Book Review- Flowers In A Dumpster by Mark Allan Gunnells

Flowers In A Dumpster is my first experience with Mark Allan Gunnells. Since Crystal Lake Publishing has proven itself to be a pretty reliable source of new and original horror, and with that cover looking all posterific, I could not resist.

Mr. Gunnells exceeds expectations with his tales of disturbing menaces cohabitating with a sense of humanity that compels you to keep reading. His characters seem real; some are quite likable. Others... not so much. His stories will take you down dark paths where you will encounter post-apocalyptic madness, dark humor in a support group you'll need therapy for after reading, a house too bad to be true, and a bit of pregnancy horror.

Not to mention all of the other stories that will surprise and shock. Mark leads the reader through a bit of familiar territory but still manages to captivate as you realize that Rod Serling could be narrating these very stories in a perfect alternate universe where the Twilight Zone is still being produced. If that is a bad thing, I don't know what to tell you. You can't account for taste all the time, and I don't want to argue with someone who could be anti-TZ.

If I have to pick a favorite story in this addictive collection, I would say The Locked Tower. Don't you know you always want to go where you're not allowed...

If you like some weirdness and fun, the hype is real. If you don't want to take my word for it, go see what Clive Barker has to say.

Find Flowers In A Dumpster and other books from Mark Allan Gunnells here...