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lizzderr's review against another edition
3.0
This anthology is a mixed bag, including shades of horror that vary from the uncanny to intense gore, and authors ranging from well-known greats to folks whose primary calling isn't fiction. Stand-out tales include "Kaddish" (arguably more dystopian than horrific), "The Pyre and Others" (Lovecraft meets contemporary academia--this one particularly resonated with some of my own experiences in the field), and "Haeckel's Tale" (a good old-fashioned horror tale told by the glow of a warm fire). Also, "My Thing Friday," "Out Twelve-Steppin', Summer of AA," and "The Outermost Borough" were pleasant surprises. On the opposite end of the spectrum, "Dark Delicacies of the Dead" had the framework of a fun story about a book signing interrupted by the zombie apocalypse, but it was also filled with what seemed to be inside jokes that readers who've never been to a DD event were excluded from. And I hate to say it, but the Ray Bradbury story that opens the collection is kind of a clunker. My expectations for the story were pretty high, I'll admit... but it just didn't do anything for me. Overall, I'd recommend this collection to folks who are already devotees of the genre or of particular authors in the collection, but that's about it.
aaronlindsey's review against another edition
3.0
Not bad, but I've certainly read better horror anthologies.
taliatalksbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
Recently read the Dark Delicacies anthology edited by Del Howison and Jeff Gelb. This anthology includes short stories by the following authors: Ray Bradbury, Lisa Morton, Whitley Strieber, Robert Steven Rhine, D. Lynn Smith, F. Paul Wilson, Roberta Lannes, Brian Lumley, Nancy Holder, John Farris, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Ramsey Campbell, Gahan Wilson, Rick Pickman, William F. Nolan, David J. Schow, Steve Niles, Richard Laymon, and Clive Barker. It’s been a while since I’ve read through a horror anthology, but I’m glad I chose this one. Personally, my favorite was Ray Bradbury’s story, which lives rent free in my mind, and has since I read it the first time, but there were definitely some other stand out pieces to be found here. This is an older publication, so I will admit some of the language is a bit outdated, but if you can get past some of the more vulgar language/now-derogatory terms, there’s definitely some interesting short stories to be enjoyed. Like with many anthologies, some of the stories didn’t capture my interest the same way as others did, but all in all I definitely enjoyed reading each story and delving into the unique and horrific moments thought up by these horror authors. If you’re looking for a collection of horrific stories, I would definitely check out a copy of Dark Delicacies.
morgoagogo's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
kiastillreadsandwrites's review
4.0
This was such a fun collection of short stories, and I read it at the perfect time. I was in a bit of a reading slump, and this helped knock me out of it. There were no stories that I just flat out didn't like, and all of them had something in them I enjoyed. I didn't feel like it was horror in the "traditional" sense, but every story had something of the crawl under your skin to it, even if it was just sheer strangeness. I would recommend it to anyone looking for some fun, weird stories, but if your aim is to be truly horrified, this isn't the collection for you. I, however, would like to eventually read the other Dark Delicacies collections.
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