Monday, October 29, 2018

Fantastic Tales of Terror: History's Darkest Secrets, edited by Eugene Johnson

Release date: October 26
Subgenre: Historical horror anthology 

About Fantastic Tales of Terror: History's Darkest Secrets:

 

Discover the lost supernatural stories behind some of the most famous people and events in history.

These Fantastic Tales explore the secret history that has been hidden in the shadows of the world, and even alternative histories from other worlds. Tales such as a young man seeking the secret of immortality from none other than Bela Lugosi. The tragic story of how the Titanic really sank. The horrifying lengths the people of New York city would go to raise above the Great Depression, rather in seeking fame or trying to feed the city. And many more Fantastic Tales of Terror.

Lineup:

  • Introduction by Tony Todd
  • “The Deep Delight of Blood” by Tim Waggoner
  • “Unpretty Monster” by Mercedes Yardley
  • “The Tell-Tale Mind” by Kevin J. Anderson
  • “Topsy-Turvy” by Elizabeth Massie
  • “Ray and the Martian” by Bev Vincent
  • “The Girl with the Death Mask” by Stephanie M. Wytovich
  • “On a Train Bound for Home” by Christopher Golden
  • “The Custer Files” by Richard Chizmar
  • “Red Moon” by Michael Paul Gonzalez
  • “The Prince of Darkness and the Showgirl” by John Palisano
  • “The Secret Engravings” by Lisa Morton
  • “Mutter” by Jess Landry
  • “La Llorona” by Cullen Bunn
  • “The London Encounter” by Vince Liaguno
  • “Bubba Ho-Tep” by Joe R. Lansdale
  • “Gorilla my Dreams” by Jonathan Maberry
  • “Articles of Teleforce” by Michael Bailey
  • “Sic Olim Tyrannis” by David Wellington
  • “The Washingtonians” by Bentley Little
  • “Scent of Flesh” by Jessica Marie Baumgartner
  • “Rotoscoping Toodies” by Mort Castle
  • “Lone Wolves” by Paul Moore
  • “The Great Stone Face vs. the Gargoyles” by Jeff Strand
  • “The Return of the Thin White Duke” by Neil Gaiman

Proudly represented by Crystal Lake Publishing—Tales from the Darkest Depths.

 

Excerpt:

 

Unpretty Monster

by Mercedes M. Yardley


The Titanic was a grand ship, full of beautiful things and people. There were fine ladies and handsome gentlemen dressed in their best. Men and women with gowns and furs and threadbare knickers and skirts. There were children with scrubbed faces and perfectly brushed hair, and other children who wore their poverty like dirt on their faces. They were perfect in every way for what she and her sisters needed.
She met a human man on this ship. He had a strong, white smile and brown eyes that didn’t shy away from her. She realized her gait was awkward and her fingers were too long, almost otherworldly. She wrapped them around the railing of the ship and looked out to the sea, which called to her bones in a way that made her breath catch.
“Are you all right?” this man asked. He put his hand on the small of her back, kindly, protectively, an easy gesture that had been bred into him from years of impressive schools. She automatically tensed up under his touch, but then tried to remember the ways of humans.
“I don’t mean any harm,” he said, and drew his hand away.
She smiled demurely, careful not to show her teeth.
“No harm. I’m simply a bit…unsteady.”
His hand jumped to her back again. “Shall we sit down? Please, let’s do that. My name is William. Will you tell me yours?”
She had a name centuries ago, long and deliciously difficult, but that was a more complex time. It was a time where gods left thunderous footsteps on top of the mountains, and monsters openly vaulted against the sky. They didn’t need to hide or blend in or secret themselves away. They didn’t don the skins and trappings of their prey and move amongst them. Things were simple now. There was no grandeur or nuance in the way that things were. The earth belonged to artless creatures, and she had also let her wondrous name slip away.
“Call me Nim,” she said, and she liked the way he tasted her new name in his mouth like the finest fish in the sea.
“It is unusual,” he said, and nodded. “Where are you from? I can’t quite place your accent.”
She started. “My accent? Do I not speak just like you? Do I not use the same words?”
He was quick to placate. “The same words, certainly. You speak beautifully. But the way you pronounce your words are unique. Quite lovely. I’m certain I’ve never heard such an accent, but at the same time it sounds utterly familiar.” He blushed, a strangely human thing, and Nim wanted to reach up and feel the tips of his red ears to see if they were indeed as hot as they looked, but she kept her strange fingers to herself.

 

Amazon | Goodreads

 

About Eugene Johnson: 

 


Eugene Johnson is a writer and Bram Stoker nominated editor who has written and edited in various genres. His anthology Appalachian Undead, co-edited with Jason Sizemore, was selected by FearNet as one of the best books of 2012. Eugene’s articles and stories have been published by award winning Apex publishing, The Zombiefeed, Evil Jester Press, Warrior Sparrow Press and more. Eugene also appeared in Dread Stare, a political theme horror anthology from Thunder Dome Press. Eugene’s anthology, Drive-in Creature Feature, pays homage to monster movies, features New York Times best-selling authors Clive Barker, Joe R. Lansdale, Christopher Golden, Jonathan Maberry and many more. He was nominated for the Bram Stoker award for Where Nightmares Come From: The Art Of Storytelling In The Horror Genre along with his co-editor Joe Mynhardt.
As a filmmaker, Eugene Johnson worked on various movies, including the upcoming Requiem, starring Tony Todd and directed by Paul Moore. His short film Leftovers, a collaboration with director Paul Moore, was featured at the Screamfest film festival in Los Angeles as well as Dragon Con.
Eugene is currently developing fun projects at EJP. He spends his time working on several projects including Brave, a horror anthology honoring people with disabilities; the Fantastic Tales of Terror anthology; and his children’s book series, Life Lessons with Lil Monsters. Eugene is currently a member of the Horror Writers Association. He resides in West Virginia with his fiancé, daughter, and two sons.

Crystal Lake Publishing

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