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A review by uncanny_lynx
Dark Screams: Volume Ten by Wrath James White, Heather Herrman, Brian James Freeman, Marc Rains, Simon Clark, Lisa Tuttle, Richard Chizmar, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Clive Barker
4.0
I received a free advanced copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This anthology was not what I expected. It didn't feel like there was much of a theme to it. The stories seemed more randomly slapped together than most anthologies I've read. Perhaps it's simply that "dark" is such a broad descriptor. Overall, I thought there would be more horror.
And, oddly enough, the two stories that felt the least like horror to me were my two favorites.
"Bastion" by Simon Clark was absolutely fantastic. Sci-fi, more Hunger Games than Alien. I couldn't put it down. I wouldn't have minded if the full book were just this one story, expanded. At the same time, I don't feel it ended too early.
The other story that stood out is more realistic drama than anything else. "The Trendy Bar Side of Life" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch needs a trigger warning on it, but I will say I believe it handled the subject of rape very well. It's a subject I definitely go out of my way to avoid, and yet I still enjoyed this story. It's about the aftermath, about surviving, not some glorification of brutality. It's about how the person you are "after" is different from the person you were before. I was impressed.
"Seven Years" by Wrath James White is another I'd like to call out as a good read. The remaining stories didn't leave much of an impression on me. I feel like they suffered because "Bastion" set such a high bar—and distinct tone—so early. I might have appreciated the other stories more if "Bastion" had been last.
I do recommend this anthology. In my opinion, "The Trendy Bar Side of Life" and "Bastion" alone make it worth it. And time spent reading the other stories would not be time wasted. Overall impression: Not what I was expecting or hoping for, but it definitely left me thinking.
This anthology was not what I expected. It didn't feel like there was much of a theme to it. The stories seemed more randomly slapped together than most anthologies I've read. Perhaps it's simply that "dark" is such a broad descriptor. Overall, I thought there would be more horror.
And, oddly enough, the two stories that felt the least like horror to me were my two favorites.
"Bastion" by Simon Clark was absolutely fantastic. Sci-fi, more Hunger Games than Alien. I couldn't put it down. I wouldn't have minded if the full book were just this one story, expanded. At the same time, I don't feel it ended too early.
The other story that stood out is more realistic drama than anything else. "The Trendy Bar Side of Life" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch needs a trigger warning on it, but I will say I believe it handled the subject of rape very well. It's a subject I definitely go out of my way to avoid, and yet I still enjoyed this story. It's about the aftermath, about surviving, not some glorification of brutality. It's about how the person you are "after" is different from the person you were before. I was impressed.
"Seven Years" by Wrath James White is another I'd like to call out as a good read. The remaining stories didn't leave much of an impression on me. I feel like they suffered because "Bastion" set such a high bar—and distinct tone—so early. I might have appreciated the other stories more if "Bastion" had been last.
I do recommend this anthology. In my opinion, "The Trendy Bar Side of Life" and "Bastion" alone make it worth it. And time spent reading the other stories would not be time wasted. Overall impression: Not what I was expecting or hoping for, but it definitely left me thinking.