Thursday, July 15, 2010

Review: Dark Discoveries #16 The pulps!


Dark Discoveries #16
$8.99

DD is a national distributed horror magazine that is produced locally here, across the river in Washington from Portland. Each issue it seems editor James Beach has been really pushing his small crew to make a better and better magazine. Certainly Cemetary Dance and Dark discoveries are all this genre can really count on, and that is reason enough to support both magazines with a subscription. These magazines are the last sources left for quality short story homes that are not online. I personally believe it's important to keep these markets alive.

The last couple issues DD has been following themes, the last issues being Twilight Zone, Lovecraft and now the pulps. It has excellent interviews with prolific horror comics author Steve Niles, Dark Horse comics (about it's revamped Creepy) and pulp horror author Hugh B. Cave.

It features a comic book style illustrated story by one of my favorite authors Cody Goodfellow, Several other works of fiction. The highlight for me was the wonderfully crafted “The Beheld” by Paul G. Bens. It is subtle, but unnerving tale that slowly worms it's way into your head.

I enjoyed issue #15 a little more, but I am more of a Lovecraft fan than a pulp fan. The Dark Horse interview about their creepy reboot was great and throughly enjoyed William F Nolan's column on Max Brand. Still it's the fifth issue in a row I read cover to cover. I came away from the issue wanting to find time to read Max Brand and Hugh B Cave. Can't wait for the Dark Sci-fi issue coming up next time.

Get a subscription and support the best horror mag out there today.

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