Morpheus Tales October 2015 Reviews Supplement by Adam Bradley

DAWNBREAKER By Jay Posey ....................................................................................................................................................... 2 A HAUNTING AT SILVER FALLS ................................................................................................................................................. 2 THE LIBRARIAN By Mikhail Elizarov ............................................................................................................................................ 2 Christopher Fowler Interview ............................................................................................................................................................. 3 GRUNT TRAITOR By Weston Ochse ............................................................................................................................................... 6 VAUDEVILLE & OTHER NIGHTMARES By Greg Chapman ....................................................................................................... 6 TIME SALVAGER By Wesley Chu .................................................................................................................................................. 6 How To Make A Tickling Killer Clown Movie – Part 2 A Trevor Wright Journal (ft. Pete Jacelone) .............................................. 8 THE DRAGON ENGINE By Andy Remic ........................................................................................................................................ 9 INNOCENCE: A NOVEL By Dean Koontz ...................................................................................................................................... 9 Women of Horror: Heather Drew Interview By Trevor Wright ....................................................................................................... 10 VICE ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 12 DARKEST DAY .............................................................................................................................................................................. 14 Ramblings of a Tattooed Head By Simon Marshall-Jones ............................................................................................................... 14 Interview Weston Ochse ................................................................................................................................................................... 15 Maggie Ivy Interview........................................................................................................................................................................ 19 AWAITING ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 20 Women of Horror: Crystal Howell Interview By Trevor Wright...................................................................................................... 22 WILL ANYONE FIGURE OUT THIS IS A REPACKAGED FIRST COLLECTION? By Johnny Mains .................................... 23

Edited By Stanley Riiks. Written By Adrian Brady, Simon Marshall-Jones, Stanley Riiks, C.M. Saunders, Trevor Wright. Proof-read By Sheri White. © Morpheus Tales October 2015. 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 Review Supplement, October 2015. COPYRIGHT October 2015 Morpheus Tales Publishing, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Reviews can be used, in full or in part, for publicity purposes as long as Morpheus Tales Magazine is quoted as the source.

DAWNBREAKER By Jay Posey www.angryrobotbooks.com If you’re at all interested in this book stop right here, because this is book three of a trilogy and there is no point starting here. You need to start at the beginning, you need to start with Jay Posey’s Three, and I can guarantee you that you will not be disappointed. If you haven’t read the first two books, reading this one will not be as much fun, and reading this review will reveal spoilers about what goes on in the first two books. Stop and go buy Three. Right, you’re done, you read it, now go buy Morningside Fall. And now you’re back for more, right? Of course you are. The third book in the series picks up where we left off—Cass and Wren are separated. Wren is with Charles, Mol, and Chapel in Greenstone waiting for his mother to get back; meanwhile, Cass is heading back to the ruined Morningside with the remains of the crew. But a mysterious figure appears at the Samurai McGann—it’s Three’s brother, and he offers Wren training in his fight against Asher. Wren accepts his offer and heads into the wastelands as Cass discovers she has powers of her own and must make the ultimate sacrifice to try to save her son. Each of the books in this series has had a slightly different focus, with Wren and Cass at the core of the story, and a mysterious figure shadowing them. This third book is a post-apocalyptic Karate Kid, as Wren learns the skills that Three uses to help save him so many times. Despite some fighting and battles, it feels like a much more personal story than the other books. This is more a coming-of-age tale than a SF action thriller, but there remains enough action and story to move things along as a nice, steady pace. Again, the ending seems a little on the weak side, a problem with the trilogy, but this may be because it builds up nicely until we get towards the end, then speeds up significantly and kind of misses the finale we were expecting. The third book does tie in nicely with the other books in the series and brings it all together so that it really feels like a fully-fledged trilogy, rather than a loosely connected collection of stories. Posey writes with an immediate style; the story he tells pulls you in deeply, and the world he has created is strange, disturbing, and wholly realistic. His characters are flawed and beautiful, and where he really excels.

The Legends of the Duskwalker trilogy is worthy of your time and attention. It has its flaws, but these are more than made up for by the quality of the writing and the story. It is not often I find myself recommending a trilogy; it’s not often I find myself finishing one very often any more, but the Legends of the Duskwalker trilogy is epic and brilliant in equal measure. By Stanley Riiks A HAUNTING AT SILVER FALLS Director: Brett Donowho Yet another film allegedly inspired by real events. This time, the murder of a pair of twins the director Brett Donowho read about. Newly orphaned teenager Jordan (Alix Elizabeth Gitter) is sent to live with an aunt and uncle in the town of Silver Falls, which has a reputation for being haunted. The moment she arrives, weirdness takes hold and she is dragged into the heart of a bewitching murder mystery. Can she solve the crime before the killer turns his attention to her? Or is it already too late? Whilst not breaking any new ground, this is a decent enough flick. It plays for a general sense of unease, rather than all-out frights. The story isn’t as predictable as you might think, and the performances are decent enough all-round. Perhaps the only thing letting it down is the special effects department, but I guess that’s just a consequence of working within the constraints of a minuscule budget. Sometimes, such an eventuality can add a layer of realism. Not so much with A Haunting at Silver Falls, where sadly it has the opposite effect. Still, the overall package is presentable. Twins are creepy enough at the best of times, and that creepiness is elevated to a whole new level when there are a pair of quite obviously dead ones following you around. By C.M. Saunders THE LIBRARIAN By Mikhail Elizarov http://pushkinpress.com/ Soviet propagandist Gromov’s books are almost forgotten, until it is realised that the books have a strange ability to impart powers to the readers. Libraries grow up like street gangs, fighting over the previous books. Alexei inherits the Book of Memory and his life will never be the same again as he becomes a Librarian. Filled with dark humour, this satirical novel takes a harsh look at the Soviet regime and the power of words. This is not the easiest book to read;

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the Russian characters and library names are a bit of a chore, but it’s worth the perseverance as they give the book its distinctly Russian flavour. Intelligent, insightful, darkly humorous, and a little bit nasty. By Adrian Brady

What other writers have influenced you? Ray Bradbury, Ballard, Waugh, Dickens, Arthur C Clarke, all of the experimental writers of the late 20th century. What are your other influences? Films, travel, talking to people, paintings – you name it. You just have to keep your eyes and ears open.

Christopher Fowler Interview Your latest book is The Sand Men, a SF novel (which is a new direction for you). Tell us about the book and why you’ve chosen to write an SF novel after success as a horror and crime novelist. I’ve written SF short stories before, and am wary of categorizing what I write because I grew up with authors who were writing speculative, edge, or plain weird fiction, so it’s not much of a leap for me. Plus, I was inspired by one of my heroes, JG Ballard – I think he would have explored this subject had he lived longer (Dubai’s headlong rush toward a hightech future) but mine is a very personal take.

You have written in many media (theatre, short stories, novels, graphic novels) and genres (horror, crime, comedy, sf). What do you prefer writing? Novels – although the quest to write just one perfect short story stays with me. I’ve gotten close a few times but it’s the Holy Grail for writers. Do you have any rituals or routines when you write? I treat it like a regular job even though I work at home, so I go to a separate room and do a ten-hour day. I nearly always write to fifty chapters for some reason!

You’ve been writing for a while now. What inspired you to start writing? All my life. I can’t do anything else and never wanted to. Maybe writers are born.

How do you put a book together— do you just sit down and write, or do you plan chapter by chapter? They say writers are either mappers or gardeners; i.e., you either plot everything on graph-paper or chuck the seeds out there and see what comes up. I’m the latter.

You are also wellknown for your Bryant and May crime novels; can you tell us about that series? These follow the adventures of two elderly detectives who investigate impossible crimes in London. They’re Golden Age cops in a very modern world and have a very peculiar way of solving crimes. So far they’ve featured in thirteen books and a graphic novel. The books won me this year’s CWA Dagger in the Library Award.

If you could go back in time to when you started writing and give yourself one piece of advice what would it be? Talk less, travel more, ask more questions. Do you read reviews of your work? How do you deal with criticism? I read all my reviews 3

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The second draft is the best part, when you’ve got a framework down and can really start having fun. The worst part is being stuck on the first draft and sensing you’ve made a wrong turn somewhere.

and mostly I’ve been really lucky with them. You do get the odd troll, but they’re usually bitter unpublished writers. Where do you get your inspiration? I worked in film for a long time and people often say my work feels film-like, so maybe films, but also I travel whenever I can get the time; it all gets fed into the laptop eventually!

Who are your favourite authors and favourite books? How long have you got? Ballard’s Low Flying Aircraft and Drowned World, Peake’s Gormenghast trilogy, Orwell’s 1984. Dickens’ Bleak House and all of Evelyn Waugh, George RR Martin’s Fevre Dream.

What book are you reading now? Wake Up and Dream by Ian R Macleod, Ray Bradbury Collected Stories, The Golden Age of Murder by Martin Edwards.

Do you get writer’s block? How do you cope with it? Nope. If I get stuck, I get on a train, bus, plane, or walk somewhere.

What is your proudest moment as a writer? Probably winning the CWA Dagger in the Library this year for my series, the Bryant & May mysteries.

If you could meet anyone, fictional or real, dead or alive, who would it be? Dame Edith Cavell, the nurse who was shot as a spy, Lawrence of Arabia, Superman (‘Tell me Superman, how does it feel to keep getting rebooted and never be as interesting as Iron Man’, who wasn’t even in the Marvel front line? Do you wish you weren’t DC?’).

Are you disappointed with any of your work when you look back on it? I wish my fantasy novel Calabash had found its audience. I still get letters about it from fans but my publishers didn’t know what to do with it. What’s the best piece of feedback that you’ve had from your audience? A woman recently told me that after her partner died suddenly the Bryant & May books comforted her – there’s a lot about death in them – and helped her to cope. It was unexpected and very moving.

What are you working on now? Strange Tide, the next Bryant & May book, and a creepy thriller. Do you have any advice for other writers? Finish what you start. Don’t get impatient. Don’t over-explain. Keep going. And Fiction Means You Can Make Shit Up. You can get more advice on my site, which is updated daily, at www.christopherfowler.co.uk.

What is the most important thing when becoming a writer? Keep it to yourself, keep on writing through the bad bits, and make sure you finish it! Too many people give up halfway through.

What scares you? Stupidity.

Do you write for a particular audience, or for yourself? I write for people who enjoy books – that sounds glib, but what I mean is people who get joy from stories, language, wild ideas, and good plots. If something I write lacks pleasure I hack it out.

What makes a good story? Two great characters, one sharp idea. UK: http://amzn.to/1HODOMO

What do you like to do when you’re not writing? I’m a travel junkie. You learn to make sense of the world as you travel. I remember going to Tokyo and thinking ‘Oh – it’s Blade Runner!’

US: http://amzn.to/1RMZpPw

What parts of being a writer do you like best? And least? 4

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Very eloquent. The novella “Vaudeville,” released as a stand-alone back in 2012, kicks off this collection, and in many ways it typifies Chapman’s work. A young misfit who recently lost his father stumbles across a ragtag band of travelling troubadours deep in the woods, who prove a lot more terrifying than flesh and blood vagabonds. Full of tattered imagery that will stay with you long after you’ve finished the story, “Vaudeville” sets the tone for much of what follows. Though none of the other tales are as meaty or substantial, many belie the author’s characteristic vivid, slightly warped imagination and willingness to explore taboos most others shy away from. Topics like paedophilia and rape (“Lost Lake”) and being buried alive (“Chthonic”), are tackled with relish. Recurring themes include madness, disaffection, broken homes, things that won’t stay dead, and abuse of virtually every conceivable variety. Not even Father Christmas gets away unscathed. My personal favourite is the taut little shocker called “A Host to Horror,” about a fading actor who gets a bit confused from time to time, with horrific consequences. Chapman is often compared to Clive Barker, and there are definite similarities. Be warned, some of these stories are undeniably unpleasant and will leave a bad taste in your mouth. But isn’t that what horror is for? By C.M. Saunders

GRUNT TRAITOR By Weston Ochse www.solarisbooks.com The second book in the Task Force Ombra series, the alien attacks on Earth continue. The aliens have already taken the Earth back to the dark ages, and begun terraforming the planet. Ben Mason heads to an alien-held Los Angeles to fight the enemy on home territory. This is a massively entertaining and actionpacked SF military thriller, but there’s so much else going on. This is a book with a heart and insight into soldiering, a deep understanding of the complexity of warfare and the struggle of fighting. Ochse has created a brilliantly realised world, and inhabited it with intelligent and personable characters, with an alien invasion thrown in. This is a brilliant and intelligent SF military thriller, and I cannot wait for the third book in the series. By Adrian Brady VAUDEVILLE & OTHER NIGHTMARES By Greg Chapman http://darkscrybe.com/ Greg Chapman is a supremely talented Australian artist and dark fiction writer. You may have seen his work before in publications like Midnight Echo, Bete Noir, and Dark Eclipse. This, his first collection of shorts, is available in paperback and e-book from Black Beacon Books, and what a beguiling volume it is. You won’t find much gross-out here. Australian horror is typically more subtle than that. “Horror,” Chapman explains, “is more about the human condition than monsters under the bed or gore for gore’s sake.”

TIME SALVAGER By Wesley Chu www.angryrobotbooks.com In the future, the Earth is a toxic waste land, and those who can afford it have fled off-planet. The remaining Earthlings have to steal resources from the past, using Chronmen, who must follow a strict set of rules to avoid interfering too much with reality and causing your typical Back To The Future timeline issues. James Griffin-Mars is on his last mission before he retires, when he enters into a situation that causes him to break the rules. Nothing will be the same again… Time travel is a much-used theme, and there’s not a great deal new here. This reminded me a little of Looper starring Bruce Willis. But Chu provides plenty of action to keep the story running along nicely, and enough tension to keep you on the edge of your seat. Fun time-travelling actioner. By Adrian Brady 6

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First, we shot Tony approaching the car and getting into it. No problem. Then we shot Larry dressed in a raincoat approaching the car. Problem. I suppose for good reason. Why (other than making a movie) would an old man dressed in a trench coat on a 90° day in mid-summer be walking through a busy shopping centre - other than to expose himself to some unsuspecting woman, or worse, child - or to conceal a machine gun, or other automatic weapon, intending to indiscriminately blow away as many innocent people as possible? So I (dressed in the trench coat) approached the car and was immediately confronted by a very intimidating security guard in full “mall cop” uniform. “What are you doing here? You know this is private property, right?” “Well,” I replied, “we do intend to do some shopping in a bit” (not exactly true). But first we are shooting a scene for a student film.” (Hopefully the magic button that would relinquish us from all legal consequences.) He asked, “What exactly happens in this student film?” “Umm... the man gets into the car, turns into a clown, and tickles this kid to death.” “Let me see your IDs.” Thankfully, Jesse really is a student and Mike (our DP), though out of school for at least three years, still carried his student ID. After Security documented all of our information, while once again reiterating the fact that we were on private property and should have asked for permission, Mike thankfully took over from here and asked if we needed to move on or finish our scene. The film gods were apparently with us that day, because to the surprise and delight of all of us, the cop said we could finish our scene. He left. We looked at each other and smiled. I donned the clown suit and proceeded to tickle Jesse “to death” with no further disruption other than noticing a guy standing next to a car about 50 feet away from us - apparently urinating?

How To Make A Tickling Killer Clown Movie – Part 2 A Trevor Wright Journal (ft. Pete Jacelone) April 25 Things are falling apart at a rapid clip. To recap: Our lead actress doesn’t understand her role in the movie and no one else in the cast has offered up any feedback on the script. I emailed Pete Jacelone (the producer, director, and killer clown of the movie). I don’t know if it was the stress of my Dad’s passing or the imminent fear of my new movie becoming a steaming pile of crap, but I offered up a solution: get rid of the lead! Strangely, he agreed. And then he did. I asked him how she took it. He said she sounded relieved. I knew we had made the right decision. April 26 Feedback starting to pour in. All positive. One actor I have worked with many times before referred to it as “another great Trevor Wright script.” Actually, he might have just said “another Trevor Wright script,” but that’s not what I heard. May 2 First day of shooting. I wish I was there to see the fruits of my labour, but such is the life of a part-time screenwriter who always lives far from the action. One day… one day… June 1 We have our new lead. Her name is Heather Drew. I check out her work via YouTube and discover that – wow! – she’s good. Damn good! Things are starting to look up. July 13 Pete shot a scene at a local supermarket over the weekend. During the day. Things did not go according to plan. Here is the story in his own words: First we parked at the furthest possible place where we could still see the building and busyness of the parking lot, but not interfere with cars, people, etc. The scene was Larry (Me) dressed in a raincoat approaching the car, then getting in the car, turning into a clown and tickling the character Tony (Jesse) to death.

July 24 Filming has once again commenced. This will be the final weekend of principal photography. My Lunatic’ler adventure is coming to an 8

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battling an increasing number of assassins as he struggles to secure his position as joint leader of the five havens. But as our band of merry warriors finally reaches the mountains, the second half of the book begins. Here there is a massive change in tone, and all the previous work Remic has done creating these characters is truly put to the test. I don’t want to spoil the surprise, but the second half sees violence and horror the like of which I was surprised at (even as a horror fan). There are some deeply disturbing scenes here, it was great! Things pick up significantly in the second half of the book; the fighting continues to ramp up in scale as we head towards the massive climactic battle. Remic leaves us with just a hint of what is to come in the next book. Despite the potential dangers of this book falling into stereotype (a group of warriors embarking on a quest for riches…), there is never any hint of that happening while you’re reading. Remic writes like a powerhouse; every page is rich and detailed, thrusting you inexorably forward. With Remic’s books I find myself reading really fast at the beginning as the rollercoaster ride of action takes over, and towards the end of the book I slow down to savour and enjoy the writing, the characters, and the immense action. If Tarantino ever does a fantasy film it should be based on a Remic book. By Stanley Riiks

end. It’s almost bittersweet. I’ve been working on this movie since February. A lot has happened both personally and professionally in the past six months. I still don’t know how I feel about being sucked back into the movie world. On one hand, I’ve been getting writing assignment after writing assignment, which means people either really like my work, or know I come dirt cheap. On the other hand, I just bought an Xbox, and even though I’m not a gamer, I really would like to play. Problems, problems… August 20 I’m not done with The Lunatic’ler just yet. Pete is sending over the rough cut in a few minutes. There’s been talk of doing a short prequel film and a comic book based on this movie. We have the world premiere in a matter of months, followed by getting it out to review sites and into film festivals. Apparently, this is just the beginning. And you know what? I think I’m okay with that. THE DRAGON ENGINE By Andy Remic www.angryrobotbooks.com The champion of action fantasy is back with The Dragon Engine, the latest book in a new series set in the same world as The Rage of Kings two-novel series. Although it’s set in the same world there is minimal overlap, and you don’t need to have read any of the previous books to enjoy it. The ensemble style of the earlier books will be somewhat familiar, as we have your regular cast of fantasy characters—a big grizzly dude with a beard and an axe, an archer, a swordsman. You know the drill, it’s like Dungeons and Dragons. Despite their stereotypical appearances, Remic manages to create great characters, filling them with history, with bruises and scars, and making them real. He doesn’t do this by giving great long pieces of exposition, but by throwing them headlong into the action. The pace builds nicely as the group sets out on a quest to find the mysterious and legendary dragons’ heads that will give them immortality and riches beyond their wildest dreams. As they travel they are chased by a splice, a half-man, half-horse creature of terror, and encounter a group of bandits on the way. Meanwhile the dwarf kingdom is under attack from within. The head of the church of hate is

INNOCENCE: A NOVEL By Dean Koontz http://www.deankoontz.com/ Nobody else apart from Koontz could have written something as engaging and insightful as Innocence. The story follows Addison Goodheart, a young man full of compassion and love but with an affliction that fills people with rage when they set eyes on him. Yes, maybe we all know someone like that. But this is different. Everyone from the midwife who delivered him, to strangers on the street, to his own mother, have wanted to destroy Addison. Unable to deal with such extreme emotion any longer, Addison’s mother soon kicks him out of 9

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the family home and he flees to the city, where he takes refuge in the labyrinth beneath the streets, venturing out only at night to gather supplies and gain access to the local library where he loses himself in books. It is here that he stumbles across Gwyneth, who is being chased down by the evil curator. Addison soon learns that he isn’t the only person in the world with issues. As he finds himself drawn into Gwyneth’s terrifying world, he discovers her social phobia is so strong it renders her practically disabled. Even so, it is love at first sight, and the duo decide to take on the world together, starting with the people who murdered her father and are now out to get Gwyneth. Innocence, preceded by the “Wilderness” novella, represents a real return to form for Koontz who, in my opinion, the Odd series apart, has been off the boil for years now. On the surface it is a bythe-numbers chase thriller pitching good against evil, but peel back the layers and you have a piece of work that is hard to define. The acute attention to detail and lyrical, almost poetic use of language, has never been more evident as the novel sweeps from one end of the genre spectrum to the other, taking in everything from edge-of-the-seat thriller to mystery, suspense, and paranormal romance. Koontz has always been one of the most technically astute authors there is, and the way he relates Addison’s past and ongoing present in alternate chapters to effectively tell two stories at once, is a master stroke. Koontz himself is said to count this as among the best things he has ever written, and it is bound to please his vast army of fans. By C.M. Saunders

don’t treat the business end with respect. I have to protect my career first. I am blessed to have a manager who handles the politics of it all, and we always discuss whether this is a good move for me professionally. Things that turn me away from a role are bad writing, required nudity (not this girl), and unrealistic expectations (way off budget). It hurts my soul to turn down a role but sometimes I have to whether it’s a paycheck, a character I don’t like, or just my schedule. And terrible writing is of course number one. I’ve discovered that not only are you an actress but also a “death coach.” What is a “death coach?” A “death coach” is someone who coaches actors on how to be injured and die on camera. I am actually the only film and TV ”death coach” in the country and you can see some of my work in A Place In Hell releasing soon. I work alongside Pamela Kramer in the Dying for the Camera Horror/Sci-fi Acting Class at The Actors Connection NYC. I also coach on set and through Skype. I specialize in realistic deaths and I teach tricks and tips to actors and directors so they can get an epic death scene. Through hands-on exercises, I explain how the body breaks down and the process it must go through to fail depending on injury. I guarantee every actor will have to die at least once on screen and I want to make it so audiences walk out of the theater talking about how cool that death was. I encourage any actor to take the Dying for the Camera class because it helps free you up to take chances. Plus it’s hysterical to watch a bunch of people pretend to die one after the other.

Women of Horror: Heather Drew Interview By Trevor Wright As an actress what do you look for in choosing the right role? What are some things that would turn you off from playing a role? Let’s skip to the ‘second’ question I ask myself when contemplating a role. “Will this be fun? Would five-year-old Heather slap me in the face for passing this role up? Am I riding a motorcycle and shooting monsters while operating a hovercraft? Check!” Doing new things or seeing the world can often work in the favor of taking a job. Of course everything gets narrowed down to the first question I have to ask myself, is this role right for my career. Even if there is a seven-foot demon, sometimes business trumps pleasure and I have to pass. Acting is incredibly fun, but I won’t be doing it too long if I

So you have acting and coaching under your belt. What other behind the scenes hats have you worn or would like to wear in the near future? I have been Assistant to the Director on many films and industrial shoots. That’s my favorite. I am also an Associate Producer (Containment and We’ll 10

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friends with the series creator, Scott Perry, and we have developed both a great geeky friendship and a wonderful collaborative creative partnership. (He lets me borrow comics and video games!) We have even created our own shorts together. Plus, we got to shoot in a haunted house attraction and I got to look around the whole place as long as I wanted without having to worry someone would pop out at me. I had the same haunted house VIP treatment when filming A Place in Hell with Director David Boorboor. I also loved shooting the House of Hardcore Wrestling documentary because I hung out with John Morrison, Brian Kendrick, and Tommy Dreamer.

Always Have Paris). I have been a set decorator and painter for a series released for Netflix. It was a Netflix debut. In years past, I have also been a PA, Craft Services, and steamer on some big sets in order to get my foot in the door. I’m also a Casting Assistant and have just dabbled in my first few co-directing jobs. I would love to produce in the future and assistant or co-direct with another director. I hear you’re a huge professional wrestling fan. So much so that you’re training to become a WWE Diva. Is this true? And if so, what are the steps you’re taking to make this dream a reality? I just went to a WWE event last night! I have been obsessed since I was four. I plan on training at a New Jersey school soon to learn the basics. I respect the sport too much not to learn. It is an amazing form of entertainment. I am taking some combat classes like Krav Maga as well to put in my actor tool belt. As far as a wrestling career goes, I hurt my back recently in a car crash on my way to a set in Maine on top of an already injured back from a failed stunt. I have to postpone training, but I hope to get in the ring and at least have one match when I am recovered. Acting is number ONE, but I plan to one day try and intertwine them by either being on WWE NETWORK hosting like Renee Young or even being a guest valet if the stars align.

Least favorite production experience. Why? Well, I once got set on fire by WWE Diva Katie Lea (TNA as Winter). But that was a total accident and she was awesome to work with. Worst experience would have to be when I shot three weeks in a horrendous blizzard. Due to noise, we had to turn the heat lamps off when rolling and one evening I almost fell asleep against a wall unconscious from the cold. People were shaking me to keep me awake. The shed we were filming in was tin and it felt like a refrigerator. Even with a huge jacket and hand warmers it was just cold to the bone. I have never experienced prolonged exposure to those elements and I hope to never shoot in three weeks of snow again. Overall, besides the snow (which I love as long as I am not sitting in it), I actually loved that shoot.

Why is it that so many die-hard horror fans are also die-hard wrestling fans (myself included)? What’s the correlation? They are just badass. I have often wondered this and sometimes I just think the answer is ”brutality.” For me, they both take technique to execute and look much worse than they are. I just think they possess a certain magic. Like “Wow, how did they do that?” or “How is that guy not broken in two?” It’s entertainment magic. Gets your heart racing. Favorite production experience. Why? My favorite would probably be shooting the In Fear Of series. I was in three episodes as well as the episode opening credits. I ended up becoming great

This is not a slight in any way, but most people working in movies (myself included) have day jobs (not associated with film) that afford us the opportunity to chase our passion. What is your day job? Death Coach and Casting Assistant to Pamela Kramer, Bradley Baron. I try to be on set as much as possible. I waitress a few times a month so I can collect health insurance too. What is your ultimate goal when it comes to working in movies? 11

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Facebook or connect with me at heatherdrewacting.com. I love hearing from new people. Lastly, a special Thank You to Trevor for this awesome interview. Can’t wait to see more of your scripts come to life! VICE Director: Brian A.Miller “Have you ever wanted something that is beyond your reach? An experience like nothing you could possess in real life?” Sure you have. Unfortunately, the closest to our deepest darkest desires most of us are ever likely to get is in Hollywood movies. When you think about it, maybe that’s not a bad thing. Of course, we all want stuff. It’s one of the things that keeps us human. With no laws, no rules, no consequences, Vice certainly does offer an alternative reality. One where you can do what you want. A Utopian paradise, as the indomitable Bruce Willis tells us over the opening credits. But as we are continuously told, there is always a price to pay somewhere along the line. Willis seems to have successfully carved out a new niche for himself among the Hollywood elite. If you want a sci-fi action hero and can’t be bothered dealing with all Tom Cruise’s bullshit, Bruce is your man. He’s come a long way since Moonlighting. Here he plays the boss of Vice, the alternate reality he waxed lyrical about at the start, which is best described as an entertainment complex where customers pay to live out their wildest fantasies. This sometimes spills out into the real world, where a grizzled cop has to clean up the mess. Needless to say he’s getting pretty tired of it and friction ensues. Vice is populated mainly by ”artificials,” or synthetic humans, doomed to repeat the same 24-hour cycle, and everything is running smoothly until one of them starts wigging out and having flashbacks. At times Vice descends into one of those Inception-esque exercises in movie mind-bending where you aren’t sure what’s real and what isn’t. There are enough bullets flying around to sink a battleship (don’t you ever wonder why people in films are such crap at shooting?) but at its core, Vice is a pure science fiction flick for the new century. It probably won’t win many awards; neither will it live long in the memory, but it does throw out some interesting existential questions and is a decent enough waste of time. By C. M. Saunders

I would love to be on a supernatural TV show. Think Buffy or Charmed. For the next few years I think I will stick to film, but TV is right around the corner. Films are quick commitments and a lot of fun, and I get to be a lot of people. I get to try many different roles in a short span of time, but a character I can live and breathe for years is something I look forward to. I’d love to have a TV second family. What are some of your upcoming projects? I am working on a paranormal TV pilot called Absent Witness. I just shot a film called Sticks and The Lunatic’ler. I had a blast on both and LOVED both characters. My role of Peyton in The Lunatic’ler, directed by Pete Jacelone, was so complex that I really felt like she was three characters in one. She was so layered and yet a complete tough girl on the exterior. I have two more film projects I am in negotiations for and I also love to submit shorts to a site called Tentsquare.com that holds actor, writer and filmmaker competitions. We’ve gone through many waves of the horror genre from classic monsters to atomic creatures to slasher movies of the 80s all the way up to the torture porn of the early 2000s. What do you see (or would like to see) as the next big thing in horror? I want monsters! Cabin in the Woods style. I also wouldn’t mind horror comedies having a nice run. Not parodies but good old-fashioned creative movies. I am hoping Scream Queens sets the precedent. I want new Gremlins, Bad Milo, Tucker and Dale. I like fun kills and a dose of humour. I personally even consider Final Destination to fall in this horror comedy category. Maybe I am just deranged. Anything else you’d like to add? I owe a special thanks to my acting coach, Pamela Kramer, CD, who has pushed me to never accept a ‘good’ performance. She motivates me. Love you, Mom and Dad! Thank you to anyone who has allowed me to bring a character to life and do what I love. Please feel free to drop me a message on 12

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Dan Rickard and his mates achieved a lot with very little. There are fires and zombies and explosions and guns. Even a couple of helicopters. What else do you need? The special effects and CGI are pretty impressive. At times, you are left wondering just how they managed it all if the budget really was as minuscule as we are led to believe. An impressive underground effort well worth 90 minutes of your time. By C.M. Saunders

DARKEST DAY Director: Dan Rickard “British zombie horror at its best!” screams the blurb on the poster, which is a bit of a leap. Whoever said that has obviously never seen Danny Dyer’s Doghouse (that’s a joke, by the way. Doghouse is terrible). Anyway, it is customary when writing a film review to summarize the plot, to help the potential viewer decide whether it’s worth their time, effort and money or not. With that in mind, here goes... Dan (Rickard, also the writer and director) wakes up with amnesia on a beach in Brighton, that weird yet strangely hip little outpost on the south coast of England immortalized in the seventies classic Quadrophenia. He wouldn’t be the first young man to do that, but Dan manages to do it in the middle of the zombie apocalypse. So now he isn’t being threatened by the assorted shenanigans of lively groups of mods and rockers, but rather hordes of crazed, blood-soaked zombies, who run around flapping their arms and screaming a lot. To make matters worse, it appears there’s a bunch of soldiers on his tail, too. Luckily for Dan, he runs into a small group of survivors, who are shacked up in a student house drinking Stella, as you probably would be when Armageddon comes. There’s even a stereotypically brash token American, which is one of the more outlandish parts of the entire film, never mind the zombies. Apart from the awful accent, even in this brave, new globalized world of ours, Americans still don’t go to Brighton. Why would they? If she wasn’t trying to be American, I apologise, but that’s what it sounded like, and it sucked. Anyway, when the group of student survivors runs out of booze and fags, they are forced to tool up with a selection of swords and bludgeoning tools and leave the sanctuary of their squat. You can probably guess the rest. Bearing in mind there’s only so much you can do within the confines of a zombie film, Darkest Day does at least make an effort to break the mould. It took seven years to produce on a non-existent budget, and the majority of the dialogue is unscripted, a very brave (or very stupid, depending on your point of view) decision when working with a cast of unknowns. Truth be told, this doesn’t lead to much more than a few extra swear words but it’s a big ask to keep the thing going, especially as the lack of budget means the whole production has to primarily be character-driven. There isn’t much in the way of a plot but to give credit where it’s due,

Ramblings of a Tattooed Head By Simon Marshall-Jones I have recently been forcibly reminded that, whatever ghastliness we create on the page or screen, nothing can compare to real-life horrors. Over the past two months my wife has been coping with a very serious eye complaint, known as a corneal melt. That in itself sounds terrifying, but the reality is even more so, especially when the ophthalmologist calmly tells you that the cornea is perforated and the only thing which is preventing leakage is the iris which has slipped and is now plugging the hole. The upshot is that, without a graft, the sight in her eye stood a good chance of being lost. Cue sudden hospitalisation in London followed by an operation the next morning. Surgery was successful. The wife came home, accompanied by a carrier bag full of various medications. Subsequent check-ups indicated that the treatment had worked. However, at the next appointment it’s discovered that the melt has returned in another part of the same eye, leading to more drugs being prescribed. Eventually the eye condition is stabilised, but there’s still some risk that something nasty might happen. An autoimmune condition is suspected, rather than infection. A visit to a different hospital in the capital provides a diagnosis at last – ChurgStrauss Syndrome. A new treatment is proposed, one that will be targeted as opposed to a blanket solution. The urgency is underlined by the doctor when she casually said, “Your eye is in danger of rupturing.” Forget about Un Chien Andalou or Lucio Fulci’s The Beyond, this is the real thing we’re talking about here. Just think about that: an eyeball rupturing. Not to make light of my wife’s condition (far from it) but in all honesty, whatever we may read or watch, nothing worse could be imagined. But deeper than that is the threat implicit in those words, a true horror – the loss of one’s sight. 14

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the verbosity and archaic language, there is indeed more than a kernel of truth in Lovecraft’s works. The universe is immeasurably vast, is at its heart uncaring (but only in the sense that it is not, as far as we know, sentient so therefore not aware of itself or its contents), and certainly neither is worried nor concerned about whether it’s creating or destroying. Simply put, there is neither rhyme nor reason, and the universe is neither moral nor immoral. In some ways, I find that incredibly comforting in a ‘spiritual’ sense: that there is no plan, no grand design, or that we have our lives mapped out for us. We are all as deserving or undeserving as each other. Beliefs arose as systems of interface between individual and the real world, a way to explain the inexplicable. They are also a way of lessening the horror of an uncaring universe: for many, the alternative doesn’t bear contemplation. My acceptance of this (which is, in essence, just another belief) doesn’t mean that I don’t care. On a personal and practical level, I care very much, perhaps too much. This is why I can appreciate the distinction between ‘faux’ horror and that in real life – I know the difference. It also allows me to formulate a coherent moral framework with which to make my way through life. Forgive me; I have truly rambled on this time, but let me assure you that this forum has served a useful purpose for me – an outlet for putting some thoughts I have been entertaining recently onto virtual paper. In light of what’s been happening to my wife (and its possible consequences), this is only natural. But, if I have bored you in the process then I can only apologise – hopefully, normal service will be resumed next time.

Sight is, in my opinion, the most important of our senses. It’s how we successfully navigate the world around us, and it allows us the pleasure of seeing our loved ones, to read a wonderful story, or to appreciate a piece of art. We can adapt to the loss of one eye quite readily, of course, as much as we can adapt to the loss of a limb – the only difference there being that we cannot as yet replace the eyeball with a fully functioning artificial organ. We can at least do that with limbs. There is something absolutely fundamentally terrifying about losing one’s sight that perhaps is not matched by loss of hearing or smell, for instance. An unalterable truth of life, a state which often prompts me to wonder why certain types of people complain about horror in the media and its supposed deleterious effects when there is so much more violent brutality out there, both natural and man-made. Ebola, rabies, natural disasters, terrorism, murder, to enumerate just a few. The fact remains that it doesn’t take any kind of horrific media to inspire such things: our species and the darkness that often hides therein is inspiration enough. Frustration, I would think, lies at the heart of this particular scapegoat – if you have nothing substantial to blame you grasp at the nearest thing. But, I digress and so, to return to my original theme, I believe that real-life horror has a purpose, albeit one that is mostly unwelcome. It reminds us that life is precious and, more importantly, that the universe is often random when it comes to doling out both luck and misfortune. The reasons why one particular person sails through life without anything bad happening to them, irrespective of whether they are ‘good’ or ‘bad’ people, while someone else is constantly going through trials on a daily basis or just fighting to survive, are forever beyond us. It’s never as black and white as some would have you believe. We assign the description capricious to the random nature of our particular universe, yet that implies that there is a species of intelligent decisionmaking behind it. It is only seemingly capricious, as we are only capable of seeing order rather than chaos. I think Lovecraft came closest to encapsulating the true nature of the mechanics of the universe. Of course, I don’t mean to imply that in a literal sense: I certainly don’t believe that entities of the likes of Chtulhu, Yog-Sothoth, and Nyarlathotep actually exist. They were literary devices upon which to hang vast concepts, a means by which to delineate ideas which would be difficult to grasp in any other context. Nevertheless, once you get past

Interview Weston Ochse Your book Grunt Life (A Task Force Ombra Novel Book 1) came out last year, tell us about that. Grunt Life begins with an attempted suicide that is really a metaphor for the entire book. Instead of killing himself, our hero Ben Mason is offered the chance to die for his planet. Thus begins his journey into Task Force Ombra, where he is schooled about different aliens by reading sci-fi books, learns strategies to defeat them by watching sci-fi movies, and then ultimately wages war against an alien race called the Cray. Your new book Grunt Traitor is out from Solaris Books; the book is the second in the series. Can a reader start with this book, and what’s it about? 15

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Absolutely. This is my third trilogy and I’m very conscience that it’s important for a reader to be able to pick up a book anywhere in a series and dive in. I write as a reader first and a writer second.

Do you have any rituals or routines when you write? No. I can write anywhere. I can write with noise, clutter, chaos, whatever. I once wrote a story while sitting in the back of a tank rolling through Death Valley.

Your background in the military has obviously affected your writing; what inspired you to start writing? I started writing when I was thirty. I’d always wanted to write but had never done it. There wasn’t any reason not to write, so I set about teaching myself the craft.

How do you put a book together? Do you just sit down and write, or do you plan chapter by chapter? I like to outline as much as possible. Not a thick outline, but a thin skeletal structure that keeps the narrative from falling in on itself.

How did you go about first getting your work published? Even from the very beginning, I submitted to only professional markets. I’d submit, get a rejection, look at the comments and apply what I thought was appropriate, then re-submit the manuscript somewhere else. I earned 42 glorious rejections before I had my first sale. And I’ve been published ever since—26 books and more than 70 stories.

If you could go back in time to when you started writing and give yourself one piece of advice what would it be? Don’t listen to that lawyer at the BEA. (I messed up a movie deal back in 2003. Long story.) Do you read reviews of your work? How do you deal with criticism? Sure. Who doesn’t? Most reviews are good. I get the occasional bad one. When I do, I call in for an F16 strafing run. Normally, I’m able to call them off before they fire.

What other writers have influenced you? Cormac McCarthy, John Irving, PF Kluge, Joe Haldeman, Ray Bradbury.

What book are you reading now? Control-Alt-Revolt by Nick Cole.

What are your other influences? Everything pop culture. As a child of the 70s and 80s I bleed TV, comics, and movies. Where do you get your inspiration? Everywhere, and sometimes in the most unlikely places.

What is your proudest moment as a writer? Every damn novel is a proud moment. For a guy who’d never published anything and to think I have 26 books out there? It stuns me.

What is your writing day like? I try and write five pages a day.

You are well-known for your military SF, are there any other genres you would like to try? 16

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I’d like to go on a fishing trip with Ray Bradbury. I can just see us sitting by the stream, him drinking beer, me drinking wine, talking about the creative process.

Like I said, I have 26 books. Six of those are military SF. The rest are thriller, cyberpunk, horror, and dark fantasy. I’ve really written it all. Are you disappointed with any of your work when you look back on it? A couple of early short stories cause me great regret. They weren’t edited right. A writer can only write so much, then he or she needs to be edited. The person who edited the rags they were published in slapped the Editor moniker after his name and presto— instant editor. But not so good.

Which do you prefer writing/reading, short stories or novels? Each has its own endearing qualities. What are you working on now? A novel tentatively titled Bone Rush. Do you have any advice for other writers? Yes. If you want to be a writer then define what kind of writer you want to be and become that. Example, if you want to be a professional writer, then only submit to professional markets and act like a professional.

What’s the best piece of feedback that you’ve had from your audience? I was very concerned about the reception of Grunt Life. It can be very bleak. It takes you into the minds of PTSD sufferers like no other book has done before. I didn’t want it to seem like I was taking advantage of the syndrome for monetary gains. I wanted to write about it to put a positive slant on the syndrome. The response I received was overwhelmingly in my favour. I breathed a huge sigh of relief.

What scares you? Spiders. Heights. Butterflies (yeah, I know). What makes a good story? One in which the reader can find a connection. Without a connection, the reader won’t care.

What is the most important thing when becoming a writer? Know what kind of writer you want to be and become that writer.

Weston Ochse is the award-winning author of more than twenty novels, including the ground-breaking Task Force OMBRA series for Solaris. A military veteran with over thirty years of service who began writing professionally in 1997, Wes has seen his work published in magazines, comics, and anthologies. He lives in the Arizona desert, a stone’s throw away from Mexico.

Do you write for a particular audience, for yourself? I write for myself first. What do you like to do when you’re not writing? Hike, kayak, run, fish, cook, Yoga.

Grunt Traitor is out now (US)/13 August (UK) What parts of being a writer do you like best? And least? I like the writing part the best. I hate the promotion part the most.

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/GruntTraitor-Task-ForceOmbra/dp/1781083584/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid= 1438095496&sr=8-1&keywords=grunt+traitor

Who are your favourite authors and favourite books? Favourite books include The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy, The Great and Secret Show by Clive Barker, Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury.

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/GruntTraitor-Task-ForceOmbra/dp/1781083576/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid= 1438095462&sr=8-1&keywords=grunt+traitor

Do you get writers block? How do you cope with it? Of course. I try and do something else creative. If you could meet anyone, fictional or real, dead or alive, who would it be? 17

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Maggie Ivy Interview How did you get started with art? I had difficulties in school at an early age. I was able to make friends, I just wasn’t that smart, and things just didn’t click for me the way it did for other kids. The one thing I was keen on and was good at was drawing, and I did it all the time, and continued to this day. Tell us how you go about creating a piece? Do you do lots of preliminary sketches, or just go for it? Even if it’s a personal project, the first thing I do is think about what the application is for this piece—is it a cover for a book? cd? Is it meant to be an art print? Then I make a list of ideas and words, a list of what I want the image to be and what I want in it, and how I want it to feel. Then I start out with the preliminary sketches, then move on to the painting from there.

How has technology changed how you work? I’ve luckily grown up along with the digital age, so it been pretty integrated into my process. All the way from getting the work (via email, internet, etc.) to digitally painting. A lot of your artwork is quite dark/horror-inspired; what drew you to this area? Something that was mesmerizing when I was a little kid was the book series Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz, and mostly the illustrations in the book by artist Stephen Gammell. This is what got me on my horror kick. These images fascinated not only me but everyone in my class. They were so far out and different from anything I had been exposed toup to that point.

How long does a piece take? As long as it takes! But mostly I like to have a week to work on and off on a project, and to at least sink eight hours into a piece, but if I can, I love being able to take the time to push a piece as far as I can.

What artists inspire you? Too many to name, but if I had to pick a few to share it’d be Samuel Araya, Vanessa Lemen, and Sam Wolfe Connelly. What other things inspire you? Right now I’ve been really into the two-sentence scary stories popping around the internet. Birds have also been a theme I’ve been into for a long time. You recently worked on a cover for Morpheus Tales magazine. Tell us about the cover and how it came about? I wanted to do something that involved eyeballs, and then things fell together from there. Being an artist can be lonely work. Are you a member of any groups or studios? I wish. When I was in school I had always been lucky enough to share a studio space, but now that I’ve stepped out into the real world, I’m working alone from a home studio. I still keep constant 19

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contact with my friends and past studiomates via the internet, so it isn’t as lonely as I’m making it sound.

Lauren, a doe-eyed picture of innocence who barely bats a carefully manicured eyelash when “Daddy,” played with aplomb by Tony Curran, drives home one evening with an unconscious man in tow. The unconscious man (Rupert Hill) turns out to be a businessman called Jake who, on coming around the next morning, finds himself in a rural outpost populated by Lauren and her everso-slightly unhinged daddy. There’s a storm raging outside, there are no phones or internet, and the “family” are celebrating Christmas in September (“Daddy doesn’t want to be like everyone else”). The weirdness doesn’t stop there. Lauren and Daddy really don’t want the stranger to leave, because this is the one night of the year when Lauren pretends to be her dead mother. Okey dokey. If he wasn’t such a tosser, at times you could almost feel sorry for Jake. Almost. As the story unfolds, the secrets of the past are brought to light, and Awaiting builds toward its blood-soaked climax, there become two distinct ways of interpreting this film. On the one hand it is a touching lament about the all-consuming power of everlasting love and a doting father who would do anything to protect his daughter, while on the other it is the tale of a lunatic with an axe and a relaxed attitude to what constitutes “food”. Some great acting, a sturdy, well-written plot, and a haunting musical score combine to ramp up the tension nicely, and if Awaiting manages to break free of its cult shackles, this could be one of the best British thrillers of the decade. The grisly last few frames will stay with you long after the final credits have rolled. By C.M. Saunders

What is your favourite piece you have created? For now, I really like my Red Lady piece. A lot of things clicked for me when I was finished with it, so it may not be my best anymore, but it is one that I learned a lot from. Where do you sell your work? I sell my work online on through an Etsy store. www.etsy.com/shop/iv ymaggie Who is your favourite author? I’ve been getting back into Phillip K. Dick and Ray Bradbury. What is your favourite book? The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury. I enjoy collections of short stories. Who is your favourite artist? Adam Tan or Andrew Hem. If you could illustrate anything, what would it be? Right now all I want to do is illustrate stories. AWAITING Director: Mark Murphy There’s something intrinsically creepy, and also vaguely sexual, about a sultry young woman repeatedly using the term “Daddy.” Even if it is in reference to her own father. Here, Diana Vickers, the up-and-coming British actress who first made a splash on the X Factor and has been a consistent chart-botherer ever since, lays it on thick. She plays 20

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Women of Horror: Crystal Howell Interview By Trevor Wright You’re a “Jack Of All Trades” when it comes to working on a movie set. You’re an actress as well as being highly skilled in make-up and FX. How did you get started in FX work? I was actually doing makeup and hair on a horror set back in 2013 and became good friends with the SFX artist. I sat and watched him work, and upon returning home, I started watching tutorials online, DVDs, and reading books on how to get started. From there I started practicing on myself and friends. As an actress what do you look for in choosing the right role? What are some things that would turn you off from playing a role? When choosing a role I have to be able to connect to the character on some level. I try to stay away from playing the same type of character multiple times. There’s only so many times you can play the bitch before it’s no longer fun or challenging. I like to be challenged and to push myself with my characters. Unorganized and unprofessional sets will always turn me away from a role. You don’t have to be a big budget film to run your set in a professional manner.

the gym prepping for my next role. Are you most comfortable on set as an actress, doing FX, or tactical training work? Why? I am comfortable doing almost anything on set. I can also run camera and sound. Favorite production experience. Why? I don’t have a favorite production experience… there are way too many great times to choose from. Least favorite production experience. Why? I can’t say the name of the production that was the worst experience, but let’s just say that it was so bad I walked off set during filming, and so did the director. I did go back and finish what I started because I’m not the type of person to walk away when I’ve committed to a job.

Upon doing some research I discovered that you are in insanely good shape. Some of your workouts consist of rolling huge tires! Are you trained in stunt work? If so, how did you get started in that area and what productions have allowed you to apply your expertise? I am not trained in stunt work yet. I do have plans to attend a stunt school next year. I have attended the Tactical Film Fighting Academy taught by Dave White. Right now I’m just spending a lot of time in

This is not a slight in any way, but most people working in movies (myself included) have day jobs (not associated with film) that afford us the opportunity to chase our passion. What is your day job? I am a licensed Cosmetologist by trade so that is my lovely day job. What is your ultimate goal when it comes to working in movies? My goal is to make kickass films with amazingly talented people and have some fun along the way. What are some of your upcoming projects? Right now I am in pre-production on a film I cowrote with Michael Beckner Jr. We haven’t settled 22

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on a name yet. It will be in the horror/supernatural genre. I am acting in it, doing SFX makeup, running sound, and helping with cam op. We are currently working to get the IndieGoGo up.

stuck into this opus one drizzly spring night, I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised. On the whole, anyway. As per most single-author collections it is patchy in places and there seems to be a fair amount of filler. There are a couple of duds, whilst most of the other material veers between good and average. The internet tells me Johnny Mains is more noted as an editor than a writer, which might explain my unfamiliarity. He’s also Scottish, which might explain the often sardonic threads of humour running through most of these stories. The notes say the book was previously available as With Deepest Sympathy, named after one of the stories it contains about a vindictive old lady who gets her comeuppance, and to me that’s a much better title than what he went with on the reboot. It is often said you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Unfortunately, people do. It’s just the way it is. By C.M. Saunders

We’ve gone through many waves of the horror genre from classic monsters to atomic creatures to slasher movies of the 80s all the way up to the torture porn of the early 2000s. What do you see (or would like to see) as the next big thing in horror? I kind of feel that almost everything has been touched in horror. I would like to see someone make a newer version of the silent films. Anything else you’d like to add? I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to read this. To stay up to date on any of my upcoming projects you can follow me on Instagram: chowellfx WILL ANYONE FIGURE OUT THIS IS A REPACKAGED FIRST COLLECTION? By Johnny Mains https://www.facebook.com/johnnyamains I must admit, when I was first given this book to review, I had no idea who Johnny Mains was. I didn’t like the title, which I guess is trying to be funny but just strikes me as lazy, and the oversimplistic cover art looks like it was produced by a teenager some time back in the seventies. Also, the lettering is in ALL-CAPS for fuck’s sake. I hate to sound like a grammar Nazi, but that’s one of biggest my pet hates. None of this filled me with hope. But when I eventually got past all the negatives and got 23