Midnight Graffiti

I never heard of or read the magazine Midnight Graffiti, I picked up the book out of intrigue and find that it was worth it. Midnight Graffiti is the back alley for writers like Rex Miller and Stephen King where they can make their the things they have in the dark corners of their minds a reality. Where spirits use toys as avatars to find redemption, where an inflatable dinosaur loses his nievatte, and even a neighborhood menaced by zombies controlled by a sadistic crime boss. Its a good horror, sci-fi read that leaves you loving it to the end.

I thought this book would be mostly horror stories, but it apparently is a series of short stories from a magazine called Midnight Graffiti. This book had EVERYTHING: ghost stories, horror stories, a vampire or two. One of the most eclectic collections I have ever read. There are stories from Stephen King and Harlan Ellison, John Shirley and many more. Not a dud in the whole book and I realized while I was reading it that I couldn't wait to see what the next story would bring. My highest praise. If this type of genre is usually not your thing, take the leap. It really will be worth it.

I came across this book as a child and enjoyed it a great deal. Even though as a kid I couldn't comprehend many of the stories in the book, I found the variety and diversity contained in it awesome. Now being able to fathom it in its' entirety, I STILL go back to it and re-live my favorite stories. The "Psychos" section is my favorite. I highly recommend it.

This collection of horror short stories is exceptional because of the wide range of styles and stories it contains. The reader will not be lost in a jungle of imaginations because the book is organized in five chapters that are each dedicated to one type of atmosphere and plot. Hence when you start one chapter you know what continent of horror you are entering and you will get variety within that landscape. Some stories are absolutely stunning and fascinating. I found « Say hello, Mister Quigley » by J. Michael Straczynski too gentle on the incestuous father. Of course the victim has to forgive, but most of the time this forgiving is impossible because of the damage caused by the incestuous parent. I loved « Bob the Dinosaur » by Joe Lansdale because it shows how kids live on the illusion of a dream that is shattered by reality when it becomes true, when it gets satisfied. It is better to live on dreams even if they are disturbing, particularly for the parents' everyday life. Finally « Dark Embrace » by James Van Hise is a refreshing vision of vampires associated to a sickening vision of child molesting. Vampires become, in a way, gentle and lovable, even if they are monsters, when you compare them to child molesters who kill to cover up their tracks when their pleasure is satisfied. Vampires are also very human and long for company and love. Which a child molester never long for. He longs for brutal contact (rape) and absolute solitude that makes him kill his victim because he is entirely enslaved by his desire, his perverted passion for kids.Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University of Perpignan at Mende.

I'm a big fan of Horror anthologies, and this is one of the best I've ever read. From the terrific introduction by the editor, to the last page, it was very satisfying. The stories range in intensity from the sheer grit of "Bad Guy Hats" to the quirky "Bob the Dinosaur Goes to Disneyland." There is something in here for everyone. Everybody gets a chance to be scared by something in here; all bases get covered. If you like horror anthologies, this is a must-read.

My mama told me...you better shop around. THESE VOICES ARE KILLING ME!!!