On Dark Paths

by Andrew Kincaid

Now and then a person brushes up against something they can't explain, something so far outside the norm that in a sane world it ought not exist. Enclosed within are thirteen stories about this unholy interaction of the Mundane and the world

- A mysterious stranger and horrible sounds from the night give the briefest glimpse into the horrors "Beyond the Veil"

- Is it merely a dream? Or is it a horrific glimpse into Outer Darkness? Find out in "Plop!"

- A mysterious video wends its way through the digital world, leaving nothing but madness and destruction in its wake in "...And the Truth Shall Make You Free "

"Where the Darkest of Dark Things Dwell" - Sometimes it isn't the monster outside that gets you. Sometimes it's the one inside.

- A modern day Frankenstein learns the price of hubris in "Murphy's Law"

- Nothing can save you now. You've been bitten... in "The Bite"

-A sleepy little mining town conceals a horrible truth beneath its feet in "Benton's Station"

-The nighttime fancies of childhood sometimes turn out to be all too real in "It Came At Midnight"

- A paranormal enthusiast gets much more than he bargained for in "Death At a Train Crossing"

- It lurks in the woods. Watching. Waiting. What is it? No one knows. "The Thing That Smiles"

- An eccentric author receives a pair of strange visitors one rainy night in "Black Eyed Kids"

- A mysterious box reveals Everything...but for a price... in "The Spirit Box"

- A journalist learns the truth about a devastating plague that has swept the world in "Pandemic Hysteria"

There you have it. Thirteen stories to chill the blood. Thirteen stories that lay bare the strange reaches of our world and the dark ways beyond it.

Won't you walk with me On Dark Paths?

186 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 6, 2011

About the author

Andrew Kincaid lives in backwoods Ohio with his family and three ornery kitty cats. He currently works as a substitute teacher. He began making up stories before he could write, acting them out in his bedroom and back yard using sticks as swords and ratty t-shirts as armor. Once he learned to write, he began frantically scribbling stories and he hasn’t stopped since. He’s always been fascinated with the bizarre, so it was no surprise to anyone–least of all him–when fantasy and horror were the genres that chose him. He writes weird things because it’s a weird world, and he’s trying to make it a stranger place with each story he writes.

Reviews

[Joshua Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered Andrew Kincaid through Twitter and, on a whim, went to Amazon to check out his work. The entire first story of this collection is available through the “Look Inside” feature. By the time I was done, I was absolutely hooked and had to buy it. To have that strong of a reaction right away to someone’s writing is very rare for me. Generally, if I like something I stick it on my “to-read” list and will eventually get it. Rarely does something leapfrog other titles I was looking forward to reading.

I finished the collection pretty quickly and enjoyed every story. So much so, that I immediately went back to Amazon and bought his other collection Strange World. (Again, I rarely do this. Let me go through some of the pros and cons.

Pros:



1.Great sense of voice and characters that felt real. I think this is especially hard to do in a short form and Andrew does it well. Probably why I like his writing so much is that his characters are very prominent in the stories.
2.Strong suspense. It was hard to stop reading a story in the middle which I was forced to do several times.
3.Vivid images without being overly descriptive. I haven’t read a ton of horror but like any other genre the stories I enjoy the most are those that give me just enough information to let my imagination run wild and allow me to fill in the rest.
4.Change in point of view. Stories shifted between first, second, and third person as well as past and present tense. They worked in every case. It takes a lot of skill to do that, in my opinion.
5.Different feels to the stories. Some were meant to scare, some to thrill, some made you think. Regardless, they all served their purpose.
6.Great writing style. Prose was very strong.

Cons:


1.If I had to nitpick, a couple of the stories ended a bit more abruptly than I would have liked.
2.I really want to read a novel by the author but none are currently available. I’m calling you out, Andrew!

Closing thoughts:
If you have an ereader, buy this. Even if you don’t normally read horror, I’m willing to bet you’ll enjoy the collection because the stories themselves are so strong and there is very little of the extremely gory content involved. Besides, it’s only $1.99. Anyone can afford that.

And as a side note, “Pandemic Hysteria” was by far my favorite story. I’ve thought about it for days since reading it. (Again, I can’t remember the last time something like that has happened.)

10 out of 10

[Natasha McNeely · Rating 5 out of 5]

Horror has been a genre I've meant to look into more than I have in the past. I finally kicked myself into gear and bought, On Dark Paths by Andrew Kincaid.

I don't regret it. Let me tell you why.

Cover
The cover of On Dark Paths is simple, but serves its purpose. It shows a dark scenery that draws readers in and fits the tales this book holds within it. Simple, alluring, and effective.

Stories
On Dark Paths contains thirteen short stories that dwell in the horror genre. Each of them focuses on different aspects and each story has its own terrific charm that lures readers in. While some stories are only a few pages long, others are longer, and no matter what, there is bound to be at least one story that will haunt you.

I enjoyed some stories more than others. Benton's Station, Beyond the Veil and Black Eyed Kids in particular were my favorites. While I did not enjoy some stories as much as others, they were still enjoyable and each story in this book has its charm.

It is not easy to find a collection of short stories in which each story is a good read, but this collection is one of the gems.

The writing draws readers into the stories with horrifying allure that can't be ignored. Alternating between first and second point of view, Andrew Kincaid did a wonderful job making this collection.

I'll be taking a look at his other book, Strange World, soon.

Horror lovers; this book is for you.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I tend to feel like I have to "settle" for horror that's good in many ways but not in many others. This collection of short stories reflects a rare book I read with appreciation for all aspects--for example, intelligence, creepiness, thoughtfulness and a careful, succinct selection of words I wish more of today's notable horror authors would emulate once in a while! A few very minor qualms struck me as I read, but each had abandoned me within moments.

I read these stories only when there was ample daylight left to clear my mind before bedtime. If you're looking for the kind of tale you want to read by daylight only--just in case!--this is the book for you.

[Emmy Prince · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, this book should come with a disclaimer that says "Warning: Do not read before bedtime. Stories may lead to nightmares." Okay so I didn't have nightmares, but I did get thoroughly and genuinely creeped out! That means these are fantastically terrifying stories, and I *love* finding horror stories/movies that are legit, and not cheesey and stupid. This fits the bill. My favorite is the first story, I think it would make an incredible full-lengh novel. The descriptions are extremely vivid and the characters are believable, as is the suspense. I can't wait to get Strange World!

[Meghann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This anthology is one of the best I've read. Every story was creepy or scary. The zombie story near the end was incredible and shocking.

This is the only book in recent memory that has scared me.