By Caitlin Brown
“As the feeding post came into view, we stopped. Dad dropped his
Jon Davies
shovel.
The hitchhiker was still alive.
He was moaning to himself. I couldn’t make out the words. He
seemed like he was in shock. His thigh and belly had been gnawed and
gaped open with red, wet wounds. He looked over at us but didn’t seem to
see us, his eyes blank and empty.”
Editor: Alex Bestwick
Publisher: Ram Eye Press
Publication Date: 1st April 2022
Page Count: 80 Pages
Overview:
The Middle of Nowhere publication is Ram Eye Press’ first magazine publication, focusing on all things horror. From the dark and sinister, to folklore and the uncanny; the theme for their very first issue is the countryside, rural life and village living. The magazine contains poetry, short stories and illustrations exhibiting this theme in varying ways.
Thoughts:
- Each magazine piece reflects both the theme and the focus of the magazine extraordinarily well. The varying perspectives of horror that the writers use, such as the fantastical, offers a very interesting and engaging read.
- The opening poem, Olde Gods by Elizabeth Vegvary, immediately secured my attention and drove me towards focusing on the horror aspect of the magazine. It also encapsulates and prepared me for ideas about the countryside.
- One short story I loved was Stewards of the Land by John Davies. The building of tension throughout and the looming sense of dread really placed the feelings of horror at the forefront of my experience when reading it.
- I really loved the inclusion of a real folklore tale and the breakdown of its information through The Thackford Beast by Richard Daniels. The northern roots of the folklore also added a familiarity to myself as a reader and a community feel to the magazine.
- One thing I felt was key to the magazine was that on some more graphic pieces a trigger-warning was added to prepare you for any particularly distressing scenes.
Recommendation
10/10 I would 100% recommend to anyone!
I am not a massive horror fan myself, but I absolutely devoured this magazine. As Ram Eye Press’ first ever publication, Middle of Nowhere is great for new readers of horror and devoted fans of the genre. Credit for the excellence of this magazine goes to its editor-in-chief Alex Bestwick who has collated some really great pieces for the press’ first publication.