Nightmare #45, June 2016

“Great Black Wave” by David Tallerman

Reviewed by Kevin P Hallett

There are two first publication stories in the forty-fifth issue.

“Great Black Wave” by David Tallerman

There is a black wave waiting, in an Afghanistan cave, to rise up against life itself in this short horror story. A military unit, searching for rebels, stumbles upon the hideout. Despite warnings from the local village, they decide to explore the cave. It does not seem to turn out well for the soldiers.

I thought that the story craft was okay, but this is a rather hackneyed story idea and plot. The only real mystery is what form the monster would take.

“The Finest, Fullest Flowering” by Marc Laidlaw

Laidlaw’s short story at first defies being pigeonholed, but in the last paragraph it decides to be a horror story. The patron has transported Milston to a utopian island for artists. Here, the patron allows them total freedom to express themselves in return for never leaving the island. Exactly how Milston expresses his art is an unknown left until the end.

With little mystery, action or intrigue the story takes on the feel of a long description of an artist’s view of utopia. Interesting on some level but not compelling enough to hold this reader’s attention until the twist at the end.