EXCERPT and REVIEW
UnCommon Evil:
A Collection of Nightmares, Demonic Creatures, and UnImaginable Horrors
(UnCommon Anthologies Book 6)
A Collection of Nightmares, Demonic Creatures, and UnImaginable Horrors
(UnCommon Anthologies Book 6)
edited by P. K. Tyler
UnCommon Evil, the sixth book in the UnCommon Anthologies, has just been released. Keep reading for an excerpt and my review of some of the stories in this collection. Also available: UnCommon Bodies (read my blog post), UnCommon Origins (read my blog post), UnCommon Minds (read my blog post), UnCommonly Good, and UnCommonLands (read my blog post).
More books and stories by P. K. Tyler: White Chalk (read my blog post), Dead Girl (read my blog post), Heaven's Vault (read my blog post), Alt. History 101 (read my blog post), Mosaics Volume 2 (read my blog post), CLONES: The Anthology (read my blog post), Book of Lilith (read my blog post), Avendui 5ive (read my blog post), Twin Helix (read blog post), The Jakkattu Vector (read my blog post), Dominion Rising (read my blog post), and OCEANS: The Anthology (read my blog post).
Description
UnCommon Evil brings you 20 of the most horrifying stories our deviant authors' minds can conceive. From the monster under your bed, to the very real reason for that oily sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach, our UnCommon Authors bring you a whole new way of looking at the true nature of evil.
Featuring:
“The Nature of Evil” by P. K. Tyler: A foreword from the uncommon mind behind Fighting Monkey Press.
“Sip the Dregs” by Rhoads Brazos: Maribelle returns to her deceased grandmother Dulcine’s home near the bayou. Dulcine went missing and everyone assumes that she drowned in the waters. The story moves from a character study, to the paranormal, and then to much worse.
“Knobby Bones” by Jeremy Megargee: A man finds the lowest kind of human darkness hidden in the South Sudan.
“Dark Cloud over Ladysmith” by Robert Allen Lupton: During the second Boer War, thousands of civilians and British soldiers fought to survive during the siege of Ladysmith. A small group of brave women are forced to defend the beleaguered city from an ancient evil.
“A Handsome Man” by Joriah Wood: A chance meeting with an uncommonly handsome man at a party gives Brandy hope of escape from the criminals she's fallen in with, but the night has more in store for any of them than they realize.
“June’s Perfection” by Anne Skinner: Laura came to Las Cuevas for a fresh start, but her new job brought her so much more than she bargained for.
Mosaic” by Annetta Ribken: A trip to a local psychiatric museum to inspire a blocked artist releases more than inspiration.
“Let the Bodies” by J. Edward Neill: In the old-world city of Ellerae, one person goes missing every day. Poor little Mia doesn't stand a chance. Or does she?
“An Old Family Recipe” by Caroline A. Gill: With their crops failing and two sons killed by accident, Archie and Charlotte Stilton have to decide what they are willing to do to keep their family together.
“Windikouk” by Tausha Johnson: Ten-year-old Megan Jameson lives with her mother and younger sister in an isolated house in the mountains. Winters are never easy in the wilderness and when a blizzard threatens, Megan expects they’ll be snowed in—again. During a night of snow and cold, someone or something tries to break inside the house. Could it be her unstable father? A wild animal? Whatever it is has the scent of something uncommonly evil.
“Master of My Fate” by Bill Hargenrader: Hans is a normal boy growing up in the suburbs of Munich when he is diagnosed with a chronic disease, and soon after loses his mother in a horrible motor vehicle accident. His father, grief stricken and delirious with rage, blames Hans and pushes him to his limits and beyond.
“The Midnight Visitor” by Rose Strickman: Jenna and Gompers live a shadowy existence, awake only at night and dealing in mystery and magic. But something disturbs their equanimity, a disembodied monster that visits the house by night, stealing food and--eventually--feeding upon the living. Jenna must make the decision to use her most powerful spell to defeat it. The only problem is, this spell requires a human life...
“A Day with Uncle Addie” by Joshua Ingle: Peter’s parents take him on an exciting weekend trip to his Uncle Addie’s estate in the mountains. Addie is one of Peter’s favorite people in the whole world... but something isn’t quite right about him.
“Under the Bed” by Harlow C. Fallon: Monsters are real. They live wherever your mind’s eye sees them moving and breathing--in the darkness behind your closet door. In your basement. Under your bed. You don’t believe in monsters? You should. It might save you from becoming their next meal, like the boy in this story.
“The Well” by John Haas: Louis and his sister, Kate are on the run from local bullies when they come across an abandoned well in the woods. The well, as it turns out, is not unoccupied, and whatever is down there wants something.
“Eye of the Beholder” by R.A. Goli: An obese woman, desperate to lose weight, agrees to an unholy deal to make her dreams a reality. An uncommon visitor arrives to give her exactly what she wished for.
“What a Tiny World” by Jeremy Rodden: When Bill found himself relegated to duty in Section Six, the sub-section of the sheriff's office responsible for policing Dingo World, he never expected to find himself getting shot at in the underground labyrinths under the theme park. What he discovers beyond that is even worse.
“Mad Skinner” by Jonathan Cromak: In an older section of a certain English town, underneath black and white timber-framed buildings and cobbled streets, lies a catacomb of interconnecting cellars and tunnels. Once, they bustled with activity—servants dashing around like ants retrieving food or wine for their masters above; or after hour's meetings, dealings of a darker nature in the shadows and corners, out of sight. Nowadays, what remains are merely dark, fusty passages, the only disturbance being the muffled drone of traffic from somewhere above. These antiquated spaces of little value now lie forgotten and ignored. But not by everyone.
“The Donner Kid” by W. Jesse Gulbrandsen: In order to escape his troubled past, former gunslinger Wild Bill Hickok seeks refuge in sleepy town of Perdition. Unfortunately, trouble has a tendency of seeking him out.
“Window Dressing” by Stephen Lomer: A village butcher is thrilled to have an unexpected windfall when his cousin finds a sow on his property. It is a sow. Right?
“The Silent Treatment” by Tom O’Brien: A confused wife and mother isn’t quite sure what’s happening to her. She’s losing words and confidence. She might be going crazy.
Excerpt
Click below to read an excerpt from this collection, including two complete stories.
Praise for the Book
“I am extremely pleased with this collection of dark stories!! The authors do a fantastic job of drawing you in and keep you wanting more when the story is over.” ~ Devin Mojecki
“This book is full of amazing and wondrously evil stories that have you torn between wanting to read them and hide under your blanket.” ~ Fleur W
“If you are looking for scary and creepy horror, then get this anthology. I don’t read much horror, but I am a horror movie aficionado, and some of these stories even scare me! Therefore, this book is not meant for kids. There is a good variety in the 20 stories by various authors. Some are paranormal and some not.” ~ Diana in SC
“The tales in this book will most absolutely keep you awake at night. […] If you are a fan of horror, and all things that go bump in the night ... you MUST get this book!!” ~ Dowie
“Some good morbid tales in here. Certainly worth the price.” ~ William D. Wallace
My Review
By Lynda Dickson
An introduction by editor P. K. Tyler on the nature of evil is followed by 20 stories with the common theme of unspeakable horror. I’m about half-way through this collection and, as a fan of the horror genre, I’m loving it!
In “Sip the Dregs” by Rhoads Brazos, Maribelle clears out her grandmother’s home after her disappearance. No one knows what happened to her, but their suspicions are nowhere near as frightening as the truth. I’m not sure I understood this one, but it certainly had a lot of atmosphere.
In “Knobby Bones” by Jeremy Megargee, an aid worker in South Sudan attempts to uncover the truth behind the legend of Knobby Bones. What he finds is worse than anything he could have imagined. Truly disturbing.
In “Dark Cloud over Ladysmith” by Robert Allen Lupton, Martha and her friends struggle to defeat evil during a siege in the second Boer War. An interesting story, but the sentences are short and choppy.
In “A Handsome Man” by Joriah Wood, Brandy meets a handsome stranger at a party, and things take a very strange turn. Delightfully creepy.
In “June’s Perfection” by Anne Skinner, Laura escapes one unhealthy relationship only to enter another.
In “Mosaic” by Annetta Ribken, a visit to a psychiatric museum unleashes an artist’s muse with disturbing results. Short and well-crafted.
In “Let the Bodies” by J. Edward Neill, a person goes missing from her town every day. But what does Mia’s grandfather have to do with it?
In “An Old Family Recipe” by Caroline A. Gill, Charlotte seeks justice for her family when two of her sons are killed in an accident. A beautifully written, heartbreaking story.
In “Windikouk” by Tausha Johnson, Megan loves telling her little sister scary stories. But, in reality, the truth is stranger than any of her fictions. Suspenseful.
I look forward to reading the rest of the stories in this collection. It seems to include something that will appeal to every horror buff’s tastes.
About the Editor
P. K. Tyler is the author of Speculative Fiction and other Genre Bending novels. She's also published works as Pavarti K. Tyler and had projects appear on the USA Today Bestseller's List.
Pav attended Smith College and graduated with a degree in Theatre. She lived in New York, where she worked as a Dramaturge, Assistant Director and Production Manager on productions both on and off-Broadway. Later, Pavarti went to work in the finance industry for several international law firms.
Now located in Baltimore, Maryland, she lives with her husband, two daughters and two terrible dogs. When not penning science fiction books and other speculative fiction novels, she twists her mind by writing horror and erotica.
Links
