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A review by booksuperpower
Echoes: The Saga Anthology of Ghost Stories by Ellen Datlow, Dale Bailey
4.0
Echoes: The Saga Anthology of Ghost Stories by Ellen Datlow is a 2019 a Gallery / Saga Press publication.
Halloween is just around the corner and of course it’s this time of the year when I usually find myself in the mood for a good old- fashioned ghost story. Yet, a good ghost story is hard to find sometimes. So, when I found this anthology in my cloud library, I checked it out on the spot.
I was even more excited by the introduction, in which famed anthology editor, Ellen Datlow, commiserated with those of us who are often disappointed by ‘ghost story’ compilations, which later turn out to be a catchall for anything that might fall into the realm of horror or the paranormal, but aren't exactly what one would call an authentic ghost story.
So, I eagerly dived in, only to find that once again, a fair amount of these short stories, aren’t ghost stories, as I might define them. However, nearly all of them are weird tales or atmospheric mind-benders.
I am not familiar with all the participating authors, but regular readers of horror novels might be.
Paul Trembly gets the ball rolling, but other familiar names like Alice Hoffman and Joyce Carol Oates also contribute solid stories to this collection.
“Must be This Tall to Ride” by Seanan McGuire is one of the shortest stories included but is one of the best. Something about carnivals are always spooky!
The July Girls felt like more of a traditional ghost tale- which are my favorites, if I’m being honest. I also enjoyed “The Other Woman” by Alice Hoffman.
As with many anthologies, especially compilations as large as this one, there are a few stories that left me scratching my head in confusion, or seemed to end too abruptly. However, most are contemporary, imaginative, and several were truly eerie, providing the chills and thrills a good ghost story should.
If you are looking for a few supernatural flavored stories that you haven’t read or heard a thousand times before, this collection of original stories is one you’ll want to add to your Halloween reading list!!
3.5 rounded up.
Halloween is just around the corner and of course it’s this time of the year when I usually find myself in the mood for a good old- fashioned ghost story. Yet, a good ghost story is hard to find sometimes. So, when I found this anthology in my cloud library, I checked it out on the spot.
I was even more excited by the introduction, in which famed anthology editor, Ellen Datlow, commiserated with those of us who are often disappointed by ‘ghost story’ compilations, which later turn out to be a catchall for anything that might fall into the realm of horror or the paranormal, but aren't exactly what one would call an authentic ghost story.
So, I eagerly dived in, only to find that once again, a fair amount of these short stories, aren’t ghost stories, as I might define them. However, nearly all of them are weird tales or atmospheric mind-benders.
I am not familiar with all the participating authors, but regular readers of horror novels might be.
Paul Trembly gets the ball rolling, but other familiar names like Alice Hoffman and Joyce Carol Oates also contribute solid stories to this collection.
“Must be This Tall to Ride” by Seanan McGuire is one of the shortest stories included but is one of the best. Something about carnivals are always spooky!
The July Girls felt like more of a traditional ghost tale- which are my favorites, if I’m being honest. I also enjoyed “The Other Woman” by Alice Hoffman.
As with many anthologies, especially compilations as large as this one, there are a few stories that left me scratching my head in confusion, or seemed to end too abruptly. However, most are contemporary, imaginative, and several were truly eerie, providing the chills and thrills a good ghost story should.
If you are looking for a few supernatural flavored stories that you haven’t read or heard a thousand times before, this collection of original stories is one you’ll want to add to your Halloween reading list!!
3.5 rounded up.