Halloween was approaching and I was looking for something Horror to give me a fix as the days grew darker and the cold set in. Luckily I found Horror For Good, A Charitable Anthology lurking like a serpent ready to strike a little terror into my evening. The whole project is an interesting idea. Somehow use horror for the positive purpose of rising funds to help with AIDS research. I like it, because I think horror gets a bad rap and many don’t realize it hits the same spots in the brain that drugs and gambling do. So avoid the dangerous drugs, save your money, pull up the covers, and find out if this anthology did it for me.
Genre: Horror
Publisher: Cutting Block Press
Released: 2012
Stars: 4 Stars
Reviewer: Michael D. Griffiths
Horror anthologies are a little tough because people have different tastes. Do you attempt to please everyone or try to be more experimental? Most likely some stories will appeal to every reader, although not the same ones. With this anthology I found a strong presentation of different ideas and concepts. I would say some of the tales bordered on the sickhouse side of things, but overall if a person enjoys horror, but does not want splatterpunk, this might be a good choice. Horror yes, but not torture porn or villains dancing through guts. I prefer subtle mysteries, which create a mood, but also like stories where a hero might have to fight monsters to give the good guys a chance to survive.
One of the first stories which stuck out for me was Mouth by Nate Southard. This proved one of the more hopeless tales where the residents of an apartment drop all other activities to constantly feed a horrific mouth which has appeared in the darkness under the complex. After exhaustion sets in and the words of the mouth shouting inside their heads drives them past the edge of insanity, can the people stop feeding it long enough to somehow escape? Usually helpless stories annoy me, but this one proved different and I wanted to see if there could be any chance for these people.
Ian Harding wrote The Long Hunt. This story revolves around an older man hunting a monster disguised as a boy. The hunt has gone on for years, but reaches its climax here. I always enjoy short stories which somehow pull off the feeling you are reading a whole novel in just a few pages.
Another story which did it for me was Sky of Brass, Land of Iron by Joe NcKinney. In this tale a Texas law man takes up the battle against an old evil which laid forgotten near his family. This is an action packed tale where the hero takes the battle to the monsters which is something I usually enjoy.
This anthology did not send fleeing into the gloom or leaving the bedroom light on at night, but it stands strong and should strike the fancy of most lovers of horror. Since it also supports a good cause, how can you go wrong. Look it up below and give it a try.
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