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Dark Screams: Volume Six
Stephen King, Lisa Morton, Nell Quinn-Gibney, Norman Prentiss, Joyce Carol Oates, and Tim Curran plunge readers into the dark side in this deeply unsettling short-story collection curated by legendary horror editors Brian James Freeman and Richard Chizmar. THE OLD DUDE’S TICKER by Stephen King Richard Drogan has been spooked ever since he came back from Nam, but he’s no head case, dig? He just knows the old dude needs to die. THE RICH ARE DIFFERENT by Lisa Morton Even though she made her name revealing the private lives of the rich and famous, Sara Peck has no idea how deep their secrets really go . . . or the price they’ll pay to get what they desire. THE MANICURE by Nell Quinn-Gibney A trip to the nail salon is supposed to be relaxing. But as the demons of the past creep closer with every clip, even the most serene day of pampering can become a nightmare. THE COMFORTING VOICE by Norman Prentiss It’s a little strange how baby Lydia can only be soothed by her grandfather’s unnatural voice, ravaged by throat cancer. The weirdest part? What he’s saying is more disturbing than how he says it. THE SITUATIONS by Joyce Carol Oates There are certain lessons children must learn, rules they must follow, scars they must bear. No lesson is more important than Never question Daddy. Or else. THE CORPSE KING by Tim Curran Grave robbers Kierney and Clow keep one step ahead of the law as they ply their ghoulish trade, but there’s no outrunning a far more frightening enemy that hungers for the dead. Praise for the Dark Screams series “A wicked treat [featuring] . . . some of the genre’s best.”—Hellnotes, on Volume One “Five fun-to-read stories by top-notch horror scribes. How can you lose? The you can’t.”—Atomic Fangirl, on Volume Two “If you have not tried the series yet, do yourself a favor and grab a copy of any (or all) of the books for yourself.”—Examiner.com, on Volume Three “Fans of horror of every variety will find something to love in these pages.”—LitReactor, on Volume Four “[Volume Five] runs the gamut from throwback horror to lyrical and heartbreaking tales.”—Publishers Weekly
161 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 25, 2017
223 people are currently reading
384 people want to read
About the author
Stephen King
2,393 books888k followersStephen Edwin King was born the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his father left them when Stephen was two, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Parts of his childhood were spent in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father's family was at the time, and in Stratford, Connecticut. When Stephen was eleven, his mother brought her children back to Durham, Maine, for good. Her parents, Guy and Nellie Pillsbury, had become incapacitated with old age, and Ruth King was persuaded by her sisters to take over the physical care of them. Other family members provided a small house in Durham and financial support. After Stephen's grandparents passed away, Mrs. King found work in the kitchens of Pineland, a nearby residential facility for the mentally challenged.
Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS. He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.
He met Tabitha Spruce in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University, where they both worked as students; they married in January of 1971. As Stephen was unable to find placement as a teacher immediately, the Kings lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loan and savings, with an occasional boost from a short story sale to men's magazines.
Stephen made his first professional short story sale ("The Glass Floor") to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men's magazines. Many were gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.
In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching English at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.
Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS. He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.
He met Tabitha Spruce in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University, where they both worked as students; they married in January of 1971. As Stephen was unable to find placement as a teacher immediately, the Kings lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loan and savings, with an occasional boost from a short story sale to men's magazines.
Stephen made his first professional short story sale ("The Glass Floor") to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men's magazines. Many were gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.
In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching English at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.
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January 30, 2020
This is a collection of six short stories by different authors, the only one I was familiar with is obviously Stephen King. The first story is by king and is a spin on tell tall heart by poe but with a Vietnam vet in the 70's. That one wasn't so bad, I much prefer the original story and I thought King was a little heavy on the slang, every second paragraph the character went dig it. The second short story by Lisa Morton was the only one I really enjoyed out of the whole collection, it follows an author who writes a fictional book critiquing the life of the rich who gets to meet one of the billionaires she based the book on as she finds out just how different the rich really are. The only thing about this one was that . The third story the manicure was about someone getting a manicure who can't bear the feeling of anything at the fingertips and that one just didn't do it for me at all. I didn't get into it, the whole time I was just like wow okay that's cool why are you getting a manicure then and the ending was super confusing, but I think it's meant to be that way. The comforting voice was better than the manicure, it was about how baby Lydia only calmed down when she heard her grandfathers voice but my only problem is . The last story was about grave diggers trying to stay ahead of the law but getting caught up in something even worse. That one was the longest and I'm not sure why I was really bored reading it, the whole idea of something coming to torment them after they die wasn't scary to me, and I wasn't feeling sympathetic towards the characters for some reason. All in all not a really great collection of short stories in my opinion but the writing wasn't bad and maybe someone who likes horror more than I do would enjoy this more as well.
April 17, 2017
4.5 stars!
Dark Screams: Volume Six was the best installment of this series so far! My favorites this time around were from the lesser known authors, most especially Tim Curran, who deserves to be as famous as Stephen King.
Tim Curran's The Corpse King was easily the best story, in my book. Being novella length, Mr. Curran got to do what he does best, which is putting his imagination to work, side by side with his knowledge of history. The result is this nasty, disgusting, and fun story about grave-robbers and what things, (other than corpses), might be waiting for them down below. A resounding 5 stars with applause!
Norman Prentiss' The Comforting Voice was a beautifully told story about baby Lydia and how she loves the sound of her grampa's voice. But what happens when grampa passes away? You'll have to read this to find out. 5 FAT stars!
The Rich Are Different by Lisa Morton was a nice story, but for me, lacked a good punch. Plus, the insta-love, (a term I learned from my romance-loving friends), didn't really work for me. It was still a cool premise though. 3.5 stars!
I liked King's story, The Old Dude's Ticker. It had that feel of a classic SK story, and that's always a good thing. 3 stars!
Overall, this anthology was above average, and I highly recommend it, especially if these stories sound interesting to you. There's something here for every type of horror lover, and it's rare that a collection have such a wide range of appeal.
*Thanks to NetGalley and to Hydra for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. This is it!*
Dark Screams: Volume Six was the best installment of this series so far! My favorites this time around were from the lesser known authors, most especially Tim Curran, who deserves to be as famous as Stephen King.
Tim Curran's The Corpse King was easily the best story, in my book. Being novella length, Mr. Curran got to do what he does best, which is putting his imagination to work, side by side with his knowledge of history. The result is this nasty, disgusting, and fun story about grave-robbers and what things, (other than corpses), might be waiting for them down below. A resounding 5 stars with applause!
Norman Prentiss' The Comforting Voice was a beautifully told story about baby Lydia and how she loves the sound of her grampa's voice. But what happens when grampa passes away? You'll have to read this to find out. 5 FAT stars!
The Rich Are Different by Lisa Morton was a nice story, but for me, lacked a good punch. Plus, the insta-love, (a term I learned from my romance-loving friends), didn't really work for me. It was still a cool premise though. 3.5 stars!
I liked King's story, The Old Dude's Ticker. It had that feel of a classic SK story, and that's always a good thing. 3 stars!
Overall, this anthology was above average, and I highly recommend it, especially if these stories sound interesting to you. There's something here for every type of horror lover, and it's rare that a collection have such a wide range of appeal.
*Thanks to NetGalley and to Hydra for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. This is it!*
July 31, 2017
This was one of the easiest, yet most unsatisfying 1-star ratings I've ever given a book. I love horror anthologies. I own a million (okay, more like thirty) of them in assorted formats and they're just such a fun way to spend an evening for me. When I really want to enjoy one, I do what I did with this book, and I wait to read it until it's late at night and everyone else is asleep and the house is quiet, just for maximum impact.
Didn't help.
I'm gonna break this one down by story, because... well, why not?
THE OLD DUDE'S TICKER by Stephen King ➳➳ ★★★★☆
A horror anthology starting with King? Should be a good sign, right? King prefaced the story by explaining this one was an old, unpublished short of his from the 70s. It's a slightly humorous retelling of The Telltale Heart, which is one of my favorite Poe pieces, so I had fun with this one.
THE RICH ARE DIFFERENT by Lisa Morton ➳➳ ★★★☆☆
This one was... okay? It tells the story of an author who meets this bizarre rich family she wrote a book about, and ends up falling in deep with one of the men of the house, and shit gets kind of weird. I wasn't wild about it, but I liked the writing.
THE MANICURE by Nell Quinn-Gibney ➳➳ ★★☆☆☆
I read this one twice because I was so freaking confused by the ending. It starts off with serious potential and this weird sense of dread that makes you simultaneously eager to learn the ending, and dreading what is to come... and then, what? Nothing happens. I'm not kidding. I literally read it again just to see if I had missed an important detail - I hadn't.
THE COMFORTING VOICE by Norman Prentiss ➳➳ ★★☆☆☆
Another one with a decent style, but subpar plot. A baby can only be soothed by her mean old grandpa, and after he dies, her dad has to mock his words to get her to stop crying. This one was honestly just a bit traumatic and sad, but I certainly didn't understand how it got into a horror anthology.
THE SITUATIONS by Joyce Carol Oates ➳➳ ★☆☆☆☆
To be fair, I knew going into this story that I wouldn't like it, because I am not much of a JCO fan. It was horribly sad, kittens were murdered, and none of it made any sense. It felt pointless and I, again, found myself wondering how it "belonged" in the collection.
THE CORPSE KING by Tim Curran ➳➳ ★☆☆☆☆
YOU GUYS. THIS. STORY. This story ruined any chance the book had of a 2-star rating. You know how, typically, every story in an anthology is of a similar length? That makes sense, right? RIGHT? Well, not to this editor, apparently. I felt like the other stories were only even included to give the editor an excuse to get this tale out to the world without it being in a book of its own. It literally takes up the last 55-60% of the book by itself and it was so incredibly slow and boring that I ended up skimming the majority of it. I would have just DNFd, but... you know... I kept expecting there to be more stories after it. Nah.
I'm sorry, but I can safely say I will never pick up another Dark Screams collection. I honestly wouldn't recommend these to anyone.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hydra for granting me an ARC of this book! All opinions expressed here are my own.
Didn't help.
I'm gonna break this one down by story, because... well, why not?
THE OLD DUDE'S TICKER by Stephen King ➳➳ ★★★★☆
A horror anthology starting with King? Should be a good sign, right? King prefaced the story by explaining this one was an old, unpublished short of his from the 70s. It's a slightly humorous retelling of The Telltale Heart, which is one of my favorite Poe pieces, so I had fun with this one.
THE RICH ARE DIFFERENT by Lisa Morton ➳➳ ★★★☆☆
This one was... okay? It tells the story of an author who meets this bizarre rich family she wrote a book about, and ends up falling in deep with one of the men of the house, and shit gets kind of weird. I wasn't wild about it, but I liked the writing.
THE MANICURE by Nell Quinn-Gibney ➳➳ ★★☆☆☆
I read this one twice because I was so freaking confused by the ending. It starts off with serious potential and this weird sense of dread that makes you simultaneously eager to learn the ending, and dreading what is to come... and then, what? Nothing happens. I'm not kidding. I literally read it again just to see if I had missed an important detail - I hadn't.
THE COMFORTING VOICE by Norman Prentiss ➳➳ ★★☆☆☆
Another one with a decent style, but subpar plot. A baby can only be soothed by her mean old grandpa, and after he dies, her dad has to mock his words to get her to stop crying. This one was honestly just a bit traumatic and sad, but I certainly didn't understand how it got into a horror anthology.
THE SITUATIONS by Joyce Carol Oates ➳➳ ★☆☆☆☆
To be fair, I knew going into this story that I wouldn't like it, because I am not much of a JCO fan. It was horribly sad, kittens were murdered, and none of it made any sense. It felt pointless and I, again, found myself wondering how it "belonged" in the collection.
THE CORPSE KING by Tim Curran ➳➳ ★☆☆☆☆
YOU GUYS. THIS. STORY. This story ruined any chance the book had of a 2-star rating. You know how, typically, every story in an anthology is of a similar length? That makes sense, right? RIGHT? Well, not to this editor, apparently. I felt like the other stories were only even included to give the editor an excuse to get this tale out to the world without it being in a book of its own. It literally takes up the last 55-60% of the book by itself and it was so incredibly slow and boring that I ended up skimming the majority of it. I would have just DNFd, but... you know... I kept expecting there to be more stories after it. Nah.
I'm sorry, but I can safely say I will never pick up another Dark Screams collection. I honestly wouldn't recommend these to anyone.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hydra for granting me an ARC of this book! All opinions expressed here are my own.
April 22, 2017
DARK SCREAMS Volume Six, edited by Brian James Freeman and Richard Chizmar is one of my favorite Volumes in the Dark Screams series. This collection of five stories and one novella contain tales of vastly different themes and styles. From Stephen King's variation on Poe's "Tell-Tale Heart" ("The Old Dude's Ticker"), to pagan gods, modern technology made malevolent, and a breathtakingly brutal historical fiction piece, each of these tales will strike fear and discomfort in the reader on some level.
Personal favorites of mine included Norman Prentiss' "The Comforting Voice"--this one simply got more unsettling as it went on, and that final sentence . . . shudder! Another five star story, in my opinion, was Lisa Morton's "The Rich Are Different"--a pagan "fairy tale" that puts a real twist on the privileges of having wealth; a gothic-style story in a "modern" setting. My number one favorite would have to be Tim Curran's novella, "The Corpse King". This was a magnificently detailed piece of historical fiction that morphs into something only Tim Curran could conceive of. The dark humor, bleak atmosphere, squalid town, and utterly chilling events, conspire to bring two grave robbers in contact with that which was once thought to be only an imaginary creature of the night . . .
A strong collection of tales to add to the Dark Screams series.
Highly Recommended!
Personal favorites of mine included Norman Prentiss' "The Comforting Voice"--this one simply got more unsettling as it went on, and that final sentence . . . shudder! Another five star story, in my opinion, was Lisa Morton's "The Rich Are Different"--a pagan "fairy tale" that puts a real twist on the privileges of having wealth; a gothic-style story in a "modern" setting. My number one favorite would have to be Tim Curran's novella, "The Corpse King". This was a magnificently detailed piece of historical fiction that morphs into something only Tim Curran could conceive of. The dark humor, bleak atmosphere, squalid town, and utterly chilling events, conspire to bring two grave robbers in contact with that which was once thought to be only an imaginary creature of the night . . .
A strong collection of tales to add to the Dark Screams series.
Highly Recommended!
April 17, 2017
Dark Screams: Volume Six is a collection of five short stories and one longer one (Tim Curran). As usual, I liked some more than others.
The Old Dude's Ticker by Stephen King opens the collection. It was written in the '70s and rejected and King decided not to change anything. It is a modern take on Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart and no, it's not a spoiler since King himself tells you all about it before the story starts. You have your war veteran and the PTSD, his victim and go from there.
The Rich are Different by Lisa Morton is an interesting blend of mythology and horror with a dash of insta-love romance.
The Manicure by Nell Quinn-Gibney makes you sit through a manicure session while the customer remembers various things from her past. The ending is a bit underwhelming.
The Comforting Voice by Norman Prentiss is anything but comforting. It made me furious, but not because it's bad. The story is great and the impression it leaves is strong. A couple with a crying baby realises that the only thing that makes her calm is her grandfather's mechanical voice. Considering the fact that the man was a horrible father (an understatement), it's no wonder the husband isn't happy about it.
The way this story ends is perfect in an evil sort of way.
The Situations by Joyce Carol Oates is not really a story that has a beginning, middle and the end. It's more of a collection of various horrible and weird situations where Daddy shows he knows best. Occasional why is allowed, but only sometimes.
The Corpse King by Tim Curran is the longest story here and it follows Clow and Kierney, two grave-robbers. It takes place after what happened with Burke and Hare, but the trade was still on-going. The imagery of the slums, the graveyards, the corpses these two find and either deliver right away or 'preserve in their own way, the people and their lives in Edinburgh in the nineteenth century is pretty great. However, a couple of times the story switches into this lecturing mode as if you're reading an essay on resurrectionists instead of the usual Clow's point of view.
These two aren't superstitious but one night even they had to admit that something other is out there under the ground.
My favourite two are The Corpse King and The Comforting Voice.
ARC received from Random House Publishing Group - Hydra via NetGalley
The Old Dude's Ticker by Stephen King opens the collection. It was written in the '70s and rejected and King decided not to change anything. It is a modern take on Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart and no, it's not a spoiler since King himself tells you all about it before the story starts. You have your war veteran and the PTSD, his victim and go from there.
The Rich are Different by Lisa Morton is an interesting blend of mythology and horror with a dash of insta-love romance.
The Manicure by Nell Quinn-Gibney makes you sit through a manicure session while the customer remembers various things from her past. The ending is a bit underwhelming.
The Comforting Voice by Norman Prentiss is anything but comforting. It made me furious, but not because it's bad. The story is great and the impression it leaves is strong. A couple with a crying baby realises that the only thing that makes her calm is her grandfather's mechanical voice. Considering the fact that the man was a horrible father (an understatement), it's no wonder the husband isn't happy about it.
The way this story ends is perfect in an evil sort of way.
The Situations by Joyce Carol Oates is not really a story that has a beginning, middle and the end. It's more of a collection of various horrible and weird situations where Daddy shows he knows best. Occasional why is allowed, but only sometimes.
The Corpse King by Tim Curran is the longest story here and it follows Clow and Kierney, two grave-robbers. It takes place after what happened with Burke and Hare, but the trade was still on-going. The imagery of the slums, the graveyards, the corpses these two find and either deliver right away or 'preserve in their own way, the people and their lives in Edinburgh in the nineteenth century is pretty great. However, a couple of times the story switches into this lecturing mode as if you're reading an essay on resurrectionists instead of the usual Clow's point of view.
These two aren't superstitious but one night even they had to admit that something other is out there under the ground.
My favourite two are The Corpse King and The Comforting Voice.
ARC received from Random House Publishing Group - Hydra via NetGalley
April 23, 2017
Chizmar and Freeman put together another good collection of shorts in the latest volume of the Dark Screams series. Volume 6.
My favorite story (and by far the longest in the collection) was THE CORPSE KING by Tim Curran. Couldn’t ask for a much better theme for Curran to let loose on than grave robbing ghoulies. Strangely enough, he may have even restrained himself a bit. A Curran classic.
The other story that really caught my eye was THE MANICURE by Nell Quinn-Gibney, an author that I have not heard of before. Unique, weird and very well written. The ending left me a bit wanting, but I think this author has promise and am looking forward to checking out more of her work.
Really the only one that didn’t work for me was THE SITUATIONS by Joyce Carol Oates. It was technically written very well, but the story wasn’t realized at all and left me scratching my head wondering wtf.
Oh yeah. There was a Stephen King in here to. Always good to have the King in these collections and I really enjoyed this earlier work of his. Prentiss and Morton also turned in solid efforts and I liked both of their entries as well. Overall, a nice collection from Dark Screams. 3.5+ Stars rounded up to 4.
*I received an advance review copy of this release from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
My favorite story (and by far the longest in the collection) was THE CORPSE KING by Tim Curran. Couldn’t ask for a much better theme for Curran to let loose on than grave robbing ghoulies. Strangely enough, he may have even restrained himself a bit. A Curran classic.
The other story that really caught my eye was THE MANICURE by Nell Quinn-Gibney, an author that I have not heard of before. Unique, weird and very well written. The ending left me a bit wanting, but I think this author has promise and am looking forward to checking out more of her work.
Really the only one that didn’t work for me was THE SITUATIONS by Joyce Carol Oates. It was technically written very well, but the story wasn’t realized at all and left me scratching my head wondering wtf.
Oh yeah. There was a Stephen King in here to. Always good to have the King in these collections and I really enjoyed this earlier work of his. Prentiss and Morton also turned in solid efforts and I liked both of their entries as well. Overall, a nice collection from Dark Screams. 3.5+ Stars rounded up to 4.
*I received an advance review copy of this release from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 15, 2017
My favorite so far out of the Dark Screams series, Volume Six delivers the goods. I knew I had to have it when I saw the lineup of some of my favorite authors, including Stephen King and Tim Curran. I had been meaning to read Joyce Carol Oates and was not disappointed.
I honestly loved 4/5 stories which is pretty high for an anthology for me.
The Old Dude's Ticker by Stephen King: So although I appreciate the 70's lingo, my only gripe with this one was the amount of times he asks 'can you dig' - yes, I can. One of King's more amusing stories in my opinion, it was a great opener.
The Rich Are Different by Lisa Morton: This is probably one of my favorite stories by her and I have read a couple books and a short story collection previously. An eyeful into the life of the rich and famous will leave you wanting more and I would very much like to see more into this particular world.
The Manicure by Nell Quinn-Gibney: My least favorite of the bunch, I liked the premise but the story and ending fell flat for me.
The Comforting Voice by Norman Prentiss: This is one of my favorite stories from Norman. I can still hear the voice in my head and particularly enjoyed the ending.
The Situations by Joyce Carol Oates: Daddy decides how it ends. No, really, if there is one parent that you don't want to upset, it's Daddy.
The Corpse King by Tim Curran: Can I just tell you how much I loved this? I have the limited edition sitting on my shelf but had not gotten around to reading it. Very 'Graveworm' in its presentation, this is one sick story that I think is a perfect ending to this collection and one that I'm glad to own. I freaking love Tim Curran and his ability to creep the crap out of me on a consistent basis.
If you haven't read Dark Screams, I highly recommend that you start and since they are mini-anthologies, I would start with this one. It was a fast read for me that I enjoyed immensely.
I received a copy of this from Random House-Hydra and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I honestly loved 4/5 stories which is pretty high for an anthology for me.
The Old Dude's Ticker by Stephen King: So although I appreciate the 70's lingo, my only gripe with this one was the amount of times he asks 'can you dig' - yes, I can. One of King's more amusing stories in my opinion, it was a great opener.
The Rich Are Different by Lisa Morton: This is probably one of my favorite stories by her and I have read a couple books and a short story collection previously. An eyeful into the life of the rich and famous will leave you wanting more and I would very much like to see more into this particular world.
The Manicure by Nell Quinn-Gibney: My least favorite of the bunch, I liked the premise but the story and ending fell flat for me.
The Comforting Voice by Norman Prentiss: This is one of my favorite stories from Norman. I can still hear the voice in my head and particularly enjoyed the ending.
The Situations by Joyce Carol Oates: Daddy decides how it ends. No, really, if there is one parent that you don't want to upset, it's Daddy.
The Corpse King by Tim Curran: Can I just tell you how much I loved this? I have the limited edition sitting on my shelf but had not gotten around to reading it. Very 'Graveworm' in its presentation, this is one sick story that I think is a perfect ending to this collection and one that I'm glad to own. I freaking love Tim Curran and his ability to creep the crap out of me on a consistent basis.
If you haven't read Dark Screams, I highly recommend that you start and since they are mini-anthologies, I would start with this one. It was a fast read for me that I enjoyed immensely.
I received a copy of this from Random House-Hydra and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 21, 2017
Release Date: 04.25.17
This was my first Dark Screams collection, but it certainly won't be my last. Color me impressed!
While I wasn't particularly scared by any of these stories, most of them do deal with dark themes and toe the line between natural and unnatural. They range in voice and style, obviously, as the six stories were written by different authors.
I think my personal favorite was 'The Manicure,' by Nell Quinn-Gibney, a brief and haunting story about childhood traumas and phobias that come back in adulthood. Another standout is Norman Prentiss' 'The Comforting Voice,' which might have made me tear up a little.
The stories here are sublime, for the most part. I felt my attention wandering during 'The Corpse King' and I wasn't impressed with Stephen King's 'The Old Dude's Ticker' — an old Poe pastiche that should have stayed in the drawer. My favorite author contributed my least favorite story in Dark Screams. Bummer.
I am very impressed with this collection, and will certainly check out past editions of this series.
Thanks to Netgalley and Hydra for the ARC, which was given in exchange for an honest review.
This was my first Dark Screams collection, but it certainly won't be my last. Color me impressed!
While I wasn't particularly scared by any of these stories, most of them do deal with dark themes and toe the line between natural and unnatural. They range in voice and style, obviously, as the six stories were written by different authors.
I think my personal favorite was 'The Manicure,' by Nell Quinn-Gibney, a brief and haunting story about childhood traumas and phobias that come back in adulthood. Another standout is Norman Prentiss' 'The Comforting Voice,' which might have made me tear up a little.
The stories here are sublime, for the most part. I felt my attention wandering during 'The Corpse King' and I wasn't impressed with Stephen King's 'The Old Dude's Ticker' — an old Poe pastiche that should have stayed in the drawer. My favorite author contributed my least favorite story in Dark Screams. Bummer.
I am very impressed with this collection, and will certainly check out past editions of this series.
Thanks to Netgalley and Hydra for the ARC, which was given in exchange for an honest review.
April 6, 2017
Dark Screams 1 & 2 were fun. 6 lives up to that. Very nice line up of authors, although Oates still does nothing for me, but at least her entry's brief, and an interesting selection. No rhyme or reason to it thematically, just horror. Starts off with a NAME, but the story itself is no more than a short oddity for a devoted fan, an early entry in the canon, 70s pastiche to Poe. Then a Beauty and a Beast gothic romance/erotica story from Morton. Eye roll at the chosen genre, but well done for what it is. Next up is a genuinely creepy tale that'll make you think twice about something as normal as hand beauty treatment, by an author I haven't heard of before. Prentiss delivers once again, a story of parenting with a twist. And last, but not least, and taking up about half of the volume is Tim Curran's Corpse King, a novella of grave robbery set in the utterly disgusting and filthy late 18th century Edinburgh. Curran's the author I find tends to get carried away with drawing out horrific imagery to the detriment of the plot development, but here he maintained the balance nicely. Which isn't to say the imagery isn't there, it is, plenty of. All told, nice collection, quick read, good spooky tales for a rainy afternoon. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.
April 13, 2017
THE OLD DUDE’S TICKER by Stephen King was originally printed in Cavalier Magazine and is one this Constant Reader has never read. I loved this glimpse back to the beginning of his career and only wish there were more.
THE RICH ARE DIFFERENT by Lisa Morton is a wonderfully engaging horror-love story. Lisa never disappoints - I always look for new anthologies containing her stories.
THE MANICURE by Nell Quinn-Gibney portrays a woman with a phobia. But the ending fell flat.
THE COMFORTING VOICE by Norman Prentiss is a marvelously well crafted slide down the slippery slope to madness. Norman's characters always come to life, but none more so than those in this short tale.
THE SITUATIONS by Joyce Carol Oates was new to me and a surprise to be in a horror collection. I thought she wrote mysteries. And the story was a mystery to me and detracted from an otherwise exceptional collection.
THE CORPSE KING by Tim Curran is Tim at his ghoulish best. It is however, a reprint, so Curran fans will have already read this. New? It's a great place to pick up an author that is a true horror master. I have to admit with my backlog of reading I had never read this and loved it.
And a shout-out to Kealan Patrick Burke for making kick-ass covers! He's remade the first five book covers and is doing the next (??). Love them, Kealan.
Overall, I rated DS6 4 stars and recommend that everyone try it. I received my copy from the publisher at Hydra.
THE RICH ARE DIFFERENT by Lisa Morton is a wonderfully engaging horror-love story. Lisa never disappoints - I always look for new anthologies containing her stories.
THE MANICURE by Nell Quinn-Gibney portrays a woman with a phobia. But the ending fell flat.
THE COMFORTING VOICE by Norman Prentiss is a marvelously well crafted slide down the slippery slope to madness. Norman's characters always come to life, but none more so than those in this short tale.
THE SITUATIONS by Joyce Carol Oates was new to me and a surprise to be in a horror collection. I thought she wrote mysteries. And the story was a mystery to me and detracted from an otherwise exceptional collection.
THE CORPSE KING by Tim Curran is Tim at his ghoulish best. It is however, a reprint, so Curran fans will have already read this. New? It's a great place to pick up an author that is a true horror master. I have to admit with my backlog of reading I had never read this and loved it.
And a shout-out to Kealan Patrick Burke for making kick-ass covers! He's remade the first five book covers and is doing the next (??). Love them, Kealan.
Overall, I rated DS6 4 stars and recommend that everyone try it. I received my copy from the publisher at Hydra.
April 6, 2017
For me, the absolute stars of this compilation are "The Rich Are Different" by Lisa Morton in which a writer accepts an invitation to a birthday party from a very wealthy and very different sort of fan.
"The Comforting Voice" by Norman Prentiss offers no comfort at all. In fact it set my teeth on edge and made my skin crawl, in the most delightful ways. Josh and Cheryl are new parents, which under the best of circumstances would be an uncomfortable time to take in a sickly relative. When the new baby has constant fits of inconsolable crying, and the relative is your estranged and abusive father-in-law, it's about as comforting as nails on a chalkboard. This tale had my anxiety levels through the roof and I loved it. These two stories alone are worth more than the cost of admission. 5 stars to both.
"The Corpse King" by Tim Curran is the longest story in this collection. It's a creepy tale of best buddies and grave robbers Kierney and Clow who find that not everything under the ground is lifeless. 4 stars
"The Manicure" by Nell Quinn-Gibney Has me eyeing my nail scissors distrustfully while I consider buying one of those as seen on tv doodads that files them instead. Another solid 4 stars.
"The Situations" by Joyce Carol Oates is one I have read previously in another collection and though I like much of her work this one just didn't quite do it for me then or now. 3 stars
"The Old Dude's Ticker" by Stephen King is a 1970s version of the Tell Tale Heart by Poe. Sometimes the classics are best left alone. It was ok, but not one of King's best efforts. 3 stars.
All in all this is a good collection of sinister stories that are certain to jangle your nerves.
I received an advance copy for review
"The Comforting Voice" by Norman Prentiss offers no comfort at all. In fact it set my teeth on edge and made my skin crawl, in the most delightful ways. Josh and Cheryl are new parents, which under the best of circumstances would be an uncomfortable time to take in a sickly relative. When the new baby has constant fits of inconsolable crying, and the relative is your estranged and abusive father-in-law, it's about as comforting as nails on a chalkboard. This tale had my anxiety levels through the roof and I loved it. These two stories alone are worth more than the cost of admission. 5 stars to both.
"The Corpse King" by Tim Curran is the longest story in this collection. It's a creepy tale of best buddies and grave robbers Kierney and Clow who find that not everything under the ground is lifeless. 4 stars
"The Manicure" by Nell Quinn-Gibney Has me eyeing my nail scissors distrustfully while I consider buying one of those as seen on tv doodads that files them instead. Another solid 4 stars.
"The Situations" by Joyce Carol Oates is one I have read previously in another collection and though I like much of her work this one just didn't quite do it for me then or now. 3 stars
"The Old Dude's Ticker" by Stephen King is a 1970s version of the Tell Tale Heart by Poe. Sometimes the classics are best left alone. It was ok, but not one of King's best efforts. 3 stars.
All in all this is a good collection of sinister stories that are certain to jangle your nerves.
I received an advance copy for review
June 2, 2017
There were some really great short stories in here. My favorite was The Manicure by Nell Quinn-Gibney. I tried looking up the author but couldn't find anything else by her! Please write more!! The Comforting Voice was also a very memorable and creepy story. The one that surprised me the most though, was the longest in the bunch, The Corpse King. It's like Burke & Hare meets Perfume: The Story of a Murderer. The author, Tim Curran, is an incredible writer and super descriptive in his writing.
May 3, 2017
Copy furnished by Net Galley for the price of a review.
The Old Dude's Ticker by Stephen King.
The King pays homage to Edgar Alan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart". The eye still has it, as the heart beats on. ***
The Rich Are Different by Lisa Morton.
Lust takes on monstrous implications. ***
The Manicure by Nell Quinn-Gibney
An obsession with fingers, especially the nails. Cutting them, picking at them. Can't let them get too long. **
The Comforting Voice by Norman Prentiss
A wee baby's wailing can only be quieted by her grandfather's voice. Find out what happens when he can no longer speak to her. Dark, skewed, and original. ****
The Situations by Joyce Carol Oates
Couldn't connect with this one at all. *
The Corpse King by Tim Curran
Set in the days of sin-eaters and resurrectionists, the filth and stink of the streets takes on a life of its own. Of rot and worms and all things foul, smell the reek of rotting teeth and chamber pots emptied on the cobblestones. The market for teeth, bones, and hair is thriving, but the competition is keen. ****
The Old Dude's Ticker by Stephen King.
The King pays homage to Edgar Alan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart". The eye still has it, as the heart beats on. ***
The Rich Are Different by Lisa Morton.
Lust takes on monstrous implications. ***
The Manicure by Nell Quinn-Gibney
An obsession with fingers, especially the nails. Cutting them, picking at them. Can't let them get too long. **
The Comforting Voice by Norman Prentiss
A wee baby's wailing can only be quieted by her grandfather's voice. Find out what happens when he can no longer speak to her. Dark, skewed, and original. ****
The Situations by Joyce Carol Oates
Couldn't connect with this one at all. *
The Corpse King by Tim Curran
Set in the days of sin-eaters and resurrectionists, the filth and stink of the streets takes on a life of its own. Of rot and worms and all things foul, smell the reek of rotting teeth and chamber pots emptied on the cobblestones. The market for teeth, bones, and hair is thriving, but the competition is keen. ****
November 19, 2017
I received an advance copy of this book from Cemetery Dance (thanks, Brian) through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Old Dude’s Ticker by Stephen King
Early King. So early, in fact, that it was rejected when submitted for publication if we can even imagine a time period when that could happen. For me it was interesting as an insight into King’s unpolished and raw voice and also clearly shows where he was drawing inspiration (Gogol—a icon of Russian literature who wrote great horror stories, and of course Poe). Pretty much a direct homage of The Tell-Tale Heart.
The Rich are Different by Lisa Morton
I immediately thought of F. Scott Fitzerald because of the title and wow, this is a dark turn on that concept. The phrase comes from Fitzgerald’s The Rich Boy—a novella that works as a sort of dress rehearsal for The Great Gatsby. Well, in Morton’s story the rich are not just different in thoughts and point of view—they are not even fully human. I really enjoyed this story.
The Manicure by Nell Quinn-Gibney
While I was reading this I felt that this story was all about the structure in a “this little piggy” progression. I enjoyed it and it was very well written, but more of a psychological study than a horror story.
The Comforting Voice by Norman Prentiss
While not a horror story, this is a very strong and deeply moving story. Incredibly dark yet on one level at the same time very touching story about how we change as we age and how where we find comfort can be both surprising and redemptive at the same time. The character of the aging and sick father/grandfather was particularly well drawn.
The Corpse King by Tim Curran
You either like Tim Curran or you run screaming away from him. There really isn’t a middle ground. On the positive side, this drop down the rabbit hole into Victorian Edinburgh with two resurrectionists is so complete that you can practically smell and feel this awful environment. Curran has done his homework, even to the point of correct regional and period accurate slang. The only reason I know is that I was so impressed that I looked some of it up—which is always a sign that a historical story is high quality. Some will dislike the story precisely because of its accuracy—which is overwhelmingly dark and outright disgusting at times, although given the theme how could it be otherwise? I found myself a bit numbed by this story eventually, even while I appreciated the accuracy and the gallows humor of these two close friends engaged in the most unsavory of professions.
The Old Dude’s Ticker by Stephen King
Early King. So early, in fact, that it was rejected when submitted for publication if we can even imagine a time period when that could happen. For me it was interesting as an insight into King’s unpolished and raw voice and also clearly shows where he was drawing inspiration (Gogol—a icon of Russian literature who wrote great horror stories, and of course Poe). Pretty much a direct homage of The Tell-Tale Heart.
The Rich are Different by Lisa Morton
I immediately thought of F. Scott Fitzerald because of the title and wow, this is a dark turn on that concept. The phrase comes from Fitzgerald’s The Rich Boy—a novella that works as a sort of dress rehearsal for The Great Gatsby. Well, in Morton’s story the rich are not just different in thoughts and point of view—they are not even fully human. I really enjoyed this story.
The Manicure by Nell Quinn-Gibney
While I was reading this I felt that this story was all about the structure in a “this little piggy” progression. I enjoyed it and it was very well written, but more of a psychological study than a horror story.
The Comforting Voice by Norman Prentiss
While not a horror story, this is a very strong and deeply moving story. Incredibly dark yet on one level at the same time very touching story about how we change as we age and how where we find comfort can be both surprising and redemptive at the same time. The character of the aging and sick father/grandfather was particularly well drawn.
The Corpse King by Tim Curran
You either like Tim Curran or you run screaming away from him. There really isn’t a middle ground. On the positive side, this drop down the rabbit hole into Victorian Edinburgh with two resurrectionists is so complete that you can practically smell and feel this awful environment. Curran has done his homework, even to the point of correct regional and period accurate slang. The only reason I know is that I was so impressed that I looked some of it up—which is always a sign that a historical story is high quality. Some will dislike the story precisely because of its accuracy—which is overwhelmingly dark and outright disgusting at times, although given the theme how could it be otherwise? I found myself a bit numbed by this story eventually, even while I appreciated the accuracy and the gallows humor of these two close friends engaged in the most unsavory of professions.
August 30, 2024
I don’t usually read horror stories, but I was attracted to Dark Screams: volume 6 by the names of the editor (Stephen King) and one of the contributors. The King story was dated and noticeably inferior to his familiar work. The Oates story I’d looked forward to began with a homeless kitten, and for me it ended there - I know Oates well enough to expect that horrible things will happen to her characters, and even though I’m more of a childless dog* kind of lady I did not want to read about the fate in store for the live animal. The final story is really a novelette written in the words and style of the era of Burke and Hare. If I’d been willing to go through that many pages of that sort of writing I’d’ve finished Wolfe Hall.
So the bottom line is that I don’t usually read horror stories and thus do not know/care enough about them to rate this collection.
* I’ve seen to it that all my dogs have been childless, however. There are already more dogs (and cats!) than there are people who love them. It is irresponsible to add to that number.
So the bottom line is that I don’t usually read horror stories and thus do not know/care enough about them to rate this collection.
* I’ve seen to it that all my dogs have been childless, however. There are already more dogs (and cats!) than there are people who love them. It is irresponsible to add to that number.
April 11, 2017
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Here's the interesting part. I've been a fan of this serious since the first book and each volume gets better with each release. As a kid, I loved buying books like these because it allowed you explore other writers that you may not be familiar with, or maybe you've wanted to check them out, but wasn't exactly sure. Either way, volume six is packed with great talent including Stephen King, and interestingly Joyce Carol Oates who isn't really known for horror, or maybe she is and I just missed it.
Volume six of the Dark Screams series is yet another solid collection that continues to remain a must read collection. If you're a horror fan, or someone who is just getting into horror this is a great place to start. Each story connects well, and it's short enough so you don't spend most of your time picking through hoping to find a decent story. This is a collection that features some of the best in horror fiction and builds upon what makes this series so damn good. It's the talent they feature, and they keep it short enough so it doesn't become bogged down with mediocrity. If you find yourself in a volume of Dark Screams, you're talented and will no doubt be featured with legends.
Volume six of the Dark Screams series is yet another solid collection that continues to remain a must read collection. If you're a horror fan, or someone who is just getting into horror this is a great place to start. Each story connects well, and it's short enough so you don't spend most of your time picking through hoping to find a decent story. This is a collection that features some of the best in horror fiction and builds upon what makes this series so damn good. It's the talent they feature, and they keep it short enough so it doesn't become bogged down with mediocrity. If you find yourself in a volume of Dark Screams, you're talented and will no doubt be featured with legends.
May 29, 2017
The Old Dude's Ticker (Stephen King)
Easily the worst story by King I remember reading. The obsessive repetition of the "dig it" phrase really grated my nerves, though I understand that it was one way to describe the guy's way of thinking. The plot itself was OK, but nothing special. *
The Rich Are Different (Lisa Morton)
Though definitely a bit corny, I really enjoyed this story as some light entertainment. ***
The Manicure (Nell Quinn-Gibney)
It was OK but not remarkably so, and it seems I already forgot most of it. **
The Comforting Voice (Norman Prentiss)
My favorite story in this collection, it describes a very normal nightmare situation each parent can relate to. I loved the weird idea the author presented to solve the 'problem'. ****
The Situations (Joyce Carol Oates)
I'm still a bit confused what the author wanted to tell me, but I liked the dark feeling the story created. **
The Corpse King (Tim Curran)
This was a novella-sized story, which IMHO could have been condensed to a short story. Lots of repetitive chapters and descriptions of the poor and dirty life people of that time had to master, but which did nothing to push the story on. Especially the dialogues in their poor attempt to be funny soon became boring and I was glad every time talking was relieved by action. **
So far, this is my least favorite part of the series, but I'm sure things will get better with the next volume.
(Thanks to Netgalley, the authors, and the publisher for a copy of the book, all opinions are my own)
Easily the worst story by King I remember reading. The obsessive repetition of the "dig it" phrase really grated my nerves, though I understand that it was one way to describe the guy's way of thinking. The plot itself was OK, but nothing special. *
The Rich Are Different (Lisa Morton)
Though definitely a bit corny, I really enjoyed this story as some light entertainment. ***
The Manicure (Nell Quinn-Gibney)
It was OK but not remarkably so, and it seems I already forgot most of it. **
The Comforting Voice (Norman Prentiss)
My favorite story in this collection, it describes a very normal nightmare situation each parent can relate to. I loved the weird idea the author presented to solve the 'problem'. ****
The Situations (Joyce Carol Oates)
I'm still a bit confused what the author wanted to tell me, but I liked the dark feeling the story created. **
The Corpse King (Tim Curran)
This was a novella-sized story, which IMHO could have been condensed to a short story. Lots of repetitive chapters and descriptions of the poor and dirty life people of that time had to master, but which did nothing to push the story on. Especially the dialogues in their poor attempt to be funny soon became boring and I was glad every time talking was relieved by action. **
So far, this is my least favorite part of the series, but I'm sure things will get better with the next volume.
(Thanks to Netgalley, the authors, and the publisher for a copy of the book, all opinions are my own)
May 10, 2017
Not the best of the series which was provided by Net Galley for an honest review. I was disappointed this this installment as a whole, mostly with the story by Stephen King, if you can believe that. I have included a story description from the website with my comments below each.
THE OLD DUDE’S TICKER by Stephen King
Richard Drogan has been spooked ever since he came back from Nam, but he’s no head case, dig? He just knows the old dude needs to die.
This is an homage to the Tell Tale Heart as we find out in the author's own words. The story was written about 40 years ago and it shows. The maturity level of the writer is not as finely honed as we have come to expect and what we have is a story that is a bad copy of what it is trying to emulate. It seems to be almost a laughable parody.
THE RICH ARE DIFFERENT by Lisa Morton
Even though she made her name revealing the private lives of the rich and famous, Sara Peck has no idea how deep their secrets really go . . . or the price they’ll pay to get what they desire.
Creepy little story with an original flair.
THE MANICURE by Nell Quinn-Gibney
A trip to the nail salon is supposed to be relaxing. But as the demons of the past creep closer with every clip, even the most serene day of pampering can become a nightmare.
Nasty story and I loved it. Very weird but it worked well.
THE COMFORTING VOICE by Norman Prentiss
It’s a little strange how baby Lydia can only be soothed by her grandfather’s unnatural voice, ravaged by throat cancer. The weirdest part? What he’s saying is more disturbing than how he says it.
Twisted little story, made me take notice of Prentiss and will look for some of his titles now.
THE SITUATIONS by Joyce Carol Oates
There are certain lessons children must learn, rules they must follow, scars they must bear. No lesson is more important than this: Never question Daddy. Or else.
A very odd story, and this one stayed with me because of something the Daddy does early on in the story. There is a message albeit a really harsh one that will resonate with the reader.
THE CORPSE KING by Tim Curran
Grave robbers Kierney and Clow keep one step ahead of the law as they ply their ghoulish trade, but there’s no outrunning a far more frightening enemy that hungers for the dead.
A novella that completes this volume we have a period piece from the late 1800's with two unsavory characters who run into some interesting situations. There is some nice dialogue and great descriptions but it seems to fall flat for me.
All in all, I believe this was a weak installment in this series, but I thank Net Galley for the chance to read it anyway.
THE OLD DUDE’S TICKER by Stephen King
Richard Drogan has been spooked ever since he came back from Nam, but he’s no head case, dig? He just knows the old dude needs to die.
This is an homage to the Tell Tale Heart as we find out in the author's own words. The story was written about 40 years ago and it shows. The maturity level of the writer is not as finely honed as we have come to expect and what we have is a story that is a bad copy of what it is trying to emulate. It seems to be almost a laughable parody.
THE RICH ARE DIFFERENT by Lisa Morton
Even though she made her name revealing the private lives of the rich and famous, Sara Peck has no idea how deep their secrets really go . . . or the price they’ll pay to get what they desire.
Creepy little story with an original flair.
THE MANICURE by Nell Quinn-Gibney
A trip to the nail salon is supposed to be relaxing. But as the demons of the past creep closer with every clip, even the most serene day of pampering can become a nightmare.
Nasty story and I loved it. Very weird but it worked well.
THE COMFORTING VOICE by Norman Prentiss
It’s a little strange how baby Lydia can only be soothed by her grandfather’s unnatural voice, ravaged by throat cancer. The weirdest part? What he’s saying is more disturbing than how he says it.
Twisted little story, made me take notice of Prentiss and will look for some of his titles now.
THE SITUATIONS by Joyce Carol Oates
There are certain lessons children must learn, rules they must follow, scars they must bear. No lesson is more important than this: Never question Daddy. Or else.
A very odd story, and this one stayed with me because of something the Daddy does early on in the story. There is a message albeit a really harsh one that will resonate with the reader.
THE CORPSE KING by Tim Curran
Grave robbers Kierney and Clow keep one step ahead of the law as they ply their ghoulish trade, but there’s no outrunning a far more frightening enemy that hungers for the dead.
A novella that completes this volume we have a period piece from the late 1800's with two unsavory characters who run into some interesting situations. There is some nice dialogue and great descriptions but it seems to fall flat for me.
All in all, I believe this was a weak installment in this series, but I thank Net Galley for the chance to read it anyway.
April 11, 2017
DARK SCREAMS:VOLUME SIX BY BRIAN JAMES FREEMAN . I LOVE a good horror story! And DARK SCREAMS gives the reader a selection of short stories written by the famous and not so famous writers. Starting with Stephen King's "THE DUDE'S TICKER) to a novella styled story you have a good variety of stories. If truth to tell, my favorite story here is "THE RICH ARE DIFFERENT" by Lisa Morton.
I recieved this book free from netgalley in exchange for a review.
I recieved this book free from netgalley in exchange for a review.
April 25, 2017
A well put together anthology. The stories all felt like they belonged in this book, but also varied enough that I didn't feel like I was reading similar variations of the same story. The first and last story were the type of horror I'm familiar with, but everything in the middle wasn't what I would traditionally think of as horror. They fit though and it was fun getting exposure to the types of stories I might not normally pick up.
The Old Dude's Ticker by Stephen King
Tells the story of a man back from war who appears to be suffering from PTSD and decides someone has to die. Quick and enjoyable read. It's shared at the start how the story ends, but Stephen King creates an atmosphere where I want to know why and how we reach the conclusion. It's obvious Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart was the inspiration for this story, but it also feels original; a new telling of a classic tale.
The Rich Are Different by Lisa Morton
A woman who wrote a book about the life of the rich is invited to a party at her subjects' house. Started out as something I thought I wouldn't like. The characters and theme weren't for me, a story about a writer writing about rich people? Once the story got started I thought I knew where it was heading... the rich people are actually monsters or transform into monsters and the protagonist would be trapped at the house. However, it took and unexpected turn and the rich people weren't the same monsters I was expecting.. The rich *are* different, but not how you'd expect.
The Manicure by Nell Quinn-Gibney
A woman who's afraid of people touching or cutting her nails gets a manicure. While each nail is cut she reminisces about events around her phobia. Kept waiting for the story to surprise me and pick up speed, but it never really did. The ending wasn't all that surprising or satisfying.
The Comforting Voice by Norman Prentiss
A couple invite the wife's estranged, but supposedly reformed, father to stay with them. When the couple has a new born that won't stop crying they turn to the grandfather for help. Compelling story. I don't have kids, but I was still able to empathize with the father. The characters were well written and despite the short format I still felt an emotional attachment. I wasn't really sure where the story was going (in a good way) so was always a little on edge. I like that we only really ever see the father in law and wife through the husband's eyes. It's not the horror story I'm used to but it was a satisfying read.
The Situations by Joyce Carol Oates
Broken up into three parts. Parts I and III are about three children on a drive with their father. It was well written, but the kitten killing was a bit upsetting and I feel like there's a point or moral that I'm not getting.
The Corpse King by Tim Curran
Longest story and takes up a little over half the book (started at 41% on my kindle). It tells the story of two grave-robbers that make a living stealing and then selling corpses. They hear a tale of a Corpse King that hunts the burial grounds feasting on corpses and any unlucky souls who happen to be digging in graves when it comes to feed. Undeterred, they continue to do their work in the lucrative burial grounds. While the Corpse King is the main narrative thread, most of the text was devoted to the two main characters. Through them we learn a lot about what it's like to be an impoverished person in the city at that time. Their work, grave-robbing, the city, the people that live their, and what happens on a day to day basis is described in vivid detail. It was fun, but I kept feeling like it was a side track from the main narrative; I kept wanting to get back to and learn more about the Corpse King! You do eventually, but it seemed rushed considering the length of the story. Overall I liked it and am glad I finished it, but I wish the story was expanded so more time could be devoted to the Corpse King or shorter and more focused on the main characters and their interaction with the Corpse King.
The Old Dude's Ticker by Stephen King
Tells the story of a man back from war who appears to be suffering from PTSD and decides someone has to die. Quick and enjoyable read. It's shared at the start how the story ends, but Stephen King creates an atmosphere where I want to know why and how we reach the conclusion. It's obvious Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart was the inspiration for this story, but it also feels original; a new telling of a classic tale.
The Rich Are Different by Lisa Morton
A woman who wrote a book about the life of the rich is invited to a party at her subjects' house. Started out as something I thought I wouldn't like. The characters and theme weren't for me, a story about a writer writing about rich people? Once the story got started I thought I knew where it was heading... the rich people are actually monsters or transform into monsters and the protagonist would be trapped at the house. However, it took and unexpected turn and the rich people weren't the same monsters I was expecting.. The rich *are* different, but not how you'd expect.
The Manicure by Nell Quinn-Gibney
A woman who's afraid of people touching or cutting her nails gets a manicure. While each nail is cut she reminisces about events around her phobia. Kept waiting for the story to surprise me and pick up speed, but it never really did. The ending wasn't all that surprising or satisfying.
The Comforting Voice by Norman Prentiss
A couple invite the wife's estranged, but supposedly reformed, father to stay with them. When the couple has a new born that won't stop crying they turn to the grandfather for help. Compelling story. I don't have kids, but I was still able to empathize with the father. The characters were well written and despite the short format I still felt an emotional attachment. I wasn't really sure where the story was going (in a good way) so was always a little on edge. I like that we only really ever see the father in law and wife through the husband's eyes. It's not the horror story I'm used to but it was a satisfying read.
The Situations by Joyce Carol Oates
Broken up into three parts. Parts I and III are about three children on a drive with their father. It was well written, but the kitten killing was a bit upsetting and I feel like there's a point or moral that I'm not getting.
The Corpse King by Tim Curran
Longest story and takes up a little over half the book (started at 41% on my kindle). It tells the story of two grave-robbers that make a living stealing and then selling corpses. They hear a tale of a Corpse King that hunts the burial grounds feasting on corpses and any unlucky souls who happen to be digging in graves when it comes to feed. Undeterred, they continue to do their work in the lucrative burial grounds. While the Corpse King is the main narrative thread, most of the text was devoted to the two main characters. Through them we learn a lot about what it's like to be an impoverished person in the city at that time. Their work, grave-robbing, the city, the people that live their, and what happens on a day to day basis is described in vivid detail. It was fun, but I kept feeling like it was a side track from the main narrative; I kept wanting to get back to and learn more about the Corpse King! You do eventually, but it seemed rushed considering the length of the story. Overall I liked it and am glad I finished it, but I wish the story was expanded so more time could be devoted to the Corpse King or shorter and more focused on the main characters and their interaction with the Corpse King.
April 17, 2017
Brian James Freeman allowed me the opportunity to receive an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of Dark Screams: Volume One back in 2014 in exchange for an unbiased review. Thankfully, he didn’t hate it and continued to allow me the amazing opportunity to receive and review the four volumes that followed – and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.
Recently, Brian and Richard decided to continue the series – and again, I was lucky enough to be chosen to review ARCs.
Let me start by saying this: The Dark Screams series of books is a superb collection for those wanting to get their pallet wet in the horror genre. Brian and Richard choose a wide array of authors, some well-known, others, not so much. The stories are just as diverse; providing something for everyone.
Dark Screams: Volume Six doesn’t disappoint.
As usual with short stories, writing a review of each can be tricky in order to not give away too much, but I’ll try:
1) THE OLD DUDE’S TICKER by Stephen King – this is the only story in the book that has a forward by the author. Not only that, but King goes on to apologize for the story to both the reader and to Poe – from whom the story idea originated. This is Mr. King’s revised version of Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart. I enjoyed it, so no apology necessary.
2) THE RICH ARE DIFFERENT by Lisa Morton – If you’ve followed my reviews, you have heard the name Lisa Morton on more than one occasion. I enjoy her style and technique, and her stories are top notch in the genre. I read this story in Cemetery Dance magazine (Issue 74/75) in December and didn’t hesitate to reread it now. My reading time is very sparse, so I usually don’t reread things – especially not in such a short time span – but I enjoyed this one so much the first time, that I relished the opportunity to read it again. It really points out just what the obscenely rich are willing to pay to get what they want.
3) THE MANICURE by Nell Quinn-Gibney – This story is one of those psychological ones that on the surface doesn’t make sense, until you think about it. I can honestly say I’ve never had a manicure, and don’t think I’ll ever get one after reading this story.
4) THE COMFORTING VOICE by Norman Prentiss – Sorry, Lisa, but Norman’s story wins for being my favorite in this group. I enjoyed this story so much, that I actually found Mr. Prentiss on Facebook and wrote him a message telling him such. Baby Lydia screams, all the time at the top of her lungs, and there is nothing her parents can do to calm her. That is, until her grandfather talks to her using his electronic voice box (due to throat cancer). This hit home as my own daughter, due to colic, would do the same – and the only thing that soothed her was the sound of the vacuum cleaner. Because of that, this story was very relatable.
5) THE SITUATIONS by Joyce Carol Oates – OK, like I’ve said before, in every anthology there is bound to be one story that doesn’t resonate with you. This is the one for me in this collection. I found it to be confusing, disjointed, and just plain weird.
6) THE CORPSE KING by Tim Curran – and taking up more than half the book is this novella. I’ve never heard of this author, but I liked his style. This tells the tale of two grave robbers in Edinburgh, trying to stay one step ahead of the noose, but unable to outrun something more terrifying. This one was unbelievably creepy. Thanks to Mr. Curran’s talent for setting a scene, I had to take a long, hot shower after reading it, and then another just to make sure I was clean.
There you have it – another outstanding collection of stories from some very talented individuals. Don’t pass this one up.
Recently, Brian and Richard decided to continue the series – and again, I was lucky enough to be chosen to review ARCs.
Let me start by saying this: The Dark Screams series of books is a superb collection for those wanting to get their pallet wet in the horror genre. Brian and Richard choose a wide array of authors, some well-known, others, not so much. The stories are just as diverse; providing something for everyone.
Dark Screams: Volume Six doesn’t disappoint.
As usual with short stories, writing a review of each can be tricky in order to not give away too much, but I’ll try:
1) THE OLD DUDE’S TICKER by Stephen King – this is the only story in the book that has a forward by the author. Not only that, but King goes on to apologize for the story to both the reader and to Poe – from whom the story idea originated. This is Mr. King’s revised version of Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart. I enjoyed it, so no apology necessary.
2) THE RICH ARE DIFFERENT by Lisa Morton – If you’ve followed my reviews, you have heard the name Lisa Morton on more than one occasion. I enjoy her style and technique, and her stories are top notch in the genre. I read this story in Cemetery Dance magazine (Issue 74/75) in December and didn’t hesitate to reread it now. My reading time is very sparse, so I usually don’t reread things – especially not in such a short time span – but I enjoyed this one so much the first time, that I relished the opportunity to read it again. It really points out just what the obscenely rich are willing to pay to get what they want.
3) THE MANICURE by Nell Quinn-Gibney – This story is one of those psychological ones that on the surface doesn’t make sense, until you think about it. I can honestly say I’ve never had a manicure, and don’t think I’ll ever get one after reading this story.
4) THE COMFORTING VOICE by Norman Prentiss – Sorry, Lisa, but Norman’s story wins for being my favorite in this group. I enjoyed this story so much, that I actually found Mr. Prentiss on Facebook and wrote him a message telling him such. Baby Lydia screams, all the time at the top of her lungs, and there is nothing her parents can do to calm her. That is, until her grandfather talks to her using his electronic voice box (due to throat cancer). This hit home as my own daughter, due to colic, would do the same – and the only thing that soothed her was the sound of the vacuum cleaner. Because of that, this story was very relatable.
5) THE SITUATIONS by Joyce Carol Oates – OK, like I’ve said before, in every anthology there is bound to be one story that doesn’t resonate with you. This is the one for me in this collection. I found it to be confusing, disjointed, and just plain weird.
6) THE CORPSE KING by Tim Curran – and taking up more than half the book is this novella. I’ve never heard of this author, but I liked his style. This tells the tale of two grave robbers in Edinburgh, trying to stay one step ahead of the noose, but unable to outrun something more terrifying. This one was unbelievably creepy. Thanks to Mr. Curran’s talent for setting a scene, I had to take a long, hot shower after reading it, and then another just to make sure I was clean.
There you have it – another outstanding collection of stories from some very talented individuals. Don’t pass this one up.
June 23, 2017
DARK SCREAMS: VOLUME SIX won't take away the "Best of the Series" award from Volume Four but it is still a solid player. I would say that two of the stories were slightly disappointing but then the volume also included six stories instead of the usual five. Plus since one of the disappointing stories was an early unsold story by Stephen King, which kind of negates the negative aspect. Once again I like the smaller size of the volume; it allows me to finish it relatively fast though real life interruptions still made it too long. I've been reading some longer collections that are taking me forever to finish; I'm looking at you Stephen Jones and your MAMMOTH BOOK OF BEST NEW HORROR. Longer novels build that excitement and tension which helps to accelerate the reading during the second half of the book. Short stories, by definition, aren't going to get the length to build that acceleration. By the same token though, I can sample more flavors of authors with short stories than I can with a book by a single author. Anyway, I've digressed. Here are the stories of this volume in order of least favorite to most.
"The Manicure" by Nell Quinn-Gibney - While the story is pretty straight forward (woman with finger issues goes in for a manicure), there are many cringe-worthy moments during the telling. Times where you have been in a similar situation and either the pain happened for real or you feared that it would happen. Unfortunately it felt more like a collection of memories and not an engaging story.
"The Old Dude's Ticker" by Stephen King - The story itself didn't really pull me in. Maybe it was the seventies slang. Maybe it was not being able to identify with the main character. I don't know. However, what I did like was that Chizmar and Freeman allowed Stephen King to provide a Forward to the story. He talked briefly about what led to him writing the story which was pretty cool. I've always liked when authors tell a little about the inspiration behind the story.
"The Rich Are Different" by Lisa Morton - This was a good story but not a standout one. The mood and style were good but the story was a little too convenient at points. The different events happened a little too easily.p>
"The Situations" by Joyce Carol Oates - This was one of those stories where the topic is dark and the character reprehensible but at the same time you can't look away. Like the daughters in the story, you hope for something happier and better to happen. Unfortunately this is what the father in the story wants too.
"The Comforting Voice" by Norman Prentiss - This was another dark story. This time though it was disguised as something much happier. As I was reading it, I was wondering where the story was going and where the horror was going to come in. Then after I was fully engaged in the character's life, I got to a part where I thought "Oh no, that's not a smart decision." Then almost immediately afterwards I went "Oh crap!" And then the other shoe dropped and the story ended. At first, I was left wanting a bit more. But then five minutes later, the story and the horror still hung with me. And then a few days later, it still hung with me. Prentiss ended it exactly right.
"The Corpse King" by Tim Curran - Curran benefited by having his story be novella length instead of just a short story. This let him really build out the world in his story and it shows. The amount of details he included in the story shows the research that he must have done. The world is disgusting and gross but realistic for grave-robbers in that time period.
"The Manicure" by Nell Quinn-Gibney - While the story is pretty straight forward (woman with finger issues goes in for a manicure), there are many cringe-worthy moments during the telling. Times where you have been in a similar situation and either the pain happened for real or you feared that it would happen. Unfortunately it felt more like a collection of memories and not an engaging story.
"The Old Dude's Ticker" by Stephen King - The story itself didn't really pull me in. Maybe it was the seventies slang. Maybe it was not being able to identify with the main character. I don't know. However, what I did like was that Chizmar and Freeman allowed Stephen King to provide a Forward to the story. He talked briefly about what led to him writing the story which was pretty cool. I've always liked when authors tell a little about the inspiration behind the story.
"The Rich Are Different" by Lisa Morton - This was a good story but not a standout one. The mood and style were good but the story was a little too convenient at points. The different events happened a little too easily.p>
"The Situations" by Joyce Carol Oates - This was one of those stories where the topic is dark and the character reprehensible but at the same time you can't look away. Like the daughters in the story, you hope for something happier and better to happen. Unfortunately this is what the father in the story wants too.
"The Comforting Voice" by Norman Prentiss - This was another dark story. This time though it was disguised as something much happier. As I was reading it, I was wondering where the story was going and where the horror was going to come in. Then after I was fully engaged in the character's life, I got to a part where I thought "Oh no, that's not a smart decision." Then almost immediately afterwards I went "Oh crap!" And then the other shoe dropped and the story ended. At first, I was left wanting a bit more. But then five minutes later, the story and the horror still hung with me. And then a few days later, it still hung with me. Prentiss ended it exactly right.
"The Corpse King" by Tim Curran - Curran benefited by having his story be novella length instead of just a short story. This let him really build out the world in his story and it shows. The amount of details he included in the story shows the research that he must have done. The world is disgusting and gross but realistic for grave-robbers in that time period.
December 14, 2019
Just finished this book a few minutes ago. That last story. Wow! It felt like I was there and I did not want to be. There meaning in 19th century Edinburgh.
Edinburgh was a leading European centre of anatomical study in the early 19th century, in a time when the demand for cadavers led to a shortfall in legal supply. Scottish law required that corpses used for medical research should only come from those who had died in prison, suicide victims, or from foundlings and orphans. The shortage of corpses led to an increase in body snatching by what were known as "resurrection men"
The story The Corpse King by Tim Curran was a really scary one. Just reading about the circumstances and how people lived back then made me be so happy that I did not live then (well I think I did not)
This was my first time reading something by Jim Curran and I am surprised I have never read anything by him. He is very good in making you feel you are there at the time.
Now let's get back in order.
The Old Dude's Ticker by Stephen King was a good sk story. short and sweet. okay short and mean is better.
The Rich are Different by Lisa Morton was another one I quite enjoyed although I thought it very unrealistic to fall in love so immensely so quickly .
The Manicure by Nell Quin-Gibney Was a good idea but could have been executed better.
The Comforting Voice by Norman Prentiss was great. Loved it. It makes me want to go back and read my old horror anthologies again.
The Situations by Joyce Carol Oates not a story for me because its about animals and their suffering or even the probability of that occurring made me speed read it.
Why does every anthology always has 1 not so good story. Thankfully that story was small so I am finally able to give the series a well deserved 5 stars.
Edinburgh was a leading European centre of anatomical study in the early 19th century, in a time when the demand for cadavers led to a shortfall in legal supply. Scottish law required that corpses used for medical research should only come from those who had died in prison, suicide victims, or from foundlings and orphans. The shortage of corpses led to an increase in body snatching by what were known as "resurrection men"
The story The Corpse King by Tim Curran was a really scary one. Just reading about the circumstances and how people lived back then made me be so happy that I did not live then (well I think I did not)
This was my first time reading something by Jim Curran and I am surprised I have never read anything by him. He is very good in making you feel you are there at the time.
Now let's get back in order.
The Old Dude's Ticker by Stephen King was a good sk story. short and sweet. okay short and mean is better.
The Rich are Different by Lisa Morton was another one I quite enjoyed although I thought it very unrealistic to fall in love so immensely so quickly .
The Manicure by Nell Quin-Gibney Was a good idea but could have been executed better.
The Comforting Voice by Norman Prentiss was great. Loved it. It makes me want to go back and read my old horror anthologies again.
The Situations by Joyce Carol Oates not a story for me because its about animals and their suffering or even the probability of that occurring made me speed read it.
Why does every anthology always has 1 not so good story. Thankfully that story was small so I am finally able to give the series a well deserved 5 stars.
April 11, 2017
The Dark Screams: Volume Six rolls like a summer rock festival, with an all-star line up of names including Stephen King, Tim Curran and Joyce Carol Oates.
Featuring a mix of new stories and reprints, it’s a solid collection of unsettling dark tales from six of the genre’s best.
Stephen King is the most prominent name on the bill, with a rare offcut from the early 1970s based on Poe’s The Telltale Heart. While his homage, The Old Dude’s Ticker is far from his best work, it’s a fascinating early read for aficionados and collectors.
Lisa Morton’s The Rich Are Different is up next. An amazing story of lust, passion and hidden secrets it's a tale that both tragic and chilling and one of the picks of the collection.
Likewise, Norman Prentiss’ The Comforting Voice taps into a subtle darkness of a parent’s fear, drawing horror from a loving father who would do anything to help his daughter. It’s a gut-punch of a story that leaves you to pick yourself up off the floor afterwards.
Neil Quinn-Gibney’s The Manicure is the most difficult story to place. An uncomfortable tale about nails and manicures, it's actually quite hard to get through thanks to its vivid imagery — a bit like nails on a chalkboard — which is no mean feat.
Tim Curran’s The Corpse King and Joyce Carol Oates The Situations are the other two reprints on offer.
The first, a fun period novella about a pair of grave robbers in nineteenth century London who confront a dark force, is a solid addition and a fun way to close out the book.
Oates tale is the collection’s only misfire — a mean spirited piece that seems to revel in the notion of being cruel for no reason. It’s a disappointing entry that is far from her best work.
Overall, though it's a short, sharp and well-priced collection that offers plenty of shivers for its buck.
Featuring a mix of new stories and reprints, it’s a solid collection of unsettling dark tales from six of the genre’s best.
Stephen King is the most prominent name on the bill, with a rare offcut from the early 1970s based on Poe’s The Telltale Heart. While his homage, The Old Dude’s Ticker is far from his best work, it’s a fascinating early read for aficionados and collectors.
Lisa Morton’s The Rich Are Different is up next. An amazing story of lust, passion and hidden secrets it's a tale that both tragic and chilling and one of the picks of the collection.
Likewise, Norman Prentiss’ The Comforting Voice taps into a subtle darkness of a parent’s fear, drawing horror from a loving father who would do anything to help his daughter. It’s a gut-punch of a story that leaves you to pick yourself up off the floor afterwards.
Neil Quinn-Gibney’s The Manicure is the most difficult story to place. An uncomfortable tale about nails and manicures, it's actually quite hard to get through thanks to its vivid imagery — a bit like nails on a chalkboard — which is no mean feat.
Tim Curran’s The Corpse King and Joyce Carol Oates The Situations are the other two reprints on offer.
The first, a fun period novella about a pair of grave robbers in nineteenth century London who confront a dark force, is a solid addition and a fun way to close out the book.
Oates tale is the collection’s only misfire — a mean spirited piece that seems to revel in the notion of being cruel for no reason. It’s a disappointing entry that is far from her best work.
Overall, though it's a short, sharp and well-priced collection that offers plenty of shivers for its buck.
July 3, 2017
Dark Screams (Volume Six) Edited by Brian James Freeman and Richard Chizmar
★★★★★ Five Star Collection!
"A collection of short stories which will leave your skin crawling." - Me
The Old Dude's Ticker by Stephen King
★★★★★
Are you a fan of Edgar Allen Poe? What if Poe was alive and well today? What would his famous stories be like? Stephen King writes his own interpretation of a Poe classic.
The Rich Are Different by Lisa Morton
★★★★★
Beauty and the Beast? With a mix of ancient myth, a rich family, and the poor fair maiden, Morton has created a terrifying love story, leaving you with an unsettling horror.
The Manicure by Nell Quinn-Gibney
★★★★
Metal nails on the chalkboard? Finger nails being ripped clean off? We all have our fears, but how far will your fear go to overtake your own sanity?
The Comforting Voice by Norma Prentiss
★★★
A new baby journies to our world all the while listening to her grandpa who speaks through an electronic voice box. The baby seems to cry randomly and nothing seems to sooth her except one thing: grandpa’s electronic voice.
The Situations by Joyce Carol Oates
★
Father knows best? Authority and power can be dangerous, terrifying weapons.
The Corpse King by Tim Curran
★★★★★
Grave robbing is not an easy job, but with a stinking childhood, two friends have to make a living somehow. There is little that scare thieves of the dead, but a rumor begins to circulate about a monster who haunts the North Burial Grounds. Believing it to be imaginations running wild or the effects of inhaling death’s putrid odors, the two friends adventure to the North Grounds because business is simply business. You will never want to enter a graveyard again after hearing this dear old tale.
Overall, it was worth the read! I read it in about a day or two!
★★★★★ Five Star Collection!
"A collection of short stories which will leave your skin crawling." - Me
The Old Dude's Ticker by Stephen King
★★★★★
Are you a fan of Edgar Allen Poe? What if Poe was alive and well today? What would his famous stories be like? Stephen King writes his own interpretation of a Poe classic.
The Rich Are Different by Lisa Morton
★★★★★
Beauty and the Beast? With a mix of ancient myth, a rich family, and the poor fair maiden, Morton has created a terrifying love story, leaving you with an unsettling horror.
The Manicure by Nell Quinn-Gibney
★★★★
Metal nails on the chalkboard? Finger nails being ripped clean off? We all have our fears, but how far will your fear go to overtake your own sanity?
The Comforting Voice by Norma Prentiss
★★★
A new baby journies to our world all the while listening to her grandpa who speaks through an electronic voice box. The baby seems to cry randomly and nothing seems to sooth her except one thing: grandpa’s electronic voice.
The Situations by Joyce Carol Oates
★
Father knows best? Authority and power can be dangerous, terrifying weapons.
The Corpse King by Tim Curran
★★★★★
Grave robbing is not an easy job, but with a stinking childhood, two friends have to make a living somehow. There is little that scare thieves of the dead, but a rumor begins to circulate about a monster who haunts the North Burial Grounds. Believing it to be imaginations running wild or the effects of inhaling death’s putrid odors, the two friends adventure to the North Grounds because business is simply business. You will never want to enter a graveyard again after hearing this dear old tale.
Overall, it was worth the read! I read it in about a day or two!
April 11, 2017
If you are a fan of the previous volumes of this eclectic series, DARK SCREAMS VOLUME SIX continues in the same tradition and cobbles together some of the biggest names in horror and dark fiction, such as Stephen King, Lisa Morton, Nell Quinn-Gibney, Norman Prentiss, Joyce Carol Oates, and Tim Curran. It’s edited by the dynamic duo of Cemetery Dance Publications, Richard Chizmar and Brian James Freeman, and they have collected some truly disturbing stories. It starts with King doing what he does best, with a short story, THE OLD DUDE’S TICKER (his take on Poe’s the “Tell-Tale Heart”) which gets the juices flowing, the heart a-beatin’. (No pun, oh why not, a pun for sure.) The torch is passed to Morton who delivers with a horrific twist on the old love story with THE RICH ARE DIFFERENT. Introspection can be deadly with Nell Quinn-Gibney’s THE MANICURE. Prentiss really knows how to grab you by the heartstrings and horrify you with THE COMFORTING VOICE. Some serious daddy issues abound in Joyce Carol Oates’s THE SITUATIONS. Last, but not least the novella, THE CORPSE KING by Tim Curran, is a slow-burn (or is it slow-dig) that takes you back to a simpler time when grave robbing was an interesting endeavor that deserved some serious hazard pay. Another excellent entry in the DARK SCREAMS series!
April 26, 2017
The Old Dude’s Ticker by Stephen King
This is one groovy short story. Can you dig it? It gets into your brain like the slapping of nightsticks hitting your palm. It is dated, but I liked the Vietnam era slang. This is a good retelling of Poe’s Tell-tale Heart.
The Rich are Different by Lisa Morton
This is an interesting tale of star-crossed lovers involving a reporter and the son of a cursed wealthy family. It’s a different take that I haven’t read before. I liked it a lot
The Manicure by Nell Quinn-Gibney
This is a weird story I think is the weakest of the bunch. For me, it is to disjointed and hard to understand.
The Comforting Voice by Norman Prentiss
I liked this story of how to soothe a baby and the dark twisted ending it has.
The Situations by Joyce Carol Oates
I think this is the shortest of the stories. I didn’t understand the ending so didn’t quite do it for me.
The Corpse King by Tim Curran
This is a novella that is half of the book. It is about the adventures of two gravediggers in 19th century Scotland and I believe is based on a child’s rhyme mentioned at the end.
Aye, it is a great piece of work me thinks. This story will make you appreciate my modern plumbing conveniences. I have always liked Curran’s stories, and this is a nasty little slice.
This is one groovy short story. Can you dig it? It gets into your brain like the slapping of nightsticks hitting your palm. It is dated, but I liked the Vietnam era slang. This is a good retelling of Poe’s Tell-tale Heart.
The Rich are Different by Lisa Morton
This is an interesting tale of star-crossed lovers involving a reporter and the son of a cursed wealthy family. It’s a different take that I haven’t read before. I liked it a lot
The Manicure by Nell Quinn-Gibney
This is a weird story I think is the weakest of the bunch. For me, it is to disjointed and hard to understand.
The Comforting Voice by Norman Prentiss
I liked this story of how to soothe a baby and the dark twisted ending it has.
The Situations by Joyce Carol Oates
I think this is the shortest of the stories. I didn’t understand the ending so didn’t quite do it for me.
The Corpse King by Tim Curran
This is a novella that is half of the book. It is about the adventures of two gravediggers in 19th century Scotland and I believe is based on a child’s rhyme mentioned at the end.
Aye, it is a great piece of work me thinks. This story will make you appreciate my modern plumbing conveniences. I have always liked Curran’s stories, and this is a nasty little slice.
April 28, 2017
Dark Screams: Volume Six is a horror short-story collection edited by Brian James Freeman and Richard Chizmar. This volume brings together some fabulous writers that include Tim Curran, Stephen King, Lisa Morton, Joyce Carol Oates, Norman Prentiss, and Neil Quinn-Gibney. Each story is its own universe and the various tales are not connected. The final story, The Corpse King by Tim Curran is more of a novella length and takes up the majority of the (short) book.
I had high hopes for this collection and I love horror. For the most part, unfortunately, these stories left me indifferent, which is the biggest horror of all. Stephen King is one of my favorites, and I found his contribution to be the worst of the bunch. Not scary, and the seventies lingo was completely overboard and distracting. The only story that created a sense of dread and actually made me feel something was The Comforting Voice by Norman Prentiss. This one was smart and creepy and worth the read. The Rich Are Different by Lisa Morton was probably my second favorite. It had some good sinister moments, but veered off into camp at times.
The majority of the book is taken up by The Corpse King by Tim Curran, so if you like it, you will probably have an overall positive evaluation of the book. I thought it started out interestingly enough. It’s a tale about two old-timey grave robbers and the real life and supernatural consequences that result from their chosen profession. However, it was not scary at all and I could not have cared less about what happened to them. On the positive side, there was some fun and snappy dialogue between the two main characters.
Ultimately, boredom is not what a good group of horror stories should make you feel. These are excellent writers, but this collection missed the mark for me. I am sure that there are some die hard fans out there that would disagree with me, so check it out for yourself if you are intrigued.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Hydra for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I had high hopes for this collection and I love horror. For the most part, unfortunately, these stories left me indifferent, which is the biggest horror of all. Stephen King is one of my favorites, and I found his contribution to be the worst of the bunch. Not scary, and the seventies lingo was completely overboard and distracting. The only story that created a sense of dread and actually made me feel something was The Comforting Voice by Norman Prentiss. This one was smart and creepy and worth the read. The Rich Are Different by Lisa Morton was probably my second favorite. It had some good sinister moments, but veered off into camp at times.
The majority of the book is taken up by The Corpse King by Tim Curran, so if you like it, you will probably have an overall positive evaluation of the book. I thought it started out interestingly enough. It’s a tale about two old-timey grave robbers and the real life and supernatural consequences that result from their chosen profession. However, it was not scary at all and I could not have cared less about what happened to them. On the positive side, there was some fun and snappy dialogue between the two main characters.
Ultimately, boredom is not what a good group of horror stories should make you feel. These are excellent writers, but this collection missed the mark for me. I am sure that there are some die hard fans out there that would disagree with me, so check it out for yourself if you are intrigued.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Hydra for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
May 11, 2017
Hydra and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Dark Screams: Volume Six. This is my honest opinion of the book.
This compilation of horror stories by renowned authors including Stephen King and Joyce Carol Oates is varied in the strength of its offerings. Stephen King's "The Old Dude's Ticker" is, in his own words, "a crazed revisionist telling of Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart."" For readers who are familiar with Poe's famous work, Mr. King's story is too much like the original. Lisa Morton's "The Rich are Different" is the tale of a woman who does not heed the advice of someone who knows better. Nothing about this short story really grasped my attention and the ending just sputtered to a close. "The Manicure" by Nell Quinn-Gibney is a weak story about a woman musing over her life as she gets her most hated procedure done, her nails manicured. I found "The Situations" by Joyce Carol Oates to be disappointing, as I expected more from this seasoned writer. "The Corpse King" by Tim Curran is the story of two grave robbers that get way more than they were expecting. As the longest of the stories, novella length in fact, I was expecting to be pulled into the creepy universe that the writer has created, but I just could not get into this one. It was definitely spooky and fit well into the horror genre.
The standout in Dark Screams: Volume Six is "The Comforting Voice" by Norman Prentiss, although it does not really fit into the classic definition of horror. The author does a good job of setting the stage and delves deeply into the anxieties that many new parents face. Overall, I could take or leave the entirety of Dark Screams: Volume Six. Volumes One through Four were much stronger than this one, so I hope that the next offering returns to more of the edge of your seat horror of those books.
This compilation of horror stories by renowned authors including Stephen King and Joyce Carol Oates is varied in the strength of its offerings. Stephen King's "The Old Dude's Ticker" is, in his own words, "a crazed revisionist telling of Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart."" For readers who are familiar with Poe's famous work, Mr. King's story is too much like the original. Lisa Morton's "The Rich are Different" is the tale of a woman who does not heed the advice of someone who knows better. Nothing about this short story really grasped my attention and the ending just sputtered to a close. "The Manicure" by Nell Quinn-Gibney is a weak story about a woman musing over her life as she gets her most hated procedure done, her nails manicured. I found "The Situations" by Joyce Carol Oates to be disappointing, as I expected more from this seasoned writer. "The Corpse King" by Tim Curran is the story of two grave robbers that get way more than they were expecting. As the longest of the stories, novella length in fact, I was expecting to be pulled into the creepy universe that the writer has created, but I just could not get into this one. It was definitely spooky and fit well into the horror genre.
The standout in Dark Screams: Volume Six is "The Comforting Voice" by Norman Prentiss, although it does not really fit into the classic definition of horror. The author does a good job of setting the stage and delves deeply into the anxieties that many new parents face. Overall, I could take or leave the entirety of Dark Screams: Volume Six. Volumes One through Four were much stronger than this one, so I hope that the next offering returns to more of the edge of your seat horror of those books.
April 10, 2017
This is my first foray into the Dark Screams series but I definitely will be seeking out more in the future. Nice bite size stories that you can finish in one sitting with the possible exception of The Corpse King which is a bit longer.
The Old Dude's Ticker is a very short, very early Stephen King story. Interesting but the intro from him removes whatever suspense the ending may have held.
The Rich Are Different is the highlight of the collection to me, tightly written and very creepy.
The Manicure was a nice little story that made me cringe in sympathy.
The Comforting Voice is disturbing, mostly because I've known people like the grandfather in this story.
The Situations was lacking to me and the only story in the collection I wasn't a huge fan of.
The Corpse King was a close second to me, with the horror of their everyday lives almost worse than the supernatural element. A bit of uneven pacing but otherwise great.
In order, here's how I'd rank the stories from favorite to least favorite:
The Rich Are Different
The Corpse King
The Comforting Voice
The Manicure
The Old Dude's Ticker
The Situations
I received an advance copy for review.
The Old Dude's Ticker is a very short, very early Stephen King story. Interesting but the intro from him removes whatever suspense the ending may have held.
The Rich Are Different is the highlight of the collection to me, tightly written and very creepy.
The Manicure was a nice little story that made me cringe in sympathy.
The Comforting Voice is disturbing, mostly because I've known people like the grandfather in this story.
The Situations was lacking to me and the only story in the collection I wasn't a huge fan of.
The Corpse King was a close second to me, with the horror of their everyday lives almost worse than the supernatural element. A bit of uneven pacing but otherwise great.
In order, here's how I'd rank the stories from favorite to least favorite:
The Rich Are Different
The Corpse King
The Comforting Voice
The Manicure
The Old Dude's Ticker
The Situations
I received an advance copy for review.
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