SHORT SHOTS: ‘Knock on Wood’

(Editor’s note: SHORT SHOTS is a column where I review short stories from horror anthologies, collections, and zines.) “Knock on Wood” by Leigh Kenny invokes the elemental fear of A Nightmare on Elm Street and The Amityville Horror by blending a terrifying boogeyman with a haunted house. It transported me back to the best old-school... Continue Reading →

SHORT SHOTS: ‘Laugh with Jolly Jack’

(Editor’s note: SHORT SHOTS is a column where I review short stories from horror anthologies, collections, and zines.) "Laugh with Jolly Jack" by Stephanie Ellis is a tale of machines and madness inside a dilapidated penny arcade inherited by a henpecked husband. The machines may be cursed, so play at your own risk. Released April... Continue Reading →

SHORT SHOTS | ‘Quiet Embers’

(Editor’s note: SHORT SHOTS is a column where I review horror short stories.) “Quiet Embers” opens with the heart-wrenching line, “My neighbors house burned down six months ago with their children inside.” The tale then gently explores how the now empty lot haunts the narrator, a new resident of the neighborhood. “Quiet Embers” is one... Continue Reading →

SHORT SHOTS | ‘Political Suicide’

(Editor’s note: SHORT SHOTS is a column where I review horror short stories.) Karma is a bitch, but it has nothing on Jennifer Perry, the main character in the remorseless revenge tale “Political Suicide” by Bridgett Nelson. “Political Suicide” is a standout short story in Volume 3 of the Better Off Dead Series titled If... Continue Reading →

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