brian keene

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Jobs In Hell Or How I Missed It The First Time Around

Posted by Chuck Rios on July 30, 2012
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In the late 1990′s Brian Keene edited and published a horror genre newsletter called Jobs in Hell. It had many staff writers and contributors and covered a range of topics and news bits from around the horror genre. It was geared towards writers and readers alike and from what I have read, was very popular and off the charts on the rad meter.

Unfortunately, I didn’t catch much of it the first time around but never fear, Jobs in Hell is back and rolling like a boss under the new and improved title of Jobs in Hell v. 3.0! If you are serious about your craft, you owe it to yourself to get a daily helping of writing goodness at Brian’s site.

Check it out here —> http://briankeene.tumblr.com/   Remember to check it daily!

As for me, I got my upcoming novel The Dread Ride to go over and the final editing of my chapbook Disembodied Secrets to square away so that it will all be ready in time for Killer Con in Las Vegas, NV from September 20th – 23rd. The finalized cover artwork for Disembodied Secrets is up in my BOOKS section of this site and I should be getting The Dread Ride Artwork any day now from my artist buddy Leo the Fox. If you never heard of Leo or his artwork, click here and give him a howdy for me.

I will still be posting what book reviews I can for Deadite press and Darkfuse.com but they will have to take a back seat to the deadline demon that’s knocking on my door with a switchblade in one hand and a brass knuckle in the other! (He’s actually a nice guy once you get to know him.)

And finally,  for those of you who care, follow me on twitter and on goodreads.com.

Allright, I’m off to work. Till I post again!

Pre- Fourth Of July Horror Fiction Reviews!

Posted by Chuck Rios on June 29, 2012
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Here are some really great titles that I read this past month and my quick reviews on them.

Enjoy.

PASSENGER by Ronald Malfi

Ronald Malfi has done it again! PASSENGER was a fantastic read and so good that I read it all in one sitting.
The description of the book says more than I ever can about the set up but what it does not tell you is how you will feel after finishing this peice; contemplative, thought provoked. An errie mystery in the horror vein. I really cared for the main character and as you read he develops and we understand more about his memories. So in a sense, we see the main characters development progress before our eyes. It was a brilliant trick.
Malfi really knows how to write and he writes in vivid detail. The city streets, the mood, the atmospheare, it was all so well rendered.
Only qualm is its allways too short for me.
In the end though, Passenger was very entertaining and I highly recommend it.
Snatch it up at darkfuse.com

ALL-MONSTER ACTION! by Cody Goodfellow

RAAAAAWWWRRRR!!!
All monster action was serious fun to read. If you love movie monsters and have a hankering for destruction on an epic scale then trust me, this book is for you.
Cody paints my boyish dreams of big ass monsters and destruction. His imagination godzilla in scope and it is evident with each passing story in ALL- MONSTER ACTION. He throws everything at you and more; from a flying translucent man eating manta ray god to a 400 pound albino! My favorite story in the collection is Venus of Santa Cruz.
Oh yes… monster sex…
Hey! And I almost forgot, the book is illustrated and they are sweet looking.
Read this for your monster mash consumption and enjoyment. It was like watching a bad B movie monster flick only with a better plot and better writing.
Get it at swallowdownpress.com or amazon.com.
Its priced to move at $12.00!

HERO by J. F. Gonzalez & Wrath James White

Hero by J. F. Gonzalez and Wrath James White is a cold and razor sharp piece of fiction. It is roughly about a Civil Rights leader named Adelle Smith and her struggle with an angel of death type hospice nurse named Natsinet, who hates the woman she cares for and sees Adelle as the cause of all her pain and racist misery.
The novella runs 164 pages and deals with racial tensions, self hating, torture themes, redemption and heroisim. The story smashes stereotypes, especially in the climatic end scene.
Also the epilogue was particularly touching.
Gonzales and WJW write a seamless work and it is hard to tell where one ended and the other began. That is always a sign of a great writing team, just like Brian Keene and Gonzalez in the Clicker series, when I don’t notice the breaks in the story and things flow smoothly from chapter to chapter.
All in all, Hero is a classic concept story with a hardcore horror twist. If you are into redeeming /revenge stories and like a little hope thrown into the mix, then Hero would be right up your alley.
It is available from Deadite Press for the meager price of $11 bucks for the Trade Paperback or $5 for the digital edition.

DARK HOLLOW by Brian Keene

 Ahh, spring. Love in is the air, birds are singing and the flowers bloom…
so prepare to get banged!
Dark Hollow (Formally The Rutting Season) by Brian Keene is the prequel in his Levi Stoltzfus book series (Which includes the novels Ghost Walk and A Gathering of Crows).
The story is set in the backwoods of Pennsylvania and follows sexually frustrated mystery writer Adam Senft and his dog through a meeting with a not so fabled goat man named Hylinus. The satyr is the embodiment of sexually driven, depravity laced evil and as Adam and the rest of the town soon find out, is growing dangerously out of control.
Keene writes about Le Horn’s Hollow (which is the hollows real name), in such a way that it is truly horrible. He paints it as a shadowy, sinister patch of forest that harbors the dyadic satyr, Hylinus and when I was reading it, I could feel his presence behind my back.
Some critics have stated that Dark Hollow is nothing more than a manifesto of a sexually starved writer, but I disagree. I believe the true horror of Dark Hollow is the surmounting feeling of terror that Adam feels as he watches all those around him succumb to Hylinus’s madness and high sex appetite, and how Adam is helpless to control the situation.
Dark Hollow is also an interesting peak into the life of a real writer and I couldn’t help but think that maybe Brian’s character of Adam was mirrored after his own self.
Probably true. If I am right, I would love to know about it.
As for the pacing of the story, the novel starts out with a rocket ship to horror land but after the first four chapters, you better settle in for a long buildup (but Keene is a fantastic writer so it was easy to keep reading). But I urge you to stay with it because the climax is a shocker and well worth the investment of your time.
I enjoyed reading Dark Hollow and if you’re like me then you’re already a Keene fan and would appreciate the story.
It is available from Deadite Press (www.deaditepress.com) in trade paperback and will cost you $13.00 bucks.

ALL YOU CAN EAT by Shane McKenzie

When I got this in my review mail I said to myself ‘who the hell is Shane McKenzie’? Well now I know and take it from me, the guy knows how to write.
In All You Can Eat, his Novella  debut published by Deadite Press, he delivers a buffet of sick and disgusting gluttony. The story is fast and hard hitting, just like I like them, but the concept of the story is what kept me hungering for more.
Imagine for a moment that you are a worker at a Chinese restaurant that has food so good (A secret recipe) that its patrons gorge themselves and grow larger and larger and larger….
Now the supply has run out and you’re on the menu.
That’s what All You Can Eat is about in a nutshell but it really is a fun read and Jeff Burk at Deadite Press has never steered me wrong in the past.
So if your gullet hankers for a quick, satisfying read, give Shane’s novella a try. You will be full before you know it.
P.S. I don’t apologize for the puns. You can buy it by going to deaditepress.com.

And there you have it.

I have my hands full in July but I’m sure I will be able to squeeze a post or two in when the deadline demon isn’t looking. Till then have a happy 4th of July!

Darkfuse.com reviews # 2

Posted by Chuck Rios on February 2, 2012
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This week the review hammer falls on BACK FROM THE DEAD by J. F. Gonzalez and APARTMENT SEVEN by Greg F. Gifune, both available from Darkfuse.com

BACK FROM THE DEAD by J. F. Gonzalez

I have been a J. F. Gonzalez fan since I read the first Clickers novel. His writing is sharp and full of mean, lean kick ass prose, which is why he paired so well when he collaborated with Brian Keene. In this novel, available from Dark Fuse dot com, his imagination flies and he never pulls a punch.

BACK FROM THE DEAD is a zombie story about resurrection, youthful rage and being an outcast. There are also strong themes of isolation and deceit sprinkled throughout this novel. My favorite part of this book was the black magic aspect that lent a nice twist to the already stale zombie genre.

Set in Pennsylvania, a group of teens get their kicks from beating the crap out of people. These kids are tops in their class, seem nice to the public and everyone never suspects a thing. The teens get a rush from the action of their sadistic game until things go horribly wrong. That’s when they need a little help from a boy they used to bully around, Tim Gaines.

The stories protagonist is Tim Gaines. He’s a ridiculed teenager who is shunned by the community for his love of all things horror (movies, music, books, ect). He is also fighting a rumor that he just can’t shake. The town thinks that he worshiped the devil and is just no good but it’s far from the truth. Tim Gaines gets caught up in this band of teens and slowly the story develops into Tim coming out of his hermetically shy shell and onto the action stage. But the group of teens just want to use him, and use a ritual from Tim’s factious horror novel, aptly names BACK FROM THE DEAD, to raise the dead and make a zombie slave of sorts. They want to bring the man they murdered back to life only to kill him, again and again.

Brutal!

But Gonzalez doesn’t let it happen that easy. There is also a strong element of love and longing within that caught me off guard. All in all, it was a great story and if you dig the monster’s back from the dead scenario like I do, this is a must read.

Although BACK FROM THE DEAD reminds me of Wrath James White’s THE RESSURECTONIST, other that the themes of resurrection and the killing over and over again, the similarities end. BACK FROM THE DEAD started off a little slow but believe me, stick with it because a quarter into the book, it turns into a page burner till the climactic and shocking end.

And I never saw it coming.

Order it here in e-book format or trade paperback!

APARTMENT SEVEN by Greg F. Gifune

Greg F. Gifune is a very talented man. His prose is like poetry and once you read some of his work, you won’t want to stop reading. In APARTMENT SEVEN, released by Dark Fuse dot com in e-book format and trade paperback, Gifune takes us through the looking glass of a horrifying, Dickens based trip. It is updated, of course, for the 21st century.

APARTMENT SEVEN is a haunting story as seen through the experiences of Charlie Cerrone. Charlie, a man who once had it all, has now lost everything, even himself. He searches for his love, Jenna, and in doing so, take a deep look into his own mind and fights with his inner demons.

As he travels the streets of Boston looking for these answers, Charlie is put though a Charles Dickens “A Christmas Carol” template. The whole ghost of Christmas past, present and future play out and I think this was Gifune’s purpose though, to make a horror version of the classic Dickens novel. To make a story about a man who searches for his future while his past and present hunger for his very soul. I liked the concept and I never caught on till half way through the novella (It’s a very short work but packed densely with flavor.) I won’t say anymore on what’s going on with APARTMENT SEVEN as I fear I’ve said too much already. I will say that it is a fine piece of fiction and at times it literally had me feeling uneasy, horrified and unsettled. It’s a short read, highly engaging and it’s cheap to buy for your kindle or e-reader. I truly believe that you will dig this novella and if you don’t, you’re probably on drugs.

Buy it here from www.darkfuse.com in e-book format or limited edition hardback!

My next review train will deal with some more great books from Deadite press. I will also talk about upcoming releases from Dark Fuse and perhaps some personal commentary about the CONS I will be attending this year.

How salacious!

Deadite Press Reviews of Death!

Posted by Chuck Rios on January 26, 2012
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This week, I review two Deadite Press books. GHOUL by two time Bram Stoker award winner Brian Keene and “ZOMBIES AND SHIT” by the bonkers, bizzaro king of mean, Carlton Mellick III.

 GHOUL by Brian Keene

The story of Ghoul follows the lives of three young boy’s set in an area of Pennsylvania where farm country meets factories.  Timmy Graco, a twelve year old boy who collects comic books and one time pissed on an electric fence, is the protagonist who along with his two best friends, Doug and Barry, live their lives out like all kids do… making secret hideouts in cemeteries and playing among the dead. All is well and good until people start disappearing alive and turning up dead and not to mention the Ghoul munching that takes place. Needless to say, the ghoul is a problem for the town and there is no way a monster or anyone else is going to foul and smash the dreams of a 12 year old boy and his buddies.

 Sounds cool right? Well, it is.

 I won’t tell anymore about GHOUL, because that would ruin it, but I will say that there is much more to the story then three boys and a ghoul eating people. There is an underpinning of something greater within the pages, a terrible secret, and the fact that GHOUL  is also part of Keene’s ongoing mythos that he calls The Labyrinth (Got to be a fan to catch and connect it).  Keene creates believable characters and I always feel bad when one, or more, of the characters get hurt, eviscerated, killed, ect. But this is exactly why his work is so good, and I have no reservations in recommending GHOUL or Keene’s other works to anyone. The ending of GHOUL was some of the best, truthful, honest writing I have ever read (these are other qualities I admire and enjoy from Keene), and will have you thinking the same way too. Ghoul has a strong plot, complex characters and classic monster mashing…err… melting, what could be better?

 Ghoul is set in the 1980’s and, while some say it is a coming of age story with elements of the horror genre just “thrown” in, I disagree with the second part, and feel that it was more of a solid classic horror trip that takes you through a plethora of characters and one crazy ass monster legacy.

  Re-released by Deadite Press (One of my new favorite presses ), this edition is of excellent quality and is well worth the read and the best part of all, coming from Deadite press, you can pick up the trade paperback for only $11 bucks!  Ghoul was a retro pleasure to read and like I said, it’s a terror filled joyride that will burn your fingers as you turn the pages and it will catch your mind afire. Congratulations Mr. Keene, another excellent book. Buy it hear. Also, look out for the film adaptation of Ghoul coming later this year! Click here for more info on that.

 Zombies and Shit by Carlton Mellick III

 Carlton Mellick III (hereafter known as CM3, for space purposes) is a strange man, and I wouldn’t have it another way. If you’re not used to this genre called bizzaro, the let me tell you something… Either you get the humor or you don’t. Nay Sayers and people who just don’t understand aside (no one really cares about them anyways), let me state that I am now a complete fan of CM3 and Zombies And Shit was the book that started me on the path to his fandom.

Zombies and Shit ( Hereafter known as ZnS) has a simple premise: Twenty people wake up to find that they are in an abandoned building, in the middle of the zombie post apocalyptic, mad max world. To top everything off, they are contestants in a battle royal for a game show called Zombie Survival! Each contestant is given a backpack of supplies and a unique weapon. The catch? There is only one seat…for one person… that means everyone else must DIE!!!

 ZnS is filled with some of the most dirty, raunchiest, punk filled characters that would make even G.G. Allin throw up. Still, I loved every minute of the carnage and chaos that ensued between these pages. My favorite part of the whole book is when the T-2000 shows up. You will laugh your ass off, or at least crack a smile once you find out who or what T-2000 is. I won’t spoil it. You must read it for yourself.

 CM3 writing is like on one else and for some strange reason, when I’m deep in his prose, I can’t help but feel like the story is being told to me by a horney teenage boy!  And I would know, trust me on that. I can tell CM3 has a lot of fun writing these books and it shows big time.

 But what about the voice, the plot, the structure?

  I say whattaboutem? Because when the writing and story is as good as it is in ZnS, nothing else matters. You will be glued to this book and it will entertain you.

 And if it doesn’t entertain you, then you just don’t get it. Go read a romance novel, Nancy. (No offense meant to those names Nancy. It’s a very pretty name.)

 ZnS is available from Deadite press and you can order it here for the low, low price of $12.95 for the paperback and 7.95 for the kindle edition.

Next week I will review some Edward Lee! Also, Dark Fuse  has some excellent titles avilable for ebook or Hardcover and I will get around to some reviews of APARTMENT SEVEN by Greg Gefune and BACK FROM THE DEAD by J.F. Gonzales.

Hugh news here. Historic, in fact. Join me on Horrors new forum. The Slaughterhouse ! Join NOW by clicking here!

See you there.