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Buried Screams
The peaceful town of Stoneridge, Kansas, turns suddenly deadly when a bottomless shaft mysteriously appears in the town cemetery and an evil force lures Karl, Beth, and Erik. Original.
318 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 1992
1 person is currently reading
129 people want to read
About the author
C. Dean Andersson
18 books24 followersC. Dean Andersson writes Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror. His day-jobs (and night) have included rock band drummer, television graphic designer, US Air Force band percussionist, robotics programmer, and technical writer. His Swedish-born father inspired the Viking Age studies he uses in his tales about the warrior Bloodsong, collected in HELx3: Warrior Witch of Hel, Death Riders of Hel, and Werebeasts of Hel. He is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and was a Horror Writers Association Bram Stoker Award finalist for his story about a modern encounter with the Goddess Hel, "The Death Wagon Rolls on By."
Website: www.cdeanandersson.com
Wikipedia, C. Dean Andersson: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._Dean_...
New interview with C. Dean Andersson: http://uparoundthecorner.blogspot.com...
Interview about writing the Hel Trilogy: http://kingsofthenight0.tripod.com/de...
facebook: Bloodsong: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bloods...
Wikipedia, Bathory's "One Rode to Asa Bay," dedicated to C. Dean Andersson in honor of Bloodsong: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_rode...
Website: www.cdeanandersson.com
Wikipedia, C. Dean Andersson: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._Dean_...
New interview with C. Dean Andersson: http://uparoundthecorner.blogspot.com...
Interview about writing the Hel Trilogy: http://kingsofthenight0.tripod.com/de...
facebook: Bloodsong: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bloods...
Wikipedia, Bathory's "One Rode to Asa Bay," dedicated to C. Dean Andersson in honor of Bloodsong: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_rode...
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 30, 2019
In a small Kansas town, something ancient and "other" has risen from underground, slowly transforming the residents into not-quite-human creatures, who in turn do the same to others. They can almost perfectly mimic their host bodies' personalities, but their putrid smell will give them away to those who know to be on the lookout. It's up to Karl the local horror writer, his main squeeze Beth the mortician, and their friend Erik the part-time police marshal to figure out what's happening and put a stop to it before everyone has been taken over.
On the surface this is a typical Body Snatchers clone, only with a 90s edge to it. But what makes it worth reading is its ultra-fast pace where a creepy and/or nasty scene is happening every 5 pages or so. There are touches of Greek Mythology woven into the story as well, which deepened the mystery of the big baddie, and the three leads were well-developed and likable. Nothing stood out dramatically when compared to other stories of this ilk, but something about it made for compulsive reading, as I read the entire thing in just a couple sittings. There's not much fat here for a 320-page novel, and I had fun the entire time.
Recommended for those looking for the exact opposite of a slow burn. No time to reflect on anything here, it's just go go go from beginning to end.
4.0 Stars.
On the surface this is a typical Body Snatchers clone, only with a 90s edge to it. But what makes it worth reading is its ultra-fast pace where a creepy and/or nasty scene is happening every 5 pages or so. There are touches of Greek Mythology woven into the story as well, which deepened the mystery of the big baddie, and the three leads were well-developed and likable. Nothing stood out dramatically when compared to other stories of this ilk, but something about it made for compulsive reading, as I read the entire thing in just a couple sittings. There's not much fat here for a 320-page novel, and I had fun the entire time.
Recommended for those looking for the exact opposite of a slow burn. No time to reflect on anything here, it's just go go go from beginning to end.
4.0 Stars.
July 27, 2022
Three friends, Erik Lindholm, Beth Simpson and Karl Clayburn have each suffered during childhood and they all have deep scars from the past. Now adults, though, Erik is the city marshall, Karl is a writer and Beth, the local mortician. They all live in Stoneridge, Kansas - population: 303, a sleepy little town where nothing much ever happens.
Until one Saturday, when the cemetery custodian, Vernon, finds something very strange in the cemetery, right at Susan Clayburn's grave; her grave has turned into a deep, mine-like shaft, casket gone, as if the earth has dropped out from under it. Vernon calls on Erik to come look at it, and Erik is instantly reminded of an old Viking story, told to him as a kid by his grandfather - about a young Viking boy who strayed off a forest path and found a Hel Hole.
"At first glance, a Hel Hole looked like an ordinary grave. But if you went too close you'd see, just before being sucked into it, that it was really the entrance to a dark tunnel leading down into the underworld where Old Hel reigned over the dead."
Across town, a man named Gus is reunited with his best friend - his dog, Corky; it's the best day ever! Except... Corky's been dead for a long time. Too excited to care how it's possible, Gus tries to pet his ole best pal, only to see Corky change into a monster, as it lunges at Gus, attacking him, and in turn, changing Gus as well.
Reverend Yarborough comes to visit elderly Emma Clark, who lives across from the church, but he brings with him a terrible smell, and seems quite scatter-brained. Emma goes to the kitchen to prepare coffee and returns to find the Reverend consuming her beloved parrot, Jenkins. She can do nothing to stop him, as he leaps across the room, shoving the remains down her throat, choking her to death, as she watches the Reverend change into something that's not even remotely human.
A teenager returns home from her job, and joins her mother in the kitchen, eating their pet cat, and offering the remains to her mother, who looks on in horror as her daughter suddenly attacks her.
This is going on all around town, all day long. The transformed townsfolk have but one goal: to find those of them still human and transform them. Their "boss," however, has instructed them not to turn Erik, Beth or especially Karl, because he was "special" and their boss was Karl's "friend."
Karl, Beth, Erik and his grandfather, Axel are among the only remaining townsfolk still human. Can they figure out what is in that impossibly deep hole in the cemetery and how to keep it down there before it gets them too?
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I loved this book. I thought it was so quick-paced and entertaining. I really liked the writing and the premise. The only thing I didn't love was the ending. It felt rushed and honestly I was left kind of confused. I won't say why in order to avoid spoiling anything, but I'd be curious to know if anyone else who's read this feels the same.
Until one Saturday, when the cemetery custodian, Vernon, finds something very strange in the cemetery, right at Susan Clayburn's grave; her grave has turned into a deep, mine-like shaft, casket gone, as if the earth has dropped out from under it. Vernon calls on Erik to come look at it, and Erik is instantly reminded of an old Viking story, told to him as a kid by his grandfather - about a young Viking boy who strayed off a forest path and found a Hel Hole.
"At first glance, a Hel Hole looked like an ordinary grave. But if you went too close you'd see, just before being sucked into it, that it was really the entrance to a dark tunnel leading down into the underworld where Old Hel reigned over the dead."
Across town, a man named Gus is reunited with his best friend - his dog, Corky; it's the best day ever! Except... Corky's been dead for a long time. Too excited to care how it's possible, Gus tries to pet his ole best pal, only to see Corky change into a monster, as it lunges at Gus, attacking him, and in turn, changing Gus as well.
Reverend Yarborough comes to visit elderly Emma Clark, who lives across from the church, but he brings with him a terrible smell, and seems quite scatter-brained. Emma goes to the kitchen to prepare coffee and returns to find the Reverend consuming her beloved parrot, Jenkins. She can do nothing to stop him, as he leaps across the room, shoving the remains down her throat, choking her to death, as she watches the Reverend change into something that's not even remotely human.
A teenager returns home from her job, and joins her mother in the kitchen, eating their pet cat, and offering the remains to her mother, who looks on in horror as her daughter suddenly attacks her.
This is going on all around town, all day long. The transformed townsfolk have but one goal: to find those of them still human and transform them. Their "boss," however, has instructed them not to turn Erik, Beth or especially Karl, because he was "special" and their boss was Karl's "friend."
Karl, Beth, Erik and his grandfather, Axel are among the only remaining townsfolk still human. Can they figure out what is in that impossibly deep hole in the cemetery and how to keep it down there before it gets them too?
--------------------------
I loved this book. I thought it was so quick-paced and entertaining. I really liked the writing and the premise. The only thing I didn't love was the ending. It felt rushed and honestly I was left kind of confused. I won't say why in order to avoid spoiling anything, but I'd be curious to know if anyone else who's read this feels the same.
August 11, 2023
Pretty wild ride by Andersson that takes place in just about 24 hours in the small town of Stoneridge, Kansas. After a brief prologue where all three of our main characters suffer some serious child abuse, the story picks up on one Saturday morning. Andersson does not beat around the bush in Buried Screams and the foo starts right away with people being attacked and 'fixed' by Something that looks human, but smells rank and a bit fishy. Meanwhile, the caretaker at the town's cemetery picks up the town's only cop to 'show him something really strange'; a seemingly bottomless pit where someone has recently been buried. It looks as if the grave just dropped to the center of the Earth, and there is no dirt or anything around the hole...
I will stop with the plot to avoid spoilers. Buried Screams moves quickly as does the foo, which comes fast and furious throughout. Andersson writes well and uses little 'filler' in depicting scenes and there are some real beauties here as the tension mounts. I really liked the horror references (movies, books) that any genre lover from the 80s/90s would recognize, including the awesome Cannibal Holocaust flick. Andersson did, however, tweak a pet peeve of mine by having one of the main characters being a horror author, which annoyed me to no end. Finally, I have come to the conclusion that Andersson cannot write a novel without including some reference to Norse mythos and Hel in particular. Overall, 3.5 nasty stars.
I will stop with the plot to avoid spoilers. Buried Screams moves quickly as does the foo, which comes fast and furious throughout. Andersson writes well and uses little 'filler' in depicting scenes and there are some real beauties here as the tension mounts. I really liked the horror references (movies, books) that any genre lover from the 80s/90s would recognize, including the awesome Cannibal Holocaust flick. Andersson did, however, tweak a pet peeve of mine by having one of the main characters being a horror author, which annoyed me to no end. Finally, I have come to the conclusion that Andersson cannot write a novel without including some reference to Norse mythos and Hel in particular. Overall, 3.5 nasty stars.
October 12, 2025
This could be my favorite Swedish folklore horror book of them all! I guess that's not saying too much, since this is the first Swedish horror folklore book I have read. Either way, this was a really fun read. It never got dull or boring throughout the 300 plus pages. The characters. The settings, all were great. What a horror book should be like. Of course, the author seems to have a vast knowledge of the underground horror scene back then, with his dropped names of movies and such.
A small Kansas town is thrown into terror when some locals find that a grave has collapsed into a bottomless hole. No coffin or body to be found. Soon towns folk begin to change. They act weird and have a terrible smell. The hardware store owner / Marshall, his Swedish grandpa, the son, who by chance is a horror writer, of the woman whose grave collapsed, and the lady mortician battle the nightmare. Really good stuff here.
A small Kansas town is thrown into terror when some locals find that a grave has collapsed into a bottomless hole. No coffin or body to be found. Soon towns folk begin to change. They act weird and have a terrible smell. The hardware store owner / Marshall, his Swedish grandpa, the son, who by chance is a horror writer, of the woman whose grave collapsed, and the lady mortician battle the nightmare. Really good stuff here.
January 11, 2020
Even though it suffers from the usual bloat of horror paperbacks of the 80s and 90s, Buried Screams is a very fun, pretty quick reading novel that's got plenty of monsters and gore.
February 7, 2020
While I found this to be enjoyable enough (and sought it out based off of Jack's review on here), it isn't as crazy or gory as he made it sound. With as many deaths as there are in this book, barely any of them go into detail, and the few that do are no more explicit than, say, death scenes in Dean Koontz's books in the mid-late 80's.
Ray Garton's Darklings does this Body Snatchers plot much better (and more fitting of the "splatterpunk extreme" grouping) than Buried Screams.
Ray Garton's Darklings does this Body Snatchers plot much better (and more fitting of the "splatterpunk extreme" grouping) than Buried Screams.
September 6, 2015
Vikings, monsters, aliens. How could you NOT like this book?!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews