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The Macabre Collection
Ballet of the Bones
Four short tales of Victorian terror, each bound to the other by a chilling thread.
London suffocates under the festering reek of its bursting graveyards.
Ballet of the Bones – The curtain goes up on the greatest show on earth, but is everything all it seems?
The Bone House – The grave digger reflects on his morbid life, but what does his future hold?
The Engineer – His creations are beautiful, intricate and for a discerning palate.
Encore – The director makes ready for the end of the show.
13,700 words.
London suffocates under the festering reek of its bursting graveyards.
Ballet of the Bones – The curtain goes up on the greatest show on earth, but is everything all it seems?
The Bone House – The grave digger reflects on his morbid life, but what does his future hold?
The Engineer – His creations are beautiful, intricate and for a discerning palate.
Encore – The director makes ready for the end of the show.
13,700 words.
- GenresHorrorShort Stories
44 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 16, 2013
1 person is currently reading
99 people want to read
About the author
David Haynes
27 books213 followersWhen 12 year-old David Haynes picked up a battered copy of Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot, he never looked back.
Writing in the grand tradition of the horror paperback originals of his misspent youth, Haynes populates his spine-chilling novels with ancient evils and small-town terrors, mutant monstrosities and knife-wielding psychopaths, and is dedicated to disproving the depressing observation that “...they don’t write ‘em like they used to.”
David Haynes is the author of sixteen horror novels and three collections of macabre short fiction, and lives in England with his wife and dog - that he wasn’t allowed to call Cujo.
Writing in the grand tradition of the horror paperback originals of his misspent youth, Haynes populates his spine-chilling novels with ancient evils and small-town terrors, mutant monstrosities and knife-wielding psychopaths, and is dedicated to disproving the depressing observation that “...they don’t write ‘em like they used to.”
David Haynes is the author of sixteen horror novels and three collections of macabre short fiction, and lives in England with his wife and dog - that he wasn’t allowed to call Cujo.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
January 19, 2020
I really enjoyed this collection of four short stories. A decrepit waxworks gets some new attractions with haunting scenes from the Bible. Chesterton is skeptical about Mr Fettiplace who promises him a success. Be prepared to find some eerie moments here. I also liked the reference to Brookwood Cemetery where many mortal remains where brought to and St Mary Le Strand Church which can be visited today and is located right in the middle of the Strand. Recommended!
December 18, 2019
After reading the previous collection 'The Mask of the Macabre' (if you haven't read that yet - you should) I picked this up immediately hoping for more of the same and I wasn't disappointed. While it follows on loosely from 'Mask of the Macabre', you don't need to have read that to read 'Ballet of the Bones', but as I've already said, if you haven't you should.
'Ballet of the Bones' follows the same format of four short stories that weave in and out of each other. My favourite was the story about the grave digger, but they were all good. The setting is Victorian London and the writing matches that of the period.
This is traditional horror at its finest, a must read for horror fans.
'Ballet of the Bones' follows the same format of four short stories that weave in and out of each other. My favourite was the story about the grave digger, but they were all good. The setting is Victorian London and the writing matches that of the period.
This is traditional horror at its finest, a must read for horror fans.
March 27, 2013
These tales continue the style and frisson of Mask of the Macabre. The descriptions and sombre tone of the writing are the perfect backdrop to the storylines, leaving the reader, well this reader anyway, feeling a voyeuristic revulsion whilst reading and a relief on finishing - much the same as those unfortunates who paid their penny to view the eponymous show.
Wonderfully clever stuff and most certainly recommended.
Wonderfully clever stuff and most certainly recommended.
January 25, 2014
Like the previous book before it(Mask of the Macabre),Ballet of the Bones delivers in gruesome excellence. Once again we find the character Fettiplace coming to bring people an opportunity however there's always a catch when it comes to him. I love how each story was told and the title is true to it's name as bones are a key part of each story. The author's wordplay and decriptions is so precise and spot on that it really does grip you to each of the stories.
Ballet of the Bones-5 Stars
Fettiplace helps a young man improve on his fathers museum of killers and boy does he ever.
The Bone House-5 stars
A story of a man who visits his family in the cemetery takes a whole different direction and becomes more then paying respects.
This one left me with chills and I went to bed shortly after reading this...
The Engineer-4.5 stars
An engineer gets a customer with an odd request and from there we find out how skilled the man is at his craft.
Wow, this one has sick irony and left me quite shaken, very good tale.
The Encore-4 stars
The final viewing of The Gallery of Wax, the place Fettiplace helped the young man.
It was shorter then the most and for me what this story did was further my dislike for Fettiplace.
Overall, I enjoyed every story from beginning to end. From the morbid details to the eerie characters and unknown of what will happen next. This is truly a treat of stories for those who wish to read a great book and are looking for a good sense of scare.
Another great book from author David Haynes.
Ballet of the Bones-5 Stars
Fettiplace helps a young man improve on his fathers museum of killers and boy does he ever.
The Bone House-5 stars
A story of a man who visits his family in the cemetery takes a whole different direction and becomes more then paying respects.
This one left me with chills and I went to bed shortly after reading this...
The Engineer-4.5 stars
An engineer gets a customer with an odd request and from there we find out how skilled the man is at his craft.
Wow, this one has sick irony and left me quite shaken, very good tale.
The Encore-4 stars
The final viewing of The Gallery of Wax, the place Fettiplace helped the young man.
It was shorter then the most and for me what this story did was further my dislike for Fettiplace.
Overall, I enjoyed every story from beginning to end. From the morbid details to the eerie characters and unknown of what will happen next. This is truly a treat of stories for those who wish to read a great book and are looking for a good sense of scare.
Another great book from author David Haynes.
May 23, 2013
Welcome to the Ballet of the Bones. Will you appreciate the hideous displays in The Gallery of Wax? If so, you will be ushered into The Bone House, to experience first hand the bare bones of the gravedigger's existence. You will then meet The Engineer, who will astound you with his baroque, intricate creations, operating with the strange grace of precision; yet somehow quite wrong. And finally, with an impending sense of doom, the Director will prepare you for the final curtain. Good luck!
This is the follow-up to Mask of the Macabre by David Haynes, and is a similarly atmospheric and intriguing collection. The stories are all related, but work just as well as stand-alone tales. Chillingly entertaining!
Don't miss Seance of the Souls too, the novella which follows on from these collections.
This is the follow-up to Mask of the Macabre by David Haynes, and is a similarly atmospheric and intriguing collection. The stories are all related, but work just as well as stand-alone tales. Chillingly entertaining!
Don't miss Seance of the Souls too, the novella which follows on from these collections.
March 18, 2013
Ballet of the bones is the second quartet of Victorian style horror stories by David Haynes. He has caught the rhythm of the formal language very nicely and has capitalised on the obsession with death, bones, decay and human frailty. It’s not necessary to have read the previous book, Mask of the Macabre, but if you have done, you’ll find a few pleasing links between those stories and these.
David Haynes is developing his style well and there are some resounding Victorianesque phrases here that delighted me. With 2 collections of these gruesome tales under his belt, I would like to see him tackle a longer work again. I saw a pre-publication copy of this book and I think that classic horror fans will love these stories. They are all too nastily believable.
David Haynes is developing his style well and there are some resounding Victorianesque phrases here that delighted me. With 2 collections of these gruesome tales under his belt, I would like to see him tackle a longer work again. I saw a pre-publication copy of this book and I think that classic horror fans will love these stories. They are all too nastily believable.
March 17, 2013
'Ballet of the Bones' is another delightfully creepy quartet from the mind of Mr Haynes. The author is clearly at ease when writing this genre and I sincerely hope there are more collections of these spooky shorts to follow.
As with the author's previous book, 'Mask of the Macabre', each story is linked to the others and I really enjoyed trying to guess and identify the connections. The book is like a jigsaw, and by the time the stories have been read, you have slotted together all the pieces. Despite this, each story still works as a stand-alone piece. It is a clever device and, combined with the wonderfully evocative atmosphere created amongst the pages, this is another winning set of short stories.
As with the author's previous book, 'Mask of the Macabre', each story is linked to the others and I really enjoyed trying to guess and identify the connections. The book is like a jigsaw, and by the time the stories have been read, you have slotted together all the pieces. Despite this, each story still works as a stand-alone piece. It is a clever device and, combined with the wonderfully evocative atmosphere created amongst the pages, this is another winning set of short stories.
May 13, 2013
Cold, calculated and probably insane. I am really enjoying the murderous exploits of William Fettiplace and his sister, Susanna. If the Victorian era had a Hannibal Lecter, it was William Fettiplace...minus the cannibalism (so far!)
4 STARS
4 STARS
October 5, 2013
Rated 4.5.
This collection continues the sinister deeds of William Fettiplace with four cleverly linked short stories.
Ballet of the bones - The Gallery of Wax is after a new and exciting display to pique the interest of a jaded public. William Fettiplace has just the display but will the owner regret taking him up on his offer. Good start to the collection.
The Bone House - A man reflects on his life amidst the Cholera outbreak in London and his subsequent rise in society. Loved the ending of this story, one that will stay with me for a while.
The Engineer - A master craftsman is given a macabre project. Liked the way this story tied in with the first two stories. The back story regarding his skills was entertaining but wasn't very relevant to the ending. Great story.
Encore - William Fettiplace and his sister arrive at the Waxworks for the final display. Loved the ending, it finished off the collection really well.
Fantastic short story collection, the gothic style is very authentic and I'm looking forward to the next collection to continue the shenanigans of the Fettiplace family.
This collection continues the sinister deeds of William Fettiplace with four cleverly linked short stories.
Ballet of the bones - The Gallery of Wax is after a new and exciting display to pique the interest of a jaded public. William Fettiplace has just the display but will the owner regret taking him up on his offer. Good start to the collection.
The Bone House - A man reflects on his life amidst the Cholera outbreak in London and his subsequent rise in society. Loved the ending of this story, one that will stay with me for a while.
The Engineer - A master craftsman is given a macabre project. Liked the way this story tied in with the first two stories. The back story regarding his skills was entertaining but wasn't very relevant to the ending. Great story.
Encore - William Fettiplace and his sister arrive at the Waxworks for the final display. Loved the ending, it finished off the collection really well.
Fantastic short story collection, the gothic style is very authentic and I'm looking forward to the next collection to continue the shenanigans of the Fettiplace family.
March 30, 2013
This really needs to be read after Mask of the Macabre otherwise the reader is not getting the complete utter chocolate chewiness of the whole feast. The Victorian tone is very well established, you can almost smell the miasma and the chapter entitled "The Bone House" is, in my opinion, well worth double the price of both books. Thank you David. I'm looking forward to some more.
November 7, 2013
I missed Mask of the Macabre' which I gather from other reviewers should be read first. However I thoroughly enjoyed these short tales set in a chilling Victorian background that felt both authentic and atmospheric. Had I not read about the earlier book, I would not have felt that Ballet of Bones was in any way lacking or that something was missing, it stands very well on its own merit.The stories are intriguingly linked. Very effective. I will go back and read the first volume!
August 31, 2018
Good read
This is recollection of stories that all come together at the end, I was busy when reading this therefore it took longer than it should and I missed the fact that a certain name is mentioned consistently therefore it was even more of a shock!
I was slightly out off getting this book because it is written in "ye olde English" however David Haynes has a good grasp of it and it is not hard to read at all.
Good short book and worth a read !
This is recollection of stories that all come together at the end, I was busy when reading this therefore it took longer than it should and I missed the fact that a certain name is mentioned consistently therefore it was even more of a shock!
I was slightly out off getting this book because it is written in "ye olde English" however David Haynes has a good grasp of it and it is not hard to read at all.
Good short book and worth a read !
February 21, 2021
Great read!
This is the second book I've read by him, and I am impressed!! He is truly talented. A definite recommend!
This is the second book I've read by him, and I am impressed!! He is truly talented. A definite recommend!
April 4, 2013
My wife's review:
She enjoyed it, but thought it had some conceptual stuff with the villains that was not convincingly presented. She loved the writing style, and the way the stories meshed together, but felt that they stopped just short of being able to work well, because of somewhat flat villains. She thought the last story, particularly, was weak, because it had to tie up the loose ends placed in the other ones. She thought each story stopped just a little bit too early, since the next story would build on that scene eventually, and she didn't feel that the character's thought processes after the climax were presented clearly enough to justify the endings later shown.
She enjoyed it, but said she felt it could have been a bit better, had the author refined his concept a bit more.
She enjoyed it, but thought it had some conceptual stuff with the villains that was not convincingly presented. She loved the writing style, and the way the stories meshed together, but felt that they stopped just short of being able to work well, because of somewhat flat villains. She thought the last story, particularly, was weak, because it had to tie up the loose ends placed in the other ones. She thought each story stopped just a little bit too early, since the next story would build on that scene eventually, and she didn't feel that the character's thought processes after the climax were presented clearly enough to justify the endings later shown.
She enjoyed it, but said she felt it could have been a bit better, had the author refined his concept a bit more.
August 28, 2016
A wonderful little collection of gruesome Victorian Gothic horror shorts. The stories are brief and very cleverly interlinked.
The title was very appealing and the dancing skeletons on the cover simply drew me in and I was hooked. Well worth checking out.
The title was very appealing and the dancing skeletons on the cover simply drew me in and I was hooked. Well worth checking out.
July 6, 2013
I reviewed the Box Set Collection here:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews