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sscalavera's review against another edition
5.0
Full disclosure: I'm in this, and you can buy it here.
I hadn't actually read this before getting my contributor's copy, so I had no idea if it was any good (though, as one of the authors between the covers, I was hoping that it was); thankfully, this is a wonderful collection with a whole spectrum of stories to choose from. Some, like Mer Whinery's The Projectionist, are ugly little parables that explore the darkest parts of the soul, whereas other stories - The Pirate-Ghost of Hole 19 by Doctor Gaines, for example - keep a pulpier, lighter tone while still preserving a fierce intelligence and an ability to entertain.
The writers here where their influences on their sleeves, but it's to their credit - weird genre fiction has a firm place in the world now, and by holding fast to genre conventions, the authors in this collection find room to surprise the reader with twists and turns you don't always expect.
I hadn't actually read this before getting my contributor's copy, so I had no idea if it was any good (though, as one of the authors between the covers, I was hoping that it was); thankfully, this is a wonderful collection with a whole spectrum of stories to choose from. Some, like Mer Whinery's The Projectionist, are ugly little parables that explore the darkest parts of the soul, whereas other stories - The Pirate-Ghost of Hole 19 by Doctor Gaines, for example - keep a pulpier, lighter tone while still preserving a fierce intelligence and an ability to entertain.
The writers here where their influences on their sleeves, but it's to their credit - weird genre fiction has a firm place in the world now, and by holding fast to genre conventions, the authors in this collection find room to surprise the reader with twists and turns you don't always expect.
camerontrost's review
3.0
If you like your fiction original and quirky, chances are this anthology will tickle your fancy. The stories are all similar in tone and theme, taking inspiration from urban legends, conspiracy theories, and television shows such as The Twilight Zone. They explore modern phenomena like TV, smartphones, breakfast cereal, and corporations. The writing and editing is relatively good (although I don't know why Americans insist on using the present simple when the past perfect is required), and every tale in this anthology succeeds in creating an appropriately eerie atmosphere. In several cases, plot loses out to strangeness, but some of the contributors managed to tick all the boxes; strangeness, atmosphere, quality prose, and engaging storyline. "The Dead Wait" uses TV and phones as a means of getting the protagonist to think about his past relationships with other people; perhaps rather ironically. "Black-Eyed Children, Blue-Eyed Child" held my attention until the end, which was predictable but nonetheless apt. It is reminiscent of "The Midwich Cuckoos". "The Projectionist" was the most captivating of the tales with its admirably described setting and main character. The conclusion was a bit of a let-down though and didn't really fit the build-up. My favourite was definitely "Night Dog". This romp of a tale about a big bad corporation is poignant, comic, fantastical, and disturbing. To sum up, a fairly decent walk through a strange dimension.
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