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luftschlosseule's review against another edition
4.0
trigger warning
domestic abuse, corporeal punishment, child abuse, rape, gang rape, homophobia, torture, gore, drug abuse, alcohol abuse
I haven't been doing well with short story anthologies in the recent past. I guess it is because I have no plot to motivate me to pick up the book again, as I tend to try to finish a story before laying it aside for whatever reason.
But I think that horror is the genre I like short stories best at the moment.
There just is no long waiting span to see what for this particular horror will take, which I like.
Most authors you can find I didn't know beforehand. I've read previous books by Grady Hendrix and heard about C.J. Tudor, but those are the two writers I can think of, so this was a cool way of dipping in the styles and ideas of different people.
Of course, some stories I've liked better than others, but there was no disappointment in this collection for me. Some I would like to see explored in more detail, especially the one in which mythological creatures from all cultures suddenly appear dead or drawing their last breath.
Please be aware that I am not confident about the thoroughness of the warning list as I neglected to make notes while reading, which I really should have done as it took me so long to get through this.
I'd recommend this if you're either bored by how long some authors take to get to the supernatural part - looking at you, Stephen King - or if you want to try out the works of different authors - even if you want to take a look at this genre in general.
I recieved a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
I haven't been doing well with short story anthologies in the recent past. I guess it is because I have no plot to motivate me to pick up the book again, as I tend to try to finish a story before laying it aside for whatever reason.
But I think that horror is the genre I like short stories best at the moment.
There just is no long waiting span to see what for this particular horror will take, which I like.
Most authors you can find I didn't know beforehand. I've read previous books by Grady Hendrix and heard about C.J. Tudor, but those are the two writers I can think of, so this was a cool way of dipping in the styles and ideas of different people.
Of course, some stories I've liked better than others, but there was no disappointment in this collection for me. Some I would like to see explored in more detail, especially the one in which mythological creatures from all cultures suddenly appear dead or drawing their last breath.
Please be aware that I am not confident about the thoroughness of the warning list as I neglected to make notes while reading, which I really should have done as it took me so long to get through this.
I'd recommend this if you're either bored by how long some authors take to get to the supernatural part - looking at you, Stephen King - or if you want to try out the works of different authors - even if you want to take a look at this genre in general.
I recieved a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
justgeekingby's review against another edition
2.0
Originally posted on Just Geeking by.
I was provided with a free copy of this anthology via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
My first clue to there this anthology being a letdown should have been that there’s not actually a synopsis given regarding the content. The synopsis attached to the book is more concerned with telling the reader how the anthology was created rather than what it actually contains. Before reading the anthology I had overlooked that the synopsis describes After Sundown as a “non-themed horror” anthology. Horror is a vast genre with multiple sub-genres which I’m inherently aware of, so I go into any horror anthology prepared to meet short stories on a variety of topics. That being so, the stories in After Sundown do not appear to have been collated using any sub-genres of horror that I am familiar with – and as an English Literature graduate, I feel confident enough to say that isn’t due to a failure on my part.
The problem is that the stories within the first half of the anthology are avant-garde. It isn’t that they’re “non-themed horror”, it’s that the idea of horror the author has chosen to portray in their story is so experimental that it simply doesn’t relate to anyone but the author. One particular story is focused on a man who donates blood and recounts the time the world’s overpopulation figure suddenly began to count down instead of up. There’s no twist, it is literally pages of a man giving blood, remarking on the hundreds of people are dying every day and the lack of blood donations. While this is all horrific it isn’t a horror story and is also extremely distasteful during a pandemic. If the author wanted to use the genre to comment on the pandemic and/or blood donations in a time of crisis they failed.
Other stories in the first 50% have the fatal flaw of bad pacing. They read like a chapter in a book, leading up to action which would finally reach its climax in the next chapter. The problem with the short story format is that there is no next chapter. One interesting story took forever to get to the point where the heroine realises she has the magical abilities to save the day, only for the story to abruptly end with her going to do just that. Did she manage to use her magic to save everyone? Who knows.
The second half of the book was much better. It wasn’t that these stories suddenly towed the traditional horror storyline; they were just better paced, they made sense, and they chilled you to the bone. They felt as though they were written with the reader in mind (with the aim of terrifying the reader!), not just random ideas that were thrown onto a page so they could say ‘look ma, I got published!’. These were the stories that I expected when I picked up this book, and if this is going to be an annual publication that is what the editor/s need to focus on.
I never did work out why the anthology is called ‘After Sundown‘; even a non-themed anthology still has something that links the whole thing together.
For more of my reviews please visit my blog!
I was provided with a free copy of this anthology via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
My first clue to there this anthology being a letdown should have been that there’s not actually a synopsis given regarding the content. The synopsis attached to the book is more concerned with telling the reader how the anthology was created rather than what it actually contains. Before reading the anthology I had overlooked that the synopsis describes After Sundown as a “non-themed horror” anthology. Horror is a vast genre with multiple sub-genres which I’m inherently aware of, so I go into any horror anthology prepared to meet short stories on a variety of topics. That being so, the stories in After Sundown do not appear to have been collated using any sub-genres of horror that I am familiar with – and as an English Literature graduate, I feel confident enough to say that isn’t due to a failure on my part.
The problem is that the stories within the first half of the anthology are avant-garde. It isn’t that they’re “non-themed horror”, it’s that the idea of horror the author has chosen to portray in their story is so experimental that it simply doesn’t relate to anyone but the author. One particular story is focused on a man who donates blood and recounts the time the world’s overpopulation figure suddenly began to count down instead of up. There’s no twist, it is literally pages of a man giving blood, remarking on the hundreds of people are dying every day and the lack of blood donations. While this is all horrific it isn’t a horror story and is also extremely distasteful during a pandemic. If the author wanted to use the genre to comment on the pandemic and/or blood donations in a time of crisis they failed.
Other stories in the first 50% have the fatal flaw of bad pacing. They read like a chapter in a book, leading up to action which would finally reach its climax in the next chapter. The problem with the short story format is that there is no next chapter. One interesting story took forever to get to the point where the heroine realises she has the magical abilities to save the day, only for the story to abruptly end with her going to do just that. Did she manage to use her magic to save everyone? Who knows.
The second half of the book was much better. It wasn’t that these stories suddenly towed the traditional horror storyline; they were just better paced, they made sense, and they chilled you to the bone. They felt as though they were written with the reader in mind (with the aim of terrifying the reader!), not just random ideas that were thrown onto a page so they could say ‘look ma, I got published!’. These were the stories that I expected when I picked up this book, and if this is going to be an annual publication that is what the editor/s need to focus on.
I never did work out why the anthology is called ‘After Sundown‘; even a non-themed anthology still has something that links the whole thing together.
For more of my reviews please visit my blog!
timothylgrills's review
4.0
Fun book! I had some issues with the book. The lows were really low, but the highs were high. However, I feel that many of these stories didn't really feel like they were horror stories and simply had some horror elements mixed in with other elements. Still, I had a lot of fun with this compilation and was particular impressed with Swanskin, Same Time Next Year, Creeping Ivy, Gave, Bokeh, Murder Board, Alice's Rebellion, The Mirror House, The Naughty Step, A Hotel in Germany, and Branch Line. Grady Hendrix, as always, brings a shining spot to horror, so I have to say Hendrix's piece was one of the stronger parts of these collection. Further, some parts of the collection had stories that didn't feel like horror, but had great concepts even without thorough execution (like Butterfly Island).
ericarobyn's review
3.0
After Sundown Edited by Mark Morris is a collection of tales that have a great range! From bizarre, to mildly unsettling, all the way to full blown terror, this collection has it all!
Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.
Overall, this was a fun collection! I loved the variety of the stories.
Like most collections, there were tales in there that I loved while a couple weren’t for me.
Here are my quick notes on each tale.
Introduction by Mark Morris –
I loved learning a bit about how this anthology came about!
Butterfly Island by C.J. Tudor – 5/5
Oh my gosh, this one was just filled with twists! In a world that has been ravaged by a virus, a group of people head to Butterfly Island to hole up. But when they near the island they learn it’s protected by underwater mines… but that’s not the only threat they’ll face. This story is a great short story but I would also love to see what happens next!
What an opening paragraph:
Almost every bad plan is hatched over a few beers in a bar. The end of the world won’t finally arrive with a bang or a whimper. It will start with the words: ‘Hey – y’know what would be a really great idea?’ slurred over a bottle of Estrella.
Research by Tim Lebbon – 4/5
In this story, a writer has been kidnapped and is locked in a basement while his kidnappers say they’re doing “research”… My how the tables turned in this one! I loved the ending!
Swanskin by Alison Littlewood – 3/5
In a town where the women are robbed of their original forms, the men believe they are saving them but the fact that they have to destroy or hide their skins proves their drive to control. What a unique premise this story had! I don’t think I’ve read anything like this one when it came to the skins!
That’s the Spirit by Sarah Lotz – 4/5
Eek! This one was so stressful to read! I kept hoping that everything was going to work out and for this “psychic” to really get in contact with the other side and help. He and his partner had quite the setup!
Gave by Michael Bailey – 3/5
Oh boy this one made me feel so queasy. I can’t do anything related to drawing blood. But the underlying plot point here of the worlds population decreasing was terrifying. I loved how this one was formatted as well with the sections of story in different ages.
Wherever You Look by Ramsey Campbell – 3/5
Phew! What a quest this man was on. I enjoyed his determination to retract down answers.
Same Time Next Year by Angela Slatter – 4/5
What a fun premise this one had! As we follow a ghost that is alone in a cemetery, I loved the draw toward violence that she had and I was even more intrigued by it because we weren’t given a clear why.
Mine Seven by Elana Gonel – 4/5
Oofh! What a trip gone wrong! The thought of traveling somewhere that is in full dark terrifies me. I kept worrying about what these people would do if the lights went out, but what happened was so much worse.
It Doesn’t Feel Right by Michael Marshall Smith – 4/5
Oh no, in this tale there’s something not quite right about the socks that these parents are trying to get their child to wear. But it’s not just one pair, it’s most socks. But is it psychosomatic or is there something else going on? Phew what a tale!
Creeping Ivy by Laura Purcell – 5/5
When a man loses his wife, the reader very quickly realizes that he isn’t exactly broken up about it… What a tale! I loved the desperation felt in this one, and of course, I also loved the slow build of creepiness!
Last Rites for the Fourth World by Rick Cross – 5/5
Woah, I loved this one! The overall plot was interesting and I enjoyed seeing each creature pop up, even if it was in a very devastating way.
We All Come Home by Simon Bestwick – 5/5
Absolutely terrifying! As this man is on a quest to unlock a suppressed memory, we see him entering the woods where the traumatic event occurred. From start to finish, this one had me feeling so unsettled and nervous!
The Importance of Oral Hygiene by Robert Shearman –
This unfortunately wasn’t one for me.
Bokeh by Thana Niveau – 5/5
What is it about stories with creepy children?! My goodness this one was unsettling, then flat out horrific. What a tale!
Murder Board by Grady Hendrix – 5/5
Does using an Ouija Board ever go right?! Phew, what a dark and intense tale. I was hooked!
Alice’s Rebellion by John Langan – 3/5
If you’re an Alice in Wonderland fan, this story will be a hit for you! I loved a lot of the messages here that were related to current times, and boy they were timely.
The Mirror House by Jonathan Robbins Leon – 4/5
So unsettling! What would you do if you suddenly found a door that lead to a house just like your own, but mirrored? The ending of this certainly threw me for a loop. Was it a sad ending or a happy one?! I can’t decide!
The Naughty Step by Stephen Volk – 4/5
My gosh this one was heartbreaking! This poor kid…
A Hotel in Germany by Catriona Ward – 3/5
Phew! This one was kind of like a fever dream for me. I wasn’t sure exactly what was happening, but I enjoyed the trip!
Branch Line by Paul Finch – 5/5
What a story to end the collection on! This one was equally terrifying and heartbreaking!
My Final Thoughts
Overall, this is definitely a collection I’d recommend to fans of short stories! This would be great to either pick up and breeze through the tales back to back, or take your time only reading one story here and there to spread them out.
Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.
Overall, this was a fun collection! I loved the variety of the stories.
Like most collections, there were tales in there that I loved while a couple weren’t for me.
Here are my quick notes on each tale.
Introduction by Mark Morris –
I loved learning a bit about how this anthology came about!
Butterfly Island by C.J. Tudor – 5/5
Oh my gosh, this one was just filled with twists! In a world that has been ravaged by a virus, a group of people head to Butterfly Island to hole up. But when they near the island they learn it’s protected by underwater mines… but that’s not the only threat they’ll face. This story is a great short story but I would also love to see what happens next!
What an opening paragraph:
Almost every bad plan is hatched over a few beers in a bar. The end of the world won’t finally arrive with a bang or a whimper. It will start with the words: ‘Hey – y’know what would be a really great idea?’ slurred over a bottle of Estrella.
Research by Tim Lebbon – 4/5
In this story, a writer has been kidnapped and is locked in a basement while his kidnappers say they’re doing “research”… My how the tables turned in this one! I loved the ending!
Swanskin by Alison Littlewood – 3/5
In a town where the women are robbed of their original forms, the men believe they are saving them but the fact that they have to destroy or hide their skins proves their drive to control. What a unique premise this story had! I don’t think I’ve read anything like this one when it came to the skins!
That’s the Spirit by Sarah Lotz – 4/5
Eek! This one was so stressful to read! I kept hoping that everything was going to work out and for this “psychic” to really get in contact with the other side and help. He and his partner had quite the setup!
Gave by Michael Bailey – 3/5
Oh boy this one made me feel so queasy. I can’t do anything related to drawing blood. But the underlying plot point here of the worlds population decreasing was terrifying. I loved how this one was formatted as well with the sections of story in different ages.
Wherever You Look by Ramsey Campbell – 3/5
Phew! What a quest this man was on. I enjoyed his determination to retract down answers.
Same Time Next Year by Angela Slatter – 4/5
What a fun premise this one had! As we follow a ghost that is alone in a cemetery, I loved the draw toward violence that she had and I was even more intrigued by it because we weren’t given a clear why.
Mine Seven by Elana Gonel – 4/5
Oofh! What a trip gone wrong! The thought of traveling somewhere that is in full dark terrifies me. I kept worrying about what these people would do if the lights went out, but what happened was so much worse.
It Doesn’t Feel Right by Michael Marshall Smith – 4/5
Oh no, in this tale there’s something not quite right about the socks that these parents are trying to get their child to wear. But it’s not just one pair, it’s most socks. But is it psychosomatic or is there something else going on? Phew what a tale!
Creeping Ivy by Laura Purcell – 5/5
When a man loses his wife, the reader very quickly realizes that he isn’t exactly broken up about it… What a tale! I loved the desperation felt in this one, and of course, I also loved the slow build of creepiness!
Last Rites for the Fourth World by Rick Cross – 5/5
Woah, I loved this one! The overall plot was interesting and I enjoyed seeing each creature pop up, even if it was in a very devastating way.
We All Come Home by Simon Bestwick – 5/5
Absolutely terrifying! As this man is on a quest to unlock a suppressed memory, we see him entering the woods where the traumatic event occurred. From start to finish, this one had me feeling so unsettled and nervous!
The Importance of Oral Hygiene by Robert Shearman –
This unfortunately wasn’t one for me.
Bokeh by Thana Niveau – 5/5
What is it about stories with creepy children?! My goodness this one was unsettling, then flat out horrific. What a tale!
Murder Board by Grady Hendrix – 5/5
Does using an Ouija Board ever go right?! Phew, what a dark and intense tale. I was hooked!
Alice’s Rebellion by John Langan – 3/5
If you’re an Alice in Wonderland fan, this story will be a hit for you! I loved a lot of the messages here that were related to current times, and boy they were timely.
The Mirror House by Jonathan Robbins Leon – 4/5
So unsettling! What would you do if you suddenly found a door that lead to a house just like your own, but mirrored? The ending of this certainly threw me for a loop. Was it a sad ending or a happy one?! I can’t decide!
The Naughty Step by Stephen Volk – 4/5
My gosh this one was heartbreaking! This poor kid…
A Hotel in Germany by Catriona Ward – 3/5
Phew! This one was kind of like a fever dream for me. I wasn’t sure exactly what was happening, but I enjoyed the trip!
Branch Line by Paul Finch – 5/5
What a story to end the collection on! This one was equally terrifying and heartbreaking!
My Final Thoughts
Overall, this is definitely a collection I’d recommend to fans of short stories! This would be great to either pick up and breeze through the tales back to back, or take your time only reading one story here and there to spread them out.
hedwigsworldofbooks's review
4.0
Great fun, especially impressed with the inclusion of Stephen Volk of Ghostwatch fame.
Blog tour and review here on the blog:
https://hedwigsworldofbooks.home.blog/2020/10/22/blog-tour-after-sundown-edited-by-mark-morris/
Blog tour and review here on the blog:
https://hedwigsworldofbooks.home.blog/2020/10/22/blog-tour-after-sundown-edited-by-mark-morris/
annarella's review
5.0
An excellent collection of short stories by some well known and some new to me authors.
All of them are well written even if not all of them are horror.
I thoroughly enjoyed and it's strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
All of them are well written even if not all of them are horror.
I thoroughly enjoyed and it's strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
sauvageloup's review
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
3.5
Enjoyed the book a lot, though liked some stories much more than others.
pros:
- Especially enjoyed Mine Seven, which was intriguing and had great tension and fascinating folklore in it, which I always love. In the same vein, loved Swanskin, which was about swan shapeshifters/selkie-type women and was a cool story. Last rites was also compelling, with the different cultures seeming immersive and well-realised, and the idea so strange but very vivid.
- Bokeh was suitably creepy and interesting, and A hotel in Germany took me a while to comprehend but was fascinating when I did.
- I liked the inclusion of futuristic and strange horror stories, as opposed to just the ghost and traditional horror stories.
- reading an anthology was a nice change and whilst you have to constantly get re-acquainted with a new place/plot/theme each time, it was refreshing and each new story intrigued me.
cons:
- some of the stories seemed incomplete, with too-open endings, or they felt contrived. The ones featuring writers irritated me slightly.
(- I'm also curious which were the new writers and couldn't rly tell from the bios at the back. Might've been nice to have more new writers, say 50:50 rather than just a quarter.)
Good short stories feel complete on their own, but still leave you wanting more and I definitely felt that, particularly with Mine Seven, which was my favourite.
pros:
- Especially enjoyed Mine Seven, which was intriguing and had great tension and fascinating folklore in it, which I always love. In the same vein, loved Swanskin, which was about swan shapeshifters/selkie-type women and was a cool story. Last rites was also compelling, with the different cultures seeming immersive and well-realised, and the idea so strange but very vivid.
- Bokeh was suitably creepy and interesting, and A hotel in Germany took me a while to comprehend but was fascinating when I did.
- I liked the inclusion of futuristic and strange horror stories, as opposed to just the ghost and traditional horror stories.
- reading an anthology was a nice change and whilst you have to constantly get re-acquainted with a new place/plot/theme each time, it was refreshing and each new story intrigued me.
cons:
- some of the stories seemed incomplete, with too-open endings, or they felt contrived. The ones featuring writers irritated me slightly.
(- I'm also curious which were the new writers and couldn't rly tell from the bios at the back. Might've been nice to have more new writers, say 50:50 rather than just a quarter.)
Good short stories feel complete on their own, but still leave you wanting more and I definitely felt that, particularly with Mine Seven, which was my favourite.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Cursing, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, and Body horror
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Suicide and Pedophilia
thaatswhatsheread's review
4.0
What a great anthology! The lack of categorization was great in that I had no clue what the next story would hold for me, as I kept reading. I loved: Butterfly Island by CJ Tudor, Swanskin by Alison Littlewood, That's the Spirit by Sarah Lotz, The Importance of Oral Hygiene and Alice's Rebellion by John Langan. There's something in here for every reader.
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