I was first contacted to read and review this awesome book with the premise that I would get a free copy. Well, I’m not one to turn many things down for free, and when I was told it involved macabre, horror, and fast food, I was down for some action!

This book looks tame on the surface, it’s a collection of horror based stories that involve fast food. I was considering the worst of possible things involved in this book, considering that I had just seen the film Drive Thru upon finishing off this anthology of 23 horrifying stories.

Now I use horrifying a little loosely, since the stories at times have a greater sense of humor than they do true terror, but if you suspend your imagination past the sensible, you’re in for one hell of a thrill ride.

What makes horror so great to me is not so much the blood and guts, although I enjoy seeing some great effects on film, it’s the nightmare inducing descriptions of the steps the characters take in between the horror. The beating hearts, the tainted nerves, the fear of the unknown in a familiar place, it all sums up to exciting reading, regardless of what some people might consider “good reading”.

What separates this book from a lot of other horror related books that I’ve read, is the sheer passion that translates through the writing. It’s hard to come off somewhat sincere in writing horror at times, with so many daunting authors, or should I say with the humongous shadows cast by Stephen King and Clive Barker, which is somewhat overwhelming in comparing horror stories. (No, I didn’t forget Matheson or many other great horror writers, I’m just using bigwigs for the sake of argument, don’t send hate mail please)

This book is stuffed with good, sometimes short, endeavors that are great reads. My only minor complaint is the length. But then again, they are short stories, and not novels, and therefore the set ups and follow through are awe inspiring for horror fans.

Amazon.com has this to say about this book:

“Fried! contains 23 original tales of horror set in and around fast food restaurants. Each story is written and illustrated by some of today’s newest writers and illustrators. Think Stephen King meets Super Size Me. The book so controversial that a major restaurant chain tried to CENSOR it! Get your fill of monsters, maniacs, murderers and milkshakes. Devour the tale of a band of hobos who crave human flesh. Chow down on the myth of an abandoned restaurant that serves as a gateway for lost and demented souls. Gorge yourself on the story of the veggie burger that turns human beings into human beans. Pig out on the account of the fast food joint that stands as humanity’s last hope for survival in a zombie-infested world. These stories and more from: . D.L. Snell . Gregg Winkler . Michael Josef . Christopher J. Dwyer . Michael Hultquist . Bret Jordan . Shanna Germain . H.F. Gibbard . Andy Kirby . Kevin Lightburn . Jodi Lee . James Patrick Cobb . Cody Goodfellow . Rodney J. Smith . Stephen Leclerc . David Dunwoody . Lisa Becker . MP Johnson . Cheryl Rainfield . Ken Goldman . KJ Kabza . Joel A. Sutherland . Matt Hults”

At first I was definitely not sure what to expect from this collection of stories, but the more I read the more I enjoyed the greatness found there in. It really opened up my eyes to how terrific some writers are that are not named Stephen King or Clive Barker or Carpenter for that matter.

I highly recommend this anthology of stories, they are far better than you would possibly expect, considering they all have something to do with the fast food world. I wish I could have been a part of the writing…but then again, I suck at creating characters. Get this book, it’s for horror fans, book fans, and so much more. There’s comedy, there’s horror, there’s satire, there’s romance? You’ll enjoy it, it’s lighter than Kafka…that’s for sure…or is it? Fried! Fast Food Slow Deaths is in stores now…so pick it up and help independent writers move up in the world…and put down that John Grisham novel…for goodness sakes.