Book Review (4 Stars) – Twisted 50 – A collection of short horror stories by various authors

Blurb:

50 stories from 50 disturbed voices of modern horror… Twisted 50 volume 1 is a deliciously dark slice of contemporary horror literature. Reading it is like attending a late night secret banquet where you know each course will serve up something unexpected, forbidden and unforgettably chilling. Take your private seat now for 50 luscious courses of terror, from 50 of the strongest voices in modern horror.

My Review:

I was a huge horror fan from childhood to my early twenties, but rarely read horror these days. I thought this collection of short stories would be a great way to reintroduce myself to this genre. What I have discovered, is that I don’t think I’m that keen on short stories. They take me a while to get into, and just when I’m settling into the story it ends. However, this was still a very good collection of stories, many of which I enjoyed, and has introduced me to lots of new authors.

This collection provides a huge mix of themes within the horror genre, such as of bugs, creatures, sex, torture, murder, amazingly weird, thought provoking, shocking and sickeningly gruesome.

Here are my top 3 favourites:

Shenanigans, by Chris Jeal – An interesting idea about modern technology and the obsession with Apps, and what happens when things go too far. Loved the dark humour too.

Spellings, by K.J.B. Rickard – This was one of my favourites, and not just because it mentions my favourite author, Clive Barker. I loved the way it connected with me as a reader. This was the only story that made me feel a little scared. I was following the instructions, while at the same time a part of me was telling me not to.

The Beating of my Heart, by Rachael Howard – I found this unnerving and loved the last line!

Others I thoroughly enjoyed:

Beyond the Flesh, by Diana Read
The Audition Altar, by Leo X Robertson
Five Days, by Susan Mayer – I didn’t think I liked bug stories, but this one was intriguing.
The Sugarloaf and the Red Shoes, by Marie Gethins
Paper Cuts, by Kim Rickford
The Retribution of Elsie Buckle, by Lucy V. Hay
Full of Surprises, by Scott Merrow
The Spider Taketh Hold, by John Ashbrook – Another bug story that I did actually enjoy. Love a good revenge story.
Keeping A Head, by Jonah Jones – Very short, but shudder!
Meat, by Neil Bebber
Feedback, by Charles Maciejewski
What’s Yours is Mine, by Nick Yates
Fingers, by J.M. Hewitt
The Left is Sinister, by Thomas Cranham – I almost always wake up on my left side, eek!
Bloated, by Penegrin Shaw

Overall, an entertaining book, which I suspect will be very much enjoyed by horror fans, especially if you like short stories.