Strange Halloween

an anthology from Whortleberry Press edited by Jean Goldstrom. softcover. Reviewed by Steve Johnson.

Fine  job here, excellent cover that picks up the anthology theme very nicely, and a good selection of 22 stories with only one I really didn’t like. Favourites were Black and Silver (very nice use of history) The Guy With the Lantern (cleverly written) The Mailman (a subtle ghost tale) and A Storm of Memories (poignant.) Lyn says that she agrees with most of those but that she also very much likes Pumpkin Moon, Leaves, and Horror in Hootenanny Holler.

One the flip side I didn’t much like Shadows in the Dark. Woman runs out of gas, police officer in scary small town assists her. Nothing happens to woman, her kids, police officer, or small town. Huh? Was the town’s atmosphere supposed to be the theme? We’ve all had that ‘hair up on the back of the neck’ feeling. But if nothing validates it then there’s no story. And I was not at all impressed by Into The Wood, which I thought pretentious, and confused. However that’s a good end result, that out of 22 stories I enjoyed 20. The Whortleberry Press anthologies are good value for money.

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