| By Brian Rappatta |
What does a peaceful man do when there’s no non-violent way to protect the innocent? “A Lifetime of
Nightmares” by Brian Rappatta features a reluctant hero faced with a difficult choice. The reader is left to
speculate whether the thing-about-to-be-born is the Antichrist or some alien BEM, but the danger is apparent.
--Tangent Online
Nightmares” by Brian Rappatta features a reluctant hero faced with a difficult choice. The reader is left to
speculate whether the thing-about-to-be-born is the Antichrist or some alien BEM, but the danger is apparent.
--Tangent Online
| Passage |
Sitting down with Shadow Regions was like being a kid again; losing
myself in the superb storytelling and surprising twists that come
together to create a truly enjoyable reading experience . . . . In
"Passage," Brian Rappatta's rich writing tells an extremely touching
and emotional story about a father's battle with alcoholism for the
sake of his estranged son. Even with the supernatural elements,
this story succeeds in giving your heartstrings a good tug."
--Horror World
www.horrorworld.org/reviews
“… editor Puch proves that the future of horror is a certain
guarantee: should any of these new scribes persevere with works
even remotely as fine as the ones presented here, then we are in
for some very fine reading in the near future. Pick up a copy of
Shadow Regions and make certain to check out the stories from
Justin Gustainis, Bill Carl, Brian Rappatta, and Terri Fleming, as well
as that of veteran horror extraordinaire Gary A. Braunbeck. You’ll
be glad you did.”
—MICHAEL LAIMO,
author of DEAD SOULS and THE DEMONOLOGIST
"Passage", by Brian Rappatta, tells the tale of a recovering alcoholic
who regains custody of his teenage son. It is essentially a ghost
story but again strong characterisation makes this piece stand out.
The gradual introduction of supernatural elements maintains
believability and the macabre resolution brings the story to a very
natural conclusion.
--Horrorscope
myself in the superb storytelling and surprising twists that come
together to create a truly enjoyable reading experience . . . . In
"Passage," Brian Rappatta's rich writing tells an extremely touching
and emotional story about a father's battle with alcoholism for the
sake of his estranged son. Even with the supernatural elements,
this story succeeds in giving your heartstrings a good tug."
--Horror World
www.horrorworld.org/reviews
“… editor Puch proves that the future of horror is a certain
guarantee: should any of these new scribes persevere with works
even remotely as fine as the ones presented here, then we are in
for some very fine reading in the near future. Pick up a copy of
Shadow Regions and make certain to check out the stories from
Justin Gustainis, Bill Carl, Brian Rappatta, and Terri Fleming, as well
as that of veteran horror extraordinaire Gary A. Braunbeck. You’ll
be glad you did.”
—MICHAEL LAIMO,
author of DEAD SOULS and THE DEMONOLOGIST
"Passage", by Brian Rappatta, tells the tale of a recovering alcoholic
who regains custody of his teenage son. It is essentially a ghost
story but again strong characterisation makes this piece stand out.
The gradual introduction of supernatural elements maintains
believability and the macabre resolution brings the story to a very
natural conclusion.
--Horrorscope
| Tongues |
| Barnesandnoble.com reviews Writers of the Future volume XXII: One of the joys of reading anthologies is discovering exciting up-and- coming authors -- with breathtaking new visions, innovative writing styles, etc. -- and in the 22nd annual edition of Writers of the Future, that literary bliss couldn't be more satisfying. If the dozen winning stories featured within are any indication, the future of the genre is in more than capable hands… Paul Goat Allen *** WRITERS OF THE FUTURE, Volume XXII, edited by Algis Budrys, Galaxy Press, $7.99, 500 pages, ISBN:1592123457, reviewed by Barry Hunter of Baryon Magazine. Brian Rappatta’s “Tongues” is a tale about recognizing and listening to our god--but do we really understand what he is saying? Another fantastic volume of varied voices, this volume adds to the stature of the contest and shows that the future remains in good hands with a new group ready to move onto the best seller lists. *** WRITERS OF THE FUTURE VOLUME XXII BOOK REVIEW BY VOYA (VOICE OF YOUTH ADVOCATES) L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future, Volume XXII. Algis Budrys, Ed. Galaxy Press, 2006, 500p. $7.99 pb. 978-1-59212-345-1 Illus. A few of the stories merit particular applause. . . . Many stories challenge the reader to ponder complex scientific concepts such as cosmology, nuclear fusion, cellular biology, and xenolinguistics, especially in At the Gate of God by Joseph Jordan and Tongues by Brian Rappatta. Without oversimplifying the material, each author manages to make the complicated subject matter understandable and relevant to the theme of the story. |
| Freaks Freaks by Brian Rappatta tells a story about circus freaks and personal fetishes that will have you realizing that fulfilling your deepest fantasy may not always be a good thing. --Horror Scope In Freaks by Brian Rappatta bizarre sex and horror team to generate a strongly tasting tale not for the squeamish or the puritans. --Whispers of Wickedness |
| Tangent Online has posted a review for Nemonymous 7, which includes a positive review of my story. “The Plunge” is yet another gem of a tale, compelling and humanistic as it horrifies. Frank struggles to be kind, understanding, and humane as he executes the excess children of the world with his bare hands. And he takes pride in his craft, sending the children to death like a knacker in a slaughterhouse with efficiency and professionalism, all the time worrying that the little dears suffer not at all. Yet you identify with this man, worry with him as he is anguished over any failings in his executions. --Jim Stratton Tangent Online And here is a review by Jetse DeVries, an editor for Interzone: The Plunge: a bizarro piece of horror reminiscent of “Digging for Adults” (D. Harlan Wilson, Nemonymous 3), or “Creek Man” (Jamie Rosen, Nemonymous 4). In a non-descript factory Frank snaps children’s necks before he pushes them into a pit, where they burn. His routine is disturbed by a kid who talks, and tries to escape before he kills her. Near the end, the children in line take their fate (or at least the very last part of it) in their own hands and jump into the execution pit without having their necks ('humanely') snapped. As such, the story evokes bio-industry slaughterhouses, concentration camps, and a sly hint of anti-abortion (especially through the parting note of Frank's partner Esperanza). It reminded me most of the routine on a slaughterhouse’s kill floor, where employees think about mundane things while they bring cows (or pigs, or chicken) to their deaths. And here's a snippet from Horrorworld.org's review: And perhaps the best in the lot, “The Plunge” follows a factory worker who carefully and responsibly liquidates the excess of children in the world. |