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alyssaarch's review against another edition
3.0
*I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher*
I enjoy pulp fiction and appreciate its significance and influence in the science fiction and fantasy genres today. Danger in the Dark is a collection of three stories, and it is pulp at its finest -- just plain, good fun. As with any collection of short stories, there were some stories that I liked better than others, but there weren't any that I really disliked or hated, so that's a good thing. This was a quick listen and was simply a fun, entertaining collection of stories. The sequence of these stories also worked very well, since my least favorite was the first story, and my favorite was the last.
The stories included in Danger in the Dark are short and sweet -- the best kind, in my opinion. A lot of action, drama, and suspense without having too much exposition to bog it all down. It's not a huge time investment, but it's good entertainment, which I appreciated.
Galaxy Audio really went all-out for this production. I loved the full-cast performance and the added sound effects. I'm not the kind of person who generally likes sound effects in my audiobooks, but these were incredibly well done. They really added to the story and helped create drama and tension in all the right places. This is one short story collection that I don't think I would have liked as much in print. I would definitely recommend the audiobook version of this one.
Also posted on Purple People Readers.
I enjoy pulp fiction and appreciate its significance and influence in the science fiction and fantasy genres today. Danger in the Dark is a collection of three stories, and it is pulp at its finest -- just plain, good fun. As with any collection of short stories, there were some stories that I liked better than others, but there weren't any that I really disliked or hated, so that's a good thing. This was a quick listen and was simply a fun, entertaining collection of stories. The sequence of these stories also worked very well, since my least favorite was the first story, and my favorite was the last.
The stories included in Danger in the Dark are short and sweet -- the best kind, in my opinion. A lot of action, drama, and suspense without having too much exposition to bog it all down. It's not a huge time investment, but it's good entertainment, which I appreciated.
Galaxy Audio really went all-out for this production. I loved the full-cast performance and the added sound effects. I'm not the kind of person who generally likes sound effects in my audiobooks, but these were incredibly well done. They really added to the story and helped create drama and tension in all the right places. This is one short story collection that I don't think I would have liked as much in print. I would definitely recommend the audiobook version of this one.
Also posted on Purple People Readers.
skjam's review
2.0
Yes, it’s another of those L. Ron Hubbard reprints; thanks, discount bin!
This time, we have three fantasy stories, none of which have anything to do with the cover. (It’s actually illustrating “Returned from Hell” by Steve Fisher.)
“Danger in the Dark” is set in the Mariana Islands east of the Philippines. Billy Newman was suckered into buying an island with a copra plantation. Unfortunately, a series of disasters, including a smallpox plague, have come to Kaisan Isle, something the natives ascribe to the evil spirit Tadamona. Billy naturally spurns this explanation as the foolish superstition it would normally be. But this time, Tadamona is real, and it has a bone to pick with the arrogant white man….
While it’s a neat twist on the “superior white dude overcomes native superstition” plotline, it’s still pretty darn ethnocentric–only Billy and the half-white girl Christina are willing to do anything to thwart Tadamona, while the natives have decided to surrender completely to their unseen nemesis. And the ending restores the “natural” superiority of white people.
“The Room” takes place somewhere in rural America. Uncle Toby, the local veterinarian, has disappeared. His nephew Joe has been tagging along on the rounds for years, despite his crippled leg, so starts filling in at doctoring animals. Eventually, Joe becomes aware that the study he has inherited from Uncle Toby contains objects not of this Earth, and that might have something to do with his uncle’s disappearance. Nothing is ever really explained, the story ends when Joe and his Aunt Cinthia disappear as well, gone no one knows where, and the house eventually burns down. I had to look at the dates to see that it was not a poor attempt to imitate one of Ray Bradbury’s pastorals. Mr. Hubbard’s style is not suited to this sort of story.
“He Didn’t Like Cats” is the tale of Jacob Findley, an otherwise blameless fellow who doesn’t like felines. One day a cat crosses his path, and a momentary impulse makes Jacob kick it–into traffic. The incident quickly becomes an obsession, and it’s not clear whether the cat is taking supernatural vengeance, or if it’s just an overactive conscience, but Jacob will never sleep well again. There’s some light comedy to stretch out the story as Jacob becomes the focus of a love triangle without ever grasping that fact. Mr. Hubbard is a bit too heavy-handed with the humor.
There’s a preview of the next volume, “The Crossroads”, a glossary and the usual potted material.
This is easily the weakest example of Mr. Hubbard’s work I have seen in the Galaxy Press reprints; very skippable.
This time, we have three fantasy stories, none of which have anything to do with the cover. (It’s actually illustrating “Returned from Hell” by Steve Fisher.)
“Danger in the Dark” is set in the Mariana Islands east of the Philippines. Billy Newman was suckered into buying an island with a copra plantation. Unfortunately, a series of disasters, including a smallpox plague, have come to Kaisan Isle, something the natives ascribe to the evil spirit Tadamona. Billy naturally spurns this explanation as the foolish superstition it would normally be. But this time, Tadamona is real, and it has a bone to pick with the arrogant white man….
While it’s a neat twist on the “superior white dude overcomes native superstition” plotline, it’s still pretty darn ethnocentric–only Billy and the half-white girl Christina are willing to do anything to thwart Tadamona, while the natives have decided to surrender completely to their unseen nemesis. And the ending restores the “natural” superiority of white people.
“The Room” takes place somewhere in rural America. Uncle Toby, the local veterinarian, has disappeared. His nephew Joe has been tagging along on the rounds for years, despite his crippled leg, so starts filling in at doctoring animals. Eventually, Joe becomes aware that the study he has inherited from Uncle Toby contains objects not of this Earth, and that might have something to do with his uncle’s disappearance. Nothing is ever really explained, the story ends when Joe and his Aunt Cinthia disappear as well, gone no one knows where, and the house eventually burns down. I had to look at the dates to see that it was not a poor attempt to imitate one of Ray Bradbury’s pastorals. Mr. Hubbard’s style is not suited to this sort of story.
“He Didn’t Like Cats” is the tale of Jacob Findley, an otherwise blameless fellow who doesn’t like felines. One day a cat crosses his path, and a momentary impulse makes Jacob kick it–into traffic. The incident quickly becomes an obsession, and it’s not clear whether the cat is taking supernatural vengeance, or if it’s just an overactive conscience, but Jacob will never sleep well again. There’s some light comedy to stretch out the story as Jacob becomes the focus of a love triangle without ever grasping that fact. Mr. Hubbard is a bit too heavy-handed with the humor.
There’s a preview of the next volume, “The Crossroads”, a glossary and the usual potted material.
This is easily the weakest example of Mr. Hubbard’s work I have seen in the Galaxy Press reprints; very skippable.
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