Disgrace is not the lowest point to which one can sink. Death, or rather undeath, is somewhat less acceptable. Nevertheless, whenever possible, one should avoid succumbing to either. The first gruesome parody of Jane Austen’s classic, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES (Quirk Books, 2009) met with such success, that Quirk editor Jason Rekulak requested the story be continued. Author Seth Grahame-Smith was at work on ABRAHAM LINCOLN, VAMPIRE HUNTER, so Steve Hockensmith was asked to take over the project. In 2010, he released a prequel, DAWN OF THE DREADFULS; DREADFULLY EVER AFTER completes the P&P&Z trilogy.

Sadistic harbingers of unlimited degeneracy continually stab at our comfort and complacency with tales of impending apocalypse. Crazed hordes feasting on raw flesh and monsters that particularly enjoy maggot-infused eyeballs are popular ways to end the world. Permuted Press, publisher and connoisseur of cataclysmic scenarios, even encourages us to relax and enjoy it. Certainly you can’t throw a librarian without hitting a book on the annihilation of humanity. Although momentarily unsettling, after reading the epilogue we always emerge, shaken but safe, in our well-governed, relatively clean, monster-free world.

Inspiring the inner serial killer in us all, SLICE OF CHERRY, the second book in the Portero series by Dia Reeves (pictured), calls forth the latent demons in a big way.

THE SORROW KING (Grindhouse Press, coming April 26) is a frighteningly tragic story about a young man’s slow descent into madness. The teenagers of a small town are killing themselves at an alarming rate. Newspapers are referring to this mass hysteria as “The Suicide Virus.” This supernatural tale offers a lot of scares, while taking a bleak and realistic look at disenchanted youth.

In the hands of a capable author, survival horror novels are often the most gripping and engaging works in the horror genre. But when tackled by uninspired writers, these novels can be excruciatingly boring. Unfortunately, WHITE FLAG OF THE DEAD (Severed Press) by Joseph Talluto (pictured) falls into the latter category and is a book most readers will leave behind before reaching the halfway point.

Portero, Texas. A fine community filled with all sorts of upstanding citizens. Take Melissa, for example. She’s pregnant, full bellied and wanting to feed her unborn child. Unfortunately, she’s also dead. And possessing local townsfolk. And, Melissa is a serial killer. Because she has to feed the baby. Neighbors: they’re what’s for dinner!

THE BROTHERS CRUNK (Grindhouse Press) is a bizarrely imaginative blend of sci-fi, horror and fantasy adventure. The lives of two brothers are unexpectedly changed forever when they discover the grisly remains of a mutilated corpse. In this monster-infested apocalypse, video game accessories from the ‘80s are used as hostile weapons. As the story strives on being strange and absurd, creativity has never flowed so freely.