Camp Slasher Lake: Volume One

Camp Slasher Lake

by D.W. Hitz

A tribute to the glorious slasher movies of the 1980s, Volume 1.


The Backwoods Decapitator by John Adam Gosham
Tall, Dark and Rancid by Gerri R. Gray
Camp Hell and the Hot Tub Hotties by Patrick C. Harrison III
The Children of Dagon by Carlton Herzog
Work Retreat by D.W. Hitz
The Faith by Derek Austin Johnson
A Love to Die For by J.D. Kellner
Bad Party by Brian McNatt
The Handyman by Nicholas Stella
The Deathless by Vincent Wolfram

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Fiction

356 pages, Paperback

First published September 21, 2022

About the author

D.W. Hitz loves the outdoors and enjoys making it a background character in his work. He devours stories in all mediums. He enjoys writing in the genres of Horror, Supernatural/Paranormal Thriller, and Science Fiction/Fantasy. He aspires to tell stories that thrill the heart and stimulate the imagination.

When not writing, D.W. enjoys spending time with his family, hiking, camping, and playing with the dogs.

Be sure to sign up for his Patreon today at https://patreon.com/dwhitz to stay up to date with news and exclusive offers, plus discounts on signed books.

Reviews

[Kirsty Carson · Rating 3 out of 5]

RTC

[Horror Bookworm Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Horror Bookworm Reviews
Camp Slasher Lake Vol. 1 compiled by D.W. Hitz
https://horrorbookwormreviews.com/

- Camp Helton, better known as Camp Hell, is populated with excited kids, horny teenage counselors and a deadly killer on the loose. Hot tubs, sex and weed quickly develop into a massacre of meat, bone and blood. Survival of the lust driven cabin leaders and summer campers commence as the cabin carnage swings into full 80’s style panic.
- A camp counselor’s retreat has been established at Sun Beach Summer Camp. As the attendees prepare their agenda, scary stories are shared around the campfire. Now the time has arrived for the recounting of a folklore legend known as the Camp Custer Killer. A sadistic murderer that has never been caught nor heard from again…until now.
- It is Saturday October 31st 1987. Five separate mailboxes have received an unmarked envelope, each containing a handwritten invitation to a special Halloween party. Guaranteed scares and good times are promised to all participants who are brave enough to visit what is known as the Murder House. Your invite has officially arrived.

D.W. Hitz has gathered 10 authors to help celebrate the old-school slashers that we hold near and dear. Let’s meet the Camp Slasher Lake’s counselors. “Hello, My Name Is…” Perverted Patrick C. Harrison III, Disturbing Derek Austin Johnson, Creepy Carlton Herzog and of course the Horrifying Hitz himself (just to name a few). These sickening storytellers have invited the reader to attend a Sadie Hawkins dance for the demented. Witness a ritualistic rebirth of love and explore the sensation and meaning of crazy…it’s just a state of being ya know.

As a fan of 70’s & 80’s slasher films, I loved this repulsive time capsule of bodycount brutality. Not holding back on gory tropes, isolated victims and “final girls” these stories are specifically designed to tug at the unnerving desire to be scared. As you sink your meat hooks into this whopping 400 page psychotic rampage, you will soon find the real headliners are the bad-tempered butchers. Come face to face with The Backwoods Decapitator, The Danny Mann, The Asphyixiator and the much appreciated Handyman.

Readers will be reborn and baptized in moments of blessed backwood lunatics, renounced sins of supernatural forces and professed paralyzing pandemonium. There certainly are a lot of sick people running around loose in this world…here are 10 of them, it just so happens they are all authors. In the immortal words of Tobe Hooper - “Who Will Survive And What Will Be Left Of Them?” A Horror Bookworm Recommendation.

[Corrina Morse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This anthology of 80s style slashers is fantastic! Every story was a lot of bloody, slashery fun, full of action, gore, tension and fear! It's fast paced and unputdownable and every page is absolutely drenched in blood! There is literally something for everyone in this collection! I personally loved them all! My faves were, CAMP HELL AND THE HOT TUB HOTTIES, THE CHILDREN OF DAGON, A LOVE TO DIE FOR & My most favourite was WORK RETREAT! 🖤🔪🩸

As always with anthologies I will write a few words for each story….

*CAMP HELL AND THE HOT TUB HOTTIES By Patrick C Harrison III*.... We visit a new group of camp counselors at Camp Helton (aptly named Camp Hell for short!) in this story, and there's no hanging around, we are taken straight in with the bloody slashing! Peeping Tom 'Proctor' eyes more than he bargained for… Is Akira a secret lesbian, or is there more to her secret? And what will happen when they all get closer in the hot tub or sneak off into the woods? All they want is a bit of sexy fun, but a rather fucked up creature has other ideas….
Brutal, humorous and a little bit steamy 🥵 This story is complete carnage and has a completely unexpected and brilliant twist!! 😲

*BAD PARTY By Brian McNatt*.... Five youngsters find personalised invites to a Halloween party in their mailboxes, a party at The Murder House! The only instruction given that you Do Not Talk About Him! 'Him' who slaughtered 7 people in that very house, and then was burnt to death! Although, no body was ever found….
Steven and Stephanie have set up an elaborate prank at the house, but what they don't know is, they are about to be out-pranked…. There was a great twist to this story too!
Fun, gory, creepy, classic Halloween horror!

*TALL, DARK AND RANCID By Gerri R. Gray*.... Lenore has a blind date, but even though there seems to be something odd about Terry….she can work with that! This is truly a tale of what goes around, comes around!

*THE BACKWOODS DECAPITATOR By John Adam Gosham*.... A group of camp counselors arrive at Camp Manitou Lake to set up before the kids arrive. This was brutal, intense and full of twists and turns!

*THE HANDYMAN By Nicholas Stella*.... I enjoyed how this story was told from each character's POV, blending each storyline into one! A crazed lunatic called The Asphixyator is on the loose and puts paid to a group of friends' plans, so they hole up in a motel instead. When they hear he has been caught, they're safe right? Only they hadn't counted on The Handyman!

*THE CHILDREN OF DAGON By Carlton Herzog*.... This was complete insanity, butchery and cannibalism from the outset, with lots of 80s vibes! Camp Blind Frog has a dark but interesting history, and when a punk band decide to spend Halloween there, shit gets crazy!! Complete with ghost slashers, this was bizarre, supernatural and brutal! 🖤🐸

*THE FAITH By Derek Austin Johnson*.... Most of Kathy's friends are dead, and all because of a man named Samuel Crais. Even though he is dead too, she sees him everywhere. So, it's time to move to a new town and start again. But things just get weird, she is hounded by The Faith and taken for someone she's not! Creepy and disturbing.

*THE DEATHLESS By Vincent Wolfram*.... Set on a submarine, there is nowhere to run, nowhere to hide…. A POW is picked up to be taken back to his home country, but there is something not quite right about him, and when he turns, disturbing secrets are revealed, resulting in utter, bloody carnage! This one was savage but with a real feel good ending!

*A LOVE TO DIE FOR By J.D. Kellner*.... Dillon has a very mundane life, so when he has the opportunity to apply for a TV show, he takes that challenge and is accepted! Millionaire Mansion sees him vying to win the hand of Adelita Agosti……a woman scorned… Let the games begin….
Sadistic and savage!!

*WORK RETREAT By D.W. Hitz*.... Well, Hitz doesn't hold back in this story! The opening is brilliantly brutal!! Hal has watched all his friends get butchered in front of him, he is the only survivor…. 30 years later Hal is going back to the same camp as part of a work's team building weekend! And his nightmares are about to haunt him all over again….
I loved the detailed descriptions in this story, the horror of a single drop of blood on a shoelace!! And the tension, this story was full of it! High energy, blood soaked and savage! A good twist and nicely left open for more! I can't wait to continue Hal's journey!! 🖤

[Jan Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very interesting collection of stories. Slasher stories to be exact with enough graphic gory detail to satisfy the slasher enthusiast and interesting enough for those not familiar with the genre. Plenty of twists and turns in very well thought out plots. The characters were well rounded and engaging enough to grab your interest quickly. I thoroughly enjoyed this collection that reminds me of some of the classic slasher movies. I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone so suffice it to say it’s a great book in my opinion and definitely worth reading. Enjoy!

[lex · Rating 4 out of 5]

so i did like it, it was a fun assortment of horror stories. but for a collection titled camp ✨slasher✨ lake, i feel like the stories didn't really cater to that much. some were slashers but most weren't

[Vimaroba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Camp Slasher Lake

This was a fun read; all except 2 stories kept me engaged the entire time. I ended up DNFing those two and not letting them impact my overall ranking. Excited to dive into volume 2!

[steph 🎄 · Rating 2 out of 5]

do y’all ever read something and just know that it was written by A Man?

[Jeremy Fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was drawn in with the title "Camp Slasher Lake," but 10 unique stories featuring disturbing killers and gruesome death sequences made me LOVE this collection. . Each one of these stories is different and features their own brand of slasher and as a reader the diversity kept me on my toes (as well as hiding under the covers).

Starting with Camp Hell and the Hot Tub Hotties, this collection starts with a splash, a bloody one 🔪. This story will draw you in and milk you until the last word. Bad Party and The Backwoods Decapitator give all the classic slasher vibes with some killers twists that I never saw coming! Tall, Dark, and Rancid made me never want to answer my front door again. The Handyman and the Children Of Dagon made me physically recoil with their terrifying depictions of body horror. The Faith and the A Love to Die For reminded me how a lovely devotion can quickly descend into a murderous obsession. The Deathless has such a unique setting it made me claustrophobic and I needed fresh air after finishing it! Lastly, Work Retreat made me never able to trust a team building exercise at my job.

All in all, this anthology is dark, twisted and guaranteed to make you second guess ever stepping foot on campgrounds again. Move over Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger, and Jason Voorhees because a generation of killers have slashed their way out of the woods. Check this collection out, you won't be disappointed

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Diana | Indie Book Addict · Rating 4 out of 5]

Camp Slasher Lake is a tribute to the slasher movies of the 80s. It does not disappoint. Inside these blood-soaked pages are gory tales about summer camp and more. Everything you would expect from the genre.

I’m a slasher fan, so I found this collection to be entertaining. The authors nailed the slasher element in their stories. Each one putting their own twist on things and delivering some great tales that will have you thinking of Friday the 13th and Sleepaway Camp. Love the settings in each story and the overall vibe of the collection. This is worth a read if you enjoy slashers. Can’t wait to see what Volume II holds.

"It was as if everyone within the cabin had swallowed a stick of dynamite".

[Kate Victoria RescueandReading · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I read with bated breath, I felt afraid and exhilarated, each tale was gory and sinister; a book of truly wicked delights. Perfect for Spooky Season.

Killers abound on these pages; deranged humans, disgusting monsters, and the disturbed supernatural.

Do yourself a favour and buy this collection of horrors. Your only regret will be when you turn the last page. Thankfully there will be a Second Volume!

Thank you to BookSirens, DW Hitz, the contributing authors & editors for this awesome 80’s slasher throwback collection!

[Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC from D.W. Hitz and am leaving my honest review.

Camp Slasher Lake was both more and less than I was expecting. I was ready for a book filled with campy, gory 80s slashers, and, while I did get the gore, I felt like I was missing the camp. I missed the 80s slang and the cliche over-the-top sex jokes. On the other hand, I did get some really interesting, diverse stories.

"The Deathless" by Vincent Wolfram was an absolute gem! Hands down, the best read of this book. He took such a secretive topic like a POW rescue and turned it into something so heart-wrenching and terrifying. He wrote his characters so well that I instantly connected with several of them and genuinely felt bad for what happened to Hardy, Stuart, Clara, and Yelena. This story was atmospheric and a total bloodbath, and I absolutely loved it. It really brought home the fact that not all who come home make it back in one piece, and I really want to thank Vincent for highlighting that in such a beautiful, heartbreaking way. Please never stop writing because you truly have a gift.

My problem with this as a whole is that it didn't feel cohesive. The stories didn't flow into each other very well, and across the board, they felt a bit high-brow to me. There's a time and a place for fancy words, but I don't feel they're necessary all the time. Why use a word like ubiquitous when a simpler word would work just as well? There were so many times that I had to stop and Google a word to figure out what it meant. If I feel like I need a Master's degree just to read a fiction book, my interest starts fading fast.

I think that more cohesiveness as a complete book and simplifying certain things would've done wonders for this book. And I really missed the campy nature of a good slasher! Give me all the over-the-top ridiculousness!

[Review Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Camp Slasher Lake by D. W. Hitz (Book was provided for an honest review. BoH.)

Knives, blood, and final girls. If these are a few of your favorite things, “Camp Slasher Lake” is for you. 10 bloody stories reminiscent of the popular ’80s slasher films.

If that term is unfamiliar, Bookgenres.com describes Slashers this way:

Books in the slasher fiction genre are made up of stories that feature male serial killers, or other psychopaths, as the antagonist. They methodically kill a number of vulnerable, often female protagonist victims in succession. Suspense is built by the victims being oblivious to the killer until it’s too late. The “slasher” kills his victims by sneaking up on them and stabbing or slicing them with a sharp object, usually a large knife. (Malatesta)

Slashers are a form of serial killer stories, however, unlike the slow, methodical movements of traditional serial killers, the killers in the slashers are fast and commit mass murder before either dying or going back into hiding - until a sequel is needed. The easiest examples of this would be “Halloween” or “Friday the 13th movies, or the book “Final Girls” by Riley Sager.

Here is a quick rundown of all the stories contained in “Camp Slasher Lake”:
* Camp Hell and the Hot Tub Hotties by Patrick C. Harrison III:
This begins as a standard camp slasher. Then the action flips to a killer no one would expect.

*Bad Party by Brian McNatt:
A haunted house Halloween story, with Hellraiser elements and some dark magic.

*Tall, Dark, and Rancid by Gerri R. Gray:
How far would you go to bring back the one you loved and lost? Plus, a case of mistaken identity makes this a fun twist on the slasher genre.

*The Backwoods Decapitator by John Adam Gosham:
This story takes on another facet of the horror film – the urban legend boogeyman. Professor Kevin McGuiness posits in his work that the boogeyman/slasher villain has 3 main characteristics –

1. The Collective Shadow: functions to personify violent and anarchic characteristics.
2. The Terrible Father: who punishes individuals that defy hegemonic values. (in this case a terrible brother/son)
3. The Death Demon: a conceptual figure that personifies anxieties related to death, and the degeneration of the body. (McGuiness)
“Decapitator” follows these definitive archetypes, while inserting a twist into the middle.

*The Handyman by Nicholas Stella:
A crazy killer on the loose, a group of young people forced to stay overnight in a creepy motel, and a love triangle come together to make an entertaining story with a handy killer

*The Children of Dagon by Carlton Herzog:
This one was a weird one, in all the best ways. Continuing the myth created by Lovecraft, the children of Dagon are scary creatures.

*The Faith by Derek Austin Johnson:
This was probably my favorite story out of the collection. How do you go on when you are the lone survivor of a massacre? Can you ever have a normal life again? Especially if every time you look over your shoulder, the ghost of the past is haunting you.

*The Deathless by Vincent Wolfram:
This was my least favorite story, and it felt out of place in the collection. There’s nothing wrong with the story, the theme just wasn’t interesting to me. If you like war stories, submarines, or mutants, this story is for you. It is well written like all the stories in the collection, it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

*A Love to Die for by J. D. Kellner:
This story answers the question of what if the Bachelor had a lot more blood and murder. (Then I might actually watch it).

*Work Retreat by D. W. Hitz:
The final story in the collection is about the worst work retreat ever. The main character is dragged back to a place where something traumatic happened to him, and he knows the nightmare isn’t over.

Overall, I was very impressed with the whole collection. These are all great stories that fulfill the Slasher promise and could easily stand on their own. Also, shout out to D. W. Hitz who put this collection together, he really chose great stories. I am so glad I was sent this book for review. I know a second one is coming out and I am so excited to read it as well.

Sources:
Malatesta, M. (2019, May 19). Slasher fiction genre - complete list of book genres. Book Genres. Retrieved April 1, 2023, from https://book-genres.com/slasher-ficti...
McGuiness, K. (2019, August 12). The cinematic boogeyman: The folkloric roots of the slasher villain. Brock University Digital Repository. Retrieved April 1, 2023, from https://dr.library.brocku.ca/handle/1...

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable anthology. I found only two stories on the weak side. And it finished with a bang.

[Joan Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank You D. W. Hitz

This is a Beautifully Written Nostalgic look at the 80s Slasher films. My Three Favorite Stories were

The Deathless by Vincent Wolfram excellent story with Saving Private Ryan by Screenwriter Robert Rodat
With  The Terminator Franchise by James Cameron and Gale Anne Hurd vibes. Saving Private Ryan becomes Bad Terminator on a Submarine vibes.

A Love To Die For by J. D Kelner Reality Dating Game goes Extremely Dark

Work Treat is the Anchor story. It sums up what the whole book is about 80's slashers.. Strong vibes of The Burning/ Crospy Maniac by Bob Weinstein and Peter Lawrence

Skin against skin, blood and bone
You're all by yourself but you're not alone

If You Love 80s Slasher films this book is a must read. I can't wait to read volume 2

[Tera (TheBookishAbyss) · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a lover of 80s slasher films, you need to check out this book. Here is an anthology with amazing stories by several different authors. The stories incorporate all the favorite characteristics of the 80s slasher trope. There’s big hair, big boobs, tight clothes, erections, sexual tension, and poor decision-making by many of the characters. These stories range from the traditional camper-in-the-woods storyline to a haunted house Halloween party to serial killer mayhem. There’s a lot of blood, gore, and body parts strewn throughout the book. The best part is this is only Volume One! There’s more slasher stories to come.

As a kid growing up in the 80s, this book hit so many nostalgic moments from stores I’d forgotten about to shows I used to watch, but music has always been important to me, so I really took note every time a musical artist was mentioned. I laughed so hard at the very first sentence of the book because the reader gets Rick-rolled (if you don’t know what that is, look it up on Google), but I loved all the bands mentioned throughout. Besides Rick Astley, characters are listening to Poison, Mike & The Mechanics, Madonna, Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe, Twisted Sister, the B-52s, Dire Straits, Bryan Adams, Van Halen, and more. I would find myself humming songs or reminiscing about past events that songs reminded me about. My dad died 12 years ago and amidst the blood and gore, I found myself smiling fondly at the memory of my dad singing “Money for Nothing” by Dire Straits. He loved that song.

Some stories take place in the past while others are present day. A couple have a “Monster of the Week” feel, but all are very well-written, follow the campy requirements of 80s slasher glory, and have conclusions that satisfy. Not only are the stories great, but the editing is superb. This is a must read, and did you see the cover art? Perfection!

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the editor for providing a review copy.
This is a very solid slasher anthology. A lot of them were pretty formulaic, most of them are well-written, and a few really surprised me with creative settings and deaths. 3.75 stars, rounded up.

Camp Hell and the Hot Tub Hotties by Patrick C. Harrison III ⭐⭐.5
Bad Party by Brian McNatt ⭐⭐⭐
Tall, Dark, and Rancid by Gerri R. Gray ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Backwoods Decapitator by John Adam Gosham ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Handyman by Nicholas Stella ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Children of Dagon by Carlton Herzog ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Faith by Derek Austin Johnson ⭐⭐⭐
The Deathless by Vincent Wolfram ⭐⭐⭐.5
A Love To Die For by J.D. Kellner ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Work Retreat by D.W. Hitz ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Tina Kroh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you like death, dismemberment, violence, blood, gore, and straight up 80s slashers? This collection gives you all that and more! This book has so many fun stories and I thoroughly enjoyed them all. Jump in for a BLOODY good time!

[Katy The Sleepy Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a longtime lover of 80's slasher horror films, I knew when I saw this title that I would not be disappointed! Ten stories, by different authors that bring back everything you remember about 80's slasher films. From the tight camp counselor outfits, the hunky counselor everyone wants, to the girl tripping in the woods while being chased, you will definitely feel nostalgia.

Out of the ten stories, there is not a bad one in the bunch. I have a few favorites, one being Bad Party. It takes place in Oklahoma, (where I live). Camp Hell; Tall, Dark and Rancid; The Backwoods Decapitator, and Work Retreat were a few of my other favorites, but as I said, there isn't a bad one in the bunch. The cover art for this book is fantastic! I really enjoyed this collection of stories, and I cannot wait for volume 2! I received this book free from Booksirens for an honest review.

[Mickey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of short slashers written by some great horror authors.
Every single story hit the spot and gave me exactly what I love in a slasher (and I'm sure by now you all know how much I love slashers). There were gory murder scenes, crazed killers, fierce survivors, 80s vibes, and so much tension and suspense. I loved every single one of these stories, some by authors I already know and love, and some by authors I'd not heard of that I'm now going to go and add all of their backlogs to my tbr. I do wish that these stories were all full-length though, as I just couldn't get enough.
I'm also kinda annoyed that this has been out for 2 years and I'm only just finding out about it.

[Robin Ginther-Venneri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a tremendous and exciting collection of authors! As the blurb says, it's a tribute to 1980s slasher movies. I mean, who doesn't love the 80s and slasher films? They've got blood, death, gore, and stupid people—typical 80s stuff. The authors added their take to this slasher anthology, which shows in their creepy tales. Each story was vividly told and so much fun to read. They all delivered a great story, and because of that, I can't pick a favorite. The little Easter Eggs of the different bands had me feeling so nostalgic.

I'm looking forward to volume 2 in October.

[Courtney (withabookproblem) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Camp Slasher Lake is a tribute to the slasher films of the 80s! Personally my favorite genre of movies! This collection is entertaining and does a good job at delivering the candy gore one would expect. It’s dark, twisted, and may just make you want to keep the lights on at night! I can’t wait to read the next volume.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[TheWizardLibrary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great group of short stories. Really enjoyed the slasher vibe throughout, especially since they were all different from each other. You get a few that are your classic camp slasher stories, but then the rest are a collection that fit in to the slasher genre in different ways so the collection never gets boring.

My favorites were Work Retreat, The Deathless, and A Love to Die For.

If you like slasher movies and are looking for a bloody fun time, check this one out.

[Indieterror13 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Camp Slasher Lake, compiled by D.W. Hitz and narrated by Shawn Compton. I finished this on the bisextile day of February. This is the first audiobook I've made it through; the lovely DW granted me an audible code to try it out. There were so many good stories in here; there were a few I didn't care for. That's the name of the game with short story collections. 💀💀💀💀 - definitely worth picking up. And Shawn did a great job with the narration.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had so much fun with this anthology, I know the 80s have been a big topic nowadays but this truly has the spirit of the 80s slasher. Each story was so well done and I enjoyed each one that was happening. I look forward to Vol 2.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Lesleyanne Bathory · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book is like going back into my childhood and watching slashers with my uncle.

The stories are well written, I loved all but one, which I thought dragged on to long.

But a great book to read if you like horror.

[Emily Haynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creepy

A boy returns to camp as a counselor. A man returns to the camp where his friends were killed. Will history repeat itself? Terrifying tales of camp to chill your bones around the campfire.

[Michael Keller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Horrifying tales of evil

The stories range from macabre to terrifying, the characters from hero to inhuman, the action leading to blood and viscera in each and every tale. Great read!

[Lin Carbajales · Rating 4 out of 5]

No le pongo cinco estrellas porque el primer relato y el último fueron los que menos me gustaron. Recalco el orden porque se conoce que son las mejores posiciones en una antología, es decir, los relatos por los que más han apostado al componerla, ya que tienen una mayor influencia en la experiencia de la lectura completa.

Por lo demás, la antología me gustó mucho. La intercalé con otro libro de relatos porque, por una temática que creí muy específica, imaginé que sería repetitivo. Sin embargo, hay historias variadas en tema, en estilo y en tono, aunque tengan su principal influencia en el slasher.

Mi relato favorito fue The Deathless, de un autor además desconocido, Vincent Wolfram. Se nota que bebe de tantas monster movies ambientadas en espacios cerrados (naves espaciales, bases aisladas, o submarinos, como es el caso). Que el monstruo sea un señor grande que mata a la gente con sus manos me recordó mucho, en concreto, al cine de los años 50 y 60, cuando los efectos especiales se limitaban a disfrazar a un actor de alguna especie de monstruo de Frankenstein. Obviamente, la temática slasher también influye en este aspecto. El escritor hace uso del body horror en la propia evolución de la criatura, por decirlo así, pero no es Alien ni La Cosa. Es más bien una versión gore de El enigma de otro mundo o El terror de más allá, más acorde con el terror moderno también en su origen humano. Sin pretender ser muy novedoso, me pareció un relato muy bien trabajado, el más redondo de la antología, además de tener estas vibes de las que hablo y que me molaron tanto.

Quería reseñar un poco este relato, pero sin desmerecer al resto. Hay varios que me gustaron mucho, por motivos diferentes, y todos son amenos como poco. Muy recomendable.

[Angel Medina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book promised 80's slasher movie vibes and that's exactly what I got. Every story in the book has its unique perspective take. It was tough to choose a favorite story as each one was pretty darn good. I tried hard to choose one story I loved the most but I couldn't really choose. If I had to choose it would be Camp Hell and the Hot Tub Hotties by Patrick C. Harrison III. However, every story here was well-written. Well done!

I'll also say, not each book is set in the 1980s but those set then got a few bonus points from me since I love the 80s.

I look forward to reading the next volume!

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book of short horror stories was an absolute delight for the 80's horror loving kid that I am. Each and every author delivered in their own unique and terrifyingly entertaining way and I loved every slashing second of it! I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good old fashioned ghost story around a campfire and I dare you to read it with the lights out, because I sure couldn't!