I have come to expect a good mix of entertaining stories interspersed with interesting snippets of non-fiction when reading Unnerving magazine, and issue 11 delivers. The non-fiction from the likes of Kate Jonez, Jeff Strand and Laird Barron focuses on their introduction to horror, while the piece from Editor-in-Chief Eddie Generous explores the connection between good health (both physical and mental) and creativity, offering food for thought.
The fiction is delightfully creepy. The opening story from Feby Idrus starts off okay, before taking a very wicked turn. "Cutting Class" by Evans Light is a good time as well, but to say too much would give it away. Andrew Hilbert's "Fat Ma" is a wonderful mix of horror and humour, something for which the author is fast developing a (good) reputation (check out his story in the anthology Tales From the Crust).
In "Neck of the Woods", Russell J Dorn delivers a tale of three young girls camping in a wood, entertaining themselves with stories about the local witch legend. But it soon becomes all too real. A great story. "Play Dead" by Thomas Pluck is an interesting tale of revenge with good characterisation.
The best story of the lot - and that's saying something as I enjoyed them all - is from British author Alison Littlewood. She has written short stories and novels about a wide range of topics, but a favourite is folklore and small town legends. She returns to this topic in this story "The Halloween Monster" where one young boy encounters some local bullies on halloween night. The story isn't that straight-forward; Littlewood has a wonderful ability to create great characters with a lot of depth. Throughout the story she draws comparisons between the troubles facing the protagonist at the time, and his difficult relationship with his parents in an abusive household. It is a terrific story to end a terrific issue of this consistently terrific must-read horror magazine.