When an unknown virus is unleashed on London, it turns everyone in its path into violent, zombie-like killing machines, leaving their souls separated and floating away to form a giant halo above the capital. Flesh and spirit, dead and alive, they are both. They are severed. As a beleaguered government brings in scientists to work on an antidote, the problems become even more complex. The virus spreads. The mayhem grows. There’s no solution in sight and time is running out. Enter Stephen Hobbs, a hard-drinking, womanizing academic with a violent past of his own. Due to his special skill set and experience, he is enlisted to figure out what the virus is and how to stop it. Despite his own demons, Hobbs may very well be humanity’s last chance to survive becoming…SEVERED. Apocalyptic fiction can be a pretty divisive sub-genre. There are those that just can’t get enough of this kind of fiction while there are others who loathe it with a passion. I’m pleased to say I fall squarely into the first category. I could happily read apocalyptic fiction all day every day. Every book that appears on my personal top five fits into this category in some form…

What monsters used to achieve with claws, they now manage with pens…   Three years ago, Josh lost a lot of money on the unforgiving stock market. Now he’s divorced and living with his teenage daughter in a seaside caravan. Sally wants a tattoo; Josh just needs work.  For solace, he explores Saltwick Bay, a secluded stretch of beach whose cliff-side rock runs back to the ruthless Jurassic periods. There’s also a rotting boat there, leftover from the violent Second World War.  But when eerie creatures appear at night, dancing in the silent bay, Josh’s mind starts turning along unfathomable tracks . . . which may lead right back to the birth of tyranny.  The Respectable Face of Tyranny has a subtle, introspective quality about it that I wasn’t expecting. Josh is an everyman character and suffers the same doubts and worries as many other parents. I’m sure there are plenty readers out there who could easily empathise with his predicament. He is trying his best to provide for his daughter, but fate, or some other higher power, attempts to derail his efforts at every turn. Along with Josh’s own insecurities and fears the isolation of his current situation combine to…

Peter has been married to Patricia for nearly thirty years. He’s a practical man, the owner of a thriving factory and the father of two fine lads. He also has a secret mistress. One day, his wife takes him along to an outdoor arts exhibition involving some of her paintings, staged in a dark, deep wood. But his are not the only secrets in this marriage, and as Peter strays off the only path through the woods, he soon realises that Patricia has more than a few of her own… Abolisher of Roses by Gary Fry is the second release from Spectral Press. This short story takes place over the course of a single, grey winter afternoon. At first glance Peter and Patricia would appear to have everything you could ask for. He is a self made man, wealthy and powerful. She is a kept woman and has the luxury to spend her time doing exactly what she wants. Shortly after arriving at the exhibition an argument ensues, and Peter storms off rather than admit he may be in some way responsible. He finds himself alone in the forest and forced to confront three increasingly challenging and gruesome pieces of…