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wittyandsarcasticbookclub's review
4.0
This collection is good, spooky fun! The fact that no one story felt like another is incredibly impressive in and of itself. From feeling like eating s’mores while reading, to getting a shivery feeling, this book has it all. A few stories even came across as Scary Stories to Read in the Dark for adults (Must Be This Tall to Ride by Seanan McGuire comes to mind) , which was awesome.
This book contains so much that I’m going to just mention a few of the stories that stood out to me.
* A Hinterlands Haunting by Richard Kadrey was one of the shorter stories in this collection. It was also one of the most fun ones. Not in the least bit spooky, it was funny and absolutely unique. Maybe funny isn’t the right word to use when discussing things that go bump in the night, but I laughed.
*The Surviving Child by Joyce Carol Oates: Sad and introspective, this was undoubtedly one of the most well-written in the collection. I loved it.
*Must Be This Tall to Ride by Seanan McGuire definitely had a “scary stories around a campfire” vibe to it. Short and fun, this one stood out to me.
*His Haunting by Brian Evenson was the one that felt the most eerie to me. It was something in the way it was told, I think. While none of the stories actually scared me, this one came the closest.
This is a good collection, especially with Halloween in a couple of months. Pick it up and tell me what you think!
This book contains so much that I’m going to just mention a few of the stories that stood out to me.
* A Hinterlands Haunting by Richard Kadrey was one of the shorter stories in this collection. It was also one of the most fun ones. Not in the least bit spooky, it was funny and absolutely unique. Maybe funny isn’t the right word to use when discussing things that go bump in the night, but I laughed.
*The Surviving Child by Joyce Carol Oates: Sad and introspective, this was undoubtedly one of the most well-written in the collection. I loved it.
*Must Be This Tall to Ride by Seanan McGuire definitely had a “scary stories around a campfire” vibe to it. Short and fun, this one stood out to me.
*His Haunting by Brian Evenson was the one that felt the most eerie to me. It was something in the way it was told, I think. While none of the stories actually scared me, this one came the closest.
This is a good collection, especially with Halloween in a couple of months. Pick it up and tell me what you think!
themadmaiden's review
5.0
This one took a while to read but it was worth it. So many good ghost stories that even a few that didn't quite hit for me weren't enough to really dock it down a notch.
Ellen Datlow is so good at collecting interesting stories for her books.
Ellen Datlow is so good at collecting interesting stories for her books.
stephrabig's review
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
graypeape's review
5.0
A fabulous collection of ghost stories, solid and enjoyable and not a stinker in the bunch. Of course there are always stories one likes better than others (I won't mention favorites, yours might be different than mine), all were entertaining and eerie. I expect nothing less from Ellen Datlow!
#Echoes #NetGalley
#Echoes #NetGalley
annarella's review
4.0
Some of my favorite authors are featured in this anthology and I was more than happy to read it.
Great story, great style of writing and a must read for whoever love ghost story.
It's strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
Great story, great style of writing and a must read for whoever love ghost story.
It's strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
archergal's review
3.0
Sometimes I want to read something spooky, but not TOO spooky. The horror I like to read is usually stories that are subtle and unsettling. Ghost stories can fill this bill pretty well sometimes.
This is a large and far-ranging collection. There are a couple of older stories, like "The Medium's End" by Ford Madox Ford and "The Upper Berth" by F. Marion Crawford. There are stories about abuse; about murder; about trauma and its effects over time. There's a lot of musing about death (duh, ghost stories.) There are lines like the one in Paul Tremblay's story: "Time doesn't run out; it continues forward and it continues without you."
I learned a new word from Terry Dowling's story "The Unwrapping": "quatorzième" - a professional dinner guest, chosen to bring the number of people at a party from 13 (unlucky) to 14.
Creepiest story? IMO, it's "Mee-Ow" by Garth Nix. Holy carp.
"About the O'Dells" by Pat Cadigan is a pretty straight-forward ghost story with a satisfying ending.
I bounced off the Aliette de Bodard story "A Burning Sword for Her Cradle". This has happened before with me and her stories. I'm sure it's me. But it was my least favorite.
"Deep, Fast, Green" by Carole Johnstone sticks in my brain for ways that trauma can last for years and can affect every one around the traumatized person.
"Natalya, Queen of the Hungry Dogs" by John Langan is a great story to end the book. It's about death and friendship and loss and anger and hope.
Good stuff here. A solid 3.5 stars.
This is a large and far-ranging collection. There are a couple of older stories, like "The Medium's End" by Ford Madox Ford and "The Upper Berth" by F. Marion Crawford. There are stories about abuse; about murder; about trauma and its effects over time. There's a lot of musing about death (duh, ghost stories.) There are lines like the one in Paul Tremblay's story: "Time doesn't run out; it continues forward and it continues without you."
I learned a new word from Terry Dowling's story "The Unwrapping": "quatorzième" - a professional dinner guest, chosen to bring the number of people at a party from 13 (unlucky) to 14.
Creepiest story? IMO, it's "Mee-Ow" by Garth Nix. Holy carp.
"About the O'Dells" by Pat Cadigan is a pretty straight-forward ghost story with a satisfying ending.
I bounced off the Aliette de Bodard story "A Burning Sword for Her Cradle". This has happened before with me and her stories. I'm sure it's me. But it was my least favorite.
"Deep, Fast, Green" by Carole Johnstone sticks in my brain for ways that trauma can last for years and can affect every one around the traumatized person.
"Natalya, Queen of the Hungry Dogs" by John Langan is a great story to end the book. It's about death and friendship and loss and anger and hope.
Good stuff here. A solid 3.5 stars.
booksuperpower's review
4.0
Echoes: The Saga Anthology of Ghost Stories by Ellen Datlow is a 2019 a Gallery / Saga Press publication.
Halloween is just around the corner and of course it’s this time of the year when I usually find myself in the mood for a good old- fashioned ghost story. Yet, a good ghost story is hard to find sometimes. So, when I found this anthology in my cloud library, I checked it out on the spot.
I was even more excited by the introduction, in which famed anthology editor, Ellen Datlow, commiserated with those of us who are often disappointed by ‘ghost story’ compilations, which later turn out to be a catchall for anything that might fall into the realm of horror or the paranormal, but aren't exactly what one would call an authentic ghost story.
So, I eagerly dived in, only to find that once again, a fair amount of these short stories, aren’t ghost stories, as I might define them. However, nearly all of them are weird tales or atmospheric mind-benders.
I am not familiar with all the participating authors, but regular readers of horror novels might be.
Paul Trembly gets the ball rolling, but other familiar names like Alice Hoffman and Joyce Carol Oates also contribute solid stories to this collection.
“Must be This Tall to Ride” by Seanan McGuire is one of the shortest stories included but is one of the best. Something about carnivals are always spooky!
The July Girls felt like more of a traditional ghost tale- which are my favorites, if I’m being honest. I also enjoyed “The Other Woman” by Alice Hoffman.
As with many anthologies, especially compilations as large as this one, there are a few stories that left me scratching my head in confusion, or seemed to end too abruptly. However, most are contemporary, imaginative, and several were truly eerie, providing the chills and thrills a good ghost story should.
If you are looking for a few supernatural flavored stories that you haven’t read or heard a thousand times before, this collection of original stories is one you’ll want to add to your Halloween reading list!!
3.5 rounded up.
Halloween is just around the corner and of course it’s this time of the year when I usually find myself in the mood for a good old- fashioned ghost story. Yet, a good ghost story is hard to find sometimes. So, when I found this anthology in my cloud library, I checked it out on the spot.
I was even more excited by the introduction, in which famed anthology editor, Ellen Datlow, commiserated with those of us who are often disappointed by ‘ghost story’ compilations, which later turn out to be a catchall for anything that might fall into the realm of horror or the paranormal, but aren't exactly what one would call an authentic ghost story.
So, I eagerly dived in, only to find that once again, a fair amount of these short stories, aren’t ghost stories, as I might define them. However, nearly all of them are weird tales or atmospheric mind-benders.
I am not familiar with all the participating authors, but regular readers of horror novels might be.
Paul Trembly gets the ball rolling, but other familiar names like Alice Hoffman and Joyce Carol Oates also contribute solid stories to this collection.
“Must be This Tall to Ride” by Seanan McGuire is one of the shortest stories included but is one of the best. Something about carnivals are always spooky!
The July Girls felt like more of a traditional ghost tale- which are my favorites, if I’m being honest. I also enjoyed “The Other Woman” by Alice Hoffman.
As with many anthologies, especially compilations as large as this one, there are a few stories that left me scratching my head in confusion, or seemed to end too abruptly. However, most are contemporary, imaginative, and several were truly eerie, providing the chills and thrills a good ghost story should.
If you are looking for a few supernatural flavored stories that you haven’t read or heard a thousand times before, this collection of original stories is one you’ll want to add to your Halloween reading list!!
3.5 rounded up.
maggie_the_reader's review
3.0
3.5 stars
Not quite as good as I have come to expect from an anthology edited by Ellen Datlow. There are some awesome stories, a few of them genuinely disturbing, but more than a couple are dead boring.
Not quite as good as I have come to expect from an anthology edited by Ellen Datlow. There are some awesome stories, a few of them genuinely disturbing, but more than a couple are dead boring.
jroberts3456's review
4.0
I love having an anthology around to read between books or if I don’t have it in my to read a chapter in my current book and want to just read something. Echoes was great for that. All manner of ghost stories are featured here, the dramatic, the scary, the humorous, and Datlow has picked great examples of what the ghost story can accomplish. As with all anthologies there are hits and there are misses but overall Echoes is a fantastic collection to read through.