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Dark World
Collection of strange stories.
- GenresHorrorShort Stories
ebook
First published February 1, 2013
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55 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 12, 2022
I'm a big admirer of Tartarus publishers. They have in their library some really interesting stuff, and this is no exception. It is also a bit special, as funds gathered from sales of the book are going to the Amala Children's home in India. Further, it is edited by a 17 year old schoolboy, whose pet project the charitable cause originally was.
The 14 stories originate in a variety of places around the world, from Bangalore, to Columbus Ohio and Los Angeles, but, pleasingly for me at least, there is a heavy bias to the north of England, particularly the Yorkshire Dales.
One of my favourites, Nothing But The Waves is set on Anglesey and concerns the RAF Valley site, a place I know well.
There is a real range of styles, from gothic haunted houses to art lessons in an American High School, but they have in common that they are intelligently written, usually with a twist in their last paragraphs.
In Reggie Oliver's Come into My Parlour, a vindictive aunt gifts her nephew with an antiquarian book whose creepy illustrations appear to slip off the page and come to life in his world.
A couple more favourites are ones set locally aswell, Wolvershiel and The Arndale Pass, but there is barely a dud amongst them.
Another bonus is that they are all about 10 pages long, ideal for a quick scare to nod off to sleep to.
The 14 stories originate in a variety of places around the world, from Bangalore, to Columbus Ohio and Los Angeles, but, pleasingly for me at least, there is a heavy bias to the north of England, particularly the Yorkshire Dales.
One of my favourites, Nothing But The Waves is set on Anglesey and concerns the RAF Valley site, a place I know well.
There is a real range of styles, from gothic haunted houses to art lessons in an American High School, but they have in common that they are intelligently written, usually with a twist in their last paragraphs.
In Reggie Oliver's Come into My Parlour, a vindictive aunt gifts her nephew with an antiquarian book whose creepy illustrations appear to slip off the page and come to life in his world.
A couple more favourites are ones set locally aswell, Wolvershiel and The Arndale Pass, but there is barely a dud amongst them.
Another bonus is that they are all about 10 pages long, ideal for a quick scare to nod off to sleep to.
Want to read
February 19, 2013From Christopher Fowler's Blog:
Tartarus Press, one of the most inventive and original publishing houses in the UK, has a new anthology out. What’s different about this one is that it’s edited by a 17 year-old, Tim Parker Russell, who is setting out to raise money for an orphanage in India
All profits from Dark World, the new collection of ghost stories, will be used to help the Amala Children’s Home, funding a three-week working trip in July 2013, and being donated directly to the cause. Located in the Tamil Nadu region of India, the home provides accommodation, food, safety and schooling for orphans and severely disadvantaged children. Without it, the children would be living on the streets of India, with all the immense hardships and dangers that brings.
Included in the book are fourteen stories from around the world. There is an intriguing story from Jayaprakash Satyamurthy set in Bangalore and Dubai, my tale about an Indian palace, the excellent Reggie Oliver’s “Come Into My Parlour”, Stephen Holman’s unsettling story in a Los Angeles arts academy, Anna Taborska’s mix of old legends and the present day in Eastern Europe, and Mark Valentine’s mystery in Northamptonshire. Rosalie Parker’s “Oracle” takes place in the Yorkshire Dales.Many of the stories use their locations to capture ghostly feelings.
You buy the book – Tim does the work in India. And because Tartarus has published it, the package is attractive. Sounds like a win-win to me, which is why I got involved.
http://www.christopherfowler.co.uk/bl...
Tartarus Press, one of the most inventive and original publishing houses in the UK, has a new anthology out. What’s different about this one is that it’s edited by a 17 year-old, Tim Parker Russell, who is setting out to raise money for an orphanage in India
All profits from Dark World, the new collection of ghost stories, will be used to help the Amala Children’s Home, funding a three-week working trip in July 2013, and being donated directly to the cause. Located in the Tamil Nadu region of India, the home provides accommodation, food, safety and schooling for orphans and severely disadvantaged children. Without it, the children would be living on the streets of India, with all the immense hardships and dangers that brings.
Included in the book are fourteen stories from around the world. There is an intriguing story from Jayaprakash Satyamurthy set in Bangalore and Dubai, my tale about an Indian palace, the excellent Reggie Oliver’s “Come Into My Parlour”, Stephen Holman’s unsettling story in a Los Angeles arts academy, Anna Taborska’s mix of old legends and the present day in Eastern Europe, and Mark Valentine’s mystery in Northamptonshire. Rosalie Parker’s “Oracle” takes place in the Yorkshire Dales.Many of the stories use their locations to capture ghostly feelings.
You buy the book – Tim does the work in India. And because Tartarus has published it, the package is attractive. Sounds like a win-win to me, which is why I got involved.
http://www.christopherfowler.co.uk/bl...
July 19, 2025
[Tartarus Press] (2013). SB. (No HB was released.) 49/300. 188 Pages. Purchased from Cold Tonnage Books.
14 tales; mostly new; interesting material. There are low points, such as “First Night” by Anna Taborska. “The Old Brick House” (Jayaprakash Satyamurthy) is, far and away, the weakest entry.
My favourite contributions were from John Gaskin (“Wolvershiel”), Rosalie Parker (“Oracle”) and Steve Rasnic Tem (“Wheatfield with Crows”).
The blurb states that “ghost story” is “loosely applied”. Great cause (Amala Children’s Home), strong book, but a block of stilton isn’t an ‘unconventional potato’.
14 tales; mostly new; interesting material. There are low points, such as “First Night” by Anna Taborska. “The Old Brick House” (Jayaprakash Satyamurthy) is, far and away, the weakest entry.
My favourite contributions were from John Gaskin (“Wolvershiel”), Rosalie Parker (“Oracle”) and Steve Rasnic Tem (“Wheatfield with Crows”).
The blurb states that “ghost story” is “loosely applied”. Great cause (Amala Children’s Home), strong book, but a block of stilton isn’t an ‘unconventional potato’.
May 11, 2018
3.5 stars in fact.
March 17, 2025
Glad to revisit this diverse and many-tongued anthology.
March 5, 2013
How do I justice to a spanking new book of strange tales such as this? There are few better prospects. Of course no collection can consist entirely of winners, but as I put this book down I felt the balance was very much on the positive side. So, as you asked, here goes with my inevitably biased and flawed view.
The editor begins strongly with his choice of a Reggie Oliver story, Come into My Parlour. Anyone familiar with his stories of theatrical life will recognise the sure-footed writing style and heavy atmosphere, here brought closer to (a rather cold and draughty) home. Aunt Harriet would be enough to strike terror into any young boy's heart; and, as the tale reveals itself with a creeping sense of dread, the reader is tempted to fear the worst. Whether that worst actually comes to pass or not is the crux of the story. Was there in fact a terrible legacy?
There is also some kind of legacy in Cristopher Fowler's singular Mistake at the Monsoon Palace, but the reader is left guessing, in the very best sense. This tale brings India alive in a most vivid fashion, asking more questions than it answers; is Marion in control of her destiny, or does her driver, Shere, have more influence than it would seem? The ending hits just the right note of uncertainty.
The Swinger by Rhys Hughes is the tale of an unsatisfied ghost (can you guess the means of its demise by the title?) and the writer who becomes rather too intrigued by the resulting legend. A convincing dream-like quality is created, perhaps demanding a little touch too much suspension of disbelief; but hey, it's a weird tale, and most enjoyable nonetheless.
A more traditional approach comes from Mark Valentine's An Incomplete Apocalypse. Hugo Winwick follows a carrot dangled before him for publication in a certain august journal, and his investigations lead him to view a manuscript ... with apocalyptic results. Fans of a certain MR James will be satisfied.
An entertaining anthology needs contrast, and that is provided by Corinna Underwood's The Arndale Pass. Much shorter than the other stories included, it weaves a tale of deception and obsession powerfully within a few pages, the reader feeling that not a word is wasted. Its change of pace works well if the collection is read in one sitting, which I could not help but do. (In any case, any strange story apparently named after a shopping centre in my home town must be worth reading, surely.)
I am a fan of Rosalie Parker, and I find her restrained, atmospheric tales of Yorkshire ring true. Oracle is no exception. Imbued with welcome warmth when least expected, and deceptively simple, it opens up upon re-reading.
Which brings me to The House on North Congress Street by Jason A. Wyckoff. This to me is the collection's 'slow burner'. Undoubtedly it takes a while to get going, and this reader was reminded of the wordy style of writers such as Margery Lawrence. Duly, the atmosphere intensifies, and the encounter under the bed was genuinely creepy.
I'm all in favour of strange happenings within a mundane setting, so I enjoyed Ninth Rotation by Stephen Holman. I can relate to Earl's frustration with his pupils and the systems in place at the school. The boy who appears to him is a good metaphor for all that may be wrong in his life, and the reader is carried along through the school day, ending up with what may very well be something like revenge.
The choice of final story is, as it should be, a strong one. Steve Rasnic Tem rarely disappoints and Wheatfield With Crows is a cracker, combining strong characterisation with a great setting; and a suitably strange ending for such a satisfying anthology.
If you are an aficionado of the strange and uncanny short story, you will find the only thing missing from Dark World is ... more of the same.
The editor begins strongly with his choice of a Reggie Oliver story, Come into My Parlour. Anyone familiar with his stories of theatrical life will recognise the sure-footed writing style and heavy atmosphere, here brought closer to (a rather cold and draughty) home. Aunt Harriet would be enough to strike terror into any young boy's heart; and, as the tale reveals itself with a creeping sense of dread, the reader is tempted to fear the worst. Whether that worst actually comes to pass or not is the crux of the story. Was there in fact a terrible legacy?
There is also some kind of legacy in Cristopher Fowler's singular Mistake at the Monsoon Palace, but the reader is left guessing, in the very best sense. This tale brings India alive in a most vivid fashion, asking more questions than it answers; is Marion in control of her destiny, or does her driver, Shere, have more influence than it would seem? The ending hits just the right note of uncertainty.
The Swinger by Rhys Hughes is the tale of an unsatisfied ghost (can you guess the means of its demise by the title?) and the writer who becomes rather too intrigued by the resulting legend. A convincing dream-like quality is created, perhaps demanding a little touch too much suspension of disbelief; but hey, it's a weird tale, and most enjoyable nonetheless.
A more traditional approach comes from Mark Valentine's An Incomplete Apocalypse. Hugo Winwick follows a carrot dangled before him for publication in a certain august journal, and his investigations lead him to view a manuscript ... with apocalyptic results. Fans of a certain MR James will be satisfied.
An entertaining anthology needs contrast, and that is provided by Corinna Underwood's The Arndale Pass. Much shorter than the other stories included, it weaves a tale of deception and obsession powerfully within a few pages, the reader feeling that not a word is wasted. Its change of pace works well if the collection is read in one sitting, which I could not help but do. (In any case, any strange story apparently named after a shopping centre in my home town must be worth reading, surely.)
I am a fan of Rosalie Parker, and I find her restrained, atmospheric tales of Yorkshire ring true. Oracle is no exception. Imbued with welcome warmth when least expected, and deceptively simple, it opens up upon re-reading.
Which brings me to The House on North Congress Street by Jason A. Wyckoff. This to me is the collection's 'slow burner'. Undoubtedly it takes a while to get going, and this reader was reminded of the wordy style of writers such as Margery Lawrence. Duly, the atmosphere intensifies, and the encounter under the bed was genuinely creepy.
I'm all in favour of strange happenings within a mundane setting, so I enjoyed Ninth Rotation by Stephen Holman. I can relate to Earl's frustration with his pupils and the systems in place at the school. The boy who appears to him is a good metaphor for all that may be wrong in his life, and the reader is carried along through the school day, ending up with what may very well be something like revenge.
The choice of final story is, as it should be, a strong one. Steve Rasnic Tem rarely disappoints and Wheatfield With Crows is a cracker, combining strong characterisation with a great setting; and a suitably strange ending for such a satisfying anthology.
If you are an aficionado of the strange and uncanny short story, you will find the only thing missing from Dark World is ... more of the same.
March 5, 2013
A good collection of strange, if not always 'ghostly' stories.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews