Category Archives: Dark/Sordid/Bizarre

Earth Angel – Madeline Cash

Posted on April 11, 2025 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) I’m still trying to figure out why I enjoyed Earth Angel so much, and I suspect that might be part of my fascination with this offbeat collection. Seventeen weird, dark stories that seem to pull you … Continue reading →

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Curdle Creek – Yvonne Battle-Felton

Posted on December 1, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung)   It’s around 1960 and the residents of Curdle Creek never leave for any reason. Black residents have lived there for generations and believe that anywhere outside this small remote town is dangerous. An exception to … Continue reading →

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Tales from Beyond the Closet – Dalton Primeaux

Posted on September 25, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) These sordid tales of horror are weird. Not in a Trump/Vance creepy way, but in an eclectic, frightening, and entertaining way.   The kind of weird I like. There are stories encompassing sci-fi and lots of horror: … Continue reading →

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The Shining – Dorothea Lasky

Posted on January 27, 2024 by J D Jung

(reviewed by JD Jung) The Shining, a collection of over thirty poems, takes us to places similar to those that the Overlook Hotel made famous through Stephen King’s novel and Stanley Kubrick’s film of the same name. Though just as … Continue reading →

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Many People Die Like You – Lina Wolff, translated by Saskia Vogel

Posted on December 11, 2023 by J D Jung

(reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned Those who enjoy eclectic short stories that explore human nature are sure to relish the stories in Many People Die Like You. From bizarre relationships to unexpected power dynamics, this collection of fourteen stories takes … Continue reading →

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Blind Dates: Weird Stories – Harambee K. Grey-Sun

Posted on October 27, 2021 by J D Jung

Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned Being close to Halloween, I was in search for a good horror read. So, when I started reading these stories, I was expecting them to center on blind dates gone tragically wrong. Or maybe the … Continue reading →

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Confessions of a Gentleman Killer – Johnny Payne

Posted on January 29, 2021 by J D Jung

(reviewed by JD Jung) “If I didn’t kill them afterward, you’d say I was the perfect client, boyfriend, husband, or lover. And believe me, that’s the man I want to be, the man I tried to be. And failed.” It’s … Continue reading →

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The Patient – Jasper DeWitt

Posted on July 11, 2020 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “Patient additionally shows a high propensity toward violence and sadism. Patient has assaulted numerous members of staff and has had to be restrained. Despite relative youth, patient seems intuitively aware of which parts of the human … Continue reading →

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Nairobi Noir (Akashic Noir Series) – edited by Peter Kimani

Posted on June 22, 2020 by J D Jung

(reviewed by JD Jung) > “In this concrete jungle, the hunters and herders live on. As do the hunted…” This summarizes the essence of Nairobi Noir, a collection of fourteen stories released early this year from the Akashic Noir Series. … Continue reading →

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Berkeley Noir (Akashic Noir Series) edited by Jerry Thompson and Owen Hill

Posted on May 12, 2020 by J D Jung

(reviewed by JD Jung) “I arrived in Berkeley, back in 1991. A Berkeley that seemed to be still living off the fumes of the late sixties, which were fumes so strong you might just want to breathe them in all … Continue reading →

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