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abrswf's review against another edition
3.0
This collection of tales about bad things happening on airplane is a quick read and not bad overall, but there’s nothing really great in the array.
rynisreading's review against another edition
2.0
A couple of good stories in here but overall... didn’t love them.
k_rose95's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to love this anthology, I really did. Some of the stories were just... Lack luster.
The true gem in this collection though, the reason I'd read the book again, was Joe Hill's, "You are Released". Heartbreaking, horrifying, and thought provoking all at once. And while I truly love Stephen King and all his work (including his short story in this anthology), Joe Hill stole this show.
The true gem in this collection though, the reason I'd read the book again, was Joe Hill's, "You are Released". Heartbreaking, horrifying, and thought provoking all at once. And while I truly love Stephen King and all his work (including his short story in this anthology), Joe Hill stole this show.
jenmcvay's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.75
ashgosmash's review against another edition
3.0
Some of these stories I absolutely loved but unfortunately there were more "just okay" stories and that brought the overall quality down for me. I'd still say it's worth reading though!
trudilibrarian's review against another edition
3.0
I hate to fly (HATE). I am the textbook white-knuckle flyer who really believes gripping the seat rests and concentrating really hard is what keeps the plane from plummeting 40,000 feet straight into the ground or ocean (or into the side of a mountain). It hasn't gotten easier over the years, to the point where I have considered hypnotherapy -- but the woo-woo of hypnosis and the dreadful doors THAT could open also doesn't appeal to me.
So because flying is one of my lizard brain primal fears, it's no surprise an anthology wholly dedicated to this insane thing humans do thousands of times a day all over the world (let ourselves be hurtled through space defying gravity at crazy speeds in an object that weighs on average 87 tons) would have its dark, mesmeric appeal.
And it's an okay collection. I wish I could give it a more expansive, enthusiastic recommendation, but it's really just okay. King and Joe Hill fans will be pleased that there's new material here but even their contributions aren't anything to flip out over. Both men have written MUCH stronger short stories in the past. This isn't in league with their best work so curb your expectations going in.
Some stories are reprinted classics like Matheson's excellent Nightmare at 20,000 Feet, the source material for one of the best Twilight Zone episodes (it's always fun to re-visit that one). There's also an Arthur Conan Doyle entry that's a sharp departure from his Sherlock Holmes stuff and ventures into Lovecraftian territory.
My favorite entry comes from Dan Simmons called Two Minutes Forty-Five Seconds. It's short, plays with time travel and packs a darkly fun punch that's very Twilight Zone, Night Gallery. And bonus -- I found it online for free if you want to read it without tracking down a copy of this collection.
Ooops! Made a mistake here that I have to fix - got my stories mixed up. My favorite is actually Lucifer! by E.C. Tubb available for free here. It's this classic short story (not the one by Dan Simmons) that plays with time travel and is very Twilight Zone, Night Gallery.
So make sure your seat back and folding trays are in their full upright positions. Keep those seat belts fastened as we will be flying through some heavy turbulence. And whatever you do, do not look out the window. Happy flying!
So because flying is one of my lizard brain primal fears, it's no surprise an anthology wholly dedicated to this insane thing humans do thousands of times a day all over the world (let ourselves be hurtled through space defying gravity at crazy speeds in an object that weighs on average 87 tons) would have its dark, mesmeric appeal.
And it's an okay collection. I wish I could give it a more expansive, enthusiastic recommendation, but it's really just okay. King and Joe Hill fans will be pleased that there's new material here but even their contributions aren't anything to flip out over. Both men have written MUCH stronger short stories in the past. This isn't in league with their best work so curb your expectations going in.
Some stories are reprinted classics like Matheson's excellent Nightmare at 20,000 Feet, the source material for one of the best Twilight Zone episodes (it's always fun to re-visit that one). There's also an Arthur Conan Doyle entry that's a sharp departure from his Sherlock Holmes stuff and ventures into Lovecraftian territory.
Ooops! Made a mistake here that I have to fix - got my stories mixed up. My favorite is actually Lucifer! by E.C. Tubb available for free here. It's this classic short story (not the one by Dan Simmons) that plays with time travel and is very Twilight Zone, Night Gallery.
So make sure your seat back and folding trays are in their full upright positions. Keep those seat belts fastened as we will be flying through some heavy turbulence. And whatever you do, do not look out the window. Happy flying!
skiracechick's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting collection of short stories about flying/airplanes.
masteryoda716's review against another edition
3.0
As with most short story collections there are some really solid stories in here and some that were just ok. Overall I do feel it's pretty solid and I was surprised to find out that it wasn't just a new collection of tales but mostly composed of previously published stories including authors by the likes of Bradbury, Matheson, Dahl, and even Conan Doyle! Flight or Fright is a good collection of mainly horrific tales that take place on planes.
organchordsandlightning's review against another edition
4.0
In general, I wish there were more books like this. I guess the closest thing that would come similar is themed literary magazines, though usually those are rather short? I just wish that there were more thick horror books about a particular idea. The fear of flying is so pervasive in culture that each story can focus on a distinct aspect of it.
That being said, as one might expect from an anthology, some stories held my attention more than others. Joe Hill's piece was my personal favorite (actually my first introduction to Joe Hill!). Short, quick, with strikingly memorable characters and a fantastic frightening premise. I also really liked the one about the demon on the wing just for a weakness to psychological horror. Arthur Conan Doyle's was also good fun.
The military-focused ones were a little more of a slog to get through - I can entirely understand why they were put in the anthology, as you might imagine how fear of flying and military would mix.
That being said, as one might expect from an anthology, some stories held my attention more than others. Joe Hill's piece was my personal favorite (actually my first introduction to Joe Hill!). Short, quick, with strikingly memorable characters and a fantastic frightening premise. I also really liked the one about the demon on the wing just for a weakness to psychological horror. Arthur Conan Doyle's was also good fun.
The military-focused ones were a little more of a slog to get through - I can entirely understand why they were put in the anthology, as you might imagine how fear of flying and military would mix.