I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
A king becomes desperate to save a kingdom caught in a blood plague that has warped everyone and everything in author Henry Levi’s “The Shambling Lords.”
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The Synopsis
Transience has come to the undying lands of Amelbaran.
A plague of blood cripples the once-immutable kingdom of Kelcarosa, replacing beauty with decay.
The advent of this calamity, like nothing the immortal kingdom has ever known before, distorts even the incontrovertible Nobles of the Scarlet Court, stealing away the righteous instincts of these great custodians, warping their sensibilities and making shambling monsters, debauched and dangerous, of those who had once been hailed as heroes.
Only the New King seems to remember the grandeur that once was theirs, and in reverence to all that was, he seeks to undo all that is.
This is the King’s requiem; the legend of the end of that which had been undying, the corruption of that which had been consecrated, the fall of that which had stood most high.
The Review
This gritty, dark-toned fantasy novel was the perfect blend of horror and dark fantasy, bringing a rich new world and kingdom to life in vivid detail. The visceral imagery and haunting atmosphere that the author exudes in the story, as this plague decimates the land and begins to creep into the once majestic city, is thoughtfully written into the narrative, effortlessly conjuring up a feeling of unease and despair that the characters are hit with, as well as a physical sensation of grime and grit in this chilling world.
Yet it was the fast pacing and impactful themes the story seemed to embody that made this narrative feel so engrossing. The King, an antihero in this story, is steadfast in his view of his people’s failure and the kingdom he once loved so deeply, and, through hardship and struggle, fights to make his mission succeed, no matter the cost. The story reflects the loss of what was once good in a person’s life, and sometimes the inevitable realization that it cannot be recovered. Instead, all we can do is move on from that loss and start anew, a fitting theme the King embodies as he sees the plague of mortality plaguing his immortal kingdom and the need to start over.
The Verdict
Viscerally written, compelling, and thoroughly enthralling, author Henry Levi’s “The Shambling Lords” is a must-read dark fantasy and horror novella. The haunting, atmospheric tale of betrayal, loss, and rebirth takes readers on an emotional rollercoaster, and the depth of the world-building the author uses to convey this theme is remarkable. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Best known within the pages of other tales, acclaimed writer Henry Levi first made his name with the razor-edged prose of a bestselling crime thriller trilogy, though he has since outgrown the confines of any single genre.
In A Study on Falling, Levi emerged as the sharp-tongued voice behind the Alistair Black series, a sudden success that vaulted the then-unknown author into global stardom — only to be followed by a spectacular unraveling, marked by public feuds, private bitterness, and a much-publicized retreat from the literary stage.
Now, after a tumultuous hiatus steeped in further scandal, Levi returns: unapologetically eclectic and unfashionably sincere, having finally beaten back the jaded nihilism and acrimonious apathy that had once defined him.
Returned to writing on his own terms, Levi’s recent works are darker, stranger, and far more personal. The extent of his acclaim depends, as always, on who you ask. Whatever else may be said, he is writing again.
1) Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?
I’m Quico Vicens-Picatto, an illustrator and writer with more than a decade of experience in the tabletop gaming industry, where I’ve created character designs, full-color illustrations, and book covers. Writing is something I’ve always wanted to do, but for many years I only did it privately—crafting stories and adventures to play with my friends. A little over two years ago, I began publishing my own Call of Cthulhu scenarios, and now I’ve released my first novel, which feels like the natural next step in my creative journey.
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2) What inspired you to write your book?
I was inspired by the cosmic horror of Lovecraft and other authors in the genre, blending that influence with the great questions of space exploration and philosophy—what it means to exist, to confront the unknown, and to realize our insignificance in the vastness of the universe.
3) What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?
The central theme of the book is the human mind’s incapacity to truly comprehend what lies even within our own solar system. I wanted to explore that limit of understanding—the moment when reason collapses before the unknown. To express this idea, I created an original kind of threat, something that feels alien not just in form but in concept, avoiding the usual tropes of the genre in order to evoke genuine strangeness and unease.
4) What drew you into this particular genre?
I got into cosmic horror after reading Lovecraft, which, given my natural curiosity, instantly captivated me. I love imagining other worlds that embody the idea of natural hostility, but from perspectives far removed from the usual ones. To me, it’s a game of imagination—one that challenges and expands the mind by forcing it to confront what it can’t fully grasp.
5) If you could sit down with any character in your book, what would you ask them and why?
I would sit down with Isabel and ask her about the occult secrets she has uncovered throughout her career as a priestess of a dark deity.
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6) What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?
I’d say Instagram.
7) What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?
To begin with, what I did was stop wasting time trying to get someone from a publishing house to believe in my work, and instead, I self-published. Time is far too valuable to waste on publishers who, most of the time, are simply going to ignore you.
8) What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon?
Yes, I’m deep into the manuscript of my second novel, tentatively titled Ghatanothoa, the Forgotten One. Set in the 1990s, it follows two young police detectives who stumble upon a case that slowly drags them into the hidden depths of the Cthulhu Mythos—an investigation that will blur the line between reality and madness, and force them to confront something far older than humanity itself.
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About the Author
Quico Vicens-Picatto is a writer and illustrator who has spent much of his life creating worlds where horror, fantasy, science fiction and the inexplicable intertwine in an eternal flow as irrational as human existence itself. His work, both literary and visual, is born from the drive to always go one step further: beyond what is established, comfortable, or safe.
With more than 10 titles turned into best sellers for the acclaimed Call of Cthulhu role-playing game—such as At the Gates of Carcosa, The Abyss in Their Eyes and Ghatanothoa, the Forgotten One—he has established himself as an independent voice within cosmic horror role-playing, seeking to transcend the safe spaces in which cosmic horror usually moves, delving into the realms of philosophy and combining them with the great themes of the genre.
Influenced by Lovecraft, DeMaio, Spare, Moebius, Faber-Kaiser, Bakunin, Moore, Jodorowsky, Campbell, and fiercely iconoclastic, Vicens-Picatto writes for those who seek questions rather than answers. He does not believe in pure genres, unmovable rules, or doing things “the way they should be done.” He believes in vertigo, in mystery, and in the need to challenge reality itself when it seems to go no further than the prevailing and decaying social conventions of our time.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
A woman must confront the evil that rocked her childhood and still haunts her street in author Christina Henry’s “The Place Where They Buried Your Heart.”
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The Synopsis
A woman must confront the evil that has been terrorizing her street since she was a child in this gripping haunted house novel from the national bestselling author of The House That Horror Built and Good Girls Don’t Die.
On an otherwise ordinary street in Chicago, there is a house. An abandoned house where, once upon a time, terrible things happened. The children who live on this block are told by their parents to stay away from that house. But of course, children don’t listen. Children think it’s fun to be scared, to dare each other to go inside.
Jessie Campanelli did what many older sisters do and dared her little brother Paul. But unlike all the other kids who went inside that abandoned house, Paul didn’t return. His two friends, Jake and Richie, said that the house ate Paul. Of course adults didn’t believe that. Adults never believe what kids say. They thought someone kidnapped Paul, or otherwise hurt him. They thought Paul had disappeared in a way that was ordinary, explainable.
The disappearance of her little brother broke Jessie’s family apart in ways that would never be repaired. Jessie grew up, had a child of her own, kept living on the same street where the house that ate her brother sat, crouched and waiting. And darkness seemed to spread out from that house, a darkness that was alive—alive and hungry.
The Review
One of the most chilling and engaging horror reads of 2025, author Christina Henry crafted a narrative that felt both horrifying and thrilling. The cosmic horror tone the story took on as the threat the house represented grew ever stronger, and the haunting imagery of the story itself, especially the grizzly deaths the house brought to life on the page, made it so enthralling and easy to get lost in.
The heart of this narrative lay in its dynamic character development. Much in the vein of Stephen King’s It, Stranger Things, and even a bit of The Haunting of Hill House, the iconic setting of the haunted house and the rich way the city of Chicago, especially this neighborhood, comes to life on the page blended that unsettling atmosphere with otherworldly vibes. Yet it was the relatability of the characters, especially the protagonist, Jessie, from her angsty teen years, that carried those horrific days through to the headstrong and resilient young woman who became a single mother and the only hope against an unstoppable evil.
The Verdict
Haunting, thrilling, and entertaining, author Christina Henry’s “The Place Where They Buried Your Heart” is a must-read horror novel of 2025. One of the best reads of the year, this story oozes with dread and creates such powerful imagery that the scenes of this book will stay with readers much in the same way Pennywise has for many horror fans around the world, and leaves readers on the edge of their seats the entire novel. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Christina Henry is a horror and dark fantasy author whose works include GOOD GIRLS DON’T DIE, HORSEMAN, NEAR THE BONE, THE GHOST TREE, LOOKING GLASS, THE GIRL IN RED, THE MERMAID, LOST BOY, RED QUEEN, ALICE, and the seven book urban fantasy BLACK WINGS series.
Her short stories have been featured in the anthologies CURSED, TWICE CURSED, GIVING THE DEVIL HIS DUE and KICKING IT.
She enjoys running long distances, reading anything she can get her hands on and watching movies with samurai, zombies and/or subtitles in her spare time. She lives in Chicago with her husband and son.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
A small crew traveling through space encounters an ancient power that invades the mind and distorts reality in author Quico Vicens-Picatto’s “The Oracle of Yuggoth,” part of the Stellarum collection.
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The Synopsis
✨A CHILLING TALE OF HOW VENTURING TOO FAR INTO SPACE CAN SHATTER THE HUMAN MIND.✨
What if the ego were not the solid psychic structure it appears to be here, in the safety of Earth?
🚀 Aboard the Persephone, the crew will discover that the real dangers of deep space are nothing like anything found on Earth: threats that invade the mind, erode identity, and distort reality itself.
This is a warning to all of humanity: a warning of an unimaginable fate, a silent threshold that must never be crossed and a godlike presence waiting beyond eons of darkness, hidden in the frozen confines of Pluto.
🐙 Perfect for readers of cosmic horror, space horror, psychological horror and the Cthulhu Mythos: a Lovecraftian descent into madness, chaos and the unfathomable.
Based on the bestselling Call of Cthulhu scenario of the same name, written by the same author.
The Review
The term cosmic horror takes on an all-new meaning in this stellar novella. The author did an incredible job of layering this horror novella with powerful imagery that not only brought these eldritch gods and creatures to life with ease but also captured the mind-blowing, altered states that the cast of characters experienced. The world-building was incredible, not only in terms of the Cthulu mythos that was infused into the fabric of this universe, but in the state of the universe itself between this secret organization known as the Brotherhood and the Free-Worlds coalition, and how humanity has evolved and grown in this near future.
The heart of this narrative was in the exploration of the main cast of characters as individuals and how they experienced this horror together. Kolab’s experiences living Harun’s life through shared memories hit really strongly in the narrative, and the compelling blend of action and spine-chilling, mind-breaking horror made this story really shine.
The Verdict
Haunting, terrifying, and compelling, author Quico Vicens-Picatto’s “The Oracle of Yuggoth” is a must-read cosmic horror novella. The author explores the limits of humanity and the mind, and how certain boundaries are not meant to be crossed, providing readers with a chilling experience that will linger long after the story concludes. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Quico Vicens-Picatto is a writer and illustrator who has spent much of his life creating worlds where horror, fantasy, science fiction and the inexplicable intertwine in an eternal flow as irrational as human existence itself. His work, both literary and visual, is born from the drive to always go one step further: beyond what is established, comfortable, or safe.
With more than 10 titles turned into best sellers for the acclaimed Call of Cthulhu role-playing game—such as At the Gates of Carcosa, The Abyss in Their Eyes and Ghatanothoa, the Forgotten One—he has established himself as an independent voice within cosmic horror role-playing, seeking to transcend the safe spaces in which cosmic horror usually moves, delving into the realms of philosophy and combining them with the great themes of the genre.
Influenced by Lovecraft, DeMaio, Spare, Moebius, Faber-Kaiser, Bakunin, Moore, Jodorowsky, Campbell, and fiercely iconoclastic, Vicens-Picatto writes for those who seek questions rather than answers. He does not believe in pure genres, unmovable rules, or doing things “the way they should be done.” He believes in vertigo, in mystery, and in the need to challenge reality itself when it seems to go no further than the prevailing and decaying social conventions of our time.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Two people separated by time and culture must embrace their destiny to face a malevolent entity in author Mike Robinson’s “Ancient Tides Ashore”.
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The Synopsis
Modern Meets Ancient. Tropical Paradise Meets Paranormal Terror.
In the year 620, a young Polynesian man named Kaimi arrives on the virgin shores of Hawaii. He is among the first people there, though quickly realizes they aren’t alone. Strange company watches on from the trees and shorelines: elemental beings only Kaimi can perceive. Like the dark presence in one particular bay, in the verdant island that will become Kauai.
Fifteen-hundred years later, a Mormon mother named Marilyn Toomey—secretly harboring her own sensitivity to such beings—finds herself whisked away with her husband to the remote Huna’ia Resort on Kauai. Though hesitant, Marilyn feels compelled to go—if only because something seems to be calling her there.
As their lives drift closer across the centuries, and as they come to fully embrace their talents, Kaimi and Marilyn must pull away from their communities and former beliefs in the face of an empowered and malevolent entity—and the looming threat of utter catastrophe.
A thoughtful and beautiful eco-fantasy, Ancient Tides Ashore explores human kinship across time, culture and belief, as well as our relationship to the unknown within—and among—us.
The Review
This was a compelling and engaging cosmic horror meets eco-paranormal drama. The intensity of the world-building and the vivid imagery that each scene brought to life were breathtakingly beautiful in the writing. The shifting setting between the past and the present was fantastic to see come to life, as the author captured the tone and atmosphere of each era perfectly.
Yet, it was the character development that shined brightly in this book. The grand, cosmic nature of the threat that the protagonists were facing and the paranormal atmosphere were significantly highlighted and drew the reader in because of the realistic approach to character development. The author’s ability to draw on each character’s problems and see both Kaimi and Marilyn’s journeys and how they came together through their shared connection made the story much more inviting.
The Verdict
Remarkable, passionately written, and entertaining author Mike Robinson’s “Ancient Tides Ashore” is a must-read cosmic horror meets eco-driven paranormal drama. The narrative’s twists and turns and open ending allow the reader to become invested in the characters and the environment and seek out new stories within this new world. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Mike Robinson is the award-winning author of multiple novels and dozens of short stories, most of them speculative fiction. His work has appeared in the likes of American Gothic Fantasy, Storyteller Magazine, December Tales II, Underland Arcana and more, and has received honors from Writers of the Future, Publishers Weekly’s BookLife Contest, the Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Maxy Awards and others.
As an editor, he worked closely with J.P. Barnett on his bestselling “Lorestalker” series. He is also a book coach with Wordsmith Writing Coaches, as well as a copywriter, illustrator and award-winning screenwriter with two produced credits.
Between all this, he hikes (often with his two dogs), swims, draws, and tries to learn the didgeridoo.
“One of the best speculative fiction authors writing now.”
— Leslie Ann Moore, bestselling author of the “Griffin’s Daughter” series
“Chock full of mind-bending goodness. Mike Robinson delivers equal parts of scares and the bizarre with wit and style―put him on your list of authors to watch!”
— Guy Anthony De Marco, HWA Bram Stoker Award Finalist
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Author Joel McKay explores the cosmic, haunting horrors of the world in his collection, “It Came From the Trees: And Other Violent Aberrations”.
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The Synopsis
Tree planters on the run from parasitic insects. A physicist who has become the target of a murderous airline. Teenagers trapped in a museum with an eldritch horror. An escaped pit fighter thrust into a desperate stand at a sagging mountain fortress. And a luckless cowboy sailing across a sea of grass to the bloody resurrection of an elder god. Welcome to Joel McKay’s It Came from the Trees and Other Violent Aberrations, a collection of five page-turners as strange, disparate and bloody as their titles suggest.
So, grab a stiff drink, turn the lights down low, settle into your favorite reading nook and enjoy this brief but memorable collection of tales from one of the newest voices in Canadian pulp fiction.
The Review
This collection of stories did an incredible job of simultaneously capturing the essence of terror and pulp fiction. Each tale expertly weaves the haunting atmosphere the author’s writing evokes with the mounting tension that the genre is infamous for.
The creepy settings and the horror-filled narratives perfectly complement the rich characters that populate these stories. The way these characters are thrust into these evolving bouts of terror and the unsettling nature of the horrors they face brings to mind the works of Stephen King and H.P. Lovecraft and the horror classic The Great God Pan by Arthur Machen.
The Verdict
Chilling, atmospheric, and engaging author Joel McKay’s “It Came From The Trees: And Other Violent Aberrations” is a must-read horror and pulp fiction collection. The cosmic horror setting and the grounded character development will keep readers interested and invested in the author’s work now and in the future. If you haven’t already be sure to check out this book today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Joel McKay is an award-winning writer. He calls Prince George, B.C. home, where he lives with his wife and two daughters. Wolf at the Door is his first novella, which won the 2022 Global Book Award gold medal for horror. His most recent published fiction was the short story Number Hunnerd in Tyche Books’ anthology Water: Selkies, Sirens and Sea Monsters, and the splatterpunk western short story Hands, which was published in Brigids Gate Press’ anthology Blood in the Soil, Terror on the Wind.
The inspiration for his fiction is drawn from the landscapes and people of British Columbia, particularly the province’s vast, untamed and often misunderstood north. It’s the small towns and the people who call them home that inspired the good ol’ boys featured in Number Hunnerd, or the cool, crisp evenings and early sunsets of October that planted the idea for werewolves at a Thanksgiving feast.
Joel is passionate about Canada, its history and the history of the peoples who have called it home since time immemorial. As far as he’s concerned, New England has got nothing on Northern B.C. when it comes to perfect settings for supernatural tales.
In his spare time, Joel is an avid fly fisherman, mountain biker, hiker and reader. His work as an economic development professional, public relations specialist and journalist has earned him numerous national, provincial and local awards and recognitions.
Congratulations on the release of your novel, Hell Fighters: 21st Century Lovecraft! For those who may be unfamiliar, how would you describe the book’s premise, and what inspired you to tell this story?
Professor Max Heller stumbles upon a remote area in the woods that challenges everything he thought he knew about the world. There is an evil in this place that defies logic. An evil with murderous intent. An evil that can destroy the world. Heller then joins a self-proclaimed group of Hell Fighters who wants to defeat this evil. Together this ragtag bunch of misfits embarks on a journey to save the world from an evil that is so great that it can barely fit into the human mind. The story has cults, giant monsters, otherworldly beings, doomsday preppers, survivalists, ancient gods, mystical technologies and more. It will shock you, scare you, challenge you intellectually and awe you.
I wrote the book for several reasons, but one was that I wanted to play in the wonderful world that Lovecraft created. The evil in HP’s work is so foreign and otherworldly that it is difficult to even conceive of a way to combat it. In most of his stories the evil either wins or the main character escapes it. No one ever really defeats it.
When I was a boy reading Lovecraft, it often left me unsatisfied. I wanted more. I wanted more detail. I wanted to see the monsters and understand the evil. The forces he shows us are on this grand scale but he always wrote about them in these very short works. It was like a mosaic that revealed different parts but never the whole. I wanted to gather up all those fascinating threads Lovecraft created and weave them into a big, cohesive tale that is accessible to a modern reader. The story features the Quantum Resonator, Arkham, Miskatonic University, an aspect of the Elder Gods, malformed monstrosities and many other elements of Lovecraft. But it’s also book you can enjoy if you’ve never read any of Lovecraft’s stories.
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The novel deftly combines fantasy and Lovecraftian horror. What can you share with us about your creative process in weaving these narratives together, and what have been some of your creative influences?
As to influences, I read horror, sci if, fantasy, crime, non-fiction, historical fiction, poetry, classics and literary fiction. How that becomes what I write is something of a mystery to me. I’ve always leaned toward dark stories and most of what I write has a dark edge to it. But I also do a lot of humor, so go figure. As to process, I keep cramming stuff into my head until something comes out. I go to bookstore and browse covers and titles. I’m also a visual artist and sometimes I’ll create an image that will spark a story idea. I read, listen to audiobooks, watch movies and daydream about stories. Every waking minute, I’m either immersing myself in creative content or trying to create it myself.
At Fanbase Press, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various mediums. How do you feel that Heller’s story will connect with and impact readers, and why do you feel that this story was important for you to bring to life?
Heller is a person who has always used his intellect to solve his problems. But he comes face to face with something so foreign and otherworldly that it defies all logic. So it requires him to use other skills to take on the enormous challenges he faces. He has to get out of his comfort zone and become something of a man of action. I’m interested in the idea that there is a hero in all of us. If put in the right situation we can all rise to the occasion and be heroic in our own way. Churchill was a mediocre politician before the war and after it too. But when the challenge of the Nazi invasion came, he was able to rise to meet it and become something more than he was before, or even after. What is a hero? A hero is someone who takes on a challenge that they think is too big for them and meets that challenge. We can all do that in our lives. I want people to realize that they can be more than they think they are.
Do you foresee expanding the novel into subsequent books, if given the opportunity?
I would like to continue Heller’s story and the Hell Fighters as well. Another thing I explore in the book is how the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. How a group of people with different skills and failings can come together and do more than any of them could do alone. It’s like how the Beatles or the Stones or any other musical group you can name is better together than they are separately. I would like to explore that more with these characters. I have entire story arcs for each of them in my head. I leave the book open for the possibility that there can be more and I have several ideas. But I really enjoy exploring new worlds and new characters and at this point I’m more comfortable with that. Honestly it will come down to what fans want. If they want more, I’ll give it to them.
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In addition, you also have the audiobook version of More Than Evil coming to Audible. What can you share with us about the premise of this book, and how would you describe your creative process in bringing it to life?
In More Than Evil a group of coal miners release an evil force that has been trapped in the earth for millennia. It begins to spread through their isolated town, overtaking its citizens and turning them into virtually unkillable monstrosities. Harlan is the local sheriff and he has to figure out a way to stop these unstoppable creatures before the evil spreads to the wider world.
More Than Evil and Hell Fighters are very different in tone. More Than Evil is quite visceral. It’s not gore for the sake of gore. The blood is central go the plot and the nature of the evil we encounter but there is plenty of it. It’s kind of like Clive Barker’s early writing in that way.
I wanted to make the audiobook for More Than Evil a different experience than reading the novel. As a result, I used my years of filmmaking experience to create what I like to call, a movie for your ears. I created a rich 3D soundscape with tons of music and effects. The audiobook has both dark and light humor in it that the prose version doesn’t. This was done with music and effects, not by changing the text. The idea is that you can enjoy each version in a different way. Horror really lends itself to the kind of audio treatment I used in this audiobook but it rarely gets it. That’s what sets it apart and elevates it. It’s a very different listening experience than you’re used to.
Are there any upcoming projects on which you are currently working that you would like to share with our readers?
I have a book on Kindle Vella called Two Girls Save the World. It’s basically YA adventure/horror. You can read almost half of it for free on that platform. And the appeal of that book is broader than the title or genre might lead you to believe. Guys will like it and adults will too. I have a lot of other stuff in the can and I’m trying to figure out which one to release next. The genres range from SF to fantasy to historical fiction. There will be a new release the 2nd half of February for sure. My intention is to have a release schedule of February and September of each year.
Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find more information about Hell Fighters, More Than Evil, and your other work?
My website is https://bilrichardson.com and below is a link to my Amazon author page. I’m on Goodreads and twitter @billrichardso10 as well.
Let me say in closing that I appreciate every person who gives my work a chance and reads it. It is a struggle for every author to build an audience. My number one rule is, don’t be boring. I’ve got a 4+ star rating across all platforms, so a lot of people have liked my work. I feel confident that readers who try my books will enjoy them.
I’ve been fortunate to do a lot of cool things in my life. I’ve been a film and TV producer, a nationally know historian, artist and writer. I’ve been inside the great pyramids of Egypt, embraced the pillars at Stonehenge, seen the world’s greatest works of art in person. Those things brought me great joy, but not as much as writing does. I hope folks will come along on my writing journey with me. I promise it will be a blast.
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About the Author
As a filmmaker Bil Richardson has produced feature films, documentaries, commercials and a 16 episode series for the History Channel.
He has appeared on numerous national TV shows including CBS This Morning, CBS Sunday Morning, American Pickers, Mysteries at the Museum, the National Geographic Channel’s Diggers and Discovery Networks’ Blood Feuds.
His films are being used as teaching tools at such prestigious universities as UC Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon and Marquette; and are part of the U.S. Library of Congress holdings.
Bil has been quoted in the New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post, London Times and hundreds of other newspapers. He was a contributing author on the Random House book, The Appalachians, the West Virginia Encyclopedia and has published both fiction and non-fiction.
Professor Richardson has been featured as a speaker both nationally and internationally and his work has been supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Among his many other creative ventures Bill has done covers for books, magazines and graphic novels.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
A chance at finding some semblance of security and newfound purpose in his life takes a dark turn when Dr. Max Heller must lead a ragtag group of people against malevolent entities in author Bill Richardson’s “Hell Fighters: 21st Century Lovecraft”.
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The Synopsis
21st CENTURY LOVECRAFT
A terrifying evil wants to enter our world, and Dr. Max Heller and the Hell Fighters are the only ones who can stop it. Heller is a man of science but when he stumbles upon something that defies all logic, he must put aside his old ways of thinking and plunge into the unknown.
In the tradition of HP Lovecraft comes a tale of cosmic horror that will have you on the edge of your seat. There are things in the universe beyond our understanding, malevolent entities of immense power. Can Heller and a ragtag group of townspeople prevail against such beings? Find out in this gripping tale filled with horrors more frightening than any nightmare.
The Review
This book hits readers immediately with a punch! The author brilliantly alternates the pacing according to the atmosphere of each chapter, slowly introducing readers to the protagonist before unleashing all hell on him and forcing him into a shocking fight for his life. Honestly, some of the most compelling reads and even films/shows that have drawn me in over the years tend to be cosmic horror. From classic H.P. Lovecraft to Stephen King’s The Mist and even more modern tales like Stranger Things, the combination of exploring what lies just beyond our universe and the fight for hope and life in the face of overwhelming horror is so highly creative and vastly open for new stories, and this author has found the perfect take on this iconic storytelling device.
What really stood out to me was how much humanity the author was able to infuse into this cosmic horror adventure through such strong character development. A truly great horror story infuses the narrative with emotional storytelling through personal character growth, and the author did this brilliantly, especially with protagonist Max Heller and supporting characters like Lydia and the Hell Fighter Club. These personal and emotionally-driven character interactions not only opened up the mental and emotional journey they were on but also did a great job of bringing thought-provoking concepts and scientific theories such as other dimensions/universes into the conversation while delivering a chilling and haunting atmosphere.
The Verdict
A chilling, horrifying, and entertaining Lovecraftian-style horror thriller, author Bill Richardson’s “Hell Fighters: 21st Century Lovecraft” is a must-read horror story this fall season, and one of 2021’s best horror reads overall. Brilliant character development, shocking twists, and turns as the mythos of this haunting world is developed, and an open-ended finale that both closes a chapter in the character’s lives and leaves open the possibilities for more, this is a novel readers do not want to miss. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Most people want you to be just one thing, but unfortunately I’m not. I work in many genres, many media and many voices. I’m an award-winning filmmaker, an artist, playwright, poet and author. I do humor, horror, poetry, history and more. I create work that is serious, uplifting and explores important questions and I do things that are just pure entertainment. Some of the things I’ve done have been deep and thoughtful, and some just plain silly and fun. If there is a unifying thread, it is that I am a storyteller. And one of the main functions of stories is to aid us in making sense of the world. Stories help us deal with things we are frightened of – whether that’s a creature in the night or death. Stories also help us deal with the cares of life by understanding them or just being distracted from them. Our lives are varied and complex. At times we are happy or sad, challenged or victorious, high or low. So it is not surprising that the things we create should reflect that complexity and diversity. That’s how it is with me. Now if you want information on some of my specific accomplishments then just keep on a readin’.
As a filmmaker I’ve produced feature films, documentaries, commercials and TV series. I’ve appeared on numerous national TV shows including CBS This Morning, CBS Sunday Morning, American Pickers, Nat Geo’s Diggers, Discovery Networks’ Blood Feuds and America: Fact or Fiction and the Travel Channel’s Mysteries at the Museum. My films have been used as teaching tools at such prestigious universities as UC Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon and Marquette, and are part of the U.S. Library of Congress holdings. I’ve been quoted in the New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post, London Times and hundreds of other newspapers. I’ve published fiction and non-fiction through Random House and other companies. I’ve been a featured speaker nationally and internationally. My work has been supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and I’ve done covers for books, magazines, movies and graphic novels. I’ve even appeared onscreen in four internationally distributed feature films.
Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?
I’d dreamed of being a writer ever since I was very young. Growing up in rural New Jersey, I discovered fiction as a fantastic way to be somebody else and have adventures. After a while, I not only wanted to escape into these incredible worlds, I wanted to create my own for others to enjoy. I produced my first novel back in the 1990s, which never saw the light of day. After lucking out with publication with a small press in 2001, I kept at it until I wrote a zombie novel on a lark before zombies got big, and the rest is history. The success of my zombie fiction got me an agent, which got me into Big 5 publishers like Simon & Schuster and Hachette. I also self-publish series of short, pulpy WW2 actioners, which are a lot of fun and are very popular. It’s been a very long and hard but ultimately gratifying and humbling journey.
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What inspired you to write your book?
The Children of Red Peak is about a group of people who grew up in and survived the horrific last days of an apocalyptic religious group that transforms into a cult. Years later, they reunite to confront their past and the entity that appeared the final night.
I love stories that turn tropes on their head or examine their consequences, and this novel does both, examining a cult from the inside in the past timeline, where the major characters are children, and then showing the pain of surviving a horrific mass death, where it’s now 15 years later. As a psychological thriller with cosmic horror elements, the novel is really about the trauma of survival and how belief can produce a great amount of moral goodness but also madness and evil, with a slippery slope in between.
The original inspiration came from a reading of Genesis, where God tells Abraham to bind his son Isaac on a remote mountain and sacrifice him as a burnt offering. Abraham does it, only to be stopped at the last moment. And I thought, what if that story were told from Isaac’s point of view?
What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?
Thematically, it’s about a number of things—family, faith, memory, belonging—but the the overriding theme is that madness and belief are two sides of the same coin, and we have a tendency to think of our relationship with the divine as being on terms we can control and that favor us. Interestingly—and disturbingly—some of the cosmic horror element in the book is really about that cosmic horror being found in conventional religion, which is treated with utmost respect in the book but also questioned by taking its claims seriously. A significant message in the book is that wherever there is chaos and emptiness, humanity’s hunger for meaning will eventually ascribe that chaos and emptiness with meaning and a story.
What drew you into this particular genre?
I’ve always loved speculative fiction—horror, sci-fi, fantasy, dystopian, apocalyptic, you name it—because it lets you take ordinary people and challenge them with extraordinary circumstances. You push somebody to the limit, you really find out what they’re made of, and that revelation also says something about human instinct, which is real, and human morality, which is the story we tell ourselves about who we are and want to be. In The Children of Red Peak, there is a cosmic horror element, but the real horror is in good people doing evil because they believe it is a path to paradise.
If you could sit down with any character in your book, what would you ask them and why?
I’d ask one of the characters who possibly ascended where they went and what it was like when they got there. I poured my own yearning for meaning and knowledge of any type of existence after death into the story’s aching soul.
What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?
Probably Facebook. No reason for that other than I’m just more comfortable with it. I don’t like creating a persona, which is what you’re supposed to do as a writer to get people to like you as an author distinct from liking your work, but I’ve never been into that. On Facebook, I decided to just be myself, and I value the relationships I have there because they’re real, or at least as real as you can get on the Internet.
What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?
Be as prolific as possible, pursue every path to publication with what you do produce, and hope for that X factor in publishing to go your way and create a hit that will lead to more opportunities. The X factor might be described simply as having the right book at the right place at the right time, and there’s unfortunately no way to predict that. Note that success is not an either/or thing, it’s a ladder with dozens of runs, and that there is no objective definition for success anyway. In my view, if you poured your heart out to write a story, you’re a writer and you’re a success, only now you’re ready to challenge yourself to climb the next rung of the ladder.
What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon?
I’ve been very happy producing these “dime novel” WW2 action series, and I love the model so much I’m looking to produce two such series in 2021, one dealing carrier aviation in the near future, the other dealing with carrier aviation during WW2. At the same time, I’m talking to Hachette to see if I can get some fresh and interesting novel concepts percolating.
Thanks for having me as a guest, Anthony!
(It Was My Pleasure Craig! Thank you for sharing your wonderful book with us.)
Craig DiLouie is an author of popular thriller, apocalyptic/horror, and sci-fi/fantasy fiction.
In hundreds of reviews, Craig’s novels have been praised for their strong characters, action, and gritty realism. Each book promises an exciting experience with people you’ll care about in a world that feels real.
These works have been nominated for major literary awards such as the Bram Stoker Award and Audie Award, translated into multiple languages, and optioned for film. He is a member of the HWA, International Thriller Writers, and IFWA.
