tokujoe's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
cuddlesome's review
3.0
Monsters!!!!!!!!!! <3 !!!!!!!!!!
As with all anthologies, a mixed bag. There were some stories here that made me want to bang my head against the wall at the wasted potential and others where I gasped aloud and went "OOOOOO" at how well-executed they were.
My favorites were:
Old Monsters Never Die by Tim Waggoner
Dreams by F. Paul Wilson
Hacking the Horseman’s Code by Lisa Morton
They Call Me Mother by Geneve Flynn
The Nightbird by Michael Knost
A Tale of Wickedness by Kelsea Yu
Old Monsters Never Die was BY FAR my favorite overall. Such a fun, twisted take on werewolves and themes about tradition. The writing style was also very (literally) visceral. I loved it. Dreams, a Frankenstein retelling from a unique perspective, is a close second.
The Phantom of the Opera retelling disappointed me the most. In it, Raoul is--wait for it--a serial killer. Yeah. He plays opposite a benevolent Erik(a). It felt forced and cartoonish, even for POTO.
Overall, I would say that given the length of this anthology there is a lot to pick from and you're bound to resonate with some of them. I think that going in you should know that the general vibe is reinventing/retelling/sometimes modernizing these tales rather than strictly sticking to the source material.
In conclusion, we love glorified fanfiction of monsters in the public domain.
As with all anthologies, a mixed bag. There were some stories here that made me want to bang my head against the wall at the wasted potential and others where I gasped aloud and went "OOOOOO" at how well-executed they were.
My favorites were:
Old Monsters Never Die by Tim Waggoner
Dreams by F. Paul Wilson
Hacking the Horseman’s Code by Lisa Morton
They Call Me Mother by Geneve Flynn
The Nightbird by Michael Knost
A Tale of Wickedness by Kelsea Yu
Old Monsters Never Die was BY FAR my favorite overall. Such a fun, twisted take on werewolves and themes about tradition. The writing style was also very (literally) visceral. I loved it. Dreams, a Frankenstein retelling from a unique perspective, is a close second.
The Phantom of the Opera retelling disappointed me the most. In it, Raoul is--wait for it--a serial killer. Yeah. He plays opposite a benevolent Erik(a). It felt forced and cartoonish, even for POTO.
Overall, I would say that given the length of this anthology there is a lot to pick from and you're bound to resonate with some of them. I think that going in you should know that the general vibe is reinventing/retelling/sometimes modernizing these tales rather than strictly sticking to the source material.
In conclusion, we love glorified fanfiction of monsters in the public domain.
gnashchick's review
4.0
Damn fine collection of stories that will make you squirm, scream, or skedaddle. I particularly liked the re-imagining of the classics and tales told from a different perspective. All in all, this anthology was exactly what I needed for some Halloween fun reading.
mimicry's review against another edition
3.0
My top 3 are the stories by Seanan McGuire, Carli St George, and Jonathan Maberry.
gentlemanjeff's review
3.0
This collection features some of the best modern horror authors trying their hands at classic literature and movie monster myths. Often the stories tackle political and social issues, with several authors doing variations on female empowerment. Multiple Dracula and Frankenstein entries are balanced with fun explorations of movie monsters not created by Universal Studios. The editor brings a sense of humor to the introduction and the collection itself that is reflected in some of the content, but there is very little consistency. A strong start gives way to a weak finish as this anthology is front-loaded with pleasant surprises from talented writers but then peters out with unremarkable contributions. Overall, Classic Monsters Unleashed is still a standout for horror anthologies and essential reading for fans of monster movies.
Thank you to Black Spot Books and NetGalley for the ARC.
Thank you to Black Spot Books and NetGalley for the ARC.
pbanditp's review
4.0
I love the classics so it was great getting the feel of the old stories through modern talent
vigneshs's review
4.0
This book is a new area for me. I never read any Horror books before. I rarely watch any Horror movie but still i wanted to read this book mainly because i am a Fantasy reader and i like classic fairytale like stories.
I really enjoyed reading this book. Since the stories inside this book are anthologies, of-course some stories were more enjoyable than others. The main reason could be i am a character based reader and Anthologies can't explore deep characters like a full novel does. I liked many illustrations throughout the book and they gave me an immersive reading feel. Of-course since its a horror book, i have to read it at night with all lights off.
In general, i really enjoyed this book and others can also enjoy this if they are not deeply analysing this book and if they are up for the ride rather than the philosophy and characters.
I really enjoyed reading this book. Since the stories inside this book are anthologies, of-course some stories were more enjoyable than others. The main reason could be i am a character based reader and Anthologies can't explore deep characters like a full novel does. I liked many illustrations throughout the book and they gave me an immersive reading feel. Of-course since its a horror book, i have to read it at night with all lights off.
In general, i really enjoyed this book and others can also enjoy this if they are not deeply analysing this book and if they are up for the ride rather than the philosophy and characters.
n0rmann's review
4.0
When I saw the title and cover I had to read this - I watched all of the black and white classics as a young boy. Although I was expecting more campiness, I still enjoyed this. I loved how the different authors took the classic characters and made them their own.