Anno Dracula 1899 and Other Stories

Anno Dracula #1.2

by Kim Newman

A brand new collection of chilling stories by master of horror Kim Newman, in which Jack the Ripper still stalks the streets, Frankenstein’s monster rises from the Arctic ice, and the terrifying legacy of Dr Jeyll and Mr Hyde haunts fog-shrouded London. This volume also includes a brand-new, exclusive Anno Dracula story, ‘Yokai Anno Dracula 1899’, which sets the scene for the forthcoming novel Anno Dracula 1999: Daikaiju.

Genres: Horror, Fantasy, Short Stories, Fiction, Vampires, Science Fiction, Alternate History

400 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 24, 2017

About the author

Note: This author also writes under the pseudonym of Jack Yeovil.
An expert on horror and sci-fi cinema (his books of film criticism include Nightmare Movies and Millennium Movies), Kim Newman's novels draw promiscuously on the tropes of horror, sci-fi and fantasy. He is complexly and irreverently referential; the Dracula sequence--Anno Dracula, The Bloody Red Baron and Dracula,Cha Cha Cha--not only portrays an alternate world in which the Count conquers Victorian Britain for a while, is the mastermind behind Germany's air aces in World War One and survives into a jetset 1950s of paparazzi and La Dolce Vita, but does so with endless throwaway references that range from Kipling to James Bond, from Edgar Allen Poe to Patricia Highsmith.
In horror novels such as Bad Dreams and Jago, reality turns out to be endlessly subverted by the powerfully malign. His pseudonymous novels, as Jack Yeovil, play elegant games with genre cliche--perhaps the best of these is the sword-and-sorcery novel Drachenfels which takes the prescribed formulae of the games company to whose bible it was written and make them over entirely into a Kim Newman novel.
Life's Lottery, his most mainstream novel, consists of multiple choice fragments which enable readers to choose the hero's fate and take him into horror, crime and sf storylines or into mundane reality.

Reviews

[Clint · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an uneven mix of stories. Some were 4 stars, some 3. It’s presented as part of the Anno Dracula universe, but aside from “1899”, it is not

But it is a cousin of. The usual Kim Newman Crossover Fiction is present. If you are not familiar with Kim Newman’s fiction, don’t start here. I direct you towards _Anno Dracula_. You won’t be disappointed.

I held off finishing this book for many months as included is a story called “Red Jacks Wild”. It is a sequel to a Robert Bloch story, “Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper”. In Newman’s introduction to his story, he recommended reading Bloch’s first. I took his advice seriously, and after a looooonnnggg library hold, which I had to renew twice as whom ever had the book before me is even more of a laboriously slow reader than I.

It was worth the wait. Tonight, I read both stories back to back. It was a rewarding experience. I recommend if you enjoy Saucy Jack fiction, you do the same (and at the risk of a slight spoiler, I again point you towards Anno Dracula—just read it all right?).

If you enjoy Kim Newman, Jack the Ripper and Warhammer Fantasy fiction, I would point you towards the novel _Beasts in Velvet_ by Jack Yeovil (pseudonym for Kim Newman).

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was misled on this. It appears to be a collection of short stories set in the Anno Dracula universe but in fact only the titular story is. Instead this is a collection of stories by Kim Newman with a general similar feel to the Anno Dracula books.

Most of the stories here take gothic monsters and stories and give them a new twist. A martian from The War of the Worlds tells of his acting career, businessmen attempt to sell Dr. Jekyll's potion and Frankenstein's monster is brought out of the ice. Like in the Anno Dracula books, the love for the original material is obvious and Newman manages to bring his own fantastic ideas to these old concepts.

There's also some really original stories that are stylistically similar but are Newman's original work. There's a zombie apocalypse in the cold war involving Rasputin, which was so original and great fun. There's also the brilliant concept of an early 20th century seance speaking to a modern chat room troll which was really clever.

The Anno Dracula story is a prelude to the next novel and as much as love that world that story was fairly underwhelming and was one of the weaker stories in the collection.

Overall I thought this was a really strong collection full of original ideas and great takes on classic monsters. It wasn't what I expected but I really enjoyed it all the same.

[julia ☆ [owls reads]]

Not rating this since it was a huge case of mismatched expectations considering its title...

[Kal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stumbled across this gem at the bookstore around my birthday, and it was meant to be. Ever since I read the his book Anno Dracula, I've been a fan. Somehow I missed the announcement of this book, and even better the fact we're getting another book in the Anno Dracula series. I cannot wait for October to get my hands on book!

But, this isn't about the upcoming book. This is about this book, Anno Dracula 1899 and Other Stories. What I love about this book is it takes everything I love about Dracula series and meshes them with other pop culture icons I adore. While Edgar Allen Poe plays a heavy part in the first half of this book, no one goes untouched. Orson Welles has a story just to himself, Boris and Lugosi reprise their famous roles with a twist, and Jack is Back. Best of all though, Geneviéve Dieudonné graces the pages of the last story to fill in a few blanks that happened at the of Anno Dracula.

What I love the most about this book is how well that Kim Newman can weave a story. How he takes a genre, a story, or a character, loved my many and twists into his own creation. Turning the world into something else entirely. Something darker and little bit terrifying. It wasn't hard to get sucked into each story and need to know how it ends. Each story is beautiful written and I felt each pop culture icon was well represented.

Still, there were some stories I liked better than others. A couple that had me putting the book down, only to pick it back up, slog through that one story, just to get to the next. It was never the writing style that made me not like it, or the world building, or even the characters. Mostly it was subject matter. Maybe one too many stories about Poe (whose work I love). I was ready to move on to other icons. Other worlds.

Mostly I was excited to get to Geneviéve Dieudonné!

I think what I loved the most about these stories, was that none of them were a retelling of the original stories. For most it was a continuation from the original story, or a twisted version of the reality of how we know movie should have gone. One of my favorite ones was with HG Welles, years after he convinced the world aliens were attacking our streets. The story wove history with something more magical, more supernatural. I loved the voice Newman gave to Welles throughout the shorty pages.

All-in-all it was a great collection of short stories, and I'm glad I picked it up. Kim Newman is still one of my favorite authors out there. This book freaked me out in places, left me scratching my head, and a few times laughing out loud.

Buy, Burrow, or Skip: I'm always of the opinion to buy anything Kim Newman does for the covers alone. Plus, they're great books to reread, because I always find something I missed the first time around.

This and other reviews can be found at my blog Bookish Whispers .

[Fraser Burnett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm. A hodge-podge miscellany of tales, some uncollected, some culled from previous collections, therefore overlap is inevitable.

Kim Newman can be an amazing, imaginative, and sensitive writer at times, and other times it just don't work for me.

Nonetheless, this collection contains some of his finest tales. For the record FAMOUS MONSTERS is his most 'complete' collection to date.

Highlights.....

FAMOUS MONSTERS
JUST LIKE EDDY
AMERIKANSKI DEAD...
THE CHILL CLUTCH...
THE SNOW SCULPTURES...
THE PALE SPIRIT....
UBERMENSCH

[Seregil of Rhiminee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published at Risingshadow.

Kim Newman has established himself as one of the most original, imaginative and impressive authors of dark fantasy, dark fiction and horror fiction. His fiction ranges from dark fantasy to horror fiction and is marked by freshness, originality and satirical elements. Anno Dracula 1899 and Other Stories offers readers an electrifying blend of fantasy, science fiction, horror and history with a dash of pulp fiction and satire.

After reading a couple of novels by Kim Newman I was excited about Anno Dracula 1899 and Other Stories, because I haven't often had an opportunity to read his stories. I found this collection to be engaging and entertaining, because the stories were well written and some of them were delightfully original, not to mention refreshingly different.

Anno Dracula 1899 and Other Stories is one of the most interesting short story collections of the year, because the stories feature appearances by such figures as Jack the Ripper, Edgar Allan Poe, Frankenstein's monster, a Martian etc. The author's approach to them feels fresh, because he has his own unique way of writing about them (to be honest, I was a bit surprised by how deftly the author wrote about them).

This collection contains the following stories:

- Famous Monsters
- A Drug on the Market
- Illimitable Dominion
- Just Like Eddy
- Amerikanski Dead at the Moscow Morgue
- The Chill Clutch of the Unseen
- One Hit Wanda
- Is There Anybody There?
- The Intervention
- Red Jacks Wild
- Sarah Minds the Dog
- The Snow Sculptures of Xanadu
- The Pale Spirit People
- Übermensch!
- Coastal City
- Completist Heaven
- Une étrange aventure de Richard Blaine
- Frankenstein on Ice
- Yokai Town: Anno Dracula 1899

These stories consist of short stories and a couple of scripts that have been written for plays, audio anthologies and audio series. Fans of Kim Newman will be delighted to read them, because they offer an interesting glimpse into his writing career. Newcomers to his fiction will also find them intriguing, because they showcase his imagination, his strengths as an author and his storytelling skills.

There's a satirical edge to many of these stories that I find utterly charming. The author has a talent for writing satirical fiction, because he seems to know exactly what to write about various things and he has a slightly twisted sense of humour. It's great that he never stumbles when writing about history and people, but delivers original stories. Because the stories have satirical elements, they reminded me of a bit of Graham Diamond's Chocolate Lenin.

Here's more information about the stories and my thoughts about them (I'll do my best to avoid spoilers in the short synopses):

Famous Monsters:

- A story about a tentacled Martian who gets roles in Hollywood films.
- The author writes well about the War of the Worlds and how Martians are treated on Earth.
- An excellent story that is something a bit different and intriguing.

A Drug on the Market:

- In this story, the author plays with an interesting idea of reconstructing the formula of Dr. Jekyll's potion and releasing it as a drug called Jekyll Tonic.
- I enjoyed this story, because I found the author's vision of the late Dr. Jekyll's potion and its powers to be entertaining.
- I think that everyone who has read Robert Louis Stevenson's 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' will enjoy this story.

Illimitable Dominion:

- In this fascinating story, Hollywood becomes interested in Edgar Allan Poe's horror stories.
- I have a feeling that this story will be of special interest to those who are familiar with old horror films and Roger Corman's films.
- It was fun to read what the author wrote about Roger Corman and his productions.

Just Like Eddy:

- A story about Edgar Allan Poe and his sinister doppelgänger Edgar Allen Poe.
- A clever and entertaining short story that will delight many readers.

Amerikanski Dead at the Moscow Morgue, or: Children of Marx and Coca Cola:

- A story about Yevgeny Chirkov who has been separated from his unit. He witnesses how zombies (Americans) crowd the morgue in Moscow.
- The author's decriptions about Russian society are interesting and offer quite a lot of amusement and entertainment to readers, because he exhibits signs of satirical storytelling.
- An excellent and engaging story.

The Chill Clutch of the Unseen:

- This is an excellent and melancholy story about an old man who protects the town against monsters.
- I like the atmosphere in this story.

One Hit Wanda:

- A well written tale about The Vanity Brothers, their hit single 'Lonely One' and a girl called Wanda.
- This story appears here in printed format for the first time, because it was originally written for an audio anthology called Thirteen (edited by Scott Harrison and Neil Gardner, read by Samuel West).

Is There Anybody There?:

- A fascinating story about a medium called Madame Irena who contacts a modern-day hacker with her Ouija board.
- This is a great story for those who enjoy stories about mediums, because the author has come up with a story that is both captivating and original.

The Intervention:

- In this story, a man called Keith is radically entered into a program that is supposed to help him.
- I enjoyed reading about what happened to Keith, because those who cared about him entered him into therapy so that he could confront his problem.

Red Jacks Wild:

- A well written story about John Carmody who is a psychologist - and also Jack the Ripper - in New York. He stays young by killing disposable people so that he can make human sacrifices to Hecate every three years.
- This story is a follow-up to Robert Bloch's 'Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper' (I'm sure that readers who have read Bloch's story will find this story interesting).

Sarah Minds the Dog:

- An amusing and entertaining story about Sarah - an executive personal assistant - who finds herself in a bit of trouble when she's minding a rottweiler called Dynamo.
- I think that readers will be interested in knowing that this is the first print publication of a script that was written for Glenn McQuaid and Larry Fessenden's audio horror series 'Tales From Beyond the Pale'.

The Snow Sculptures of Xanadu:

- This is an interesting piece of short fiction, because it's kind of like an ode to 'Citizen Kane' and other films.

The Pale Spirit People:

- A story about Indians, spirit objects and trouble in the Ghost Lands.
- I like this story very much, because the author has written it in an interesting way. There was something in this story that slightly reminded of Tanya Reimer's novels.

Übermensch!:

- An interesting and well written story about Superman in Nazi Germany. In this story, Superman has landed in Germany instead of the USA.
- If there are readers out there who are not fluent in German, the title of this story means "Superman".

Coastal City:

- A fascinating and a bit different kind of a short story about Coastal City, hyperheroes (aka hypers, including Amazon Queen, Green Masque, The Darkangel, Shrinking Cheerleader etc), villains and monsters.

Completist Heaven:

- In this story, a man who watches different TV channels finds a channel that shows strange Frankenstein movies.
- This story will be of special interest to everyone who has ever watched classic horror films, (s)exploitation films and B movies.

Une étrange aventure de Richard Blaine:

- This is a fascinating story about Richard Blaine in Paris.
- I found this story to be well written and interesting, because the author wrote well about the happenings.

Frankenstein on Ice:

- In this story, a team will determine if what has found in the Arctic Circle truly is a Frankenstein's monster.
- This story is the first print publication of 'Frankenstein on Ice', which was written as a segment of the play 'The Ghost Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore'.

Yokai Town: Anno Dracula 1899:

- Yokai Town: Anno Dracula 1899 is an exclusive story to this collection. According to the author's website, it's an extract from the prologue of the forthcoming novel Anno Dracula 1999: Daikaiju. In this story, a ship called Macedonia has carried its passengers a long way from Dracula's dominion to Japan.
- Because I enjoyed this extract and became intrigued by the story, I look forward to getting my hands of the forthcoming novel. Based on this story I can say that the novel will be worth waiting for.

Here are a few additional words about some of the stories:

I consider 'Famous Monsters' to be a prime example of how original fiction Kim Newman writes, because who else could've come up with a story that features a Martian who is into acting in Hollywood films. This story intrigued me, because the author wrote well about the Martian's feelings and life. It was interesting to read how Martians were treated and what kind of life they had on Earth. This story is connected to H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds.

'Amerikanski Dead at the Moscow Morgue, or: Children of Marx and Coca Cola' is one of my favourite stories in this collection. I like the author's portrayal of Russian society, and I also like his characterisation very much, because the characters are eccentric and interesting. This is a bit different kind of a zombie story that will delight many readers.

'One Hit Wanda' is a well-told short story about a pop group and a girl called Wanda. It was interesting to read about Wanda and how she was a muse to Johnny, because she was a bit different kind of a girl who had an eyepatch. This story has a fascinatingly nostalgic feel to it.

I found 'The Intervention' to be an excellent story about a man, Keith, who was put into therapy by those who cared about him. It was intriguing to read what happened to Keith and how he was treated when he started the therapy, because he thought that he didn't have a problem. I've read a few good stories about interventions, but this story is definitely among the best ever written about this subject.

'Red Jacks Wild' paints an interesting picture of Jack the Ripper and his seemingly immortal life. The author has created something special in this story, because he portrays the killer as a highly intelligent man who works for the FBI and the NYPD pro bono so that he can keep his mind sharp by doing criminal analysis. His patient, Sheldon Loesser, is an interesting addition to the story, because he is a paranoid man who owns High Integrity Comics, which publishes horror comics.

What I like perhaps most about these stories is that Kim Newman has his own unique way of writing horror and creating monster and history mash-up stories. It's possible that the author's way of doing certain things may not please everyone, because he dares to be bold and experimental, but that's one of the reasons why readers should read his stories. I personally consider his stories to be fresh and worth reading, because they're marvellous entertainment.

I like Kim Newman's writing style, because he has his own vision of horror fiction. He doesn't imitate anybody, but writes interesting and occasionally satirical stories that offer food for thoughts and entertain readers. It's great that he doesn't try to please everyone with his fiction, because it separates him from many other horror authors.

I think that readers who have knowledge about history, famous people and popular culture (especially films) will greatly enjoy this collection and find a lot to love in it. The more you know about films and their contents, the more you'll enjoy some of the stories, because the author uses quite a lot of references to many famous and well-known films (horror fans will probably recognise many of the films that are mentioned in the stories).

Anno Dracula 1899 and Other Stories is an excellent collection that can be recommended to horror readers and fans of the author. It can also be wholeheartedly recommended to newcomers to his fiction, because it's an enjoyable and entertaining collection to everyone who enjoys intriguing stories. Such stories as 'Amerikanski Dead at the Moscow Morgue, or: Children of Marx and Coca Cola', 'A Drug on the Market' and 'Übermensch!' alone make this collection worth reading. (By the way, you don't necessarily have to be a horror fan in order to enjoy this collection, because all of the stories are worth taking a look.)

My final words are:

Kim Newman's Anno Dracula 1899 and Other Stories is excellent and gripping entertainment for horror fans!

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good. Few, if any, duds. I understand why it's marketed under the Anno Dracula banner but it's much more "Other Stories" than it is AD, and there are some great ones.

Each story is immaculately constructed and rewards the knowledgeable reader. My favourites are probably Famous Monsters (Hollywood history via a Martian tripod), Red Jacks Wild (a sequel to Robert Bloch's 'Yours Truly Jack the Ripper ' which is free online and a great story too), Coastal City (the existential horror of knowing you are a secondary character in a forever changing comic continuity), Is There Anybody There? (Chatroom meets seance) and A Drug on the Market (the commercial rollout of Jekyll's tonic).

A collection for fans of classic horror, B-movies, and folks who like trying to identify public domain characters from description alone.

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was another curious potpourri of writings that had somehow been brought together under the ‘Anno Dracula’ name— undoubtedly with the sole aim of bleeding that brand dry.
It contains eighteen works, plus a teaser for the next novel. These works belong to all sorts, touching all kinds of pop-culture creatures and horrors. Some are brilliant (obviously, since Newman is a brilliant writer), some drab, some painful bores. Unfortunately, even the better works suffer awfully due to the shoddy production. Dinoship (Dead Travel Fast) or Pocket Books (Famous Monsters, The Original Dr. Shade and Other Stories) used to produce them much-much better.
Unless you are an absolute admirer of Newman (like me), this is NOT an essential buy or read.

[Ludditus · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought I’d get a quick introduction to the writing themes of Kim Newman, only to discover that reading such crap is so painful. If this is the best of what “one of the most original, imaginative and impressive authors of dark fantasy, dark fiction and horror fiction” can do, then I pity all of you, those who manage to enjoy such shit. Because this is no more than shit, and incredibly boring at that.

Alternative history, uchronias and whatnot are one thing, and such crap is clearly another. As for fantasy, if it’s so boring it’s no fantasy, it’s garbage.

[John J Questore · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's an old English idiom that states, "Don't judge a book by it's cover"; generally meaning, "you shouldn't prejudge the worth or value of something, by its outward appearance alone." Most times, people take it to mean that a poor outward appearance doesn't necessarily mean that there isn't good inside. Well, Anno Dracula 1899 proves that the reverse is true; just because the outside looks incredible, doesn't mean the inside will be the same.

I mean, you're walking in a bookstore, looking for something new to read, and you see a book with the following: "MASTER STORYTELLING" and "... featuring appearances by Jekyll & Hyde, Jack the Ripper, The Invisible Man, Edgar Allan Poe, A Zombie Apocalypse, A Martian, and Frankenstein's Monster", that is going to peak your interest if you are a horror fan like me.

What the tagline should have read was, "Stop paying too much for prescription Ambien. Spend $14.95 once and never worry about insomnia again".

Let me put it a better way: I've always wanted to visit Antartica (I know, crazy). It's the largest desert in the world - with scientists agreeing that a desert is, "a region so arid because of little rainfall that it supports only sparse and widely spaced vegetation or no vegetation at all." Arid - dry and barren. Well, if it's as dry as reading this book, I may want to hold off on that excursion.

Now, don't get me wrong, there were some stories that held my interest: 

Famous Monsters - A story taken from a Martian's point of view who works in Hollywood.
Just Like Eddy - A weird story about Edgar Allan Poe and his evil doppelgänger Edgar Allen Poe
Is There Anybody There? - This was my favorite. A spiritual medium uses a Ouija board and somehow contacts a modern day hacker.
Sarah Minds the Dog - A Twilight Zone type story where a personal assistant is in a bind when the family dog passes away.
Frankenstein on Ice - A research team discovers a body in the Arctic Circle and works to determine if it is indeed Frankenstein's monster.

But the other 14 stories had me not only seriously confused, but were so boring that I kept nodding off while reading - and found myself sometimes reading the same paragraph three times over.

I wanted to like this, I really did. Kim's take on Hollywood was great - you could tell he did his homework, and there's no denying he love Poe (as well as the other classics). I just found his writing style to be verbose, confusing, and just dull.

[Kara-karina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually requested this book for review by mistake, peeps. I've wanted to read Anno Dracula for a long time and thought this was the actual novel and not the collection of stories.


Oh, well. I did enjoy some of the stories, and I did get a feel for Kim Newman's writing which is very much a mix between Justin Cronin and Joe Hill.


So, the stories.


FAMOUS MONSTERS

A bit of a drab reminiscence of a Martian's acting career. Not an auspicious start.


A DRUG ON THE MARKET

I got a kick out of this one, peeps. Someone revises Jekyll & Hyde's formula for the mass market with all the fun in the marketing and after effects.


ILLIMITABLE DOMINION & JUST LIKE EDDY

While I listened to both of these twice, I could not concentrate on the narrative it was so boring. Verdict: skip.


AMERIKANSKI DEATH AT THE MOSCOW MORGUE

Super creepy, trippy & entertaining. A fascinating concept of a world after the zombie apocalypse in the end of the 80s - beginning of the 90s in Moscow. I go another kick out of this one.


THE CHILL CLUTCH OF THE UNSEEN

30 Days of Night but the old guy in the chair conversing with the monster instead. Boring.


ONE HIT WANDA

As in "one hit wonder", it's a fun story about a band with a cursed hit song which they can't stop singing.


IS THERE ANYBODY THERE?.

Another fabulous concept of a medium from 1920s trolled by a modern hacker, whom she entraps like a common spirit. Really entertaining.


THE INTERVENTION

This one left me confused. Either I missed something or wasn't clever enough to understand it.


RED JACKS WILD

One of my favorites, it's about a real Jack the Ripper hunting down his copycats. It was so good, I'd have loved to read a full novel about it.


SARAH MINDS THE DOG

It starts light and cute and quickly twists into something so much darker. It made me quite uncomfortable.


THE SNOW SCULPTURES OF XANADU & THE PALE SPIRIT PEOPLE

Not memorable at all. My mind kept wandering, and I could not understand the stories, especially the first one.


UBERMENSCH!

Awesome read. This was about a German Superman who worked with Nazis and is being interviewed years after by a monster hunter after the Wall collapsed. So freaking good.



COASTAL CITY

Meh. Not worth the read.



COMPLETIST HEAVEN

Another meh. It was really tiring to listen to this one, and I'm sure the narrator didn't enjoy the mad recitation as well.



UNE ETRANGE AVENTURE DE RICHARD BLAINE

Another good story involving Nazis hunting monsters in Paris. Very atmospheric.



FRANKENSTEIN ON ICE

I loved the concept! It would have made a fab movie, and it reminded me of Justin Cronin the most.


YOKAI TOWN: ANNO DRACULA 1899

Now, this was a good introduction to the actual novel, which I now want to read. Vampires and samurai in the same script seem like a win-win scenario to me.


Overall, it's not a good collection. There are a few excellent stories hidden among average ones, which does not improve your reading/listening experience, - that's why my rating was pretty low. Choose for yourself if it's worth the read.


* * *

Я конечно опростоволосилась с этой книгой, дамы и господа. Хотела попросить на рецензию роман Анно Дракула, а выбрала вместо этого сборник рассказов.


Ну, ничего. Некоторые истории мне поравились, да и познакомилась я с авторским стилем, который напомнил мне Джастина Кронина напополам с Джо Хиллом.


Итак, истории.


ЗНАМЕНИТЫЕ МОНСТРЫ

Очень бледненько. Аж зевала.


ЛЕКАРСТВО НА РЫНКЕ

Вот это было интересной подачей того, что произойдёт если бы кто-то немного изменил формулу Джекилла и Хайда для массового производства. Там конечно занимательно было смотреть и на рекламирование и на побочные эффекты.


БЕЗЛИМИТНОЕ ПРЕВОСХОДСТВО

Бубнит о фильмах ужасов, да так, что у меня мозг просто отключился.


ПРЯМ КАК ЭДДИ

Я вообще не поняла в чём прикол.


АМЕРИКАНСКИЕ МЕРТВЕЦЫ В МОСКОВСКОМ МОРГЕ

Классная повесть о жизни в Москве после зомби-апокалипсиса в конце 80х - начале 90х. Я поржала конечно, очень оригинально.



ХОЛОДЯЩАЯ ХВАТКА НЕВИДИМОГО

Скучные рассуждения старого охотника за монстрами беседующего с невидимкой, который пришёл к нему умирать.



ОДИН ХИТ ВАНДА

Началось всё таинственно, и чувствовался потенциал, но вот уж очень коротко... Неплохая история.



КТО-НИБУДЬ ЗДЕСЬ ЕСТЬ?.

Прикольный рассказ о медиуме 20х гг., которого троллит современный хакер, а та его привязывает к себе как обычного призрака. Интересная была подача.



ИНТЕРВЕНЦИЯ

Совершенно я её не поняла. То ли сюжет слишком для меня умный, то ли я что-то пропустила.



КРАСНЫЕ ДЖЕКИ ДИКИЕ

Одна из моих любимых историй. Настоящий Джек Потрошитель охотится за своими копирками. Настолько было хорошо написано, что можно было спокойно писать из неё полноценный роман.


САРА ПРИСМАТРИВАЕТ ЗА СОБАКОЙ

Стиль комедии ужасов. Хотя я и улыбалась в начале, под конец что-то стало неуютно.


СНЕЖНЫЕ КУЛЬТУРЫ КСАНАДУ и ПЛЕМЯ БЛЕДНОГО ДУХА

Совсем меня не затронули и не запомнились. Читайте на свой страх и риск.


УБЕРМЕНШ!

Шикарно рассказ потроен как интервью супермена, работавшего на фашистскую Германию и разговаривающим со старым учёным, охотящимся на монстров после падения германской стены. Сильно.


БЕРЕГОВОЙ ГОРОД

Да, так себе. Скучно.


РАЙ ЗАВЕРШАЮЩИХ

Бред просто, особенно для рассказчика, который наверно мучался, занимаясь речитативом.


СТРАННОЕ ПРИКЛЮЧЕНИЕ РИЧАРДА БЛЭЙНА

Опять же, интересная история о фашистах, пытающихся поймать всех монстров Парижа.


ФРАКЕНШТЕЙН НА ЛЬДУ

Очень понравилась идея. Она бы превратилась в крутой фильм и сильно напомнила мне стиль Джастина Кронина.


ЙОКАЙ-ГОРОД: АННО ДРАКУЛА 1899

Вот это было отличное введение к самому роману, который я теперь хочу прочитать несомненно. Вампиры и самураи, - тут возражать нечему.


А в общем, средненький сборник. Много трепья вперемежку с сильным материалом, что занизило для меня оценку.

[Deb Whittam · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I will be honest, this was not the book I was intending to read, I had wanted to read Anno Dracula but when this one turned up instead I thought, why not and it was perhaps one of the best decisions I have ever made.
I have a really short attention span, so being an anthology really suited and then the subject matter was so diverse that it was like reaching into Pandora’s Box – you were never too sure what you were going to pull out.

This is a great compendium of stories, many of which take well known characters and continues the dialogue along, often with unexpected and interesting results.

Personal favorites were A Drug on the Market, a continuation of Jekyll and Hyde, Just like Eddy, which was a great treat, Red Jacks Wild, which was probably my favorite and continues the Jack the Ripper storyline and The Intervention, which scared me to the point I couldn’t sleep.

I would highly recommend this book for anyone who likes horror or the unusual or just wants a short story with a bit of a grunt but be warned some of these stories are a bit heavy going and one last word of advice, don’t read if you have problems sleeping at night.

[Lacer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had thought the first Anno Dracula book okay (although not brilliant), so I thought I'd give this collection of short stories a try and hmmm, it turned out that they weren't really for me. Only one story is set in the Anno Dracula universe, most of the rest sort of follow a similar question, ie what would the world be like if various things from fiction just happened to be true? Unfortunately though, for me, although I've read (and loved), the original Frankenstein, Dracula, Jekyll and Hyde, I'm not at all really familiar with comics or 60s horror movies, which seem to be the background to most of these stories. So some of the stories went over my head a bit. There were some stories that I really liked, for example, a story where they try and market 'Jekyll Tonic' and another where Edgar Poe does battle with Edgar Allan Poe but there were other stories that left me distinctly underwhelmed.

[MH · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some great short stories and audio dramas in this collection - I particularly liked the ones about Rick Blaine, Commissioner Gordon, Orson Welles and "Ubermensch!"- where Newman uses his creativity and encyclopedic knowledge to create evocative, moving, and very clever stories within a shared universe. A lot of it didn't work for me, though - a few pieces are just Wold Newton monologues where laundry lists of old Hollywood figures are mentioned but nothing particularly happens, the Anno Dracula story seems to be the first chapter of a longer novel, and one of his pieces is a direct sequel to a Robert Bloch story (and Newman tells us we should read the Bloch story first, but as it wasn't included ...). A collection of odds and ends, with some absolute gems but also plenty of go-nowhere stories.

[Robin Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

With any anthology or collection some of the stories will hit higher than others. Still, the breadth of ideas and imagination on display here is excellent and very satisfying in the reading, but I would expect no less from the author, having read the Anno Dracula novels up to this point in the series, and also the superb Something More Than Night. Through stories centred around Arctic exploration, the music biz, wartime Russia, an imagined Poe monologue, and a dozen other intriguing ideas, the author's febrile imagination and skilful weaving of haunting and horrifying images kept me enthralled.

[Bethnoir · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved some of these stories as they surprised me, which is always a pleasure, however a few didn't hold my attention at all. I am not enough of an afficionado of horror movies or superheros to get all the in jokes and in a couple of tales this made them almost incomprehensible.

The book certainlyl made a 3 hour wait at the eye hospital more bearable and I am excited about Kim Newman's next book which is out soon.

By the way, if you've read One Thousand Monsters, the short story Anno Dracula 1899 is just a precis of the beginning of that, so don't feel you need to read it to be up to date with Anno Dracula, it doesn't add anything that I noticed.

[Mike · Rating 1 out of 5]

An absolute stinker.

Filler material until the next Anno novel and dreadful filler at that.

Some of Kim’s books are works of sheer geek genius. This isn’t one.

I’d recommend the first Anno Dracula novel , the second (Red Baron) and the latest Daikaiju...they’re fabulous . Great stories in which you can also pick out geek references to other famous characters like The Shadow and Captain Scarlet.

Also Kim’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles which is the adventures of Moriarty and Sebastian Moran and which covers everything from War of the Worlds to a certain consulting detective you may have heard of.

But avoid this collection...it does you or Kim no favours.

[Kenneth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy Kim Newman's work, so there's a floor to this sort of collection that is only going to get so low. About two thirds of the way through I had resigned myself to this collection being a three star for me, but the last third popped it up into four star range. Ubermensch and Coastal City are two of my favorite stories ever. Even the teaser for his next Anno Dracula novel, which is not a self contained short story at all, worked for me. Still, I would recommend this mostly for those who are already fans of his work, it is not the best entry level place to be introduced to the author.

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loses a star because I thought the Anno-Dracula story was an original story, and it turned out to be an exert from the novel.
That was a letdown.

Otherwise, this is a pretty solid anthology.
There are a couple that I didn't love, but they come across as 'Meh, that was okay.' rather than bad.
The Russian zombie apocalypse, Jack the Ripper, both Frankenstein themed ones, Superman, and the seance were the stand outs.

The two Poe stories and the Jekyll were okay.
Newman tends to reuse themes/tropes and that shows up a couple times and is pretty obvious.

[Josie Boyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some great and a few maybe not so great tales of the slightly helter skelter variety of alternate history. From a clever take on jack the ripper to a taste of a new Anno Dracula tale, Newman flashes his pop culture knowledge all over the place here. It's rare for me to at least like every story in a short story collection. Usually there are a few that don't do it for me. But these are pretty consistently good.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid compendium of weird and gruesome stories. While the entry in the 'Anno Dracula' series itself is short and unremarkable, serving only as an introduction to Newman's forthcoming novel, some of the other short stories presented here are among his best. 'Ubermensch' is the collection's standout, depicting an encounter with Superman that landed in Germany and became a Nazi super solider, seamlessly blending historical fact with literary fiction in the way only Newman can.

[Sourojit Das · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked it up thinking that it'll be a good prequel or some canon material..some stories were rather good..martian extras in the movies, a chain smoking chimp..several stories revolving round Poe..and a strange zombie infestation in Russia with Rasputin thrown in the mix. Unfortunately, it failed to hold my interest for any reasonable period of time...maybe I'll have better luck with the actual novels

[Tonya Mathis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally done. I have to say, I'm not as impressed with this book as I was with all of the Anno Dracucla series. I did like some of the stories though. A Drug on the Market, The Chill Clutch of the Unseen, Is There Anybody There? and Ubermensch were the ones I liked the most with Amerikanski Dead at the Moscow Morgue and Frankenstein on Ice on the not so bad list. Of course the last story was just a preview/first chapter of the of Anno Dracula 1999: Daikaiju.

[Jes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is really weird to me. If presented as a Victorian twisted tales then it's fun overall but as a companion piece to Anno Dracula? It doesn't read like most of the stories would exist in that universe... ?

Perhaps they really aren't meant to exist in the same world but then I found it misleading. Overall the concepts were usually investing but I found it hard to get into about half of them and just found then strange.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collection of short stories from the author who wrote all the Anno Dracula books. However, only one of them is part of that series and the rest were stories featuring people such as Jack the Ripper, The Invisible Man and Frankenstein's Monster. I'm sorry to say that I found most of the stories rather boring and hard to get through so I only enjoyed a couple of them.

[Pietro · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable collection of tales. I hope Mr Newman takes as much pleasure in writing these as his audience do in reading them. As ever it is a joy to discover the allusions and references that glitter throughout his work, and I cannot disguise my glee that Drusilla makes a guest appearance alongside Genevieve.

[Jamie Henderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some fun, some a little slow. Often the stories spend so much time introducing us to so many characters to make sure that we get that they are real fictional characters that I felt almost exasperated. The stories, when you get to them, are often pretty fun. The last story made me want to press on with the novels, though. And I thought the screen plays were especially surprising.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book sitting on our bookshelves that I thought would be fitting for the Halloween season. Not all short stories gelled with me as it’s not exactly my kind of genre. Nevertheless, it was refreshing to read something different. I was kind of intrigued by the Anno Dracula excerpt at the end....though not enough to go read it in its entirety.

[Tom Elliot · Rating 3 out of 5]

The collection is quite hit and miss, but generally I think I enjoy Newman's short stories more than his long-form fiction. Perhaps the medium affords him fewer of the indulgences that tend to unfocus his longer writing.

Particular favourites from this collection include 'Famous Monsters', 'Amerikanski Dead at the Moscow Morgue', and 'Übermensch!'.

[Theresa Berg · Rating 3 out of 5]

The short stories throughout this compendium are a hit and miss mix. Sometimes the narrating is evenly paced and a wonderful idea that one could easily see becoming a full length novel, others a feverish block of text you have to read between the lines rather than directly in order to make sense of it. I've definitely seen more fulfilling collections