Beyond The Words, Past
A Science Fiction / Fantasy Column
By Steven Shrewsbury

ALWAYS THE SEASON FOR READING

I love books, all year long, not just at Christmas. However, if one is stumped for a good gift idea, books are a great idea. Years ago, I gave Brave New World to a relative, and only last year they admitted that they read it at. The good thing? They really enjoyed it. Score one for Evil Santa.

So what is in Evil Santa’s bag of reading suggestions for the holidays? I’ll tell you of a few good ones I’ve read this year.

Great fantasy fiction was dealt a blow this July when David Gemmell succumbed to coronary artery disease. Although his books Legend and Waylander are great works indeed, this year I read Stormrider, a bloody novel of two warring armies. Full of strong characters and backstabbing folks, it’s a thumping book to get you going on David’s work.

Last June I was drafted at Hypericon to appear on a panel dealing with religion. Then men on this dais were smooth UK writer Steve Saville and Tim Powers. Run, don’t walk, to get Power’s kick ass novel Anubis Gates. If you love historical works of fiction that are well told, you’ll devour this one.

Speaking of panels, at World Horror Con 06 in San Francisco I found myself on a panel dealing with American Roots in Horror. One author there, Rob Dunbar, wrote a superb novel The Pines, re-released via Delirium Books (be on the look out for his follow up). Dealing with The Jersey Devil and much more, contact Shane at Delirium and demand a trade paperback of this release of Rob Dunbar’s. It’s a great work and readers would do well to lose themselves in the pages of the Pines.
If one is into horror, let me quickly recommend some titles available at your local bookstores. The Conqueror Worms by Brian Keene shows us what happens after it has rained on the world over 40 days and giant worms take over. The Demonologist by Michael Laimo is a chilling, stifling ride that will leave you wanting more. Blood Writ is a good place to start looking at the works of James A. Moore. If you have a strong gut and a steady hand, Survivor by J.F. Gonzalez is a brutal, but incredible book. The Dead Letters by Tom Piccirilli is moody and well written.

The Arcanum is sort of like League or Extrordinary Gentlemen with horror writers. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Harry Houdini, H.P. Lovecraft and others team up to clash with Aleister Crowley and dire forces.

I really like anthologies. Maybe I’m alone, maybe not. I highly recommend (and not just because I’m in it) Deathgrip: Exit Laughing from Hellbound Books for some hilarious, nasty stuff. If mystery and murder are you bag, These Guns For Hire takes the hitman idea to a new level. Great writers like David Morrell, Max Allan Collins, Ed Gorman, Monica J. O’Rourke, Jeff Strand, and Lisa Mannetti populate this fun, harsh read.
Well, if you want to read some stomping fantasy for a low cost, hey, I’m not so shameless as to not say, buy my novella Whore of Jericho (from Pitch Black Books) or my other books Thoroughbred (Carnifex Press) and Godforsaken (Behler).

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