The Third Time's The Charm For The New Cucifixion Press Anthology 'Shoot The Devil: Martyr’s Militia'

The Problem of Evil is one that has perplexed philosophers and theologians since time immemorial. The question itself is simple—Why does wickedness exist?—but settling on a single solution isn’t as straightforward. In modern times man’s rampant inhumanity has been attributed to a host of psychological diagnoses, psychopathy, narcissism, sadism, schizophrenia, insinuating that our inner demons are the roots of evil. Religion offers differing explanations: in Buddhism and other eastern belief systems it’s thought that merely existing causes our collective suffering in the karmic cycle, but the Abrahamic traditions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—take a more literal approach, laying the foibles of humankind on a malefic cosmic force. This adversary goes by many names, Satan, Iblis, the Lord of Flies, and his infernal acolytes populate the myths and legends of cultures worldwide: the Slavic vampire and werewolf, the Arabian ghoul, the ravenous Wendigo of Native American lore. With these unholy hordes at his command, who can possibly stand against the Prince of Darkness as he wages war upon our world?

That answer, at least in fictional form, can be had in books such as the newest Crucifixion Press release, Shoot the Devil: Martyr’s Militia. The third in editor Eric Postma’s annual multi-author anthologies (following 2022’s original Shoot The Devil, and 2023’s sci-fi themed Shoot the Devil 2: Dark Matter), it’s one part horror, one part fantasy, and all two-fisted adventure.

The action starts strong with ‘Fire And Thunder’, Joseph L. Kellogg’s rollicking story of an Allied rocketman tussling with a fiendish jinn during the Second World War. A sequel to his Dark Matter entry ‘A Ship Without A Sail’, Frank B. Luke’s intrepid intergalactic starship chaplain Thomas Malcolm returns, battling unholy spirits alongside his wife and an alien compatriot in ‘A House Divided’. A man and his technologically-enhanced companion fight cybernetic wardogs and Hellhounds with an arsenal of weaponry and faith in a post-apocalyptic wasteland in Xavier Basara’s ‘The Tale Of Llàzter And And Fe Consolació’. Shannon T. Baker’s ‘Stand Against The Darkness’ is a balls-to-the-wall tour de force following Fireteam Bravo as they oppose the fallen angel Abaddon in a hellish future. An elite squad of former special forces soldiers infiltrate the Caribbean island stronghold of the human trafficking ring who abducted their children in Jason J. McCuiston’s thrilling ‘Lost Paradise’. And Shoot the Devil three-peater Jame Pyles closes out the volume with ‘The Book of Names’, about a man who guards the secret code of God from demons.

Like its predecessors, Martyr’s Militia doesn’t skimp on blood-pumping, chest-thumping violence. True to the series’ principles of bringing a sense of vitality to the increasingly nihilistic horror landscape, a proud old-school pulpiness permeates its pages, and Postma ensures every story is furious with explosions, swordplay and shoot-outs. But where the series’ earlier installments were hampered by proselytizing or repetition, this time the table of contents crackles with variety, featuring stories set in both the distant past and the far-flung future, against a diverse range of diabolical foes. With the kinks worked out, this installment of Shoot the Devil is the strongest thus far, and though each of the ten entries is well worth the time to read, four deserve accolades for their ability to entertain.

Set in an alternate 1940’s where both World Wars were fought against supernatural creatures, ‘Old Soldiers Never Die’ by Stephen G. Johnson follows an Allied commando unit consisting of humans, elves and dwarfs embarking on a mission to kill a vampire king operating from an Austrian castle. Nicholas Wolf’s astonishing ‘The Famished Chariot’ blends science fiction and fantasy to recount the deeds of a futuristic warrior society living in the depths of space after their ancestors were forced to abandon Earth discovering a living alien vessel hungry for human souls. And Dan Gainor’s nail-biting volume opener ‘Playing With Fire’ sees a veteran firefighter face off against a malevolent living flame intent on setting the world ablaze.

Yet the without question, the blue ribbon for Martyr’s Militia goes to Jaime Faye Torkelson’s outstanding ‘Gloryhound’, about a half-breed hunter in 18th-century France who reluctantly teams with a saintly peasant girl to stalk the fabled Beast of Gévoudan, a vicious lycanthrope responsible for terrorizing the winter countryside.

With a bountiful assortment of perspectives, settings, and characters, Postma and Crucifixion Press have proven that, for Shoot the Devil, the third time really is the charm. What direction the series takes from this point forward is anybody’s guess, but its winning formula of fisticuffs and fighting the forces of darkness earns Martyr’s Militia a solid 4 (out of 5) on my Fang Scale. Prepare for war!