As a loyal reader of Shock Totem since its first issue, I figured it was about time I gave them a review. This magazine is a great bargain for anyone who has a taste for the darker side of fiction, not always out & out horror or gore, but definitely dark. It's also perfect for those of you who are fans of "WTF Art", any type of art that leaves that particular American colloquialism as your very first reaction. Now, it is a magazine, a collection of several short stories, interviews, book & movie reviews, with an occasional poem or two, AND, as with all magazines, you may not absolutely love, or necessarily like-a-lot EVERY piece within its covers. However, I GUARANTEE you will find at least one feature you will never forget.
In Issue 3, for instance, there's a little gem titled "The Meat Forest" by John Haggerty. Wonderfully surreal in verbal imagery & saturated with originality, this is both a great horror story on the surface & a cutting commentary on the nature of life, including human life. I can imagine the directors & special effects people at Showtime network having a ball turning this piece into an episode for their *Masters of Horror* series. Simply creating 'the meat forest' itself would be an Fx person's wet dream!
Issue 3 has another treasure too, a little story called "Drift" by Amanda C. Davis. It's a lovely story of a small child's fascination with snowflakes. Remember, we ALL loved making snowflakes out of cut paper in school. Let's just say little Caden's fascination with snowflakes turns into a preoccupation, then a fear. Caden's mother & father take him out to play in the snow in an effort to address the fear before it becomes problematic. I'm going to leave the story there. Let's just say that I'm not at all sure I'll ever look at snow the same way again--- AND I live in a very snowy area! I may stay inside each & every time the snow falls.
So, go ahead; splurge & buy this mag. You won't regret it--- in fact, I'll bet you come back to pick up the back issues!
