The Pumpkin King and Other Tales of Terror by R. David Fulcher

Genre: Horror Short Stories

Format: eBook

Pages: 136

Rating: ★★★★

Synopsis:

Gravelight is pleased to present the first volume in a two-book series collecting the horror fiction of R. David Fulcher!

THE PUMPKIN KING AND OTHER TALES OF TERROR offers up 20 works by Fulcher, each updated and revised by the author. Each tale has been fully revised by the author, making these the definitive versions of the stories.

 Unlike slasher books, these stories create an eerie atmosphere of dread, letting the reader’s own imagination fill in the terrifying details. In the tradition of psychological horror and dark fantasy, they hint at sinister things lurking in the shadows without fully bringing them to light. 

The collection Includes:

• Eulogy to E.A. Poe
• Marienburg Castle
• The Pumpkin King
• Heavenly Strains
• A Matter of Taste
• My Days With Mahalia
• A Night Out With Mr. Bones
• Merry Are We of the Lake
• The Night Flyer
• Pumpkin Seed Spit
• A Night for Animals
• The Man Next Door
• Extra! Extra!
• The Flight Dummy
• For the Children
• The Watcher’s Web
• Dreaming, The Copper City
• The Huntress
• The Faerie Lights
• The October Man

Review:

"Everything retained the silence after the storm; everything retained the silence of the dead."

The best thing about short stories is the diversity of each plot or character. To create both in just a few short pages and engage the reader is to be commended. 

Each story centered on a mix of horror and sub-genres of horror. These are the types of stories that produce the slow creeping dread, the kind that are atmospheric, and have imagery that settles into the imagination. The kind that are thought provoking, creating those moments when one feels the need to stop and think about what was just being read. 

Hauntings in neighborhoods, deep within the woods, and in places where one wouldn't expect them to be. One must always be wary of what walks among them and what may be hidden. Watching and waiting for their time to shine amongst the living. Tempting and coercing into realms of darkness that change the lives of their prey. Much like the minds of us readers tempted into the pages of horror stories. 

 "There was a still woman by a stair railing and a still horror floating in her living room and twenty-seven still spirits by the still waters of a silent lake."

Goodreads Author Link:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/

Amazon Book Link:

https://www.amazon.com/Pumpkin-King-Other-Tales-Terror-ebook/

Author Website:

https://rdavidfulcher.com/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

R. DAVID FULCHER is an author of horror, science fiction, fantasy, and poetry. Major literary influences include H.P. Lovecraft, Dean Koontz, Edgar Allen Poe, Fritz Lieber, and Stephen King. Fulcher’s first novel, a historical drama set in World War II, Trains to Nowhere, and his second novel, a collection of fantasy and science fiction short stories, Blood Spiders and Dark Moon, are both available from authorhouse.com and Amazon.

FULCHER’S work has appeared in numerous small press publications including Lovecraft’s Mystery Magazine, Black Satellite, The Martian Wave, Burning Sky, Shadowlands, Twilight Showcase, Heliocentric Net, Gateways, Weird Times, Freaky Frights and the anthologies Dimensions and Silken Ropes. Fulcher’s work can also be found in the DPP collection Halloween Party 2019, available at Amazon and at the DPP online store. A passion for the written word has also inspired Fulcher to edit and publish the literary magazine, Samsara,(samsaramagazine.net), which has showcased writers and poets for over a decade. Fulcher resides in Ashburn, Virginia, with his wife Lisa, and their rambunctious cats.

A Coffee & Thorn Book Tour

Coffee & Thorn Website Link:

https://coffeeandthorn.com/

Review Links:

 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/

https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/