Don’t tell me to Smile – A review of “The Smile Factory” by Todd Keisling.

Yes, I know, another Keisling review.

And to those who wonder why? He was willing to give away a free ebook of his newest work for a review and I asked for a copy. I’m already receiving a signed copy of it at some point, so why not jump ahead and give him a review? I also do these reviews because they help me with my writing, and I like to help out a fellow writer who’s a good friend.

So, here is the synopsis (taken from Goodreads):

From the author of The Final Reconciliation and Ugly Little Things: Collected Horrors comes a new tale of corporate horror…

WE WANT YOUR MISERY

Do you feel as though you’ve lost your place in the world?

Are you teetering on the brink of abject insanity?

Want to synergize our realities following the Acquisition?

Why languish in the chaotic madness beneath the unblinking gaze of our Benefactors when you can put that agony to work within our facility and help mankind?

Here at [REDACTED], we believe that your misery can make a difference.

We have numerous opportunities in our corporate and manufacturing facilities.

Our employees enjoy a comprehensive assortment of benefits as varied and satisfying as our means of corporate torture!

Join us at the Smile Factory. Be a part of something greater. Suffer for your fellow man.

Apply today!

An Ugly Collection – Review of Ugly Little Things by Todd Keisling

It’s five-thirty in the morning, I just finished doing inventory for work, and I’m hyped up on caffeine. Screw it, let’s do a book review!

I’ll admit right now, the major reason I did the Lover Her Wild poetry review was because of this review. You see, I was given a digital ARC of Ugly Little Things from Crystal Lake Publishing if I were to give them a review in return. But since my last review before I did the poetry review was another one for Todd, I didn’t want to come back doing back-to-back reviews of his work, hence the middle review of poetry. But, with the deadline of the publication approaching, I think it’s bout time I fulfilled on the latter part, huh?

So, here’s the synopsis from Amazon:

THIS IS GOING TO HURT.

The eleven stories in Ugly Little Things explore the depths of human suffering and ugliness, charting a course to the dark, horrific heart of the human condition. The terrors of everyday existence are laid bare in this eerie collection of short fiction from the twisted mind of Todd Keisling, author of the critically-acclaimed novels A Life Transparent and The Liminal Man.

Travel between the highways of America in “The Otherland Express,” where a tribe of the forsaken and forlorn meet to exchange identities. Witness the cold vacuum of space manifest in the flesh in “The Darkness Between Dead Stars.” Step into the scrub of rural Arizona and join Karen Singleton’s struggle to save her husband from a cult of religious fanatics in “When Karen Met Her Mountain.” Visit the small town of Dalton in “The Harbinger” and join Felix Proust as he uncovers the vile secrets rooted at the heart of Dalton Dollworks. And in the critically-acclaimed novella “The Final Reconciliation,” learn the horrifying truth behind the demise of the rock band The Yellow Kings.

With an introduction by Bram Stoker Award-winner Mercedes M. Yardley and illustrations by Luke Spooner, Ugly Little Things will be your atlas, guiding you along a lonely road of sorrow, loss, and regret. This is going to hurt—and you’re going to like it.

And with that, you are welcomed into his new collection. Which I will get into after the jump.

Follow the songs to Carcosa – A Todd Keisling Review

So, it’s been awhile, but hello fellow reader nerds! I am back with a review of The Final Reconciliation written by Todd Keisling, as I asked for an ARC copy in trade for a review.

I’ll give you the skinny before I jump right in. It’ll probably be short though, but this review will be full of love (and maybe spoilers? Just read at your own risk).

So, as taken from Goodreads:

TAKE OFF YOUR MASK.

Thirty years ago, a progressive rock band called The Yellow Kings began recording what would become their first and final album. Titled “The Final Reconciliation,” the album was expected to usher in a new renaissance of heavy metal, but it was shelved following a tragic concert that left all but one dead.

The sole survivor of that horrific incident was the band’s lead guitarist, Aidan Cross, who’s kept silent about the circumstances leading up to that ill-fated performance—until now.

For the first time since the tragedy, Aidan has granted an exclusive interview to finally put rumors to rest and address a question that has haunted the music industry for decades: What happened to The Yellow Kings?

The answer will terrify you.

Inspired by The King in Yellow mythos first established by Robert W. Chambers, and reminiscent of cosmic horror by H. P. Lovecraft, Laird Barron, and John Langan, comes The Final Reconciliation—a chilling tale of regret, the occult, and heavy metal by Todd Keisling.

And with that, here’s what I have to say…