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kandicez 's review for:
999: Twenty-Nine Original Tales of Horror and Suspense
by Al Sarrantonio
Those five stars are for my favorite five stories in this collection. I am going to review each of them separately below when I have a few minutes. I didn't love every story presented, but those I did more than made up for those I didn't. Awesome editing Sarrantonio.
"The Road Virus Heads North" by Stephen King *****– This is a very scary story and I have read it many times. A recurring theme in King’s writing is a character’s ability to see the future in some way, and yet be powerless to change or stop it. Such is the case here. What always gets me most with this story is the phrase “filed teeth”. I cringe just typing those words. Not only do I imagine they look terrifying, but I clench in anticipation of pain at the idea of actually DOING that to oneself. Again, ick!
"Keepsakes and Treasures: A Love Story" by Neil Gaiman ***** – I read this on the plane and cannot tell you how uncomfortable I was almost from the first paragraph. I was actually sweating and had to reach up and turn on the little fan thing above my seat. I was squirming and felt a little grimy just for having witnessed what happened between the lines on the page. Gaiman is very careful to never come right out and say what’s happening, but anyone with half a brain just knows. Yuck! Kudos to him for not only making me feel so strongly, but for doing it in so few pages.
"Elsewhere" by William Peter Blatty ***** This is just a mindf*#k! I mean a serious screwing. You read it and then you are carried back to the beginning. It’s an absolute ourobouros which is my very favorite kind of story. Blatty is a genius storyteller, as everyone knows, and this is not exception to his craft.
"The Road Virus Heads North" by Stephen King *****– This is a very scary story and I have read it many times. A recurring theme in King’s writing is a character’s ability to see the future in some way, and yet be powerless to change or stop it. Such is the case here. What always gets me most with this story is the phrase “filed teeth”. I cringe just typing those words. Not only do I imagine they look terrifying, but I clench in anticipation of pain at the idea of actually DOING that to oneself. Again, ick!
"Keepsakes and Treasures: A Love Story" by Neil Gaiman ***** – I read this on the plane and cannot tell you how uncomfortable I was almost from the first paragraph. I was actually sweating and had to reach up and turn on the little fan thing above my seat. I was squirming and felt a little grimy just for having witnessed what happened between the lines on the page. Gaiman is very careful to never come right out and say what’s happening, but anyone with half a brain just knows. Yuck! Kudos to him for not only making me feel so strongly, but for doing it in so few pages.
"Elsewhere" by William Peter Blatty ***** This is just a mindf*#k! I mean a serious screwing. You read it and then you are carried back to the beginning. It’s an absolute ourobouros which is my very favorite kind of story. Blatty is a genius storyteller, as everyone knows, and this is not exception to his craft.