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In a Dark Dream
It's an ordinary summer. Until the dreams began.
Cheryl Erskine awakens screaming every night; she whispers in her father's ear: "Something bad, Daddy."
Glenn Erskine's worried about his daughter, but as police chief, he's got the whole town to worry about--especially with Jimmy Hale on the loose. The murderer had been too crazy to stand trial--he'd been institutionalized instead. Now he's "cured". And coming home.
Dreams are hard to predict, and harder to control. Cheryl and her family are trapped ... in a dark dream.
Cheryl Erskine awakens screaming every night; she whispers in her father's ear: "Something bad, Daddy."
Glenn Erskine's worried about his daughter, but as police chief, he's got the whole town to worry about--especially with Jimmy Hale on the loose. The murderer had been too crazy to stand trial--he'd been institutionalized instead. Now he's "cured". And coming home.
Dreams are hard to predict, and harder to control. Cheryl and her family are trapped ... in a dark dream.
270 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1989
3 people are currently reading
250 people want to read
About the author
Charles L. Grant
309 books261 followersCharles Lewis Grant was a novelist and short story writer specializing in what he called "dark fantasy" and "quiet horror." He also wrote under the pseudonyms of Geoffrey Marsh, Lionel Fenn, Simon Lake, Felicia Andrews, and Deborah Lewis.
Grant won a World Fantasy Award for his novella collection Nightmare Seasons, a Nebula Award in 1976 for his short story "A Crowd of Shadows", and another Nebula Award in 1978 for his novella "A Glow of Candles, a Unicorn's Eye," the latter telling of an actor's dilemma in a post-literate future. Grant also edited the award winning Shadows anthology, running eleven volumes from 1978-1991. Contributors include Stephen King, Ramsey Campbell, R.A. Lafferty, Avram Davidson, and Steve Rasnic and Melanie Tem. Grant was a former Executive Secretary and Eastern Regional Director of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and president of the Horror Writers Association.
Grant won a World Fantasy Award for his novella collection Nightmare Seasons, a Nebula Award in 1976 for his short story "A Crowd of Shadows", and another Nebula Award in 1978 for his novella "A Glow of Candles, a Unicorn's Eye," the latter telling of an actor's dilemma in a post-literate future. Grant also edited the award winning Shadows anthology, running eleven volumes from 1978-1991. Contributors include Stephen King, Ramsey Campbell, R.A. Lafferty, Avram Davidson, and Steve Rasnic and Melanie Tem. Grant was a former Executive Secretary and Eastern Regional Director of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and president of the Horror Writers Association.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 28, 2019
The late Charles Grant's novels are the very definition of slow burns. He'd usually spend more than half the book just setting the mood, introducing all the characters, describing the small town, etc. And yet I rarely become bored, as he had a way of drawing you into the people's lives so that when the shit does eventually hit the fan, you'll care. While I'm not often blown away by his work, I'm almost always left pretty satisfied -- this one especially so.
In A Dark Dream's concept is similar to Ramsey Campbell's Incarnate, and a number of Philip K. Dick's novels, in that reality is slowly breaking down, making it hard for the characters -- and the reader -- to determine what's real and what's not. A sort-of "dream world" is slowly overtaking the small, woodsy town of Hunter, New Jersey, and this just so happens to coincide with the rumored return of a local psychopathic murderer recently released from a mental hospital. Is he responsible for all the strange disappearances and seemingly supernatural occurrences in Hunter? Or is he just another aspect of this nightmare reality that's infecting the town.
The focus is mostly on the town sheriff as well as his wife and four kids, but there are a handful of minor characters we're introduced to along the way too. Pages and pages of nothing much happening other than family quarrels and normal-life-stuff will go by at times, yet I was always engaged due both to Grant's personable style and the occasional weirdness that pops in out of nowhere. Grant was a big fan of suddenly cutting to the next chapter just as some crazy revelation or spookiness is about to occur, which I admit gets on my nerves at times, but kept me hooked this time around, as I wanted answers as to just what the hell was going on.
But be sure to hang in there, as the horror does make its way to the forefront. It just takes its sweet-ass time about it. I found the slow, atmospheric buildup quite effective, and highly recommend this one for fans of the quieter side of horror. I still don't get how Grant could continually pump out 3-4 books a year* under various pseudonyms while constantly editing anthologies, all while maintaining a standard of quality that hardly ever dropped below "good," and could even reach "great," as with this one.
4.0 Stars.
*ETA: Woah, in 1986 he put out nine novels, one collection, and edited two anthos (yet somehow still found the time to write thirteen reviews of other writers' works). My. God. http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ch.cgi?290
In A Dark Dream's concept is similar to Ramsey Campbell's Incarnate, and a number of Philip K. Dick's novels, in that reality is slowly breaking down, making it hard for the characters -- and the reader -- to determine what's real and what's not. A sort-of "dream world" is slowly overtaking the small, woodsy town of Hunter, New Jersey, and this just so happens to coincide with the rumored return of a local psychopathic murderer recently released from a mental hospital. Is he responsible for all the strange disappearances and seemingly supernatural occurrences in Hunter? Or is he just another aspect of this nightmare reality that's infecting the town.
The focus is mostly on the town sheriff as well as his wife and four kids, but there are a handful of minor characters we're introduced to along the way too. Pages and pages of nothing much happening other than family quarrels and normal-life-stuff will go by at times, yet I was always engaged due both to Grant's personable style and the occasional weirdness that pops in out of nowhere. Grant was a big fan of suddenly cutting to the next chapter just as some crazy revelation or spookiness is about to occur, which I admit gets on my nerves at times, but kept me hooked this time around, as I wanted answers as to just what the hell was going on.
But be sure to hang in there, as the horror does make its way to the forefront. It just takes its sweet-ass time about it. I found the slow, atmospheric buildup quite effective, and highly recommend this one for fans of the quieter side of horror. I still don't get how Grant could continually pump out 3-4 books a year* under various pseudonyms while constantly editing anthologies, all while maintaining a standard of quality that hardly ever dropped below "good," and could even reach "great," as with this one.
4.0 Stars.
*ETA: Woah, in 1986 he put out nine novels, one collection, and edited two anthos (yet somehow still found the time to write thirteen reviews of other writers' works). My. God. http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ch.cgi?290
July 25, 2017
I was all set to rate this book three stars. I had made it eighty percent of the way through the book, and found all the usual Grant effects in play (the slow build up, the focus on setting and atmosphere, the subtle way he creates characters), but there was nothing that stood out to make it anything beyond that. Then he latched on to a good source of horror, and it made me revise my thinking when it unsettled me. I started thinking three-and-a-half stars, but then he wrote that last line….
Everything in the story leads us to that final line in the book. All of the setting and build up, all of the scenes and events and the characters, all of it takes us to that final line. By itself, it’s an innocuous, gentle, almost treacly moment; with all that’s preceded it, it’s a chilling sentence that runs down your spine like cold rainwater slipping past your collar.
Despite the story’s effectiveness, I still feel like it won’t be a story for everyone. It takes a long time to get going, and the payoff for all the buildup comes late in the book. Casual readers, I think, would grow frustrated with the lack of anything happening, even though all of that nothing is important to the story.
Grant has a particular audience, even among fans of horror. They seem to be split into two camps: those who want the bone and the gristle; and those who want the disquiet and uncertainty. Fans who fall into the first group would be frustrated by Grant’s style, but fans in the latter group will eat his books up.
Everything in the story leads us to that final line in the book. All of the setting and build up, all of the scenes and events and the characters, all of it takes us to that final line. By itself, it’s an innocuous, gentle, almost treacly moment; with all that’s preceded it, it’s a chilling sentence that runs down your spine like cold rainwater slipping past your collar.
Despite the story’s effectiveness, I still feel like it won’t be a story for everyone. It takes a long time to get going, and the payoff for all the buildup comes late in the book. Casual readers, I think, would grow frustrated with the lack of anything happening, even though all of that nothing is important to the story.
Grant has a particular audience, even among fans of horror. They seem to be split into two camps: those who want the bone and the gristle; and those who want the disquiet and uncertainty. Fans who fall into the first group would be frustrated by Grant’s style, but fans in the latter group will eat his books up.
October 2, 2023
The story, the dialog, the pacing just never clicked for me.
March 18, 2013
**1/2
Charles L. Grant's "In a Dark Dream" blends the dream world, the world of nightmares, with reality in a small town overseen by a once-energetic sheriff who foresees trouble with the imminent release of a homicidal maniac who disrupted town years ago.
The only other of Grant's books I've read is "For Fear of the Night," and while this one is the better of the two, I feel the endings of both novels fall somewhat short. When the heart of the mystery is discovered, the writing loses some of its energy, and, I guess, in the case of "Dark Dream," I just don't buy how it turned out.
Up till then, it's a creepy enough book. Grant excellently portrays the family at the heart of the story; it's not a long book, but we're given interesting enough backgrounds on various townsfolk.
I wish I could offer a higher recommendation for this one; I just don't feel that the ending did justice to the preceding pages.
Charles L. Grant's "In a Dark Dream" blends the dream world, the world of nightmares, with reality in a small town overseen by a once-energetic sheriff who foresees trouble with the imminent release of a homicidal maniac who disrupted town years ago.
The only other of Grant's books I've read is "For Fear of the Night," and while this one is the better of the two, I feel the endings of both novels fall somewhat short. When the heart of the mystery is discovered, the writing loses some of its energy, and, I guess, in the case of "Dark Dream," I just don't buy how it turned out.
Up till then, it's a creepy enough book. Grant excellently portrays the family at the heart of the story; it's not a long book, but we're given interesting enough backgrounds on various townsfolk.
I wish I could offer a higher recommendation for this one; I just don't feel that the ending did justice to the preceding pages.
March 2, 2020
A fun, small town horror story. This was a little hard to get into, starting off with a rather rambling introduction of many characters via a cascade of shifting POVs, but it settled down nicely. The main characters are the police chief and wife, a realtor in town, and their four kids, mostly teenagers. The youngest keeps having nightmares and strange things are happening in town. I will not give a plot summary as that would kill the many twists and turns, including a very good ending. Grant is a master of the 'slow burn', gradually gaining momentum as the novel unfolds. 3.5 but rounding up for GR.
April 2, 2012
I see a bunch of two, one star reviews for this, but I'm gonna break with that and call this my one of my favorite Charles Grant novels. Loved the portrayal of the family in this one, and again...that classic Charles Grant ending that says..."Wait, maybe it's not over..."
October 8, 2014
A good idea for a much shorter work that doesn't hold up for 300 pages. The twist is too long coming and the resolution hectic. The writing, bland.
December 27, 2019
4.3 stars!
Slow burn, quiet horror done well. Grant's a master. Excellent edition to any horror collection.
Slow burn, quiet horror done well. Grant's a master. Excellent edition to any horror collection.
Read
January 21, 2025I have never read this book. I’m using it as a stand-in for an immaculately written, borderline professionally done 310 page Billy x Stu Scream (1996) fanfic I read twice in two weeks. This is the first 310 page horror book I could find. That’s the review.
April 7, 2022
Very well written, ominous, surreal. I enjoyed the heck out of this book even though I was left with more questions than answers. I think this one definitely deserves a second read. I feel like some of those answers are tucked away in early chapters and others are meant to remain a mystery. Gave me some Twin Peaks / general Lynchian vibes throughout. Highly recommend.
February 1, 2022
Excellent! Ridiculous that this has a 3.14 on here. Don't let that dissuade you like I almost did. This is an incredibly well written, scary as hell gem that has made me want to read every one of Grant's books!
August 5, 2021
That ending...
March 12, 2024
Grant’s ode to A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (he even names the main street in town Springwood and the sheriff’s teenage daughter Nancy). Like all of Grant’s books, it’s a real slow burn until the last 100 pages. Grant is like the A24 of horror authors.
Want to read
May 26, 2024I am sorry to leave a comment here under reviews for a book that I have not read yet but I wanted to assign a date for this book and the date set functionality of the website currently seems to be broken. If they get this working I will use this and delete this review.
03-01-2007
03-01-2007
August 27, 2013
What's in a dream......sometime these dream turn into nightmares and waking up is not an option.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews