jiggityjog's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
alyz's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
othersociologist's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
raforall's review
4.0
Review in the April 2022 issue of Library Journal.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Range of Scares, all original stories, well known authors
DRAFT REVIEW:
Much like she did in the award winning anthology Echoes for the ghost story, Datlow turns her focus to monsters, this time collecting original stories from 29 authors, like bestsellers Stephen Graham Jones and Joyce Carol Oates as well as emerging voices like Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ and Priya Sharma. The result, a book that lays down the gauntlet, redefining this classic and much beloved subgenre for a 21st Century audience with stories that actively explore the monsters that surround us, both supernatural and human. With so many talented authors represented, there is also a satisfyingly wide arc of writing styles, settings, type of monster, and range of fear induced from psychological dread to visceral terror to darkly humorous, with all stops in between. Two stories that stood out are Kaaron Warren’s "The Smell of Waiting,” a compelling and creepy tale of a young girl with a gift (or is it a curse?) and John Langan’s mesmerizing, "Bloedzuiger,” another one of his “fishing stories,” a tale that is both innocuously mundane and terrifyingly disturbing– all at once.
Verdict: This epic volume, with its impressive table of contents, will satisfy the hordes of readers looking for new takes on the monster trope and pairs nicely with the Bram Stoker nominated Miscreations: Gods, Monstrosities, & Other Horrors. Edited by Murano and Bailey.
Notes:
Stories that explore the monster trope by exploring the monsters we can be as humans.
No reprints. All original for this anthology. 29 stories-- and long. This is an Epic collection. Laying down the gauntlet of what the monster story is right now-- with many of today's best Horror voices.
My favorites: The John Langan Story-- "Bloedzuiger"-- somehow it is both mundane and disturbing, innocuous and terrifying. There is also humor-- It is another one of his "fishing stories."
Kaaron Warren, "The Smell of Waiting" a young girl with a gift or a curse.
“The Special One” by Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ. Very unsettling.
Readalikes: Clearly-- Miscreations: Gods, Monstrosities, & Other Horrors. Edited by Doug Murano and Michael Bailey.
This reminded me of Datlow's Echoes anthology from a few years ago. That was also all original [save I think 3] and had today's best authors doing their take on Ghost Stories.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Range of Scares, all original stories, well known authors
DRAFT REVIEW:
Much like she did in the award winning anthology Echoes for the ghost story, Datlow turns her focus to monsters, this time collecting original stories from 29 authors, like bestsellers Stephen Graham Jones and Joyce Carol Oates as well as emerging voices like Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ and Priya Sharma. The result, a book that lays down the gauntlet, redefining this classic and much beloved subgenre for a 21st Century audience with stories that actively explore the monsters that surround us, both supernatural and human. With so many talented authors represented, there is also a satisfyingly wide arc of writing styles, settings, type of monster, and range of fear induced from psychological dread to visceral terror to darkly humorous, with all stops in between. Two stories that stood out are Kaaron Warren’s "The Smell of Waiting,” a compelling and creepy tale of a young girl with a gift (or is it a curse?) and John Langan’s mesmerizing, "Bloedzuiger,” another one of his “fishing stories,” a tale that is both innocuously mundane and terrifyingly disturbing– all at once.
Verdict: This epic volume, with its impressive table of contents, will satisfy the hordes of readers looking for new takes on the monster trope and pairs nicely with the Bram Stoker nominated Miscreations: Gods, Monstrosities, & Other Horrors. Edited by Murano and Bailey.
Notes:
Stories that explore the monster trope by exploring the monsters we can be as humans.
No reprints. All original for this anthology. 29 stories-- and long. This is an Epic collection. Laying down the gauntlet of what the monster story is right now-- with many of today's best Horror voices.
My favorites: The John Langan Story-- "Bloedzuiger"-- somehow it is both mundane and disturbing, innocuous and terrifying. There is also humor-- It is another one of his "fishing stories."
Kaaron Warren, "The Smell of Waiting" a young girl with a gift or a curse.
“The Special One” by Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ. Very unsettling.
Readalikes: Clearly-- Miscreations: Gods, Monstrosities, & Other Horrors. Edited by Doug Murano and Michael Bailey.
This reminded me of Datlow's Echoes anthology from a few years ago. That was also all original [save I think 3] and had today's best authors doing their take on Ghost Stories.
jeremyjfloyd's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
gentlemanjeff's review
4.0
In rating each story individually and averaging the result, this one doesn't quite hit the 4 star mark, but that kind of analysis neglects important context. So many of these stories are above average that the overall collection deserves at least four stars. As with any anthology, there are some conspicuous exceptions in which authors were too abstract or got too preachy for my taste, but these are few and far between. Similar stories seem to be grouped together in Screams from the Dark, but the variety dips only temporarily and there's great range in terms of style and content throughout that keep the journey interesting for the reader. That's due in part to the size of the volume, but the selections were definitely well made and they include some of the best horror authors writing today. Fans of Datlow's past anthologies will be very satisfied, as will readers looking for inventive, fearsome monsters. The complete list of highlights for this collection is too numerous to go through in detail, but these are the ones that will stay with me the most:
"The Midway" by Fran Wilde
"The Atrocity Exhibitionists" by Brian Hodge
"The Island" by Norman Partridge
“The Last Drop” by Carole Johnstone
“Three Mothers Mountain” by Nathan Ballingrud
"Sweet Potato" by Joe R. Lansdale
"Bitten by Himself" by Laird Barron
"Beautiful Dreamer" by Jeffrey Ford
"Bloedzuiger" by John Langan
A big thank you to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for the ARC.
"The Midway" by Fran Wilde
"The Atrocity Exhibitionists" by Brian Hodge
"The Island" by Norman Partridge
“The Last Drop” by Carole Johnstone
“Three Mothers Mountain” by Nathan Ballingrud
"Sweet Potato" by Joe R. Lansdale
"Bitten by Himself" by Laird Barron
"Beautiful Dreamer" by Jeffrey Ford
"Bloedzuiger" by John Langan
A big thank you to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for the ARC.
parksidereads's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.0
If Ellen Datlow edited a phone book, I’d read it… cover to cover.
Seriously, Datlow is the Queen Midas of anthologies... Anything this woman touches is gold and 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤: 𝟐𝟗 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬 is no exception.
Once again, Datlow masterfully weaves together a collection of stories that are all unique from each other but have a common thread linking each of the 29 stories together.
Monsters. It doesn’t matter how you define them, human or supernatural, they are what terrifies us to the core, what goes bump in the night, the reason so many of us horror fans stay up reading late into the night… and this collection will having you reading with the light on.
As with many anthologies there are strong stories that steal the spotlight, some that hold their own, and a few that fade into the background. These were my favorites:
𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝
A reality much like our own, but with a little more bite... Left me thirsty for more.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐝𝐰𝐚𝐲
Who’s really the monster, man or beast? I found myself holding my breath waiting to find out.
𝐖𝐞𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐝 𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐧
Gemma has the amazing ability to create such vivid imagery I can see the story play out like a film in my head, every bloody second of it.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧 𝐉𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐲 𝐏𝐞𝐜𝐤
Jimmy’s a dipshit, Mrs. Y is my hero, and letting your child grow up is hard… Also, I fucking loved this story.
𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐩
As a mother I found this incredibly unsettling, yet like a deer in headlights, I couldn’t look away.
𝐒𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐨
What happens when a human monster meets a not so human monster or when a gardener meets a bird watcher?
𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥
I love that DeMeester’s writing style is unapologetically feminine. I devoured this story to the very end.
Thanks @tornightfire @netgalley for the ARC. 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 is available June 7, just in time for some delicious summer horror reading!
🗣 𝐷𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠?
#NetGalley #TorNighfire #EllenDatlow #ScreamsFromtheDark #ParksideReads
Seriously, Datlow is the Queen Midas of anthologies... Anything this woman touches is gold and 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤: 𝟐𝟗 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬 is no exception.
Once again, Datlow masterfully weaves together a collection of stories that are all unique from each other but have a common thread linking each of the 29 stories together.
Monsters. It doesn’t matter how you define them, human or supernatural, they are what terrifies us to the core, what goes bump in the night, the reason so many of us horror fans stay up reading late into the night… and this collection will having you reading with the light on.
As with many anthologies there are strong stories that steal the spotlight, some that hold their own, and a few that fade into the background. These were my favorites:
𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝
A reality much like our own, but with a little more bite... Left me thirsty for more.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐝𝐰𝐚𝐲
Who’s really the monster, man or beast? I found myself holding my breath waiting to find out.
𝐖𝐞𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐝 𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐧
Gemma has the amazing ability to create such vivid imagery I can see the story play out like a film in my head, every bloody second of it.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧 𝐉𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐲 𝐏𝐞𝐜𝐤
Jimmy’s a dipshit, Mrs. Y is my hero, and letting your child grow up is hard… Also, I fucking loved this story.
𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐩
As a mother I found this incredibly unsettling, yet like a deer in headlights, I couldn’t look away.
𝐒𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐨
What happens when a human monster meets a not so human monster or when a gardener meets a bird watcher?
𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥
I love that DeMeester’s writing style is unapologetically feminine. I devoured this story to the very end.
Thanks @tornightfire @netgalley for the ARC. 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 is available June 7, just in time for some delicious summer horror reading!
🗣 𝐷𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠?
#NetGalley #TorNighfire #EllenDatlow #ScreamsFromtheDark #ParksideReads
craftysilicate's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
2.5
There are a handful of stories in here I really enjoyed, but I'm not sure they were worth slogging through the rest.
morticia_59's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
ehmannky's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
A few of the stories were really, really good, but for the most part I felt the stories in here were middling. There were only one or two that felt like a true drag, so I kept with it but it wasn't the best anthology I've ever read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Car accident, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Animal cruelty, Cannibalism, Dementia, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Torture, and Violence