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The Long Way Home
Gathered here for the first time ever are seventeen short stories, two essays, and a short script by award-winning and New York Times bestselling author, Richard Chizmar. Eerie, suspenseful, poignant, the stories in The Long Way Home run the gamut from horror to suspense, crime to dark fantasy, mainstream to mystery. This brand new collection features more than 100,000 words of short fiction, as well as more than 5,000 words of autobiographical Story Notes. Chizmar's previous short story collection, A Long December, was published in 2016 to starred reviews from Library Journal and Kirkus, and was included on numerous "Best Books of the Year" lists. Entertainment Weekly gave the book high "Each tale is a magic trick, luring you toward the light while leading you down an ever-darkening path. There is hope mingled with horror, and that's Chizmar's secret power. His storytelling always beats with a huge, passionate heart." Stephen King says he writes "terrific stories served with a very large slice of Disquiet Pie," and with The Long Way Home, Richard Chizmar has taken his evocative and compelling storytelling to an entirely new level.
322 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 10, 2018
415 people are currently reading
1095 people want to read
About the author
Richard Chizmar
252 books3,437 followersRichard Chizmar is a New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Amazon, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author.
He is the co-author (with Stephen King) of the bestselling novella, Gwendy’s Button Box and the founder/publisher of Cemetery Dance magazine and the Cemetery Dance Publications book imprint. He has edited more than 35 anthologies and his short fiction has appeared in dozens of publications, including multiple editions of Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and The Year’s 25 Finest Crime and Mystery Stories. He has won two World Fantasy awards, four International Horror Guild awards, and the HWA’s Board of Trustee’s award.
Chizmar (in collaboration with Johnathon Schaech) has also written screenplays and teleplays for United Artists, Sony Screen Gems, Lions Gate, Showtime, NBC, and many other companies. He has adapted the works of many bestselling authors including Stephen King, Peter Straub, and Bentley Little.
Chizmar is also the creator/writer of the online website, Stephen King Revisited. His fourth short story collection, The Long Way Home, was published in 2019. With Brian Freeman, Chizmar is co-editor of the acclaimed Dark Screams horror anthology series published by Random House imprint, Hydra.
His latest book, The Girl on the Porch, was released in hardcover by Subterranean Press, and Widow’s Point, a chilling novella about a haunted lighthouse written with his son, Billy Chizmar, was recently adapted into a feature film.
Chizmar’s work has been translated into more than fifteen languages throughout the world, and he has appeared at numerous conferences as a writing instructor, guest speaker, panelist, and guest of honor.
He is the co-author (with Stephen King) of the bestselling novella, Gwendy’s Button Box and the founder/publisher of Cemetery Dance magazine and the Cemetery Dance Publications book imprint. He has edited more than 35 anthologies and his short fiction has appeared in dozens of publications, including multiple editions of Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and The Year’s 25 Finest Crime and Mystery Stories. He has won two World Fantasy awards, four International Horror Guild awards, and the HWA’s Board of Trustee’s award.
Chizmar (in collaboration with Johnathon Schaech) has also written screenplays and teleplays for United Artists, Sony Screen Gems, Lions Gate, Showtime, NBC, and many other companies. He has adapted the works of many bestselling authors including Stephen King, Peter Straub, and Bentley Little.
Chizmar is also the creator/writer of the online website, Stephen King Revisited. His fourth short story collection, The Long Way Home, was published in 2019. With Brian Freeman, Chizmar is co-editor of the acclaimed Dark Screams horror anthology series published by Random House imprint, Hydra.
His latest book, The Girl on the Porch, was released in hardcover by Subterranean Press, and Widow’s Point, a chilling novella about a haunted lighthouse written with his son, Billy Chizmar, was recently adapted into a feature film.
Chizmar’s work has been translated into more than fifteen languages throughout the world, and he has appeared at numerous conferences as a writing instructor, guest speaker, panelist, and guest of honor.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
March 11, 2019
4.5 stars Some wonderful reads in this collection. Love the mix up of essays, shorts, flash fiction, and the screenplay.
Review from Sci-Fi and Scary:
I love single author collections that include a multitude of genres. And this one is that and so much more. Short stories, essays, 100-word flash fiction, and a screenplay, The Long Way Home really does have something for every reader. Most of these stories have been previously published in other venues, but for the most part, all of them were new to me. I stretched this read out over a few weeks and I’m glad I did. It allowed me to really experience each read on its own merits. I’m a scary fast reader and this is detrimental at times – I needed to slow down for this one, just like I do for most anthologies and collections I pick up.
Here are a few of my absolute favorite reads. All of these stood out for various reasons; ultimately, these are the ones that made me laugh, or cry (that first essay just destroyed me – I loved it), or cringe in horror.
The Man Behind the Mask
The Bad Guys
The Meek Shall Inherit
Widow’s Point (with Billy Chizmar)
Both essays: My Father and Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and Stephen King at 70: A Tribute to the Gunslinger
Mischief
Roses and Raindrops (with Brian Keene)
The Association
“The Long Way Home”: as a title story, I really couldn’t ask for more. This is the story’s first publication, and honestly – I’d buy this whole book just for this story. It’s that good. Chizmar explores the darkness of a life gone wrong. Beautifully written, I sat in awe of what was crafted on these pages. I have known and know people whose stories are much like the main character’s. Chizmar manages to capture the essence of a person in desperation and of those who are unable to reach those who need it the most. I could’ve read a novel-length version of this.
The story notes provided at the end of this collection enhanced this reading experience for me. I loved learning the background information and small pieces of autobiographical information attached to each of these pieces. I found myself flipping to the back after I read each story to not only gain some information but to live in that world just a bit longer.
If you’re looking for a diverse collection of genres and formats from a single author, this one is the one for you.
Review from Sci-Fi and Scary:
I love single author collections that include a multitude of genres. And this one is that and so much more. Short stories, essays, 100-word flash fiction, and a screenplay, The Long Way Home really does have something for every reader. Most of these stories have been previously published in other venues, but for the most part, all of them were new to me. I stretched this read out over a few weeks and I’m glad I did. It allowed me to really experience each read on its own merits. I’m a scary fast reader and this is detrimental at times – I needed to slow down for this one, just like I do for most anthologies and collections I pick up.
Here are a few of my absolute favorite reads. All of these stood out for various reasons; ultimately, these are the ones that made me laugh, or cry (that first essay just destroyed me – I loved it), or cringe in horror.
The Man Behind the Mask
The Bad Guys
The Meek Shall Inherit
Widow’s Point (with Billy Chizmar)
Both essays: My Father and Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and Stephen King at 70: A Tribute to the Gunslinger
Mischief
Roses and Raindrops (with Brian Keene)
The Association
“The Long Way Home”: as a title story, I really couldn’t ask for more. This is the story’s first publication, and honestly – I’d buy this whole book just for this story. It’s that good. Chizmar explores the darkness of a life gone wrong. Beautifully written, I sat in awe of what was crafted on these pages. I have known and know people whose stories are much like the main character’s. Chizmar manages to capture the essence of a person in desperation and of those who are unable to reach those who need it the most. I could’ve read a novel-length version of this.
The story notes provided at the end of this collection enhanced this reading experience for me. I loved learning the background information and small pieces of autobiographical information attached to each of these pieces. I found myself flipping to the back after I read each story to not only gain some information but to live in that world just a bit longer.
If you’re looking for a diverse collection of genres and formats from a single author, this one is the one for you.
August 2, 2019
I received this from the narrator, Matt Godfrey, through Audiobook Boom in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars rounded up.
This is my first experience with Richard Chizmar, other than his co-authoring Gwendy's Button Box with Stephen King. Most of the stories were pretty solid, and I especially liked the essay on why he started writing and his "happy birthday" essay to Stephen King. There was one thing that bothered me though: almost every story ended very abruptly. There was no let down from the high point in the plot, just an abrupt ending. Very jolting. I guess I was drawn into the stories, and the endings jarred me back to reality.
The narration was very good, too. I definitely recommend this anthology for horror, mystery, and even sci-fi lovers.
3.5 stars rounded up.
This is my first experience with Richard Chizmar, other than his co-authoring Gwendy's Button Box with Stephen King. Most of the stories were pretty solid, and I especially liked the essay on why he started writing and his "happy birthday" essay to Stephen King. There was one thing that bothered me though: almost every story ended very abruptly. There was no let down from the high point in the plot, just an abrupt ending. Very jolting. I guess I was drawn into the stories, and the endings jarred me back to reality.
The narration was very good, too. I definitely recommend this anthology for horror, mystery, and even sci-fi lovers.
January 23, 2019
A formidable collection of dark fiction that kept me thoroughly entertained.
The 5 star stories in my opinion were The Witch - A dead body is found and the corpse has left a note that if anything has happened to him the ex is responsible.
A Nightmare on Elm Lane- A father and son project in the back yard turns up a murder mystery.
Mischief - A serial killer has a frightening confession to make.
The Association- A couple has worked hard to afford their dream home but didn't realize their new neighborhood had very strict rules with terrifying consequences.
I received a complimentary copy for review
The 5 star stories in my opinion were The Witch - A dead body is found and the corpse has left a note that if anything has happened to him the ex is responsible.
A Nightmare on Elm Lane- A father and son project in the back yard turns up a murder mystery.
Mischief - A serial killer has a frightening confession to make.
The Association- A couple has worked hard to afford their dream home but didn't realize their new neighborhood had very strict rules with terrifying consequences.
I received a complimentary copy for review
June 6, 2019
First off, I owe a huge thank you to Richard Chizmar and Cemetery Dance Publications for providing me with a review copy of The Long Way Home.
This collection contains a little bit of everything. Short story collections are wonderful things, and when you throw in some non-fiction and a script, it’s like adding sprinkles to your ice cream.
I wanted to take time to write a mini-review for each story in this collection as I read it, but it just didn’t happen for me this time.
I read this book five months ago, yes I did get behind on reviews, but the first story, The Man Behind the Mask, has stayed in my mind this entire time. After a month or so, a lot of stories tend to fade or melt into other other stories for me. The Man Behind the Mask stuck in my jumbled brain. That story tore me up. Have you ever thought about the people you come in contact with on a daily basis, really thought about how many people in line beside of you or behind you could be a serial killer? Maybe they’re not grabbing that to-go bag for themselves later; it could be their captive’s only meal for a week, or their last meal. You just never know.
“Anyone with tulips has to be a nice person, right?”
The Witch was another story that stood out to me.
Is it a Halloween death or a murder? Two detectives—one doesn’t hesitate to let everyone know he hates Halloween—investigate the man’s death. They talk to the man’s ex-wife, a woman who has been accused of being a witch. More than listening to her speak, it’s almost as if they can see her story being played right before them…almost like a spell…
It’s really the perfect short, witchy, Halloween story.
A Nightmare on Elm Lane.
Kevin’s dad has decided that he and Kevin are going to work on a big project in the back yard. They begin on Kevin’s first day of summer break. Kevin is less than thrilled about the project. He’d much rather be fishing with his friends or playing basketball. After a couple days of hard digging, they uncover more than they’ve bargained for. Then, the police are involved. A person of interest has been arrested, but…someone or something is after Kevin…
The Man in the Black Sweater is the shortest story. I love drabbles. They’re a lot of fun. It always amazes me how much of a story you can get out of only one-hundred words.
Stephen King at 70: A Tribute to the Gunslinger.
Here Richard talks about the first time he experienced a story by Stephen King when he was in high school, and how that first story he read by King affected him.
Then we fast forward to his college years, and things take a rough turn for him. This is when he rediscovers King with the release of IT, and his whole life changes.
To me, this is the best story in the entire collection. Non-fiction isn’t always my “jam,” but when it comes to stories like this, they’re everything. We think we know where we want our path to lead, or we might even think our path is pretty well-paved and ready for us, but we don’t know that. Sometimes things happen to knock us off our paths, and we begin somewhere else in a completely new direction. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of hearing Richard’s story. He’s had some extremely rough patches in life, and I couldn’t be happier for him with where he is in life with Cemetery Dance and as a writer and especially when he writes with Stephen King. He says in this tribute, “I’ve been a dreamer my entire life, but I never dreamed this big.”
Never stop dreaming, man!
4.5 stars overall for The Long Way Home. This is one heck of a collection.
This collection contains a little bit of everything. Short story collections are wonderful things, and when you throw in some non-fiction and a script, it’s like adding sprinkles to your ice cream.
I wanted to take time to write a mini-review for each story in this collection as I read it, but it just didn’t happen for me this time.
I read this book five months ago, yes I did get behind on reviews, but the first story, The Man Behind the Mask, has stayed in my mind this entire time. After a month or so, a lot of stories tend to fade or melt into other other stories for me. The Man Behind the Mask stuck in my jumbled brain. That story tore me up. Have you ever thought about the people you come in contact with on a daily basis, really thought about how many people in line beside of you or behind you could be a serial killer? Maybe they’re not grabbing that to-go bag for themselves later; it could be their captive’s only meal for a week, or their last meal. You just never know.
“Anyone with tulips has to be a nice person, right?”
The Witch was another story that stood out to me.
Is it a Halloween death or a murder? Two detectives—one doesn’t hesitate to let everyone know he hates Halloween—investigate the man’s death. They talk to the man’s ex-wife, a woman who has been accused of being a witch. More than listening to her speak, it’s almost as if they can see her story being played right before them…almost like a spell…
It’s really the perfect short, witchy, Halloween story.
A Nightmare on Elm Lane.
Kevin’s dad has decided that he and Kevin are going to work on a big project in the back yard. They begin on Kevin’s first day of summer break. Kevin is less than thrilled about the project. He’d much rather be fishing with his friends or playing basketball. After a couple days of hard digging, they uncover more than they’ve bargained for. Then, the police are involved. A person of interest has been arrested, but…someone or something is after Kevin…
The Man in the Black Sweater is the shortest story. I love drabbles. They’re a lot of fun. It always amazes me how much of a story you can get out of only one-hundred words.
Stephen King at 70: A Tribute to the Gunslinger.
Here Richard talks about the first time he experienced a story by Stephen King when he was in high school, and how that first story he read by King affected him.
Then we fast forward to his college years, and things take a rough turn for him. This is when he rediscovers King with the release of IT, and his whole life changes.
To me, this is the best story in the entire collection. Non-fiction isn’t always my “jam,” but when it comes to stories like this, they’re everything. We think we know where we want our path to lead, or we might even think our path is pretty well-paved and ready for us, but we don’t know that. Sometimes things happen to knock us off our paths, and we begin somewhere else in a completely new direction. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of hearing Richard’s story. He’s had some extremely rough patches in life, and I couldn’t be happier for him with where he is in life with Cemetery Dance and as a writer and especially when he writes with Stephen King. He says in this tribute, “I’ve been a dreamer my entire life, but I never dreamed this big.”
Never stop dreaming, man!
4.5 stars overall for The Long Way Home. This is one heck of a collection.
February 6, 2019
*I was given a copy of the book by the publisher for my fair and honest review.*
Again, like a lot of my reads lately, this is my first book by Richard Chizmar. And I have to admit, I'm now kind of a fan! This collection of seventeen short stories, two essays, and a short script are everything from thought provoking, to heartfelt, to downright horrifying! The stories are quite diverse, covering an array of genres such as mystery, suspense, horror, and fantasy. There is a little something for everyone in this unusually large collection!
Instead of listing all of the stories, I'll just touch on a few. First, we have Behind the Mask, which is about a woman who survived a kidnapping by someone dubbed "The Boogeyman". The reader is given enough information to know she suffered mentally and physically, but the author let's our imaginations run wild as to what befell her at the hands of a psycho. This is a theme throughout a lot of the stories. The author leaves it up to the reader and their own imagination to decide what has or will happen.
The collaborations he did were fantastic- Sculptors and Roses and Raindrops. Both strong, solid stories, and I felt like Roses and Raindrops could be made into a full length novel- hint hint!
For creepy stories, I'm going with Widow's Point and Mischief. For sweet and interesting, Magazine and his short story on Stephen King.
My top picks are The Witch, A Nightmare on Elm Ln, Mischief, and The Association.
Ok, so my first issue. Even though the tribute essay to Stephen King was fascinating and well done, I didn't feel it, the other essay, or script should have been included in this assembly. I wish it would have been the seventeen stories and that's all, but this is just a personal preference.
I thought The Bad Guys and The Hunch were definitely too short and needed to be expanded on more. Dirty Coppers could have done with a lot more world building since it's set in the future.
But other than my few knit picky complaints, the authors character building was done quickly, but effectively, especially when done in a short paragraph. He was able to hook the reader instantly and draw them into the stories immediately, which is essential for short stories.
Richard Chizmar puts together a large group of assorted tales that are sure to fascinate and terrify. He creates comfortable situations the reader is familiar with, then throws a unexpected punch, making these stories that much more compelling and magnificent! The Long Way Home takes the reader on a trip down the disturbing roads of the human psyche- all the more disturbing when you realize your traveling down your own!
Again, like a lot of my reads lately, this is my first book by Richard Chizmar. And I have to admit, I'm now kind of a fan! This collection of seventeen short stories, two essays, and a short script are everything from thought provoking, to heartfelt, to downright horrifying! The stories are quite diverse, covering an array of genres such as mystery, suspense, horror, and fantasy. There is a little something for everyone in this unusually large collection!
Instead of listing all of the stories, I'll just touch on a few. First, we have Behind the Mask, which is about a woman who survived a kidnapping by someone dubbed "The Boogeyman". The reader is given enough information to know she suffered mentally and physically, but the author let's our imaginations run wild as to what befell her at the hands of a psycho. This is a theme throughout a lot of the stories. The author leaves it up to the reader and their own imagination to decide what has or will happen.
The collaborations he did were fantastic- Sculptors and Roses and Raindrops. Both strong, solid stories, and I felt like Roses and Raindrops could be made into a full length novel- hint hint!
For creepy stories, I'm going with Widow's Point and Mischief. For sweet and interesting, Magazine and his short story on Stephen King.
My top picks are The Witch, A Nightmare on Elm Ln, Mischief, and The Association.
Ok, so my first issue. Even though the tribute essay to Stephen King was fascinating and well done, I didn't feel it, the other essay, or script should have been included in this assembly. I wish it would have been the seventeen stories and that's all, but this is just a personal preference.
I thought The Bad Guys and The Hunch were definitely too short and needed to be expanded on more. Dirty Coppers could have done with a lot more world building since it's set in the future.
But other than my few knit picky complaints, the authors character building was done quickly, but effectively, especially when done in a short paragraph. He was able to hook the reader instantly and draw them into the stories immediately, which is essential for short stories.
Richard Chizmar puts together a large group of assorted tales that are sure to fascinate and terrify. He creates comfortable situations the reader is familiar with, then throws a unexpected punch, making these stories that much more compelling and magnificent! The Long Way Home takes the reader on a trip down the disturbing roads of the human psyche- all the more disturbing when you realize your traveling down your own!
December 30, 2021
Wow!! I need more Chizmar books, ASAP!!
I enjoyed every story in this incredible collection! Especially the last one, Long Way Home. That one was a tough read, emotionally, because I could relate to the main character so much!
For this book, I listened to the audiobook narrated by, my all time favorite, Matt Godfrey. He did a phenomenal job, as always!
I really look forward to reading/listening to more of Chizmar’s books.
I enjoyed every story in this incredible collection! Especially the last one, Long Way Home. That one was a tough read, emotionally, because I could relate to the main character so much!
For this book, I listened to the audiobook narrated by, my all time favorite, Matt Godfrey. He did a phenomenal job, as always!
I really look forward to reading/listening to more of Chizmar’s books.
September 1, 2019
Just finished this amazing short story collection of tales that will chill your spine, warm your heart, cause sleepless nights, waking nightmares(which I did experience), and informative story notes, which I really enjoyed. So, if you have the nerve , grab a damn copy and get busy reading! Richard Chizmar will get into you head. ***** stars..
March 27, 2019
The Long Way Home includes 17 short stories, two essays and a script that is being made (or already has been) into a short film.
The collection includes a lot of great stories. My personal favorites were Widow's Point (already read it, but what a great story haunted house style/found footage story); Murder House (I'm not surprised they turned this into a movie - it was perfect for it); The Association (I have a homeowner's association so this hit a special spot for me); and The Sculptor (about an artist who is hopelessly blocked until a large slab of granite magically appears in his studio).
Well-written with a variety of genres included. A little something for everyone.
The collection includes a lot of great stories. My personal favorites were Widow's Point (already read it, but what a great story haunted house style/found footage story); Murder House (I'm not surprised they turned this into a movie - it was perfect for it); The Association (I have a homeowner's association so this hit a special spot for me); and The Sculptor (about an artist who is hopelessly blocked until a large slab of granite magically appears in his studio).
Well-written with a variety of genres included. A little something for everyone.
September 17, 2023
The Long Way Home by Richard Chizmar
Rating (5/5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
First time reading his short stories. I enjoyed them very much. Well written, creepy , and chilling stories! Couldn’t put this one down. I especially enjoyed the Maryland references, since Baltimore is my hometown. Highly recommend this one!
Rating (5/5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
First time reading his short stories. I enjoyed them very much. Well written, creepy , and chilling stories! Couldn’t put this one down. I especially enjoyed the Maryland references, since Baltimore is my hometown. Highly recommend this one!
January 9, 2019
The Long Way Home is a multi genre collection that will appeal to anyone looking for well crafted tales featuring decent characterisation. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the essays, but I'm not so sure how many times I'd return to them, but like Chizmar's previous collection it's the brilliance of the fiction that has captivated me. Beautifully written stories that will equally engage you emotionally as they will horrify you. This is a sublime page turner that's in many ways better than The Long December, and I really don't think I could offer a higher compliment to The Long Way Home than that.
December 12, 2024
Absolutely loved this gathering of dark fiction. All the stories pretty much creeped the hell out of me and gave me chills each time I picked up the book. I think it's the first time while reading that Iv ever actually gotten scared and unsettled enough to make me feel uneasy alone at home!
Other than Gwendy's Button Box that Chizmar wrote with the King this is the first Iv read of his but now I'm looking forward to reading more to see if they grab me just as much as his short story collection. Id already been looking into my next before I'd even finished this one!
"Sometimes I think God creates something special just to remind us that the world is beautiful, that magic still exists."
Other than Gwendy's Button Box that Chizmar wrote with the King this is the first Iv read of his but now I'm looking forward to reading more to see if they grab me just as much as his short story collection. Id already been looking into my next before I'd even finished this one!
"Sometimes I think God creates something special just to remind us that the world is beautiful, that magic still exists."
July 19, 2019
While devouring the various entries collected in Richard Chizmar, (who remains a master of the short story format -- but more on that in a second, hang on...), instantly remembered how wonderful it felt when I first read his previous published collection, "A Long December." I burned through that collection so fast and then immediately re-read it to go find the various characters, details, etc. that connect several of the seemingly disparate stories.
With, "The Long Way Home," Mr. Chizmar's talent of dropping you into the worlds populated with all sorts of active serial killers & child abductors -- where you are convinced that the story being told will resolve in one of the only two outcomes for the protagonist/main character, *however*, what I'd forgotten about his clever and sneaky style made me pay big time when I finished the very first story & realized what had just happened. **I'd fallen for the old bait n switch!** Not like a plot twist, and not to suggest that plot twists in the Horror genre are inherently negative or positive. It's all about execution (punintended). So the first story was Mr. Chizmar's way of reminding me that we're playing by his rules, and no one is safe -- not even us readers who are (at most) just emotionally invested in fictional characters whose entire existence may only span a dozen pages; basically I'm saying it's not as though we're asked to become attached to Jon Snow for a dozen years & 5 (technically only 4, GRRM! BOO!) novels only to be left hanging as to the nature of said character's several knife wounds. **Richard Chizmar gets you on the side of his central characters -- not all of whom are innocents, by the by -- within a few paragraphs, making the events that unfold after the early character development all the more brutal.**
The main reason I gave this one 4 stars as opposed to the 5 I gave, "A Long December," is really subjective and not even remotely a rating one could defend objectively -- so keep that in mind, for what it's worth. I'd already read a few entries in this collection. I was surprised to find, "Widow's Point," in here. Not disappointed, (I was happy to re-visit that stroll down the looney-looking-glass & smile to myself as I re-experienced a weekend in which the protagonist's mind gets curb-stomped by some uncouth Lighthouse demon ghouls -- I mean who wouldn't enjoy that?). But it was a little deflating in the sense that I knew this collection's word count was reaching the mid-way point, and a HUGE chunk of it was about to account for a Novella I'd already read and loved
just last year. *Don't quote me on this, but the version published in this collection seemed to be about 50(?) pages or so shorter than the stand-alone novella publication...so, that's interesting. Unless I'm wrong, then disregard this and blame it on the Lighthouse demon ghost for messing w/ my memory.*
Ultimately, I rated this collection against the author's previously published short-story collection. While that may be unfair, or gauche, or even a little lame, it's the best way could keep a semblance of consistency with my ratings on here. **I'm sure many people who notice my average rating on GoodReads think that I'm being far too kind or only choosing to catalogue/rate books I've read that I enjoyed tremendously, while perhaps not even listing or noting other titles that would otherwise merit a much lower rating. That's not the case, but I am VERY aware of how casually I've given out plenty of 4 and 5 star ratings since I joined GoodReads and started writing some a few of these very unhelpful & tangentially-relevant "reviews" for each respective novel/publication. I don't know why I'm feeling the need to defend my overtly-positive rating style to a seemingly non-existent group of followers on here...but you never know I guess. I guess I just love reading (like everyone else on here...), but feel less qualified to give a more objective critique or review of literary content compared to, say, records or films. What I can provide in these reviews, no matter how subjective they all are, is a verbose enthusiasm that should engrave my sincere endorsement into your head. The books I've take the time to write reviews, (or even some small blurbs, and of course MANY MANY more where my stars speak for themselves), I ADORE. To such an extent that I often feel a nagging sense of grief and self-disappointment until I hope on here and mash the keyboard, sing a book's praises, or what I loved about it, etc., until GoodReads character-count tells me to shut up.**
Well, don't worry. I'm going to stop here. For anyone who actually stumbled upon this "review" I've written and (somehow?) managed to read the entire thing (on purpose), I apologize for the direction in which this went. [Watch out, I'm about to drop a lame dad joke and ruin your day]: *So, I'll conclude with this — Let's just say that when it comes to describing my feelings on Richard Chizmar's latest collection of short stories & various other collaborative musings...I took THE LONG WAY [HOME] and Mr. Chizmar remains a national treasure as far as I'm concerned. This man may not publish as frequently as other big names in literature -- but the quality of the content is ALWAYS on point.* Cheers.
With, "The Long Way Home," Mr. Chizmar's talent of dropping you into the worlds populated with all sorts of active serial killers & child abductors -- where you are convinced that the story being told will resolve in one of the only two outcomes for the protagonist/main character, *however*, what I'd forgotten about his clever and sneaky style made me pay big time when I finished the very first story & realized what had just happened. **I'd fallen for the old bait n switch!** Not like a plot twist, and not to suggest that plot twists in the Horror genre are inherently negative or positive. It's all about execution (punintended). So the first story was Mr. Chizmar's way of reminding me that we're playing by his rules, and no one is safe -- not even us readers who are (at most) just emotionally invested in fictional characters whose entire existence may only span a dozen pages; basically I'm saying it's not as though we're asked to become attached to Jon Snow for a dozen years & 5 (technically only 4, GRRM! BOO!) novels only to be left hanging as to the nature of said character's several knife wounds. **Richard Chizmar gets you on the side of his central characters -- not all of whom are innocents, by the by -- within a few paragraphs, making the events that unfold after the early character development all the more brutal.**
The main reason I gave this one 4 stars as opposed to the 5 I gave, "A Long December," is really subjective and not even remotely a rating one could defend objectively -- so keep that in mind, for what it's worth. I'd already read a few entries in this collection. I was surprised to find, "Widow's Point," in here. Not disappointed, (I was happy to re-visit that stroll down the looney-looking-glass & smile to myself as I re-experienced a weekend in which the protagonist's mind gets curb-stomped by some uncouth Lighthouse demon ghouls -- I mean who wouldn't enjoy that?). But it was a little deflating in the sense that I knew this collection's word count was reaching the mid-way point, and a HUGE chunk of it was about to account for a Novella I'd already read and loved
just last year. *Don't quote me on this, but the version published in this collection seemed to be about 50(?) pages or so shorter than the stand-alone novella publication...so, that's interesting. Unless I'm wrong, then disregard this and blame it on the Lighthouse demon ghost for messing w/ my memory.*
Ultimately, I rated this collection against the author's previously published short-story collection. While that may be unfair, or gauche, or even a little lame, it's the best way could keep a semblance of consistency with my ratings on here. **I'm sure many people who notice my average rating on GoodReads think that I'm being far too kind or only choosing to catalogue/rate books I've read that I enjoyed tremendously, while perhaps not even listing or noting other titles that would otherwise merit a much lower rating. That's not the case, but I am VERY aware of how casually I've given out plenty of 4 and 5 star ratings since I joined GoodReads and started writing some a few of these very unhelpful & tangentially-relevant "reviews" for each respective novel/publication. I don't know why I'm feeling the need to defend my overtly-positive rating style to a seemingly non-existent group of followers on here...but you never know I guess. I guess I just love reading (like everyone else on here...), but feel less qualified to give a more objective critique or review of literary content compared to, say, records or films. What I can provide in these reviews, no matter how subjective they all are, is a verbose enthusiasm that should engrave my sincere endorsement into your head. The books I've take the time to write reviews, (or even some small blurbs, and of course MANY MANY more where my stars speak for themselves), I ADORE. To such an extent that I often feel a nagging sense of grief and self-disappointment until I hope on here and mash the keyboard, sing a book's praises, or what I loved about it, etc., until GoodReads character-count tells me to shut up.**
Well, don't worry. I'm going to stop here. For anyone who actually stumbled upon this "review" I've written and (somehow?) managed to read the entire thing (on purpose), I apologize for the direction in which this went. [Watch out, I'm about to drop a lame dad joke and ruin your day]: *So, I'll conclude with this — Let's just say that when it comes to describing my feelings on Richard Chizmar's latest collection of short stories & various other collaborative musings...I took THE LONG WAY [HOME] and Mr. Chizmar remains a national treasure as far as I'm concerned. This man may not publish as frequently as other big names in literature -- but the quality of the content is ALWAYS on point.* Cheers.
May 15, 2024
THE LONG WAY HOME – A Richard Chizmar Collection Of Personal and Coauthored Short Stories, Essays, and Screenplay
The Following Are My Favorites:
‘THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK’ – Whoa!
‘THE BAD GUYS’
‘THE MEEK SHALL INHERIT’
‘SILENT NIGHT’ – My Heart!
‘WIDOW’S POINT’ – Creepy Good!
‘A NIGHTMARE ON ELM LANE’ – Whoa!
‘Odd numbers’ – My Heart!
‘Roses and Raindrops’ – Creepy
‘Stephen King at Seventy: A Tribute To The Gunslinger’ - Love This Essay!
‘The Association’ - Creepy Good!
‘The Sculpture’ - Love This One!
‘Murder House’ (Screenplay) - Creepy Good!
‘The Long Way Home’ – My Heart!
Thank you, Cemetery Dance Publication, for providing me with an eBook of THE LONG WAY HOME at the request of an honest review. My review is based on the eBook and Audiobook (Crossroad Press) version I purchased. Side Note: Matt Godfrey does an excellent job with the narration—Highly Recommend!
The Following Are My Favorites:
‘THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK’ – Whoa!
‘THE BAD GUYS’
‘THE MEEK SHALL INHERIT’
‘SILENT NIGHT’ – My Heart!
‘WIDOW’S POINT’ – Creepy Good!
‘A NIGHTMARE ON ELM LANE’ – Whoa!
‘Odd numbers’ – My Heart!
‘Roses and Raindrops’ – Creepy
‘Stephen King at Seventy: A Tribute To The Gunslinger’ - Love This Essay!
‘The Association’ - Creepy Good!
‘The Sculpture’ - Love This One!
‘Murder House’ (Screenplay) - Creepy Good!
‘The Long Way Home’ – My Heart!
Thank you, Cemetery Dance Publication, for providing me with an eBook of THE LONG WAY HOME at the request of an honest review. My review is based on the eBook and Audiobook (Crossroad Press) version I purchased. Side Note: Matt Godfrey does an excellent job with the narration—Highly Recommend!
September 11, 2024
Every time I read something by Chizmar, I just get blown away with how awesome of a writer he is!! This, like his other short story collections continued to blow me away with each story being a unique, enjoyable experience! Can’t wait to read more from him!!!
January 9, 2019
I can honestly say I have mixed feelings about this book. As a whole, I did enjoy it, although it was not one of my favorites of Richard Chizmar. I assumed it would be categorized in the horror genre but I don't believe that is the entire case. Some stories, yes, definitely horror, others I would go so far as to say included mystery, psycological horror, thriller, drama...you name it, this book has got it. The Long Way Home has a little bit of something for just about every reader.
One of my favorite short stories was "My Father and Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine". This story spoke to me on a personal level as I am sure it will with many readers. The bond between and father and child is something special.
Two others that caught my immediate attention were "The Man Behind the Mask" and "Mischief". Reading about Serial Killers has always been an odd hobby of mine. I often purchase magazines and such that focus on particular real-life serial killers. So, of course, I highly enjoyed these two stories.
My final favorite is the title story, The Long Way Home. This story was truly heart-wrenching. A beautiful story of wrong choices, past mistakes, love, loss and forgiveness. I'll be honest, this story made me cry.
All in all, I would say The Long Way Home by Richard Chizmar is must read. I am positive that anyone could find at least one or two stories that capture their attention.
One of my favorite short stories was "My Father and Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine". This story spoke to me on a personal level as I am sure it will with many readers. The bond between and father and child is something special.
Two others that caught my immediate attention were "The Man Behind the Mask" and "Mischief". Reading about Serial Killers has always been an odd hobby of mine. I often purchase magazines and such that focus on particular real-life serial killers. So, of course, I highly enjoyed these two stories.
My final favorite is the title story, The Long Way Home. This story was truly heart-wrenching. A beautiful story of wrong choices, past mistakes, love, loss and forgiveness. I'll be honest, this story made me cry.
All in all, I would say The Long Way Home by Richard Chizmar is must read. I am positive that anyone could find at least one or two stories that capture their attention.
January 25, 2019
OK. Chizmar has done it again. Each story in this collection hits home. His writing is straightforward scary and thought provoking. Character development is excellent. You can get into the characters and the story in just a paragraph or so and you are in their world all the way. I read a LOT of horror and King, of course, is the Master but Richard Chizmar is very close behind. Have been reading him nearly from the beginning and can see the advancement along the way. You will certainly enjoy this collection of his work.
February 27, 2019
I’m not sure I have the words to adequately describe how sensational this collection is. Richard has this way of sucking you into the worlds he creates that make the real world around you just drop away. There are also two essays in this collection that detail his relationship with his father and with his friend, and mentor, Stephen King. Those were so poignant they made me cry.
June 13, 2020
Not bad but not great
While a lot of the ideas were quite good, the stories often stopped right at the point of beginning to be interesting. I suppose the effect was to leave you wanting more, but often I was left frustrated because there wasn’t enough story to be satisfying.
While a lot of the ideas were quite good, the stories often stopped right at the point of beginning to be interesting. I suppose the effect was to leave you wanting more, but often I was left frustrated because there wasn’t enough story to be satisfying.
July 25, 2021
One of the better collections I have read. Not a sour grape in the bunch.
April 3, 2022
A good collection of short stories, A Long Way Home, my personal favorite. Richard chizmar, Stephen King are Two of my favorite authors.
February 24, 2019
Let me start off by saying there are very few authors out there that I will take the time to reread. As I told a very good friend of mine recently, I read way too much to waste my time either on garbage, or rereading something. That being said, I’ve read most of the stories in Richard Chizmar’s “The Long Way Home” previously, and still took the time to read every story a second time (even my least favorite “Odd Numbers”, but I’ll get to that in a bit).
That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of both fiction, non-fiction, and a bit of autobiographical. One of the things I love most about Richard’s writing is that no matter what he writes, he does so with heart, and a passion, and even his fiction seems like he lived it. He has beautiful character development, and you feel you know the people he writes about.
My favorite part of this collection, however, is the end – he writes a little background on every story, giving the reader insight to the madness behind the method.
I’m not going to rehash the stories, since I’ve reviewed most of them before. I do want to note a few key details on some, however.
Having tried my hand at writing a drabble once (that’s a 100 word story), I can say it’s not the easiest thing to do, and “The Man in the Black Sweater” does it wonderfully.
I grew up in the 70’s reading Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine – so Richard’s story about his Dad and said magazine, hit home. Mine weren’t in the pristine condition that his Dad kept his; I had a subscription, so the label was always stuck to the front. I’ve long since lost those, and haven’t read the magazine in a long time, but Richard brought back some great memories.
OK Richard, you’re best friend with Stephen King. We get it. No need to gloat. But seriously, the story Stephen King at 70 was a fantastic tribute.
Finally, if you aren’t a little teary, and misty-eyed by the end of “The Long Way Home” (the last story), then you didn’t read it right.
We also find out through this book, that Richard deserves a purple lightsaber – meaning he is one Bad-A$$ Mother(censored)! This man not only kicked cancer’s a$$, but went on to build a successful publishing company (not to mention be one of the very few people to co-write a book with Stephen King) and raise an pretty awesome family; he raised some great kids (Billy being an author himself), and is very proud of them.
All in all, this is a solid collection of stories – if you’ve never read anything by Richard, this would be a good start.
What’s that? I forgot to mention why I dislike “Odd Numbers”? Well, it would have been one of my favorite stories of Richard’s seeing how I enjoy numbers, and math. However, he has taken it upon himself to say that the number 24 is bad, and that the most evil day of the year is February 24 – which just so happens to be my birthday! So, by default, I can’t like a story that says my birthday is evil; maybe if my name was Damien it would be OK – but it’s not. But of course, I jest. It really is a solid story, despite the whole birthday issue.
That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of both fiction, non-fiction, and a bit of autobiographical. One of the things I love most about Richard’s writing is that no matter what he writes, he does so with heart, and a passion, and even his fiction seems like he lived it. He has beautiful character development, and you feel you know the people he writes about.
My favorite part of this collection, however, is the end – he writes a little background on every story, giving the reader insight to the madness behind the method.
I’m not going to rehash the stories, since I’ve reviewed most of them before. I do want to note a few key details on some, however.
Having tried my hand at writing a drabble once (that’s a 100 word story), I can say it’s not the easiest thing to do, and “The Man in the Black Sweater” does it wonderfully.
I grew up in the 70’s reading Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine – so Richard’s story about his Dad and said magazine, hit home. Mine weren’t in the pristine condition that his Dad kept his; I had a subscription, so the label was always stuck to the front. I’ve long since lost those, and haven’t read the magazine in a long time, but Richard brought back some great memories.
OK Richard, you’re best friend with Stephen King. We get it. No need to gloat. But seriously, the story Stephen King at 70 was a fantastic tribute.
Finally, if you aren’t a little teary, and misty-eyed by the end of “The Long Way Home” (the last story), then you didn’t read it right.
We also find out through this book, that Richard deserves a purple lightsaber – meaning he is one Bad-A$$ Mother(censored)! This man not only kicked cancer’s a$$, but went on to build a successful publishing company (not to mention be one of the very few people to co-write a book with Stephen King) and raise an pretty awesome family; he raised some great kids (Billy being an author himself), and is very proud of them.
All in all, this is a solid collection of stories – if you’ve never read anything by Richard, this would be a good start.
What’s that? I forgot to mention why I dislike “Odd Numbers”? Well, it would have been one of my favorite stories of Richard’s seeing how I enjoy numbers, and math. However, he has taken it upon himself to say that the number 24 is bad, and that the most evil day of the year is February 24 – which just so happens to be my birthday! So, by default, I can’t like a story that says my birthday is evil; maybe if my name was Damien it would be OK – but it’s not. But of course, I jest. It really is a solid story, despite the whole birthday issue.
July 29, 2019
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
I am becoming a huge fan of Richard Chizmar and Matt Godfrey. I’ve been a huge fan of Cemetery Dance Publishing for a while now. They release fantastic collector’s editions and never seem to disappoint. The Cemetery Dance magazine has been a favorite periodical for great short stories. I have read a few of Chizmar’s short stories and always enjoyed them, but Gwendy’s Button Box and Widow’s Point (contained in this collection) made me a big fan. This collection only solidifies that opinion. I loved everything about this collection. There is a wide variety of stories from outright horror to good ole mysteries and suspense, to even a western and a sci-fi/noir story. There should be something for everyone to enjoy, but my guess is that you will enjoy everything in here. If I have to pick some favorites, as reviewers are often want to do, these would stand out to me: Murder House, The Man behind the Mask, Nightmare on Elm Lane, Mischief, and Roses and Raindrops. I hesitate to pick favorites, because I hate to leave some out. Dirty Coppers was a blast. I had read Widow’s Point previously and loved it - still do. The Custer Files was great. Many of the stories in this collection were heartbreaking, but Long Way Home was especially so. I have some good friends who could easily have been the source material for this story - some who ended up with happy endings and some who did not.
The stories in and of themselves are fantastic, but when you add Matt Godfrey as the narrator on top of these great stories then you have a magical collection. I have listened to several novels that Godfrey has narrated and he is always stellar. One of the things I love about novels in the hands of a good narrator is that the characters come alive and it seems that you’re watching these stories unfold in your imagination. You see these characters and feel like you know them. He’s a master at creating empathy for each of these characters and you really end up caring what happens to them even if you are suspicious that what happens is not going to be good.
Buy this book. Listen and enjoy two masters at work. Once I started I couldn’t put it down. I listened to it over two days on the weekend and it was a weekend well spent. Enjoy.
I am becoming a huge fan of Richard Chizmar and Matt Godfrey. I’ve been a huge fan of Cemetery Dance Publishing for a while now. They release fantastic collector’s editions and never seem to disappoint. The Cemetery Dance magazine has been a favorite periodical for great short stories. I have read a few of Chizmar’s short stories and always enjoyed them, but Gwendy’s Button Box and Widow’s Point (contained in this collection) made me a big fan. This collection only solidifies that opinion. I loved everything about this collection. There is a wide variety of stories from outright horror to good ole mysteries and suspense, to even a western and a sci-fi/noir story. There should be something for everyone to enjoy, but my guess is that you will enjoy everything in here. If I have to pick some favorites, as reviewers are often want to do, these would stand out to me: Murder House, The Man behind the Mask, Nightmare on Elm Lane, Mischief, and Roses and Raindrops. I hesitate to pick favorites, because I hate to leave some out. Dirty Coppers was a blast. I had read Widow’s Point previously and loved it - still do. The Custer Files was great. Many of the stories in this collection were heartbreaking, but Long Way Home was especially so. I have some good friends who could easily have been the source material for this story - some who ended up with happy endings and some who did not.
The stories in and of themselves are fantastic, but when you add Matt Godfrey as the narrator on top of these great stories then you have a magical collection. I have listened to several novels that Godfrey has narrated and he is always stellar. One of the things I love about novels in the hands of a good narrator is that the characters come alive and it seems that you’re watching these stories unfold in your imagination. You see these characters and feel like you know them. He’s a master at creating empathy for each of these characters and you really end up caring what happens to them even if you are suspicious that what happens is not going to be good.
Buy this book. Listen and enjoy two masters at work. Once I started I couldn’t put it down. I listened to it over two days on the weekend and it was a weekend well spent. Enjoy.
November 18, 2019
Such a wonderful collection of short stories! And what's very interesting about this
book is that there's different genres. Its not just pure thriller, there's also some sci-fi,
and personal essays from the author. All the stories have different vibe, some will leave
you shocked and mouth hanging and some will mist your eyes.. or maybe that's just me!
haha!
My top 5 favorite among the collection are,
1. The Man behind the mask
(A story of a survivor of a sadistic killer a.k.a "The Boogeyman" who tortures and rape women. The ending was very unexpected. whoo!
2. The Association
(Who knew home owner's association can be fatal? lol! I enjoyed this story so much! Its very suburbia vibes and you just know that its not gonna end well.. :p)
3. Widow's Point
(This reminds me of the tv show "Ghost Adventures", the guy in the story gets to be locked in a haunted light house for 3 days. He gets to experience the horror for himself and boy he got more than the scare of his life!)
4. The Witch
(A man was found dead with a note that says if something happens to him, the wife did it! And that his wife is a witch! haha.. and when the 2 police officers came to question the wife.. they were convinced that she is really a witch.. but they can't prove that she did it or did she. ;) ).
5. A nightmare on elm lane
(Summer for a kid is supposed to be fun right.. hmm well not for the kid in this story! lol. Who knew that a summer project could be so surprising when they dug out bones from their backyard.. and the killer is still lurking.. maybe.. haha
Reading this book was such a ride!! I love it!
Anyway, the author is also a big fan of Stephen King! I love what he said about dreaming
big and how books helped him get through a rough patch and pulled him out of it stronger than ever.
I am now a big fan of Richard Chizmar, well second to Mr. Stephen King :)
book is that there's different genres. Its not just pure thriller, there's also some sci-fi,
and personal essays from the author. All the stories have different vibe, some will leave
you shocked and mouth hanging and some will mist your eyes.. or maybe that's just me!
haha!
My top 5 favorite among the collection are,
1. The Man behind the mask
(A story of a survivor of a sadistic killer a.k.a "The Boogeyman" who tortures and rape women. The ending was very unexpected. whoo!
2. The Association
(Who knew home owner's association can be fatal? lol! I enjoyed this story so much! Its very suburbia vibes and you just know that its not gonna end well.. :p)
3. Widow's Point
(This reminds me of the tv show "Ghost Adventures", the guy in the story gets to be locked in a haunted light house for 3 days. He gets to experience the horror for himself and boy he got more than the scare of his life!)
4. The Witch
(A man was found dead with a note that says if something happens to him, the wife did it! And that his wife is a witch! haha.. and when the 2 police officers came to question the wife.. they were convinced that she is really a witch.. but they can't prove that she did it or did she. ;) ).
5. A nightmare on elm lane
(Summer for a kid is supposed to be fun right.. hmm well not for the kid in this story! lol. Who knew that a summer project could be so surprising when they dug out bones from their backyard.. and the killer is still lurking.. maybe.. haha
Reading this book was such a ride!! I love it!
Anyway, the author is also a big fan of Stephen King! I love what he said about dreaming
big and how books helped him get through a rough patch and pulled him out of it stronger than ever.
I am now a big fan of Richard Chizmar, well second to Mr. Stephen King :)
March 20, 2023
Here I am, yet again writing a review for a collection of short stories. I avoid short stories like I avoid republicans, yet somehow they keep popping up in my life. Sigh. I likely wouldn’t know who Richard Chizmar was if he hadn’t co-written two books with Stephen King, so I’m pretty pleased that they found each other and were able to collaborate on the Gwendy trilogy together. Mr. King has been a profound influence on my reading adventures, and I’ve always been extremely grateful for that, because he’s managed to introduce me to some exceptional writing talent.
Back to the short story situation: I’m not a fan. If you’ve read any of my reviews, I will lament, openly, when short stories end up on my TBR. I never feel satisfied when I read short stories, it’s comparable to a halfway painted portrait. Knowing that a collection of short stories means I’ll experience the same disappointment over and over is exhausting. Because I’m pretty strict on what I force myself to read, I can’t always avoid them, but this one I actively sought out. I wanted to read more of Chizmar’s work, and there wasn’t a lot available from my library, thus I was stuck with this one.
Here’s the problem with this particular collection: I WANTED MORE! There were three stories in here that I wanted to read more of. I wanted Chizmar to rewrite those as full-blown novels. I found myself completely engrossed, then the story was over and I wanted to cry (no tears, just some adult pouting). This set of stories is absolutely one of the best I have ever read, possibly up there with Night Shift and Four Past Midnight. He is a master storyteller. I cannot express my admiration for his work enough, there just aren’t words to describe how well-written this set of short stories is. Please, find this book and read it.
Back to the short story situation: I’m not a fan. If you’ve read any of my reviews, I will lament, openly, when short stories end up on my TBR. I never feel satisfied when I read short stories, it’s comparable to a halfway painted portrait. Knowing that a collection of short stories means I’ll experience the same disappointment over and over is exhausting. Because I’m pretty strict on what I force myself to read, I can’t always avoid them, but this one I actively sought out. I wanted to read more of Chizmar’s work, and there wasn’t a lot available from my library, thus I was stuck with this one.
Here’s the problem with this particular collection: I WANTED MORE! There were three stories in here that I wanted to read more of. I wanted Chizmar to rewrite those as full-blown novels. I found myself completely engrossed, then the story was over and I wanted to cry (no tears, just some adult pouting). This set of stories is absolutely one of the best I have ever read, possibly up there with Night Shift and Four Past Midnight. He is a master storyteller. I cannot express my admiration for his work enough, there just aren’t words to describe how well-written this set of short stories is. Please, find this book and read it.
February 17, 2019
Some solid stories, none particularly original but many enjoyable. The collection is let down by some weaker efforts: Dirty Coppers, a curate’s egg of a story that features solid characterisation but a sci fi setting and world building that would have seemed dated and clumsy in the fifties, and a couple of collaborative stories that are less stories than partially developed ideas. The title story is not insightful enough about addiction to overcome its dramatic inertness, and the story about Custer is pointless and dull as well as being a little too thoughtless about race. While the story notes say the author now (in very definitively his own words) “roots for the Indians,” what he has written is a pretty slight story told through too many different perspectives for us to care about any character, which presents the native Americans as bestial monsters. This is clearly just thoughtless rather than malicious, but as a period piece written in epistolary fashion where everyone sounds like they’re from the 21st century and no scares or twists are to be had a sensible editor would have junked it.
The various serial killer stories are unsettling and good, and Widow’s Point is an excellent addition to the canon of traditional ghost stories. I read it alone on a wintry night and immediately ordered the expanded novella. I liked the short story so much that it is next on my teetering To Read pile.
More judicious selection would have made this a nearly unimpeachable collection, however here my bias is that I would prefer 8 excellent stories to 20 mixed quality ones. I do think most readers will find much to like here, if nothing to love.
The various serial killer stories are unsettling and good, and Widow’s Point is an excellent addition to the canon of traditional ghost stories. I read it alone on a wintry night and immediately ordered the expanded novella. I liked the short story so much that it is next on my teetering To Read pile.
More judicious selection would have made this a nearly unimpeachable collection, however here my bias is that I would prefer 8 excellent stories to 20 mixed quality ones. I do think most readers will find much to like here, if nothing to love.
April 27, 2019
It has been a long time since I devoured a book. I read Richard Chizmar's The Long Way Home in three days – 3! The last time I read a Chizmar book was the Stephen King collaborated and seamlessly written Gwendy's Button Box – which I also devoured and loved – so it was great to read something new from the man. Let me tell you, The Long Way Home is a great body of horror and literature in general.
Every story in The Long Way Home had me by the horns. I was devoted to the stories and I had to know what was really going on. All of this was executed without a cheap trick or gimmick to hold your attention. And the stories that Chizmar collaborated with others on are also seamless.
Some of the stories are heart-warming and charming (My Father and Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Stephen King at 70: A Tribute to the Gunslinger, The Long Way Home) and some are chilling and keep you thinking (Widow’s Point, Mischief, Roses and Raindrops, The Sculptor). The Long Way Home is a fantastic collection of Richard Chizmar’s brilliant story-telling and collaborations.
After reading the book, I found myself inspired to write and truly enjoying the act of reading just the way Stephen King does for me. The Long Way Home is a must-have and a must-read for any fan of horror, thriller, mystery, and good literature.
Every story in The Long Way Home had me by the horns. I was devoted to the stories and I had to know what was really going on. All of this was executed without a cheap trick or gimmick to hold your attention. And the stories that Chizmar collaborated with others on are also seamless.
Some of the stories are heart-warming and charming (My Father and Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Stephen King at 70: A Tribute to the Gunslinger, The Long Way Home) and some are chilling and keep you thinking (Widow’s Point, Mischief, Roses and Raindrops, The Sculptor). The Long Way Home is a fantastic collection of Richard Chizmar’s brilliant story-telling and collaborations.
After reading the book, I found myself inspired to write and truly enjoying the act of reading just the way Stephen King does for me. The Long Way Home is a must-have and a must-read for any fan of horror, thriller, mystery, and good literature.
July 11, 2019
This book (signed and highly anticipated) has been sitting on my shelf for months while I waited for the e-book to come out so I could read it. I collect hardbacks but I read e-books. I loved Turn Down the Lights and A Long December is one of my favorite story collections. I was expecting excellence from this collection. While I loved some of these stories, some were just ok. My favorite stories were Roses and Raindrops and Stephen King at 70 Tribute. There was so much love and respect in that tribute. With King being my favorite author, it really touched me. I really liked The Sculptor, The Association and Odd Numbers also.
What I didn't like was Widow's Point. I have 2 signed copies of the novella and I really wasn't impressed with it and didn't like the style. I was disappointed that it was included in the collection and took up so much room. I also didn't like Dirty Coppers and left it DNF. In the same vein, Murder House Script was another style I don't like. I would have been far happier without those three. That's just a personal opinion and I am sure many enjoyed them.
I really loved the story notes at the end. They made the stories personal and the insight was entertaining. So I while can't recommend all the stories, there were enough excellent ones to make it worth it.
What I didn't like was Widow's Point. I have 2 signed copies of the novella and I really wasn't impressed with it and didn't like the style. I was disappointed that it was included in the collection and took up so much room. I also didn't like Dirty Coppers and left it DNF. In the same vein, Murder House Script was another style I don't like. I would have been far happier without those three. That's just a personal opinion and I am sure many enjoyed them.
I really loved the story notes at the end. They made the stories personal and the insight was entertaining. So I while can't recommend all the stories, there were enough excellent ones to make it worth it.
July 7, 2024
Decent collection of short stories/novellas.
The Man Behind the Mask: Pretty good
The Bad Guys: Meh
The Meek Shall Inherit...Pretty good
Silent Night: Meh
Widow's Point: Interesting. Chizmar noted in the story notes that it's going to end up as a movie. I checked it out and the movie looks like it didn't do too hot
My father and Ellery Queen's Mystery Mag- Nice short autobiography
The Witch: I felt like it could've been longer. I was left sort of curious
A Nightmare on Elm Lane: Very intriguing
Dirty Coppers: Sort of interesting/meh
Mischief: Decent
The Man in the Black Sweater: The short story is just 100 words and was submitted to a collection of similar 100-word tales. Reminded me of a college lit class I had, where we all created two sentence short stories.
Odd Numbers: Kind of wanted to hear more
The Hunch: Interesting concept
Roses and Raindrops: Interesting concept
The Association: Creepy/good
The Sculptor: Meh
Murder House Script: I skipped it. Wasn't interested in listening to a movie script
The Custer Files: Interesting/good
The Long Way Home: The explanation in the story notes made me appreciate why Chizmar wrote this.
The Man Behind the Mask: Pretty good
The Bad Guys: Meh
The Meek Shall Inherit...Pretty good
Silent Night: Meh
Widow's Point: Interesting. Chizmar noted in the story notes that it's going to end up as a movie. I checked it out and the movie looks like it didn't do too hot
My father and Ellery Queen's Mystery Mag- Nice short autobiography
The Witch: I felt like it could've been longer. I was left sort of curious
A Nightmare on Elm Lane: Very intriguing
Dirty Coppers: Sort of interesting/meh
Mischief: Decent
The Man in the Black Sweater: The short story is just 100 words and was submitted to a collection of similar 100-word tales. Reminded me of a college lit class I had, where we all created two sentence short stories.
Odd Numbers: Kind of wanted to hear more
The Hunch: Interesting concept
Roses and Raindrops: Interesting concept
The Association: Creepy/good
The Sculptor: Meh
Murder House Script: I skipped it. Wasn't interested in listening to a movie script
The Custer Files: Interesting/good
The Long Way Home: The explanation in the story notes made me appreciate why Chizmar wrote this.
January 11, 2019
Big Book. Recieved an ARC for this and was pleased with what I read. Some filler stories had me confused. Do any of us want to pay for a love letter to Stephen KIng? Do you want to hear about his Dad and his love for detective magazines? Some stories are just that. Literally. You havea script toseed in as well. Just a real mixed bag. I prefer some ind of common thread. Book eats like a smorgasborg.. A buffet you don't get to choose at...but are served. Two of the best pieces Sculptor and Roses pieces are early pieces he had others (Garton/Keene) flesh out. They shine. The short detective pieces are too short to leave anyone guessing about the outcome. They hold very little mystery. Sci Fi Police story (Dirty Coppers) was okay....but In a world of Altered Carbon and Blade Runner.....it does little to picture the future. Hover cars alone aren't enough. Widows Point is also a standout...LOVED it. Alot of stories. Some not my cup of tea. I did find a number that were very good. I appreciated the ARC. I appreciate the author.
November 15, 2020
This is the first book I've read by Richard Chizmar. I can tell you with certainty it won't be my last as this book and a couple of others he has previously written now grace my book shelves with my books from Stephen King and Joe Hill. So, he is in very good company.
"The Long Way Home" is a collection of short stories that grabs you right from the start. Each one is interesting and unique in its own way to make you want to see what Mr. Chizmar will come up with next.
What I love about the stories in this collection is that they start out in a certain manner. As you are reading them you believe you know which way they are going to go and within a sentence Chizmar has flipped the switch and the story takes a turn that you never saw coming. Sometimes to a very shocking conclusion. It is a unique gift.
Among my favorites from the book are "The Man Behind The Mask", "Silent Night", "Mischief", "Odd Numbers", "The Association", and the essay entitled "Stephen King at 70: A Tribute To The Gunslinger"(A fine tribute to my favorite author).
"The Long Way Home" is a collection of short stories that grabs you right from the start. Each one is interesting and unique in its own way to make you want to see what Mr. Chizmar will come up with next.
What I love about the stories in this collection is that they start out in a certain manner. As you are reading them you believe you know which way they are going to go and within a sentence Chizmar has flipped the switch and the story takes a turn that you never saw coming. Sometimes to a very shocking conclusion. It is a unique gift.
Among my favorites from the book are "The Man Behind The Mask", "Silent Night", "Mischief", "Odd Numbers", "The Association", and the essay entitled "Stephen King at 70: A Tribute To The Gunslinger"(A fine tribute to my favorite author).
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