Book Review: Dead Stars and Stone Arches
By Elizabeth Suggs
Dead Stars and Stone Arches is an anthology of Utah Horror with nearly three dozen talented local writers.
I love these sorts of anthologies—the ones that not only have fantastic stories, poems, and flash fiction pieces, but ones meant to help build writers up. This anthology is published by Timber Ghost Press in association with the Horror Writers Association Utah Chapter, a nonprofit group that encourages growth and community.
Another great thing, one I especially love about anthologies, is you get tons of new and unique stories and ideas. For instance, even the foreword by Betty Rocksteady kept me turning the page. I especially loved what she said here:
“Deep down, we know that anything is possible. We know that the shadows could come closer, the stars could rotate in the skies. We could wake up tomorrow, discard our virtual reality goggles and step into something entirely different. We could never wake up, remain locked in dream logic for eternity, turning, turning, turning forever.”
I felt like I was beginning a prophetic nightmare ride. I loved it, but let’s get to the meat of the book, shall we? There were some fantastic authors in here that I want to give a shout-out to:
Lehua Parker’s short story “This Once Was a Sea” is a mining horror story about Utah in a severe drought. I really liked some of the lines, but I wasn’t a fan of the internal thoughts. For me, it was too much.
Daniel Cureton’s poem “The Terror Begrudgined.” His poem leaves one looking over one’s shoulder, hoping that the uninvited don’t reemerge. I loved his line:
“To be in the terrored home.
There is no door closed for the
Uninvited.”
Jonathan Reddoch’s flash fiction “Eye of Europa”—a twisted cosmic horror that spells the doom for humanity’s achievements. Best line that sums up his story: “The universe is awakened, and it sees.”
C.R. Langille’s short story “In Absentia Lucis” is a horror adventure centered around a complicated protagonist named Evelyn. My favorite line: “If Evelyn had spent her life waiting for a knight in shining armor, she’d still be fighting for scraps in the streets, or worse.”
Paul Starkey’s short story “Tick Way” puts a twist on the usual teenage lovers. Plus, the main character is new and refreshing. I found the ending very satisfying. My favorite line: “As much as she loved Iceberg milkshakes, it wasn’t exactly a classy location for a date, but he’d driven them out to Orem all the same.”
Joshua P. Sorensen’s short story “Sour” is another Utah mine story in this collection, but what I liked about this one was its take on what could happen if Utah continued caring more about industry than its people and the earth. My favorite line: “The glowing fluid spilled towards us in laughing ripples.”
Joseph Hope’s poem “Skin deep—the City of Demons” is a captivating piece that kept my head spinning. Best line:
“A world torn apart & together.
Cell rooms for every crime.”
Michael Jess Alexander’s short story “Away Game” is an interesting take on a new kind of monster—one from within. Honestly, this story made my skin crawl—in the best way! Great line: “Desperate adults tended to misshapen lumps of flesh that flopped out of baseball attire.”
Steven Dee Kish’s flash fiction “Life of a Leper” has the sound and rhythm of a poem. My favorite two lines:
“I shed my old human skin and try to become one with nature.” and “Love could turn me back to the human I once knew.”
Carter Lappin’s short story “Deep Within” is yet another mine story, but I really enjoyed how this one focused on the character as if this story was a way to understand oneself. One of the best lines: “The air tastes like metal. No—like blood, coppery and warm in my mouth.”
Heidi Voss’s short story “Guardian” was one of my absolute favorites. It’s a sweet horror story about a guardian angel, and it shows that you don’t need to be beautiful to be loved.
I loved the mystery of it and want to know more. Great line: “They can’t see me, but their stomachs will turn, their hands will shake, and a sour taste will fill their mouths until they turn their attention elsewhere.”
There were some other great stories and authors I didn’t mention, but just with length and time, I’ll have to end the blog post for now.
You should definitely check out the anthology, and if you’re a horror writer, you should see how you can get involved with the HWA. Maybe you’ll get lucky enough to have one of your tales published!