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Tales from The Lake Vol. 5
The Legend Continues…
In the spirit of popular Dark Fiction and Horror anthologies such as Gutted: Beautiful Horror Stories and Behold: Oddities, Curiosities and Undefinable Wonders, and the best of Stephen King’s short fiction, comes the Tales from The Lake anthologies.
This 5th volume includes:
356 pages, Paperback
Published October 29, 2018
About the author
Kenneth W. Cain
98 books218 followersKenneth W. Cain first got the itch for storytelling during his formative years in the suburbs of Chicago, where he got to listen to his grandfather spin tales by the glow of a barrel fire. But it was a reading of Baba Yaga that grew his desire for dark fiction. Shows like The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and One Step Beyond furthered that sense of wonder for the unknown, and he’s been writing ever since.
Cain is the author of The Saga of I trilogy, United States of the Dead, the short story collections These Old Tales and Fresh Cut Tales, and the forthcoming Embers: A Collection of Dark Fiction. Writing, reading, fine art, graphic design, and Cardinals baseball are but a few of his passions. Cain now resides in Chester County, Pennsylvania with his wife and two children.
Cain is the author of The Saga of I trilogy, United States of the Dead, the short story collections These Old Tales and Fresh Cut Tales, and the forthcoming Embers: A Collection of Dark Fiction. Writing, reading, fine art, graphic design, and Cardinals baseball are but a few of his passions. Cain now resides in Chester County, Pennsylvania with his wife and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 3, 2018
Whenever a new Anthology from Crystal Lake Publishing appears, I approach it with an air of anticipation and enthusiasm: what will I find in these new pages? This volume, volume 5, is edited by Kenneth Cain, one of the as yet unsung heroes of dark horror fiction--an author in his own right who deserves much more attention and spotlighting.
I also need to remind myself not to read these tales alone at night. The selected authors are too excellent to miss, but each tale is guaranteed to bring either sleeplessness (did I REALLY just read that???) or nightmares--often both.
Get it. Devour it. Marvel in awe.
I also need to remind myself not to read these tales alone at night. The selected authors are too excellent to miss, but each tale is guaranteed to bring either sleeplessness (did I REALLY just read that???) or nightmares--often both.
Get it. Devour it. Marvel in awe.
October 27, 2018
Tales From The Lake Vol 5 doesn’t disappoint!
Tales From The Lake Vol 5 delivers one riveting story after another. What scares me most? People. Perhaps tricked by devils, influenced by drugs or cursed objects, even driven mad by climate change, in the end we are the monsters. Sure, demons both real and imagined are pulling the strings but it is wives who kill husbands, fathers slaughtering their own children, and sisters murdering their siblings that makes this anthology unique.
The editor wastes no time cranking up the tension with Lucy Taylor’s “Umbilicus”, a subtle poke at every parent’s worst nightmare.
In Allison Pang’s “A Dream Most Ancient and Alone”, a young girl forms a precarious relationship with a mud maid.
“The Flutter of Silent Wings” by Gene O’Neil, delivers heartache and horror, terrifying in its truth.
“Hollow Skulls” by Samuel Marzioli is a disgusting story, so disturbing it punches you in the gut. I loved it.
A man checks into a hotel and sees someone fall from the sky in “Farewell Valencia”, a delightful story by Graig Wallwork that I must include in my list of favorites.
In all there are twenty-five wonderful stories, carefully selected to blend and compliment each other.
The most terrifying thing in the world is not a vampire or zombie, it is mankind and what we are capable of doing to each other. This collection from editor Kenneth W. Cain will eat at you for a long time. Horrifying, haunting, and unforgettable!
Tales From The Lake Vol 5 delivers one riveting story after another. What scares me most? People. Perhaps tricked by devils, influenced by drugs or cursed objects, even driven mad by climate change, in the end we are the monsters. Sure, demons both real and imagined are pulling the strings but it is wives who kill husbands, fathers slaughtering their own children, and sisters murdering their siblings that makes this anthology unique.
The editor wastes no time cranking up the tension with Lucy Taylor’s “Umbilicus”, a subtle poke at every parent’s worst nightmare.
In Allison Pang’s “A Dream Most Ancient and Alone”, a young girl forms a precarious relationship with a mud maid.
“The Flutter of Silent Wings” by Gene O’Neil, delivers heartache and horror, terrifying in its truth.
“Hollow Skulls” by Samuel Marzioli is a disgusting story, so disturbing it punches you in the gut. I loved it.
A man checks into a hotel and sees someone fall from the sky in “Farewell Valencia”, a delightful story by Graig Wallwork that I must include in my list of favorites.
In all there are twenty-five wonderful stories, carefully selected to blend and compliment each other.
The most terrifying thing in the world is not a vampire or zombie, it is mankind and what we are capable of doing to each other. This collection from editor Kenneth W. Cain will eat at you for a long time. Horrifying, haunting, and unforgettable!
October 28, 2018
***Review copy received from publisher in exchange for an honest review.***
Crystal Lake Publishing is set to publish its most recent Tales from the Lake anthology this coming Friday, now up to Volume Number 5, and this one has some seriously fantastic offerings.
“From the Mouths of Plague-Mongers” by Stephanie M. Wytovich marks an emphatic, strong, and memorable way to open the anthology, and an unconventional choice given that it's a poem.
“Umbilicus” by Lucy Taylor presented a story that, at the outset, I thought was about the promise of one character getting revenge on someone else but it became clear later on that it was about a father determined to find his missing child. It's clear from the get-go that someone isn't telling the truth, or at least not the complete truth as to what's going on. The story ends on a note with the protagonist facing a horrid, unthinkable decision and has a note of the reader being left to figure out what happens for themselves.
“The Weeds and the Wildness Yet” by Robert Stahl is about a man struggling with the grief of his wife passing away and the family who tries to keep him grounded. Let's just say that you'll never look at a garden the same after reading this one.
In “The Color of Loss and Love” by Jason Sizemore, the Apex Magazine editor presents a story of a couple in what seems to be a post-apocalyptic setting with the husband communicating through a radio, or at least attempting to. They feel a responsibility to venture out to help a couple who are expecting a child. The husband, Francis, insists on constantly seeing monsters but his wife, Martha, claims he's imagining things while encouraging him at the same time.
I quite enjoyed “A Dream Most Ancient and Alone” by Allison Pang about underwater horror with a 'mudmaid' who develops an odd friendship with a girl from camp that turns into much more.
“The Flutter of Silent Wings” by Gene O’Neill seems like an homage to Shirley Jackson, which I found to be an interesting read.
One of my other favourite stories was “In the Family” by Lucy A. Snyder, which is told with an interesting narrative technique--it's a character talking at the outset but without any quoted dialogue, and they're talking so fast that I pictured it in my head like someone on fast-forward. As the story goes on and we learn more details, things become profoundly disturbing and the climax continues to build, revealing a Whatever Happened to Baby Jane type of scenario at the outset with a rivalry between twin sisters. The main character definitely takes the reader on a ride and just when you think it can't possibly get more disturbing, the gut punches land hard and fast making this one of the most memorable stories of this anthology.
Another favourite for me was “Dead Bodies Don’t Scream” by Michelle Ann King in which a girl forces her uncle to save her sister with magic, but things go awry. Really, really awry, with a horrible ending. It takes what you as the reader would expect from the ending and then finds a clever way to subvert that.
Once again, we get a fantastic double dose of Stephanie M. Wytovich, this time in the form of her short story “The Monster Told Me to.” The language, as ever, is bold and evocative. Bria returns to a town she hates and the feeling is mutual, but this time she seems sure that she'll escape for good. It's one of those surrealist stories where you're not really sure what's happened or if the character is imagining it (sort of). This is another tale with some hard gut punches that are difficult to take in but ultimately memorable.
Other tales I enjoyed included “The Loudest Silence” by Meghan Arcuri, which pretty much captures the mind of an anxious person to a tee and starts with an unnerving continuous beeping noise. It's a short piece but it packs a huge wallop.
Overall, Tales from the Lake Volume 5 presents another solid anthology offering to continue this series from Crystal Lake Publishing, and it's well worth checking out for horror readers.
Crystal Lake Publishing is set to publish its most recent Tales from the Lake anthology this coming Friday, now up to Volume Number 5, and this one has some seriously fantastic offerings.
“From the Mouths of Plague-Mongers” by Stephanie M. Wytovich marks an emphatic, strong, and memorable way to open the anthology, and an unconventional choice given that it's a poem.
“Umbilicus” by Lucy Taylor presented a story that, at the outset, I thought was about the promise of one character getting revenge on someone else but it became clear later on that it was about a father determined to find his missing child. It's clear from the get-go that someone isn't telling the truth, or at least not the complete truth as to what's going on. The story ends on a note with the protagonist facing a horrid, unthinkable decision and has a note of the reader being left to figure out what happens for themselves.
“The Weeds and the Wildness Yet” by Robert Stahl is about a man struggling with the grief of his wife passing away and the family who tries to keep him grounded. Let's just say that you'll never look at a garden the same after reading this one.
In “The Color of Loss and Love” by Jason Sizemore, the Apex Magazine editor presents a story of a couple in what seems to be a post-apocalyptic setting with the husband communicating through a radio, or at least attempting to. They feel a responsibility to venture out to help a couple who are expecting a child. The husband, Francis, insists on constantly seeing monsters but his wife, Martha, claims he's imagining things while encouraging him at the same time.
I quite enjoyed “A Dream Most Ancient and Alone” by Allison Pang about underwater horror with a 'mudmaid' who develops an odd friendship with a girl from camp that turns into much more.
“The Flutter of Silent Wings” by Gene O’Neill seems like an homage to Shirley Jackson, which I found to be an interesting read.
One of my other favourite stories was “In the Family” by Lucy A. Snyder, which is told with an interesting narrative technique--it's a character talking at the outset but without any quoted dialogue, and they're talking so fast that I pictured it in my head like someone on fast-forward. As the story goes on and we learn more details, things become profoundly disturbing and the climax continues to build, revealing a Whatever Happened to Baby Jane type of scenario at the outset with a rivalry between twin sisters. The main character definitely takes the reader on a ride and just when you think it can't possibly get more disturbing, the gut punches land hard and fast making this one of the most memorable stories of this anthology.
Another favourite for me was “Dead Bodies Don’t Scream” by Michelle Ann King in which a girl forces her uncle to save her sister with magic, but things go awry. Really, really awry, with a horrible ending. It takes what you as the reader would expect from the ending and then finds a clever way to subvert that.
Once again, we get a fantastic double dose of Stephanie M. Wytovich, this time in the form of her short story “The Monster Told Me to.” The language, as ever, is bold and evocative. Bria returns to a town she hates and the feeling is mutual, but this time she seems sure that she'll escape for good. It's one of those surrealist stories where you're not really sure what's happened or if the character is imagining it (sort of). This is another tale with some hard gut punches that are difficult to take in but ultimately memorable.
Other tales I enjoyed included “The Loudest Silence” by Meghan Arcuri, which pretty much captures the mind of an anxious person to a tee and starts with an unnerving continuous beeping noise. It's a short piece but it packs a huge wallop.
Overall, Tales from the Lake Volume 5 presents another solid anthology offering to continue this series from Crystal Lake Publishing, and it's well worth checking out for horror readers.
November 2, 2018
As with all of Crystal Lake Publishing anthologies, I thought this was a brilliantly selected collection of terrifying tales.
Kenneth W. Cain did an excellent job of weaving the stories together and they flow from one to another leaving the reader on a journey of terror and entertainment.
There are tales of deadly deals, psychological horror, murderous parents, end of the line hotels and crazy farmers mixed with stories of post-apocalyptic eras seamlessly, which is no mean feat.
I never knew where the collection would go next yet I could clearly see a connection between the stories.
If you're looking for a surprising mix of horror stories with a host of dark themes, look no further.
Kenneth W. Cain did an excellent job of weaving the stories together and they flow from one to another leaving the reader on a journey of terror and entertainment.
There are tales of deadly deals, psychological horror, murderous parents, end of the line hotels and crazy farmers mixed with stories of post-apocalyptic eras seamlessly, which is no mean feat.
I never knew where the collection would go next yet I could clearly see a connection between the stories.
If you're looking for a surprising mix of horror stories with a host of dark themes, look no further.
November 2, 2018
Another totally fantastic addition to the Tales From the Lake series. Each one keeps getting better.
My personal favorite was the mermaid tale "A Dream Ancient and Dark".
Highly recommended. I'm now eagerly awaiting Volume 6.
My personal favorite was the mermaid tale "A Dream Ancient and Dark".
Highly recommended. I'm now eagerly awaiting Volume 6.
November 2, 2018
Over the years I’ve read enough anthologies, short story collections and fiction magazines to refine my expectations for what comprises a premium horror story. So when I declare that I thoroughly enjoyed two-thirds of the fiction in TALES FROM THE LAKE VOLUME 5 - - that says a lot about the high quality of the contents. Sixteen of the twenty-two stories and three poems in this volume met or exceeded my expectations. Seven of them I consider well above standards and worthy of re-reading. Of those seven, three are deserving of award nominations as this year wraps up. That’s enough to make this collection HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
TALES FROM THE LAKE is becoming a very reliable source for new, quality horror fiction. That’s a nice accomplishment, considering that each volume has a different editor. Each of these curators brings a different perspective and viewpoint to the selection of submissions that make the final cut.
In his introduction to this collection, editor Kenneth W. Cain shares that when reviewing the 715 submissions, he picked stories that best worked together “as parts of a whole” or just blew him away. He wanted “stories to gel, to accomplish something together.” As I read through this volume, I tired to identify the underlying theme. What seems to come up the most in this diversity of styles and plots is a sense of loss: loss of children, family, spouses, sanity, sleep, friends, identity, memory, innocence, and life itself. Not every story fits that template exactly, but maybe those few are the selections that blew Cain away.
These are the three stories that left a lasting impression on me, that I believe deserve some award nominations:
“The Flutter Of Silent Wings” by Gene O’Neill recalls a classic Shirley Jackson story, and it’s meant to. It’s a sad first-person account of the debilitating effects of memory loss as a mother has difficulty distinguishing strangers from family members and has been dealing with a troubling nightmare/vision.
In “Hollow Skulls” by Samuel Marzioli, a new father is troubled by memories of his grandmother’s tales of babies being empty vessels when born, susceptible to being entered by bad things. The story takes a very disturbing turn, and then twists again near the end - - which left me in shivers.
For those who’ve become extremely depressed and given up hope, there’s a special hotel that caters to those who seek their death in “Farewell Valencia” by Craig Wallwork. As might be expected, the hotel does not have the best intentions and those guests who figure it out aren’t left with many choices.
There are four stories that were also above expectations and deserve to be read again:
The legend of the monkey’s paw comes up in “The Weeds And The Wildness Yet” by Robert Stahl, as a grieving husband mourns the loss of his wife, who had a knack for gardening and an affinity with plants.
Allison Pang puts a different spin on mermaids in “A Dream Most Ancient And Alone”, the tale of a young girl and her lakeside resort encounters with a “mudmaid”. There’s a lot to be said in this story about communication, friendship, and sacrifice.
A prisoner who manages to escape from jail to a nearby swamp where his associates are waiting is not exactly the same person as when he began his sentence. Things end as expected in “Starve A Fever” by Jonah Buck, but in humorous fashion in this clever and very funny tale.
Suffering from troubled memories, which also disturb her daughters, a divorced woman makes a bargain to have the memories removed in “Voices Like Barbed Wire” by Tim Waggoner. Be careful what you wish for, lest you lose the ability to speak of this forever.
TALES FROM THE LAKE Volume 5 also includes good stories which met my expectations from Stephanie M. Wytovich, Lucy Tayor, Paul Michael Anderson, Michelle Ann King, Joanna Parypinski, Gemma Files, Cory Cone, Peter Mark May and poetry by Bruce Boston and Stephanie M. Wytovich.
Stories that I found interesting but seemed to miss the mark or end without a satisfactory resolution were by Andy Rawson, Lucy A Snyder, Stephanie M. Wytovich, Laura Blackwell, Marge Simon, Meghan Arcuri and a different poem by Bruce Boston. Only one story seemed out of place in the anthology, “A Bathtub At The End Of The World, Or How Mr. Whittaker Achieved Knighthood” by Lane Waldman. It’s a whimsical fantasy (unless I misunderstood the premise) as opposed to the other stories in this volume, with a clever concept that spends too much time repeatedly demonstrating its cleverness.
November 2, 2018
I've been a fan of the Tales From The Lake anthology since the first volume and it's amazing to see how much it has evolved over the years. Volume 5 is quite possibly the best yet. I loved both the stories and the poems. As always, there's something for everyone, from zombies, to deals with unnatural beings, to mental illness—and everything in between.
The stories are unsettling, entertaining and surprising with their twists and turns. Some, in spite of their subject matter, are quite lyrical and even whimsical. Two stories that stood our for me in no particular order:
• Alice Pang's "A dream most ancient and alone", because of the lyrical writing, the menace of the mudmaid, and a satisfying conclusion
• Laura Blackwell's "Nonpareil" because of its beautiful imagery, and a great tale that kept me guessing what was coming next.
As always, I highly recommend this anthology. If you're still unsure, download a sample and decide for yourself.
The stories are unsettling, entertaining and surprising with their twists and turns. Some, in spite of their subject matter, are quite lyrical and even whimsical. Two stories that stood our for me in no particular order:
• Alice Pang's "A dream most ancient and alone", because of the lyrical writing, the menace of the mudmaid, and a satisfying conclusion
• Laura Blackwell's "Nonpareil" because of its beautiful imagery, and a great tale that kept me guessing what was coming next.
As always, I highly recommend this anthology. If you're still unsure, download a sample and decide for yourself.
December 10, 2018
A solid collection of horror tales. With any collection there are those stories that will blow you away and others that aren't as great, but the couple I liked the least were still above average, which is saying a lot. Love this series and can't wait for the next one!
November 6, 2018
This anthology from Crystal Lake Publishing is by far the best volume yet in the Tales from the Lake series! Every story within its pages is a winner. Yes, there are some works I like more than others, but there was not one story in this collection that I did not enjoy. I recommend this read for all who love horror, as well as for those readers who may still be on the fence about this genre. There are works in here that will not only make you cringe, but also make you cry.
If you want horror with heart, a few of my favorites are: "The Flutter of Silent Wings" by Gene O'neill, "Guardian" by Paul Michael Anderson, "A Dream Most Ancient and Alone" by Allison Pang.
Get it and devour it. This book is guaranteed to satiate the hungry horror reader.
If you want horror with heart, a few of my favorites are: "The Flutter of Silent Wings" by Gene O'neill, "Guardian" by Paul Michael Anderson, "A Dream Most Ancient and Alone" by Allison Pang.
Get it and devour it. This book is guaranteed to satiate the hungry horror reader.
August 15, 2021
These were very creepy and fantastic
February 15, 2021
Inconsistent
There's good and OK material in this book. The good thing is that the works only go on as long as necessary. The random poems mixed in would been fine if they were grouped together, but the way they are arranged through the book is distracting.
There's good and OK material in this book. The good thing is that the works only go on as long as necessary. The random poems mixed in would been fine if they were grouped together, but the way they are arranged through the book is distracting.
Currently Reading
July 14, 2024"Starve A Fever" by Jonah Buck - Joe and Martin attempt to save David whose body is consuming itself. They pull over to a convenience store to buy food but the store clerk calls the police when he sees David eating roadkill off the ground. The deputy pulls up and handcuffs Martin to David and places both of them in the back of the cruiser. Joe shoots the deputy twice from behind but she manages to shoot Joe in the head before collapsing. David's need for calories to consume is now so great that he attacks and devours Martin.
"A Dream Most Ancient and Alone" by Allison Pang - Jocelynn befriends a monster that lives in the lake and devours children. She asks the mudmaid to stop eating children and offers herself to her if she promises. Jocelynn returns to the lake to keep her promise as an old woman and the creature consumes her memories.
"Umbilicus" by Lucy Taylor - Gary's daughter is kidnapped by Mick in order to trade her to a demon and recover Mick's child. The demon makes the same offer to Gary. If Gary offers up a child he can have his daughter back.
"The Weeds and the Wildness Yet" by Robert Stahl - Charlie devours his brother after a wish upon a monkey's paw returns dead Mildred to life as a plant creature and she transforms Charlie into one also.
"Farewell Valencia" by Craig Wallwork - A man checks into Hotel Valencia for the purpose of euthanasia but learns they skin the bodies to make shoes and sell the meat.
"Dead Bodies Don’t Scream" by Michelle Ann King - Allie is possessed by a demon that demands she kill for it.
"The Boy" by Cory Cone - Corrinne is convinced that her son Alex has been replaced by an imposter.
"In the Family" by Lucy A. Snyder - A woman with severe food allergies cannibalizes her twin sister.
"Hollow Skulls" by Samuel Marzioli - Orson stabs baby Gabriel because he believes it's possessed.
"The Followers" by Peter Mark May - wc
"A Dream Most Ancient and Alone" by Allison Pang - Jocelynn befriends a monster that lives in the lake and devours children. She asks the mudmaid to stop eating children and offers herself to her if she promises. Jocelynn returns to the lake to keep her promise as an old woman and the creature consumes her memories.
"Umbilicus" by Lucy Taylor - Gary's daughter is kidnapped by Mick in order to trade her to a demon and recover Mick's child. The demon makes the same offer to Gary. If Gary offers up a child he can have his daughter back.
"The Weeds and the Wildness Yet" by Robert Stahl - Charlie devours his brother after a wish upon a monkey's paw returns dead Mildred to life as a plant creature and she transforms Charlie into one also.
"Farewell Valencia" by Craig Wallwork - A man checks into Hotel Valencia for the purpose of euthanasia but learns they skin the bodies to make shoes and sell the meat.
"Dead Bodies Don’t Scream" by Michelle Ann King - Allie is possessed by a demon that demands she kill for it.
"The Boy" by Cory Cone - Corrinne is convinced that her son Alex has been replaced by an imposter.
"In the Family" by Lucy A. Snyder - A woman with severe food allergies cannibalizes her twin sister.
"Hollow Skulls" by Samuel Marzioli - Orson stabs baby Gabriel because he believes it's possessed.
"The Followers" by Peter Mark May - wc
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews