Book Review: “Twisted Anatomy,” Edited by ScifiAndScary
Twisted Anatomy
Published by www.Scifiandscary.com
For scifiandscary.com's first ever anthology, they decided on a body horror theme. Because....why not?! Body horror allows both science fiction and horror to be represented equally. I'm thinking Re-Animator and Cronenberg's The Fly, both of which I love.
It's also important to mention that this is a charity anthology, with both the Pulmonary Hypertension Association and the National Domestic Violence Hotline receiving proceeds.
So, what's the verdict? Well, the very nature of anthologies is that there is commonly a theme, but rarely a unified tone, style, OR quality. This is what makes anthologies fun, but also frustrating. This is also true of Twisted Anatomy. But hey, let's focus on the positive. I had never read the majority of the 30 authors represented here, so I was eager to jump in. Of the 30 stories contained, there were my six standouts:
"Little Teeth" by Tabatha Wood. Teeth fear. So universal. Wood tells a simple story in a fun and suspenseful way.
"Girls Don't" by Riya Anne Polcastro. Possibly the most memorable story in the anthology. Thanks Riya...I think
"Apis Facticius: Or, The Queen Cell" by Michael Morar. Very clever "cli-fi" story. Bee horror!!
"All in Your Head" by Steve DeGroof. This is another absurdly clever gem. Reminded me of Theodore Sturgeon.
"Real Enough" by J. Danielle Dorn. Credit to Dorn for such an emotional piece. Shares some similarity with one of my favorite short stories by Joe Hill, "Pop Art."
"Succubus Tips for Succu-Bliss" by Hailey Piper. You guys didn't tell me Hailey was this hilarious.
These six stories are worth the price of admission alone, but I must grade the anthology as a whole. Side note: for those that want to continue down the path of body horror anthologies, The New Flesh: A Literary Tribute to David Cronenberg would also be worth your time.
Grade: C
Interested in hearing a reading of one of the stories? Check out Witness Bearer by R.J. Joseph https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkahYBMBVmM&ab_channel=ScifiandScary
Review by Jason Cavallaro
jcavallaro42@gmail.com
Twitter: @pinheadspawn
I received a digital copy of this book from www.scifiandscary.com for review consideration