Upstream Reviews Presents…!
Here come the spooky stories!
Why can’t they wait a little while before breaking out the Halloween decorations at the box stores, let alone the Christmas decor? Ah, well. When in Rome, do as the Romans do! Let’s have a little All Hallows Eve fun – but with Upstream’s own style and flair. ;)
Here are some spooky stories that are not necessarily Halloween material, but which are still sure to put a chill up your spine. We will be back with more appropriate terror-laden works later this month, but for now, curl up with a cup of hot cider or cocoa and give these shivery reads a review!
Classics
These are not your typical horror stories, but they sure are spooky!
King Rat (Asian Saga) by James Clavell
The time is World War II. The place is a brutal prison camp deep in Japanese-occupied territory. Here, within the seething mass of humanity, one man, an American corporal, seeks dominance over both captives and captors alike. His weapons are human courage, unblinking understanding of human weaknesses, and total willingness to exploit every opportunity to enlarge his power and corrupt or destroy anyone who stands in his path.
Guerilla Wife by Louise Reid Spencer
True story of family forced into hiding on the small island of Masbate in the Philippines for 27 months during WWII, just after Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese, America joined the war effort, and Japan occupied the Philippines.
Louise Reid Spencer’s engineer husband was active in the guerrilla army, and they lived avoiding capture, living off the land like gypsies, giving birth in the jungle, dealing with the murder of their friends, enduring untold hardships, this family and group of people finally made it out via a U.S. Navy submarine.
A fascinating personal account that will have you hooked until the last page…
Magazines
Want some chills but don’t have time to read a novel? Here are some magazines to fill you with a pleasant thrill or three as the days grow shorter and darkness closes in!
Nightmare Abbey 6
6th mammoth volume of this critically-acclaimed horror magazine/book.
FEAR THE UNKNOWN!
ALL NEW STORIES and ARTICLES
11 terrifying tales by today's top writers
New Ian Rogers' Black Lands story
History of American Horror Comics, Part 3
Cinema Crypt movie review: Night of the Demon aka Curse of the Demon
Matt Cowan's Horror Delve: High Seas Horrors
Heavily illustrated with movie and comics photos,
Plus art by World Fantasy Award-winner Allen Koszowski.
Plus, the horrible fate of Dear Abbey since last issue!
Don't miss out!
Get it now!
Cirsova Magazine of Thrilling Adventure and Daring Suspense Issue #20 / Fall 2024
The Short Unhappy Immortality of Owen McKinty
By BILL WILLINGHAM
An ancient vampire has plotted his long revenge against the family that has warred with him and hunted his kind for years and found a new ally in a small-time thug!
The Ragged Red Masque at Carter’s Hall
By CAROLINE FURLONG
Love blooms between a girl and a young man held captive by a stepmother who wants his fortune—only a troupe of Irish rovers can help the forlorn couple escape!
Mirage Carousal
By JD COWAN
When a coven of witches all but ushers in the end of the world, Nick seeks the one dissenter in an illusory wasteland of violence and degeneracy, offering redemption!
In the Garden of Madness
By DECLAN FINN
Thomas Nolan, “Saint” Tommy, has been called in on a strange murder: a teenage girl has been murdered and seemingly dragged under the earth… by plants!
...And more! Buy it now!
Anthologies & Collections
Do you want some short fiction from a single author rather than tales from several storytellers? Try these collections then. They might have exactly what you seek!
The Walk Home: And Other Tales of Suspense by David Breitenbeck (reviewed here)
Seven short tales to tingle the nerves and chill the blood:
The Walk Home: Stranded at a roadhouse, independent-minded Kathy decides to try to make her way home on foot by cutting through a state park. As the night wears on, she increasingly regrets the decision.
The Final Performance: A magician's assistant plans on staging a disappearing act from her employer / boyfriend. All she has to do, so she thinks, is make it through one last show.
Vengeance of the Storm: As a thunderstorm looms, a man plots a particularly cold-blooded murder, convinced that he's accounted for every possible detail.
Cat's Smile: Nagged and bullied by his hypochondriac wife, Walden finds himself wishing he could come home and find her dead...
And three more stories of murder, revenge, betrayal – and above all suspense.
The Guardian Cycle, Vol. 2: American Mage and Other Stories by Caroline Furlong
It is said that war is hell. But what of the Prisoners of War, or the war orphans who grow up amidst the chaos, and what of those who escape their enemy’s prisons?
In Halcyon, meet a man who has been abused in a prison camp for so long that he has forgotten his own name – but not the desire to survive. Follow the adult orphans Warlock Ruthers produced in his campaign for power as they protect two children whom he seeks to murder to defeat a prophecy of his downfall in American Mage.
Meanwhile, Allan Kearney and Michio Oshika work on removing the demon tattoos from the former’s back at the same time they seek the means to end the persecution of Allan’s fellow prisoners. But demons do not release their prey without a fight, as the young Torránese soldier knows all too well. If he is to survive, let alone help rescue his comrades, first he will have to face the monsters clawing for his soul. It will be a battle that will require all his strength – and more…
Horror Movies
Want some Halloween horror to view that is still off the generally beaten path? These films may be what you need to make your nights perfectly creepy!
Curse of the Undead
Vampiric gunfighter Drake Robey (Michael Pate, Hondo) goes West and terrorizes a small town. When the fiend sets his fangs on beautiful rancher Dolores (Kathleen Crowley, Target Earth), it’s up to Preacher Dan (Eric Fleming, TV’s Rawhide) to destroy the gun-slinging bloodsucker with a bullet mounted with a cross. The first film to mix cowboys and vampires, Curse of the Undead features striking black-and-white cinematography by Ellis W. Carter (The Incredible Shrinking Man) and co-stars John Hoyt (When Worlds Collide), Bruce Gordon (Tower of London), Edward Binns (12 Angry Men) and Jay Adler (99 River Street). Directed by Edward Dein (Shack Out on 101) and written by Edward and Mildred Dein (Calypso Joe).
Return To Oz
If you loved THE WIZARD OF OZ, you'll love accompanying Dorothy on this second thrilling adventure based on L. Frank Baum's "Oz" books! Dorothy finds herself back in the land of her dreams ... and makes delightful new friends (like Tik Tok, Jack Pumpkinhead, and the Gump) ... and dangerous new enemies (the creepy Wheelers, the head-hunting Princess Mombi, and the evil Nome King). With every twist in the yellow brick road, you'll find awesome new surprises and special effects that will astound you!|Disney first considered the project as far back as 1954 when he purchased the rights to the L. Frank Baum books. The stories were being considered for a "Disneyland" TV show series, but Disney soon realized it was too ambitious of a project for television and started making plans for a musical film.|The studio first attempted to make the film in the '50s, but frustration with the scripts and designs led Disney to shelve the project in 1958.
Non-Fiction
Sometimes, real life is much scarier than fiction. Don’t believe me? Then maybe these non-fiction works will convince you. Better bring a flashlight!
Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy by Joseph Schumpeter
Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy remains one of the greatest works of social theory written this century. When it first appeared the New English Weeklypredicted that `for the next five to ten years it will cetainly remain a work with which no one who professes any degree of information on sociology or economics can afford to be unacquainted.' Fifty years on, this prediction seems a little understated.
The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival by John Valiant
It’s December 1997, and a man-eating tiger is on the prowl outside a remote village in Russia’s Far East. The tiger isn’t just killing people, it’s annihilating them, and a team of men and their dogs must hunt it on foot through the forest in the brutal cold. As the trackers sift through the gruesome remains of the victims, they discover that these attacks aren’t random: the tiger is apparently engaged in a vendetta. Injured, starving, and extremely dangerous, the tiger must be found before it strikes again.
As he re-creates these extraordinary events, John Vaillant gives us an unforgettable portrait of this spectacularly beautiful and mysterious region. We meet the native tribes who for centuries have worshipped and lived alongside tigers, even sharing their kills with them. We witness the arrival of Russian settlers in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, soldiers and hunters who greatly diminished the tiger populations. And we come to know their descendants, who, crushed by poverty, have turned to poaching and further upset the natural balance of the region.
Enjoy your tales of suspense, chills, and thrills, readers. We will be back with more before All Hallows Eve, but these should tide you over until then. Did you hear a bumping sound just now? Must be my imagination….
Nice to see a book like King Rat getting a little love. It's what? 50 years old or more now? Still a powerful story told by a master craftsman. I can't help but recommend Clavell's "Asian Saga" highly enough. I may not love every book, but all together it is a sweeping masterpiece. Shogun, Tai Pan and King Rat are my three favorites of the bunch.