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A review by motherhorror
Doorbells at Dusk by Evans Light, Gregor Xane, Jason Parent
4.0
Thank you to Erin and Corpus Press for sending the Night Worms review copies in exchange for honest reviews.
Doorbells at Dusk is a no-brainer for horror fans looking for a Halloween anthology stuffed full of October mood and atmosphere.
My favorite stories were as follows:
Rusty Husk by Evans Light- Straight-up horror. Evans pulls no punches and goes right for the throat with this story. You think one character is pretty messed up and terrifying but then someone else comes on the scene and makes that guy seem Psycho-Lite in comparison. Really, really scary.
Adam's Bed by Josh Malerman- I loved this story. I think it's one of those type of stories that are almost target preaching to a certain type of people. You know how in scary movies, there is that not-so-subtle target preaching to teenagers not to sneak off to the woods to party and have sex or else they'll get axed to death by a psycho-killer? Well Josh's story here is target preaching to neglectful, self centered parents that don't keep a good eye on their children or have children and then live a lifestyle that puts their kids on the back burner. What can happen to them? Read this story and learn the lesson. *evil grin*
Keeping up Appearances by Jason Parent- I read They Feed by Jason Parent a few months ago and his voice was still very present in my mind as I read this story and it worked so well in this short story. Perfect for a Halloween anthology.
Vigil by Chad Lutzke- I am a HUGE Chad Lutzke fan and his unique narrative and worldview that is characteristic of Chad's writing. This short story was no exception. It's haunting and tragic with a huge dose of emotions. I'd expect nothing less from Lutzke-he never disappoints.
Offerings by Joanna Koch- this one was so disturbing and had a wicked twist that made me smile.
The rest of the stories were not as on par with some of the standout voices in this collection but overall, I think the stories I highlighted here are worth having in your Halloween library. The cover is so perfect for the season--I'll be taking pictures of it for my instagram for years so come and re-reading some of my favorites.
Doorbells at Dusk is a no-brainer for horror fans looking for a Halloween anthology stuffed full of October mood and atmosphere.
My favorite stories were as follows:
Rusty Husk by Evans Light- Straight-up horror. Evans pulls no punches and goes right for the throat with this story. You think one character is pretty messed up and terrifying but then someone else comes on the scene and makes that guy seem Psycho-Lite in comparison. Really, really scary.
Adam's Bed by Josh Malerman- I loved this story. I think it's one of those type of stories that are almost target preaching to a certain type of people. You know how in scary movies, there is that not-so-subtle target preaching to teenagers not to sneak off to the woods to party and have sex or else they'll get axed to death by a psycho-killer? Well Josh's story here is target preaching to neglectful, self centered parents that don't keep a good eye on their children or have children and then live a lifestyle that puts their kids on the back burner. What can happen to them? Read this story and learn the lesson. *evil grin*
Keeping up Appearances by Jason Parent- I read They Feed by Jason Parent a few months ago and his voice was still very present in my mind as I read this story and it worked so well in this short story. Perfect for a Halloween anthology.
Vigil by Chad Lutzke- I am a HUGE Chad Lutzke fan and his unique narrative and worldview that is characteristic of Chad's writing. This short story was no exception. It's haunting and tragic with a huge dose of emotions. I'd expect nothing less from Lutzke-he never disappoints.
Offerings by Joanna Koch- this one was so disturbing and had a wicked twist that made me smile.
The rest of the stories were not as on par with some of the standout voices in this collection but overall, I think the stories I highlighted here are worth having in your Halloween library. The cover is so perfect for the season--I'll be taking pictures of it for my instagram for years so come and re-reading some of my favorites.