short fiction

Flesh Communion and Other Stories By Holly Rae Garcia

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Holly Rae Garcia includes such a variety of stories within this collection that there’s no doubt any discerning reader will find something to enjoy–many somethings, more than likely. From short poems and flash fiction to novelette-length tales, Flesh Communion and Other Stories is suitable for any attention span. Regardless of length or subject matter, the author will captivate you and dare you to turn away…knowing there’s no chance you’ll do any such thing.

The collection contains truly fascinating tales of revenge, relationships, and reminiscence…sometimes on their own and sometimes blurred together. There are cryptids of various kinds–including one I’m sure you’d never conceived of in your wildest fever dreams–lurking within these pages. The titular “Flesh Communion” delves into a dark and horrific conception of what was happening in Waco, TX during the Branch Davidian stand-off, and who are we to question the veracity of this fictional survivor’s account? One story that resonated with me more than the others focuses on a particularly sympathetic photographer pushed beyond her limits by an altogether too plausible family demanding portraits.

You’re making a mistake if you don’t give this collection your attention. It’s one hell of a ride, but one you will no doubt consider more than worth the price of admission.

The Ecstasy of Agony By Wrath James White

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Brutality, poetry, sex, and wry humor are swirled together in a dizzying cacophony of horror in a way that could only come from Wrath James White. As much fun as it is to run a marathon, by delving into his longer-form fiction, there’s something truly delightful about accompanying the man on a sprint–or a series of sprints, as is the case in The Ecstasy of Agony.

I’d previously had the pleasure of reading a couple of the stories in the anthologies where they’d first been published, and the even greater pleasure of hearing him recite a couple of the poems that he’s included in this collection, but there was so much more in store. From a fitness routine adopted to survive a zombie apocalypse, to a violent video game that feels all-too-real, to the tale of a man who uses his penis as a weapon, this collection has a little bit of everything. If you’re familiar with White’s work, you really should have some idea what to expect.

It’s not all violence and gore, though. There are strangely touching and somber tones within the cacophony, including a sad reflection on how “dead or in prison” can turn out and how a monster can experience a change of heart. That isn’t to say there’s any shortage of violence, gore, sex, and body horror all throughout…because it just wouldn’t be Wrath James White without it.

A masterful collection by a masterful writer, but trigger warnings are in order–this is not for the overly sensitive reader.

Transcendental Mutilation by Ryan Harding

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It’s worth taking time to meditate upon Ryan Harding’s Transcendental Mutilation. The author is an absolute master of body horror. He builds from an unsettling tone with the carefully selected words he uses to build the nightmares he’s crafted for the reader’s exploration…nudging you along until you find yourself trapped in the phantasmagoric prison from which the only way out is through.

While the influences of Clive Barker and David Cronenberg are infused throughout, Harding takes the reader on a journey only his feverish imagination could birth. Fans of his previous work will be pleased to see references to familiar characters, organizations, and concepts sprinkled throughout the stories contained within this collection. But Harding isn’t content to rest upon his laurels and retread the same ground, he boldly ventures off the beaten path and veers away from anything comfortable and familiar, to bring us an offering suitable to the monstrous deity lurking beneath some forgotten, abandoned town…and within the author’s mind.

There’s a lesson in some of these tales–one that a great many people could stand to learn–that is to behave in a civilized manner and treat people with respect and empathy, or risk finding a truly hellish reward awaiting you…perhaps sooner than you expect.

Revenge porn, shipwrecks, the dangers associated with new technology (and the abuse thereof), and tantalizing–terrifying–glimpses through the thin shroud that separates our world from a place far more chaotic and monstrous are only some of the things you’ll find scattered throughout these pages…but I assure you there’s nothing that will disappoint.

Dark Disasters: A Dark Dozen Anthology, Edited by Candace Nola

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I’ll start by saying the same thing I did for my blurb when I read an advance copy of this anthology: “The only thing disastrous about Dark Disasters is the impact it will have on readers. In these pages, you will find devastation of all kinds, but it’s the emotional or psychological devastation that will have the most lasting effects. There were no drills in school to prepare me for what I experienced in these pages. Nola has done it again…lightning strikes thrice, which is fitting, considering the subject matter.”

This is the third of the Dark Dozen anthologies edited by Candace Nola and released under her imprint of Uncomfortably Dark Horror. I had the privilege of reading advance copies of all three, the first and third to supply a blurb, the second because I was one of the contributing authors…and it has been a pleasure all three times.

This anthology is focused, as you might expect, on horror taking place during–or because of–natural disasters. We have rainstorms, landslides, wildfires, blizzards, and so much more…and those are often only the beginning of the horrors facing the characters populating these tales. There are vampires, something akin to cymothoa exigua (the god-awful parasites that replace the tongues of certain fish), ghosts, sentient mud, and all sorts of other nightmarish things awaiting the reader brave enough to thumb through these pages. There’s no conceivable way someone could read this anthology and feel a sense of disappointment, not if they’re looking for horror or hoping to feel their skin crawling.

Be careful, though…there might be a storm coming.

You can also purchase this title by going to http://www.godless.com or clicking the link below:

DARK DISASTERS: A Dark Dozen Anthology

Redshift by Thomas R. Clark

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Thomas R. Clark is usually known for his excellent explorations of folk-horror stomping grounds, dubbed the Master of Splatterfolk by some–and for good reason.

Redshift takes us away from that familiar environment as he takes us to a far-future, spacefaring realm where the consequences of FTL travel are devastating and horrific…and dealt with quickly and without remorse. But what happens when the side effects of interstellar travel aren’t immediately addressed?

This is where Redshift leads us, as we witness first-hand how terrifying and traumatic space travel truly is for those who venture beyond the atmosphere. Clark provides us with an intimate glimpse of the things we sweep under the rug in a way that is graphic, gory, and glorious.

You can read this for yourself by going to http://www.godless.com at the following link:

Redshift by Thomas R. Clark

Dog Days: The Complete Lee Melvin Collection

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On December 16th, 2023, I decided to finally compile the three Dog Days stories into a single volume, including the Author’s Notes I’d included in each of the individual releases. This title is available exclusively in paperback format.

Lee Melvin left his years as a soldier behind him in the jungles of Vietnam, and he embraced a peaceful life of sobriety in the mountains of Western South Dakota. But a small act of heroism disrupts everything and sends Lee down a path of violence and revenge…and it won’t be the last time.

Based on true stories from the life of the author’s uncle, the three individual Dog Days stories are collected in this one volume along with the author’s notes, detailing the lines that separate fact from fiction.

What readers have had to say about the individual Lee Melvin stories:

“Heartbreaking, savage, and yet extremely cathartic.”

“Gritty, real, and satisfying.”

“…when the violence does come, it makes you feel like it’s not only justified but necessary.”

Nativity (with Elizabeth J. McKee)

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On December 16th of 2023, Nativity was released. This story was a collaborative effort between myself and Elizabeth J. McKee (my girlfriend). We’d tossed the idea around for a few months, brainstorming and figuring out the fine details, before I finally started the process of typing out our twisted Christmas tale.

Grace loves nativity scenes.

They’re the centerpiece of her annual Christmas displays.

But for last couple of years, vandals have taken it upon themselves to demolish nativity set after nativity set, leaving Grace feeling increasingly defeated and sad.

This year is going to be different.

This time, Grace will get her revenge and she’ll have a nativity set that will rival anything she could buy from a department store.

This Christmas…you’ll believe in the indomitable power of one old woman’s Christmas spirit.

The authors:

Available from http://www.godless.com at the following link:

Nativity by Nikolas P. Robinson & Elizabeth J. McKee

Yeshua and Adonai

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On November 26th of 2020, I released the short story, Yeshua and Adonai.

Meant to supplement some of my other work by laying out the groundwork for some of the underlying mythology within books like You Will Be Consumed and Beneath the Unspoiled Wilderness.

A father shares a story with his young children, one that had been shared with him by his own grandfather. A story of Yeshua as both a boy and a young man, of how he discovered an unexpected and unwanted destiny placed on his shoulders by Adonai.
The short story, Yeshua and Adonai, introduces readers to the wider literary universe of The Hungering Void by retelling the tale of Jesus in a horrifying new light.

Hounds of War

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On February 27th of 2023 I released Hounds of War on Godless. This short story serves as both a stand-alone tale and the introduction to a larger work in progress that combines elements of police procedural and crime noir with cosmic and body horror.

In 1917, a small group of American soldiers venture into the forests of France, searching for a patrol of Germans seeking to get behind the American lines. Scared and cut off from allies, they discover something far more dangerous than enemy soldiers–something that doesn’t pick sides.

As days pass in the mist-shrouded ruins of an ancient castle, it becomes clear that none of them are likely to survive.

For Sergeant Adrien Demos, the war will take something more valuable than his life, it will take his identity–and if he isn’t careful, it threatens to take his humanity.

Hounds of War by Nikolas P. Robinson

Errata: Collected Short Fiction and Poetry

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Errata: Collected Short Fiction and Poetry was released in 2016, collecting in one volume eight short stories I’d written and released digitally as well as a collection of poetry that had been released as A Wreck In Progress a short while before Unspoken was published.

There is no connecting thread between the included stories, spanning genres from gritty crime drama to bizarro extreme horror. Topics run the gamut from the final scenes of a slasher narrative to the terrifying isolation of interstellar space. There is something for everyone, from fans of horror to those who enjoy hard science fiction.

This collection contains eight short stories spanning subjects from gritty crime drama to the terrifying isolation of interstellar space. There is something for everyone, from fans of horror to those who enjoy hard science fiction.Additionally, this volume includes the author’s collected poetry previously available as A Wreck In Progress.