What do you think?
Rate this book
Strange Playgrounds
A vile waking... There are places we walk; cold and dusk-lit; places where the wind whispers, carrying echoes of forgotten games. ...a storm of sadism, more loving than any embrace or caress he'd ever known... There are places where we are naked; where the grass and weeds rasp across bleeding wounds, exposed nerves, their dew glistening red. ...we are all sick; some are simply sicker than most... Places where the silence cannot be broken, its insect chatter fraying thought, fracturing sanity. ...shadows swarming around their intertwined bodies, whispering, congealing... These are the Strange Playgrounds; places where we meet our murdered or abandoned selves, and join their desperate games. Come and play awhile.
324 pages, Paperback
First published September 10, 2013
1 person is currently reading
22 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 24, 2014
Strange Playgrounds, a place where the mind is ripped from reality and where playmates are things of nightmarish imagination that want to keep you forever in their violent throes of ecstasy. Here everything is redefined; beauty, pain, love, and tolerance all swirling in a cascade of ribbons and color beckoning you to shed your mortal coils and come play.
A Sadomasochistic journey into pain and ecstasy with a dash of regret and sorrow. George Daniel Lea's collection of short stories is one of the best horror collections I have read in a long time. Dark, disturbing, depraved, with a Poppy Z. Brite tone to many while still maintaining incredible originality. Lea's exquisite style of literary horror is perfection and will leave you with the voices of the unseen whispering in your ear all the horrors that lay ahead of you. The opening story is a beautiful visual tale, an impeccable setting of the stage for what's to come.
Bound is like being inside the mind of a man in a straight jacket behind locked doors, a dirty secret kept hushed away, but no lock can keep the mind from wandering and driving you mad.
Brain Food, is a look at one person's perception of self. This person does not know the difference between his own thoughts and what he believes to be that of a parasite feeding off his brain. He goes to incredible lengths just to find some peace and quiet.
What Remains is one of my favorite stories. A very dark guilty love story amongst an incredibly unlikely pair. Every story in this book is exceptionally written, but the way Lea gets into your head on this one is frightening.
Prey: "Better you than me."
Sick Souls: When a brutal hate crime goes not quite as planned for a group of degenerates, it is then that one of them is chosen for a position that is far beyond any human's capability to grasp. After taking part in the beating of an openly gay couple, Alex sees into the souls of the sick and the depraved and when a mysterious "beast" begins to show him the nature of his true self, things begin to unravel for Alex as he desperately tries to hold onto any shred of his sanity. This is one of the darker corners of the human mind to delve into. The realization of self and acceptance is much more than what is presented on the outside. It's what's on the inside of one's soul that truly tells their tale and it is that darkness within that remains when the human body ceases to exist. That same darkness is what will hold you in the hands of despair and hopelessness; being and nothingness forever tormented by the pain and pleasure of housing a sick soul.
Storm Song: A powerful love fuels the new world in this apocalyptic tale. When the love of two artists is shared so strongly, it becomes the catalyst for otherworldly creatures and blinding destruction of a civilization once held by humans. Deborah's flight was suppose to be like any other flight. Quiet and uneventful with just the thoughts and longing of her distance love. Due to the nature of their artistic careers, they both knew that they would be a part in order to grow as independent artists. The distance takes its toll on both creative minds and with the help of a cryptic mysterious passenger, the reuniting of true love proves too strong for a mortal plane.
The Artist: This artist gives new meaning to throwing your whole self into your work. After utilizing all the mediums conventional art presented to him, our artist delves deep within himself to finish his final piece that will bring you to your knees in tears if you can sustain the vomiting.
The Last Sane Man: Nothing more terrifying than being caught in a loop and being the only one aware of the paradox happening.
The State of Lovers: I feel I relate heavily to the female character's preferred unconventional outlook on "relationships" in this story. Cynthia's sexual taste are what you call unconventional. She likes it rough and she likes her power. She enjoys the cat and mouse routine with her suitors until one day the cat became the mouse. After meeting the mysterious Owen, Cynthia is swept away with his ability to keep her on her toes sexually as well as artistically. Being a painter, Cynthia loves and appreciates her solitude and makes that very clear to Owen. The tables turn when she begins to fall for him and her obsession to find out what Owen does when he is not with her takes her into a trip down the rabbit hole where she will discover if you truly love something you must let it go. The ending pulls everything together.
Belly of the Beast: I got a strong Candyman feel from this one. A filmmaker sets out to debunk or uncover the urban legend of The Bloody Bride, but how far is he willing to go to prove legend fact? I loved this story. I loved the dialogue and interaction between Bellamy and Jake and the absolutely disturbing nature behind The Bloody Bride myth.
A Strange Kind of Sense: When all that you worked for and all you've known is suddenly thrown into chaos and insanity....what's left? For two such lovers living in a dystopian world where the sky is home to multiple moons and colors and the emerging of monsters that threaten what little way of life they have established for themselves, begins to take it's strain on not only their relationship but they psyche as well as the universe is ripped apart rebirthing anew.
ALL stories were not reviewed here, but rest assure that ALL stories are of a horror caliber I have not seen in years (I am no expert on horror but I know what I like). I lack the vocabulary to properly review these stories and to convey the emotion put into every page.
A Sadomasochistic journey into pain and ecstasy with a dash of regret and sorrow. George Daniel Lea's collection of short stories is one of the best horror collections I have read in a long time. Dark, disturbing, depraved, with a Poppy Z. Brite tone to many while still maintaining incredible originality. Lea's exquisite style of literary horror is perfection and will leave you with the voices of the unseen whispering in your ear all the horrors that lay ahead of you. The opening story is a beautiful visual tale, an impeccable setting of the stage for what's to come.
Bound is like being inside the mind of a man in a straight jacket behind locked doors, a dirty secret kept hushed away, but no lock can keep the mind from wandering and driving you mad.
Brain Food, is a look at one person's perception of self. This person does not know the difference between his own thoughts and what he believes to be that of a parasite feeding off his brain. He goes to incredible lengths just to find some peace and quiet.
What Remains is one of my favorite stories. A very dark guilty love story amongst an incredibly unlikely pair. Every story in this book is exceptionally written, but the way Lea gets into your head on this one is frightening.
Prey: "Better you than me."
Sick Souls: When a brutal hate crime goes not quite as planned for a group of degenerates, it is then that one of them is chosen for a position that is far beyond any human's capability to grasp. After taking part in the beating of an openly gay couple, Alex sees into the souls of the sick and the depraved and when a mysterious "beast" begins to show him the nature of his true self, things begin to unravel for Alex as he desperately tries to hold onto any shred of his sanity. This is one of the darker corners of the human mind to delve into. The realization of self and acceptance is much more than what is presented on the outside. It's what's on the inside of one's soul that truly tells their tale and it is that darkness within that remains when the human body ceases to exist. That same darkness is what will hold you in the hands of despair and hopelessness; being and nothingness forever tormented by the pain and pleasure of housing a sick soul.
Storm Song: A powerful love fuels the new world in this apocalyptic tale. When the love of two artists is shared so strongly, it becomes the catalyst for otherworldly creatures and blinding destruction of a civilization once held by humans. Deborah's flight was suppose to be like any other flight. Quiet and uneventful with just the thoughts and longing of her distance love. Due to the nature of their artistic careers, they both knew that they would be a part in order to grow as independent artists. The distance takes its toll on both creative minds and with the help of a cryptic mysterious passenger, the reuniting of true love proves too strong for a mortal plane.
The Artist: This artist gives new meaning to throwing your whole self into your work. After utilizing all the mediums conventional art presented to him, our artist delves deep within himself to finish his final piece that will bring you to your knees in tears if you can sustain the vomiting.
The Last Sane Man: Nothing more terrifying than being caught in a loop and being the only one aware of the paradox happening.
The State of Lovers: I feel I relate heavily to the female character's preferred unconventional outlook on "relationships" in this story. Cynthia's sexual taste are what you call unconventional. She likes it rough and she likes her power. She enjoys the cat and mouse routine with her suitors until one day the cat became the mouse. After meeting the mysterious Owen, Cynthia is swept away with his ability to keep her on her toes sexually as well as artistically. Being a painter, Cynthia loves and appreciates her solitude and makes that very clear to Owen. The tables turn when she begins to fall for him and her obsession to find out what Owen does when he is not with her takes her into a trip down the rabbit hole where she will discover if you truly love something you must let it go. The ending pulls everything together.
Belly of the Beast: I got a strong Candyman feel from this one. A filmmaker sets out to debunk or uncover the urban legend of The Bloody Bride, but how far is he willing to go to prove legend fact? I loved this story. I loved the dialogue and interaction between Bellamy and Jake and the absolutely disturbing nature behind The Bloody Bride myth.
A Strange Kind of Sense: When all that you worked for and all you've known is suddenly thrown into chaos and insanity....what's left? For two such lovers living in a dystopian world where the sky is home to multiple moons and colors and the emerging of monsters that threaten what little way of life they have established for themselves, begins to take it's strain on not only their relationship but they psyche as well as the universe is ripped apart rebirthing anew.
ALL stories were not reviewed here, but rest assure that ALL stories are of a horror caliber I have not seen in years (I am no expert on horror but I know what I like). I lack the vocabulary to properly review these stories and to convey the emotion put into every page.
July 26, 2016
Wow. Mr. Lea has done something with his Strange Playgrounds that I have never experience with the horror fantasy genre before. His linguistic prowess is lush and sensual while psychologically taking you into frightening situations. I feel even more privileged to know the author.
November 28, 2021
I recently read Strange Playgrounds by George Daniel Lea, and I won’t lie, it did take me a while to get through it. That’s not a bad thing, let me explain myself.
So, yes, I have scheduled this book to hit the blog for a few months and each month a little line goes through it and I reschedule it for the next. I have now completed it, there are a mixture of reasons it took so long so if you knew I was reading it I’d like to explain so that you don’t take it as a criticism of the work.
One reason is that I recently started a brand new full time job which is taking all of my learning power, so I’ve been very tired (but very happy). Another reason however, is that you do not rush a George Daniel Lea book. Mr Lea is very eloquent (and often uses big words), and the stories actually seem to prevent you from reading quickly. I don’t know how this happens as I am usually a pretty fast reader but this book said “Hey, chill out, sit back, have a coffee and just enjoy me”, so I did.
So yes, this was a relaxation book of sorts where I picked it up and put it down around my other blogging commitments. And actually, I love that I was able to do that. It’s a book of short stories, so it’s not like I was reading a story and getting bored so coming back to it. I was able to read and digest each story in my own time and genuinely enjoy the experience without rushing to hit a deadline. I think that’s very important in a book, everyone should have a slow read now and again it’s good for your brain.
This book comprises of 24 Short stories over 325 pages. There was one story in this book in particular which stuck with me, and having left it a short while before reviewing I am still sure it’s my favourite because I am still thinking about it. Mr Lea is very, very good at imagery. That’s part of the reason you don’t want to rush his stories actually. He sets everything up for you in each story and all you have to do is be along for the ride.
My favourite story in this book is called ‘What Remains’, I absolutely loved it, and I will be rereading it at some point when I have time. It just hit on so many perfect horror notes for me and it was such an interestingly different sort of story that it remained in the back of my mind throughout the whole book. I don’t really want to spoil the story, but, as you’ve got another 23 that I haven’t spoilt I’ll just say this – Spiderotica
Admit it, you’re interested, aren’t you?
Definitely pick this up, I’ve got a couple of other George Daniel Lea collections on the TBR so he will be back in due time!
So, yes, I have scheduled this book to hit the blog for a few months and each month a little line goes through it and I reschedule it for the next. I have now completed it, there are a mixture of reasons it took so long so if you knew I was reading it I’d like to explain so that you don’t take it as a criticism of the work.
One reason is that I recently started a brand new full time job which is taking all of my learning power, so I’ve been very tired (but very happy). Another reason however, is that you do not rush a George Daniel Lea book. Mr Lea is very eloquent (and often uses big words), and the stories actually seem to prevent you from reading quickly. I don’t know how this happens as I am usually a pretty fast reader but this book said “Hey, chill out, sit back, have a coffee and just enjoy me”, so I did.
So yes, this was a relaxation book of sorts where I picked it up and put it down around my other blogging commitments. And actually, I love that I was able to do that. It’s a book of short stories, so it’s not like I was reading a story and getting bored so coming back to it. I was able to read and digest each story in my own time and genuinely enjoy the experience without rushing to hit a deadline. I think that’s very important in a book, everyone should have a slow read now and again it’s good for your brain.
This book comprises of 24 Short stories over 325 pages. There was one story in this book in particular which stuck with me, and having left it a short while before reviewing I am still sure it’s my favourite because I am still thinking about it. Mr Lea is very, very good at imagery. That’s part of the reason you don’t want to rush his stories actually. He sets everything up for you in each story and all you have to do is be along for the ride.
My favourite story in this book is called ‘What Remains’, I absolutely loved it, and I will be rereading it at some point when I have time. It just hit on so many perfect horror notes for me and it was such an interestingly different sort of story that it remained in the back of my mind throughout the whole book. I don’t really want to spoil the story, but, as you’ve got another 23 that I haven’t spoilt I’ll just say this – Spiderotica
Admit it, you’re interested, aren’t you?
Definitely pick this up, I’ve got a couple of other George Daniel Lea collections on the TBR so he will be back in due time!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews