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Dark Dixie: Tales of Southern Horror
Previously available on audio cassette from Darkscribe Press, this collection was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1992. Dark Dixie collects the following works of southern horror by author Ronald Kelly. This book includes all the stories from the audio book and several
* Introduction by Ronald Kelly (2010)
* Yea, Though I Drive was previously published in Cold Blood (1991)
* Miss Abigailâ s Delicate Condition was previously published in Noctulpa (1988)
* The Cistern was previously published in Cemetery Dance (1990)
* Papaâ s Exile was previously published in Deathrealm (1988)
* The Hatchling was previously published in Tri-State Fantasist (1989)
* Uncle Cyrus was previously published in Noctulpa (1988)
* Forever Angels was previously published in Cemetery Dance (1988)
* Black Harvest was previously published in After Hours (1989)
* Cover by Zach McCain (2010)
* Introduction by Ronald Kelly (2010)
* Yea, Though I Drive was previously published in Cold Blood (1991)
* Miss Abigailâ s Delicate Condition was previously published in Noctulpa (1988)
* The Cistern was previously published in Cemetery Dance (1990)
* Papaâ s Exile was previously published in Deathrealm (1988)
* The Hatchling was previously published in Tri-State Fantasist (1989)
* Uncle Cyrus was previously published in Noctulpa (1988)
* Forever Angels was previously published in Cemetery Dance (1988)
* Black Harvest was previously published in After Hours (1989)
* Cover by Zach McCain (2010)
Audio Cassette
First published June 1, 1992
2 people are currently reading
95 people want to read
About the author
Ronald Kelly
98 books408 followersRonald Kelly was born and raised in the hills and hollows of Middle Tennessee. He became interested in horror as a child, watching the local "Creature Feature" on Saturday nights and "The Big Show"---a Nashville-based TV show that presented every old monster movie ever made ---in the afternoons after school. In high school, his interest turned to horror literature and he read such writers as Poe, Lovecraft, Matheson, and King. He originally had dreams of becoming a comic book artist and created many of his own superheroes. But during his junior year, the writing bug bit him and he focused his attention on penning short stories and full-length novels. To date, he has had thirteen novels and twelve short fiction collections published. In 2021, his extreme horror collection, THE ESSENTIAL SICK STUFF, won a Splatterpunk Award for Best Collection.
He currently lives in Brush Creek, Tennessee with his wife, young'uns, and an ultra-hyper Jack Russel named Toby.
He currently lives in Brush Creek, Tennessee with his wife, young'uns, and an ultra-hyper Jack Russel named Toby.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 6, 2022
A Dark Southern Fried Horror Short story collection from the Legend himself.
Yea, Though i drive ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Miss Abigails delicate condition⭐️⭐️⭐️
The cistern ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Papa's exile ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
The hatchling ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Uncle Cyrus ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Forever angels ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Black harvest ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Yea, Though i drive ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Miss Abigails delicate condition⭐️⭐️⭐️
The cistern ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Papa's exile ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
The hatchling ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Uncle Cyrus ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Forever angels ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Black harvest ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
May 16, 2019
A nice mix of good old southern horror. i liked all the stories but my favorite was Black Harvest. Coleman Ford did an excellent job reading this stories.
Yea, Though I Drive- a serial killer stalks a highway.
Miss Abigail’s Delicate Condition- very good! starts out with a hint of "a rose for emily" but quickly develops into it's own tale of horror.
The Cistern- this one was fun! A guy revisits his childhood hometown.
Papa’s Exile- papa goes missing.
The Hatchling- what's in the egg?!
Uncle Cyrus- this was a fun tale. not scary but definitely black comedy. Uncle Cyrus has a rather strange last request.
Forever Angels- the tale of a cemetery. very urban legend-ish. i liked this one too.
Black Harvest- it's a good old fashioned harvest party with some old, old tradition. this was my favorite.
Yea, Though I Drive- a serial killer stalks a highway.
Miss Abigail’s Delicate Condition- very good! starts out with a hint of "a rose for emily" but quickly develops into it's own tale of horror.
The Cistern- this one was fun! A guy revisits his childhood hometown.
Papa’s Exile- papa goes missing.
The Hatchling- what's in the egg?!
Uncle Cyrus- this was a fun tale. not scary but definitely black comedy. Uncle Cyrus has a rather strange last request.
Forever Angels- the tale of a cemetery. very urban legend-ish. i liked this one too.
Black Harvest- it's a good old fashioned harvest party with some old, old tradition. this was my favorite.
October 9, 2024
Pretty good collection of 50s-style horror stories set in the Deep South. There’s a killer hitchhiker and an evil chicken, among others. Kelly fits a lot of deep-fried, bible-belt horror mood into a scant 90 pages.
May 27, 2021
Some of these stories are going to stay with me for a while.
As always with collections, there are some that you may like, and some not so much. With these eight tales of Southern Horror, I can say that I enjoyed them all! I savored them for over a month. My favorite was Miss Abigail’s Delicate Condition.
My first Ronald Kelly was Fear, his southern prose is beautiful and just takes me home to how things used to be when I was a kid in Arkansas, and times before. Simpler life, simpler times. "The storm comes, forceful and born of vengeance. Dark clouds boil overhead, advancing, engulfing the land with their surly discontent. Beside the house, the grove dances, swaying to and fro, trees animated. Deep in the torrid darkness, something winks in whipcrack flashes of heavenly brilliance."
I did listen to a sample of the audiobook, and if you enjoy Southern canter, you should really give these a listen! I am looking forward to reading many more from Ronald Kelly, and I may even read this one again (or listen) someday.
As always with collections, there are some that you may like, and some not so much. With these eight tales of Southern Horror, I can say that I enjoyed them all! I savored them for over a month. My favorite was Miss Abigail’s Delicate Condition.
My first Ronald Kelly was Fear, his southern prose is beautiful and just takes me home to how things used to be when I was a kid in Arkansas, and times before. Simpler life, simpler times. "The storm comes, forceful and born of vengeance. Dark clouds boil overhead, advancing, engulfing the land with their surly discontent. Beside the house, the grove dances, swaying to and fro, trees animated. Deep in the torrid darkness, something winks in whipcrack flashes of heavenly brilliance."
I did listen to a sample of the audiobook, and if you enjoy Southern canter, you should really give these a listen! I am looking forward to reading many more from Ronald Kelly, and I may even read this one again (or listen) someday.
February 15, 2020
Copulating copperheads, roadside butchers, a big ass bird egg, blood red corn on the cob, the baby graveyard and hearses make shitty parade floats.
I like me some Ronald Kelly and this is a nice collection of shorts.
I like me some Ronald Kelly and this is a nice collection of shorts.
May 20, 2021
General Comments
Considering myself well acquainted with writers of short horror, I was surprised I never came across the name of Ronald Kelly. Upon reading (or, in this case, listening) to the yarns spun by this unfamiliar author, I believe I may have found an old friend I never knew I had.
Admittedly, Kelly writes in an old-fashioned style. He is heavy on narration and often takes an omniscient point-of-view, causing the story to read as a summary rather than a living narrative. His stylistic structure is similarly vintage - an abundance of narrator-driven backstory at the start to introduce characters and set the scene before gradually transitioning to a single scene of horror. He seldom deviates from this form, which does create a sense of hazy repetition among his stories. And yes, his plots are also fairly well-trodden - every story brought to mind others read in my past.
Yet these qualities do lend itself to some advantages that play well to my own proclivities. His stories are brief- none overstay their welcome, so even the least effective tales held my interest. The heavy reliance on narration allowed for some well-observed descriptions of a story's time and place, making the setting a character unto itself - indeed, the setting is often more important than anything else, plot and person alike. And while the stories may be familiar, they don't come across as routine but rather as loving renditions of age-old themes and motifs within the horror genre.
Kelly is clearly an admirer of his horror roots and that passion came through in his writing - I felt like I was listening to old-time-radio horror, reading the golden-age of horror comics, and viewing black-and-white anthology shows.
While everything was familiar, it was also very comforting.
Recommend Pairing: John Connolly's Nocturnes
Specific Comments
Yea, Though I Drive - 3.75 out of 5
These serial-killer-thrillers where a driver picks up a hitchhiker can only end in one of four ways - (1) the hitch-hiker is the killer, (2) the driver is the killer, (3) they are both killers, or (4) neither are the killer and some tertiary character is actually the killer. It will come as no surprise that Kelly doesn't deviate from the form, but what does come as a surprise is that he somehow manages to throw all four ways into the same story! One of the best in this collection.
Miss Abigail’s Delicate Condition - 3.0 out of 5
The most "Southern Gothic" of the horror yarns. A haunting atmosphere but it also felt slightly hollow.
The Cistern - 3.75 out of 5
Highly enjoyable. A devilish twist on a certain Twlight Zone episode. Perhaps my favorite of the lot.
Papa’s Exile - 2.5 out of 5
Not much to say with an obvious ending, but its extreme brevity (it lasts only a few minutes) works in its favor.
The Hatchling - 3.0 out of 5
Or "Attack of the Seven Foot Chicken". Reminded me of some old time radio programs (e.g., "Chicken Heart" from Lights Out). Hokey, silly nonsense played completely straight, causing it to come across as even more absurd. I enjoyed it despite myself.
Uncle Cyrus - 3.5 out of 5
Clearly inspired by EC Horror comics. A fairly successful yarn as it wisely plays its macabre elements for laughs rather than scares, making it refreshingly unique in comparison to the solemnity of the others.
Forever Angels - 2.5 out of 5
Or "The Dead Babies Rise Again". The longest story in the collection, but its length is unwarranted. I had difficultly overcoming its hokey premise. Perhaps if the story leaned into the silliness, as Kelly did for The Hatchling, I would have enjoyed it more. My least favorite, but at just 25 minutes it still doesn't overstay its welcome.
Black Harvest - 3.0 out of 5
Rich in atmosphere but the story is too simplistic and familiar.
Considering myself well acquainted with writers of short horror, I was surprised I never came across the name of Ronald Kelly. Upon reading (or, in this case, listening) to the yarns spun by this unfamiliar author, I believe I may have found an old friend I never knew I had.
Admittedly, Kelly writes in an old-fashioned style. He is heavy on narration and often takes an omniscient point-of-view, causing the story to read as a summary rather than a living narrative. His stylistic structure is similarly vintage - an abundance of narrator-driven backstory at the start to introduce characters and set the scene before gradually transitioning to a single scene of horror. He seldom deviates from this form, which does create a sense of hazy repetition among his stories. And yes, his plots are also fairly well-trodden - every story brought to mind others read in my past.
Yet these qualities do lend itself to some advantages that play well to my own proclivities. His stories are brief- none overstay their welcome, so even the least effective tales held my interest. The heavy reliance on narration allowed for some well-observed descriptions of a story's time and place, making the setting a character unto itself - indeed, the setting is often more important than anything else, plot and person alike. And while the stories may be familiar, they don't come across as routine but rather as loving renditions of age-old themes and motifs within the horror genre.
Kelly is clearly an admirer of his horror roots and that passion came through in his writing - I felt like I was listening to old-time-radio horror, reading the golden-age of horror comics, and viewing black-and-white anthology shows.
While everything was familiar, it was also very comforting.
Recommend Pairing: John Connolly's Nocturnes
Specific Comments
Yea, Though I Drive - 3.75 out of 5
These serial-killer-thrillers where a driver picks up a hitchhiker can only end in one of four ways - (1) the hitch-hiker is the killer, (2) the driver is the killer, (3) they are both killers, or (4) neither are the killer and some tertiary character is actually the killer. It will come as no surprise that Kelly doesn't deviate from the form, but what does come as a surprise is that he somehow manages to throw all four ways into the same story! One of the best in this collection.
Miss Abigail’s Delicate Condition - 3.0 out of 5
The most "Southern Gothic" of the horror yarns. A haunting atmosphere but it also felt slightly hollow.
The Cistern - 3.75 out of 5
Highly enjoyable. A devilish twist on a certain Twlight Zone episode. Perhaps my favorite of the lot.
Papa’s Exile - 2.5 out of 5
Not much to say with an obvious ending, but its extreme brevity (it lasts only a few minutes) works in its favor.
The Hatchling - 3.0 out of 5
Or "Attack of the Seven Foot Chicken". Reminded me of some old time radio programs (e.g., "Chicken Heart" from Lights Out). Hokey, silly nonsense played completely straight, causing it to come across as even more absurd. I enjoyed it despite myself.
Uncle Cyrus - 3.5 out of 5
Clearly inspired by EC Horror comics. A fairly successful yarn as it wisely plays its macabre elements for laughs rather than scares, making it refreshingly unique in comparison to the solemnity of the others.
Forever Angels - 2.5 out of 5
Or "The Dead Babies Rise Again". The longest story in the collection, but its length is unwarranted. I had difficultly overcoming its hokey premise. Perhaps if the story leaned into the silliness, as Kelly did for The Hatchling, I would have enjoyed it more. My least favorite, but at just 25 minutes it still doesn't overstay its welcome.
Black Harvest - 3.0 out of 5
Rich in atmosphere but the story is too simplistic and familiar.
July 1, 2021
Dark Dixie is a Collection of Southern Stories, and I listened to it on Audible while I was decorating at the weekend. I really enjoyed the fact that it is read by someone with a very strong Southern Accent, which definitely brings something to the collection.
Unfortunately, as it is being read to you rather than you sitting and reading it, it’s more difficult to revisit the stories to talk about them and I’m not actually convinced that they were introduced by title either, they just seemed to flow like if you were sitting and being told stories by a family member. That’s the feeling this book gave me, there was a nostalgia to being read to, along with the comfort found within the accent of the reader.
Each story was well written and well read, coming across with a brilliant pace and fantastic imagery. In particular I enjoyed the story about the Hitchhiker. It comes over like an urban legend, similar to stories we used to tell each other as children and young teens, I think this was intentional and maybe some of this is urban legends or at least based on them.
I’m keeping this short since I can’t really refer to each story individually, but there’s a comfort within this book that’s quite interesting. If you can bring both warmth and comfort to a book of horror stories, I think you’re doing something right.
I would absolutely recommend this book to anybody, it’s only a couple of hours long and it’s very enjoyable. This is volume 1 so I’ll be looking out for further volumes, and particularly for more Southern Horror, so if you are a writer of southern horror or you have a recommendation get in touch!
Unfortunately, as it is being read to you rather than you sitting and reading it, it’s more difficult to revisit the stories to talk about them and I’m not actually convinced that they were introduced by title either, they just seemed to flow like if you were sitting and being told stories by a family member. That’s the feeling this book gave me, there was a nostalgia to being read to, along with the comfort found within the accent of the reader.
Each story was well written and well read, coming across with a brilliant pace and fantastic imagery. In particular I enjoyed the story about the Hitchhiker. It comes over like an urban legend, similar to stories we used to tell each other as children and young teens, I think this was intentional and maybe some of this is urban legends or at least based on them.
I’m keeping this short since I can’t really refer to each story individually, but there’s a comfort within this book that’s quite interesting. If you can bring both warmth and comfort to a book of horror stories, I think you’re doing something right.
I would absolutely recommend this book to anybody, it’s only a couple of hours long and it’s very enjoyable. This is volume 1 so I’ll be looking out for further volumes, and particularly for more Southern Horror, so if you are a writer of southern horror or you have a recommendation get in touch!
December 13, 2019
( Format : Audiobook )
"What's wrong, mister?"
A collection of eight creepy, old fashioned style horror stories, well read by Coleman Ford, the touch of subdued sinister in his voice growing even more dreadful in one of the stories, the Cistern. His southern accent was a pleasure to hear, his enunciation perfect and his timing aimed at raising the reader's blood pressure. An excellent performance of an enjoyable set of disparate stories. My personal favourite was the first, Yeah, though I drive.
If you are a reader who likes that little tingle touch, enjoy.
"What's wrong, mister?"
A collection of eight creepy, old fashioned style horror stories, well read by Coleman Ford, the touch of subdued sinister in his voice growing even more dreadful in one of the stories, the Cistern. His southern accent was a pleasure to hear, his enunciation perfect and his timing aimed at raising the reader's blood pressure. An excellent performance of an enjoyable set of disparate stories. My personal favourite was the first, Yeah, though I drive.
If you are a reader who likes that little tingle touch, enjoy.
September 24, 2020
Twilight Of Darkness
This book is peppered with southern charm but not southern horror. The stories are fun and a bit creepy. They leave you with a little twisted ending with not your normal trope. It was an enjoyable quick read.
This book is peppered with southern charm but not southern horror. The stories are fun and a bit creepy. They leave you with a little twisted ending with not your normal trope. It was an enjoyable quick read.
December 15, 2021
Dark Dixie is a great collection of short scary stories. They aren't too horrific. They are about as scary as an episode of the old kids show Are You Afraid of the Dark which is what this book reminded me of. Great narration as well.
February 19, 2014
Definitely horror lite. Maybe for Young adults & DDII even more so.
March 12, 2015
Excellent book of short horror stories which is rare. I particularly loved the first story.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews