nEvermore! Tales of Murder, Mystery and the Macabre

by Nancy Kilpatrick (editor), Caro Soles (editor), Loren Rhoads (contributor)

Compiled by multi-award winning editors, Nancy Kilpatrick and Caro Soles, nEvermore! Tales of Murder, Mystery and the Macabre presents a tantalizing selection of imaginative stories by New York Times bestselling and prize-winning authors, including:

Colleen Anderson
Kelley Armstrong
Margaret Atwood
Robert Bose
Jane Petersen Burfield
Rick Chiantaretto
J. Madison Davis
Barbara Fradkin
Nancy Holder
Michael Jecks
Tanith Lee
Robert Lopresti
Richard Christian Matheson
David McDonald
Lisa Morton
William Nolan (with Jason Brock, Sunni Brock)
Loren Rhoads
Christopher Rice
Thomas S. Roche
Uwe Sommerlad
Carol Weekes & Michael Kelly
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

This anthology consists of 22 original tales that blend supernatural and mystery elements in unique re-imaginings of Edgar Allan Poe's exquisite stories.

nEvermore! Tales of Murder, Mystery and the Macabre is an homage to the great American writer, the incomparable Edgar Allan Poe, and a must-have for every fan of his work.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Mystery, Anthologies, Fantasy

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2015

About the author

Nancy Kilpatrick was a Canadian author who wrote stories in the genres of dark fantasy, horror, mystery, erotic horror, and gothic subculture.
She is most known for her vampire themed works.

Reviews

[Frank Errington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review copy

Nancy Kilpatrick is a writer and editor. She has published 18 novels, 1 non-fiction book, over 200 short stories, 5 collections of stories, and has edited more than a dozen anthologies.

Caro Soles is a writer who also does manuscript evaluations and editing and teaches Writing the Novel 1 and 2 at George Brown College in Toronto.

Nancy and Caro are the editors of Nevermore! Tales of Murder, Mystery and the Macabre an homage to the great American writer, the incomparable Edgar Allan Poe, and a must-have for every fan of his work. Even if you're not all that familiar with Poe's work, this book is filled with dark stories from a long list of today's horror writers. There were even a few names that were new to me and I read a lot of horror.

As a reader, I often find anthologies can be hit or miss, but I'm happy to say that I thoroughly enjoyed every one of the 22 stories of the macabre in this collection.

The book starts off with "A Scholarly View of Edgar Allan Poe, Genre Crosser" by the enigmatic Uwe Sommerland. Uwe has zero online presence or none that I could find, but writes an interesting treatise on the work of the legendary writer to get things started.

THE GOLD BUG CONUNDRUM by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro who has been an award-winning professional writer for nearly fifty years across a number of genres. The story was inspired by The Gold Bug and features a massive, luxurious Caribbean home that has fallen into extreme disrepair and a search for a treasure chest in the middle of a hurricane. A strong way to start the anthology and one of my favorite stories within.

STREET OF THE DEAD HOUSE by Robert Lopresti who is a librarian from the Pacific Northwest. He's written two novels and numerous short stories. I really liked his retelling of Poe's The Murders in the Rue Morgue from the POV of the ape. You just have to read this one.

NAOMI by Christopher Rice. Christopher is a NYT bestselling author whose supernatural thrillers The Heavens Rise and The Vines were both finalists for a Bram Stoker Award. This is a totally engaging, modern take on The Tell Tale Heart, featuring a young transvestite driven to suicide by her ringtone.

FINDING ULALUME by Lisa Morton, the presiding President of the Horror Writer's Association and world renowned expert on all things Halloween. According to Lisa, she chose to base her story on Poe's poem Ulalume because it's the only piece that comes close to mentioning Halloween and gives us a tale that is spooky, creepy, and delightful.

OBSESSION WITH THE BLOODSTAINED DOOR by Rick Chiantaretto who is the author of the Crossing Death series and Facade of Shadows. I love discovering new authors, especially when they write like Rick, it was if he was actually channeling Poe.

THE LIGHTHOUSE by Barbara Fradkin. Barbara is a retired psychologist with a fascination for why we turn bad. Her tale is that of a young writer manning a Newfoundland lighthouse during WWII who is struggling to find his muse, when a young German soldier appears at his door seeking refuge. Is he real? Is this his muse?

THE MASQUES OF AMANDA LLADO by Thomas S. Roche, a longtime short story writer whose first novel, The Panama Laugh, was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award. This story is a modern take on The Cask of Amontillado. I found it to be chilling and it was nice to see a hipster get his comeuppance.

ATARGATIS by Robert Bose. Robert is working on a novel about an all to real Ragnarök (Google it). For this collection he gives a a charming story filled with romance, fantasy, and a Syrian sea goddess.

THE RAVENS OF CONSEQUENCE by Carol Weekes and Michael Kelly. Carol has been writing and publishing fiction, mainly in the horror field, for 20 years. Michael is the series editor for the Year's Best Weird Fiction and has been a finalist for both the Shirley Jackson Award and the British Fantasy Society Award. Their story for this anthology features both Ravens and a study in madness.

ANNABEL LEE by Nancy Holder who has written more than 80 novels and has five Bram Stoker Awards to her credit. For her contribution, Nancy decided to tell the story of Annabel Lee from Annabel's POV. The result is inspired.

DINNER WITH MAMALOU by J. Madison Davis. Madison is the former president of the International Association of Crime Writers. His first novel, The Murder of Frau Schutz, was nominated for the "Best First" Edgar. This is another of my favorites from this book. A very up to date story with a definite Poe-like slant, as a crooked energy company CEO has dinner with a Louisiana legend known simply as Mamalou.

THE DEAVE LANE by Michael Jecks who has been writing for twenty years, with 35 novels published. This tale was set in the moors of Dartmoor, England and confronts the fear of being buried alive.

133 by Richard Christian Matheson, an acclaimed bestselling author and screenwriter/executive producer for television and film. On a side note, he's also an accomplished drummer who studied with legendary Cream drummer Ginger Baker. 133 is the shortest story in the anthology, but boy does it pack a punch.

AFTERLIFE by William F. Nolan, Jason V. Brock, and Sunni K. Brock. Among his many accolades, Nolan a was recently named a World Horror Society Grand Master. Jason V. Brock himself is a double Bram Stoker Award nominee and his wife Sunni is a published poet, writer, and talented vegetarian cook. I thoroughly enjoyed this story of Poe's ghost.

THE DROWNING CITY by Loren Rhoads who discovered the works of Edgar Allan Poe in a most unusual way, picking up a copy of Tales of Mystery and Imagination thanks to the Alan Parsons Project album of the same name. Her story involves an ancient curse and a siren in modern day Venice, Italy.

THE ORANGE CAT by Kelley Armstrong. Kelley is the author of the Cainsville modern Gothic series and has created a number of other well-known and popular series. There are so many entertaining stories in this collection. Here, Armstrong combines a story set in her popular Cainsville universe with a tale inspired by Poe's The Black Cat. Loved it.

THE INHERITANCE by Jane Petersen Burfield who has had three careers over the years, in journalism, teaching, and business. Her story, inspired by Poe's The Raven is yet another well-told tale.

SYMPATHETIC INFLUENCES by David McDonald. Based in Melbourne, Australia, Davis is a mild mannered reporter and editor by day, and a wild-eyed writer by night. His story in nEvermore takes place during the time of the inquisition only it's an inquisition where sorcery is being used on both sides.

ASYLUM by Colleen Anderson who has more than 200 published pieces of fiction to her credit and has twice been nominated for Canada's Aurora Awards. I never knew the phrase "The inmates are running the asylum," could be attributed to Edgar Allan Poe. It's from his work, The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether, which serves as inspiration for this enjoyable tale.

THE RETURN OF BERENICE by Tanith Lee who began writing at the age of nine and contributed more than 100 novels to genre fiction and was named a Grand Master of Horror and given the Lifetime Achievement Award. She passed away on May 24, 2015. In Ms. Lee's retelling of Poe's Berenice, she adds a bit of a vampiric element to the story.

THE EYE OF HEAVEN by Margaret Atwood. Margaret is the author of more than forty books, including The Handmaid's Tale which won the 1985 Governor General's Award and the first Arthur C. Clarke Award in 1987; it was also nominated for the 1986 Nebula Award, the 1986 Booker Prize, and the 1987 Prometheus Award. It has been adapted for the cinema, radio, opera, and stage. Her story for this anthology was written when she was a sixteen year old high school student and captures the spirit of Edgar Allan Poe quite remarkably.

THE OPIUM-EATER by David Morrell. David gave us Rambo, that's right, it was his novel, First Blood that introduced us to a character Sylvester Stallone would bring to life on the big screen. Here he tells the story of Thomas De Quincey who became known as the Opium-Eater.

Whether you're a fan of Edgar Allan Poe, or not, there's a good deal of great writing to be found in this new anthology from Nancy Kilpatrick and Caro Soles.

nEvrmeore is published by EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing and is available in both paperback and e-book formats. Also, if you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited, you can read this book at no additional cost and if you are an Amazon Prime member you can read it for FREE as your monthly selection from the Kindle Owners Lending Library.

Really recommended.

[Loren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Kickstarted this book because Poe was my first literary crush 40-mumble years ago. I knew Nancy from her vampire novels and because she contributed an essay to Morbid Curiosity magazine. I tell you all this because I have a story in this book that I'm extremely proud of -- and I think this is not a five-star book. Context is important.

The collection opens with a story by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro that is the weakest in the book. It's way too long and the only interesting thing happens in a rushed paragraph at the end. It's followed immediately by Robert Lopesti's "Street of the Dead House," which is being reprinted in all the Year's Best Collections. It's "Murders in the Rue Morgue" as told by the orangutan.

The quality continues to seesaw through the rest of the book. The highlights are amazing: Christopher Rice's "Naomi" (The Telltale Heart), "The Masques of Amanda Llado" by Thomas Roche, Robert Bose's "Atargatis," Barbara Fradkin's "The Lighthouse," and especially Richard Christian Matheson's "133." That one is brief and completely devastating. David Morrell's "The Opium-Eater" is lovely and effective (and only available in the print version), but its connection to Poe seems tenuous.

Overall, it's a fascinating collection. It goes far in demonstrating Poe's range from Gothic fantasy to urban fantasy to mystery to revenge to horror and even dips a toe into science fiction. It illustrates the breadth of his influence. While I wish it was a perfect collection, it is very, very good. Most of all, it's inspired me to return to the original stories and enjoy Poe all over again.

[mad mags · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a piece by 16-year-old Margaret Atwood! Eeep!

(Full disclosure: I received a free electronic ARC for review through Library Thing's Early Reviewers program. Trigger warning for rape and other forms of violence, as well as transphobic and homophobic bullying and suicide.)

I consider myself a bit of a Poe fangirl. Not to the tune of being able to reenact entire scenes from The Tomb of Ligeia or keeping a raven as a pet; but as in the first (and only!) gift my father every personally picked out for me was a leather-bound collection of Poe's complete works (I'm vegan now, but I keep it around for sentimental reasons) and I might, one day, name one of my rescue dogs Annabel Lee. It's fair to say that I'm interested, but not obsessed.

So when I spotted nEvermore! in Library Thing's July batch, it was Poe's name that grabbed by attention - but Margaret Atwood's that really sealed the deal. If I'm a bit of a Poe fangirl, then I'm freaking Annie Wilkes when it comes to Atwood. I exaggerate, but not by much.

Edited by Nancy Kilpatrick and Caro Soles, nEvermore!: Tales of Murder, Mystery & the Macabre features twenty-two stories that are inspired by Poe; contain elements from Poe's oeuvre; and/or are retellings of his stories. Some are more modern takes on Poe, while others employ similar language and have the same weirdly sinister vibe. If you're a hardcore Poe fan, probably you'll get more out of the stories than the casual or non-fan; there's a lot of name-dropping, as well as references to real, historical events from Poe's life. However, I wouldn't limit the audience just to those familiar with Poe; many of the stories are solid enough to stand on their own. Bonus points: Each story is prefaced with a brief introduction by the author(s), for added context.

And fellow Margaret Atwood fans? Definitely give it a spin, if only for "The Eye of Heaven" - written by a sixteen-year-old Margaret Atwood (!). Naturally she's humble about her contribution ("'The Eye of Heaven' might not be very good, though it's good enough for a sixteen-year-old") but it's among my favorites. I would pay to read her MadLibs, though, so grain of salt.

As with many anthologies, it's a bit of a mixed bag; there are some truly wonderful stories here, a few I didn't really care for, and a large chunk that fall somewhere in the middle. (I tried to avoid any major spoilers in the story summaries, but please skip them if you'd rather read the collection with virgin eyes.)

"A Rather Scholarly View of Edgar Allen Poe, Genre-Crosser" by Uwe Sommerlad - The title pretty much says it all. DNF, but mostly because I wasn't in the mood to read a non-fiction essay about Poe. Just give me the stories please!

"The Gold Bug Conundrum" by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro - A wealthy video game developer buys a dilapidated estate on a Caribbean Island located in the Bermuda Triangle, as it's rumored to be the inspiration for Edgar Allen Poe's "The Gold Bug." That, and hidden pirate treasure! Needless to say, the transaction doesn't end well. 2/5 stars. The beginning reads like an HGTV script, and the climax is rather underwhelming.

"Street of the Dead House" by Robert Lopresti - When hunters murder his mom, the young orangutan Jupiter goes to live with the Professor, who meddles with his brain (presumably, to make him smarter) and teaches him to sign. A visiting sailor from France, taken with the friendly primate, kills the Professor and kidnaps Jupiter, hoping to sell him to a zoo in Paris. When Jupiter refuses to cooperate, the two hatch a plan to steal an elderly lady's gold so that Jupiter can pay his fare back to Borneo. 5/5 stars. Jupiter gives me all the feels, you guys.

"Naomi" by Christopher Rice - The narrator's niece, a young trans woman, committed suicide after the bullying at school became too much to bear. Yet her ringtone - a bouncy pop number that triggered the worst of the abuse - lives on, driving her tormentors to take their own lives as well. 5/5 stars.

"Finding Ulalume" by Lisa Morton - The narrator's sister Anna went missing in Weir Forest when they were just twelve and thirteen years old. Decades have passed, and the narrator - now a search and rescue volunteer - has been summoned to the forest to find a missing team of surveyors. 4/5 stars.

"Obsession with the Bloodstained Door" by Rick Chiantaretto - As a child, the narrator becomes lost in a sinister, mysterious mansion; in his many years of wandering, he's only encountered one locked door that he cannot breach. It becomes his obsession. 3/5 stars.

"The Lighthouse" by Barbara Fradkin - It's 1942 and World War II rages on. 18-year-old Sammy, an aspiring writer, is sent to help his uncle maintain the lighthouse on Quirpon Island (Newfoundland). One foggy night, Uncle Nat goes missing - and a strange soldier (a Nazi deserter?) washes up on the shore. Is this a case of life mimicking art? The story features a frustratingly abrupt ending, just like the original. 4/5 stars.

"The Masques of Amanda Llado" by Thomas S. Roche - A disgruntled music critic lures his ex-boss - a postmodern frat boy from a failed tech startup - to his basement warehouse with the promise of a rare Amanda Llado album. Needless to say, none of us will miss the dudebro. 5/5 stars.

"Atargatis" by Robert Bose - Star's great-grandfather passes away, leaving her a locket that bears the face of a mermaid - and contains a mysterious key. His last word to her? "Atargatis." 5/5 stars.

"The Ravens of Consequence" by Carol Weekes and Michael Kelly - An old hermit is plagued by memories of a family he never had. Or did he? 4/5 stars.

"Annabel Lee" by Nancy Holder - A retelling of "Annabel Lee" from Annabel's perspective, this story also incorporates some elements from Poe's other works. 5/5 stars.

"Dinner with Mamalou" by J. Madison Davis - The CEO of the Makadam Energy (evil megacorp incarnate!) agrees to a sit-down dinner with Mrs. Bertrand, aka "Mamalou," the matriarch of the backwater town she calls home. On the menu: a discussion of the six deaths in St. Germain Parish since the company began fracking there. Also: revenge! 3/5 stars. The villains are a little too cartoonish for me.

"The Deave Lane" by Michael Jecks - An archaeologist's worst nightmare comes true when she's called to investigate a body found buried in the mors - and stumbles right into the midst of a pagan death cult. 3/5 stars.

"133" by Richard Christian Matheson - The Resurrectionist's Guide to the Death Penalty. 3/5 stars.

"Afterlife" by William F. Nolan, Jason V. Brock, and Sunni K. Brock - Explores "the idea that Poe could become trapped in the physical space of his own letters" - specifically, those thought to be forged by Rufus Griswold and burned by Charles Leland. 3/5 stars.

"The Drowning City" by Loren Rhoads - How to outwit a siren using modern technology. The futuristic look at Venice is both lovely and heartbreaking. 3/5 stars.

"The Orange Cat" by Kelley Armstrong - An abused cat refuses to cast his one good eye away from his cruel owner - even after he's been euthanized and had his bashed in as part of a double murder. Gabriel Walsh (of Armstrong's Cainsville series) is on the case. 4/5 stars.

"The Inheritance" by Jane Petersen Burfield - Annabel the raven exacts her revenge on the boys responsible for her death - from beyond the grave. 3/5 stars.

"Sympathetic Impulses" by David McDonald - In trying to uncover how a captured spy withstands torture, an Inquisitor unwittingly becomes the means by which he does so. 3/5 stars.

"Asylum" by Colleen Anderson - A vamp with a taste for the crazies happens upon an asylum that's been taken over by the lunatics. 3/5 stars.

"The Return of Berenice" by Tanith Lee - A retelling of "Berenice" in which the titular bride is actually a vampire - and Egaeus has condemned his cousin to a fate worse than (un)death by stealing her most valuable asset. 3/5 stars.

"The Eye of Heaven" by Margaret Atwood - A young man is haunted by the eyes of those he's killed - fishes and family members alike. 5/5 stars. It's Margaret Fucking Atwood, yo!

http://www.easyvegan.info/2015/08/19/...

[Kara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I, like a number of women who once were angsty-goth-wanna-be-weirdo-teenagers had a Poe phase, although I don't remember actually reading much of his work. But, given this collection ALSO had a short story by Margaret Atwood, I figured -- what could go wrong?

A lot, as it turns out.

Now, not every story in the book is terrible. Some of them are pretty decent, but they are far outweighed by the wretched ones. I'm not entirely convinced that some of them weren't actually written by authors when they were angsty-goth-wanna-be-weirdo-teenagers with no literary talent.

I did, however, learn about the Poe Toaster. Which is kind of neat.

[Robert August · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nancy Kilpatrick and Caro Soles bring us: nEvermore!: Tales Of Murder, Mystery & The Macabre - Neo-Gothic Fiction Inspired By The Imagination Of Edgar Allan Poe. This collection was like discovering Poe for the first time all over again. And I'm shocked to find myself stating such a thing.

Poe is one of my most beloved authors, first discovered as a very young man, and that was some time ago. I expect most of us who love Poe share the experience of discovering this at a very young age. After all, if one has ever taken an English class, then one has been introduced to Poe. And also like me, I expect most people have found it very hard to recreate that joy of first discovery. Not that I haven't discovered many great authors and their works since, because I certainly have (some have stories in this volume), but Poe's works have a very unique and special feeling to them that I've never found anywhere else. Perhaps some of this comes from the fact that I was so young when I discovered him, at least this is what I always thought up until now.

There have been any number of Poe theme'd anthologies over the years, and a near infinity of authors whose publishers trumpeted them as the next Poe. So I am always extremely wary when something new comes along invoking the name of this great writer. Needless to say, I approached this anthology with great caution. However, the line-up of contributing authors is such a list of luminaries that I had to give it a try.

Nancy Kilpatrick and Caro Soles have been loose on the reins with the authors. Each story starts with an introduction to the story by the author where they explain their own experience of Poe and why they've chosen a particular aspect of that experience to create their story. I think this way of doing things has created a magic formula of sorts. Every reader has their own very personal experience of Poe, and by letting these authors tap into their own personal experience, the result is a collection that feels deeply intimate. I believe it is this shared experience that invokes the anthology reader's own personal history with Poe. It felt like I was reading a newly discovered cache of lost Poe stories, like a continuation of what I first felt so many years ago.

I will make no attempt to breakdown the stories or to rate and rank them. Dissection would be a disservice, perhaps a sacrilege. There is only one way to read this anthology: jump in, submerge, return to that misty and half-forgotten realm of youth and experience the joy of discovery once more. I can't recommend these stories highly enough.

[Kari (BookandCoffeeLover) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book from Edge Publishing and LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review.

nEvermore! was an imaginative and brilliant homage to Edgar Allan Poe's genius. The stories were wonderfully creepy and disturbing while successfully capturing Poe's signature ambiance. Each author crafted a unique world inspired by Poe's writing that was compelling. I was pleased to see some LGBT+ content in the stories as well. [The Canadian flair was great too!] Highly recommended!

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was too afraid to read Poe when a I was a child since I could have nightmares at times which required sleeping with my parents. I'm not sure I'm still not too concerned about the possible impact on me if I read them. However this book of similar short stories inspired by his work is very enthralling and enlightening. I learned more about Poe and his more popular stories. Some of the authors did frighten me but as an adult I handled the affect well. Next year I may just decide to devote October to reading Poe. For now, if you want quick stories to enhance the autumn season and discover more about Poe, this is a wonderful selection.

[Edwin Downward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honourable mentions to:

Atargatis
Sympathetic Impulses
Asylum

[Garth · Rating 4 out of 5]

2024 - The 52 Book Club Challenge

Week 4: Lowercase letters on the spine

“You and your Poe fixation. I still don’t understand how a technophile like you can be hung up on Poe.” - Not the exact words but I’ve been asked the same thing.

3.5⭐️

[Isabel (kittiwake) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book in return for a review, via the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.

The first hour alone with the grand staircases and rooms that spoke of royalty had been a childhood fantasy come to life. My footsteps and boyish chuckles echoed throughout the halls. If I listen closely I can still hear them echo, as if they will echo eternally, although they have grown fainter; ghostly. The house parrots my cries for help too; they sound even more menacing mingled with the boyish laughter.

In the essay which comes before the first story, Poe is described thus: Poe, the horror writer. Poe, the poet. Poe, the critic. Poe, the inventor of the detective story. A major force in the development of the science fiction genre. A master of the Gothics. The godfather of psychological thrills. The obstetrician of symbolism. A jester. A philosopher. So this isn't one of those themed anthologies where the theme constricts the authors and it contains some very different stories.

I don't want to give away any spoilers, so I will just say that my top three are Street of the Dead House, The Drowning City and Asylum, while the best title award goes to The Ravens of Consequence.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘nEvermore’ is a collection of 21 tales inspired by Edgar Allen Poe. Some are updates of Poe stories- ‘The Orange Cat’ is a modern day “The Black Cat’- while another, “Street of the Dead House” is a retelling of ‘Murders in the Rue Morgue’ through the eyes of the ape. Others simply have the aura and atmosphere of Poe. The anthology features some great authors, including Tanith Lee, Michael Jecks, and Margaret Atwood(!).

Most short story collections have many stories that I either don’t like or just don’t do it for me; to my surprise, I appreciated every story in this one. If you are a Poe fan or a horror fan, give it a try.

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. While I have read some of Edgar Allen Pole's writings I was intrigued by a book of short stories written based on some of his writings. This is a group of 20 or so stories and they range from zombies horror and gore to some that are kinda out there. I did enjoy the grouping enough to give it 4 stars overall although some of the stories (like the one with the rape) were a little harder to take. Overall a nice tribute to one who died young but supplied us with much. A good read overall.

[Gretchen Bily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most amazing horror anthology I've ever read. The stories are modern interpretations of Edgar Allan Poe's stories, but what sets it apart is the quality of the writing. I've found multiple new authors who I want to read more of. Thank you for putting this together Nancy Kilpatrick and Caro Soles!

My favorite stories so far are:

Street of the Dead House by Robert Lopresti: A doctor performs surgery on a chimp to make it smarter and able to communicate through sign language, but an evil person kidnaps the chimp.

The Lighthouse by Barbara Fradkin: A lonely lighthouse keeper wants to be a writer, but has writer's block, until he's visited by a stranger.

The Masques of Amanda Llado by Thomas Roche: A douchebag tech bro in San Francisco is led to an underground chamber by an older guy who he hired to write hundreds of fake reviews to launch his music app startup.

[Yorgos Economu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intrigued by the topic of this collective work, sort of disappointed by the outcome.
Not that the tales or the writing are weak (as far as I read at the end of the book, all of them are acclaimed authors) but the majority of the tales felt like lacking in inspiration and/or audacity.
I don't know whether Poe's ghost turned out to be too intimidating for them or Griswold's curse had not been cast only upon Poe himself but on everyone who tried or tries to keep his legacy alive, but I really enjoyed only a mere few of those tales, few enough to easily name them here:
Matheson's "133" (by far the shortest and the best one, to my opinion), Lopresti's "Street of the Dead House", Atwood's " The eye of Heaven" and the Brocks' and Nolan's "Afterlife".

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here is a group of contemporary stories inspired by the writing of Edgar Allan Poe. They could be thought of as modern retellings of some of his most famous tales. Poe was a pioneer in several different literary genres, including detective stories, science fiction and, of course, horror.

The stories are mostly short (only a few pages each), and they are very easy to read. They are spooky/macabre stories, as opposed to actual horror stories. As with any Poe story, these stories will keep the reader awake, so don't read this book in bed.

Horror fans will love this anthology, and Poe fans will especially love it. All of these tales are really good.

[Kate McDougall Sackler · Rating 4 out of 5]

A spooky series of short stories based on Edgar Allan Poe and his works. Any Poe lover will enjoy these. As with any short story anthology, some stories are better than others.
All about glass reading challenge-5. Glass windows were invented in the 17th century (animal on the cover)

[Alonso Mitza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poe. Poe, Poe, Poe...

... Poe.

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of short stories based and inspired by Edgar Allan Poe.

I have gotten used to anthologies in honor of specific authors mostly trying to mimic or invoke the feel and style of said author, I did not get that feel from this collection. Many were clearly based on his stories or his life and death, but they all felt more like expressions on how Poe had inspired the authors own writing style instead of them trying to imitate him.

The book opens with a brief history of Edgar Allan Poe and his writings and I appreciated that, there were a few new things in there I had not known that not only gave me new information but gave me some new perspective on his writings, which I always enjoy.

Like most short story collections not all of the stories will work for each reader and some are stronger than others, but I found all of them interesting, some of the disturbing and most of them enjoyable in their own way and most of them made me stop and try to figure out just how Poe had inspired each authors style.

For most of these stories you don't have to be a huge fan of Edgar Allan Poe to enjoy them but I think fans will definitely enjoy reading this book and get the most out of it.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked several of the stories in this anthology. It was hard not to compare to the original Poe stories and in some cases, that made me feel some of the stories here were lacking. And honestly, one story seemed like a complete re-hash of a Poe original, so I really wasn't impressed with that one.

But there were several that were very good and shared the macabre mood that I love so much about Poe. And these stories stood out in their own right as creepy, ghoulish stories. I would definitely recommend this collection, especially around Halloween.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

It seems I'm in the minority when I say I thought this book was just ok. I think it comes down to personal preference. A few of the stories were great, but for the most part I felt the stories dragged along and most didn't seem that creepy to me. However, I'm used to reading horror, so again it could be personal preference. I would still recommend this book to fans of Poe as I think most people are really enjoying the stories.

Note: I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Crystal Hutchinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is definitely going to have the most influence over Poe literature lovers. I found myself getting bored by some of the short stories. Some of the horror stories were very interesting and I think this book will be a hit amongst teens. Especially angsty teens.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay. A few of the stories were really good, but some were so-so.

[Sherrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great way to find new authors through short stories. Very good selection.

[Strega · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining anthology of Poe-esk short stories. If you like a bit of macabre with your reading, you'll like.

[Suzan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this for the Kelley Armstrong Cainsville story and I loved it!

[Mimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only got this to read Kelley Armstrong's short story and I enjoyed reading it.

[Scott Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with most anthologies, the entries in this one are a bit uneven. For me, the highlights were the stories by Margaret Atwood, Kelley Armstrong and David Morrell.