Dark Screams: Volume One

Rating and reviewing anthologies can be a challenge. Each author brings his/her own unique style. Some of the stories were absolute 5 stars, while others were easily forgettable.

WEEDS by Stephen King is, of course, well written, but it also felt predictable. It leans into science fiction with a sprinkling of horror. This one was previously published way back in 1976. I don't know if King updated the story at all. It held my interest and was probably true horror back when it was originally written. Now, though, it becomes just another story that could easily get lost in a batch if not for King's name attached to it.

THE PRICE YOU PAY by Kelley Armstrong is a thriller and one of my favorites here. This one has great twists and shatters show more all those expected stereotypes that come with the genre. Definitely a 5-star story for me.

MAGIC EYES by Bill Pronzini is a psychological thriller, written as journal entries from a man who'd been institutionalized. I enjoyed the approach and Pronzini's writing style. This would be my second favorite of the bunch, worthy of a higher rating.

MURDER IN CHAINS by Simon Clark is a thriller with nonstop action. While the action held my interest and the concept was interesting, I didn't feel this one closed well. In the end, the story made no sense. I didn't understand the point of it all.

THE WATCHED by Ramsey Campbell is a mixture of psychological and paranormal suspense, and is written from a young boy's point of view. I didn't connect well to this one. The writing is fine, though perhaps the story would have been more suited to a longer piece.

Each of these stories is short, with the entire anthology taking only a couple of hours to read. The two highlights for me were Kelley Armstrong's and Bill Pronzini's stories, well worth the time and investment.

* I was provided with a review copy by Random House, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. * show less

I have said it before but I'll say it again. Dark Screams has quickly become one of my favorite Horror Anthology series of all time. I was thrilled to be able to grab an advance copy of this most recent installment, and excited to see new stories by 2 of my favorite authors Bentley Little and Kealan Patrick Burke.

"The Boy" by Bentley Little was brilliant. Once again Bentley Little is able to take an ordinary every day experience such as settling in to a new neighborhood, and turn it into something horrifying. Christine the happy house wife is pleased to meet her new neighbors and discover that they are also home during the day. They have lots in common and will be the best of friends. I wish I could say more without giving away too show more much. Suffice it to say this story was shocking and quite relevant to current attitudes and events.

"The Palaver" by Kealan Patrick Burke also hit a high note for me. Poor Oscar has virtually no customers left in his failing barber shop. He spends more time sweeping up hair that isn't there than he does plying his trade. He doesn't want to retire. "It was his father's business and his grandfather's before him." As he is readying to close one day a stranger walks in, and tells him a story that will change everything.

"Walpuski's Typewriter" by Frank Darabont was both humorous and gruesome. A struggling writer with unpaid bills and a broken typewriter makes the deal of a lifetime to get it repaired.

These were my 3 favorites in the collection and I will leave at that so as not to avoid any spoilers.

I would highly recommend this volume (along with all previous volumes) to any horror fan.



I received an advance copy for review. show less

As a long-time "constant reader" of Stephen King, I was interested in reading this book thinking it contained a new story. I was initially disappointed to find that the story was "Weeds," which had been published in a magazine in 1976 and was part of the Creepshow movie. But I found that I liked it a lot more than the Creepshow version. The rest of the stories, from four other authors, appear to be new.

My favorite was "The Price You Pay," by Kelley Armstrong. It is full of surprise twists and turns as the author gradually reveals what is really happening.

I also enjoyed "Magic Eyes," by Bill Pronzini, although once I got to a certain point the ending was predictable. "Murder in Chains," by Simon Clark, was just starting to get show more interesting when it ended. It almost seems as if it's a piece of a larger story, with not quite enough context to make it satisfying. I didn't really care for Ramsey Campbell's "The Watched." I believe it was supposed to be suspenseful, but it just didn't quite work for me.

Overall, it was an enjoyable reading experience, and a quick introduction to some authors I wasn't familiar with. I look forward to future volumes. show less

This is a review of an ARC I received for the purpose of writing a review (my first!) This book collects five short stories by different authors, and here is my take on each:

"Weeds" by Stephen King is a classic EC comics-type tale of one man's terrible encounter with something from beyond our world. Even being an early King story, his sense of character shows through, and this one character piece works well in not only setting up chills, but also in leaving the reader with a sense of compassion and sorrow for what befalls our hero. Adapted starring King himself for the original "Creepshow," this is nice little gem from King's early writings.

"The Price You Pay" by Kelley Armstrong delves into darker territory. Not being one to give show more things away by delving into the plot (I hate that, especially in short fiction) I will just say this is a story of someone who learns that the price to be paid for something may not always be what you were expecting. And even if you feel your life has hit its lowest point, you may find out things can get worse. Personally, my favorite in the collection.

"Magic Eyes" by Bill Pronzini presents us with one character's view of events, but leaves doubt as to how accurate what we are hearing about is. The disturbed nature of the protagonist helps in building tension throughout the story. I have only recently discovered this author, and found this story a good addition to those I have previously read.

"Murder in Chains" by Simon Clark is PURE Simon Clark. If you have never read him, I recommend his collection "Midnight Grindings." This story follows one of my favorite arcs, the tale of people who do not know each other meeting under almost unbearable circumstances and having to find a way to work together to save themselves. The imagery in this story is (for me) the most disturbing of the collection, and a great part of the reason I loved it. Suffice it to say that this story creeped me out more than anything else in the collection, and the ending sent chills down my spine.

"The Watched" by Ramsey Campbell I would also describe as purely typical of its author. Far more understated than the other four stories, it still manages to make one nervous to turn the page as a distinct sense of dread grows page after page. You won't want to walk the woods alone at night after reading this one.

All in all, I enjoyed EVERY story in this book. If you are a fan of Cemetery Dance magazine or any of the anthologies they have produced you already know they are great at putting together a great mix of authors and genres in a single publication. "Dark Screams" certainly fits the bill in this case. No two stories are similar in theme or tone, yet each manages to make you slow down to try to figure out where you are being led. Check this collection out if you have any interest in the present of future of dark fiction. You're sure to find something to love. show less

I was lucky enough to get a copy of the forthcoming horror anthology Dark Screams: Volume One. It's a really good (short) collection. It's only got five stories, but they're all from fairly well known authors, and they're all good.

The book starts off with its only reprint, "Weeds," by Stephen King. Even if, like me, you haven't read this story before, you still probably know it, because it was used in Creepshow as "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill." Even if you're familiar with the story from the film, it's still a great read.

The second story is "The Price You Pay" by Kelley Armstrong. It seems to start off as a standard horror trope about two women who get kidnapped and tortured by a psychopath, but it quickly moves into a different show more direction. I think it might have been my favorite story in the collection.

Story number three is "Magic Eyes," by Bill Pronzini. It's about a man in a mental hospital who claims he's not insane, he didn't murder his wife, and some sort of magic eyes are really responsible. Once again this story starts off seeming like a standard horror trope, but eventually proves to be something different.

The fourth story is Simon Clark's "Murder in Chains," which is about a man who wakes up to find himself chained to a murderous lunatic. Wackiness ensues (and by wackiness, I mean lots of blood and gore).

The final story is Ramsey Campbell's "The Watched," which is about a policeman who seeks revenge against the drug dealers he holds responsible for his daughter's death. Not surprisingly, there is a supernatural twist.

This is a really good anthology, and since it's only available in ebook form, it's cheap, too. show less

This book is a collection of short stories from five big names in the horror field. While Armstrong and Pronzini are not on my must read list, they are immediately recognized by me for putting out good quality stories. Campbell and King have both been on my favorite authors list for ages. Clark is one of the newer additions to that favorite authors list but he's still solid in his placement there. There is no theme to this collection other than good stories. Unfortunately not all the stories are good ones. Since there are only five stories, I'll vary my usual approach of listing my favorites and give some comments on each one. In order of my least favorite to the best of the bunch.

"Weeds" by Stephen King - While the story might be show more consider long lost due to not being published in years, it should also be a familiar story to most Stephen King fans. It is essentially "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill" from Creepshow where Jordy is played by Stephen King himself. Probably since the story was written in 1976, it is dated as you read it. And I don't just mean technology or anything like that; the story itself reads as being dated. It probably would have been fine within a collection of older stories but to me, it sticks out like a sore thumb as the worst of the bunch.

"Magic Eyes" by Bill Pronzini - What disappointed me the most about this story was the lost potential. A man is locked in an asylum and considered insane for the actions he took against his wife. We get a nice dive into his mental well-being, or not-so-well-being as the case may be. And then we get some nice lead ups to good horror. And then it just closed quickly. The ending was good with regards to it being a short-story and left a little bit of a chill but I felt that the little chill we got as a reward was not equal to the buildup we got.

"The Watched" by Ramsey Campbell - This story was a traditional ghost story with a modern remix to it. Not overly spooky but all the right ingredients were there. I think the only thing missing was a bit more of a connection to one of the characters. I just wasn't pulled in to it.

"The Price You Pay" by Kelley Armstrong - Another traditional story but this time a thriller with a modern twist instead of a ghost story. In addition to being able to connect to the main characters, this story pulled me in faster. I was quickly involved and part of the action. There were a few points that pulled me back out but nothing significant. And while I should have, I didn't see the twist at the end coming.

"Murder in Chains" by Simon Clark - Easily the best of the bunch. I was pulled in from the start and not let go the whole time. I was constantly part of the action. And I desperately wanted to know what was going to happen next. While I wanted the protagonist to make different choices, I found that I was making the same choices as he was. A frustration that kept me further involved. From this story it is easy to see why Simon Clark is on my must read list! show less

Dark Screams: Volume One is the first of at least four volumes of short horror anthologies that are projected for publication through August 2015. The books are being published as ebooks only through Random House’s digital-only genre imprint, Hydra, for a bargain price of $2.99.

Volume One starts out with one of the most popular horror writers ever: Stephen King. “Weeds” was originally published in Cavalier, a “men’s magazine,” in 1976, and has never been reprinted until now — though it did become a part of the movie “Creepshow,” with King himself playing the role of Jordy Verrill. Jordy is the protagonist of “Weeds,” a not particularly intelligent man who farms a spread situated on Bluebird Creek in New Hampshire. show more He’s alone at twilight on the Fourth of July when a meteor flashes overhead. It lands close enough that Jordy feels the thump in his feet, and his eyes light up with dollar signs. Those fellows at the college might pay good money for this thing, he reasons. The meteor cracks in two when he pours water on it to cool it down, and there’s white flaky stuff coming from the center. He burns his fingers badly when he tries to touch the white stuff, but he treats them with burn ointment and goes to bed. When he wakes, he feels like he’s got the flu — and then he sees what’s growing out of those burned fingers. Things go from bad to worse for Jordy from there. In fact, things may be going badly for everyone on earth from that point. It’s vintage King, written in his transparent prose and getting more horrific — or at least grosser — with every subsequent paragraph. King has written better work, no doubt, but finding this story is like coming across an extra chocolate truffle you didn’t know you had.

“The Price You Pay” by Kelley Armstrong is about Kara’s friendship with Ingrid. The friendship began in childhood and lasted throughout the girls’ early teen years. They separated in their late teens, and Kara married Gavin and had a child. Now Ingrid has once again appeared, and the girls have resumed their friendship, though Kara is not so eager for Ingrid’s company as Ingrid is for hers. Still, the two young women go out drinking on the night of Kara’s 21st birthday, only to become too intoxicated to drive home safely. While they wait for Gavin to rescue them from a dark country road, they are abducted. While Kara is being beaten by a hooded assailant in a dark basement, we learn of her past, and why she and Ingrid parted company. Soon we begin to question everything we’ve learned so far. Armstrong plays out her plot thread by thread until all of our expectations are turned around.

Bill Pronzini gives us a first-person protagonist in “Magic Eyes” who swears he’s not crazy and that he did not kill his wife. When a story starts with that information, you know you’re in for something special, and Pronzini doesn’t disappoint. The work we’re reading is the protagonist’s journal; Edward Tolliver, its author, is writing it on his doctor’s suggestion, but he’s sure that the doctor will be reading it despite his assurances of privacy. So he drops the occasional line about “magic eyes” or “invaders,” trying to smoke out the doctor. It is only when he concludes that the doctor isn’t reading his journal that Tolliver writes about what really happened that night his wife died. Pronzini’s protagonist is obviously intelligent; and just as obviously . . . well, but that would give too much away. The journal is the perfect mechanism for telling this story, giving us a close-up view of how Tolliver’s mind operates. Tolliver is a finely drawn character, and this story features the best characterization in the anthology.

Simon Clark’s “Murder in Chains” never explains itself. We never learn why the first person narrator wakes up in an underground vault chained to another man by a ring around his throat. All we know is that the man at the other end of the chain radiates brutality, and behaves as if the narrator doesn’t even exist as he tears about the vault until after he’s killed a third man with his bare hands, for no apparent reason. Clark is plainly reaching for the Kafkaesque, but winds up with mere splatterpunk instead.

The always reliable Ramsey Campbell takes the last position in this short anthology with The Watched. Jimmy is a 12-year-old boy who lives with his grandmother. As the story opens, he is returning from the grocery shop with a heavy bag of potatoes and getting more tired with every step. When he comes to the hide that is situated on the canal that leads to home, he dodges in to get a break, only to find that someone else is already there: a policeman, who tells him that his neighbors are dangerous drug dealers. He asks Jimmy to keep an ear out for what’s going on next door. It’s not the best idea to rely on a 12-year-old, though, and trouble inevitably follows. But more than that, someone’s been smearing his grandmother’s windows. And there’s been a sluggish dragging sound outside. What’s this all about? Campbell has a way of transforming the ordinary into the frightening, of hinting at a horror without ever showing us more than its outlines, which makes his stories all the more terrifying. It’s a fitting end to a fine anthology.

Dark Screams, Volume One, promises that we’ll be getting solid anthologies for a very low price as the new year progresses. The voices we’ll be hearing from include some of the best talents the field has to offer; you’d think with King, Armstrong, Clark, Pronzini and Campbell in the first volume, the following volumes would have to fall off, but instead they promise stories by the likes of Clive Barker, Peter Straub, Robert R. McCammon, Richard Matheson and others. The stories may not be the best each of these writers has to offer, but they are definitely stories worth reading, and I’m looking forward to reading them.

Originally published at http://www.fantasyliterature.com/reviews/horrible-monday-dark-screams-volume-one.... show less