Cemetery Dance Online

Review: Cut You Down by Sam Wiebe

Cemetery Dance OnlineJune 13, 2018June 11, 2018ReviewsCut You Down, Dave Simms, Quercus, Reviews, Sam WiebeLeave a comment

Cut You Down by Sam Wiebe
Quercus (February 2018)
288 pages; $15.91 hardcover; $9.99 e-book
Reviewed by Dave Simms

Noir fiction can be a mixed bag in today’s market. Many of the writers seem content to channel Raymond Chandler and roll through a murder-by-numbers plot with the most clichéd characters. Thankfully, a few breathe new life into the mix. Sam Wiebe is one of them. Last year’s The Invisible Dead introduced private investigator Dave Wakeland in the underused but vibrant setting of Vancouver. Coupled with the PI’s journeys into northern Washington State, the book feels fresh and avoids the pseudo-early twentieth century language and tropes.Continue Reading

Review: Cockblock by C.V. Hunt

Cemetery Dance OnlineJune 11, 2018ReviewsAnton Cancre, C.V. Hunt, Cockblock, ReviewsLeave a comment

Cockblock by C.V. Hunt
Amazon Digital Services (June 25, 2018)
108 pages; $2.99 e-book
Reviewed by Anton Cancre

Sonya and Callie just want to go out for a date. What they don’t want is to find themselves surrounded by men who seem incapable of doing anything but spout lame pick up lines and force themselves on anyone or anything they come across. What follows is a surprisingly harrowing ordeal of survival that reminded me quite pleasantly of Jack Ketchum’s Ladies’ Night.Continue Reading

Review: It, Watching by Elizabeth Massie

Cemetery Dance OnlineJune 8, 2018ReviewsDave Simms, Elizabeth Massie, It Watching, ReviewsLeave a comment

It, Watching by Elizabeth Massie
CreateSpace (June 2017)
220 pages; $13.95 paperback; $2.99 e-book
Reviewed by Dave Simms

In her first collection in several years, Elizabeth Massie returns with a thrilling collection of short stories. The Bram Stoker-winning author has put together eighteen tales, several of which are new to readers, and there’s not a clunker in the bunch.Continue Reading

Review: Nightly Owl, Fatal Raven by Jessica McHugh

Cemetery Dance OnlineJune 7, 2018June 5, 2018ReviewsAnton Cancre, Fatal Raven, Jessica McHugh, Nightly Owl, Raw Dog Screaming Press, ReviewsLeave a comment

Nightly Owl, Fatal Raven by Jessica McHugh
Raw Dog Screaming Press (June 14, 2018)
220 pages, $15.95 paperback; $4.99 e-book
Reviewed by Anton Cancre

You know what I was just thinking we don’t have nearly enough of? Hyper-violent, dystopian, post-apocalyptic sword and sandals-style fantasy with a hefty seasoning of Shakespearean drama. Luckily, we have Jess McHugh’s Nightly Owl, Fatal Raven swooping in to pluck out our eyes.Continue Reading

Cemetery Dance magazine now open to submissions for a limited time only!

Cemetery Dance OnlineJune 6, 2018September 11, 2018Breaking NewsLeave a comment

Sorry, we are now closed to submissions.

Review: And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe by Gwendolyn Kiste

Cemetery Dance OnlineJune 6, 2018June 6, 2018ReviewsAnd Her Smile Will Untether the Universe, Dave Simms, Gwendolyn Kiste, JournalStone, ReviewsLeave a comment

And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe by Gwendolyn Kiste
JournalStone (April 2017)
210 pages; $15.95 paperback; $3.95 e-book
Reviewed by Dave Simms

Remember this name. Gwendolyn Kiste will one day rule the world of dark short fiction if there’s any justice. Every once in a while, a new voice emerges and takes the genre by storm. Several have broken the surface lately and shown tinges of greatness to be, but rarely is one “born” with a style and substance this mind-boggling.Continue Reading

Brand New T-Shirt Inspired by IT by Stephen King!

Cemetery Dance OnlineJune 1, 2018Breaking NewsLeave a comment

Brand New T-Shirt Inspired by IT by Stephen King!
Available For 13 Days and Then Gone Forever!

We’ve always wanted to try one of those t-shirt printing AND fulfillment companies (meaning they process the orders and ship the shirts on our behalf) and we finally came up with something we thought our Stephen King collectors would really love!

Designed by the minds behind our acclaimed Limited Edition of IT by Stephen King, this shirt will only be available for purchase for thirteen days… And when the ordering window closes, we’ll delete the design and never offer it again!

Place your order today because no more will be produced once time runs out!

Thank you, as always, for your continued support and enthusiasm!

Dead Trees: The Touch by F. Paul Wilson

Cemetery Dance OnlineJune 1, 2018May 30, 2018Dead TreesColumns, Dead Trees, F. Paul Wilson, Mark Sieber, The Touch1 Comment

I first read F. Paul Wilson’s The Touch way back in 1986. I was a twenty-five year old boy, rabidly in love with horror. And after The Keep, The Tomb, and some short pieces I had read, F. Paul Wilson was one of my favorite writers.

There’s a section near the beginning of The Touch. It’s describing a seafaring historical area of a small town…

The Illusion almost worked. He could almost imagine Ishmael, harpoon on shoulder, walking down the harbor toward the Pequod…passing the new Video Shack.

Well, nothing was perfect.

I loved that. I was a modern young man and I was head over heels for the home video explosion. It was a perfect time for me. A perfect time to be a horror fan.Continue Reading

Brand New Glenn Chadbourne Limited Edition Art Print!

Cemetery Dance OnlineMay 31, 2018Breaking NewsLeave a comment

It has been ages since we offered one of Glenn Chadbourne’s acclaimed Stephen King art prints, but over the weekend he sent us an ORIGINAL full-color painting inspired by King’s classic novel IT that we think will look awesome in your home, office, or personal library — so here we go again!

This painting will be reproduced as a stunning 11 X 17 LIMITED EDITION art print and it’ll be perfect for matting and framing if you’re so inclined. We’re limiting this one-time run to just 500 prints and 75% of them have already been reserved, so we don’t expect these to last long!

Place your order today because we will never issue a second printing!

Thank you, as always, for your continued support and enthusiasm!

Review: The Hunger by Alma Katsu

Cemetery Dance OnlineMay 31, 2018May 29, 2018ReviewsAlma Katsu, Dave Simms, Reviews, The HungerLeave a comment

The Hunger by Alma Katsu
G.P. Putnam’s Sons (March 2018)
384 pages; $16.00 hardcover; $13.99 e-book
Reviewed by Dave Simms

The release of Alma Katsu’s new historical horror novel brings with it comparisons to The Terror by Dan Simmons, even including both of them in social media ads. Do not be fooled. Yes, both authors bring impeccable research to fine stories and put you right there in the moment with ease. Both examine the human condition and how people can easily be turned to embrace their shadow selves, the monsters within the person.

Yet, there are a couple of major differences. Continue Reading

The Zombie Who Cried Human and Widow’s Point Audiobooks!

Cemetery Dance OnlineMay 30, 2018May 30, 2018Breaking NewsLeave a comment

The Zombie Who Cried Human and Widow’s Point Audiobooks!
Value Priced and Available For Immediate Download!

It’s rare we dip into the audiobook realm, but we have some terrific news for audio fans!

* Our friends Greg and Sarah at Funemployment Radio have produced an audiobook for The Zombie Who Cried Human by Brian James Freeman and Glenn Chadbourne! The audiobook contains two reading of the story and is available for immediate download. The retail price is just $3.95, but Amazon and Audible have discounted the price to even less than that right now, so please check it out and let us know what you think:

Amazon * Audible * iTunes

* In addition, Richard and Billy Chizmar’s acclaimed novella Widow’s Point is now available on audio from Crossroads Press! To make this even cooler, one of our favorite writers, Chet Williamson, is the reader! Be sure to download your copy ASAP and drop us a line with your feedback:

Amazon * Audible * iTunes

Thank you, as always, for your continued support and enthusiasm!

Review: Like Jagged Teeth by Betty Rocksteady

Cemetery Dance OnlineMay 30, 2018May 29, 2018ReviewsAnton Cancre, Betty Rocksteady, Like Jagged Teeth, Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing, ReviewsLeave a comment

Like Jagged Teeth by Betty Rocksteady
Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing (April 2017)
118 pages, $11.95 paperback; $3.99 e-book
Reviewed by Anton Cancre

Betty Rocksteady appears to be a bit of a newcomer on the scene. I hadn’t seen her name or work prior to this year. However, if Like Jagged Teeth is anything to go on, she’s kicking the door right off its hinges.Continue Reading

Who is the True Villain in Carrie?

Cemetery Dance OnlineMay 25, 2018May 29, 2018What I Learned from Stephen KingCarrie, Columns, Jason Sechrest, What I Learned from Stephen King8 Comments

Stephen King’s first novel Carrie debuted on April 5th, 1974 with little to no fanfare. One might say that, like the novel’s title character, Carrie was always destined to be a late bloomer. Shy to the spotlight, you might find Carrie hanging out at your local library or bookstore, sitting there all but invisible upon the shelf. All the while, of course, Carrie held a great secret. A special power. Quiet and patient, Carrie was waiting to make her mark on the world, to have her revenge on those who had underestimated her, and to make Stephen King a household name. Continue Reading

Review: Stirring the Sheets by Chad Lutzke

Cemetery Dance OnlineMay 23, 2018May 21, 2018ReviewsBloodshot Books, Blu Gilliand, Chad Lutzke, Reviews, Stirring the Sheets2 Comments

Stirring the Sheets by Chad Lutzke
Bloodshot Books (April 2018)
130 pages; $8.99 paperback; $2.99 e-book
Reviewed by Blu Gilliand

Read enough horror, and you start feeling like you can predict where a book or story is going to go within a few pages or chapters. I’m not saying that all horror is predictable or formulaic; just that enough of it is that some reviewers (like me) might find themselves getting a little cocky after a few successful predictions. Then someone like Chad Lutzke comes along with a novella like Stirring the Sheets, and gleefully knocks you off your high horse.Continue Reading

Bev Vincent Reviews The Outsider by Stephen King

Bev VincentMay 21, 2018May 21, 2018Reviews, Stephen King News from the Dead ZoneBev Vincent, Columns, It, Mike Hanlon, Mr. Mercedes, News from the Dead Zone, Reviews, Stephen King, The Outsider2 Comments

Reality is Thin Ice
The Outsider by Stephen King

Reviewed by Bev Vincent

One of the themes of Stephen King’s 1986 novel It was the notion that adults lose the ability to believe in the kinds of things they embraced as children. Mike Hanlon contemplates this issue when he’s planning to summon his childhood friends back to Derry to confront the monster they defeated but did not destroy nearly three decades earlier. He wonders if they’re up to the task because their former ability to believe in the power of certain talismans gave them the strength to hurt Pennywise.

The inability to believe plays a major part in The Outsider. Continue Reading

Reality is Thin Ice The Outsider by Stephen King

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Reality is Thin Ice
The Outsider by Stephen King