Old Dark Houses: A Halloween Novel

by Tylor James

Beware—the Dark Three!Bannatyne House lurks in the East, Morton Manor lies to the West, and the legendary Vallancy Mansion looms beyond the Northwoods. All are fated for immediate demolition—that is until Charles Vallancy, a vengeful and vainglorious ghost, returns from the grave to preserve what is rightfully his—the Vallancy Mansion.On Halloween night, he creates a glorious supernatural effulgence to beam from out every window of the houses. Tragically, trick-or-treaters are drawn like moths-to-flame . . . soon lost inside the houses, all the little devils and demons, witches and warlocks, ghosts and ghouls are sapped of youth—their flesh wrinkles and sags, their hearts slow, and their memories fade . . . meanwhile, The Dark Three refurbish themselves into Gothic Perfection.Decrepit walls stand a little taller. Fractured windows miraculously mend into polished glass. The old dark houses return to life—even growing brains, hearts, and harboring blood beneath their faded Victorian wallpaper.Concerned parents flood the streets and police arrive with battering rams—yet no window shall break, and no door shall unlock. Now, it is up to local town historian, Patty Keepwell, to team up with her neighbors in the desperate attempt to rescue the children of Sweet Hollow.Old Dark Houses is a love letter to Halloween. So put on your masks and make-up, and open wide your candy bags. You’re in for a treat . . . and many a trick!

324 pages, Hardcover

Published November 21, 2023

About the author

Tylor James lives in New Richmond, Wisconsin and is the author of such speculative volumes as, "Matters Most Macabre", "Beneath the Jack-O-Lantern Sky: Tales of Sweet Hollow", and "Old Dark Houses: A Halloween Novel." He has tales published in Cosmic Horror Monthly, Strange Horizons, Hypnos Magazine, The Literary Hatchet, and several anthologies. He's twenty-nine years old.

Reviews

[Kerry]

Tylor James’ novel Old Dark Houses: A Halloween Novel is lush, descriptive, and dripping in hauntings. Three old, dark houses, neglected but important pieces of the history of the town of Sweet Hollow, are slated for destruction. However, the spirit of these places have other plans. This novel alternates from nostalgic and almost Bradburian to action that would translate into a kick-butt video game (rated M for gore and violence.) The characters are interesting. The scenery evocative of perfect autumns, and the outcome not quite happily ever after. Throughout the story, beautiful art plates by Luke Spooner accentuate the action.

“A voice of dead leaves crinkled in the air, then fell to the ground amidst a detritus of chocolate wrappers, cracked plastic masks, and
discarded candy bags.”

As a bonus, the novel tags on thematic short stories.

“There Shall Be Fish and Gold in Innsmouth” is something of a coming of age tale, with a Lovecraftian twist. It is set during Halloween, and this reader wonders if the action is taking place at the same time as the Old Dark Houses seizing Sweet Hollow’s youth.

“When Halloween Came to Egypt” invokes the dusty crypts and hieroglyphics, intrepid explorers, and old gods the name implies.

“Halloween Night in Sweet Hollow, 1935” takes us back to Sweet Hollow where costumed children are heard and seen.

What a perfect collection for the spooky season - or any time a reader wants to feel the chill of winter sneaking through desiccated autumn leaves.

[Paulo "paper books only"]

This is a solid 3 or 3,5 Stars for me. It's a good ghost story with an Halloween theme. You've got these three old houses that are schedule to be demolished. Some people are against it, some are in favour.
But the thing that is most unfavoured of that decision is the Ghost of one of the houses. The ghost has a plan to keep living. IT will bring people on halloween night and suck the children life.

We've got several different characters that are trying to survive and the characters are more flesh out as the story progress and you start understanding the reason of their choices.

It's a very entertaining ghost story with a mystey. There isn't much gore but expect giant spiders, rats and other stuff.

There are plenty of homage throughout the book, with characters named after X or Y writer or even streets.

I've read a hardback edition which contains three additional short stories, connected in some way to the town or people and there are a 8 illustrations that enhance the story.

Note: From what I know there is also another book with stories connected to this town.

[Trish]

I appreciate how well the author uses concise wording. The pages are succinct but I can clearly visualize the town and townspeople. Such vivid imagery was conveyed.
This seemed like a fun book to write

[Joshua Rex]

Tylor James' OLD DARK HOUSES is a rich, poignant, sometimes gory, and powerful tribute to historic buildings and to Halloween itself. It is a most impressive debut novel from an author of profound feeling and skill. Indeed, the pages of this beautifully wrought story are laden with the spirit of the holiday, and the horrors of the plot are articulated in manifold literary dimensions. This is one of the most impressive aspects of the book. Not only are there hideous creatures here, but the harrowing reality of historic structures left to decay, or worse, to be razed by those who are indifferent to their value, is examined in a philosophical sense that leaves the reader in reflection long after closing the book.

With his impressive and unique prose style (written in places in stacked lines as if he is composing a poem), James expounds on the conflict between old and new, life and death, good and evil, the remembered and the unremembered. The pacing of the story is superb, and the switching of character points of view and thematic shifts is flawlessly executed. Some of the most interesting parts of the narrative happen when larger themes are extrapolated and ruminated on by an omniscient narrator. This provides an underpinning to the novel that is as important as the foundations of the old dark houses themselves.

And what of these structures? Well, they are decidedly more than haunted houses, though their spiritual personification, Charles Vallancy, is in his own right a frightening figure. They possess hearts and brains - fleshy and vital as our own - and their halls are colored with mist and fog wherein phantoms and creatures hide in waiting for the children and adults trapped within the predatory buildings. There is a palpable humanness in the description of the houses; though they are merely wood and glass and metal and slate, they are also the people who occupy them. They take on the souls of the living like real houses take on our oils and scents and echoes. James' old dark houses are alive in the most real sense, but they can also be killed, abandoned, forgotten - just like us. But they can also inspire, scare, and remind us of our shared human experience across time.

[John Collins]

Very entertaining Halloween horror story about three decrepit mansions that are set for destruction the morning after Halloween that fight back. Some wonderful visuals with some well drawn characters ( although some of the dialogue was a bit cringy) Weird House Publishing once again produced a fantastic paperback with some wonderful cover art and illustrations by Luke Spooner, this is a great read for the spooky season.