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The Dusk
Edited by John Hirschhorn-Smith, 'The Dusk' is an anthology of twenty pieces of weird fiction set in various interstitial locations ranging from the not-so-bucolic countryside to the deepest and dirtiest urban dystopias. Previous purchasers of Side Real books will know to expect tales of decadence, horror and the supernatural written by some of its finest practitioners.
Printed on heavy stock paper and with full wraparound cover art by Eli John it has been produced in a limited edition of 300 numbered copies.
Printed on heavy stock paper and with full wraparound cover art by Eli John it has been produced in a limited edition of 300 numbered copies.
325 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 12, 2023
This is the first collection I've purchased from indie Northern publisher Side Real Press and it's cemented them as a must-follow for me.
The collection is themed around the Dusk and all of the stories sit comfortably in the weird/strange genre, although some do cross over into horror. I adore themed collections and pretty much every story here is an absolute banger, with a vast range of interpretations. This collection is also incredibly English. From the focus on nature to the quietness of the small towns and countryside, it put me right back home.
I loved this collection and I can't wait for the Press's next offering.
==== Story reviews ====
Starting off strong with The Illimitable, a chilling entrapment and exodus to the brownfields. 5/5
The next story in this collection really gripped me, The Measurer of All Things reads like a victorian adventure story - when the world was still full of secrets and monsters. Two explorers set to chart an un-extraordinary part of the British Isles and find themselves falling into a space between worlds. I loved this. 5/5
She Sells Sunsets was a nice piece, lending a visible embodiment to the gradual debilitation of multiple sclerosis, but does it work in this anthology? There's the ailment itself, and the powerful imagery it conjures that is unique and whimsical and fits the theme of Dusk very well. It's a great story, well crafted and written, but it doesn't feel fantastical. I think that's my issue with it, if you removed the imagery of the ailment it would be a little dull.
4/5
March 25th: Saturn's Moon Moth will forever be tied up with me to Erikson's Gardens of the Moon, as I was reading a scene in that book at the same time that took place with spies in a jewellry store under a mysterious moon. This story is one of my favourites in the collection - although in my original notes I wrote that I'm not sure what really happened in it. It has beautiful maguffins, jade broaches, mysterious architecture, and a garden full of owls. Excellent stuff. 5/5
March 30: The Southern Strain is maybe a tale of revenge? I loved the folky nature of this tale and the vagueness of the threat. I would have preferred it to be honest if we never found out the true nature of the things that are hunted. 4/5
July 16: The Circus of Mr Chivers felt very Ligotti to me. The parade of nightmares, the fevered dreams of rot. Excellent stuff. 4/5
July 30: The Living Scaffold was the first story of the collection that I've disliked. It's weird in every sense but teters the fine line between myopic and problematic. The choking stuff is odd but in theme with the general weirdness. It's the characterizations I had a bit of a problem with, even if they were meant as parodies, they walk the line. I'm assuming that this story just went over my head. It was also too long and a little dull. 2/5
July 30: After the Living Scaffold took me a long time to read we have two tight little narratives in quick succession. The Servant is a depressing little end of the world narrative where the breadwinner throws in the towel (is there a deeper meaning intended with this regarding caregivers/breadwinners? Maybe it's not that deep?). The dramatic story packs a punch into just a few short pages. 3/5
But I really enjoyed And You Should Never Go back, which is also depressing but an easy read. Feels like a Steven king short story mixed with Ursula Le Guin's Searoad. A bit pulpy and very engaging. 4/5
I figured out where Mr Spongy Fingers was going but that didn't make it any less horrifying. This is the first tale in the book that felt like classic monster-horror. 3/5
Another Invisible Collection is a recited exhibition in the basement of an ironic light house. This was fab and a cool mix of Vandermeer (maybe just because of the lighthouse) and Dorian Grey. I loved the way this built and found the story engrossing. 5/5
July 31: Home Before Dark was close to perfect. Fantastically creepy and perfectly English. 4/5
August 1: I couldn't help but read The Snow in a David Attenborough voice. A chilling (ha) ghost story! 3/5
August 2: Seven Ghosts was nothing to write home about. The story was maybe double the length it needed to be. 2/5
August 4th: In Mr Twilight we meet an ex-assassin pursued by those he wronged at a very specific time of day. This was a unique take on the theme and didn't outstay its welcome. 3/5
August 6th: The Nevermoon is a fable of a vengeful moon that grants its worshippers the means to fulfill their terrible dreams. Short and evil. 4/5
August 8th: The Sunset Blush of Corday reminded me a lot of Alastair Gray: sort of a victorian body-horror vibe. This was good, not to my personal tastes, but very well executed. 4/5
August 10: The Voices in the Grove was really perfect. A quiet story about a traveller in a strange land and the peculiar grove he finds there. Whose explanation for the events can be trusted? 5/5
And another amazing story on its heels: The Silver Field. Super excited now for the rest of Ostermeir's stories I have in my collection! It's truly scary and creepy and gross. And it reminds me of that fantastic hedges short story from my Weird omnibus. It really ends on a bang too. 5/5
August 11th: The Isis Confessional is a very English story about healing and the waterways. The writing style took a while for me to get into but I appreciated the sentiment. 3/5
The collection is themed around the Dusk and all of the stories sit comfortably in the weird/strange genre, although some do cross over into horror. I adore themed collections and pretty much every story here is an absolute banger, with a vast range of interpretations. This collection is also incredibly English. From the focus on nature to the quietness of the small towns and countryside, it put me right back home.
I loved this collection and I can't wait for the Press's next offering.
==== Story reviews ====
Starting off strong with The Illimitable, a chilling entrapment and exodus to the brownfields. 5/5
The next story in this collection really gripped me, The Measurer of All Things reads like a victorian adventure story - when the world was still full of secrets and monsters. Two explorers set to chart an un-extraordinary part of the British Isles and find themselves falling into a space between worlds. I loved this. 5/5
She Sells Sunsets was a nice piece, lending a visible embodiment to the gradual debilitation of multiple sclerosis, but does it work in this anthology? There's the ailment itself, and the powerful imagery it conjures that is unique and whimsical and fits the theme of Dusk very well. It's a great story, well crafted and written, but it doesn't feel fantastical. I think that's my issue with it, if you removed the imagery of the ailment it would be a little dull.
4/5
March 25th: Saturn's Moon Moth will forever be tied up with me to Erikson's Gardens of the Moon, as I was reading a scene in that book at the same time that took place with spies in a jewellry store under a mysterious moon. This story is one of my favourites in the collection - although in my original notes I wrote that I'm not sure what really happened in it. It has beautiful maguffins, jade broaches, mysterious architecture, and a garden full of owls. Excellent stuff. 5/5
March 30: The Southern Strain is maybe a tale of revenge? I loved the folky nature of this tale and the vagueness of the threat. I would have preferred it to be honest if we never found out the true nature of the things that are hunted. 4/5
July 16: The Circus of Mr Chivers felt very Ligotti to me. The parade of nightmares, the fevered dreams of rot. Excellent stuff. 4/5
July 30: The Living Scaffold was the first story of the collection that I've disliked. It's weird in every sense but teters the fine line between myopic and problematic. The choking stuff is odd but in theme with the general weirdness. It's the characterizations I had a bit of a problem with, even if they were meant as parodies, they walk the line. I'm assuming that this story just went over my head. It was also too long and a little dull. 2/5
July 30: After the Living Scaffold took me a long time to read we have two tight little narratives in quick succession. The Servant is a depressing little end of the world narrative where the breadwinner throws in the towel (is there a deeper meaning intended with this regarding caregivers/breadwinners? Maybe it's not that deep?). The dramatic story packs a punch into just a few short pages. 3/5
But I really enjoyed And You Should Never Go back, which is also depressing but an easy read. Feels like a Steven king short story mixed with Ursula Le Guin's Searoad. A bit pulpy and very engaging. 4/5
I figured out where Mr Spongy Fingers was going but that didn't make it any less horrifying. This is the first tale in the book that felt like classic monster-horror. 3/5
Another Invisible Collection is a recited exhibition in the basement of an ironic light house. This was fab and a cool mix of Vandermeer (maybe just because of the lighthouse) and Dorian Grey. I loved the way this built and found the story engrossing. 5/5
July 31: Home Before Dark was close to perfect. Fantastically creepy and perfectly English. 4/5
August 1: I couldn't help but read The Snow in a David Attenborough voice. A chilling (ha) ghost story! 3/5
August 2: Seven Ghosts was nothing to write home about. The story was maybe double the length it needed to be. 2/5
August 4th: In Mr Twilight we meet an ex-assassin pursued by those he wronged at a very specific time of day. This was a unique take on the theme and didn't outstay its welcome. 3/5
August 6th: The Nevermoon is a fable of a vengeful moon that grants its worshippers the means to fulfill their terrible dreams. Short and evil. 4/5
August 8th: The Sunset Blush of Corday reminded me a lot of Alastair Gray: sort of a victorian body-horror vibe. This was good, not to my personal tastes, but very well executed. 4/5
August 10: The Voices in the Grove was really perfect. A quiet story about a traveller in a strange land and the peculiar grove he finds there. Whose explanation for the events can be trusted? 5/5
And another amazing story on its heels: The Silver Field. Super excited now for the rest of Ostermeir's stories I have in my collection! It's truly scary and creepy and gross. And it reminds me of that fantastic hedges short story from my Weird omnibus. It really ends on a bang too. 5/5
August 11th: The Isis Confessional is a very English story about healing and the waterways. The writing style took a while for me to get into but I appreciated the sentiment. 3/5
November 24, 2025
Some stand out stories from authors I wasn't very familiar with: Peter Bell, Steve Duffy and R. Ostermeier. Looking forward to exploring their other stories!
October 1, 2023
Ton of great stories in this anthology, dedicated to dusk. The Tweedel, Clark, Farrell and Bell pieces were stand outs from an already top notch list of stories…but the Ostermeir was unreal… deeply impactful with its horror.
Highly recommend this collection!
Highly recommend this collection!
April 28, 2023
An anthology of original weird fiction from Side Real, this handsome book collects 21 tales of wonder and dread. My favorite strange stories are ones that can't be described in a definitive sentence and that leave the reader not quite certain of exactly how reality has slipped. There are several offerings here that accomplish that difficult task with style. Not all of the contents are completely successful and provide evidence of just how difficult this kind of narrative can be; endings are especially challenging.
I think my favorite here is "Voices of the Grove," by Christian Farrell, an author new to me. His story makes great use of location, conversation, and mood and makes me want to read more.
The book itself is beautifully designed, with impressive use of an atmospheric, wraparound photograph in the binding. The contents are a sampler of current trends in innovative storytelling and I hope lead to further publications by the authors.
Recommended.
I think my favorite here is "Voices of the Grove," by Christian Farrell, an author new to me. His story makes great use of location, conversation, and mood and makes me want to read more.
The book itself is beautifully designed, with impressive use of an atmospheric, wraparound photograph in the binding. The contents are a sampler of current trends in innovative storytelling and I hope lead to further publications by the authors.
Recommended.
July 3, 2023
As is expected with multi-author collections, this (beautifully realized) book is a mixed bag. On my part, the stories that stood out were the following:
She Sells Sunsets - Douglas Thompson: Incredibly original idea, really well written. I wish the "illness" itself was explored a bit more, but still awe inspiring. A woman falls ill, slowly turning into sky.
Saturn's Moon Moth - Ji-An Lee: Great idea and masterful implementation, possibly the best in here. A labyrinth of a story which craves to be reread, with an emphasis on architecture and urban planning. A man workin in a jewellery store gets a curious gift with strange guidelines. [You can find the story along with original drawings here].
The Twilight's Crown - Stephen J. Clark: An ominous narrative full of shadows, Clark on his (almost) best. A man wakes injured in a hospital, and fears that a woman from his past is moving against him.
Snow - Peter Bell: A story steeped in history and landscape, typical of Bell. The testament of a mountaineer concerning a strange and tragic night in Scotland.
The Nevermoon - Ryan Rennik: A short folkloric story with dark fairytale vibes and a deeply black metal soul. A legend about the Nevermoon, the new moon, and three of its servants.
The Sunset Blush of Corday - Steve Duffy: What a beautiful pulpy weird science and magic extravaganza! Written masterfully, the narrative never sags, keeping the reader turning the 22 pages. This is almost tied with Saturn's Moon Moth for first place. A doctor visits a patient in an asylum and listens to his tale.
Voices of the Grove - Christian Farrell: Elaborate and polished (though not pompous) prose that revolves around nature, myth and folklore, with hints of the occult. Somehow reminded me of the Hellblazer comic. A man spends the night in a forest clearing somewhere in Czechia.
The Silver Field - R. Ostermeier: Classic Ostermeier, the man is, as always, a master of prose with a highly original style. Not his best work, but very good. Involving field recordings in the countryside and a weird sonic machine.
She Sells Sunsets - Douglas Thompson: Incredibly original idea, really well written. I wish the "illness" itself was explored a bit more, but still awe inspiring. A woman falls ill, slowly turning into sky.
Saturn's Moon Moth - Ji-An Lee: Great idea and masterful implementation, possibly the best in here. A labyrinth of a story which craves to be reread, with an emphasis on architecture and urban planning. A man workin in a jewellery store gets a curious gift with strange guidelines. [You can find the story along with original drawings here].
The Twilight's Crown - Stephen J. Clark: An ominous narrative full of shadows, Clark on his (almost) best. A man wakes injured in a hospital, and fears that a woman from his past is moving against him.
Snow - Peter Bell: A story steeped in history and landscape, typical of Bell. The testament of a mountaineer concerning a strange and tragic night in Scotland.
The Nevermoon - Ryan Rennik: A short folkloric story with dark fairytale vibes and a deeply black metal soul. A legend about the Nevermoon, the new moon, and three of its servants.
The Sunset Blush of Corday - Steve Duffy: What a beautiful pulpy weird science and magic extravaganza! Written masterfully, the narrative never sags, keeping the reader turning the 22 pages. This is almost tied with Saturn's Moon Moth for first place. A doctor visits a patient in an asylum and listens to his tale.
Voices of the Grove - Christian Farrell: Elaborate and polished (though not pompous) prose that revolves around nature, myth and folklore, with hints of the occult. Somehow reminded me of the Hellblazer comic. A man spends the night in a forest clearing somewhere in Czechia.
The Silver Field - R. Ostermeier: Classic Ostermeier, the man is, as always, a master of prose with a highly original style. Not his best work, but very good. Involving field recordings in the countryside and a weird sonic machine.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews