Diabolical Plots #69, November 2020
“Many-Faced Monsters in the Backlands” by Lee Chamney
“Mama’s Hand of Glory” by Douglas Ford
Reviewed by Kevin P Hallett
There are two new and enjoyable short stories in the 69th issue of Diabolical Plots.
“Many-Faced Monsters in the Backlands” by Lee Chamney
The Greens banish Arturio to the backlands in this short fantasy. Arturio’s Second Face causes him to be overly pushy, and as a Yellow, the Green government doesn’t appreciate his ambitions. Now he must try to scratch a life growing crops in a forest clearing.
It isn’t long before Rough Thing asserts himself, causing Arturio to become more cautious. Still, he tries to befriend an exiled woman until Rough Thing drives her off. As more personalities split off from Arturio, his life becomes bewildering. When the Green government loses power, will this multi-faced Arturio be able to retake his old position?
This was a strange but engaging story that explored a facet of someone who developed multiple personalities.
“Mama’s Hand of Glory” by Douglas Ford
Leann uses her domineering mother’s hand as the planchette on a Ouija board in this horror short. It would ensure Leann is talking to her Mama whenever she used the board for help. After all, her mother had warned her that using the Ouija board alone would summon a demon. Mama even had Leann’s boyfriend, Rufus, tattoo a planchette pattern on her hand before she died.
Now Leann finds that something has partially eaten her Mama’s hand. Using the Ouija board, her mother tells her it was someone human. Leann sets off to find the culprit, starting with her boyfriend, who Mama never liked.
This was an unusual morsel of a story with a lighthearted touch by the author.