Review: One Buck Zombies from One Buck Horror

Right in time for the holiday season, that ghost wonderful time of the year, One Buck Horror strikes again, this time with a special All Zombie Extravaganza titled, One Buck Zombies.  Of course you know I was jacked to know that there was a new volume coming out so close to the heels of the release of One Buck Horror: Volume Three, and that it was all about zombies, which of course are all the rage.

One Buck Zombies delivers a set of five zombie tales in the One Buck Horror tradition of being short, sweet and on the cutting edge.  Each story has its own unique style and take on the Romero zombie genre, where the walking dead have a hunger for the flesh of the living!

Here's a look at the stories:

The Best Mother by James Owens
No one wants to play with Jimmy after his mother's accident.  Even his father turns away with the passage of time.  But he will never leave his mother, and she wall always be there to protect him.  As always the editors at OBH have a way of picking the perfect lead in story.  It reminded me of Brian Rappatta's The Dead March and that new classic, Fido, due to similar themes and story elements, but beyond that The Best Mother is its own story.  Five Stars!

The Levees Of The Styx by David Dunwoody
A fallen scientist finds himself trapped in a tunnel with a young girl with a dwindling supply of food, and a gun containing only two bullets.  The story starts out fairly strong, but then goes down a slight slope once an explanation of how the zombie plague started is added to the story.  The story does however leave the reader hanging with an ambiguous ending that I though was great, because for the last few pages I was expecting to see a rehash of the ending of Stephen King's The Mist (the hopeless film ending that is).  Three and a Half Stars.

Little Red Zombie Hood by Alana I. Capria
I spent a majority of the time wondering where this story was going, and what possible point Capria was trying to make with it.  In OBH's guidelines it states they are not looking for "torture porn", and this story seems like zombies, werewolves and torture porn all mixed together.  Little Red was a zombie baby in the womb, so of course she is born pretty much the way you'd expect.  The Grandmother takes her in and arms her against wolves and man, which she dispatches with sick and gory glee for pretty much the entire length of the story.  Again this is one of those stories that someone else might be able to find merit in, but I found it to be a mix of concepts from the Dawn Of The Dead remake, the Saw series, and Diana Trees at her harshest, though not done well.  By far the weakest story in the collection from the standpoint that it is a story, as well as being the weakest story in the entire One Buck Horror series.  Two Stars.

He Stopped Loving Her Today by James R. Tuck
A man hides out in a home repair and improvement store as a zombie horde that includes his wife mills around, ever circling.  It is one of those stories you just know how it's going to end, but the fact is made up for by excellent storytelling that aims at the heart and tugs at it.  If you've ever known true love then you can feel the pain of a man who has lost absolutely everything that he ever cared about.  I do not want to give anymore away, as this story goes above and beyond.  Six Stars!

Mother Sisyphus by Robert Davies
Reading this story you begin to feel that you've found a story that is unique for the gut munching zombie genre, a story of hope.  Then you reach the hopeless and disgusting end to realize that at any rate the story is still unique.  A well told tale that harkens back to the extreme films of the golden age of Italian cannibal/zombie films while adding its own legacy.  Thus far the best ender in a One Buck Horror collection.  Five Stars.

Overall One Buck Zombies is a five star collection that continues to prove that One Buck Horror is perhaps the best anthology series that presents some of the best stories from the new voices of independent horror.  I'm not sure if there will in the future be specials that will be all vampire or werewolf, but I have a pretty good feeling that somewhere down the road there will be a One Buck Zombies: Volume Two!  At any rate at least I hope there will be.

Here's where to get your copy of One Buck Zombies:

Amazon.Com:   http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005TVK6B8
Barnes & Nobel:   http://search.barnesandnoble.com/One-Buck-Zombies/Christopher-Hawkins/e/2940013259706
Smashwords:   http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/95193

Be sure to lurk for this one kids!  Required reading for the ghost wonderful time of the year!

Master Vyle

Review: One Buck Horror Volume Three from One Buck Horror

I know I said I was going to get to this one weeks ago, and it really was my plan, but between some writing of my own, a string of disasters and illness I did not get to review One Buck Horror Volume Three as quickly as I did the first two, which were both done days after the collections' initial release dates.  I did get it read on time, partly due to having some free time to kill between my car dying and going to buy a new one.

Yes, the crew at One Buck Horror went at it again, giving us six new tales of terror from several rising talents on the independent horror scene.  Overall the collection is good, though this time out for me it seems they have finally fallen into that rut where the quality of the stories as a group are a little uneven.  Judging from what I've seen in the past I am sure that OBH is gonna keep them coming and keep me shelling out them dollars, however One Buck Horror Volume Three is my least favorite of the collections so far.

Here's a quick look at the stories:

Helpers by David Steffen
He picks them up off the street and stuffs them in a bag.  Once he gets them home he has plans for them and work for them to do.  An excellent lead-in that's short and sweet and has a great little twist at the end.  Five Stars all the way!

Home by Augusto Corvalan
In a post apocalyptic world a family struggles to keep it together as the remaining people in the world devolve into crazed and flesh eating beasts.  A unique take on the zombie/cannibal genre that comes off as nothing but good from start to finish.  Five Stars!

Child Of Dirt by John F. D. Taft
Someone was sleeping in his bed one night, then nine month later came a bundle of joy, of sorts.  This story of a man doing battle with an infant illegitimate creature had a lot of potential in the beginning, but quickly turned to the average, a retread of similar stories and way too predictable.  Three Stars.

The Catman Blues by Leisa K. Parker
At a blues joint a humanoid cat comes to play, resulting in some gore and shattered nerves.  This is one of those stories I like to categorize under the headings the damnedest things and what the fuck.  Stories like this are pretty hit and miss, you either like them or you don't.  It was highly imaginative, but it just quite didn't do it for me personally.  Three Stars!

Vacation by L. Tanner
It's time to go on the annual family vacation.  An event that gets more bizarre, sick and twisted by the year.  Another story that starts off fairly well, but the end is way too predictable.  Three Stars.

Off With His Head by Mark Budman
A man wakes to find himself decapitated, but still alive.  Another story in the damnedest things/wtf category.  Again a highly imaginative tale, but also a weak note for a collection that started strong to end on.  Three Stars.

Okay, so I have to admit that this time out I was personally disappointed with the latest volume from One Buck Horror, but it's far from making me give up the faith in them.  Again, in my opinion it's the nature of the beast when it comes to collections and anthologies.  For the most part you usually get a mix of the good and the bad, and I think it's the One Buck Horror approach of only putting a collection of around half a dozen stories together at a time that helps keep them fresh.  I very much look forward to their next collection, as well as One Buck Zombies, which is due out very soon!

To learn more about One Buck Horror, and the contributors to One Buck Horror Volume One be sure to visit the One Buck Horror website: www.onebuckhorror.com .  Or you can follow One Buck Horror on twitter @OneBuckHorror .

Check out One Buck Horror Volume Three and see what you think for yourself.

Amazon:   http://www.amazon.com/One-Buck-Horror-Three-ebook/dp/B005JGZAY6 
Barnes & Noble:  http://search.barnesandnoble.com/One-Buck-Horror-Volume-Three/Christopher-Hawkins/e/2940013054417/

Plus keep a lurk out for OBH's first all zombie collection One Buck Zombies!

Master Vyle

Review: One Buck Horror: Volume Two from One Buck Horror

Okay, I know I may be sounding like a broken record about now, but once again I'm usually not of fan of anthologies because quite often you get one or two good stories at the most, hemmed in by a lot of literary gristle.  However, knowing that there was a second volume of One Buck Horror coming quickly on the heels of the first collection I had high hopes for it considering the quality stories of that volume.  Well folks, One Buck Horror: Volume Two did not disappoint Me in the very least.

Volume Two was not only better than Volume One, but it also exceeded my expectations. If you want to see the best in new horror from a new crop of independent authors, then you need to look no further than One Buck Horror!   So far on Amazon eight of eight reviews are all five star, and I can only imagine that it is rated just as high elsewhere.  Cover to cover this is hands down the best horror anthology I have ever read.  It delivers everything I felt that Volume One was lacking, and believe Me it wasn't lacking too much.  Like it's predecessor One Buck Horror: Volume Two is a quick and easy read at the right price, and they are stories you will want to read again and again.

Here's a quick look at the stories:

What Swims These Waters by Daniel Ausema
A vacation turns into an exercise in terror as a couple finds themselves at the mercy of small and unseen creatures intent on devouring them alive.  I was taken back to My childhood and reminded of that B horror movie classic The Flesh Eaters as I read this short and sweet little story, which was an excellent lead in to the collection. Five stars.

Holes by Sean Logan
A man heads to a bad house in a bad part of town to find his sister.  What he finds is a drug den beyond imagination.  The partly seen antagonist of this story brought up visions of H.P. Lovecraft mixed with the 456 from Torchwood: Children Of Earth.  Five stars.

Beastie by David Bischoff
The middle and without a doubt the best story in the collection, and I'm not just saying that because one of the protagonists is feline.  A man is shocked when the family cat brings home something that is surely not a rat or a bird.  After seeing the cat with many strange somethings he follows it to the graveyard one night to discover the dead are not resting in peace.  Since I set the standards for all My reviews I'm going to go out on a limb and say six stars!  I sincerely hope to see much more from Mr. Bischoff in the future!

3 Monkeys by Adam Howe
An orderly at a mental hospital learns a new version of the 3 Monkeys, and it begins to play itself out right before his eyes.  Terrifying and true to life, the final moments of this story will really grab you. Five stars.

The Afterlife Of Ellen Easterling by Michael Penkas
Murdered by a serial killer Ellen Easterling spends her days haunting his home as an uncomfortable presence in any way she can make herself be. Serial killers never stop though, and soon she has company.  The darkest and most gritty story in the collection makes sure that this anthology ends as evenly as it began.  Five stars all the way.

To learn more about One Buck Horror, and the contributors to One Buck Horror Volume Two be sure to visit the One Buck Horror website: www.onebuckhorror.com .  Or you can follow One Buck Horror on twitter @OneBuckHorror .

One Buck Horror: Volume Two from One Buck Horror is another collection that you just should not miss, and on a personal note I can't wait to see what future volumes will bring.  Be sure to get your copy for you eReader or PC today.

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/One-Buck-Horror-Two-ebook/dp/B005E59IZO
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/One-Buck-Horror-Two-ebook/dp/B005E59IZO
Amazon Germany: https://www.amazon.de/One-Buck-Horror-Two-ebook/dp/B005E59IZO
Barnes & Nobel: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/One-Buck-Horror/Christopher-Hawkins/e/2940012785220?itm=1&usri=one+buck+horror

One Buck Horror, where the new voices of independent horror speak.




Master Vyle



Review: One Buck Horror Volume One from One Buck Horror



A Truly Great Read For Just One Dollar!

Story collections and anthologies.  I've been collecting them since I was in middle school.  Up until now they have all had one thing in common, and that is they are loaded with varied tales: some good, some okay, some excellent, and some downright awful.  It doesn't matter if it is a collection of stories by category like Science Fiction and Horror, or collections of stories by authors like Stephen King, Clive Barker or Poppy Z. Brite, the fact remains that not every single story in a collection is as equally good or bad.  Even if I were to put out one of my own I am sure that readers would not view each story as a masterpiece (or even as a piece).

However, this week I found one story collection that had stories that were all fantastic across the board.  A Horror anthology of five stories, from five different independent authors, presented by One Buck Horror.  One Buck Horror Volume One delivers in a way no other story collection has before in my opinion.  And of course at the price of $1.00, yes truly one buck, it is not a collection to pass over.  Just because the cover price is low does not mean that the quality within is not worth a hell of a lot more.

This is a collection that had me hooked as soon as I started to read the first story.  All five are short and sweet, but each has that style that makes it speak volumes.  Almost all of them reminded me of my own earliest short stories (when I was writing as an assignment, and before I got so long winded).  I loved the nostalgia of getting a good quality story in such a short format, and as a writer reading them helped me to remember to value my own shorter works.  I know this makes the collection itself overall short compared to others, but it's all good quality, I again assure you.  One Buck Horror Volume One is a collection you can easily finish within a few hours, and it will still leave you knowing that you will want to read these stories over, again and again.

Here's a quick look at the stories:

Jenny's House by Ada Hoffmann
This story is an excellent lead in to the collection.  A boy brings something unusual to school for show-and-tell.  It's smelly and slimy and it just may explain why Jenny is not at school.  A five star shorty story from a child's point of view that had me hooked!

A Lullaby For Caliban by Mark Onspaugh
Three boys break into a carnival side show to steal a little something from the freak show as part of an initiation into the Daredevilz.  What they find is something beyond imagination. Another five star effort that had me dying to read on the the next story.

The Last Nephew by Elizabeth Twist
"Nephew" seeks his freedom from "Uncle", a man who took him off the streets but made him do things no boy should.  "Nephew's" predecessors are going to help him escape his torment, and he is going to help them get their revenge on "Uncle".  As a molestation survivor this story really spoke to me, and it is a story that leaves you with much food for thought, and to ponder what comes next.  Again a five star story.

The Cornfield by Mike Trier
Jack hates to cross the cornfield on his way home from his friend's house every time, because he is always afraid that something is going to come out of the neighboring woods and get him.  One night something does, a horror that follows him home, and his life and death struggle leads to a shocking aftermath!  You might guess the ending before you get to it, but nonetheless it is a great story worthy of four and three quarter stars.

The Gingerman by Julie Jansen
Something is not quite right with Mom.  Dad has been really sick, and she swears she is going to make him and everything else better again with a secret dessert recipe from the strange old lady next door.  It may be the weakest story in the collection in my opinion, but it is still worth four solid stars, and I can't wait to see what Julie Jansen, and her fellow contributors to this collection will come out with next.


To learn more about One Buck Horror, and the contributors to One Buck Horror Volume One be sure to visit the One Buck Horror website: www.onebuckhorror.com .  Or you can follow One Buck Horror on twitter @OneBuckHorror .



Be Sure To Get Your Own Copy Of One Buck Horror Volume One Today For Just One Buck!

Amazon US:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00584MMG8
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/One-Buck-Horror-ebook/dp/B00584MMG8
Amazon Germany:  http://www.amazon.de/One-Buck-Horror-ebook/dp/B00584MMG8
Barnes and Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/one-buck-horror-christopher-hawkins/1103370828?ean=2940012887566&itm=1&usri=one%2bbuck%2bhorror%2bvolume%2bone

Believe me, this collection is too good to miss.  Get your copy for eReader or PC.
Happy Reading!



Master Vyle