Not Dead Yet: Print Reviews

Few realize that the term "anthology" -- which we use to denote collections of short stories by different authors, usually following a shared theme or genre -- comes for the Greek word for "flower-gathering." Corpse Blossoms, the first volume in a series of anthologies from the new horror publisher, Creeping Hemlock Press, is more than just a collection of some dead leaves -- it's like an amazingly fulfilling chilled salad. Or should I say a very full, chilling salad? Either way, it's fiction with an earthy, dark flavor in every bite. And though I'm more than satisfied by the meal,…

I found Geoffrey Abbott's treasury of trivia, A Macabre Miscellany (Virgin Books, 2004), entirely by accident. I was gift shopping at the local chain bookstore, and somehow found this morbid little book in the Reference section. After reading the back cover -- which calls it "a compendium of carnage, a treasure chest of torture and terror...the very best of the very worst things that can happen to a person" -- I immediately knew that I had indeed found a gift...for myself! Published by the quirky book division of UK outfit Virgin Entertainment, this 4x6" title manages to collect "a thousand…