In this eighth omnibus of the Canyons of the Damned series, it collects issues from Canyons twenty-six, twenty-seven and twenty-eight. That means you get thirteen thrilling stories from eleven different authors and all of them tell tales that will keep you turning the pages until you know how the story ends. Two out of three highlights a particular theme, from the paranormal to Halloween and the third one explores everything in between. All of them will stir your heart, drop your jaw or make you shiver in fear.
Let’s start with how the authors use these paranormal concepts and turn them into storytelling gold:
Hunter C. Eden’s “Catch and Release” – A demon from hell possesses a thirty-something mother’s body and starts wrecking her life and embracing hedonism. The husband is distressed – what is he going to do to save his wife? The unbridled chaos this demon causes as it tells its story from its point of view is hysterical. But it’s the conversation between the demon and the exorcist that’s chasing it that’s the true highlight of this is an unconventional, delightful and unique tale with an ending that really surprised me.
Philip Harris’ “15 Things You Need to Know About Visiting the Spirit Realm” – The new iPhone XX has technology embedded in it that allows someone to interact with the spirit realm. Of course, you must get an iSpirit subscription to do that. As told by a famed blogger, we learn about all about how it works as well as its perils and pitfalls. The author has really thought of everything when telling this story, from being able to talk to deceased family members and even dead celebrities (!) It’s an uproarious and imaginative look at what could happen as well as the massive profits that could be generated from such an invention.
Jeff Bowles’ “A Peaceful Life I’ve Never Known” – Ronnie is pursuing fame and fortune and is studying under the famous and eccentric rock star Douglass. But how did Douglass get that way and what is the true price he paid to get there? It’s a suspenseful and strange tale about being haunted by bad decisions, their impact on the present day and how it takes a toll on your soul.
Ernie Howard’s “Bus Stop” – Winter is a teenager looking for revenge after his girlfriend got sexually assaulted by the school bully. Thinking only about his rage, he comes up with a plan to acquire a gun! Will he follow through and succeed? This story delves into the teenage mind and how it thinks, demonstrating a depth of humanity and the darkness that lurks underneath it. The true horror of the story is what happens next and how it’s ingeniously resolved with an unexpected twist.
Daniel Arthur Smith’s “Moroccan Fringe” – Jess is a blogger and photographer looking for adventure, hanging out with friends in the city of Tangier. Hiring someone to show her the unusual and offbeat, she finds what she’s looking for, photographing and taping everything she sees. But when something goes awry, will we find out what really happened? Filled with such strong detail of life in Morocco and evocative with such detailed flavor that immerses you in the story, it also had a jaw-dropping and horrifying ending that just blew me away.
Next, we have four unusual short stories that are unexpected and odd. Each one presents an atmosphere that engulfs you in its world, from a forlorn man to a survivor on a deserted island and to copies of humans in a devastating future and even a man with faulty memories. Find out more about these engrossing stories, starting with:
Desmond Warzel’s “Human Wheels Spin Round and Round” – When our narrator’s wife leaves him, he goes into an emotional tailspin, revisiting locations significant to their former relationship. But something unusual happens next and you will never guess where the story leads. A short but funny tale of a broken man and how others view him as he mopes about the sad state of his life.
Lorna Wood’s “Birds of a Feather” – Trapped on an island, a woman struggles to survive and build a shelter. But when a large black bird starts harassing her, what will happen next? It’s a strange and horrific tale that is compelling by the dilemma she faces and features a surprising ending.
David Alan Jones – “SNAFU64” – After X-Day, humans find a way to survive a post-apocalyptic landscape by making copies of themselves, called exponents, to perpetuate the survival of the human race. But when 2-Patti finds out 1-Patti has been taken by a mysterious church group, can she find her? It’s a remarkable premise and the author executes it with style along with a captivating plot. The author also deftly integrates themes about identity and destiny based on genetics and how that plays a role in their current society. Just an engaging and twisty story where you never know where it will go.
Daniel Arthur Smith’s “Room C” - A man is going to a doctors office but doesn't seem to remember why's he's there. All he knows is that the neural lace embedded in his brain led him here. But what strange things led him to be there? The author's skill in building the mystery and making even the most mundane moments in a doctor’s office feel off-kilter makes the surprising payoff that much more satisfying. This story also takes place in the author’s Spectral Worlds universe, a meld of cyberpunk and science into a dystopian future that I continue to enjoy.
Finally, it's all treats and no tricks in these stories about Halloween. They all feature an inventively different twist on trick-or-treating and turn it into a memorable and disturbing event that is enjoyable and unforgettable. Take a stroll down the street with your bag full of candy and read onwards:
Robert Jeschonek’s “Trick or Treat in Hell” – Boyd is giving out candy on Halloween night and encounters some young children. But for some reason, keep knocking on his door, appearing a few years older each time. What is going on here and why is this happening? This tale starts out simple enough but evolves into an even more horrifying story that leads into a shocking revelation.
Michael Anthony Lee’s “Trick or Treat” – A grandmother is worried about her granddaughter going out alone on Halloween night. Why is she so worried? A great story with a twist and ends with a gruesome jaw-dropper.
Will Swardstrom’s “One Last Trip Around the Block” – It’s 1989 and Will is going out trick-or-treating with his friends, trying to find the houses giving out the best candy. But when their friend Gabe can’t go, what happens next? A spooky tale with some great conversational banter, camaraderie that made me feel like one of the gang and an impressive discovery at the end of the story.
Daniel Arthur Smith’s “By the Light of the Full Earth” – It’s the future and Cassie is going trick-or-treating with her friends around the lunar colony they live in. Having never been to Earth, they talk about what it must be like. But this Halloween experience is one they will never forget! I loved the imagination at work here and the truly unexpected ending that made me howl with delight.
Each story tells its tale in novel and compelling ways, with each story roping me into its world and keeping my eyes glued to the pages to see what would happen next. Two out of the three editions in this collection focus on one theme, such as the paranormal or Halloween, and are always something extra special. They stand out from the usual excellent reading and seem to bring out something really inspiring from the authors utilizing it.
Five out of the eleven authors in this collection are brand new to me but all of them had wonderful stories that were engaging and delightful to read. No matter whether the author is new to me or if it’s someone I've read before, I know that when I open an issue of Canyons of the Damned, the stories will be of a high caliber, will immerse me in their worlds, give it an innovative twist that I enjoy immensely and then impress me with their storytelling prowess.
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![Tales from the Canyons of the Damned: Omnibus 8 by [Daniel Arthur Smith, Will Swardstrom, Philip Harris, Jeff Bowles, Ernie Howard, Desmond Warzel, Hunter C. Eden, David Alan Jones, Robert Jeschonek, Lorna Wood]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51V5Dtrk4AL._SY346_.jpg)
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Thirteen thrilling and intriguing tales that electrify your senses with this magnificent collection!
Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2019Customers who read this book also read
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