Synopsis:
You’ve been here before. You’ve spun THE RACK, marveling over the garish covers and embossed titles that drip blood or sprout teeth. Perhaps you’ve even held a few, skimming the back cover to figure out what story could possibly inspire such lurid images. But have you sampled its wares?
Go ahead, take another spin. These covers are all different than last time you visited. So many stories. See the bats? And look at those covers with the Ferris wheel and trapeze artists…who doesn’t love a circus? What about those creepy masks and that ventriloquist doll, those look fun, don’t they? Or you could take a trip to The Mall. Maybe buy one of those cute electronic pets that are so popular. Beep, beep, beep! The choices are endless when you spin THE RACK.
From ancient gods to tentacled monsters to houses you should never enter, these twenty-three stories have something for everyone’s taste. Today’s masters of horror know what you like, and they’ve made sure this book is filled with tales that will haunt you. And make you want to come back and spin THE RACK again and again and again…
Featuring stories by:
- Alyssa Alessi
- Poppy Z Brite
- Christa Carmen
- Mike Deady
- Jamie Flanagan
- Maxwell I. Gold
- Larry Hinkle
- Ai Jiang
- Todd Keisling
- Jenny Kiefer
- Kristin Kirby
- John Langan
- Joe R. Lansdale
- Eric LaRocca
- Jonathan Lees
- Jonathan Maberry
- Lee Murray
- B. D. Prince
- Michael Rowe
- Mike Sullivan
- Morgan Sylvia
- Tamika Thompson
- Jessi Ann York
My Edition:
Review Copy provided by the editor (thanks Tom [and Erin]!) – sorry I’m so slow.
My Thoughts:
Just like when I wrote my review of the first The Rack anthology, America is still in the thick of that same fascist hellscape it was then – except somehow it continues to get worse. Makes writing little reviews seem kinda trite. And yet, I persevere, because in troubled times art becomes even more important. So with that, let’s engage in a little good old fashioned escapism and take another spin around The Rack.
Just like our first time around, I don’t think I could pick a favorite if I tried, so we’ll talk about a couple that, for me, were standouts.
- Poppy Z. Brite’s The Laffin’ Man is delightful. That being said, I’m a huge fan of Poppy, and I have never read a story by him that I didn’t love.
- Comeback Kid by Christa Carmen is a fun one – specifically for anyone who was ever in- or into gymnastics.
- The Green by Michael Rowe is a fun jaunt into 80’s-set folk horror that I found immensely entertaining.
- Daughter of Dogs by Jessi Ann York has ‘the aftermath of Rambo as imagined by David Cronenberg’ vibes.
- Bats! Bats! Bats! (Fun for the Whole Family) by Jonathan Maberry has all the unseriousness you could ever want from an 80s horror tale. It’s loads of fun.
- Jessica McHugh’s The Light You Follow Can Burn is a wonderful example of why I think she is such a talented writer. This is a wildly imaginative story that you really have to read for yourself.
- The Wash by Kristin Kirby is a distressing coming-of-age with a totally-worth-it payoff.
- Red God Waiting by Ai Jiang is a beautiful Good For Her story.
- A Serpent’s Thirst by Alyssa Alessi deftly mixes Good For Her with folk horror, and it’s absolutely wonderful.
- The Woodhill Wet Nurse by Todd Keisling is exactly what I’ve come to expect from him. That is to say it is wild, weird, creepy, and an absolute joy to read.
Rating:
Tom Deady has once again proven that he can put together an anthology like nobody’s business. There’s not a letdown story in the bunch. The Rack II is definitely worth your time. And if you haven’t read the first one, definitely search that up as well.
The Rack II: More Stories Inspired by Vintage Horror Paperbacks
Edited by Tom Deady
Greymore Publishing
Published: October 14, 2025
ISBN: 9798998958915
Paperback, E-book
472 Pages
