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A review by alexcanread
Dark Cities by Nathan Ballingrud, Amber Benson, Jonathan Maberry, Christopher Golden, Scott Smith, Ramsey Campbell, Kasey Lansdale, Simon R. Green, M.R. Carey, Cherie Priest, Helen Marshall, Tananarive Due, Paul Tremblay, Seanan McGuire, Joe R. Lansdale, Nick Cutter, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Tim Lebbon, Scott Sigler, Kealan Patrick Burke
1.0
TW: bestiality, rape
I have to seriously question the thought process of Christopher Golden in choosing to put The Dogs as the first story in this anthology. I question why it was even included in the anthology, but if it were to be included, it should not have been the first story. Yes, this is a horror anthology, but that story alone made me put the book down and walk away. It took me over a week to talk myself into picking it up again to skip to the short stories from authors I already know I like/trust. Why? Because The Dogs features a very graphic bestiality/rape scene. I was suspicious of the story as soon as the MC was revealed to be a sort-of sex worker. I should have stopped reading then. The first story in an anthology sets the tone, and the tone The Dogs set was unpalatable.
I skipped forward. The short story Dear Diary was good. Amber Benson's entry was interesting but very short. Seanan McGuire's story was creepy and sad. I did not read the other stories in this anthology, especially Golden's own, because I couldn't trust that the other authors wouldn't cross lines I am uncomfortable with, and in putting The Dogs first, Golden showed me that I can't trust him. This may be a shame. I may be missing out on some excellent short stories by other authors in this collection. I'll never know.
I have to seriously question the thought process of Christopher Golden in choosing to put The Dogs as the first story in this anthology. I question why it was even included in the anthology, but if it were to be included, it should not have been the first story. Yes, this is a horror anthology, but that story alone made me put the book down and walk away. It took me over a week to talk myself into picking it up again to skip to the short stories from authors I already know I like/trust. Why? Because The Dogs features a very graphic bestiality/rape scene. I was suspicious of the story as soon as the MC was revealed to be a sort-of sex worker. I should have stopped reading then. The first story in an anthology sets the tone, and the tone The Dogs set was unpalatable.
I skipped forward. The short story Dear Diary was good. Amber Benson's entry was interesting but very short. Seanan McGuire's story was creepy and sad. I did not read the other stories in this anthology, especially Golden's own, because I couldn't trust that the other authors wouldn't cross lines I am uncomfortable with, and in putting The Dogs first, Golden showed me that I can't trust him. This may be a shame. I may be missing out on some excellent short stories by other authors in this collection. I'll never know.