oddly's review against another edition
4.0
These stories and illustrations were created in homage to that classic childhood book series, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. If Alvin Schwartz and Stephen Gammell’s chilling and evocative retellings of folk tales weren’t a part of your childhood growing up, you are not only missing out, I’m pretty sure you were caged in a dungeon your whole childhood. Or maybe these stories were just American kid thing?
All I know is that those books were a rite of passage when I was growing up. The stories are definitely spooky, and there is always that one friend who swears the story is really true, it actually happened to her aunt’s brother’s girlfriend, but really it went a little like this. . .
And don’t even get me started on the illustrations. Nightmare inducing, so say the least. I had horrible visions of the one where the spider is crawling out of the girl’s face. And of course, Harold. Now, I think I’d love to get one of those prints framed on my wall, but that’s the sort of weird creepo I’ve turned out to be.
So here comes Corpse Cold, a new folk anthology of the type of horror tales that don’t really have one origin, or at least one you can pin down. These are the types of stories that nowadays pop up on r/nosleep and creepypasta forums, the type you read about late at night, the glow from your computer screen illuminating your face and making the rest of the room look even darker. It is a different type of tale from the days of my youth—there weren’t any cell phones or other technology that invaded folk tales back then. But now, there’s a whole new realm of possibility for what might be out to get you.
The stories are in definite homage to the original Schwartz tales, though I thought they lacked his style, the panache of his delivery on the punch lines especially. I hadn’t heard of most of these urban legends, so it was nice that most of the content was original to me and I had no idea where the stories were going. Overall, I would probably rate most of the stories themselves (in style and substance) at around a 3.
What really punches up the action on these is the artwork. Chad Wehrle does a fantastic job putting his original spin on something similar to the Gammell style and I can’t even tell you which image was my favorite. They are creepy, dark, and perfectly complement the stories, taking them to the next level.
Also, I wouldn’t say that this book is necessarily for adults—I think teens would also enjoy it and the reading level is fine for younger kids. (If they can handle the original, these stories are fine for them too.)
If you know someone who grew up with the Scary Stories books, this would be an awesome gift to give them a flashback to their childhood.
My thanks to Cemetery Gates for sending me a copy of this one to read and review.
All I know is that those books were a rite of passage when I was growing up. The stories are definitely spooky, and there is always that one friend who swears the story is really true, it actually happened to her aunt’s brother’s girlfriend, but really it went a little like this. . .
And don’t even get me started on the illustrations. Nightmare inducing, so say the least. I had horrible visions of the one where the spider is crawling out of the girl’s face. And of course, Harold. Now, I think I’d love to get one of those prints framed on my wall, but that’s the sort of weird creepo I’ve turned out to be.
So here comes Corpse Cold, a new folk anthology of the type of horror tales that don’t really have one origin, or at least one you can pin down. These are the types of stories that nowadays pop up on r/nosleep and creepypasta forums, the type you read about late at night, the glow from your computer screen illuminating your face and making the rest of the room look even darker. It is a different type of tale from the days of my youth—there weren’t any cell phones or other technology that invaded folk tales back then. But now, there’s a whole new realm of possibility for what might be out to get you.
The stories are in definite homage to the original Schwartz tales, though I thought they lacked his style, the panache of his delivery on the punch lines especially. I hadn’t heard of most of these urban legends, so it was nice that most of the content was original to me and I had no idea where the stories were going. Overall, I would probably rate most of the stories themselves (in style and substance) at around a 3.
What really punches up the action on these is the artwork. Chad Wehrle does a fantastic job putting his original spin on something similar to the Gammell style and I can’t even tell you which image was my favorite. They are creepy, dark, and perfectly complement the stories, taking them to the next level.
Also, I wouldn’t say that this book is necessarily for adults—I think teens would also enjoy it and the reading level is fine for younger kids. (If they can handle the original, these stories are fine for them too.)
If you know someone who grew up with the Scary Stories books, this would be an awesome gift to give them a flashback to their childhood.
My thanks to Cemetery Gates for sending me a copy of this one to read and review.
aprilsarah's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars rounded up because of the amazing illustrations.
Video Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYpRNy2FRwU
*I received a copy of this book for an honest review.
Video Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYpRNy2FRwU
*I received a copy of this book for an honest review.
howlinglibraries's review
4.0
If you, like myself, grew up loving Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, you absolutely need this book in your life. It's essentially a version of Scary Stories for adults, complete with the twisted little illustrations and everything, and I had a lot of fun with this one! I will say it didn't pack quite the punch that I at first expected it to after having read some other short stories by this writing duo, but the further into the collection I got, the more I appreciated that, because these feel so authentically inspired by the stories I loved so much as a kid. I'm also a sucker for urban legends, so if you are too, you'll enjoy the homages these stories pay to campfire stories and those tall cautionary tales so many of us grew up hearing.
celticlucas's review
I wanted to love this book, but the similarities to stories I already know and love were too problematic.
charshorrorcorner's review against another edition
4.0
3.5/5 stars!
CORPSE COLD: NEW AMERICAN FOLKLORE is a nice volume of tales which also includes outstanding illustrations. Just look at that impressive cover to get an idea of the drawings within.
The stories, however, didn't entirely float my boat. While well written for the most part, they are lacking that certain punch that I enjoy in short tales. This is just my personal view and for someone that hasn't read the hundreds of horror stories that I have? This may seem like the best collection of stories EVER.
My favorite was IT THAT DECAYS. If you weren't afraid of the dentist before, you will be now!
AUTOPLAY ON: This was a fun little tale featuring a You Tube channel that was left on all night. (I guess it's best not to do that?)
MOSS LAKE ISLAND was a neat story that took a weird turn about a third of the way in. It gave me the creeps much like IT THAT DECAYS. I like the creeps.
FRIENDSHIP: BURIED AND DEAD. This tale had a cool concept for a theme park. I would like to go there!
A CASKET FOR MY MOTHER cracked me up, especially since this book was funded in much the same way as the main character wants to fund the purchase of a casket for his mom. (I'm not sure it was meant to be funny, but hey, I'm a sick person-just look at the stuff I read!
A quick word about the illustrations? (Okay, two words.) They're fabulous!
CORPSE COLD would be a perfect introduction into the world of dark fiction for an adult who is not that familiar with or well-read in the genre. Perhaps someone who has participated in a round of campfire storytelling and wants more? Seasoned horror readers, like myself, prefer that extra punch to the gut and a tad more blood/gore as well.
Recommended for those new to horror fiction and dark tales!
*I received an e-copy of this book free in exchange for my honest review. This is it.*
CORPSE COLD: NEW AMERICAN FOLKLORE is a nice volume of tales which also includes outstanding illustrations. Just look at that impressive cover to get an idea of the drawings within.
The stories, however, didn't entirely float my boat. While well written for the most part, they are lacking that certain punch that I enjoy in short tales. This is just my personal view and for someone that hasn't read the hundreds of horror stories that I have? This may seem like the best collection of stories EVER.
My favorite was IT THAT DECAYS. If you weren't afraid of the dentist before, you will be now!
AUTOPLAY ON: This was a fun little tale featuring a You Tube channel that was left on all night. (I guess it's best not to do that?)
MOSS LAKE ISLAND was a neat story that took a weird turn about a third of the way in. It gave me the creeps much like IT THAT DECAYS. I like the creeps.
FRIENDSHIP: BURIED AND DEAD. This tale had a cool concept for a theme park. I would like to go there!
A CASKET FOR MY MOTHER cracked me up, especially since this book was funded in much the same way as the main character wants to fund the purchase of a casket for his mom. (I'm not sure it was meant to be funny, but hey, I'm a sick person-just look at the stuff I read!
A quick word about the illustrations? (Okay, two words.) They're fabulous!
CORPSE COLD would be a perfect introduction into the world of dark fiction for an adult who is not that familiar with or well-read in the genre. Perhaps someone who has participated in a round of campfire storytelling and wants more? Seasoned horror readers, like myself, prefer that extra punch to the gut and a tad more blood/gore as well.
Recommended for those new to horror fiction and dark tales!
*I received an e-copy of this book free in exchange for my honest review. This is it.*
thaatswhatsheread's review
4.0
Grown up scary stories
3.5
Loved the modern and adult tales for the Schwartz fans. Spooky stories with great illustrations. It was quite the nostalgic read
3.5
Loved the modern and adult tales for the Schwartz fans. Spooky stories with great illustrations. It was quite the nostalgic read
lilyn_g's review
3.0
My co-host and I buddy-read this book together for review, and our thoughts were so very similar that we combined our reviews rather than writing up separate ones. She will be posting the full review, so I'm just going to hit the main points.
Our biggest issue was being unable to tell if we were the correct audience for the book or not. I've never read Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. She has. Sometimes it felt like the author was trying to spook us (and it was done quite successfully). Other times, it just felt like it was nostalgia. The feelings bounced around enough that we were both kind of iffy at the end.
However, Corpse Cold: New American Folklore does contain some solid stories. I thought I'd mention a few of my favorites.
Autoplay 'On'
We were agreed on this being a very good one. The way it plays to modern fears is perfect and Gracie mentioned she has noticed a rise in stories of creepy, cursed or haunted YouTube channels and most of them are very good. Story: 4/5 Illustration: 4/5
The Big 'M'
The title is a bit vague but the story is not. It's the one we could pinpoint the most as being 'adult horror'. The situation and the choices made I don't think a younger person would understand.
What would you do when it came down to supporting your family versus putting up with an asshole boss. I think that's something most adults would understand and sympathize with.Story: 5/5 Illustration: 4/5
Moss Lake Island
Parts of this were a bit silly but there were a few scenes that were described very well and were quite creepy. Story: 4/5 Illustration: 5/5
It That Decays
Nope. Uh-uh. This caused us both to shudder and groan for several minutes. Can we just not ever hear about this theme again? Okay, great, thanks! This would definitely fall into the adult horror area unless you never want your child to go to the dentist ever again. Story: 4/5 for the "Hurk!" factor. Illustration: 3/5
Jesup
Just a little meh. It does have the feel of an urban legend with the mother and step-father being absolutely awful. It seemed to have a bit of tongue-in-cheek referral to the alligators in the sewer legend that we kind of liked. Story: 3/5 Illustration: 4/5
Last Train Home
Last Train Home was a decent story but lacking a bit of 'oomph'. We did like the different twist on the "ghostly warning", though and the ending was a bit intriguing. By the way, keys can be used as at least a fallback method of self-defense. Story: 3/5 Illustration: 5/5
A Casket for My Mother
I really liked it and thought the Patreon 'reward tier' aspect to it was interesting. Story: 4/5 Illustration: 3/5
We liked the authors' notes at the end very much. In some cases they were more interesting than the story themselves.
Overall, this really wasn't a bad collection, but it wasn't as strong as it could have been. And while, again, some of the individual stories were great, it wasn't clear if we were the right target audience for this book or not.
It was a good collection to buddy read with Gracie and see what our thoughts were as we went. We're very similar in some ways, but different in a lot of others, so I think I was surprised to see exactly how much we agreed on the stories in this book.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review consideration.
Our biggest issue was being unable to tell if we were the correct audience for the book or not. I've never read Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. She has. Sometimes it felt like the author was trying to spook us (and it was done quite successfully). Other times, it just felt like it was nostalgia. The feelings bounced around enough that we were both kind of iffy at the end.
However, Corpse Cold: New American Folklore does contain some solid stories. I thought I'd mention a few of my favorites.
Autoplay 'On'
We were agreed on this being a very good one. The way it plays to modern fears is perfect and Gracie mentioned she has noticed a rise in stories of creepy, cursed or haunted YouTube channels and most of them are very good. Story: 4/5 Illustration: 4/5
The Big 'M'
The title is a bit vague but the story is not. It's the one we could pinpoint the most as being 'adult horror'. The situation and the choices made I don't think a younger person would understand.
What would you do when it came down to supporting your family versus putting up with an asshole boss. I think that's something most adults would understand and sympathize with.Story: 5/5 Illustration: 4/5
Moss Lake Island
Parts of this were a bit silly but there were a few scenes that were described very well and were quite creepy. Story: 4/5 Illustration: 5/5
It That Decays
Nope. Uh-uh. This caused us both to shudder and groan for several minutes. Can we just not ever hear about this theme again? Okay, great, thanks! This would definitely fall into the adult horror area unless you never want your child to go to the dentist ever again. Story: 4/5 for the "Hurk!" factor. Illustration: 3/5
Jesup
Just a little meh. It does have the feel of an urban legend with the mother and step-father being absolutely awful. It seemed to have a bit of tongue-in-cheek referral to the alligators in the sewer legend that we kind of liked. Story: 3/5 Illustration: 4/5
Last Train Home
Last Train Home was a decent story but lacking a bit of 'oomph'. We did like the different twist on the "ghostly warning", though and the ending was a bit intriguing. By the way, keys can be used as at least a fallback method of self-defense. Story: 3/5 Illustration: 5/5
A Casket for My Mother
I really liked it and thought the Patreon 'reward tier' aspect to it was interesting. Story: 4/5 Illustration: 3/5
We liked the authors' notes at the end very much. In some cases they were more interesting than the story themselves.
Overall, this really wasn't a bad collection, but it wasn't as strong as it could have been. And while, again, some of the individual stories were great, it wasn't clear if we were the right target audience for this book or not.
It was a good collection to buddy read with Gracie and see what our thoughts were as we went. We're very similar in some ways, but different in a lot of others, so I think I was surprised to see exactly how much we agreed on the stories in this book.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review consideration.
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