Beatrice (Teresa Catherine) travels the desert to an abandoned bunker, where she’s tucked away Bea (Sloane Cherry), her inner child. They spend the day together, doing all of their favorite things, before Beatrice makes the ultimate betrayal. Leaving the two changed forever.
As usual, readers who broadly enjoy the genre and styles of stories/authors will have a higher chance of loving the collection overall. But the book would also serve as a great entry point for people wanting to try out more from the genre, particularly with the cohesive strength and interesting dichotomy that this anthology holds.
Though her books don’t fall within my favorite niche of horror, I respect the hell out of Hailey Piper’s writing. The stories might not end up being personally beloved, but I can still recognize how effectively they will squarely hit for readers with experiences and appreciations that I just simply lack. As many people should quickly recognize, Piper’s new novel draws its title (and at least a portion of its inspiration and plot/framework) from Robert W. Chambers’ classic story of a cursed book/play The King in Yellow. That classic has been referenced countless times, from other horror writers to True Detective to The Dead Milkmen, punk band from my homeland area of Philly. Piper’s novel also owes debt to Ambrose Bierce’s short story “An Inhabitant of Carcosa,” which Chambers incorporated into his work. The King in Yellow also has elements that put it into taxonomical relation to Lovecraft. And this makes perfect sense for something for a cosmic horror author like Piper to draw from. Piper’s A Game in Yellow may not have a focus on any abundance of monstrous elder Gods or eldritch horrors within it, but the existential vibe of the novel with its characters’ anxieties, depression, and bleak failures in full view entrench it in that cosmic horror vein. But Piper combines this with an intimate look at a trio of characters and their relationships with one another. And that element is blended into the narrative with strongly and responsibly written erotica.
Given this is the final book of a trilogy, I’m breaking this review into two sections: one for readers who have already started the series, but first one for readers who haven’t dived into any of it yet.
Our last podcast featured Shaun and guest host Kendra interviewing Dutch author Johanna van Veen about her new novel Blood on Her Tongue. If you haven’t had a chance to listen to that conversation yet about bog people and shifting cultural perspectives on death, madness, identity, and gender, then be sure to tune in along with reading this review and checking out van Veen’s rich, gothic treat. Blood on Her Tongue ticks off most all of a reader’s expectations from the gothic literature genre: familial secrets, supernatural beings, madness, gender challenges, emotional intensity, isolation, curses, doubles, and above all that yearning for what isn’t good. With the pages of the book inked to appear like blood dripping out from within it, and the darkly decadent cover art, this title from Poisoned Pen Press simply screams Gothic.
Welcome to Psychotronic Perspectives, a new blog feature brought to you by Daniel & David, which delves into discussion of some of the weird and obscure genre movies that we happen to see! We’re diving to find film trash gold, and will share our thoughts on what we find, strange and glorious. Our first pick isn’t one randomly discovered, but inspired from last month’s Torture Cinema feature on the theme “Trouble at Lakes”: Joy N. Houck’s 1976 Creature from Black Lake. We both enjoyed this decidedly non-torturous picture enough to go back and watch Houck’s 1969 debut Night of Bloody Horror.
