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veecaswell's review
3.0
A collection of short stories perfect for those cold dark nights in winter, especially Halloween, The Outcast Hours brings together some incredible authors from many genres for something sci-fi.
There are some excellent stories in here, drawing from writers such as Frances Hardinge and Will Hill’s talents to share stories that are perfectly written. In particular stories such as ‘Blind Eye’ from Hardinge really were intriguing and I love the idea of a nanny for shady characters. In fact, I want that book to be honest.
I feel sometimes this book could have been shorter to be honest, with some stories not really impressing me, but of course anthologies are books where you find a gem not the whole item and it certainly has given me a list of new writers to look up and read more from. ‘Haunted’ and ‘This Place Of Thorns’ for me were a little off, however there’s so many stunning stories to make up for them.
A great anthology with atmospheric and thought provoking stories, this book is perfect for the scary season.
(I received an ARC from Netgalley for honest review).
There are some excellent stories in here, drawing from writers such as Frances Hardinge and Will Hill’s talents to share stories that are perfectly written. In particular stories such as ‘Blind Eye’ from Hardinge really were intriguing and I love the idea of a nanny for shady characters. In fact, I want that book to be honest.
I feel sometimes this book could have been shorter to be honest, with some stories not really impressing me, but of course anthologies are books where you find a gem not the whole item and it certainly has given me a list of new writers to look up and read more from. ‘Haunted’ and ‘This Place Of Thorns’ for me were a little off, however there’s so many stunning stories to make up for them.
A great anthology with atmospheric and thought provoking stories, this book is perfect for the scary season.
(I received an ARC from Netgalley for honest review).
starryeved's review
1.0
This is someplace else. This is always someplace else. The night is an open door to another world.
The Outcast Hours is an anthology of tales that happen at night, featuring monsters and death and things that lurk in the shadows. And while the premise and cover were enough to draw me in, I happened to forget my love-hate relationship with contemporary short stories.
Many of the stories in this anthology I did not enjoy, making for weak, non-compelling reading experiences. Either they were written with a narration style I found too crude and unfitting to the night motif to be effective, or the concepts were simply dull, poorly executed. I was forced to skim. Some others, such as Dark Matters and Above the Light, however, were gems in the rough. A small handful of stories were eerie and well-written, gems among the plain, and boosted the work as a whole.
Overall, though, consistency was a problem, one which is inevitable when it comes to anthologies. Such is the nature of collaborative works. I look forward to the day an anthology that delivers arrives.
This was ARC received from NetGalley.
tiggum's review
slow-paced
3.0
Mostly fine, but nothing particularly memorable. A book that you finish but then wonder why you bothered.
mags_2's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
radinkaj's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
barb4ry1's review
3.0
Actual rating: 3.5 /5
I have a love/hate relationship with anthologies. I always read one. Sometimes it takes me two days to finish it, sometimes a few months. I enjoyed Murad & Shurin's Djinn Falls in Love Anthology, so once I learned about Outcast Hours I knew I had to read it. Thanks to NetGalley I could do it few months before official publication date (February 2019).
The anthology focuses on things that happen at night. Most assembled stories treat the topic seriously touching darker sides of human existence. Lovers, thieves, predators, nightmarish beings, ghosts, trolls make an appearance. Here's my short take on each story with ratings of sorts.
With short stories, I don't focus on positives and negatives. I rate the level of my enjoyment - for example, one of the stories that got one-star from me is very well written. But it bored me to no end in just a few pages. I simply know other readers will love it, though.
So, all the ratings below are 100% subjective and don't reflect the quality of the writing/choices made by the editors.
This Book Will Find You by Sam Beckbessinger, Lauren Beukes and Dale Halvorsen - 4/5
intimate, dense and depressive account of a relationship that finished horribly wrong. Told by a self-loathing narrator, it's poignant, infuriating and immersive.
It was a different Time by Will Hill - 2/5
A young man working night shift finds an older guy with a gun sitting by the swimming pool. During a forced conversation, they touch many subjects, especially bullying and abuse (verbal/sexual). Treat is as another #MeToo discussion voice, only it adds nothing new to the topic.
Ambulance Service by Sami Shah - 3/5
I like Shah's writing. Ambulance Service is a good story, but it lacks the punch of Reap fromDjinn Falls in Love Anthology or creativity of Djinn-son duology. Solid story nonetheless.
Blind Eye by Frances Hardinge - 4/5
Erin, a professional and discrete babysitter, receives a call. A pair of siblings needs her to take care of a child for the night. Business as usual, except the couple is adamant that the child can't fall asleep. For when she does, strange things will happen.
Excellent, a bit sad and delightfully weird story. Well worth the read.
Sleep Walker by Silvia Moreno-Garcia - 2/5
Well...Basically, it's a story about nothing. Or everything, if you're ready to create the tale in your imagination. Some will love it. I didn't.
Bag Man by Lavie Tidhar - 4/5
Think an older version of Liam Neeson plays an agent (?) who takes things from point A to point B, no questions asked. A band of teenagers robs him. It won't do. Mayhem ensues. There's little moral to the story, but it's fun. In a loud and violent way.
Gatsby by Maha Khan Philips - 3/5
It takes a scene from Great Gatsby (sort of) and twists it nicely. A dark, well written and punchy story. I liked it.
Swipe Left by Daniel Polansky - 3/5
A bit crazy. Nicely written. The ending disappointed me. It prooves that speed-dating can go terribly wrong.
MiDNIghT MaRAuDERS by Matt Suddain - 5/5
Here's the secret - I want to be Matt Suddain when I grow up. I absolutely love his witty, unpredictable writing. It tells the story of the feud between BEReZOv and VAnzaNT, owners of two drug dispensaries in a small, decent city. In the end, there's no place for two of them.
Suddain's Monsters&Collectors is one of my all-time favourite books. He can pack more creativity (and absurd) to one sentence than many readers to a whole book.
Absolutely loved it.
Everyone Knows that They're Dead. Do you? by Genevieve Valentine - 3/5
The author starts a dialogue with the reader, trying to make him analyse his reactions to the unveiling story. It was interesting and clever, but had no long-lasting effect on me.
The Collector by Sally Partridge - 4/5
Bennie is a retro guy. He loves the eighties and collects all kinds of memorabilia. He finds a fantastic pony, but someone scams him. It won't do. Bennie sets on a mission to recover the pony. Hilarious, even in darker moments.
The Patron Saint of Night Puppers by Indrasit Das - 2/5
Well. It's an example of the story many readers will love, that didn't impress me at all. I guess that if you liked The Devourers, you'll like it as well.
Tilt by Karen Onojaife - 2/5
It's about a woman who always liked the things she liked too intensely. Not bad, but it didn't engage me the way other stories did.
In the Blink of a Light by Amira Salah-Ahmed - 3/5
It touches the subject of restricted lust and other things. An OK story, but not more for me.
The Dental Gig by SL Grey - 4/5
I liked it a lot. It demonstrates the hardship of tooth fairies' corporate life and proves their profession isn't based on a good business model.
One Gram by Leah Moore - 2/5
Not for me. Forgettable story and characters.
This Place of Thorns by Marina Warner - 1/5
Descriptive, tiring and boring.
Not Just Ivy by Celeste Baker - 3/5
Not bad at all. Interesting idea, good execution.
Dark Matters by Cecilia Ekback - 5/5
It has it all - great, punchy first line, distinct voice, interesting story about Death and Resurrection. Excellent one.
Above the Light by Jesse Bullington - 4.5/5
Strong opening, interesting story, intriguing ending. It's the story about joys and dangers of night hiking through Alpes. Very good. I loved an eerie atmosphere and skilfully built feeling of dread.
Welcome to the Haunted House by Yukimi Ogawa - 3/5
Interesting and unusual. Weird in a good way. Experience it yourself.
Rain, Streaming by omar Robert Hamilton - 3/5
A dialogue between a man and Val. Well structured but I didn't care for the narrator's voice.
Lock-In by William Boyle - 1/5
I didn't like the story and its' directionless, troubled heroes. I'm sure readers will relate to them, though.
The Night Mountain by Jeffrey Alan Love - 2/5
I guess it can be described as atmospheric, but it left me cold.
A Partial Beginner's Guide to The Lucy Temerlin Home for Broken Shapeshifters by Kuzhali Manickavel - 3/5
I liked it a lot. I have only one complaint - it was too short.
Contrary to what you may assume looking on ratings, it's one of the best anthologies I've ever read. All of the stories felt neat and well written. I couldn't relate to some POVs. I didn't like some descriptions or plots. But I'm sure others will love the stories that didn't impress me and find my favourites boring or forgettable.
My three favourite stories are:
MiDNIghT MaRAuDERS by Matt Suddain
Dark Matters by Cecilia Ekback
Above the Light by Jesse Bullington
I highly recommend experiencing The Outcast Hours. Just don't expect that every story will charm you.
I have a love/hate relationship with anthologies. I always read one. Sometimes it takes me two days to finish it, sometimes a few months. I enjoyed Murad & Shurin's Djinn Falls in Love Anthology, so once I learned about Outcast Hours I knew I had to read it. Thanks to NetGalley I could do it few months before official publication date (February 2019).
The anthology focuses on things that happen at night. Most assembled stories treat the topic seriously touching darker sides of human existence. Lovers, thieves, predators, nightmarish beings, ghosts, trolls make an appearance. Here's my short take on each story with ratings of sorts.
With short stories, I don't focus on positives and negatives. I rate the level of my enjoyment - for example, one of the stories that got one-star from me is very well written. But it bored me to no end in just a few pages. I simply know other readers will love it, though.
So, all the ratings below are 100% subjective and don't reflect the quality of the writing/choices made by the editors.
This Book Will Find You by Sam Beckbessinger, Lauren Beukes and Dale Halvorsen - 4/5
intimate, dense and depressive account of a relationship that finished horribly wrong. Told by a self-loathing narrator, it's poignant, infuriating and immersive.
It was a different Time by Will Hill - 2/5
A young man working night shift finds an older guy with a gun sitting by the swimming pool. During a forced conversation, they touch many subjects, especially bullying and abuse (verbal/sexual). Treat is as another #MeToo discussion voice, only it adds nothing new to the topic.
Ambulance Service by Sami Shah - 3/5
I like Shah's writing. Ambulance Service is a good story, but it lacks the punch of Reap from
Blind Eye by Frances Hardinge - 4/5
Erin, a professional and discrete babysitter, receives a call. A pair of siblings needs her to take care of a child for the night. Business as usual, except the couple is adamant that the child can't fall asleep. For when she does, strange things will happen.
Excellent, a bit sad and delightfully weird story. Well worth the read.
Sleep Walker by Silvia Moreno-Garcia - 2/5
Well...Basically, it's a story about nothing. Or everything, if you're ready to create the tale in your imagination. Some will love it. I didn't.
Bag Man by Lavie Tidhar - 4/5
Think an older version of Liam Neeson plays an agent (?) who takes things from point A to point B, no questions asked. A band of teenagers robs him. It won't do. Mayhem ensues. There's little moral to the story, but it's fun. In a loud and violent way.
Gatsby by Maha Khan Philips - 3/5
It takes a scene from Great Gatsby (sort of) and twists it nicely. A dark, well written and punchy story. I liked it.
Swipe Left by Daniel Polansky - 3/5
A bit crazy. Nicely written. The ending disappointed me. It prooves that speed-dating can go terribly wrong.
MiDNIghT MaRAuDERS by Matt Suddain - 5/5
Here's the secret - I want to be Matt Suddain when I grow up. I absolutely love his witty, unpredictable writing. It tells the story of the feud between BEReZOv and VAnzaNT, owners of two drug dispensaries in a small, decent city. In the end, there's no place for two of them.
Suddain's Monsters&Collectors is one of my all-time favourite books. He can pack more creativity (and absurd) to one sentence than many readers to a whole book.
Absolutely loved it.
Everyone Knows that They're Dead. Do you? by Genevieve Valentine - 3/5
The author starts a dialogue with the reader, trying to make him analyse his reactions to the unveiling story. It was interesting and clever, but had no long-lasting effect on me.
The Collector by Sally Partridge - 4/5
Bennie is a retro guy. He loves the eighties and collects all kinds of memorabilia. He finds a fantastic pony, but someone scams him. It won't do. Bennie sets on a mission to recover the pony. Hilarious, even in darker moments.
The Patron Saint of Night Puppers by Indrasit Das - 2/5
Well. It's an example of the story many readers will love, that didn't impress me at all. I guess that if you liked The Devourers, you'll like it as well.
Tilt by Karen Onojaife - 2/5
It's about a woman who always liked the things she liked too intensely. Not bad, but it didn't engage me the way other stories did.
In the Blink of a Light by Amira Salah-Ahmed - 3/5
It touches the subject of restricted lust and other things. An OK story, but not more for me.
The Dental Gig by SL Grey - 4/5
I liked it a lot. It demonstrates the hardship of tooth fairies' corporate life and proves their profession isn't based on a good business model.
One Gram by Leah Moore - 2/5
Not for me. Forgettable story and characters.
This Place of Thorns by Marina Warner - 1/5
Descriptive, tiring and boring.
Not Just Ivy by Celeste Baker - 3/5
Not bad at all. Interesting idea, good execution.
Dark Matters by Cecilia Ekback - 5/5
It has it all - great, punchy first line, distinct voice, interesting story about Death and Resurrection. Excellent one.
Above the Light by Jesse Bullington - 4.5/5
Strong opening, interesting story, intriguing ending. It's the story about joys and dangers of night hiking through Alpes. Very good. I loved an eerie atmosphere and skilfully built feeling of dread.
Welcome to the Haunted House by Yukimi Ogawa - 3/5
Interesting and unusual. Weird in a good way. Experience it yourself.
Rain, Streaming by omar Robert Hamilton - 3/5
A dialogue between a man and Val. Well structured but I didn't care for the narrator's voice.
Lock-In by William Boyle - 1/5
I didn't like the story and its' directionless, troubled heroes. I'm sure readers will relate to them, though.
The Night Mountain by Jeffrey Alan Love - 2/5
I guess it can be described as atmospheric, but it left me cold.
A Partial Beginner's Guide to The Lucy Temerlin Home for Broken Shapeshifters by Kuzhali Manickavel - 3/5
I liked it a lot. I have only one complaint - it was too short.
Contrary to what you may assume looking on ratings, it's one of the best anthologies I've ever read. All of the stories felt neat and well written. I couldn't relate to some POVs. I didn't like some descriptions or plots. But I'm sure others will love the stories that didn't impress me and find my favourites boring or forgettable.
My three favourite stories are:
MiDNIghT MaRAuDERS by Matt Suddain
Dark Matters by Cecilia Ekback
Above the Light by Jesse Bullington
I highly recommend experiencing The Outcast Hours. Just don't expect that every story will charm you.
shelleyanderson4127's review
2.0
This is a speculative fiction anthology of 25 stores which explore the dark side. There is humor (you will never see the Tooth Fairy the same way again after reading SL Grey's The Dental Gig); horror (Silva Moreno-Garcia's Sleep Walker); revenge (the excellent One Gram by Leah Moore); the occasional vampire (Karen Onojaife's disturbing Tilt stands out); and some fine writing by the likes of Yukimi Ogawa and Chine Mieville. But the quality of the writing is uneven and on the whole a little disappointing, especially if you compare this anthology to the brilliant The Djinn Falls in Love.
ijustkindalikebooks's review
3.0
A collection of short stories perfect for those cold dark nights in winter, especially Halloween, The Outcast Hours brings together some incredible authors from many genres for something sci-fi.
There are some excellent stories in here, drawing from writers such as Frances Hardinge and Will Hill’s talents to share stories that are perfectly written. In particular stories such as ‘Blind Eye’ from Hardinge really were intriguing and I love the idea of a nanny for shady characters. In fact, I want that book to be honest.
I feel sometimes this book could have been shorter to be honest, with some stories not really impressing me, but of course anthologies are books where you find a gem not the whole item and it certainly has given me a list of new writers to look up and read more from. ‘Haunted’ and ‘This Place Of Thorns’ for me were a little off, however there’s so many stunning stories to make up for them.
A great anthology with atmospheric and thought provoking stories, this book is perfect for the scary season.
(I received an ARC from Netgalley for honest review).
There are some excellent stories in here, drawing from writers such as Frances Hardinge and Will Hill’s talents to share stories that are perfectly written. In particular stories such as ‘Blind Eye’ from Hardinge really were intriguing and I love the idea of a nanny for shady characters. In fact, I want that book to be honest.
I feel sometimes this book could have been shorter to be honest, with some stories not really impressing me, but of course anthologies are books where you find a gem not the whole item and it certainly has given me a list of new writers to look up and read more from. ‘Haunted’ and ‘This Place Of Thorns’ for me were a little off, however there’s so many stunning stories to make up for them.
A great anthology with atmospheric and thought provoking stories, this book is perfect for the scary season.
(I received an ARC from Netgalley for honest review).