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vdarcangelo's review against another edition
4.0
http://ensuingchapters.com/2014/08/14/a-darker-shade-of-summer-fiction/
Once again, Grey Matter Press has delivered the anthology goods. Ominous Realities is the finest indie collection I’ve read in a while. These dystopian tales chill and unsettle, balancing skill, imagination and smarts.
Take “On the Threshold,” an eerie, Lovecraftian tale of science and madness from William Meikle. Last year, I read Meikle’s novel The Hole, and thought it was enjoyable but flawed. Here, Meikle is in control from the creepy opener in the lab to the grim finale. HPL would love this tale of science gone wrong.
Keeping up the intensity is “Doyoshota,” by Ken Altabef, a haunting intersection of conspiracy and cacophony that makes tinnitus sound like a Beethoven sonata.
Eric Del Carlo’s “We Are Hale, We Are Whole” is deserving of any “best-of” anthology, a smart, thoughtful piece of writing that should be a must-read for anyone attempting to world-build within the confines of a short story. It also takes a philosophical bent about quality of life, aging, health care and sacrifice.
An excellent collection from a hot new publisher. Also be sure to check out their Dark Visions II anthology.
Once again, Grey Matter Press has delivered the anthology goods. Ominous Realities is the finest indie collection I’ve read in a while. These dystopian tales chill and unsettle, balancing skill, imagination and smarts.
Take “On the Threshold,” an eerie, Lovecraftian tale of science and madness from William Meikle. Last year, I read Meikle’s novel The Hole, and thought it was enjoyable but flawed. Here, Meikle is in control from the creepy opener in the lab to the grim finale. HPL would love this tale of science gone wrong.
Keeping up the intensity is “Doyoshota,” by Ken Altabef, a haunting intersection of conspiracy and cacophony that makes tinnitus sound like a Beethoven sonata.
Eric Del Carlo’s “We Are Hale, We Are Whole” is deserving of any “best-of” anthology, a smart, thoughtful piece of writing that should be a must-read for anyone attempting to world-build within the confines of a short story. It also takes a philosophical bent about quality of life, aging, health care and sacrifice.
An excellent collection from a hot new publisher. Also be sure to check out their Dark Visions II anthology.
celestialviolence's review against another edition
5.0
I first saw this advertised in a Facebook group and was incredibly skeptical. I'm usually not a fan of collections of short stories.
But this one really blew me away. The authors featured in this collection are incredibly talented. They don't rely on cheap genre tricks to get you through the story. The stories told are short, but they're powerful. In fact, it's almost impossible to pick just one favorite from the collection.
I definitely see myself rereading the stories since they're well-told and, in my opinion, demonstrate how to write a good short story.
But this one really blew me away. The authors featured in this collection are incredibly talented. They don't rely on cheap genre tricks to get you through the story. The stories told are short, but they're powerful. In fact, it's almost impossible to pick just one favorite from the collection.
I definitely see myself rereading the stories since they're well-told and, in my opinion, demonstrate how to write a good short story.
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