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3.26 AVERAGE
3.26 AVERAGE
AUDIOBOOK: I think I’m done with this series unless I get really desperate for something to listen to. Probably 2.5 ⭐️ for the first story or two but after that I was annoyed with the stories and found them silly or boring. The last one was completely pointless. The narration was excellent despite having some mediocre material to work with.
Four great stories. One of the best Dark Screams.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The two stories I enjoyed were The Deep End and The Night Hider. The rest were readable but not memorable.
slow-paced
These volumes are quickly becoming my favorite collections of short stories. I devoured the first one, and this one was no different. I guess I should just review one story at a time.
"The Deep End" - Poor Glen Calder has just lost his sixteen year old son in a drowning accident. Only Glen knows that it wasn't really an accident, but some creepy force that has been "drowning" people for years. This story reminded me of Stephen King's Dreamcatcher, and that's a good thing. Added terrifying bonus because most of this story took place in a pool, and water scares the bajesus out of me.
"Interval" - Michelle, an airport employee, has to deal with an airplane reported down and the families that are waiting for word of their loved ones. But they're not the only ones waiting, and not the only ones with a stake in this mess. This story took a complete u-turn from where I thought it was going, and I loved it. It was scary and strange and slow-moving in the best way possible.
"If These Walls Could Talk" - A television crew, including Eleanor, has arrived at the Foster farmhouse to film for "America's Mysterious Hotspots." Eleanor stumbles across a body hidden in the walls, and that's not even the scariest thing to happen in this story. This was probably my favorite in this book. Things got started right off the bat and the ending was killer.
"The Night Hider" - Dawn received a large standing wardrobe from her aunt, but it doesn't only hold clothes. This story was kind of strange - it dealt a lot with C.S. Lewis and a creepy burned man - and I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about it. The ending was surprising, but in an almost "what are you doing?" way. It was very different from the rest of the stories, and I think it may have thrown my off the groove of the book.
"Whatever" - I don't even know how to recap this story. It's a bunch of different news articles and notes about a 70s supergroup called Whatever. There wasn't a lot of horror in this story, so it didn't really fit in the book, but it was good, nonetheless. It was interesting to read about one of those bands that seem untouchable, but have just as many bad days as everyone else, if not worse.
"The Deep End" - Poor Glen Calder has just lost his sixteen year old son in a drowning accident. Only Glen knows that it wasn't really an accident, but some creepy force that has been "drowning" people for years. This story reminded me of Stephen King's Dreamcatcher, and that's a good thing. Added terrifying bonus because most of this story took place in a pool, and water scares the bajesus out of me.
"Interval" - Michelle, an airport employee, has to deal with an airplane reported down and the families that are waiting for word of their loved ones. But they're not the only ones waiting, and not the only ones with a stake in this mess. This story took a complete u-turn from where I thought it was going, and I loved it. It was scary and strange and slow-moving in the best way possible.
"If These Walls Could Talk" - A television crew, including Eleanor, has arrived at the Foster farmhouse to film for "America's Mysterious Hotspots." Eleanor stumbles across a body hidden in the walls, and that's not even the scariest thing to happen in this story. This was probably my favorite in this book. Things got started right off the bat and the ending was killer.
"The Night Hider" - Dawn received a large standing wardrobe from her aunt, but it doesn't only hold clothes. This story was kind of strange - it dealt a lot with C.S. Lewis and a creepy burned man - and I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about it. The ending was surprising, but in an almost "what are you doing?" way. It was very different from the rest of the stories, and I think it may have thrown my off the groove of the book.
"Whatever" - I don't even know how to recap this story. It's a bunch of different news articles and notes about a 70s supergroup called Whatever. There wasn't a lot of horror in this story, so it didn't really fit in the book, but it was good, nonetheless. It was interesting to read about one of those bands that seem untouchable, but have just as many bad days as everyone else, if not worse.
As in most anthologies, there were hit and miss stories in this book for me.
The Deep End by Robert McCammon: I liked this story, and found the scenes in the pool both tense and scary, but I'm not sure I cared all that much for the ending. 3 stars
Interval by Norman Prentiss: I did not care for this story all that much. I found the characters to be universally unlikable and so that made me less interested in the story itself. I did like the premise, but it reminded me of the Twilight Zone Episode "The Howling Man." 2 stars
If These Walls Could Talk by Shawntelle Madison: One of my favorite stories in the book. I liked both the premise and the structure of the story. I thought the story was one thing but then there was a twist at the end I did not see coming. 4 Stars
The Night Hider by Graham Masterson: I had never heard of Mr. Masterson and he seems to be write short stories almost exclusively, but this might have been my favorite story in the book. The possibility that C.S. Lewis' Christian Allegory, [b:The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe|100915|The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia, #1)|C.S. Lewis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1353029077l/100915._SY75_.jpg|4790821] could be something more, very intriguing. 4 stars
Whatever by Richard Matheson: I do not care for stories told in journal/letterform in general, with the possible exception of Max Brooks, so this one would probably have been a miss for me anyway. It was an interesting story but I'm not sure it was really horror. 2 stars
The Deep End by Robert McCammon: I liked this story, and found the scenes in the pool both tense and scary, but I'm not sure I cared all that much for the ending. 3 stars
Interval by Norman Prentiss: I did not care for this story all that much. I found the characters to be universally unlikable and so that made me less interested in the story itself. I did like the premise, but it reminded me of the Twilight Zone Episode "The Howling Man." 2 stars
If These Walls Could Talk by Shawntelle Madison: One of my favorite stories in the book. I liked both the premise and the structure of the story. I thought the story was one thing but then there was a twist at the end I did not see coming. 4 Stars
The Night Hider by Graham Masterson: I had never heard of Mr. Masterson and he seems to be write short stories almost exclusively, but this might have been my favorite story in the book. The possibility that C.S. Lewis' Christian Allegory, [b:The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe|100915|The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia, #1)|C.S. Lewis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1353029077l/100915._SY75_.jpg|4790821] could be something more, very intriguing. 4 stars
Whatever by Richard Matheson: I do not care for stories told in journal/letterform in general, with the possible exception of Max Brooks, so this one would probably have been a miss for me anyway. It was an interesting story but I'm not sure it was really horror. 2 stars
Another stellar collection in this series! I enjoyed the first volume, and found myself liking the stories in the second volume even more!
We start out with "The Deep End" by Robert R. McCammon. To read a horror short by him was great, especially with recent news of his return to the genre! This was a chilling story about a father seeking revenge against a an unknown nemesis. Norman Prentiss' "Interval" was a great modern take on a common theme: beings who hang around to feed off of sorrow and loss. Next up was "If These Walls Could Talk" by Shawntelle Madison. The author is new to me, and I'm curious to read more of her work now, this story was a chilling tale of stalker madness! My favorite story in this collection was "The Night Hider" by Graham Masterton. Masterton never disappoints! In this tale, we have a haunted wardrobe linked to C.S. Lewis, the evil within consumed him and inspired Narnia, and how a woman decades later works with her lover to defeat the evil within! Finally, we have "Whatever" by Richard Christian Matheson: my least favorite of the bunch. I found the story tedious and until the very end, had no clue what was going on or where he was going.
All in all, this is a fantastic collection, and I cannot wait to read the third volume in the series!
We start out with "The Deep End" by Robert R. McCammon. To read a horror short by him was great, especially with recent news of his return to the genre! This was a chilling story about a father seeking revenge against a an unknown nemesis. Norman Prentiss' "Interval" was a great modern take on a common theme: beings who hang around to feed off of sorrow and loss. Next up was "If These Walls Could Talk" by Shawntelle Madison. The author is new to me, and I'm curious to read more of her work now, this story was a chilling tale of stalker madness! My favorite story in this collection was "The Night Hider" by Graham Masterton. Masterton never disappoints! In this tale, we have a haunted wardrobe linked to C.S. Lewis, the evil within consumed him and inspired Narnia, and how a woman decades later works with her lover to defeat the evil within! Finally, we have "Whatever" by Richard Christian Matheson: my least favorite of the bunch. I found the story tedious and until the very end, had no clue what was going on or where he was going.
All in all, this is a fantastic collection, and I cannot wait to read the third volume in the series!
I've read several of these, so when this was on sale for $.99, I jumped on it. I liked a couple, loved a couple, and thought one was beyond weird.
Definitely the best of the lot, in my humble opinion, were The Deep End by Robert McCammon and The Night Hider by Graham Masterton. Perhaps because of the summers I spent lifeguarding at community pools, I thought The Deep End presented a fascinating tale of the dangers of swimming, but not quite for the typical reasons. The Night Hider presents the fascinating problem of collecting antiques with dubious pasts.
Overall, another quality collection of stories.
Definitely the best of the lot, in my humble opinion, were The Deep End by Robert McCammon and The Night Hider by Graham Masterton. Perhaps because of the summers I spent lifeguarding at community pools, I thought The Deep End presented a fascinating tale of the dangers of swimming, but not quite for the typical reasons. The Night Hider presents the fascinating problem of collecting antiques with dubious pasts.
Overall, another quality collection of stories.
This second volume of DARK SCREAMS does not disappoint. You can always rely on Cemetery Dance and Brian Freeman and Richard Chizmar to have a finger on the pulse of what is best in the horror genre.
The beauty of horror is its multifaceted face. We who read it know all the tropes from ghosts to vampires to zombies. We also know that some of the most chilling novels and stories in the genre are the ones that injure the psyche. These are the tales we know can happen. Then there is that fine line between supernatural horror and psychological horror that makes us pause, look for reality where none exists or look for comfort in that which cannot. DARK SCREAMS, VOLUME TWO dares to look horror head on, no matter the consequence.
The Deep End
by Robert R McCammon
Sometimes a reader connects with a story in ways the author surely never intended. In the very first paragraph of the story, the words "where his son had drowned two weeks ago" could have been my words. The loss of a child of any age is unbearable beyond belief. My son, a bit more than twice the age of the victim, had a wife and two babies; things Neil would never have. The devastating grief of a father for his son (or, in my case, a mother for her son) warrants the darkest of screams.
McCammon is a masterful storyteller that I met for the first time between the covers of his epic, Armageddon tale SWAN SONG, in 1987. I am never disappointed by his writing.
Interval
by Norman Prentiss
One of the big problems with reviewing a short story anthology is that it can be really hard to just hint at the content of a particular story without giving it all away. While reading "Interval," I was struck by the way it changed focus from one dark idea to another. Each one could lead to a different conclusion, but instead each was more and more like collapsing a spyglass in that the scope became less distant.
If These Walls Could Talk
by Shawntelle Madison
The haunted house theme is one of horror's greatest tropes. It differs from the classic ghost story by making an inanimate object the main character in a study of good and evil. Walls cannot talk, but they can certainly tell a dark tale.
The Night Hider
by Graham Masterton
If you read horror, you have read Graham Masterton; he is, after all, one of the genre's grand masters. How do you deal with the monster under the bed, the thing in the toilet, the creature in the closet? These things send me under the covers, head first, and silently screaming.
Whatever
by Richard Christian Matheson
I've noticed that music has become an integral part of recent stories and novels of a dark and horrific nature. Maybe it's just the choices I've made, and maybe it's because my somewhat eclectic taste in music and literature were bound to come together. Sex and drugs and rock 'n' roll can be a very dark and disjointed roller coaster ride.
The beauty of horror is its multifaceted face. We who read it know all the tropes from ghosts to vampires to zombies. We also know that some of the most chilling novels and stories in the genre are the ones that injure the psyche. These are the tales we know can happen. Then there is that fine line between supernatural horror and psychological horror that makes us pause, look for reality where none exists or look for comfort in that which cannot. DARK SCREAMS, VOLUME TWO dares to look horror head on, no matter the consequence.
The Deep End
by Robert R McCammon
Sometimes a reader connects with a story in ways the author surely never intended. In the very first paragraph of the story, the words "where his son had drowned two weeks ago" could have been my words. The loss of a child of any age is unbearable beyond belief. My son, a bit more than twice the age of the victim, had a wife and two babies; things Neil would never have. The devastating grief of a father for his son (or, in my case, a mother for her son) warrants the darkest of screams.
McCammon is a masterful storyteller that I met for the first time between the covers of his epic, Armageddon tale SWAN SONG, in 1987. I am never disappointed by his writing.
Interval
by Norman Prentiss
One of the big problems with reviewing a short story anthology is that it can be really hard to just hint at the content of a particular story without giving it all away. While reading "Interval," I was struck by the way it changed focus from one dark idea to another. Each one could lead to a different conclusion, but instead each was more and more like collapsing a spyglass in that the scope became less distant.
If These Walls Could Talk
by Shawntelle Madison
The haunted house theme is one of horror's greatest tropes. It differs from the classic ghost story by making an inanimate object the main character in a study of good and evil. Walls cannot talk, but they can certainly tell a dark tale.
The Night Hider
by Graham Masterton
If you read horror, you have read Graham Masterton; he is, after all, one of the genre's grand masters. How do you deal with the monster under the bed, the thing in the toilet, the creature in the closet? These things send me under the covers, head first, and silently screaming.
Whatever
by Richard Christian Matheson
I've noticed that music has become an integral part of recent stories and novels of a dark and horrific nature. Maybe it's just the choices I've made, and maybe it's because my somewhat eclectic taste in music and literature were bound to come together. Sex and drugs and rock 'n' roll can be a very dark and disjointed roller coaster ride.