Christine Dougherty

“Stephen King, A Short Story” is available as a free-standing download and one of the stories from Christine Dougherty’s up-coming horror short stories collection, which should be available in autumn 2012. The story features Harold, who runs a website called GravenWords, which reviews, critiques and comments on all things horror related. When he receives and rejects a new manuscript for review he finds himself in electronic communication with a blogger who claims to be the master of show more horror himself, Stephen King. Is it King that Harold is communicating with or is he being sent-up for some reason? This is a clever story, with a very interesting central conceit, which I thought Dougherty was going to take in one direction, but instead she goes in a completely different direction. The story teases and plays with expectations and as such builds up a sense of dread and impending disaster, which lasts to the very end of the story. The story itself will probably work best for Stephen King fans, particularly the final denouement, which is very King-esque and may by-pass casual readers who aren’t big King fans. Overall the story may be a “one-card-trick”, but it is a very clever and highly enjoyable one for all that. show less

I loved this book - there I said it. It's the story of the Devil, condemned to punish sinners until God decrees otherwise. In this story Satan is more akin to Dante's than Milton's, although still with a will of his own. As part of his duty he experiences the Litany, the lives of all humans and one crime in particular horrifies him.

That same crime horrified me as I read it. I'm a denizen of the internet, including its darker side and I'm not easily horrified, but the simple and effective show more prose that described the event shocked me. The book is worth reading just for those opening paragraphs alone.

The tale follows a slightly more predictable route after that, but it works well. The language is solid, if a little formal (although in the context it works well). I enjoyed every page and was satisfied by the ending, although I'm hoping there will be a sequel.

A fantastic book - read it now! show less

I loved this book - there I said it. It's the story of the Devil, condemned to punish sinners until God decrees otherwise. In this story Satan is more akin to Dante's than Milton's, although still with a will of his own. As part of his duty he experiences the Litany, the lives of all humans and one crime in particular horrifies him.

That same crime horrified me as I read it. I'm a denizen of the internet, including its darker side and I'm not easily horrified, but the simple and effective show more prose that described the event shocked me. The book is worth reading just for those opening paragraphs alone.

The tale follows a slightly more predictable route after that, but it works well. The language is solid, if a little formal (although in the context it works well). I enjoyed every page and was satisfied by the ending, although I'm hoping there will be a sequel.

A fantastic book - read it now! show less

Interesting, but weak at the end

It starts well and has a good developing plot. The characters are consistent. Everything is slightly ludicrous, but it fits together nicely. But I wasn't really enjoying the book to a high level.

Then it happens. The book takes a sudden left turn that threw me out of the plot. Turning what we know about a main character on its head, promoting a secondary character and giving her abilities inconsistent with her previous portrayal. Doing it in such a way I no show more longer care about those characters.

I have too many other books to read to bother finishing. It's not bad or terrible, I just don't care enough to finish.

******spoiler*******




The bubble head from sales was trained as an assassin? That little curveball dumped me right out. I get that it was plausible and supported by further information, but...it was so over the top. And no one else has talked much about past jobs except this super deadly assassin all of a sudden. And there was a physical relationship between Candy and Carl? Up to this point it was reading as unrequited. He was too damaged for a relationship, but now he wasn't? show less