Scan barcode
magpie_666's review against another edition
3.0
Short horror stories I find very hit and miss. It's so hard for the author to get under my skin or in my head in such a short space in time. It's even more difficult if the story is only a few pages long.
So it doesn't surprise me that the majority of these stories I didn't find scary at all. Plus Kris Straub is way more intelligent than me, so a couple of stories I didn't even understand.
But 'Curious Little Thing' was fantastic. That managed to worm it's way in deep. I'll be closing my eyes when shutting doors for quite a while!
So it doesn't surprise me that the majority of these stories I didn't find scary at all. Plus Kris Straub is way more intelligent than me, so a couple of stories I didn't even understand.
But 'Curious Little Thing' was fantastic. That managed to worm it's way in deep. I'll be closing my eyes when shutting doors for quite a while!
veganluke's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
jessdrafahl's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
Having grown up reading creepy pasta, the newly found genre of internet-based horror is quite dear to me. Not only do I have my own personal ties to the style, but I can’t help but admire the unique perspective that the genre gives on horror. These short stories only say as much as they need to, most not exceeding five pages. “Candle Cove,” the titular story, is probably my favorite of the bunch, as it heavily leans into the format of an online forum. I also love “The Stillwood King.”
For a quick look into the type of stories that Straub tells, if you look up “Local 58” on YouTube, you may be in for a treat.
I only gave this collection 4.5 stars due to some formatting errors in the printing of this binding.
For a quick look into the type of stories that Straub tells, if you look up “Local 58” on YouTube, you may be in for a treat.
I only gave this collection 4.5 stars due to some formatting errors in the printing of this binding.
audreyintheheadphones's review
2.0
This is more a collection of haunting images than actual stories. There are some great and disturbing images, most notably in "Curious Little Thing" and "The Hirsch Camera" but they're only images, without the lovely puff pastry wrapper of plot and characterization to make them full stories.
"Candle Cove" is a truly great story, as is "Springboy" (the latter is a five-star story and really upsetting), but they're the exception rather than the rule. Otherwise the stories are largely narrated by what feels like the same character in different situations but with no explanation.
Others, like "The Fulcrum", "Titanium Christ" and "The Springwood King" aren't really even vignettes, just... disturbing images with a weak attempt at context. I felt like I was missing some backstory about the town or about some unifying event before the book opens, and I kept looking for that context as I worked through the stories, but ultimately, I was left more puzzled than anything else.
I can definitely see the appeal of flashfic centered around haunting images, but on the whole, I needed much more.
"Candle Cove" is a truly great story, as is "Springboy" (the latter is a five-star story and really upsetting), but they're the exception rather than the rule. Otherwise the stories are largely narrated by what feels like the same character in different situations but with no explanation.
Others, like "The Fulcrum", "Titanium Christ" and "The Springwood King" aren't really even vignettes, just... disturbing images with a weak attempt at context. I felt like I was missing some backstory about the town or about some unifying event before the book opens, and I kept looking for that context as I worked through the stories, but ultimately, I was left more puzzled than anything else.
I can definitely see the appeal of flashfic centered around haunting images, but on the whole, I needed much more.
More...