Customer Reviews

Other Gods

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I have never read Stephen Mark Rainey before for his publisher, Dark Regions Press, was kind enough to include this book, "Other Gods," with the latest book from James Dorr. I'm very glad it did because all 16 of these stories is solid horror. It all begins in our normal world, the present or the past during the 20th century, and then things start to change as the main characters encounter something they shouldn't, similar to Lovecraft but without the arrogant copycatting too often seen. I really found myself intrigued and frightened by 11 of these stories enough to see myself rereading them often. The other five were also good but as in the case with most fiction, not every piece satisfied equally. Two pairs of stories are related to each other. The first and last take the rural monster story to a creepy level while stories #14 and #15 explore the madness of creative energies of art. I do strongly recommend you check out this book.

Thoroughly enjoyed all of these stories. Rainey shows strong Lovecraftian influence in several of the stories, but in others you hear a completely unique voice. A couple of the stories in particular literally sent chills up my spine when I read them late at night. As the introduction in the book indicates, Rainey is an outdoorsman, and many of the tales unfold in the woods, and in one case at sea. I will certainly be on the lookout for more from this author.

When I first jumped onto Myspace many moons ago one of the first "friends" I made a connection with was Mark Rainey. I was both surprised and thrilled to learn that he, along with the lovely and talented Beth Massie, wrote a Dark Shadows novel, Dreams of the Dark, that I was a huge fan of. Based on that novel, and my subsequent chats with Mr. Rainey, I began to seek out his work. As it turned out I didn't have to work too hard. A prolific writer, I quickly devoured several short stories that I found in genre magazines and small press anthologies, procured his novels The Lebo Coven and Balak, as well as his short story collection, The Last Trumpet. What I found was a consummate storyteller, a journeyman who had the ability to draw a reader into his vivid imagination and, with a deft hand, create an atmosphere of dread like few authors can.

Which, I suppose leads me to Mark's latest collection, Other Gods, available now from Dark Regions. Encompassing his more than twenty years in the business, Other Gods is a testament to Mark Rainey's love of the genre. This is an author who enjoys putting a scare into you, of painting dark and rich landscapes of terror filled haunts, and creating complex and vibrant characters that you can't help but become attached to. And I think that is the heart of why Mark's fiction stands out: his imaginative plots are brought to life by characters we care about. He has the ability to present to the reader a world that is all too familiar, but peels back the layers and shows you what's lurking there in the darkness, waiting for its chance to strike.

Spanning his impressive career, Other Gods collects some of my favorite tales by Mark, as well as several that I'd not had the pleasure of reading before. While some of the tales stand head and shoulders above others, such as the delightfully wicked Fugue Devil or the gloriously malefic Lake of Shadows, there is not a single story that does not captivate you. Some, like Sky of Thunder, will thrill you. Others, such as Rapture in Black and Silhouette, will chill you. All will entertain you and make you question whether or not it's a good idea to turn off the light before bed, because when the shadows crawl out and stretch themselves across the wall, cast by a wind touched tree and baleful moon, you'll be reminded of the horrors that were born in Mark Rainey's imagination. They're yours now, to keep you company in the dark.

I can almost see Mark smiling at the thought of you drawing the covers up close around you, eyes darting back and forth as every sound borne of the night sends shivers up your spine.