Gary W. Olson

Feed (Book 1 of the Newsflesh Trilogy) by Mira Grant

In the year 2039, twenty-five years after a virus caused humans and animals to become flesh-craving zombies, a team of bloggers is recruited to cover the campaign of a U.S. Presidential candidate. They are soon drawn into a tense situation in which virus outbreaks seem to dog the campaign, and what they learn could cost them more than their lives.

This first book in the Feed trilogy offers solid suspense and action against a well-extrapolated science fiction backdrop. One of the most refreshing things about it is that it doesn’t see zombie hordes as a sign of the end of all things–life goes on, even though it’s a life transformed in ways large and small by the possibility of becoming a zombie at any time (not just following death). Suspenseful, thrilling, compelling, and ultimately moving, it’s well worth checking out, even if zombies aren’t ordinarly ‘your thing.’

Corrupts, Absolutely? edited by Lincoln Crisler

Corrupts Absolutely? is a collection of 21 short tales on the very dark side of having metahuman abilities, with stories ranging from a wounded man who brings his explosive rage to bear on those he blames for the deaths of his wife and daughter-to-be (“Retribution” by Tim Marquitz) to a world where metahumans live under more restrictions than sex offenders and being a hero is a crime (“Pride” by Wayne Ligon) to a woman whose concerns over the ultimate use of the robo-suit she lead development of are trumped by pragmatic realities (“Fixed” by Trisha J. Wooldridge). The metahuman abilities and settings vary widely, as do the contributing authors’ styles, making for an entertaining selection of tales.

As is often the case, a story collection has its high and low points. Not all of the tales here worked for me, but my enjoyment level overall was high. In addition to the previously mentioned stories, my favorites included “Ozymandias Revisited” by A.S. Fox (where having godlike powers leads to having godlike problems), and “Illusion” by Karina Fabian (exploring the toll taken by telepathic abilities on a young telepath). Its a compelling collection of dark fiction where the ‘heroes’ are often not at all heroic, and well worth checking out.

Sings with Stars by Bethany Grenier

Gigi Storme’s life has turned upside down in the blink of an eye. On society’s margins in our world, she discovers that she has come from another–a world of clockwork and magic–one in which she is destined to play a central role, whether she’s ready to or not. Her survival, and the survival of those around her, depends on not only learning her new abilities, but upon learning how to love, and even forgive.

The steampunk elements in this YA novel seem to me to be mainly in the fashion and visible technology of the otherdimensional world Gigi came from. The overall story is one that will not be unfamiliar to fantasy readers–a young woman discovers her destiny and magical powers and must contend against an implacable foe, while dealing with uncertainty and betrayal on all sides. Bethany Grenier does a good job of bringing this plot to life, and investing the characters with depth and complexity, and ends up delivering a world that readers can easily and happily lose themselves in for a while.

Apartment 14F: An Oriental Ghost Story by Christian Saunders

Jerry, newly arrived in China as an English teacher, settles in to his lonely new apartment, unaware that he will soon be drawn into the mystery of what happened to the apartment’s previous tenant. What he learns frightens him, but even this knowledge may not be enough to drive him away… or to save him.

This story manages to do a lot within its very brief span. It creates an atmosphere of lingering dread, not only of the ghost itself, but of its loneliness and need. It’s an effective and slightly surreal tale of alienation and terror, easily read in a single sitting.

Gary W. Olson is the author of the dark fantasy novel Brutal Light. His blog originates here. Photo: silver-john/Bigstock.com.

Intricate Entanglement by Su Halfwerk

An abused maid who sought revenge on her employer and got much more than she bargained for. A doctor who discovered his appetite for flesh was more than a metaphor. A woman who found being a certain artist’s model drained her of life. These are just three of the patients being kept in a remote psychiatric institution where reporter Doug Pinkham has gone to investigate a murder. During the course of his investigation, he will hear their stories and others, and will find there is more going on at the institution than meets the eye… and possibly more than he can escape.

Intricate Entanglement is a collection of seven short stories linked by the story of Pinkham’s investigation. The stories are creepy and effective, and the framing story is also developed in depth, avoiding the trap of just being a device to present the stories. Su Halfwerk has a marked talent for creating an unsettling atmosphere and tales that become more sinister as they progress. If you like creepy tales and a sense of growing dread, this collection is well worth checking out.

Hal Spacejock by Simon Haynes

Hal Spacejock is a down-on-his-luck starship pilot given a last chance to make enough money to pay off his creditors and keep his head attached to his shoulders. All he has to do is transport some cargo to another world (avoiding pesky things like customs agents). Which should be simple… but between dealing with cargo thieves, rogue robots, a snarky ship’s computer, and his own less-than-stellar level of piloting competence, things get pretty complicated… and funny.

Simon Haynes’ style is fast, breezy, and funny, and at its best when the characters are talking to, and often past, one another. True, there are bits that go on for too long, or seem like one convolution too far, but how much plausibility do you really want in a sci-fi space opera comedy? I enjoyed much about this book, and am looking forward to the sequels.

Bloodlust by J.E. Gurley

A monster is on the rampage in Detective Tack Hardin’s city, murdering young women and drinking their blood. It isn’t long before Hardin learns that the killer is a chupacabra, and that its young will soon awaken with their own thirst for blood. He finds an ally in the beautiful and mysterious Joria Alvarez, whose father was murdered by the creature and whose obsession with it may prove Hardin’s undoing. As the body count rises, Hardin risks his career and his life to fight a threat to humankind that may be more massive than even he realizes.

There’s a lot to like about Bloodlust, starting with Hardin, who reminds me in some ways of Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch in his grim determination to protect the innocent and ability to take large amounts of damage and keep going. The subplot with a secret government agency attempting to capture a chupacabra alive to further its own projects was intriguing. As far as Joria’s character went, I’m afraid I guessed the twist with her well before it was revealed, but that was about all I foresaw. If you like hardboiled police noir with a supernatural enemy, you’ll likely enjoy this tale.

Obsessed by Fiona Dodwell

James Barker is haunted by the death of a man who jumped in front of a train he was driving. Despite the urging of his wife Chloe, he finds himself increasingly drawn to investigate the man’s life, and what possessed him to commit suicide. It’s not long before he is seeing visions of the dead man, both in his nightmares and in the waking world, and is forced to choose between abandoning his search to save his sanity and his marriage, or to pursue the clues all the way down to the dark truth of that night.

Fiona Dodwell does compelling work in creating a feeling of compulsive need in Barker, and as he goes deeper into obsession, in keeping the supernatural suspense as to what is really happening and what is in Blake’s fevered imaginings. The book relies more on atmosphere and suspense to draw readers in, all the way to its unflinching denouement. If you like your horror stories mixed with subtlety and suspense, I recommend trying this one.