DARK BITES

THE RESSURECTIONIST Dorchester Publication, 2009 By Wrath James White **Warning: The following review contains some plot points which are key to the over all story. ** You might be wondering why I’m bothering to review a book some eight years past its initial publication date. It really boils down to me not wanting you to make the same mistake I did and leave this little meat grinder of a novel on your shelf any longer than you must, and I’m here to tell you why. Wrath James White wastes no time getting to work on what he does best and quickly introduces us to a domestically troubled household where we bare witness to a young boy watching his father rape, torture and murder his mother. We watch as young Dale does what any little boy who has just watched his mother get brutally killed by his dad would do; he tries to resuscitate his mom even as her innards spill from her body. When his mom surprises him by actually coming back to life, fully healed and all put back to...

Many visitors to this blog are likely to recognize the name Barry Hoffman from his award winning, specialty press called Gauntlet Press , which hosts the release of several legendary authors in the realm of quality dark fiction. Barry has also seen a side to our society that most fear to tread let alone teach in from within the inner-city streets of Philadelphia were true life horror stories were on the sleeves of the kids trying to make it through their school days. Through Gauntlet Press Magazine , Barry ensured that every word in every article, no matter – hell, especially - if the material would fire up controversy and gave a stage for voices to be heard and perspectives to be shared. In other words, expect Barry to pull no punches with his point-blank narrative as an author who speaks from the heart on behalf of his experiences as a teacher, a father and a man with a razor-sharp point to make. With his latest release, BLOOD SACRIFICE , which I reviewed HERE , reader...

Blood Sacrifice Barry Hoffman 2017 Next Century Publishing This is easily Barry Hoffman’s most mature and polished novel to date which isn’t to take anything away from his previous works by any means. Barry has always been a champion of the minimalistic approach and with this latest offering his talent for packing a wallop with so few words has never been more evident. During the prologue alone we are taken on a journey much akin to an emotional roller coaster as we are cast into the backseat of a not yet practicing serial killer and the love of his life. Before the reader has a chance to register what’s going on, we’re careening off the road as an invisible passenger to bare witness to a scene which Barry orchestrates into something that’s as poetically beautiful as it is gut wrenching. And that’s just the first chapter. Following the prologue, we hit the streets to join partners in crime (literarily), Ariel and Thea as they arrive on scene to investigate our killer...

REVIEWING  ZOOPRAXIS   A Collection by Richard Christian Matheson Written by Richard Christian Matheson Published by Gauntlet Press Whether you’re an established RC Matheson connoisseur or you’ve just discovered his work, Zoopraxis is sure to satiate any fan of raw, visceral literature. Waiting to oblige such cravings are thirteen brand new stories with nine more gathered from various years best anthologies and the like. With introductions from John Shirley and Chet Williamson, Gauntlet Press presents a macabre world full of Twilight Zone inspired chills with plenty of introspective twists worth revisiting.  Helping to bring us closer to the heart of each tale is cover artist extraordinaire, Harry O’Morris. Harry’s black and white designs provides a cohesive yet subtle visual interpretation to kick off each story. As a bonus, the author includes a personal anecdote coinciding with the origin of each tale.  The additions of Harr...

The surname, Matheson, was one immediately familiar to me through the extensive, boundary pushing works of legendary Richard Matheson . I had only discovered his eldest son, Richard Christian’s, work through my review of Stephen King’s Battleground and fast became aware of RC’s talent. Popping his name into Google and IMDB (Internet Movie Data Base) I fast became aware of how RC had, despite my previous ignorance, greatly contributed to a sizable chunk of my childhood media culture. The A-Team. 3‘OCLOCK HIGH. Three’s Company. Knight Rider. Tales From The Crypt. The Incredible Hulk. You get the idea. Hell, even his younger brother, Chris Matheson, helped shape my media influence with his BILL AND TED’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE, which almost never got made, but I digress. You get the idea. The point is much like his father, Richard Matheson, RC Matheson has more than likely influenced your brand of entertainment to some degree as well while carving out his own path towards being refe...

     Hell Notes hosts my first review of the year, which I hope you'll check out before doing yourself a favour and grabbing a copy of Revival to read.  I haven't given King a chance since trying to wade through From a Buick 8 way back when, but let's just say I am a happily revived King fan and can't wait to catch up on some of his other recent books to see what else I may have been missing out on.      As any King fan knows, the man's work switches from the mainstream (Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon) to the deliberately horrific (Carrie, Pet Semetary, Cujo). While Revival veers more towards the former with its subtle depictions of madness and underlying fears, the overall impact will no doubt illicit a horrific response that ought to resonate down your spine until it rattles the entire believe system of whichever existential foundation you subscribe to.      For Jamie Morton, the mos...

Barry Hoffmann, owner of Stoker nominated specialty press, Gauntlet Press, knocks another one out of the park with Blind Vengeance, his newest offering in his critically acclaimed 'Eyes series. See what I thought of his latest book over on Hell Notes with this review.