Shock Totem, No. 1: Curious Tales of the Macabre and Twisted [Paperback]

K. Allen Wood (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 6, 2009

The debut issue. A hundred pages of dark fiction, featuring T.L. Morganfield, David Niall Wilson, Jennifer Pelland, Kurt Newton, Don D'Ammassa, Mercedes M. Yardley, and more. Conversations with William Ollie, Alan Robert (Life of Agony, Spoiler NYC), and the legendary John Skipp.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"With content that is originally pure, uncut, a blast to my system, and unlike any other horror-mag out there, Shock Totem is the perfect fix I need for my macabre fiction addiction." --Jeremy Wagner, author The Armageddon Chord

About the Author

Shock Totem is an American literary journal specializing in dark fantasy and horror. The debut issue was published on July 1, 2009. The publication's main goal is to promote and support new and established authors by focusing primarily on fiction, but also through nonfiction articles and interviews (called "conversations").

Product Details

• Paperback: 100 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace (July 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1448621747
• ISBN-13: 978-1448621743
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #500,019 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A three-ring circus of the macabre, September 1, 2011

By 

Wag The Fox (Canada) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Shock Totem 1: Curious Tales of the Macabre and Twisted (Kindle Edition)

It seems short fiction markets are a fleeting thing. Some crop up out of nowhere, then disappear as quickly as they came. The ones that survive are to be commended--and read. Shock Totem came out with its first paperback issue in the summer of 2009, and this summer sees its fourth edition (Shock Totem 4: Curious Tales of the Macabre and Twisted) coming out as a physical copy. But, at the same time, Shock Totem #1 has been re-released as an e-book. An insanely affordable one at that, with an asking price of only $1.99 on the Kindle Store. How could I resist?

Now, with the digital release, a couple things have been left out. Namely the reviews and artwork. But, the stories and interviews are intact, and that's the meat of this publication as far as I'm concerned, anyway.

After a brief introduction from its editor, K. Allen Wood, Shock Totem #1 kicks off with a barn-burner of a story by T.L. Morganfield called "The Music Box." Just imagine those cuddly plush dolls that we used to love playing with as kids, and maybe some of us have passed those toys down to our own children. Now imagine those toys are alive--and they know how to hold a grudge. Yeah, this one was creepy in all the right places and really set a tone for the rest of the book.

More horror abounds, with a quick, quirky read from Mercedes M. Yardley called "Murder for Beginners," which has a couple of women having a remarkably casual conversation while standing over the corpse of their former lover, a married man they've just murdered. Yikes.

Another couple of the standouts for me were Don D'Ammassa's "Complexity" and David Niall Wilson's "Slider." And best title has to go to Kurt Newton's "Thirty-Two Scenes from a Dead Hooker's Mouth." Just read it. Disparate in tone, each brought something really dark to this little collection. In fact, as you read from cover to cover, you find the diverse array of stories really only has two things in common: they're dark as hell and really well written.

If the fiction isn't enough, there are a couple of interviews with the likes of John Skipp and Alan Robert. All things considered, Shock Totem may not be as shocking as you might expect it to be, but it certainly taps into those dark facets of human nature, one way or another. It's also nice to see each author explain at the end of the book the impetus for each of their stories. With such diversity, the book feels like a three-ring circus of the most macabre variety.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Discovering Shock Totem, January 25, 2012

By 

J. Harris - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shock Totem, No. 1: Curious Tales of the Macabre and Twisted (Paperback)

I recently read the first issue of Shock Totem: Curious Tales of the Macabre and Twisted. I had picked up the first four issues at the NEHW booth at the Hebron Harvest Fair in September.

The magazine was first published in 2009 and Publisher K. Allen Wood explains in the editorial how the magazine was created and the different names they had for the magazine before settling on Shock Totem. It's a lot better than Papercut Stigmata or Bleeding Penis Pens.

Volume one includes stories about vengeance meted out by childhood toys ("The Music Box"). Author T.I. Morganfield captures the magic of those special toys a person has as they grow up. As you read about Snowflake, you can't help but think about a darker version of Toy Story. Morganfield even mentions in the "Howling Through the Keyhole" section of the magazine that he took the conflict between the toys in the Pixar movie in a "darker direction."

In "Murder for Beginners," the reader is lost as the story begins with a woman holding a shovel as she stands over the body of a dead man. As the tale continues, you find out there is another woman with her. By the end of this interesting story, the reader finds out about these two women plus what connections they have to the guy they are standing over. You are not lost by the end of the story. What Mercedes M. Yardley does with her tale is keep the reader interested and reading. Who wants to stop reading after a story begins with two women standing over a dead body? At that point, you want to know why they killed him or even if they killed him. There are so many questions the reader wants to find the answers to, and Yardley answers those questions.

Baseball fans will enjoy David Niall Wilson's story, "Slider." It involves a tale of a ball that has a bloody and cursed history. You don't even have to enjoy the game of baseball to become engrossed in the story about the death of pitcher Jeb Rabinowicz.

One other story I will mention is Kurt Newton's "Thirty-Two Scenes from a Dead Hooker's Mouth," which tells the story of a prostitute's life from her death to her birth. It will remind you of the movie Memento, which inspired Newton when he wrote this story. He states, "knowing the outcome of events doesn't necessarily remove the mystery."

Shock Totem has a section "Strange Goods and Other Oddities," which deals with reviews of books, movies, music, and more written by the magazine's staff. This section reminds me of a similar section within the pages of Fangoria magazine.

The magazine also offers interviews with authors and artists in the horror community such as John Skipp and William Ollie. Those interviews make one want to go to the nearest bookstore and find the books these authors were discussing in these articles.

The "Howling Through the Keyhole" section is great if you want a peek into the writer's mind. Well, that is if the writer wants to give you a glimpse into their dark playground. Each author has a little blurb about their story and the inspiration behind their story.

I am looking forward to reading the other volumes of the magazine that I own. Click on Amazon or Shock Totem to go to either site to buy any issue of the magazine. The issues are available in print and digital formats except for the Holiday issue, which is only available as an e-book.
Shock Totem, No. 1: Curious Tales of the Macabre and Twisted

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's about time..., August 18, 2011

By 

Chonzo - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shock Totem, No. 1: Curious Tales of the Macabre and Twisted (Paperback)

... that there exists a 'zine that satisfies the thirst for original and unique works of darker blood. The genre these days is rife with the same old stories, but Shock Totem delivers fresh and new ideas. What first strikes me is the cover art, which is absolutely great on every issue! Right off the bat, you know what you are in for. Like I said earlier, it's very refreshing to read unique ideas, not only from established writers in the genre, but also works from up-and-comers. And the stories aren't all "horror" and "serious", which is probably what I enjoy the most because it keeps it interesting. And ST is more than just a 'zine... each issue is practically a book, and definitely a collector's piece fit for any book shelf. I've been reading it since issue 1 and each is just as amazing (and in some ways, more amazing) than the prior. Truth be told, I have two of each issue: one to read, and one "framed" for the art wall my girlfriend and I have in our house. If you enjoy the darker side of literature, you owe it to yourself to at least check out Shock Totem. The guys (and girl) behind it have done an amazing job. It's great that they are now available in the digital format, but for me, nothing compares to the physical copy. Long live small press, and long live Shock Totem!