undertheradar's review against another edition
3.0
In this horror anthology, collected by Mark Morris, the stories range from ok to great!
Some of the standouts were:
THE IMPORTANCE OF ORAL HYGIENE
RESEARCH
&
GAVE
I would read a full length novel of RESEARCH and thought the other two were perfectly constructed as short stories.
There were more than a few letdowns including BUTTERFLY ISLAND, which I expected more of and I didn’t really care for a lot of the sci fi blends.
Overall, a great collection to add to your shelf. Enough for everyone to go around.
Thanks to Netgalley and Flame Tree Press for this advanced copy!
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Some of the standouts were:
THE IMPORTANCE OF ORAL HYGIENE
RESEARCH
&
GAVE
I would read a full length novel of RESEARCH and thought the other two were perfectly constructed as short stories.
There were more than a few letdowns including BUTTERFLY ISLAND, which I expected more of and I didn’t really care for a lot of the sci fi blends.
Overall, a great collection to add to your shelf. Enough for everyone to go around.
Thanks to Netgalley and Flame Tree Press for this advanced copy!
⭐️⭐️⭐️
booktrunks's review against another edition
2.0
I want to start by saying thank you, Grady Hendrix, for being a reliable source of good scary stories in my life, and for making this book more bearable. You are one of the most consistent people in my life, and I never have to doubt that a piece of your writing will slap.
Now that I've said that, this anthology just absolutely did not work for me. It's about 280 pages long, and it has 20 STORIES. I sincerely don't understand why they would limit these authors like that, some of the stories were legitimately 4.5 pages long, and that's simply not enough room for a good story (Grady's was the longest as far as I know, so I feel like that is scientific evidence that the rest of the stories were far too short). I constantly felt like authors either had to cut out necessary info from the beginning of their story, leaving me confused, or they had to just stop the story abruptly, which left me super disappointed. I was actually starting to get angry in the middle of the collection because of how many stories left me unsatisfied, and I would have DNFd this if I wasn't waiting to get to Grady. I was so excited to pick this up and sample a bunch of new horror authors to try about since previously I have only read 3 or 4, but this didn't help me at all! On top of the stories being too short, a lot of these straight up were not scary, and I am so pathetically easily scared, so that's saying something.
I saw that the publisher had decided to try and do a yearly volume of these horror stories, so with that in mind I don't understand why they didn't cut the amount of authors in half and give them twice as much room to write, because I am almost 100% sure that would have made this better. But, after reading, I do not think I will be picking up the second volume. I honestly can't even recommend this, unfortunately. I'm sure these are all fantastic authors, but there was no room for them to show that.
Now that I've said that, this anthology just absolutely did not work for me. It's about 280 pages long, and it has 20 STORIES. I sincerely don't understand why they would limit these authors like that, some of the stories were legitimately 4.5 pages long, and that's simply not enough room for a good story (Grady's was the longest as far as I know, so I feel like that is scientific evidence that the rest of the stories were far too short). I constantly felt like authors either had to cut out necessary info from the beginning of their story, leaving me confused, or they had to just stop the story abruptly, which left me super disappointed. I was actually starting to get angry in the middle of the collection because of how many stories left me unsatisfied, and I would have DNFd this if I wasn't waiting to get to Grady. I was so excited to pick this up and sample a bunch of new horror authors to try about since previously I have only read 3 or 4, but this didn't help me at all! On top of the stories being too short, a lot of these straight up were not scary, and I am so pathetically easily scared, so that's saying something.
I saw that the publisher had decided to try and do a yearly volume of these horror stories, so with that in mind I don't understand why they didn't cut the amount of authors in half and give them twice as much room to write, because I am almost 100% sure that would have made this better. But, after reading, I do not think I will be picking up the second volume. I honestly can't even recommend this, unfortunately. I'm sure these are all fantastic authors, but there was no room for them to show that.
ljwrites85's review against another edition
4.0
After Sundown is a fantastic collection of short stories from established authors and new talent.
Each story was gripping in their own unique way, no story felt the same or was on the same theme. I was really kept on my toes while reading these stories!
There were, of course, a few standouts:
Swanskin by Alison Littlewood. A tale in which swans have their skins stolen and they have to stay in human form, serving their husbands. There was just something so ethereal about this story, and the imagery the author used was so vivid.
Creeping Ivy by Laura Purcell. A historical piece of fiction about a diary unearthed at a dig site and the intriguing story within its pages. This was just a brilliant atmospheric read, I'm definitely putting Laura Purcell's book on my tbr list.
The Naughty Step by Stephen Volk. A story about a social worker called to a house after a little boy witnesses his mother's death. Goodness, this pulled at my heartstrings and was creepy at the same time.
Branch Line by Paul Finch. A cold case interview about a young boy who went missing in the 1970s and the unbelievable tale of the survivor. I love a ghost story, and this one was both realistic and creepy.
I had an issue with the fact I felt some stories could have been longer, particularly CJ Tudor's Butterfly Island, I would have read an entire book about that story!
I would recommend this collection, not only for horror lovers, but if you enjoy stories that really pull you in and keep you enthralled.
Each story was gripping in their own unique way, no story felt the same or was on the same theme. I was really kept on my toes while reading these stories!
There were, of course, a few standouts:
Swanskin by Alison Littlewood. A tale in which swans have their skins stolen and they have to stay in human form, serving their husbands. There was just something so ethereal about this story, and the imagery the author used was so vivid.
Creeping Ivy by Laura Purcell. A historical piece of fiction about a diary unearthed at a dig site and the intriguing story within its pages. This was just a brilliant atmospheric read, I'm definitely putting Laura Purcell's book on my tbr list.
The Naughty Step by Stephen Volk. A story about a social worker called to a house after a little boy witnesses his mother's death. Goodness, this pulled at my heartstrings and was creepy at the same time.
Branch Line by Paul Finch. A cold case interview about a young boy who went missing in the 1970s and the unbelievable tale of the survivor. I love a ghost story, and this one was both realistic and creepy.
I had an issue with the fact I felt some stories could have been longer, particularly CJ Tudor's Butterfly Island, I would have read an entire book about that story!
I would recommend this collection, not only for horror lovers, but if you enjoy stories that really pull you in and keep you enthralled.
nerdontheloose's review against another edition
4.0
This is an anthology of 20 horror shorts, including some famous names too. I’m a sucker for short stories and this one lived quite up to the expectations. What I really liked was how out of the box some of these ideas were, very original and a treat to read, but most of them dealing with the ideas of the end of the world and apocalypse, making it a perfect read for this year, lol.
Some of these were really great, others not so much and I kinda struggled with them, but that said, every story tops the crazy, out of the box ideas. Among others, my absolute favorites were Swanskin by Allison Littewood, It doesn’t feel right by Michael Marshall Smith, Gave by Michael Bailey, Research by Tim Lebbon, and Branch line by Paul Finch.
Totally recommended if you like crazy, and mind bending horror short stories.
Some of these were really great, others not so much and I kinda struggled with them, but that said, every story tops the crazy, out of the box ideas. Among others, my absolute favorites were Swanskin by Allison Littewood, It doesn’t feel right by Michael Marshall Smith, Gave by Michael Bailey, Research by Tim Lebbon, and Branch line by Paul Finch.
Totally recommended if you like crazy, and mind bending horror short stories.
almo's review against another edition
4.0
Solid anthology of 20 horror stories. All kinds of subgenres are represented, so there's something in it for everyone. The average of all my individual ratings is 3.05 stars, but I'm adding half a bonus star because some of the stories in this collection will really stick with me. I love discovering new authors throughout anthologies. Catriona Ward, Elana Gomel and Robert Shearman are now high on my list of authors to try out.
My individual ratings and scribblings:
Butterfly Island by C.J. Tudor
3.5 stars. Good atmosphere/suspense. Curious about the rest of the story. Abrupt ending, but fitting. Genuine horror elements.
Research by Tim Lebbon
3 stars. Psychological horror. Weird and creepy people. Never fully trust your neighbours/aquantainces.
Swanskin by Alison Littlewood
3 stars. Like a creepy fairytale. Trigger warning: animal cruelty.
That's The Spirit by Sarah Lotz
2 stars. Wtf is up with the open ending? Could've just been a regular and boring story. Makes you guess but i don't like having to guess.
Gave by Michael Bailey
2 stars. An idea and something with counting things like an autistic rapstar. The concept of depopulation was interesting but not enough to make this one shine for me
Wherever you look by Ramsey Campbell
2 stars. Thought this was going to be a 1 Star rating. I couldn't get into the story due to the writing style of which the use of present tense was my main annoyance.. One bonus star for the ending.
Same Time Next Year by Angela Slatter
2.5 stars. Ghost story. Ended too quick to really leave an impression.
Mine Seven by Elana Gomel
4 stars. Nordic darkness combined with supernatural gore. Reminded me of 30 days Of Night, a movie I thoroughly enjoyed back in the day. This story makes me want to watch it again.
It Doesn't Feel Right by Michael Marshall Smith
3 stars. Kids from hell. Being a mother of a 3-year old with regular temper tantrums, I GET the horror of this story.
Creeping Ivy by Laura Purcell
3.5 stars. Madman or haunted? Loving the gothic atmosphere the manor brings. The first couple of pages were hard for me to get into, but it paid off nicely in the end.
Last Rights For The Fourth World by Rick Cross
1 star. I really could not connect with this story. The writing style, with all its technical and military terms, was a chore to get through. The use of 'foreign' language overdone. I didn't even understand the plot due to this white noise.
We All Come Home by Simon Bestwick
4 stars. Even though it's nothing new/lacks originality, I enjoyed this one.Creeptastic.
The Importance Of Oral Hygene by Robert Shearman
4 stars. The first 2 pages started out crappy with me thinking where the hell the editor had been at that point. After that, shit got awesome and wtf just happened?!
Bokeh by Thana Niveau
3 stars. Creepy girl story. Entertaining enough and will definitely make me look differently at Bokeh filters from now on.
Murder Board by Grady Hendrix
4 stars. At first, I got distracted by some typos. But this is an ARC, so I shouldn't complain too much. The story unfolded from a sigh to a whirlwind. Awesome.
Alice's Rebellion by John Langan
1.5/2 stars. The umpteenth reimagining of Alice in Wonderland. There's 'inspired by' and just copying shit and calling it your own. This was too much copying for me. Not a nice and fresh story. 0.5 bonus stars for the bloody parts.
The Mirror House by Jonathan Robbins Leon
3.5 stars. In the beginning, it gave me flashbacks to the first season of Stranger things and the Silent Hill movie. Rich storytelling that could've gone anywhere. But I meh-ed at how the ending turned out.
The Naughty Step by Stephen Volk
2.5 stars. Im not even entirely sure what happened here. The end made me feel like shit.
A Hotel In Germany by Catriona Ward
5 stars. I want more of this world. Totally unexpected pleasure treasure.
Branch Line by Paul Finch
3 stars. Good suspense. Open mystery which isnt bad but doesn't work well for me personally. There's already too much in life we dont know shit about. I like it when my stories are clean cut, leaving no guessing around. Still enjoyed it, though.
Thank you FLAME TREE PRESS for providing me with an ARC via Netgalley
My individual ratings and scribblings:
Butterfly Island by C.J. Tudor
3.5 stars. Good atmosphere/suspense. Curious about the rest of the story. Abrupt ending, but fitting. Genuine horror elements.
Research by Tim Lebbon
3 stars. Psychological horror. Weird and creepy people. Never fully trust your neighbours/aquantainces.
Swanskin by Alison Littlewood
3 stars. Like a creepy fairytale. Trigger warning: animal cruelty.
That's The Spirit by Sarah Lotz
2 stars. Wtf is up with the open ending? Could've just been a regular and boring story. Makes you guess but i don't like having to guess.
Gave by Michael Bailey
2 stars. An idea and something with counting things like an autistic rapstar. The concept of depopulation was interesting but not enough to make this one shine for me
Wherever you look by Ramsey Campbell
2 stars. Thought this was going to be a 1 Star rating. I couldn't get into the story due to the writing style of which the use of present tense was my main annoyance.. One bonus star for the ending.
Same Time Next Year by Angela Slatter
2.5 stars. Ghost story. Ended too quick to really leave an impression.
Mine Seven by Elana Gomel
4 stars. Nordic darkness combined with supernatural gore. Reminded me of 30 days Of Night, a movie I thoroughly enjoyed back in the day. This story makes me want to watch it again.
It Doesn't Feel Right by Michael Marshall Smith
3 stars. Kids from hell. Being a mother of a 3-year old with regular temper tantrums, I GET the horror of this story.
Creeping Ivy by Laura Purcell
3.5 stars. Madman or haunted? Loving the gothic atmosphere the manor brings. The first couple of pages were hard for me to get into, but it paid off nicely in the end.
Last Rights For The Fourth World by Rick Cross
1 star. I really could not connect with this story. The writing style, with all its technical and military terms, was a chore to get through. The use of 'foreign' language overdone. I didn't even understand the plot due to this white noise.
We All Come Home by Simon Bestwick
4 stars. Even though it's nothing new/lacks originality, I enjoyed this one.Creeptastic.
The Importance Of Oral Hygene by Robert Shearman
4 stars. The first 2 pages started out crappy with me thinking where the hell the editor had been at that point. After that, shit got awesome and wtf just happened?!
Bokeh by Thana Niveau
3 stars. Creepy girl story. Entertaining enough and will definitely make me look differently at Bokeh filters from now on.
Murder Board by Grady Hendrix
4 stars. At first, I got distracted by some typos. But this is an ARC, so I shouldn't complain too much. The story unfolded from a sigh to a whirlwind. Awesome.
Alice's Rebellion by John Langan
1.5/2 stars. The umpteenth reimagining of Alice in Wonderland. There's 'inspired by' and just copying shit and calling it your own. This was too much copying for me. Not a nice and fresh story. 0.5 bonus stars for the bloody parts.
The Mirror House by Jonathan Robbins Leon
3.5 stars. In the beginning, it gave me flashbacks to the first season of Stranger things and the Silent Hill movie. Rich storytelling that could've gone anywhere. But I meh-ed at how the ending turned out.
The Naughty Step by Stephen Volk
2.5 stars. Im not even entirely sure what happened here. The end made me feel like shit.
A Hotel In Germany by Catriona Ward
5 stars. I want more of this world. Totally unexpected pleasure treasure.
Branch Line by Paul Finch
3 stars. Good suspense. Open mystery which isnt bad but doesn't work well for me personally. There's already too much in life we dont know shit about. I like it when my stories are clean cut, leaving no guessing around. Still enjoyed it, though.
Thank you FLAME TREE PRESS for providing me with an ARC via Netgalley
neha_s's review against another edition
3.0
A collection of 20 short horror stories - After Sundown, is written by some of the great names in the horror genres! As is the case with most of anthologies, it was all over the place for me. None of the story was mind blowing, but I did like few of them. Few of my favourites were Creeping Ivy, It doesn't feel right, The Importance of Oral Hygiene & Murder Box. The rest were ether underdeveloped or not good at all.
Overall, It was underwhelming but there were few hidden gems and few I would prefer to be written as full book rather than a short story.
2.75 (round off 3 Stars)
***Got the e-arc from Netgalley for an honest review***
Overall, It was underwhelming but there were few hidden gems and few I would prefer to be written as full book rather than a short story.
2.75 (round off 3 Stars)
***Got the e-arc from Netgalley for an honest review***
undertheradarbooks_'s review against another edition
3.0
In this horror anthology, collected by Mark Morris, the stories range from ok to great!
Some of the standouts were:
THE IMPORTANCE OF ORAL HYGIENE
RESEARCH
&
GAVE
I would read a full length novel of RESEARCH and thought the other two were perfectly constructed as short stories.
There were more than a few letdowns including BUTTERFLY ISLAND, which I expected more of and I didn’t really care for a lot of the sci fi blends.
Overall, a great collection to add to your shelf. Enough for everyone to go around.
Thanks to Netgalley and Flame Tree Press for this advanced copy!
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Some of the standouts were:
THE IMPORTANCE OF ORAL HYGIENE
RESEARCH
&
GAVE
I would read a full length novel of RESEARCH and thought the other two were perfectly constructed as short stories.
There were more than a few letdowns including BUTTERFLY ISLAND, which I expected more of and I didn’t really care for a lot of the sci fi blends.
Overall, a great collection to add to your shelf. Enough for everyone to go around.
Thanks to Netgalley and Flame Tree Press for this advanced copy!
⭐️⭐️⭐️
barb4ry1's review against another edition
4.0
With this anthology, Morris proves he has an eye for quality and his finger on the pulse of the horror genre. He has assembled a stellar line-up of some of the top names in the genre, as well as four new authors. After Sundown contains 20 original horror stories. While, officially, there's no common theme to the stories, I've found one. Most of them are gripping from the get-go.
I especially liked the opening story Butterfly Island by C.J. Tudor – it's fast, furious, and uncompromising. Set in the near future, it follows a rag-tag group of survivors looking for a haven on a seemingly deserted island. It's a horror anthology so it won't come as a surprise that things go wrong and people end up being blown up, sacrificed, and eaten. All in 19 pages! I loved the idea and the execution. And I want more.
Most of the stories are good reads in a disturbing way. Some dive deep into terror, some contain the supernatural and uncanny to further raise the stakes. Take Grady Hendrix, for example. In Murder Board, he plays with the Ouija Board theme. What if the board messes with people sitting over it and trying to send a subconscious message to the other? Expect unexpected.
Other standouts for me included Sarah Lotz’s That's The Spirit about a fake psychic who may not be so fake after all, and Ramsey Campbell’s creepy Wherever You Look that defies categorization.
After Sundown is a fine horror anthology. Filled with spine-chilling stories, it'll make your heart race nonstop. It proves horror has no boundaries. You can find it in both supernatural and non-supernatural stories. Highly recommended.
ARC through NetGalley
I especially liked the opening story Butterfly Island by C.J. Tudor – it's fast, furious, and uncompromising. Set in the near future, it follows a rag-tag group of survivors looking for a haven on a seemingly deserted island. It's a horror anthology so it won't come as a surprise that things go wrong and people end up being blown up, sacrificed, and eaten. All in 19 pages! I loved the idea and the execution. And I want more.
Most of the stories are good reads in a disturbing way. Some dive deep into terror, some contain the supernatural and uncanny to further raise the stakes. Take Grady Hendrix, for example. In Murder Board, he plays with the Ouija Board theme. What if the board messes with people sitting over it and trying to send a subconscious message to the other? Expect unexpected.
Other standouts for me included Sarah Lotz’s That's The Spirit about a fake psychic who may not be so fake after all, and Ramsey Campbell’s creepy Wherever You Look that defies categorization.
After Sundown is a fine horror anthology. Filled with spine-chilling stories, it'll make your heart race nonstop. It proves horror has no boundaries. You can find it in both supernatural and non-supernatural stories. Highly recommended.
ARC through NetGalley
emilykate89's review against another edition
4.0
This was such an engaging collection of short stories! There was so much originality and talent on display, but I think my two favourite stories of all were "It Doesn't Feel Right" by Michael Marshall Smith and "Branch Line" by Paul Finch. "It Doesn't Feel Right" had such a wonderful way of mining the monotony of raising small children for horror, and "Branch Line" was so evocative of its time and place (specifically, the time and place my parents would have been young in). Highly recommended - I can't wait for the next collection to be released.