Sunday, April 23, 2023

The Horror Collection #14: Lost Edition, edited by Kevin J. Kennedy and Ann Keeran

                                                          


Another fantastic collection of short stories from some exceptional authors. KJK Publishing is one of the best publishers for anthologies. Here is a breakdown of the 18 stories of the Lost Edition.

A Perfect Match by Russell James - Emile Broderick is passing through town and looking to relax and find the comforts of a woman. He ends up whisking her away for a better future. A completely unexpected ending that no one can guess. This story completely surprised me.

Eric’s Tune by Mark Towse - A prank has gone horribly wrong at an old abandoned prison. If you have ever visited or plan on visiting an abandoned prison, this is a must read!

13 Hook Street by Tim Curran - If you listen, you can hear a house share its feelings with you. All the dark and horrible secrets it has to share with you. A moody story, fantastic author.

Encounter by Daemon Manx - John is released from prison and picked up by his former bunkmate from prison, when he realizes something is amiss. You think you know someone and then suddenly, their true colors show.

The Maiden of Underbank by Lex H. Jones - A man with a broken heart calls on a mystical being to help him seek revenge. Impressive story. I enjoyed this one.

Excoriation by J.A. Sullivan - A woman is visiting her ex-mother-in-law at her request and shares the terrible memories of their time together. A good family story.

He by Konn Lavery - A food delivery man delivers to a home and receives a huge tip, ending up walking away with the biggest tip of his life. Has a bit of a fantasy vibe to it, loved this story.

Glass Weavers by C. M. Forest - Jonah is an engineer on a spacecraft, alone, when he finds he needs to fix a coolant control panel. This opens up to another mystery aboard the ship. Excellent author, a kind of science fiction/horror genre.

All The Teeming Life With Wings by J.R. McConvey - A doctor struggles with alcoholism while on a family vacation. Another good family story with a dark ending. I imagine this story is based on what the effects of alcoholism has on a family.

From A Colder Place by Judith Sonnet - A family is on their way home after a nice holiday break with the family when they run into some trouble during a blizzard. Twisted and evil story by an amazing author.

Flaming Eros by Mark Allen Gunnells - A young man is hired by a well-known writer/artist to help him with evening duties. Never trust an author when they ask for help in their homes!! Great story, I liked this one a lot.

Transcendence by Edward Lee and John Pelan - Using sex and drugs, Grey is working towards transcendence. A weird story, written magically, as if I were high on some drugs. Outstanding writing.

Shameless Sam Changes His Life by Steve Stred - Sam decides he wants a do over for his life and makes it happen, with consequences. Really neat story. I am remiss to admit this is my first Stred story, but I will remedy that. Amazing writing that kept me pulled in.

The Association by Richard Chizmar - Harold and his wife move into a new home, when they start to have issues with the homeowners’ association. I never did like the idea of a homeowners’ association and now I dislike it even more. You can never go wrong with a good Chizmar story.

Heartless by Calvin Demmer - James just wants to know if his wife is as heartless as she seems. Quite literally, a fabulous story. Demmer has a wicked imagination.

Frequencies by Candace Nola - Francis is very sensitive to sounds. He is working on a project that reflects his love of sounds. Great use of descriptors in this story. I enjoyed the writing style.

Voices From The Abyss by Brian G. Berry - Carter has been seeing and hearing things outside an underwater facility. Deep ocean stories are always a hit for me. I loved this one.

Bad Ink by Mattew V. Brockmeyer - In remembrance of his daughter, a father decides to get a tattoo, which leads to more tattoos. A sad and scary story all in one. I’d like to read more by Brockmeyer. He seems like an awesome story teller.

Overall, the stories in this collection are outstanding. The collection shows the vast talent across the horror genre and the amazing strength of these authors with their writing skills. Every author in this collection deserves praise for their gift of storytelling.



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