| Title | : | Diabolica Americana |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 466 |
| Publication | : | First published October 28, 2021 |
It explores the dark states of America, unearthing all that is evil, depraved, and eldritch on the cusp of Halloween.
All proceeds go to a charity called 'A Place Called Home', which gives children and teens a chance to have meaningful lives away from the influence of gangland culture in Los Angeles. By purchasing this book, you will be making a real difference to the lives of so many bright, young hopefuls.
Thank you for 'your' contribution!
Diabolica Americana Reviews
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I really enjoyed this. There isn't one bad story in the entire book. Each one is strong in its own right. I usually have favourites in an anthology, but its too hard to pick a single stand out tale. Every horror fan needs these books on their shelf. An epic collection of amazing horror
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Following the reception to Diabolica Britannica, Keith Anthony Baird returns with a stateside version of the anthology. Just a glance at the table of contents should serve to tell the average reader why this book needs to be part of your October purchases, but let’s dive a little bit deeper.
Eric LaRocca, a relatively new voice in horror, delivers an introduction that is both humble and informative, detailing some unique connections between horror and American history. Jonathan Janz takes the charge from there with “Night and Day and in Between”, a story that not only exudes Americana, but nails down a particular time period. A great opener.
One of the strengths of this book is the seamless mix of newer voices knocking on the door to horror stardom, mingling with the voices that made us pick the anthology up in the first place. Among the newer blood, Scott J Moses, Sadie Hartmann, Rowan Hill, Rayne King, Nick Moorefox, and Vivian Kasley all demand the reader’s attention, contributing bloody, hair-raising offerings that don’t feel the least bit out of place alongside masters of the genre. Speaking of, Diabolica also contains heavy hitters like Laurel Hightower, Richard Chizmar, John Langan, John F.D. Taff, Hailey Piper, and Gabino Iglesias, among others.
Anthologies in general, but especially ones of this size, are packed with enough stories, some are bound not to connect with the reader. Though this is the case here, the number of stories that didn’t resonate with me was relatively small. Count on one hand and have fingers left over small. Some of my personal favorites included “Shelly Nears” by Chris Sorenson, “Dead America” by Shane Hawk, “Drowning in Doubt” by Rayne King, “Daughter” by Hunter Shea, “Black Teeth” by Gabino Iglesias, “Teen Spirit” by Rowan Hill, “Mischief” by Richard Chizmar, and “East” by Nick Moorefox.
When a big, thick anthology of this quality drops on Halloween, you don’t need anyone like me to tell you what to do.
I received a copy from the editor for review consideration. -
Being the follow up to last year's Diabolica Britannica, I was excited to check out this volume. I was not disappointed!
There are a lot of stories here by authors that I've heard of, but not read. As a teenager, I loved going to the library and checking out anthologies, and then tracking down books from the authors that enjoyed the most. I'm still doing that to this day, and this book provided a lot of authors to choose from. These are the stories that stood out the most for me.
SAM by Scott Moses. With a modern day western feel, this tale featured a cat. Sometimes, a cat is just a cat. Sometimes it's not.
CONJURE BLOOD by Anne Gresham. This tale twisted and turned about on itself but then ended with such a satisfying blow I wanted to cheer.
COFFIN by Laurel Hightower. This author I have read previously, so I knew this story was going to rock. And it did!
NEARS by Chris Sorenson. I was familiar with this author as well and had high expectations for this tale about a strange young man asking a young lady out to the prom. Let's just say the dance didn't turn out as expected.
Rowan Hill's TEEN SPIRIT was the type of folk horror that I love. A new to the neighborhood girl is invited to a local event-a bonfire to wish the local football team good luck. It was NOT good luck for Janey.
KING by Hailey Piper. This intriguing tale about homeless people owning a median for panhandling purposes was impressive as hell. I know I need to read more from this author and Stat!
I don't know who Nicole M. Wolverton is, but if COLLECTION DAY is any kind of example of what their work is like, I need to read more of it. Also STAT!
TEETH by Gabino Iglesias. I have only two words: HELL YEAH!
Nick Moorefox's EAST was the interesting tale of a journalist attempting to investigate reports of a strange song in a small coastal town. After reporting that the song was heard, those reporting it were never heard from again. Without the purple prose of Lovecraft, this story had a distinct Lovecraftian feel to it, despite not featuring old gods and blatant racism.
Lastly, John Langan's JUNE, 1987. HITCHHIKING. MR. NORRIS was exactly what I've come to expect from Mr. Langan. Suprising, scary and features a rolling abattoir. LOVED IT!
Overall, this collection is a winner. Keith Anthony Baird has a great knack for rounding up excellent authors and then putting the tales in such an order that you never know what's coming next. Bravo to him and to all the excellent authors included within, for producing this sensational group of tales!
Highly recommended!
*I received an e-ARC from the editor, in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!* -
3.5 stars, rounding up.
With most anthologies, there were some stand-out stories, and others that just didn't resonate with me. A good, overall, collection. -
Diabolica Americana is an amazing exception to the world of short story anthologies. EVERY SINGLE STORY is AMAZING!!! But that is not hard to accomplish with authors like Sarah Tattinger, Hailey Piper, Jonathan Janz, Hunter Shea, Richard Chizmar and Cynthia Pelayo. This collection also features wide variety of types of horror. Sarah Tattinger's "Hexenmeister" features a dark side of German folk magic, Shane Hawk takes on the colonization of Native Americans (with creepy crawlies that will leave you squirming) and Gabino Iglesias tells a chilling tale of a baby that will not cry in "Black Teeth." Sadie Hartman, best known as Mother Horror, also has a creepy short story about a missing girl called "Sunniest." This is definitely an array of dark delights that horror fans will not want to miss!
I am also posting this review on my blog:
http://glamorousbookgal.blogspot.com/... -
If you’re looking for tricks and treats galore this Halloween, then look no further. The second horror compendium following last year’s Diabolica Britannica from Keith Anthony Baird doesn’t disappoint.
Diabolica Americana is a charity horror anthology featuring 22 authors, including a very humble foreword by Eric LaRocca, author of ‘Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke’.
I decided to read this collection of short stories in random order, based on titles that took my fancy when settling down for my October creepy reading time.
I’d heard of ten of the authors who I’d mostly seen sharing their love of the horror genre on Twitter. The other twelve new-to-me authors were promptly followed by yours truly as the talent levels throughout this anthology is staggeringly good.
To put together a bunch of writers whose diverse creativity and ability to suck you in to their worlds is no mean feat. Not a single tale felt out of place, this congregation delivered a mixture of scares, intrigue, oddities and outright horror in 22 tasty doses.
From River Witches to Serial Killers, Folk Magic, Vampires and Creepy Crawlies, there’s something for everyone’s terror taste.
It’s tricky to pick specific stories to recommend because each and every one has its own original voice. However, I will give a special mention to the following authors as their tales stood out for me, personally.
I made a beeline for Sadie Hartmann’s offering ‘Sunnies’. Sadie is Mother Horror on all her socials and is an important voice in the horror community. I’ve been following her since year dot for her excellent bookish recommendations and horror content and wasn’t disappointed. Sunnies was dark, disturbing and expertly written. The conclusion gave me a unexpected horror shock, just what the doctor ordered!
‘Hexmeister’ by Sara Tantlinger, was an eerie story of witches and dark folk magic that crept right into my bones. I’ll definitely be sniffing out more from Sara!
Another one that charmed my inner darkness was ‘The Iron Coffin’ by Laurel Hightower. Anyone for a stiff drink? You might want to grab a dram of Bourbon for this one!
I could praise every individual story in this glorious compendium, but my review would be so long, and I wouldn’t want to keep you from popping a pre-order on right away for your own copy of course.
I will add just one more to my mentions though, Richard Chizmar’s ‘Mischief’. Halloween isn’t Halloween without a serial killer is it? Well Chizmar had me hooked from the word go, talk about atmospheric, and what fantastically written characters! I best watch my back as an Aquarian…
So what are you waiting for? (Other than release day, obviously, which is October 28th!) Get your pre-orders in, lovers of thrills and spook. It’s available in both kindle and paperback format. I am very tempted to buy a physical copy for my horror shelf, I’ll just go and see if I’ve got space for it, spooky season is a killer for me because oh, the sweet, dark temptation…
Thank you to Keith Anthony Baird for sending me an advance e-copy, it was an absolute pleasure to read. And bloody well done to each and every author whose fine skills are showcased in this must-have collection. -
Following 2020s successful release of UK horror anthology, Diabolica Britannica, author and editor Keith Anthony Baird is back again with a second charity collection, this time boasting twenty-two tales of terrifying Americana, including;
• A bounty hunter searching for a missing girl finds more than he bargained for at the infamous ‘Shantyman’ club.
• A young man who goes to extreme lengths to lift a terrible curse.
• A teenage infatuation which even death can’t halt, which proves you should be careful what (and who) you wish for.
• A grieving father who finds himself unable to mourn his daughter when she won’t stop speaking to him, begging him to find her, no matter what.
• The new girl at school who scores a date with the town's local football hero, who soon finds that in her new town, success comes at a bloody cost
As with the first anthology, the line-up of Diabolica Americana is nothing short of spectacular, boasting some very big names. We have stories from Jonathan Janz (“Night and Day and in Between”), John Langan (“June, 1987. Hitchhiking. Mr Norris”) Cynthia Pelayo (“Six Sides”) and Hunter Shea (“Daughter”) to name just a few. While it’s reassuring to have so many tried and trusted authors donating their stories, the best anthologies, for me at least, have a lot of unknown names alongside the big-hitters, leaving the reader safe in the knowledge that if their stories are up to the same standard, then you’ll be leaving with a long list of new authors to follow. Diabolica Americana is no exception.
The most affecting story of the collection is probably Sadie Hartmann’s “Sunnies”, which delivers a grounded and unpleasant tale of a very human monster that’ll leave you in need of a shower after reading. With other stories boasting exhuming loved ones (“Daughter” by Hunter Shea) and some inappropriate uses for an embalming machine (“The Kit” by John F.D. Taff), that’s quite the accomplishment. There is more light-hearted fare to be found as well, such as the darkly comedic “Down the Hill fell Jack and Jill” by Vivian R. Kasley which tells of a pandemic lockdown gone horribly wrong for one hapless couple. There is a nice mix of stories here and it’s great to read an anthology that has something to suit every horror fans’ personal tastes.
A few of my personal highlights were “Black Teeth” by Gabino Iglesias, which takes a fairly familiar premise (possessed/demonic children) and delivers easily the most messed up and brutally effective take on the trope I’ve ever read, and “The Iron Coffin” by Laurel Hightower, where a building site for a new distillery unearths potentially world-ending dangers. If I were to twist both my arms and force me to pick a favourite, I’d have to give it to Richard Chizmar and the excellent “Mischief”. Told mostly via a conversation between an imprisoned serial killer and a local reporter hoping to be the one to break his decade long silence on his crimes, this one was wonderfully atmospheric and creepy before you even get to the fun reveal.
Any anthology that succeeds in both providing me with new stories from my favourite writers, while simultaneously giving me a whole new list of writers to look out for in the future is one that I can wholeheartedly recommend and with Diabolica Americana having the added bonus of supporting a worthy cause, this should absolutely be on your radar. -
I must say my mouth hung open when I first looked at the TOC and saw all the authors and their stories listed there! Authors I am familiar with, some have become my “buy their next book just because it’s from them” authors, a few I’ve maybe read one or two stories from them, some I have heard of but not read anything from them and then the unknown to me authors that I was happy to be introduced to their work.
This collection reminds me of a quilt with all the stories as squares sown into the quilt. They are an integral part of the whole! Each of these stories hold a different horror for each reader. As with most collections I liked some more than others but I can say there weren’t any that I outright disliked! For a sampling of some great Indie Horror writers this is a must read! As Eric LaRocca wrote in the forward “we are a nation built upon horror.” -
Thank you to the editor for the opportunity to read and review!
It’s no surprise that I enjoyed this anthology. I knew I would. What is a surprise is that I read every single story, start to finish, in order. I didn’t skip around because I was anxious to finish or got bored. I do that a lot with short stories. Eventually finishing everything. Every story here had me immersed in the experience. I didn’t have to skip around and it didn’t even occur to me to do so!
A few of my highlights:
Cat Daddy Sam by Scott J. Moses had music and it had a possessed cat. I can’t think of anything more entertaining than that!
Sunnies by Sadie Hartman is every parent’s worst nightmare. And just the title makes me feel filthy thinking back on the story. Definitely one that will stick with you a long time.
Night and Day and in Between was the first story and it packed a punch. Vampires, vigilante justice, and dare I say love at first sight? I was cheering Raft and Clara on the whole way!
Hexenmeister by Sara Tantlinger gave insight into witchcraft from a male point of view which I haven’t seen much of. Johnny was a “braucher” which is a person who practices folk magic. This story led me down a rabbit hole of research and I found out all about healing charms and good luck spells. I love when a story brings me to new knowledge!
These are just a few, but every story was a true gem! -
Thank you to the editor for providing a copy to me for review.
Overall
Diabolica Americana is a charity anthology that is filled to the brim with the talent of so many great authors writing horror today from all across the United States. Every story is a different look at America in the most sinister of situations. The stories are varied in when they take place and the horrors within. There are stories about voodoo, witchcraft, creatures, and very real human monsters. These pages will keep you entertained to the last page. There is something in this anthology for every horror reader, and I highly recommend picking it up.
Individual Stories
The anthology starts with a great Introduction by Eric LaRocca.
Night and Day and In Between by Jonathan Janz- 5 stars- Creature story taking place in the silent film era in California with all that old Hollywood charm.
Cat Daddy Sam by Scott J. Moses- 4 stars- A possession story that had characters and setting to perfectly capture that small town southern feel.
Regrets Never Die by Rhonda J. Joseph-5 stars- A woman is literally haunted by the regrets of her past.
Hexenmeister by Sarah Tantliner- 5 stars- Hexes, curses, and all the witchy vibes written to perfection.
Conjure Blood by Anne Gresham- 5 stars- A story of retribution with an amazing environmental angle.
Dead America by Shane Hawk- 4 stars- Bad dreams with a message. These dreams sent a shiver up my spine.
The Iron Coffin by Laurel Hightower- 5 stars- A deadly disease with a strange origin.
Shelly Nears by Chris Sorensen- 5 stars- A very special prom night for a very deranged boy.
Teen Spirit by Rowan Hill- 5 stars- A high school football team that takes winning way too seriously.
The Median King by Hailey Piper- 4 stars- Big city living isn't easy on the hard streets.
Down the Hill Fell Jack and Jill by Vivian Kasley- 4 stars- A very real feeling pandemic cautionary tale.
Sunnies by Sadie Hartman- 5 stars- A former homicide cop and concerned parents take on a very real monster.
Collection Day by Nicole M. Wolverton- 5 stars- A fantastic supernatural collector story with a great setting.
Drowning in Doubt by Rayne King- 5 stars- A carnival story that turns deadly.
Daughter by Hunter Shea- 5 stars- Heartbreaking story of a father's grief.
Black Teeth by Gabino Iglesias- 5 stars- A grieving husband taking care of his baby and then...whoa!
Return to Voodoo Village by Patrick Barb- 4 stars- Man travels to Voodoo Village to get answers about the past.
Six Sides by Cynthia Pelayo- 4 stars- A young girl finds a mysterious box.
The Kit by John F. D. Taft- 5 stars- A fantastic story about a cursed antique embalming kit.
Mischief by Richard Chizmar-5 stars- This story had a great true crime feel.
East by Nick Moorefox- 4 stars- A thrilling sea creature feature.
June, 1987. Hitchhiking. Mr. Norris by John Langan- 5 stars- A creepy cautionary tale that leaves me sure I will never hitchhike.
My average rating for the stories is 4.5 stars out of 5.
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Also reviewed on
www.curiosityboughtthebook.com
A 4 skull read
An anthology packed with talent and spooky horror stories taking place right here in the U.S. of A? Sign me up! Diabolica Americana has something for everyone. I found some authors that I already loved within these pages, but also some I’ve never encountered before.
As always, let me tell you about some of my favorite stories.
“Regrets Never Die” by Rhonda J. Joseph, is the story of a woman who is literally haunted by her past. I could sense the heartbreak and pain in this story, and the end left me shocked and teary-eyed.
“The Iron Coffin” by Laurel Hightower. A short story that shows us that some things are better left buried.
“Down the Hill fell Jack and Jill” by Vivian R. Kasley. You think being stuck in the house with your loved ones every day during the pandemic is hard? Well, trust me, Jack and Jill had it worse. I loved this one.
Lastly, I’d like to mention “East” by Nick Moorefox. This story had such a dream-like quality to it, that I almost felt myself floating through the pages. Very well written.
Thank you to the editor for the early review copy. Make sure to pick up your copies on Halloween night! -
Great collection - I found some authors to dive deeper on.
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This anthology is vast! Calling it Americana is right on the money - there are stories from so many different areas, cultures, and walks of life, each of which captures the heart of the U.S (for better or worse). It's a great cross-section of American horror.
Some stand-out stories:
Regrets Never Die by Rhonda J. Joseph - I loved exploring the concept of your regrets coming to life, and the story is delivered in a fresh, unique voice.
The Iron Coffin by Laurel Hightower - A surprise excavation, a deadly virus, and a shot of bourbon. Stirred. Straight up.
Shelley Nears by Chris Sorensen - b r u t a l
The Median King by Hailey Piper - Once again, Piper gives voice to the forgotten and invisible in this tense tale generously sprinkled with gorgeous prose. I still think of this story whenever I'm idling next to a median.
Collection Day by Nicole M. Wolverton - Features one of my new favorite first lines, "I have no skeletons in my closet, but there is a black box of souls hidden away in my underwear drawer."
Daughter by Hunter Shea - Dark and heartbreaking. In a word, "oof".
In terms of laying out the anthology, there were a few instances where similar themes were published next to each other, and over time it unfortunately made it difficult for me to discern between the stories. As with many long collections, some stories were absolute bangers and others I didn't *love*. Regardless, I'm happy to have met many new authors that I'm already looking forward to reading more of!
Diabolica Americana is a charity anthology, with proceeds supporting 'A Place Called Home'. -
DIABOLICA AMERICANA is a superb anthology of US horror.
Showcasing a wide range of styles, there's not a weak tale in the collection so every reader's highlights will simply be reflections of their personal taste. For me, these were:
The brilliantly evoked 1920s setting of Jonathan Janz's NIGHT AND DAY AND IN BETWEEN
The long shadows cast by the early settlers of Sara Tantlinger's HEXENMEISTER
The great sense of backwoods America and old resentment in Anne Gresham's CONJURE BLOOD
The monstrous tragedy of what resides in Laurel Hightower's THE IRON COFFIN
The chillingly convincing POV of Chris Sorensen's SHELLY NEARS
The sense that Hailey Piper's THE MEDIAN KING might just be the birth of a new urban legend
The desperate grief that drives the protagonist of Hunter Shea's DAUGHTER
The gruesome dark humour of John F.D. Taff's THE KIT
The essence of evil that runs through Richard Chizmar's MISCHIEF
The Lovecraftian frisson flowing through Nick Moorefox's EAST
That's a lot of personal highlights, and of those I haven't mentioned there's not a single story I didn't enjoy. This collection is a must-read for horror fans! -
Just keeping you honest, Scott.
