Dave Dubrow gave
His Own Mad Demons: Dark Tales from David A. Riley a great
review on
The Slaughtered Bird website.
Review by- Dave Dubrow.
‘His Own Mad Demons’ is an anthology of short stories written by
David A Riley, who’s been an active horror writer since he published a
story in the eleventh volume of the legendary Pan Book of Horror Stories
in 1970. The tales in Riley’s His Own Mad Demons are all set in the
English moorland town of Edgebottom, where the supernatural lurks in
every shadow. Riley’s gritty, descriptive prose and fundamental themes
are timeless, making this collection a must-read for true fans of
horror.
The first tale, His Own Mad Demons, follows the travails of petty
criminal Nobby, who’s been given a relatively simple job to do. After
things go pear-shaped, Nobby’s attempt to go on the lam is beset with
obstacles both natural and supernatural.
In
Lock-In, a group of old men calling themselves the Grudgers find that
leaving their favorite pub isn’t anywhere near as easy as getting in. A
gory piece of psychological horror mixed with Lovecraftian elements.
The Fragile Mask on His Face has a dream-like feeling to it in that
the reader knows that something terrible is in store for the
protagonist, but is powerless to stop it. A story with twists and turns
and a most unusual antagonist.
For a slow burn building to a horrific climax, The True Spirit is a tale
that shows you the face of evil, making you hope against hope that the
poor characters catch on before it’s too late.
The anthology ends with The Worst of All Possible Places, as apt a
title as you’d want. Though the prologue is a bit unnecessary, the
remainder of the story is the most frightening in the entire collection,
even with as unlikable a protagonist as Bill the drunk.
If you’re looking for message fiction, you won’t find it here. This
is good old-fashioned horror, a collection of scary stories told well.
It’s these kinds of tales that brought so many of us to horror
literature in the first place, and it’s refreshing to see that they’re
still relevant, still frightening.
Review by- Dave Dubrow
