Reviews by Emma Campbell
Vibes: carnival, futuristic, dread, Goosebumps meets Bradbury
There is a lot going on in this short story from Thomas Ha. As I read, I couldn’t place what genre it would fall into - it started off feeling like modern day realistic fiction, then sci-fi, then fantasy, then dark fantasy or even horror. The story follows young Henry, who is warned that “Young boys in love do stupid and dangerous things” - and of course, it wouldn’t be a speculative fiction coming of age story if Henry didn’t do something stupid or dangerous. The setting recalls Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes, with plenty of off-kilter details to remind you that this isn’t your average carnival. Blending beautiful prose and strange ideas is a cornerstone of Metamorphosis Magazine, and The Fairgrounds does not disappoint here: take a spin through this one and decide for yourself the genre that makes the most sense.
Vibes: eerie, messy, otherworldly
I had to sit with this short story for a day or two after reading it to consider how I felt about it. For one, I think there’s a quick little typo: the story starts with a character named “Mary” but then is referred to as “Claire” the rest of the time, so I’ll continue to use “Claire” from here on out. Without giving too much away: Claire and Tom stay in a remote cabin, presumably to focus on their relationship. While that’s not the only relationship Claire is working on in this story, it sets the stage for the mood at the beginning of the piece: it’s tense and uncomfortable, and as a reader I kind of felt like I shouldn't be there, because the moments seemed too private. However, it’s this messiness of this relationship that draws you in, and it’s the eerie messiness both within Claire and without, both within the cabin and without, that makes you stay to see what happens next.
Asking for It - Kristi DeMeester
Vibes: dark, religious trauma, reminiscent of the movie Longlegs but in vibes only, not plot
I consider myself a fan of horror: I like reading horror novels and short fiction, watching horror movies, and investing hours in true crime books and documentaries. A lot of people in my life don’t understand the draw I feel toward horror, and I usually suggest they read or watch one of my favorites (28 Days Later, I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, The Haunting of Hill House, etc.) to see what they think of it. This short story is not one that I would give a friend to “get them into horror”. When I say it’s dark, I mean it’s dark even for me. This story is not for the faint of heart. The story begins with two people on a date, asking each other whether they believe in ghosts - pretty tame, right? I, of course, should have known better when reading Nightmare Magazine - this was no cutesy ghost story. It was disturbing, so if that’s your jam, read on and don’t say I didn’t warn you.