“How much can we cut before there’s nothing left?”
For many people, their identity is the only thing that keeps them grounded in reality. Have you ever stopped to ask yourself what an identity is? Is your identity a job, a hobby, or some combination of social/economic status? Is your identity founded upon a collection of biological facts proven by science? Is your identity a set of preconceived notions based upon personal beliefs, ideology, or cultural background? What happens when what you’ve internalized as your “identity” becomes threatened by external forces? Do you lose yourself? Do you lose touch with reality? …Or worse? “The Dead Inside” features thirty different writers within the pages of this horror anthology published by Dark Dispatch.
For many people, their identity is the only thing that keeps them grounded in reality. Have you ever stopped to ask yourself what an identity is? Is your identity a job, a hobby, or some combination of social/economic status? Is your identity founded upon a collection of biological facts proven by science? Is your identity a set of preconceived notions based upon personal beliefs, ideology, or cultural background? What happens when what you’ve internalized as your “identity” becomes threatened by external forces? Do you lose yourself? Do you lose touch with reality? …Or worse? “The Dead Inside” features thirty different writers within the pages of this horror anthology published by Dark Dispatch.
Readability
This anthology showcases a mix of short fiction, poetry, and even includes a screenplay. The book has no curation, so all the poems and stories are actually mixed together. I would have liked to have seen some organization, and the formatting also could have used an overhaul. There’s no title/author’s name in the header or footer, so skipping around is difficult, and the page numbers are on the same corner on both the left and right pages. The presentation looks sloppy and slapped together, but the individual entries are well edited.
Creativity
The writers could have taken this concept of “identity horror” in so many directions, and there are a handful of entries that I thought were exceptional. Most of the work in this anthology comes off as more soap boxy than they do horrific. There is a lot of low effort fluff padding this book, and I really don’t think every writer fully understood the assignment. I liked the concept behind this anthology, it's a shame the true potential was not realized by everyone involved in the project.
The book includes a “Resource Links” page which includes URLs to “Out of the Storm” forum, “The Trevor Project”, and The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. I’m not sure if this book was originally a charity project, but I thought the idea of suggesting professional services at the end of a “horror” anthology was kind of tacky. Not inappropriate, because it does sort of fit the theme, but just a bit uncouth (like, what are you trying to say?).
There is also an extensive content warnings index, at the back of the book. Now this shit is gold, lol. I personally believe that detailed content warnings or trigger warnings are overkill, when it comes to warning labels. I can see putting a generic content warning that let’s potential customers know that the work is meant for adults, but the content warning section included in this anthology strives to make mountains out of molehills in order to make sure readers are “emotionally" prepared for:
- bullying - clowns – “ableist” language – alcohol – manipulation – victim blaming – cult – forced marriage – divorce – guilt – anxiety – sex – anger issues – body shaming – emetophobia – cultural identity issues (that’s to be expected) – misgendering – mistreatment by medical system – and more…
…I’ve never seen so much unnecessary detail contained within the content warnings of any other work of fiction, so for that reason, I have to give some points for originality as far as that goes (bonus points for the sheer obsessive compulsive absurdity). I genuinely got a kick out of reading through this section of the book. For real. Honestly...
Delivery
(Exceptional) “From Within” By S.H. Cooper: To say that Katy thought her lot in life was a pain in the neck would be an understatement. Good setup, I liked the ending.
“are you queer?” By M. Lopes da Silva: No.
“Detritus (Ten Pieces)” By Paul Michael Anderson: I thought the plot was a pitiful slog, but the writing did capture the moodiness quite well (through the use of sensory laden prose).
“My Skin Drum Garden” By K.P. Kulski: This is not a story as much as it’s more or less a bitter diatribe in regard to some out of context moments linked together by disjointed metaphors that were lost upon me… and then something shocking happens at the end, because why not? ("Oh yeah! This was supposed to be horror related.")
(Exceptional) “Arlecchino” By Robert Bagnall: An engaging mix of internal dialog and exposition that really sold the twist ending. The derelict setting was the kicker, for me.
“Powering Down” By Belicia Rhea: A crash course in consciousness gone totally awry, I call it word salad, because I’m not a poetry kind of guy.
“A Most Bulbous Congregation” By Eric Raglin: Starts off with a provocative premise, but has a very peculiar (or dare I say “queer”) turn of events with the unorthodox use of ticks. The suspense made for an easy read, and the priest was my favorite character. Not bad.
(Exceptional) “Evil, Inc. (Or How to Succeed in Business without Really Dying)” By Robert Stahl: The story starts off strong with its characterizations and humor. Brian’s character begins as a milquetoast employee in the corporate world, but in the end he becomes a savage beast that’s (quite literally) out of this world. I enjoyed the bits of snarky humor, as well as Brian’s character arc, but the actual ending (beyond the red door) was too surreal, and out of left field, for me to make any sense of it within the context of the story. However, the poor ending was such a short segment that it didn’t take away from what was otherwise a very enjoyable read.
“Subsidence” By Sarah Jackson: I think second person point of view is quite disengaging to read, especially in this case. I could not relate with the actions that are described throughout the piece. This entry wasn’t so much a story as much as it was more of a vignette, and I thought it lacked depth for what I think it was trying to say. I kept saying to myself, toughen up, buttercup.
“What Friends are For” By Daniel Barnett: The main character’s warped sensibilities were a bit much for the narrative. The premise is that Jess grapples with obsession and revealing her true intentions, but the delivery goes completely off the rails at the end (for reasons unbeknownst). Why was Christina harming herself? Was Hector actually a “bad guy”? Why would Jess want to murder a child’s father based on assumptions (even after discovering the truth about Christina)? Was I supposed to care? The writing style is okay, but I have to say that this was the most vapid example of storytelling thus far.
“Black Like That” By R. J. Joseph: The series of loosely connected words in this… poem (I think) were fun to read out loud with a dramatic southern drawl.
“End of the line” By Sam Kyung Yoo: I think the author did a great job at characterizing a conflicted spirit, even though I found the overall message quite pathetic.
“More” By A. K. Dennis: Although the thought of having to consistently wake up in the middle of a dead sleep to tend to a screaming infant sounds exhausting (and may have one feeling “dead inside”), I really don’t think the author understood the assignment here (or the editors for that matter). There was nothing horrifying about this piece, but I suppose the subtle hints of postpartum depression kind of insinuated that the character was struggling with their identity, but then again the story has a happy ending in that regard. It was nice to see that, in the end, the main character knew her role.
(Exceptional) “Ending is the Only Beginning” By Ali Seay: I really enjoyed the gritty realism. The way Seay illustrated the horrors of being a single parent sent a shiver down my spine. Through the projections and insecurities of the main character, who was clearly ill-equipped to become a wife and mother, a palpable sense of futility is delivered in the form of a cautionary tale that will make you think twice about who you choose to sleep with. Never stick your dick in crazy, fellas (or a worthless junkie for that matter).
“Exposure” By Michelle Cadiz: I can’t even begin to decipher what these words meant to the author. They say when the light shifts, there is color, and in this circumstance that color is purple (like the prose). Your guess is as good as mine.
“Vertigo Autopsy” By Joe Koch: Whose decision was it to slip their cousin’s screenplay into this anthology? In all seriousness, I was getting an avant-garde vibe while reading through the text. I wonder if the writer plans on actually getting this produced. I imagine seeing this production on screen/stage would be better than trying to decipher the writer’s vision through words alone.
“The Daughter She Wanted” By Jaecyn Boné: This one isn’t really a narrative as much as it’s a flurry of empirical events delivered in a way that sounds like a stranger telling you their life story. The first person point of view made me feel as though I was listening to someone air dirty laundry during a therapy session. Even if there wasn’t as many examples to draw from, I still think the overall point would have come across just fine. The narrator was really laying it on thick with the sob job. I get it, the foster mother was the real sicko, and that’s the gist of it. However, I will say that… because this sounds so personal, it makes the ending seem very believable (which made me shudder to think).
“All These Colors” By Avra Margariti: Sounds like lyrics to a metalcore song.
“Cookies” By Michelle Mellon: I think this thinly veiled metaphor was lacking one very crucial ingredient… imagination.
“Selective Memory” By Evelyn Freeling: I understand that this is a story about psychological disorder and how that ties into identity (which means the author understood the assignment), but I was unsure of what the narrative was trying to say. At first it seems as though the story is implying that Becca’s mental illness was an inevitable hereditary condition, as she watches her mother pass. Later on, the author introduces a device that extracts memories, and what follows is a look into the character’s mind as she slowly but surely loses her grip on reality as she slips into a dissociative state. All in all not a bad read, but perhaps sticking to one narrative (Becca experiencing the horror of becoming just like her psychotic mother) would have been better than putting any onus on Dr. Blanche and muddling the story by raising unnecessary suspicion.
“The Creature and the Moon” By Katie Young: Another poem, and probably the most poetic of the lot so far. It appears to tell a story of a young girl, a tomboy, who struggles with faith and femininity. Each verse is a portrayal of her struggles with being “ladylike” and ruminates upon her coming of age, as if suffering through puberty were akin to lycanthropy.
“It Eats Away at You” By Marcus Woodman: Do you like listening to your gf complain about her period? Well you’re in luck, because this is a story that follows a delusional woman (who believes she’s a man), as she suffers through an intensifying menstrual cycle with no qualms towards sharing the graphic details, and if you think that’s bizarre… wait until you see what happens in the end. Unbeknownst to her, Adam was expecting, but you shouldn’t expect a resolution though, because nobody knows why that happened or how that is even scientifically possible within the context of the plot.
(Exceptional) “When the Darkness Smiles” By Sarah D. Wu: Here is a story about immigration and assimilation, through the eyes of a young girl. I like how Wu gave each member of the main character’s family their own unique outlook on the primary focus of the narrative. Mina’s character displays genuine emotion while she reflects upon the culture of a fleeting past, as she succumbs to the will of the shadow entity that takes hold of her. The overall feeling of emptiness in that final scene with her family, after she has grown up to become a “success”, really shows how subjective the word meaning can be. I found this story to be quite depressing, but ironically it was depressing in a very meaningful kind of way.
“You’re Never Fully Dressed” By Elle Turpitt: Kind of a “woe is me” type of tale that follows an emotionally victimized character that suffers from a lack of backbone as well as personal boundaries, but always seems to muster up the strength to put on a fake smile. I don’t think the ends justified the means in terms of set up with this one, and overall the delivery came off as corny to me honestly. The writing itself was good and the imagery was fun, even though the storytelling was clearly low effort.
(Exceptional) “Monstrous” By Renee Cronley: I thought about this snippet of prose (or perhaps free form poem) for a minute after reading it. The piece conceptualizes childlike fears of monsters (“monsters” in the closet, under the bed, etc.) as an explanation for why some human beings “move with the herd”. There’s kind of a double meaning here, where part of it is saying how someone’s irrational fear of imaginary “monsters” can actually turn them into a “real” monster (who treats others poorly), but it also addresses the trauma that the “real” monsters have upon the psyche of children.
“Oh, But Her Beautiful Eyes” By Mary Rajotte: An interesting vignette of a character violating a grave in order to rob a fresh corpse of some physical features. It’s implied that the character is doing it to impress someone, but the author doesn’t specify who. The character breaks the fourth wall by saying it’s all being done for “you”. I can only assume the point of view is from a jaded ex-girlfriend who wants nothing more than to become the girl I want. “You look just like her,” I say… “All but her eyes,” I say, which implies why the witchy MC feels as though she is never enough.
“Bait & Tackle” By Patrick Tumblety: A serial killer is kidnapped and interrogated by what he believes to be a secret organization of murderers. The story becomes a commentary about the survivors of homicide victims and how that can change people. Over the course of the story, it becomes apparent to Alex (the kidnapped killer) that the person conducting the interview is not who he thinks he is. I thought the idea was interesting, but unfortunately there is a major plot hole that gets glossed over. Ethan Stane’s character witnesses Bertrand killing his girlfriend, but then in the next paragraph there is a huge time skip that fails to explain how Bertrand got away so quickly. If he was hosting a Halloween attraction for teens then there had to have been a paper-trail that he left behind (not to mention the fact that Ethan was an eyewitness, which means a manhunt would have taken place within a matter of minutes, if Ethan had reported the crime in a timely manner). The narrative was interesting, but unfortunately implausible, which spoiled my suspension of disbelief and had me saying, “Get the hell out of here! Who does this midget think he is, Liam Neeson? LMAO!”
“Cuca vai te Pegar” By Roxie Voorhees: The author takes a literary approach with this story that deals with the loss of a single parent, identity crisis, and acceptance. Unlike most of the entries in this anthology this story does not end in tragedy, but the conclusion aims to restore faith in humanity. A pretty straightforward narrative, but the characters were quite contrived. There was never any doubt in my mind that the main character was a sissy the whole time. Alexandre’s melodrama was cringe, albeit oddly believable, and I like that the author wanted to end the story on a high note. I thought this was a solid entry.
“Love Song for the Dead” By Tabatha Wood: An ode to a woman and her old shoebox of memories from a past relationship. “Bring me another beer, bitch.” made me laugh out loud, because it wasn’t in harmony with the rest of this lyrical poetry. Needless to say, the poet had some strong feelings about an old lover, and based on the amount of salad tossed in this wordy mix – I’m interested to know what was going through their head when they were writing this. Perhaps she just misses the "D".
“An Evaluation” By Scott J. Moses: An unorthodox job interview takes a surreal turn, and the story becomes an intellectual commentary about death and the afterlife. The writing could have used a little more development. I thought the prose lacked clarity, which made it difficult to see what was happening from one moment to the next. Did the main character jump out a window? Where was this taking place? What was busting through the door? There’s a difference between leaving things to reader interpretation and being vague, and I think this story needed more set up or clarification as to what the hell was going on.
This anthology showcases a mix of short fiction, poetry, and even includes a screenplay. The book has no curation, so all the poems and stories are actually mixed together. I would have liked to have seen some organization, and the formatting also could have used an overhaul. There’s no title/author’s name in the header or footer, so skipping around is difficult, and the page numbers are on the same corner on both the left and right pages. The presentation looks sloppy and slapped together, but the individual entries are well edited.
Creativity
The writers could have taken this concept of “identity horror” in so many directions, and there are a handful of entries that I thought were exceptional. Most of the work in this anthology comes off as more soap boxy than they do horrific. There is a lot of low effort fluff padding this book, and I really don’t think every writer fully understood the assignment. I liked the concept behind this anthology, it's a shame the true potential was not realized by everyone involved in the project.
The book includes a “Resource Links” page which includes URLs to “Out of the Storm” forum, “The Trevor Project”, and The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. I’m not sure if this book was originally a charity project, but I thought the idea of suggesting professional services at the end of a “horror” anthology was kind of tacky. Not inappropriate, because it does sort of fit the theme, but just a bit uncouth (like, what are you trying to say?).
There is also an extensive content warnings index, at the back of the book. Now this shit is gold, lol. I personally believe that detailed content warnings or trigger warnings are overkill, when it comes to warning labels. I can see putting a generic content warning that let’s potential customers know that the work is meant for adults, but the content warning section included in this anthology strives to make mountains out of molehills in order to make sure readers are “emotionally" prepared for:
- bullying - clowns – “ableist” language – alcohol – manipulation – victim blaming – cult – forced marriage – divorce – guilt – anxiety – sex – anger issues – body shaming – emetophobia – cultural identity issues (that’s to be expected) – misgendering – mistreatment by medical system – and more…
…I’ve never seen so much unnecessary detail contained within the content warnings of any other work of fiction, so for that reason, I have to give some points for originality as far as that goes (bonus points for the sheer obsessive compulsive absurdity). I genuinely got a kick out of reading through this section of the book. For real. Honestly...
Delivery
(Exceptional) “From Within” By S.H. Cooper: To say that Katy thought her lot in life was a pain in the neck would be an understatement. Good setup, I liked the ending.
“are you queer?” By M. Lopes da Silva: No.
“Detritus (Ten Pieces)” By Paul Michael Anderson: I thought the plot was a pitiful slog, but the writing did capture the moodiness quite well (through the use of sensory laden prose).
“My Skin Drum Garden” By K.P. Kulski: This is not a story as much as it’s more or less a bitter diatribe in regard to some out of context moments linked together by disjointed metaphors that were lost upon me… and then something shocking happens at the end, because why not? ("Oh yeah! This was supposed to be horror related.")
(Exceptional) “Arlecchino” By Robert Bagnall: An engaging mix of internal dialog and exposition that really sold the twist ending. The derelict setting was the kicker, for me.
“Powering Down” By Belicia Rhea: A crash course in consciousness gone totally awry, I call it word salad, because I’m not a poetry kind of guy.
“A Most Bulbous Congregation” By Eric Raglin: Starts off with a provocative premise, but has a very peculiar (or dare I say “queer”) turn of events with the unorthodox use of ticks. The suspense made for an easy read, and the priest was my favorite character. Not bad.
(Exceptional) “Evil, Inc. (Or How to Succeed in Business without Really Dying)” By Robert Stahl: The story starts off strong with its characterizations and humor. Brian’s character begins as a milquetoast employee in the corporate world, but in the end he becomes a savage beast that’s (quite literally) out of this world. I enjoyed the bits of snarky humor, as well as Brian’s character arc, but the actual ending (beyond the red door) was too surreal, and out of left field, for me to make any sense of it within the context of the story. However, the poor ending was such a short segment that it didn’t take away from what was otherwise a very enjoyable read.
“Subsidence” By Sarah Jackson: I think second person point of view is quite disengaging to read, especially in this case. I could not relate with the actions that are described throughout the piece. This entry wasn’t so much a story as much as it was more of a vignette, and I thought it lacked depth for what I think it was trying to say. I kept saying to myself, toughen up, buttercup.
“What Friends are For” By Daniel Barnett: The main character’s warped sensibilities were a bit much for the narrative. The premise is that Jess grapples with obsession and revealing her true intentions, but the delivery goes completely off the rails at the end (for reasons unbeknownst). Why was Christina harming herself? Was Hector actually a “bad guy”? Why would Jess want to murder a child’s father based on assumptions (even after discovering the truth about Christina)? Was I supposed to care? The writing style is okay, but I have to say that this was the most vapid example of storytelling thus far.
“Black Like That” By R. J. Joseph: The series of loosely connected words in this… poem (I think) were fun to read out loud with a dramatic southern drawl.
“End of the line” By Sam Kyung Yoo: I think the author did a great job at characterizing a conflicted spirit, even though I found the overall message quite pathetic.
“More” By A. K. Dennis: Although the thought of having to consistently wake up in the middle of a dead sleep to tend to a screaming infant sounds exhausting (and may have one feeling “dead inside”), I really don’t think the author understood the assignment here (or the editors for that matter). There was nothing horrifying about this piece, but I suppose the subtle hints of postpartum depression kind of insinuated that the character was struggling with their identity, but then again the story has a happy ending in that regard. It was nice to see that, in the end, the main character knew her role.
(Exceptional) “Ending is the Only Beginning” By Ali Seay: I really enjoyed the gritty realism. The way Seay illustrated the horrors of being a single parent sent a shiver down my spine. Through the projections and insecurities of the main character, who was clearly ill-equipped to become a wife and mother, a palpable sense of futility is delivered in the form of a cautionary tale that will make you think twice about who you choose to sleep with. Never stick your dick in crazy, fellas (or a worthless junkie for that matter).
“Exposure” By Michelle Cadiz: I can’t even begin to decipher what these words meant to the author. They say when the light shifts, there is color, and in this circumstance that color is purple (like the prose). Your guess is as good as mine.
“Vertigo Autopsy” By Joe Koch: Whose decision was it to slip their cousin’s screenplay into this anthology? In all seriousness, I was getting an avant-garde vibe while reading through the text. I wonder if the writer plans on actually getting this produced. I imagine seeing this production on screen/stage would be better than trying to decipher the writer’s vision through words alone.
“The Daughter She Wanted” By Jaecyn Boné: This one isn’t really a narrative as much as it’s a flurry of empirical events delivered in a way that sounds like a stranger telling you their life story. The first person point of view made me feel as though I was listening to someone air dirty laundry during a therapy session. Even if there wasn’t as many examples to draw from, I still think the overall point would have come across just fine. The narrator was really laying it on thick with the sob job. I get it, the foster mother was the real sicko, and that’s the gist of it. However, I will say that… because this sounds so personal, it makes the ending seem very believable (which made me shudder to think).
“All These Colors” By Avra Margariti: Sounds like lyrics to a metalcore song.
“Cookies” By Michelle Mellon: I think this thinly veiled metaphor was lacking one very crucial ingredient… imagination.
“Selective Memory” By Evelyn Freeling: I understand that this is a story about psychological disorder and how that ties into identity (which means the author understood the assignment), but I was unsure of what the narrative was trying to say. At first it seems as though the story is implying that Becca’s mental illness was an inevitable hereditary condition, as she watches her mother pass. Later on, the author introduces a device that extracts memories, and what follows is a look into the character’s mind as she slowly but surely loses her grip on reality as she slips into a dissociative state. All in all not a bad read, but perhaps sticking to one narrative (Becca experiencing the horror of becoming just like her psychotic mother) would have been better than putting any onus on Dr. Blanche and muddling the story by raising unnecessary suspicion.
“The Creature and the Moon” By Katie Young: Another poem, and probably the most poetic of the lot so far. It appears to tell a story of a young girl, a tomboy, who struggles with faith and femininity. Each verse is a portrayal of her struggles with being “ladylike” and ruminates upon her coming of age, as if suffering through puberty were akin to lycanthropy.
“It Eats Away at You” By Marcus Woodman: Do you like listening to your gf complain about her period? Well you’re in luck, because this is a story that follows a delusional woman (who believes she’s a man), as she suffers through an intensifying menstrual cycle with no qualms towards sharing the graphic details, and if you think that’s bizarre… wait until you see what happens in the end. Unbeknownst to her, Adam was expecting, but you shouldn’t expect a resolution though, because nobody knows why that happened or how that is even scientifically possible within the context of the plot.
(Exceptional) “When the Darkness Smiles” By Sarah D. Wu: Here is a story about immigration and assimilation, through the eyes of a young girl. I like how Wu gave each member of the main character’s family their own unique outlook on the primary focus of the narrative. Mina’s character displays genuine emotion while she reflects upon the culture of a fleeting past, as she succumbs to the will of the shadow entity that takes hold of her. The overall feeling of emptiness in that final scene with her family, after she has grown up to become a “success”, really shows how subjective the word meaning can be. I found this story to be quite depressing, but ironically it was depressing in a very meaningful kind of way.
“You’re Never Fully Dressed” By Elle Turpitt: Kind of a “woe is me” type of tale that follows an emotionally victimized character that suffers from a lack of backbone as well as personal boundaries, but always seems to muster up the strength to put on a fake smile. I don’t think the ends justified the means in terms of set up with this one, and overall the delivery came off as corny to me honestly. The writing itself was good and the imagery was fun, even though the storytelling was clearly low effort.
(Exceptional) “Monstrous” By Renee Cronley: I thought about this snippet of prose (or perhaps free form poem) for a minute after reading it. The piece conceptualizes childlike fears of monsters (“monsters” in the closet, under the bed, etc.) as an explanation for why some human beings “move with the herd”. There’s kind of a double meaning here, where part of it is saying how someone’s irrational fear of imaginary “monsters” can actually turn them into a “real” monster (who treats others poorly), but it also addresses the trauma that the “real” monsters have upon the psyche of children.
“Oh, But Her Beautiful Eyes” By Mary Rajotte: An interesting vignette of a character violating a grave in order to rob a fresh corpse of some physical features. It’s implied that the character is doing it to impress someone, but the author doesn’t specify who. The character breaks the fourth wall by saying it’s all being done for “you”. I can only assume the point of view is from a jaded ex-girlfriend who wants nothing more than to become the girl I want. “You look just like her,” I say… “All but her eyes,” I say, which implies why the witchy MC feels as though she is never enough.
“Bait & Tackle” By Patrick Tumblety: A serial killer is kidnapped and interrogated by what he believes to be a secret organization of murderers. The story becomes a commentary about the survivors of homicide victims and how that can change people. Over the course of the story, it becomes apparent to Alex (the kidnapped killer) that the person conducting the interview is not who he thinks he is. I thought the idea was interesting, but unfortunately there is a major plot hole that gets glossed over. Ethan Stane’s character witnesses Bertrand killing his girlfriend, but then in the next paragraph there is a huge time skip that fails to explain how Bertrand got away so quickly. If he was hosting a Halloween attraction for teens then there had to have been a paper-trail that he left behind (not to mention the fact that Ethan was an eyewitness, which means a manhunt would have taken place within a matter of minutes, if Ethan had reported the crime in a timely manner). The narrative was interesting, but unfortunately implausible, which spoiled my suspension of disbelief and had me saying, “Get the hell out of here! Who does this midget think he is, Liam Neeson? LMAO!”
“Cuca vai te Pegar” By Roxie Voorhees: The author takes a literary approach with this story that deals with the loss of a single parent, identity crisis, and acceptance. Unlike most of the entries in this anthology this story does not end in tragedy, but the conclusion aims to restore faith in humanity. A pretty straightforward narrative, but the characters were quite contrived. There was never any doubt in my mind that the main character was a sissy the whole time. Alexandre’s melodrama was cringe, albeit oddly believable, and I like that the author wanted to end the story on a high note. I thought this was a solid entry.
“Love Song for the Dead” By Tabatha Wood: An ode to a woman and her old shoebox of memories from a past relationship. “Bring me another beer, bitch.” made me laugh out loud, because it wasn’t in harmony with the rest of this lyrical poetry. Needless to say, the poet had some strong feelings about an old lover, and based on the amount of salad tossed in this wordy mix – I’m interested to know what was going through their head when they were writing this. Perhaps she just misses the "D".
“An Evaluation” By Scott J. Moses: An unorthodox job interview takes a surreal turn, and the story becomes an intellectual commentary about death and the afterlife. The writing could have used a little more development. I thought the prose lacked clarity, which made it difficult to see what was happening from one moment to the next. Did the main character jump out a window? Where was this taking place? What was busting through the door? There’s a difference between leaving things to reader interpretation and being vague, and I think this story needed more set up or clarification as to what the hell was going on.
#LFLR Indie Rating: 3.5/10
With such eye-catching cover art, a promising blurb boasting an accessible but potentially deep concept, and two editors alongside the work of “some of the best horror writers of our era” – this book should have been a lot better than what it turned out to be. “The Dead Inside” is one of four anthologies released by Dark Dispatch, and was edited by Sandra Ruttan and Laurel Hightower. Dark Dispatch also has their own website where writers post reviews on both books and movies.
With such eye-catching cover art, a promising blurb boasting an accessible but potentially deep concept, and two editors alongside the work of “some of the best horror writers of our era” – this book should have been a lot better than what it turned out to be. “The Dead Inside” is one of four anthologies released by Dark Dispatch, and was edited by Sandra Ruttan and Laurel Hightower. Dark Dispatch also has their own website where writers post reviews on both books and movies.
THIS BREAKDOWN IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE #LFLR NETWORK.
