This felt like the tastiest literary buffet I could have imagined!
And as I do when I visit my favorite buffets in restaurants, I took my time, savoring each selection and actually re-reading them (going back for seconds and thirds!). Not because they couldn't be understood in the first pass, but rather the polar opposite, they are such satisfying stories that I wanted the experience of them again and again.
Horror story lovers- this collection is for you!! These stories span the entire spectrum of horror and are organized in such a pleasing way. I was very taken by how well they flow from one to another. In musical terms, you could say that some of them were written in the same "key signature" and that was very moving. Amplifying the mood he created, these stories touched my imagination because of the brilliant world building and three dimensional characters.
Such is the case with two stories set in Newark, NJ: Something in the Air and The Dead Girl.
These two stories are absolute masterpieces, (though the entire volume is a masterpiece!), but these two have to be singled out for high praise.
They were first published in the Green Shoes Sanctuary magazine, with The Dead Girl winning 3rd Place in their 2021 Summer Writing Prompt Contest. I think 3rd Place is absolutely the wrong decision-I would think this short story could win any competition on the planet due to its immense power.
In The Dead Girl, Mark encounters Lizzy's ghost and these two characters are so vividly drawn and their relationship so poignant. that they felt absolutely real to me.
In Something In the Air, we are taken back to those super scary first days/weeks/months of the Covid pandemic and he reminds us of the out-sized impact the virus had in the prison system.
Devlin's Manse, his first short story, as told to us in the Author Notes in the back, has all the hallmarks of what the Manx style is about. Breathtaking imagination, impactful characters, superior world building and an original story that is a page-turner.
His stories are all page-turners. Like all expert entertainers, Manx knows how to keep you riveted-I am not powerful enough to put his book down to go get a snack, let alone honor my bedtime. NO! He draws you in and makes you so invested in the story and the ending that all his works become "unputdownable"!
Ronald Reagan and the Oh Jesus Chord is hands down the funniest story I have read in recent memory. I laughed so hard, I literally started hyperventilating-something I have actually never done while laughing. His recollection of his time as a roadie in NYC showcases his absolutely devastatingly hilarious dry wit to perfection! Manx has perfect comic timing. He builds up the scene about dropping a piano with one wry observation after another until you burst forth with a belly laugh that can likewise be heard throughout the Tri-State area (and probably can startle the same pigeons discussed in the story)
I am just stunned at the immense talent of Manx, unsure if it is his breathtaking imagination or his writing style that I am impacted by more. He has a captivating style of dialog and shockingly good and powerfully original story plots. In his author notes in the back, he mentions quite frequently that some of these stories are inspired from real life events and experiences he has had. That he then takes these memories and fictionalizes them to create these unforgettable stories proves he is a writer of the finest caliber.
I feel whatever his personal process might be in creating these gems, the effect feels effortless. From a memoir style, to humor, to good old-fashioned haunted houses, his range is limitless and he is a master of them all.
This is a MUST READ-HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION!!!
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About the author
Daemon Manx has built his own tortured asylum, and you have been committed
- A little boy makes a pact within himself to overcome his own fear and not succumb to peer pressure. An attempt to jump over a black abyss known as “the well” is his rite of passage in this horrific coming of age tale. - While coping with a festering amount of anguish, a man discovers the source of his late wife’s cancer. It just so happens the disease dwells within the dark dank confines of his household’s crawl space. - Travis & Darcy travel to a secluded Halloween bash. As darkness falls the two witness a strange object falling from the sky. A green glow as well as a pulsating vibration increases as they grow closer to their destination. This hallows eve will be one like no other. Author Daemon Manx offers up his collection of nightmares, dark memoirs and anxiety ridden stories entitled Manx-iety. From a haunted asylum for the insane to a cheating husband that is forced to “recalculate” his life to a woman who witnesses a ghastly murder. These tension filled stories have secrets shared from troubled spirits, urban legends and haunted domiciles…all from the innovative mind of Daemon Manx. Manx-iety is not just twisted tales, they are horrific terrors of the emotional kind which cut much deeper. Unsettling social alienation along with severe sorrow and sadness are underlying themes within these pages catering incurable tragedies. If you haven’t read Daemon Manx this is a perfect place to start. He somehow brings to life his thoughts and experiences that are bound to hit a sensitive nerve you never knew you had. Expect sensations of rapid breathing, pounding heart rates and profuse sweating while reading Manx-iety. It truly is an emotional tour of the mind that the author wants to show you. Daemon Manx has built his own tortured asylum, and you the reader, have been committed. A highly rated Horror Bookworm Recommendation.
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Top reviews from other countries
- John BlenkinsopReviewed in the United Kingdom on August 27, 2023
Imaginative and varied collection
Format: KindleVerified Purchase - ChrissyReviewed in the United Kingdom on May 14, 2025
Manx-iety inducing and great!
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
