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DarkFuse Anthology Series #4
DarkFuse #4
The fourth volume of DarkFuse's anthology series, featuring 6 original tales of dark fiction:
“Zoo” by S. C. Hayden
“Antimacassar” by E. G. Smith
“The Grylocks” by Jon Gauthier
“Inflatable War” by Robert Essig
“The Intruder” by Wilfred R. Robinson
“Buried Soldiers” by Keith Deininger
“Zoo” by S. C. Hayden
“Antimacassar” by E. G. Smith
“The Grylocks” by Jon Gauthier
“Inflatable War” by Robert Essig
“The Intruder” by Wilfred R. Robinson
“Buried Soldiers” by Keith Deininger
- GenresHorrorAnthologies
87 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 18, 2016
12 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
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December 27, 2016Table of Contents:
005 - “Zoo” by Sean Hayden
019 - “Antimacassar” by E. G. Smith
032 - “The Grylocks” by Jon Gauthier
049 - “Inflatable War” by Robert Essig
064 - “The Intruder” by Wilfred R. Robinson
075 -“Buried Soldiers” by Keith Deininger
207 - About the Editor
209 - About the Authors
This copy is signed and inscribed by Shane Staley.
005 - “Zoo” by Sean Hayden
019 - “Antimacassar” by E. G. Smith
032 - “The Grylocks” by Jon Gauthier
049 - “Inflatable War” by Robert Essig
064 - “The Intruder” by Wilfred R. Robinson
075 -“Buried Soldiers” by Keith Deininger
207 - About the Editor
209 - About the Authors
This copy is signed and inscribed by Shane Staley.
August 5, 2016
The first 5 tales of this one were fairly elementary and each very short, adding up to only about 35% of the total length of the collection. Too bad too, because I think a few of them had greater potential and could have used some additional depth. Overall the first stories were only about 3 stars each with a few plusses and minuses in there somewhere.
The final story in the collection is Buried Soldiers by Keith Deininger which was released as a serial on the DarkFuse Magazine website. I am glad I got to read it here instead, because it is a good story but I never would have bitten off on the serial. Just not my bag. I can’t stand waiting to read the next installment week after week.
DarkFuse puts out some pretty damn good dark fiction. This collection is no exception and while not every story was entirely for me, I think that most people will enjoy the majority of the tales in this one. I’m not quite sure how to rate this one, but for now I am going 3.5 Stars and rounding down to 3 on GR and up to 4 on Amazon.
The final story in the collection is Buried Soldiers by Keith Deininger which was released as a serial on the DarkFuse Magazine website. I am glad I got to read it here instead, because it is a good story but I never would have bitten off on the serial. Just not my bag. I can’t stand waiting to read the next installment week after week.
DarkFuse puts out some pretty damn good dark fiction. This collection is no exception and while not every story was entirely for me, I think that most people will enjoy the majority of the tales in this one. I’m not quite sure how to rate this one, but for now I am going 3.5 Stars and rounding down to 3 on GR and up to 4 on Amazon.
July 28, 2016
3.5 stars, rounded up. This was a case in which the good definitely outweighed the bad.
Zoo by S. C. Hayden - 4 stars. Monster zoo with the exhibits being "fed" with criminals. Good twist.
Antimacassar by E. G. Smith - 2 stars. Mundane ghost story.
The Grylocks by Jon Gauthier - 3 stars. This one felt like an R. L. Stine Goosebumps story.
Inflatable War by Robert Essig - 2 stars. Corniest of the bunch, that's for sure. Plastic inflatable animals jealous of a plastic inflatable love doll. Yes, seriously.
The Intruder by Wilfred R. Robinson - 5 stars. Very intense, although very short. Shows a writer can put a lot into just a few pages.
Buried Soldiers by Keith Deininger - 5 stars. Deininger continues to rank high on my auto-read authors list, and this story just solidifies my opinion of his writing skills.
Zoo by S. C. Hayden - 4 stars. Monster zoo with the exhibits being "fed" with criminals. Good twist.
Antimacassar by E. G. Smith - 2 stars. Mundane ghost story.
The Grylocks by Jon Gauthier - 3 stars. This one felt like an R. L. Stine Goosebumps story.
Inflatable War by Robert Essig - 2 stars. Corniest of the bunch, that's for sure. Plastic inflatable animals jealous of a plastic inflatable love doll. Yes, seriously.
The Intruder by Wilfred R. Robinson - 5 stars. Very intense, although very short. Shows a writer can put a lot into just a few pages.
Buried Soldiers by Keith Deininger - 5 stars. Deininger continues to rank high on my auto-read authors list, and this story just solidifies my opinion of his writing skills.
July 24, 2016
The DarkFuse anthology series is a must buy for anyone who loves dark fiction. DarkFuse isn't publishing the volume it used to, so grab what you can, I say. Two of the shorts in this anthology were previously published in DarkFuse Magazine. If you weren't a subscriber, you missed out on Jon Gauthier and Keith Deininger's stories.
“Zoo” by S. C. Hayden - 5 *'s - A visit to the local zoo.
“Antimacassar” by E. G. Smith - 5 *'s - Visit the new neighbor.
“The Grylocks” by Jon Gauthier - 5 *'s - A small boy's fears...
“Inflatable War” by Robert Essig - 5 *'s - An obsession with swimming pool toys.
“The Intruder” by Wilfred R. Robinson - 4 *'s - Not sure what to say here. A story without an ending. Good up to that poimt.
“Buried Soldiers” by Keith Deininger - 5 *'s - Builds on the world that began with THE FEVERED HILLS. Excellent! More please!
“Zoo” by S. C. Hayden - 5 *'s - A visit to the local zoo.
“Antimacassar” by E. G. Smith - 5 *'s - Visit the new neighbor.
“The Grylocks” by Jon Gauthier - 5 *'s - A small boy's fears...
“Inflatable War” by Robert Essig - 5 *'s - An obsession with swimming pool toys.
“The Intruder” by Wilfred R. Robinson - 4 *'s - Not sure what to say here. A story without an ending. Good up to that poimt.
“Buried Soldiers” by Keith Deininger - 5 *'s - Builds on the world that began with THE FEVERED HILLS. Excellent! More please!
August 5, 2016
Two thirds of this anthology is taken by Keith Deininger's novella, "Buried Soldiers." Originally published online in serialized form, this is a five star piece of work. It is atmospheric, surreal, nightmarish, and oddly beautiful. It is also on the extreme side, so be warned. I recommend Darkfuse #4 on "Buried Soldiers" alone.
As for the rest, nothing really grabbed me. "Zoo" was quite fun, "Inflatable War" was like a bizarro story with no point behind it, and "The Intruder" seemed exactly like the first chapter of a longer work, which to my mind does not equal a short story. Get this for "Buried Soldiers." You won't be sorry. 3.5 stars.
As for the rest, nothing really grabbed me. "Zoo" was quite fun, "Inflatable War" was like a bizarro story with no point behind it, and "The Intruder" seemed exactly like the first chapter of a longer work, which to my mind does not equal a short story. Get this for "Buried Soldiers." You won't be sorry. 3.5 stars.
July 24, 2016
Like a great meal, I was served a sampler plate of 5 good short stories prior to the main course of Buried Soldiers, what a tasty phantasmagoric meal it was. Keith Deininger's story was the longest and the most immersive read I've experienced in years.
June 25, 2017
2.5 stars
The best story by far was "Zoo," by S.C. Hayden.
The best story by far was "Zoo," by S.C. Hayden.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews