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IF YOUR IDEA OF HAPPY HOLIDAYS INCLUDES READING SOME GOOD HORROR STORIES, “THE RACK II” DELIVERS!

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Book Review: THE RACK II

by Brian James Lewis | Dec 22, 2025 | Book Reviews, Hellnotes Reviews, Horror Authors / Books, Horror News | 0 comments

THE RACK II: More Stories Inspired By Vintage Paperbacks
Tom Deady, ed.
Greymore Publishing (October 14, 2025)
Reviewed by Brian James Lewis

Hello horror fans! I’ve got a special treat to talk about this week: The Rack II is a smoking cool anthology of short horror stories inspired by the vintage horror and mystery paperbacks of the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s. These were the books that appeared on creaky, wobbling racks everywhere from gas stations to airport gift shops. You’d just be minding your own business when: “Whoa! Is that a giant snake exploding out of that guy’s chest?” They were luridly colored, terrifying, and sometimes pretty dang sexy. Pulling you in, making you want to take them home and soak in every word. The main thing is that these books were our gateway drug, what pulled us in the direction of wanting to be writers ourselves. We wanted to make somebody shiver under the blankets and not want to leave their bed because something might be hiding in the dark, just waiting for a nice, tasty foot…

Some younger writers today are bummed that they missed those predigital times, that first nibble delivered to their eyes by whispering paper that sometimes smelled a little bit funky as that barbed hook penetrated their flesh. Fortunately, Tom Deady and a crew of really cool writers, along with ace artist Lynne Hansen, put together The Rack, which is a true monster of a book. A Whitman’s sampler of short horror (minus the gross downer flavors) that gave readers that same tug and reeled them into our world. The stories were vintage inspired but stepped away from inappropriate stereotypes, cut the racism and sexism and just kicked ass. If you have not yet read The Rack, I encourage you to treat yourself to a good time and get it.

I was a firm believer that nobody was going to top that great work until I got a review copy of The Rack II. Introduction by Mother Horror herself, Sadie Hartman, a great poem by Maxwell I. Gold to kick things off, and more stellar stories by the creepy crew of stalwarts, including Lee Murray, Christa Carmen, and Larry Hinkle, along with all-star contributors like Joe R. Lansdale, Jonathan Maberry, and Poppy Z. Brite. Basically a shit ton of great writers with the aim of terrifying readers. Holy Hades, Batman, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore! Let’s go take a look at what we’re in for…

The Laffin’ Man by Poppy Z. Brite is about a peculiar 70’s and 80’s item that was hung on the wall of many a bar and pizza shop. The one I was familiar with spit water on you when you pulled his tie and then laughed with a voice that’s best described as a “demented old man doing creepy things behind a tall shelf in a porn shop”. The characters in Brite’s story meet a whole wall full of these creepy freaks at a shopping mall tobacco shop and one of them falls in love, most likely because his teenaged life is so devoid of happiness. The narrator is repulsed. Something about these battery-operated novelties is very unsettling, almost as if they’re the harbingers of evil. But he likes seeing his friend happy and buys a Laffin’ Man for him. It’s just a toy, right? Right?

Lee Murray’s story The Mall also uses a similar backdrop of the huge indoor retail acreage with restaurants and a movie theater for her slow-building tale of terror. This one takes a more adult angle of infidelity in a marriage that’s having dire consequences on the one person who’s not guilty of anything. He’s just a kid named Matty with a broken arm caused by his father’s attention to anything female. But today, Dad promised to behave himself so that Mom can do some covert Christmas shopping. I wonder if he’ll be able to hold up his end of the deal?

Christa Carmen always brings her A game, and her story Comeback Kid is no exception. Nan is an Olympic level gymnast who is planning to be a trainer. Unfortunately, to do so, she must work with her former trainers, and things get weird fast. Why are they working her out so hard if she’s just going to be a coach? Who is the other gymnast working in a hidden gym? A lot of unsettling things are often swept under the rug in professional sports, with the victims shoved off into obscurity. This time there’s a lot more at stake than winning a piece of metal to strap around one’s neck.

Greed motivates a lot of people, and Chandler Pratt is no exception. A college professor who marries the daughter of a very rich man in effort to gain his riches, Pratt despises his wife and considers her gross and unattractive. But when you’re a Head Hunter you do what needs to be done until you get what you want. B.D. Prince gives us a great story that juxtaposes horror with humor. An exploding cigar, the father-in-law’s hatred of Pratt’s manbun, and the younger man’s plan that’s hatched in a shop full of dark magic antiques. He practically has the front door key in his pocket when he arrives back at the mansion with a perfect birthday gift for the cranky old bird. What could possibly go wrong?

Joe R. Lansdale stays with the quiet, suspenseful feel of The Rack II with his contribution By the Hair of the Head, which draws readers in dangerously close. A young writer, fresh from college, takes unique lodging in an old lighthouse still inhabited by its keeper even though its time of use has passed. Initially things seem almost idyllic, but as time passes the young writer begins having vivid nightmares. Some nights after too many brandies the lighthouse keeper tells intriguing tales that include a beautiful witch, a magician, and a daughter. But when our narrator asks pointed questions, the lighthouse keeper clams up. What is the old fellow trying to hide? Why doesn’t the lighthouse feel like a safe haven anymore? All will be revealed in time and the answer is as plain as The Hair of the Head.

You’ve probably already guessed, but my rating of The Rack II is a hearty 5 STARS! Every single story inside is fantastic, and I would have loved to cover each of them in great detail, but my goal here is to give you a review that sharpens your appetite and doesn’t flog all the fun into the ground. There is so much more to explore for yourself, such as creepy houses that call your name, a virtual pet that may have a strong connection to the real world, and one day finding out that your marriage is over because of ancient codes your partner must follow, or else. Go on now, take a walk down that dark hallway, so that YOU can enjoy the thrill of being hooked!

Want more information about both editions of The Rack (I seriously encourage you to buy both, because they really are that good) and Stoker Award winning author Tom Deady? Then head on over to https://www.tomdeady.com/ or find him over on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomdeady.

Interested in getting some awesome artwork or a cool cover for your upcoming release? Then get in touch with Lynne Hansen at www.LynneHansenArt.com.

About Brian James Lewis

Brian James Lewis is a disabled writer and poet with PTSD whose work has recently appeared in Mythic Picnic, The Awakenings Review, and in multiple horror anthologies. Please visit him at: www.damagedskullwriterandreviewer.com, X/Twitter @skullsnflames76, or https://facebook.com/DamagedSkullWriterandReviewer He has been reviewing books for Hellnotes since 2016.

HAPPY VETERANS DAY WITH RESPECT AND THANKS FROM DAMAGED SKULL WRITER AND REVIEWER

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We are fortunate to have a great deal of freedom in this country. For example, freedom of speech allows me to write and publicly post about my gratitude today. We’re free to travel, to dress how we like, and to express our political views. These things were not given to us on a silver platter. No, our freedom has been and is being paid for by the men and women of our nation’s armed forces. Many of whom gave their lives so that we could be free and safe from those who would harm us or invade our shores. Many of these people have also returned home to their families and the land they love. Some are significantly different than they were before with prosthetic arms, legs, severe scarring, and that invisible but deadly demon: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. We can’t fix those things, no matter how much we would like to. But, we CAN give veterans and active service members the respect and appreciation they deserve. It doesn’t cost anything or take a long time to say “THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.” but to a soldier it means the world.

HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY TO “FEVER DREAMS OF A PARASITE” BY PEDRO INIGUEZ, JUST RELEASED BY RAW DOG SCREAMING PRESS!

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Hello fans of diverse horror! It’s your old pal Skull celebrating the RAW DOG SCREAMIMG PRESS book birthday of “Fever Dreams of a Parasite” by excellent writer and poet, Pedro Iniguez. This collection is a wild collage of Latin culture, traditions, and things that go bump in the night. Sometimes a ghost is a ghost and sometimes it’s ICE grabbing innocent people under the cover of night.

FEVER DREAMS OF A PARASITE is insanely well written and perfect for the times we are going through right now. Readers will connect with Iniguez’s characters and be able to see something they’ve looked at before with different eyes, maybe for the first time. There is a lot of evil in our world that’s not always easy to define. This is where the storyteller is both a guide and a shaman. Enter the FEVER DREAMS OF A PARASITE for view behind the veil. Currently available from RAW DOG SCREAMING PRESS at http://www.RawDogScreaming.com or from your preferred book retailer in both physical or kindle/e-book formats.

HAPPY VETERANS DAY WITH THANKS FROM DAMAGED SKULL WRITER AND REVIEWER!

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Hey everybody, it’s your old pal Skull taking some time to appreciate and give thanks to all of our veterans and their families who have sacrificed a lot so that we can enjoy many freedoms that people in other countries do not. Celebrating veterans is important whether you agree with the concept of war or not. It’s about letting the men and women who stick their lives on the line that we recognize the hell they have gone through and are grateful. Not all veterans have spent time on the front lines, but without them our troops would likely fail. I’m talking about cooks, mechanics, and of course medical staff. Empty stomachs don’t win wars, nor do Jeeps and tanks that don’t run, and without the fantastic medical teams many more soldiers would not make it home. It doesn’t take much time to say, “thank you for your service,” to that man wearing a Vietnam Veteran hat or the young woman in full uniform waiting in line ahead of you at the grocery store, but it’s important. Everyone doing a job wants their efforts to be appreciated and veterans deserve a huge amount of respect. Without them, you might not be here at all.

IF YOU LIKE THE OLD WEST AND OLD MAGIC, “GOBLINS & GUNSLINGERS-FRESH BLOOD” BY IVAN K. CONWAY SHOULD BE ON YOUR FANTASY READING LIST!

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GOBLINS & GUNSLINGERS-FRESH BLOOD
Ivan K. Conway
TBR 7/10/2024
Prince of Harts Publishing
Reviewed by Brian “Skull” Lewis

Well, howdy pardners! It’s your old pal Skull with an interesting twist on the classic Western. The action happens in the old west and there are quite a few swaggering gunslingers ready to slap leather at the drop of a hat. There are plenty of saloons and houses of ill repute, too. What’s different is the folks out there doing battle. In Goblins & Gunslingers-Fresh Blood by Ivan K. Conway, magical creatures and various mixtures thereof jingle their spurs down dusty streets. Humans are present, but in the minority. You’re much more likely to see a goblinoid, elf, ogre, or even a vampire in a cleric’s getup including a wide brimmed hat to keep the sun at bay. They use a wide variety of weapons from pepperbox pistols to machetes and enchanted swords, all the way to magic.

Not one to dilly-dally, Conway sets us down right in the middle of the fray, using retrospective musings to fill us in on main protagonist, Helen Providence. Unfortunately, she’s got a bit of a drinking problem after an intensely difficult life that led to the loss of both her parents. At one time, she was considered a war hero, but now she leads a rough and ready posse of bounty hunters across places with names like Dustbin, Flamefield, and Carnage Canyon. Tethered to a powerful person named Mr. Balm, they must capture others in debt and give him their souls to reduce their own debts and the loss of their very being. But they’re not the only bounty hunters out there and things can get mighty tricky real fast if you’re not careful in these parts. Because, just like our current day, there is a serious amount of racial hatred out there with too many folks looking to exact vigilante justice. Best strategy is to keep your face covered by that classic western bandana and hat to avoid trouble. However, it’s kind of hard to keep covert in this spell slingin’, machete swingin’ crew! But you didn’t pick up this book to be bored, now did ya?

Damaged Skull Writer & Reviewer gives Goblins & Gunslingers-Fresh Blood by Ivan K. Conway a solid 4 STAR REVIEW! There’s action galore with a lot of positive elements like female empowerment, breaking out of the usual hail of bullets by using things like magic, enchanted swords, and smarts to handle trouble. The characters and scenery are interesting and memorable with enough conflict to keep things moving. Things get a little bit cluttered in a few spots, but it’s definitely worth the effort to continue. More details are revealed as the story progresses which leads to greater clarity for readers. I will also admit that your old pal Skull might not have a deep knowledge about magical beings and their abilities, which might have slowed my progress. Overall, a fun, fast paced read that I’d recommend to everybody. If you dig the old west and old magic, the Goblins & Gunslingers series of books was written for you!

Looking for more information about Ivan K. Conway? You can find him on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and also follow him on Amazon.com where you can preorder this book for $1.00 in Kindle format and/or purchase his previous novel. Goblins & Gunslingers-Bad Blood. As always, thanks for visiting your old pal Skull at Damaged Skull Writer and Reviewer! Please consider following us at www.damagedskullwriterandreviewer.com to see what’s next.

About my mortal:

Brian James Lewis is a disabled poet and writer with PTSD who finds writing to be vastly important to his recovery. Working class to the bone, he writes inclusive, real-world prose and poetry that hits home. Brian’s work has appeared in anthologies from Smoking Pen Press, No Bad Books, and HellBound Books. He’s also appeared in online publications like The Sunlight Press, the Hook of A Book Poetry Project, and The Sirens Call e-Zine. Besides writing, Brian enjoys bringing old typewriters back to life, including a Royal KMM formerly owned by Rod Serling. Visit him at: www.damagedskullwriterandreviewer.com for news and independent book reviews, or on X/twitter@skullsnflames76

CREEPERS BY DAVID MORRELL LIVES UP TO ITS NAME AND TAKES READERS ON A THRILLING RIDE THROUGH A PAST AND PRESENT FULL OF EVIL

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CREEPERS
David Morrell
9/1/2006
CDS Books
Reviewed by Brian “Skull” Lewis

Hello horror fiends, and welcome to the Skullcave! Today your old pal Skull wants to share one of his favorite late-night reads, Creepers by David Morrell. One reason I like it is that it’s about a dank, treacherous place where one can be easily trapped and possibly die waiting for rescue. You know, a cozy place that seems a lot like home. Heh-heh-heh! But enough of my sentimental drivel, let’s get down to business and head over to the Paragon Hotel…

Located in the not very lovely seashore town of Asbury Park, New Jersey, the hotel was the brainchild of an eccentric millionaire. In the beginning it was quite famous and very classy and cutting edge. Unfortunately, it became a place left behind as the years rolled by and Asbury Park declined into a dangerous ghost town. Not the sort of place you want to hang out with the kiddies or have a carefree frolic. In fact, its owner committed suicide for mysterious reasons and the hotel remained shuttered for decades, unavailable to anyone until now. Unable to pay property taxes, the estate has no choice but to step aside and let the wrecking ball do its dirty work.

But before this can happen, the Creepers arrive for one last look at history. Professor Conklin and his small team of urban explorers will be the Paragon’s last guests. Leaving no mark, making no changes, the ghostly team will ease their way in to see what’s left. This time, things are a bit different. Frank Balenger, a reporter from the New York Times, is joining them to collect material for a feature he’s doing on the hot trend of urban exploring, a highly illegal activity that could have serious consequences for the individuals involved. Well, that’s what Balenger says he’s there for. It’s not long before he’s forced to reveal skills that no newspaper reporter is required to have and the other members of the group start asking questions.

When what seems like a lark turns into a trip into hell, the Creepers need Balenger just to stay alive. Booby traps made both by nature and man are everywhere in the rotting tomb that was once a proud pyramid. The Paragon Hotel is full of strange, mutated creatures, pirates, and a person so deranged that every step becomes a nightmare. There are also more complications when the professor reveals why the team of urban explorers is really risking life and limb inside the dark death trap. Also revealed is Balenger’s true reason for accompanying the team and why he’s so good at what he does. But as the odds keep mounting against them, the fun history trip becomes a fight for survival and all bets are off as to whether any of the Creepers will make it out of this hellhole full of twisted secrets alive.

Your old pal Skull gives CREEPERS a FIVE STAR RATING, without reservation. This action-packed thriller will get your blood pumping and keep you turning pages long after lights out. Morrell packs his work with well researched historical bits, something that makes the reading experience even more tangible. Kind of a 3-D effect, if you will. He also addresses mental health issues, PTSD to be exact, in Frank Balenger, connecting it to the nightmarish conflicts in the middle east that melted soldiers’ minds. Overall, a powerful novel that I’m very glad I read. There is also a sequel to Creepers called Scavenger that takes readers on another adventure with Frank Balenger. He’s tough and smart, but also human which makes him the kind of hero who’s accessible to readers. According to David Morrell’s website, davidmorrell.net there will be a movie made of Creepers in 2024. If that pans out, it should be a very interesting flick. Stay tuned!

Brian James Lewis is a disabled poet and writer with PTSD who finds writing to be vastly important to his recovery. Working class to the bone, he writes inclusive, real-world stories and poetry that hit home. Brian’s work has appeared in anthologies from Smoking Pen Press, No Bad Books, and HellBound Books. He’s also appeared in online publications like The Sunlight Press, the Hook of A Book Poetry Project, and The Sirens Call e-Zine. Besides writing, Brian enjoys bringing old typewriters back to life, including a Royal KMM formerly owned by Rod Serling. Visit him at: www.damagedskullwriterandreviewer.com for news and independent book reviews, or on X/twitter@skullsnflames76