edited by
Christopher Hawkins and Kris M. Hawkins
featuring stories by
Ada Hoffmann
Julie Jansen
Mark Onspaugh
Mike Trier
Elizabeth Twist
cover art by Shawn Conn
Hey, it’s a bunch of short stories for a dollar? That sounds cool and cheap (EDITOR’S NOTE: I’m reviewing a copy gotten for free thanks to a coupon. Yes, say what you will!) because with the cost of printing, small anthologies would be considerably more than that. And though it is true that thanks to the internet, eReaders, eBooks, eMagazines, and Amazon and the like, there has been an explosion in self-published works of all genres. Following that, the 90% rule is in effect (90% of everything is crap!), and one must walk carefully to keep from hitting the dog poop mines.
But with 90% being terrible, 10% is good, and the volume of One Buck Horror reviewed here is in that top 10%. The various stories vary in tone and technique. This is the part of the review where I give short synopses, so here they are:
Jenny’s House by Ada Hoffmann – written first person in the voice of a child, an interesting choice for the first story presented to the public. It sets the mood for a somewhat playful, somewhat dangerous tone that One Buck Horror seems to be going after. Pretty neat, the foreshadowing not overwhelming, and the kid sounds like that kid we all knew on the playground growing up. Though in my generation he was probably talking about how he got to a super secret level of Super Mario Bros where everyone is naked.
A Lullaby for Caliban by Mark Onspaugh – My favorite of the stories, probably due to the setting at a traveling carnival and with the weird artifacts therein. The ending is a little unclear on if the character actually responded to the sales ad.
The Last Nephew by Elizabeth Twist – This one sounds like it could have been part of a grander story, but instead we just get a few pages near a climactic conclusion. Even with the brief visit, we’re drawn into the world. Probably a good choice to keep as a shorter story, because just what the “uncle” is doing would be hard to keep as a full story without it getting dragged out.
The Cornfield by Mike Trier – As someone who grew up in the midwest and has much experience walking around cornfields at night, the imagination going wild in the dark is a familiar element. And though what happens here never happened to me….it maybe could have. Okay, it couldn’t…..could it?
The Ginger Men by Julie Jansen – Another child point of view story, but written more mature even with the limitations of a child’s understanding in place. Some horrible voodoo things are going on that will make you swear off baking forever…unless you become one of the body snatched!
Overall, was pretty good, and I did not regret my purchase of $0. I would even not regret a purchase of $1. If you like creative horror stories, One Buck Horror is a good source. Available in multiple places such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. For a rundown of links, visit the official site.
Books I Done Been Reading! name shamelessly stolen from Vault of Buncheness