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By CHRISTINA F. KENNISON

Special to the OBSERVER

What do reader’s fears become when they’re examined? Top-notch tales, poems, and images will horrify and delight readers in this anthology called What Fears Become.  Each feature rips through reality plunging readers into frightful situations deep enough to provoke a bag full of nightmares.  It is unlikely readers will set aside a single whisper-read word.  Like stepping onto a monstrous scene, their wide eyes can’t look away.  Thirty-one finely honed eager narratives, eighteen delicious poems, and eighteen visions touch all who dare venture inside.

The foreword is by Simon Clark, and he has nothing but positive comments about What Fears Become.  He titles this foreword, “A Small Matter of Life and Death.”

Besides penning horror fiction, the authors in this book are teachers, radio personalities, newspaper reporters, editors, gardeners, musicians, poets, reality TV contestants, aides at mental hospitals, technical writers, volunteers, graphic designers, inventory clerks, writers of chapter units for history textbooks, receivers of prestigious awards, founders of martial art systems and have had films produced from novels.

The collection opens with “Bast,” by Christian A. Larsen, which is about a man who visits his dying grandmother. Can cats really take one’s breath away? Marty finds out in this eerie yarn.  Descriptive.

Read the rest of the review at ObserverToday.com…

by Becky Spratford

I have been a fan of The Horror Zine for some time now.  Editor Jeani Rector and her crew work hard to provide a quality monthly literary journal with fiction, poetry, and artwork from morbidly creative people.  When she contacted me about reviewing their first print collection, What Fears Become, I jumped at the chance.

In general, I love horror story collections, especially when they are like What Fears Become and compile a wide range of scary stories.  I find collection to be a great way to take the current pulse of the genre.  In this case, the collection also features poetry and artwork.  This range of appeal made me also go out and purchase a copy for the Berwyn Library.  We have many readers who will greatly appreciate having access…

Read the rest of the review at RA For All Horror.

My brother and I were given a set of ventriloquist dolls when I was young. Mine was W.C. Fields and his was Charlie McCarthy. Not long afterward, I saw the Twilight Zone episode “The Dummy.” It didn’t take me long to see a strong similarity between the Willie in the episode and my brother’s Charlie McCarthy. I vividly remember hanging ol’ Charlie in a noose so he would strangle himself if he ever came to life, but it wasn’t enough and I used to wake up suffering the hysterical after effects of night terrors. Last I saw of either dummy, my dad was throwing them into the driveway in a garbage bag. They were re-gifted shortly thereafter, though what became of their new owners, I don’t know.

Willie from the Twilight Zone

I finally wrote a pseudo biographical short story called “His Splintery Smile” which is equal parts my experience as a kid and an unofficial sequel to “The Dummy”. Fans of the Twilight Zone will recognize that Willie’s hair was fluffy in the episode, and in my story, it’s wooden, but there was a reason for that which becomes apparent the further you read my tale. And the good news is, you’ll soon be able to read it in Fear and Trembling Magazine. I’ll let you know when I have a publication date.