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The Crane House: A Halloween Story
Cemetery Dance has gathered together a group of the genre's most talented authors to attempt the impossible: tell a coherent and scary Halloween round robin story! This experiment was inspired by the hundreds of encouraging emails we received after we published our first round robin, the Cemetery Dance Signature Series book Looking Glass.
Each author brought his own unique voice to this terrifying tale set inside and around Bethany Crane's house, yet together they've crafted a unified story. And now the characters are in there, just waiting for you to join them.
In fact, right now Gary, Bodie, Rachel, and the others are approaching the woods near Bethany Crane's house, and although they don't know it yet, they're not alone in the dark....
Each author brought his own unique voice to this terrifying tale set inside and around Bethany Crane's house, yet together they've crafted a unified story. And now the characters are in there, just waiting for you to join them.
In fact, right now Gary, Bodie, Rachel, and the others are approaching the woods near Bethany Crane's house, and although they don't know it yet, they're not alone in the dark....
118 pages, Hardcover
Published April 6, 2012
2 people are currently reading
157 people want to read
About the author
Brian Keene
386 books2,996 followersBRIAN KEENE writes novels, comic books, short fiction, and occasional journalism for money. He is the author of over forty books, mostly in the horror, crime, and dark fantasy genres. His 2003 novel, The Rising, is often credited (along with Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead comic and Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later film) with inspiring pop culture’s current interest in zombies. Keene’s novels have been translated into German, Spanish, Polish, Italian, French, Taiwanese, and many more. In addition to his own original work, Keene has written for media properties such as Doctor Who, Hellboy, Masters of the Universe, and Superman.
Several of Keene’s novels have been developed for film, including Ghoul, The Ties That Bind, and Fast Zombies Suck. Several more are in-development or under option. Keene also serves as Executive Producer for the independent film studio Drunken Tentacle Productions.
Keene also oversees Maelstrom, his own small press publishing imprint specializing in collectible limited editions, via Thunderstorm Books.
Keene’s work has been praised in such diverse places as The New York Times, The History Channel, The Howard Stern Show, CNN.com, Publisher’s Weekly, Media Bistro, Fangoria Magazine, and Rue Morgue Magazine. He has won numerous awards and honors, including the World Horror 2014 Grand Master Award, two Bram Stoker Awards, and a recognition from Whiteman A.F.B. (home of the B-2 Stealth Bomber) for his outreach to U.S. troops serving both overseas and abroad. A prolific public speaker, Keene has delivered talks at conventions, college campuses, theaters, and inside Central Intelligence Agency headquarters in Langley, VA.
The father of two sons, Keene lives in rural Pennsylvania.
Several of Keene’s novels have been developed for film, including Ghoul, The Ties That Bind, and Fast Zombies Suck. Several more are in-development or under option. Keene also serves as Executive Producer for the independent film studio Drunken Tentacle Productions.
Keene also oversees Maelstrom, his own small press publishing imprint specializing in collectible limited editions, via Thunderstorm Books.
Keene’s work has been praised in such diverse places as The New York Times, The History Channel, The Howard Stern Show, CNN.com, Publisher’s Weekly, Media Bistro, Fangoria Magazine, and Rue Morgue Magazine. He has won numerous awards and honors, including the World Horror 2014 Grand Master Award, two Bram Stoker Awards, and a recognition from Whiteman A.F.B. (home of the B-2 Stealth Bomber) for his outreach to U.S. troops serving both overseas and abroad. A prolific public speaker, Keene has delivered talks at conventions, college campuses, theaters, and inside Central Intelligence Agency headquarters in Langley, VA.
The father of two sons, Keene lives in rural Pennsylvania.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
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February 19, 2016Contents:
005 - Introduction
007 - Chapter 1 - Brian Keene
017 - Chapter 2 - Kealan Patrick Burke
027 - Chapter 3 - Al Sarrantonio
033 - Chapter 4 - Rick Hautala
043 - Chapter 5 - Bev Vincent
051 - Chapter 6 - Brian Freeman
059 - Chapter 7 - James A. Moore
075 - Chapter 8 - James Newman
085 - Chapter 9 - Ronald Kelly
097 - Chapter 10 - Norman Parentiss
107 - Chapter 11 - Ray Garton
This is copy number 28 of 537 signed and numbered copies signed by:
Kealan Patrick Burke
Ray Garton
Brian Keene
James A. Moore
Norman Parentiss
Brian Freeman
Rick Hautala
Ronald Kelly
James Newman
Al Sarrantonio
Bev Vincent
With cover and interior artwork by Jill Bauman
005 - Introduction
007 - Chapter 1 - Brian Keene
017 - Chapter 2 - Kealan Patrick Burke
027 - Chapter 3 - Al Sarrantonio
033 - Chapter 4 - Rick Hautala
043 - Chapter 5 - Bev Vincent
051 - Chapter 6 - Brian Freeman
059 - Chapter 7 - James A. Moore
075 - Chapter 8 - James Newman
085 - Chapter 9 - Ronald Kelly
097 - Chapter 10 - Norman Parentiss
107 - Chapter 11 - Ray Garton
This is copy number 28 of 537 signed and numbered copies signed by:
Kealan Patrick Burke
Ray Garton
Brian Keene
James A. Moore
Norman Parentiss
Brian Freeman
Rick Hautala
Ronald Kelly
James Newman
Al Sarrantonio
Bev Vincent
With cover and interior artwork by Jill Bauman
April 10, 2016
The first round-robin novella I've read--and quite an impressive debut. Some of the biggest names in horror all collaborated on a single story; each contributing his/her own chapter until they completed an entire book. This hardcover had some excellent illustrations by Jill Bauman, as well.
The Crane House--home of the legendary witch, Bethany Crane. A place that kids dared others to approach.... a place that they all feared for some, intangible reason. Gary, Rachel, Bodie, and two others are about to pay the house a Halloween visit.
It will be one they'll never forget, for as long as they live....
Highest recommendation!
The Crane House--home of the legendary witch, Bethany Crane. A place that kids dared others to approach.... a place that they all feared for some, intangible reason. Gary, Rachel, Bodie, and two others are about to pay the house a Halloween visit.
It will be one they'll never forget, for as long as they live....
Highest recommendation!
April 18, 2015
Cemetery Dance Publication has gathered some of the top names in the horror genre to write this scary Halloween tale. Each writer brings their own unique style to this Halloween novella. This story flows so smoothly that you would never guess that 11 different author's had their hands in putting this story together. The story is about a group of teenagers who decide to visit the Crane house on Halloween night. The Crane house is located in the deepest darkest part of the forest. The locals claimed that Bethany Crane was a witch. Soon the hour of darkest will fall upon the Crane house and life's will be changed forever. This was a creepy Halloween tale that I enjoyed very much. I would recommend this novella to readers who enjoy Halloween stories.
December 23, 2024
Very good Halloween story where each chapter is written by a different author.
Each chapters flows well into the next.
Somewhat predictable at times, but overall a fun quick Halloween read.
Each chapters flows well into the next.
Somewhat predictable at times, but overall a fun quick Halloween read.
August 24, 2014
Very good creepy novella. 11 chapters, each seamlessly written by a different contemporary horror author. Very highly recommended.
October 21, 2019
This book represents an impressive accomplishment: a successful and coherent story written round-robin style by eleven different authors, each tackling a single chapter. Though the authors' unique voices and styles result in a book somewhat inconsistent in tone, the narrative nonetheless manages to make sense.
The story starts as a fairly simple one. It's now a cliche that when a group of youths visit a supposedly haunted house on Halloween, bad things might happen. However, this story offers an interesting twist as adults return to the scene of just such a tragic Halloween occurrence decades later, beginning a night of horrors. Though the plot becomes more complicated as it progresses, perhaps due to the number of authorial influences, it somehow manages to never lose sight of the world it has created for itself.
Ultimately, the book will probably never be considered a classic, but its brevity makes it a perfect single-sitting read for the Halloween season.
The story starts as a fairly simple one. It's now a cliche that when a group of youths visit a supposedly haunted house on Halloween, bad things might happen. However, this story offers an interesting twist as adults return to the scene of just such a tragic Halloween occurrence decades later, beginning a night of horrors. Though the plot becomes more complicated as it progresses, perhaps due to the number of authorial influences, it somehow manages to never lose sight of the world it has created for itself.
Ultimately, the book will probably never be considered a classic, but its brevity makes it a perfect single-sitting read for the Halloween season.
November 1, 2020
This was a fun read, but I think the idea of the story -- a round robin story told in eleven chapters by eleven different horror authors -- was better than the implementation. Each author tried to leave the story in a twist for the next author to solve, and by doing so, it forced the other author to write exposition to fill in the new part of the story. It felt a little clunky, and since the plot tended to shift so much, it was hard to get a good sense of the characters.
Still, these are some good authors, and the story they wrote is a perfect read for Halloween (it's short enough to read in a day, and it's set on the same day). I don't know if it's worth the price this book demands on the secondary market, though.
Still, these are some good authors, and the story they wrote is a perfect read for Halloween (it's short enough to read in a day, and it's set on the same day). I don't know if it's worth the price this book demands on the secondary market, though.
October 18, 2022
A very horror movie type of book. Not sure about the ending, but that's more me than the book. All the authors who contributed (each chapter was written by a different author) did an excellent job keeping a consistent tone and story. I would recommend this book to people who want a little Halloween delight.
December 21, 2024
Very cool idea to have many authors write a single story. I enjoyed it a lot.
November 8, 2018
The Crane House, while not reaching the echelon of “classic”, is nonetheless a fun Halloween story. The best part of this novella is the idea behind it – a group of authors team up to tell a round robin story, each one contributing a chapter. And what a list of authors! Any fan of horror fiction will recognize these names and likely have book shelves filled with their works.
I’m not sure if the authors agreed upon on a plot outline beforehand and then each fleshed out a chapter, or if they went in “cold turkey” when it was their turn and had the leeway to take the story wherever they wanted. The latter seems more fun but would probably lead to a more disjointed narrative.
As is stands, the narrative involves some adults, once childhood friends, returning to the haunted house from their old neighborhood on Halloween night. Ostensibly they do this as a lark to relive old times, even though those old times at the Crane House led to the disappearance of one of their pals.
Over the course of the story we learn there are darker motives behind the return visit, and there is more to the Crane House than some old witch tales. The story is essentially a devil’s bargain tale; getting what you want may cost more than you realize.
The Crane House includes many wonderful illustrations to help set the Halloween mood. I just wish there could have been a drawing for each chapter. Regardless, this is a fun story and a quick read to revisit each year when the holiday looms.
I’m not sure if the authors agreed upon on a plot outline beforehand and then each fleshed out a chapter, or if they went in “cold turkey” when it was their turn and had the leeway to take the story wherever they wanted. The latter seems more fun but would probably lead to a more disjointed narrative.
As is stands, the narrative involves some adults, once childhood friends, returning to the haunted house from their old neighborhood on Halloween night. Ostensibly they do this as a lark to relive old times, even though those old times at the Crane House led to the disappearance of one of their pals.
Over the course of the story we learn there are darker motives behind the return visit, and there is more to the Crane House than some old witch tales. The story is essentially a devil’s bargain tale; getting what you want may cost more than you realize.
The Crane House includes many wonderful illustrations to help set the Halloween mood. I just wish there could have been a drawing for each chapter. Regardless, this is a fun story and a quick read to revisit each year when the holiday looms.
October 2, 2016
A Halloween story of 11 chapters each written by a different writer: Brian Keene, Kealan Patrick Burke, Al Sarrantonio, Rick Hautala, Bev Vincent, Brian Freeman, James A. Moore, James Newman Ronald Kelly, Norman Prentiss, and Ray Garton.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews