He Sees You When He’s Creepin’: Tales of Krampus – Book Review

He Sees You When He’s Creepin’: Tales of Krampus
Kate Wolford, Editor
World Weaver Press
November 22, 2016
Reviewed by David Goudsward

Pity the Krampus. Doomed to be the cloven-hoofed sidekick to the jolly old elf himself, Santa Claus. How can a horned devil who punishes children possibly compete against a fat guy who gives out presents?

Editor Kate Wolford feels the pain that only a Krampus can know, and to assuage his torment, she has an assembled an anthology of Krampus-centric tales (actually it’s her second anthology of Krampus tales – Wolford really likes child-tormenting demons).

Stories range across genres from Steven Grimm’s Krampus dealing with a bitchy Cinderella to Lissa Marie Redmond’s urban fantasy of Krampus and St. Nick in modern Buffalo. About halfway through the book, the tone changes to something a little darker before flipping back into more whimsical tales. The genre is less important than the concept of the Krampus as the main character, not the North Pole’s elf-whisperer, so the characterizations flip often.

Krampus is always cloven-hoofed, hairy, horned, and macroglossic, but in these 12 stories, he can be the villain, the hero, or the lackey. So whether you want horror, humor, or a hint of redemption, it’s a fun read to bring home for the holidays. After all, why should Jacob Marley have all the fun?

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About David Goudsward

David Goudsward lives in Florida in the shadow of the Lake Worth Muck Monster, but was raised in the haunted hills of Haverhill, Massachusetts, hometown of Rob Zombie, axe murderess Hannah Duston, and a disturbingly large number of horror writers. Author of 10 books on various topics, his latest publications include H. P. Lovecraft in the Merrimack Valley (hippocampus Press) and Horror Guide to Florida (Post Mortem Press). He can currently be seen on episodes of the Travel Channel shows Mysteries at the Museum and Mysteries at the Monument.

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