Horrors of the Holy

Rating:
Summary: Horrors of the Holy
Review: An anthology of 13 stimulatingly scary short stories. Each story a different look into the darkness, zombies, vampires, monsters and more. Wilson has created a collection of very different intersting, spine-tingling stories. The stories are creative and not really predictable. She uses different perspectives and creative these highly-entertaining plots. Delightfully enough, she sprinkles humor powder into irony, artfully. Her au fait writing style makes this a page turner. Take a journey through the supernatural world. Quick.

Rating:
Summary: This little book has kick
Review: Good things come in small packages! This volume may be slender, but it packs a helluva wallop. This book is pure "rock & roll" hororr!

Rating:
Summary: This little book has kick
Review: Good things come in small packages! This volume may be slender, but it packs a helluva wallop. This book is pure "rock & roll" hororr!

Rating:
Summary: Little grotesque, gory tales with misshapen forms-Excellent!
Review: Staci Layne Wilson probably will receive enough comparisons to Poppy Z. Brite to fill a large sarcophagus. And that's too bad. Not because I'm not a fan of Brite, of course I am, but because Wilson has a demented, slightly skewed vision that's all her own and she reveals it quite succinctly in her anthology Horrors of the Holy: 13 Sinful, Sacrilegious, Supernatural Stories. [Plus I really like cool alliteration.]

Wilson also cleverly manages to stay away from the "same" curse that afflicts many single-author anthologies -- all the stories sounding the same. How does she manage to do this? We think it's by using...wait for it...her imagination! These 13 stories all have interesting settings, premises, characters you either recognize or want to run away from, and they suck you in [no vampire puns were hurt in the making of this review].

There are stories with great twist endings ala Robert Bloch but that'snot a shtick. She mixes it up well, we care about characters and in short stories, achieving that can be a feat.

And although I didn't find any weak ones, I did have my favorites, including the amazingly gruesome "The Tooth Shall Set You Free" and the mystical "Losing My Religion," which I'd love to see continue in a novel.

And we know these people. The beyond-her-prime high school homecoming queen is skewered marvelously in "Portait of a Lady," the young girls in "Goddamned Rock Star" probably partied at the same club as us, and we'll probably more fully understand the couple in "Slumber Party" when we're long gone dust. All these characters will invoke someone you know, want to know or wish you were. That's what draws you in, and the storytelling keeps you.

Wilson even takes on the long-lost art of the short-short with "Lupercalia" and a take on Valentine's Day you'll remember long after the chocolates are gone and the flowers are dead.

Another very important part of Wilson's writing that I enjoye? She's funny! What more could you ask for -- these are neat little grotesque, gory tales with misshapen forms that sometime resemble humans and they make me laugh -- ah bliss. "Always Amber" and "Anti-Christ Superstar" are perfect examples.

Well, I've droned on long enough. Go pick up this book and give Staci Layne Wilson your undivided attention. Actually it won't matter if you give it willingly, because she'll grab it, rip it away from you and you'll thank her for it later.

Rating:
Summary: Highly recommended
Review: The sacred and the profane are only separated by a thin veil, and when HORRORS OF THE HOLY peels back the veil, be prepared for the fearful and unexpected. Beneath the most respected and holy lies the macabre and the profane, often more closely linked than you've ever expected.

Ranging from vampires and the supernatural to priests and evangelists, and even the common such as jewelry and teeth, HORRORS OF THE HOLY will have you checking the mirrors and the bathroom repeatedly. Two of my favorites, "Always Amber" demonstrates that possession may come from the simplest of things, while " Anti-Christ Superstar" will have you thinking twice before checking out that cool new web site.

Perhaps some of the fun with HORRORS OF THE HOLY also comes from the play on literary tradition. "Always Amber" was on my mother's book shelf for years; all children of the sixties and seventies loved "Jesus Christ Superstar" and of course the allusion to the bible in "The Tooth Shall Set You Free." Wilson's clever alliteration of the title, of course, also delights this English major: HORRORS OF THE HOLY: 13 SINFUL, SACRILEGIOUS, SUPERNATURAL STORIES.

While some stories are vaguely familiar as ghost stories or urban legend, this fresh voice brings new meaning and vitality to the story telling. Each story is riveting, written with an intensity that will hook the reader right through the end. Each story lives with vibrancy that is very difficult to match with such a diverse short story collection. If you love horror stories, the HORRORS OF THE HOLY is a must read.

Rating:
Summary: Evil, Rockin' Good Fun!
Review: This book was so much fun - I bought it on a whim, because the title reminded me of the Led Zepplin album, Houses of the Holy. Sure enough, there's a Zep tidbit in the book!! The stories are freaky, but funny too. I give it my highest recco.

Rating:
Summary: Buy this book...
Review: This book was too short for me. I could have read 113 stories, instead of just 13. They were all so different, but so good. This writer has an amazing imaganation and an really good sense of humor. I will be looking forward to more, hopefully a long novel.

Rating:
Summary: fine horror collection
Review: This horror anthology consists of twelve short stories and an extract from a novel. The collection runs a wide range of the genre with lead characters including the undead, a serial killer, and a dying cowboy's final lament, etc. The book contains well written tales that grip the audience as Staci Layne Wilson provides surprising emotion (that is for the short story format) in several of the stories. The supernatural runs free throughout the tome, but mostly provides atmosphere or the impetus to move the plot forward. Though the title implies a god-fearing or anti-religious fervor, HORRORS OF THE HOLY is more of a secular generalist series of tales that grips the audience with suspense and a wonder what can happen next. Ms. Wilson is a talent worth following (SEE THE LIFE AND TIMES OF RAPUNZEL).

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Holy Horrors, Batman!
Review: This is a funny book, but it doesn't detract from the horror at all - it's plenty scary! I really enjoyed it, and I'm hoping she comes out with a horror novel soon. Even though there are 13 stories, they were too short. I wasn't ready for them to end!