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Sturm und Drang
Editor Mike Heffernan gave me the offical acceptance today for Sturm und Drang for his World War II horror anthology A Dark and Deadly Valley. Here are the other authors who have stories accepted for the anthology (with possibly more to come): Harry Shannon, Paul Finch, David J. Schow, Steve Vernon, Larry Santoro, Scott Nicholson, Elizabeth Massie, John Everson, Rick Hautala, Gary A. Braunbeck, Weston Ochse, Graham Joyce, Brian Hodge, Scott Edelman. Alex McVey is handling the interior illustrations, and John Skipp is writing the intro. I'm stoked! What a lineup to share. I'm proud to use my cover pseudonym "And others" on this one. The book is scheduled to come out in late 2006.
Comments
THE WAR
"After Dunkirk" by TM Wright
"The Coventry Boy" by Graham Joyce
"The Honor Guard" by Paul Finch
"In the Dark the Deep" by Steve Vernon
"Simple Equations" by Jeremy Robert Johnson
"The Night is an Ally" by Scott Nicholson
"Come Unto Me" by Elizabeth Massie
"And the Worm Shall Feed" by Harry Shannon
"And They Will Come in Our Greatest Hour of Need" by Brian Hodge
"At Angels Sixteen" by Larry Santoro
"The Black Wave" by Brian Keene
“The Devil’s Platoon” by John Everson
"Sturm und Drang" by Bev Vincent
"Hiroshima Falling" by Weston Ochse
"Doorway to the Sky" by Cody Goodfellow
"A Judgment Call for Judgment Day" by Scott Edelman
MEMORY
"Blossoms in the Wind" by Rick Hautala
"The Gypsy Camp" by Mort Castle
"Warbirds" by David J. Schow
"But Somewhere I Shall Wake" by Gary A. Braunbeck
Introduction by John Skipp
llustrated by Alex McVey
Cover art by Darren Whalen
Publisher: Silverthought Press
ISBN: 0-9774110-8-7
~400 pages
limited edition: 500 copies
hardcover cloth: $39.99 + S/H
pre-order discount: $34.99 + FREE S/H
I'm not sure I would have recognized the prose as mine. This story feels somewhat different than anything else I've written. I'll be interested to hear what others think.
DDV has now shipped to all customers--domestic orders by USPS Priority on Wednesday and international orders Thursday. Contributor and review copies will soon follow. Those of you who ordered through Shocklines will have to wait for remarque and distribution from there. Thanks to everyone who's bought a copy so far.
Review by Joe Kroeger
Whether it is stories that seem too forced in an effort to fit within the set parameters or not enough big names on the cover to draw the attention of the readers, the themed anthology is an extremely tough beast to subdue successfully. However, when an anthology comes together perfectly, as in this case, it truly becomes a magical reading experience that stays with you long after you move on to other books. With A Dark And Deadly Valley, Mike Heffernan succeeds with flying colors at pulling together a top-notch anthology that is sure to sit proudly on the shelf of any great horror aficionado. Any reader will be hard pressed to find a story within these pages that does not move you emotionally while effortlessly sending chills of fear running down your spine.
With 20 stories set deep within the heart of World War II or touching on the echoes of the conflict that still affect people years after, A Dark And Deadly Valley edited by Mike Heffernan is an anthology brimming with stirring and horrific fiction by some of the biggest names in the horror genre. Whether it is the dark horror of Brian Keene or the richly plotted sentiment of Rick Hautala, every story is a perfect fit for this anthology that is more than deserving of publication.
Paul Finch perfectly captures the intense desperation and terror with The Honor Guard as he gives his readers a front row seat as a few injured soldiers make a final stand against an unknown enemy. The Black Wave is a dark tale of survival told with the always magnificent storytelling magic that everyone expects from Brian Keene. As always, Gary A. Braunbeck’s contribution to this grand anthology, But Somewhere I Shall Wake, is an unsettling story haunted with ghosts from the past and deep undertones of guilt told in the genius of trademark Braunbeck fiction.
With all the great works of fiction adorning these pages, two exceptional stories rose above the rest and stood out as masterpieces within the horror genre. The Coventry Boy by Graham Joyce tells the story of the night that the small village of Coventry was decimated by German bombing with rich descriptive prose that expertly captures the horrors of war. One the other end of the spectrum, Blossoms In The Wind by Rick Hautala is a perfectly realized ghost story set in present day where a daughter is visited by the ghost of her father who died as a kamikaze pilot during World War II. Hautala succeeds in crafting a touching piece of fiction that stays with you while leaving a heart-felt message that is as prevalent in today’s world as it was back then.
All in all, I was extremely grateful to have walked through the haunting and emotional visions of these twenty authors, and I would give my highest recommendations to anyone looking for a truly great horror anthology. A Dark And Deadly Valley, edited by Mike Heffernan, is one of the best examples of the great fiction that the horror genre has to offer.
A Dark and Deadly Valley is a collection of twenty tales of terror set in World War II, written by some of the most talented writers of horror today. The book’s presentation was clearly done with care and attention. The cover looks like classic horror comic book art, and artwork also accompanies the initial page of each story. The stories are strong, and many of them focus on the human horror of war with a supernatural twist. Readers will see the lengths people will go to win in times of desperation, from making a pact with the devil in John Everson’s story, “The Devil’s Platoon,” or by creating the ultimate deadly creature in Brian Keene’s “The Black Wave”. Also included are stories about the often frightening costs of human survival, such as Harry Shannon’s “And The Worm Shall Feed.” The stories range from subtle in their terror to hit you over the head fear. Another standout story is Weston Ochse’s “Hiroshima Falling,” in which victims of the blast find that human skin now holds memories that seek not to be forgotten. A Dark and Deadly Valley is an excellent entry point for exposing readers of war novels to horror fiction, and can also serve as a gateway to historical war fiction for traditional horror readers. The book makes a fine complement to another World War II title, Stephen Mark Rainey’s Blue Devil Island. Strongly recommended for public libraries.
Contains: some extreme gore, violence, murdering children, cannibalism