"A Blood-Curdling Read!" Hellscapes by @sgzimmer #horror
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Hellscapes
Written by Stephen Zimmer
Genre: Horror, Short Stories
Journey into realms of darkness and explore the regions where angels fear to tread! Welcome to the Hellscapes, featuring tales of the infernal in settings where the horror never ends and the inhabitants experience the ultimate nightmare.
In “Blood Dreams” follow the tale of a woman who knew great political authority and influence in life, as she discovers the reward awaiting her in the next world.
“The Grove” welcomes a new arrival, a wealthy man who is looking forward to a weekend of indulging in lust and libation, as he has for many years in this secluded convocation for the elite. Something is different this time, though, and he soon finds that his visit will be taking a very different turn.
In “The Smallest Fish”, the story is told of a ruthless business mogul who finds himself in an abandoned, ruined version of the city he knew well, in life. This city won’t be remaining vacant for long.
“Drowning in Tears” tells the story of a young man’s unhealthy obsession for a suicidal girlfriend that leads him on a path of severe transformation.
The final tale of Volume 1, “Lords of War”, follows the story of a man who wielded military power on a worldwide scale as a Secretary of Defense, who now learns the deeper nature of war and what kinds of monstrosities it breeds.
Hellscapes, Volume 1 is the first release in an exciting new themed horror collection from Stephen Zimmer, the author of the Rising Dawn Saga and Fires in Eden Series.
In “Blood Dreams” follow the tale of a woman who knew great political authority and influence in life, as she discovers the reward awaiting her in the next world.
“The Grove” welcomes a new arrival, a wealthy man who is looking forward to a weekend of indulging in lust and libation, as he has for many years in this secluded convocation for the elite. Something is different this time, though, and he soon finds that his visit will be taking a very different turn.
In “The Smallest Fish”, the story is told of a ruthless business mogul who finds himself in an abandoned, ruined version of the city he knew well, in life. This city won’t be remaining vacant for long.
“Drowning in Tears” tells the story of a young man’s unhealthy obsession for a suicidal girlfriend that leads him on a path of severe transformation.
The final tale of Volume 1, “Lords of War”, follows the story of a man who wielded military power on a worldwide scale as a Secretary of Defense, who now learns the deeper nature of war and what kinds of monstrosities it breeds.
Hellscapes, Volume 1 is the first release in an exciting new themed horror collection from Stephen Zimmer, the author of the Rising Dawn Saga and Fires in Eden Series.
An excerpt from
Hellscapes
Here's what
Fans are saying
Beautifully Macabre Horror
I had no idea Stephen Zimmer could write horror so beautifully. I was also impressed with his grasp of language in choosing the right words to set the tone and describe the world he has created. There is a poetic flow to the prose that makes you feel as if you are entering an archaic world of nightmares.
He uses the classic idea that hell would be one of your own making. In the case of these stories, the four people aren’t aware they are dead, and the story is about each individual’s journey of realization of why they are there, and what eternity holds for them.
The stories take place in the same world, but these are four separate stories of different people. There is an omniscient entity that resides over this hell, but the only time we are aware of it is in the prologue and ending of the book. It doesn’t directly interfere.
My favorite story was The Grove. It had a Tales of the Crypt type of ending and I could feel the terror of the man experienced when he realized his fate. Chilling. The Smallest Fish was my least favorite only because the middle part was a little too long for my tastes.
This is a fabulous read for readers who like a classical type of writing and story. Definitely worth checking out.
A Blood-Curdling Read!
Stephen has created a set of nightmare scenarios for a number of richly deserving people. We're introduced to these hellish worlds in a vivid and uncompromising way, with some fantastic descriptions and morbidly fascinating storylines.
As you read through the stories, a distrurbing theme emerges, where the unfortunate protagonists wend their way through nightmare lands to their just desserts.
The story that really stood out for me was 'Drowning in Tears', which set itself apart from the rest with a wonderful main character who was wiling to go to extreme lengths for his love. it was fantastically descriptive, and drew me in to experience everything the main character did. I'd love to read more of this one in particular.
All in all, this was a highly enjoyable read, recommended for fans of highly descriptive horror fiction.
— Martine
Author Bio
Stephen Zimmer
Born in Denver, Colorado, Stephen Zimmer is an award-winning fantasy author and filmmaker based out of Lexington, Kentucky. Stephen has two series being published through Seventh Star Press.
One is the epic fantasy Fires in Eden Series (which includes Crown of Vengeance, the winner of a 2010 Pluto Award for Best Novel). The series stands at two titles with the third being released in late spring 2012.
The other is an epic-scale urban fantasy series, The Rising Dawn Saga. This series stands at three titles, with the fourth scheduled for release in winter of 2012/2013.
Both series are now affiliated with two growing collections of eBook short stories. The Chronicles of Ave short stories are set in the world revealed in the Fires in Eden Series, while the Annals of the Rising Dawn short stories are set in the world of the Rising Dawn Saga.
His other published short fiction includes the short stories "In the Mountain Skies" and "An Island Sojourn" in the Dreams of Steam I and II steampunk anthologies (edited by Kimberly Richardson), from Kerlak Publishing.
