OctoHorror Fest 21 - Sadness (Taiwan)

This movie was heavily inspired on Crossed (the comic book). I eagerly waiting for the movie adaptation that is going to be released probably next year. I mean it has great possibilities because you can do anything with it. But we are here not to to talk about the book but the movie.

This is a straightforward movie about a virus that goes around making people crazy where killing, painting with blood & other vile things happen (including rape but it's not visual).

We've got this young couple which gets up to go to work  (different directions). After only a couple of minutes the man is confronted with the first of this kind and a huge thriller chase scene that really sets up the mood. Then we follow the girl in the train where the first case appears as well and we kind see the passivity of people reacting to abnormal things.

Then we switch from one to another as they try to meet. IT's very high stake in terms of thriller and you are always on the edge of the seat. What's most interesting was the ending - their meeting.

The ending conversation explains the title of the movie - that's my opinion - as it  seems that although people are aware of they are doing they cannot stop. The literal translation of the movie name is not sadness it's "Cry Sad".

THis was my second time watching the movie.

Oktoborror Fest 19 / 20 - No One Gets Out Alive - Adam LG Nevill (Movie & Book)

(Movie related more on the bottom)

To summarize having read 3 of his books, I don't know if he is one author for me. I guess I will try one more book and that's it.

The Ritual I gave 1*

All the Fiends in Hell I almost gave 3* but end up rounding up 2.75*

This one I can't get him more than 3.25*

This book has 600 pages - and right from the back things start happening on the book that I thought how the heck is this going to go 600 pages.

We've got this young lady (Stephanie) which is trying to find a room to live and she founds on. From the first night on she starts hearing stuff and immediately she wants to move out, unfortunately she doesn't have money to get to another place so she tries to stick with the plan just for a couple of days.

As you read the pages (it's divided by days) you kind understand stuff is just wrong - from strange sounds, nightmares, and even things that shouldn't be there. things start to go very bad when the brother of Knacker (the one that rent the room) appears then things escalate. She comes to realize that these other women there are prostitute but kept without their consent. I won't delve much more on the book, because the remaining part would be spoiler territory.

Read at your own peril -- SPOILER AHEAD

IT seems that all of these, ghosts prostitutes and so on are related to ancient god that Ferghal (Knacker's brother) want to appease. But things go wrong and our main protagonist ends up escaping. The last two hundred pages is about how she lived after and you kind understand what's behind everything.

I mean - this book could have been the first 400 pages. This one could be a sequel or a novella or something like that. It gives something interesting twist as usually books end up when our hero kill or escape - and then what? Here the author tried to explain that BUT unfortunately things needed closure. Did I enjoy? the problem is the 600 page book. It's too much for an horror which starts pretty soon. It's not a build up. It's full steam ahead with horror and apprehension and eerie feeling.

END OF SPOILERS

Now, I bet you came here either because you enjoy the writer OR because you watch the movie. It has nothing to do with book. The only thing that can relate is that there is a house (not haunted, no feel of dread compare with the book, no build up) and an ancient being - although in the book it's not corporeal. Apart from that they are completely different.

You can even see some critique in the movie if you wish about white men against foreigners in US - and even the all green card thing. Boring. This movie should have been a TV Series and more related with the book.

Oktoborror Fest 17 - Draculas by Blake Crouch, Jack Kilborn, Jeff Strand & F Paul Wilson (2010) Book

I've just finish the last 150 pages in one go. 

I enjoyed it although it is what it is. You could easily create a good fast pace vampire TV movie with this but nothing much. Maybe a couple of sequels and even a prequel.

This book was written by Blake Crouch, F Paul Wilson, Jack Kilborn and Jeff Strand. It was created to counter Anti-Twilight movement of vampires. They want gore and mayhem like the vampires of olde. In the end there is a small interview between them where they explain their thought process and who wrote what. After reading that part and if you know the authors other work you kind understand and see, oh I can see a trace of FPW here or the pace of Blake Crouch etc. But it's not mandatory.

The story begins fast with Moorecock which receives a cranium quite different from normal human beings - full of thieves and quite big so he uses the cranium to bit himself. Shanna who is a student/scientist and Jenny who is a caretaker bring him to the hospital where things start to happen. Initially is just a scratch but quite soon people start changing just into bloodthirsting vampire who can only thing about blood.

We follow a dozen characters, from a police officer, a lumberjack, a priest, a doctor among others.

I really enjoy the novel and the fast pace. I would happily advice to anyone who wants a good vampire story - not Dracula or Twilight.

Oktoborror Fest 13 - Alarums Richard Laymon (1992) Book

 

Of all the books I've read of Laymon (that I can remember) this is the least violent.

We've follow a couple and the sister of the woman plus the stepmother and the friend of the father of the girls. 5 Characters total.

First of all, calling this Horror is a stretch. It's a thriller. A fast pace thriller with a mix of a mystery.

So we've got Melanie that has a seizure and sees her sister\father having an acident. Being that the last time she had her mother died she returns home with Bodie (the boyfriend). Right from the start you kind understand there is some beef between both sisters. Melanie says that every boy that she loved (and dated) has switch to the hot sister (Pen). Bodie says that will not happen. So they arrive home where they understand what it was their father who had accident. The new wife starts to behave a little strangely as she invites her husband colleague to help her. Meanwhile Pam has been receiving hardcore sexual threats.

The story progress kind of what you expect from Laymon. Some more or less graphic sexy scenes and one thing is sure in all of his books, he can built tension.

Unfortunately you kind know what is going to happen. I am going into spoilers as soon as you see the hot sister you know that Brodie is going to be with her - the only thing that you don't know is how. As I've said men reading this want to identify with him BUT you want a clean mind getting into her - so you know something is going to happen to the sister - either killed or she finds someone else and he is free to be with the hot girl. Well she becames a crazy woman.... touché. .

I kind understand why people would not enjoy his stuff- he makes beautiful hot woman to drool over and one guy that you imagine it's you. What's the difference between this and the Romantsy genre? NONE! So why all the crap against him? I enjoy it. But not my favourite

Oktoborror Fest 12 - Scrapbook by Iain Wright Rob (2025) Book

The author wanted to tell you a narrative and then wrote a beautiful book around it.

I will say that the beginning is the worst and then turn out good.

I am going to shit a bit on the politics behind this:

Rant

So what have we learn so far in the first 45 pages? The poor migrants :( families that are crossing the channel - this is just crap. Over 80% of migrants passing the channel are young men! not "woman and children". Don't gaslight people please.

"In the year ending December 2025, approximately 17% of long-term immigrants were women and children combined." taken from some official UK website.

We also learn about the bad Christians who want their country back & a white men beating his wife. I see a pattern here don't worry.

Another thing I just learn (I am of course mocking) is that the legacy media hates migrants. No they don't. You see it on the TV, Series, investigation everything. It's always "poor migrants". Only now some companies are changing behaviour because unfortunately they cannot hide it anymore.

The explanation about , what other way they can enter your country - well you know that you can enter a country legally right? You just go through the airport or train and enter via customs. That phrase of... if you let anyone enter bad and good people enter, if you stop - well fuck me with a pineapple sideways- JUST DO IT LEGALLY!"

I am not mocking or anything like that BUT I hope one day these people don't have to live in a country where the majority of the population is Islamic and hates them and persecutes them, because no other Islamic country has any sympathy for Christians. They will not do what European Christians do for them. That's a given.

Review

This book is a bit different from the normal zombie stuff out there. It's not a tale that focus on survival but in this case it focus on the first steps of a zombie apocalypse which was a fresh of breath air. We follow three people, one is Lenny which is a journalist (the one he tried to push the narrative above) another is Caz which is a woman on a toxic relationship and Max a store clerk which is dealing with his own crap at home and at work.

In the beginning we are told how this started (this flu) and this medicine companies that are creating virus on labs so they can push the medicine - imagine covid stuff but imagine covid created on purpose to sell stuff... (Who the heck knows). Then with the help of some migrants they brought the disease to Europe (mainly focus on UK). So stuff happens and in the beginning nothing major is happening, just a mild flu, then some people start to change and become a bit craze. We can't really talk it's zombies because technically they aren't dead. The main focus again is on the tales of the above characters, this all zombie apocalypse going on is more on the side-track. You've go Max which is dealing with depression and alienation from other people, at the same time complete lack of support from his parents which he has to pay rent to sleep there. There is another character within his arc which is heather which is trying to open a restaurant but from the time being she is amassing money. There is a odd love interest there. You've got the boss of both which is a moron - strict to the rules kind of guy. Lenny which again is trying to avenge the reputation of the journal he works and wants to uncover the real stuff around migrants. It's a do gooder. He ends up helping first a migrant family and later on he encounters Caz. Caz is a normal woman who works and then deals with the shit at home (with a kid) while her companion do nothing but feels entitled to everything. After some altercation she leaves home with her child but unfortunately she has diabetes and left her medication at home.

I am not going to spoil much for your guys but yes, the book is not hard to read or follow. It's quite good. This is my third book by him and although I did have some issues (see RANT) I end up enjoying it. He could easily do this a series of the surviving as the book ends in the first or second day of the apocalypse.

Oktoborror Fest 10 - John's Carpenter - Ghosts of Mars (2025) - Movie

I've watched this movie several times, probably half a dozen times and I really enjoy it. There hasn't been one of his books I've not enjoy. I should do like a movie marathon of his movies.

This movie is set on Mars , in 2700's something and there is a breathable atmosphere - not totally but partial. The society is living there is now a Matriarch based instead of Patriarch based and woman are the dominants ones. In the beginning of the book they try to emphasize this which then it slowly grows away. Is it explained? No.

So in the beginning we are introduced to the sole survivor of a group of police officers (in mars) that are trying to get one criminal to the main city of the planet. As they arrive to the miner town something is off as no one is about. After the initial investigation they start finding people dead in some of the most weird ways PLUS some people have "transformed" and now do some weird body horror stuff to themselves - purpose? I don't know. We never learn.

So it seems an alien beings were released after an explosion and take the bodies of humans and then start killing people. That's it.

Why this beings don't possessed everyone? We don't know. 

Who put the beings on that catacombs? We don't know.

How could they be there without leaving? They are incorporeal why not go through cracks or so? We don't know.

Why sometimes you kill a person and he comes back to you while others - when per example they kill around 50 of these monsters- where were these beings off to? Are they stranded there where the body fell or they travel to a respawn place? More, if they escape , if they leave their place will why not possessed then?

What are the rules for possession? Is it random, is it like a trait? Why could she be possessed and cast it out? The only explanation would be that she is main character.

The ending of the movie was quite good. OVerall I've enjoyed it but so many questions....

There is no nudity here although if you really want to see Natasha Henstridge nude please watch either Species, Maximium Risk, Seal, widow on the hill or Badge of Honor. You're wellcome

Oktoborror Fest 11 -Starship Trooper 2 - Heroes of the Federation (2004 - Movie)

This book it's not a sequel of the first. It's another chapter that follows the first one. You've got new characters in a new world. THey are stranded there and so they escape to an outpost where they become surrounded by thousands of Zergs. The story is not horror per se, although it's less military sci-fi than the previous one and more horror like as we've got a new type of Zerg. One that can enter and take over a human body and they have a goal.

This movie is a flick and it's good but it's a cult sci-fi classic for a reason. Although it's low budget it provided what lovers of good sci-fi horror wanted. It has a low rating as to be expected but it serves the purpose. Not material for hollywood but good for Sy-Fy channel. 

There are some interesting characters like the psyker, the general or Jax.  What's interesting is that Brenda Strong appears on this movie as she appered on the first. The difference is that in the first she was a Navy Captain and died. Here she is a Marine Sgt and... also died.  

It's one of those movies to watch on your second screen while you play a videogame.

Nudity: There is some as all other Starship Troopers movies. It's Kelly Carlson. She basically show her boobs a couple of scenes.

Oktoborror Fest 09 - Daddy's Head (2024) - Movie

This is a slow burn movie with some jump scares. The movie starts with the death of a man leaving behind the son   (around 10/12) and his step-mother. She has some doubts on keeping the child but innitially she says she will. The boy is not conformed with the dead of the father and becomes quite erratic and "seeing" his father. Innitially nothing major but as the days pass we've got a dead dog, disturb grave of the father among other things. We see the breakdown of the woman and I will say she had a great role on this movie. 

About the monster, well it's kind of weird as it's hinted it's a alien being that uses the fears and pain of the family against them.... or isn't?  

The story progress and the incidents keep getting worse and the stepmother is thinking about leaving the boy to the friend of the family. The ending is quite gruesome but it ends fast. Julia Brown did a great job and she is very beautiful.

There is no nudity whatsoever - I believe the monster was well done - it's thought provocative and it has a great atmosphere. Pace wise is bad. Writing is not that good as well. Overall a nice addition.

Oktoborror Fest 07 - Hell House LLC (2023) - Movie

This movie has nothing to do with Hell House by Matheson. This is a pseudo-documentary regarding a crew which is turning a haunted hotel in an halloween attraction. This is all recorded with a camcorder and in the beginning we start learning more the interactions between the five people. As they construct the scenario weird stuff starts to happen making the camera man a bit crazy - after all he is the one that he is receiving the vast majority of the problems. Meanwhile the documentary are running we've got future recordings of town people, survivors and another camera crew documenting what went wrong with the documentary.

As the story progress I start enjoying and some of the jump scares are really scary - if you watch them at night. There are some caveats due to the shaking of the camera and nothing really is explain which may be the intent.

Overall, really interesting and what we get from this is that everything could have been averted if they had left when things start to go wrong. The second camera crew is just dumb.

Most of the actors were not that known so it as interesting to see them act. They did a good job. 

I enjoyed it.

💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀

Oktoborror Fest 02- The Last House (2026) - Movie

 

I watched the movie and I enjoyed. IT's a funny little family movie that deals with something unexplained. The story is simple, it started to rain and people inside the house could not leave, the water was "blocking" / "controlling" it. No matter what they did nothing worked. This was the same throughout the neighbourhood and soon the family had to arrange things to do , food to have as this prolonged for days, weeks months and years. The family soon invents a way to cultivate stuff and the husband finds a way to catch animals through the roof.

Not everything is good. In terms of character, well they lack emotions and the wife was a bit of... drag. She was always complaining and the way she treated her husband was just abhorred. She expected him to do everything and the way she felt entitled it's absurd.

The kids were good on this.

There are some inconsistencies and plot holes like okay we understand there is strange monsters out there, first why wait 5 years? They could have killed them before without issue and then just drop the act after ONE boy has a good intention? The idea behind this is that this "aliens" are not really aliens but beings from the planet that just want it back - I get a hint of something here regarding colonizers...

And then the ending, okay they are free now, only this family or everyone? Who knows...

The movie has some strange situations that made it boring, predictable and preachy BUT I will say it was entertaining.

- I mean why trying to kick down a door that opens inwards?

 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 10

Book Review: Midnight Mass by F. Paul Wilson

This book took me over a month to read. To be fair I was on vacations for fifteen days and so I had a break and started a couple of other books, then return this after a month and finish it. IT's quite easy read.

In this tale we follow in the beginning three characters, a priest a rabi and fallen nurse. Each chapter is divided in several parts each with one of those characters or other less important characters.

The story begins with Europe, Asia and Africa fallen to vampires and now conquering several parts of the US. One of the most interesting things on the first half is the talks and discussions between the priest and the Rabi. So different but friends. It was very interesting to see a Rabi questioning his faith because it seems the cross deters the vampires while is Judaic faith does not. Using a cross means that his faith has been wrong all along and Catholicism correct which means that Christ was the Saviour. 

There are some other theological debates which enrich the tale either by the priest, rabi and even the nurse. One of the most interesting things, and please learn you woke authors, this is how you do a Lesbian character. Yes she is lesbian, yes there is debates and conversations but she is also a great character whom happens to be lesbian and not the other way around.

I believe the last confrontation was not well done as it seems the author just wanted to get the book done.  And some things are kind of odd. The book action scenes were not to my liking. IT felt rushed.

You get a ending , or if the author needed he could have written a sequel - which he didn't. There is also an interesting introduction by the author. 80/100

Book Review: Black Mouth by Ronald Malfi (Horror)

I started this book last month, stop for weeks and then finish the last two hundred spaces this week.

First of all, this is a slow pacing book. Don't expect the thriller part to be fast.

in this story we follow Jamie a recovering alcoholic which is returning home after his mother died. With a disabled (mentality) sibling he must return home to help him out. We are then introduced to two other characters (Carl & Mia) and we start to have glimpses of life back when they were teens and why they are what they are.

When they were child, they met a magician which brings a cat to lifee. They become so ensorcelled by it they became his appendices. You , as an adult kind of know something is off but the children being children, they capture everything the magician shares or tells. Until one fateful day where he asks something of Jamie and Jamie does not comply and a fire brakes out.

This tale is a tale of uncovering this magician which is still ongoing (with a new crime just a month prior) and at the same time a self-discovery journey.

There are several themes here and we kind understand the dramas, damage adults vs what the children had to go through. The abusive alcoholic father, Mia the tomboy girl that uses the trauma and experiences into film and Clay that becomes a social worker to help other children from what he had to go through.

The Magician is an evil character. He is a predator (not sexual) that make children do things preying on their vulnerabilities and fears - interesting or not, the only one he did help was Clay by giving him confidence with his condition - (he had a skin disease that while he was black he had white patches all over his body).

Then we've got Dennis which has special needs, not all good on the brain as they say, but he kind of the heart of the group and by the end he also changes - he doesn't become "normal" but we see changes in all of them.

The way Malfi writes kids is quite good and it draws you in. IT feels nostalgic although you were not really there, it's a kind of magic....

If you know Stephen King's IT, this book draws a lot comparisons. Grown ups going back to their old town to face their teenage demon while mysteries unfold. IT's the same premise. The difference is that Malfi does not lose himself like Stephen King does. Although I understand the value Stephen King had in horror, like Lovecraft, my main issue with him is the length of the books. What he can write in 400 pages he turn to 800. If you edit "It" you would see that you only needed 400/450 pages to tell the story.

Now, why the 1 stars on goodreads - well after reading I kind of understand them, mostly is that they are either waiting to be a pure horror spooky fest and it isn't it. It's a slow burn slice of life with a sprinkle of horror. Also the comparisons of IT are all over the place. Some people consider IT the best King book or one of the best horror books every written - well though luck. In my mind you should enter this with open mind and this is more a Slice of Life Mystery book. BUT BUT, saying this is DULL and enjoying IT is a bit of contradiction in my mind opinion. 92/100

Book Review: The Housemates (Damienverse, #4) - Iain Rob Wright (Horror)

I read this book in one day, I've read 270 pages in one day! That means anything right?

In this story we follow 12 characters as they are sent to a remote location to win one or two million pounds. We are introduce to our main character which is Damien and in the first 30 or 40 pages he introduce us to other characters like Jules, Alex, Jade, Richard or Danni. After the first game, pretty innocuous two characters are sent to a elimination chamber and things start going wrong as one of the character dies.

After this it's a full pace horror \ thriller novel where everyone wants to survive. The interesting part? Each one is not a good person. One is Murderer, Whore, Traitor, Crusader, Peddler, Trickster among others so alliances are quite thin and change.

In my opinion some of the revenge stories were pretty much deserved and you kind of root for them to be killed others were a bit meh. But that's revenge I would say.

There were some characters that were really cardboard - like the racist or the womanizer. That was their trait. I pretty much smiled when I thought that the kid who was drug addict say people change and all of that but a racist changing? Well, no.

Another thing I noticed is that the only black person crime was pretty mundane and probably the one least deservable of death. I wonder if the author was afraid of making a black person racist or child molester. Maybe I am overthinking this but - maybe I am not. Either way it didn't made not enjoy the book. Just a parenthesis.

Overall it was lovely horrible book - I saw one youtuber that said this was one of the most horrible books- it was not. but it's probably one of the best horror thrillers I've read. But I've read far better on horror front and thriller front.

OVerall, I will read more. I jsut got Witch which is another series BUT the author confirmed and we kind of know there are other books that follow (other series, because this is book 4 but the ending says one thing that made me think there are more books.. Since I don't want people to get spoilers - this was his info (view spoiler)

93/100

Book Review: The Gone World Tom Sweterlitsch (Horror)

This book is weird and good. The problem is that in some parts it drag on. Allow me to explain, This is a sci-fi novel disguised as a mystery thriller. On this tale we follow Shannon Moss which is part of secret NCIS service and she is investigating the killing of a fellow colleague plus his missing daughter. Since there were no clues, she uses her ship to time jump to the future and try to uncover her trail. Yes, they can time travel on this future.

We get around 100 pages of this investigation with some hints about this time travel stuff. Later on we learn that humanity (well part of it since it's hidden) discovered deep space & deep time. One allows to travel far beyond our planet, while the second allows to go to the future, this future is not something that will definitely happen. Probably some stuff will, others will not. So that bitcoin trick or betting on a football game may end up having weird repercussions. The "correct" timeframe is what they call Terra Firma whilst everything else, they think will disappear as soon as someone from terra firma leaves that timeframe.

"Only the Present is real, only the Present is terra firma. We were warned that no time passes in terra firma while we lived lives in IFTs––and yet IFTs weren’t real, not “objectively” so. We were told that we affected IFTs even as we observed them––that they would bend around our psyches in subtle ways, but as surely as intense gravity bends light. The effect was called lensing, the sensation bizarre, our instructor saying that IFTs could feel like dreams within dreams."

So what makes this book weird fiction or horror, well horror there is none. Weird is because one of the ships that went to a distant place\time found life and a strange thing and that thing is getting near Terra Firma. First in 2666, then 2300, then 2100 and so on.

So you've got two points that intercede, the killing and disappearance of the girl and this thing is all connected. And what is this thing, well nobody knows but as the ships encounter they see humanity killed in a weirdly manner like suicide, crucification or even more weird stuff.

"There is no design. The universe isn’t kind or cruel. The universe is vast and indifferent to our desires. "

The book is not bad per se, but it didn't wow me as I expected from all the reviews and the reddit group #weirdlit.

The ending in case you didn't understood or want my opinion is this everything we read was a "memory" and not the real time frame. Basically the real Terra Firma was the one of the Libra Spaceship discovering that entity. So basically their belief that Terra Firma was the real earth and when the person who travel forward in time return- everything disappear was just wrong. I believe we every visit put us in one of a billion different possibilities of future earths. There is a earth that I wrote this review and a earth were a I didn't. There is a earth I enjoyed more the book and another less and so on...

Neverthless I enjoyed and I will probably read more of the author 82/100

Book Review: The Sound of Midnight (Oxrun Station #2) - Charles L Grant (Horror)

 

I just finished the second book on the oxrun station and interestingly I thought about getting into the third book, even if can consider I enjoyed this book but it's not perfect or very good - allow me to explain.

This book follows two main characters Dale a female owner of a toy store ( I am saying she is a female because to me Dale it's a men's name) and Vic who is a professor.

Charles L Grant writes slow pace horror. Nowadays there is a name for it, quiet horror. I've read the book in two days so I Can't consider it slow although nothing really happens for pages at end.

First is just a child being killed, Dale is in the mist of it as she tried to save the boy from drowning - without success. Then there is a car explosion of the father of the child. Dale feels something is off but she can't understand what. After selling a chess piece made by the person who died on an explosion she starts to connects the dot.

One thing I will say is that Vic, although the man he is there to help Dale on her quest, never really overshadowing her or take her protagonist. She needs to man. This is how you write a good female character without being a girl boss. She has problems and can't handle everything but she is still fighting.

The love interest of them both is so cute and it reeks of 1970's so expect conservatism behaviour and not hippies. By the end it changed and we see them getting in love which was as I've said - cute.

My first complain is the pace of the novel and some parts were a bit confusing. I mean that at times they start talking about things and I thought , what a heck? When did that happen. The first time it happen was with the explosion and then the fire and the arrows. I thought what? I had to reread.

The ending is also a bit anti-climatic as it was over so soon. You may enjoy it, btw. Me I hoped for more.

If you enjoy quite horror, folk horror with celtic background I believe you enjoy it. Don't worry is not the first oxrun station because it's not connected - although there are some cameos from characters of the first book at least - BUT believe if you didn't knew you wouldn't lose anything. 77/100 or 3.5/100

Book Review: The God of the Razor - Joe R Landsdale (Horror)

 

The Nightrunners within this novel is probably one of the best horror novels I've seen. I've made a couple of reviews on youtube and I will say I Really enjoyed it. We follow a woman who has been abuse and her husband as they try to overcome the issue one year prior. Landsdale touches some topcis here like sexual intimacy after the act and husband\wife support.

In other hand we follow a young boy part of the gang who abused her (he was not directly involved) and then we have a flashback about the fall of this boy and this deals with other interesting topics like child crimes, where does it come from and how can children be used (or use themselves) as minors to escape crime sentences. I know that this is not the main focus but it's there for you to think about it.

The novels it's gory when it needs to be, slice of life (kinda) when it needs to be. There is no description of violence just for the sake of it. There is animal cruelty , but with a book with r*pe, death, mutilation - this is where people draw the line? OK.

Throughout the book you get the feeling is this supernatural or mind psychology only - it's very cool. The short stories probably hint to the supernatural.

There are some interesting good illustrations by Glenn Chadbourne that really enhance the tale.

There are also some short stories, some connected to that world, some not - at least one and half. I really enjoy the Not from Detroit short story.

Overall it's a very good book with 93/100 for the novel itself and 73/100 for the remaining short stories. 90/100 is my final rating.

Book Review: Apocalypse by Brian Bowyer

Apocalypse by Brian Bowyer
My rating: 55 of 100 stars

Pages : 409

Year : 2020

Genre : Apocalyptic, Horror

Series : Solo

I am going to rate 55 out of 100 due to the finale.

In this we follow several groups\characters that meet up for a finale that the backover hints. You've got Miranda & Will a young couple of 16 years old, You've got Amber of 12, Verna 42, Joseph, and Gwyneth and her father. All of the stories will lead to the finale that the book cover talks but for that to happen we need to go through 350 pages. The book ha 410. So it was a bit odd. So what's this tale about you may ask, and it's about death. It's about a apocalypse where people who have their phone on their arms (a new think of the future) starts dying or becoming assassins - hearing voices and such.

So far so good? Yes.

The characters are non-likable at most , distasteful, awful bunch at the least. All have some major psychological problems and they are already either killers, cannibals or truly crazy ones. Apart from 2 characters I think they are all crazy and hard to root - and one of them dies. I am not going to spoil much but one of the most wicked is Amber a 12 year old that has been killing animals since she was a child, raped since she was 7 and killer well since she was 11 I think. She enjoys sex and drinks more than your average drunkard. Too be honest that's a constant of all of this characters, there is not one that is not a drunk.

So, as you can see this book is not to root for your characters. This book is for the spatterpunk fanatics who want something evil. IF you have enjoyed Tim Curran you will feel right at home. This reminds me alot of The Devil Next Door from him BUT far off.

So, as I've said 350 pages is their stories, how they end up meeting, the backstory of some characters, their depravity acts and such. Sex exists but is not graphic. Rape as well, not even the killing.. Yes there are some heads cut, some children killed but all said rarely showed.

So why my rating you may ask? The Ending is crappy.

So, I am going to have to spoil a bit so be warned (I will not dwell much afterwards)

- Well as I've said the vast majority of the tale is seeing the evil that man do (Iron Maiden reference) and how deprave we are. Some due to external factors, some born that way. When they go the same place they find some stairs and some monsters that start killing them off one by one until two are left alive and they just leave... So, I was thinking, well so much killers together you've got a battle royale but no. It's just monsters, some characters are just killed off screen, characters that we've been following since the start and it's just boring, badly done. I can't forgive and it feels lazy. YEs the characters shouldn't all die in a blaze of glory but killing 50% of them -" and that happen" it's just bad...

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Book Review: Ship of Fools by Richard Paul Russo

Ship of Fools by Richard Paul Russo
My rating: 93 of 100 stars

Pages : 384

Year : 2001

Genre : Sci-Fi, Space Opera, Horror

Series : Solo

This book is flag as Sci-Fi Horror. After finishing the novel I think the Tags my mislead you thinking this is a Alien-alike book but it's not. The Horror here is not visceral or monsters that will make you fear the night. No. The Horror is more psychological that anything else. There are a couple of situations that you feel horrible situation but not horror per se.

In this tale we follow Bartolomeu which follows the captain of a generation ship, giving him hints, advices and such. Bartolomeu is not a well like person, first because he has some handicapped problems (to be honest, they are mention from time to time but I didn't see anything that really made me think, well that's because he is handicapped or something like that. No it's handicapped but in the end is more "capped" that "regular" people. It was a bit strange and a missed opportunity. We also have other interesting characters like the Bishop , the Captain, Par - the dwarf and Father Veronica. Yes a woman, not trans or something like. They just call the clergy woman as Father (don't know if it's normal in protestant religion but I will check later).

So, this tale , we follow a generation ship that has been traveling through space for hundreds of years, so much that nobody knows how long. There was a revolution two hundreds years before and much history was destroyed. In this "day" of age, the ship is divided in the higher deck and lower decks. The lower decks work on maintaining the ship while the higher are just "nobles" and lead the ship and important stuff. We also have a religion, Christian religion and the Bishop and the Captain are always frightening to get the higher hand. To be honest the first 150 pages is basically politics and getting to know the characters and don't get me wrong, probably my favourite part. The second part of the tale is their investigation of a strange ship that appear form nowhere. And here lays some of the horror stuff they talk about it and there is BUT not that much. Some are just hinted...

So what's good about this? Well, in terms of characters I really love it. I love reading about our main protagonist and his ways within the echelons that hate him and his interest on the lower decks and also his love for Father Veronica. The investigations on the ship is also interesting and the last 50/60 pages just fly by. To be honest I was a bit sad about one character but alas, not going to tell you about it.

What's also good? Well the philosophy and theologian debates that we have between almost all characters... One of the best is chapter 40 where Father Veronica & Bartolomeo talk about god and the debate of free will and\or maybe not. One of the most interesting was the Christ Crucification explanation where Father explains the "official" view and her view - god's own guilt.

"He create us. He gave us Free Will. Therefore He is in some real way ultimately responsible for the suffering we inflict upon one another. He Has His own Guilt. And sacrificing His Son, Himself, was a way to help expiate that guilt."

So that's it.. It's an interesting tale about discover, about theology where the main character is atheist and in love with the most pious of women. It's much more. If you enjoy books that deal with Generation Ships then this book is for you. You love books that deal with discover of a truly alien species and not humans in other shapes then this book is for you.

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Book Review: Tomie by Junji Ito

Tomie by Junji Ito
My rating: 6 of 10 stars

Pages :  750p

Year :  2016

Genre : Horror

Series : Anthology Tomie

This was not my best book of Junji Ito. So you've got this girl that was butchered in the first story and came back to life. I Thought the all other stories were connected, like a revenge thing but they were not. there were some yes, but the vast majority is just normal people who encounter and go crazy. First they love her then kill her, probably due to loving her so much. It's a bit repetitive to be honest. I am not saying it's bad, it's not. But it's repetitive. It's 720 pages of some guy/gal find her, fell in love with her and go crazy. Mayhem and depravity.

There is some nudity so if you shy against it, well though luck. It's not that much but there is some. And now I am going to give you a spoiler , after reading it... she is a minor! ;)

True, this nudity has nothing to do with sexuality per se. 99% is well pure physics. You can't be born with clothes right?

I enjoy it. My goal of reading everyhing Junji Ito is almost over, only one more book to go... No Longer Human.

6/10

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Book Review: The Social Media Murders by Jon Athan

The Social Media Murders by Jon Athan
My rating: 6 of 10 stars

Pages : 216

Year :  2017

Genre : Slasher Horror

Series : Solo

Not my favourite book by him but good nevertheless. This one is also a revenge story like the one I read early this year (Sympathy for the widow) but not as good.. First of all, in the first you could almost feel - palpatable, the hatred, the need for revenge. Here it was written the other way around. He started introducing the characters, people being killed and as the book progress we learn more of the death. It's a Scream kind of book. In the beginning there is no knowledge why everything is happening and later on we get glimpses of why. I thought that this being scream inspired, the killer would be one of the protagonists, could even be the a woman (usually they are always male). But alas, when we get to know what was the killer I was a bit "oh.. ok"

don't get me wrong. This is Jon Athan. He is a great storyteller. Probably not the best written novel, he lacks some finesse there BUT in terms of stories I've never read on of his books and said - oh this is crap. I can't say that for much authors. 6/10

Good, but if you want to start with his books go read the one I mentioned before. Next one without a doubt is going to be Blenders Babies :) 

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