Category: Horror

Humanity Lost by Meghan Douglass

5 out of 5 stars

Photo by Flash Mama Photography

“Things that no person should ever consider doing had now become necessary, reasonable, and entirely justifiable.”

Meghan Douglass, Humanity Lost

Meghan Douglass is my most recent find through following the Twitter writing community.

In her debut novella, Humanity Lost, conditions on Earth make it uninhabitable, sending the 6 person crew of the spacecraft Valhalla on a mission to save humanity.

Events quickly progress after the crew awakens from stasis and is faced with making some unthinkable choices. 

I sometimes struggle with shorter works, wanting more character development and longer scenes in order for the story to feel complete. That wasn’t the case with Humanity Lost. Although it has fewer than 60 pages, the tale felt finished.

Douglass makes the most of every page, creating memorable characters and packing several shocking twists in this horrific story that leaves a lasting impression.

Fear Farm by S. J. Krandall

An old mill house with a creepy doll sitting in a broken window.
Photo by Flash Mama Photography

4 out of 5 stars

With the exception of my Stephen King obsession in high school, I haven’t read many horror books over the course of my life. When S. J. Krandall asked if I’d be interested in reviewing Fear Farm, Spooky September seemed like the perfect time to give the horror genre a fresh try. 

Fear Farm was a great reintroduction to the genre. This novella, which can be read in one sitting or over several days, has all the things you want in a good horror story — gore, terror, and suspense. 

I liked that the novel was a series of connected short stories. This approach kept me engaged, giving me just enough detail about the characters in each vignette while keeping the suspense level high.

I also appreciated that all of the photos used to illustrate the book were taken by the author.

Whether you are a horror junkie or new(ish) to the genre, this fast read is sure to spook.

Thank you to the author for providing a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.