Sixty-Five Stirrup Iron Road is a collaboration between nine (Brian Keene, Jack Ketchum, Edward Lee, J F Gonzalez, Bryan Smith, Wrath James White, Nate Southard, Ryan Harding and Shane McKenzie) of hardcore horrors most twisted innovators which will leave genre fans mind-raped, soiled, slaughtered, and most of all smiling.
First off, and VITAL to understanding, is that this is HARDCORE horror. These talented pychos push limits in every way possible, from sexual depravity to ultra-violence to humor of the blackest pitch, so if you don’t think you can handle any or all of that, leave this page now and find something sparkly to read. For those of you still with me, I am going to assume you know who the hell these nine guys are, and assume you know they are veritable legends in the hardcore horror/splatterpunk genre. For us fans of this sickening drivel this is much more than a book, but an experience which draws you into a world and puts you right there with your favorite authors.
The Master of Hardcore Horror, Ed Lee, starts things off as only he can with a prologue which introduces us to the house at 65 Stirrup Iron Road and hints at the demented fun to come. From here the authors rotate between solo and collaborated chapters that whip along so fast it felt like I had a hook in my face dragging me through the ever sickening story. In chapter one, we meet Arrianne and Chuck, the newest residents in the den of evil known as 65 Stirrup Iron Road. From here our boys start to have fun, pushing the aforementioned limits with macabre glee. Our main characters warp as much so as they evolve as the horrors of the house are revealed little by little through scenes both perverted and horrifying. While speaking of the horrors of the house, I’ll say the story line is actually quite similar to that of Lee’s incredible Gast, but that soon comes to matter for naught. Because just when it seems like the story is spinning at a fever pitch fit to unravel or explode in a fountain of gore and depravity, our boys join the fun. From here, as a fan of the genre I felt like I was drawn into the book to meet some of the authors who have entertained me so very well over the years and watch them wreak havoc on this world they created.
Each chapter seriously gets sicker and sicker as these guys get the juices flowing, their styles all still unique but somehow melding to that of their fellow authors to keep the read as easy and smooth as something this twisted could be. The two highlights I have to mention are Shane McKenzie’s first solo chapter-which literally had me laughing out loud at such a terrible death to the most wet-mouthed-gag I’ve ever experienced while reading, all within a few short pages (awesome, keep your eye on that guy) and the Keene/Ketchum chapter, which in the hands of two less talented authors could have imploded the whole brutal experiment but instead made for one of the most entertaining, violent, and strangely intimate reads ever for me. Also, the last chapter had me laughing out loud like a fool in a bar with a bunch of my favorite authors.
This book is a MUST OWN for fans of hardcore horror. Note I didn’t just say ‘highly recommended’, I am saying BUY THIS BOOK HERE YOU SICKOS!
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