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thomaswjoyce's review against another edition
4.0
A great debut collection from Thorn, showcasing his versatility and range. There are stories of body horror and psychological horror, terrifying creatures and disturbing human behaviour. His prose is captivating throughout, striking the perfect balance of intelligent insight and horrific action. The final story, "Remembering Absence", is an incredible piece of work that pulsates with pure, raw emotion. Different from the stories that came before, but incredibly well-written. I look forward to reading more fiction from Thorn. I only wish I hadn't waited this long to read the first collection.
motherhorror's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you to Mike Thorn for sending this collection to me in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Mindi for the buddy read! Even though she blew through it like overnight or something and we only talked about the first story, Ha!
That first story!! Whoa! What a way to start a collection. These short stories show the author's incredible range and versatility. Some of these stories will give you the heebie-jeebies, some will make you cringe, others are slow and methodical-psychological; still others are gross and feel like a campfire tale. One thing is the same: Originality.
I've never read anything like them! The author has a very wicked imagination. I also felt like Thorn is very much influenced by his passion for cinema. You can read my "activity" for play-by-play reactions to every story as I finished them but for this review, I'm just going to say that I very much enjoyed this collection and I am eager to read more by this talented voice in horror and dark fiction!
That first story!! Whoa! What a way to start a collection. These short stories show the author's incredible range and versatility. Some of these stories will give you the heebie-jeebies, some will make you cringe, others are slow and methodical-psychological; still others are gross and feel like a campfire tale. One thing is the same: Originality.
I've never read anything like them! The author has a very wicked imagination. I also felt like Thorn is very much influenced by his passion for cinema. You can read my "activity" for play-by-play reactions to every story as I finished them but for this review, I'm just going to say that I very much enjoyed this collection and I am eager to read more by this talented voice in horror and dark fiction!
charshorrorcorner's review against another edition
5.0
On top of having this super cool cover, within these pages I discovered some of the best short, dark fiction I've read in a long while! Let's talk about it, shall we?
When I was young and couldn't afford bookstores, I often went to the library. (I still do, actually, because I love them, not because I have to.) I developed a love of horror back then, but our library's collection consisted of about two shelves. Once I read those, I started reading all of their anthologies and collections, in the hopes of finding new authors. In this way, I discovered Richard Matheson, Steve Rasnic Tem, Dennis Etchison, Ray Bradbury and other writers that I still love to this day. DARKEST HOURS brought me back to that time of discovery-horror and dark fiction in all of its glorious, different forms. Reading this collection made me feel like a kid again.
This volume begins with the story HAIR. I knew right then that this book was going to be a force to be reckoned with. Coming unapologetically out of left field, Thorn hits you with this tale of unstoppable hair and then moves on to something out of right field, just to keep you off balance.
THE AUTEUR It's important to know who you're talking to when you ask for horror recommendations from people. You may find out a little too much about them otherwise, but by then it might be too late. Hair plays a role in this story too. (P.S. Always feel free to ask me for horror recs. You're safe with me. But employees from Verne's Video? Watch out for them!)
CHOO CHOO This story felt like it came out of one of those early collections that I loved so much. With an ending so unexpected that it felt like I got hit by a train, this tale made me laugh out loud with glee.
LONG MAN I never thought anything could compete against the Long Walker in my imagination. (Thank you to Nick Cutter's Little Heaven for that.) But now, now we have Long Man. He's even scarier-trust me on this.
ECONOMY THESE DAYS Here again is another story, completely different, completely unlike any other story here. How much physical abuse would you be willing to take to pay your bills? What would that abusive job look like? Of what would a promotion consist? This tale proposes answers to all of those things and oddly, I don't think it's that far out of the realm of possibility.
SABBATICAL If I hadn't felt the spirit of Stephen King in this story, the main character's names of Thad and Gage would've put me in mind of him anyway. I cannot describe this story, but it was just so much fun it made me want to do some kind of dance-the dance of my dark fiction people. The dance is delightful and it's only brought on by the best and most twisted of tales. This is one of them.
"Stars will collapse and new lights will prick through the sky, and screaming will not help."
SCHLUTER The most disturbing story I've ever read was written by Michael Blumlein who is a doctor. (Trust me when I say I have read some VERY disturbing stories.) I found it disturbing because in some universe it could happen. SCHLUTER has now taken THE MOST DISTURBING STORY EVER medal. What that medal would look like, I don't want to know, but Mike Thorn owns it. Take this one little harmless sentence for instance:
His mind screamed, but his sutured lips twitched noiselessly.
If that sentence doesn't bother you, okay then, to each his own. However, if that sentence makes you want to run out and buy this book, heed your feelings, man! You won't be disappointed.
There are a few themes that became apparent throughout this book, academia being the one that surprised me the most, but also: hair. I don't remember ever reading a collection where simple hair is used in such a menacing, disgusting, or just mentioned in passing but still in a creepy-as-hell- kind of way.
Okay then-to sum up: disturbing tales? Check! A wide-ranging variety of stories? Check! Extremely well written? Check! It almost seems like this collection was written with me in mind-it was so perfect for me that I don't even know what else to say. Well, other than this: I think Mike Thorn is an author to watch. I think he's going to do great things in the world of horror and dark fiction, and I for one, will be there to watch it. Will you?
My highest recommendation. Period. Get a copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Darkest-Hours-Mike-Thorn-ebook/dp/B076Q5QWRG/chashorcor-20
*I was provided an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.*
When I was young and couldn't afford bookstores, I often went to the library. (I still do, actually, because I love them, not because I have to.) I developed a love of horror back then, but our library's collection consisted of about two shelves. Once I read those, I started reading all of their anthologies and collections, in the hopes of finding new authors. In this way, I discovered Richard Matheson, Steve Rasnic Tem, Dennis Etchison, Ray Bradbury and other writers that I still love to this day. DARKEST HOURS brought me back to that time of discovery-horror and dark fiction in all of its glorious, different forms. Reading this collection made me feel like a kid again.
This volume begins with the story HAIR. I knew right then that this book was going to be a force to be reckoned with. Coming unapologetically out of left field, Thorn hits you with this tale of unstoppable hair and then moves on to something out of right field, just to keep you off balance.
THE AUTEUR It's important to know who you're talking to when you ask for horror recommendations from people. You may find out a little too much about them otherwise, but by then it might be too late. Hair plays a role in this story too. (P.S. Always feel free to ask me for horror recs. You're safe with me. But employees from Verne's Video? Watch out for them!)
CHOO CHOO This story felt like it came out of one of those early collections that I loved so much. With an ending so unexpected that it felt like I got hit by a train, this tale made me laugh out loud with glee.
LONG MAN I never thought anything could compete against the Long Walker in my imagination. (Thank you to Nick Cutter's Little Heaven for that.) But now, now we have Long Man. He's even scarier-trust me on this.
ECONOMY THESE DAYS Here again is another story, completely different, completely unlike any other story here. How much physical abuse would you be willing to take to pay your bills? What would that abusive job look like? Of what would a promotion consist? This tale proposes answers to all of those things and oddly, I don't think it's that far out of the realm of possibility.
SABBATICAL If I hadn't felt the spirit of Stephen King in this story, the main character's names of Thad and Gage would've put me in mind of him anyway. I cannot describe this story, but it was just so much fun it made me want to do some kind of dance-the dance of my dark fiction people. The dance is delightful and it's only brought on by the best and most twisted of tales. This is one of them.
"Stars will collapse and new lights will prick through the sky, and screaming will not help."
SCHLUTER The most disturbing story I've ever read was written by Michael Blumlein who is a doctor. (Trust me when I say I have read some VERY disturbing stories.) I found it disturbing because in some universe it could happen. SCHLUTER has now taken THE MOST DISTURBING STORY EVER medal. What that medal would look like, I don't want to know, but Mike Thorn owns it. Take this one little harmless sentence for instance:
His mind screamed, but his sutured lips twitched noiselessly.
If that sentence doesn't bother you, okay then, to each his own. However, if that sentence makes you want to run out and buy this book, heed your feelings, man! You won't be disappointed.
There are a few themes that became apparent throughout this book, academia being the one that surprised me the most, but also: hair. I don't remember ever reading a collection where simple hair is used in such a menacing, disgusting, or just mentioned in passing but still in a creepy-as-hell- kind of way.
Okay then-to sum up: disturbing tales? Check! A wide-ranging variety of stories? Check! Extremely well written? Check! It almost seems like this collection was written with me in mind-it was so perfect for me that I don't even know what else to say. Well, other than this: I think Mike Thorn is an author to watch. I think he's going to do great things in the world of horror and dark fiction, and I for one, will be there to watch it. Will you?
My highest recommendation. Period. Get a copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Darkest-Hours-Mike-Thorn-ebook/dp/B076Q5QWRG/chashorcor-20
*I was provided an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.*
exorcismemily's review against another edition
4.0
"You invited horror into your life...Now it's your chance to really embrace it."
Darkest Hours is an amazing collection. There are stories that are spooky, funny, mysterious, absolutely disgusting, and so much more. I truly enjoyed reading this collection.
Darkest Hours opens with a story called Hair, and Mike Thorn kicks you in the face with an introduction to the disturbing shit that is about to come. It was a bold choice to put as the first one, and it totally worked.
My top 5 stories were Mictian Diabolus, The Auteur, Choo-Choo, Sabbatical, and Fusion. All 5 of these unsettled me in some way, and I loved it. I rated all of the stories in the book between 3-5⭐, so this is a good collection. There isn't a bad story here.
I hope that Mike Thorn has more coming for us - Darkest Hours was so much fun, and I'll be picking up whatever he does next. Thank you so much for sending me Darkest Hours, Mike!
Darkest Hours is an amazing collection. There are stories that are spooky, funny, mysterious, absolutely disgusting, and so much more. I truly enjoyed reading this collection.
Darkest Hours opens with a story called Hair, and Mike Thorn kicks you in the face with an introduction to the disturbing shit that is about to come. It was a bold choice to put as the first one, and it totally worked.
My top 5 stories were Mictian Diabolus, The Auteur, Choo-Choo, Sabbatical, and Fusion. All 5 of these unsettled me in some way, and I loved it. I rated all of the stories in the book between 3-5⭐, so this is a good collection. There isn't a bad story here.
I hope that Mike Thorn has more coming for us - Darkest Hours was so much fun, and I'll be picking up whatever he does next. Thank you so much for sending me Darkest Hours, Mike!
brinocheeze's review against another edition
5.0
“Horror is the truth.”
Mike Thorn is brilliant and truly talented and it shows in this incredible collection of short stories.
I’ve found a new love for Canadian writers recently and I’m adding Mike Thorn to that list!
The author displays different forms of horror in each story. We see an assortment of creepy, gore-fests, psychological and comedic horror.
The first story “Hair” was a beautiful way to begin this collection. It was down right creepy and gross. Mitcian Diabolus, The Auteur, and Lucio Schluter were definitely my top three. There was not a single story I did not enjoy which is extremely rare in short story collections for me.
Overall, this collection of short stories was outstanding. I’m so happy I got the opportunity to read this book, it’s been on my radar for a while. I look forward to reading more of Mike Thorn’s work in the future. I definitely recommend this to horror fans, you will not be disappointed!
Thank you so much Mike Thorn for sending me a copy of Darkest Hours in an exchange for an honest review
Mike Thorn is brilliant and truly talented and it shows in this incredible collection of short stories.
I’ve found a new love for Canadian writers recently and I’m adding Mike Thorn to that list!
The author displays different forms of horror in each story. We see an assortment of creepy, gore-fests, psychological and comedic horror.
The first story “Hair” was a beautiful way to begin this collection. It was down right creepy and gross. Mitcian Diabolus, The Auteur, and Lucio Schluter were definitely my top three. There was not a single story I did not enjoy which is extremely rare in short story collections for me.
Overall, this collection of short stories was outstanding. I’m so happy I got the opportunity to read this book, it’s been on my radar for a while. I look forward to reading more of Mike Thorn’s work in the future. I definitely recommend this to horror fans, you will not be disappointed!
Thank you so much Mike Thorn for sending me a copy of Darkest Hours in an exchange for an honest review
thaatswhatsheread's review against another edition
5.0
This was a great short story collection. There was a lot of variety in the kinds of short stories and types of horror that are explored. When it comes to favorites, there is no way I couldn't mention the story that opens up the collection, Hair. Let me just say, you'd be wise not to read that story while eating. Some other stories that I adored were: Mictian Diabolus, Fear and Grace, Satanic Panic, Fusion and Remembering Absence. I honestly didn't think there was a "dud" story in the collection.
I was sent an e-copy of this book by the author in exchange for a review.
I was sent an e-copy of this book by the author in exchange for a review.
jo_in_bookland's review against another edition
4.0
These dark stories were unique and fascinating and really well written. I liked how the author also injected humour into many of them. One thing I noticed is that a majority if not all of the stories involve alcohol, cigarettes or drugs. It didn't really irk me, but I found it kind of interesting. I don't know what it means; maybe there's a moral to the book: if you drink, smoke or do drugs in excess bad stuff will happen! I had some favourite stories, but they were all quite good. I hope the author publishes a novel, I would definitely pick it up!
lilyn_g's review against another edition
4.0
I rarely do short story collections, but Unnerving approached me about one they were getting ready to publish soon, and it looked just interesting enough that I decided to give it a try. (To be honest, I was also counting on the fact that I could foist it off on my short-story loving co-host if it failed to thrill me. ) Happily, the stories in Darkest Hours kept me engaged the majority of the time.
The writing style is consistent, actually overly consistent at times as certain phrases were used a little too regularly across the stories. The 'type' of horror is not, however. The author appears to enjoy turning his attention to different ways to disgust or disturb. There is everything from the mundane fetish (Hair) to the supernatural night visitor (Long Man), and from the ridiculous satirical (Satanic Panic) to the not easily classifiable (Party Time) in Darkest Hours.
There are 15 stories in the collection. My favorites were Sabbatical, Long Man, and Hair. (Hair makes the list just because it utterly disgusted me. I admire any story that can make me have to resist the urge to gag when reading OR talking about it.) Most of the stories received a three or four star rating. There was only one story that I outright didn’t like, which was Fear and Grace. One, Economy These Days, was interesting because although I could see how it could be labeled as a certain type of horror short, I found it to be simply thought-provoking.
Although the stories vary dramatically in chosen subject, by the end of the collection, certain things make themselves known time and again. Specifically, smoking, heavy metal, and – oddly enough – academics. I’m sure people who are more into the literary dissection side of things will have fun picking apart the stories contained in Darkest Hours. I’m not one for doing that, though.
Mike Thorn’s Darkest Hours is contains the most diverse selection of stories that I’ve ever read from a single author. The story order was well chosen, providing a whirlwind of an experience. You could never really be sure what you were going to read next. Overall, if you’re a fan of horror short stories, you need to give Darkest Hours a try. You might very well just be missing out if you don’t.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review consideration.
The writing style is consistent, actually overly consistent at times as certain phrases were used a little too regularly across the stories. The 'type' of horror is not, however. The author appears to enjoy turning his attention to different ways to disgust or disturb. There is everything from the mundane fetish (Hair) to the supernatural night visitor (Long Man), and from the ridiculous satirical (Satanic Panic) to the not easily classifiable (Party Time) in Darkest Hours.
There are 15 stories in the collection. My favorites were Sabbatical, Long Man, and Hair. (Hair makes the list just because it utterly disgusted me. I admire any story that can make me have to resist the urge to gag when reading OR talking about it.) Most of the stories received a three or four star rating. There was only one story that I outright didn’t like, which was Fear and Grace. One, Economy These Days, was interesting because although I could see how it could be labeled as a certain type of horror short, I found it to be simply thought-provoking.
Although the stories vary dramatically in chosen subject, by the end of the collection, certain things make themselves known time and again. Specifically, smoking, heavy metal, and – oddly enough – academics. I’m sure people who are more into the literary dissection side of things will have fun picking apart the stories contained in Darkest Hours. I’m not one for doing that, though.
Mike Thorn’s Darkest Hours is contains the most diverse selection of stories that I’ve ever read from a single author. The story order was well chosen, providing a whirlwind of an experience. You could never really be sure what you were going to read next. Overall, if you’re a fan of horror short stories, you need to give Darkest Hours a try. You might very well just be missing out if you don’t.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review consideration.
romireads's review against another edition
4.0
First of all, let’s admire this awesome cover shall we? I love it when books already have a “well-read” (or watched in this case?) look to it, although it’s new.
What’s behind the cover is maybe even more awesome – I thoroughly enjoyed reading Thorn’s short story. This collection started off with a big bang, called “Hair”. It creeped me out and had me pulling weird faces during my break at work because of the weird fetish the main character has. The second story was really different from the first one and this promised that this would be a very versatile collection.
Because of this versatility, not all of the stories were for me. I had one story that I rated with only two stars, “Mired”, but all of the others were three-and-a-half star or higher. The eventual rating, four out of five, is the average of my ratings of the stories – I really loved it!
If you’re looking for a diverse and original collection of dark stories, Darkest Hours is one I really recommend!
* I was kindly sent an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own! Thank you Mike! *
What’s behind the cover is maybe even more awesome – I thoroughly enjoyed reading Thorn’s short story. This collection started off with a big bang, called “Hair”. It creeped me out and had me pulling weird faces during my break at work because of the weird fetish the main character has. The second story was really different from the first one and this promised that this would be a very versatile collection.
Because of this versatility, not all of the stories were for me. I had one story that I rated with only two stars, “Mired”, but all of the others were three-and-a-half star or higher. The eventual rating, four out of five, is the average of my ratings of the stories – I really loved it!
If you’re looking for a diverse and original collection of dark stories, Darkest Hours is one I really recommend!
* I was kindly sent an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own! Thank you Mike! *
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