Product Description

Deadlines is a nightmarish excursion into fear featuring stories from 20 up-and-coming authors of horror and dark fiction. From serial killers to zombies, from sinister dolls to malicious cats, this collection is a veritable a-z of evil and a deadly trip down the darkside of human nature.

Contents: BRUTAL ASSAULT by Garry Bushell - THE COWBIRDS NEST by Clinton A. Harris - MADONNA OF THE BLACK MOUNTAIN by Tessa Johnstone - STRIPTEASE ON MOUNT RUSHMORE by Ed Lynskey - MYSTERIO AND GALATEA by Michael A. Kechula - HARRY by Doug Murano - IN YOUR WARM AND DARKENED GRAVE by Frank Zafiro - GIRL IN THE TUB by Cameron L. Mitchell - FRAZZLED by J.R. - THE GIFT OF THE BONEFLOWER by D. Alexander Ward - AS CLOSE AS IT GETS by Karina Berg Johansson - GOOD BOYS by Shaun Ryan - SILENCE by Christopher Allan Death - VISITING HOUR by Michael Pelc - THE DEATH OF LESTER WILLIAMS by Ty Johnston - LA NUIT DU LA CHAT NOIR by Nora B. Peevy - WHITE by David Richards - STREET WALKING by Jason Jeffery - WILL S LITTLE BLACK FLOWER by Brent Meske - MALRATS by Walter Payne.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #692102 in Books
• Published on: 2008-11-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780982097908
• Condition: USED - VERY GOOD
• Notes:
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review

by Rebekah McKendry, Fangoria Magazine

Last week, I received a copy of VILE THINGS: EXTREME DEVIATIONS OF HORROR in the mail from Comet Press. The book is an anthology style collection of stories from a variety of writers including Ramsey Campbell, Graham Masterson, and CJ Henderson. I read horror almost everyday and very little actually disturbs me. That doesn t mean they aren t good, it just takes a lot to disturb me.

On Wednesday night, I was having my hair streaked purple. This is a long process that takes several hours, so before departing for my hair appointment, I grabbed the copy of VILE THINGS from my desk to peruse while I sat. I got to the salon, and as they started to turn my red locks to grape, I began reading VILE THINGS. This was not what I expected. This was intense.

Over the next few hours, I found myself cringing, shifting around uncomfortably in my chair, and even at times looking away to take a short break from the disturbing tales I was reading. This book is not just your basic horror stories. This is extreme s**t.

Edited by Cheryl Mullenax, VILE THINGS: EXTREME DEVIATIONS OF HORROR is not for the light horror fan. The stories are not just extreme horror, but also extreme gore and sex...a triple threat of fun in my eyes. Some of the highlights for me were The Worm by John Bruni, which involved so much icky incest that I thought I was going to put down my book in exchange for a nice clean copy of hair-salon Cosmopolitan. The Rat King by Jeffery Thomas put a nice new twist on Nazi/ Holocaust horror. I also really enjoyed Fungoid by Randy Chandler, which rivaled a short story from Chuck Palahniuk's Haunted as my most cringe-worthy reading material. Don t read that one on a full stomach or if you are really sensitive about your genitals. Let s just say when a monster fungus clogs up your plumbing , you may have to snake your snake .

The writers in the collection are a mix of award winning horror masters and some clearly up-and-coming writers. Quite a few of the authors are just starting their literary careers, and this immaturity sometimes glares through in the wording and structure. However, the intense story lines and disturbing plots shine over the sometimes awkward writing styles and occasional poor analogies.

This book is a definite for any extreme horror fan. Full of terror, sex, and gore, I don t recommend this for the faint of heart or for a light read at a beauty salon.

Customer Reviews

Vile Things is extremely vile
Vile Things: Extreme Deviations of Horror is one of the best horror anthologies I've read in a long time. I love extreme horror, and this book fits the bill. The icing on the cake is not only are the stories nasty, gory, and disturbing, but they're great stories, so any fan of horror will be satisfied as well.

Initially I was intrigued because Ramsey Campbell and Graham Masterton both have stories in this collection, and I'm a huge fan of both, they are, well, the masters. And their stories prove that. But, as i delved deeper, I found some truly outstanding gems from some lesser known authors, and authors I 'd heard of but hadnt had a chance to read. I definitely will check out more of their work if this is a representative of their writing. Some standouts were "Fungoid" by Randy Chandler, a nasty, stomach turning story about a flesh eating fungus; "The Fisherman" by Brian Rosenberger, a hilarious yet sick and twisted story about perverted fisherman, "The Devil Live in Jersey" by Z.F. Kilgore, a cool detective story and a nice twist on the Jersey Devil legend, complete with baby corpse eating and witch burnings. "Rat KIng" by Jeffrey Thomas about a nazi concentration camp guard who befriends a british soldier. "Maggots" by Tim Curran, a soldier-turned-ghoul in some past war. Really, there's not a klunker in the bunch. Highly recommended.

Shock Room: Vile Things
Vile Things: Extreme Deviations of Horror
Edited by Cheryl Mullenax

Featuring new or recent fiction by a dozen authors and anchored by reprints from horror literary giants Ramsey Campbell and Graham Masterton, the 2009 Comet Press anthology Vile Things answers such questions as:

How can a mad scientist, who is also a family man, keep his household electronics running once he decides to go green?

Why should you never cross the threshold of an apartment that bears an obscene portrait of a rooster?

How do you get even with a roommate whose only crime is being irresistible?

Rarely does one volume of work by such a wide range of experienced and emerging writers offer the abundance of creepiness found in Vile Things: Extreme Deviations of Horror. Maggots, animals and people slither this way and that, sometimes erotically, sometimes horrifically and occasionally both--as in Angel Leigh McCoy's devilishly sensual "Coquettrice." In addition to McCoy's story, I especially liked the ruthless wit of Stefan Pearson's "Going Green." But there are many delights to be found here.

In Sean Logan's geek revenge story "Tenant's Rights" a slovenly upstairs renter turns peeping tom, drilling holes in the floor to spy on the handsome roommate whose sexual charisma--and magnificent hair--have driven him to distraction. The anti-hero of "The Caterpillar" by C. Dennis Moore stumbles toward a state of grace and awe, thanks to an unexpected connection to his disfigured young cousin.

These are not typical or predictable tales of horror. While a couple of the pieces lack polish, there is no shortage of originality. If you think, as I do, that the most exotic images and disturbing acts lurk in the basement next door or the apartment across the hall, here is the material for your next nightmare.

Doug Murano's "Harry" is scary
I would highly suggest this anthology to all horror lovers. I enjoyed THE DEATH OF LESTER WILLIAMS by Ty Johnstone, but I especially liked the story HARRY by Doug Murano. Mr. Murano's story left me with goose bumps. It also made me think that maybe my dog Sally really does see invisible visitors. Spooky! I was also excited to discover, upon some research of Doug Murano, that he has an awesome podcast available for free download at Well Told Tales. Check it out!