Review of THE KILL CREW - Joseph D'Lacey

The Kill Crew by Joseph D’Lacey is an intelligent, well-written story. While at first glance it is a post-apocalyptic tale, it falls far outside the realms of other tales of this type. It deals more with the psychological changes brought about by the end of the world as we know, rather than the horror of the antagonists. The characters are truly brought to life in the mind of the reader, and dialogue is very believable and flows well. Also, the inner dialogue of the main characters is very well handled. The principle character is well depicted, and comes across as very human, which can be a sticking point for many new writers. There are strong comments on society as we know it, and how that society can break down in a very short time with the right triggers. Joseph D’Lacey has managed to capture this breakdown with a great deal of accuracy, with a dollop of despair and desperation added. Self-destruction plays a part in the story, as does hope for a better future, and although these points seem polar opposites, D’Lacey ties them together with style and skill. What truly stands out in this story is the humanity of the characters, hoping in the face of hopelessness and dealing with events no sane person should have to deal with. Redemption plays a part, as does the modern consumer-driven society we live in today. It tells the story of Sheri, Ike and Trixie, survivors of an apocalyptic event like no other, and how they find the strength to get through each day. It tells the story of the end of human society as we know it, and the effects of that ending on the few survivors left untouched (at least physically) by the events taking place around them. The ending seems to combine both a sense of inevitability of outcome with hope for the future, a very hard thing to write, but the author performs this task with great skill. This is a very well-written tale that is both compulsive and confrontational. I recommend this story highly to all, and am glad to have been given a chance to read it. Joseph D’Lacey is an author on his way up, one who will grab people’s attention from the start. I highly recommend this author and this book.

Available HERE!

Books OUTSIDE the current generic publishing theme

Charnel House - Brother Odd (lettered)


CH - Velocity (lettered)


CH - The Stress of Her Regard (numbered)


CH - Last Call (numbered)


CH - The Regulators (lettered)


CH - Where They Hid (lettered)


Can anyone say these are NOT beautiful pieces of art as much as they are books?

Here's some more!

Assouline - Chanel ($550)


Assouline - Venice Deluxe ($395)


Assouline - Magritte ($300)


I would love some books that looked like any of these. Now the first publisher (Charnel House) is our genre, I know, but the second is publishing stuff about Barbie, Venice, Chanel and Formula One Racing. But I STILL love the presentation of these books. They would look beautiful on anyones shelves.

Are we???

Are we demanding enough? Are we demanding enough from our publishers, and are we demanding enough of ourselves as collectors?

I look at my shelves of collectible small press publications, and I see, for the most part, uniformity. I see CD books that all fit nicely together, I see Sub Press and NEP books that are the exact same size and basic design as CD. I see limited's with the same publishing standards and ideas. I see (admittedly only a few in MY shelves, but I see in the LATEST TREASURE thread when photos are posted) lettered editions that use leather and leather and more leather and then even MORE leather.

With a few exceptions.

You know who you are!

I question….where is the art, where is the ingenuity, where are the differences between the books and the publishers?

Where is the value?

Are people here, people who collect the small-press publishers religiously, REALLY happy with the status quo? Don't we mind that the same old publishers are releasing books that look like the same old books? I don't mean to knock the publishers themselves (well, not TOO much), because this is what we, the consumer, seem to demand. Affordable limited editions that don't push the envelope when it comes to presentation?

Sure, the books are very nice. Don't get me wrong. I LIKE the stuff I have on my shelves, and I LIKE the stuff I don't own.

I like it all a LOT!

But I don't LOVE IT!!!

Where is THE LOVE?

Where is the beauty and the art?

Where are the unique editions?

They are out there. I know. I've seen them.

I've seen them here



And I've seen them here!

Most recently, I've seen them here!

These publishers are thinking outside the box. Outside the whole damn WAREHOUSE, really!
Are we really that impressed with the current status quo that no-one can go outside without being sanctioned?

CCP published their first lettered edition with a non-leather traycase.

I personally thought that this was a brave thing to do. I can only imagine the messages and emails HM and Brian must have received.

"What…..NOT LEATHER!!!! Well, count me out! " Something like that, maybe?

Maybe this genre of small-press horror needs to start thinking outside the box like some of the off-genre small presses do. Arion Press and Assouline are designing beautiful books….unique books!

Something I could pull down off display and show my grandkids and have them go OOOH, AAAAH!

We seem, as buyers, to have developed a mentality of I MUST HAVE EVERY BOOK I WANT. We don't pick and choose by workmanship anymore, to any real degree. We don't have a smaller collection of FINE QUALITY books, we all have the same larger collection of as many books as we can afford.

I had to re-assess my buying and reading habits last year. I had to prioritise my buying, and somehow facilitate my reading as well. DB book club (pb) has allowed me to have reading material at a much cheaper price. Thank GOD for that!

Now, I can pick and choose by publisher (and by author) in regard to the HC books I buy. I chose to get lettered editions of a couple of new small presses that appeal to me, with their ideas and their vision for the future.

Again, you know who you are.

There are also a couple of other publishers I would like to collect lettered editions of, but there are no lettered slots free at the moment.

Maybe one day!

My questions are these:

1) Do we, as buyers, really want to own everything at around $50-60, and have a million generic books, or would we like to pay a bit more, pick and choose a bit more, and have smaller, more unique, higher quality collections?

2) Do we, as customers, expect too little from the publishers in regard to design and cost for the editions we buy?



What do you all think?

Half-Sick of Shadows by Graham Masterton

I have just finished reading this manuscript today. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Half-Sick of Shadows, the upcoming release from Graham Masterton and Sideshow Press is absolutely wonderful.
Three short stories all based on the Tennyson poem The Lady of Shallot, these stories are wonderfully written and very captivating.

The first, CAMELOT, is outlined at the Horror Mall store as the story of a man who loses his beloved to another world beyond a mirror, and how he tries to free her. This story is unlike any I have read before, as the surrealism and vivid imagery both captivate and enthral the reader, dragging them into Masterton's imagination successfully. Reading like a bizarro author, this story is both powerful and evocative in it's scope, and is much too short for me....I could have read more and more of this mind-blowing journey.

The second story, REFLECTION OF EVIL, has been available on the BBC website in an abridged form. It tells the story of an archaeological survey that unearths more than the diggers bargain for. Short and nasty, this one is also a powerful tale carrying the ultimate warning to be careful what you wish for.

The third and final story, HALF-SICK OF SHADOWS, warns most profoundly to avoid voyeurism at all costs, or pay the price. This tale is previously unpublished and original to this collection, and is a well-written tale centred around a man who sees himself as a guardian angel rather than a perve.

Masterton is indeed a master of the horror genre, with a fluid and unrelenting style that draws the reader in and allows them to lose themselves in the story...complete invisibility as a writer. VERY easy to read and a real feather in the cap for Sideshow press that they could entice this modern master back into the world of small-press horror.
KUDOS to Sideshow Press for bringing us this outstanding collection by Graham Masterton!


Available at www.horror-mall.com/HALF-SICK-OF-SHADOWS-by-Graham-Masterton-Limited-Edition-p-18906.html