First published back in 2009, the reprint of Guy N Smith’s ‘Crabs: Unleashed’ chapbook was released by Ghostwriter Publications, this time with a full colour cover. The chapbook had a limited print of just one-hundred hand-numbered copies, each of which were also signed by the author.
The original ‘Crabs: Unleashed – The Collection’ (2009) chapbook contained four Crabs stories, whereas this colour cover reprint only included three Crabs stories – with the ‘Crabs Armada’ (2009) story having been released as a separate standalone chapbook.
The stories also appeared in a different order.
The Decoy – 5 Pages
The death toll at the Marine Parade had run into the dozens. The terror-stricken holidaymakers making an easy meal for the advancing army of giant crustaceans. After the crabs had left, the army had erected barricades along the shoreline. A token force of military personnel attempting to pacify public hysteria. Although in no way could this platoon of soldiers stand up against the crabs should they emerge once again.
Dugan knew this. But here he was now, skulking in the shadows, staying out of sight from the military presence nearby. The military didn’t know how to take these crabs out. They’d been firing from an elevated position. Their bullets merely ricocheting off the crabs’ shells. But Dugan knew better. He had his trusty double-barrelled sixteen gauge ‘drilling’. A weapon that Dugan was confident would bring down one of the giant crabs when fired under the shell.
That was his plan. Tonight, under the silvery moon, he’d take one down. And it looked like luck was already on Dugan’s side. Upon arriving at the shadowy shoreline he’d stumbled across the corpse of a young woman floating in the water. A sad sight to see, especially one so young. But Dugan knew the girl would be perfect for his plan. He’d lure a lone crab in with the promise of human flesh and then blow the beast to hell. He was confident his plan would work. After all, now he had the perfect decoy…
This is a good ‘un. It’s only short, but nevertheless Smith crams in everything we love about his Crabs stories. The setting is just post ‘Night Of The Crabs’ (1976), with the military still reeling from the crabs’ onslaught at Barmouth. The perfect setting for a hunter-cum-vigilante, wanting his own revenge on the crabs (along with a trophy).
Smith sets the backdrop perfectly. The Barmouth shoreline feels instantly intimidating under the darkened night sky. The atmosphere is thick with suspense. As I said, it’s absolute textbook Smith.
Of course it doesn’t all go to plan for Dugan. I’m not going to ruin the story for you, but suffice to say, Smith’s got a damn fine twist up his sleeve. Altogether, a thoroughly entertaining read.
The short story was first published in ‘FEAR Magazine – Issue 13’ (1990) and later as the standalone chapbook
‘The Decoy’ (2009) and then reprinted within the ‘Crabs Omnibus’ (2015) collection.
Crabs: Training Day – 9 Pages
The two girls had fallen into the water when the bridge collapsed. Luckily Lennie had managed to grab hold of a railway sleeper as it started to float away down the estuary. Moments later Tracey joined her friend, clinging to their makeshift raft.
As the two girls floated out into Cardigan Bay, the distant sounds of clicking could be heard from behind them. With the hope of a rescue from the RNLI withering away with each minute that passed, fortune suddenly seemed to be shining their way when a fishing boat crosses their path.
The fisherman on board, a grubby man who introduces himself as Paul Evans, soon has the two young women on deck and drying off in the midday sun.
However, their rescue is only short lived. When Evans drops anchor to allow the boat’s overheated engine chance to cool, something solid and powerful grips the anchor chain. Before the fisherman has chance to react, a colossal pincer rises up from the water. The slaughter is about to begin…
Smith offers up a character-rich story, drenched in suspense, horror and flesh-hungry bloodshed. The first half of the tale is given over to building upon the three characters involved in the tale – the two young friends Lennie and Tracey as well as their grubby, leering rescuer Paul Evans. In fact, Smith seems to spend a good proportion of the short tale lavishly detailing the grubby nature of the fisherman (quite amusingly the character is named after a regular of the author’s fan conventions). The reasoning behind the girls’ predicament is only very briefly mentioned in passing, and instead, Smith focusses upon fleshing-out the three characters before introducing our crustacean friends into the mix.
Interestingly, Smith unleashes a slightly different crab onslaught onto those aboard the fishing boat– here in the form of a swarm of smaller crabs, which pour onto Evans’ boat, slicing at flesh and bone with their powerful claws.
Probably the most visceral and bloody of the short stories in this collection.
Crustacean Vengeance – 7 Pages
The memory of the giant crustacean army’s attack on the millionaire’s paradise of Hayman Island still haunted Kiln. After taking a quick look at the fisherman, most would quickly avert their eyes in fear, nevertheless, Kiln the hunter of Australia’s Barbecue Bay, now feared for what he knew he had to do next.
The crabs had gotten the young girl on the beach at Hayman Island during the last full moon. The girl hadn’t stood a chance against the colossal beasts with their razor sharp pinchers. Klin had watched as she was ripped apart. Her entrails feasted upon by the vengeful crustaceans.
Now the crabs had returned to Barbecue Bay. They were hungry for human flesh. They wanted a terrible revenge for what Man had done to them. But Kiln was here to stop them. Or he’d die trying…
Following on from the absolute carnage witnessed in ‘Killer Crabs’ (1978), much-loved gritty anti-hero Klin returns to Hayman Island to finish the crabs off, once and for all.
Smith spends much of the first couple of pages, setting the scene, whilst refreshing our memories with the events that took place in ‘Killer Crabs’ (1978). With that done, it’s straight into the thick of the action, with Klin laying his trap to hopefully wipe out the giant crabs.
Much of what takes place in the short is particularly reminiscent of the finale from ‘Killer Crabs’ (1978). Of course, here Smith has a slight twist up his sleeve. For a quick, six page short, packed with textbook Guy N Smith suspense, this story delivers the goods. Okay, so it treads much of the already previously-trodden ground, but for a short, sharp stab of crustacean horror, you can’t go wrong at all.
The story was first published within the ‘Scare Care’ (1989) anthology and later republished in ‘Horror Shorts – 1st Collection’ (1999). It was also published in the ‘Crustacean Vengeance’ (2009) standalone chapbook, and later reprinted under the title ‘Revenge’ within the ‘Crabs Omnibus’ (2015) collection.
The collection runs for a total of 23 pages.
© DLS Reviews
Other ‘Crabs’ instalments:
- ‘Night Of The Crabs’ (1976)
- ‘Killer Crabs’ (1978)
- ‘The Origin Of The Crabs’ (1979)
- ‘Crabs On The Rampage’ (1981)
- ‘Crabs’ Moon’ (1984)
- ‘Crabs: The Human Sacrifice’ (1988)
- ‘Crabs Fury’ (1998) [Graphic Novel]
- ‘Crabs: Unleashed - The Collection’ (2009) [Chapbook]
- ‘Crabs: Unleashed’ (2009) [Chapbook]
- ‘Crustacean Vengeance’ (2009) [Chapbook]
- ‘The Decoy’ (2009) [Chapbook]
- ‘Crabs’ Armada’ (2009) [Chapbook]
- ‘Killer Crabs: The Return’ (2012)
- ‘Crabs Omnibus’ (2015)
- ‘The Charnel Caves’ (2019)
