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dnemec's review
3.0
Volume 10 of the Dark Screams series was fair, but by far not my favorite.
Bastion by Simon Clark was the first and longest, encompassing half the book. John Karroon wakes up in a bunker where boys aged 11-16 are in military uniforms and shooting liquid nitrogen at something called Flukes. All the boys around John seem to have no memory about their previous lives - where they were from, their families, their pets - yet John remembers everything. And he can't help but question everything occurring around him. The story was rather strange and I thought it would be my least favorite, but I found myself falling into the story and I couldn't stop reading it. Probably my favorite of the bunch.
The Woman in the Blue Dress by Heather Herrman was another that I liked quite a lot. Natalie is sitting alone at a restaurant when a strange woman named Cassasandra approaches her and begins speaking with her. Cassandra is remarkably familiar to her for some reason, but she can't put her finger on why. And now she wants something from Natalie...
The other stories were rather meh to me, but I thought those two were interesting.
Bastion by Simon Clark was the first and longest, encompassing half the book. John Karroon wakes up in a bunker where boys aged 11-16 are in military uniforms and shooting liquid nitrogen at something called Flukes. All the boys around John seem to have no memory about their previous lives - where they were from, their families, their pets - yet John remembers everything. And he can't help but question everything occurring around him. The story was rather strange and I thought it would be my least favorite, but I found myself falling into the story and I couldn't stop reading it. Probably my favorite of the bunch.
The Woman in the Blue Dress by Heather Herrman was another that I liked quite a lot. Natalie is sitting alone at a restaurant when a strange woman named Cassasandra approaches her and begins speaking with her. Cassandra is remarkably familiar to her for some reason, but she can't put her finger on why. And now she wants something from Natalie...
The other stories were rather meh to me, but I thought those two were interesting.
stewie's review
4.0
It’s been a minute since I reviewed a release from the "Dark Screams" series. I haven’t read nearly enough of the anthologies, all edited by Brian James Freeman and Richard Chizmar, as I’d like, but the ones I’ve read have been a good time, and Volume Ten is no exception. While there is no apparent theme to this anthology, I will say if I were to pick one, it would be “Screw your happy endings.” Just the way I like it.
You can read my entire review right here at HorrorTalk.com.
You can read my entire review right here at HorrorTalk.com.
wellwortharead's review
3.0
The first story "Bastion" by Simon Clark was my favorite, even though to me it was more of a Sci-Fi than a horror. It was also the longest story, taking up 49% of the book. A young boy is suddenly thrust into a strange and dangerous world where children are soldiers. He has no memory of how he got there or even what his own name is. It seems to be a world made up of only young boys, no parents, no memories, and deadly enemies to fight.
The Woman in the Blue Dress by Heather Herrman was more along the lines of the horror I was expecting. As Natalie is eating alone in a restaurant one night a strange woman intrudes on her dinner. She is quite insistent and seems to know more about Natalie than she would if this were really just a chance encounter. This was a spine tingler for me.
Dark Water by Marc Rains and Lisa Tuttle concerns another chance meeting, but this beautiful woman isn't exactly looking for love when she invites a stranger home from the coffee shop.
I received an advance copy for review.
The Woman in the Blue Dress by Heather Herrman was more along the lines of the horror I was expecting. As Natalie is eating alone in a restaurant one night a strange woman intrudes on her dinner. She is quite insistent and seems to know more about Natalie than she would if this were really just a chance encounter. This was a spine tingler for me.
Dark Water by Marc Rains and Lisa Tuttle concerns another chance meeting, but this beautiful woman isn't exactly looking for love when she invites a stranger home from the coffee shop.
I received an advance copy for review.
uncanny_lynx's review
4.0
I received a free advanced copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This anthology was not what I expected. It didn't feel like there was much of a theme to it. The stories seemed more randomly slapped together than most anthologies I've read. Perhaps it's simply that "dark" is such a broad descriptor. Overall, I thought there would be more horror.
And, oddly enough, the two stories that felt the least like horror to me were my two favorites.
"Bastion" by Simon Clark was absolutely fantastic. Sci-fi, more Hunger Games than Alien. I couldn't put it down. I wouldn't have minded if the full book were just this one story, expanded. At the same time, I don't feel it ended too early.
The other story that stood out is more realistic drama than anything else. "The Trendy Bar Side of Life" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch needs a trigger warning on it, but I will say I believe it handled the subject of rape very well. It's a subject I definitely go out of my way to avoid, and yet I still enjoyed this story. It's about the aftermath, about surviving, not some glorification of brutality. It's about how the person you are "after" is different from the person you were before. I was impressed.
"Seven Years" by Wrath James White is another I'd like to call out as a good read. The remaining stories didn't leave much of an impression on me. I feel like they suffered because "Bastion" set such a high bar—and distinct tone—so early. I might have appreciated the other stories more if "Bastion" had been last.
I do recommend this anthology. In my opinion, "The Trendy Bar Side of Life" and "Bastion" alone make it worth it. And time spent reading the other stories would not be time wasted. Overall impression: Not what I was expecting or hoping for, but it definitely left me thinking.
This anthology was not what I expected. It didn't feel like there was much of a theme to it. The stories seemed more randomly slapped together than most anthologies I've read. Perhaps it's simply that "dark" is such a broad descriptor. Overall, I thought there would be more horror.
And, oddly enough, the two stories that felt the least like horror to me were my two favorites.
"Bastion" by Simon Clark was absolutely fantastic. Sci-fi, more Hunger Games than Alien. I couldn't put it down. I wouldn't have minded if the full book were just this one story, expanded. At the same time, I don't feel it ended too early.
The other story that stood out is more realistic drama than anything else. "The Trendy Bar Side of Life" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch needs a trigger warning on it, but I will say I believe it handled the subject of rape very well. It's a subject I definitely go out of my way to avoid, and yet I still enjoyed this story. It's about the aftermath, about surviving, not some glorification of brutality. It's about how the person you are "after" is different from the person you were before. I was impressed.
"Seven Years" by Wrath James White is another I'd like to call out as a good read. The remaining stories didn't leave much of an impression on me. I feel like they suffered because "Bastion" set such a high bar—and distinct tone—so early. I might have appreciated the other stories more if "Bastion" had been last.
I do recommend this anthology. In my opinion, "The Trendy Bar Side of Life" and "Bastion" alone make it worth it. And time spent reading the other stories would not be time wasted. Overall impression: Not what I was expecting or hoping for, but it definitely left me thinking.
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