BOOK REVIEW: We’re Not Ourselves Today : 13 Tales of Pulp Horror by Lydia Prime & Jill Girardi
REVIEW: We’re Not Ourselves Today 13 Tales of Pulp Horror
Lydia Prime & Jill Girardi
Prime and Girardi craft thirteen spine-tingling short stories certain to terrify and disturb. From garbage demons and werewolves to curses and delicious revenge, each tale weaves memorable monsters with high tension and horrific stakes. Some readers may gravitate a tad more toward Girardi’s haunting writing style while others may lean into Prime’s stomach-churning scenes, but overall, Prime and Girardi shine equally, sharing the spotlight with expert prose that invokes nightmares long after the final page.
Each story features a monster – whether human or otherwise. Familiar creatures such as werewolves are featured in multiple stories but with clever and refreshing twists to keep readers salivating. Other times, original monsters are born from the wickedly twisted imaginations of Prime and Girardi. Creativity oozes from the pages as does a decent about of blood and guts; however, inserted into the terror are occasion moments of absurdist levity such as in the opening story “The Letter” by Prime, who takes a gruesome premise of an expectant mother receiving a mysterious letter and pivots in a campy unexpected way. The creature in “The Roiling” by Jill Girardi also has a campy vibe undertone and would make an incredible onscreen villain, if ever adapted for television. In this piece, Frog People have taken over and Sherman Tan, a rather cowardly human protagonist, must figure out how to survive the new landscape.
The overall anthology feels like stepping into a wickedly intense 80s fright night marathon. Some of the content may be shocking for readers (child death, domestic abuse) as neither Prime nor Girardi hold back, but for those open to extreme horror with splashes of gore and tons of uniquely crafted monsters, this is a must read! Perfect for horror fans looking for creature features, women written horror, and nightmare fuel!
