MT24reviews by Adam Bradley

THE BLACK LAND By M.J. Wesolowski ........................................................................................................................................ 2 THE WORLD’S END (2013) ............................................................................................................................................................. 2 The Rural Horror Special Issue........................................................................................................................................................... 2 WHAT MAKES THIS BOOK SO GREAT By Jo Walton ................................................................................................................ 3 FRANKENSTEIN’S ARMY (2013) .................................................................................................................................................. 3 END OF THE ROAD Ed. By Jonathan Oliver ................................................................................................................................... 5 I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE 2 (2013).................................................................................................................................................. 5 RAUS UNTOTEN: VOLUME ONE Ed. B Matthew Sylvester ......................................................................................................... 5 Creepy Collectibles & Freaky Finds By Trevor Wright ..................................................................................................................... 6 Ramblings of a Tattooed Head By Simon Marshall-Jones ................................................................................................................. 8 THE BARTENDER ALWAYS DIES LAST By Joshua Caine ....................................................................................................... 10 V/H/S/2 ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 12 X7 Edited By Alex Davies ................................................................................................................................................................ 12 BLACK SMOKERS By CJ Waller .................................................................................................................................................. 12 DEVIL’S PASS (aka THE DYATLOV PASS INCIDENT) (2013)................................................................................................. 14 BLOOD KIN By Steve Rasnic Tem ................................................................................................................................................. 14 OPEN GRAVES (2013) ................................................................................................................................................................... 14 Steven P. Unger Interview ................................................................................................................................................................ 16 BARCLEONA SHADOWS By Marc Pastor ................................................................................................................................... 20 EUROPE IN AUTUMN By Dave Hutchinson ................................................................................................................................. 22 THE ALCHEMY PRESS BOOK OF PULP HEROES 2 Edited By Mike Chinn ............................................................................ 22 From The Catacombs By Jim Lesniak .............................................................................................................................................. 23

Edited By Stanley Riiks. Written By Adrian Brady, Jim Lesniak, Matt Leyshon, Simon Marshall-Jones, C.M. Saunders, Brett Taylor, Steve P. Unger. Proof-read By Sheri White. © Morpheus Tales April 2014.

Morpheus Tales Back Issues and Special Issues are available exclusively through lulu.com: http://stores.lulu.com/morpheustales For more information, free previews and free magazines visit our website: www.morpheustales.com Morpheus Tales #23 Review Supplement, January 2014. COPYRIGHT January 2014 Morpheus Tales Publishing, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Review can be used, in full or in part, for publicity purposes as long as Morpheus Tales Magazine is quoted as the source.

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grown up into successful contributors to society. All except Pegg, who’s still wearing his Sisters of Mercy t-shirt and reminiscing about the glory days. The World’s End of the title is the last pub in the circuit, but serves as a convenient double-meaning when they realize that the town is now populated by weird blueblooded alien robot replicants. Zany fun, which probably has a much deeper message that went right over my head. By C.M. Saunders

THE BLACK LAND By M.J. Wesolowski www.bloodboundbooks.net Martin Walker is an American developer interesting in buying a small island off the northern coast of England, and he takes his family on a trip to see it. But when he finds a haunted castle the horror truly begins… This short book, at 130 pages, builds swiftly, setting the scene and developing the atmosphere. The barren, windswept island is beautifully evoked, and the family’s terror is astounding as they are terrorised by the ghouls and demons of the lonely island. Wesolowski writes with a crisp style that works, and here he has developed a wholesome set of characters in the Walker family with their own unique personalities and put them in the utmost danger. Exciting, thrilling, and more than a little scary. By Adrian Brady

The Rural Horror Special Issue H. P. Lovecraft famously wrote that, “…the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.” He was wrong, of course. The strongest fear is the fear of having no mobile phone signal. And the oldest fear is not of the unknown itself, but of facing it alone. And that is why, if you really like being scared, you should read the Morpheus Tales Rural Horror Special. If our cities represent safety in numbers, then our countryside represents isolation. You are alone. You cannot call anybody. And there are Yetis, clicking stones, demons, strange animals, and stranger yokels, all out there waiting for you. Being alone magnifies our senses. Imagine taking a morning stroll through a spring meadow. There is not a sign of civilisation in sight, not even the drone of a distant motorway. The peace and quiet soothes your soul. You might disturb a grazing deer and watch the hares rise like question marks in the rolling fields as they

THE WORLD’S END (2013) Director: Edgar Wright Simon Pegg is on a crusade to bring sci-fi comedy into the mainstream. In fact, I don’t even know if that’s a proper genre. But sci-fi doesn’t have to be serious all the time, does it? From the team that previously brought you the alien comedy Paul and Shaun of the Dead, comes this British farce about a group of friends who reunite to do the Golden Mile, a pub crawl that beat them in their youth. Times have moved on now, and the boys have all 2

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sniff the air. Imagine experiencing the sun rise over the hill as the larks sing, all as only you can experience in that particular lonesome place at that particular time. You might even feel a little smug. The world has presented itself uniquely to you and you only. Now imagine that the deer that you startled is in fact a terrible goat god that you’ve disturbed practising incantations over a little shrine of dead bunnies that you mistook for snowdrops. And those hares that you thought you saw are not hares at all; they’re the zombie hands of dead Saxons who died fighting the Vikings a thousand years ago. To think that all you had wanted was some fresh air! The Morpheus Tales Rural Horror Special has stories from the horror fields on both sides of the Atlantic. It features work by Don Webb, Rosalie Parker, Rhys Hughes, and many other great writers. Walking the dog will never be the same again. By Matt Leyshon

There is a whole new (well, not that new) sub-genre building up around war and horror. Which kind of makes sense as war is the real horror in this brave new world of ours. In a war film, the tension, paranoia, and depravity is already there, making the work of a horror director that much easier. Throw a few zombies or aliens into the fold, and add some explosions and small arms fire, and you are usually onto a winner. Frankenstein’s Army tells the story of a disparate group of Russian soldiers in World War II, prowling the badlands in search of Nazis to kill. When they pick up a distress call on the radio that points them in the direction of a bombed-out village, they set off to help their comrades. However, things take a nasty turn when they stumble upon a church full of slaughtered nuns and a murderous monstrosity fused together from flesh and steel who then proceeds to take out one of their number by disembowelling him. That should really have set the alarm bells ringing. It soon transpires that the entire village is swarming with an army of mutant undead Nazis, the result of a horrific series of experiments carried out by a crazed scientist with a very famous family tree. A great deal of the action is seen POV-style through the lens of a camera, as one of the Russian soldiers is on a mission to film everything, which often gives the impression you are playing a video game. Love this method of film-making or hate it, no other technique is so effective at thrusting you right into the heart of the action. The heavy Russian accents can be hard to decipher at times, but that only adds to the oppressive atmosphere generated in this nightmarish little shocker. The creature design is both novel and spectacular. These aren’t just stumbling zombies. One even has an aeroplane propeller for a head. By C.M. Saunders

WHAT MAKES THIS BOOK SO GREAT By Jo Walton www.constablerobinson.com This collection of essays by awardwinning novelist Jo Walton is actually collected from her blog, so big fans won’t find much of anything new here. All the essays are about books that Walton has reread, and the essays are all very readable and offer some fascinating insights. This is a really interesting book, but not one I would read straight through, it’s more of a coffee table book that you can pick up, read one of the short essays, put down and pick up again when the feeling takes you. Interesting articles, some insight, and Walton’s fluid and extremely readable style. By Alan Brady FRANKENSTEIN’S ARMY (2013) Director: Richard Raaphorst 3

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enough. Kate, a beautiful young girl played by Jennifer Dallender, answers a photographer’s ad for a free model, which is something beautiful young girls (or any kind of girls, for that matter) should never do. The shoot turns decidedly awkward when the photographer requests topless shots and the girl storms out, only to be followed home by one of the photographer’s assistants, who also happens to be his brother. He forces his way into her apartment, stabs a concerned neighbour to death, brutally rapes the girl, then calls his brother to help with the clean-up. When he arrives, the brother force feeds Kate a bag of ketamine and kidnaps her. Now Kate is at the mercy of a trio of twisted Bulgarians. She eventually bashes one of them with a bucket and flees, only to find herself lost somewhere in Bulgaria. Not what you need. Matters take a turn for the worse when she finds herself back with her captors, and this time they are pissed off. Cue more raping and beating before Kate is buried alive in a box in the basement. Beaten, bruised, and abused, she manages to escape again. But this time, instead of running, of course, she decides to seek revenge. Harrowing to watch, and not enjoyable in the slightest. All in all, this film is not a good advert for Eastern Europe. The makers reportedly had to make 27 cuts just to secure an 18 certificate. On its theatrical release, the movie made less than $900. And no, I haven’t left any 0s off. Hell hath no fury like a woman gang-raped, beaten, and transported against her will to Bulgaria. By C.M. Saunders

END OF THE ROAD Ed. By Jonathan Oliver www.solarisbooks.com An anthology about travel… Mmm… Perhaps a little apprehensive when approaching this collection, it wasn’t long before Oliver has won me over with another outstanding collection of stories. The theme is played with by the fifteen writers included in the book; my favourite is the final story by Adam Nevill, but all of the stories manage to offer something different. From a hungry ghost to roadbuilders in a post-apocalyptic world, there is something to scare everyone. A great collection, an inspiring set of authors, and definitely a must-read anthology. By Adrian Brady I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE 2 (2013) Director: Steven R. Monroe Another day, another sequel. And not just a sequel, a sequel of a remake, which is kind of like a storyline twice removed. At least this is directed by the same dude who directed the original remake, which lends some continuity. Anyway. I never shy away from a horror film. Some have left a bad taste in my mouth (A Serbian Film, The Human Centipede II), but I guess they were supposed to. That’s an altogether different kind of horror. One that most people can happily go through life without ever seeing in such graphic detail. In most cases, I’m able to put and keep things in perspective. It’s only a movie, and all that. However, I must admit I was a bit reluctant to take on I Spit on Your Grave 2. If only because of all the sexual assault and battery and stuff. So much so, that I didn’t even get around to opening the review copy for about a year after I received it. But one dreary Sunday afternoon I found myself with nothing to watch. So, on we go. The storyline is predictable

RAUS UNTOTEN: VOLUME ONE Ed. B Matthew Sylvester www.fringeworks.co.uk Nazi zombies, vampires, and all manner of undead infest the pages of this short, but shocking collection. One of the first surprises from this small press book is that Warhammer 40K novelist Graham 5

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household across the nation for its utter coolness and its unabashed novelty. Enter Funko’s Mystery Mini Horror Classics. These tiny vinyl angels – or movie slashers, in this case – come in a first wave of varying horror icons including Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, Leatherface, Pennywise, Ghostface, Captain Spaulding, Chucky, Hannibal Lector, Ash, Billy the Puppet, and Sam from Trick ‘R Treat. Some are harder to get than others. For instance, a “regular” Chucky is pretty common whereas a “battle scarred” Bride of Chucky version comes every 1 in 144 boxes. But have no fear, if these particular characters aren’t up your alley – or too hard to obtain - you can always try Funko’s other line of Mystery Minis – The Walking Dead Series 1 – featuring Merle Dixon, Daryl Dixon, and a crapload of miscellaneous zombies. And how do you know what you’re getting? Therein lies the beauty. You don’t! That’s right, these babies are sealed tight in small boxes, shrink wrapped for good measure, and enshrined in a tomb of black plastic that would have even Superman breaking out the ol’ x-ray vision. This new trend of blind boxing is becoming all the rage. Sure, there are those who scoff at the idea of buying something that you have no control in what you’re getting. But what do they know; those people are boring. For a horror collectible worthy of Forrest J. Ackerman that won’t break the bank and have you feeling like a kid on Christmas Day – EVERYDAY - Funko’s line of Mystery Mini Horror Classics is the new IT (no pun) thing for The Crazies – and not so Crazies - in your life.

McNeill is the first contributor. I hadn’t heard of the other five contributors, including the editor who uses one of his own stories to complete the book, but actually their stories display the same level of quality as the professional writer who starts off the collection. Great fun, a kind of b-movie collection of short stories, this is intelligent, diverse, and entertaining. You could do a lot worse than checking this out. By Adrian Brady Creepy Collectibles & Freaky Finds By Trevor Wright Horror. We all love it. Some of us live it. And some of us love and live it a little too much – they are called crazy people – or in the very PC world we now live in: Collectors. Hobbyists. Or, to borrow from George Romero – The Crazies. These Crazies are everywhere. Some of them look “normal” and some of them look “goth, emo… err, confused.” But no matter how you slice it, The Crazies are a vital part of our culture. They keep franchises thriving (Friday the 13th, Elm Street, Saw, Paranormal Activity, etc. etc.), they keep the economy booming with their unbridled lust for all things junky and meaningless (if you’ve kept Anchor Bay in business buying John Carpenter’s Halloween more than four times and Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead more than three, then you’re probably one of them), and more importantly they keep fandom alive. As parasitic and downright stalkerish as some of them can be, they do, like most things, have their rightful place. And sometimes – just sometimes – the general public is treated to that rare gem of pop culture chic that wouldn’t and shouldn’t exist if not for the uber-geek who made it all possible in the first place. That item has what they call mass appeal. That item cannot be contained by sheer fandom. That item needs to be in every 6

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editor/publisher I want to bring out the best in the story and to present it in the best possible way. It’s a true collaboration in every sense of the word. But, in this day and age of (almost) universal access to technology and the phenomenon of nigh-on instant gratification, there’s been a consequent rise in the number of ‘new’ writers coming onto the scene who appear to find it difficult to accept criticism or adverse judgement about their work, even if it’s meant helpfully. More to the point, they take a very personal umbrage at bad reviews or if someone fails to agree with their own self-assessment of great worth, with some even launching internet campaigns to discredit the reviewer(s). This would be known colloquially in decades gone by as ‘bad form’, seriously denting a reputation even before it’s been established. It is understandable that one would get a tad upset if the book you’ve worked on assiduously for the better part of a year or whatever is dismissed by a reviewer and given a negative write-up. It feels like a personal attack, and very often those at the receiving end find it difficult to make the distinction between the work being assessed and the writer of said work. The one thing to remember is that reviewers, publishers, and editors are only human (with the possible exception of one or two), and so are subject to all the foibles that entails, meaning that they have likes and dislikes. Perhaps your story just didn’t tick the right boxes for them. Remember too that your work is your ambassador, so to speak: it is as well to make sure that the work in question is presented in its best possible light – typo-free, edited properly, and in a format requested by the imprint concerned. At the very least, it shows courtesy, and at best shows that you are serious. Spectral Press is mostly an inviteonly imprint – meaning I look for writers and artists whose work I believe will fit in to the ethos of the press. Only in the case

Ramblings of a Tattooed Head By Simon Marshall-Jones As a publisher, editor, and reviewer, I am privileged to know some great people involved in the scene, if one can call it that. The sense of feeling privileged goes even beyond that, in that I have published some of the best writers and artists working today. All of them to a man and woman are professional, humble, and down to earth. Some of them have even gone on to become good friends. Collectively, it is for the most part a tightly knit group, a merry band of brothers and sisters who share in the highs and lows, and are pleased when a fellow writer/artist scores a success. And that support is genuinely given, because underneath it all there’s an understanding of the sheer hard work involved in setting out to become a recognised creator, and that there’s been a consistent determination to perfect one’s craft while, perhaps, holding down a day job. There’s also a tacit recognition that success is not an overnight phenomenon, but instead is something which has to be worked for, after years of toiling away into the small hours and/or grabbing at any available spare time for writing. For many, there exists an uneasy relationship between the writer/artist and his/her craft, a love/hate thing – despite that, they exhibit an undeniable enthusiasm for what they do and are all too aware of the privilege of being able to pursue what they love. In addition, there’s often a sense of gratitude that people respond to their work in the way they do, and that those people keep coming back for more. There’s absolutely no doubt that such writers and artists are a blessing to a publisher. They’re easy to work with, for a start, and are always open to discussion, and like getting involved in the whole process from start to finish. They have an investment in their work and so do I – as a writer they want their work to be appreciated by an audience, and as an 8

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“The Future Face of Horror!” If a reviewer has said something along these lines, by all means go ahead and use it as a quote. If a mate or a relative has said it, don’t mention it – it isn’t worth much. The writer may very well be those things, but it is up to others to say them – not the writer. Some years back, I came across a writer who declared himself to be better than Mr. King, simply on the say-so of a friend of his. And he sincerely believed the hyperbole, to the extent that he was willing to argue aggressive ly with those who disagreed. Needless to say, his selfassessmen t was woefully short of the mark, as a subsequen t read of one his efforts proved. This latter aspect sometimes throws up a peculiar phenomenon as a consequence – the notion that the publisher/editor/reviewer, with all his or her years of experience, lacks so much judgement that they must be blind to the writer’s potential (or, in more extreme

of anthologies do I cast the net wider and ask for open submissions. I’ve been very lucky so far, in that everyone who has sent something my way has been utterly courteous and professional - except for the one or two who send in a story with no covering letter or any indication that they are contributing. If people can’t be bothered to engage with a potential publisher from the outset, then why should I engage with them? It’s a mutual thing – they want a story of theirs to be published and I’m a publisher who’s looking for material to publish. Get me interested, tell me about yourself and the story; hell, even engage in a discussion about beer! I have heard horror stories from fellow publishers and editors about a species of the genus writer, those kind who appear to possess an over-inflated opinion of their literary worth. You know the kind of spiel they introduce themselves with: “The best thing since Stephen King!”, 9

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have a hissy-fit and refuse to contemplate altering what you’ve written. Let’s face it, an experienced editor knows a lot about how stories work – his job is to hone them into the best they can possibly be. Another good point to bear in mind: don’t harass the editor, as in email/contact them every five minutes to ask what they thought of the story. Be assured, if they like it or not, they’ll be the first to tell you. Manners cost nothing, as my late mother was fond of saying. The exercise of a little restraint and the display of some decorum will go a long way in aiding you in your quest to become a recognised writer.

cases, that there’s some kind of conspiracy against them, to prevent their utter genius from getting to the public). It’s a symptom of the present world we’ve created, I aver: the whole instant gratification thing and the all-pervading sense of entitlement, predicated upon the idea that because certain people published something on Amazon and then became a sensation practically overnight means that they too have that same potential and, moreover, have a right to that level of success. Yes, the potential undoubtedly exists, but the odds are heavily stacked against it panning out. When it does happen, it’s merely a lucky concatenation of circumstances (unless, of course, whoever it is happens to be genuinely talented). Most new authors have the good graces to accept criticism and move on, taking on board any helpful pointers to enable them to improve – some, however, decide to take it further and into the realms of near-psychopathy. Venting vitriol and spleen against an individual who dislikes your work in the arena of a public forum isn’t going to help the writer’s career in the long-term. There may be a flash-in-thepan rise in sales of the self-published work, prompted by people’s innate curiosity, but that will soon fade. The name will disappear into the background once more as nothing more than formless static it arose from. Like most things in life, there are certain protocols of etiquette to observe which will help you along the road. Be professional in ALL your dealings with people, whether seasoned professionals or relative newcomers. Be polite too – if a publisher rejects your work for whatever reason, thank them for their time in considering it in the first place, and then send it somewhere else. That publisher isn’t the only one in existence. If a critique of the story is included, take it in the spirit in which it was meant – as a way of helping you become a better writer. Furthermore, if a story is accepted but the editor asks for changes to be made, don’t

THE BARTENDER ALWAYS DIES LAST By Joshua Caine www.damnationbooks.com I’ve read some of this writer’s work before and, I believe, reviewed Black Rain for these very hallowed pages. I remember being quietly impressed, so I was more than ready to dive into this short novel tracing the story of ‘lifelong smartass’ Roger Westhoven, who falls in love, then finds out that a rash of murders blights the small town of Hill, Pennsylvania, every seven years. The murder spree seems to evolve around the college bar, and in each case, the bartender always dies last. Not looking good for the current pint-puller, then. Unless Westhoven and his band of drop-out stoner friends can solve the mystery in time. The engaging, irreverent writing style is reminiscent of David Wong’s recent smash John Dies in the End, and while not in that bracket just yet, Caine is certainly one to watch. By C.M. Saunders

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volume, based (some subtly and some not so) on the seven deadly sins. With the likes of Nicholas Royle, Simon Bestwick, and Simon Clark featuring, it can only be one of the best collections to be published this year. The slender volume is ripe with terrors, horror, and every scary page is a must read. A marvellously brilliant anthology of horror that is sure to set your spine tingling. Horror excellence. By Adrian Brady

V/H/S/2 Directors: Simon Barrett, Adam Wingard, Eduardo Sanchez, Gregg Hale, Timo TjahJanto, Gareth Huw Evans, Jason Eisener. The ‘found footage’ genre can be a mixed bag. It’s often an excuse for film-makers, producers, and in particular script writers to be lazy and shoddy. The first VHS film, however, still stands as one of the finest examples the genre has to offer, managing to be both innovative and captivating. I was anxious to see if the sequel could be as good, or if it would fall by the wayside like so many other horror sequels. VHS 2 follows an almost identical format as the original, whereby a collection of less-than-savoury characters stumble across some video footage. In this case, they are private detectives with questionable motives. The footage they find tells four different stories in segments, all interlinked with fly-on-the-wall footage of our detective friends. As for the films they feel compelled to view and drag us along for the ride, there is a dude with an experimental bionic eye that enables him to see the dead, a good old-fashioned zombie outbreak, a doomsday cult with a difference, and a slumber party that goes seriously wrong. The POV film-within-a-film format is extremely effective, taking you up close and personal to the action. As the archetypal bad eggs, you don’t mind too much when the detectives get offed horribly. In fact, you kind of enjoy seeing justice served. Highly recommended. By C.M. Saunders

BLACK SMOKERS By CJ Waller www.damnationbooks.com Black smokers are another name for hydrothermal vents, or fissures in the earth’s crust, from which geothermal water is issued. That should give you some clue as to what this little gem is about. If you have an affection for Lovecraft, and in particular the Cthulu mythos, you are going to absolutely love it, although that is by no means a requirement. A small research team in a revolutionary submersible craft take to the depths to investigate why the floor of the Pacific Ocean has suddenly dropped a few thousand feet. What they find not only rewrites the scientific textbooks, but also delivers a possible solution as to what happened to people born on ‘the lost day,’ of 29th February. Look out, the children of Dagon are rising! A tightly woven,wellwritten little story. I’m looking forward to reading more of CJ’s work. By C.M. Saunders

X7 Edited By Alex Davies www.fringeworks.co.uk The British Small Press is the best in the world. Although the US has more small publishers, the UK has sheer quality on its side. Fringeworks is one of the best, and this collection shows why, despite there only being seven stories in this short 12

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DEVIL’S PASS (aka THE DYATLOV PASS INCIDENT) (2013) Director: Renny Harlin

our time, but this film could have been so much better. By C.M. Saunders

From the makers of the Stallone vehicle Cliffhanger comes what is described as the new Blair Witch Project. As is the norm nowadays, the tag line claims it is based on a true story. Unfortunately, the only tenuous links this film has to reality are some references to the original Dyatlov Pass incident of 1959 involving nine Russian hikers. They were all found slaughtered amid very mysterious circumstances. Their tent had been ripped open from the inside, most of the bodies were found barefoot and partially-clothed in temperatures of -30 degrees, and several had suffered fractured skulls and broken ribs, even though there was no sign of a struggle. One was allegedly missing her tongue and parts of her face. The inquest was inconclusive, concluding only that the group had died as a result of a ‘compelling natural force,’ and debate has raged about what actually happened to the group ever since. But don’t expect to find any answers here. A group of young American filmmakers head off into the mountains to recreate the doomed expedition and film a documentary. As you do. Soon, their equipment malfunctions and they find themselves battling the elements. Then they begin hearing noises and find strange footprints in the snow, which all leads up to the discovery of a military bunker in the middle of nowhere. I can’t help feeling that the producers of this film would have been better served making a drama about the initial alleged events, which were far more interesting, rather than using them as a basis to spin off an entirely different thread. A decent enough film. Credit has to be given to any project that manages to squeeze in teleportation, mutants, Yeti, grisly murders and government conspiracies, all within the framework of one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of

BLOOD KIN By Steve Rasnic Tem www.solarisbooks.com After his failed suicide attempt Michael Gibson heads back to his old family home to take care of his grandmother. But as she starts to tell him her life story he realises that his family has more secrets than he cares to imagine. Secrets which might still raise their ugly heads. Powerfully written, this is a story told by Michael and his grandmother Sadie, and both stories draw you further into the mysteries of the Gibson family. Rasnic Tem evokes the past with a soft and deft touch, and his present is just as compelling. Exceptional, beautiful, and scary as anything, this ethereal tale is magnificently told. By Adrian Brady OPEN GRAVES (2013) Director: Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego A man wakes up in a huge pit full of dead bodies, and finds he has no memory of how he got there or even who he is. Things take an even stranger turn when a rope is lowered down and he climbs up to find a disparate group of strangers all with the same dilemma. As the story develops they each find they have unique skills. One is an expert at languages, another a crack shot with a gun. Inevitably, the group then splits up in search of answers. The first thing they find are bodies. Lots of bodies everywhere. And some crazy people. There are lots of those, too. This horror thriller storms along at a frantic pace, and keeps you guessing right to the very end. By C.M. Saunders

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the novel Dracula take place. I stood on the cemetery hill where, in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Lucy Westenra and Mina Murray spent hour after hour sitting on their “favourite seat” (a bench placed over a suicide’s grave near the edge of the cliff), gazing out toward the “headland called Kettleness” and the open North Sea beyond—while Count Dracula slept just beneath them.

Steven P. Unger Interview You are well known for your book: In the Footsteps of Dracula: A Personal Journey and Travel Guide, a non-fiction exploration of Bram Stoker’s research and title character, Count Dracula, part history book and part travelogue. This is a brilliant book for those wanting more details about the infamous vampire, and his inspiration, Vlad Ţepeş, or Vlad the Impaler. What led you to write the book? Growing up, I voraciously read science fiction books and horror comics (the best of which you still can read on this great New Zealand website— http://thehorrorsofitall.blogspot.co.nz/), and especially loved watching the old Hammer films about Count Dracula on TV. They were produced between 1958 and 1974, and almost always starred Christopher Lee in the title role. Although they plummeted in quality from superb to abysmal over the years, I saw them whenever I could.

In my mind’s eye, I could see the un-dead count rising at night from the flattened slab of the suicide’s gravestone to greedily drink the blood of the living. The graveyard where Count Dracula spent his days sleeping in the sepulchre of a suicide looks the part that it plays, with its weathered limestone tombstones blackened by centuries of the ever-present North Sea winds. That graveyard made the novel more visible, more visceral, to me, and I wondered if the sites in Transylvania and in the remote mountains of southern Romania would evoke the same feelings. As I was to discover—they did.

Around 1980 I found a large-format paperback published in 1975 titled The Annotated Dracula, with surreal artwork by Sätty, copious notes, maps, and even a calendar of events. I read every word. I loved Bram Stoker’s imagery and his skillful foreshadowing of dire events; at the same time the annotations helped me to understand how his imagery boiled up from the collective unconscious of the Victorian mind and the sexual repression of the 1890s when Dracula was conceived.

At that moment I decided to visit and photograph every site in England and Romania that is closely related to either Bram Stoker’s fictional Count Dracula or Vlad the Impaler—to literally walk in their footsteps and to write a book about my experiences. The Old Church Cemetery in Whitby, England

Over time I developed an obsession to travel to every site related to either the fictional Count Dracula or his real historical counterpart, Prince Vlad Dracula the Impaler, especially after a visit to Whitby, England, where three chapters of

There is a new edition of “Footsteps” 16

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Your work is heavily researched; how do you go about researching a fictional character? As a writer, I’m interested in the process of creation employed by other writers I admire. Fortunately, there already has been a lot of research into the lives of both Bram Stoker and Mary Shelley, since their books are so universally familiar. Dracula is the second most widely-read book in the world, after the Bible.

coming out, what’s new in this edition? I’ll be updating references and website links, especially Part V, “A Practical Guide to the Dracula Trail,” which includes a day-by-day itinerary to all the sites in England and Romania that can be used by the independent traveller. A lot of my readers have taken my book to Whitby and Transylvania as their primary guide and thanked me after their safe return. But the kicker to the new edition is a bonus chapter, “A Vampire’s Guide to New Orleans,” with lots of pictures, centuries-old legends, and even local resources for the modern vampire.

How did you go about first getting your work published? I subscribed to “Writer’s Digest” online— and still do—and queried agents and publishers that were listed there. (I recommend Michael Larson’s How to Write a Book Proposal to those just getting started.) I got a lot of good advice from some of the agents and publishers who requested the entire manuscript. The main criticisms were that the book lacked organization and a story line that would make it rise above an ordinary travel guide. I wound up completely revising the manuscript and found a publisher very quickly after that. What other writers have influenced you? Growing up I voraciously read science fiction novels and horror comics. I especially liked Robert A. Heinlein’s The Puppet Masters—a prescient mix of Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Alien—and Murray Leinster’s giant-insectriddled Forgotten Planet.

The Boutique du Vampyre in the French Quarter, New Orleans You are working on a new book, In the Footsteps of Frankenstein, which I’m guessing is about Frankenstein? It sure is, and just as I separated the myths about Vlad the Impaler from Bram Stoker’s vampire Count Dracula, in this book I want to separate the acutely selfaware, self-taught psychotic character imagined by the 18-year-old Mary Shelley from the lumbering, barely articulate creature so wonderfully portrayed by Boris Karloff. And, of course, I plan to travel to all the key places in the novel, including a little-known Castle Frankenstein that sits on top of a cliff that looks remarkably like a profile of Frankenstein’s Monster himself.

Later I was fascinated with the underground lore and experimental style of William Burroughs, the cinematically vivid prose of F. Scott Fitzgerald, and the gritty hyperrealism of Hubert Selby Jr.’s Last Exit to Brooklyn. There is a palpable rhythm to all of their writing and dialogue, and I tend to write to the beat of appropriately nuanced music. What are your other influences? I’ve always been fascinated with other 17

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cultures: their music, food, the way they look at life and death. I want to get close to the Other, and bring my experiences to whoever will read about them.

Footsteps of Dracula: A Personal Journey and Travel Guide, almost 100 related reviews and articles appeared in print and online.

Where do you get your inspiration? I’m driven to write, and have been all my life. I would write if no one ever read a word I wrote. But I have been inspired by great writers and the characters they brought to life.

Ranging from horror fanzines to scholarly journals, and originating from locations throughout the United States to countries as disparate as England, Canada, Ireland, Scotland, and South Africa, the reviews of In the Footsteps of Dracula: A Personal Journey and Travel Guide were not only overwhelmingly positive, but cried out for more back-story, travel guide updates, and even deeper insight into the mind of Bram Stoker and the influences and inspirations that drove him to write his undying Gothic novel, Dracula.

What is your writing day like? I’m a terrible procrastinator and will do yard work or play computer games or yak on Facebook until I’ve embarrassed myself. Then I’ll write for hours until I’ve finished a chapter or an article. Do you have any rituals or routines when you write? If I’m creating something brand new, I like to have music on that feels rhythmically right for what I’m writing. I have to force myself to remember to eat and drink.

There were also corrections of fact to be made. For all these reasons, I wrote a 2nd Edition of In the Footsteps of Dracula, this time including updated references, web links, and costs; the first review of Dracula ever written, published in the Manchester Guardian on June 15, 1897; a new section on Bram Stoker’s Dublin; a rare photo of a Wolf-Dragon, the original source of the name “Dracula,” carved within the ruins of a prehistoric Dacian Temple in Transylvania; and much, much more.

How do you put a book together; do you just sit down and write, or do you plan chapter by chapter? At some point there will be an outline whether it’s fiction or non-fiction. For fiction there will be character cards. I’ll sometimes change a previous chapter while I’m working on a later chapter, and I’ve been known to change the ending just before publication, which is tough on my publishers.

What book are you reading now? Keith Richards’ Life. What is your proudest moment as a writer? Receiving the first bound copy of In the Footsteps of Dracula, even though it had to be reformatted.

If you could go back in time to when you started writing and give yourself one piece of advice what would it be? You can’t know what people will like so don’t worry about it. Just write the very best you can.

Are you disappointed with any of your work when you look back on it? The resolution of the pictures in two of my books, In the Footsteps of Dracula: A Personal Journey and Travel Guide and Before the Paparazzi: 50 Years of Extraordinary Photographs, was less than optimal. Those two books have the same

Do you read reviews of your work? How do you deal with criticism? I do, and I find constructive criticism helpful. For example, in the year following the publication of the 1st Edition of In the 18

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publisher, who is changing printers, and the next editions of both books will have better, whiter paper which should help.

anthologies. Do you get writers’ block? How do you cope with it? Yes. I’ll turn to a different project for a while, or work with other media.

What’s the best piece of feedback that you’ve had from your audience? “We took your book to Romania with us, went to the sites, hotels, and restaurants you recommended, took the same buses, trains, and MaxiTaxis, and had the greatest time!”

If you could meet anyone, fictional or real, dead or alive, who would it be? It would be nice to have Hannibal Lecter for dinner.

What is the most important thing when becoming a writer? Don’t even think about writing for money.

Which do you prefer writing/reading, short stories or novels? I like to write novels and read short stories. What are you working on now? I won’t say too much, but it requires travel to Ethiopia.

Do you write for a particular audience, for yourself? Each book is different, and for a different audience. What do you like to do when you’re not writing? I love to travel. Lately I’ve been practicing Bikram Yoga, which is done in a room kept at 105 degrees Fahrenheit.

literally. Pay subconscious.

attention

Do you have any advice for other writers? Follow your dreams— to your

What scares you? Abject poverty.

What parts of being a writer do you like best? And least? I like writing and wish I didn’t have to spend so much time marketing my books.

What makes a good story? It leaves you still thinking about the ending and what might come after the ending. Its characters get inside you. The dialogue feels real and natural. It’s not didactic. It engages all your senses.

Who are your favourite authors and favourite books? I’m a big fan of short story collections: 19th Century Russian writers like Gogol, also F. Scott Fitzgerald’s stories, Hubert Selby Jr., old sci-fi and mystery story

For example, here are the first five paragraphs of my novel, Dancing in the 19

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Streets:

where no one can distinguish virtue from sin, the certain from the absurd, truth from deceit, or what is real from what is dreamed.”

In bright equatorial light, the celebrants thronging the littered Carnaval streets seemed to shimmer in the 100-degree heat waves as they noisily waited for the Filhos de Gandhy—the Sons of Gandhi—to appear at the crest of Rua Alfredo de Brito. On the corner, a heavy-set Baiana dressed in a lace hoopskirt, off-the-shoulder blouse and turban, all in white except for her multicolored beads and bracelets, swept a palm frond over fradinho-bean dumplings frying in ink-colored pots on a portable gas stove.

Steven P. Unger is the best-selling author of In the Footsteps of Dracula: A Personal Journey and Travel Guide, published and distributed by World Audience Publishers (http://www.amazon.com/FootstepsDracula-Personal-JourneyTravel/dp/1935444530/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UT F8&s=books&qid=1262485478&sr=1-1). In the Footsteps of Dracula can be ordered from your local bookstore or online at www.amazon.com,. www.amazon.co.uk, www.barnesandnoble.com, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.com/Kindle, or with free delivery worldwide from www.bookdepository.co.uk.

Across the street a vendor wound up a double-reeled crank to engage the press sitting on a metal cart stuffed with graygreen stalks of sugarcane. As the vendor shoved the stalks in one end to fill a glass of juice at the other, the press hissed and sputtered and blew gusts of oily smoke out of its chimney.

BARCLEONA SHADOWS By Marc Pastor www.pushkinpress.com

Fainter than the smell of sweat from the multitudes swelling the perimeter of the Terreiro de Jesus Square, fainter than the acrid smoke of the dumplings frying in pepper-spiced dendê oil or the sweeter smoke that belched from the chimney of the sugarcane-juice cart, was the trace of a salt breeze twisting eastward through the alleys of the upper city from the shallows of the Bay of All Saints.

This disturbingly dark book is set on the very mean streets of Barcelona, a Barcelona far from the tourist traps of the Sagra Familia and the famous coloured fountains. This is a deeply gritty detective thriller where we follow inspector Moises Corvo, who is hunting a murderer through the brothels, backstreets, and slums of a dirty Barcelona. Richly described, this Barcelona is a hellhole, a brilliantly dark place that is frighteningly colourful, and a character within the story itself. A deeply disturbing crime/horror detective thriller, bringing new darkness to the city of Barcelona, and showing it in a deadly new light. By Adrian Brady

Waiting with the crowd, Steven Strazza thought of Milanda’s words on their flight to Bahia from Paris the day before: “You know, Steven, unlike the samba-school parades in Rio, in Salvador there is no Sambadrome where you just sit on your butt and watch the floats go by. In Salvador, everyone is outside in the streets and on the sidewalks and always dancing—dancing day and night! “Anyway,” she had told him, “it was Jorge Amado who wrote of Bahia that it is a land where everything is thrown together, 20

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one more story. Just over three hundred pages, and I read it in a single sitting. These short stories are immensely entertaining. As a fan of pulp fiction it was impossible to put this book down. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the perfect introduction to a classic era of genre fiction. This book truly has something for everyone. Outstanding pulp fiction, the mustread collection of 2014. By Adrian Brady

EUROPE IN AUTUMN By Dave Hutchinson www.solarisbooks.com A spy novel set in a dystopian postapocalyptic Europe fractured into multiple tiny lands; what more could you possibly ask for? Rudi is a cook who falls into people smuggling to help out a friend. But one job lands him with charges of kidnapping, and another finds him discovering a decapitated head. Now Rudi is running for his life, across a continent falling apart around him. An insightful and intelligent world, with a fascinating plot and great characters, Hutchinson has created a magnificent world for us to explore through Rudi. A stunning debut that will satisfy any thriller reader or SF fan. By Adrian Brady THE ALCHEMY PRESS BOOK OF PULP HEROES 2 Edited By Mike Chinn www.alchemypress.co.uk Having just put down one of The Spider books by Grant Stockbridge, expectations were high for this book. The first book in the series was excellent, bringing back fond memories of the olden days when things were a bit more black and white, when heroes were good and villains were bad. When the world seemed to be more innocent. The second book in the series goes even further than the first; there are fourteen amazing pulp-style stories in here, with a nice variety that keeps you coming back for just 22

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white format, it has a similar range of articles, albeit not as in-depth as Weng’s Chop, as least thus far. If you are a fan of weird cinema, this will give you a monthly fix while waiting for the new issue of Weng’s Chop1. The short article length gets to the point quickly and does not disappoint.

From The Catacombs By Jim Lesniak Fear of the unknown drives as much as the fear of being alone. Ye Olde Reviewer has been seeing this a lot of late. Not myself, but in my son. Something… unknown, unnamable has had him fearful at night – nothing he can describe at four years old. It is enough that he does not want to be alone. So, many nights I have been stretched out on the floor near his bed to calm him (and ruin my back). Those nights give plenty of time to contemplate what could be frightening in a child’s room at night and eviscerates writing time. There are no moving shadows; no odd noises save for the cats or anything that seems odd to a forty-something adult, but he has fear or at least unease in the night. In the quiet of the night – no music, cartoons or conversation – I believe he is getting to be self aware enough that he is unsettled by the lack of interaction and the concept of being ALONE. Alone in the house, alone in the night, alone in the dark. We all have to face this at one point or another; sometimes we revisit this fear in a new home when we are ultra sensitive to new sounds (or the lack of familiar ones) in the night. I have tried to determine what Lucien is afraid of many nights while watching him sleep and determined it is nothing. The sense of nothing itself frightens him. The lack of stimulus, the lack of companionship is difficult to acclimate oneself to at any age. Nothing is the unknown, if you will. The embrace of horror must be an attempt to control some of these fears. How many films revolve around being alone in a house, the woods or somewhere else? We give shape to our worst fears of loneliness. By embracing the fear, reveling in it, we can have command if not control of it. Perhaps this is why I have met so many creative people in the horror community – it is a healthy outlet for the dark dreams and fears we have. If we can turn the fear of nothing into an object, give it form or vision, then it is less frightening and our demons have less power.

Beatrice Is Dead: Volume 1 S. Zaimah Williams (w) and Robert Burrows (a) http://facebook.com/beatriceisdead Beatrice is Dead is a haunting and disturbing read. It begins with Beatrice’s suicide at the age of sixteen and follows her journey through the netherworld as she faces her demons in person. Many of her companions and antagonists have extensive back stories that are told in prose sections at chapter breaks in the graphic narrative. The production value of this hardcover is fantastic: thick, glossy paper and printed boards with a dust jacket. The art is in the vein

Monster Vol. 4 #1 POD Amazon.com Monster is the re-animation of a dormant ‘zine (that I had never heard of previously) and is a monthly companion piece to the stellar Weng’s Chop. Presented in a digest sized black and

Which, of course, just came out with Volume 2, Number 1, the largest issue to date. Weng’s Chop is an essential purchase for anyone with an interest in weird and world cinema. 23

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Bugged is an interesting done in one graphic novel with a twist ending. Examining bullying and the corruption of power, this is worth the read and is an unconventional horror tale.

of Ben Templesmith’s dark, moody work that fits the black tone of the story. This seems to be a proposed first volume of a multi-part storyline. Even though it intended to be continued, there is a resolution to this portion of the narrative. There are hints as to continuation and an over-arcing plan around our Miss Beatrice. Beatrice is Dead is highly recommended if you can acquire a copy, my personal copy came from the successful Kickstarter campaign. Hopefully, they will continue to expand upon the journey started here.

The Wisdom of Fools: A Horror Anthology Fifth Dimension Comics Short. Sharp. Shocked. A horror anthology with a wide variety of art and story structure – your mileage may vary story to story. This is an excellent debut from the publisher and some of the short stories have the potential for a future series or serialization. Many tales are vignettes where we, the reader, come in as events unfold and hit the ground running. This volume is a definite maybe from a publisher with potential.

Bugged Drumfish Productions Rich Bernatovech (w) Teyo (a) http://drumfishproductions.com Felix is a lonely and bullied high school student who suddenly starts hearing a cockroach speaking to him. He now seems to have the power to see evil deeds done by others. With Bob the cockroac h’s encourag ement and guidance, he begins to punish the “evil” people he encounter s, with deadly results. Even though Felix is beginning to assert himself, has he gone mad in imagining a cockroach speaking to him, or is there a greater truth unfolding? This trade paperback is full colour with art to match the ugliness of the story. Felix is pathetic and a target for everyone and he is ready, willing and able to trust in the first bit of encouragement and empowerment he receives. Nothing is as it seems for Felix as it goes horribly awry with his powers to see the evil that EVERYONE does.

The Astronomer Chapter III By Matt Rebholz http://mattrebholzart.com This is the third, squarebound volume in the Astronomer saga from Matt Rebholz. We have the most dialog in the series thus far, with the story out-Kirbying the Fourth World Saga and Captain Victory by a wide margin. Hidden within the fantastic black and white art is a difficult read – it WILL take a couple of passes to get a true feel for the story as well as a refresher of volumes one and two. There are cosmic battles being fought through human instruments on a world like 24

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ours, based in a desolate desert setting. The examination of faith and honour take the forefront in this volume, setting up the psychological background for the upcoming battle. Along with this, we have human sacrifice and the vision of cosmic beings en route to this planet for conflict. The Astronomer series is fascinatingly bizarre and definitely not for a casual reader looking for a quick graphic novel fix. The obtuse nature of the first volume rewards the patience of the stout of heart by the time this volume is attained.

a very brief overview of the films of Sam Peckinpaw there is a variety of original and repurposed art throughout. The readability depends on who hand wrote or typed the section (I think the strike outs are an affectation as even the rare modern typewriter can be corrected, but I digress) – your mileage may vary. Whether Death Wound is a viable purchase would depend upon whether you have an interest in any of the interview subjects and if you feel bold enough to fight through the punk rock layout. The reviews are fairly useless in my opinion, so the interviews and art are the main attraction. It gave me some nostalgia and a headache.

Death Wound Zine Volume Two http://deathwound.com Death Wound is an old school ‘zine that used to be the norm in the Eighties and Nineties. Black and white throughout laid out with a cut and paste editing style – literally how these things used to be assembled. Luckily, the printing quality is professional and on thick paper, unlike the old Factsheet Five2 era with its zeroxed and newsprint ‘zines that would be unreadable and falling apart from day one. What ye olde reviewer did not miss from then, and prevalent here, is the handwritten articles, reviews and interviews. That is something that Cinema Sewer pulls off, but gives me a headache here! Ah, but what of the content, you ask? There are interviews with the likes of Undergang, Autopsy and Amebix. Along with

Velvet Glove Cast in Iron: The Films of Tura Satana By Hal C. Astell Apocalypse Later Press http://apocalypselaterfilm.com Velvet Glove Cast in Iron is a love letter to Tura Satana and her brief, yet influential TV and movie career. This is an exhaustive review of all her known appearances taken from the author’s blog and compiled into book form. A digest sized 105 pages, including an introduction from Peaches Christ and an afterword by Cody Jarrett; it is sparsely illustrated with a few stills and lobby cards. In addition, there are some odd formatting and grammatical errors present – not that I am grammatically perfect, but they are glaringly noticeable. While most film fans will primarily be familiar with Tura’s work in Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!, if anything, the remainder of the career overview will have limited appeal to

Factsheet Five was a newsprint ‘zine that was a regularly published index of as many independent ‘zines as the editor/publisher could find. It was an essential catalog and contact forum for underground publishers before the commonplace adoption of the internet. I lost track of the magazine in the mid-1990’s and it folded in the late 1990’s. 25

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fans of classic TV and exploitation film. Tura, while striking, had very limited screen time in most of the roles presented and dissected â&#x20AC;&#x201C; sometimes not even named in the production. This is an extremely niche publication truly designed for the print on demand era. Although the dedication of Mr. Astell is noted and commendable, Velvet Glove is not recommended for a general audience. This serves the Tura Satana completist who must know every screen appearance of the late actress. Peruse the website first to see if you are a fan of the writing style, if not the subject before putting down your hard earned cash. Sometimes inspiration comes from an odd place. Lately, the resurgence of vinyl as a viable and collectible music medium has led to a large number of genre soundtracks to be remastered and rereleased. In a time where digitization has taken hold, the purveyors of vinyl are putting as much effort into the packaging as the music: liner notes, original art, gatefold sleeves and coloured vinyl. As a consequence, the catacombs have been resonating with the strains of the classics like Re-Animator, Bride of Frankenstein, Halloween (I, II, and III) and New York Ripper. This music is grand on its own merits and inspires a level of concentration while reading I had not had in quite some time. The next From the Catacombs will be music based around some of the finest labels in the reissue field and a few that are producing music in the classic exploitation horror soundtrack vein. Music helps set the mood in many ways, and hopefully I can help show the way to some unusual albums to mess with your minds the next time we wander the catacombs.

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www.morpheustales.com Morpheus Tales #24 Review Supplement, April 2014. COPYRIGHT April 2014 Morpheus Tales Publishing, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Review can be used, in full or in part, for publicity purposes as long as Morpheus Tales Magazine is quoted as the source.

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