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The Black Phone and Other Stories
Imogene is young, beautiful, kisses like a movie star, and knows everything about every film ever made. She's also dead, the legendary ghost of the Rosebud Theater.
Arthur Roth is a lonely kid with a head full of big ideas and a gift for getting his ass kicked. It's hard to make friends when you're the only inflatable boy in town.
Francis is unhappy, picked on; he doesn't have a life, a hope, a chance. Francis was human once, but that's behind him now.
John Finney is in trouble. The kidnapper locked him in a basement, a place stained with the blood of half a dozen other murdered children. With him, in his subterranean cell, is an antique phone, long since disconnected… but it rings at night, anyway, with calls from the dead…
Arthur Roth is a lonely kid with a head full of big ideas and a gift for getting his ass kicked. It's hard to make friends when you're the only inflatable boy in town.
Francis is unhappy, picked on; he doesn't have a life, a hope, a chance. Francis was human once, but that's behind him now.
John Finney is in trouble. The kidnapper locked him in a basement, a place stained with the blood of half a dozen other murdered children. With him, in his subterranean cell, is an antique phone, long since disconnected… but it rings at night, anyway, with calls from the dead…
399 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2022
69 people are currently reading
258 people want to read
About the author
Joe Hill
505 books30k 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
October 3, 2025
I had pretty high hopes for this one, although it wasn’t necessarily bad it just didn’t really do anything for me. I didn’t think most of the stories were actually scary and when they had cool/scary concepts, they just didn’t really go anywhere.
Every time a story had me interested it just kinda ended up doing nothing. The other stories that aren’t scary were just kinda confusing as well!
Every time a story had me interested it just kinda ended up doing nothing. The other stories that aren’t scary were just kinda confusing as well!
August 19, 2022
(Previously published as 20th Century Ghosts)
Joe Hill is a master storyteller; it's hard not to compare him to his dad, but their prose and boundless imaginations are very similar.
This collection of short stories had some of the most chilling material I've ever read; so much so that once I finished, I turned back to read my favourite story in this collection; Best New Horror, the first story in the collection. It was every bit as chilling the second time around; I would love to see that one adapted to film.
Most of these stories could be classed as horror, but similarly to Stephen King, many of them are about ordinary people in extraordinary situations; the most bizarre story was probably Pop Art, a tale of a living, inflatable boy. It was a beautiful, wonderful story, and it had me amazed at the imagination of Joe Hill.
Other stories worth mentioning are Abraham's Boys, The Cape and Bobby Conroy Comes Back From the Dead. Abraham's Boys is a short sequel to the events of Dracula; it was fantastically written and wonderfully dark. The Cape is about a young boy who always wears a cape his mum made him; one day whilst wearing it, he falls from a tree and begins to fly and Bobby Conroy Comes Back From the Dead is about extras filming Dawn of the Dead.
The title story, The Black Phone, while entertaining, wasn't as good as I'd imagined it to be. I'm looking forward to seeing how such a short, somewhat predictable story could be adapted to a feature-length film.
20th Century Ghosts, the original title story would, in my opinion make a better film.
I immensely enjoyed this collection and look forward to reading more Joe Hill; he's an accomplished writer in his own right.
Joe Hill is a master storyteller; it's hard not to compare him to his dad, but their prose and boundless imaginations are very similar.
This collection of short stories had some of the most chilling material I've ever read; so much so that once I finished, I turned back to read my favourite story in this collection; Best New Horror, the first story in the collection. It was every bit as chilling the second time around; I would love to see that one adapted to film.
Most of these stories could be classed as horror, but similarly to Stephen King, many of them are about ordinary people in extraordinary situations; the most bizarre story was probably Pop Art, a tale of a living, inflatable boy. It was a beautiful, wonderful story, and it had me amazed at the imagination of Joe Hill.
Other stories worth mentioning are Abraham's Boys, The Cape and Bobby Conroy Comes Back From the Dead. Abraham's Boys is a short sequel to the events of Dracula; it was fantastically written and wonderfully dark. The Cape is about a young boy who always wears a cape his mum made him; one day whilst wearing it, he falls from a tree and begins to fly and Bobby Conroy Comes Back From the Dead is about extras filming Dawn of the Dead.
The title story, The Black Phone, while entertaining, wasn't as good as I'd imagined it to be. I'm looking forward to seeing how such a short, somewhat predictable story could be adapted to a feature-length film.
20th Century Ghosts, the original title story would, in my opinion make a better film.
I immensely enjoyed this collection and look forward to reading more Joe Hill; he's an accomplished writer in his own right.
January 14, 2023
My first encounter with Joe Hill and wow, what a journey it was! Decent variety of different themes and topics. It had many significant stories which kept me hooked all the way to the end, nevertheless there were few forgettable ones. That last story huuuuh! <3
November 2, 2025
Summary: Imogene - young, beautiful, knows every movie ever made… and she’s dead. The ghost of the Rosebud Theater.
Arthur Roth - a lonely kid with big dreams and a body full of air. The only inflatable boy in town.
Francis - bullied, broken, not quite human anymore.
John Finney - locked in a basement. A dead phone keeps ringing… and the callers aren’t alive.
Review: This collection features several stories - including The Black Phone (loved the movie!), and the original story is just as chilling and clever. While a few tales stood out more than others - and some felt a little out of place - the best ones are absolutely brilliant. Overall, it’s a dark, haunting read that’s definitely worth your time.
Question: What did you think of this book?
Arthur Roth - a lonely kid with big dreams and a body full of air. The only inflatable boy in town.
Francis - bullied, broken, not quite human anymore.
John Finney - locked in a basement. A dead phone keeps ringing… and the callers aren’t alive.
Review: This collection features several stories - including The Black Phone (loved the movie!), and the original story is just as chilling and clever. While a few tales stood out more than others - and some felt a little out of place - the best ones are absolutely brilliant. Overall, it’s a dark, haunting read that’s definitely worth your time.
Question: What did you think of this book?
November 25, 2024
As an introductory to Joe Hill, this book was... interesting to say the least! Honestly, none of the stories stood out to me except for The Black Phone. Some of the stories felt cliche or stereotypical - I don't know. However, I do now want to read a novel of his as Joe Hill is good at setting a story up for tension.
Other than that, I really have nothing else to say. Some of the stories had twist endings, and others left me clueless. None of the characters stood out, however I did find that Joe Hill resembles Stephen King's writing a bit. Overall, pretty good but not meaningful or everlasting in my mind.
October 27, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
January 8, 2023
The stories which stood out the most to me were Scheherazade’s Typewriter, Pop Art and Voluntary Commital. These stories made me infested in the characters in ways the other stories couldn’t. They were remarkable from start to finish.
I also loved how creepy some of the stories turned out to be, like You Will Hear The Locust Sing and My Father’s Mask. You wouldn’t initially expect how creepy they are, but it perfectly fits the atmosphere, when you think about it.
The other stories were also great in their own way. They told their own stories and gave their own messages in a way you don’t normally see, like how Bobby Conroy Comes Back From The Dead is a story about second chances set on the set of a horror movie.
Individual ratings:
0. Scheherazade’s Typewriter: 5/5
1. Best New Horror: 3,5/5
2. 20th Century Ghost: 4/5
3. Pop Art: 5/5
4. You Will Hear The Locust Sing: 4,5/5
5. Abraham’s Boys: 5/5
6. Better Than Home: 2/5
7. The Black Phone: 4/5
8. In The Rundown: 4/5
9. The Cape: 4,5/5
10. Last Breath: 5/5
11. Death Wood: 3/5
12. The Widow’s Breakfast: 3/5
13. Bobby Convoy Comes Back From The Dead: 4/5
14. My Father’s Mask: 3,5/5
15. Voluntary Commital: 5/5
Overall rating: 4,01
I also loved how creepy some of the stories turned out to be, like You Will Hear The Locust Sing and My Father’s Mask. You wouldn’t initially expect how creepy they are, but it perfectly fits the atmosphere, when you think about it.
The other stories were also great in their own way. They told their own stories and gave their own messages in a way you don’t normally see, like how Bobby Conroy Comes Back From The Dead is a story about second chances set on the set of a horror movie.
Individual ratings:
0. Scheherazade’s Typewriter: 5/5
1. Best New Horror: 3,5/5
2. 20th Century Ghost: 4/5
3. Pop Art: 5/5
4. You Will Hear The Locust Sing: 4,5/5
5. Abraham’s Boys: 5/5
6. Better Than Home: 2/5
7. The Black Phone: 4/5
8. In The Rundown: 4/5
9. The Cape: 4,5/5
10. Last Breath: 5/5
11. Death Wood: 3/5
12. The Widow’s Breakfast: 3/5
13. Bobby Convoy Comes Back From The Dead: 4/5
14. My Father’s Mask: 3,5/5
15. Voluntary Commital: 5/5
Overall rating: 4,01
November 3, 2023
I really loved this! I can't wait to read more of Joe Hill's work, and I'm so happy we're getting The Black Phone 2!!!
My short story ranking:
1. "20th Century Ghost"
2. "In The Rundown"
3. "Bobby Conroy Comes Back From The Dead"
4. "Last Breath"
5. "Pop Art"
6. "Abraham's Boys"
7. "You Will Hear The Locust Sing"
8. "The Black Phone"
9. "Dead-Wood"
10. "Best New Horror"
11. "Voluntary Committal"
12. "Scheherazade's Typewriter"
13. "Better Than Home"
14. "The Widow's Breakfast" (loved the ending, tho)
15. "My Father's Mask"
16. "The Cape"
My short story ranking:
1. "20th Century Ghost"
2. "In The Rundown"
3. "Bobby Conroy Comes Back From The Dead"
4. "Last Breath"
5. "Pop Art"
6. "Abraham's Boys"
7. "You Will Hear The Locust Sing"
8. "The Black Phone"
9. "Dead-Wood"
10. "Best New Horror"
11. "Voluntary Committal"
12. "Scheherazade's Typewriter"
13. "Better Than Home"
14. "The Widow's Breakfast" (loved the ending, tho)
15. "My Father's Mask"
16. "The Cape"
Read
July 2, 2024DNF halfway through.
October 1, 2022
See jutt ilmus ka Reaktoris: https://www.ulmeajakiri.ee/?arvustus-...
Raamat pole eesti keeles ilmunud, tõlgituna on pealkiri "Must telefon ja teised jutud". Tegu on jutukoguga, mis algselt ilmus nime all "20th Century Ghosts". Kui aastal 2021. tehti "The Black Phone" jutust samanimeline film, siis anti raamat uuesti välja, teise nimega ning filmist pärit kaanega. Vaatasin, et raamatut on päris mitmesse keelde tõlgitud: prantsuse, poola, soome, hispaania, kreeka, portugali jäid silma.
Kes ei tea, siis Joe Hilli pärisnimi on Joseph Hillström King, ta on Stephen Kingi poeg. Aeg lendab, Joe Hill pidas hiljuti on viiekümnendat sünnipäeva.
Nende kaante vahel on mitmeid lugusid, aga ega käbi kännust kaugele kuku, Joe Hill on peamiselt samuti ulmekirjanik, kelle pagasist leiab kõike ulme kolme vaala vallast, peamiselt õudust. Olen talt varem lugenud õudukast debüütromaani "Südamekujuline karp", mis mekkis väga hästi.
Ahjaa, osade juttude kohapealt on mu kommentaar väga napp. Võtan need veel eraldi lõpupoole kokku.
Üks asi, mida ikka raamatute algusest või lõpust leiab, on tänuavaldused, mida ei loe ilmselt keegi peale kirjaniku ja mõne ta sugulase. Või siis otsivad osad sealt oma nime ning ohkavad õndsalt, kui leiavad end nimeliselt äramainituna. Gene Wolfe ja Neil Gaiman on varasemalt peitnud lühijutu sissejuhatusse, aga kui palju on juhuseid, kus leiab täiesti asjaliku jutulaastu tänuavaldustest? Joe Hilli oma võibki olla esimene.
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Seega raamatu avab tänusõnade sees lühi-lühijutuke "Scheherazade's Typewriter", "Scheherazade kirjutusmasin". Räägib sellest, kuidas peale kirjaniku surma hakkab ta töötoas olev kirjutusmasin tööle, sealt tuleb mitmeid häid lugusid hauatagusest elust ning surmast. Kirjaniku abikaasa mõtlebki, et no on ikka vägev värk, nüüd saabki kadunud kirjanik eriti hästi kirjutada sellest, mis teda ümbritseb ehk siis teispoolsusest. Lugu on vaid mõni lehekülg, aga juba siin on tunda, et Joe Hill valdab hästi ka lühivormi ning suudab nappide vahenditega mõnusa õõvameeleolu luua. 5/5
Esimene "päris" lühilugu on "Best New horror", "Parim uus õudus", mis on mõnus mitut lugu ühendav...lugu. Peamine joon on siis Eddie Carollist, kes annab välja õudusjuttude antoloogiat nimega "Parim uus õudus" ning ühel hetkel avastab äärmiselt muljetavaldava jutu "Nööbipoiss: armastuslugu" inimeselt nimega Peter Kilrue. Hill on andnud Kilrue loo edasi lühendatud vormis, samas need neli lehekülge on väga võimsad, mul on jubedalt kahju, et seda lugu loos pole pikemalt olemas. Samas on nööbipoisi-pala äärmiselt jõhker ning ka vastuoluline, mis on ka üheks põhjuseks, miks on olnud pinnuks silmas feministidel. No see selleks.
Veel mainitakse loos Kilrue lühipala "Notsud", mille sisu võetakse kiiremalt kokku ning mis on veel toorem. Selle puhul isegi ei tea, kas on hea, et pikemat versiooni ei ole...
"Parim uus õudus" on aga siis sellest, kuidas antoloogiate kokkupanija kirjanikku taga otsib, kokkuvõttes leiavad Muhhamed ja mägi teineteist. Kuna siin on vähemalt kaks lugu koos, siis ongi raske üheselt kompotti hinnata. Kindel on see, et kokkuvõttes meeldis mulle väga, kuigi loo lõpu üle saab... mitte isegi viriseda, aga see meenutab tehniliselt... no näiteks kes on lugenud, siis Stephen Kingi "Mobla" lõppu. Novot, ma näen, et osad saalis juba muigavad teadjalt. Igaljuhul olen ühele lühiloole juba tavatult palju aega kulutanud, ütlen lühidalt, et mekkis hästi, isegi kui sabaots tekitas vastandlikke tundeid. 5/5
"20th Century Ghosts", "20. sajandi vaimud" nimi viitab "20th Century" nimega filmistuudiole, millel on mitmeid teisi nimesid ka olnud. Tegevus käib ümber vanakooli tolmuse Rosebudi kino, kus üks ammusurnud tüdruk käib vahel kummitamas. Vabandust, mitte kummitamas, vaid filme vaatamas ning vahel suhtleb mõne külastajaga. Hästi mõnusa meeleoluga lugu, selline läbinisti positiivne nostalgiline õudus, mis kõlab sutsu oksüümoronselt. Igaljuhul kindel "5" mu poolt. 5/5
"Pop Art", "Popkunst" on otsetõlge, kuid asjad ei ole nii lihtsad. Siin on juttu kahe teiste poolt kõrvaletõrjutud poisi elust, kellest üks on täispuhutav. Ei, see pole sellest, kuidas poisi parim sõber on poisikujuline täispuhutav nukk. Üks tegelastest, Arthur Roth, lühemalt Art, ongi plastmassist täispuhutav poiss, kellel on täitsa luust ja lihast vanemad, küll on Arti vanavanemate seas olnud samamoodi mõnevõrra ebaharilikke eluvorme, kes kardavad teravaid asju ja kannavad kaasas jalgrattarehvi paranduskomplektist pärit lappi ja liimi. Seega kuna "pop" tähendab inglise keeles ka muuhulgas "plaksatama", näiteks kui õhupall katki teha, siis on pealkirjal vaata, et viiskümmend erinevat halli tähendusvarjundit.
2008. aastal on lühijutu järgi tehtud ka samanimeline lühifilm.
Sümpaatne ulmevormis sõbralugu, kus räägitakse sellest, kui raske on teistsuguste elu normaalses maailmas. Ikka ja jälle ei saa ma jätta mainimata, et hea kirjandus on hea kirjandus ja kõnetab tegelikult kõiki, sest kui ka vahel võib vorm olla üllatav, siis selle all on jutuks ikka needsamad pärismaailmaprobleemid. 5/5
"You Will Hear The Locust Sing" - "Sa kuuled ritsikaid laulmas" - jälle, pealkirja taga on rohkem peidus, on viiteid Johannese ilmutustele, näiteks 9:3: "Suitsust tulid ilmamaa peale rohutirtsud, ja neile anti meelevald, nagu skorpionidel on meelevald ilmamaa peal."
Lugu ise on Hillilikult sirgjoonelise algusega, kus kohe esimese lausega on suund paigas, ei mingit jokutamist. Poiss Francis Kay ärkab üles ja avastab, et on muutunud suureks putukaks. Just, nii see on. Edasine ongi siis lugu putukpoisist, ühes suunas sirgjooneline pala, kus on taustal juttu sellest, kuidas Francist on koolis kiusatud ning kuidas ta täiesti uudses vormis hakkama saab. Lisaks on veel taustalugu, sest mingil põhjusel Francisest ju putukas sai.
Selline hea ja mõnus pala, jälle meeldis väga. 4/5
"Abraham's Boys", "Abrahami poisid" - see lugu ei haakinud üldse. Räägib sellest, kuidas Van Helsing elab Ameerikas oma elu ja õpetab poegadele, kuidas vampiiridega hakkama saada. Jäi üldse pooleli, pastišš ei töötanud mu jaoks üldsegi mitte.
"Better Than Home" - ah?
"The Black Phone", "Must telefon", ongi lugu, miks ma üldse selle kogumiku ostsin, sest samanimeline film meeldis mulle väga. Kui rääkida jutust, kuid samal ajal mõtelda filmile, siis on jutus olemas kogu algmaterjal. Ehk siis lugu sellest, kuidas üks sarimõrvar röövib järjekordse lapse, Finney ning teda keldris kinni hoiab. Keldris on seinal must telefon, mis pole võrku ühendatud, kuid vahel siiski heliseb. Ühel hetkel selgubki, et läbi telefoni võtavad Finneyga ühendust sarimõrvari eelmised ohvrid.
Lugu ise on ok, normaalne, pole viga. Antud juhul on natukene tagurpidi olukord, st film on mu silmis märksa parem kui lühilugu. Ning see ei muuda isegi lugu halvaks, musta telefoni pala on konkreetne ja tugev tükk. Lihtsalt, et kui panna kõrvale film, siis film on pikem, põhjalikum, sügavam. Jutus on mõni stseen, film arendab seda kõike kõvasti edasi ning on märksa tuumakam ning sisukam. Ma ei tahaks tegelikult isegi neid kahte võrrelda, erinevad kunstivormid siiski. Pigem on hea märk filmiloojatele, kuna väärt algmaterjali põhjal on loodud veel parem kinoteos. Ma isegi soovitaks pigem algul lugeda juttu ja siis vaadata filmi, nii võib elamus olla võimsam. 4/5
"In The Rundown" - lugu sellest, kuidas ühe videopoe (teate küll, kus kunagi algul videokassette, hiljem DVD'sid, siis mingi üürikese hetke blu-ray'sid müüdi ja renditi) müüja satub jõhkra kuriteo keskele. Tekitas minus jubedalt segaseid tundeid, kuna esimene pool, kus ühe segaduses hinge sisemusse kaeti, oli tipp-topp, võimas ja huvitav lugu. Aga siis edasi, kui verd hakaks pritsima, lagunes lugu mu jaoks täiesti koost, seega numbriliselt oli algus igati "viieline", lõpupoole jooksis sirge seljaga lati alt läbi. Jube kahju.
"The Cape" - "Keep", räägin poisist, kes avastab, et ta ta suudab lennata, aga mitte eriti kõrgelt. Selline tipp-topp normaalne lugu, kerge nõksuga. Mõnus. 3/5
"Last Breath" - "Viimane hingetõmme". Super! Räägib omamoodi muuseumist, kuhu on kogutud inimeste viimased hingetõmbed, kogu mis koosneb vaikusest, mida saab "surmaskoobiga" kuulata. Mulle jubedalt meeldis see lugu, hoolimata etteaimatavast lõpust. 4/5
"The Widow's Breakfast" - "Lese hommikusöök". Lugu rullub lahti eelmise sajandi kolmekümnendatel Ameerikas, majandussurutise ajal. Räägib sellest, kuidas üks näljane ja lonkav hulkur satub oma eksiteel natuke kummalise võõrustaja juurde. Mu jaoks oli lugu natuke nii ja naa, nagu lubas ja lubas, lõpus oli ka üsna okei "miski" - aga jäi kuidagi lahjaks. "Kiirestiununev" on lühikokkuvõte, samas ei kahetse ka. 2/5
"Bobby Conroy Comes Back From The Dead" - möh?
"My Father's Mask" - "Mu isa mask" - siuke ummamuudu. 13-aastane poiss läheb koos isa-emaga maamajakesse, kus mängitakse veidrat mängu ja kantakse maske. Lisaks on kogu perekond kuidagi napakad, metsas on veel veidramaid tegelasi. Kõik kokku oli mu jaoks mitte-väga-huvitav lugu, millel oli küll võluv kummasus, aga ta väga ei sümpatiseerinud ka. Just tegelased olid ebasümpaatsed, see oli peamine jäme miinus. 2/5
"Voluntary committal" - raamatu võtab kokku lühiromaani mõõtu mõnus lugu poistest, minategelane Nolan ja ta vend Morris. Morris on mõnevõrra autistilik kuldsete kätega poiss, kes oskab papist kastidest ehitada huvitavaid moodustisi ning avada väravaid teistesse maailmadesse. Kuidagi väga hästi klappiva olemuse ja minemisega pala, meeldis mulle jubedal kombel. Eks oma osa oli ka selles, et mitmed lühijutud enne seda olid lahjavõitu või keskmikud.
Sarnasel teemal on ka film "Dave Made A Maze" aastast 2017. Hea küsimus, kas filmitegijad lugesid kümmekond aastat varem ilmunud lühiromaani või mitte. Lühiromaan ja film on piisavalt erinevad, plagiaat kindlasti pole.
5/5
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Osasid lugusid ma sisuliselt ei kommenteerinud, sest lood jätsid siiralt ükskõikseks. Loed, on midagi, aga ei haagi, ei saa hästi arugi, et miks on lugu kirjutatud. Ma ei taha isegi ei lugusid ega kirjanikku maha teha, rohkem tahan ütelda, et siin kogumikus oli päris mitu rada, mis jäid minust jäämäe teisele servale, kaugele-kaugele.
Kokkuvõtvalt: minu jaoks on Joe Hilli jutukogu nagu ameerika mäed. Siin on erakordselt häid lugusid, on lausa ahhetamapanevaid tippe. Samal ajal on minu silmis täiesti arusaamatuid palasid, mille puhul sügasingi kukalt, et kas olen nüüd mina imelik või mis. Samas kui vaadata saadud auhindu, siis ongi needsamad tipud saanud äramärkimisi. See, et terve jutukogu on ka püünele kergitatud vahel - ausalt, minu jaoks on see üllatav.
Aga ma ei taha kriitikuid kritiseerida, las see olla. Raamat ise on selline, et ca pooli lugusid soovitan soojalt, on tõesti erakordselt võimsad või "lihtsalt" mõnusad. Samas päris mitmed langevad kategooriasse, et "kui ikka ei haagi, siis parem jäta pooleli". Lugemist ei kahetse, siin on ikka korralikke pärleid. Ning palju neid ülihäid ja stabiilselt kõva tasemega jutukogusid ikka on? No mõni on jah... aga ikka võistlevad lood omavahel. C'est la vie.
Raamat pole eesti keeles ilmunud, tõlgituna on pealkiri "Must telefon ja teised jutud". Tegu on jutukoguga, mis algselt ilmus nime all "20th Century Ghosts". Kui aastal 2021. tehti "The Black Phone" jutust samanimeline film, siis anti raamat uuesti välja, teise nimega ning filmist pärit kaanega. Vaatasin, et raamatut on päris mitmesse keelde tõlgitud: prantsuse, poola, soome, hispaania, kreeka, portugali jäid silma.
Kes ei tea, siis Joe Hilli pärisnimi on Joseph Hillström King, ta on Stephen Kingi poeg. Aeg lendab, Joe Hill pidas hiljuti on viiekümnendat sünnipäeva.
Nende kaante vahel on mitmeid lugusid, aga ega käbi kännust kaugele kuku, Joe Hill on peamiselt samuti ulmekirjanik, kelle pagasist leiab kõike ulme kolme vaala vallast, peamiselt õudust. Olen talt varem lugenud õudukast debüütromaani "Südamekujuline karp", mis mekkis väga hästi.
Ahjaa, osade juttude kohapealt on mu kommentaar väga napp. Võtan need veel eraldi lõpupoole kokku.
Üks asi, mida ikka raamatute algusest või lõpust leiab, on tänuavaldused, mida ei loe ilmselt keegi peale kirjaniku ja mõne ta sugulase. Või siis otsivad osad sealt oma nime ning ohkavad õndsalt, kui leiavad end nimeliselt äramainituna. Gene Wolfe ja Neil Gaiman on varasemalt peitnud lühijutu sissejuhatusse, aga kui palju on juhuseid, kus leiab täiesti asjaliku jutulaastu tänuavaldustest? Joe Hilli oma võibki olla esimene.
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Seega raamatu avab tänusõnade sees lühi-lühijutuke "Scheherazade's Typewriter", "Scheherazade kirjutusmasin". Räägib sellest, kuidas peale kirjaniku surma hakkab ta töötoas olev kirjutusmasin tööle, sealt tuleb mitmeid häid lugusid hauatagusest elust ning surmast. Kirjaniku abikaasa mõtlebki, et no on ikka vägev värk, nüüd saabki kadunud kirjanik eriti hästi kirjutada sellest, mis teda ümbritseb ehk siis teispoolsusest. Lugu on vaid mõni lehekülg, aga juba siin on tunda, et Joe Hill valdab hästi ka lühivormi ning suudab nappide vahenditega mõnusa õõvameeleolu luua. 5/5
Esimene "päris" lühilugu on "Best New horror", "Parim uus õudus", mis on mõnus mitut lugu ühendav...lugu. Peamine joon on siis Eddie Carollist, kes annab välja õudusjuttude antoloogiat nimega "Parim uus õudus" ning ühel hetkel avastab äärmiselt muljetavaldava jutu "Nööbipoiss: armastuslugu" inimeselt nimega Peter Kilrue. Hill on andnud Kilrue loo edasi lühendatud vormis, samas need neli lehekülge on väga võimsad, mul on jubedalt kahju, et seda lugu loos pole pikemalt olemas. Samas on nööbipoisi-pala äärmiselt jõhker ning ka vastuoluline, mis on ka üheks põhjuseks, miks on olnud pinnuks silmas feministidel. No see selleks.
Veel mainitakse loos Kilrue lühipala "Notsud", mille sisu võetakse kiiremalt kokku ning mis on veel toorem. Selle puhul isegi ei tea, kas on hea, et pikemat versiooni ei ole...
"Parim uus õudus" on aga siis sellest, kuidas antoloogiate kokkupanija kirjanikku taga otsib, kokkuvõttes leiavad Muhhamed ja mägi teineteist. Kuna siin on vähemalt kaks lugu koos, siis ongi raske üheselt kompotti hinnata. Kindel on see, et kokkuvõttes meeldis mulle väga, kuigi loo lõpu üle saab... mitte isegi viriseda, aga see meenutab tehniliselt... no näiteks kes on lugenud, siis Stephen Kingi "Mobla" lõppu. Novot, ma näen, et osad saalis juba muigavad teadjalt. Igaljuhul olen ühele lühiloole juba tavatult palju aega kulutanud, ütlen lühidalt, et mekkis hästi, isegi kui sabaots tekitas vastandlikke tundeid. 5/5
"20th Century Ghosts", "20. sajandi vaimud" nimi viitab "20th Century" nimega filmistuudiole, millel on mitmeid teisi nimesid ka olnud. Tegevus käib ümber vanakooli tolmuse Rosebudi kino, kus üks ammusurnud tüdruk käib vahel kummitamas. Vabandust, mitte kummitamas, vaid filme vaatamas ning vahel suhtleb mõne külastajaga. Hästi mõnusa meeleoluga lugu, selline läbinisti positiivne nostalgiline õudus, mis kõlab sutsu oksüümoronselt. Igaljuhul kindel "5" mu poolt. 5/5
"Pop Art", "Popkunst" on otsetõlge, kuid asjad ei ole nii lihtsad. Siin on juttu kahe teiste poolt kõrvaletõrjutud poisi elust, kellest üks on täispuhutav. Ei, see pole sellest, kuidas poisi parim sõber on poisikujuline täispuhutav nukk. Üks tegelastest, Arthur Roth, lühemalt Art, ongi plastmassist täispuhutav poiss, kellel on täitsa luust ja lihast vanemad, küll on Arti vanavanemate seas olnud samamoodi mõnevõrra ebaharilikke eluvorme, kes kardavad teravaid asju ja kannavad kaasas jalgrattarehvi paranduskomplektist pärit lappi ja liimi. Seega kuna "pop" tähendab inglise keeles ka muuhulgas "plaksatama", näiteks kui õhupall katki teha, siis on pealkirjal vaata, et viiskümmend erinevat halli tähendusvarjundit.
2008. aastal on lühijutu järgi tehtud ka samanimeline lühifilm.
Sümpaatne ulmevormis sõbralugu, kus räägitakse sellest, kui raske on teistsuguste elu normaalses maailmas. Ikka ja jälle ei saa ma jätta mainimata, et hea kirjandus on hea kirjandus ja kõnetab tegelikult kõiki, sest kui ka vahel võib vorm olla üllatav, siis selle all on jutuks ikka needsamad pärismaailmaprobleemid. 5/5
"You Will Hear The Locust Sing" - "Sa kuuled ritsikaid laulmas" - jälle, pealkirja taga on rohkem peidus, on viiteid Johannese ilmutustele, näiteks 9:3: "Suitsust tulid ilmamaa peale rohutirtsud, ja neile anti meelevald, nagu skorpionidel on meelevald ilmamaa peal."
Lugu ise on Hillilikult sirgjoonelise algusega, kus kohe esimese lausega on suund paigas, ei mingit jokutamist. Poiss Francis Kay ärkab üles ja avastab, et on muutunud suureks putukaks. Just, nii see on. Edasine ongi siis lugu putukpoisist, ühes suunas sirgjooneline pala, kus on taustal juttu sellest, kuidas Francist on koolis kiusatud ning kuidas ta täiesti uudses vormis hakkama saab. Lisaks on veel taustalugu, sest mingil põhjusel Francisest ju putukas sai.
Selline hea ja mõnus pala, jälle meeldis väga. 4/5
"Abraham's Boys", "Abrahami poisid" - see lugu ei haakinud üldse. Räägib sellest, kuidas Van Helsing elab Ameerikas oma elu ja õpetab poegadele, kuidas vampiiridega hakkama saada. Jäi üldse pooleli, pastišš ei töötanud mu jaoks üldsegi mitte.
"Better Than Home" - ah?
"The Black Phone", "Must telefon", ongi lugu, miks ma üldse selle kogumiku ostsin, sest samanimeline film meeldis mulle väga. Kui rääkida jutust, kuid samal ajal mõtelda filmile, siis on jutus olemas kogu algmaterjal. Ehk siis lugu sellest, kuidas üks sarimõrvar röövib järjekordse lapse, Finney ning teda keldris kinni hoiab. Keldris on seinal must telefon, mis pole võrku ühendatud, kuid vahel siiski heliseb. Ühel hetkel selgubki, et läbi telefoni võtavad Finneyga ühendust sarimõrvari eelmised ohvrid.
Lugu ise on ok, normaalne, pole viga. Antud juhul on natukene tagurpidi olukord, st film on mu silmis märksa parem kui lühilugu. Ning see ei muuda isegi lugu halvaks, musta telefoni pala on konkreetne ja tugev tükk. Lihtsalt, et kui panna kõrvale film, siis film on pikem, põhjalikum, sügavam. Jutus on mõni stseen, film arendab seda kõike kõvasti edasi ning on märksa tuumakam ning sisukam. Ma ei tahaks tegelikult isegi neid kahte võrrelda, erinevad kunstivormid siiski. Pigem on hea märk filmiloojatele, kuna väärt algmaterjali põhjal on loodud veel parem kinoteos. Ma isegi soovitaks pigem algul lugeda juttu ja siis vaadata filmi, nii võib elamus olla võimsam. 4/5
"In The Rundown" - lugu sellest, kuidas ühe videopoe (teate küll, kus kunagi algul videokassette, hiljem DVD'sid, siis mingi üürikese hetke blu-ray'sid müüdi ja renditi) müüja satub jõhkra kuriteo keskele. Tekitas minus jubedalt segaseid tundeid, kuna esimene pool, kus ühe segaduses hinge sisemusse kaeti, oli tipp-topp, võimas ja huvitav lugu. Aga siis edasi, kui verd hakaks pritsima, lagunes lugu mu jaoks täiesti koost, seega numbriliselt oli algus igati "viieline", lõpupoole jooksis sirge seljaga lati alt läbi. Jube kahju.
"The Cape" - "Keep", räägin poisist, kes avastab, et ta ta suudab lennata, aga mitte eriti kõrgelt. Selline tipp-topp normaalne lugu, kerge nõksuga. Mõnus. 3/5
"Last Breath" - "Viimane hingetõmme". Super! Räägib omamoodi muuseumist, kuhu on kogutud inimeste viimased hingetõmbed, kogu mis koosneb vaikusest, mida saab "surmaskoobiga" kuulata. Mulle jubedalt meeldis see lugu, hoolimata etteaimatavast lõpust. 4/5
"The Widow's Breakfast" - "Lese hommikusöök". Lugu rullub lahti eelmise sajandi kolmekümnendatel Ameerikas, majandussurutise ajal. Räägib sellest, kuidas üks näljane ja lonkav hulkur satub oma eksiteel natuke kummalise võõrustaja juurde. Mu jaoks oli lugu natuke nii ja naa, nagu lubas ja lubas, lõpus oli ka üsna okei "miski" - aga jäi kuidagi lahjaks. "Kiirestiununev" on lühikokkuvõte, samas ei kahetse ka. 2/5
"Bobby Conroy Comes Back From The Dead" - möh?
"My Father's Mask" - "Mu isa mask" - siuke ummamuudu. 13-aastane poiss läheb koos isa-emaga maamajakesse, kus mängitakse veidrat mängu ja kantakse maske. Lisaks on kogu perekond kuidagi napakad, metsas on veel veidramaid tegelasi. Kõik kokku oli mu jaoks mitte-väga-huvitav lugu, millel oli küll võluv kummasus, aga ta väga ei sümpatiseerinud ka. Just tegelased olid ebasümpaatsed, see oli peamine jäme miinus. 2/5
"Voluntary committal" - raamatu võtab kokku lühiromaani mõõtu mõnus lugu poistest, minategelane Nolan ja ta vend Morris. Morris on mõnevõrra autistilik kuldsete kätega poiss, kes oskab papist kastidest ehitada huvitavaid moodustisi ning avada väravaid teistesse maailmadesse. Kuidagi väga hästi klappiva olemuse ja minemisega pala, meeldis mulle jubedal kombel. Eks oma osa oli ka selles, et mitmed lühijutud enne seda olid lahjavõitu või keskmikud.
Sarnasel teemal on ka film "Dave Made A Maze" aastast 2017. Hea küsimus, kas filmitegijad lugesid kümmekond aastat varem ilmunud lühiromaani või mitte. Lühiromaan ja film on piisavalt erinevad, plagiaat kindlasti pole.
5/5
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Osasid lugusid ma sisuliselt ei kommenteerinud, sest lood jätsid siiralt ükskõikseks. Loed, on midagi, aga ei haagi, ei saa hästi arugi, et miks on lugu kirjutatud. Ma ei taha isegi ei lugusid ega kirjanikku maha teha, rohkem tahan ütelda, et siin kogumikus oli päris mitu rada, mis jäid minust jäämäe teisele servale, kaugele-kaugele.
Kokkuvõtvalt: minu jaoks on Joe Hilli jutukogu nagu ameerika mäed. Siin on erakordselt häid lugusid, on lausa ahhetamapanevaid tippe. Samal ajal on minu silmis täiesti arusaamatuid palasid, mille puhul sügasingi kukalt, et kas olen nüüd mina imelik või mis. Samas kui vaadata saadud auhindu, siis ongi needsamad tipud saanud äramärkimisi. See, et terve jutukogu on ka püünele kergitatud vahel - ausalt, minu jaoks on see üllatav.
Aga ma ei taha kriitikuid kritiseerida, las see olla. Raamat ise on selline, et ca pooli lugusid soovitan soojalt, on tõesti erakordselt võimsad või "lihtsalt" mõnusad. Samas päris mitmed langevad kategooriasse, et "kui ikka ei haagi, siis parem jäta pooleli". Lugemist ei kahetse, siin on ikka korralikke pärleid. Ning palju neid ülihäid ja stabiilselt kõva tasemega jutukogusid ikka on? No mõni on jah... aga ikka võistlevad lood omavahel. C'est la vie.
November 17, 2024
I just finished The Black Phone Stories by Joe Hill, and it was absolutely amazing. I had already been introduced to a few of the stories in this collection, so I was eager to dive deeper—and it didn’t disappoint.
Joe Hill’s writing style never fails to impress me. His ability to craft atmospheric settings and bring his characters to life is remarkable. I enjoyed reading every story within this book.
Two stories stood out to me in particular: Pop Art and Last Breath. These were fresh reads for me, and I found them utterly compelling. They quickly became my favorites from the collection. It was almost cinematic on how they felt when I read every word. Of course, The Black Phone itself is a standout as well, I was excited when I heard that it would be turned into a movie, and was one of the first people in line to watch it. This is exactly what brought me to this book. Also, who doesn’t appreciate a story featuring the legendary George Romero? Reading Bobby Conroy Comes Back from the Dead was such an enjoyable experience and turned out to be nothing like I had anticipated.
I’ll revisit this book in the future, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys compelling, atmospheric short fiction.
Joe Hill’s writing style never fails to impress me. His ability to craft atmospheric settings and bring his characters to life is remarkable. I enjoyed reading every story within this book.
Two stories stood out to me in particular: Pop Art and Last Breath. These were fresh reads for me, and I found them utterly compelling. They quickly became my favorites from the collection. It was almost cinematic on how they felt when I read every word. Of course, The Black Phone itself is a standout as well, I was excited when I heard that it would be turned into a movie, and was one of the first people in line to watch it. This is exactly what brought me to this book. Also, who doesn’t appreciate a story featuring the legendary George Romero? Reading Bobby Conroy Comes Back from the Dead was such an enjoyable experience and turned out to be nothing like I had anticipated.
I’ll revisit this book in the future, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys compelling, atmospheric short fiction.
March 29, 2025
2.5 I honestly was so let down by this. All the stories led nowhere like there was no twist or conclusion of much of a moral to any of them or was just pages and pages of mundane filler until each story ended. Not to mention the last story had about every slur you could imagine in it. There was so many places these stories could have gone and not one of them went there. I wish I could get a refund for this. I love dark short stories but this was lame.
October 28, 2025
This is the first Joe Hill book I've read. Definitely different from what I normally read. I was weary to read a book of short stories but I actually really enjoyed this book. Like other reviews I feel the same. the short stories are written extremely well, but kind of drop off at the end. which I'm coming to find is normal with short stories. I enjoyed all of them in their own ways. Especially the last story!
November 30, 2025
I don't think there's any completely bad stories here, lots of good ideas, although some balls it up on the ending or don't really develop into anything. However, there's just one story which outshines all of the others and redeems the whole collection: Voluntary Committal. Such a fun, deliciously creepy concept. By itself I would rate it 5/5.
If you can't be bothered to read the whole collection, I would suggest reading Abraham's Boys, Last Breath and then Voluntary Committal.
If you can't be bothered to read the whole collection, I would suggest reading Abraham's Boys, Last Breath and then Voluntary Committal.
January 30, 2026
Great collection, but my favorite was "20th Century Ghost" and the new title story, "The Black Phone" was kind of anticlimactic. This is not my typical read, but my students like this sort of thing, so I felt like I needed to know what they're getting into when choosing this book from my lending library. Definitely one for the more mature area.
February 19, 2025
Loved it. Maybe it's just me, but I had to think about each story posts reading them and like dive deep into the subject matter. I'm sure not everyone enjoys his writing as much as I, but if you do, this book is good.
May 9, 2025
I got this book as a present and was intrigued by the premise, I don't read a lot of horror, but other than the 20 Century Ghost story I could not finish some of the others. I think I will stick to genre I usually read.
September 25, 2025
Maybe this just wasn’t for me.
Quick to read and while there were horror stories not all of them were. Maybe just creepy to read but not scary to me and I’m kind of a baby that scares easily. I will say I couldn’t finish You Will Hear the Locusts sing. It just creeped me out lol
Quick to read and while there were horror stories not all of them were. Maybe just creepy to read but not scary to me and I’m kind of a baby that scares easily. I will say I couldn’t finish You Will Hear the Locusts sing. It just creeped me out lol
October 12, 2025
A few of the stories were absolutely brilliant. those alone would have been five stars. Unfortunately, several others just didn’t click for me. I found some confusing or hard to connect with, and overall it ended up being a mixed experience rather than a great one.
January 8, 2026
Eh - To be honest, I'm not usually a fan of short stories, as most of the time I feel like I can't really get into it.
Whilst, I did enjoy The Black Phone story (as a fan of the movie), however the other stories weren't really that intriguing.
Whilst, I did enjoy The Black Phone story (as a fan of the movie), however the other stories weren't really that intriguing.
January 17, 2026
Some interesting stories, some creepier than others. The Black Phone was shorter than I was expecting but perhaps that was because I saw the movie first. I’d advise reading the short story before watching the film. Similar vibe to sone of Stephen King’s short stories.
December 9, 2024
15 short stories, most of them were good.
June 17, 2025
This is the first book that I read from Joe Hill, I had the feeling that I was reading SK on steroids.
July 8, 2025
i really liked his book heart shaped box but this one was literally not readable. unbelievably boring repetitive and pointless.
October 21, 2025
Black Phone
So this was an anthology full of stories. However I think it didn’t make me go ooh or get started as some horror anthologies do. Although there were many stories that were good some were not. I did not dnf the book as I wanted to carry on. Still a good range but one or two stood out for me.
So this was an anthology full of stories. However I think it didn’t make me go ooh or get started as some horror anthologies do. Although there were many stories that were good some were not. I did not dnf the book as I wanted to carry on. Still a good range but one or two stood out for me.
November 3, 2025
Absolutely loved this! Some really great stories but some stand outs for me are 20th Century Ghost, Pop Art, The Cape & Last Breath.
November 4, 2025
Great short stories!❤️
January 11, 2026
Literally could not finish this book. I did not enjoy it. The stories weren’t great just couldn’t finish it. Not a fan. 👎🏻🤮
August 20, 2024
A very strong three, mind you - I liked it! Some stories were ooky, others were more spooky, and some of them were just stories. Joe Hill definitely knows what he’s up to (writing books)
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