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Dark Carousel
Joe Hill, "the best horror writer of our generation” (Michael Koryta), returns with a brand new short story.
A balmy summer night in 1994. Four teenagers out for an evening of fun on the boardwalk take a ride on the “Wild Wheel” – an antique carousel with a shadowy past – and learn too late that decisions made in an instant can have deadly consequences. What begins as a night of innocent end-of-summer revelry, young love, and (a few too many) beers among friends soon descends into chaos, as the ancient carousel’s parade of beasts comes chillingly to life to deliver the ultimate judgment for their misdeeds.
40 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 20, 2018
225 people are currently reading
1279 people want to read
About the author
Joe Hill
505 books29.7k followersJoe Hill's debut, Heart-Shaped Box, won the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel. His second, Horns, was made into a film freakfest starring Daniel Radcliffe. His other novels include NOS4A2, and his #1 New York Times Best-Seller, The Fireman... which was also the winner of a 2016 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Horror Novel.
He writes short stories too. Some of them were gathered together in his prize-winning collection, 20th Century Ghosts.
He won the Eisner Award for Best Writer for his long running comic book series, Locke & Key, co-created with illustrator and art wizard Gabriel Rodriguez.
He lives in New Hampshire with a corgi named McMurtry after a certain beloved writer of cowboy tales. His next book, Strange Weather, a collection of novellas, storms into bookstores in October of 2017.
He writes short stories too. Some of them were gathered together in his prize-winning collection, 20th Century Ghosts.
He won the Eisner Award for Best Writer for his long running comic book series, Locke & Key, co-created with illustrator and art wizard Gabriel Rodriguez.
He lives in New Hampshire with a corgi named McMurtry after a certain beloved writer of cowboy tales. His next book, Strange Weather, a collection of novellas, storms into bookstores in October of 2017.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
January 28, 2020
I really enjoyed this fine horror story about a group of young people visiting a fair. One of the fairground attractions is a carousel with eerie horses and other fearsome animals. When Nancy misses her 50 Dollar bill and Paul suspects the showman of the carousal has pickpocket it from her, disaster is galloping in for the friends . The story turns into a nightmare. Joe Hill crafts his characters really well (especially the dark sides of Jake, his sister and Nancy) and the mysterious carousel is described in a fantastic way (I also liked the reference to Brighton Pavilon). It's like a very good film you're watching. The only thing is the slow start of the story and its ending is a bit too long winded. But overall it's a very creepy story with a great carousel motif (love haunted carousels). Absolutely recommended for every fan of good horror.
December 29, 2021
A very short story that shows you that consequences have actions. I don't want to give too much away as the story is already short. Let's just say Joe Hill wrote one heck of a story probably in one day!
November 19, 2018
Four teenage friends step up and take a ride on the "Wild Wheel" carousel.
Should have went to Funhouse Funnelcakes instead. Much less likely to get battered to death.
A pretty good short story from Joe Hill. Dark and brooding. Still undecided about the ending though.
Should have went to Funhouse Funnelcakes instead. Much less likely to get battered to death.
A pretty good short story from Joe Hill. Dark and brooding. Still undecided about the ending though.
November 17, 2019
4.0⭐ “I have my freedom, but I don't have much time.”
- A good story, a grand experience -
*major spoilers*
The word ‘gimmick’ has an ugly connotation, but throwing one in every now and then is like finding a rad prize in a box of cereal.
Presentation/Production
Dark Carousel is definitely a rad prize. It took the act of reading, and made it an event.
Years ago, when I jumped on the vinyl trend, my friend asked, “How is it different than MP3 music or CDs?” For one, you don’t get a pause, skip, or shuffle button, and that causes you to take in the work all at once, in the order it was intended, with no stop. You can do this with digital music or CDs, but we rarely do. On that same note, it takes action to play. You’re given massive cover art, sleeves, often times colorful discs, etc. My streaming service is a buffet where I pick what I like. Vinyl is a full-course meal prepared by the chef. It has design and intention we might miss during conventional listening. Plus, its got romance to it. You handle everything with care, you’re deliberate, you’re paying attention.
Dark Carousel meets the readers with those same romances. Beautiful cover art. Stunning disc graphic. Two discs for a total of four sides, breaking the story into quarter sections that flowed well and ended at perfect stopping points. And that lack of pause during intense moments is affecting, when the story is racing, you must race too. When the story is descending into fear, you too must descend with no stop. There’s no 30 second rewind—it’s a start to finish experience. The reader, Nate Corddry, gave a solid performance, great pace and timing.
It was an event. It was an experience. I made a night of it, and it was the highlight of the week.
I’d say it’s even short enough, you can have your horror-fan friends over for dinner and a story.
What a dope time to be alive.
Story
Really, this was a great short to put out on vinyl. It wasn’t complex, it was just a classic horror piece that reminded me of Goosebumps for grown ups. I had fun listening, and this tale just drips with nostalgia and fair/ocean aesthetics.
I loved the easter eggs, the Manx cat, for instance. I loved the flow and evocative imagery. It was predictable, but in the way that you want a story like this to end. Horror fans wont be able to help but grin at the sadistic villain that presents itself.
It has a natural pulp quality, it could be another short segment on Creepshow. Magnificent.
End Song
Mathew Ryan’s low fidelity, indie rock style cover of Wild Horses by The Rolling Stones is perfect. Played at the story’s close, the connotation of the original song shifts into an unnerving lament that fit’s Joe Hill’s horror narrative with sadness and haunting. It turned this reading into a performance that gave me the feeling of a curtain slowly coming to a close on a disturbing play. When the record stopped, and I was left to the quiet of the room, I could almost smell the ocean myself.
I think that’s how the end of short stories should feel, don’t you? - 📚☕♥
- A good story, a grand experience -
*major spoilers*
The word ‘gimmick’ has an ugly connotation, but throwing one in every now and then is like finding a rad prize in a box of cereal.
Presentation/Production
Dark Carousel is definitely a rad prize. It took the act of reading, and made it an event.
Years ago, when I jumped on the vinyl trend, my friend asked, “How is it different than MP3 music or CDs?” For one, you don’t get a pause, skip, or shuffle button, and that causes you to take in the work all at once, in the order it was intended, with no stop. You can do this with digital music or CDs, but we rarely do. On that same note, it takes action to play. You’re given massive cover art, sleeves, often times colorful discs, etc. My streaming service is a buffet where I pick what I like. Vinyl is a full-course meal prepared by the chef. It has design and intention we might miss during conventional listening. Plus, its got romance to it. You handle everything with care, you’re deliberate, you’re paying attention.
Dark Carousel meets the readers with those same romances. Beautiful cover art. Stunning disc graphic. Two discs for a total of four sides, breaking the story into quarter sections that flowed well and ended at perfect stopping points. And that lack of pause during intense moments is affecting, when the story is racing, you must race too. When the story is descending into fear, you too must descend with no stop. There’s no 30 second rewind—it’s a start to finish experience. The reader, Nate Corddry, gave a solid performance, great pace and timing.
It was an event. It was an experience. I made a night of it, and it was the highlight of the week.
I’d say it’s even short enough, you can have your horror-fan friends over for dinner and a story.
What a dope time to be alive.
Story
Really, this was a great short to put out on vinyl. It wasn’t complex, it was just a classic horror piece that reminded me of Goosebumps for grown ups. I had fun listening, and this tale just drips with nostalgia and fair/ocean aesthetics.
I loved the easter eggs, the Manx cat, for instance. I loved the flow and evocative imagery. It was predictable, but in the way that you want a story like this to end. Horror fans wont be able to help but grin at the sadistic villain that presents itself.
It has a natural pulp quality, it could be another short segment on Creepshow. Magnificent.
End Song
Mathew Ryan’s low fidelity, indie rock style cover of Wild Horses by The Rolling Stones is perfect. Played at the story’s close, the connotation of the original song shifts into an unnerving lament that fit’s Joe Hill’s horror narrative with sadness and haunting. It turned this reading into a performance that gave me the feeling of a curtain slowly coming to a close on a disturbing play. When the record stopped, and I was left to the quiet of the room, I could almost smell the ocean myself.
I think that’s how the end of short stories should feel, don’t you? - 📚☕♥
May 3, 2018
I’m really enamored with Hill’s writing style and storytelling technique, both of which I find to be top notch. And this story started great but ultimately ended with a bit of a corny flourish which I found slightly deflating. So a smidgen above okay but nothing fabulous.
May 2, 2018
First, all the stars for this lovely, lovely piece of art! The sleeve is a beautiful thing, but then you pull out the vinyl and it just pops! It's this viscous yellow with slips, drips and splatters of darkest grey. Absolutely gorgeous. Added to the thrill is my name, in Joe's hand, in the upper right. I have every book he has released as a signed copy, so of course I needed this!
The story was ok. I think it actually suffered a bit from the narrator. I have not heard him read anything else, and may actually avoid him in the future. He wasn't bad, just would have been better reading straight fiction. I'm not sure this qualifies as horror, but it is at the very least unreliable narrator fantasy.
It's set in the 90s which is another thrill since Joe and I were born around the same time so have the same touchstones fo our youth. Much like Martha Quinn in The Fireman, there were a ton of year references that really touched my nostalgia bone.
I must say that my very favorite part is a quick glance at what at first appears to be a eiche uise, or water horse from Maggie Stiefvater's The Scorpio Races! Lovely and more terrifying to me than any other paragraph. I can't wait until this is released in print.
The story was ok. I think it actually suffered a bit from the narrator. I have not heard him read anything else, and may actually avoid him in the future. He wasn't bad, just would have been better reading straight fiction. I'm not sure this qualifies as horror, but it is at the very least unreliable narrator fantasy.
It's set in the 90s which is another thrill since Joe and I were born around the same time so have the same touchstones fo our youth. Much like Martha Quinn in The Fireman, there were a ton of year references that really touched my nostalgia bone.
I must say that my very favorite part is a quick glance at what at first appears to be a eiche uise, or water horse from Maggie Stiefvater's The Scorpio Races! Lovely and more terrifying to me than any other paragraph. I can't wait until this is released in print.
November 29, 2022
my timbers.. consider them shivered.
May 21, 2018
Classic storytelling by Joe Hill, and a very good narrator. This is the first time I've listened to an audio book in ages and loved it.
October 17, 2022
ছোট্ট একটা গল্প কিন্তু ডিটেইল গুলো কি সুন্দর! জোসেফ হিলস্টোর্ম কিং এর লেখা এই প্রথম পড়লাম। এবং আমি মন্ত্রমুগ্ধ!
May 20, 2023
This stoey was a short in the Twice Cursed anthology. As always, Joe Hill has the creepy short story down pat. This one has a fairly macabre ending, but is great all the same.
October 9, 2021
Beth rates 5/5 stars
I read this on my lunch hour today and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I was super bummed to realize it was a novella, as I could have easily spent another 200 pages with these people and the creepy demons they provoked. Nothing too gory, a very quick spooky read.
I read this on my lunch hour today and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I was super bummed to realize it was a novella, as I could have easily spent another 200 pages with these people and the creepy demons they provoked. Nothing too gory, a very quick spooky read.
December 29, 2020
This story had previously only been released as a vinyl audio edition (a trend I could personally really do without), and is now collected in Full Throttle for the first time in print.
On a summer night in the mid-90's, four teenagers out at the pier and boardwalk take a ride on a creepy antique carousel, and their night of fun starts going horribly wrong from there as their misguided decisions have terrifying repercussions. I enjoyed the mention of Charlie Manx of NOS4A2 fame, probably my favorite Hill novel, and thought the story was a nice little nod at Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes—when October Country was casually mentioned I was in fact quite sure of it. As such, it's perhaps a bit derivative and predictable, but it kept me engaged from the very first page, and I especially really liked the characterization—creating not just one, but four well-rounded and likeable characters in a short story is a talent Hill clearly has, not to mention his penchant for taking stories just that tiny bit further to show that even a cursed and haunted life goes on. Pulpy good fun.
—————
This story is also published in Joe Hill's collection Full Throttle. You can read my full review here.
On a summer night in the mid-90's, four teenagers out at the pier and boardwalk take a ride on a creepy antique carousel, and their night of fun starts going horribly wrong from there as their misguided decisions have terrifying repercussions. I enjoyed the mention of Charlie Manx of NOS4A2 fame, probably my favorite Hill novel, and thought the story was a nice little nod at Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes—when October Country was casually mentioned I was in fact quite sure of it. As such, it's perhaps a bit derivative and predictable, but it kept me engaged from the very first page, and I especially really liked the characterization—creating not just one, but four well-rounded and likeable characters in a short story is a talent Hill clearly has, not to mention his penchant for taking stories just that tiny bit further to show that even a cursed and haunted life goes on. Pulpy good fun.
—————
This story is also published in Joe Hill's collection Full Throttle. You can read my full review here.
May 25, 2018
Hard for me to rate this low because the whole package is just amaze balls. I’ve never owned a more gorgeous LP product ... the colors of the jacket and the artwork ... so cool ... the vinyl itself was this unique thing that made me giddy when I opened it. This was a great one time schtick and I bought it hook line and sinker. And I’m glad I did. However, I found the experience of listening to an audiobook on vinyl to be not quite my jam. And that’s no fault of Joe Hill. I just don’t sit around my living room listening to an audiobook. It’s weird to me. I listen in the car. I listen on walks. I listen in the laundry room. But to just sit and do NOTHING but listen I had a hard time focusing. Which sounds weird but it’s true. I wish we could have gotten a free PDF or something of the book to also read. I would realllly like to reread in hard copy and at the price point for this, I will be salty if I have to pay again to get a written copy. I think (??) the story was good. Short. And Dark. And a perfect setting. With an unreliable narrator. :) My favorite thing might still be the Charlie Manx “gift.” Seeing as how that’s my fav Joe Hill novel. But I’d like to give it a better read.
October 4, 2019
MOST IMPORTANTLY: Where do I know this carousel from? I KNOW I have read a story featuring a creepy carousel with antique horses/animals, one of which was burned in a fire. Was it in Joyland? I sincerely hope someone comments and helps me out because it's driving me mad.
Anyway, it's a short story. I read the ebook so I cannot comment on the narration. It's not bad. It's not great. Hill relies heavily on gore and body horror in this story so... It's not that I'm angry with him, I'm just a little disappointed.
Anyway, it's a short story. I read the ebook so I cannot comment on the narration. It's not bad. It's not great. Hill relies heavily on gore and body horror in this story so... It's not that I'm angry with him, I'm just a little disappointed.
April 25, 2018
simple enough of a story, I enjoyed it.
June 9, 2018
Cracking little story.
The vinyl edition is gorgeous too.
Glad they included an mp3 download too 👍
The vinyl edition is gorgeous too.
Glad they included an mp3 download too 👍
September 28, 2019
Great short story. Hill is fantastic. Horror with moral consequences is the best. Shades of Twilight Zone.
June 12, 2023
Interesting short horror story about a bunch of young people (boys and girls) that had their fun at a carousel.
Being naughty as they were, they make fun, even disfigure one of the horses that made the carousel they rode that evening, and also steal the money of the dead-drunk ride operator (under the suspicion he stole money from one of the girls, earlier), and they ride the car back home when ... they face hell now, as all the wooden animals that made the carousel chase them with the intent to kill them !
And they did this, except for Paul, the story teller.
They are still stalking him in his later life, even when he moved over the ocean, to London :-D
Being naughty as they were, they make fun, even disfigure one of the horses that made the carousel they rode that evening, and also steal the money of the dead-drunk ride operator (under the suspicion he stole money from one of the girls, earlier), and they ride the car back home when ... they face hell now, as all the wooden animals that made the carousel chase them with the intent to kill them !
And they did this, except for Paul, the story teller.
They are still stalking him in his later life, even when he moved over the ocean, to London :-D
February 3, 2022
Joe Hill inherited and then worked to develop his father’s (Stephen King’s) skill for writing horror. This is the story of a young man who, with his friend, meet and murder a carousel operator. They also deface the carousel. Vengeance on the group is found by the phantoms of the carousel. All of narrator’s friends are killed, and the narrator loses his sanity.
December 15, 2025
I love Joe Hill.
Dark Carousel
made me want to re-read Full Throttle, because not many authors can make me feel this strung up and tense for such gray characters. It's not similar at all in the end, but it still somehow felt like a small callback to Something Wicked This Way Comes by Bradbury, and that made me love this story even more.
May 12, 2025
Satisfying and engaging till the end. Though as I mentioned previously in my review of Wolverton Station, Hill does stick mainly to established and common horror tropes.
Not that that's a bad thing always though, and Dark Carousel is a fine example of executing common horror tropes well.
Not that that's a bad thing always though, and Dark Carousel is a fine example of executing common horror tropes well.
January 17, 2021
This was a good, fun horror story. Joe Hill is one of the best horror authors in present times
July 24, 2024
Wonderful short story. Every page was terrifyingly exquisite. I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 b/c I wish it was longer😕
December 8, 2019
After reading this I may never look at a carousel the same way. This was my first foray into Hill's writing and I was not disappointed. It was the right mix of descriptive language, dark subject matter and a good dose of lingering fear for the narrator.
Since this is a short story I don't want to say too much as almost anything beyond the blurb would be a spoiler, but it's an interesting look at what a cursed carousel and its animals may do to those it feels has wronged it.
If you're looking for a dark story that is a quick read, pick this one up.
Since this is a short story I don't want to say too much as almost anything beyond the blurb would be a spoiler, but it's an interesting look at what a cursed carousel and its animals may do to those it feels has wronged it.
If you're looking for a dark story that is a quick read, pick this one up.
November 2, 2018
3.7*
Sweet little horror story. 3/4 part of the story is a little predictable, but it's still very enjoyable.
The final part focusses on the consequences of the maincharacter's actions from his youth. At first you think he is the lucky one, but he is the one who is doomed forever.
This vinyl edition is absolutely gorgeous. The story is beautifully told and to hear 'Wild Horses' at the end is really something that makes the story whole. I am a great Joe Hill fan and I really love what he has done here. This form of storytelling is awesome and I can't wait to see what he may come up with next!
Sweet little horror story. 3/4 part of the story is a little predictable, but it's still very enjoyable.
The final part focusses on the consequences of the maincharacter's actions from his youth. At first you think he is the lucky one, but he is the one who is doomed forever.
This vinyl edition is absolutely gorgeous. The story is beautifully told and to hear 'Wild Horses' at the end is really something that makes the story whole. I am a great Joe Hill fan and I really love what he has done here. This form of storytelling is awesome and I can't wait to see what he may come up with next!
May 7, 2021
A demented cast of carousel animals that comes to life and kills a group of teens? I wasn't sure, but man, this was creepy, entertaining, and most of all, had fair storytelling.
A fun ride and proof that a story doesn't have to reach beyond itself to create an entertaining experience. It had a solid beginning, middle, and end that was satisfying to devour!
*Read in short story collection Full Throttle
A fun ride and proof that a story doesn't have to reach beyond itself to create an entertaining experience. It had a solid beginning, middle, and end that was satisfying to devour!
*Read in short story collection Full Throttle
August 17, 2025
It's hard not to compare him to his father, lol.
I liked some of the stories, but disappointed others. Joe Hill has a less verbose style than his father and demonstrates talent for the horror genre, but it's not as visceral.
Honestly, I expected more from the book. My expectations weren't met. You can see that Joe Hill has talent and his father's influence, but the stories, at least the ones I've read, are rather lukewarm. He's not as direct and visceral as King, and that's okay, since every author has their own style. What bothered me is that, like his father, he falls short in the endings, which often leave something to be desired.
I liked some of the stories, but disappointed others. Joe Hill has a less verbose style than his father and demonstrates talent for the horror genre, but it's not as visceral.
Honestly, I expected more from the book. My expectations weren't met. You can see that Joe Hill has talent and his father's influence, but the stories, at least the ones I've read, are rather lukewarm. He's not as direct and visceral as King, and that's okay, since every author has their own style. What bothered me is that, like his father, he falls short in the endings, which often leave something to be desired.
December 26, 2024
A good story, only it felt strange that halfway Hill considered necessary to explain how people could still drive without sit belts and while drinking in the 90s. It broke the narrative for me.
Also, the end could do with more of a punch.
The more I read Hill it feels like YA version of King. Mostly I miss the characters having the right depth - they are interesting and believable, but a bit on the cartoonish side of things. If there was just a detail about why the twins were as they were in this story, it would be amazing.
Also, the end could do with more of a punch.
The more I read Hill it feels like YA version of King. Mostly I miss the characters having the right depth - they are interesting and believable, but a bit on the cartoonish side of things. If there was just a detail about why the twins were as they were in this story, it would be amazing.
February 28, 2021
4.1 stars!
The story was short but my, oh my, it was an eerie read.
Kind of predicted what would happen towards the end but nevertheless, I enjoyed the book.
Most of us have seen a carousel and rode on it too, but what happens when 4 teens mess up with the carousel operator and vandalizes one of the animals in the carousel?
It's a short but fun read and you will find yourself turning pages till you reach the very end.
Joe Hill delivers once again!
The story was short but my, oh my, it was an eerie read.
Kind of predicted what would happen towards the end but nevertheless, I enjoyed the book.
Most of us have seen a carousel and rode on it too, but what happens when 4 teens mess up with the carousel operator and vandalizes one of the animals in the carousel?
It's a short but fun read and you will find yourself turning pages till you reach the very end.
Joe Hill delivers once again!
September 9, 2022
Four young people visit a boardwalk amusement park one evening and their fun night becomes a nightmare.
It started out slow but really picked up in the last one-third. I ended up loving it. One of the rides at the park is dark and sinister and it goes very badly for the characters in this story. It’s a quick read, a lot of fun. Hill’s writing is very visual in this story which made the “horror” parts especially fun.
It started out slow but really picked up in the last one-third. I ended up loving it. One of the rides at the park is dark and sinister and it goes very badly for the characters in this story. It’s a quick read, a lot of fun. Hill’s writing is very visual in this story which made the “horror” parts especially fun.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews