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Scaring the Crows: 21 Tales for Noon or Midnight
Tales for Noon:
A piano reveals an old woman's youth. A time machine's lesson comes too late. Christmas trees save a lost soul's life. Ten million people live in one man's breath.
...Or Midnight:
Murder returns to an infamous moor. Asylum workers find what is worse than insanity. A shunned grave's secrets gain fatal exposure. Nighttime terrors turn all too real.
These and other stories comprise a compilation of bittersweet warmth and creeping horror, subtle illumination and dark vistas. Gregory Miller's Scaring the Crows is a genre-spanning collection of short fiction at its finest. Read it at noon...or midnight.
A piano reveals an old woman's youth. A time machine's lesson comes too late. Christmas trees save a lost soul's life. Ten million people live in one man's breath.
...Or Midnight:
Murder returns to an infamous moor. Asylum workers find what is worse than insanity. A shunned grave's secrets gain fatal exposure. Nighttime terrors turn all too real.
These and other stories comprise a compilation of bittersweet warmth and creeping horror, subtle illumination and dark vistas. Gregory Miller's Scaring the Crows is a genre-spanning collection of short fiction at its finest. Read it at noon...or midnight.
144 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
14 people are currently reading
146 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
October 2, 2025
✭✭✭
“Scaring the Crows” ✭✭✭
“Big Plans” ✭✭✭½
“Stapleton’s Dog” ✭✭
“Goodbye, Friend” ✭✭✭½
“Without Power” (2008) ✭✭✭
“Two Calls” ✭✭✭
“The Hunt” ½
“Lorna Gould’s Roses” ✭✭✭
“Birthday” ✭✭✭
“The Piano” ✭✭✭✭
“Arachno” ✭✭✭½
“The Day After” ✭✭✭
“Come Spring” ✭✭
“Wolf Stone” ✭✭✭
“All, Always” ✭✭
“Steel” (2008) ✭✭
“An Unknown Shore” ✭✭✭
“A Sense of Duty” ✭✭✭
“Welcome Home” ✭✭✭½
“Armistice Day” ✭✭✭
“Hollow’s End” ✭✭✭
All stories published 2009 unless otherwise indicated.
“Scaring the Crows” ✭✭✭
“Big Plans” ✭✭✭½
“Stapleton’s Dog” ✭✭
“Goodbye, Friend” ✭✭✭½
“Without Power” (2008) ✭✭✭
“Two Calls” ✭✭✭
“The Hunt” ½
“Lorna Gould’s Roses” ✭✭✭
“Birthday” ✭✭✭
“The Piano” ✭✭✭✭
“Arachno” ✭✭✭½
“The Day After” ✭✭✭
“Come Spring” ✭✭
“Wolf Stone” ✭✭✭
“All, Always” ✭✭
“Steel” (2008) ✭✭
“An Unknown Shore” ✭✭✭
“A Sense of Duty” ✭✭✭
“Welcome Home” ✭✭✭½
“Armistice Day” ✭✭✭
“Hollow’s End” ✭✭✭
All stories published 2009 unless otherwise indicated.
February 13, 2016
Delightful.
This is a delightful collection of stories in that one can find a combination of things that go bump in the night to stories that are sweet, or bittersweet and some in between. It's nice to find an author who is not afraid to offer more than one genre to his readers. And where we may never experience those tales we call "horror", (or so we hope! ). Most of us, in our lives have experienced or someday will experience the situations in his tales of fiction. This is one e-book worth keeping!
This is a delightful collection of stories in that one can find a combination of things that go bump in the night to stories that are sweet, or bittersweet and some in between. It's nice to find an author who is not afraid to offer more than one genre to his readers. And where we may never experience those tales we call "horror", (or so we hope! ). Most of us, in our lives have experienced or someday will experience the situations in his tales of fiction. This is one e-book worth keeping!
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October 11, 2009This is my book, so I'm not going to review/rate it! However, I'd like to hear your thoughts, and I hope you enjoy it.
April 22, 2021
No signpost that said Twilight Zone...
The writing very much the echoes of Ray Bradbury, and a bit of Richard Mathewson. Tales are often etched in understatement. They were imaginative, mostly poignant, and some were terrifying. Definitely recommended.
The writing very much the echoes of Ray Bradbury, and a bit of Richard Mathewson. Tales are often etched in understatement. They were imaginative, mostly poignant, and some were terrifying. Definitely recommended.
March 16, 2019
Very enjoyable
Nice mix of stories. Not too long not too short. Some scary and some just nice reading. Would recommend as a nice way to spend a few hours.
Nice mix of stories. Not too long not too short. Some scary and some just nice reading. Would recommend as a nice way to spend a few hours.
July 3, 2023
Great stories.
I really enjoyed this book of short stories! The wide variety of tales, some horror, some happy, made for an interesting read.
I really enjoyed this book of short stories! The wide variety of tales, some horror, some happy, made for an interesting read.
May 4, 2014
I had read The Uncanny Valley: Tales from a Lost Town by Gregory Miller and thought I'd try another collection of creepy tales. Like the Uncanny Valley collection, these are down-home somewhat folksy that each have a special twist. Some are sentimental and charming before a chilling last line resolves the ghostly or fantastical truth, while others are downright charming through supernatural.
I was a Ray Bradbury fan as a teen. Miller is in that category of scary. This stories don't suspend you in a state of heart pounding terror until graphic descriptions leave you scared for life. His stories are really good short stories like really pretty songs that end unresolved or with a haunting minor chorus that stays with you.
I like to leave a book by the bed to read a few pages or a short story before sleep. This was a by the bed book and served that purpose well. Three stars is an "I liked it". It wasn't the best book of the year and it wasn't life changing. I didn't find anything about Miller's prose that made made me want to memorize passages or post quotes, but it was really good and I liked it. You'll like it too if you enjoy offbeat little tales that leave you thinking about things a different way before drifting off to sleep.
I was a Ray Bradbury fan as a teen. Miller is in that category of scary. This stories don't suspend you in a state of heart pounding terror until graphic descriptions leave you scared for life. His stories are really good short stories like really pretty songs that end unresolved or with a haunting minor chorus that stays with you.
I like to leave a book by the bed to read a few pages or a short story before sleep. This was a by the bed book and served that purpose well. Three stars is an "I liked it". It wasn't the best book of the year and it wasn't life changing. I didn't find anything about Miller's prose that made made me want to memorize passages or post quotes, but it was really good and I liked it. You'll like it too if you enjoy offbeat little tales that leave you thinking about things a different way before drifting off to sleep.
June 7, 2014
After a lifetime spent trying to get along with the short story format and failing miserably, I was overjoyed at discovering an earlier book by this author called The Uncanny Valley. This was an inspired collection of short stories which I enjoyed immensely. So I was eager to download further fare from Gregory Miller, but Scaring The Crows just didn't quite do it for me in the same way. These were still lovely tales written with a "folksy" feel, but some of these just didn't get me quite the same way. A notable exception though was "All, Always"- a lovely story that genuinely moved me. I'm still going to read all I can by Mr. Miller because his writing is beautiful, evocative of time and place, and he comes up with some real jewels.
January 24, 2011
Gregory Miller's collection of shorts is the perfect introduction to an author who will no doubt surprise and delight with each new book he puts out.
The collection doesn't shy away from extremes - the scary is really scary, and the quiet, reflective tales never shy away from their subject matter, but never cross the line into maudlin either.
Some real highlights include a tale of "working stiffs" who come to value each other's company through a hard day's work, an amazing "Spider Woman", and the titular title story which deals with one's own mind (and scarecrows.)
Pick up a copy, you'll be glad you did.
The collection doesn't shy away from extremes - the scary is really scary, and the quiet, reflective tales never shy away from their subject matter, but never cross the line into maudlin either.
Some real highlights include a tale of "working stiffs" who come to value each other's company through a hard day's work, an amazing "Spider Woman", and the titular title story which deals with one's own mind (and scarecrows.)
Pick up a copy, you'll be glad you did.
January 11, 2015
My decision to purchase this book was highly influenced by the high praise from Ray Bradbury. Seems like the praise was well deserved. Though classified as horror stories, the tales managed to reach out and touch various human emotions. Some of the stories may be a little too vague for my tastes but I appreciate the fact that they were told in a fast-paced manner. I also liked the illustrations included in the pages. Overall a great read.
August 20, 2016
I liked a lot of the stories, though they are less scary/eerie and more bizarre then some of his previous stories (with a couple of exceptions).
Really do like his writing style, clipped prosaic maybe? You can quickly read a story to wind down and it will stay with you. Arachno is way out there and totally creepy, but also has some underpinning moral lessons.
Sense of Duty was my favorite - just give a needed hand :)
Really do like his writing style, clipped prosaic maybe? You can quickly read a story to wind down and it will stay with you. Arachno is way out there and totally creepy, but also has some underpinning moral lessons.
Sense of Duty was my favorite - just give a needed hand :)
September 30, 2015
Just what I was looking for this Fall season.
I have been reading Miller for the past month. I expected juvenile stories with a light scary touch. I received so very much more. Sensitive prose that some would say rings of poetry.
I liked his work.
I have read three of these books , all different , all wonderful.
I have been reading Miller for the past month. I expected juvenile stories with a light scary touch. I received so very much more. Sensitive prose that some would say rings of poetry.
I liked his work.
I have read three of these books , all different , all wonderful.
August 21, 2015
Von allen Gregory Miller Kurzgeschichtensammlungen ist das sicher die schwächste. Aber dennoch sind ein paar richtige gute Stories dabei und ich hoffe in baldiger Zukunft eine Fortsetzung von Uncanny Valley serviert zu bekommen.
October 5, 2015
Another good short story collection.
One morning, while reading, I glanced out the window to a cloudy day. Within a few stories, I glanced up again to find a very thick fog had suddenly come in. Creepy.
One morning, while reading, I glanced out the window to a cloudy day. Within a few stories, I glanced up again to find a very thick fog had suddenly come in. Creepy.
March 23, 2014
Fantastic read. Only 4 stars because I thought some of the stories could do better as longer pieces than flash fiction.
March 11, 2015
My new favorite book
I choose the right reasons for rating this book because it is a fantastic book for adults,children and the elderly
I choose the right reasons for rating this book because it is a fantastic book for adults,children and the elderly
April 7, 2017
This book left me a bit confused. After reading and highly praising Miller´s books on Uncanny Valley, I expected something else. Yes, some of the stories were scary or mysterious and they fit into what I have imagined. Some of them were however of a kind that I would never think of finding in a book that should be sort of horror genre. The stories are about 50-50. I definitely liked part of them. Part of them were good but not suitable into such a collection. Part of them I would not read as I would not be interested. I am however continuing reading other Miller´s books as he is a good writer and never mind of my dislike of some of the stories, there is always something I enjoy and think of.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews