 followersMichael Kelly is the Series Editor for the Year's Best Weird Fiction, and author of Undertow and Other Laments, and Scratching the Surface; as well as co-author of the novel Ouroboros.
His short fiction has appeared in a number of journals and anthologies, including All Hallows, Best New Horror, Black Static, Dark Arts, the Hint Fiction Anthology, PostScripts, Space & Time, Supernatural Tales, Tesseracts 13, and Weird Fiction Review.
Michael is a World Fantasy Award, Shirley Jackson Award and British Fantasy Award Nominee.
His short fiction has appeared in a number of journals and anthologies, including All Hallows, Best New Horror, Black Static, Dark Arts, the Hint Fiction Anthology, PostScripts, Space & Time, Supernatural Tales, Tesseracts 13, and Weird Fiction Review.
Michael is a World Fantasy Award, Shirley Jackson Award and British Fantasy Award Nominee.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 7, 2022
Issue #3, so by now you know what you're in for, and it's as solid as you'd expect.
“From October Vines” (Gordon B. White)
You attend a Samhain dumb supper; murder and weirder things are afoot. I’m a sucker for 2nd and this is predictably excellent and gleefully dark. Put me in mind of a Nancy Holder story whose title I can’t recall.
“The Forest Has No Immediate Plans to Kill You” (Rex Burrows)
Very nice fungal horror about a creepy forest. An essentially-plotless vignette, but it works, and boy do I love a good Weird Place. Also, what do you know, another in 2nd person. Burrows's first publication, I believe, and a very good start it is.
“Feast” (S. E. Clark)
A vampire couple attend a Christmas party; hijinks ensue. There was an interesting thread here about one of them being fixated on the existential threat of climate change, but it ended up having little to do with the main plot, which I found less engaging.
"Susan and the Most Popular Girl in School" (Jack Lothian)
A girl too unobtrusive to even be an outcast notices something weird is going on with tMPGiS. Quite good; very explicit explanations sucked a bit of the life out of the end but Susan's blase responses were nice.
“In the War, the Wall” (Saswati Chatterjee)
During WWI, Indian soldiers in France run into something predatory under a church. A solid, classically-minded Weird Tale, frame story and all.
“Thalia Was Alone” (Donyae Coles)
A desperately lonely woman comes to an understanding with a haunted (?) house. A nice sense of surreal abstraction, sharp prose full of character, very good.
“Only My Skin That Crawled Away” (Theresa Delucci)
Two women, one a recent suicide-attempt-survivor, vacation in Joshua Tree. Some nice misdirections and spooky scenes but a lot of sentences/prose choices here felt like bizarre non sequiturs.
“Code White” (J.R. McConvey)
A hospital comms worker realizes a monster is feeding on (into?) the HVAC system. A desperate litany of illness and emergencies. Weird fiction about work/bureaucracy is such a gimme but I feel like I haven’t been seeing much of it recently. I think it would be fruitful to read this one in tandem with Christopher Burke's “Many Lives Theory” (2020).
“A Red Promise in the Palm of your Hand” (Josh Rountree)
The last 2 survivors of a cult in the Weird West suss out who is going to be sacrificed to the previous members of the cult. Many excellent high notes: Americana, melancholy, faltering beliefs, inexplicable monsters. A lot of similarities with C. M. Muller’s “In the Dust” and I was surprised that both would be included in the same series but, of course, they weren’t: the Muller was in Dim Shores Presents, not Weird Horror. Read them both!
“From October Vines” (Gordon B. White)
You attend a Samhain dumb supper; murder and weirder things are afoot. I’m a sucker for 2nd and this is predictably excellent and gleefully dark. Put me in mind of a Nancy Holder story whose title I can’t recall.
“The Forest Has No Immediate Plans to Kill You” (Rex Burrows)
Very nice fungal horror about a creepy forest. An essentially-plotless vignette, but it works, and boy do I love a good Weird Place. Also, what do you know, another in 2nd person. Burrows's first publication, I believe, and a very good start it is.
“Feast” (S. E. Clark)
A vampire couple attend a Christmas party; hijinks ensue. There was an interesting thread here about one of them being fixated on the existential threat of climate change, but it ended up having little to do with the main plot, which I found less engaging.
"Susan and the Most Popular Girl in School" (Jack Lothian)
A girl too unobtrusive to even be an outcast notices something weird is going on with tMPGiS. Quite good; very explicit explanations sucked a bit of the life out of the end but Susan's blase responses were nice.
“In the War, the Wall” (Saswati Chatterjee)
During WWI, Indian soldiers in France run into something predatory under a church. A solid, classically-minded Weird Tale, frame story and all.
“Thalia Was Alone” (Donyae Coles)
A desperately lonely woman comes to an understanding with a haunted (?) house. A nice sense of surreal abstraction, sharp prose full of character, very good.
“Only My Skin That Crawled Away” (Theresa Delucci)
Two women, one a recent suicide-attempt-survivor, vacation in Joshua Tree. Some nice misdirections and spooky scenes but a lot of sentences/prose choices here felt like bizarre non sequiturs.
“Code White” (J.R. McConvey)
A hospital comms worker realizes a monster is feeding on (into?) the HVAC system. A desperate litany of illness and emergencies. Weird fiction about work/bureaucracy is such a gimme but I feel like I haven’t been seeing much of it recently. I think it would be fruitful to read this one in tandem with Christopher Burke's “Many Lives Theory” (2020).
“A Red Promise in the Palm of your Hand” (Josh Rountree)
The last 2 survivors of a cult in the Weird West suss out who is going to be sacrificed to the previous members of the cult. Many excellent high notes: Americana, melancholy, faltering beliefs, inexplicable monsters. A lot of similarities with C. M. Muller’s “In the Dust” and I was surprised that both would be included in the same series but, of course, they weren’t: the Muller was in Dim Shores Presents, not Weird Horror. Read them both!
December 13, 2021
Undertow Publications is back with the only magazine where I not only don’t mind the ads; I love them.
As in the case of previous installments, this mag is also packed with articles, reviews and short stories to please the gourmand of horror and weird lit: Here’s you’ll find a wall that breathes and chews, a high school soul eater, dumb suppers gone awry, mushrooms with an agenda & a zealot who might be on to something with his twisted ritual and new God +much,much more. You’ll find very little in the way of cut and dry monsters; even the stories with more classic creatures involve a solid dose of the ambiguous.
If you’re looking for some new names (at least lots of them were to me) and horror that will titillate your brain, then you could do a lot worse than picking up a copy of this.
As is often the case, I’ve written an overview of the stories and marked the ones that stood out to me with an ‘*’ (although I’ll point out that there’s not a single weak entry). Don’t want things spoiled? Then continue no further.
-From October Vines (White):
Mixing Gaelic folklore, mean girls and the ambiguous.
A group of girls decide to hold a dumb supper on Samhain in the hopes of having their future husbands revealed. There’s another use for Dumb Suppers though, and that has traditionally been to commune with the dead. The leader of the pack, Regina, is found murdered by the others and they decide to proceed with the dumb supper hoping that it will reveal the killer. What follows is a nightmaresque procession of horrors joining them for supper; giant worm with a grin, a casket, the projections of Regina’s boyfriend and, eventually, the killer. The story begins with the girls moving backwards, the story does the same as we work our way back to the motive (and identity) of the murderer.
-The Forest Has No Immediate Plans to Kill You (Burrows):*
Can I first just point out how great this title is?
-This short story is only a couple of pages long, but it doesn’t need any more than that as it delivers a solid punch so efficiently. Think ‘man gets the impulse to go for a stroll along a peaceful forest trail’, bodysnatchers à la mycology.
The forest might not have any immediate plans to kill you, but what’s the plan long term?
-Feast (Clark):*
Vampires, Eco-horror and fear of the future: Henning and Connie are going to a fancy dinner party hosted by the (in)famous Paulfry. We are eased into the fact that they’re all vampires, that Paulfry and Connie go way back and that he’s less than impressed with Connie’s choice in partner. Tension keeps building between the men and events lead Henning to finding a baby who’ll end up being a snack for the party unless he can get her out safely. The story does a great job of marrying the mundane with the fantastical, and oh my gosh: I just had a baby myself, and not knowing if Henning would succeed in getting her out of there was stressful.
-Susan and the Most Popular Girl in School (Lothian):*
-Susan is the kind of girl who tries to be (and to a certain extent is) invisible. The type not even memorable enough to be picked on. One of her strategies to remain invisible is to hide out in one of the bathroom stalls, but this day is different and the stall is already taken. What she witnesses there is that something’s definitely not right with the most popular girl in school. A suspicious suicide soon follows and Susan decides to follow the girl around and keep an eye on her.
I quite liked this humorous (and disturbing) story, and if I had to describe it, it would be something along the lines of ‘cosmic horror meets friendless high school girl’.
-In the War, the Wall (Chatterjee):
Hayashi is curious about what happened to his old friend Khan and seeks out a doctor who served in the war with him. This encounter leads to a most disconcerting story about a church they sought shelter in when the bombs were raining down, a church they should have stayed away from. Has a Lovecraftian feel to it and you won’t want to touch the walls anytime soon.
-Thalia Was Alone (Coles):
Thalia is lonely and all she wants is for someone special to stay. A ‘boyfriend’ persuades her to join him to a ‘party’/orgy at a house. She wakes up alone, but something in her tells her to stay and what ensues is a state nearly dream- or drug-like as she spends her days in the house which harbors a secret.
A near-lyrical short which on one side deals loneliness and the extent one might go to avoid it, and that on the other hand also features a house which isn’t a house.
-Only My Skin that Crawled Away (Delucci):
Jessie and Gena are 2 friends on a road trip. Jessie recently tried committing suicide and the trip could be an opportunity to heal, but is everything but. A
kiss in a bar and hasty retreat for the ladies, leads them to the cabin they’re to stay in where the uncanny will make an appearance.
-Code White (McConvey):
Jakub is an overworked man (at least it seems like it as he has started thinking about situations in terms of work-codes). More importantly, Jakub has become convinced that there’s a man breathing through the air vents in the broiler room, and that these breaths are stealing life.
-A Red Promise in the Palm of Your Hand (Rountree):*
A group of people has left normal society for a new life and a new religion (and ‘preacher’, Mr.Amos) in the wilderness.
Bess and Mr. Amos are now the sole inhabitants (although they used to be many) of the religious settlement. The story itself opens with Bess’ recently deceased (killed) brother having wings sewn on his dead body by Mr.Amos as a part of what sounds like ritual born from religious mania. It soon becomes apparent that flying creatures (the former children) roam this place and that neither Bess nor Mr. Amos will be leaving. As the last ones left, Mr. Amos and Bess will have to draw to see who will be the next one to die and have wings stitched on to their body. But Bess, unlike Mr.Amos, is having a crisis of faith. She is 17 years old and only children have been able to move on to become these winged creatures; all adults have been torn to pieces and found wanting. Bess does not know if she is young enough to make it if she happens to lose (or win, if you’re of that inclination) the draw.
-A disturbing tale of cults, questioning faith and of children paying for the sins/choices of the father (or in this case, mother). Took my mind to Jonestown.
As in the case of previous installments, this mag is also packed with articles, reviews and short stories to please the gourmand of horror and weird lit: Here’s you’ll find a wall that breathes and chews, a high school soul eater, dumb suppers gone awry, mushrooms with an agenda & a zealot who might be on to something with his twisted ritual and new God +much,much more. You’ll find very little in the way of cut and dry monsters; even the stories with more classic creatures involve a solid dose of the ambiguous.
If you’re looking for some new names (at least lots of them were to me) and horror that will titillate your brain, then you could do a lot worse than picking up a copy of this.
As is often the case, I’ve written an overview of the stories and marked the ones that stood out to me with an ‘*’ (although I’ll point out that there’s not a single weak entry). Don’t want things spoiled? Then continue no further.
-From October Vines (White):
Mixing Gaelic folklore, mean girls and the ambiguous.
A group of girls decide to hold a dumb supper on Samhain in the hopes of having their future husbands revealed. There’s another use for Dumb Suppers though, and that has traditionally been to commune with the dead. The leader of the pack, Regina, is found murdered by the others and they decide to proceed with the dumb supper hoping that it will reveal the killer. What follows is a nightmaresque procession of horrors joining them for supper; giant worm with a grin, a casket, the projections of Regina’s boyfriend and, eventually, the killer. The story begins with the girls moving backwards, the story does the same as we work our way back to the motive (and identity) of the murderer.
-The Forest Has No Immediate Plans to Kill You (Burrows):*
Can I first just point out how great this title is?
-This short story is only a couple of pages long, but it doesn’t need any more than that as it delivers a solid punch so efficiently. Think ‘man gets the impulse to go for a stroll along a peaceful forest trail’, bodysnatchers à la mycology.
The forest might not have any immediate plans to kill you, but what’s the plan long term?
-Feast (Clark):*
Vampires, Eco-horror and fear of the future: Henning and Connie are going to a fancy dinner party hosted by the (in)famous Paulfry. We are eased into the fact that they’re all vampires, that Paulfry and Connie go way back and that he’s less than impressed with Connie’s choice in partner. Tension keeps building between the men and events lead Henning to finding a baby who’ll end up being a snack for the party unless he can get her out safely. The story does a great job of marrying the mundane with the fantastical, and oh my gosh: I just had a baby myself, and not knowing if Henning would succeed in getting her out of there was stressful.
-Susan and the Most Popular Girl in School (Lothian):*
-Susan is the kind of girl who tries to be (and to a certain extent is) invisible. The type not even memorable enough to be picked on. One of her strategies to remain invisible is to hide out in one of the bathroom stalls, but this day is different and the stall is already taken. What she witnesses there is that something’s definitely not right with the most popular girl in school. A suspicious suicide soon follows and Susan decides to follow the girl around and keep an eye on her.
I quite liked this humorous (and disturbing) story, and if I had to describe it, it would be something along the lines of ‘cosmic horror meets friendless high school girl’.
-In the War, the Wall (Chatterjee):
Hayashi is curious about what happened to his old friend Khan and seeks out a doctor who served in the war with him. This encounter leads to a most disconcerting story about a church they sought shelter in when the bombs were raining down, a church they should have stayed away from. Has a Lovecraftian feel to it and you won’t want to touch the walls anytime soon.
-Thalia Was Alone (Coles):
Thalia is lonely and all she wants is for someone special to stay. A ‘boyfriend’ persuades her to join him to a ‘party’/orgy at a house. She wakes up alone, but something in her tells her to stay and what ensues is a state nearly dream- or drug-like as she spends her days in the house which harbors a secret.
A near-lyrical short which on one side deals loneliness and the extent one might go to avoid it, and that on the other hand also features a house which isn’t a house.
-Only My Skin that Crawled Away (Delucci):
Jessie and Gena are 2 friends on a road trip. Jessie recently tried committing suicide and the trip could be an opportunity to heal, but is everything but. A
kiss in a bar and hasty retreat for the ladies, leads them to the cabin they’re to stay in where the uncanny will make an appearance.
-Code White (McConvey):
Jakub is an overworked man (at least it seems like it as he has started thinking about situations in terms of work-codes). More importantly, Jakub has become convinced that there’s a man breathing through the air vents in the broiler room, and that these breaths are stealing life.
-A Red Promise in the Palm of Your Hand (Rountree):*
A group of people has left normal society for a new life and a new religion (and ‘preacher’, Mr.Amos) in the wilderness.
Bess and Mr. Amos are now the sole inhabitants (although they used to be many) of the religious settlement. The story itself opens with Bess’ recently deceased (killed) brother having wings sewn on his dead body by Mr.Amos as a part of what sounds like ritual born from religious mania. It soon becomes apparent that flying creatures (the former children) roam this place and that neither Bess nor Mr. Amos will be leaving. As the last ones left, Mr. Amos and Bess will have to draw to see who will be the next one to die and have wings stitched on to their body. But Bess, unlike Mr.Amos, is having a crisis of faith. She is 17 years old and only children have been able to move on to become these winged creatures; all adults have been torn to pieces and found wanting. Bess does not know if she is young enough to make it if she happens to lose (or win, if you’re of that inclination) the draw.
-A disturbing tale of cults, questioning faith and of children paying for the sins/choices of the father (or in this case, mother). Took my mind to Jonestown.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 22, 2023
A mostly two-star collection, elevated by three standouts.
Saswati Chatterjee's "In the war, the wall", was a strong, simple idea elegantly executed. Donyae Coles's "Thalia was alone" had a lush, dreamy eroticism of a kind I've rarely encountered in the genre. Theresa DeLucci's "Only my skin that crawled away" was wildly ambitious, magnificently flawed, and lingered with me much longer than I expected.
The remaining stories were mostly ok. One or two duds (let's not name names), and one that was well crafted but why the editor considered it to be specifically weird horror I have no idea.
Saswati Chatterjee's "In the war, the wall", was a strong, simple idea elegantly executed. Donyae Coles's "Thalia was alone" had a lush, dreamy eroticism of a kind I've rarely encountered in the genre. Theresa DeLucci's "Only my skin that crawled away" was wildly ambitious, magnificently flawed, and lingered with me much longer than I expected.
The remaining stories were mostly ok. One or two duds (let's not name names), and one that was well crafted but why the editor considered it to be specifically weird horror I have no idea.
April 11, 2025
Solid non-fiction including an opinion piece on monsters in horror and a commentary piece on Ultra-Q (a show I'll now have to hunt down).
The fiction was pretty good as well. I particularly enjoyed the short vignette The Forest Has No Immediate Plans To Kill You by Rex Burrows, Susan and the Most Popular Girl by Jack Lothian, and A Red Promise In The Palm Of Your Hand by Josh Rountree.
Definitely worth the price of admission
The fiction was pretty good as well. I particularly enjoyed the short vignette The Forest Has No Immediate Plans To Kill You by Rex Burrows, Susan and the Most Popular Girl by Jack Lothian, and A Red Promise In The Palm Of Your Hand by Josh Rountree.
Definitely worth the price of admission
January 13, 2022
As usual, a great collection with great reviews.
September 23, 2024
Cool collection. Very creepy. Gonna read more issues
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews