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craigmatthews87's review against another edition
4.0
There's been a lot of buzz in certain circles around Tyler Jones recently, so I was very eager to dive into his work. A short story collection is often a great way to get acquainted with an author, and I certainly hope this is the case here as I'm now very eager to read more.
The stories in this book feel incredibly polished, with no filler, just enough meat on the bones to sink your teeth into. There seems to be a lot of praise - understandably - for the longer tales, 'Trigger' and 'Full Fathom Five', but they certainly do not overshadow the quicker reads. 'Crate 42', clocking in at less than 7 minutes in audiobook form, managed to quickly create an atmosphere of dread. While a lesser author may have expanded this story to provide some kind of explanation, Jones is content to let a sense of mystery hang over it, and to allow your imagination to do the work. This is one that really stuck with me.
I'd also like to single out Deep Down for praise, a brilliantly creepy story of a phantom limb, told nearly entirely from a first-person perspective through voicemails. An excellent framing device, and one of my personal favourites in this collection.
I thought the narrator was great as well, at no point taking me out of the stories as I listened. Combined with sporadic use of sound effects, this was one of the better listening experiences I have had in a while.
Overall, I cant recommend Burn The Plans enough to anyone looking for a set of engaging, often creepy, sometimes downright scary, stories. There's the usual minor criticisms you can level at nearly any great collection like this - maybe some endings are abrupt, maybe some people would prefer some tales to be fleshed out in a different way, not every story will appeal to everybody - but they barely seem worthy of consideration. The biggest takeaway from this read, for me, was the feeling that Jones has the mind and ability to craft a truly spectacular novel. I cannot wait to one day read it.
The stories in this book feel incredibly polished, with no filler, just enough meat on the bones to sink your teeth into. There seems to be a lot of praise - understandably - for the longer tales, 'Trigger' and 'Full Fathom Five', but they certainly do not overshadow the quicker reads. 'Crate 42', clocking in at less than 7 minutes in audiobook form, managed to quickly create an atmosphere of dread. While a lesser author may have expanded this story to provide some kind of explanation, Jones is content to let a sense of mystery hang over it, and to allow your imagination to do the work. This is one that really stuck with me.
I'd also like to single out Deep Down for praise, a brilliantly creepy story of a phantom limb, told nearly entirely from a first-person perspective through voicemails. An excellent framing device, and one of my personal favourites in this collection.
I thought the narrator was great as well, at no point taking me out of the stories as I listened. Combined with sporadic use of sound effects, this was one of the better listening experiences I have had in a while.
Overall, I cant recommend Burn The Plans enough to anyone looking for a set of engaging, often creepy, sometimes downright scary, stories. There's the usual minor criticisms you can level at nearly any great collection like this - maybe some endings are abrupt, maybe some people would prefer some tales to be fleshed out in a different way, not every story will appeal to everybody - but they barely seem worthy of consideration. The biggest takeaway from this read, for me, was the feeling that Jones has the mind and ability to craft a truly spectacular novel. I cannot wait to one day read it.
vintagebooksandmusic's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.75
Burn the Plans by Tyler Jones -
This short story collection is such a wild ride! I absolutely loved it! I won’t take the time to review each story here. You’re gonna have to check it out for yourself to do that. Let’s just say it’s a fantastic collection!
Jones has the ability to tell stories in such a way that pulls you in from the beginning and keeps you hanging on every word. Some of the stories made me think, some were freaky as hell, and some were down right trippy.
Corporation will have you looking at businesses in a whole new way and questioning everything. White Glove is a delightfully twisted Christmas tale. And the ending of Boo! left my jaw on the floor! What?!?!?!
Man! Give this one a read or a listen! You won’t be disappointed!
hooklings's review against another edition
5.0
One of the many books I've picked up because of the Talking Scared podcast! I made these notes on my phone as I read, because I like knowing what each story holds when I go into a short story collection.
Story 1: Corporation - holyyyyyy shit I did not expect that straight out of the gate!
Story 2: Trigger - ok, now I see the SK comparison. A very deliberate voice details a vignette of sorts, where horror unfolds alongside a discovery. A sense of dread permeates from the very first paragraph, even though it’s hard to pin down exactly what causes it. Very clever!
Story 3: The Golden Rule - oh this was good. Told in the broken English of a man who had immigrated across the world, it tells the story of a box that grants a wish in equal terms.
Story 4: The Devil on the Stand - so clever! An odd, slightly unbalanced courtroom sketch artist can’t control the images emerging in her drawings. The ending left me bubbling with questions, but it was still so satisfying.
Story 5: Boo! - this one didn’t land for me. I feel like I missed something? I suspected at a possible interpretation of the ending but I wasn’t convinced. (ETA: The interpretation I suspected was right but still, not quite a winner for me).
Story 6: A Sharp Black Line - very SK-like. Atmospheric story about missing kids (this feels familiar).
Story 7: Charwood - I liked this! A girl faces down a menace in the woods with her dog. It has a horror-appropriate happy ending, and it felt like a good midpoint for this collection - a reminder to read them in order!
Story 8: Crate 42 - a Lovecrafty sort of ‘what’s-in-the-box’ tale that didn’t capture me for some reason.
Story 9: How We Learn - oh, I loved this one. Another young protagonist with a strong voice and also without. It feels like a mere glimpse into the life lived by this boy and his sister, part of the journey they’re sharing. He has a power that is revealed only at the end, and it’s intriguing, but enough. This author can handle a short story like the best of them.
Story 10: Warlock - a Faustian bargain story for the ages. I felt the cold air from the beach town it’s set in! Nicely set up so that no matter how you truly to turn your thoughts, it’s bad.
Story 11: Lion’s Den - don’t remember this one at all…probably my failing and not the author’s!
Story 12: Deep Down - excellent. This one takes the trope of a phantom limb and explodes it into something new and gruesome.
Story 13: Red Hands - another with echoes of SK. The figure that haunted the childhood of a group of protagonists has returned (and yet, done in less than 1000 pages?!).
Story 14: White Glove - a Christmas nightmare that ended at the exact right moment.
Final story/novella: Full Fathom Five - the crown jewel of this collection. Utterly brilliant.
Story 1: Corporation - holyyyyyy shit I did not expect that straight out of the gate!
Story 2: Trigger - ok, now I see the SK comparison. A very deliberate voice details a vignette of sorts, where horror unfolds alongside a discovery. A sense of dread permeates from the very first paragraph, even though it’s hard to pin down exactly what causes it. Very clever!
Story 3: The Golden Rule - oh this was good. Told in the broken English of a man who had immigrated across the world, it tells the story of a box that grants a wish in equal terms.
Story 4: The Devil on the Stand - so clever! An odd, slightly unbalanced courtroom sketch artist can’t control the images emerging in her drawings. The ending left me bubbling with questions, but it was still so satisfying.
Story 5: Boo! - this one didn’t land for me. I feel like I missed something? I suspected at a possible interpretation of the ending but I wasn’t convinced. (ETA: The interpretation I suspected was right but still, not quite a winner for me).
Story 6: A Sharp Black Line - very SK-like. Atmospheric story about missing kids (this feels familiar).
Story 7: Charwood - I liked this! A girl faces down a menace in the woods with her dog. It has a horror-appropriate happy ending, and it felt like a good midpoint for this collection - a reminder to read them in order!
Story 8: Crate 42 - a Lovecrafty sort of ‘what’s-in-the-box’ tale that didn’t capture me for some reason.
Story 9: How We Learn - oh, I loved this one. Another young protagonist with a strong voice and also without. It feels like a mere glimpse into the life lived by this boy and his sister, part of the journey they’re sharing. He has a power that is revealed only at the end, and it’s intriguing, but enough. This author can handle a short story like the best of them.
Story 10: Warlock - a Faustian bargain story for the ages. I felt the cold air from the beach town it’s set in! Nicely set up so that no matter how you truly to turn your thoughts, it’s bad.
Story 11: Lion’s Den - don’t remember this one at all…probably my failing and not the author’s!
Story 12: Deep Down - excellent. This one takes the trope of a phantom limb and explodes it into something new and gruesome.
Story 13: Red Hands - another with echoes of SK. The figure that haunted the childhood of a group of protagonists has returned (and yet, done in less than 1000 pages?!).
Story 14: White Glove - a Christmas nightmare that ended at the exact right moment.
Final story/novella: Full Fathom Five - the crown jewel of this collection. Utterly brilliant.
edholms's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Loved this! Heard Neil on Talking Scared mention it in his year end beat of. Ate this up. Loved all of them but Trigger is great and I can't wait for the follow up
masteryoda716's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
kellyp's review
4.5
Bought this after hearing the author interviewed on the Talking Scared podcast, where the host raved about it. As good as promised! Will seek out more of Jones’ work for sure.
hooklings's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Story 1: Corporation - holyyyyyy shit I did not expect that straight out of the gate!
Story 2: Trigger - ok, now I see the SK comparison. A very deliberate voice details a vignette of sorts, where horror unfolds alongside a discovery. A sense of dread permeates from the very first paragraph, even though it’s hard to pin down exactly what causes it. Very clever!
Story 3: The Golden Rule - oh this was good. Told in the broken English of a man who had immigrated across the world, it tells the story of a box that grants a wish in equal terms.
Story 4: The Devil on the Stand - so clever! An odd, slightly unbalanced courtroom sketch artist can’t control the images emerging in her drawings. The ending left me bubbling with questions, but it was still so satisfying.
Story 5: Boo! - this one didn’t land for me. I feel like I missed something? I suspected at a possible interpretation of the ending but I wasn’t convinced.
Story 6: A Sharp Black Line - very SK-like. Atmospheric story about missing kids (this feels familiar).
Story 7: Charwood - I liked this! A girl faces down a menace in the woods with her dog. It has a horror-appropriate happy ending, and it felt like a good midpoint for this collection - a reminder to read them in order!
Story 8: Crate 42 - a Lovecrafty sort of ‘what’s-in-the-box’ tale that didn’t capture me for some reason.
Story 9: How We Learn - oh, I loved this one. Another young protagonist with a strong voice and also without. It feels like a mere glimpse into the life lived by this boy and his sister, part of the journey they’re sharing. He has a power that is revealed only at the end, and it’s intriguing, but enough. This author can handle a short story like the best of them.
Story 10: Warlock - a Faustian bargain story for the ages. I felt the cold air from the beach town it’s set in! Nicely set up so that no matter how you truly to turn your thoughts, it’s bad.
Story 11: Lion’s Den - don’t remember this one at all…probably my failing and not the author’s!
Story 12: Deep Down - excellent. This one takes the trope of a phantom limb and explodes it into something new and gruesome.
Story 13: Red Hands - another with echoes of SK. The figure that haunted the childhood of a group of protagonists has returned (and yet, done in less than 1000 pages?!).
Story 14: White Glove - a Christmas nightmare that ended at the exact right moment.
Final story/novella: Full Fathom Five - the crown jewel of this collection. Utterly brilliant.
Story 2: Trigger - ok, now I see the SK comparison. A very deliberate voice details a vignette of sorts, where horror unfolds alongside a discovery. A sense of dread permeates from the very first paragraph, even though it’s hard to pin down exactly what causes it. Very clever!
Story 3: The Golden Rule - oh this was good. Told in the broken English of a man who had immigrated across the world, it tells the story of a box that grants a wish in equal terms.
Story 4: The Devil on the Stand - so clever! An odd, slightly unbalanced courtroom sketch artist can’t control the images emerging in her drawings. The ending left me bubbling with questions, but it was still so satisfying.
Story 5: Boo! - this one didn’t land for me. I feel like I missed something? I suspected at a possible interpretation of the ending but I wasn’t convinced.
Story 6: A Sharp Black Line - very SK-like. Atmospheric story about missing kids (this feels familiar).
Story 7: Charwood - I liked this! A girl faces down a menace in the woods with her dog. It has a horror-appropriate happy ending, and it felt like a good midpoint for this collection - a reminder to read them in order!
Story 8: Crate 42 - a Lovecrafty sort of ‘what’s-in-the-box’ tale that didn’t capture me for some reason.
Story 9: How We Learn - oh, I loved this one. Another young protagonist with a strong voice and also without. It feels like a mere glimpse into the life lived by this boy and his sister, part of the journey they’re sharing. He has a power that is revealed only at the end, and it’s intriguing, but enough. This author can handle a short story like the best of them.
Story 10: Warlock - a Faustian bargain story for the ages. I felt the cold air from the beach town it’s set in! Nicely set up so that no matter how you truly to turn your thoughts, it’s bad.
Story 11: Lion’s Den - don’t remember this one at all…probably my failing and not the author’s!
Story 12: Deep Down - excellent. This one takes the trope of a phantom limb and explodes it into something new and gruesome.
Story 13: Red Hands - another with echoes of SK. The figure that haunted the childhood of a group of protagonists has returned (and yet, done in less than 1000 pages?!).
Story 14: White Glove - a Christmas nightmare that ended at the exact right moment.
Final story/novella: Full Fathom Five - the crown jewel of this collection. Utterly brilliant.
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