Something Evil Lurks in Texas: The Configuration Discordant is a collection of horror poetry brimming with gods and monsters

 

 

The Configuration Discordant: An exploration of poetry through the lens of murder, madness, and monsters

John Baltisberger

A Things in the Well Publication, 2019

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When it comes to books of horror poetry, readers don’t know what to expect. Would they be exposed to guts and gore? Terrifying monsters? Or dark days of doom? In the horror poetry collection, The Configuration Discordant: An exploration of poetry through the lens of murder, madness, and monsters by John Baltisberger, readers will get all of that, and more. This collection of poems gripped me from the very beginning and it sent chills down my spine as I continued to read.

 

With some of these poems, it helps to remember that this is a collection of horror poetry. Yes, that is what that poem really means. Yes, that narrator of a poem actually IS diabolical and evil. And, yes, that particular poem really is meant to be dark and scary. There is no softening of a message in these poems. There is no light horror and the author leaves no holds barred.

 

Take, for example, the poem “The Family.” You would think it is just a poem introducing the reader to a family, but, no. Something else is going on in this poem. Something nightmarish. And it is only getting to the end of the poem that the reader discovers what it is.

 

The poem “Glass Eyes” has a hidden meaning to it. The reader should think a minute about that title and in which case something would have glass eyes. The lines “Thrown out into the garbage/To the incinerator/But I will always come back” indicate that this is an evil thing that can’t be destroyed. An evil thing that kills.

 

“Household” is another creepy poem. It is obviously describing a rotting building that is falling apart (“olden hallways filled with dust”) but it is home to those who still linger within its rooms and hallways. But beware to anyone who dares to tread within it! For if you fall into the trap, you will not be able to escape so easily. As the lost souls in the poem state: “Greetings! You seem to be stranded/You are welcome in my household.”

 

I really enjoyed reading the poem “Rat King.” There are so many different kinds of poems written about the Rat King, and this is one of the good ones. It is dark and terrifying. It makes the Rat King into a much bigger monster than before. I liked the surprise at the end, as well.

 

There are quite a few poems in this book about Texas, and about the sinister forces hidden within it. I am not sure what the meaning is behind this, but it made for interesting reading. I have only visited Texas once, and perhaps there was some kind of monster in the sandstorm me and my family had to drive through when we were there.

 

“We Called Them Kaiju” is another good poem in this book. I like how, among the mix of monsters and mythological creatures in this book, the kaiju are included. These lines from this poem especially stood out:

 

“the cityscape was unimportant

we all ran when they came

their roars echoed discordant

washing us away in flame

our greatest works laid flat

destroyed so easily

destruction reigned in their path

all of us slaughtered equally” (Page 111)

 

Another poem I enjoyed reading is “((Them)).” Like some of the other poems in this book, it changes course from the usual horrific poems about monsters and deities and speaks out against fascism and oppression. These beginning lines of the poem resonated with me:

 

“I am ((Them))

forged in the fires of hateful places

I am ((them))

centuries of stereotypes held in stasis

what do ((I)) know about the way the world works?

what have you put in to learn who ((we)) are?

judging ((us)) with knowing disdainful smirks

your own prejudice elevating ((us)) to the stars.” (Page 116)

 

I also loved the artwork that is in this book. My favorite one was the art following the poem “Toymaker” that is on page 25 (and “Toymaker” on page 24 is quite a creepy poem!).

 

The Configuration Discordant is a haunting collection of poetry of monsters, creatures, and deities both known and unknown. The poems reflect the quest for the survival of humankind in the face of the many battles taking place, as well as poems of power and resistance. There are also horror poems that would terrify readers, as well as poems about the unknown. Altogether, it is a collection of dark poetry sure to be enjoyed by fans of horror poetry.

 

 

Five stars

 

 

 

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for research purposes and elected to also write a review of it. This review is entirely voluntary.

The Source of Pure Evil: Toxic Maternal: The Beginning is the gut-wrenching and horrifying prequel we didn’t know we needed

 

 

Toxic Maternal: The Beginning

C.A. Baynam & Chisto Healy

Unveiling Nightmares Press, 2024

ISBN-13: 979-8332004902

Ebook, 165 ppg.

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They say that a sequel should be better than the first book. Maybe this applies to prequels as well. The prequel to Toxic Maternal, Toxic Maternal: The Beginning by C.A. Baynam and Chisto Healy, is an eye-popping, jaw-dropping and spinetingling read! I would not say it is better than TM, but it definitely gets awful close to it!

 

In Toxic Maternal by C.A. Baynam, readers got to meet the mother from Hell, one who sexually, psychologically, verbally and physically abused her children, Sarah and Andrew. In this book, the prequel, we learn just what it was that made Mother, whose name is Caroline, into the kind of monster that we see in the book. Toxic Maternal: The Beginning shows the kind of horrible life Caroline endured in a home with an alcoholic and abusive father, along with a likewise abusive mother. However, her mother’s anger and hatred come from her dissatisfaction with her marriage and her life in general. Readers get to find out the shocking secret behind what it is that turns her into something else entirely, and just how it affects the young Caroline!

 

Just as with the other book, there is a lot of extreme gore, violence and sex in this story. However, some of the sex acts in this book are otherworldly, having a lot to do with the driving force that turns Caroline’s mother, Elena, as well as Caroline herself, into dark, evil and sinister forces. It happens a lot faster for Elena than it does for Caroline, and for this, Caroline ends up suffering through this horrifying transformation.

 

If you feel the need for some good blood and gore, you’ll find it in this story as well. There was one scene in particular where a character was murdered and it was so gory with lots of detailed slaughter, I loved it! I enjoyed reading this part of this story, and not just because that particular character deserved what he got but because it was written so well. It’s not “one and done” but a slow killing, with the character suffering from each blow.

 

And I must add that the character, Johnson, is so resourceful. I mean, he just suddenly appears with a machete. LOL He’s definitely a keeper!

 

So, is reading this prequel to Toxic Maternal recommended? I would not force it on anyone, but reading this story helped me to understand why what happened in Toxic Maternal happened. As I read through one scene that explained it all, I was like, “Oh. Well, now it makes sense.” What kind of mother would do such things to her own children in Toxic Maternal? If you ever wanted to know, you will find out by reading Toxic Maternal: The Beginning! Read this book to get a better understanding of why those chilling events unfolded, and in doing so, read about even more chilling events that sets everything in motion for a family of pure evil!

 

 

Five stars

 

 

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

When Going Home Again Means Going Back to Evil: Toxic Maternal is a horrifying story of a mother’s ruthless quest for immortality

 

Toxic Maternal

C.A. Baynam

Unveiling Nightmares, 2024

ISBN-13: 979-8877585959

Ebook, 80 ppg.

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If you’re up for a cringe-inducing story of an evil mother literally hell-bent on getting what she wants no matter who it hurts, Toxic Maternal by C.A. Baynam is the story for you. This is definitely a book that made me cringe, a lot. It was also terrifying and horrifying!

 

Mother in Toxic Maternal brings Mommy Dearest to shame! She is brutally evil and a frightening character.

 

You don’t ever say “no” to Mother. She always has her way. Anyone who disagrees with her or tries to change her plans will have horrors and violence visited upon them.

 

And Mother DOES have a plan. That’s why her children have been summoned on the night of a full moon. No one could ever fathom what terror awaits her two children.

 

Mother is truly evil to the core. Ever since Andrew and Sarah have been children, she has beaten and tortured them. Anytime Andrew acted out, mother would punish him by hurting Sarah. This type of home life rears the children to think they cannot fight Mother and must do as she says. Even if they try to fight her as adults, she punishes them until they give in.

 

She is a woman who is interested in black magic. She uses rune symbols to control some of her minions. She also has victims awaiting her torture, where she uses their blood, organs and deaths in a sacrificial manner. If they scream, it only drives her on more. As she says to one potential victim, “Screaming, to me, dear, is like music. A sweet, chilling lullaby to help me drift off to sleep.”

 

This is not a story for the faint of heart. There is incestual sex, cannibalism, rape, torture and black magic.

 

Toxic Maternal by C.A. Baynam is one of the most extreme and brutal horror stories I have ever read. I am looking forward to reading the prequel! If you can withstand extreme horror and can get through a story of the most dysfunctional family ever, pick up this book to read today. Buckle up, because you’re about to meet the most evil mother ever!

 

 

Five stars

 

 

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