Reviewed for MonsterLibrarian.com

Jars in the Cellar by Lee Clark Zumpe

Damnation Books, 2009

ISBN: 978-1-61572-047-7

Available: Digital

If Lovecraft lived in the Deep South he might have come up with something like Jars in the Cellar. This short tale (about 30 pages) has a familiar beginning. A high powered, rich city guy is trapped in hillbilly country by car troubles is at the mercy of a backwoods witch, a mysterious man with a huge secret and their genetic monster of a child. But the outcome isn’t what one might expect.

While this is an enjoyable read through and through, and even plays on readers’ own preconceived expectations from previous pop culture exposures to this particular setup, it’s a very short, very fast read- just the kind of thing to make a doctor’s office wait or even a boring movie more enjoyable. For the purposes of this site, though, its value to a public collection is questionable, unless the library is actively acquiring and lending in digital form.

Reviewed for MonsterLibrarian.com

Better off Alone by Yolanda Sfetsos

Damnation Books, 2009

ISBN: 9781615720514

Available: Digital Only

Better off Alone is definitely a horror bite, clocking in at about 40 pages. It is set in a post-zombie uprising world, where the main character, Nell, escapes her basement stronghold after an attack, and stumbles into a band of survivors with a dark secret. She wants to rescue Todd, the man who kept her hopes up over the last month through email, but first she has to survive her rescuers.

Better off Alone is ultimately incomplete. There are many potentially interesting things mentioned, but then abandoned, and even the description and storytelling itself feels unfinished. Sfetsos flirts with a good story here, but doesn’t quite deliver. As for its place in collections, those libraries with booming digital collections and lendings might find this tale popular, especially if zombie stories are in high demand, but if not, then it’s best to wait for Sfetsos’s next published work.

Contains: some gore

Reviewed for MonsterLibrarian.com

Damnation Books, 2009
ISBN: 9781615720583
Available: New

Donny’s Day is the surreal, graphic tale of Donny, who has been running from demons ever since the day, as a child, that he stole and read from a book that let them into the world. It’s short, very short, coming in at fifty-five pages of story. More than two-thirds is back story and dream sequences, and there are no attempts to separate reality from delusions. But the imagery is strong, and creepy, straight out of the best “What was that?” horror movie moments. Berntson is a skilled writer. Donny’s Day is just too musing and dreamy, and lacks the forward momentum and engaging plot to be satisfying to most everyday readers. Private collectors who enjoy tales heavy on mood and theme will find enjoyment here, but public collections catering to a larger swath of readers will probably not.