The Rack: A Retro Horror Anthology
Tom Deady, Editor
Published by Greymore Publishing
Reviewed by Carson Buckingham
The Rack is an anthology inspired by vintage horror paperbacks. You know—the creature features, the ghosts, the monsters, the things that go bump in the night, the haunted houses, and killer dolls. There’s a real old-school feel to this anthology that took me right back to the 70s when I was just beginning my horror book buying frenzy that has continued throughout my life. And with the likes of authors such as Stephen King, Richard Chizmar, Errick Nunnally, Laurel Hightower, Jeff Strand, and Mercedes M. Yardley, and more sharing their chilling stories, how can you go wrong? Of the 20 stories presented for your approval, here are my favorites:
Ursa Diruo by Kristi Dearborn
A killer bear, partying teenagers who, true to form, go where they shouldn’t, and a cousin who is a witch. Loved it.
A Devil We Used to Know by Johnny Compton
The thing in the woods that lures its human prey with the call of laughing children.
Irish Eyes by Bridgett Nelson
A writer and his muse…or is she?
They Look Back by Candace Nola
Packing up the house of a dead relative with a huge doll collection. You can probably guess where it might go from here, but it’s well worth the read! Love doll horror!
Blood of My Blood by Christa Carmen
Vampires running a mega-successful liquor business…because…why not?
The Keeper of Taswomet by Errick Nunnally
And, of course, we have to have the giant insects, don’t we?
The Last Call of the Cicada by Gwendolyn Kiste
…and man-eating cicadas…
Mightier Than Bullets by Laurel Hightower
This school shooter messed with the wrong group of little kids. This is my favorite story.
Loud and Clear by Max Booth III
What would a redux be without a disembodied voice story? And who is she talking to on the walkie-talkie, anyhow?
The Visitor by Philip Fracassi
A priest called to bless a troubled house asks one too many questions before getting on with it.
White Pages by Clay McLeod Chapman
Remember when we were kids and made crank calls at night? If we’d read this story, we never would have done it.
The only thing I was sorry about was the Stephen King selection. Everyone read “The Raft” when it came out in King’s Skeleton Crew. It’s been made into a movie that everyone’s seen. I would have preferred to see something a little older that’s been out of the spotlight for a while—like, maybe, “The Mangler” which actually made its debut in Cavalier in 1972—the time frame these retro stories are reviving. It would have provided a unique monster. Night Shift, where it turned up next, was released in 1976, so still within that retro timeframe.
But all in all, this anthology hits every note of the racked horror novels that we snapped up as kids and couldn’t get enough of. Kudos to Tom Deady—it was a horrible, wonderful trip down memory lane. I highly recommend this book and await Mr. Deady’s next offering with enthusiasm.
5 out of 5 stars
