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The Underdwelling
With a kid on the way, Boyd needed the job bad. But the idea of going underground at the Hobart Mine, down into the dark labyrinth of tunnels to get at the raw ore, left him with a brooding sense of unease. Maybe it was the fact that his father had died down in the mines or maybe it was something much worse.
Digging a new drift down in Level #8, the lowest level of the mine, an immense shaft opens up. Boyd and a few others volunteer to explore it. Some 400 feet down, they find a passage that leads to an immense cavern from prehistory.
A petrified world.
A prehistoric graveyard.
Then a cave-in traps them down there. In the darkness and dank shadows of a fossilized world, they realize they are not alone.
Something has woken in the stone.
Something ancient and terrible and coldly intelligent.
And it is lonely.
Digging a new drift down in Level #8, the lowest level of the mine, an immense shaft opens up. Boyd and a few others volunteer to explore it. Some 400 feet down, they find a passage that leads to an immense cavern from prehistory.
A petrified world.
A prehistoric graveyard.
Then a cave-in traps them down there. In the darkness and dank shadows of a fossilized world, they realize they are not alone.
Something has woken in the stone.
Something ancient and terrible and coldly intelligent.
And it is lonely.
ebook
First published December 4, 2011
18 people are currently reading
924 people want to read
About the author
Tim Curran
149 books599 followersTim Curran lives in Michigan and is the author of the novels Skin Medicine, Hive, Dead Sea, Resurrection, The Devil Next Door, and Biohazard, as well as the novella The Corpse King. His short stories have appeared in such magazines as City Slab, Flesh&Blood, Book of Dark Wisdom, and Inhuman, and anthologies such as Shivers IV, High Seas Cthulhu, and Vile Things.
For DarkFuse and its imprints, he has written the bestselling The Underdwelling, the Readers Choice-Nominated novella Fear Me, Puppet Graveyard as well as Long Black Coffin.
Find him on the web at: www.corpseking.com.
For DarkFuse and its imprints, he has written the bestselling The Underdwelling, the Readers Choice-Nominated novella Fear Me, Puppet Graveyard as well as Long Black Coffin.
Find him on the web at: www.corpseking.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
March 9, 2018
*I still think about this book even a year after reading it, so I decided to bump it up to 5 stars!*
Setting and atmosphere is so important in many horror stories and this book has all of it in spades! This novella by cult favorite horror author Tim Curran is about a young miner who is excited for his new post on a graveyard shift team working the bottom levels of the Hobart mine, because it means extra dough that'll help with his new baby on the way. But on his first night, a new, deeper section of the mine is revealed and because he's all macho and shit, he volunteers with a group to explore it. And what they find is a horror that's been hidden for thousands of years.
This one is actually even better than the previous novella I've read by Curran, Blackout , mostly due to his skillful rendering of the environment: the absolute, claustrophobic darkness deep beneath the earth and the way it can break the mind, the smells, the sounds that shouldn't be there, and the hopelessness of being trapped. Curran is great at setting a scene and maintaining mood. And points for a chilling ending that's even more fucked up than I could've imagined...
If you enjoyed The Descent , that tense, heart attack of a movie about a group of badass women discovering horrors underground and directed by my buddy Neil Marshall, you should give this novella a spin!
Setting and atmosphere is so important in many horror stories and this book has all of it in spades! This novella by cult favorite horror author Tim Curran is about a young miner who is excited for his new post on a graveyard shift team working the bottom levels of the Hobart mine, because it means extra dough that'll help with his new baby on the way. But on his first night, a new, deeper section of the mine is revealed and because he's all macho and shit, he volunteers with a group to explore it. And what they find is a horror that's been hidden for thousands of years.
This one is actually even better than the previous novella I've read by Curran, Blackout , mostly due to his skillful rendering of the environment: the absolute, claustrophobic darkness deep beneath the earth and the way it can break the mind, the smells, the sounds that shouldn't be there, and the hopelessness of being trapped. Curran is great at setting a scene and maintaining mood. And points for a chilling ending that's even more fucked up than I could've imagined...
If you enjoyed The Descent , that tense, heart attack of a movie about a group of badass women discovering horrors underground and directed by my buddy Neil Marshall, you should give this novella a spin!
March 3, 2013
This was an excellent horror novella with Lovecraftian undertones that takes place in a deep, deep mine.
Tim Curran's excellent descriptions add to the creeping unease that slowly builds during the course of this story and doesn't let up.
Here is an example of Mr. Curran's excellent descriptive skills:
Tim Curran is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. His descriptive skills are unmatched. I'm looking forward to reading more of his backlist and I'm happy that there are a lot of them!
Recommended for horror fans and especially fans of Lovecraft.
Tim Curran's excellent descriptions add to the creeping unease that slowly builds during the course of this story and doesn't let up.
Here is an example of Mr. Curran's excellent descriptive skills:
Tim Curran is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. His descriptive skills are unmatched. I'm looking forward to reading more of his backlist and I'm happy that there are a lot of them!
Recommended for horror fans and especially fans of Lovecraft.
Want to read
January 18, 2017This mini-hardcover is marked copy PC of 150 copies signed by Tim Curran.
February 28, 2014
The Underdwelling is somewhat slow to build the tension, it’s not till 50% in that things start to go awry for a group of miners who discover a mammoth underground cavern. The author captures the camaraderie of the miners perfectly, my grandfather was a miner for 45 years and the claustrophobic atmosphere breeds some immense characters, with a rough sense of humour. These are guys that in some cases spend their entire working lives underground, brings a closeness that you rarely see anywhere else and in the event of an accident, will work till they drop to rescue a college.
As quick as they find the age old cavern, a collapsed tunnel leaves them unable to get out, time’s running out, their lights are dwindling but even more terrifying is the thing they've awakened, it can be heard but not yet seen, the tension and pace ratchet up significantly to a cringe worthy yet convincing ending.
Recommended.
As quick as they find the age old cavern, a collapsed tunnel leaves them unable to get out, time’s running out, their lights are dwindling but even more terrifying is the thing they've awakened, it can be heard but not yet seen, the tension and pace ratchet up significantly to a cringe worthy yet convincing ending.
Recommended.
January 25, 2015
Horror time. And it's looking more and more that Tim Curran has become my new can't miss go-to guy.
Dead Sea was the only book I had read by him previously, and even though it's been two years since I read it, there is still a scene from that book that still wriggles around in my brain from time to time. Given all the suspense and horror that I've consumed over the decades, I'd come to the acceptance that I'd seen and read everything, but this guy was still able to freak me out.
The other day I visited his website and on his bio page I was delighted to see covers of classic horror comics from the 70s, Tales from the Crypt, Horror Tales, etc. That smattering of covers could have been taken from my 14 year old self's bedroom closet floor. I felt an instant kinship to the man.
Even before checking out his site I knew that The Underdwelling was going to be my next read of his, based on a friend's review. Much to my chagrin, I couldn't find it on Amazon for my Kindle. So I sent him an email and he quickly replied that this had been repackaged in a 3 novella collection, Blood, Bones and Bullets. So as a bonus, I now have Puppet Graveyard and Fear Me to read as well.
Which will be soon, because once again Curran has delivered the goods with The Underdwelling. Curran has that talent of creating atmosphere, and here he puts reader through the claustrophobic confines of ore mines over 2000 feet into the earth. The danger and dread are palpable.
This is about 85 pages of story (novellas are the perfect vehicle for effective horror, I think), so it is quick to get through and yet the anticipation of realized dread still takes its time to grow.
Yes, I was gleefully unnerved.
Tim's now two for two with 5-star reviews from me.
Dead Sea was the only book I had read by him previously, and even though it's been two years since I read it, there is still a scene from that book that still wriggles around in my brain from time to time. Given all the suspense and horror that I've consumed over the decades, I'd come to the acceptance that I'd seen and read everything, but this guy was still able to freak me out.
The other day I visited his website and on his bio page I was delighted to see covers of classic horror comics from the 70s, Tales from the Crypt, Horror Tales, etc. That smattering of covers could have been taken from my 14 year old self's bedroom closet floor. I felt an instant kinship to the man.
Even before checking out his site I knew that The Underdwelling was going to be my next read of his, based on a friend's review. Much to my chagrin, I couldn't find it on Amazon for my Kindle. So I sent him an email and he quickly replied that this had been repackaged in a 3 novella collection, Blood, Bones and Bullets. So as a bonus, I now have Puppet Graveyard and Fear Me to read as well.
Which will be soon, because once again Curran has delivered the goods with The Underdwelling. Curran has that talent of creating atmosphere, and here he puts reader through the claustrophobic confines of ore mines over 2000 feet into the earth. The danger and dread are palpable.
This is about 85 pages of story (novellas are the perfect vehicle for effective horror, I think), so it is quick to get through and yet the anticipation of realized dread still takes its time to grow.
Yes, I was gleefully unnerved.
Tim's now two for two with 5-star reviews from me.
October 17, 2013
Discovering new authors is always excitement mixed with trepidation. But I've heard so many good things about Tim Curran and wow, did he lived up to his accolades. This novella was what horror ought to be. Original, well written, with strong well developed characters, staggeringly vivid descriptions, tight can't put down pacing and, above all, absolutely freaking terrifying. Seriously, this book might induce claustrophobia in most mellow fine with tight spaces kind of person. For those already claustrophobic, this will justify your fears. Personally, I always found caves, mines, spelunking and such to be very scary, but in Curran's capable hands, the horrors of the subterranean take on a whole new meaning. And as far as disturbing the past...when have that ever played out well? Scary, smart (loved the prehistoric angle), terrifically executed, this novella is genre's best and a must for any horror fan. If this story is any indication, Curran is a major talent. Thanks to Charlene for making the introductions. Awesome read. Highly recommended.
January 23, 2018
Though the first two acts of The Underdwelling will feel familiar to fans of the genre (an unexpected discovery in a mine; a first day on the job that goes poorly; male characters taking turns being tough; and then the obligatory accident, followed by isolation and a quick escalation of terror), Curran rewards the reader with a grisly finale that manages to be both horrific and oddly sweet. Another well-executed tale from Curran, one of the better authors currently in the chills and thrills biz.
November 21, 2012
After reading Clive Barker's Hellbound Heart quicker than I thought I would, I needed something to read quick, and found Underdwelling on my Kindle. I read and loved Tim Curran's Dead Sea, but was underwhelmed by his Devil Next Door, but I thought I'd give The Underdwelling a try; I'm glad I did.
The Underdwelling is about a guy named Boyd's first day on his mining job. When his partner, Maki, almost falls into a deep hole that looks like it's man made, they and three other miners climb down to check it out. What they find is a cavernous, primordial dwelling. To describe just the scenery would be giving too much away, but soon they realize they're not alone, when whatever dwells there is not a stupid beast but...well, read it to find out. I loved the ending!
The Underdwelling is about a guy named Boyd's first day on his mining job. When his partner, Maki, almost falls into a deep hole that looks like it's man made, they and three other miners climb down to check it out. What they find is a cavernous, primordial dwelling. To describe just the scenery would be giving too much away, but soon they realize they're not alone, when whatever dwells there is not a stupid beast but...well, read it to find out. I loved the ending!
June 30, 2014
4.5
It starts slow. Really slow. By the time the things started happening, I was more than tense.
My advice is to be patient and read it, because it is so worth it.
That blurb tells you the whole story, but the way it is told is well written. The first half of the story introduces you to Boyd, a miner who got a chance to work in the graveyard shift. He and a miner who had been assigned to help him end up at the lowest level of the mine, where they find a peculiar and almost artificial-looking hole. A group of them has to investigate, of course.
The other half of the story is about their descent into that hole.
As I said, the whole story is in that blurb, but there are so many details that aren't; the details that make The Underdwelling creepy, disgusting, sad, and disturbing. The ending is especially extraordinary. It gives you hope at the same time it threatens to become something even more terrifying than what you have already read.
It starts slow. Really slow. By the time the things started happening, I was more than tense.
My advice is to be patient and read it, because it is so worth it.
That blurb tells you the whole story, but the way it is told is well written. The first half of the story introduces you to Boyd, a miner who got a chance to work in the graveyard shift. He and a miner who had been assigned to help him end up at the lowest level of the mine, where they find a peculiar and almost artificial-looking hole. A group of them has to investigate, of course.
The other half of the story is about their descent into that hole.
As I said, the whole story is in that blurb, but there are so many details that aren't; the details that make The Underdwelling creepy, disgusting, sad, and disturbing. The ending is especially extraordinary. It gives you hope at the same time it threatens to become something even more terrifying than what you have already read.
July 6, 2012
Just a thought. If you are a mile under the surface of the earth in a cavern that hasn't been opened since before the dinosaurs and you shine your flashlight and something stares right back at you---that is MOST DEFINITELY NOT a good thing.
My first book by Tim Curran. He has several big pluses going for him. Great creation of atmosphere. I could really picture the dank cave a mile under the ground and the 5 scared miners listening for any unexplained noises and jumping at shadows. Curran took his time to let the creepiness sink in and it paid off. The monster was NASTY. And from there it actually got better. I did not see this ending coming at all. Extra points for a great, creative, and completely unexpected ending. (4.5 stars)
My first book by Tim Curran. He has several big pluses going for him. Great creation of atmosphere. I could really picture the dank cave a mile under the ground and the 5 scared miners listening for any unexplained noises and jumping at shadows. Curran took his time to let the creepiness sink in and it paid off. The monster was NASTY. And from there it actually got better. I did not see this ending coming at all. Extra points for a great, creative, and completely unexpected ending. (4.5 stars)
January 10, 2017
Mini-h/c, #1
April 26, 2023
Boyd is a soon-to-be-father adapting to the daily slander and dangers of blue collar construction work for the sake of earning enough money to provide a better life for his wife and baby. Crawling into the depths of dark, unexplored mines to reap some quality ore with nothing to back you up but a bunch of wise-cracking men who are just as scared as you are is one thing, but delving deep into the shadowy underground depths where no man has ever walked in search of true treasure contains much nastier surprises. What they find is no goldmine or treasure vault, but a prehistoric graveyard where the last remnants of a race more ancient and deadly than the dinosaurs dwell.
Another short and sweet horror thriller by Tim Curran. The atmosphere really brings justice to the horror setting, as being a miner is already one of the most dangerous and horrifying jobs in the entire world. Adding some inner conflict between the characters and spicing it up with lovecraftian creatures buried deep down in the darkness for millions of years is the cherry on top. As always, the banter between the characters is full of grimy jokes and edgy insults that are perfect for those who like their humor nice and dark.
My rating: 3.8/5
Another short and sweet horror thriller by Tim Curran. The atmosphere really brings justice to the horror setting, as being a miner is already one of the most dangerous and horrifying jobs in the entire world. Adding some inner conflict between the characters and spicing it up with lovecraftian creatures buried deep down in the darkness for millions of years is the cherry on top. As always, the banter between the characters is full of grimy jokes and edgy insults that are perfect for those who like their humor nice and dark.
My rating: 3.8/5
January 28, 2019
I toured a disused copper mine while visiting my parents in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and while I'm not afraid of the dark or being underground (I love caves!), I have to admit, it was a little creepy. So a horror story set in a mine (and a UP mine at that)? Definitely something I want to read! This was a pretty good novella, well written and including lots of geology talk (which is a good thing because I was about to be a big nerd and argue with the book how you won't find limestone in a UP mine because of glaciers, when the characters immediately went on to explain that this was an anomaly and my inner nerd had to simmer back down again), which I liked. On the negative side, the character development was just cursory, probably due to the book's short length, and the ending was a bit underwhelming. Overall, a decent read, and I will definitely check out other titles by this author.
February 8, 2013
Miners in search of ore discover a hole thousands of feet beneath the earth. At the bottom of a hole lies a huge cave opening formed 250 million years ago. The level and intensity of dread over what happens in that cramped, dusty, prehistoric hellhole rises with each worrisome page turn in this 1,454 Kindle locations of doom.
I've commented in other reviews about Curran's awesome eye for detail and imagery but he also has some great endings, including this one that you'll have to read to find out. This story is a bit more of a slow boil versus action and gorefest that Curran delivers in some tales. The characters are not quite as well defined as in some of his other stories either, but we get enough to get a sense of who's who. This novella is one to read in low light situations. Recommended.
I've commented in other reviews about Curran's awesome eye for detail and imagery but he also has some great endings, including this one that you'll have to read to find out. This story is a bit more of a slow boil versus action and gorefest that Curran delivers in some tales. The characters are not quite as well defined as in some of his other stories either, but we get enough to get a sense of who's who. This novella is one to read in low light situations. Recommended.
October 14, 2012
2.5 Stars
The first 30% was info about mining and being in the mines. Boyd, is a newbie who is taking his first trip down to clean up ore and dig a new hole. He has a feeling something is not right, but he needs this job because he has a baby on the way. Plus, he doesn't want to look like a wuss in front of the other miners who are constantly ribbing each other. The build-up is not as intense as I would have expected from Curran. A new area is found and the guys go off to explore and discover that they are not alone. The ending had a different kind of twist. Just an 'Alright to Good' read for me. Nothing Special~
The first 30% was info about mining and being in the mines. Boyd, is a newbie who is taking his first trip down to clean up ore and dig a new hole. He has a feeling something is not right, but he needs this job because he has a baby on the way. Plus, he doesn't want to look like a wuss in front of the other miners who are constantly ribbing each other. The build-up is not as intense as I would have expected from Curran. A new area is found and the guys go off to explore and discover that they are not alone. The ending had a different kind of twist. Just an 'Alright to Good' read for me. Nothing Special~
June 22, 2019
A novella that should be avoided if you're scared of the dark, spiders, confined spaces, blood and gore, loneliness, weird smells and rude words. Pretty good book if you're okay with that.
October 22, 2021
Very good horror novella with a barely Lovecraftian brush to it.
I liked it!
I liked it!
October 4, 2022
Something ancient is at the bottom of that mine shaft! This is a fairly entertaining, creepy and atmospheric horror novella.
April 8, 2020
Носом чув, що це не жахи, а любовна драма. Жодних жартів про те, що це може бути те і друге водночас, я серйозно.
Бойду конче потрібні гроші, тому що його жінка от-от народить. Він вже два місяці працює на шахті, і нарешті йому довіряють краще оплачувану нічну зміну. Його віддають в руки досвідченому Макі, який тут намагається справити враження царя і бога. Насправді ж бувальці перестали звертати на нього увагу.
В одному з тунелів на найнижчому рівні підлога падає у порожнечу. Схоже, там утворилася якась порожнина, і її йдуть досліджувати Бойд, Макі, ще один шахтар Брід, науковець Мак-Нейр і виконроб Йорґенс. Виявляється, що тут, під землею ховається просто велетенська печера, дно якої всіяне викопними рештками і скам’янілими деревами, і… тут є щось – чи хтось – ще. Перш ніж група встигає повернутися на поверхню, вхід до печери завалюється.
Коротка, але атмосферна, фантазія на тему «А що як після мільйонів років чекання щось вижило там, куди ще не дісталася людина?» В цьому сенсі історія вийшла не дуже правдоподібна, та й розв’язка натягнута. Проте можу похвалити за те передчуття лиха, яке всюди переслідувало Бойда, і за динамічність образів персонажів – як середовище і сама їхня психіка діяли проти них. Але любовний «хепі-енд», який отримали в результаті, все одно пояснити складно.
Бойду конче потрібні гроші, тому що його жінка от-от народить. Він вже два місяці працює на шахті, і нарешті йому довіряють краще оплачувану нічну зміну. Його віддають в руки досвідченому Макі, який тут намагається справити враження царя і бога. Насправді ж бувальці перестали звертати на нього увагу.
В одному з тунелів на найнижчому рівні підлога падає у порожнечу. Схоже, там утворилася якась порожнина, і її йдуть досліджувати Бойд, Макі, ще один шахтар Брід, науковець Мак-Нейр і виконроб Йорґенс. Виявляється, що тут, під землею ховається просто велетенська печера, дно якої всіяне викопними рештками і скам’янілими деревами, і… тут є щось – чи хтось – ще. Перш ніж група встигає повернутися на поверхню, вхід до печери завалюється.
Коротка, але атмосферна, фантазія на тему «А що як після мільйонів років чекання щось вижило там, куди ще не дісталася людина?» В цьому сенсі історія вийшла не дуже правдоподібна, та й розв’язка натягнута. Проте можу похвалити за те передчуття лиха, яке всюди переслідувало Бойда, і за динамічність образів персонажів – як середовище і сама їхня психіка діяли проти них. Але любовний «хепі-енд», який отримали в результаті, все одно пояснити складно.
January 28, 2021
This story is awesome. It was tense from the beginning and it ramped up as you went along. Scary, gross and gripping.
September 28, 2018
Perfect, just a perfect read for me after a long while. Couldn't ask for more obviously...
1. "... but not down here. Not in the bowels of the earth in the enshrouding darkness with nothing but the sound of dripping water and echoing voices to break that heavy, almost humming silence. This place was like some graveyard and he honestly did not like it. It was meant to stay buried and he wished to God it had."...
2."... You know there’s something out there same as I do. We all feel it out there, we just can’t see it. But it’s there and you all goddamn well know it. Something’s out there. Something’s watching us. And whatever in the f*ck it is, we’re trapped down here with it—”
3. “It touched me,” Maki said. “Whatever’s down here, Boyd, it touched the back of my neck.”
“Okay.”
“It’s got fingers.”
“Maki—”
“They feel like sticks…like pencils.”
Boyd just waited, saying nothing... "
When you are picking up a book by Tim Curran well I would say you are doing the right thing, because Tim Curran very hardly disappointed me. What I want to say whenever I in the past picked up a story book by this author I thoroughly enjoyed them at least most of them; and this one was not dissatisfied to read at all...
From the first page or say from the beginning this novella caught me in good rhythm on reading. You just couldn't tell what gonna happen now or later until you are on that page and reading that. It contains every material that a horror novel should have. It did gives me chill, I even was feeling scared in some point while reading some single chapter. I just couldn't shake off my feelings like something would gonna happen or not. It was really exciting to read...
Boyd was working on a underground Hobert Mine. Already having a wife and he was going to be a father soon and for that exact reason he just couldn't help but needed that job to fed his family. He had to work in that mine into darkness of tunnels. He alongside with others had to drift down in level #8, which was considered the lowest level of the mine. But! Of course with this mines Boyd had family history but what he experienced in their in that deep hole from nowhere was beyond anything. Until you have it face to face you just couldn't shake off the fear that formed deeply in your mind...
April 12, 2012
I have a bad relationship with Horror novels. I want to love them, but there doesn't seem to be a mainstream Name for horror that you can point to for quality work. Fantasy and Sci-Fi have obvious, go-to luminaries, who have carved out their own distinct fields of play, horror has... Stephen King, the author Most In Need of a Bloody Editor. Literally bloody. As in; willing to wade through his corpulent manuscripts as though a frenzied butcher let loose with cleaver and sharpened teeth in a veal pen. Money being what it is though, that never happened and consequently most good horror seems to be written by a bunch of guys of whom nobody has ever heard.
Leading me to talk about The Underdwelling: A tight, goose-pimpling novella about a group of miners who get stranded in The Wrong Cave. I've no idea how accurate Curran's research was, or whether he has any personal or familial experience of the world underground, but he paints a fascinating, richly textured environment with admirably little descriptive padding. I learned a great deal about types of rock and what they mean without realising it, and fully half the book is spent in the third person limited (the best perspective) just watching Boyd get to grips with his new job and co-workers. Learning and caring about the victims before they become such, as it should be, but doing so in a commendably Spartan and efficient way.
I can't talk about a 200 page novel in any detail without ruining it for you but I can say that I'll be looking out on the Kindle market for Curran's next book, because this was a B-Movie Creature Feature done absolutely as it should be. I was hooked from page one and kicked out the other end sweating.
If you have even a cursory interest in reading about monsters then plonk your money down and take a seat here.
Leading me to talk about The Underdwelling: A tight, goose-pimpling novella about a group of miners who get stranded in The Wrong Cave. I've no idea how accurate Curran's research was, or whether he has any personal or familial experience of the world underground, but he paints a fascinating, richly textured environment with admirably little descriptive padding. I learned a great deal about types of rock and what they mean without realising it, and fully half the book is spent in the third person limited (the best perspective) just watching Boyd get to grips with his new job and co-workers. Learning and caring about the victims before they become such, as it should be, but doing so in a commendably Spartan and efficient way.
I can't talk about a 200 page novel in any detail without ruining it for you but I can say that I'll be looking out on the Kindle market for Curran's next book, because this was a B-Movie Creature Feature done absolutely as it should be. I was hooked from page one and kicked out the other end sweating.
If you have even a cursory interest in reading about monsters then plonk your money down and take a seat here.
May 1, 2014
Hmmm, this one has to go into the "It genuinely surprised me" category, because much of the story—new miner who is tough but wants to do right by his pregnant wife so he endures taunts by the old hats and gets sent on to a new assignment which turns a bit dangerous and him and some old hat types get trapped down into a strange place where, to ape Machen, a survival seems to have occurred—just screams, "You have already watched this movie, twice, this past weekend." Except, well, it is a bit different than that.
It does pretty much play exactly to type for the first half, though.
Boyd (no relation to the the Crowders...) is ex-military and a team player who has his own sense of justice. He is teamed up with Maki, the older kind of monkey-ish miner who wants to test Boy'd mettle. There's Breed, the lovable giant, and Jurgens and McNeal, the experts. Some bosses. Lines about how the men just blow off steam with 'the gay stuff' meaning jokes [see also: "I banged your wife" jokes, something Curran visits in other stories]. It's practically Predator up until now. I also liked that it knew right where to end.
It continues to stick to type as they find a really-old-place and there are signs-things-are-not-what-they-seem and then disaster-strikes-in-more-than-one-way-at-once and so forth. "What's that noise?" they ask, and the reader plows through a dozen pages to find out just what sort of pale, chthonian words will slither a hurting upon them.
Then, the last quarter shows up and it just sort of unfolds differently that what you would expect, and goes from being something like a 2.5-3 star book that was largely ok to read to something that feels a little bit more. I liked that.
It does pretty much play exactly to type for the first half, though.
Boyd (no relation to the the Crowders...) is ex-military and a team player who has his own sense of justice. He is teamed up with Maki, the older kind of monkey-ish miner who wants to test Boy'd mettle. There's Breed, the lovable giant, and Jurgens and McNeal, the experts. Some bosses. Lines about how the men just blow off steam with 'the gay stuff' meaning jokes [see also: "I banged your wife" jokes, something Curran visits in other stories]. It's practically Predator up until now. I also liked that it knew right where to end.
It continues to stick to type as they find a really-old-place and there are signs-things-are-not-what-they-seem and then disaster-strikes-in-more-than-one-way-at-once and so forth. "What's that noise?" they ask, and the reader plows through a dozen pages to find out just what sort of pale, chthonian words will slither a hurting upon them.
Then, the last quarter shows up and it just sort of unfolds differently that what you would expect, and goes from being something like a 2.5-3 star book that was largely ok to read to something that feels a little bit more. I liked that.
August 20, 2014
It's Boyd's first day on the lower levels of the mines. When his coworker Maki falls down a hole, Boyd and a few others go after him and find an ancient cavern that's been sealed up for millions of years. After a bit of exploring, they get trapped and find out they are not alone. After a couple of hundred million years, something is very excited to have company...
This book creeped me out! It started out innocently but the suspense and horror built quickly and I was unable to put it down until the fantastic ending.
This book creeped me out! It started out innocently but the suspense and horror built quickly and I was unable to put it down until the fantastic ending.
January 14, 2022
This was the third novella I've rad from Tim Curran in such a short time.
In this tale we follow a miner in this beginnings. They discover a cave, or rather fell to it. There they found strange trees that should not existe in this time and age.
One thing I must in favor it's the claustrophobic feeling.. This is how I imagine Excavation should have been (from James Rollins -. but it was not). So yeah..
It's good but not the best from Curran.
Althought I may say that he is my favorite writer of Gore (this was not gore at all)
In this tale we follow a miner in this beginnings. They discover a cave, or rather fell to it. There they found strange trees that should not existe in this time and age.
One thing I must in favor it's the claustrophobic feeling.. This is how I imagine Excavation should have been (from James Rollins -. but it was not). So yeah..
It's good but not the best from Curran.
Althought I may say that he is my favorite writer of Gore (this was not gore at all)
January 14, 2014
im probably overating this but.... the last 20 percent of the book was just so damn good.
June 15, 2025
Fun read!
I liked this little novella! I really enjoy what I think of as "adventure horror" - one of my favorites is Ararat by Christopher Golden, which is also a type of cave story - and this definitely fit the bill. I absolutely loved the world of the cave - I've never read a concept like that before and thought it was super cool and original. The creature was also really unique and interesting! I enjoyed the main character, and I felt like I got to know him a bit. I appreciated that he was smart and perceptive and I felt like the first half of the book set up that personality type for him well.
My only criticism is that while I understand why the author spent half the book on setup, ultimately I wanted more time with the meat of the story. Personally I think this concept should be fleshed out into a full length novel. Where it left off felt like it could be the start of what would functionally be the middle part of the book. There is so much potential here that I think he should keep going with it!
The one other thing I wanted to mention was that I thought the voice of the writing was really great. I don't know any Midwestern miners, and I can't say I usually read books about them either. But the author did a good job capturing the voices and personalities of the men. I could really imagine these kind of tough, salt of the earth dudes in this backbreaking place. I didn't feel like I got to know everyone well, but I thought it worked since the main character was only just getting to know them. Regardless, I felt like I got the picture of people I'd never encounter in my regular life and could clearly imagine them, and that was really cool.
TLDR: I enjoyed it - I want more!
I liked this little novella! I really enjoy what I think of as "adventure horror" - one of my favorites is Ararat by Christopher Golden, which is also a type of cave story - and this definitely fit the bill. I absolutely loved the world of the cave - I've never read a concept like that before and thought it was super cool and original. The creature was also really unique and interesting! I enjoyed the main character, and I felt like I got to know him a bit. I appreciated that he was smart and perceptive and I felt like the first half of the book set up that personality type for him well.
My only criticism is that while I understand why the author spent half the book on setup, ultimately I wanted more time with the meat of the story. Personally I think this concept should be fleshed out into a full length novel. Where it left off felt like it could be the start of what would functionally be the middle part of the book. There is so much potential here that I think he should keep going with it!
The one other thing I wanted to mention was that I thought the voice of the writing was really great. I don't know any Midwestern miners, and I can't say I usually read books about them either. But the author did a good job capturing the voices and personalities of the men. I could really imagine these kind of tough, salt of the earth dudes in this backbreaking place. I didn't feel like I got to know everyone well, but I thought it worked since the main character was only just getting to know them. Regardless, I felt like I got the picture of people I'd never encounter in my regular life and could clearly imagine them, and that was really cool.
TLDR: I enjoyed it - I want more!
June 10, 2025
Saw a tweet from British horror writer Adam Nevill in which this novella was included in a list of 5 horror stories which best portrayed the horror of darkness.
Boyd, like his father and his grandfather before him becomes a miner but initially his work is confined to working above ground. However he eventually gets the chance to fulfil his wishes and gets a chance to go to the mine face on the graveyard shift. While blasting and drilling the mine face a deep shaft is found and Boyd along with several co-workers volunteers to explore the subterranean cavern not knowing that they are not alone.
A brilliantly creepy story that kept me glued to the pages, as Boyd and his fellow workers discover a subterranean world filled with a horror far beyond their imaginings. I haven’t heard of Tim Curran before but will definitely be exploring his catalogue further based on the evidence of this truly horrifying tale.
Boyd, like his father and his grandfather before him becomes a miner but initially his work is confined to working above ground. However he eventually gets the chance to fulfil his wishes and gets a chance to go to the mine face on the graveyard shift. While blasting and drilling the mine face a deep shaft is found and Boyd along with several co-workers volunteers to explore the subterranean cavern not knowing that they are not alone.
A brilliantly creepy story that kept me glued to the pages, as Boyd and his fellow workers discover a subterranean world filled with a horror far beyond their imaginings. I haven’t heard of Tim Curran before but will definitely be exploring his catalogue further based on the evidence of this truly horrifying tale.
February 11, 2023
3.5 star. Not amazing but not bad by any means. Takes place deep in a mine in Michigan. If you're looking for something to kill the time and you're in the mood for a horror novella you can't really go wrong. Didn't see the ending coming. Will update this review after its stewed in my head for a bit.
January 30, 2021
Definitely not for people with claustrophobia and a fear of dark and very silent places. Although the story wasn't scary to me, it did have a couple of very ominous, creepy and gross parts, just to get you at the edge of your seat and make you think about life.
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