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Red Dreams
Thirteen stories deal with a ruthless writer, secret amphibians, a murder, a pseudo-scientific religion, mistaken identity, and reluctant killer
223 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
8 people are currently reading
200 people want to read
About the author
Dennis Etchison
180 books116 followersaka Jack Martin.
Dennis William Etchison was an American writer and editor of fantasy and horror fiction. He is a multi-award winner, having won the British Fantasy Award three times for fiction, and the World Fantasy Award for anthologies he edited.
Dennis William Etchison was an American writer and editor of fantasy and horror fiction. He is a multi-award winner, having won the British Fantasy Award three times for fiction, and the World Fantasy Award for anthologies he edited.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
October 14, 2021
This is a collection of Etchison's short horror fiction, containing a bakers' dozen stories that date from 1965-'84. I didn't enjoy these quite as much as the ones in The Blood Kiss, but they've got the same creepy vibe and occasionally confusing (perhaps the word is "dreamlike") feel, though these seem to have first appeared in more popular commercial venues. I believe The Graveyard Blues and Not From Around Here were my favorites. The book has a nice introduction written by Karl Edward Wagner and a striking J.K. Potter cover.
April 15, 2023
Didn't feel like I was in the best of hands here. If Dennis Etchison was a cobbler and Red Dreams was shoes, it'd be a very badly made pair of shoes with fucked up soles and heels and insteps. After walking two blocks I really wanted to take them off, but I'd put in a lot of effort ordering them online and they were an awesome colour, so I kept going for another five blocks until my feet started to bleed and then I dumped them in the little free library on Alberta Avenue in Regal Heights. So if anyone wants a really fucked up and uncomfortable but good-looking pair of shoes by Dennis Etchison, that's where to find them.
June 10, 2014
Mr. Etchison, whose work I have only recently had the pleasure of perusing, takes the reader down, down, down the rabbit hole to a whole new level of psychological discomfort, torment and pain, in these stories of pitiful, depressed and lost souls in the sea of humanity. Though I would not necessarily recommend this as the first book a novice purveyor of his works should read, I will say that it appears to be the most personally revealing of the author’s philosophical bent that I have thus far read. These stories are fascinating studies of disconnection between body, mind and soul, so disconcerting at times that I could only digest one or two per day to keep my own balance - tough matter to chew on, but in the end a satisfying meal, as has been the case with every Etchison tome I have explored.
February 3, 2020
The introduction of Red Dreams seems to indicate that Dennis Etchison fell into writing horror "quite by accident." I'm not sure he fell into it at all. Over half the stories in this collection evoke little or no horror and I would go as far as to say that many of them are closer to being literary dramas. Mr. Etchison certainly had an excellent, well-hewn writing style. However, Red Dreams is frequently too ambiguous to be enjoyable (several of the stories felt incomplete). There are also long passages of writing that have little to do with the overarching narrative of the given story. I found myself alternately bored and baffled by the text. Of the four entries which might actually be considered horror I enjoyed three: Wet Season, White Moon Rising, and The Chill. Drop City was an enjoyable read, as well, because it felt like a complete narrative and was full of ideas.
November 27, 2020
Some great writing here but not a great collection of stories.
Etchison (1943-2019) was a fixture of the horror genre community. He had a general passion for pop culture, with particular loves for cinema and wrestling and horror fiction. He was King's film researcher for Danse Macabre and edited a lot of horror anthologies. As a horror writer himself, his work had a modest but devoted following. As a teenager in the 1980s who had grown up on Ray Bradbury and was generally influenced by the genre fiction of the 1950s and 1960s, reading a good Etchison story (say, "The Late Shift") was a terrifying experience. There was a merciless quality to the content of the story that felt very contemporary and, in conjunction with Etchison's bracingly oblique and internal style (he once described his own writing as "almost pathologically inward"), it felt very immediate and unsettling.
Sorry to report that there are no horror stories in Red Dreams that can match "The Late Shift." Since this collection dates from 1984, only two years after his landmark collection The Dark Country, drawing from almost two decades of work (the earliest story, which Etchison wrote in his teens, is from 1965), it seems to me that the strongest work went into the first collection and this is the second string. Will Errickson calls Red Dreams the "quieter sibling" of the first collection. I would be less diplomatic and say that, overall, few of these stories land and none land with palpable impact.
Reading Etchison in 2020 (an especially Gothic Horror kind of year) just hits different. His characters ruminate, fantasize, drift, and encounter disturbances that are occasionally ruinous but usually leave them feeling more pathetic or alone in the universe. One of my favorite stories here, "On the Pike," has no supernatural elements at all, but is simply a story Shirley Jackson might have written about a moment of alienation. "White Moon Rising" is a pretty solid slasher-stalking-coeds story, but it peaks on its first page in a prolonged description of a young woman waking up and lying in her bed, having to clear a hurdle of mortal terror before starting her day. I can't fault Etchison for his skills at capturing people's inner states, but he rarely does anything interesting with their outer states.
All that said, there's a 300-word rhapsody in the last pages of the last story, "Not from around here," where Etchison describes a cinephile's life flashing before his eyes, but in the form of every actress he's ever fallen in love with in a movie. As a fellow cinephile, and another person who thinks about the gossamer fragility of our trivial passions, I really appreciated that bit.
Etchison (1943-2019) was a fixture of the horror genre community. He had a general passion for pop culture, with particular loves for cinema and wrestling and horror fiction. He was King's film researcher for Danse Macabre and edited a lot of horror anthologies. As a horror writer himself, his work had a modest but devoted following. As a teenager in the 1980s who had grown up on Ray Bradbury and was generally influenced by the genre fiction of the 1950s and 1960s, reading a good Etchison story (say, "The Late Shift") was a terrifying experience. There was a merciless quality to the content of the story that felt very contemporary and, in conjunction with Etchison's bracingly oblique and internal style (he once described his own writing as "almost pathologically inward"), it felt very immediate and unsettling.
Sorry to report that there are no horror stories in Red Dreams that can match "The Late Shift." Since this collection dates from 1984, only two years after his landmark collection The Dark Country, drawing from almost two decades of work (the earliest story, which Etchison wrote in his teens, is from 1965), it seems to me that the strongest work went into the first collection and this is the second string. Will Errickson calls Red Dreams the "quieter sibling" of the first collection. I would be less diplomatic and say that, overall, few of these stories land and none land with palpable impact.
Reading Etchison in 2020 (an especially Gothic Horror kind of year) just hits different. His characters ruminate, fantasize, drift, and encounter disturbances that are occasionally ruinous but usually leave them feeling more pathetic or alone in the universe. One of my favorite stories here, "On the Pike," has no supernatural elements at all, but is simply a story Shirley Jackson might have written about a moment of alienation. "White Moon Rising" is a pretty solid slasher-stalking-coeds story, but it peaks on its first page in a prolonged description of a young woman waking up and lying in her bed, having to clear a hurdle of mortal terror before starting her day. I can't fault Etchison for his skills at capturing people's inner states, but he rarely does anything interesting with their outer states.
All that said, there's a 300-word rhapsody in the last pages of the last story, "Not from around here," where Etchison describes a cinephile's life flashing before his eyes, but in the form of every actress he's ever fallen in love with in a movie. As a fellow cinephile, and another person who thinks about the gossamer fragility of our trivial passions, I really appreciated that bit.
wish-list
May 30, 2019Dennis Etchison (1943-2019)
Blessed be.
https://locusmag.com/2019/05/dennis-e...
Blessed be.
https://locusmag.com/2019/05/dennis-e...
May 30, 2019
My first time reading an Etchison collection I think - I’d read the Rex Christian story but the rest are unfamiliar. Just finished reading “On the Pike” and I LOVE it. 5 stars for On the Pike - i will be re-reading this one.
March 3, 2018
“Talking in the Dark”
A fan writes his favorite author a letter inviting him to visit. As a writer, this story explores why writers write, and how writers go to any lengths to find inspiration and source material, even from their fan base. And for an Etchison story, this has quite a snap ending. 4/5
“Wet Season”
Amidst a rainstorm, a man discovers his wife’s secret. This early work of Etchison features a surprising sci-fi monster element along with the snap ending. However, I felt the reveal turned out to be a bit forced. 3/5
“I Can Hear the Dark”
A child finds himself in his home with his mother and a bunch of her actor friends while they discuss the crisis which just happened. At first I felt this concept was too vague, but gradually the disorientation worked with the POV and the shocking reveal. 4/5
“The Graveyard Blues”
A boy visits a graveyard while his family hides a secret of capturing dreams. I liked the atmosphere in this one, although the intent wasn’t clear to me. 3/5
“On the Pike”
A couple goes to a freak show. Here, Etchison tries to humanize the performers, and there’s a sense of harsh reality and disappointment from this perspective. 4/5
“Keeper of the Light”
I didn’t understand this one, it felt more like a brief sketch told in 2nd person about a lighthouse keeper. 2/5
“Black Sun”
Etchison writes about draft-dodging and a relationship being torn apart. This was also a bit vague, and I wasn’t sure what was going on. 2/5
“White Moon Rising”
A college student and a security guard cross paths on campus amidst a series of murder. I enjoyed the suspense and alternating POVs in this one. 4/5
“The Chill”
A man accidentally steps on a dead man’s hand. Etchison explores the visceral sensations and fascination of coming into contact with the dead. This felt more like a sketch/flash piece than a story, though as usual the writing was evocative. 3/5
“The Smell of Death”
A former astronaut working at a diner in the desert encounters a reporter digging up his past and regrets. This was an interesting piece with Etchison’s characteristic bleakness. 3/5
“Drop City”
An amnesiac finds himself lost and living in a town, only to later discover his past life. This was pretty weird, with a sci-fi element with Etchison’s usual disorientation. 4/5
“The Chair”
A man at his high school reunion held aboard the Queen Mary finds himself reconnecting with a hated classmate. I enjoyed the realness of loss, loneliness, and suspense in this piece. 4/5
“Not From Around Here”
A video store owner finds his business struggling along with trouble in his marriage when his wife—who has sought a religious cult—has forgotten who he is. Here, Etchison unveils his love for film, yet there’s his signature alienation and loneliness, this time in the context of a fascinating speculative element. 5/5
Despite the unevenness and vagueness, Etchison’s short stories have always fascinated me with his stylish prose, atmospheric bleakness and themes of loneliness. That said, his second collection isn’t my favorite (I preferred The Dark Country and The Blood Kiss), but like any collection or anthology, it has its high points. 3.5/5 stars
A fan writes his favorite author a letter inviting him to visit. As a writer, this story explores why writers write, and how writers go to any lengths to find inspiration and source material, even from their fan base. And for an Etchison story, this has quite a snap ending. 4/5
“Wet Season”
Amidst a rainstorm, a man discovers his wife’s secret. This early work of Etchison features a surprising sci-fi monster element along with the snap ending. However, I felt the reveal turned out to be a bit forced. 3/5
“I Can Hear the Dark”
A child finds himself in his home with his mother and a bunch of her actor friends while they discuss the crisis which just happened. At first I felt this concept was too vague, but gradually the disorientation worked with the POV and the shocking reveal. 4/5
“The Graveyard Blues”
A boy visits a graveyard while his family hides a secret of capturing dreams. I liked the atmosphere in this one, although the intent wasn’t clear to me. 3/5
“On the Pike”
A couple goes to a freak show. Here, Etchison tries to humanize the performers, and there’s a sense of harsh reality and disappointment from this perspective. 4/5
“Keeper of the Light”
I didn’t understand this one, it felt more like a brief sketch told in 2nd person about a lighthouse keeper. 2/5
“Black Sun”
Etchison writes about draft-dodging and a relationship being torn apart. This was also a bit vague, and I wasn’t sure what was going on. 2/5
“White Moon Rising”
A college student and a security guard cross paths on campus amidst a series of murder. I enjoyed the suspense and alternating POVs in this one. 4/5
“The Chill”
A man accidentally steps on a dead man’s hand. Etchison explores the visceral sensations and fascination of coming into contact with the dead. This felt more like a sketch/flash piece than a story, though as usual the writing was evocative. 3/5
“The Smell of Death”
A former astronaut working at a diner in the desert encounters a reporter digging up his past and regrets. This was an interesting piece with Etchison’s characteristic bleakness. 3/5
“Drop City”
An amnesiac finds himself lost and living in a town, only to later discover his past life. This was pretty weird, with a sci-fi element with Etchison’s usual disorientation. 4/5
“The Chair”
A man at his high school reunion held aboard the Queen Mary finds himself reconnecting with a hated classmate. I enjoyed the realness of loss, loneliness, and suspense in this piece. 4/5
“Not From Around Here”
A video store owner finds his business struggling along with trouble in his marriage when his wife—who has sought a religious cult—has forgotten who he is. Here, Etchison unveils his love for film, yet there’s his signature alienation and loneliness, this time in the context of a fascinating speculative element. 5/5
Despite the unevenness and vagueness, Etchison’s short stories have always fascinated me with his stylish prose, atmospheric bleakness and themes of loneliness. That said, his second collection isn’t my favorite (I preferred The Dark Country and The Blood Kiss), but like any collection or anthology, it has its high points. 3.5/5 stars
August 7, 2013
I seem to have a Dennis Etchison blind spot. Given the wild enthusiasm with which his work is greeted by intelligent writers and critics, my own tepid response puzzles me. The plots are rather weak, the prose opaque and mannered, the ideas thin. . . Well, pay no attention to me, everyone else must be be right.
That said, I did enjoy several of the stories in this collection. "The Graveyard Blues" is genuinely strange and eerie, while "Drop City" and "Not From Around Here" are pleasingly clever. Elsewhere, there was a little too much predictability, too much leaden prose.
That said, I did enjoy several of the stories in this collection. "The Graveyard Blues" is genuinely strange and eerie, while "Drop City" and "Not From Around Here" are pleasingly clever. Elsewhere, there was a little too much predictability, too much leaden prose.
February 29, 2012
Wildly uneven, but it has one of my top few horror stories in it -- On the Pike.
Even the stories that miss generally have an eerie creepiness to them.
Even the stories that miss generally have an eerie creepiness to them.
August 30, 2017
Most of the stories in Red Dreams are a little too surreal for my taste, although there's no denying Etchison's formidable skill as a writer. Overall, I liked The Dark Country better.
June 27, 2024
There is a pervasive atmosphere of dislocation in these stories. In a character’s blurred rush through darkened rooms, he catches glimpses of flashes from a dream, and scraps of conversation he has forgotten he overheard a long time ago. A cosmic case of mistaken identity. You are not who you seem to be. The details of the present situation are uncertain. You are unsure as to who you even are. A solitary gray shambler without context, without an identity. An entity haunting a reality that is slick as motor oil and plays funny tricks on the eyes. Things are happening but jagged, in fragments, the moment never seeming to catch up - events come as if from far away and are dark and thick like tar. Etchinson’s characters are mired into their slippery paths - progressing inexorably, as in a nightmare, towards some terrible, unavoidable conclusion. Truly unsettling. Puts me in mind of Ramsey Campbell, T.E.D. Klein, Scott Nicolay…
July 21, 2019
A Hauntingly original if not always effective collection of Red Dreams by the recently deceased Dennis Etchison. Ratings are below.
Talking in the Dark - 4
Wet Season - 7
I Can Here the Dark - 4
The Graveyard Blues - 3
On the Pike - 8
Keeper of the Light - 3
Black Sun - 6
White Moon Rising - 3
The Chill - 5
The Smell of Death - 6
Drop City - 7
The Chair - 7
Not From Around Here - 8
Talking in the Dark - 4
Wet Season - 7
I Can Here the Dark - 4
The Graveyard Blues - 3
On the Pike - 8
Keeper of the Light - 3
Black Sun - 6
White Moon Rising - 3
The Chill - 5
The Smell of Death - 6
Drop City - 7
The Chair - 7
Not From Around Here - 8
July 28, 2019
A decent collection of what I’d describe as dark, subtle horror stories. As with most collections, each story is either a hit or a miss, though the author notes at the back give an interesting insight to each one. However, I did dock this edition a star due to its quality. There are quite a few glaring typos and editing oversights that were a bit jarring.
March 25, 2020
Classic Etchison as Always
Second read of this book, first the paperback, then this ebook. Still, classic chillers, semi mood pieces, and subtle menace lurking in every dark corner. The final one is twilight zonish. Still recycled, if only these books of Etchison don't vanish overnight.
Second read of this book, first the paperback, then this ebook. Still, classic chillers, semi mood pieces, and subtle menace lurking in every dark corner. The final one is twilight zonish. Still recycled, if only these books of Etchison don't vanish overnight.
January 20, 2010
Book 9/150
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews