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The Sea of Blood
In THE SEA OF BLOOD Reggie Oliver, winner of the 2012 Children of the Night Award for Supernatural Fiction, brings together the finest stories from six collections and some which have not been published before.A long-dead nun with a fatal gift for prophecy comes to you across a sea of blood.…A TV reality show host uncovers the true identity of Jack the Ripper.…A great Shakespearean actor is haunted by his former mistress in the shape of an all-too-affectionate cat…A terribly strange meeting takes place between an officer on leave from the WWI trenches and his former headmaster…An aristocrat with a curious haunted room has the tables turned on him.…A theatrical landlady has her house taken over by a troupe of midgets.…A Pantomime Horse is haunted…The Devil and the Seven Deadly Sins go on holiday to a seaside resort.…And many other equally strange and terrible events, all told in Oliver’s famously elegant and evocative style.
408 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2015
4 people are currently reading
422 people want to read
About the author
Reggie Oliver
160 books128 followersReggie Oliver is a stage actor and playwright. His biography of Stella Gibbons was praised as “a triumph” by Hilary Spurling in the Daily Telegraph, his play Winner Takes All, was described as “the funniest evening in London”, by Michael Billington in The Guardian, and his adaptation of Hennequin and Delacour’s Once Bitten opened at the Orange Tree Theatre in London in December 2010.
He is the author of four highly-praised volumes of short fiction: The Dreams of Cardinal Vittorini (Haunted River 2003), The Complete Symphonies of Adolf Hitler (Haunted River 2005), Masques of Satan (Ash Tree 2007), and Madder Mysteries (Ex Occidente 2009). His stories have appeared in over 25 anthologies and, for the third year running, one of his stories appears in The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror, the most widely read and popular of contemporary horror anthologies.
He is the author of four highly-praised volumes of short fiction: The Dreams of Cardinal Vittorini (Haunted River 2003), The Complete Symphonies of Adolf Hitler (Haunted River 2005), Masques of Satan (Ash Tree 2007), and Madder Mysteries (Ex Occidente 2009). His stories have appeared in over 25 anthologies and, for the third year running, one of his stories appears in The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror, the most widely read and popular of contemporary horror anthologies.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 16, 2010
I made the cover.
Want to read
July 27, 2015This is book number 47 of 200 copies signed and numbered by Reggie Oliver.
Read
January 3, 2016Man, it shows how long since I have been fully active on Goodreads that I never marked this book as being finished. It has been too long for me to muster a complete review of it, but I posted a review of it on my blog, of sorts, which I will shorten for here.
As I read through Reggie Oliver's The Sea of Blood—a survey anthology of many of his major tales plus a few new ones—I started out with the new stories and posted micro-reviews of them on Twitter, with the hashtag #SeaOfBlood [though obvious, it made for some odd bedfellows since many of the other tweets with that hashtag are either dedicated to the show Hannibal or to real life tragedies]. Then, after finishing those, I went back and read the "older" stories, some of which I have read before, and continued the trend. This worked well up until a dentist appointment gave me a chance to read several stories at once, and my rhythm got off, so I had several backlogged and decided to just get them all out, here, rather than over a week or so on Twitter.
"Beside the Shrill Sea" is, shockingly, a Reggie Oliver story about a sea-side repertory troupe. Characterizations fine. #SeaOfBlood [Doug's Note: actually the fifth or sixth review in post order, hence why it feels a little in media res.]
"The Dreams of Cardinal Vittorini", I believe R. Oliver's first, is still an effective take on a non-mythos cult. Worth reading. #SeaOfBlood
R. Oliver's "The Blue Room" is the gentlest comeuppance-for-date-rape tale I have read. Mind-boggingly so. #SeaOfBlood
"Bloody Bill" is interesting as a school yarn, but chief mystery is not the bloody apparition, rather the relationship. #SeaOfBlood
"Among the Tombs" is one of the rare Reggie Oliver stories that chilled my spine. Quite good. Also a bit much at end. #SeaOfBlood
"The Skins" is another repertory actor tale, more disturbing for Peggy's desperation (and the costumes) than the actual spook. #SeaOfBlood
"The Time of Blood" has a great sense of strange with its menstrual revelations, though is perhaps too precise in prophecy. #SeaOfBlood
"The Constant Rake" would have made a perfectly good story about academic processes and betrayal without the tacked on horror. #SeaOfBlood
From the old man's beastly crawling out the window to the infuriating dialogue, "Lapland Nights" is Oliver channelling Cambpell. #SeaOfBlood
Though well written, the only thing remarkable about "Puss Cat" is the vague hint of confession at the end. #SeaOfBlood
The name of "Mr. Poo-Poo" backseats to implications of marital rape. Does not require its vision of hell to chill, but it helps. #SeaOfBlood
"The Old Silence" is better served by its fractured relationships and odd turns than by its haunting, which is serviceable. #SeaOfBlood
"A Donkey at the Mysteries" is one of my favorite of Oliver's, strange in the best of ways (and a nod to Aickman's dark wine). #SeaOfBlood
Hard to see "Baskerville's Midgets", even with scenes of horror added (one effective), as anything but achondroplasiaphobia. #SeaOfBlood
"Mrs. Midnight" continues to be my favorite Oliver, though the conversational tone at the start gives way to narrative, a flaw. #SeaOfBlood
"Minos or Rhadamanthus" is a Twilight Zone of a story about the tediums of eternal punishment, though its twist actually works. #SeaOfBlood
"Flowers of the Sea" perhaps oversteps at the end, but in doing so becomes the premiere story about the horrors of dementia. #SeaOfBlood
"Come Into My Parlour" feels like a story meant to feel like a story (see: cobwebs line). Veg*n librarians make poor villains. #SeaOfBlood
"Holiday from Hell" is quite arch by Reggie Oliver standards, but I kind of like it. Not new to the collection, but first I've read it. [Doug's Note: this is the second one reviewed and like the first, "The Rooms are High", below, lacks the hashtag, I tightened up after this in many ways.]
On another new story from Reggie Oliver's #SeaOfBlood. "Druid's Rest" is like an inverted analog to "The Trains", with a bit of crossover.
"Absalom" is a epistolatory story that, like the best, hides much of its sting in gentle layers. Cloth is a reference I missed. #SeaOfBlood
Reggie Oliver's "The Rooms Are High" is an intriguing cipher. Probably about sex. Probably.
Heh, Reggie Oliver's "Trouble at Botathan" requires homework to fully understand it (have to look up other stories). #SeaOfBlood
If I had to pick five favorites from the collection, it would be "The Dreams of Cardinal Vittrioni", "Among the Tombs", "A Donkey at the Mysteries", "Mrs. Midnight", and "Holiday from Hell". Read those five, and you will see the bits about Reggie Oliver I like the most. Of course, I do not have to pick just five, but life is arbitrary, by and large.
As I read through Reggie Oliver's The Sea of Blood—a survey anthology of many of his major tales plus a few new ones—I started out with the new stories and posted micro-reviews of them on Twitter, with the hashtag #SeaOfBlood [though obvious, it made for some odd bedfellows since many of the other tweets with that hashtag are either dedicated to the show Hannibal or to real life tragedies]. Then, after finishing those, I went back and read the "older" stories, some of which I have read before, and continued the trend. This worked well up until a dentist appointment gave me a chance to read several stories at once, and my rhythm got off, so I had several backlogged and decided to just get them all out, here, rather than over a week or so on Twitter.
"Beside the Shrill Sea" is, shockingly, a Reggie Oliver story about a sea-side repertory troupe. Characterizations fine. #SeaOfBlood [Doug's Note: actually the fifth or sixth review in post order, hence why it feels a little in media res.]
"The Dreams of Cardinal Vittorini", I believe R. Oliver's first, is still an effective take on a non-mythos cult. Worth reading. #SeaOfBlood
R. Oliver's "The Blue Room" is the gentlest comeuppance-for-date-rape tale I have read. Mind-boggingly so. #SeaOfBlood
"Bloody Bill" is interesting as a school yarn, but chief mystery is not the bloody apparition, rather the relationship. #SeaOfBlood
"Among the Tombs" is one of the rare Reggie Oliver stories that chilled my spine. Quite good. Also a bit much at end. #SeaOfBlood
"The Skins" is another repertory actor tale, more disturbing for Peggy's desperation (and the costumes) than the actual spook. #SeaOfBlood
"The Time of Blood" has a great sense of strange with its menstrual revelations, though is perhaps too precise in prophecy. #SeaOfBlood
"The Constant Rake" would have made a perfectly good story about academic processes and betrayal without the tacked on horror. #SeaOfBlood
From the old man's beastly crawling out the window to the infuriating dialogue, "Lapland Nights" is Oliver channelling Cambpell. #SeaOfBlood
Though well written, the only thing remarkable about "Puss Cat" is the vague hint of confession at the end. #SeaOfBlood
The name of "Mr. Poo-Poo" backseats to implications of marital rape. Does not require its vision of hell to chill, but it helps. #SeaOfBlood
"The Old Silence" is better served by its fractured relationships and odd turns than by its haunting, which is serviceable. #SeaOfBlood
"A Donkey at the Mysteries" is one of my favorite of Oliver's, strange in the best of ways (and a nod to Aickman's dark wine). #SeaOfBlood
Hard to see "Baskerville's Midgets", even with scenes of horror added (one effective), as anything but achondroplasiaphobia. #SeaOfBlood
"Mrs. Midnight" continues to be my favorite Oliver, though the conversational tone at the start gives way to narrative, a flaw. #SeaOfBlood
"Minos or Rhadamanthus" is a Twilight Zone of a story about the tediums of eternal punishment, though its twist actually works. #SeaOfBlood
"Flowers of the Sea" perhaps oversteps at the end, but in doing so becomes the premiere story about the horrors of dementia. #SeaOfBlood
"Come Into My Parlour" feels like a story meant to feel like a story (see: cobwebs line). Veg*n librarians make poor villains. #SeaOfBlood
"Holiday from Hell" is quite arch by Reggie Oliver standards, but I kind of like it. Not new to the collection, but first I've read it. [Doug's Note: this is the second one reviewed and like the first, "The Rooms are High", below, lacks the hashtag, I tightened up after this in many ways.]
On another new story from Reggie Oliver's #SeaOfBlood. "Druid's Rest" is like an inverted analog to "The Trains", with a bit of crossover.
"Absalom" is a epistolatory story that, like the best, hides much of its sting in gentle layers. Cloth is a reference I missed. #SeaOfBlood
Reggie Oliver's "The Rooms Are High" is an intriguing cipher. Probably about sex. Probably.
Heh, Reggie Oliver's "Trouble at Botathan" requires homework to fully understand it (have to look up other stories). #SeaOfBlood
If I had to pick five favorites from the collection, it would be "The Dreams of Cardinal Vittrioni", "Among the Tombs", "A Donkey at the Mysteries", "Mrs. Midnight", and "Holiday from Hell". Read those five, and you will see the bits about Reggie Oliver I like the most. Of course, I do not have to pick just five, but life is arbitrary, by and large.
February 9, 2019
A real mixture here, quite a few with a theatrical theme.
There are some chilling tales with startling imagery and a lot of black comedy. In fact a passage in one of the stories 'Lapland Nights' made me laugh so much my neighbours asked me the next day if I was alright.
There are some chilling tales with startling imagery and a lot of black comedy. In fact a passage in one of the stories 'Lapland Nights' made me laugh so much my neighbours asked me the next day if I was alright.
January 7, 2016
"The Sea of blood" is a collection of previous published short stories and a few new ones. They are all of high quality and show why Reggie Oliver is a master of dark fiction/horror. The stories are well crafted and powerful. Highly recommended.
I got this book through a Goodreads Giveaway.
I got this book through a Goodreads Giveaway.
January 22, 2016
I was pleasantly surprised by The Sea of Blood. I had never read anything by Reggie Oliver before and must admit I knew nothing of this author. The title of this collection of short stories and the cover art led me to suspect they would perhaps be of a graphic, visceral nature. I am not a great fan of the Splatterpunk genre of horror fiction, and I feared that is where this book would tend. I could not have been more wrong.
The Sea of Blood is a collection of intelligent, extremely well written stories that dance around elements of the supernatural with a subtlety and ambiguousness that leaves the reader with much to ponder. To be sure, there are ghosts here, and other manner of strangeness, but they are presented in a way that stirs disquiet and apprehension, rather than outright fright.
There is much more to these stories than what is on the surface, and I must admit to a sense of failure at times in truly grasping the allegorical and symbolic content. Even so, I loved the challenge they presented, and even taken at face value these are interesting stories, one and all.
There is imagery here that will linger long after you have finished this book; not of monsters and gore, but of things beyond the veil of this world. If the former is what you are after, I don’t think The Sea of Blood will be to your liking. If you like erudite, angst-filled stories that make you think, this collection is not to be missed.
The Sea of Blood is a collection of intelligent, extremely well written stories that dance around elements of the supernatural with a subtlety and ambiguousness that leaves the reader with much to ponder. To be sure, there are ghosts here, and other manner of strangeness, but they are presented in a way that stirs disquiet and apprehension, rather than outright fright.
There is much more to these stories than what is on the surface, and I must admit to a sense of failure at times in truly grasping the allegorical and symbolic content. Even so, I loved the challenge they presented, and even taken at face value these are interesting stories, one and all.
There is imagery here that will linger long after you have finished this book; not of monsters and gore, but of things beyond the veil of this world. If the former is what you are after, I don’t think The Sea of Blood will be to your liking. If you like erudite, angst-filled stories that make you think, this collection is not to be missed.
February 28, 2023
Oliver, Reggie - The Sea Of Blood
Packed sampler containing many of Mr. Oliver’s best works, recommended primarily to North Americans curious about him.
This is weird fiction at its best.
Tales unpleasant and unexpected balanced with many that are steeped in black humor.
Quite a few more circle around the theatrical sphere. Yarns of touring actors, rotten houses, hangers on.
Readers of M.R. James will be on familiar ground and should enjoy.
Packed sampler containing many of Mr. Oliver’s best works, recommended primarily to North Americans curious about him.
This is weird fiction at its best.
Tales unpleasant and unexpected balanced with many that are steeped in black humor.
Quite a few more circle around the theatrical sphere. Yarns of touring actors, rotten houses, hangers on.
Readers of M.R. James will be on familiar ground and should enjoy.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews