The Buzz: Customer Reviews 1/7/2010

DREAMS IN BLACK AND WHITE by John R. Little

Avg. Customer Review: [Rating:4.50/5]

Dreams in Black and White is yet another beautiful, bittersweet tale of loss from John R. Little. This guy can do no wrong! From Miranda, Placeholders, and the Grey Zone, to his current release, Little loves to toy with time, love and loss, to bend it to his whims, enthralling the reader and providing tear-jerker after tear-jerker. This one is no different. A 40-ish photographer begins having dreams, dreams in only black and white, which begin to predict the future. But, do they predict the future or actually cause it? Charlie Parkinson finds out to his chagrin in this captivating, melancholic novella. Highly recommended!

Reviewed by: William C. Rasmussen

INVISIBLE FENCES by Norman Prentiss

Avg. Customer Review: [Rating:4/5]

Norman Prentiss’s Invisible Fences was originally slated for a December 2008 release. Since it’s already January 2010 and Cemetery Dance is publishing it, it probably won’t be out until late 2010…or later. But, having read the ARC from Mr. Prentiss, I’d like to comment on the tale. It’s a ghost story, of sorts. A good one too. And it’s a tale of melancholy and bittersweet guilt as well. Prentiss details the slow dissolution of a family–a mother, father, son and two daughters–following the untimely death of their youngest child. The story unfolds through the eyes of Nathan, their middle child, who, along the way, blocks out a traumatic incident that follows closely on the heels of his sister’s death. It’s a cautionary tale too, comparing “invisible fences” that corral pets to the rules and regulations that parents impose on their children in the hope of keeping them safe from harm. They don’t always work, as this novella reveals all too clearly. Highly recommended!

Reviewed by: William C. Rasmussen

LORD OF THE LASH AND OUR LADY OF THE BOOGALOO by Weston Ochse

Avg. Customer Review: [Rating:4/5]

Lord of the Lash is the second in a proposed trilogy of novellas written pulp style. It’s got sci-fi, horror, and plenty of humor, but it also is a well-crafted story. As with the first book in the series the Vampire Outlaw called Monray resides on one side of the universe but shares a connection with an artistic boy on earth. So we get two tales told side by side, one is Monray saving his old six-armed friend B’dam, and the other is a about a family trying to newly cope with their son becoming autistic. They run in parallel and we get some humorous moments as each will pick up the others words and say them themselves. Also of note there is some violence here, as Monray is a vampire and he kicks some serious ass, and rather violently. All-in-all the story is a fun fast paced read and I easily recommend it, especially if your looking for something different.

Reviewed by: Geoff Guthrie

DOC GOOD’S TRAVELING SHOW by Gene O’Neill

Avg. Customer Review: [Rating:5/5]

Doc Good’s Traveling Show is a Cal Wild story set in Gene O’Neill’s post-apocalyptic setting that he has used many times before, and it was very nice to revisit this setting. The story is a single tale telling the story of two freeman boys (freemen live outside the shields in the radiation wasteland) who have a talent and use it to join Doctor Good’s Traveling Show. The talent is levitating or slowing down the motion of objects, and is obviously an amazing sight. The boys make great money and become a huge success, but not everything works out according to plan. Without giving anything away I just say the Cal Wild setting is a good world setting, if you like that setting you’ll like the book, if not try it as it’s worth it. This story wasn’t a grand epic, but it was a good story of two freemen boys growing up in Cal Wild who happened to make their way by joining a traveling show. There’s some hardships but overall it’s a good feeling at the end. I easily liked this story as Gene is a talented story teller.

Reviewed by: Geoff Guthrie

LITTLE BOY BLUE by James A. Moore

Avg. Customer Review: [Rating:5/5]

Crowley may be the best character out of the mainstream publishing world, and James A. Moore could easily argue the same point as an author. Moore uses Crowley to allow the reader to get comfortable with all the emotions society says we shouldn’t have in situations that call for us as humans to feel one way while the “norm” would be something different. At the same time, we are allowed to hate those emotions in the character of Crowley even though as a hero, we cannot help but root for his deep-down good nature. Anything containing Crowley should be a must read, and this short story is no exception.

Reviewed by: Jason Perlman

THE WORLD MORE FULL OF WEEPING by Robert J. Wiersema

Avg. Customer Review: [Rating:4.5/5]

Robert J Wiersema’s recent release, The World More Full Of Weeping, is a fine effort from ChiZine Publications! The titular tale is a truly somber, melancholic novella about a missing boy; this one really pulls at your heart-strings. There’s a fine essay included, as well, topped off by another sad tale, this one a short story, entitled, “The Small Rain Down.” Very downbeat tales, but beautifully told by a very good storyteller. Highly recommended!

Reviewed by: William C. Rasmussen