Joey Madia, New Mystics Reviews

 (Bizarro Pulp Press, an imprint of JournalStone, 2019). ISBN: 978-1-947654-89-1 If you are looking for a weird but fun ride this summer, this novella might just be for you. But a quick word of warning. Know what you’re getting into. As you’ll notice, this is published by Bizarro Pulp Press. So let’s get some definitions from Wikipedia: Bizarro fiction : a contemporary literary genre, which often uses elements of absurdism, satire, and the grotesque, along with pop-surrealism and genre fiction staples, in order to create subversive, weird, and entertaining works. Pulp fiction : lurid, exploitative, and sensational subject matter So, Bizarro Pulp… you can only imagine. And you should. But this label has nothing to do with quality. Although it is in many ways the ink-on-paper analog of Slasher Films, complete with lots of violence, sex, and, well… bizarreness, it can also be just as fine and releasing as a Rob Zombie film. If that’s your sort of thing. If it is, read on....

 (KGHH Publishing, 2018). ISBN: 978-1-912638-27-7 In Danse Macabre , Stephen King postulates that great horror has at its core a collection of dark tropes gleaned from our reptilian brains and deepest primordial fears. In other words, it is all about character. Following the journey of an interesting, relatable (which is different than likeable) character as he or she crosses the threshold into a subterranean (literal or metaphorical) world of monsters to be battled and souls to be saved is the essence of well-constructed horror. Applying this idea, the debut novel by Zakary McGaha, Locker Arms , is a success. Set in modern times but with a strong ‘80s feel (think Stranger Things meets Heathers meets Teachers ), this splatter-fest of a tale centers around two sets of characters—one the students of your typical suburban high school and the other their teachers. The latter are joined by Henry, one of the (anti-)heroes of Locker Arms —a washed-up, aging never-was who had big dr...