And just like a double feature at the drive-in, books can have two spooky tales in one, as seen in author Miah Allsman’s Fear Feed: Double Feature – Predators and Prey.
Two short horror stories about sex, brutal violence, and monsters who either get what they want or get what’s coming for them.
Double Feature – Predators and Prey, Amazon
The first story, The Folklore Fuckaround, deals with a couple perusing around the Cronenberg Museum after-hours. Of course, two lovebirds have nothing but nudity on their minds — but with a museum sharing the name of a famous horror filmmaker, the Folklore Wing may not be the best place to get frisky. As the two get busy amongst the priceless treasures of the museum, a deep growling voice bellows, morphing into amber eyes and a beastly appearance in the shadows. The two are blissfully unaware of the extreme danger they are in.
Folklore Fuckaround was a fun story because I could immediately picture the museum in my head. My favorite museum of all time is the Milwaukee Public Museum, which is full of life-size dioramas, taxidermied specimens, and all sorts of really immersive displays; though the museum in this story clearly wasn’t the MPM, I could easily imagine what would happen if those displays came to life, or if the artifacts inside those walls chose to “stretch their legs” for the night. Allsman writes that a previous security guard had left suddenly, and before the creature ever comes onto the page, we know the pair will meet a gruesome fate. He writes with such description that I can picture each and every room, every selfie, and every drip of blood written down. Folklore Fuckaround turned a museum — a place of learning and curiosity — into a tomb.
Next comes The Penthouse Predator, where our main character too is in danger — but also not. Coming from a long line of well-off game hunters, our mysterious protagonist trysts with a woman who morphs into a werewolf. For him, this is the ultimate hunt: a seductress transformed into a thing of fury and rage, howling for blood.
Like the previous story, Penthouse Predator offers a long lineage of legendary beasts, both in main character Varrick and his prize trophy kill for the night. This story is also double-sided; Varrick could absolutely be both the predator and prey of this penthouse, as could his female flame. The Penthouse Predator had all the action we could want with a werewolf story, plus, the description of the woman’s transformation was so horrifyingly detailed that I could almost feel the pain she was going through as she made her change. I do wonder whether she knew she was a werewolf beforehand, or if this just happened to her suddenly, but that detail is just a small piece not necessarily needed here.
Double Feature – Predators and Prey was well matched with both stories working together as a combined book. As always, Allsman’s work is energizing, gross, terrifying, and darkly humorous. His short stories are perfect bites of dread, fit for any occasion you want some extra scares in. The more I read from Allsman, the more I love his work; Double Feature – Predators and Prey is at the top of my list.
Fear Feed: Double Feature – Predators and Prey is available to purchase on Amazon. For more, follow author Miah Allsman on Instagram.
If you liked this review, check out my other Miah Allsman features here: Optics and Stalled.
