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mabusecast's review
4.0
Like most anthologies there are a few misses among the hits but if you have any interest in the classic monsters/classic horror the stories that are hits make this well worth reading! Some of my personal favorites include the first story in the collection, which is the island of doctor moreau during world war 2, the AI powered headless horseman story, and the one where sitting bull and buffalo bill cody fight Dracula in the old west!
kleonard's review
3.0
This collection is a mixed bag of short stories taking on classic monsters from literature or movies--The Blob, Dracula, and others. Most are clever and fun to read, but there are a few that are slogs that could have been better. The organization of the stories is such that most of the really strong ones come first, leaving a weaker middle and end. The final story, but Joe Lansdale, is perhaps the most viscerally horrifying. The illustrations are superfluous and not particularly well-executed or interesting.
kelamity_reads's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I love a good horror anthology, especially one based on old school monsters, so I was really excited to read this.
As with all anthologies, some entries are better than others, but the positives definitely outweigh the negatives in this one. Whilst I found it to be better balanced than most anthologies, I do feel that it was somewhat front-loaded with the stronger entries.
From Jonathan Maberry's brilliant epilogue to H. G. Well's "The Island of Doctor Moreau", to Kelsey Yu's wicked tale of witchy revenge, and Owl Goingback's wild west showdown, I loved reading the unique and creative tales that the authors masterfully brought to life.
Whilst I definitely have my favourites (Maurice Broaddus's "The Invisible Man: The Fire This Time" & Linda D. Addison's "Da Noise, Da Funk, Da Blob" among them), I found that I enjoyed each entry in its own way. Some for their characterisations, some for their originality, and others for the imagery they invoked.
Speaking of imagery, the intermittent illustrations were a nice touch of eye candy.
So, whether you're a fan of classic literature such as Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" and Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray", a Universal Monsters fan, or simply appreciate a good reimagining, this anthology is certain to entertain you.
As with all anthologies, some entries are better than others, but the positives definitely outweigh the negatives in this one. Whilst I found it to be better balanced than most anthologies, I do feel that it was somewhat front-loaded with the stronger entries.
From Jonathan Maberry's brilliant epilogue to H. G. Well's "The Island of Doctor Moreau", to Kelsey Yu's wicked tale of witchy revenge, and Owl Goingback's wild west showdown, I loved reading the unique and creative tales that the authors masterfully brought to life.
Whilst I definitely have my favourites (Maurice Broaddus's "The Invisible Man: The Fire This Time" & Linda D. Addison's "Da Noise, Da Funk, Da Blob" among them), I found that I enjoyed each entry in its own way. Some for their characterisations, some for their originality, and others for the imagery they invoked.
Speaking of imagery, the intermittent illustrations were a nice touch of eye candy.
So, whether you're a fan of classic literature such as Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" and Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray", a Universal Monsters fan, or simply appreciate a good reimagining, this anthology is certain to entertain you.
motherofallbats's review
4.0
Very solidly good anthology with a lot of tonal variety. As expected it was pretty Frankenstein, Dracula, and were-creature heavy, but there were also some surprising out of pocket choices for monster representation (Dr. Moreau, The Wicked Witch of the West, The Fly, and The Hands of Orlac were all very welcome surprises). Like all anthologies it's uneven, but there were only a couple of outright duds, which is a pretty good rate for a 30-story collection.The stories that really knocked it out of the park for me:
-- Old Monsters Never Die by Tim Waggoner. A werewolf story that packs a huge emotional gut punch in a very short space. The combination of physical and emotional brutality reminded me a lot of Stephen Graham Jones.
-- This Viscount and the Phantom by Lucy A. Snyder. I'm a big sucker for literally any Phantom retelling, but this one was especially enjoyable; the premise of the first couple of pages immediately made me go "OOOOH OKAY" and then it developed in an extremely unexpected and delightful way.
-- Beautiful Monsters by JG Faherty. A very emotional Frankenstein's monster story, kinda gave me San Junipero vibes.
-- A Tale of Wickedness by Kelsea Yu. A very short origin story for the Wicked Witch. I audibly made a "nooooo" sound halfway through when I realized what was going on, which is my highest compliment for a horror story.
-- Diminished Seventh by Sean Eads and Joshua Viola. This is the Hands of Orlac story, I've never seen any of the versions of that film and only know the very basic premise of it so I'm not sure if there was any specific thematic drama or irony that I missed because of that, but even if there was this is still an absolute banger of a surgical horror story on its own.
-- You Can Have the Ground, My Love by Carlie St. George. Hands-down my favorite story in the collection, from the Bride of Frankenstein's perspective. A heart-rending meditation on her character and a beautiful tribute to Elsa Lanchester's film performance.
Overall very happy with this collection; apparently there is a Shakespeare-themed one coming out soon with many of the same authors that I'll gladly be checking out after this!
-- Old Monsters Never Die by Tim Waggoner. A werewolf story that packs a huge emotional gut punch in a very short space. The combination of physical and emotional brutality reminded me a lot of Stephen Graham Jones.
-- This Viscount and the Phantom by Lucy A. Snyder. I'm a big sucker for literally any Phantom retelling, but this one was especially enjoyable; the premise of the first couple of pages immediately made me go "OOOOH OKAY" and then it developed in an extremely unexpected and delightful way.
-- Beautiful Monsters by JG Faherty. A very emotional Frankenstein's monster story, kinda gave me San Junipero vibes.
-- A Tale of Wickedness by Kelsea Yu. A very short origin story for the Wicked Witch. I audibly made a "nooooo" sound halfway through when I realized what was going on, which is my highest compliment for a horror story.
-- Diminished Seventh by Sean Eads and Joshua Viola. This is the Hands of Orlac story, I've never seen any of the versions of that film and only know the very basic premise of it so I'm not sure if there was any specific thematic drama or irony that I missed because of that, but even if there was this is still an absolute banger of a surgical horror story on its own.
-- You Can Have the Ground, My Love by Carlie St. George. Hands-down my favorite story in the collection, from the Bride of Frankenstein's perspective. A heart-rending meditation on her character and a beautiful tribute to Elsa Lanchester's film performance.
Overall very happy with this collection; apparently there is a Shakespeare-themed one coming out soon with many of the same authors that I'll gladly be checking out after this!
lattes_lipstick_literature's review
4.0
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily*
Hello Fellow Readers,
I actually started reading this a while ago as I wanted to do this review for Halloween, but life got in the way (as it always does). I finally finished it and I am so happy that I did. I loved the different takes on each Monster. This anthology was so refreshing as I was getting tired of all the same monster horror tropes and knowing exactly how each story was going to end. Like most Anthologies, I did like other stories more than others, but that is always expected. Each author's reimagined monster added something new to the monster genre. I'm glad I wasn't left feeling disappointed or let down when I finished this book and will be looking up a lot of the authors that contributed to this book.
Overall, a new exciting take on the Classic Monsters in Horror.
Hello Fellow Readers,
I actually started reading this a while ago as I wanted to do this review for Halloween, but life got in the way (as it always does). I finally finished it and I am so happy that I did. I loved the different takes on each Monster. This anthology was so refreshing as I was getting tired of all the same monster horror tropes and knowing exactly how each story was going to end. Like most Anthologies, I did like other stories more than others, but that is always expected. Each author's reimagined monster added something new to the monster genre. I'm glad I wasn't left feeling disappointed or let down when I finished this book and will be looking up a lot of the authors that contributed to this book.
Overall, a new exciting take on the Classic Monsters in Horror.
mikeroderique's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
tokujoe's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
cuddlesome's review
3.0
Monsters!!!!!!!!!! <3 !!!!!!!!!!
As with all anthologies, a mixed bag. There were some stories here that made me want to bang my head against the wall at the wasted potential and others where I gasped aloud and went "OOOOOO" at how well-executed they were.
My favorites were:
Old Monsters Never Die by Tim Waggoner
Dreams by F. Paul Wilson
Hacking the Horseman’s Code by Lisa Morton
They Call Me Mother by Geneve Flynn
The Nightbird by Michael Knost
A Tale of Wickedness by Kelsea Yu
Old Monsters Never Die was BY FAR my favorite overall. Such a fun, twisted take on werewolves and themes about tradition. The writing style was also very (literally) visceral. I loved it. Dreams, a Frankenstein retelling from a unique perspective, is a close second.
The Phantom of the Opera retelling disappointed me the most. In it, Raoul is--wait for it--a serial killer. Yeah. He plays opposite a benevolent Erik(a). It felt forced and cartoonish, even for POTO.
Overall, I would say that given the length of this anthology there is a lot to pick from and you're bound to resonate with some of them. I think that going in you should know that the general vibe is reinventing/retelling/sometimes modernizing these tales rather than strictly sticking to the source material.
In conclusion, we love glorified fanfiction of monsters in the public domain.
As with all anthologies, a mixed bag. There were some stories here that made me want to bang my head against the wall at the wasted potential and others where I gasped aloud and went "OOOOOO" at how well-executed they were.
My favorites were:
Old Monsters Never Die by Tim Waggoner
Dreams by F. Paul Wilson
Hacking the Horseman’s Code by Lisa Morton
They Call Me Mother by Geneve Flynn
The Nightbird by Michael Knost
A Tale of Wickedness by Kelsea Yu
Old Monsters Never Die was BY FAR my favorite overall. Such a fun, twisted take on werewolves and themes about tradition. The writing style was also very (literally) visceral. I loved it. Dreams, a Frankenstein retelling from a unique perspective, is a close second.
The Phantom of the Opera retelling disappointed me the most. In it, Raoul is--wait for it--a serial killer. Yeah. He plays opposite a benevolent Erik(a). It felt forced and cartoonish, even for POTO.
Overall, I would say that given the length of this anthology there is a lot to pick from and you're bound to resonate with some of them. I think that going in you should know that the general vibe is reinventing/retelling/sometimes modernizing these tales rather than strictly sticking to the source material.
In conclusion, we love glorified fanfiction of monsters in the public domain.
gnashchick's review
4.0
Damn fine collection of stories that will make you squirm, scream, or skedaddle. I particularly liked the re-imagining of the classics and tales told from a different perspective. All in all, this anthology was exactly what I needed for some Halloween fun reading.
mimicry's review against another edition
3.0
My top 3 are the stories by Seanan McGuire, Carli St George, and Jonathan Maberry.