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Dueling Minds
Dueling Minds (Cemetery Dance Signature Series #10)edited by Brian James Freeman
Featuring stories by Brian Keene, Gary A. Braunbeck, Tom Piccirilli, Tim Lebbon, Jenny Orosel, and Gerard Houarner!
Cover artwork by Alan M. Clark
Interior artwork by Erin S. Wells
About the Book:
Where do you get your ideas?
It's probably the most common question an author gets asked during his or her career.
This anthology isn't meant to answer that question, but it is designed to give readers a glimpse into how the imagination works.
These talented authors were shown a haunting piece of artwork by acclaimed artist Alan M. Clark and then asked: "What worlds do you see hidden inside this painting?"
The stories collected in this book are their answers.
Featuring stories by Brian Keene, Gary A. Braunbeck, Tom Piccirilli, Tim Lebbon, Jenny Orosel, and Gerard Houarner!
Cover artwork by Alan M. Clark
Interior artwork by Erin S. Wells
About the Book:
Where do you get your ideas?
It's probably the most common question an author gets asked during his or her career.
This anthology isn't meant to answer that question, but it is designed to give readers a glimpse into how the imagination works.
These talented authors were shown a haunting piece of artwork by acclaimed artist Alan M. Clark and then asked: "What worlds do you see hidden inside this painting?"
The stories collected in this book are their answers.
- GenresHorrorShort Stories
145 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
57 people want to read
About the author
Brian James Freeman
100 books150 followersBrian James Freeman sold his first short story when he was fourteen years old and now writes full-time thanks to the support of his patrons on Patreon. He lives in Pennsylvania with his wife, three kids, a German Shorthaired Pointer, and an English Pointer. More books are on the way.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 3, 2026
This book is a beautiful artifact; the art is terrific, the size (4 1/2 x 9 1/2) is unique, the binding and end papers are of the finest quality, and it's got a signature page autographed by the editor, both artists, and all six of the writers. But the stories themselves are just okay. The gimmick is that the authors were supposed to write a story based on, or inspired by, the cover painting by Alan M. Clark, which itself was inspired by a Ray Bradbury story that they really should have included, too. The Gerald Houarner story is a Twilight Zone kind of ghost story that doesn't really have anything to do with the story, and the Jenny Orosel story is a well-written love-triangle that needed a bit more fleshing out. Tom Piccirilli's story is mostly about a child trapped in an escaped balloon but wanders too far afield, and Tim Lebbon's is a little too obscure, too. I liked Gary A. Braunbeck's existential story set in Cedar Hill about a deal with the devil gone wrong (do they ever go right?), and my favorite story in the book was Brian Keene's Purple Reign, which is a nifty traditional horror tale and also an homage to M.P. Shiel's now obscure novel The Purple Cloud. One of the main characters is even named Mr. Shiel. Each story is individually illustrated with striking drawings rendered by Erin S. Wells. Visually, it's a terrific volume, but the prose is kind of mediocre.
August 7, 2012
First of all, let me thank the editor, Brian James Freeman for the ARC of this truely intriguing anthology.
This Novella length book is a printed version of something Brian had tried on his website, DuelingMinds.com, back at the turn of the century.
Each author, some of the best working in the horror genre today, was shown a haunting piece of artwork by acclaimed artist, Alan M. Clark, and then asked, "What worlds do you see hidden in this painting?" The stories collected in this book are their answers.
In addition, because this is a selection in the Cemetery Dance signature series, it required additional interior art work, which was provided by Erin Wells. So what we end up with is Erin painting interior artwork inspired by stories that were inspired by Alan M. Clark's cover art which was originally inspired by a Ray Bradbury story. How about that?
Now to the stories. It all begins with Purple Reign from Brian Keene. Keene took a rather literal approach to this exercise. When you look at the cover art, you can see where many of the aspects of the story come from, but the ultimate horror of the tale could only come from the mind of one of the masters of modern horror. Brian has a knack for taking an ordinary day and quickly turning it upside down, immediately putting his characters into life threatening situations. This one is not for the kiddies, lots of swearing, but a great ride for adult horror fans.
Next, from Gary A. Braunbeck, another familiar name in the field of scary stories, is Bargain, a more prose driven tale with great lines like..."what better spot, then, for a certain corner of hell to open one of its back doors." Whereas, Keene's story was about the effects of the "Blue Ballon", Braunbeck takes us inside the mind of a man riding in the ballon's basket. A troubled mind, to say the least.
The great stories from great writers continue with Between the Dark and the Daylight from Tom Piccirilli. While the first two works deal with rather fanciful interpretations of the balloon in the artwork, Tom finds his horror in a story that seems all to possible, featuring a runaway hot-air balloon with a 6 year old child alone in its basket.
Tim Lebbon's Falling Off the World still haunts me with images of Holly caught on one of the ropes of yet another runaway hot-air balloon and she's not alone in her cirumstance.
The only newcomer in this collection is Jenny Oroset. She certainly doesn't write like a newcomer as she goes toe-to-toe with the established writers in this collection with her story That Which Binds. She doesn't pull from the obvious pieces of the artwork for inspiration, but it's there if you look hard enough.
This anthology finishes just as strong as it starts with Breath of Bygone Spirits from Gerard Houarner. Another prose driven entry as Bill returns home, at the behest of his Grandmother, to deal with the ghosts of the past. I loved this line as he gets off the train at his old hometown..."the bag in his other hand seemed to want to follow the wind out of town." Again not the obvious choice of inspiration from Alan M. Clark's artwork, but it's there.
Overall, I was quite pleased with the experience provided by this anthology. Some stories were stronger than others, but that could be more a matter of taste on my part. I will say I enjoyed each and every one. My favorite, and the one I see most clearly when I look at the book's cover, is Purple Reign from Brian Keene. I'd like to invite you to read Dueling Minds when it comes out in October and let me know which is your favorite.
Dueling Minds will be published by Cemetery Dance as selection #10 in their popular Signature Series and will be available in 2 versions...
• Hardcover Limited Edition of 550 signed (by all of the contributors) and numbered copies bound in full-cloth and Smyth sewn with illustrated endpapers ($35)
• Traycased Hardcover Lettered Edition of 26 signed (by all of the contributors) and lettered copies bound in leather and Smyth sewn with illustrated endpapers and a satin ribbon page marker ($175)
This Novella length book is a printed version of something Brian had tried on his website, DuelingMinds.com, back at the turn of the century.
Each author, some of the best working in the horror genre today, was shown a haunting piece of artwork by acclaimed artist, Alan M. Clark, and then asked, "What worlds do you see hidden in this painting?" The stories collected in this book are their answers.
In addition, because this is a selection in the Cemetery Dance signature series, it required additional interior art work, which was provided by Erin Wells. So what we end up with is Erin painting interior artwork inspired by stories that were inspired by Alan M. Clark's cover art which was originally inspired by a Ray Bradbury story. How about that?
Now to the stories. It all begins with Purple Reign from Brian Keene. Keene took a rather literal approach to this exercise. When you look at the cover art, you can see where many of the aspects of the story come from, but the ultimate horror of the tale could only come from the mind of one of the masters of modern horror. Brian has a knack for taking an ordinary day and quickly turning it upside down, immediately putting his characters into life threatening situations. This one is not for the kiddies, lots of swearing, but a great ride for adult horror fans.
Next, from Gary A. Braunbeck, another familiar name in the field of scary stories, is Bargain, a more prose driven tale with great lines like..."what better spot, then, for a certain corner of hell to open one of its back doors." Whereas, Keene's story was about the effects of the "Blue Ballon", Braunbeck takes us inside the mind of a man riding in the ballon's basket. A troubled mind, to say the least.
The great stories from great writers continue with Between the Dark and the Daylight from Tom Piccirilli. While the first two works deal with rather fanciful interpretations of the balloon in the artwork, Tom finds his horror in a story that seems all to possible, featuring a runaway hot-air balloon with a 6 year old child alone in its basket.
Tim Lebbon's Falling Off the World still haunts me with images of Holly caught on one of the ropes of yet another runaway hot-air balloon and she's not alone in her cirumstance.
The only newcomer in this collection is Jenny Oroset. She certainly doesn't write like a newcomer as she goes toe-to-toe with the established writers in this collection with her story That Which Binds. She doesn't pull from the obvious pieces of the artwork for inspiration, but it's there if you look hard enough.
This anthology finishes just as strong as it starts with Breath of Bygone Spirits from Gerard Houarner. Another prose driven entry as Bill returns home, at the behest of his Grandmother, to deal with the ghosts of the past. I loved this line as he gets off the train at his old hometown..."the bag in his other hand seemed to want to follow the wind out of town." Again not the obvious choice of inspiration from Alan M. Clark's artwork, but it's there.
Overall, I was quite pleased with the experience provided by this anthology. Some stories were stronger than others, but that could be more a matter of taste on my part. I will say I enjoyed each and every one. My favorite, and the one I see most clearly when I look at the book's cover, is Purple Reign from Brian Keene. I'd like to invite you to read Dueling Minds when it comes out in October and let me know which is your favorite.
Dueling Minds will be published by Cemetery Dance as selection #10 in their popular Signature Series and will be available in 2 versions...
• Hardcover Limited Edition of 550 signed (by all of the contributors) and numbered copies bound in full-cloth and Smyth sewn with illustrated endpapers ($35)
• Traycased Hardcover Lettered Edition of 26 signed (by all of the contributors) and lettered copies bound in leather and Smyth sewn with illustrated endpapers and a satin ribbon page marker ($175)
August 24, 2012
Dueling Minds edited by Brian James Freeman
The concept of this collection is wonderful. An image was created by Alan M. Clark, which is the cover art, and the authors were asked to write a story based on their interpretation of the image. Inside art by Erin S. Wells is amazing as is all of her work. This is the first time that Cemetery Dance has used a collection of stories in their Signature Series and it was a successful decision, indeed. Because each story was written with the cover image in mind, all of the stories had an element of a balloon, which is the prominent subject of the image. Even though each story is completely different, they all feel tied together. As you read through from story to story you can imagine it's the same balloon and all of the stories are happening on different levels of existence.
Purple Rain by Brian Keene
In Purple Rain Keene starts his story with the blue balloon, from the image, crashing. When it crashes it spills out purple rain. Right from the start Keene centers on how a single family of three with a neighbor friend handle the rain and everything that comes with it. He is very good at describing the scene and doesn’t waste any time before revealing the terror that is the rain. It's fast paced, well narrarated and fun to read. I liked this story.
Bargain by Gary A. Braunbeck
Braunbeck lays out the scene in a highly descriptive manner. The story is told in a third person narrative about a young man who is riding in the balloon from the cover. The young man describes his voyeuristic view as he floats along. He draws you in and really brings the story to a close in the last sentence.
Between the Dark and the Daylight by Tom Piccirilli
This chilling tale is about a man who tries to save a boy stuck in a balloon. The man and the boy’s father fail to keep the boy from floating away. Piccirilli keeps the story moving and really makes you think about your morals. Fantastic ending to a well written piece.
Falling Off the World by Tim Lebbon
A very strange story about a girl floating under the balloon. Lebbon uses his imagination to describe what happens as if floating under a balloon is a normal everyday occurrence. Nice concept for a story and nicely written, also.
That Which Binds by Jenny Orosel
Super creepy! It starts by jumping around a little hard to follow, but quickly sets a tone of love lost. The balloon makes its appearance near the end with surprising results. Orosel is sinister. I liked this one a lot.
The Breath of Bygone Spirits by Gerard Houarner
Bill returns home for the first time in 26 years. Things were the same, yet different, more modern. Bill strolls through the town reflecting on thoughts and images of the past. He sees things that are rather strange while noticing the town seems empty. Houarner's story telling ability and his strength of keeping the reader attentive are evident in this story. He keeps your mind wondering and when all is revealed we find the story still has much more. I thought this was an exceptional story, one of my favorites.
Overall, some stories were better than others. My favorites were Purple Rain and The Breath of Bygone Spirits, but all were satisfying. I recommend you read this book as it is different than your typical collection of short stories.
The concept of this collection is wonderful. An image was created by Alan M. Clark, which is the cover art, and the authors were asked to write a story based on their interpretation of the image. Inside art by Erin S. Wells is amazing as is all of her work. This is the first time that Cemetery Dance has used a collection of stories in their Signature Series and it was a successful decision, indeed. Because each story was written with the cover image in mind, all of the stories had an element of a balloon, which is the prominent subject of the image. Even though each story is completely different, they all feel tied together. As you read through from story to story you can imagine it's the same balloon and all of the stories are happening on different levels of existence.
Purple Rain by Brian Keene
In Purple Rain Keene starts his story with the blue balloon, from the image, crashing. When it crashes it spills out purple rain. Right from the start Keene centers on how a single family of three with a neighbor friend handle the rain and everything that comes with it. He is very good at describing the scene and doesn’t waste any time before revealing the terror that is the rain. It's fast paced, well narrarated and fun to read. I liked this story.
Bargain by Gary A. Braunbeck
Braunbeck lays out the scene in a highly descriptive manner. The story is told in a third person narrative about a young man who is riding in the balloon from the cover. The young man describes his voyeuristic view as he floats along. He draws you in and really brings the story to a close in the last sentence.
Between the Dark and the Daylight by Tom Piccirilli
This chilling tale is about a man who tries to save a boy stuck in a balloon. The man and the boy’s father fail to keep the boy from floating away. Piccirilli keeps the story moving and really makes you think about your morals. Fantastic ending to a well written piece.
Falling Off the World by Tim Lebbon
A very strange story about a girl floating under the balloon. Lebbon uses his imagination to describe what happens as if floating under a balloon is a normal everyday occurrence. Nice concept for a story and nicely written, also.
That Which Binds by Jenny Orosel
Super creepy! It starts by jumping around a little hard to follow, but quickly sets a tone of love lost. The balloon makes its appearance near the end with surprising results. Orosel is sinister. I liked this one a lot.
The Breath of Bygone Spirits by Gerard Houarner
Bill returns home for the first time in 26 years. Things were the same, yet different, more modern. Bill strolls through the town reflecting on thoughts and images of the past. He sees things that are rather strange while noticing the town seems empty. Houarner's story telling ability and his strength of keeping the reader attentive are evident in this story. He keeps your mind wondering and when all is revealed we find the story still has much more. I thought this was an exceptional story, one of my favorites.
Overall, some stories were better than others. My favorites were Purple Rain and The Breath of Bygone Spirits, but all were satisfying. I recommend you read this book as it is different than your typical collection of short stories.
August 9, 2012
A unique concept beautifully realized, 'Dueling Minds' combines the talents of dark fiction's strongest voices in weaving a varied, diverse tapestry born from a single, haunting image. From Brian Keene comes a harrowing, suspenseful tale of horror exploding on a quiet summer morning. Tom Piccirilli lends his unique noir voice to the mix, in a story both moving AND disturbing. Tim Lebbon's surreal dark vision explores a world existing only in the clouds, while Jenny Orosel and Gerard Houarner use the same image to tell stories of unrequited, undying love and a fateful, destined homecoming. Finely crafted and beautifully illustrated by Erin S. Wells, hopefully this is only the first in an intriguing conceptual series.
September 21, 2012
I was lucky enough to get an Advanced Copy of this title from the editor. I think the concept of this book is great and I hope that more are done in this manner in future.
In all there are 6 different stories inspired by the art that is used as the cover. The first story, Purple Reign by Brian Keene, was easily my favorite of the group. The last 2 stories were from authors I was not personally familiar with at all, Jenny Orosel and Gary Houarner. Of those 2 I enjoyed Jenny more. I found Gary's story, The Breath of Bygone Spirits, to be my least favorite of the group. I found that one to be a little too long for what that story called for, though on a 2nd read that could easily change. I do remember finding the link between the story and the artwork to be suspect though, like it was added as an afterthought to fit in with the requirements. It was still a decent story though, which is why I could easily see my view on that story being more positive on a second read later on. All in all a great read and a solid entry into the Cemetery Dance Signature Series!
4.5 stars out of 5.
In all there are 6 different stories inspired by the art that is used as the cover. The first story, Purple Reign by Brian Keene, was easily my favorite of the group. The last 2 stories were from authors I was not personally familiar with at all, Jenny Orosel and Gary Houarner. Of those 2 I enjoyed Jenny more. I found Gary's story, The Breath of Bygone Spirits, to be my least favorite of the group. I found that one to be a little too long for what that story called for, though on a 2nd read that could easily change. I do remember finding the link between the story and the artwork to be suspect though, like it was added as an afterthought to fit in with the requirements. It was still a decent story though, which is why I could easily see my view on that story being more positive on a second read later on. All in all a great read and a solid entry into the Cemetery Dance Signature Series!
4.5 stars out of 5.
August 9, 2012
Dueling Minds is the latest book from Cemetery Dance's Signature Series. It's a Collection, with a twist. The concept, from the mind of editor Brian Freeman, is for all the stories to be based on the cover art, by Alan M. Clark. The fun part of this collection is to see each author's very different take on the painting. It's of a creepy hot air balloon, descending over a church steeple and cemetery, with ropes hanging, and bats flying around. While each story is a fun read, my favorite ones are by Brian Keene and Tom Piccirilli. Purple Reign, is typical Brian Keene. Purple gas from a balloon turning people into killers! What's not to like... And "Between the Dark and the Daylight" was my first Tom Piccirilli read. I loved the style and edge to this story, about a horror writer who grabs one of the ropes hanging off the balloon to try to save a child's life. I highly recommend this book.
July 30, 2012
Dueling Minds edited by Brian James Freeman is a collection of horror stories all based upon the cover illustration by Alan M. Clark. The six stories in this small volume are all absolutely top-notch. All six authors saw different potentials in the illustration and all fleshed out their ideas wonderfully. It is hard for me to pick a favorite, but the story by Brian Keene left me thinking about it the longest. The interior artwork by Erin S. Wells wonderfully complements each story. For horror fans, this is a collection not to be missed.
September 10, 2012
"Where do you get your ideas?" that is the most common question asked of all authors. This collection of stories answers that question. One painting showen to six different authors equals six different stories with one common theme. Each story is different than the last, it kept me wanting to hurry and read the next interpitation. The themes ranged from Terriorism, crossing over to the land of death, fear, loss, and pure wonder. I highly recommend this book to everybody.
September 11, 2012
Brian James Freeman has done it again. This time as an editor of the new mini anthology from Cemetery Dance called Dueling Minds. Freeman has taken some of the best known authors of Horror/Dark Fantasy and a few that are not so well known to be included in this book. The six stories in this anthology are very well written and makes this book work. If you are looking for good read pick up Dueling Minds.
July 21, 2013
Excellent collection of stories centered around the cover painting. Highly recommended.
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