Reviews

The Black Phone Movie Tie-In: Stories by Joe Hill

labunnywtf's review against another edition

3.0

Mm.

I am super super glad this wasn't the first Joe Hill book I've ever read. It's not that the stories are bad, by any means. They're just not my type of stories. I was excited for this because I'm a horror story buff, and Hill is a master of horror. Period.

And in the introduction, written by the incredible Christopher Golden, he tells me up front that these are not horror stories, at least not in the conventional sense. So, I was warned. But still. These were just not my cup of tea. Let's go down the list.

Best New Horror - The closest to conventional, and so meta it hurts. This was a great introductory story. Seriously, I can't even tell you what it's about, it's so meta you have to read it for yourself. If my review leads you to not want to read the whole book, at least seek this one out.

20th Century Ghost - A ghost story. Literally. But not scary. Sweet, actually.

Pop Art - So bizarre. But really, really great. And sad. So, so sad.

You Will Hear The Locust Sing - I don't like bugs. I really, really don't like bugs. So, this one kind of had my skin crawling. But the sympathy I had for the main character was oddly intense.

Abraham's Boys - An amazing side story to the traditional Dracula tale. Absolutely worth the read.

Better Than Home and Bobby Conroy Comes Back From The Dead - Skip it.

The Black Phone - Not nearly as good as it could have been.

In The Rundown - You will spend a lot of time saying, "What are you doing, you idiot?"

The Cape - The only story with a real twist. And it's pretty fantastic.

Last Breath - SO WEIRD. But I really loved it. And want to know more about this museum.

Dead-Wood - Short, almost a poem. I listened to it twice. Beautiful, and one that might stay with you as it did with me.

The Widow's Breakfast - Uncategorical. Google says that's not a real word. I'm using it anyway.

My Father's Mask - I don't get it. Not even a little.

Voluntary Committal - I agree with Christopher Golden on this one, it is very reminiscent of Ray Bradbury. I believe this is the longest story in the bunch, and it's worth it.

Scheherazade's Typewriter - The hidden story. As someone who reads both the introductions and the acknowledgements, I loved how this one was hidden. And it's possibly my favorite? Also a ghost story, but a sweet and sad one.

cabrera_bre's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

neoxkc's review against another edition

3.0

This is my first foray into Joe Hill's writing but I am a somewhat devoted Stephen King reader. Having read so much King, I was very interested to see what his son's writing is like.

Spoilers for each story and my individual reviews below:

Best New Horror: 2/5 -

Spoiler

Well written but felt too obvious and the end felt rushed. Too much of a Texas Chainsaw sort of thing for my taste.

20th Century Ghost: 4/5 -

Spoiler

I liked this story, I know it is a short story but I feel like this could have been much better if it was longer and more fleshed out.

Pop Art: 1/5 -

Spoiler

I did not like this premise at all. Too goofy for me. Also the balloon people are inexplicably Jewish which is very confusing to me. The confusion only occurs because he meets another balloon person after he met Art that is a woman who turns out to also be Jewish so there must be a reason Hill has chosen to make this choice but I am at a loss as to what he is trying to say exactly.

You will hear the Locust Sing: 2/5 -

Spoiler

Meh. Kids turns into a giant Grasshopper and kills his family and classmates. Sort of Kafka through the lens of modern senseless violence I suppose.

Abraham's Boys: 5/5 -

Spoiler

Pretty interesting sequel-ish to Dracula that focuses on Van Helsing's sons growing up in America.

Better than home: 3/5 -

Spoiler

This one didn't really grab me and by the end I was wondering why it is in this collection. Story about a boy that seems to have autism or something and people don't quite understand him. Written very well but pretty mundane.

The Black Phone: 5/5 -

Spoiler

I can see why they chose this to adapt into a movie as it is a pretty interesting concept. Could have been a bit longer but it sounds like the movie expands on the story quite successfully.

In The Rundown: 2/5 -

Spoiler

Oh brother, this guy stinks. Main character is a jerk. After he gets fired from his job for physically threatening a coworker, he happens upon lady who he thinks has just killed her children. After he comes to this conclusion, they get into an altercation where he gets scratched and he physically attacks her. Eventually he runs to get help and runs into a state trooper car and the story ends before he is very clearly going to prison for attacking the woman and killing her kids since he is now covered in blood and scratch marks and having attacked her as well.

The Cape: 3/5 -

Spoiler

An angry man-child who has a cape that lets him float kills his girlfriend who left him because he is a loser and then implies he will kill his brother, the end. Blah

Last Breath: 4/5 -

Spoiler

Creepy doctor collects people's last breath in a museum called the Museum of Silence.

Dead Wood: 5/5 -

Spoiler

Can trees be ghosts? "Something that doesn't know it's alive, obviously can't be expected to know when it's dead" (Super short story but that is a great line)

The Widow's Breakfast: 3/5 -

Spoiler

A story about a Widow making breakfast for a hobo during the depression. Thought this was going to take a turn into a story similar to The Library Policeman but it did not. Not enough happens and ends too abruptly for me

Bobby Conroy Comes Back From The Dead: 2/5 -

Spoiler

Failed comedian runs into an ex and her son on the set of Night of the Living Dead and contemplates the road not taken.

My Father's Mask: 3/5 -

Spoiler

A boy and his parents go to a cabin because they are on the run from the "playing card people". I honestly did not quite get this story.
It is written very well but like other stories in this book, it feels like the ending is rushed for the sake of finishing the story rather than developing it completely.

Voluntary Committal: 5/5 -

Spoiler

Story about two brothers, one of the brothers falls in with a bad element and the other brother creates elaborate cardboard forts that seem to be more than meets the eye. I think this is probably the strongest of the stories in this collection.

Scheherazade's Typewriter: 4/5 -

Spoiler

This story is "hidden" in the acknowledgments section. Short and sweet story about a haunted typewriter.

TLDR: A mixed bag of short stories in my opinion, and a big chunk of the stories aren't even really scary or even horror in some cases. A lot of the primary characters are pretty miserable/unlikable so harder to get into some of the stories for me.

cara_ready's review against another edition

4.0

It actually took me years to finish this book because some of the stories were so disturbing to me that I had to put it down. I’m glad I finally finished it because the last story was by far the best and most creative. Sometimes the scariest thing can be the unknown… and small spaces.

cfrostwicks's review against another edition

tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.75

cowboydan's review against another edition

5.0

Every single story has stuck with me, and a few that I am sure will linger forever. You get a lot of different themes and emotions invoked between all the stories. Looking forward to reading this again someday.

megadeathvsbooks's review against another edition

3.0

Some of these were great. Some of them were strange. Some were flat. I expected more scary, but I was pleased by the depth to many of them.

cal_lindamood's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

antoman's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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

dhschultz29's review against another edition

4.0

My Father's Mask is my favorite thing I've read for a long time. Hill has a knack for making the reader relate to the character flaws in these stories. It is definitely worth your time to read this.