Mangled Meat By Edward Lee Review

By Edward Lee
Deadite Press
Review by: Ronnie Tucker
Review posted 08/20/2011


If you read horror then I'm sure you've heard of Edward Lee. Known as the godfather of gore and writer of all things deviant, Mr. Lee has written many short stories in his illustrious career. This one, Mangled Meat, features a trilogy of short stories.

First we have The Decortication Technician. This one is more sci-fi than horror and is, in my opinion, the weakest of the three. A team of people are to crack open what seems to be an abandoned space craft. It's a nice enough story, but every sentence uses several technical terms (whether real or imaginary) and/or abbreviations (again, real or imaginary) and it's very jarring. Imagine being lectured by a NASA engineer who can only use space jargon. Not very nice.

Getting better is the second story, Cyesolagniac. This one is more like it. Short, sleazy, sick and has a nice twist ending. Poor Heyton is a bit of a deviant, and is addicted to pregnant women. Trawling a red light district he can't believe his luck when a hot pregnant hooker gets in his car. This one shows why many horror/gore fans read Lee's work.

Last, but not least, is Room 415 which is about a guy who is mentally affected by his ex-wife. So much so that he is unable to orgasm as memories of his ex flash into his mind and cause him to wilt. Indulging in some voyeurism he sees a hooker getting a sound beating which, he realizes, really turns him on and does make him orgasm! Disgusted that he came, rather than call the police, he investigates the rooms occupants. This one doesn't really have any gore, as such, but does show that Lee can write a good detective story.

Another good anthology from Lee I think. Room 415 had more feeling and atmosphere than the other two, but in sickness value Cyesolagniac wins.

Belong by George Wilhite Review

By George Wilhite
Lulu
ISBN:978-1257909230
Review by: Dana Bell
Review posted 08/15/2011

Ian is the very image of most young boys tormented by the bullies of his school and an undesirable to the girls. He finds refuge in a downstairs bathroom, makes contact with what he thinks is a beautiful woman in one of the stalls and they communicate by graffiti on the walls. Eventually, she sucks him into her realm and holds him as her sexual captive, until another young man, on a dare, accidentally frees Ian back into the real world.

From there, Ian learns of the terrible murder of a young girl who gave birth to the monster who kills men out of revenge for that terrible rape and death long ago. He learns the girl's identity, uses the power of her name to free her, and helps put matters right before scrubbing to the inevitable death he himself suffered twenty years earlier.

An interesting premise mixed with the power of urban legends, many of which the origins become forgotten or blurred with time. Set in a high school, a true horror to many young people and the growing sexual awareness that grows during those years, the author sets up a believable situation, including the story of how Ian was found dead - no explanation and in an embarrassing position.

Once the sexual torture scenes are over, the story becomes interesting, full of the promise the original opening scenes hinted at. The search for the truth of how the horrid creature in the mirror came about, its defeat, and the two trapped finally freed, gives the story a compelling and fulfilling ending.

Belong is a good novella with a well thought out story line, even with all the sexual cruelty and bondage images. Although it should be classified as male erotica, it is also a murder mystery, an urban legend and a little scary, although a bit too graphic in some parts, so much so it was almost cliché.

Fractured Time by Alan Draven Review

By Alan Draven
Black Bed Sheets Books
ISBN:978-0976994787
Review by: Terry Morgan
Review posted 08/14/2011

Donovan Vicar is a feeler. He experiences emotions, bad and good vibrations of sorts. One day while walking home from a class he taught, he sees a man. The man produces a strange feeling for Vicar, a really evil feeling. He gets closer to the man, then hesitates. The the man goes on to the bus terminal and disappears, making Vicar regret not doing anything else.

He approaches his mentor, Mason with the problem. They talk and soon Vicar decides to go onto the bus where he thinks the man went, only to realize soon after being let off that the time has changed. He is now in the past of where he lives in Bitternest and not only has the time changed, but a growing evil force is present that he learns is darker than anything he has come into contact with.

Fractured Time is a story of dealing with one's gifts for the greater good. It was an interesting story that leads the reader down the growing paths of Vicar and the people around him in the past where the story takes place.

The one issue I had is at times when characters would do something that would just not make sense at the particular moment. For example, when Vicar tells his Mentor Mason he feels a certain way, his mentor tells him he is being paranoid. Why would a fellow feeler tell another 'you are being paranoid?' Isn't feelings what they are all about and they should listen to them?

This book regardless of that one issue is a great read. Its settings make you feel as if you are time-traveling with Vicar and experiencing all the conflict and horror that comes from the Bitternest past. I will say that no matter what you do, after reading this, you may think twice about going on a long bus trip.