This is a collection of 50-ish stories of 1000 words or fewer, all with a different look into horror. Each story takes minutes to read, and each one wThis is a collection of 50-ish stories of 1000 words or fewer, all with a different look into horror. Each story takes minutes to read, and each one will leave you feeling a little unsettled, even if not all of them make a lot of sense.
A good chunk of the stories feel more literary than genre, but the ideas behind them all make an impact. Some of them I feel like I didn't quite get, but the stories are short enough that the evocation of feeling feels like the main point.
I'm always iffy about short story collections, but this one was better than average....more
I picked up this book because someone mentioned it gave off Harvest Home vibes, and because it was short. I'm pretty disappointed.
Right off the bat, II picked up this book because someone mentioned it gave off Harvest Home vibes, and because it was short. I'm pretty disappointed.
Right off the bat, I felt like I'd made a mistake. The narrative was prosaic, and the dialogue was stilted. The story wound up having no subtlety, and ultimately the characterization was weak, to the point where I couldn't bother to care what happened to any of the characters. I kept reading, hoping it would pick up and at least have some interesting plot elements, but no, that never really got off the ground, either.
I think I went into this with higher expectations, but even if I hadn't, I think it would have been disappointed. It's just not a good story....more
This book has a great hook, though it slows down a lot in the middle, and then never actually concludes. It was hard to stop reading it, though, whichThis book has a great hook, though it slows down a lot in the middle, and then never actually concludes. It was hard to stop reading it, though, which is a sign of a good writer. I'll see if I can track down some more of Leonard's work to see how it compares....more
Abbott has a singular style. This is only the second work of hers I've read (Queenpin being the other), but I've liked them both. She has a knack for Abbott has a singular style. This is only the second work of hers I've read (Queenpin being the other), but I've liked them both. She has a knack for capturing the '50s ('40s? '30s? I don't know enough of the history of the mob, but she captured it well), in all its atmosphere and otherwise, and she does the same here, even when she's working on what's basically a horror story.
This is a one-sitting read, which is good, but the day after I finished, I had to go back and re-read the ending because I couldn't remember how it ended. That's not a fault of the story, though, so much as it was me racing through it, due to its readability, and not paying close enough attention to the details. Still, Abbott is a good storyteller, and I'm looking forward to reading more of her books.
Merged review:
Abbott has a singular style. This is only the second work of hers I've read (Queenpin being the other), but I've liked them both. She has a knack for capturing the '50s ('40s? '30s? I don't know enough of the history of the mob, but she captured it well), in all its atmosphere and otherwise, and she does the same here, even when she's working on what's basically a horror story.
This is a one-sitting read, which is good, but the day after I finished, I had to go back and re-read the ending because I couldn't remember how it ended. That's not a fault of the story, though, so much as it was me racing through it, due to its readability, and not paying close enough attention to the details. Still, Abbott is a good storyteller, and I'm looking forward to reading more of her books....more
Did we really need a sequel-that-isn't-a-sequel to Cujo? It just seems a little self-serving.
This is a real mixed bag of stories from King, but there Did we really need a sequel-that-isn't-a-sequel to Cujo? It just seems a little self-serving.
This is a real mixed bag of stories from King, but there are a couple of gems in there. If I were in a worse mood, I might just make this a three-star book, but there's an argument to be made to rate a short-story collection based on the best stories in the book, and "The Fifth Step" and "On Slide Road Inn" are definitely four-star affairs....more
Man, there's so much here that's good. Brown's writing is clear, their characterization is good, and they have a great way of developing a creep factoMan, there's so much here that's good. Brown's writing is clear, their characterization is good, and they have a great way of developing a creep factor while still getting deep into the science of their science fiction, and they keep building up the stakes of a worldship struggling to survive on a centuries-long journey back to Earth.
In the end, though, it's hard to shake off the association with Alien, and the novella ends so abruptly it leaves far too many questions unanswered (and not in a good way). It feels underdeveloped, as if Brown was forcing themself to stick to the novella length instead of letting the story grow on its own.
I like the story, and I'd read more by Brown, but this one ends feeling like it just needs a little more work....more
This isn't nearly as creepy as What Moves the Dead, and there seemed to be a bit more snark/asides in this book than I remember in WMtD (though I coulThis isn't nearly as creepy as What Moves the Dead, and there seemed to be a bit more snark/asides in this book than I remember in WMtD (though I could just be pushing it aside for how genuinely eerie the rest of it was), but I do like Kingfisher's style and ideas. I hope she brings back the creep factor for the next book, though....more
I know Etchison is supposed to be the horror author's horror author, but I've never been able to get his stuff.I know Etchison is supposed to be the horror author's horror author, but I've never been able to get his stuff....more
I dare you to put this book down once you reach the third act. I DARE YOU.
This is the second book I've read that's a horror novel set during the Jim CI dare you to put this book down once you reach the third act. I DARE YOU.
This is the second book I've read that's a horror novel set during the Jim Crow era, and underlines the point that, for African-Americans, ghosts are far less scary than white people....more
When I was big into horror in the '80s and '90s, I discovered Rick Hautala, and found him to be pretty impressive. The fact that I got spooked by a CRWhen I was big into horror in the '80s and '90s, I discovered Rick Hautala, and found him to be pretty impressive. The fact that I got spooked by a CROQUET MALLET LEANING AGAINST A FENCEPOST (Dark Silence) pays tribute to how well he could build up tension out of something very ordinary. When I tried reading through his bibliography some ten years ago, I petered out around book three, since they just weren't as compelling as I remembered.
I think maybe Hautala took some time to get to that point, because these stories had that same effect on me that Dark Silence did. I might have to start up that reading project again....more
When Gorman writes crime/mystery, he does something pretty amazing. When he writes science fiction or horror, though, he misses the mark. Since the coWhen Gorman writes crime/mystery, he does something pretty amazing. When he writes science fiction or horror, though, he misses the mark. Since the collection contains about half of one and half of the other, this is a solid 3 stars....more
I really struggled with this book. I mean, the plot parts of it are fairly interesting, but they only come along after about 12 pages of digression, aI really struggled with this book. I mean, the plot parts of it are fairly interesting, but they only come along after about 12 pages of digression, and most of that read like later-year Heinlein, with an uncomfortable focus on the desirability of young women. I don't quite understand why this is considered to be such a classic of horror fiction. It makes me a little less interested in trying Conjure Wife, though that one precedes it by 34 years, so maybe it's like early Heinlein, which is a lot more tolerable.......more
Schow clearly knows his horror movies. The few stories in this slim collection take a deeper, thematic look at those movies, and it's partly entertainSchow clearly knows his horror movies. The few stories in this slim collection take a deeper, thematic look at those movies, and it's partly entertaining, partly enlightening, and partly "Look at how much I know that you don't!" Granted, that last one doesn't bleed through the stories completely (there's enough character in them to keep them grounded), but it does start to darken the page from the other side. Depending on how much you know about horror movies may depend on how well you like this collection.
Side note: It was completely serendipitous and ultimately fortuitous that I was reading Stephen King's Danse Macabre as I finished this collection, since the last story here was a take on Richard Matheson's The Shrinking Man. King was covered that book extensively in his book, so all the details were fresh in my mind....more
There's some good imagery in the stories here, and the themes are unsettling, but the stories just feel so juvenile. Keene has some fans, and he's hadThere's some good imagery in the stories here, and the themes are unsettling, but the stories just feel so juvenile. Keene has some fans, and he's had a good bit published, so clearly he's doing something right, but it just doesn't do much for me....more
This certainly isn't a perfect book (rushed ending aside, it contains some seriously dated gender roles, even for a book in the 1970s, and it struggleThis certainly isn't a perfect book (rushed ending aside, it contains some seriously dated gender roles, even for a book in the 1970s, and it struggles too hard to be a clean book, substituting "bleeping" for any serious profanity), but damn if Jensen doesn't get the atmosphere just right in this book. Jensen's earlier books were more Gothics than true horror, but this had more horror than I would have expected. I can forgive a lot with a first book, especially one that captures the chills the way this one does. This is probably closer to 3.5 stars, but I'm feeling generous....more
Here, I was, all set to say this was one of the better books in this series, when it had to end like that. I mean, what a let down. What an anti-climaHere, I was, all set to say this was one of the better books in this series, when it had to end like that. I mean, what a let down. What an anti-climax. What a complete non-horror way of concluding a horror story.
(It's still not NEARLY as bad as the "It was all a dream" ending of Nightmare Lake, but honestly, it doesn't take much to clear that bar.)
I realized about three-quarters of the way through the book that this wasn't really a horror story, but there were enough hints along the way that it MIGHT turn out that way to keep me interested. In the end, it was about as horror as an episode of Scooby-Doo (not counting Zombie Island). I actually liked that about the book, since the horror elements of the other books trended toward the cheesy.
Even with the crummy ending, it winds up being a three-star book. That says something, right?...more
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