Synopsis:
It’s 1980 and you have three crisp dollar bills in your pocket. You run to the drugstore, or maybe the supermarket, because you know The Rack will be there, waiting… that black wire rack, tempting you with the latest and best horror paperbacks and their lurid covers.
You spin it slowly, ignoring the grating squeaks that try to warn you of the dangers The Rack holds. You shiver as you take in the glossy covers: gothic mansions cloaked in fog, bulging eyes on blood-soaked faces, and all the creepy dolls you could ever wish for. You weigh the possibilities, pondering which nightmare to select, the vengeful vampire, the werewolf, demonic children, or perhaps parasitic insects?
It doesn’t matter because The Rack will beckon to you long after the last page is turned. The Rack always contains new tales of terror by today’s masters of horror. And The Rack is never done with you.
The twenty stories you’re holding are throwbacks to those golden years of horror, presented to you by today’s brightest stars in the genre. Giant spiders, haunted books, swarms of cicadas, killer bears, chemical spills, and so many more chronicles of carnage and camp await you.
And did we mention the creepy dolls?
So go ahead… spin The Rack, if you dare.
But don’t say we didn’t warn you.
My Edition:
Advanced Reader Copy provided by the editor (thanks Tom [and Erin]!)
My Thoughts:
Boy, it feels weird to be writing about books right now. In case you didn’t know, I live in America. And America has just voted itself willingly into a fascist hellscape. So….weeee.
But I digress. I’m not here to talk about politics (that’s what Threads is for).
So, anyhoozers… About The Rack. This is good, actually. Let’s talk about books to take our minds off the impending collapse of American civilization as we know it (I’m sorry – I’m really not feeling good about where we’re going, if you couldn’t tell).
The Rack is a collection of stories, both old and new that either are, or are meant to call back to those beautiful horror paperbacks of yore (Paperbacks from Hell, anyone?). If this isn’t your first visit here, you probably know I am supremely into that. If it is your first visit, hi – I’m Angie. I like vintage horror paperbacks!
This is a really solid collection.
Consider most of yous’ favorite Stephen King is in attendance, I best have your attention! Now to the good stuff! You’ll find some me favorites like:
- Clay McLeod Chapman
- Johnny Compton
- Laurel Hightower
- Cynthia Pelayo
- Gwendolyn Kiste
and many others!
I’m hard pressed to say which entry is my favorite, so I’m gonna just tell you a couple standouts.
- Cynthia Pelayo’s Black Pages really captures the feel of those vintage horror paperbacks. I love this story.
- Stephen King’s absolute banger The Raft. The adaptation in Creepshow 2 still makes me want to avoid ever being anywhere near a lake.
- That Chemical Glow by Larry Hinkle. I’m not sure if I’ve ever read anything by Hinkle, but this one also really captures that vintage horror magic. It’s a fantastic story!
- I Am a House Demanding to Be Haunted by Mercedes M. Yardley is an absolutely beautiful story. To me, this one feels a little Shirley Jackson or Helen Oyeyemi-esque.
- Ursa Diruo by Kristin Dearborn is a super fun, very of the time we’re aiming for creature feature. Good times were had by me.
- The Last Call of the Cicada by Gwendolyn Kiste is another one that has definite Shirley Jackson vibes. It also feels very much like a Gwendolyn Kiste story (fitting, I know). It’s wonderful. Kind of makes me think of We Have Always Lived in the Castle – although for the record, it does not feel at all derivative of that. It is very much its own thing.
- Mightier Than Bullets by Laurel Hightower – although this one definitely has vintage vibes, its subject is very contemporary. And as usual, Laurel has left me a goddamned mess by the end of things.
Anyway, if vintage horror paperbacks are your jam, I highly recommend The Rack. You get all the fun and scary vibes without the weird racism and misogyny that is such a huge part of so many of those stories we know, love, and grew up reading. Ah, the 70s and 80s…so problematic! 😅
Rating:
Lots of fun – I feel like you want to read it. Like you should read it. READ ITTTTTTTT.
The Rack
Edited by Tom Deady
Greymore Publishing
Published: September 3, 2024
ISBN: 9780990632788
Paperback, E-book
403 Pages
