Resistance is Futile: Error Code is a horror anthology of what happens when good tech goes bad

 

Error Code

Edited by Zaq Cass

Rabid Otter Books, 2024

ISBN-13: 979-8342683913

Ebook, 297 ppg.

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Forget about the creatures that go bump in the night. The worst thing that can happen to you just might come from something you trust the most: An AI system in control of what happens inside of your house, in your own body, and in your own brain.

 

Error Code is a horror anthology of what happens when technology doesn’t exactly do what it is programmed to do. Or, sometimes, it does, because someone with evil intentions programmed it that way. We all fear the day when evil robots will attempt to take over the world and kill all the humans a la a Terminator film, but in the case of these stories, something even more deceptive and seemingly innocent is at play.

 

This collection of stories absolutely gets off to a strong start, with the jaw-dropping story "NHesi, Unlock the Door" by Curtis A. Deeter taking on the “smart home” idea we’ve all been fantasizing, wondering and researching about for years.

 

And I don’t know about you, but after reading this story, I am DEFINITELY not interested in living in a smart home! No, thank you!

 

The whole idea behind these stories is what could happen when milestones in technological development go wrong. We WANT technology to help make our lives better, but in a lot of cases, it could actually make our lives worse!

 

“The Update” by Phrique touches on something we ALL actually have to deal with these days: The agony, torture and trauma of enduring system updates. No matter how much control we try to have over these things, they seem to sometimes have a mind of their own and take over our computers and laptops regardless of whether we want them to or not. Except, in this case, the story deals with system updates with people. Knowing what we know now about how those things work, that very possibility becoming a reality is very frightening!

 

Another story in this anthology that I really enjoyed reading was "The Algorithm" by Jyl Glenn. O.M.G! This story was really good! This, too, tackles a common idea circulating in the technosphere: What would happen if we allowed AI to take control over the kind of healthcare we receive? Just what kind of choices would we still have once surrendering our very lives to such a thing? This story was brilliant and I loved the surprise ending.

 

Lindsey Goddard’s story “HellNet” explores the personal clashing with the technical when it comes to implants in our head. Sure, there’s lots of talk about these things going on right now, and Elon Musk would love to have ALL of us having his brain implants in our heads so he can rule over us all to follow his every command (kidding!), but there is still a lot of speculation of just how much control we could lose over ourselves after having such implants drilled into our brains. I loved how Lindsey’s story played out, though I wondered if people with such implants in the future would really be able to make such choices.

 

I’m no longer much of a gamer, but I loved reading "Bloodhouse 64" by Jude Deluca. This story took the whole “evil video game” angle for a wild ride. It held me breathless as I read it, wincing over the gore while eagerly reading to find out what happened next. I totally understood Darcy’s frustration over a game ending when she didn’t want it to, and I knew that getting so fixated on the game meant bad news. I did not expect what kind of bad news it turned out to be! The action had me on the edge of my seat as I also wondered if there would be any survivors at the end! I think this story is perfect for anyone who loves horror as well as gaming.

 

I also enjoyed reading "End User" Alexa Lee, "Kira 35" by Asa Callan (LOVED how the ending was written!), "Watching is Easy" by Bernard McGhee and "A Corporate Family" by Elizabeth Devecchi.

 

Oh, heck. ALL of the stories were good. I read every single one and enjoyed them. They also made me think, which is what every good story should do.

 

Error Code is an anthology of horror stories diving into the worst-case-scenario of technology gone wrong. Not only do the stories remind us of the folly in entrusting our health, our control, and our very lives in technology, but it also serves as what sort of nightmares and horrors such actions can unleash. Technology can tend to have a mind of its own, and when it has too much control over someone’s life, that sort of mind can have the worst of intentions, an evil agenda, and an unpredictable lust for power that can only lead to destruction and death.

 

 

 

 

Five stars

 

 

 

Disclaimer: I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

 

When Earth Fights Back: Nature Triumphs is an excellent collection of eco-horror stories of nature seeking revenge against humans

 

 

Nature Triumphs: A Charity Anthology of Dark Speculative Fiction

Edited by Alison Armstrong and Pixie Bruner

Dark Moon Rising Publications, 2024

Ebook, 327 ppg.

ISBN: 978-1-945987-90-8

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“Nature finds a way.” This phrase, uttered by a character thinking that more plants possibly bloomed in an area that was not tended to, is one we often say when nature surprises us with its strength and perseverance.

 

But nature has something else up its sleeve, too: Revenge against those who have harmed it, infected it, abused it and polluted it for so long.

 

In fact, these forms of nature acting on their quest for revenge take on anyone and everyone who gets too close to it, all casualties in the war between man and nature. Or, rather, nature and humans.

 

In the anthology Nature Triumphs: A Charity Anthology of Dark Speculative Fiction edited by Alison Armstrong and Pixie Bruner, writers share their stories of eco-horror where polluted, mutated and poisoned forms of nature get the revenge it is so hungry for. From fish in p[olluted ponds to bees that were sprayed with poisons, both nature and creature (such as vines and plants) attack people for the abuse and pollution it has endured for so long. And in fighting this mutated form of nature, the characters think they can win, but little do they realize just how immune to the harmful ways of man nature has become that it is able to rise above any further doses of it.

 

I really enjoyed reading these stories. I read all of them. Some of them are from writers whose work I am familiar with and others are from writers I was happy to meet through their works. All forms of horror are in this book and all kinds of nature horror stories await readers of this anthology.

 

I could not name a single story as a favorite, though here are some I really enjoyed reading:

 

"Swarm of the Immune" by J.C. Macek III

"Deadly Toke" by Kasey Hill

"Kroak" by Megan Guilliams

"Last Call at the Garden of Eden" by Lamont A. Turner

"The Bees" by Mawr Gorshin

"Whale Song" by Elana Gomel

"Throw It Back" by Rebecca Cuthbert

"Boots" by Julie Dron

"A New Mom for the Bee Boy" by Rob Tannahill

"Spines" by J. Rocky Colavito

"Compost" by Kris Nelson

"Yard Work" by Michael Erroll Swaim

 

I also enjoyed reading the poems. These in particular were my favorites:

 

"The Candy-Coloured Apocalypse' by Pixie Bruner

"An Ocean's Lament" by John C. Mannone

"Nothing We Can Do" by Alison Armstrong

"How to Make Witchcraft Honey" and "Ode to the Bees" by Kasey Hill

 

They are all good stories and poems which I know I will enjoy rereading in the future.

 

If you enjoy reading eco horror, want to read stories about nature fighting back against the humans harming it, or want to support a charity (sales of the book are donated to The Nature Conservancy), then grab a copy of Nature Triumphs and you won’t be disappointed.

 

 

 

Five stars

 

 

Disclaimer: I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Picking Up Where Good Horror Left Off: Resurrect Your Darlings is the re-release of an epic collection of horrifying and captivating stories

 

Resurrect Your Darlings

Cat Voleur

Independently Published, 2024

Ebook, 148 ppg.

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When you pick up a collection of short stories to read, you expect it to start off strong. That’s exactly what happened when I read the first story in Resurrect Your Darlings, a collection of horror stories by Cat Voleur. As with most collections of stories, the first story is great, but then the stories start to disappoint with the second, third and maybe fourth stories until the end, when another awesome story is just waiting to be read. In those cases, however, I rarely hold on until the end. If I’m bored or disinterested by Yet Another Lame Story by the time I get to the third one, then forget it. That author has lost this reader.

 

But that did not happen with this book!

 

With this book, I read every single story, because every single story is amazing!

 

The first story, “Revenir,” pulled me in because I was not familiar with the word. Plus, there was an air of mystery about the character’s painting. What a surprise ending this story gave me when it tells all, and what a tell it was!

 

As to “d3t0x,” I’m not much for epistolary horror, but this is Cat Voleur! I have read many of her stories in other anthologies and never has she disappointed me with a single one. So I read this one, just going along with it, and, of course, it drew me in! This one provided another surprise ending, which I was ecstatic about reading!

 

“Other Mommy” made me think of the movie Coraline, but a button-eyed mommy this isn’t! No, Voleur’s take on the “other mommy” spiel led me through a dark tale of terror and surprise! I think I like this “Other Mommy” better.

 

“Twelve Hour Lifespan” was such a bizarre story. I mean, as I read it, I knew what it was about, but a story starting at the end and going to the beginning was a little strange to read. I was able to go along with it, but I had to read the first (last?) part again to get the full scope of it. It was still a good story, though, and I appreciated the effort the author put into telling it from the POV of an insect.

 

BUT THAT LAST STORY!! OMG! It is too good. It caught me up in its intensity and, at the very end, allowed me to slip away with a smile on my face, completely satisfied with what I had just read.

 

One common theme I noticed is that of revenge. I do enjoy reading revenge horror, so a story with that theme had me giddy just from the experience of having read it. There are also stories with surprise endings, unexpected twists, and loads of gore.

 

Now, I normally don't read back matter in books in which the author talks about how they got their ideas for their stories, their own interpretations of it, and their goal with the story. No, let me have my own ideas about what I just read. Let me leave the story as I read it in my memories, so I can dip back into it later should I wish to recall the story as I read it. So I was not sure if I should read the authors notes about all of the stories at the end. I did not want her opinions or interpretations to mingle with my own. But that is not what happens here. She talks about her own experiences with the story, how she tried to get them published, responses from editors, as well as her own opinions about handling all that different feedback from readers. I was surprised some of these stories had been rejected so much, because they are very good. But Cat found something to do with them. As she writes, "We're never going to please everyone with our writing, but it's most important we please ourselves." (Page 141)

 

Resurrect Your Darlings by Cat Voleur is an enticing, gripping and horrifying collection of dark, twisted tales. The stories in this book kept me turning the pages, hungry for more. These stories are so well-told and the plots are so unique. I loved every surprise ending and every fright from a dark force lurking within the shadows. If you enjoy reading horror stories, pick up this book today. You won’t be disappointed!

 

 

 

Five stars

 

 

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.