I need to sit and hold this story in my mind for awhile. There are so many layers, so many perilous dimensions to Laird Barron’s The Croning, that if I’m not careful, I may forget how I got here, and never find my way back from the black abyss. The lives of Don Miller and … Continue reading Review: The Croning by Laird Barron
There it is again. That slithering sound that always comes in the dead of night. The floor is frigid under your feet and, shivering, you pull on your fuzzy socks. In the dark kitchen, you paw through drawers, looking for…what? A spatula? Tongs? It’s probably nothing, anyway. Armed with kitchen utensils, you make your way … Continue reading Drain: A Drabble
It was halftime at a NASCAR speedway. (Does NASCAR even have a halftime?) My dad had started a grassroots ministry for troubled young men, counseling them to better themselves with Islamic teachings. This ministry had grown into a national phenomenon, and he was counseling all kinds of people, families were paying large sums to have … Continue reading Dream #268: Bill Murray and the NASCAR Apocalypse
Like the layers of muscle shielding the abdominal cavity, your emotions will be steadily peeled away by this beautifully visceral ballad of love and loyalty. Paul Tremblay’s Survivor Song is an utterly believable imagining of what could and probably would happen with a pandemic of a more virulent and accelerated version of the rabies virus. … Continue reading Survivor Song: Never leave me. And I will never leave you.
Hungry? Try a lime and basil bonbon from the House of Finch. Nobody can eat just one, as they say. This is true of every story in Em Dehaney’s slim but satisfying volume, Food of the Gods. In the title track, a down-and-out chocolatier inadvertently discovers how to inject new life into his dark, sweet … Continue reading “Food of the Gods” — Short stories to drive you mad for more
To whom do you belong? Nightmare Magazine’s May 2020 issue brings us The Blue Room, a story that poses this very question while leading us by the hand, a step at a time, into an escalation of danger so subtle, so seemingly innocent, that by the time we realize our mistake, it is far too … Continue reading The Blue Room: Horror that wants to own your soul, from Nightmare Podcast
A mindless horror awakens after 150 years of slumber, intent on completing its bloody mission. Its target? A garden-variety IT guy in Omaha named Ben Middleton. I got a solid kick out of this fast-moving horror thriller. Doolittle manages to humorously introduce you to each character in the ensemble cast while propelling you through the … Continue reading In Kill Monster, Sean Doolittle takes us on a nightmare ride (with a few laughs thrown in)
Last night, it was a great honor to be interviewed live by the fantastic novelist Victorine Lieske, president of the Nebraska Writers Guild! We had an awesome conversation about my novel, "Weatherbone," as well as the hard lessons I've learned (and am still learning) as an author trying to get published. Watch our interview here, … Continue reading NE Writers Guild: Author Chat w/ Shoshana Sumrall Frerking
It was a great honor to be interviewed by Chris Scheidies, owner of the arts and entertainment website Bleeding Peanutbutter. Although the subject of our interview was my novel, Weatherbone, Chris has a way of bringing out details about your life and process you might not even have been aware of! I think Chris enjoyed … Continue reading My Book Interview at Bleeding Peanutbutter
I got to work very early in the morning, while it was still dark. All the parking lot lamps were off, and there were no lights on in the entire factory. I made my way up the hall to the refrigeration inventory area, where there is a long wall with lockers and refrigerators along it. … Continue reading Dream #86: When Alice Cooper is Done, Only Your Desiccated Husk Remains
Shoshana Sumrall 