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Blue World
Presents a collection of tales of the macabre accompanied by the novella "Blue World"
435 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
547 people are currently reading
4932 people want to read
About the author
Robert McCammon
167 books5,738 followersPseudonyms: Robert R. McCammon; Robert Rick McCammon
Robert McCammon was a full-time horror writer for many years. Among his many popular novels were the classics Boy's Life and Swan Song. After taking a hiatus for his family, he returned to writing with an interest in historical fiction.
His newest book, Leviathan, is the tenth and final book in the Matthew Corbett series. It was published in trade hardcover (Lividian Publications), ebook (Open Road), and audiobook (Audible) formats on December 3, 2024.
McCammon resides in Birmingham, Alabama.
Robert McCammon was a full-time horror writer for many years. Among his many popular novels were the classics Boy's Life and Swan Song. After taking a hiatus for his family, he returned to writing with an interest in historical fiction.
His newest book, Leviathan, is the tenth and final book in the Matthew Corbett series. It was published in trade hardcover (Lividian Publications), ebook (Open Road), and audiobook (Audible) formats on December 3, 2024.
McCammon resides in Birmingham, Alabama.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 305 reviews
June 5, 2022
Brilliant collection of his shorter works from the 80s and a longer novella, Blue World. Yellowjacket Summer, Makup, Nightcrawlers, Pin, I Scream Man or Red House... there are so many great stories inside. Enjoyed every single one of them and wrote reviews about them. Blue World comes at the end and is an extremely compelling tale about a catholic priest falling in love with a blue movie actress, Debbie Stoner, aka Debra Rock. There is a mysterious cowboy hunting down adult stars. Will he also kill Debra? What about the priest and his role in this dark setting? Absolutely outstanding novella by McCammon. Couldn't put it down and can highly recommend the whole collection. Among the very best short stories I ever came across. Highly recommended!
January 23, 2022
Like most short story collections, there are a couple of very good ones, ones that are okay and some that aren't so good. This one is no exception, it's a mixed bag.
I'd still recommend though because there's a few crackers in here!
"Yellowjacket Summer" - A wrong turn off a highway type story, into a town with killer wasps and creepy residents. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Makeup" - Involves a thief stealing the makeup case that belonged to a horror film star, it all goes pear shaped. ⭐⭐
"Doom City" - A man wakes up one morning and finds the wife he went to bed with the night before has turned into a corpse. He wanders about the town and finds himself alone – almost! ⭐⭐⭐
"Nightcrawlers" - A Vietnam veteran's nightmares materialize and bring death to those around him. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Pin" - This is a strange, first person narrative of a young man contemplating sticking a needle in his eye. ⭐
"Yellachile's Cage" - A voodoo man keeps a bird in his prison cell. The bird is his familiar who keeps him informed of all that is going on in the prison. ⭐⭐
"I Scream Man!" - A man is playing Scrabble with his family, all seems well until the ice cream van comes down the street.. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"He'll Come Knocking at Your Door" - A frightening Halloween in a small town. ⭐⭐⭐
"Chico" - About a special child who exacts subtle revenge on his mother's abusive boyfriend. ⭐
"Night Calls the Green Falcon" - A retired cinema superhero takes up his cape again to stalk a real-life prostitute's murderer. ⭐⭐⭐
"The Red House" - About neighbor's from hell, who have a fascination with the colour red and it drives the main character nuts. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Something Passed By" - McCammon creates an overwhelming post-apocalyptic world demonstrating his vivid imagination. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Blue World" - A Catholic priest falls in love with a porn star who is being stalked by a serial killer. ⭐⭐⭐
I'd still recommend though because there's a few crackers in here!
"Yellowjacket Summer" - A wrong turn off a highway type story, into a town with killer wasps and creepy residents. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Makeup" - Involves a thief stealing the makeup case that belonged to a horror film star, it all goes pear shaped. ⭐⭐
"Doom City" - A man wakes up one morning and finds the wife he went to bed with the night before has turned into a corpse. He wanders about the town and finds himself alone – almost! ⭐⭐⭐
"Nightcrawlers" - A Vietnam veteran's nightmares materialize and bring death to those around him. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Pin" - This is a strange, first person narrative of a young man contemplating sticking a needle in his eye. ⭐
"Yellachile's Cage" - A voodoo man keeps a bird in his prison cell. The bird is his familiar who keeps him informed of all that is going on in the prison. ⭐⭐
"I Scream Man!" - A man is playing Scrabble with his family, all seems well until the ice cream van comes down the street.. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"He'll Come Knocking at Your Door" - A frightening Halloween in a small town. ⭐⭐⭐
"Chico" - About a special child who exacts subtle revenge on his mother's abusive boyfriend. ⭐
"Night Calls the Green Falcon" - A retired cinema superhero takes up his cape again to stalk a real-life prostitute's murderer. ⭐⭐⭐
"The Red House" - About neighbor's from hell, who have a fascination with the colour red and it drives the main character nuts. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Something Passed By" - McCammon creates an overwhelming post-apocalyptic world demonstrating his vivid imagination. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Blue World" - A Catholic priest falls in love with a porn star who is being stalked by a serial killer. ⭐⭐⭐
December 27, 2013
Edited 12.27.13 after the third read.
I started off making notes on each story that I thought was above average, as you can see below...
The first story in this collection knocked my socks off. It was eerily reminiscent of an episode of The Twilight Zone. The bees! 5*
Edited: It turns out that this actually WAS a Twilight Zone magazine story in 1986.
The second story, "Makeup" was a tribute to horror films of old, with all kinds of references to a previous Robert McCammon novel, They Thirst. 4*
"Nightcrawlers"-a heavy story about a Nam vet dosed with a chemical named Howdy Doody. 4*
Edited: This was adapted for the small screen by the new Twilight Zone show. You can watch the episode online at You Tube for free here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITl2BB...
Edited to add a few words about the story "Yellachile's Cage". This story is good enough to get its very own mention here. A prison story, slightly reminiscent of The Shawshank Redemption, with its message of hope.
Edited to add a few words about the story "Pin". Apparently, Pin was made into a short film by a student named Christian Frahme. This story was so disturbing I could not bring myself to watch the film. In case you would like to after you read "Pin", here is a link to the film: http://vimeo.com/19771743
"Night Calls the Green Falcon" had me in tears as did the last novella Blue World.
...then I realized that every story is above average in this collection. Well, all but one of these tales strongly resonated with me.
Robert McCammon will forever be one of my favorite authors. No matter the subject, the strength of his writing never fails to show through.
I started off making notes on each story that I thought was above average, as you can see below...
The first story in this collection knocked my socks off. It was eerily reminiscent of an episode of The Twilight Zone. The bees! 5*
Edited: It turns out that this actually WAS a Twilight Zone magazine story in 1986.
The second story, "Makeup" was a tribute to horror films of old, with all kinds of references to a previous Robert McCammon novel, They Thirst. 4*
"Nightcrawlers"-a heavy story about a Nam vet dosed with a chemical named Howdy Doody. 4*
Edited: This was adapted for the small screen by the new Twilight Zone show. You can watch the episode online at You Tube for free here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITl2BB...
Edited to add a few words about the story "Yellachile's Cage". This story is good enough to get its very own mention here. A prison story, slightly reminiscent of The Shawshank Redemption, with its message of hope.
Edited to add a few words about the story "Pin". Apparently, Pin was made into a short film by a student named Christian Frahme. This story was so disturbing I could not bring myself to watch the film. In case you would like to after you read "Pin", here is a link to the film: http://vimeo.com/19771743
"Night Calls the Green Falcon" had me in tears as did the last novella Blue World.
...then I realized that every story is above average in this collection. Well, all but one of these tales strongly resonated with me.
Robert McCammon will forever be one of my favorite authors. No matter the subject, the strength of his writing never fails to show through.
June 13, 2024
I don’t write reviews.
This was a wonderful assortment of stories: mostly great with no “duds.” McCammon has always been a pro at building up a character quickly and getting the hook in. Yellachile’s Cage was a definite standout. Honourable mentions to Something Passed By and Yellowjacket Summer. Things were very Twilight Zone meets Ray Bradbury, and I can dig it.
However, I fell in love with the title story. The idea of star-crossed soulmates appeals to my inner child, who was around when this was written. I felt drawn into the story and cared about the characters, which was fun. Even though I’ve been sick for over a month, it brought me out of myself, which I definitely needed. (I still can’t organize my thoughts and write them down properly). Love and fate and faith come together and everyone’s lives are touched.
Side note: I thought the juxtaposition between a glory hole/peep show box and a confessional, was clever.
This was a wonderful assortment of stories: mostly great with no “duds.” McCammon has always been a pro at building up a character quickly and getting the hook in. Yellachile’s Cage was a definite standout. Honourable mentions to Something Passed By and Yellowjacket Summer. Things were very Twilight Zone meets Ray Bradbury, and I can dig it.
However, I fell in love with the title story. The idea of star-crossed soulmates appeals to my inner child, who was around when this was written. I felt drawn into the story and cared about the characters, which was fun. Even though I’ve been sick for over a month, it brought me out of myself, which I definitely needed. (I still can’t organize my thoughts and write them down properly). Love and fate and faith come together and everyone’s lives are touched.
Side note: I thought the juxtaposition between a glory hole/peep show box and a confessional, was clever.
October 1, 2010
I love short stories. A volume of short stories is not something that's very likely to be published now, so whenever I come upon one I feel like a child who has been given a box of chocolate. And like Forrest's momma said, you never know what you gonna get when you decide to open one.
Robert McCammon is a master storyteller, and "Blue World" is a great example of his skill. Writing a short story is a task that requires considerable ability - an author has very limited space for characterization and plotting, but McCammon pulls this off brilliantly. Few writers can set the mood better than him; the reader literally feels the heat and terror of "Yellowjacket Summer", the horror of "Doom City" and the conflict between a young man trappeed in an old body in "Night calls the Green Falcon". McCammon's characters sparkle with life; each of them is unique and memorable, even when they get only 20 pages of reading time. Not all stories are "nerve-shredding nightmares", as advertised on the cover; The volume shows McCammon's versatility as an author. Titles such as "Nightcrawlers" or "He'll Come Knocking at Your Door" can be best described as nightmarish, but "Yellachile's Cage" and "Chico" are as far from horror as literature can be, heartbreaking and beautiful. The volume closes with the titular novella "Blue World", the longest entry in this collection, a perfect closure - a sublime tale of love and faith.
Blue World is a great introduction to the works of Robert McCammon, a writer who doesn't seem to receive enough recognition. It's a great shame that this collection is now out of print. Luckily, used copies seem to be pretty common, and acquiring the volume shouldn't be a big problem. Not enough contemporary writers spend their time writing short stories; and certainly not many of them can spin them that good as the author of Blue World.
Robert McCammon is a master storyteller, and "Blue World" is a great example of his skill. Writing a short story is a task that requires considerable ability - an author has very limited space for characterization and plotting, but McCammon pulls this off brilliantly. Few writers can set the mood better than him; the reader literally feels the heat and terror of "Yellowjacket Summer", the horror of "Doom City" and the conflict between a young man trappeed in an old body in "Night calls the Green Falcon". McCammon's characters sparkle with life; each of them is unique and memorable, even when they get only 20 pages of reading time. Not all stories are "nerve-shredding nightmares", as advertised on the cover; The volume shows McCammon's versatility as an author. Titles such as "Nightcrawlers" or "He'll Come Knocking at Your Door" can be best described as nightmarish, but "Yellachile's Cage" and "Chico" are as far from horror as literature can be, heartbreaking and beautiful. The volume closes with the titular novella "Blue World", the longest entry in this collection, a perfect closure - a sublime tale of love and faith.
Blue World is a great introduction to the works of Robert McCammon, a writer who doesn't seem to receive enough recognition. It's a great shame that this collection is now out of print. Luckily, used copies seem to be pretty common, and acquiring the volume shouldn't be a big problem. Not enough contemporary writers spend their time writing short stories; and certainly not many of them can spin them that good as the author of Blue World.
October 11, 2012
Seeing that the author of this book of short stories and one novella is Robert McCammon, I was expecting some scary stuff, AND I was not disappointed. I got to have an unsettling look inside the mind of a spree killer and spend a creepy All Hallow's Eve with a man who discovers that once a year, you need to GIVE if you wanna GET.
BUT...not all the stories were terrifying.
I got to meet a traveling canary that brings magic and wonder to some prisoners. A story about an elderly man who decides to become the superhero he once portrayed on film made me feel strangely happy and hopeful.
AND THEN...practically every emotion I can fake got whirled together in Something Passed By, one of the biggest, baddest, holy crappiest stories I've ever read. One minute, I'm laughing at the little "inside" jokes about the Bloch school, Bradbury park, and Lansdale's Exxon Station; the next, I'm squirming nervously as heads explode and neighbors burst into flame. Then, McCammon sneaks up behind and smacks me on the butt with a sweetly sad and touching ending.
Whew! I needed a nap after that one!
BUT...not all the stories were terrifying.
I got to meet a traveling canary that brings magic and wonder to some prisoners. A story about an elderly man who decides to become the superhero he once portrayed on film made me feel strangely happy and hopeful.
AND THEN...practically every emotion I can fake got whirled together in Something Passed By, one of the biggest, baddest, holy crappiest stories I've ever read. One minute, I'm laughing at the little "inside" jokes about the Bloch school, Bradbury park, and Lansdale's Exxon Station; the next, I'm squirming nervously as heads explode and neighbors burst into flame. Then, McCammon sneaks up behind and smacks me on the butt with a sweetly sad and touching ending.
Whew! I needed a nap after that one!
February 26, 2025
A five, a couple of fours, and a handful of threes. Night Calls the Green Falcon is a fantastic and touching look at the bedrock of forgotten dreams beneath the Hollywood sign. When a retired serial actor seeks to solve the murder of his young neighbor, he and a handful of people who have slipped through the cracks rediscover the power of fantasy and find themselves transformed in their search for a killer.
Yellowjacket Summer is creepy and not too long. He’ll Come Knocking At Your Door, Doom city, and The Red House is creative 50s horror comic fodder with a dark sense of humor. Blue World is a melancholy novella about a priest who falls in love with a porno actress who happens to be a target of a serial killer. Starts kind of weird and grungy but becomes something approaching beautiful.
There are a few others that are more like weird little things. Pin really isn’t more than a very dark dramatic monologue and Yellachile’s Cage has a decent concept but hasn’t aged all that well. McCammon’s prose remains strong throughout and there’s a greater variety of tones here than I expected, from the silly and spooky to serious and bittersweet. Apparently, there is a Subterranean Press version with three more stories.
Yellowjacket Summer is creepy and not too long. He’ll Come Knocking At Your Door, Doom city, and The Red House is creative 50s horror comic fodder with a dark sense of humor. Blue World is a melancholy novella about a priest who falls in love with a porno actress who happens to be a target of a serial killer. Starts kind of weird and grungy but becomes something approaching beautiful.
There are a few others that are more like weird little things. Pin really isn’t more than a very dark dramatic monologue and Yellachile’s Cage has a decent concept but hasn’t aged all that well. McCammon’s prose remains strong throughout and there’s a greater variety of tones here than I expected, from the silly and spooky to serious and bittersweet. Apparently, there is a Subterranean Press version with three more stories.
November 18, 2019
This man is one of the best storytellers ever. As popular as he is in the horror community, he is still massively underrated.
This collection of short stories contain some of the best I've ever read. Blue World, the title story, is also the best novella I've ever read.
Other favourites that I will definitely read again soon are Yellachile's Cage, Strange Candy, Nightcrawler's, Pin, and Night Calls the Green Falcon..
This collection of short stories contain some of the best I've ever read. Blue World, the title story, is also the best novella I've ever read.
Other favourites that I will definitely read again soon are Yellachile's Cage, Strange Candy, Nightcrawler's, Pin, and Night Calls the Green Falcon..
November 30, 2016
Great collection but why the long story? The only real problem I have with this enjoyable collection is the last story....Blue World. It is in fact more of a novella and in that respect is not a comfortable companion with the preceding 12 short stories, it upsets the complete rhythm of those that have gone before and whilst an interesting tale in its own way is totally out of context. It is the story of a priest John Lancaster who finds himself attracted to blue movie phenomenon Debra Rocks and the resulting moral dilemma that ensues. At some 200 pages long this one story although interesting and amusing soon runs out of ideas after the initial premise of "will he or won't he" loses its appeal.
In contrast to this "Night Calls the Green Falcon" is a work of pure magic! Creighton Flint is an old retired movie star and in his prime the afternoon movie and in particular the black and white weekly adventure series (you know where the hero is attempting to rescue a beautiful damsel in distress who has been tied to the railway line with an express train fast approaching...the action stopped at an impossible moment/cliff-hanger and a whole week had to be waited until hopefully our hero rescues said damsel) An old and somewhat weary Green Falcon is called into service again when his neighbour and friend is murdered. The Green Falcon must don his outfit and go in search of The Fliptop Killer. The real genius of this story is the way Robert McCammon divides the action into chapters with nail biting dastardly misadventure concluding each akin to the old black and white movies of days gone by...."Hey, amigo the man said, and flame shot from the barrel of the small pistol he'd just drawn" (my goodness has our hero been shot!)....now read on to start of next chapter..."The Hispanic man lit his cigarette with the flame"....phew that was close!
"Yellowjacket Summer" is not a story to read if you possess a bee phobia. The author uses both the desert heat and fear of yellowjacket bees to great effect in this "stinger" of a story.
"Nightcrawlers" a tale of murder and intrigue that happens in Cheryl's diner and the mystery that unfolds with the arrival of a Vietnam veteran called Price. Nightmares, mental awareness, and the fear of the unknown are issues hidden within.
"He'll come knocking at your door" A very clever tale in which Dan Burgess lives the ideal life with a beautiful wife and daughter. This family wants for nothing but when Dan is summoned to an urgent Halloween meeting with some town locals he learns that there is no such thing as a free ride. A wonderful story with spooky folk lore overtones.
Virgil Sykes and his odd family move into their newly painted "The Red House" What is the significance of the colour red? and why does it so upset Bobby Deaken? How is Sykes able to work faster and smarter than all his colleagues....all will be revealed in this quirky, bubbly fun tale.
A great collection which would have been even better if "Blue World" the final story had either been replaced or somewhat edited.
In contrast to this "Night Calls the Green Falcon" is a work of pure magic! Creighton Flint is an old retired movie star and in his prime the afternoon movie and in particular the black and white weekly adventure series (you know where the hero is attempting to rescue a beautiful damsel in distress who has been tied to the railway line with an express train fast approaching...the action stopped at an impossible moment/cliff-hanger and a whole week had to be waited until hopefully our hero rescues said damsel) An old and somewhat weary Green Falcon is called into service again when his neighbour and friend is murdered. The Green Falcon must don his outfit and go in search of The Fliptop Killer. The real genius of this story is the way Robert McCammon divides the action into chapters with nail biting dastardly misadventure concluding each akin to the old black and white movies of days gone by...."Hey, amigo the man said, and flame shot from the barrel of the small pistol he'd just drawn" (my goodness has our hero been shot!)....now read on to start of next chapter..."The Hispanic man lit his cigarette with the flame"....phew that was close!
"Yellowjacket Summer" is not a story to read if you possess a bee phobia. The author uses both the desert heat and fear of yellowjacket bees to great effect in this "stinger" of a story.
"Nightcrawlers" a tale of murder and intrigue that happens in Cheryl's diner and the mystery that unfolds with the arrival of a Vietnam veteran called Price. Nightmares, mental awareness, and the fear of the unknown are issues hidden within.
"He'll come knocking at your door" A very clever tale in which Dan Burgess lives the ideal life with a beautiful wife and daughter. This family wants for nothing but when Dan is summoned to an urgent Halloween meeting with some town locals he learns that there is no such thing as a free ride. A wonderful story with spooky folk lore overtones.
Virgil Sykes and his odd family move into their newly painted "The Red House" What is the significance of the colour red? and why does it so upset Bobby Deaken? How is Sykes able to work faster and smarter than all his colleagues....all will be revealed in this quirky, bubbly fun tale.
A great collection which would have been even better if "Blue World" the final story had either been replaced or somewhat edited.
June 4, 2015
This is a terrific collection of shorts by one of the finest storytellers alive and working today.
McCammon ably demonstrates his ability to maneuver deftly into different genres and come out with interesting, sometimes unforgettable results. I really loved this collection. I think the standouts are Pin, Something Passed By, Night Calls the Green Falcon, Doom City, and Yellow Jacket Summer. There isn't a bad story in the book. Some were just more memorable than the rest. The title novella was the weakest part for me. That's too bad, because I had high hopes for it. I can't give it a perfect rating, but I still think any self-respecting horror fiction enthusiast should read it.
McCammon ably demonstrates his ability to maneuver deftly into different genres and come out with interesting, sometimes unforgettable results. I really loved this collection. I think the standouts are Pin, Something Passed By, Night Calls the Green Falcon, Doom City, and Yellow Jacket Summer. There isn't a bad story in the book. Some were just more memorable than the rest. The title novella was the weakest part for me. That's too bad, because I had high hopes for it. I can't give it a perfect rating, but I still think any self-respecting horror fiction enthusiast should read it.
July 21, 2025
Robert McCammon is one of my favorite authors. His books have a mixture of many genres in the plot, and his characterization is always top notch. The strength of his writing is one of the best.
If you’ve never heard of this guy, you’re missing out!
Blue World was written back in 1989 and is still great today. Some stories have an 80s/90s feel to them (which is fine since this is when he wrote it) and others felt like they could be set in the present day or in the future.
There are no bad short stories in this whole collection. That’s so hard to do and that’s why I can’t rate this lower than 5 stars.
5 stars (Favorites!)
Makeup – I just loved this one! The feel of old Hollywood Horror and classic Monster Movies is something I’ve always loved, and he brings all the magic into this one.
Yellachile’s Cage - This had all the feel and emotion of what made The Shawshank Redemption one of my favorite movies. It was an excellent plot with great characters.
Night Calls the Green Falcon - If you’ve ever loved old superhero movies or tv series, this plot and the characters remind us of why we loved them as kids.
It was just perfect, and the transformation of our retired superhero made me so happy.
Blue World - This plot was wild! It starts off with such a crazy concept of a Catholic priest becoming smitten over a porn star.
Right? It’s ridiculous. I think I scoffed because I just couldn’t see it.
By the middle of the story, I’m wanting the best for John, the main character, and I’m worried about Debra. What the hell is happening to me, I thought I would hate this?
When I got to the end, I was crying. I was a hot mess, and I realized not every priest or religious leader is a creep or con artist.
Seriously, what the f*ck type of magic writing is this McCammon?! 😂🤣
3.5 to 4.5 stars
Yellowjacket Summer – 4/4.5 stars
Nightcrawlers – 4 stars
I Scream Man! - 3.5 stars
He’ll Come Knocking at Your Door - 4/4.5 stars (The more I think about this one, I feel like it’s 5 stars and a favorite too!)
The Red House - 4 stars
2 to 3 stars
Doom City - 3 stars (I wanted more to this story and why this happened. It’s a great plot idea though.)
Pin - 2 stars (I just don’t know what’s going on with this one. I think I missed what McCammon was going for. It’s likely a me thing and not him.)
Chico - 3 stars (I wanted more to the plot. Fantastic characters though!)
Something Passed By - 3 stars (I wanted more of an explanation on why all the deadly occurrences were happening.)
Check this short story collection out. It’s fantastic and I enjoyed every one of them!
If you’ve never heard of this guy, you’re missing out!
Blue World was written back in 1989 and is still great today. Some stories have an 80s/90s feel to them (which is fine since this is when he wrote it) and others felt like they could be set in the present day or in the future.
There are no bad short stories in this whole collection. That’s so hard to do and that’s why I can’t rate this lower than 5 stars.
5 stars (Favorites!)
Makeup – I just loved this one! The feel of old Hollywood Horror and classic Monster Movies is something I’ve always loved, and he brings all the magic into this one.
Yellachile’s Cage - This had all the feel and emotion of what made The Shawshank Redemption one of my favorite movies. It was an excellent plot with great characters.
Night Calls the Green Falcon - If you’ve ever loved old superhero movies or tv series, this plot and the characters remind us of why we loved them as kids.
It was just perfect, and the transformation of our retired superhero made me so happy.
Blue World - This plot was wild! It starts off with such a crazy concept of a Catholic priest becoming smitten over a porn star.
Right? It’s ridiculous. I think I scoffed because I just couldn’t see it.
By the middle of the story, I’m wanting the best for John, the main character, and I’m worried about Debra. What the hell is happening to me, I thought I would hate this?
When I got to the end, I was crying. I was a hot mess, and I realized not every priest or religious leader is a creep or con artist.
Seriously, what the f*ck type of magic writing is this McCammon?! 😂🤣
3.5 to 4.5 stars
Yellowjacket Summer – 4/4.5 stars
Nightcrawlers – 4 stars
I Scream Man! - 3.5 stars
He’ll Come Knocking at Your Door - 4/4.5 stars (The more I think about this one, I feel like it’s 5 stars and a favorite too!)
The Red House - 4 stars
2 to 3 stars
Doom City - 3 stars (I wanted more to this story and why this happened. It’s a great plot idea though.)
Pin - 2 stars (I just don’t know what’s going on with this one. I think I missed what McCammon was going for. It’s likely a me thing and not him.)
Chico - 3 stars (I wanted more to the plot. Fantastic characters though!)
Something Passed By - 3 stars (I wanted more of an explanation on why all the deadly occurrences were happening.)
Check this short story collection out. It’s fantastic and I enjoyed every one of them!
August 5, 2021
Damn, this was an awesome collection of stories. Some weren't horror, but so well done it didn't matter. The title novella was excellent, although it probably could've been shorter. All in all a great, fun read.
April 23, 2020
This is a terrific collection of short fiction from Robert McCammon, who proved that he is an equally adept writer at any length. Nightcrawlers is an eerie story that was made into what was arguably the best episode of the '90s T.Z. reboot, Pin is a short tale with quite a punch, and the titular story is a thought-provoking short novel that's quite memorable. My favorite is the bittersweet Night Calls the Green Falcon, but there are really no "filler" stories in the book; they're all good dark stories with plenty of chills and shivers.
August 13, 2007
One of the craziest books of short stories I have ever read. I think I was quoting the story, 'Something Passed By'. for years and years after I read it. "He was sitting on the front porch in the steamy heat of mid-day, sipping from a glass of gasoline, when the doomscreamer came." I am a harlot for great sentences, and this one is one of my top ten.
June 19, 2025
Blue World - 5☆
Loved this collection, fantastic!
Loved this collection, fantastic!
January 18, 2015
Blue World by Robert McCammon
January 11, to January 15, 2015
Buddy read from Goodreads HR
Here we have a story of the nightmare the XXX—rated life style can create. A beautiful girl is shot through the head while satisfying her killer. I know, how creepy is that? Her friend, Debby (also part of this life-style), is so upset and frightened. When she finds out what has happened she goes to a priest and partakes of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, but really she just wanted to talk to someone (she thought she could trust) about it. Could she trust Fr. John, was he really the loyal priest she thought he was? Time will tell
Once again, Mr. McCammon does not disappoint this reader. The story is well written, with enough character development for 3 novels. This author takes us through the streets of San Francisco with the swiftness of a ten-speed bicycle. We get the feel of the small neighborhoods that make up this city, both good and bad. We meet friends and enemies of our two protagonist. We learn about the secondary problems of the X-rated life-style and the temptations of a good and holy priest.
For me this story was a study of God's love for all of us, no matter how far down in trash we are lying. He is ready to forgive and forget the transgression of those whom have fallen into sin, no matter the circumstances. Most importantly God can change the hardest of hearts and make something wonderfully courageous out of the worst of circumstances.
I recommend this book to any Christian who is willing to have an opened mind to see how God can work if we only allow it. Also one can see in this book how sin can so gradually come into someone's otherwise holy life, that it is hardly noticed until it's almost too late. In this novel God works in mysterious way. Maybe it's not what McCammon intended, but it's what I took from the book.
FIVE brightly colored stars for this entertaining and uplifting book
January 11, to January 15, 2015
Buddy read from Goodreads HR
Here we have a story of the nightmare the XXX—rated life style can create. A beautiful girl is shot through the head while satisfying her killer. I know, how creepy is that? Her friend, Debby (also part of this life-style), is so upset and frightened. When she finds out what has happened she goes to a priest and partakes of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, but really she just wanted to talk to someone (she thought she could trust) about it. Could she trust Fr. John, was he really the loyal priest she thought he was? Time will tell
Once again, Mr. McCammon does not disappoint this reader. The story is well written, with enough character development for 3 novels. This author takes us through the streets of San Francisco with the swiftness of a ten-speed bicycle. We get the feel of the small neighborhoods that make up this city, both good and bad. We meet friends and enemies of our two protagonist. We learn about the secondary problems of the X-rated life-style and the temptations of a good and holy priest.
For me this story was a study of God's love for all of us, no matter how far down in trash we are lying. He is ready to forgive and forget the transgression of those whom have fallen into sin, no matter the circumstances. Most importantly God can change the hardest of hearts and make something wonderfully courageous out of the worst of circumstances.
I recommend this book to any Christian who is willing to have an opened mind to see how God can work if we only allow it. Also one can see in this book how sin can so gradually come into someone's otherwise holy life, that it is hardly noticed until it's almost too late. In this novel God works in mysterious way. Maybe it's not what McCammon intended, but it's what I took from the book.
FIVE brightly colored stars for this entertaining and uplifting book
June 13, 2019
McCammon is one of the best in the business. While I prefer his stories in a longer format, he can still write some damn fine shorts.
January 22, 2024
Having previously read both Boy's Life and Swan Song, I know that delving into the McCammon back catalogue has the potential for disappointment by comparison but I am still hopeful for discovering some hidden gems along the way. Blue World is just that and is a collection of his short stories from the 80s plus the titular novella.
McCammon is an established long form fiction writer but clearly also has a flair for short stories and most of the ones here were excellent and occasionally disturbing. In fact, this collection could even be considered as a good starting point for readers interested in this author if they are too daunted by the size and scale of his other works, the short stories and novella give a fairly good demonstration of his range but be assured that his character work goes absolutely next level in the bigger stories mentioned at the top of my review.
Not sure which book of his to choose next, buy I will firstly continue with some of the older ones before starting his Matthew Corbett series which I hear is great.
McCammon is an established long form fiction writer but clearly also has a flair for short stories and most of the ones here were excellent and occasionally disturbing. In fact, this collection could even be considered as a good starting point for readers interested in this author if they are too daunted by the size and scale of his other works, the short stories and novella give a fairly good demonstration of his range but be assured that his character work goes absolutely next level in the bigger stories mentioned at the top of my review.
Not sure which book of his to choose next, buy I will firstly continue with some of the older ones before starting his Matthew Corbett series which I hear is great.
May 22, 2024
*** 3.6 STARS ***
1 Blue World - 3.9
2 Nightcrawlers- 3.6
3 Night Calls the Green Falcon - 3.5
4 Something Passes By - 3.1
5 He'll Come Knocking at Your Door - 2.9
6 Doom City - 2.9
7 Makeup - 2.8
8 The Red House - 2.8
9 Yellachile's Cage - 2.7
10 Yellowjacket Summer - 2.5
11 I Screm Man! - 1.5
12 Chico - 1
13 Pin - 1
I very rarely read short stories, but I wanted to give them a proper go. I decided to start with one of my favourite authors Robert McCammon since he has rarely let me down. Overall I was kinda disappointed with this collection as a whole, however, there were a few stories that I quite enjoyed.
The Blue World novella took me by surprise. I really liked this one. There was me thinking, it's gonna be a 'Dying Earth' book, or a Kevin Costner like story, and instead, I read an enjoyable homage?! of one of my absolute favourite films, David Lynch's Blue Velvet. Well, I thought so anyway. I'm not sure which came first but I know which is the better. She wore...
1 Blue World - 3.9
2 Nightcrawlers- 3.6
3 Night Calls the Green Falcon - 3.5
4 Something Passes By - 3.1
5 He'll Come Knocking at Your Door - 2.9
6 Doom City - 2.9
7 Makeup - 2.8
8 The Red House - 2.8
9 Yellachile's Cage - 2.7
10 Yellowjacket Summer - 2.5
11 I Screm Man! - 1.5
12 Chico - 1
13 Pin - 1
I very rarely read short stories, but I wanted to give them a proper go. I decided to start with one of my favourite authors Robert McCammon since he has rarely let me down. Overall I was kinda disappointed with this collection as a whole, however, there were a few stories that I quite enjoyed.
The Blue World novella took me by surprise. I really liked this one. There was me thinking, it's gonna be a 'Dying Earth' book, or a Kevin Costner like story, and instead, I read an enjoyable homage?! of one of my absolute favourite films, David Lynch's Blue Velvet. Well, I thought so anyway. I'm not sure which came first but I know which is the better. She wore...
August 3, 2020
In a word.... sensational. Damn can McCammon write and short stories are no exception. This collection is packed with horrifying, suspenseful and emotional pieces of stellar fiction from one of the masters in the horror genre. If you love the collections of Stephen King, then I thoroughly recommend having a dabble with these. You won't be dissapointed. I guarantee it.
My top five entries are:
1 Something Passed By
2 Blue World
3 Nightcrawlers
4 He'll Come Knocking at Your Door
5 Makeup
My top five entries are:
1 Something Passed By
2 Blue World
3 Nightcrawlers
4 He'll Come Knocking at Your Door
5 Makeup
February 19, 2023
McCammon covers a lot of ground in this collection, which builds to a satisfying climax and conclusion with the title novella. The climactic Blue World novella confounds and inspires, brutalizes, and bruises one's soul. A white knuckle journey into the soul of humanity.
April 26, 2024
Yellowjacket Summer: 3⭐
This one starts out like a typical backwoods horror story, but there's a twist where a sinister hillbilly kid has the psychic ability to command yellowjackets to do his bidding. This one was mildly enjoyable.
Makeup: 3⭐
A crook steals a makeup case from a famous horror movie actor, and it turns out the makeup has some magical properties that transform its user into various monsters, depending on the application. This one was also simply good; but not great.
Doom City: 2.5⭐
An apocalyptic type story that starts out decent, and ends on a dream-sequence type twist we've seen a hundred times before. Meh.
Nightcrawlers: 3.5⭐
Finally, a pretty good story. This one is about an old war vet that wanders into a diner one day, bringing some... trouble along with him. It's hard to say what without spoiling it, but let's just say his PTSD and some things that happened in the war are possibly more of a threat to others than himself. This was an intriguing story with a dark and fitting ending.
Pin: 1.5⭐
I have no idea what this one is even about.
Yellachile's Cage: 2.5⭐
About a prisoner that knows voodoo, and passes his abilities along to another prisoner. It was okay, I guess?
I Scream Man: 1.5⭐
Like Pin; another very short and a "wtf did i just read" kinda story. Not for me.
He'll Come Knocking At Your Door: 4⭐
This is the best story in this collection. About a father/husband that moves to a new town with his family, in which everything seems to go exceedingly well. TOO well, as a matter of fact. Life seems perfect in this small town... until he discovers the reason for the constant good luck, and the price that is to be paid for it.
This was a very dark, creative, and even frightening, story. I enjoyed this one quite a bit - though I would have liked to see it a tad bit longer and fleshed out more. It felt too short.
Chico: 2.5⭐
A slice of life story about poverty and domestic violence. Well written, but the story doesn't go anywhere.
Night Calls the Green Falcon: 3.5⭐
This one was surprisingly enjoyable!
It's about a washed up superhero actor and stuntman who used to play the hero known as the Green Falcon. One day, after witnessing a crime perpetrated by a known serial killer, the "Green Falcon" decides to don his old costume and play vigilante.
This story was both suspenseful and quite funny. One of my favorites from this book.
The Red House: 3.25⭐
This is a strange story, that appears to be a slice of life/drama type story, but incorporates some supernatural stuff near the end. I enjoyed it.
Something Passed By: 2.25⭐
I'm already forgetting what this one is even about. Meh.
Blue World: 1.75⭐
This one is a 200 page novella about a priest that becomes obsessed with a p*rn star and stalks her... and eventually they fall in love. Need I say more?
There's also this weird subplot where a serial killer is stalking women in the adult film industry, and makes the priest's object of desire his next target - but this subplot takes up maybe 10-15 pages of this novella and feels almost entirely inconsequential to the story.
This one kind of sucked. It was also too sleazy and explicit for my tastes. I thought this was a horror book, not romance/erotica???
Overall, I can't say I'm too impressed with my first Robert McCammon outing. I'd give this book like a 2.75/5 overall, with only 3 stories in here being ones I actually cared for.
Eventually I'll try some of McCammon's novels but I fail to see the masterpiece of this short story collection that some people claim it to be.
This one starts out like a typical backwoods horror story, but there's a twist where a sinister hillbilly kid has the psychic ability to command yellowjackets to do his bidding. This one was mildly enjoyable.
Makeup: 3⭐
A crook steals a makeup case from a famous horror movie actor, and it turns out the makeup has some magical properties that transform its user into various monsters, depending on the application. This one was also simply good; but not great.
Doom City: 2.5⭐
An apocalyptic type story that starts out decent, and ends on a dream-sequence type twist we've seen a hundred times before. Meh.
Nightcrawlers: 3.5⭐
Finally, a pretty good story. This one is about an old war vet that wanders into a diner one day, bringing some... trouble along with him. It's hard to say what without spoiling it, but let's just say his PTSD and some things that happened in the war are possibly more of a threat to others than himself. This was an intriguing story with a dark and fitting ending.
Pin: 1.5⭐
I have no idea what this one is even about.
Yellachile's Cage: 2.5⭐
About a prisoner that knows voodoo, and passes his abilities along to another prisoner. It was okay, I guess?
I Scream Man: 1.5⭐
Like Pin; another very short and a "wtf did i just read" kinda story. Not for me.
He'll Come Knocking At Your Door: 4⭐
This is the best story in this collection. About a father/husband that moves to a new town with his family, in which everything seems to go exceedingly well. TOO well, as a matter of fact. Life seems perfect in this small town... until he discovers the reason for the constant good luck, and the price that is to be paid for it.
This was a very dark, creative, and even frightening, story. I enjoyed this one quite a bit - though I would have liked to see it a tad bit longer and fleshed out more. It felt too short.
Chico: 2.5⭐
A slice of life story about poverty and domestic violence. Well written, but the story doesn't go anywhere.
Night Calls the Green Falcon: 3.5⭐
This one was surprisingly enjoyable!
It's about a washed up superhero actor and stuntman who used to play the hero known as the Green Falcon. One day, after witnessing a crime perpetrated by a known serial killer, the "Green Falcon" decides to don his old costume and play vigilante.
This story was both suspenseful and quite funny. One of my favorites from this book.
The Red House: 3.25⭐
This is a strange story, that appears to be a slice of life/drama type story, but incorporates some supernatural stuff near the end. I enjoyed it.
Something Passed By: 2.25⭐
I'm already forgetting what this one is even about. Meh.
Blue World: 1.75⭐
This one is a 200 page novella about a priest that becomes obsessed with a p*rn star and stalks her... and eventually they fall in love. Need I say more?
There's also this weird subplot where a serial killer is stalking women in the adult film industry, and makes the priest's object of desire his next target - but this subplot takes up maybe 10-15 pages of this novella and feels almost entirely inconsequential to the story.
This one kind of sucked. It was also too sleazy and explicit for my tastes. I thought this was a horror book, not romance/erotica???
Overall, I can't say I'm too impressed with my first Robert McCammon outing. I'd give this book like a 2.75/5 overall, with only 3 stories in here being ones I actually cared for.
Eventually I'll try some of McCammon's novels but I fail to see the masterpiece of this short story collection that some people claim it to be.
Want to read
September 27, 2025⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Yellowjacket Summer" A mother and her two kids stop at a rural gas station but find bigger problems than the heat.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Makeup" A small-time thief steals a dead horror star's makeup case and quickly learns its contents are more than just makeup.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Doom City" A man who awakens one morning to find a skeleton in bed where his wife had been the night before.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Nightcrawlers" A Vietnam veteran comes seeking shelter from the storm and the nightmares of his past.
⭐⭐⭐ "Pin" The unsettling ravings of a madman.
⭐⭐⭐ "Yellachile's Cage" A young man in prison finds hope in his imagination.
⭐⭐⭐ "I Scream Man" A man suffers from hallucinations beyond his control.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ "He'll Come Knocking at Your Door" The devil arrives to trick-or-treat on Halloween to collect his due.
⭐⭐⭐ "Chico" A special child exacts subtle revenge on his mother's abusive boyfriend
"Night Calls the Green Falcon" A retired cinema superhero takes up his cape again to stalk a real-life prostitute's murderer.
"The Red House"
"Something Passed By" Water becomes combustible, concrete turns to quicksand, people move swiftly toward old age or infancy.
"Blue World" Father John Lancaster battles temptations of the flesh and becomes a better priest as he saves the life of a cocaine-snorting porn queen.
"Strange Candy"
"White"
"Children of the Bedtime Machine"
⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Makeup" A small-time thief steals a dead horror star's makeup case and quickly learns its contents are more than just makeup.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Doom City" A man who awakens one morning to find a skeleton in bed where his wife had been the night before.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Nightcrawlers" A Vietnam veteran comes seeking shelter from the storm and the nightmares of his past.
⭐⭐⭐ "Pin" The unsettling ravings of a madman.
⭐⭐⭐ "Yellachile's Cage" A young man in prison finds hope in his imagination.
⭐⭐⭐ "I Scream Man" A man suffers from hallucinations beyond his control.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ "He'll Come Knocking at Your Door" The devil arrives to trick-or-treat on Halloween to collect his due.
⭐⭐⭐ "Chico" A special child exacts subtle revenge on his mother's abusive boyfriend
"Night Calls the Green Falcon" A retired cinema superhero takes up his cape again to stalk a real-life prostitute's murderer.
"The Red House"
"Something Passed By" Water becomes combustible, concrete turns to quicksand, people move swiftly toward old age or infancy.
"Blue World" Father John Lancaster battles temptations of the flesh and becomes a better priest as he saves the life of a cocaine-snorting porn queen.
"Strange Candy"
"White"
"Children of the Bedtime Machine"
December 17, 2015
I'm not a big fan of short stories, but I do read them occasionally. Man I'm glad I picked this up. Already familiar with the author, so his style was comfortable and made it easy to jump right into each story. If your not familiar with Robert McCammon, this is a good place to start.
The stories create a mood of horror that gave me chills. There is graphic stuff throughout that is not for the weak heart. There were a couple of cheesy ones, but they were what they were meant to be so it's not like he was trying to be serious and came off as cheesy.
Three of my favorites:
My favorite was Blue World, which was actually a novella. It was about a priest, a prostitute and a seriel killer. Another really good one was the Night of the Green Falcon, which is about an old movie star that used to play in the pulp serials in the movies. Yellowjacket Summer, about a backwards country boy that has a special relationship with Yellowjackets (yes it's as creepy as it sounds). Not a bad one in the bunch.
This is a good book if your looking for an enjoyable read and a break from your regular stuff.
The stories create a mood of horror that gave me chills. There is graphic stuff throughout that is not for the weak heart. There were a couple of cheesy ones, but they were what they were meant to be so it's not like he was trying to be serious and came off as cheesy.
Three of my favorites:
My favorite was Blue World, which was actually a novella. It was about a priest, a prostitute and a seriel killer. Another really good one was the Night of the Green Falcon, which is about an old movie star that used to play in the pulp serials in the movies. Yellowjacket Summer, about a backwards country boy that has a special relationship with Yellowjackets (yes it's as creepy as it sounds). Not a bad one in the bunch.
This is a good book if your looking for an enjoyable read and a break from your regular stuff.
September 19, 2022
I have been a fan of Robert McCammon ever since I read a copy of Stinger and his book Wolf's Hour is one of my all time favourites. So I have been sitting on this copy of his shorter work for some time now (years I think) and never quite getting round to reading it.
That changed after I read the two "I travel by night" books and so here we are. The book itself contains stories of varying lengths from a couple of pages to nearly 150. They showcase the range and skill of the author and I have to say that not one disappointed.
Now several have been released as single shot ebook stories so I am sure I have read some of them before however this is the first for many and I really enjoyed it. So if you want to experience the shorter works of Robert McCammon this is a brilliant place to start
That changed after I read the two "I travel by night" books and so here we are. The book itself contains stories of varying lengths from a couple of pages to nearly 150. They showcase the range and skill of the author and I have to say that not one disappointed.
Now several have been released as single shot ebook stories so I am sure I have read some of them before however this is the first for many and I really enjoyed it. So if you want to experience the shorter works of Robert McCammon this is a brilliant place to start
November 11, 2021
five outta five outta five. Face is tight and tears have been shed. A beautiful collection of horror short stories. Stellar stand-outs are Pin, Night Calls the Green Falcon, Something Passed By, and of course, the titular story, Blue World. I didn't dislike a single one of these stories, though there were certainly some I could easily rank at the bottom. Compare this to my still struggling to get through David J. Schow's Seeing Red, which I've been stuck on for something close to two months.
May 2, 2023
One of the best collections out there.
October 30, 2022
Really great collection of horror short stories.
5/5
Highly recommended
5/5
Highly recommended
November 15, 2012
At this point in my life my favorite authors are John Shirley, F.Paul Wilson and Robert McCammon. McCammon wrote my second favorite novel of all time – Swan Song. He has written several other favorites in my collection including Mine and the weird crime classic Gone South. I had been saving two of his books for the “Right time” for years. That has included “Boy’s Life,” and his short story collection “Blue World.”
While I still have found the perfect time for the other yet, I read Blue World this last summer and I am so glad I did. McCammon is to me the genre author who has the most readable and smooth prose of any I have ever read. The pages just fly when you read his novels. I had read one or two of these short stories but I was reading most of these ten short stories for the first time. The title piece at the end is longer and I would argue that it is actually a novel. In the fifties it’s length would have been considered a novel. It is easily 60,000 words, has twenty three chapters and it feels like a novel. I Digress.
While McCammon doesn’t write traditional horror anymore, he is stillactive with historical mystery novels like “Speaks the Nightbird” which do contain macabre elements and the novel “the Five” which was genius Rock and Roll thriller. Blue World is filled with classic 80’s McCammon shorts and I loved every single page of it.
My favorite story was a Halloween classic called “He’ll come a knocking at the Door.” This perfectly wicked Halloween story would be perfect for a campfire. Other favorites included “Something Passed By,” and the opener “Yellowjacket Summer.” The classic story Nightcralwers that William Fredkin directed as an episode of the 80’s Twilight zone and the amazing “Night calls the Falcon” which celebrates old school super hero serials.
The title story is a very strong character piece that is more about people in the story than the thriller aspects. It is the story of a porn star named Debra Rocks, and the priest that falls in love with her after she comes into confessional. Father John can’t himself, but as he gets to know Debra he discovers that he not only one obsessed with the star. Someone is killing her co-stars, is she next?
There is no dud in this collection, McCammon was at the top of his horror skills in the 80’s. I am glad I finally read this one, it’s a classic, If you like short horror fiction do yourself a favor and read it.
While I still have found the perfect time for the other yet, I read Blue World this last summer and I am so glad I did. McCammon is to me the genre author who has the most readable and smooth prose of any I have ever read. The pages just fly when you read his novels. I had read one or two of these short stories but I was reading most of these ten short stories for the first time. The title piece at the end is longer and I would argue that it is actually a novel. In the fifties it’s length would have been considered a novel. It is easily 60,000 words, has twenty three chapters and it feels like a novel. I Digress.
While McCammon doesn’t write traditional horror anymore, he is stillactive with historical mystery novels like “Speaks the Nightbird” which do contain macabre elements and the novel “the Five” which was genius Rock and Roll thriller. Blue World is filled with classic 80’s McCammon shorts and I loved every single page of it.
My favorite story was a Halloween classic called “He’ll come a knocking at the Door.” This perfectly wicked Halloween story would be perfect for a campfire. Other favorites included “Something Passed By,” and the opener “Yellowjacket Summer.” The classic story Nightcralwers that William Fredkin directed as an episode of the 80’s Twilight zone and the amazing “Night calls the Falcon” which celebrates old school super hero serials.
The title story is a very strong character piece that is more about people in the story than the thriller aspects. It is the story of a porn star named Debra Rocks, and the priest that falls in love with her after she comes into confessional. Father John can’t himself, but as he gets to know Debra he discovers that he not only one obsessed with the star. Someone is killing her co-stars, is she next?
There is no dud in this collection, McCammon was at the top of his horror skills in the 80’s. I am glad I finally read this one, it’s a classic, If you like short horror fiction do yourself a favor and read it.
August 4, 2020
This is my second favorite collection of short stories I’ve ever read (after King’s untouchable classic anthology, Night Shift). Experiencing these excellent tales was a pure joy from start to finish. SO many heavy hitters in here. Blue World has everything I look for in a horror collection: intriguing premises, a large variety, an abundance of creative twists, and very satisfying endings! My favorites include: Something Passed By, Nightcrawlers, Blue World, He’ll Come Knocking At Your Door, Makeup, Yellowjacket Summer and Doom City. If you love short stories, this has to be on your short list of must-reads. Make it a priority. You won’t be disappointed. McCammon kills it with Blue World.
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