Publisher:  Cemetery Dance Publications

   Cemetery Dance is one of horror’s longest running magazines and with good reason.  Each issue has an almost perfect blend of fiction, features, reviews and interviews, spotlighting both well-known and up-and-coming talents.  There’s truly something for everyone in Cemetery Dance.  Issue #54 has crossed my desk and starts out with a foreboding cover by Stacy Drum. 

   The first story in this issue is “The Man Who Never Reads Novels” by Eric Brown.  This story has a decidedly Twilight Zone feel to it…or perhaps Night Gallery.  A writer named Simon Russell traveling on a train to London meets an older man who says he never reads novels by living writers.  Curious, Russell inquires why and finds that every time the man has read a novel by a living writer, that writer has died shortly afterwards including H.G. Wells, Arthur Machen, Ernest Hemingway, and Graham Greene.  Russell is convinced that these were nothing but eerie coincidences but does he dare let the man read his latest manuscript?

   In “Snow Men” by Kealan Patrick Burke (one of my favorite newcomers) a little boy is terrorized by two shadowy figures standing in his backyard and staring up at his bedroom window.

   In “Nine Rocks in a Row” by Tony Richards, an archaeologist and expert in ancient languages are exploring an ancient cave where nine rocks of varying size are aligned in a row.  They make the startling discovery that the rocks represent the planets and date to at least 2300 BC, well before man knew about the nine planets of our solar system.  But, the ancient writings on the cave wall forecast a sinister prophecy.

   I also really enjoyed “Still Life with Shattered Glass” by Loren Rhoads.  While attending a party with her self-absorbed artist boyfriend, a student named Sherry meets a photographer who specializes in still life work.  Only the subjects of her photos are not trees or bowls of fruit.

   Other fiction is provided by Nick Kaufman, Tim Waggoner, James Ireland Baker, and A.R. Morlan.  The only story that really didn’t do it for me was the rather mundane “Closing Costs” about a musician who sells his soul to the devil to become a star.

   The features include Steve Vernon’s interview with Neil Gaiman and the horror/fantasy author discusses his latest work “Anansi Boys” and his film “Mirrormask”.  In Spotlight on Publishing, we are treated to a review with William Jones of Elder Signs Press who discusses some of their latest projects as well as their fantastic Lovecraftian magazine “Book of Dark Wisdom”.

   In addition, the book has the usual treasure trove of book, film, and CD reviews and the latest Stephen King news.  Complementing the fiction is outstanding work from a host of wonderful artists.

   From cover to cover, Cemetery Dance is the complete package!

 - Tim Janson

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