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stanwj's review against another edition
2.0
Note: Minor spoilers in the review.
Blackout uses the same broad theme as Stephen King's novella "The Mist," replacing the titular fog with an all-encompassing darkness than envelops a small town, all the better to unleash alien horrors on its citizenry. While the story moves swiftly, it never quite clicked for me. It's a fast and easy read but I felt indifferent to the fates of the various characters.
The writing is for the most part solid, but unremarkable. Passages like the following, where the main character state the obvious, are not uncommon:
One of my pet peeves--characters doing dumb things to advance the plot--is also in play here, though to his credit, Curran at least has the main character own up to his behavior:
(The cables are bad, as you may have guessed.)
If you feel the need for a bleak, hopeless tale--that's not a spoiler, as the first line of the story admits as much--you could do worse than Blackout, but I found it curiously joyless.
Blackout uses the same broad theme as Stephen King's novella "The Mist," replacing the titular fog with an all-encompassing darkness than envelops a small town, all the better to unleash alien horrors on its citizenry. While the story moves swiftly, it never quite clicked for me. It's a fast and easy read but I felt indifferent to the fates of the various characters.
The writing is for the most part solid, but unremarkable. Passages like the following, where the main character state the obvious, are not uncommon:
And being a science teacher, I knew that if the sun did not rise day after day after day, there would be no photosynthesis. The plants and trees would no longer process carbon dioxide and release breathable oxygen.
One of my pet peeves--characters doing dumb things to advance the plot--is also in play here, though to his credit, Curran at least has the main character own up to his behavior:
I don’t honestly think it was the cable’s doing, but some weird self-hypnotic thing that made me reach out and touch it. There’s no good explanation for any of it. None at all. The self-destructive urge we all feel from time to time just became so strong, and I was so weak, that I just went with it. I touched the cable.
(The cables are bad, as you may have guessed.)
If you feel the need for a bleak, hopeless tale--that's not a spoiler, as the first line of the story admits as much--you could do worse than Blackout, but I found it curiously joyless.
dankeohane's review against another edition
5.0
This was an exceptional, exceptional horror novel. Well, I guess it's actually a novella, but this short novel is very scary and fast-paced. It's an old-style invasion story, from the perspective of one small, suburban neighborhood on a night that has become preternaturally dark. Strange cables drop from the sky and begin snatching people away. Bigger and nastier terrors build from there, and I found myself gripping the book to see what would happen next. There were a few scenes in particular that were quite frightening. Curran doesn't shy away from taking victims, young or old, of this monstrous, and mysterious force stealing away the population. At times, especially near the end, it gets quite graphic, but never so much that it feels gratuitous, or just gore for gore sake.
The writing, needless to say, was tremendous all the way through. I've never read anything by the author before (to be honest I picked this up both to read an example of a work from the publisher Dark Fuse, and also the cover - loved the cover). I've definitely become a fan of Tim Curran and am going to search out more from him. Again, if you like a fast, well-done and scary horror novel, definitely this a read for you.
The writing, needless to say, was tremendous all the way through. I've never read anything by the author before (to be honest I picked this up both to read an example of a work from the publisher Dark Fuse, and also the cover - loved the cover). I've definitely become a fan of Tim Curran and am going to search out more from him. Again, if you like a fast, well-done and scary horror novel, definitely this a read for you.
ctorretta's review against another edition
4.0
This starts and I got an odd feeling right away. Seriously, Tim Curran can put that feeling into your hear without you even realizing what is going on. And the characters do not know either, which is half of the problem. Crazy shit is going on outside, do NOT go out there… I mean geezus!
For a horror most of this was pretty tame. It was the aspect of the ratcheting horror that I enjoyed though. There were a lot of characters introduced as the evening wears on but mostly it’s the main character and he is trying desperately to keep his cool through some really weird times. He loses it a few times though. And once so badly that I wanted to kill him myself! I mean, my god!! What was he thinking!?
Really though, that’s the fun of these kinds of books. You get to see if someone is going to be a hero or if that fight or flight syndrome will kick into place. As the plot progresses it does get scarier and there are some moments that are just plain gory. But it wasn’t gore just to be in your face, it matched the storyline and where things were going.
Emotionally I wasn’t totally vested with most of the characters. It’s not that I didn’t like them but there just wasn’t enough to really get to know them. Ended a little flat. I wanted just one more chapter maybe? Loved Tim’s easy writing style though. Although, I did have a little question… do guys giggle? That threw me off.
In short: Love this horror! It has given me nightmares the last two nights! Definitely is the type to stick with you.
For a horror most of this was pretty tame. It was the aspect of the ratcheting horror that I enjoyed though. There were a lot of characters introduced as the evening wears on but mostly it’s the main character and he is trying desperately to keep his cool through some really weird times. He loses it a few times though. And once so badly that I wanted to kill him myself! I mean, my god!! What was he thinking!?
Really though, that’s the fun of these kinds of books. You get to see if someone is going to be a hero or if that fight or flight syndrome will kick into place. As the plot progresses it does get scarier and there are some moments that are just plain gory. But it wasn’t gore just to be in your face, it matched the storyline and where things were going.
Emotionally I wasn’t totally vested with most of the characters. It’s not that I didn’t like them but there just wasn’t enough to really get to know them. Ended a little flat. I wanted just one more chapter maybe? Loved Tim’s easy writing style though. Although, I did have a little question… do guys giggle? That threw me off.
In short: Love this horror! It has given me nightmares the last two nights! Definitely is the type to stick with you.
frantasticmissfox's review against another edition
4.0
Alien invasion? Sign me up! This book was an incredibly fun, entertaining read that combined humour with horror in a fantastic way. The aliens worked for me, they weren't always completely visible but their presence was felt and that helped to build up the atmosphere. The book had excellent tense moments and parts of the book genuinely scared me! When everyone was being pulled up by the cables and getting stuck to them, I found that wonderfully creepy and even more so, the entire time when Jon is actually on the ship, finding the dead people and their remains was gloriously gross and also terrifying .
There were only a few small gripes I had but that's to do with personal taste and is not a criticism of the author. I would've liked slightly more character development, so that I could feel slightly more attached to the characters. I also would've preferred a slightly longer ending, just so that a couple of things could be explored or maybe explained a bit more. Again, these are just to do with my personal tastes and I still really enjoyed the book.
This was my first Tim Curran book and it definitely won't be my last, I look forward to reading more of his works.
There were only a few small gripes I had but that's to do with personal taste and is not a criticism of the author. I would've liked slightly more character development, so that I could feel slightly more attached to the characters. I also would've preferred a slightly longer ending, just so that a couple of things could be explored or maybe explained a bit more. Again, these are just to do with my personal tastes and I still really enjoyed the book.
This was my first Tim Curran book and it definitely won't be my last, I look forward to reading more of his works.
charshorrorcorner's review against another edition
5.0
Mr. Curran asked if I would like to do a beta read of this book and I said HELL YEAH! This book is my favorite Curran story yet.
I don't want to say anything that could possibly ruin it for a potential reader but I can say this. A blackout is already a scary thing, right? Imagine a blackout where things start coming down from the sky. Have you read Curran's [b:Dead Sea|988783|Dead Sea|Tim Curran|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328764873s/988783.jpg|974276]? I feel like this book is Dead Sea from the sky. Unsettling as all get out.
Wildly imaginative and creative, Blackout is an example of fine dark fiction. You should buy this book the day it comes out. Really, you should.
I don't want to say anything that could possibly ruin it for a potential reader but I can say this. A blackout is already a scary thing, right? Imagine a blackout where things start coming down from the sky. Have you read Curran's [b:Dead Sea|988783|Dead Sea|Tim Curran|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328764873s/988783.jpg|974276]? I feel like this book is Dead Sea from the sky. Unsettling as all get out.
Wildly imaginative and creative, Blackout is an example of fine dark fiction. You should buy this book the day it comes out. Really, you should.
lauriereadslohf's review against another edition
5.0
“The story I am about to tell you is about what happened after the lights went out. I’m going to tell you what happened to your beautiful green world and the people that called it home. Understand, it’s not a happy story and there is no moral. It’s not that kind of story.”
True that.
Blackout starts out so normal. So very mundane, even. A bunch of middle class folks, in a middle class neighborhood have just finished up with a little get-together where one neighbor grabbed another wife’s butt and one wife got a bit too drunk for her own good. They could be anyone’s neighbors.And that’s what makes the book so damned frightening. This setup lulls you into thinking this could happen to you and this is why, when it all went to hell, I enjoyed it so much.
As night sets in a storm starts, the lights go out and sticky tentacles drop from the sky. Those who first peek outside to investigate don’t return. A small band of survivors are witness to atrocities beyond belief and to say much more would spoil the whole thing for you.
I’ll just say it’s fascinating and gruesome and so realistic it’ll probably make your skin crawl.
If you’re looking for an imaginative horror story with an ending that makes so much sense it will probably haunt you, you’ll be wanting to pick give this a read. I don’t think you’ll regret it.
True that.
Blackout starts out so normal. So very mundane, even. A bunch of middle class folks, in a middle class neighborhood have just finished up with a little get-together where one neighbor grabbed another wife’s butt and one wife got a bit too drunk for her own good. They could be anyone’s neighbors.And that’s what makes the book so damned frightening. This setup lulls you into thinking this could happen to you and this is why, when it all went to hell, I enjoyed it so much.
As night sets in a storm starts, the lights go out and sticky tentacles drop from the sky. Those who first peek outside to investigate don’t return. A small band of survivors are witness to atrocities beyond belief and to say much more would spoil the whole thing for you.
I’ll just say it’s fascinating and gruesome and so realistic it’ll probably make your skin crawl.
If you’re looking for an imaginative horror story with an ending that makes so much sense it will probably haunt you, you’ll be wanting to pick give this a read. I don’t think you’ll regret it.
bookswithtess's review against another edition
4.0
It’s a short one, but it’s a good one!
I wouldn’t mind reading this as a full novel (this one is 264ish pages)
Curran is really good at the claustrophobic feel, but also at the ET levels of horror.
I wouldn’t mind reading this as a full novel (this one is 264ish pages)
Curran is really good at the claustrophobic feel, but also at the ET levels of horror.
lilyn_g's review against another edition
3.0
Blackout had been on my TBR for what seemed like forever. I’d read the synopsis somewhere a couple years ago, and was fascinated, but I could never find the book in any of the stores or library around me. So, when I finally discovered it in the Kindle Unlimited selection, I was over-the-moon happy. I grabbed a drink, curled up in my reading spot on the couch, and prepared to immerse myself in potential greatness.
Curran has a serious talent for painting a creepy, utterly disturbing picture. He makes you believe that it could happen. You feel the disorientation of the main character as his whole world is flipped upside down. You’re thrown off balance by the behavior of the tentacles, as something about them just doesn’t quite make sense. However, settings and atmosphere aside, his characters could use a little work. Some of the reactions and general behaviors just really did not seem correct.
Blackout actually borders on being ‘too much’, but never quite crosses the line into outright campiness. I thoroughly enjoyed 90 percent of the story, engrossed in this nightmarish situation that had developed for the residents of Piccamore way, and was looking forward to an absolutely epic ending that would would finish off this horror tale with a dramatic flourish. I mean, its this beautifully creepy mix of The Mist and War of the Worlds, so I just expected something awesome.
…and then I actually read the ending. There wasn’t anything necessarily wrong with the ending, mind you. The twist at the end was actually kind of unsettling and definitely gross and added a new level of nightmarish to the tale. It was, however, a little empty. I felt like I’d been drug through the mud along with the main character, only to suddenly be thrust out of the story right at the best part and forced to watch how it ended from a distance. It was one of those endings that leave you feeling completely unsatisfied and vaguely disgruntled as you close the book. It brought my overall opinion of the book down significantly.
I still intend to read more of Curran’s work though. So I guess that says something!
Curran has a serious talent for painting a creepy, utterly disturbing picture. He makes you believe that it could happen. You feel the disorientation of the main character as his whole world is flipped upside down. You’re thrown off balance by the behavior of the tentacles, as something about them just doesn’t quite make sense. However, settings and atmosphere aside, his characters could use a little work. Some of the reactions and general behaviors just really did not seem correct.
Blackout actually borders on being ‘too much’, but never quite crosses the line into outright campiness. I thoroughly enjoyed 90 percent of the story, engrossed in this nightmarish situation that had developed for the residents of Piccamore way, and was looking forward to an absolutely epic ending that would would finish off this horror tale with a dramatic flourish. I mean, its this beautifully creepy mix of The Mist and War of the Worlds, so I just expected something awesome.
…and then I actually read the ending. There wasn’t anything necessarily wrong with the ending, mind you. The twist at the end was actually kind of unsettling and definitely gross and added a new level of nightmarish to the tale. It was, however, a little empty. I felt like I’d been drug through the mud along with the main character, only to suddenly be thrust out of the story right at the best part and forced to watch how it ended from a distance. It was one of those endings that leave you feeling completely unsatisfied and vaguely disgruntled as you close the book. It brought my overall opinion of the book down significantly.
I still intend to read more of Curran’s work though. So I guess that says something!
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