Todd Grimson has been saddled with the unfortunate title of "Generation X horror author." And certainly, if being a Generation X horror author means writing about young artists and cliques within scenes, then by all means, he is. But in Grimson's work, unlike that of other horror authors, people aren't thrust into horrible new revelations of undying evil. Rather, the protagonists are swept along with the supernatural tide, trying to take it all in without losing their perspective or their lives. Such was the case with his previous vampire book Stainless, and such is the case in his new book, Brand New Cherry Flavor. The book centers around aspiring filmmaker Lisa Nova, whose attempts to break into the Hollywood boys' club by any means necessary meets with failure and humiliation. After being passed over for an important project, Nova takes it upon herself to extract revenge on the people who used her. Consulting a witch doctor known as Boro, she has a curse placed on the producer responsible for her latest problems, only to have the consequences and new powers plaguing her wherever she tries to run. Grimson's Los Angeles is a tawdry city, populated by hedonistic scenesters and sleazy business rituals which stand in contrast to Boro's magical rituals. Characters are as deep as they need to be, which, given the levels on which people interact, is generally not very. Given this, the horror comes from the fact that human life is worth little on either side of the fence. Grimson has done a nice job of putting voodoo into a modern urban setting, and he's a new horror author to watch for.