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wensa's review
4.0
Short stories are an art form that few writters, these days, have the talent to pull off. It is a talent of taking a story and being able to flesh it out (give it a beginning, middle, and an end) in few words. This collection showcases a few of the rare authors who have this talent.
Stephen King's Weeds, for instance, is an older story. King has always been blessed with a talent for great story telling and his telling never lacks when it comes to short story form. Weeds was made into a short film for the movie Creepshow, and here it is in print form.
Then there is Kelley Armstrong. I've been a reader of her Otherworld series for years now and her talent for a good story always pulls me in. In this short story we see stalking and abduction in the face of the question "who can you ever really trust?" and "how much is too much?".
Other stories in the series include questions of sanity when you are told you are not sane, what would you do situations when you wake up chained to a psychopath who is driven by rage, or when ask to spy on your neighbors and keep it from those you love.
If you enjoy suspense in shortstory form then this collection has something for you. Give it a try.
Stephen King's Weeds, for instance, is an older story. King has always been blessed with a talent for great story telling and his telling never lacks when it comes to short story form. Weeds was made into a short film for the movie Creepshow, and here it is in print form.
Then there is Kelley Armstrong. I've been a reader of her Otherworld series for years now and her talent for a good story always pulls me in. In this short story we see stalking and abduction in the face of the question "who can you ever really trust?" and "how much is too much?".
Other stories in the series include questions of sanity when you are told you are not sane, what would you do situations when you wake up chained to a psychopath who is driven by rage, or when ask to spy on your neighbors and keep it from those you love.
If you enjoy suspense in shortstory form then this collection has something for you. Give it a try.
alwroteabook's review
5.0
This is the first in what is now a long-running horror anthology and pulled in some big names for its opening salvo, headlined by Stephen King. Instead of an overall review, I'll just go through each of the stories. Needless to say, like most anthologies, not all tales are equal:
Weeds, by Stephen King - Wow! A Stephen King story nearly as old as I am. This was from 1976 and is pretty darn good. When a meteor lands near Jordy's house, he does what all of us Darwin Award candidates would, he rushes out and touches it. His body starts to change, and his cosy life starts to spiral out of control. This is a fun story, with a Lovecraft vibe (like the Colour Out of Space), and definitely one for King completists.
The Price You Pay, by Kelley Armstrong - This was probably my favourite, a time-spanning tale of loyalty and revenge. I haven't read any of Armstrong's books before (and I guess I still haven't), but if her novels are as good as her short stories, I've been missing out. Time to fix it.
Magic Eyes, by Bill Pronzini - Edward has been branded insane and institutionalized but is he actually insane. It's hard to tell, as only he can see the danger that is coming. Even he has his doubts, but can he get anyone to heed his warnings, just in case This was a pretty good story, keeping us guessing as to the reality of the situaiton until the end.
Murder in Chains by Simon Clark - In a take on Saw, a bunch of people wake up in chains in a locked room. How did they get there, who is the hulking giant, and to what lengths will they go to escape. Another worthy addition to this collection, the real horror isn't necessarily the captor.
The Watched, by Ramsey Campbell - I must be honest, I drifted off listening to this one. It's about a kid who does a bad thing and finds out someone saw him. The person doesn't tell tales though, but instead runs the kid through the wringer.
Overall, not the best anthology ever, but a decent bunch fo short stories all the same. It's not a particularly long, so if you have a couple of hours to spare, you could do a lot worse.
Weeds, by Stephen King - Wow! A Stephen King story nearly as old as I am. This was from 1976 and is pretty darn good. When a meteor lands near Jordy's house, he does what all of us Darwin Award candidates would, he rushes out and touches it. His body starts to change, and his cosy life starts to spiral out of control. This is a fun story, with a Lovecraft vibe (like the Colour Out of Space), and definitely one for King completists.
The Price You Pay, by Kelley Armstrong - This was probably my favourite, a time-spanning tale of loyalty and revenge. I haven't read any of Armstrong's books before (and I guess I still haven't), but if her novels are as good as her short stories, I've been missing out. Time to fix it.
Magic Eyes, by Bill Pronzini - Edward has been branded insane and institutionalized but is he actually insane. It's hard to tell, as only he can see the danger that is coming. Even he has his doubts, but can he get anyone to heed his warnings, just in case This was a pretty good story, keeping us guessing as to the reality of the situaiton until the end.
Murder in Chains by Simon Clark - In a take on Saw, a bunch of people wake up in chains in a locked room. How did they get there, who is the hulking giant, and to what lengths will they go to escape. Another worthy addition to this collection, the real horror isn't necessarily the captor.
The Watched, by Ramsey Campbell - I must be honest, I drifted off listening to this one. It's about a kid who does a bad thing and finds out someone saw him. The person doesn't tell tales though, but instead runs the kid through the wringer.
Overall, not the best anthology ever, but a decent bunch fo short stories all the same. It's not a particularly long, so if you have a couple of hours to spare, you could do a lot worse.
jeanne25's review
4.0
There are only 5 stories per volume. There was only 1 story which I truly disliked. Would have loved to give the book a 3.5 rating but I felt it deserved more than a 3.
charshorrorcorner's review
4.0
This anthology consists of short stories by Stephen King, Kelley Armstrong, Bill Pronzini, Simon Clark and Ramsey Campbell. How could a reader go wrong?
The Stephen King story "Weeds" was part of the movie Creepshow. This is the one in which the King himself starred, where the meteor fell to earth in the man's backyard. In the movie, I thought the tale was hokey, but in the book I liked it more. We are privy to more of Jordy's inner thoughts, which makes it funnier, but at the same time, sadder.
All the stories in this collection were pretty good, but I enjoyed the Pronzini tale, "Magic Eyes" the most. In my mind I called it the Diary of a Madman.
There are only 5 shorts in this collection, so it can be read in no time at all. You won't find anything here to blow your mind, but these tales are well written, fun to read, and a great way to kill a winter afternoon.
Recommended for fans of short story collections and dark fiction!
I received a free ebook copy from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. This is it.
The Stephen King story "Weeds" was part of the movie Creepshow. This is the one in which the King himself starred, where the meteor fell to earth in the man's backyard. In the movie, I thought the tale was hokey, but in the book I liked it more. We are privy to more of Jordy's inner thoughts, which makes it funnier, but at the same time, sadder.
All the stories in this collection were pretty good, but I enjoyed the Pronzini tale, "Magic Eyes" the most. In my mind I called it the Diary of a Madman.
There are only 5 shorts in this collection, so it can be read in no time at all. You won't find anything here to blow your mind, but these tales are well written, fun to read, and a great way to kill a winter afternoon.
Recommended for fans of short story collections and dark fiction!
I received a free ebook copy from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. This is it.
amia's review
5.0
This is a book of short stories written by some of the best horror writers around. Therefore, prepare to be terrified, shocked and possibly sickened. Some of these could be based on true stories. The kind you ignore or turn off when it's reported on the news. But I promise the news NEVER has this kind of details. If horror is one of your favorite reads - go get this one.
mikekaz's review
4.0
This book is a collection of short stories from five big names in the horror field. While Armstrong and Pronzini are not on my must read list, they are immediately recognized by me for putting out good quality stories. Campbell and King have both been on my favorite authors list for ages. Clark is one of the newer additions to that favorite authors list but he's still solid in his placement there. There is no theme to this collection other than good stories. Unfortunately not all the stories are good ones. Since there are only five stories, I'll vary my usual approach of listing my favorites and give some comments on each one. In order of my least favorite to the best of the bunch.
"Weeds" by Stephen King - While the story might be consider long lost due to not being published in years, it should also be a familiar story to most Stephen King fans. It is essentially "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill" from Creepshow where Jordy is played by Stephen King himself. Probably since the story was written in 1976, it is dated as you read it. And I don't just mean technology or anything like that; the story itself reads as being dated. It probably would have been fine within a collection of older stories but to me, it sticks out like a sore thumb as the worst of the bunch.
"Magic Eyes" by Bill Pronzini - What disappointed me the most about this story was the lost potential. A man is locked in an asylum and considered insane for the actions he took against his wife. We get a nice dive into his mental well-being, or not-so-well-being as the case may be. And then we get some nice lead ups to good horror. And then it just closed quickly. The ending was good with regards to it being a short-story and left a little bit of a chill but I felt that the little chill we got as a reward was not equal to the buildup we got.
"The Watched" by Ramsey Campbell - This story was a traditional ghost story with a modern remix to it. Not overly spooky but all the right ingredients were there. I think the only thing missing was a bit more of a connection to one of the characters. I just wasn't pulled in to it.
"The Price You Pay" by Kelley Armstrong - Another traditional story but this time a thriller with a modern twist instead of a ghost story. In addition to being able to connect to the main characters, this story pulled me in faster. I was quickly involved and part of the action. There were a few points that pulled me back out but nothing significant. And while I should have, I didn't see the twist at the end coming.
"Murder in Chains" by Simon Clark - Easily the best of the bunch. I was pulled in from the start and not let go the whole time. I was constantly part of the action. And I desperately wanted to know what was going to happen next. While I wanted the protagonist to make different choices, I found that I was making the same choices as he was. A frustration that kept me further involved. From this story it is easy to see why Simon Clark is on my must read list!
"Weeds" by Stephen King - While the story might be consider long lost due to not being published in years, it should also be a familiar story to most Stephen King fans. It is essentially "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill" from Creepshow where Jordy is played by Stephen King himself. Probably since the story was written in 1976, it is dated as you read it. And I don't just mean technology or anything like that; the story itself reads as being dated. It probably would have been fine within a collection of older stories but to me, it sticks out like a sore thumb as the worst of the bunch.
"Magic Eyes" by Bill Pronzini - What disappointed me the most about this story was the lost potential. A man is locked in an asylum and considered insane for the actions he took against his wife. We get a nice dive into his mental well-being, or not-so-well-being as the case may be. And then we get some nice lead ups to good horror. And then it just closed quickly. The ending was good with regards to it being a short-story and left a little bit of a chill but I felt that the little chill we got as a reward was not equal to the buildup we got.
"The Watched" by Ramsey Campbell - This story was a traditional ghost story with a modern remix to it. Not overly spooky but all the right ingredients were there. I think the only thing missing was a bit more of a connection to one of the characters. I just wasn't pulled in to it.
"The Price You Pay" by Kelley Armstrong - Another traditional story but this time a thriller with a modern twist instead of a ghost story. In addition to being able to connect to the main characters, this story pulled me in faster. I was quickly involved and part of the action. There were a few points that pulled me back out but nothing significant. And while I should have, I didn't see the twist at the end coming.
"Murder in Chains" by Simon Clark - Easily the best of the bunch. I was pulled in from the start and not let go the whole time. I was constantly part of the action. And I desperately wanted to know what was going to happen next. While I wanted the protagonist to make different choices, I found that I was making the same choices as he was. A frustration that kept me further involved. From this story it is easy to see why Simon Clark is on my must read list!
ronweston's review
4.0
This is the first volume of a new small eBook anthology series edited by Richard T. Chizmar and Brian James Freeman. From this selection it seems that Dark Screams has the potential to be very good. I have a few caveats which I mention below but if the quality of writers, and their stories, continues to be of high caliber, future volumes may be highly anticipated.
The first story, "Weeds" is a reprint of an old Stephen King tale that hasn't appeared in one of his collections and is probably best remembered as the opening sequence of the film Creepshow. It is a good example of King's "hick humor" and is a fun read, especially as a variation of Lovecraft's "The Colour Out of Space."
"The Price of You Pay" is the first story by Kelley Armstrong that I have read. It is a nasty little piece at heart and very well written. Taking into consideration the "twist" (which I did see coming) at the end, Armstrong does play a little loose with how she describes the wife's ordeal and the wife's reactions. The story is quite powerful and very true to its title.
Bill Pronzini's "Magic Eyes" is a well-written tale. This madman's therapeutic journal was a treat. Again the ending was no surprise, but Pronzini never fails.
For a while I thought this eBook had a theme of possession but then came the last two tales.
Until the end of "Murder in Chains" by Simon Clark, I expected the story to be the anthology winner with its breathless, breakneck pace, but its "living nightmare" conclusion was nothing but a head scratcher for me. Even though I liked much of the story telling, I much prefer to have a complete story rather than an extended vignette.
I really like Ramsey Campbell and "The Watched", though not as powerful a tale as I hoped it would be, was a solid chiller. There are some fine atmospheric descriptions; the image of the wet swaths and smears along the building are evocative; the final scene is chilling; and a sense of dread permeates the tale.
I received a free pre-release copy of this eBook for an honest review.
The first story, "Weeds" is a reprint of an old Stephen King tale that hasn't appeared in one of his collections and is probably best remembered as the opening sequence of the film Creepshow. It is a good example of King's "hick humor" and is a fun read, especially as a variation of Lovecraft's "The Colour Out of Space."
"The Price of You Pay" is the first story by Kelley Armstrong that I have read. It is a nasty little piece at heart and very well written. Taking into consideration the "twist" (which I did see coming) at the end, Armstrong does play a little loose with how she describes the wife's ordeal and the wife's reactions. The story is quite powerful and very true to its title.
Bill Pronzini's "Magic Eyes" is a well-written tale. This madman's therapeutic journal was a treat. Again the ending was no surprise, but Pronzini never fails.
For a while I thought this eBook had a theme of possession but then came the last two tales.
Until the end of "Murder in Chains" by Simon Clark, I expected the story to be the anthology winner with its breathless, breakneck pace, but its "living nightmare" conclusion was nothing but a head scratcher for me. Even though I liked much of the story telling, I much prefer to have a complete story rather than an extended vignette.
I really like Ramsey Campbell and "The Watched", though not as powerful a tale as I hoped it would be, was a solid chiller. There are some fine atmospheric descriptions; the image of the wet swaths and smears along the building are evocative; the final scene is chilling; and a sense of dread permeates the tale.
I received a free pre-release copy of this eBook for an honest review.
alexctelander's review
3.0
Ebooks have and are continuing to change the way we read books, with shorter chapters and a growing popularity in short stories, ideal for reading on your particular ereader on the go just about anywhere. When it comes to horror, you want to make sure you find a good story to enjoy, and the first volume of Dark Screams features some big names in the genre and at a very reasonable price.
The opening story and high-point of the collection, “Weeds” by one Stephen King, is about a meteor that crashes to the earth and the weedy alien life upon it begins to grow in this world as well as on one of its inhabitants. The next story keeps the thrill and chill going with “The Price You Pay” by Kelley Armstrong about the price of debts, and how some can never be repaid.
Sadly, the collection goes downhill from there with the remaining three stories from Bill Pronzini, Simon Clark and Ramsey Campbell doing little to stimulate the mind and are just dark and don’t really go anywhere whether it’s about a strange member of an asylum or a doomed person trapped in a chamber of torture. Nevertheless, Dark Screams: Volume One is worth the read for a reader looking to experiment in the genre.
Originally written on December 8, 2014 ©Alex C. Telander.
For more reviews, check out the BookBanter site.
The opening story and high-point of the collection, “Weeds” by one Stephen King, is about a meteor that crashes to the earth and the weedy alien life upon it begins to grow in this world as well as on one of its inhabitants. The next story keeps the thrill and chill going with “The Price You Pay” by Kelley Armstrong about the price of debts, and how some can never be repaid.
Sadly, the collection goes downhill from there with the remaining three stories from Bill Pronzini, Simon Clark and Ramsey Campbell doing little to stimulate the mind and are just dark and don’t really go anywhere whether it’s about a strange member of an asylum or a doomed person trapped in a chamber of torture. Nevertheless, Dark Screams: Volume One is worth the read for a reader looking to experiment in the genre.
Originally written on December 8, 2014 ©Alex C. Telander.
For more reviews, check out the BookBanter site.
mlhalsey's review
5.0
Why do scary stories always go down so much easier than non-fiction histories? Weeds is classic Stephen King; The Price You Pay explores the mind & motivations of a person stuck in a series of abusive relationships; Magic Eyes has a healthy dose of Lovecraft; Murder in Chains has an equally healthy dose of Poe; and The Watched seemed inspired by Stephen King. It's a fabulous set of stories.
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