Horror on the Installment Plan’s New Issues
I’m Jim Musgrave, or “E. Z. Graves” as I’m known on the pages of my new horror ezine, Horror on the Installment Plan. I’m happy to say that my stories are now available in all formats (even print), and I’d like to give a shout out to the authors and the stories they’ve created.
Issue 1: “Zombies and Children” (review thanks to horroraddicts.com)
In our introductory issue we have five stories and an interview with up-and-coming dark fiction author, Nat Robinson. We also post interviews with our authors on our Purgatory Blogs. You must register and login to view these interviews.
The first story in the June issue of Horror on the Installment Plan is The Flesh Eaters by Andrew F. Rey. It’s about a guy named Dwayne who is living alone in a California town looking for food and keeping away from the zombies that seem to be everywhere. This story reads like any other zombie story but has a twist ending that makes it a good read.
The next story is by Stacy Bolli called The Undead Addiction. This story includes zombies but is not your normal zombie story. The zombie outbreak has been contained but now there is a different problem. It has been discovered that a highly addictive drug can be made from a female zombie’s brain called zombion. One dose of zombion leaves you addicted and if you go into withdrawal you’re as good as dead. Problem is there aren’t a lot of zombies left and people are killing each other to get the drug. I loved this story because it was an original look at the aftermath of a zombie outbreak.
Basic Nature by Karen Dent is next up and looks at a father trying to save his daughter from himself as he changes into one of the undead. This one is followed by Back Seat Letter by Chris Castle which is told from a letter written by a little girl who is in a back seat of a car trying to escape a zombie infestation. Both of these stories were great character driven pieces and a lot of fun to read.
The last story in this magazine was by the publisher E.Z. Graves and called Born this Way. This was a fun little zombie tale that has a very funny musical part. Each story in this issue of Horror on the Installment Plan was a very different look at the zombie genre and each story was an excellent read. I’ve read a lot of horror magazines in my time and it’s very rare to find a magazine where all the stories are good but this issue of Horror on the Installment Plan succeeds. The best part is that this magazine can be purchased on Amazon for 99 cents.
Issue 3: “Home Alone”
Were you ever left home alone? McCauley Culkin made a career for himself out of the experience, but perhaps you were less enthusiastic. There are always sinister shadows lurking about, windows that bang open, and creaking floorboards that echo when you walk.
This week’s theme brings you four stories that involve circumstances that happen inside our abodes. Whether in the basement or flying around outside above our heads, danger and evil can occur when we’re home alone.
For example, in our lead story, The Basement, author Jeff Poole brings us a situation we may have all faced. Somebody we know may be missing, and we are aware of where he could be. But, should we enter to find out? You will find out when you enter “The Basement.”
Next, J. T. Seate, in his second HOTIP appearance, takes us inside This Old House where the rivalry of two sisters leads to a tale of horrendous proportions. This story could just as well have appeared on “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” back in the day.
The third story is from yours truly, and it concerns a problematic search on the web where a military wife finds out a lot more than she ever bargained for. Are drones becoming the new terrorist weapon of choice? Find out in Pterodrone.
Finally, to complete our quartet of stories for this week, we have HOTIP regular, J. G. Faherty’s True Love Never Dies. This story is a cozy little tale about a husband who has trouble getting to sleep. What keeps him awake will also keep you awake.
Issue 4: “Freaks of Society”
Freaks are popular because they represent the misshapen values of commercialism and our need for freaks to make us look better to ourselves. However, in the film, these freaks take out their revenge on the strong man, and in this week’s issue of Horror on the Installment Plan you will see other freaks who also get some amount of revenge. However, in J. G. Faherty’s Jennifer’s Body, the woman becomes a freak at the very hands of our specialized medical profession.
We hope you enjoy all of these stories, and that you’ll continue to subscribe each month for another roll of the dice in our themed issues. Freaks are merely unlucky with the genetics they are given, and any one of us could be a freak due to fate or accidental dismemberment.
We introduce Nick Medina, a writer with a flair for the dramatic, and his On the Edge of Town, gets down to earth about our freakish souls. Following his fascinating story of freaks, Tracy Carbone gives us “Etta and Jojo,” which, she tells us, was inspired by the painting of a lunatic asylum. Finally, Best Foot Forward, by writer extraordinaire, Troy Seate, takes us into the life of a modern-day hunchback. It reminds us that we are just an accident away from freakdom, and we must count our blessings, lest we forget the lessons these stories teach us. Until next week, enjoy the inner world of Horror on the Installment Plan!
Download samples at our web site: http://www.contempinstruct.com
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