Anthology review: SHOOT THE DEVIL, edited by Eric Postma

The righteous Christian urge to hunt demons and kill them to death.

It’s October. Time for some horror.

I’m not an anthology guy, I have learned this after many attempts over many years. For some reason, sitting down and reading a dozen partial stories just doesn’t do it for me. (I’m perfectly content to get paid for writing in one though, let’s not misunderstand.)

Still, every once in a while I’ll come across one that catches my eye, and SHOOT THE DEVIL checks all the right boxes. I struggle to stay on board with overly long epic fantasies, and if a story is too short I almost don’t want to get invested. This anthology, though, feels like a team of loosely connected Christian warriors who operate across time and all over the map, dealing with different versions of the same overall threat: Hell’s legions.

The Story

SHOOT THE DEVIL offers up plenty of variety; it’s not pious do-gooders thumping Beelzebub over the head with a 16th-century family Bible.

In one story you’ve got a husband-and-wife team slinging bullets and slaying demons so they can get back home to the kids.

In another, you’ve got Paxton Locke (Daniel Humphrey’s serialized character) forced to think his way out of a trap, so as not to rely on his supernatural gifts too much.

There are mysterious hauntings, infiltration of dark councils, and behind-the-curtain explanations for common evils in the world as we know it. For the reader familiar with Christian doctrine or Biblical lore, the stories are faith-affirming and entertaining in equal measure.

The Characters

All I want to say here is that this cast was refreshing to read. I grew up in a house full of Christian fiction that was so sappy it’d make the Lifetime Channel cringe, but God bless my mom, she was trying to keep the local bookstore in business singlehandedly. Thus I’ve gained a healthy skepticism for anything branding itself as Gospel-centric entertainment.

Perhaps it was SHOOT THE DEVIL’s roster of realistic and relatable heroes that got me over my hesitancy with anthologies. You don’t have to be Ned Flanders to fight evil and the authors made characters that live by that principle.

The World

Ours, with secret goings-on revealed.

The Politics

To the extent that Christianity and “right-wing” politics overlap, you’ll get some of that. It’s not a political book, though. These elements are based on Christian doctrine.

Content Warning

Some scary demon stuff, gunplay against said demons, and a couple of swears here and there (one or two S-bombs and B-words).

Who’s it for?

Have I mentioned this is Christian-centric? If you’re on Team Jesus and you also like paranormal or urban fantasy, SHOOT THE DEVIL is at your crossroads.

Why buy it?

Stuff like this exists when people show that they want it. Grab a copy and see what you think!