Night Terrors
Editor D.E. Davidson

It seems that nowadays in the small press, editors rely on that long list of brand name authors to steer their magazine in a successful direction. The problem is that even the biggest names are capable of mediocrity, and when they gather within the cover of a magazine, it's a sure bet the life of the zine will be a short lived one. Just take a look at all the mags that fold after one or two issues. Is editor burn out really to blame all the time? Or is it the lack of entertainment it offers?

Perhaps it is a combination of the two. It takes talent and a great deal of patience on an editor's part to read through manuscript after manuscript in order to find great stories from a select group of seasoned authors, and the hidden gems from emerging beginners. This combined chemistry of quality fiction could ultimately determine the fate of a publication.

It seems that Night Terrors editor D.E. Davidson knows this very well.

Inside issue number one--which came delivered in a plastic bag mind you, the first sign of professionalism--there are twelve stories which make up the aforementioned association. Nine are from writers I have read before. So did Mr Davidson sacrifice quality for a name on the cover? No sir-ee. I can only imagine how many stories he had to read through to find these jewels.

"Gull Tender", by Ken Goldman is simply delicious, an entertaining tale from first word to last that would fit in perfectly with any Stephen King Collection. It's about a hockey player who uses his talents to cover up a dastardly crime. This story alone is worth the price of the magazine. "Work of Art", by Kurt Newton, is a dark modern gothic about an obsessed artist and his incredible desire to portray as much of himself in his work. A truly great story, but what else is one to expect from this talented writer?

Louise Dragon, always a pleasure to read, treats us with "Chester's Tale", an eerily crafted ghost story that functionally reworks the 'haunted car' scenario, and the ever-present Charlee Jacob serves up "The Crow Gang", a striking piece that tells us the story of Jerome, a rebel of sorts, who decides to drag his '65 Mustang against a mocking crow. The end result, found at the finish line, is unpredictably frightening and humorous. One of the quickest reads in this issue, one can only scratch their head and wonder where Ms Jacob comes up with her brilliant and entertaining ideas. Other tales of mention are a couple of reprints from Nina Kiriki-Hoffman and Mort Castle, and creepy originals from Dominick Cancilla and Keith Minnion.

The only piece that doesn't pull its weight with the others is the obligatory two page ramble of nothingness from the prodigious D.F. Lewis. As well versed as Mr Lewis is, "Hildred's Tale" doesn't scare nor frighten, nor do anything for that matter.

The layout of the magazine is very clean, a two-color cover, decent reading typeface, and virtually typo-free. However there is some room for improvement. There were some chunks of white space (there's no poetry in Night Terrors) in which text could have been wrapped around, or avoided if the titles and author's name were enlarged, and although all the art was pleasing (there's a great piece here from Charles Fallis), not all of it seemed to go with the story it was next to. However, seeing as talented as Davidson is in picking his stories, his layout will no doubt improve as more issues are published.

Night Terrors is a magazine for those who like their supernatural horror served up with a smear of gore. The fiction is top-flight in a very readable format. With the passing of Terminal Fright and Deathrealm, Night Terrors seems the suitable replacement.

Copyright © 1997 by Michael Laimo. All Rights Reserved.