Bonemeal by Michael Hernandez Horror Book Review

“A childhood pull of what lay beneath the thin veneer of reality dared him to keep himself in place.” - Gol 

Bonemeal by Michael Hernandez is a 2026 horror collection featuring twenty plus stories, poems and illustrations of dread and terror. 

The book is, in simplistic terms, a horror anthology. However, the stories are broken up by occasional pieces of dark poetry, as well as several terrific and haunting hand-drawn illustrations, which help break up the traditional, story-driven anthology format. 

The variety in the book’s layout extends to the individual stories, with some being simple and straightforward while others are denser and more intricate. This is also reflected in the length of each story, with some running just 5–10 pages and others stretching to 20 or more. That makes it easy to pick up and read casually, which is generally how I prefer to read anthologies, though it also works well if you want to read it straight through. 

The stories explore a wide range of ideas and approaches. Recurring themes such as mental illness, insecurity, and inner turmoil weave throughout many of the stories. I also got strong EC Comics vibes from many of the tales in Bonemeal, which is somewhat to be expected with a short-story anthology. 

I enjoyed this book quite a bit, but a few stories stood out to me in particular: “Blood Drive,” “Itch” (which is wonderfully gross and extra descriptive), “Drive,” “Night at the Opera,” “Words,” “Night Sail,” and “Gol.” In all honesty, though, there wasn’t much to dislike about any of the stories in Bonemeal. It’s a well-written, nicely balanced collection that’s well worth the time of any horror fiction fan.

Learn more about Bonemeal as well as purchasing options by clicking this LINK. 

7 Most Watch Horror Movies for Summerween!

Start your Summerween off on the right (severed) foot with these must watch summer horror movies!

Summer of Fear aka Stranger in Our House – Wes Craven (1978)

Linda Blair stars in an early made-for-TV Wes Craven movie based on a Lois Duncan novel about a teenager who may or may not be a witch… need I say more? Okay: Lee Purcell.

Fun fact: This premiered on October 31, so it’s really the perfect Summerween movie.

No One Will Save You – Brian Duffield (2023)

A home invasion movie where the invaders are, in fact, aliens. Mostly set in one location and featuring almost no dialogue, No One Will Save You is intense and tightly paced. It also features the classic grey alien, which is something that simply hasn’t been utilized enough in movies.

The Ruins – Carter Smith (2008)

Based on the novel of the same name, The Ruins follows a group of entitled tourists who end up on the wrong side of both the locals and an unknown threat after overstepping their boundaries. Filled with some grotesque body horror, The Ruins is criminally underrated and a must-watch this summer. I’ve written about this one previously. Click here to read my words!! 

Fall – Scott Mann (2022)

The premise is simple: two adventure-seeking women climb a 2,000-foot abandoned radio tower and climb right back down. Just kidding. They end up stranded at the top of the tower with no way to get back down. Despite its modest budget, Fall is an effective and absolutely terrifying experience, especially if you’re afraid of heights. Which I am. 

Sleepaway Camp 2: Unhappy Campers – Michael A. Simpson (1988)

Let’s face it, any of the films in this series fit the bill, and as much as I adore the first movie, my heart will always belong to Unhappy Campers. It’s CAMPY (sorry), over-the-top, and features a number of fun kills. However, what really makes this one work (as well as the equally enjoyable sequel, Teenage Wasteland) is Pamela Springsteen’s hilariously fun performance.

Southbound – Radio Silence (2015)

An anthology film featuring five tales of terror, Southbound’s desert highway backdrop—which serves as a sort of intersection connecting each tale—is as hot and desolate as it is moody and atmospheric.

Just Before Dawn – Jeff Lieberman (1981)

Noted for its jaw-dropping Oregon forest locations, Just Before Dawn is more than your typical backwoods slasher. The film focuses on unsettling tension and atmosphere while featuring a terrific score that’s sure to get under your skin.

Slash Through Summer With These Horror Book Recommendations!

Summer is whack. It’s hot and hot and also hot. Three things that are… you guessed it! Whack. 

Skip all that garbage by grabbing yourself a scary horror book, specifically one set during the hot summer months, and live vicariously through the lives of people fighting for theirs with these summer horrors book recommendations to help you beat the summer heat! 

Fantasticland - Mike Bockoven

When a hurricane hits the coast of Florida, a group of employees find themselves trapped inside of a theme park, where social structure and sanity quickly deteriorate, and chaos ensues. 

Described as Lord of the Flies meets Battle Royal, Fantasticland is told through investigative interviews with the characters involved. The ones that survived, that is. 

You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight - Kalynn Bayron

When the employees of an interactive, slasher-themed summer camp start turning up dead, it’s up to the “final girl” to fight for her survival while protecting her coworkers and loved ones. 

Summerside Lake Massacre - L.R.J. Allen

Following a timeline that bounces back and forth between the 1950s and current-day 1980s, this summer camp slasher weaves a tale that reveals a town's dark past in the bloodiest of fashions.

The Devil All the Time - Donald Ray Pollock

This Southern Gothic tale interconnects a number of storylines that, to put it lightly, are sleazy and completely disturbing. You can feel the sweat and grit with each page turn. There’s a film adaptation, with a terrific cast, on Netflix that might be okay if you haven’t read the book. But please, read the book instead. 

The Blonde Dies First - Joelle Wellington

In this meta-supernatural slasher, a group of lifelong friends accidentally release a demon that begins stalking them on the hot Summer streets of Brooklyn, New York. 

Home Is Where the Bodies Are - Jeneva Rose

While this one is more thriller than outright horror, the book revolves around a trio of siblings who, after being reunited to deal with their mother’s passing, discover a VHS tape that reveals a horrible family secret.

That does it for me. If you’ve read any of these books, then I’d love to hear your feedback. If you haven’t, then, well, hopefully one of these tickles your sweaty summer pickle. 

Dracula Live From Transylvania TV Spot - 1988 Halloween TV Special

Dracula Live From Transylvania is a live Halloween TV special hosted by George Hamilton. The special, which focuses on both the history and mythology of Dracula and vampires alike, aired on October 25, 1988. 

 I was lucky enough to catch it live on channel 20 WTXX-TV, an independent station out of Connecticut. I actually recorded the special and still have that tape, complete with commercials. The special is a lot of fun and really hits those nostalgic feels for me. There are copies of the special floating around on YouTube, so if you are looking to dig into something spooky, kitschy and fun during Summerween, Halloween, Springween, Christmasween, or any other ‘ween you can think of, then I definitely recommend giving Dracula Live From Transylvania a TWIST! Sorry. 

This TV spot advertising the special was taken from Dailymotion, which I actually cleaned up a bit. Please enjoy. 

P.S. Hi! It’s been a bit. Maybe I’ll post something later on so we can catch up a little. Love you. 

The 2023 Halloween Party Music UBER MEGA-MIX!

Darkness is abound, completely taking over

As your senses are filed with the smells of October

The blackness is unavoidable as it continues to swirl

So best to embrace it and get ready to twirl

As the sounds begin to pulsate, you feel your heart rate

Continue to rise from its once resting state

The wind howls loudly as it begins to whip

To the spooky sounds that come from the 2023 Halloween Party UBER MEGA-MIX!!

I may not be around much these days, but CNAMB is always in my heart (especially during Halloween), and I’ll be damned if I will not always make an effort to, at the very least, drop the most recent, most sickest, most INSANE Halloween music playlist ever made my a human named Matt who runs a blog titled Chuck Norris Ate My Baby. As always, this Halloween playlist is always evolving and always growing, and I try to mix the videos up so there is variety from one song to the next. I’ve added quite a few new videos this year, and did my best to track down any that may have been pulled from YouPorn, I mean Tube. Well, at least if I notice. I should probably keep track of what I have on this list, but that would be smart. Who the fuck does smart things?

Okay, hope you are all having a sick a TWIZTED Halloween so far, and feel free to send me cash if you feel like it. Bye. Love you.

Salute Your Shorts: Jack Attack 2013

It’s Halloween night in a quaint neighborhood where a young boy named Jack (Tyler Rossell) and his babysitter, Elizabeth (Helen Rogers), are headed home to do a little pumpkin carving. It’s obvious that this is Jack’s first experience partaking in this beloved Halloween tradition, and Elizabeth does a great job making it as enjoyable as she can for the young boy. After they finish with their jack-o-lantern, Elizabeth bakes some pumpkin seeds while Jack gets ready to go trick or treating, and despite the fact that Elizabeth’s boyfriend is MIA, all seems about as perfect as can be on this Halloween night. 

Throughout the first half of this 8-minute short film, there are some genuinely sweet interactions between Elizabeth and Jack, with both actors giving solid, believable performances. It’s almost heartwarming watching the two enjoy the traditions of Halloween together. There’s even a cute little dog to hammer home the warm, cozy feelings. While this charming first half very much feels in line with the lighter, more familial side of Halloween, I think we all know that Halloween isn’t always so sweet, and things suddenly take a dark turn for both Jack and Elizabeth.

Without giving away any of the horrific goods, I will say that If you have a fear of choking or are sensitive to seeing young children in peril, you might be a little turned off by some of the situations that unfold in Jack Attack. But most of you, myself included, will find these elements to be quite effective. There are moments where Jack Attack goes into some pretty gruesome and even frightening places, but It’s not done in a mean-spirited fashion. In fact, Jack Attack blends a tasty mix of horror and fun, which is really the perfect recipe for capturing the spirit of Halloween.

Written and directed by Bryan Norton and Antonio Padovan, Jack Attack features an impressively high level of production value, which is matched by great sound design and gruesomely satisfying special effects. In many ways, Jack Attack almost feels as if it could live in the same world as Trick r’ Treat and feels very much in line with the FEARnet (RIP) Trick ‘r Treat holiday shorts that were being released back in 2011. It hits that Halloween vibe so nicely, and it does so without much time invested, making it the perfect thing to throw on in between that 46th rewatch of Halloween 4 and 5.

The 2022 Halloween Party Music UBER MEGA-MIX!

 

Get ready to put on your dancing shoes all you spooky ghouls

As once again it’s that time of year filled with creaks and boos

Despite the creepy setting and all that comes with it

The beats will hit so hard that there’s no way you’ll be able to sit

While all the children are out enjoying their night of treats and tricks

It’s time for us to kick off the 2022 Halloween Party Music UBER MEGA-MIX!