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josephvanburen's review
4.0
This is a huge charity anthology with a ton of great women authors of speculative fiction. The stories (and two poems) run the gamut from serious to whimsical and contain just about every horror trope possible plus moments of science fiction and fantasy. It was a great way to read some authors I already like and discover new authors as well. Featuring 38 authors, this tome has something for anyone who enjoys their literature on the dark side. Plus, 100% of the proceeds go to benefit breast cancer non-profit organizations, so you can support a great cause and get some good dark reads at the same time.
el_stevie's review
4.0
Dark Voices is a charity anthology published by Lycon Valley in support of those affected by breast cancer. Like many people, I have family and friends who have been affected by this form of cancer and have also had my own close brush – luckily a benign tumour – through which I experienced the wonderful care of the NHS during diagnosis and surgery. Buying this book was a small way of saying thank you and one I hope others will join in with – especially as it has proved such a good read.
It is a mighty tome written in a wide-range of styles and topics but always with a dark voice, the dark voice of a woman. With so many stories and themes, I cannot write about them all but I do have a few favourites. Zombies have been ‘done to death’ so to speak in books and films but always with the implication that they bring with them the end of the human race. Cue: Change by Chesya Burke is a zombie story but one with a refreshing difference, one where the spread of the disease is for the greater good and benefit of humanity rather than its end; an intelligent zombie story for a change.
In contrast, is the most bizarre possession story I have ever read and I think everyone should read this one. Is that your Wife or are you just Happy to see me? by Ruschelle Dillon will have women in hysterics and men crossing their legs. I will not divulge too much except that Garland, the leading male character in the tale has to wear a male version of a chastity belt. The reasons for this become hilariously apparent as he tries to demonstrate his suffering to the psychic he has consulted to help him. The dark humour in this story is wonderfully unique and conjures up some of the most extraordinary images I’ve ever come across when reading.
If you want a more serious, and I would say tragic, reflection on society today with its continued emphasis on bodily perfection, look no further than The Real Me by Marie O’Regan. Grace Byrne is one of those who has become addicted to implants and injections in the belief that a perfect body will make her happy. As her journey progresses however, she realises it achieves exactly the opposite, preventing displays of emotion, turns those around her into a homogenous entity and banishes individuality. When her husband succumbs to the lure of Botox, to make her happy, it has unhappy consequences. A real moral for our times.
There are many other enjoyable stories in this collection, werewolves and vampires, mad mothers and ghosts. The darkness of the female mind is a joy to behold.
It is a mighty tome written in a wide-range of styles and topics but always with a dark voice, the dark voice of a woman. With so many stories and themes, I cannot write about them all but I do have a few favourites. Zombies have been ‘done to death’ so to speak in books and films but always with the implication that they bring with them the end of the human race. Cue: Change by Chesya Burke is a zombie story but one with a refreshing difference, one where the spread of the disease is for the greater good and benefit of humanity rather than its end; an intelligent zombie story for a change.
In contrast, is the most bizarre possession story I have ever read and I think everyone should read this one. Is that your Wife or are you just Happy to see me? by Ruschelle Dillon will have women in hysterics and men crossing their legs. I will not divulge too much except that Garland, the leading male character in the tale has to wear a male version of a chastity belt. The reasons for this become hilariously apparent as he tries to demonstrate his suffering to the psychic he has consulted to help him. The dark humour in this story is wonderfully unique and conjures up some of the most extraordinary images I’ve ever come across when reading.
If you want a more serious, and I would say tragic, reflection on society today with its continued emphasis on bodily perfection, look no further than The Real Me by Marie O’Regan. Grace Byrne is one of those who has become addicted to implants and injections in the belief that a perfect body will make her happy. As her journey progresses however, she realises it achieves exactly the opposite, preventing displays of emotion, turns those around her into a homogenous entity and banishes individuality. When her husband succumbs to the lure of Botox, to make her happy, it has unhappy consequences. A real moral for our times.
There are many other enjoyable stories in this collection, werewolves and vampires, mad mothers and ghosts. The darkness of the female mind is a joy to behold.
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