Hellraiser: The Toll [Novella Review]

I am not sure how this one slipped through the cracks, but it did. Released on Feb. 28th, by Subterranean Press, Hellraiser: The Toll tells the story of what transpired between Clive Barker's The Hellbound Heart (published in '86) and The Scarlet Gospels (published in '15).

The Toll is a short Novella (73 digital pages) that flies at a breakneck pace, from the Prologue all the way through to the Epilogue. The story is by Clive Barker, but the novella is written by Mark Alan Miller(?!?) I am not sure how that works, as there is no explanation. I will say that the book is also available in Hardcover (for $40! - a bit pricey for such a short story). Even though I own both The Hellbound Heart & The Scarlet Gospels in print, being unfamiliar with Mr. Miller, I opted with the considerably cheaper $3 e-book.

Having now read the story though, I will be keeping an eye on the price of the Hardcover as the story is that good! Miller has written a completely engrossing tale, with such a jaw-dropping revelation within the story that I wrote the quote and then deleted it and then rewrote it and deleted it once more. However, I feel that it is best for you to discover it for  yourself.

I will leave you with the book's synopsis:

"Thirty years after Kirsty Cotton escaped from the clutches of the Hell Priest, Pinhead, and lived to fight another day, her life has never been the same. Every few years she fashions a new name, a new identity, and a new home for herself; She is a woman who is running from her past at all costs, which is why it comes as such a surprise when she receives a mysterious letter in the mail, addressed to the woman she’s been running from over half her life. 

Answering the letter’s query, she begins a descent down a rabbit hole to the ultimate confrontation. Her actions stir something unnamable in the ether, and throw her into a game where nothing—not even what she sees in front of her very eyes—can be trusted. 

With equal parts economy and eloquence, author Mark Alan Miller brings to life the beginning of the end as The Toll expands the Hellraiser universe, and shows that before Harry D’Amour’s adventures in The Scarlet Gospels, there was a first witness to Pinhead’s infernal plan."

ENJOY!

Appalling Stories: 13 Tales of Social Injustice [Book Review]

Genre - Fiction
Year Published - 2017
Length - 170 (digital) pages
Written by +David Dubrow, Paul Hair, and Ray Zacek

Plot Summary:
With political correctness gobbling up the culture like a fat kid on his sister's quinceañeracake, where do you go for quality, old-school entertainment? 

Appalling Stories focuses on themes and characters you're just not supposed to read about anymore, using social issues as the setting, not the plot. Inside, you'll read about a disturbing erotic resort that caters to an exclusive clientele, a violent Antifa group biting off much more than they can chew, a serial killer with a furious inch, and a lot more. The authors find message fiction as tedious as you do, and traditional publishing seems intent on shoving favored narratives down readers' throats. This anthology pushes back against PC moralizing, bringing you story above all else. Are you going to let Social Justice Warriors dictate what you can and can't read? Consider this your trigger warning.

Featuring an exclusive foreword by R.M. Huffman, author of Leviathan and Fallen, books 1 and 2 of The Antediluvian Legacy.

Review:
The authors of this collection of short stories could not have picked a more appropriate title. Appalling Stories - that is what you are going to get - No Holds Barred writing - exactly as advertised.

I cannot wholeheartedly recommend this book as this is not be a book that I would normally read. (The reason that I did so is that I am familiar with two of the three authors - Dubrow & Zacek.)
With all of that said, if this book sounds like your cup of tea, then I am sure that you will enjoy it, as the stories are well written.

The top three stand out stories to me are:

1. Bake Me a Cake (by Dubrow)
2. It Doesn't Affect You (by Hair)
3. The Bitterness of Honey (by Dubrow)

I also enjoyed (is that the right word?) Dubrow's Melanie's Becoming, which fell just short of 5 Skulls.

Bake Me a Cake is the very first story in the collection and (for me) the most shocking! If you can stomach your way through this story, the rest should come easier. I think the authors chose well making this the first story, as it perfectly sets up what this collection is all about. There is always two sides to a story... These stories are going to make you uncomfortable and angry!

As for the other stories in the collection - for the most part they are all decent - there were only two that I didn't really care for - the others were each average. The Bitterness of Honey is definitely my favorite story of the bunch!

Rating: 3/5 Skulls