Shivers VIII

by Richard Chizmar (Editor), Stephen King, Laird Barron

Ein weiterer Band der erfolgreichen Reihe SHIVERS, herausgegeben von Richard Chizmar, dem Gründer des US-Verlages Cemetery Dance.

Horror and Dark Suspense at its finest – mit Erstveröffentlichungen und seltenen Reprints der angesagtesten Autoren des Genres.

Dieser Band enthält 23 Geschichten von Stephen King, Bentley Little, Ray Garton, Laird Barron, Jack Ketchum, Kealan Patrick Burke, Adam-Troy Castro und vielen weiteren.

Hinweis für Sammler: Diese spezielle Anthologie enthält SQUAD D von Stephen King, die ursprünglich in den 1970er Jahren geschrieben, aber nie veröffentlicht wurde. Die Geschichte lag seitdem gut verschlossen im Büro von Stephen King. Jetzt, zum ersten Mal, können Fans King's Sichtweise auf den anhaltenden Horror des Vietnamkriegs lesen.

INHALT:
SQUAD D von Stephen King
GAMMA von Laird Barron
MESSIE von Kealan Patrick Burke
DIE KREISCHENDE FRAU von Bev Vincent
VERKLÄRUNG von Richard Christian Matheson
DIE BLAUE KATZE von Keith Minnion
DER GORILLA IN MEINEM ZIMMER von Jack Ketchum
DER STUHL von Bentley Little
AUGEN WIE VERGIFTETE BRUNNEN von Ian Rogers
ÜBER DER BEGRABENEN STADT von Daniel Braum
OFFENE WUNDE von Darrell Speegle
SCHÄRFE von David Gerrold
INNIG GELIEBT von Bruce McAllister
MS. WYSLE UND DER LAKRITZE-MANN von Shane Nelson
DIE STUNDE DAZWISCHEN von Adam-Troy Castro
FÜR IMMER UND EWIG von Greg Kishbaugh
AUTOPHAGIE von Ray Garton
DIE ERKUNDUNG DER SEXUALITÄT IST EIN VERBRECHEN von Alan Peter Ryan
LUCIENS ERZÄHLUNG von David Niall Wilson
DER KRISTALL-TRÄUMER von Jack Dann
EIN HAUS FÜR DIE KLEINSTEN von Michael M. Hughes
DER KERKER DES GRAFEN VERLOCK von Norman Prentiss
MAMA SCHLÄFT von Brian James Freeman

Privatdruck ohne ISBN

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Anthologies

412 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2019

About the author

Richard 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.

Reviews

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars flat & shabby. But, there were a few highlights worth mentioning. An early Stephen King Vietnam story never collected called, “Squad D”. Truncated, but it's his writing that grabs me, per usual. Once again Tananarive Due delivers with “Summer” about a baby and strange summer swamp spirits. Kealan Patrick Burke knows a thing or two about walking into the life of a “Hoarder”. Ray Garton's “Autophagy” made my skin crawl with its body horror – while reading this I could not sit still.

Four out of twenty-six stories. The remainder weren't bad, some could be considered fun, even if they could hardly be called scary. I did skip finishing approximately three stories. Besides the four listed above, I cannot honestly say I'd return to read this collection again.

[Chrissie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bei Kurzgeschichtenbänden ist es immer so, dass einem manche Geschichten besser gefallen als andere. Auch hier ist dies so. Ich muss aber sagen, dass ich bei vielen Geschichten mit fragenden Augen auf den Buchtitel geblickt habe und mich dachte: Warum soll das jetzt eine HORRORkurzgeschichte sein? Mystery? OK. Grusel? Manchmal. Aber Horror??? Nur sehr selten.
Alles in allem eine Anthologie mit besseren und schlechteren Geschichten teils sehr bekannter Autoren (King, Ketchum, Little, Burke, etc.), die mich teilweise unterhalten konnte, aber im Großen und Ganzen einfach nur ganz nett war.

[Antonio Rosato · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dopo "Squadra D" di Stephen King, l'unico veramente degno di nota, il resto è solo una lunga carrellata di racconti brevi che mi stavano annoiando. Ho preferito fermarmi a poco prima della metà del libro, era inutile andare avanti…
[https://lastanzadiantonio.blogspot.co...]

[Nora · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5*

[Michele Izzo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Racconti più belli:
- Squadra D
- L'accumulatrice
- Trasfigurazione
- C'è un gorilla nella mia stanza
- La sedia
- Occhi come pozzi avvelenati
- Miei cari
- La signorina Wysle e l'uomo liquirizia
- L'ora in mezzo
- Sempre e per sempre
- Autofagia

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another collection of excellent horror short stories edited by Chizmar

I am finding that I like (a lot) the anthologies edited by and the books written by Richard Chizmar.

This collection of 27 horror short stories and novellas was great fun to read. It was a diverse selection, to say the least, but I enjoyed all of them. Except one. One I just couldn't understand or get into. But I still think that 26 out of 27 stories being great is a very positive outcome.

One thing I do wish is that there was a story listing at the beginning of the book. The book dives right in with a story by Stephen King.

So I will continue to look for Chizmar books and I highly recommend this collection to horror lovers everywhere.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uneven collection

Many of the stories are really good, some only OK, some not very good at all. In total, decent read.

[Bill Borre]

"A House for the Wee Ones" by Michael M. Hughes - Leila builds a fairy house outdoors but when she brings small animal skulls home and says that they were gifts her father becomes concerned and destroys the house. Leila warns him that this will anger the fairies and they take Leila's baby brother Morgan and make him into a prince which convinces the mother that her baby is no longer the infant that grew in her womb. The family falls apart and the father gets a restraining order against the mother and neither Leila nor Morgan speak to him anymore. Leila becomes a shaman and Morgan lives with her as a musician playing strange music. The last time the father sees the children is at an event where Leila distributes fairy house kits and Morgan sits in the back with his notebook making notes about the children.

"Sexual Exploration Is a Crime" by Alan Peter Ryan - Jerry's friend gives him a tip about Brazilian program girls who act as temporary girlfriends so Jerry takes a three week vacation in Brazil where he meets a girl he likes who calls herself Renata. She becomes his temporary girlfriend and they enjoy fine food, great sex and happy days on the beach but a tragic car accident while driving to a mountain village ends Renata's life and severs her right leg. Jerry returns to his hotel in Rio where he is surprised to receive a visit from two policemen who hand him a plastic bag and depart. Jerry sits on the bed and when he opens the bag he is shocked to discover that it contain Renata's right leg. He is even more shocked when it begins inching its way across the bed and starts rubbing his thigh.

"Squad D" by Stephen King - A soldier takes a photo of nine of his buddies in Viet Nam. On the day the squad is killed on a bridge the soldier is in the hospital and is wracked by terrible survivor's guilt. He sends the photo to all nine of the dead men's families and hopes they will not hate him for taking that photo and believe that he got their sons killed. The photographer returns from the war and struggles with depression for years until he eventually hangs himself in the garage. The day after the hanging the photographer's father gets several phone call that he first assumes is a prank. All nine of the photos now show a smiling tenth soldier sitting in the front row.

"Eyes Like Poisoned Wells" by Ian Rogers - Corwyn's second wife is an extra-dimensional insectoid creature that he wants to set upon a PI he bears a grudge against for revealing his infidelity to his first wife. The PI charges the creature as it transforms from fake human woman into its true form and manages to shove it into Corwyn. The thing attacks Corwyn so he is forced to shoot it twice before succumbing to his injuries. With the two of them dead the PI makes his way out of the darkened estate grounds.

"Hoarder" by Kealan Patrick Burke - Art is a Maple Glow cleaner salesman who follows Gertrude into her home after she offers him a glass of lemonade on a hot day in hopes of making a sale. Art is disgusted at the condition of the interior and assumes Gertrude is a hoarder. Gertrude confesses that her husband Stephen is responsible for the mess and she wishes things were otherwise. The story ends with Art meeting his end at the hands of Stephen who has somehow fantastically merged with the refuse.

"The Blue Cat" by Keith Minnion - Anne buys a cursed blue glass cat figurine that demands she sacrifice actual cats to it. When she refuses cuts appear upon her hand and the figurine shatters. Thinking she is finally free of the evil thing she locks her bedroom door and goes to sleep only to awaken and find the figurine has reconstituted itself and is weighing down her chest.

"Summer" by Tananarive Due - A "swamp leech" is the term the local folk use to refer to parasitic entities that infect infants during the summer months. The protagonist's infant's behavior is so bad normally, and the stranger inhabiting her baby behaves so well, after she obtains a remedy she debates with herself as to whether she should apply it.

"Lucien’s Tale" by David Niall Wilson - As a boy Lucien learns bookbinding from his grandfather. He attempts to transfer this meticulous craftmanship to the rats he catches and kills. After the grandfather becomes senile Lucien shoves his wheelchair down the stairs to the basement so that he may also practice his art upon the dead man's body.

"Red Earth" by Blu Gilliand - A boy goes for a walk in the woods and has an encounter with a supernatural mud pool that attempts to immobilize him and craft a mud duplicate of his body. With the new knife that his uncle had given him the boy stabs the duplicate in the eye causing the mud to retreat and the boy leaves the woods.

"Dearly Beloved" by Bruce McAllister - A boy's psyche is damaged when a girl that he is fond of is murdered by another kid and buried in the sandbox. While digging with his shovel he severs one of her fingers. The police look for it but they don't know he has collected it as a keepsake along with others as the years progress.

"Mama’s Sleeping" by Brian James Freeman - Jacob works as a cable guy and hopes to rape a little girl when he arrives at her apartment and finds her mother dead in the bedroom but fate has other plans as Jacob's most recent dispatch occurs on the first day of the zombie apocalypse.

"Transfiguration" by Richard Christian Matheson - A long haul trucker describes how he uses an ice drill to cut a hole in the ice and dispose of bodies into the sea. His murder spree ends when the truck falls through the ice and his victims rise up from the depths to claim him.

"The Carbon Dreamer" by Jack Dann - A senile old man attacks a little girl on the beach. His guilt disassociates him from the event and his stream of consciousness cannot distinguish between speculation, dream and memory regarding the incident.

"The Chair" by Bentley Little - Charlie goes for a hike in the woods and discovers a chair where one has no business being placed and this motivates him to build one and take it to a desolate beach area to leave for someone else to discover.

"The Shrieking Woman" by Bev Vincent - Burt and Vicky drive to an abandoned mental asylum to explore. While inside the building Vicky becomes separated from Burt and encounters the ghost of a screaming red-headed woman.

"Spice" by David Gerrold - This story is told to the reader as though the female protagonist is in danger of sexual assault but the end reveals she is merely getting her prey excited for a more enjoyable meal.

"Always and Forever" by Greg Kishbaugh - This story combines zombies and necrophilia as the protagonist must lure men back to his infected wife to feed upon so that she's pliable for sex when satiated.

"Ms. Wysle and the Licorice Man" by Shane Nelson - A schoolteacher is devoured by a monster summoned from one of her student's drawings on Halloween.

"The Dungeon of Count Verlock" by Norman Prentiss - Julia is kidnapped by a vampire that is abducting women to shackle in his dungeon as a food source.

"A God Unknown" by Tina Callaghan - George protects his land and animals from a gang until the land itself rises up to smash them.

"Gamma" by Laird Barron - The protagonist winds up in an eternal purgatory as part of a fungal organism upon death.

"The Hour In Between" by Adam-Troy Castro - This is a dreary story about a murder/suicide but the ending is great.

[Maria Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a collection of stories from various authors involving some kind of horror setting, published by Cemetery Dance and edited by Richard Chizmar.
1. Squad D-Stephen King--10 years after his Squad had died from an engagement in Vietnam, Billy gets to rejoin his Squad.
2. Summer-Tananarive Due-Babies under 2 and the swamp during the summer
3. Gamma-Laird Barron--A highly depressed man decides to die exactly where his horse was left buried.
4. Hoarder-Kealan Patrick Burke--A traveling salesman enters the house of a hoarder
5. The Shrieking Woman-Bev Vincent--A brother and sister explore the blocked off parts of an asylum.
6. A God Unknown-Tina Callaghan--A farmer is rescued from marauders by something unseen.
7. Transfiguration-Richard Christian Matheson--Imagination thoughts of a long hauler trucker.
8. The Blue Cat-Keith Minnion--A figurine cat
9. Gorilla in My Room-Jack Ketchum--The imaginary pet
10. The Chair-Bentley Little--A tale of a chair found by itself.
11. Eyes Like Poisoned Wells--Ian Rogers--Things are not always as they appear.
12. Above the Buried City-Daniel Braum--Be careful in jungle places near ruins.
13. Open Wound-Darren Speegle--Where the facial scar came from.
14. Spice-David Gerrold--Taking of a life.
15. Dearly Beloved-Bruce McAllister--Events that occurred at summer camp.
16. Ms. Wylse and The Licorice Man-Shane Nelson--A drawing comes alive
17. The Hour In Between-Adam-Troy Castro--The time spent between a murder and self-suicide.
18. Always and Forever-Greg Kishbaugh--Caring for a turned loved one.
19. Autophagy-Ray Garton--Being taken over from the inside out.
20. Sexual Exploration is a Crime-Alan Peter Ryan--Especially if you are paying for it.
21. Lucien's Tale-David Niall Wilson--A tale of book binding.
22. The Carbon Dreamer-Jack Dann--A rapist who has dementia.
23. Red Earth-Blu Gilliand--A boy and his knife.
24. A House For the Wee Ones-Micheal M. Hughes--They do exist.
25. The Gordon-Lisa Morton--A retelling of the Peseus and Medusa dispute.
26. The Dungeon of Count Verlock-Norman Prentiss--Viewing vampires from an almost victim's eyes.
This book should appeal to those who like stories concise and short. It was a perfect book to end the month of October.

[Todd Nesbitt · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried so hard to get into the stories contained in this book but most of them seemed so ridiculous that I almost quit reading most of the stories. They had no ending and it was very difficult to apply a suspension of disbelief when the characters, seemingly in each story, demonstrated little to no period of disbelief themselves. The most incomprehensible situations were portrayed as mundane when they were anything but. Maybe there's an audience that will appreciate these stories but they're just not for me. If characters don't react to extreme situations any different than one may react to having a typical unfortunate day, I lose interest. And that's all I have to say about that.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Billy Clewson is killed in Vietnam in 1974 along with eight members of his squad, Squad D. The military sent the standard condolence telegram and letter and the surviving member of the Squad sent a photograph of the nine who died. Some years later, something has changed.

[MamaMiaReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This anthology was a great collection of horror. Some of the stories were really chilling. A few of my favorite stories out of this collection are 'Summer' by Tananarive Due, 'Hoarder' by Kealan Patrick Burke and 'The Blue Cat' by Keith Minnion.

[Hanni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ich bin zwar kein Fan von Kurzgeschichten, aber die hier haben mich mehrheitlich gut unterhalten. Es gab vielleicht etwa vier, fünf Geschichten, mit denen ich nicht so viel anfangen konnte, aber bei insgesamt 23 Kurzgeschichten ist das echt noch ein guter Schnitt.

[Jeanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short stories

I’ve been enjoying all of Mr. Chizmar’s short stories along with the many authors involved in Cemetary Dance publication. I think I’ll move on to books now and come back when I want my short story fix. Great works Mr. Chizmar

[angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great stories!

Most of these stories will chill you! Great and exciting every step of the way! I am glad I got this one! Very pleased with every story! Invigorating and suspenseful! I will be looking for other stories by some of these authors! Highly recommend this one!

[Brandon Doughty · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with most anthologies it's hit and miss, but nothing in the collection is less than a 3. Standouts are In the Dungeon of Count Verlock, The Shrieking Woman, and Summer. I would mention the King story as a standout, but everyone already knows that one will be the most eye catching.

[Joanna Spock Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

A whole bunch of really excellent short stories by some of my favourite writers.

[Giuliano Uberti · Rating 1 out of 5]

L'unica cosa agghiacciante in questo libro è la sintassi. Google translate avrebbe tradotto meglio.

[Chiara (booksandtravels_clem) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Valida raccolta di racconti tra il weird e l'horror.
Una menzione speciale per: L'Accumulatrice, La Sedia e Il Gatto blu. Li ho davvero adorati.

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most stories in this book were pretty good, though there were a few that were so bad that I couldn't finish them.

[Straw · Rating 2 out of 5]

Made it about halfway through.

[Nicola Profeti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ma anche no .....

[creative stitchery · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shivers

Didn't really care for this book. I found only one story I liked, The Licorice man. Just my opinion, who am I to judge

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kurzgeschichten sind kacke

[Bren L Feutz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fine read. Some of it was way out there but still quite entertaining

[Tamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

some stories were interesting others not so much

[Chiara · Rating 2 out of 5]

purtroppo pochissimi di questi 23 racconti sono salvabili, giusto quello di King e un altro paio.

[Luciano Bernaroli · Rating 2 out of 5]

Una raccolta di racconti horror di vario genere, scritti da autori più o meno noti presi da riviste o concorsi.
Il nome di Stephen King che campeggia in copertina funge da specchietto per le allodole, il racconto di King è il primo e non riserva grandi emozioni.
Nel complesso purtroppo sono rimasto abbastanza deluso, anche se è comunque una lettura piacevole (contestualizzando il genere, logicamente xD).

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Includes the Stephen King short story "Squad D", which was originally written in the early 1970s.