book reviews
Book reviews for horror fans; weather a sleepless night with literary accounts of hauntings, possessions, zombies, vampires and beyond.
Rosemary's Baby: A Critique
FOR THOSE WHO'VE NEITHER READ THE NOVEL NOR SEEN THE MOVIE AND DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED, THEN I SUGGEST YOU STOP READING HERE BECAUSE THIS ESSAY WILL ADDRESS THE ENDING AND HOW IT EXPLORES WOMEN'S BODILY AND SEXUAL AUTONOMY WITHIN PATRIARCHY.
By Cynthia C. Scott3 years ago in Horror
The Fate of the Final Girl
With Jamie Lee Curtis taking her final bow as the iconic Laurie Strode in the closure of the long-running Halloween franchise, I decided that it would be a good time to take “Final Girls” by Riley Sager off of the shelf as a tribute to the woman who revolutionized and embodied the essence of strength and resiliency that it takes to be a final girl. Often attributed as the first real example of a final girl, Curtis’ character Laurie Strode was the sole survivor of Michael Myers’ attacks that fateful Halloween night, but Curtis’ character highlighted the emotional, physical, and psychological burden that can come from being a survivor.
By Kurt Mason3 years ago in Horror
Mr. Harrigan's Phone - A Netflix Movie Review
Please tell me I am not getting a call from the dead. Mr. Harrigan’s Phone is a 2022 Netflix film. From a young age, Craig befriends an elderly man named Mr. Harrigan. Sadly Mr. Harrigan passes away. Putting his phone with him in the coffin, Craig is shocked to get a message in return one night.
By Marielle Sabbag3 years ago in Horror
A New, Old Terror
This is a dead horse trope that, true to its nature, refuses to stay in the grave. From vampire, jiangshi, and xidachane, the walking corpse has collected many names from many cultures. Renowned horror authors such as Bram Stoker, Mary Shelley, Ambrose Bierce, and H.P. Lovecraft have all been instrumental in influencing the exploration of the horrors of not only death but what lies beyond it.
By Wen Xiaosheng3 years ago in Horror
Horror stories - Myths and Legends Based On Real Events - part 2
The internet is full of all kinds of horror stories, but most of them are just that - simple fantastical concoctions to tell friends around the campfire or in front of the fireplace on frosty winter evenings.
By Viorel Secareanu3 years ago in Horror
A Closer Look at Joyce Carol Oates’ ‘Pumpkin Head’
A Woman Alone When I first read Joyce Carol Oates’ short story “Pumpkin Head,” I was so frightened that I didn’t want to be in my apartment alone afterward. Her stories have scared me before, but this experience was quite unsettling. As with most horror stories, the shock wore off with time, yet her characters continued to haunt me long after meeting them on the page. Perhaps it was her female protagonist — Hadley — whom I identified with so much that I could not forget her vulnerability as a woman living alone. As I sit here in my candle-lit apartment listening to the roll of distant thunder, I remember Oates’ story a decade later as we approach Halloween — the season of pumpkins and stories that make our skin crawl.
By Jennifer M. Ward3 years ago in Horror
MR. Violence VS Dracula
THE KING OF ROMANIA OFFERS HIM GOLD COINS IN THE CHEST TO INVESTIGATE TRANSYLVANIA HE SAYS HE KNOWS OF RAPHAEL’S NOBILITY WITH THE PIRATES AROUND THE SEAS. THEY SAY YOU ARE A WARRIOR, FEARLESS AND A SKILLFUL KILLER THAT AFTER BEING AROUND THE COMMON FOLK. AND ALSO I HAVE HEARD THAT YOU ARE GOOD AT TAKING CARE OF PROBLEMS THAT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN CARE IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.
By Victor Robinson II3 years ago in Horror
The Book of Forbidden Knowledge
The Book of Forbidden Knowledge: Dark Secrets You're Not Supposed to Know How much of your life has been spent being told that you’re not supposed to do something? And how many times have you done that thing anyway? We all have our vices, and while some of them can be very damaging to our health and general well-being, others have far more sinister effects on us that go unseen by the naked eye. In this book, we explore some of the more obscure aspects of forbidden knowledge—the kind of things your parents always told you not to do. The kind of things your high school teachers cautioned you about.
By The Silence3 years ago in Horror
A Review of 'In Response to "I regret it"'
In August of 2022, a story was posted online called "I regret it". An obvious short story meant to spark perhaps creepy pastas or to just circulate the internet to scare little kids, similar to many other stories and pictures carelessly posted. It failed, however, not that it has been out very long, but immediately no one was reading it. It wasn't circulating, it wasn't being commented on, it's just there. Strangely enough, a "response", if you can call it that, was posted later that same month. A person claiming to be a Daniel Montoya wrote an extended "article", if you can call it that, very heavily criticizing the short story. The "article" was named "In Response to 'I regret it'" and it was supposed to describe the many ways why the story was fake, ridiculous attempt at a horror story, and additionally was able to somehow find the anonymous writer? I ended that sentence with a question mark because Mr. Montoya, or so they claim to be, I'll be referring to that later in my review, they leave more questions unanswered than they started with. I will begin with why I don't believe that this is actually Daniel Montoya writing it.
By Rick Pension3 years ago in Horror
Reed's Literary Horror Review of 'Unquiet Spirits' Edited by Murray and Smith (2022)
I'll be perfectly honest with you, ghost stories bore the shit out of me. I used to ghost hunt in my youth and after some pretty freaky stuff in real life, everything written seems quaint. I'm not even particularly excited about haunting movies. Ghosts really just don't do it for me. However, when I heard the premise of this collection, I jumped at the chance to get my hands on a copy.
By Reed Alexander3 years ago in Horror
