Tuesday, March 12, 2019

Honest Review of Suspense Unimagined and Mindscapes Unimagined

Since Amazon doesn't allow authors to review anthologies that include their work, I've made a habit of posting my reviews here on my blog.


Title: Mindscapes Unimagined
Theme: "An Anthology of the Supernatural, Science Fiction, and Horror"
Publisher: Left Hand Publishers
Editor: Karen T. Newman
Number of stories: 24
Pages: 357
Price: $17.99 paperback

Favorite stories: "Every Single Day" by Sophie Kearing, "The Mating Moon" by Chris Rodriquez, "Pax" by Gustavo Bondoni, and "The Sixteenth Ritual" by Jeff Stevenson.

My story: "The Sodbuster and the Spider." This is one of my favorite stories, but lots of publishers passed on it. I'm glad it finally found a home! It's a weird western with a kindhearted teenage protagonist whose nightmares and visions help him solve a crime. But when the marshal won't listen, the boy takes drastic measures.

Final thoughts: Although I didn't have a lot of stories I loved, the anthology is remarkable solid, with high quality fiction, only a handful of mistakes, and a nice cover. Having all the authors' names on the cover was a nice touch I give it a B.

You can order a copy of Mindscapes Unimagined here.


Title: Suspense Unimagined
Theme: "An Anthology of Suspense, Thrillers, and Nightmares."
Publisher: Left Hand Publishers
Editor: Karen T. Newman
Number of stories: 22
Pages: 336
Price: $17.99 paperback

Favorite stories: "Rurale" by Blake Jessop, "My Sister, Electra" by Laura Campbell, "Not Easy to Forget" by S.E. Greco, "Mixed Messages" by Jay Seate and "Rhiannon" by Sophie Kearing.

My story: "Amelia," another of my favorite stories that finally found a good home. Inspired by a real person I encountered, this is a story about a young man who falls madly in love but who also harbors a dark secret. This version features a more hopeful ending than my original vision for the story.

Final thoughts: As an avid reader of horror, I wasn't sure I'd enjoy this one as much as Mindscapes Unimagined, but I enjoyed it a bit more actually. Very solid lineup, several stories grounded in reality, while others pushed the envelope. This reminded me of the old Alfred Hitchcock Presents anthologies. I give it an A-.

You can order a copy of Suspense Unimagined at this link.

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