Kevin J. Kennedy has put together some of the horror worlds best selling horror anthologies. Now, for the first time, he has collected together some of his own short stories in the one place. Features a brand new, eight thousand work, tribute story to Richard Laymon's Dark Mountain.
Kevin J. Kennedy is a horror author, editor, and anthologist. He is the owner of KJK Publishing and runs the bestselling 'The Horror Collection' series. He is the author of Halloween Land, The Clown and Nothing is Real.
He lives in the heart of Scotland with his beautiful wife, three cats, Carlito, Ariel and Luna, and a Pomchi called Orko. He can be found on Facebook if you want to chat with him.
In this selection of short stories you'll find zombies, cannibals and other weird stuff. There is also a sexed-up Wizard of Oz tale with some explicit action for those who enjoy such scenes. The punishment for fattening goose is quite drastic. All characters you meet here are picked from the edge of society. My favourite probably is the pastiche on Laymon, the last story featured in this volume. The author definitely is a good writer and has some fine ideas. Problem is I'm not too much into cannibals or zombies or sexed-up tales. It was okay to me but the stories didn't push me off the rocker. If you like horror of that type it's probably worth a look.
I think this book is a great opportunity for all you readers who are curious about a Kevin J. Kennedy book. I know I have reviewed a lot by him and this short story book will give you just the taste. The writing is impeccable. It's so flowy, easy to read and I just know when I pick up one of his books, that it's without errors. The book has the lovely horror stories that I'm fond of. You have the gory, the scary, the WTH-stories and all that you just would love to get out of a short story book. I think this book is a great showpiece for Kevin J. Kennedy, because I'm sure this book will attract readers to his longer books as well.
This books was awesome, this was the first Kevin J. Kennedy book for me, and it has a great range of story types, from zombie stories, revenge, and some graphic sex, which is not suitable for young kids.
The final story in this book is a tribute to Richard Laymon’s Dark Mountain, which was spot-on, the story takes place after the events in Dark Mountain, and he managed to capture the same feel as the original book, and could have easily been part of the original story. This book was a lot of fun and easy to read, and I will defiantly be reading more of his work.
Short story collections were never a huge hit with me. I’ve always picked them up from time to time because I kept hoping I would find just the right collection. However, with most collections, the tales inside were always hit or miss. I’d have a couple of four or five star ratings, but then a majority of one, two, or three star ratings.
Then I got an email from Kevin Kennedy…
After reading a few collections that he put together, my tune changed! I have absolutely loved each collection that I have read so far from Mr. Kennedy. With each collection, I just couldn’t wait to get to his story to see what he had come up with based on the theme. They never disappointed!
When I recently got an email from Mr Kennedy that read, “Hey Erica, my solo collection will be released soon. It’s about 32K. Do you fancy giving it a read?” I screeched and nearly threw my phone in excitement!
A collection of just his work?! I was SO in!
Right off the bat, I have to say that this collection did not disappoint. Per usual, I absolutely loved the majority of the tales! The writing style of each was perfect; the pacing and the plots were organized wonderfully, and each tale was so different and exciting.
When I finished one tale, I couldn’t wait to dive right into the next! I easily could have read through this book in one sitting, but I forced myself to take breaks so I could enjoy it for a bit longer.
Friendship, dogs, and zombies. Bewilderment and carnies. Crime and love. Disgust and payback. Development and cannibals. Work and monsters. Sex and violence. Evolution and darkness. The last of humanity and Gods. Young adults and curses… This collection truly has something for everyone.
Here are my rating breakdowns for each story in this collection:
Life on a Double Decker- 5/5 What a great story to kick off the collection! I’m a sucker for a good zombie tale to begin with, add in a dog, and I’m in love. The story was set up perfectly and then we dive right in! The three main characters of this story were interesting. While I’m totally satisfied with the short story, I also wouldn’t mind seeing more from this group!
Carnivalland – 4/5 Yes! That ending!!! I love tales that mosey along with a light sense of confusion and dread, and then BAM!
The Way of the Streets – 5/5 A wonderful crime tale! I really liked the main character, Tyrel. If only he had listened to Monique!
I’ll Give Ye Fois Gras, Ya Cunt! – 5/5 Oh my Lordy! Amazingly disgusting. What payback!!
Charlie the Vegetarian Cannibal – 5/5 I LOVED this one! I especially loved the role that books played in the development of the main character! Terrifying but lovely!!
The Gatekeeper – 4/5 I had originally read this one back in January of 2018. I loved the idea behind this one! So creepy! So interesting!
A Tarantino Oz – 3/5 The first half of this one was a horror theme that’s not in my wheelhouse, but the second half was awesomely violent!
Flesh – 5/5 Woah! I loved this one! What is it about inbreeding that makes a tale that much more terrifying? It’s a disgusting topic for sure. I loved the powers the cave seemed to have!
The Karakyuza – 5/5 Woah! This was a quick but powerful one! What an interesting concept.
Lake Mesquite – 5/5 This final story is a tribute to Richard Laymon’s Dark Mountain. I haven’t yet read that, but I definitely need to now! Phew, this story was awesome!! It was the perfect story to round out the collection!
This is definitely a collection that I will be coming back to from time to time to reread! I highly recommend it to all types of horror fans; there’s something in here for everyone!
* 2023 Update: Dark Thoughts by Kevin J. Kennedy is a collection of short horror stories that have stuck in my head since the first time I read them back in 2019. Hearing them in audio this time around was such a treat. An absolute must-read for fans of horror short stories!
Dark thoughts was an entertaining and quick read. Carnivalland, Life on a Double-Decker and Lake Mesquite being my favorites. Each of them hitting a different horror theme. Zombies, a trip through strange land and good old campsite horror hit the spot.
It's always enjoyable listening to short stories stemmed from the dark mind of Kevin J. Kennedy and this collection is another great example.
Enjoyed all the stories, some more than others and I'm always fascinated by how Kevin manages to add always humour even in the darkest of his creations.
These short stories play really well with known tropes in horror by adding a unique perspective managed by Kevin's skills.
Loved the sweet revenge in I'll Give You Fois Grois, Ye Cunt and in Tarantino Oz but also the grotesque story with Cannibals vs Zombies and the tribute to Richard's Laymon Dark Mountain.
Thanks for the audiobook and this is my honest review.
Overall a really good collection! Enjoyed the variety of stories included here, and all very well written. Not the first thing I’ve read by Kennedy and won’t be that last.
Brutal and uncompromising, sometimes quirky, and even humorous at times – loved it!
Despite being new to this author, I knew I was going to like this collection right from the opening story, 'Life on a Double Decker Bus,' a highly original snapshot take on the Zombie theme, which is no mean task given the current tsunami-like glut of Zombie themed tales.
In many ways, some of the stories read like snapshots of possibly longer stories, especially Carnivalland, and yet they’re still surprisingly satisfying. I was reminded somewhat of the sort of stories that used to feature in the old Hammer and Amicus horror anthology films like Vault of Horror, Doctor Terror’s House of Horrors, and the quirky horror style of Tales of the Crypt, and I was wondering if perhaps the ‘Dark Thoughts’ title was little misleading? How wrong could I have been! No sooner had I settled myself into what I thought would be a collection of quirky, entertaining, though somewhat oddball horror tales, without warning they took on a much darker tone as brutal retribution and depraved torture replaced the gentler style of the first two stories. Other themes include cannibalism, monsters from Hell, a Tarantino take on the Wizard of Oz, and quite possibly, the most extreme retribution for animal cruelty I’ve yet read. Even with the less extreme stories, there are no happy endings or satisfying conclusions, just the grim horror of the situation, often leaving the reader pondering on the character’s immediate fate or future?
If I had one criticism, as much as I enjoyed all the stories here, I’m not convinced they collectively gel well in the same book. The bloody horror of ‘The Way of the Streets’ and I’ll Give Ye Foie Gras, Ya ****’ really don’t sit comfortably along the first two stories, much like watching a double-bill of horror films where the first is comically camp like Vincent Price’s ‘The Monster Club,’ but followed by say, ‘Hostel,’ or ‘I spit on your grave.’ I think it only fair to point out, some of the content is extreme, gratuitous, and even depraved at times, but it’s presented in context and is mostly appropriate to the particular story at the time, but even so, it won’t be to everyone’s taste. Regardless though, I can honestly say there wasn’t a single story here that was either disappointing or ‘weaker’ than the others: brutal and uncompromising, sometimes quirky, and even humorous at times, but all highly original and utterly entertaining … definitely an author I’ll be returning to.
Mr. Kennedy has put together quite a few memorable horror anthologies together recently. CHRISTMAS HORROR SHORTS, Volumes I & II were the perfect presents last year. This collection spotlights his own shorts.
Most of the tales were fast-paced, and Kennedy writes with a peculiar voice. The stories in this collection range from a zombie infested amusement parks to flesh eating cave clans. The perverse and sadistic dark-humored stories didn’t live up to his previous bizarre entries found in other collections, but he completes this collection with my favorite the perfect homage to Richard Laymon.
I already liked the story telling of Kennedy a lot, but once I got to 'I'll Give Ye Foie Gras, Ya Cunt!'... That was VILE. I loved it. I'm not easily disgusted anymore, but that story actually made me yell out loud. It's definetly my favourite of the book! After that, the rest of the stories aren't that disgusting, but they were great! Kennedy's storytelling is amazing, and I'm definetly going to check out more of their books.
I loved each story in this entire collection, which in itself is rare!
Favourites being; ‘I’ll Give You Foie Gras, Ya Cunt’ - This piece made me laugh out loud and gag more than once, I loved it. Who hasn’t had such relatable ‘dark thoughts’ - the Author created this Story with such flare and humour, it’s certainly memorable whether you love it or hate it. I really enjoyed the ‘localisms’ in this. ‘A Tarantino Oz’ - Great twist on these characters, once again the authors talent for humour with such a sleek story telling style keeps the pace really nicely. A bit dirty, a bit twisted, a bit genius. ‘Lake Mesquite’ - What a tribute to Laymon! Again, loved the smooth story telling style, a fantastic short that left me wanting more. I could see this played out on screen - a great highly polished classic story.
I love a good horror book and they are really hard to find. In this collection I wouldn't really call the stories scary but they were a bit creepy. On the first story right out of the box I felt like I had read that one before. Not sure where but I remember reading about a double Decker bus and zombies. Each story was different and unique. I have to say there was two stories that had me shaking my head.
The first one was I'll Give Ye Foie Gras, Ya Cunt! I have never in my life thrown up from reading a story before and this one had me at the trash can. I wanted to by pass it once my stomach was like 'girl just stop and move on' yet I wanted to finish it so I could see if the dude lived or not. On this story reader beware. The next story that just honestly wasn't for my liking was the retelling of Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz. I guess because it was not how I want to imagine Dorothy and her trio of friends.
Other than those two stories the book was awesome and it was hard to put down once I started. I will plan to read more from this author as he has a great way to tell different stories.
Unlike other short story collections where you have a masterpiece next to a less brilliant piece, this book's content is pretty even. It may be because all the stories are by the same author but I liked them all equally. They are more or less gory, but tell a complete story in just a few pages. As an animal lover, I enjoyed "I'll Give You Foie Gras..." a little too much, while "Charlie the Vegetarian Cannibal" surprised me by making a completely out-there character very relatable. "Lake Mesquite," the centerpiece of the collection, is a throwback to classic horror stories and movies and I enjoyed it enormously. All the endings are smart and shocking so this collection is worth reading. I received a free copy from the author, but I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, Kevin J. Kennedy!
The bus at the end of the world, a cannibal’s story, a travelling carnival, the real Oz, the gods are furious, the law of the streets, meat is murder, the gatekeeper, the dead rise, a cursed camping trio.
Ten short stories of horror, playing with the tropes and injecting the darkest humour. Easy to read and fast paced, my favourite was the finale, a tribute to Richard Laymon’s Dark Mountain but they were all great fun!
The title of this book is self explanatory! The themes explore are not for those who are easily bother . If you are a AHS fan , then this is your cup of tea. There was one story that cause me to choke on my food. I never will look at my brownie or fudge sauce same. I feel the heroine should have choke too😉
I a, a big fan of Kevin J Kennedy and could t wait to read this one. It was fantastic and had everything. Not just I. Your face horror so,e are of the horror of man. But there was also some stories where you find yourself asking “ what the hell?” Just some great stories that he should be proud of. Loved it.
What a time I've had reading this collection of stories. It was truly wonderful visiting the mind of Kevin J Kennedy. Very sick and starving I loved it all. I will definitely be looking for more of his work.
A dark and magnificent look at some well known places. Kevin Kennedy has an imagination that is unequaled in modern day stories. A great look at what could happen if you aren't careful!
It starts with a couple of teens, caring for a young child and trying to make a go of things while living in a double-decker bus - in a zombie apocalypse, and ends with the resurrected witch of Mesquite Lake. A fun and quirky collection of ten tales that lie in the grey area between vignettes and short stories, some of which are highly imaginative.
My favourite was "I'll give ye frois gras, ye cunt!". The minimal characterisation allowed plenty of room for the reader to add their own gloss to the main character. I imagined a Weegie crusty punk. In Kevin Kennedy's shoes I would have gone the whole way and made Barry vegan.
"The Way of the Streets" and "The Gatekeeper" were two more standout tales, in my opinion. I would be interested in seeing what Kennedy produces with his longer work. He certainly has a unique perspective even when dealing with well trodden subjects.
Dark Thoughts begins with a mildly heart warming story of three kids trying to survive a zombie apocalypse and quickly descends into violent cannibals and the most 'childhood ruined' add on to 'The Wizard of Oz' that I would never even want to imagine. There are good points and bad points about this collection with the overall writing being a good point, but some more intentional choices needed in putting the whole thing together.
The layout of the collection seems to have little thought put into it.
Obviously Kevin J Kennedy doesn't remember his school lesson about the latent heat of water: a lake wouldn't go cold when the sun goes down! A proper horror writer would have attributed that to a supernatural cause. And only a few hours after seeing his friend's girlfriend naked, Andrew sees Samantha as the "first girl naked in real life." What!? The foie gras story was very gross, but very good.
A nice eclectic mix of stories, if you haven't read it yet give it a try. Zombies, cannibals, a lesson to an animal abuser served hot and steamy, a very fucked up version of Oz...these are just a few of the gems in here.
Do not waste your time. Dumb Tories, most from bad movies or stories in the past. This book is a waste even though it's free. Trust me and don't waste your time