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magicacat's review against another edition
4.0
As a self confessed doll girl, I'm sorta re-evaluating my life choices...
Especially loved the one by the fabulous Seanan Mcguire, though it gave me chills!
Especially loved the one by the fabulous Seanan Mcguire, though it gave me chills!
dnemec's review against another edition
2.0
There were a few good ones in here, but I was expecting more.
novelesque_life's review against another edition
3.0
THE DOLL COLLECTION: Seventeen Brand-New Tales of Dolls
Edited by Ellen Datlow
3 STARS
As I was checking in books being returned to the library I noticed "dolls" and Joyce Carol Oates - SOLD! This collection of short stories are edited by Ellen Datlow but the draw for me was definitely Oates. There were about two other authors I have heard of but never read (Carrie Vaughn was probably the next big name in the collection - at least for me). I didn't read every story in this collection but did attempt to read them all. These stories are classified as horror and thriller and read them with that in mind. The real standout in this book was Joyce Carol Oates story, The Doll Master. It was the right amount of creepy and was written so well. The writing style reminded me of her novel, [b:Rape: A Love Story|15003|Rape A Love Story|Joyce Carol Oates|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344293854s/15003.jpg|801608] - disturbing yet so interesting. I would recommend this book for Oates story alone.
(k) My Novelesque Life
Edited by Ellen Datlow
3 STARS
As I was checking in books being returned to the library I noticed "dolls" and Joyce Carol Oates - SOLD! This collection of short stories are edited by Ellen Datlow but the draw for me was definitely Oates. There were about two other authors I have heard of but never read (Carrie Vaughn was probably the next big name in the collection - at least for me). I didn't read every story in this collection but did attempt to read them all. These stories are classified as horror and thriller and read them with that in mind. The real standout in this book was Joyce Carol Oates story, The Doll Master. It was the right amount of creepy and was written so well. The writing style reminded me of her novel, [b:Rape: A Love Story|15003|Rape A Love Story|Joyce Carol Oates|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344293854s/15003.jpg|801608] - disturbing yet so interesting. I would recommend this book for Oates story alone.
(k) My Novelesque Life
moirwyn's review against another edition
4.0
This review originally appeared on my blog, Books Without Any Pictures:
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/2016/05/10/the-doll-collection-edited-by-ellen-datlow/
Dolls are a staple in horror media, and for good reason. They’re similar enough to us that we can see ourselves in them, and yet alien enough to be unnerving. The Doll Collection, edited by anthologist Ellen Datlow, presents seventeen short stories, each of which feature dolls. But the dolls in this collection are not themselves so horrifying, rather, they serve as a mirror to reflect the darkest parts of human nature.
I’m a much slower reader with short stories, as I don’t have the same continued immersion as with longer fiction. I read this collection slowly over the course of several months, savoring a story here and there, and then pondering what I’d read.
Many of the short stories in The Doll Collection were a bit too gruesome for my taste, but others were haunting and thought-provoking. Here are some brief thoughts about and reactions to each of the short stories in this compilation:
Skin and Bone by Tim Lebbon
An Antarctic expedition fades away into the snow, but with dolls.
Heroes and Villains by Stephen Gallagher
The doll in this story is actually a ventriloquist dummy.
The Doll-Master by Joyce Carol Oates
The Doll-Master is one of the most disturbing short stories in The Doll Collection. It starts out innocently enough as a young boy describes his experiences playing with dolls, but as the story progresses, we realize that he should not be. *shudders*
Gaze by Gemma Files
Some artifacts are more than they seem…
In Case of Zebras by Pat Cadigan
A teenager working in a hospital encounters a patient with a doll, and realizes that the world isn’t quite as simple as it seems.
There Is No Place for Sorrow in the Kingdom of the Cold by Seanan McGuire
There Is No Place for Sorrow in the Kingdom of the Cold was one of the more memorable stories in this volume. The narrator is an alien-like creature who makes dolls to keep her overflowing emotions from cracking her into pieces. Her father is dying, and she’s trying to hang onto him, but she needs to take her own place in the circle of life. A haunting tale of grief, death, and the cycle of creation.
Goodness and Kindness by Carrie Vaughn
A reporter looking for his big break falls into a depression, and has an encounter with Kewpie dolls.
Daniel’s Theory About Dolls by Stephen Graham Jones
Daniel’s Theory About Dolls begins in childhood, when Daniel’s mother had a miscarriage. Daniel goes to dig up the body, but finds a doll instead. Rather disturbing.
After and Back Before by Miranda Siemienowicz
A dystopian and post-apocalyptic tale about two children who leave their commune. Very creepy.
Doctor Faustus by Mary Robinette Kowal
A stage production of The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus goes horribly wrong as tragedy strikes.
Doll Court by Richard Bowes
If you do not treat dolls properly, they will come after you. It’s a matter of justice, really.
Visit Lovely Cornwall on the Western Railway Line by Genevieve Valentine
A girl with a doll rides on a train, and we see brief vignettes of the travelers she encounters along her way. This one started off promisingly, but then later felt incomplete.
Ambitious Boys Like You by Richard Kadrey
This was one another of the most gruesome stories in the volume. Two young boys break into a haunted house, only to find that it is more demented than they expected. Even though the protagonists are little shits, I couldn’t wish their fate upon them.
Miss Sibyl-Cassandra by Lucy Sussex
Miss Sibyl-Cassandra is a historical tale about a fortune doll purchased from a gypsy. It follows the lives of each of the characters whose fortunes had been told to see whether each fortune was true. I particularly enjoyed the ending.
The Permanent Collection by Veronica Schanoes
The Permanent Collection is easily my favorite short story in this collection. It’s set in a doll hospital, and the store’s owner is pretty much Sid from Toy Story. A pristine Shirley Temple doll narrates the tale of how he got his comeuppance. Haunting and beautiful.
Homemade Monsters by John Langan
Homemade Monsters is a charming tall tale about a homemade Godzilla doll and revenge against childhood bullies.
Word Doll by Jeffery Ford
While The Permanent Collection was my favorite story in this book, Word Doll was a close second. It’s set in a rural town that reminds me a bit of my own childhood. An old woman runs a hotel dedicated to Word Dolls, a tradition designed to help children labor in the fields. While initially benevolent, something goes wrong, resulting in a grim local legend.
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/2016/05/10/the-doll-collection-edited-by-ellen-datlow/
Dolls are a staple in horror media, and for good reason. They’re similar enough to us that we can see ourselves in them, and yet alien enough to be unnerving. The Doll Collection, edited by anthologist Ellen Datlow, presents seventeen short stories, each of which feature dolls. But the dolls in this collection are not themselves so horrifying, rather, they serve as a mirror to reflect the darkest parts of human nature.
I’m a much slower reader with short stories, as I don’t have the same continued immersion as with longer fiction. I read this collection slowly over the course of several months, savoring a story here and there, and then pondering what I’d read.
Many of the short stories in The Doll Collection were a bit too gruesome for my taste, but others were haunting and thought-provoking. Here are some brief thoughts about and reactions to each of the short stories in this compilation:
Skin and Bone by Tim Lebbon
An Antarctic expedition fades away into the snow, but with dolls.
Heroes and Villains by Stephen Gallagher
The doll in this story is actually a ventriloquist dummy.
The Doll-Master by Joyce Carol Oates
The Doll-Master is one of the most disturbing short stories in The Doll Collection. It starts out innocently enough as a young boy describes his experiences playing with dolls, but as the story progresses, we realize that he should not be. *shudders*
Gaze by Gemma Files
Some artifacts are more than they seem…
In Case of Zebras by Pat Cadigan
A teenager working in a hospital encounters a patient with a doll, and realizes that the world isn’t quite as simple as it seems.
There Is No Place for Sorrow in the Kingdom of the Cold by Seanan McGuire
There Is No Place for Sorrow in the Kingdom of the Cold was one of the more memorable stories in this volume. The narrator is an alien-like creature who makes dolls to keep her overflowing emotions from cracking her into pieces. Her father is dying, and she’s trying to hang onto him, but she needs to take her own place in the circle of life. A haunting tale of grief, death, and the cycle of creation.
Goodness and Kindness by Carrie Vaughn
A reporter looking for his big break falls into a depression, and has an encounter with Kewpie dolls.
Daniel’s Theory About Dolls by Stephen Graham Jones
Daniel’s Theory About Dolls begins in childhood, when Daniel’s mother had a miscarriage. Daniel goes to dig up the body, but finds a doll instead. Rather disturbing.
After and Back Before by Miranda Siemienowicz
A dystopian and post-apocalyptic tale about two children who leave their commune. Very creepy.
Doctor Faustus by Mary Robinette Kowal
A stage production of The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus goes horribly wrong as tragedy strikes.
Doll Court by Richard Bowes
If you do not treat dolls properly, they will come after you. It’s a matter of justice, really.
Visit Lovely Cornwall on the Western Railway Line by Genevieve Valentine
A girl with a doll rides on a train, and we see brief vignettes of the travelers she encounters along her way. This one started off promisingly, but then later felt incomplete.
Ambitious Boys Like You by Richard Kadrey
This was one another of the most gruesome stories in the volume. Two young boys break into a haunted house, only to find that it is more demented than they expected. Even though the protagonists are little shits, I couldn’t wish their fate upon them.
Miss Sibyl-Cassandra by Lucy Sussex
Miss Sibyl-Cassandra is a historical tale about a fortune doll purchased from a gypsy. It follows the lives of each of the characters whose fortunes had been told to see whether each fortune was true. I particularly enjoyed the ending.
The Permanent Collection by Veronica Schanoes
The Permanent Collection is easily my favorite short story in this collection. It’s set in a doll hospital, and the store’s owner is pretty much Sid from Toy Story. A pristine Shirley Temple doll narrates the tale of how he got his comeuppance. Haunting and beautiful.
Homemade Monsters by John Langan
Homemade Monsters is a charming tall tale about a homemade Godzilla doll and revenge against childhood bullies.
Word Doll by Jeffery Ford
While The Permanent Collection was my favorite story in this book, Word Doll was a close second. It’s set in a rural town that reminds me a bit of my own childhood. An old woman runs a hotel dedicated to Word Dolls, a tradition designed to help children labor in the fields. While initially benevolent, something goes wrong, resulting in a grim local legend.
elinacre's review against another edition
4.0
i've been reading a story or two from this collection for the last month or so. some really great stories, a bunch of good ones, and a couple i don't think i get. overall, not the creeptastic horror stories i was expecting, but some pretty unsettling and creative stories nonetheless! favorites include "After and Back Before," "Ambitious Boys Like You," "Miss Sibyl-Cassandra," and "Homemade Monsters."
thisisjaysworld's review against another edition
3.0
My rating for this is an Average of my rating of the stories in the collection.
.
There were only 6 stories in here that I really enjoyed but those six were really solid horror stories. None of these stories were about haunted dolls but, in the good ones, the dolls were creepy and the twist that tends to happen at the end of Horror stories were actually shocking. I'm glad I read the 6 I enjoyed but I kind of wish I'd known to skip the rest.
.
Happy Reading People
.
There were only 6 stories in here that I really enjoyed but those six were really solid horror stories. None of these stories were about haunted dolls but, in the good ones, the dolls were creepy and the twist that tends to happen at the end of Horror stories were actually shocking. I'm glad I read the 6 I enjoyed but I kind of wish I'd known to skip the rest.
.
Happy Reading People
kj8s's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
hzmt's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Some of the short stories here were very haunting, and some of them fell short. Definitely a few here that'll fuel nightmares
stewie's review against another edition
4.0
I saw the news announcement sometime last year for the anthology The Doll Collection, edited by the fantastic [a:Ellen Datlow|46138|Ellen Datlow|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1616102283p2/46138.jpg] no less, and I got a bit excited. I had to read this. Dolls are creepy little things that I'm convinced come alive at night and watch you as you sleep, and a book containing stories about these soul stealers edited by Datlow?!? Sign. Me. Up.
When I finally had the book in my hands, I eagerly opened it up, ready for some tales of doll terror. I paused long enough only to read Datlow's introduction. If you aren't the type of person who reads an introduction and/or foreword, you really should fix that. Many times you'll get a glimpse of the reasoning behind the editor's decisions in regards to the topic at hand, how the book came to be, or, in the case here, something that throws a wrench into your entire conception about what you are about to jump into. Datlow made one condition when she approached the authors in this book, "…no evil doll stories." Wait, what? An anthology about dolls, none of which can be evil? I'll admit I was both disappointed and intrigued when I read that. So, does it work? Well, for the most part, yeah.
You can read my full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
When I finally had the book in my hands, I eagerly opened it up, ready for some tales of doll terror. I paused long enough only to read Datlow's introduction. If you aren't the type of person who reads an introduction and/or foreword, you really should fix that. Many times you'll get a glimpse of the reasoning behind the editor's decisions in regards to the topic at hand, how the book came to be, or, in the case here, something that throws a wrench into your entire conception about what you are about to jump into. Datlow made one condition when she approached the authors in this book, "…no evil doll stories." Wait, what? An anthology about dolls, none of which can be evil? I'll admit I was both disappointed and intrigued when I read that. So, does it work? Well, for the most part, yeah.
You can read my full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
doubleinfinity's review against another edition
3.0
the jco story was so great it ruined the rest of the collection for me. :'c