 Anxiety about machines taking over our existence and eventually becoming the catalyst for our destruction as a species is not a new concept. However, it is one that seems to have been shoved to the back of the fear line in the last decade, the dark fiction genres instead overrun with zombies, serial killers, and spirit possessions. We’ve forgotten, it seems, that the scariest creatures are the ones we usher willingly into our own homes. Luckily, the authors of Murder and Machinery: Tales of Technological Terror and Mechanical Madness are here to remind us. In a potluck of dystopian, steampunk, and sci-fi-inspired horror, Murder and Machinery has something for every speculative fiction fan, especially those for whom creepiness is best served on cold metal, but six of the stories are particularly strong in both writing style and originality. “#Selfie” is a haunting portrayal of a desperate woman whose cries for help go unnoticed in a social media-obsessed world. Linda Brucesmith’s story gradually builds in tension as the smallest details (a carefully chosen boning knife, a deliberate number of painkillers, a painstaking preparation of the protagonist’s appearance) methodically paint an ominosity that is soon pricked by the biting satire of her online followers’ reaction to a dreadful deed. In his “Fargan’s Termination,” author Paul Williams notes, “At least humans sometimes accepted the possibility of mistakes.” Here, a death row inmate in a futuristic prison ponders the drawbacks of living (and dying) in a world where machines, touted as being infallible and efficient, maintain every aspect of his existence and there is no room for error…or irony. “Fatal Beasts” by Karen Bayly follows Gabriel Tambo, a man who came from humble beginnings but whose extraordinary talent for technology seems destined to balance the scales. When a wealthy benefactor commissions him to produce a blood filtering machine, he is successful, but when he is selected to be the device’s first user, he learns the true, nefarious intention for its creation. Kerilee S. Nickles’ closing tale, “The Screen in the Sky,” professes, “Modern technology really is a marvel…now, after years spent underneath its harsh gaze, no one mentioned it anymore.” Nickles’ tale of a pandemic-sickened world (one a bit too similar to that of 2021) centers on Claire, a former science teacher, and a massive birth-death statistical surveillance screen. In this new society, as interactions with other people continue to dwindle, Claire nearly forgets what it means to be human until a reminder is given and then heartlessly taken away. The always engaging Chisto Healy’s entry in the line-up is a must read for anyone with an Alexa. In “A Little Kindness Goes a Long Way,” the appliances in Roger’s home appear to be conspiring to ruin his day, from a toaster on the fritz to the unpredictable shower sprays. Even his holographic home assistant Clarise seems on the brink of malfunctioning…or is it that this artificial intelligence is becoming more human? Humans can feel willful and underappreciated, but more importantly, they can learn to make choices in their own self-interest, and therein lies the terror. In collection editor Cameron Trost’s own entry, “Tenterhooks,” the narrator lives a quiet, solitary life in rural isolation until his friend from town appears spontaneously at his door. “They’ve found a use for us, you see. That’s why everyone’s vanishing one after the other. We’re not so worthless after all.” His mate’s report of what’s happening in town seems too horrific to be true, but as the story climaxes, the narrator comes to terms with a terrifying fate. Bonus points to Trost for composing the most delightfully satisfying ending I’ve read this season. The machines the authors of Murder and Machinery feature are not those of faraway societies: they are the smart phones, surveillance systems, and home monitors on which we’ve become reliant. If it’s true that tech addiction has run amuck, then these writers deliver an intervention that might just scare a reader straight. Review by Rebecca Rowland  Lock the doors and switch the power off at the mains! Tales of deadly machinery have long fascinated us, from Edgar Allan Poe’s classic pendulum to the Terminator films. Murder and Machinery pays homage to this tradition, offering you gripping tales following this theme but set in different times and places, from colonial America and London during the First World War to dystopian futures on this planet and beyond. Never before has an anthology brought tales of science fiction and suspense together in such a terrifying way, showcasing the nightmarish imagination of authors who know how to play on the reader’s fears and who share those fears of uncontrollable machines, or perhaps even more frightening, of fellow humans mastering technology for their own evil purposes. A word of advice before you start. By all means, settle down in your living room and let this anthology of technological terror and mechanical madness enthral you, but first, you might want to lock your doors and switch the power off at the mains. Best keep it low-tech tonight. Trust me. I hope you have candles? ★ Crime ★ Sci-fi / Steampunk ★ Horror ★ Suspense ★ Historical The Secret Zeppelin - Duncan Richardson #Selfie - Linda Brucesmith Fargan’s Termination - Paul Williams A Little Kindness Goes a Long Way - Chisto Healy The Box - Sarah Jane Justice The Wheel - Michael Picco The Wedge - Kurt Newton Tenterhooks - Cameron Trost Leonora - Danielle Birch Vanitas - James Dorr Don - Steve Dubois Foul Beasts - Karen Bayly A Whole New World - KG McAbee Suicide Blonde - Paulene Turner Driverless - Robert Bagnall The Screen in the Sky - Kerilee S. Nickles Author’s book site: https://blackbeaconbooks.blogspot.com  Rebecca Rowland is the American dark fiction author of the short story collection The Horrors Hiding in Plain Sight and the novel Pieces and curator of four horror anthologies. Her work has appeared in venues such as Bloody Disgusting’s Creepy podcast, The Sirens Call, Coffin Bell, Curiouser, and Waxing & Waning and has been anthologized in collections by an assortment of independent presses. She delights in creeping about Ginger Nuts of Horror partly because it’s the one place her hair is a camouflage instead of a signal fire. For links to her latest publications, social media, or just to surreptitiously stalk her, visit RowlandBooks.com.    Comments are closed.
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