Once again he shows why he is the NEW master of horror. This collection of short stories and novella are solid. Reminding me at times of the best of Richard Laymon. This is one of my favorite horror authors and with this collection, he is at the top of his game. ( )

Keene's 4th short story collection features 19 stories and 3 poems. I was a bit pissed that I had already read so much of the material here (MOST of the stories from Keene's A LITTLE SILVER BOOK OF STREET WISE STORIES appear here), but it does contain some rare (and GOOD) selections you'll want to check out.

JACK'S MAGIC BEANS (a planned novella from another press that never panned out) makes its debut here and I found it to be the highlight of the collection; Keene shines when working in apocalyptic settings, and this one features a couple of neat twists.

The limited edition novella TEQUILA SUNRISE is included here, and being I missed the Bloodletting Press edition it was nice to finally read it. If you've ever wondered why there's a worm at the bottom of some Tequila bottles, you'll dig the author's fabled reason.

The 3 poems are okay, although I identitfied nicely with FOUR YOUNG BLONDES IN A RED MAZDA (funny stuff---especially if you're middled aged).

I'm guessing hardcore Keene fans might feel a little duped with this one (a few stories were originally available only as extras in limited editions of his novels), but I'm happy to have been let in on the fun (especially the couple of tales that take place within THE RISING universe).

If you're not familar with Keene, this is a fine place to get aquainted with his work; his self-introduction is informative (and fun), too. ( )

This is a really awesome collection of short works. It includes most of Keene's short stories and novellas that have previously only been available in highly expensive limited editions like "Tequila's Sunrise," "Take the Long Way Home, " "The Resurrection and the Life," and "The Siqqusim Who Stole Christmas." The only story that is completely original to this edition is "Fade to Null," but unless you are the sort of Keen completionist who has all of his limited edition hardcovers and chap books, there are lots of stories in this collection that you haven't read and really should. ( )