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em_harring's review
3.0
[2.5 stars rounded up]
I picked this up back in October because I wanted to make sure I read some Black horror; I certainly didn't think it would take me this long to finish the collection, but here we are.
Unfortunately, this collection just didn't work for me. There were some great stories, but there were also a lot of mid stories, and stories I just downright did not enjoy. The best stories are the first and last, in my opinion.
The best part about reading collections with different authors is that you, hopefully, walk away with some new authors to check out, and I did, so even if I didn't fully love my time with the collection as a whole, I'm excited to have some new Black horror writers to check out.
Individual ratings and quick thoughts below.
* "Summer" by Tananarive Due: 5/5--loved this story. It was the perfect length and revealed just enough.
* "And Death Rode With Him" by Anthony Beal: 3/5-- interesting concept, but felt quite repetitive. I think this would have worked better as a novella.
*Are You My Daddy?" by Lexi Davis: 2/5--did not like the main character, and ultimately just didn't find this story that interesting.
* "To Get Bread and Butter" by Randy Walker: 2/5--again, interesting concept, but just okay execution. Not really much substance.
* "Dream Girl" by Dameon Edwards: 1/5-- did not like this one, because again, I did not like the main character. He was insufferable.
* "My Sister's Keeper" by Chesya Burke: 3/5--definitely interested in reading more by Burke. I liked the family dynamics in this story, and it's ultimately more heartbreaking than horrifying.
* "The Wasp" by Robert Fleming: 3/5--good writing and I found it compelling--horrid circumstances for the MC.
* "Hell is for Children" by Rickey Windell George: 5/5--loved the writing and imagery in this one. Great concept.
*"Flight" by Lawana James-Holland: 2/5--just okay.
* "Hadley Shimmerhorn: American Icon" by Michael Boatman:3/5--decent zombie short story.
* "Nurse's Requiem" by Maurice Broaddus: 3/5--I wish this one had a bit more oomph, but really liked the concept.
* "Wet Pain" by Terence Taylor: 3.5/5--again, really liked the concept of this one, and would definitely check out more by this author.
*"The Taken" by Tenea Johnson: 3/5--interesting concept but unsure how I felt about the execution.
* "Mr. Bones" by Christopher Chambers: 2/5--I can appreciate what this one tried to do, but it didn't work for me.
* "RIP Crew" by B. Gordon Doyle: 1.5/5--didn't love the characters or the story.
* "Power and Purpose" by L.R. Giles: 3/5--fun and I liked the MC; the ending didn't quite stick the landing for me.
* "The love of a zombie is everlasting" by Tish Jackson: 2/5--liked the cheeky tone of this one, but it was just okay.
* "Ghosthunter" by Brandon Massey: 4/5--predictable, but fun. Good writing.
I picked this up back in October because I wanted to make sure I read some Black horror; I certainly didn't think it would take me this long to finish the collection, but here we are.
Unfortunately, this collection just didn't work for me. There were some great stories, but there were also a lot of mid stories, and stories I just downright did not enjoy. The best stories are the first and last, in my opinion.
The best part about reading collections with different authors is that you, hopefully, walk away with some new authors to check out, and I did, so even if I didn't fully love my time with the collection as a whole, I'm excited to have some new Black horror writers to check out.
Individual ratings and quick thoughts below.
* "Summer" by Tananarive Due: 5/5--loved this story. It was the perfect length and revealed just enough.
* "And Death Rode With Him" by Anthony Beal: 3/5-- interesting concept, but felt quite repetitive. I think this would have worked better as a novella.
*Are You My Daddy?" by Lexi Davis: 2/5--did not like the main character, and ultimately just didn't find this story that interesting.
* "To Get Bread and Butter" by Randy Walker: 2/5--again, interesting concept, but just okay execution. Not really much substance.
* "Dream Girl" by Dameon Edwards: 1/5-- did not like this one, because again, I did not like the main character. He was insufferable.
* "My Sister's Keeper" by Chesya Burke: 3/5--definitely interested in reading more by Burke. I liked the family dynamics in this story, and it's ultimately more heartbreaking than horrifying.
* "The Wasp" by Robert Fleming: 3/5--good writing and I found it compelling--horrid circumstances for the MC.
* "Hell is for Children" by Rickey Windell George: 5/5--loved the writing and imagery in this one. Great concept.
*"Flight" by Lawana James-Holland: 2/5--just okay.
* "Hadley Shimmerhorn: American Icon" by Michael Boatman:3/5--decent zombie short story.
* "Nurse's Requiem" by Maurice Broaddus: 3/5--I wish this one had a bit more oomph, but really liked the concept.
* "Wet Pain" by Terence Taylor: 3.5/5--again, really liked the concept of this one, and would definitely check out more by this author.
*"The Taken" by Tenea Johnson: 3/5--interesting concept but unsure how I felt about the execution.
* "Mr. Bones" by Christopher Chambers: 2/5--I can appreciate what this one tried to do, but it didn't work for me.
* "RIP Crew" by B. Gordon Doyle: 1.5/5--didn't love the characters or the story.
* "Power and Purpose" by L.R. Giles: 3/5--fun and I liked the MC; the ending didn't quite stick the landing for me.
* "The love of a zombie is everlasting" by Tish Jackson: 2/5--liked the cheeky tone of this one, but it was just okay.
* "Ghosthunter" by Brandon Massey: 4/5--predictable, but fun. Good writing.
effingunicorns's review
3.0
Like most anthologies, this one is pretty middle-of-the-road. I don't remember reading any stories I really and truly loved, but there were some interesting ideas in there.
mochagirl's review
4.0
Whispers In The Night is third in the Dark Dreams series featuring nineteen speculative short fiction stories from veteran and upcoming authors. Massey has done a credible job assembling a variety of stories that offer differing themes and varying degrees of horror which may also appeal to some suspense/mystery fans. He anchors the anthology with the traditional `old fashioned' ghost story opening with Tananarive Due transporting the reader to Florida just in time for the emergence of the swamp demons (Summer) and closes with his self-authored tale about visiting the cemetery to remedy writer's block (Ghostwriter) .
Massey fills the anthology with stories that have political or socially-conscious themes such as slave reparations (The Taken), drug use in the
inner-city (My Sister's Keeper), spousal (The Wasp) and child abuse (Hell Is For Children). Humor is sprinkled in the mix when a "special" boy looks for a father (Are You My Daddy?) and love is in the air when a zombie claims her soul mate (The Love of a Zombie Is Everlasting) . Spirituality is at the forefront when a man's faith in God is challenged by a demon (Nurse's Requiem), false and true prophets clash (Power and Purpose), and the aftereffects of internalized intra-race discrimination manifest themselves on an unsuspecting office worker (Scab).
Although I found most stories engaging, there were three tales that I thought were notable:
And Death Rode with Him by Anthony Beal - Paradise Pub, a gritty bar in the middle of a desert, has a television that only gets channel 66 and seemingly "permanent" patrons who routinely drown their sorrows in a powerful yet strange elixir.
WET PAIN by Terence Taylor - a very touching tale that reveals misery does indeed love company in a twist on how unconquered racism of yesteryear festers and destroys friendship, family, and community amid the atrocities of Hurricane Katrina.
Mr. Bones by Christopher Chambers - a timely tale that is appropriate in the wake of the Michael Richards/Don Imus controversies. It examines the tortured souls of minstrel show performers who "sold out" their own people with disastrous results only to find themselves reincarnated in a hellish cycle of torment as modern day rapper/hip hop artists.
While some stories appealed to me more than others, I found that this collection challenges the imagination and gets high marks for creativity. I think Massey was extremely successful in his attempt to showcase old and new talent in horror and speculative fiction. I will be on the look out for independent work from these writers as well as Dark Dreams IV.
Massey fills the anthology with stories that have political or socially-conscious themes such as slave reparations (The Taken), drug use in the
inner-city (My Sister's Keeper), spousal (The Wasp) and child abuse (Hell Is For Children). Humor is sprinkled in the mix when a "special" boy looks for a father (Are You My Daddy?) and love is in the air when a zombie claims her soul mate (The Love of a Zombie Is Everlasting) . Spirituality is at the forefront when a man's faith in God is challenged by a demon (Nurse's Requiem), false and true prophets clash (Power and Purpose), and the aftereffects of internalized intra-race discrimination manifest themselves on an unsuspecting office worker (Scab).
Although I found most stories engaging, there were three tales that I thought were notable:
And Death Rode with Him by Anthony Beal - Paradise Pub, a gritty bar in the middle of a desert, has a television that only gets channel 66 and seemingly "permanent" patrons who routinely drown their sorrows in a powerful yet strange elixir.
WET PAIN by Terence Taylor - a very touching tale that reveals misery does indeed love company in a twist on how unconquered racism of yesteryear festers and destroys friendship, family, and community amid the atrocities of Hurricane Katrina.
Mr. Bones by Christopher Chambers - a timely tale that is appropriate in the wake of the Michael Richards/Don Imus controversies. It examines the tortured souls of minstrel show performers who "sold out" their own people with disastrous results only to find themselves reincarnated in a hellish cycle of torment as modern day rapper/hip hop artists.
While some stories appealed to me more than others, I found that this collection challenges the imagination and gets high marks for creativity. I think Massey was extremely successful in his attempt to showcase old and new talent in horror and speculative fiction. I will be on the look out for independent work from these writers as well as Dark Dreams IV.
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