Status Updates From The Butchered Writers Prese...

They Used to Call It Christmas By Jeffrey Caston is set in his Pacifica universe thus I knew about "Special Services" and immediately where the story was headed. The novella was simply outstanding, but then I expected no less. A young guy shows up for the mandated draft into any one of several job descriptions to serve his King. Five Stars. I also did like "After the Funeral We Eat". Rated Four Stars.

I have enjoyed the anthology to the extent that I would explore more themed anthologies from this talented group of Indie authors. Among the last several stories I liked a couple of them very must, including "The Orphanage" and "Wreckage". Rated 5 Stars.

I have nearly hit the halfway point and some of the stories were much better than others, just like most story collections. I really liked Hunger Pangs . It has overall been an enjoyable read thus far. Discussion Thread for Buddy Read on HGW Horror Club may also be referenced.

I started reading this themed anthology tonight and but for one contributed story thus far it has been very refreshing and enjoyable. This is a buddy read on HGW Horror Book Club. The Discussion Thread may also be referenced for reader comments.

Dueling perspectives of hunted and hunters unfolds in Andy H's story "Hunting Trip."

Holy recycling Batman! That is, if we consider a very dark way of approaching the post funeral meal in Winona Morris's "After the Funeral, We Eat."

When the Butchered Writers announced a cannibalism theme I was pumped because it gave me the chance to return to Pacifica and the "Food" universe. I expanded on Pacifican culture and told the "origin" story of Jesse, the MC in the first Food short story. I'm so happy that it's in here and that people can have the chance to see what made him who he was before donating ham to a hungry royal family.

DL Garvin has a sort of Dickensian tale, complete with a desperate orphanage, and everything, in "The Orphanage." But it's cool because it didn't go in the direction I thought it would.

Then a tale that sort of reminded me of how Lost might have gone completely dark and nuts is told by Sarah Moon's "Wreckage."

Andy H. serves up some more survival horror with a chilling Lord of the Flies twist in "Hunger Pangs."

Baaauh-chiikee-baaauh-baaauh...

Colt Henderson's "The Love Tree" creates some spice. An nice couple finds a nice little spot to have a romantic camping trip. Then... (gasp).

Horrotica AND cannibalism...? Um... sure, why not. (Don't judge me. LOL!)

It was a pleasant surprise to see a continuing tale told by DL Garvin in this volume. His story in Prime Cuts, titled "The Facilitator Part 2" takes off and continues the underlying story he told in the prior anthology TBW published about the dark web. So this was pretty cool. And I'm guess this was the story from which this anthology got its title.

Raven Tomes offers up a cat and mouse of a different kind that ends with a different kind of entree in "The Interview."

Nora Peevy puts forth a pretty chilling and convincing tale of how isolation and fear can devolve into destructive ways in "Fear."

This anthology takes a pretty unsettling, dystopian turn in a religious furor tale, "The Last True Communion," by Winona Morris

Andy H. puts out some classic survival horror in "Becoming the Monster."

Sarah Moon delves into the mind of a depraved killer who pulls strings in "Annie Are You Okay?"

Melinda Pouncey thinks up an interesting business model for reallocating wealth away from the 1% in "Eat Like the Rich." I'm not saying it's the best business idea in the world, but I'm not *not* saying it either. 🤣😬🙄🤪