Review: Saw 3D

It hardly came as a surprise to the collective tribe when it was announced the inevitable SAW VII was to be filmed in 3D - perhaps a move that would hopefully make us less desensitized to the now repetitious ‘traps’ that percolate through one of the most lucrative horror franchises of all time. Dealing with yet another mind-numbing circuitous plot might be worth it to see what story-board designers could envisage trying to hang ropey intestines and viscera all over the viewer’s 3D glasses.

We open with the usual fare, and at first it seemed SAW 3D was vying into new territory … more darkly comical and conceivably something like the last Final Destination installment whereby it moves in self-parody or satire. That notion, however, is quelled in a hurry as we soon realize that what’s on offer is yet another unbroken continuation of the Jigsaw mythology … now a Russian doll tale that is a jigsaw within itself.

Bobby Dagan (a Sean Patrick Flanery looking a little the worse for wear) is a ‘Jigsaw survivor’ who has become a small celebrity by writing a book and doing the talk-show route detailing his experiences. He even holds morbid meetings not unlike an Alcoholic’s Anonymous whereby other survivors band together and give their take on the pitfalls and/or liberating effects of being unwilling participants in the serial killers game. Subsequently, he and his associates are abducted by Jigsaw’s newest torch-bearer Detective Hoffman (Costas Mandylor), and off we begin on another merry-go-round of torture-porn.

The celebrity angle was a good one - and all the components were there to elevate Saw 3D into a suspenseful climax that would hopefully bring closure or possibly a deus ex machina that would round off the legacy. Sadly, something is lacking, and I found the previous plot-device of a medical insurance corporation much more appealing than this often bloated and imitating work. Of course, we probably threw out ‘could this really happen?’ about four films ago and can happily suspend disbelief for the sake of cinema. But somehow this didn’t work here, and the elaborate processes to set such a series of advents in motion delve into the land of pure fantasy.

With the conclusion no doubt on the horizon, the writers had an opportunity to tap into an emotional element, but what we see here is more of a jazzed-up musical score overlapping an excursion that still feels like a two-hour music video. (Saw VII actually contains a cameo by Linkin Park's Chester Bennington). The inevitable twist is somewhat compelling, almost like SAW’s greatest hits containing a bonus hidden track from the first film made by two Melbourne boys all those years ago. But regrettably, this is not the finale the franchise probably deserves.       

Reviewed by Matthew Tait

News: The Eye of Infinity by David Conyers to be released on Halloween

David Conyers' latest Cthulhu mythos work, the novella The Eye of Infinity, will be released as a chapbook on Halloween by US-based Perlious Press.

The Eye of Infinity continues the saga of Harrison Peel (protagonist of Conyers' collection The Spiraling Worm), a veteran of covert wars against alien invaders, and fuses Mythos horror, quantum physics and interstellar cloak & dagger action into an instant pulp classic.

Synopsis:
At a remote radio telescope facility in New Mexico, an astrophysicist commits suicide after contracting a hideous mutative plague caused by something he saw ... and he won’t be the last.

Major Harrison Peel has witnessed his share of cosmic mutations before, but now, he faces a threat worse than death, and a powerful enemy that hides behind a human face.

When a top secret NASA program refuses to heed his warnings, Peel is catapulted into a nightmarish government conspiracy that takes him from Ft. Meade’s Puzzle Palace to the launchpads of Cape Canaveral; from the desolate Atacama Desert of Chile, to the very heart of the universe itself, all in a desperate bid to shut ...

The Eye of Infinity.

The Eye of Infinity will be available from Perilous Press.

Review: The Finger of God by Keith Williams

A retired Astronaut who once called the International Space Station home, Jordie MacAlister now spends his days in a different kind of isolation, sequestered away on the West Coast of Scotland and mourning the death of his wife after an inoperable brain tumour. Furthering his woe, he discovers his time in space has severely weakened his heart, thus curtailing short a career with NASA. His life is peaceful – if not quiet idyllic – until a top-secret NASA database is unaccountably downloaded onto his computer's hard drive in a blinding flash of light. With his inside knowledge, Jordie knows that such a thing isn’t possible. So it begs the question of whom or what is the power behind this inexplicable event that is now beginning to be felt around the world …

In the early stages of The Finger of God, we get the feeling this might be a short and speculative excursion not unlike a stand-alone episode of The X-Files. All the elements are there as Jordie recruits old friend and retired conspiracy-theorist Alan Sinclair to help him decipher the code. But what started out as a small mystery soon dovetails into an apocalyptic novel incorporating every device and trope of science fiction whilst invigorating the plot with horror elements reminiscent of the destruction and carnage found in a Roland Emmerich film. The action cranks up as we shift settings on a global scale from Geelong, Australia to the upper echelons of NASA. The darker aspects of the novel get even darker as Williams juggles an alien monstrosity hell bent on total abolition and the blemishes found within the human heart when put under such duress.

Unfortunately, when charting a plot evocative of sci-fi television, it becomes easy see everything through the lens of these shows, and a downside here is probably the clichéd characters and their dialogue and reactions. We have troubled, hardened cops voicing hackneyed thoughts; we have male and female protagonists who are brought together romantically through the fall of civilization. Underlying it all, we get the feeling Williams is using this stage to preach philosophy about human follies, and at times, I found myself getting bogged down in semantics that tapered the enjoyment of the fast moving plot. There are certain stages when you’ll ‘know’ you’re reading a book. A perfect example of this would be:

"That statement from Maurice injected reality back into the surreal atmosphere as awareness of the impossibly dire situation permeated the kitchen."

All that aside, we can tell Williams is a gifted author whose talent is only just coming to the forefront, and The Finger of God is perfect for people who enjoy savvy science fiction with subtle hints of horror.

The Finger of God can be ordered from Equilibrium Books.

Reviewed by Matthew Tait

Competition: Saw VII 3D and The Loved Ones

Courtesy of Hoyts Distribution and Madman Entertainment, HorrorScope has double passes to give away for two upcoming horror blockbusters: Saw VII - the final installment of the Saw franchise, shot in gloriously gory 3D - and the much-hyped Aussie horror flick The Loved Ones.

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SAW VII 3D
Tickets courtesy of Hoyts Distribution

As a deadly battle rages over Jigsaw's brutal legacy, a group of Jigsaw survivors gathers to seek the support of self-help guru and fellow survivor Bobby Dagen, a man whose own dark secrets unleash a new wave of terror.

Watch the trailer and check out some scary publicity stunts at: www.facebook.com/sawvii3daustralia

In cinemas 28 October.

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THE LOVED ONES
Tickets courtesy of Madman Entertainment

A vivid, sexy rollercoaster of a ride that takes the conventions of horror and runs them off the rails.

Brent (Xavier Samuel) has never recovered from the night of the car crash that killed his father: a crash that he was responsible for. His only solace is his loving girlfriend, Holly (Victoria Thaine). But, there’s another girl who years to comfort Brent – the quietest girl in school, Lola (Robin McLeavy), and when he turns down her invitation to the school dance he enters a nightmare beyond imagining.

Watch the trailer at: www.thelovedonesmovie.com

In cinemas 4 November.

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To enter:
Email your name, postal address, and the title of the competition(s) you wish to enter (Saw VII, The Loved Ones, or both) to ozhorrorscope@gmail.com.

Conditions:
One entry per person.
Open to Australian residents only.
Saw VII competition closes October 28.
The Loved Ones competition closes October 31
Winners randomly drawn.
Your personal info remains confidential.

News: 'Halloween HorrorCon' at Dymocks Southland

Dymocks Southland will be hosting a special 'Halloween HorrorCon' this Halloween, with five local dark fiction authors signing their work in-store! Our special guests are:

Alan Baxter, author of RealmShift and MageSign
Bob Franklin, author of the collection Under Stones
Bruce Kaplan, author of Jenny's Dance
Kirstyn McDermott, author of Madigan Mine
Jason Nahrung, author of The Darkness Within

Event Details:
Date: Sunday 31st October
Time: 12.00 noon - 1pm (approx)
Address: Dymocks Southland, 3067 Westfield Shopping Centre, Cheltenham, VIC
Enquiries: 03 9584 1245 (ask for Chuck).

Review: Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris

Grave Secret is the fourth book in Charlaine Harris’ Harper Connolly series.

Harper Connolly’s life has been haunted by two events: the disappearance of her sister, Cameron, as a teenager, and a lightning strike that left her with crippling headaches, muscles weakness and the ability to sense the dead.

The lightning strike would have killed Harper, but for her stepbrother Tolliver performing CPR, Harper’s drug-addicted mother unable to help. Harper’s mother now dead and Tolliver’s father in jail, Tolliver and Harper began travelling the country and using Harper’s ability to sense the dead to earn a living.

In the first three books, Harper used her ability to locate the bodies of murder victims and to determine the cause of death when in proximity to a body. She has been able to give other people peace, but has never been able to have any peace for herself, unable to locate her missing, presumably dead, sister.

In Grave Secret, Harper is hired by Lizzie Joyce to determine the cause of her grandfather’s death. Harper gives her the information she wants, as well as reading several other graves in the cemetery to prove herself. One of these readings reveals secrets hidden in the Joyce family’s past and also, unexpectedly, Harper’s.

Harper is an intriguing heroine. There are no leather pants or guns in sight, and she is more likely to be shot than she is to fight with any ghouls or vampires. The only evil in this series is human, and it is, perhaps, easy to relate to Harper and her problems because of this.

This book is particularly satisfying, as it focuses on Harper more than it does the mystery that she is working on. Many of the threads that have been raised in the previous books are tied up in this book, but several new possibilities are also introduced. It’s going to be interesting to see where Harris takes the series next.

Grave Secret is published by Gollancz.

Review: Cthulhu's Dark Cults

Cthulhu's Dark Cults
Ten Tales of Dark and Secretive Orders
edited by David Conyers

Date Published: 2010
Publisher: Choasium Inc
ISBN: 978-1-56882-235-8
Format: B
Pages: 246

Reviewed by Andrew J. McKiernan

H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos has been one of the most influencial and successful of all of horror fiction's many and varied tentacular branches. Expanded upon by such horror luminaries as Robert Bloch, Robert E. Howard, Clark Ashton Smith, Ramsay Campbell and Stephen King, it's sanity shattering horror has oozed its way (to greater and lesser effect) off the page and into our cinemas, our TV screens, and our video games. There is even a large range of plush and vinyl Cthulhu toys; just the thing for your baby to snuggle up to in their crib through the dark of night. And, through all this mythos change and expansion and almost mainstream acceptance, one aspect has remained strong and steady for almost 30 years... and that is Chaosium Inc.'s Call of Cthulhu Role Playing Game (RPG).

I first started reading Lovecraft and other mythos fiction when I was 9yrs old and it still makes up a strong and important part of my adult reading. I've been playing Call of Cthulhu RPG since its 2nd Edition in 1983, and to this day (barely changed in over six editions) it still stands as a favoured Role Playing Game in our household. And yet, for all this time I never realised there is a difference between 'Lovecraftian' mythos fiction and 'Call of Cthulhu' mythos fiction. But, there does seem to be a difference and editor David Conyers ably shows us these differences in Choasium Inc.'s anthology Cthulhu's Dark Cults.

At just on 246 pages, Cthulhu's Dark Cults is a collection of ten tales which all take as their basis a particular cult or secretive order first written about in various rule books and adventure scenarios produced for the Call of Cthulhu RPG. All of the stories are set during the 'standard' Lovecraftian era of the 1920s and 1930s in keeping with the games core rules, but I never had the feeling that any of the stories were in the style of Lovecraftian-pastiche... for some stories this was a definite plus, while I felt others could have stuck a little closer to the standard mythos style and voice in order to increase their credibility for the reader. My only other problems were a few anachronisms in the speech of characters, and one our two objects misplaced in time and space - an American character wearing a 'bowler' hat when, at that time in the US, that style was exclusively called a 'derby' - but these sorts of things occur infrequently and largely only in the first half of the anthology. The stories in the second half came across as a much smoother ride... or maybe that's because I'd finally fallen into the groove of understanding the difference between 'Lovecraftian' fiction and 'Call of Cthulhu' fiction?

The anthology open's with John Sunseri's "The Eternal Chinaman", a tale set in 1920s San Fransisco that reads in some places more like Quentin Tarantino-style thugs in modern day New York. The Eternal Chinaman is a cult that receives more than one mention in the stories that are to follow and in this way Sunseri's tale is a great introduction to evil priest Lang Fu and the cult which surrounds him. Unfortunately, for a first-person narrative from 1920, I found the voice and dialogue a little too modern to really lose myself in the story - even if the narrator is a well-seasoned sailor. I'm not saying that sailor's didn't speak like that in the 1920s (I'm sure they did), but they certainly didn't write that way and when reading a written story this is something that pulled me out what is otherwise and entertaining and action packed tale of dark cults on the San Fransisco wharves.

John Goodrich's "Captains of Industry" finds us moving from the docks to the factory, this time in Boston 1921. Goodrich's story, like the one preceding it, could almost have been set in modern times but the dialogue never strays too far from its era. Despite a slow start, the "Captains of Industry" becomes increasingly brutal in that exciting Pulp/Tarantino way (more akin to Robert E Howard than HP Lovecraft). The clash between disgruntled factory works, union officials and servants of the Hermetic Order of the Silver Twilight leads to a climax that seems almost premature and stifled when you consider that path taken to get there.

"Perfect Skin" by David Witteveen is the first story in the anthology to make me realise the untapped depth of information and story ideas contained in the 'Call of Cthulhu RPG' and its related supplements. There isn't much given away here - just vague and unsettling hints - and there are no 'cosmic horrors', but "Perfect Skin" is well written and intriguing in a way that tells me I'm only just scratching the surface of the cult known only The Brotherhood. Set in Istanbul, 1922, Witteveen weaves a tale that begins equal parts PG Wodehouse and Evelyn Waugh, and ends with a creepy twist worthy to grace the pages of the original Weird Tales magazine.

William James' "Covenant of Darkness" is possibly the shortest and most action packed of all the tales in the anthology. Almost a 'locked room' story, with our intrepid adventurers (a doctor, a detective and an anthropologist) barricading themselves in an apartment for the duration as unspeakable horrors pound on doors and windows seeking unholy ingress. Despite the sheer improbability of almost everything that happens in "Covenant of Darkness" it is the most fun of all the included stories and probably comes closest to the sheer enjoyment of actually playing the Call of Cthulhu RPG.

Penelope Love takes a very different tack to the previous stories - moving away from the hero as the point-of-view character and offering us something a little more unsettling - in "The Whisper of Ancient Secrets". Here we see things through the 'eyes' of a character more akin to the villian, the scientist/cultist gone made whilst dabbling in strange geometries and sacrifices. The writing is beautiful, the Australian setting haunting, and the chance the author has taken to 'do-something-different' really put this story at the top of my favourites list for this anthology.

"Old Ghost" by Peter A. Worthy uses the familiar Lovecraftian trope of presenting the story as a series of first-person account letters. Set in Shanghai in the years prior to the Second Sino-Japanese War, "Old Ghost" is a complex tale of personal ghosts and conjured ones, and of a Catholic Father who must fight for his life and sanity against the mysterious cult of The Bloated Woman.

Like Penelope Love's "The Whisper of Ancient Secrets", Oscar Rios' "The Nature of Faith" tackles the notion of cults and pagan religious practices from a slightly different angle. Rios lulls us into small town Massachusetts - Dunwich, the be exact, so we should know what to expect - and makes us wonder if all this talk of evil backwoods cultists is anywhere near as bad as it is made out to be. He lulls us in until we almost believe it, and then... well, lets just say I found "The Nature of Faith" extremely effective at setting off my 'creeped-out' buttons.

Cory Goodfellow's "The Devil's Diamonds" didn't pack quite the punch for me that the previous three stories did, but it is still an ably written and enjoyably action-packed mythos tale. I think this is the sort of story that really defines the difference between 'Lovecraftian' mythos tales (those stories that are tight-set, with minimal characters and scant locations) and 'Call of Cthulhu' tales which can have multiple protagonists acting together amongst large set-pieces such as enormous diamond mines in the wilds of Kenya. Like "Covenant of Darkness", this is a story that reads on the page the way a good session of Call of Cthulhu RPG should run in real life.

"Requiem for the Burning God" by Shane Jiraiya Cummings is the longest story in the anthology, and probably the best realised in terms of plot, character and setting. This is almost certainly due to the fact that Cummings has more room to play with in this novelette of evil cult-run corporations, gun-toting mercenaries and dark evils festering deep beneath the mountains of Peru. Like "The Devil's Diamonds", this is a story of epic scope and grand pulp-style adventure, with everything from flesh-eating ooze to bi-planes dogfighting zeppelins over the Pacific Ocean that comes across almost like Bulldog Drummond vs The Great Old Ones. Not only a fun and exciting read, "Requiem for the Burning God" is the sort of story that I wish my role-playing sessions ran like!

Editor David Conyers rounds out the anthology with his own story "Sister of the Sands". Maybe not as epic in setting as the previous two stories, "Sister of the Sands" definitely holds its own when it comes to depth of story and an historical background that comes across as sufficiently ancient and disturbingly realistic. When a woman walks out of Egypt's White Desert and into the life of an Australian serviceman, he finds his world turned upside down by an ancient cult known as The Brotherhood of the Black Pharoah who want the mysterious woman all for themselves. Conyers' story is a strong end to the anthology and acts as a great climax after the pulpish build-up of the stories by Goodfellow and Cummings.

Overall, the quality of the stories in Cthulhu's Dark Cults is a little uneven in their voice and tone but the plots themselves are a lot of fun. I think that it is this 'fun' aspect that really separates what David Conyers and Chaosioum Inc. mean by 'Call of Cthulhu' fiction instead of 'Lovecraftian' fiction. A number of stories, such as those by Penelope Love, Oscar Rio, Shane Jiraiya Cummings and David Conyers are especially good and it is a shame these stories all appear in the second half of the anthology, making it seem a little weighted towards the back. It would have been nice to have the stories spread in a slightly different way to even things out, but it does mean the anthology only builds in excitement as it progresses and the final stories are real mind-blowing doozies worthy of the pulp tradition that has made Call of Cthulhu such a popular and long lasting role-playing game.

Review: Borderland (2007)

When first reading the caption ‘Inspired by a True Story’ a horror aficionado invariably recoils. Do we have on our hands another Texas Chainsaw Massacre replica trying to emulate the success of that franchise? Or perhaps this is just another torture-porn outing with a series of advents so loosely resembling the original crime its entire story is nothing more than a fictitious construct? Initially, that was my first impression of Borderland … a sordid tale set on the fringe of Mexico

If there was any question regarding the film-territory we inhabit, the opening sequence quells all doubts in a hurry as two Mexican police officers find themselves in the hands of a drug-cartel that applies human sacrifice to please deities and thus remain anonymous from enemies. It sounds far-fetched, but the tone and mood of Borderland enables the scenario to be utterly plausible. None of this is for the squeamish, and although we have a sinister world very Tarantino/Rodriguez on offer, I had the feeling even those icons would be applauding this.

Next, we cut to the main-players and inevitable future victims of the blood-cult: Ed, Phil, and Henry – three arrogant and ambitious American’s celebrating graduation. The boys have decided that before college they’re going experience freedom and liberty as defined by those living south of the border. At first reluctant, Ed joins his friends and we are then treated to their adventures with alcohol, drugs, and sex. But this is no teeny-bopper outing where dim-witted adolescents are fodder for embarrassing lines and actions; I found the characters innocence and naivety to be genuine. When the subsequent abduction of Phil takes place, the tension becomes palpable.

The prescription for a movie like Borderland is, of course, the same one applied to films like Hostel. But it’s a formula that will always work for horror. This is foreign land, everybody is corrupt, and when the maelstrom comes there is nobody to help you or hear you scream. The added true-story element (of which there is a surplus of information in the special features) gives credence to the harrowing brutality of human sacrifice. When the tides turn, and the victim seeks retribution, we discover they are capable of just as much atrocity as their tormentors. Although at times the pacing is slow and the dark tones will have you squinting, the climax ensures Borderland rises just above the usual crop to be a better than average horror film.

Reviewed by Matthew Tait 

Review - Let Me In (2010)

Let Me In (2010) – Dir Matt Reeves. Starring Kodi Smit-McPhee, Chloë Moretz.

When the horror community heard that the highly praised and much loved Swedish vampire film Let The Right One In was being remade Americana style, there was uproar in the ranks. ‘Remake’ has been a dirty word in our community ever since the studios decided to recycle every last horror film they could buy the rights to. So how would they fair with this one?

Renamed ‘Let Me In’, we meet Owen, played exceptional well by Australian actor Kodi Smit-McPhee, a young outcast boy struggling with the efforts of adolescence. He is bullied at school, confused at home and alone in the world. He befriends Abby when she moves in next door, a young girl who also seems to share his reclusive lifestyle. But for other reasons; Abby is a vampire.

Perhaps if you’ve never seen the Swedish version you will love this film. It is truly exceptional filmmaking. A modern horror classic. The problem with repeat viewers of the original is the compulsion to compare every aspect of each film. They are so similar. You’ll find things done better here, others done worse. Where the original was bleaker and dark; the new film excels in tension. Slight changes have been made to the plot, but essentially it’s the same story with the same tone. As in the original there are some exciting standout scenes, although this one has been tailored to an American audience with more exposition of the narrative.

The true beauty of the story is the bond between Owen and Abby, hauntingly beautiful at one point, disturbingly grotesque the next. This new film takes the emotion of their relationship further; Hollywood likes to pull on the heart strings. Lament at the children’s tragic relationship at one point, terror at their playground activities another.

For people who haven’t seen a horror movie all year this is definitely the one to see. It showcases what we all love about horror when they are done this good. For fans of the original it may be a case of ‘why fix what’s not broken?’ There are just not enough variations to make this remake stand out. So which one is better? A question that will no doubt divide a community.

Reviewed By Troy King.

News: Horror discussion on Sydney's 2SER

Sydney's leading horror authors will be discussing everything that goes bump in the night - including the Australian Horror Writers Association and the recent release of the anthology Macabre: A Journey Through Australia's Darkest Fears - on Sydney radio station 2SER's Final Draft book show.

The special all-horror episode will air next Monday October 18 from 7pm to 7.30pm. The programme will feature interviews with Leigh Blackmore (President of the Australian Horror Writers Association) and Marty Young (co-editor of Macabre: A Journey Through Australia's Darkest Fears), plus a chat with author Kyla Ward, who reads an extract from her Macabre novelette "Erina Hearn and the Gods of Death".

Tune in or download the podcast after October 18.

News: House of Sighs wins Fresh Blood contest

Australian author Aaron Dries' debut novel, House of Sighs (formerly titled Disunity) recently won the Chizine/Leisure Books/Rue Morgue Fresh Blood contest, and his novel will be published in hardback by Chizine Publications in February 2011.

Synopsis:
It’s the summer of 1995 in James Bridge, Australia, and the passengers of the Sunday bus into town are about to learn how quickly the world falls apart. Liz Frost, their driver, began the day wanting to kill herself. It would have been better if she had. Her passengers are now hostages and she’s taking them home to meet her family.

The innocent are left with a terrifying ultimatum: unite or bleed.

Trailer:



The limited edition hardback can be pre-ordered now from Horror Mall.


Source: Aaron Dries

Review: On Spec #80 - Spring 2010

On Spec continues to do the spec fic business proud. Editor Diane L. Walton provides a thoughtful editorial on the difficulties faced by small press magazines in publicising their product. In A Thousand Leah Bobet contributes a delicate story of an artistic young man and his emotionally distant father who is concealing a rather startling secret about his absent wife. Tina Connolly's Zebedee the Giant Man is a vignette that manages to convey the essence of a world in two short pages. It's slim but compelling. Weeds in the Garden by Meghan Dunn is a post-apocalyptic tale seen through the eyes of a child as a government inspector gets on the wrong side of a single mum and her family. Continuing the theme of familial dysfunction, there's a potentially violent father lurking in the background.

Walk the Wheat is a rural story of brotherly love that carries on beyond the grave (or the wheat field in this case). It's touching and gruesome at the same time with a little touch of Stephen King. Marcelle Dube's Vanishing Woman is a gentle ghost story about the need that people have to be remembered after they're gone and one woman's determination to solve a mystery out of the past. Dube is also the featured writer in the regular interview section (which is always informative). Eric J. Hull gives us Katie Dreams which has a fascinating premise of a girl who has a bizarre illness. A princess undergoes secret training in Cygnet's Shadow by Tony Pi. Admittedly this type of fantasy is not my favourite genre and I found the dialogue a bit stodgy but it manages to maintain interest.

The best story is lurking at the back of the magazine. Kate Riedel gives us a Greek spin on vampire legend with the creepy To Sleep in Peace. And as always there is a feature on the cover artist. If you're interested in the mechanics of writing or genre art, In Spec consistently delivers solid interviews with authors and artists. There are also two great pieces of poetry by Saint James Harris Wood to round off the collection. This is another solid effort by a collective that does a great job shining a light on Canadian spec fiction. Go to their website and check them out.

News: October Competition: The Walking Dead

To celebrate the imminent screening of AMC's The Walking Dead this Halloween, NecroScope will be giving away a copy of Issue #1 of Robert Kirkman & Tony Moore's original groundbreaking graphic novel!

Visit NecroScope for more information.

http://zombiefictionreview.blogspot.com/2010/10/news-october-competition-walking-dead.html

Competition: Let Me In

Courtesy of Icon Films and NRC Communications, HorrorScope is giving away double passes for the quietly disturbing film Let Me In (starring Chloe Moretz and Kodi Smit-McPhee and directed by Matt Reeves), a US remake of the Swedish film  Let The Right One In, which is based on the bestselling book of the same name by John Ajvide Lindqvist.

Synopsis:
Chloe Moretz (Hit Girl from Kick-Ass) stars as Abby, a mysterious 12-year old girl who moves next door to Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Road). Owen is a social outcast who is viciously bullied at school, and in his loneliness, forms a profound bond with his new neighbour. Owen can’t help noticing that Abby is like no one he has ever met before. As a string of grisly murders occupy the town, Owen has to confront the reality that this seemingly innocent girl is really a savage vampire. Let Me In is a haunting and provocative thriller written and directed by filmmaker Matt Reeves (Cloverfield) and produced by legendary British horror brand Hammer Films.

In cinemas October 14.

Trailer:



To enter:
Email your name and postal address to ozhorrorscope@gmail.com.

Conditions:

• One entry per person.
• Open to Australian residents only.
• Competition closes October 12.
• Winners randomly drawn.
• Your personal info remains confidential.

News: Dymocks Southland Bestselling Horror/Paranormal Titles for September 2010

1. Sookie Stackhouse (series) - Charlaine Harris

2, Torment - Lauren Kate
3, Carpathians (series) - Christine Feehan
4. Vampire Academy (series) - Richelle Mead
5. American Psycho - Brett Easton Ellis

6. Feed - Mira Grant

7. Under the Dome - Stephen King

8. The Passage - Justin Cronin

9. The Zombie Survival Guide - Max Brooks

10. Pride & Prejudice & Zombies - Austen / Graeme-Smith 

Review: Valley of the Dead

Kim Paffenroth, 2010, Permuted Press

Visit NecroScope to read this review.

http://zombiefictionreview.blogspot.com/2010/10/review-valley-of-dead.html

Review: In-human by Anna Dusk

Sally Hunter has problems. She lives in a dead-end town in Tasmania with a drunk for a mother, an absent father and the usual small town mix of yobs, losers and those who have lost hope in the future. To add insult to injury, she's finding herself turning into a werewolf. A killing spree is happening on her doorstep. How much of it is down to her and why can't her heightened werewolf sense of smell detect the presence of schoolmate and former friend Coralee? As she gets used to her new condition, she begins to revel in the act of hunting and killing. But there is also the uncertainty of how her new found state will affect family and friends.



This is quite a confronting novel. It's not the violence of the deaths, though that's certainly present. There is an almost masochistic wallowing in bodily functions - shit and menstrual blood feature quite prominently. The style also serves to initially alienate the casual reader, with odd changes in font style and size and a sort of stream of consciousness punctuation. Five pages in and I was ready to chuck the book across the room in frustration. But then something clicked, I surrendered to the story and all was forgiven.


The horror elements are well contrasted with the gritty detail of rural life. Dusk has such an ear for the vernacular that it's like hearing the characters speak into your ear - not always a pleasant prospect. The downside of the stylistic flourishes, however, is a certain distancing of the reader which means that some deaths in the latter part of the book don't quite pack the emotional punch I would have expected. That aside, this is a thoughtfully crafted novel that approaches the werewolf legend from an interestingly skewed angle. You can feel the hunger that Sally has and almost understand the joy she begins to take in killing. The artwork created by the author for the cover is impressive and you can see more illustrations for the book at her website. The pictures may give you some insight into whether this book is for you. Despite my initial reservations, I found it's mixture of eroticism and gut churning mayhem engrossing.




In-human is published by Transit Lounge Publishing.