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Black Tongue and Other Anomalies
A rugged frontiersman scours a vast barren tundra in search of missing loggers, only to find an ancient
evil lurking within its frozen maw…
In the near future, the last vestiges of humanity are forced down into the abyssal depths of the ocean to
hide from an unspeakable cosmic horror, with one grieving mother deciding to fight back…
At the fringes of our cosmos, a team of intergalactic salvage pirates find a derelict ship, hiding within its
steel walls a most terrible scientific discovery…
These horrors and more await you within the pages of Richard Beauchamp’s debut collection, “Black
Tongue and Other Anomalies”, featuring twelve short horrors exploring themes of desolation, isolation,
and the darkest reaches of the human condition…
evil lurking within its frozen maw…
In the near future, the last vestiges of humanity are forced down into the abyssal depths of the ocean to
hide from an unspeakable cosmic horror, with one grieving mother deciding to fight back…
At the fringes of our cosmos, a team of intergalactic salvage pirates find a derelict ship, hiding within its
steel walls a most terrible scientific discovery…
These horrors and more await you within the pages of Richard Beauchamp’s debut collection, “Black
Tongue and Other Anomalies”, featuring twelve short horrors exploring themes of desolation, isolation,
and the darkest reaches of the human condition…
181 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 24, 2021
5 people are currently reading
53 people want to read
About the author
Richard Beauchamp
6 books13 followersHailing from the lush, verdant hills of the Ozarks, horror author Richard Beauchamp has been spinning horrific yarns since 2017. Since his first publication in Gehenna and Hinnom's "2017 Year's Best Body Horror Anthology" Richard has gone on to be published in over 50 magazines and anthologies, including the "Negative Space: Survival Horror" anthologies from Dark Peninsula Press, and the SNAFU series from Cohesion Press.
His debut collection "Black Tongue & Other Anomalies" was a nominee for the 2022 Splatterpunk Awards for Best Fiction Collection, and his story "Sons Of Luna" was a 2018 Pushcart Prize finalist.
His debut collection "Black Tongue & Other Anomalies" was a nominee for the 2022 Splatterpunk Awards for Best Fiction Collection, and his story "Sons Of Luna" was a 2018 Pushcart Prize finalist.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 15, 2021
Horror Bookworm Reviews
https://horrorbookwormreviews.com/
A man receives payment to investigate the disappearance of local villagers and strange goings-on only to reveal an abhorrent madness. A mysterious small black object is discovered in a common everyday living room, however as the dark mass begins its transformation, the finder also succumbs to a horrid metamorphosis. A salvage team journeys into deep space and finds an abandoned geological research ship that holds a terrifying extraterrestrial secret.
Black Tongue is a diverse collection of storied anomalies composed by Richard Beauchamp. Readers should expect otherworldly abnormalities ranging from an underwater sanctuary that protects from celestial inhabitants to a truck driver that trespasses on tainted land, roaming with hellish entities. These unforeseen nightmares of the unusual are assembled with insidious energies, paranormal predators and bizarre minions.
Paired up with D&T Publishing, Richard Beauchamp’s collection straddles old school horror with sadistic sequences of intensely gorific events. Wormholes of the unexpected is a constant presence as is the fresh approach the author applies to each and every story. Reading Black Tongues is a pleasant diversity of creepiness that leaves you eagerly awaiting the next mini adventure into evilution.
Richard Beauchamp proves to be the ultimate chauffeur as he takes the reader on a stretch of endless blacktop of hallucinatory horror. His visions never miss their intended mark as arcane energy and fiendishly frightening pleasure become the target. Reader be warned, watch out for that first step…the beginning story is a doozy.
https://horrorbookwormreviews.com/
A man receives payment to investigate the disappearance of local villagers and strange goings-on only to reveal an abhorrent madness. A mysterious small black object is discovered in a common everyday living room, however as the dark mass begins its transformation, the finder also succumbs to a horrid metamorphosis. A salvage team journeys into deep space and finds an abandoned geological research ship that holds a terrifying extraterrestrial secret.
Black Tongue is a diverse collection of storied anomalies composed by Richard Beauchamp. Readers should expect otherworldly abnormalities ranging from an underwater sanctuary that protects from celestial inhabitants to a truck driver that trespasses on tainted land, roaming with hellish entities. These unforeseen nightmares of the unusual are assembled with insidious energies, paranormal predators and bizarre minions.
Paired up with D&T Publishing, Richard Beauchamp’s collection straddles old school horror with sadistic sequences of intensely gorific events. Wormholes of the unexpected is a constant presence as is the fresh approach the author applies to each and every story. Reading Black Tongues is a pleasant diversity of creepiness that leaves you eagerly awaiting the next mini adventure into evilution.
Richard Beauchamp proves to be the ultimate chauffeur as he takes the reader on a stretch of endless blacktop of hallucinatory horror. His visions never miss their intended mark as arcane energy and fiendishly frightening pleasure become the target. Reader be warned, watch out for that first step…the beginning story is a doozy.
December 16, 2021
(I was given an ARC copy of this collection by the publisher for an honest review.)
Please note, I do not, nor ever will, do a synopsis in my reviews, that's not what reviews are about. Instead, I'll share my experience, feelings, and thoughts on this collections:
Firstly, Beauchamp is clearly very intelligent and has spent time digging through piles of research for his works. I thoroughly enjoy his educated wordings, and methodically accurate depiction horrific deaths. Having worked in the medical field for a decade and a half, this is important to me.
The voice of his stories throughout this book are very similar, which I find smart. Tempo is important. Similar themes of chaos, hardships, mayhem, and "wtf" sail on each page. He punches out the stories, and seems to hold little back. Each of these 12 works left me with the "uhhhh..." feeling deep in my belly. Like a beautiful little haunting that I know may follow me to the depths of my eternal resting place.
Smart word choices and tempo, each work will suck you in quickly then leave you wanting to cringe. (Can we talk about exploding eyeballs? No? Okay... but can we? Alright, fine.)
Do I have to pick a favorite? No, but I will try. I LOVE anything to do with space, so if ever forced I would say "Red Death" is my pick of this disturbing litter.
Overall, lovely job, and please keep up the strong writing work. I want to solidify my opinion from a full length story, one or many that Beauchamp clearly has the talent for.
Please note, I do not, nor ever will, do a synopsis in my reviews, that's not what reviews are about. Instead, I'll share my experience, feelings, and thoughts on this collections:
Firstly, Beauchamp is clearly very intelligent and has spent time digging through piles of research for his works. I thoroughly enjoy his educated wordings, and methodically accurate depiction horrific deaths. Having worked in the medical field for a decade and a half, this is important to me.
The voice of his stories throughout this book are very similar, which I find smart. Tempo is important. Similar themes of chaos, hardships, mayhem, and "wtf" sail on each page. He punches out the stories, and seems to hold little back. Each of these 12 works left me with the "uhhhh..." feeling deep in my belly. Like a beautiful little haunting that I know may follow me to the depths of my eternal resting place.
Smart word choices and tempo, each work will suck you in quickly then leave you wanting to cringe. (Can we talk about exploding eyeballs? No? Okay... but can we? Alright, fine.)
Do I have to pick a favorite? No, but I will try. I LOVE anything to do with space, so if ever forced I would say "Red Death" is my pick of this disturbing litter.
Overall, lovely job, and please keep up the strong writing work. I want to solidify my opinion from a full length story, one or many that Beauchamp clearly has the talent for.
December 30, 2021
This collection of short stories takes you from the wild frontier, to the bayous of Louisiana, deep in the ocean, far out in space and into a world ravaged but a deadly virus.
There are encounters with fire demons, zombified animals, Native American legends, a religious cult and a group of men sacrificing themselves to save the world.
And so much more.
I really enjoyed every single story. They're all written in a way that pulls you in to the world you're reading about.
There are encounters with fire demons, zombified animals, Native American legends, a religious cult and a group of men sacrificing themselves to save the world.
And so much more.
I really enjoyed every single story. They're all written in a way that pulls you in to the world you're reading about.
February 19, 2023
This is an excellent collection, let's get that conclusion out of the way. Trying to pick a favorite story (or even a few) is difficult for me, like picking a favorite child. Richard Beauchamp put his blood, gore, sweat and tears into these twelve tales of terror. I will dissect the stories one by one and give my proper reaction.
(My rating system is based on how I rate the books during my BookTok reviews, which is a rating system of 1-5 ☠️):
• "Black Tongue": The eponymous, titular story is a brutally effective way to start off this collection. It is frigid, uncompromising and it's over before you can decide the protagonist's fate. This one could have taken place during the timeline of The Terror by Dan Simmons (and that made me enjoy it much more). A frontiersman is sent out to the frozen wastes in order to solve the mystery of several dead and missing loggers from the nearby town. The source of the carnage is an ancient and ravenous evil. ☠️x5
• "Castle in the Sky": a claustrophobic, creepy and captivating tale set in the not-too-distant future in which a colony of people are living in an underwater bunker. There are forces of cosmic horror that have forced them under the sea. They need food and supplies if they wish to survive, but their expedition may be their undoing. ☠️x4
• "Conflagration": a firefighter crew is attempting to stop a raging wildfire, which may well house a furious, inhuman monstrosity. The narrator bounces back and forth between the past calls (and the horrible things he's witnessed in his time as a firefighter) and the present firestorm. It is told as a confession of sorts (very creepypasta-like vibe, which works well for this one). ☠️x5
• "The Golden Shepherd": a young woman escapes an apocalyptic drug cult (under the effects of a hallucinogen), unaware she is harboring a dangerous secret within herself. The unreliable perspective from the LSD makes the narrative flow with an ethereal essence, yet twinges of clarity ripple through it all. ☠️x4
• "Obsidian": a black orb crashes to Earth and lands in the house of an old woman. She starts to become transfigured mentally by the object and its influence grows stronger and hungrier. This one gave me '50s sci-fi visuals and it was genuinely creepy. ☠️x4
• "Red Death": science fiction and body horror fuse together much like the substance mentioned in the title to craft a tale of isolation. A salvage crew picks up on a long-lost ship, thinking they hit the jackpot. They couldn't be more wrong. This story has a companion novella entitled Autonomous that ties into the titular parasitic culture (which is on my TBR list). ☠️x5
• "Search and Destroy": a Vietnam-era story that is more than a typical "horrors of war" tale. Told as a confessional, it follows the hell a platoon of soldiers endured when they are ambushed by villagers who are more than human. Throughout the story, the narrator is haunted by those terrible events. ☠️x4
• "Sons of Luna": a group of men who had defected from a cult isolated to an island have to undergo a yearly ritual in which they stave off a curse their former fellow cultists placed upon them. The story includes a well-crafted history of the cult, which adds a level of plausible horror to the narrative. ☠️x4
• "The Chiwaa'e": this folk horror quickie is about a trucker who decides to carry a load to a destination (even though his boss tries to talk him out of it). He goes anyway and powers through, but soon realizes he's being stalked by a creature from Native American folklore who forces him to relive his past mistakes. Fast and compelling, this is one of my favorites. ☠️x5
• "The Conversion": a lesbian couple (Michelle and Linda) goes on a camping trip. They go to a forest and at first it's gorgeous, then it becomes an unsettling force of fear to Michelle, who notices the landscape is changing and so is Linda. Her feral nature is coming out and Michelle is concerned, unknowing of her impending fate. How far will you go to be with the one you love the most? Excellent story and the LGBTQIA relationship is handled with care. ☠️x4
• "Riene de L'enfer (The Queen of Hell)": a dope addict and career criminal is looking for money he stashed while high, which was taken during a robbery in which he killed two guards. This search takes him into the swampy marshes of Louisiana. As he's coming down from the smack, he finds a worn-out steamboat that beckons him into its mysterious and infernal depths. What awaits him is well-deserved. This is one of the two shortest stories in this collection. It is also one of my other favorites. ☠️x5
• "The White Suits": the final story in this collection is an excellent way to end this one. The classic trope of the post-apocalyptic world is given fresh life as the young woman who is our main character survives and struggles while avoiding the White Suits (CDC agents). This tale is confined in the book's last eight pages and it is just as effective as similar stories in novel form like The Night Parade by Ronald Malfi or The Road by Cormac McCarthy. ☠️x4
This is a collection I cannot recommend enough to horror fans. The artwork on the cover (done by Don Noble) draws you in with its red/black scheme and the stories keep you tethered. This was released through D&T Publishing, an indie horror publisher that is easily becoming my favorite group in the indie horror game.
The whole book gets a ☠️x5 from me.
(My rating system is based on how I rate the books during my BookTok reviews, which is a rating system of 1-5 ☠️):
• "Black Tongue": The eponymous, titular story is a brutally effective way to start off this collection. It is frigid, uncompromising and it's over before you can decide the protagonist's fate. This one could have taken place during the timeline of The Terror by Dan Simmons (and that made me enjoy it much more). A frontiersman is sent out to the frozen wastes in order to solve the mystery of several dead and missing loggers from the nearby town. The source of the carnage is an ancient and ravenous evil. ☠️x5
• "Castle in the Sky": a claustrophobic, creepy and captivating tale set in the not-too-distant future in which a colony of people are living in an underwater bunker. There are forces of cosmic horror that have forced them under the sea. They need food and supplies if they wish to survive, but their expedition may be their undoing. ☠️x4
• "Conflagration": a firefighter crew is attempting to stop a raging wildfire, which may well house a furious, inhuman monstrosity. The narrator bounces back and forth between the past calls (and the horrible things he's witnessed in his time as a firefighter) and the present firestorm. It is told as a confession of sorts (very creepypasta-like vibe, which works well for this one). ☠️x5
• "The Golden Shepherd": a young woman escapes an apocalyptic drug cult (under the effects of a hallucinogen), unaware she is harboring a dangerous secret within herself. The unreliable perspective from the LSD makes the narrative flow with an ethereal essence, yet twinges of clarity ripple through it all. ☠️x4
• "Obsidian": a black orb crashes to Earth and lands in the house of an old woman. She starts to become transfigured mentally by the object and its influence grows stronger and hungrier. This one gave me '50s sci-fi visuals and it was genuinely creepy. ☠️x4
• "Red Death": science fiction and body horror fuse together much like the substance mentioned in the title to craft a tale of isolation. A salvage crew picks up on a long-lost ship, thinking they hit the jackpot. They couldn't be more wrong. This story has a companion novella entitled Autonomous that ties into the titular parasitic culture (which is on my TBR list). ☠️x5
• "Search and Destroy": a Vietnam-era story that is more than a typical "horrors of war" tale. Told as a confessional, it follows the hell a platoon of soldiers endured when they are ambushed by villagers who are more than human. Throughout the story, the narrator is haunted by those terrible events. ☠️x4
• "Sons of Luna": a group of men who had defected from a cult isolated to an island have to undergo a yearly ritual in which they stave off a curse their former fellow cultists placed upon them. The story includes a well-crafted history of the cult, which adds a level of plausible horror to the narrative. ☠️x4
• "The Chiwaa'e": this folk horror quickie is about a trucker who decides to carry a load to a destination (even though his boss tries to talk him out of it). He goes anyway and powers through, but soon realizes he's being stalked by a creature from Native American folklore who forces him to relive his past mistakes. Fast and compelling, this is one of my favorites. ☠️x5
• "The Conversion": a lesbian couple (Michelle and Linda) goes on a camping trip. They go to a forest and at first it's gorgeous, then it becomes an unsettling force of fear to Michelle, who notices the landscape is changing and so is Linda. Her feral nature is coming out and Michelle is concerned, unknowing of her impending fate. How far will you go to be with the one you love the most? Excellent story and the LGBTQIA relationship is handled with care. ☠️x4
• "Riene de L'enfer (The Queen of Hell)": a dope addict and career criminal is looking for money he stashed while high, which was taken during a robbery in which he killed two guards. This search takes him into the swampy marshes of Louisiana. As he's coming down from the smack, he finds a worn-out steamboat that beckons him into its mysterious and infernal depths. What awaits him is well-deserved. This is one of the two shortest stories in this collection. It is also one of my other favorites. ☠️x5
• "The White Suits": the final story in this collection is an excellent way to end this one. The classic trope of the post-apocalyptic world is given fresh life as the young woman who is our main character survives and struggles while avoiding the White Suits (CDC agents). This tale is confined in the book's last eight pages and it is just as effective as similar stories in novel form like The Night Parade by Ronald Malfi or The Road by Cormac McCarthy. ☠️x4
This is a collection I cannot recommend enough to horror fans. The artwork on the cover (done by Don Noble) draws you in with its red/black scheme and the stories keep you tethered. This was released through D&T Publishing, an indie horror publisher that is easily becoming my favorite group in the indie horror game.
The whole book gets a ☠️x5 from me.
October 12, 2023
So, I’m just gonna throw this out there: I’m a slow reader. Whether I don’t make the time or I don’t have the time is a fine line. However, with Black Tongue and Other Anomalies, I purposely read it more periodically than I could have, simply because I didn’t want it to end.
I had the pleasure of meeting Richard Beauchamp at Not Just Another Horror Con back in March ‘23, and he’s one of the nicest people you could hope to meet. Anyway, we traded our books, and for months Black Tongue sat on my shelf.
Until recently.
From the first story, I knew this was on another level. Not only is Richard a 5-star writer as far as words on a page go, it's his limitless creativity that really blew me away. Every story is different, which I personally loved. His style is vast, unpredictable, beautiful, uniquely dark, and despite the fact that these stories are fictional, they all possess a frighteningly real quality, which is the most terrifying thing about them.
I encourage everyone to read this book because it is THAT good. I believe Richard just released another short story collection, which I plan on reading very soon, called Triptych. Last thing I’ll say is, be on the lookout for this guy. He’s on his way.
I had the pleasure of meeting Richard Beauchamp at Not Just Another Horror Con back in March ‘23, and he’s one of the nicest people you could hope to meet. Anyway, we traded our books, and for months Black Tongue sat on my shelf.
Until recently.
From the first story, I knew this was on another level. Not only is Richard a 5-star writer as far as words on a page go, it's his limitless creativity that really blew me away. Every story is different, which I personally loved. His style is vast, unpredictable, beautiful, uniquely dark, and despite the fact that these stories are fictional, they all possess a frighteningly real quality, which is the most terrifying thing about them.
I encourage everyone to read this book because it is THAT good. I believe Richard just released another short story collection, which I plan on reading very soon, called Triptych. Last thing I’ll say is, be on the lookout for this guy. He’s on his way.
July 18, 2022
What a fantastic read it was creepy, scary and the author draws you in from the first page to the very last.
There was stories of supernatural, demons and ghosts and damn right what the heck did I just read. It was horrific in some of the stories it has some gore too plus omg no that can't happen. It draws you in and the feeling of dread throughout was cracking!!
What a great debut collection of stories by this author who kept me wanting to turn the pages and wanting more, totally excited and looking forward to reading more in the future by this author, absolutely loved it!!!!
There was stories of supernatural, demons and ghosts and damn right what the heck did I just read. It was horrific in some of the stories it has some gore too plus omg no that can't happen. It draws you in and the feeling of dread throughout was cracking!!
What a great debut collection of stories by this author who kept me wanting to turn the pages and wanting more, totally excited and looking forward to reading more in the future by this author, absolutely loved it!!!!
February 22, 2022
This short story collection is legit one of the best I have ever read. The writing itself is beautiful and each story is so vastly different from the others that I never once got bored. Some of these stories pushed me to my horror limits and lingered with me for days after reading, which I often feel is the point of horror. This collection was a wild ride, indeed, and I don't even have a favorite story because they were all so good!
November 17, 2023
Black Tongue, Castle in the Sky, Red Death, and Conflagration were my favorites.
Overall, an eclectic collection of dark horror specializing in isolation, cosmic horror, body horror, and post-apocalypticism. Highly recommended if you're looking for a veritable buffet of pulp horror virtuosity.
Black Tongue is one of the best horror short stories I've ever read.
Overall, an eclectic collection of dark horror specializing in isolation, cosmic horror, body horror, and post-apocalypticism. Highly recommended if you're looking for a veritable buffet of pulp horror virtuosity.
Black Tongue is one of the best horror short stories I've ever read.
June 26, 2022
Richard has a real verve for creating slices of Americana-infused horror that genuinely unsettle. As with most - if not all - short story compilations, there is some variance in quality, but overall this collection of short, sharp shocks nails the brief appreciably.
February 13, 2025
I discovered Beauchamp last year and have been ripping my way through his uniquely Midwest canon of horror.
Black Tongue is Beauchamp's first collection & it covers a lot of ground between the short page count.
From aliens, ancient gods & curses in-between, Beauchamp flaunts his uniquely beautiful prose and weaves in some truly horrific imagery. In addition, I feel that this author excels at writing conviction, authentic dialogue which is sometimes rare within the genre.
If you enjoy fast paced, descriptive horror... Buy Black Tongue. Beauchamp just may become one of your favorite authors. I know his books have become INSTANT buys for my shelf.
Black Tongue is Beauchamp's first collection & it covers a lot of ground between the short page count.
From aliens, ancient gods & curses in-between, Beauchamp flaunts his uniquely beautiful prose and weaves in some truly horrific imagery. In addition, I feel that this author excels at writing conviction, authentic dialogue which is sometimes rare within the genre.
If you enjoy fast paced, descriptive horror... Buy Black Tongue. Beauchamp just may become one of your favorite authors. I know his books have become INSTANT buys for my shelf.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews