Lies with Monsters by Paul Grammatico (Emerge #19)
A tabloid journalist meets a shadowy figure in a back alley in Los Angeles. The figure tells her tale of being a porn actor turned streetwalker turned starlet. The journalist and the figure have parallels in their lives with the rise and fall of their careers, but the endgame between them results in a bizarre and bloodstained climax of chaos and revenge.
United StatesTropes be damned
"mixed all together splendidly", "super unique and impossible to categorize", I totally agree! A fun ride against the tropes. Nothing is worse than weak lazy tropes. The worst! A totally refreshing read that trips you right along so many unexpected pivots and gets you somewhere new. Go give it a read, it will be worth your time!
United StatesIt’s whack
I have found that great horror stories are either mind-bending or mind-blowing. Here, the author goes for the former. He goes for it and he scores. The part about the porn set (I won’t give anything away) is as chilling as they come. I wouldn’t be surprised to discover that this author writes his stories in blood. I just hope it’s not other people’s blood. :-)
United StatesAll In One!
Me being a writer myself, I sometimes find it difficult to combine different genres when writing. Paul however seems to achieve this feat easily. It’s film noir, extreme horror, crime, monster, and a little sleaze mixed all together splendidly! If I were going to compare this to a movie, it would be Boogie Nights, Swamp Thing, and 8 Millimeter! Watch out for Paul, he’s doing great things!
United StatesHeart of Glass, Nose of Swine!
Like ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN meets CARLITO'S WAY by way of Homer's THE ODYSSEY with a little RUNAWAYS and DREAMGIRLS thrown in for good measure. Grammatico's ear for snappy, flowing dialogue and a delicious sense of mystery and tension makes this horror novelette one you don't want to miss. A Deep Throat-like situation is just the tip of the iceberg that soon gives way to glamour, intrigue, and outright slaughter. This one is super unique and impossible to categorize. Paul is a writer to watch out for and his one-of-a-kind ideas will leave you wanting more and more of his stuff.