cabinet_13_review's review against another edition
5.0
Alien Abduction, Werewolves, The killer who just won’t die are all too familiar horror tropes that even people who are not fans of the genre know. It is possible to make these somewhat overused and tired tropes into something shiny and new again? That’s what It Was All A Dream and it’s various writers intend to do and in my opinion they do it successfully. I also loved the interior artwork provided for each story by Christopher Castillo.
Rated up. My rating is 4.5/5
There were 26 stories in total, loved 12 of them here are a few of those:
- Everyone’s Got a Little Devil in Them- based around the stories of the Jersey Devil author Erin Keating brings us a story that will make you question who is really the devil in the story.
- Bloody Nights at Hippie Cliffs- author Eric Raglan flips the script on the “if you have sex you die”
- Fuck this Shit Manor-Author Laurel Hightower explores one of my favorite tropes of the haunted house and puts a spin on what would happen if you couldn't get anyone to come stay.
- A Maiden I Will Die- author LC von Hesson had to laughing with this one, with an obvious play on Michael Meyer’s our FMC and Final Girl is the ultimate Final Girl as in, the last human left on Earth after the Killer who will not die continues to hunt her across the earth and time. Instead of the dread from a silent and unrelenting killer, our Final Girl, fed up with this tiring routine instead focuses on a more existential crisis.
- Don’t Go In the Woods…Or Do, See if I Care- author Patrick Barb also plays on the ever present “foreshadowing, harbinger of danger” trope with the “crazy old man”, with plenty chuckle worthy moments
- Castoffs- takes the “Devils Bargain” and turns into a loophole that could make any Demon speechless and take pause.
Rated up. My rating is 4.5/5
There were 26 stories in total, loved 12 of them here are a few of those:
- Everyone’s Got a Little Devil in Them- based around the stories of the Jersey Devil author Erin Keating brings us a story that will make you question who is really the devil in the story.
- Bloody Nights at Hippie Cliffs- author Eric Raglan flips the script on the “if you have sex you die”
- Fuck this Shit Manor-Author Laurel Hightower explores one of my favorite tropes of the haunted house and puts a spin on what would happen if you couldn't get anyone to come stay.
- A Maiden I Will Die- author LC von Hesson had to laughing with this one, with an obvious play on Michael Meyer’s our FMC and Final Girl is the ultimate Final Girl as in, the last human left on Earth after the Killer who will not die continues to hunt her across the earth and time. Instead of the dread from a silent and unrelenting killer, our Final Girl, fed up with this tiring routine instead focuses on a more existential crisis.
- Don’t Go In the Woods…Or Do, See if I Care- author Patrick Barb also plays on the ever present “foreshadowing, harbinger of danger” trope with the “crazy old man”, with plenty chuckle worthy moments
- Castoffs- takes the “Devils Bargain” and turns into a loophole that could make any Demon speechless and take pause.
vampirehelpdesk's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Favorites of the collection: Playing Tricks (only story I found remotely scary, though that does not really heavily influence my rating of the collection); Hail Mary, Full of Rage; Tattered Fairy, Hungry Fairy (hate the title, though, sorry); The Thickest Soup.
Least favorites: It Wasn't a Wedding Cake; Hollywood Werewolf Conspiracy; Pizza Curse.
As a whole, this is one of the better small-press anthologies I've come across. Interesting prompt/theme, but more interesting is how each author interpreted it. In full honesty, some interpretations of "doing it right" means muddling things down and making horror more wholesome, which I do not personally enjoy. However, those that chose to rely on the tropes as a backbone to their own twist I think succeeded in surprising, diverse ways. Most importantly, I found this collection engaging and eclectic, so I think anyone can find a winner within.
P.S. The drawings in this book are palpably done by a furry, and no, I don't need to fact-check that for myself.
Least favorites: It Wasn't a Wedding Cake; Hollywood Werewolf Conspiracy; Pizza Curse.
As a whole, this is one of the better small-press anthologies I've come across. Interesting prompt/theme, but more interesting is how each author interpreted it. In full honesty, some interpretations of "doing it right" means muddling things down and making horror more wholesome, which I do not personally enjoy. However, those that chose to rely on the tropes as a backbone to their own twist I think succeeded in surprising, diverse ways. Most importantly, I found this collection engaging and eclectic, so I think anyone can find a winner within.
P.S. The drawings in this book are palpably done by a furry, and no, I don't need to fact-check that for myself.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, and Animal death
Moderate: Cancer, Infidelity, Islamophobia, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Dementia, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Hate crime, Alcoholism, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Death, Gore, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Colonisation, Homophobia, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, Violence, Body horror, Sexual assault, Sexism, Vomit, Cannibalism, Classism, Cursing, Grief, Mental illness, Self harm, and Stalking
It's a horror book, but there are detailed content warnings in the back of the book. Honestly, for a horror reader, I found all of the above pretty mild except when marked as graphic, but I read dark books for pleasure.aykdanroyd's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Self harm, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Racism, Stalking, Islamophobia, Child death, Bullying, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, Animal death, Slavery, Fatphobia, Animal cruelty, and Gore
tarynwanderer's review
dark
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
swampsounds's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
ohhdeanna's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
crtaxon's review
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
I normally find the stories in any given anthology hit or miss. But I enjoyed most-to-all of the stories in this one! I appreciated the section in the back that gave the authors space to talk about their stories and their chosen tropes.
Fair warning: expect emotional whiplash. Some of the stories are lighthearted as horror comes. Silly, even, poking fun at beloved old tropes. Others are emotionally devastating in a way only horror can be. There is not much indication which type the story will be until you're in the thick of it, so prepare yourself for anything.
Fair warning: expect emotional whiplash. Some of the stories are lighthearted as horror comes. Silly, even, poking fun at beloved old tropes. Others are emotionally devastating in a way only horror can be. There is not much indication which type the story will be until you're in the thick of it, so prepare yourself for anything.
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