As a member of my friend Josh Ginsburg's Patreon, I received a copy of Con-Thology, a horror collection he was recently published in. For $3 a month, I get a sneak peek at all of his prolific writings and other membership perks, to include Con-Thology.
As the title says, Con-Thology is a collection of horror stories that take place in the halls of a convention. Conventions can be organized chaos, full of vendors and characters and celebrities and guest appearances. You never know who or what you might run into in at a convention. These stories up the ante and increase the chaos of convention life.
Con-Thology is short. It is only 55 pages, including table of contents and author bio page. You can read it in one sitting. Each story ranges between 8 and 15 pages. They get to the point and bring the weirdness and horror. I am going to review each and give my personal opinions in order of appearance in the book.
1) Cosplay by Josh Strnad
The anthology starts with the shortest story in the collection. Josh tells the tale of a loner and social outcast who embraces his mysterious wraith costume and enjoys the attention he gets from his fellow attendees while still being able to hide within his disguise. His ability to hide in his mysterious attire provides cover for his darker intentions.
2) Autographed Edition by Douglas Ford
The set-up for this story is awesome. I love the idea of a reader finding a new release from a deceased author and further finding that the book is autographed with the author's signature. There is so much mystery and potential with that premise. It could have been its own book. But in the world of Con-Thology, other authors and bargains and ceremonies enter the story and while we pleasantly wade in the macabre and occult, we shift from the initial mystery to something more ceremonial. Perhaps Douglas will revisit that premise and flesh it out into something larger someday.
(Note: I've met Doug. He and I did a book signing coordinated through Josh in St Petersburg last fall. Doug is also quite prolific, with several novels and collections to his name. I own The Infection Party, although I have not had a chance to read it yet.)
3) The Sally Anne Test by Elaine Pascale
Another very weird and usual story - which is to be expected of course. I enjoyed the point of view of someone who had been sheltered and used as an experiment by a manipulative parent. The horror of psychological manipulation is creepy and a fertile ground for something bad to happen. Eventually, the young girl not only has a chance to be around others, but she also has a chance to meet her favorite graphic artist. Or does she? The twists and turns of this story make it a very interesting read.
4) Closing Ceremony by Joshua Ginsburg
I had the pleasure of reading this story before it was in Con-Thology. Josh asked my thoughts on the story and the unique way it was written. I liked it then and I like the finished product. This story takes a unique perspective on a convention annihilated by a disaster. It reads like an investigative report, full of details and observations. There are no people, no characters, and no dialogue. It is an interesting read, chock full of name-drops and Easter eggs. And being that the convention hall is utterly devastated, Josh's story is a good way to end the book. Even if you have a wristband, you are not going back in after that.
Overall, I enjoyed Con-Thology. It was a fun, creepy, quick read. Highly recommend signing up for Josh's patreon for only $3 a month or finding any of the authors and picking up a copy of Con-Thology at your nearest convention.
