Nightmare #145, October 2024“Little Horn” by Gemma Files
“Perfect Water” by Simon Gilbert
“NotRob” by Isabel Cañas
Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf
Three horror stories with very different moods appear in this issue.
“Little Horn” by Gemma Files is narrated by one of many antichrists. After destroying her worshippers, she meets another. Together the two female children of Satan battle a male rival, who has already destroyed several others.
This synopsis makes the story sound deadly serious, but instead there is a great deal of sardonic humor. The author piles on an immense amount of gruesome, grotesque, violent content, all narrated by the protagonist in an offhand, matter-of-fact way. Some readers may find this outrageous orgy of bloodletting way over the top. The work is most interesting in the way it portrays the ambiguous attitude of the narrator, who feels no concern for the wholesale slaughter of human beings but isn’t sure if she’s really into the whole Armageddon thing.
In “Perfect Water” by Simon Gilbert, a man temporarily leaves his wife and young child in order to work at a remote location on the coast of Wales. He witnesses mysterious happenings that reach a climax when his family arrives at the end of his assignment.
I have been deliberately vague about the plot, because the specific details are the most effective part of a rather simple tale. This story is an example of quiet horror, whose terrors are implied rather than made explicit. It fits the pattern of traditional ghost stories, so there are few surprises.
In “NotRob” by Isabel Cañas, a pregnant woman sees a duplicate of her husband outside her house. Her real husband warns her not to look into his eyes. After she takes a nap, the doppelganger returns, with dire consequences.
An introductory note reveals that the story is based on a dream. This explains why it is surreal, with no evident reason for what occurs. It will best appeal to readers who appreciate the irrational aspect of horror fiction. It should be noted that the story’s content warnings give away too much about the shocking climax.
Victoria Silverwolf wrote this review of scary stories on Hallowe’en.