| Title | : | Halloween |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1607012839 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781607012832 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 480 |
| Publication | : | First published June 1, 2009 |
Halloween Reviews
-
The anthology wasn't what I expected
OVERALL REVIEW
It must likely that Paula Guran, the editor, just wanted to reunite a collection of short stories and novellas, all about the celebration of Halloween, not matter if they were scary or not.
However, in my case, I was expecting an anthology full of scary short stories of horror, all related to the celebration of Halloween.
Due that, I couldn't enjoy as much as expected this particular anthology. It's nobody's fault, but I won't rate high a book that I didn't totally enjoy while reading it.
Another critique is that I found just too much novellas than I expected. I could expected one, even two, but there are like 4 or 5 stories easily to be considered novellas due its lenght, and honestly when I read short stories, I prefer them...short.
While the most of stories weren't something that I liked, I must indicate that the ones that I did enjoy, I enjoyed them a lot, and certainly I don't regret having to read this whole anthology for the chance of reading those few jewels that I found there.
The overall rating is basically the average result of the sum of the individual ratings.
Well, this is the overall review, so if you want to stop reading here, cool for me, but if you are interested to read my brief comments on each story included on the anthology, by all means, I'll be delighted to keep having your company in the next section of the review...
INDIVIDUAL REVIEWS OF THE CONTAINED STORIES
Conversations in a Dead Language
by Thomas Ligotti
Individual rate: **** ( 4 stars )
You will "visit" to a man, the same night, on Halloween, during three years, and getting how his life has changed in the meantime of each year.
I liked it a lot, since while it's supposed to have paranormal elements, the story is so open to interpretation that you can easily opted to think that all happened by non-paranormal situations. I did that and I loved it.
Monsters
by Stewart O'Nan
Individual rate: * ( 1 star )
Pointless story about an accident while playing two kids, some days before Halloween.
The Halloween Man
by William F. Nolan
Individual rate: *** ( 3 stars )
Charming and kinda scary story about a young girl which is made to believe that "The Halloween Man" will trap her on Halloween's night.
The Young Tamlane
by Sir Walter Scott
Individual rate: * ( 1 star )
No offense to the well respected author but this piece is written in such archaic form of English that I couldn't get anything from it.
Pork Pie Hat
by Peter Straub
Individual rate: ** ( 2 stars )
A very slow burner about a Jazz musician telling, to a college student, a story when he was a kid and a dangerous trip to a forbidden part of his hometown on a Halloween's night. It's like "Twin Peaks" meets "The Jazz Singer".
It was quite a smart crafty tale but it has so many "filler" stuff that when you get the whole story, any expected impact has been already lost in some point of the reading's journey.
Three Doors
by Norman Partridge
Individual rate: ***** ( 5 stars )
Fantastic tale about a man who is convinced that he will have the power on Halloween's night of knocking on three doors and whoever would answer will have to anything he wishes. (Yes, kinda "The Monkey's Paw" but this is different!).
I love the writing style that it was so engaging and entertained that I enjoyed the whole reading's journey here.
Auntie Elspeth's Halloween Story
by Esther M Friesner
Individual rate: ***** ( 5 stars )
Wonderful story told by a very singular old aunt to her three nephews, about how the wish of a little pumpkin to become a jack o' lantern on Halloween is granted with all its charm, humor, wonder and... blood.
Strawwelpeter
by Glen Hirshberg
Individual rate: * ( 1 star )
Odd tale about a group of kids that they are becoming to get afraid of one of his young friends.
Hallowe'en in a Suburb
by H.P. Lovecraft
Individual rate: * ( 1 star )
Again, no offense to this great writer (Please, don't go for your burning torches!), but while this piece is indeed written in totally understandable English, it seems that poetry and me, aren't the best of combinations and I was unable to enjoy it.
On The Reef
by Caitlin R. Kiernan
Individual rate: * ( 1 star )
A boring tale about a whole bunch of people going to do a Halloween ritual in the coast zone.
The Sticks
by Charlee Jacob
Individual rate: *** ( 3 stars )
A tale about a very unusual, deep south town, and the events which happen during Halloween.
Riding Bitch
by K.W. Jeter
Individual rate: ** ( 2 stars )
A very crazy tale about a man who is hanging around with his dead wife, tied to him by some handcuffs.
Memories of El Día de los Muertos
by Nancy Kilpatrick
Individual rate: * ( 1 star )
A tedious tale remembering some unusual customs by a family during the festivities of El Día de los Muertos.
Halloween Street
by Steven Rasnic Tem
Individual rate: * ( 1 star )
Boring tale about unusual incidents on a particular street during Halloween.
Trick & Treats: One Night on Halloween Street
by Steven Rasnic Tem
Individual rate: * ( 1 star )
Dang! Again? Yes, in this case, is a mini-collection of several mini-stories on that particular street during on Halloween.
Memories
by Peter Crowther
Individual rate: *** ( 3 stars )
An intriguing and crafty tale about two old ladies talking by phone, when one of them is insisting that something very odd is happening on their neighborhood.
Ulalume: A Ballad
by Edgar Allan Poe
Individual rate: * ( 1 star )
And yet, once again, no offense to this master of writing (I hope you aren't getting back those dreadful burning torches!), but now it seems that it's a fact that me and poetry don't mix well, and I just didn't expect to meet poetry on this anthology.
Mask Game
by John Shirley
Individual rate: **** ( 4 stars )
Wonderful tale about a very revealing game, where a family is using very unusual "masks" while participating a very special game in a Halloween's night.
By the Book
by Nancy Holder
Individual rate: ** ( 2 stars )
An odd tale about a mom and how a "hunky" fantasy is tempting her in the middle of all her busy schedule during Halloween's festivities.
Hornets
by Al Sarrantonio
Individual rate: * ( 1 star )
A tedious tale about a detective in a fictional and unusual town during Halloween.
Pranks
by Nina Kriki Hoffman
Individual rate: *** ( 3 stars )
An amusing tale about some kind of Nature's spirit, with desires to do a lot of mischief, in the middle of the Trick-or-Treat's kids' tours.
Pumpkin Night
by Gary McMahon
Individual rate: * ( 1 star )
A tedious tale about some kind of "pumpkin" doing a walk during Halloween's night.
The Universal Soldier
by Charles de Lint
Individual rate: * ( 1 star )
Believe me or not, nor Jean-Claude Van Damme or Dolph Lundgreen were present on this tale! Getting serious, this a boring tale about a ghost soldier.
Night Out
by Tina Rath
Individual rate: *** ( 3 stars )
Charming tale about the preparations of a mom leaving all under control on her house and being able to have a deserved night out.
One Thin Dime
by Stewart Moore
Individual rate: ** ( 2 stars )
A kinda interesting story about Halloween's celebrations and how the past may come back... in a way.
Man-Size in Marble
by E. Nesbit
Individual rate: *** ( 3 stars )
Cute and nice tale about how Victorian people celebrated in their way during the times of the festivities known nowadays as Halloween.
The Great Pumpkin Arrives at Last
by Sarah Langan
Individual rate: ***** ( 5 stars )
Charlie Brown, Linus Van Pelt and Snoopy should better run and never look back to get away as far as possible from this truly scary seance which goes very, very wrong where two young adults got to know more about themselves and from each other more than at least one of them should wish to.
Sugar Skulls
by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
Individual rate: ** ( 2 stars )
Maybe a too sweet tale provoking some cavities while telling about some very special "Calaveras de Dulce".
On a Dark October
by Joe R. Landsdale
Individual rate: **** ( 4 stars )
A story that resulted "too dark" for being published on "The Twilight Zone" magazine! This great writing master scares us with a very dark ritual on a Halloween's night.
The Vow on Halloween
by Lillian Huntley Harris
Individual rate: ** ( 2 stars )
A mysterious tale during Halloween's festivites by a mysterious writer.
The October Game
by Ray Bradbury
Individual rate: ***** ( 5 stars )
Superb and thrilling tale by the great writing master where he shows that getting light can be even more scary than being in the darkness.
The November Game
by F. Paul Wilson
Individual rate: **** ( 4 stars )
A tribute which works as a true sequel to the events of "The October Game".
Tessellations
by Gary Braunbeck
Individual rate: ** ( 2 stars )
A tedious tale with some imaginative moments where a family is "united" by the magic of Halloween. -
3.5 Stars overall. Some really great HALLOWEEN short stories in this collection that I thought outweighed the disappointments......with lots of Michael's, lots of Jack's and lots of Meyer's to fill the cracks!
CONVERSATIONS IN A DEAD LANGUAGE (Thomas Ligotti) - 3 Stars - An evil human monster from hell!
MONSTERS (Stewart O'Nan) - 2 Stars - A scary lesson, but disappointing Halloween read.
THE HALLOWEEN MAN (William F. Nolan) - 3 Stars - Delightful and scary little story for the kiddies.
THE YOUNG TAMLANE (Sir Walter Scott) - 4 Stars - 1803 version of author's adult Halloween ballad.
PORK PIE HAT (Peter Straub) - 2 Stars - Fears of Halloween night.
THREE DOORS (Norman Partridge) - 5 Stars - Oh my......This Halloween tale is a real killer!
AUNTIE ELSPETH'S HALLOWEEN STORY, OR THE GOURD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY (Esther M. Friesner) - 5 Stars - HAHAHAHAHAHAHA......Oh So Wicked......Loved this jack-o-lantern story! (Favorite!)
STRUWWELPETER (Glen Hirshberg) - 3 Stars - "The bell raises the dead. Right up out of the ground." Oh Peter......what you did!
HALLOWEEN IN A SUBURB (H. P. Lovecraft) - 2 Stars - Ok poem.
ON THE REEF (Caitlin R. Kiernan) - 1 Star - Oh so boring ceremonial group coupling on Halloween.
THE STICKS (Charlee Jacob) - 3 Stars - Eww
www.....a swampy and deadly Halloween tradition in the Deep South.RIDING BITCH (K. W. Jeter) - 2 Stars - The dead cold motorcycle passenger did give me a little laugh.
MEMORIES OF EL DIA DE LOS MUERTOS (Nancy Kilpatrick) - 3 Stars - A message from the beyond.
HALLOWEEN STREET (Steve Rasnic Tem) - 2 Stars - This street is for the dead.
TRICKS & TREATS: ONE NIGHT ON HALLOWEEN STREET (Steve Rasnic Tem) - 3 Stars - "Tricks".......Tommy's last trick was a good one, the rest of the compilation of the street just ok.
MEMORIES (Peter Crowther) - 3 Stars - Ha! Watch out for what the bogeyman steals!
ULALUMR: A BALLAD (Edgar Allan Poe) - 4 Stars - (from the Latin, ululare means to wail, lament, howl, shriek) This creepy poem really is better read aloud......try it!
MASK GAME (John Shirley) - 3 Stars - Halloween masks give magical powers and expose secrets in a dysfunctional family.
BY THE BOOK (Nancy Holder) - 2 Stars - Romance novel causes chaos for mom during Halloween season.
HORNETS (Al Sarrantonio) - Eww
www.......feel like creepy crawlers are all over me! Great ending!PRANKS (Nina Kiriki Hoffman) - 3 Stars - Nasty magical finger tricks......some treats.
PUMPKIN NIGHT (Gary McMahon) - 3 Stars - OMG! Evil and gruesome to the core. Real horror!
THE UNIVERSAL SOLDIER (Charles de Lint) - 5 Stars - A Halloween ghost story of love that proves war truly is a horror!
NIGHT OUT (Tina Rath) - 5 Stars - Sounds like a fun night out for me and Maggie the Cat!
ONE THIN DIME (Stewart Moore) - 2 Stars - A carnival and memories of past Halloweens.
MAN-SIZE IN MARBLE (E. Nesbit) - 4 Stars - "Whatever you do sir, lock the door early on All Saints Eve, and make the cross-sign over the doorstep and on the windows."
THE GREAT PUMPKIN ARRIVES AT LAST (Sarah Langan) - 4 Stars - A psychic and a seance....."I'll haunt you until the day you die." Michael?
SUGAR SKULLS (Chelsea Quinn Yarbro) - 2 Stars - The dark path to the witch.
ON A DARK OCTOBER (Joe R. Lansdale) - 4 Stars - Way too dark and deadly even for "The Twilight Zone."
THE VOW ON HALLOWEEN (Lyllian Hubtley Harris) - 3 Stars - A sinister man with evil eyes.
THE OCTOBER GAME (Ray Bradbury) - 5 Stars - Oh...NoNoNoNoNoNoNo! An absolute horror of a read!!!!
THE NOVEMBER GAME (F. Paul Wilson) - 4 Stars - Creepy revengeful sequel to The October Game! (first time in print back to back!) Yikes!
TESSELLATIONS (Gary Braunbeck) - 4 Stars - Super creepy, weird and gruesome with ghosties in the graveyard and memories of past family bloodlines that expose dark secrets and guilt. (did not know Tessellations was a method of quilting joining patches together to for a story.)
"Who moved in the shadow? Who rustled past unseen? With the dark so deep I dare not sleep/ All night on hallowe'en."
Some favorites here I'll look forward to reading each Halloween! (but whew!.....really needs a good editing)
-
While there were some very good stories in this collection, such as the ones written by Ray Bradbury, Charles deLint, and Peter Straub, the book itself was a nightmare to read. It is so riddled with typos, misspelled words, crappy typesetting, misused apostrophes and missing letters that I have to wonder if anyone even bothered to glance at it before it was published. I will never purchase anything with this editor's name on it again.
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Краят на пролетта и началото на лятото не бяха подходящия сезон за точно тази антология, но въпреки топлите вечери и слънчевите дни, разказите успяха да посеят в душата ми едно октомврийско настроение с миризма на печена тиква и канела.
Подборът на произведенията беше малко хаотичен и на места противоречив, все пак повече ми допадна, от колкото не, но нека ги мина едно по едно.
Conversations in a Dead Language – Thomas Ligotti – Лиготи е майстор на писаното слово и за пореден път представя една история, където читателят се чуди свръхестественото или чисто психопатското седят в основата. Няма значение, защото и двата варианта са ужасяващи.
Monsters - Steward O’Nan – Някой трябва да забрани на този човек да участва в хорър атологии. Пише всичко друго, но не и хорър. Историята е за две момчета, едното от които губи окото си в нелеп инцидент преди Хелоин. Поуката е като за три годишни, някога така ни разказваха за момче изгубило пръстите си при игра с миниум-бронзки. Пълна скука и тъпня.
Halloween Man – William F. Nolan – Доста добър разказ за момиче повярвало, че е преследвано от митичния Хелоуин Мен. До последно вярваш, че всичко е плод на детската фантазия и тогава те удря финалът. Чист и неподправен детски ужас, който успява да ти влезе под кожата.
The Young Tamlane – Sir Walter Scott – Да ме прощава класикът, но тази балада няма място тук. Историята за отвлеченият от елфите момък и смелата девойка е много експлоатирана в литературата, а самата балада, както всяко народно творчество има десетки преработки. Това е първата на която попадам, която се развива на Хелоуин, а не на пролетното слънцестоене, а шотландският език от 19 век я прави буквално нечетима.
Pork Pie Hat – Peter Straub – Едно от съкровищата в компилацията. Южняшка история за магии, расизъм и духове, завита в история за една от най-големите джаз легенди. Както казва самият Строб, ако не се досещате кой е Порк Пай Хат, няма смисъл аз да ви казвам. Аз само ще добавя, че е един от най-добрите тенор саксофонисти, известен е със смешната си стереотипна шапка и е измислил половината софийски жаргон(щото нали, София е джаз).
Three Doors – Norman Partridge – Хелоуински прочит на „Маймунската лапа“ в неповторимия стил на Партридж. Не се сблъсквам за първи път с разказа, но пак го изчетох с кеф. Млад мъж се е сдобил с сила на връх Вси светии. Може да почука на три врати и трите ще му отворят и ще изпълнят желанията му. Той иска само едно нещо, но невъзможно. Партридж трябва да се преведе на български, просто е задължителен.
Auntie Elspeth’s Halloween Story – Esther M. Friesner – Толкова съм се смял тук, че не е истина. Историята е монолог на стара леля, чиито племеници ѝ гостуват за Хелоуин. Бабето е цапнато в устата и много добре знае какъв празник е.
Struwwelpeter – Glen Hirshberg – Хиршберг можел да пише и добре, когато не ръси еврейщини под път и над път. И пак историята е доста тегава, но поне е история, а не открита пропаганда. Група хлапета, доста добри приятели трансформират страховете си от хелоуинската нощ в страх от най-добрият им приятел, който има навика да се държи странно от време на време.
Hallowe‘en in a Suburb – H.P.Lovecraft – Така, който владее староанглийски или каквото и по дяволите да беше това, да хвърли първия камък. Аз не разбрах нищо от поемата.
On the Reef – Caitlin R. Kiernan – Церемония в чест на Ктхулу на връх Хелоуин. Скука. Чел съм много, много по-добри неща от родни автори по темата.
The Sticks – Charlee Jacob – Много добра история за южняшко градче, където децата се заключват в края на октомври, вместо да обикалят смеещи се по улиците. Естествено, за това си има зловеща причина. Разказът ми върна вярата в антологията, след няколкото бози.
Riding Bitch – K.W.Jeter – Моторист, след нелепо стечение на обстоятелства, се оказва шофиращ с прикована с белезници за врата му мъртва годеница. Много черен хумор и стресиращи ситуации. Прилично разказче с добър финал.
Memories of el Dia de los Muertos – Nancy Kilpatrick – Кратка импресия за деня на мъртвите. Информативна и атмосферна, ама не съм сигурен, че тук и е мястото.
Halloween Street и Trick & Treats – Steve Rasnic Tem – Поредица от кратки зловещи и странни истории, случващи се на определена улица в една определена нощ. На мен ми харесаха, доста добре обрисуват духа на празника.
Memories - Peter Crowther – Много добър разказ за телефонен разговор между две застаряващи съседки. Нещо броди в нощта на духовете и ако те хване... няма да разкривам.
Ulalume – E.A. Poe – Като при Лъвкрафт същото. Да ме прощават светилата, ама...
Mask Game – John Shirley – Разкошна психологическа история за една игра със странни маски, която ще разбие едно разпадащо се и без това семейство.
By the Book – Nancy Holder – Забавна история за претоварена от задължения майка, която ще открие себе си чрез една книжка- арлекинче. Много добра.
Hornets – Al Sarrantonio – Зверски добър разказ, малко провлачен на моменти, но чудовищен, а финалът, финалът кърти. Зациклил писател бавно проваля семейството си, неспособен да се оправи с работните проблеми. Когато жена му изчезва, изведнъж музата направо го удря по главата. Има и сериозен проблем със стършели в къщата. Всичко се навързва точно на празника на мъртвите.
Pranks – Nina Kiriki Hoffman – Забавна история за дух-шегаджия, който се смесва с хлапетата обикалящи за лакомства. Той, обаче държи на пакостите. Всичко си има цена, естествено. Много добро попадение.
Pumpkins Night – Gary McMahon – Това е писано десетки пъти вече. Клише.
The Universal Soldier – Charles de Lint – За пореден път вин��вникът за да прочета книгата. Историята е сладко-горчива с някой типични за де Линт образи. Не е от върховите на автора, но е от върховите в антологията.
Night Out – Tina Rath – Мама си позволява нощ с момичетата само няколко пъти в годината. Дали ще се оправят нейните мързели без нея? Все тая, взимай котката и яхай метлата.
One Thin Dime – Steward Moore – Много атмосферна история за пропуснати шансове и спомени. Хареса ми.
Man-Size in Marble – E. Nesbit – Викторианска история и единствената от класическите, която ми хареса. За бога господине, напуснете вилата за Хелоуин, нямате идея какво ви чака.
The Great Pumpkin Arrives at Last – Sarah Langan – История по мой вкус. Тормозен от миналото си младеж е принуден от приятелката си да направи сеанс с духове на връх празника. Неин си проблем, не е като да не е предупредена.
Sugar Skulls – Chelsea Quinn Yarbo – Макар да няма много действие и хелоуински дух, историята е страшно добра. Как се става вещица по принуда?
On a Dark October – Joe R. Lansdale – Лансдейл, верен на себе си ни поднася мрачна,груба и може би реална история. Няма база за сравнение този човек.
The Vow on Halloween – Lyllian Huntley Harris – Ах, призрачна история от не толкова далечното минало. Изправя косите.
The October Game – Ray Bredbury – Тази я нямаше в електронната версия, защото Бредбъри е държал да е само на хартия. Както и да е, чел съм я и е едно от най-добрите му неща.
The November Game – F. Paul Wilson – Също четена преди това в разкошния сборник „Демонични песни“ (ако ви попадне от някъде, купувайте без да се замислите). Разказът е директно продължение на предходния и не му отстъпва с нищо.
Tessellations – Gary Braunbeck – Перфектен завършек на сборника. Малко по-дълга и доста кървава история за едно семейство, оплетено в мистерии и един образ с тиквена глава, който ще им разкрие истината. Не можеш да избягаш от наследството си, особено ако е такова. -
Nice collection of seasonal stories in a variety of genres and senses of creepiness. Note that the e-book edition does not contain Ray Bradbury's "October Game", which is unfortunate, since it is among the best Halloween stories ever, but I have it in a hardback collection and have it practically memorized, so it wasn't a big deal for me. It is a must read to even begin to appreciate the "companion" story in this colleciton, though.
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First, let me say that this was an good compilation of stories. I enjoyed most of them and the caliber of contributors met my expectations. Not all were spectacular, but overall, there were some good moments.
However, this was the most poorly edited book I have ever read. There is a typing/proofreading error in every story--sometimes more. I found it distracting to read through missing words, misspelled words, and other proofreading errors. I tend to forgive one or two in a book, but not in every story in an anthology.
It makes what could have been a great reading experience feel sloppy and significantly less thoughtful. -
Overall I really enjoyed this collection. Sure, there were a few stories that were not good, but overall they were really quite enjoyable. I especially enjoyed the last story, Braunbeck's "Tessellations". Definitely worth a read for some silly, spooky fun.
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Guran’s first Halloween anthology gives an updated introduction of a short history of Halloween previously appearing in October Dreams along with 33 short stories spanning a variety of horror writers.
“Conversations in a Dead Language” by Thomas Ligotti
A mailman who lives alone sees the same kids each Halloween. I read this one in October Dreams and liked the atmosphere and chilling ending. 4/5
“Monsters” by Stewart O’Nan
Around Halloween, two boys prepare to be monsters for the church fundraising haunt. Then the fun turns dark when one boy accidently shoots his friend in the eye. I liked the literary feel, the exploration of guilt and loss of innocence. 4/5
“The Halloween Man” by William F. Nolan
Does the Halloween Man—a soul eating demon—exist?—or is it part of a girl’s active imagination? This was reminiscent of childhood fears centered around the holiday. 4/5
“The Young Tamlane” by Sir Walter Scott
A Scottish ballad about a woman rescuing her lover and child from fairies on Halloween which I couldn’t comprehend with the Scottish language mixed with English.
“Pork Pie Hat” by Peter Straub
Another one from October Dreams, and Straub’s novella explores the tale of a jazz musician, Halloween and the loss of innocence. I still find Straub’s pieces a bit longwinded and disengaging. 2/5
“Three Doors” by Norman Partridge
A man tries to win back his lost love with a magical prosthetic hand which will grant him control over those who answer the door—another emotional and magical Halloween story by Partridge. 4/5
“Auntie Elspeth’s Halloween Story” by Esther M. Friesner
A pretty funny story about kids visiting their aunt and her telling them a ‘censored’ Halloween story about a pumpkin. 4/5
“Struwwelpeter” by Glen Hirshberg
The tale of Struwwelpeter of the consequences for misbehaving children is told through Halloween and a haunted house. This was well-written with great characters and atmosphere. 4/5
“Halloween in a Suburb” by H.P. Lovecraft
A short poem referencing Halloween and another Lovecraft piece I don’t find appealing.
“On the Reef” by Caitlin R. Kiernan
A Lovecraftian story recounting a creepy ritual—vibrant language and imagery from Kiernan, yet not my kind of subject matter. 2/5
“The Sticks” by Charlee Jacob
Halloween night in a town is a horrific vigil of survival plagued with snakes, mosquitos and the dead. 3/5
“Riding Bitch” by K. W. Jeter
A guy who delivers bodies to a funeral home finds himself carrying the body of his ex-girlfriend. I liked the concept and the theme of a love going beyond the grave. 4/5
“Memories of El Dia De Los Muertos” by Nancy Kilpatrick
Set on the eve of the day of the dead, the death bringer pays a family a visit—more of a poetic and atmospheric vignette. 4/5
“Halloween Street” by Steve Rasnic Tem
An unremarkable girl watches the houses on Halloween Street and pays one of the houses a visit—I liked the theme of finding one’s own place to fit in. 4/5
“Tricks and Treats: One Night on Halloween Street” By Steve Rasnic Tem
A series of vignettes about kids venturing onto Halloween street—I liked some of the imagery, but again they’re vignettes. 3/5
“Memories”
Something in the guise of a man erases the existence of someone’s identity on Halloween night—an interesting concept, but I found the characters annoying. 3/5
“Ulalume: A Ballad” by Edgar Allan Poe
A poem about Halloween night, suggested to read aloud.
“Mask Game” by John Shirley
Masks reveal family dysfunction when a distant relative comes to teach a family a new Halloween game—I read this one in October Dreams and it’s one of my favorites both in concept and character. 5/5
“By the Book” by Nancy Holder
An overworked mom preparing for a Halloween party finds solace in a romance novel ‘s character come to life. I liked the realism and the humor of an unbalanced family. 4/5
“Hornets” by Al Sarrantonio
A horror writer’s wife goes missing amidst a hornet infestation as Halloween approaches. This was a fun story, but more focused on idea than characters. 4/5
“Pranks” by Nina Kiriki Hoffman
A trickster takes the form of a young boy to dish out tricks in spite of the treats—this was a fun little story. 4/5
“Pumpkin Night” by Gary McMahon
A carved pumpkin serves as the head for a man’s dead wife who dragged him into her ghastly crimes—a lot of cool and nasty concepts and emotions in this short piece. 4/5
“The Universal Soldier” by Charles de Lint
The ghost of a soldier ventures to meet his true love and is accompanied by two girls who collect stories—some good dialogue exploring themes of the afterlife, but felt a bit loose as a story itself. 3/5
“Night Out” by Tina Rath
A woman leaves her family on Halloween night unbeknownst to them where she’s going or who she is. I liked this take on a modern day witch. 4/5
“One Thin Dime” by Stewart Moore
A lion girl gives out tricks and treats in this odd story about traditions passed down generations—an odd story with a nostalgic feel. 3/5
“Man-Size in Marble” by E. Nesbit
A Victorian story of statues that come alive on Halloween night when a couple is staying at a nearby churchyard—this was a classic horror story with a snap ending. 3/5
“The Great Pumpkin Arrives at Last” by Sarah Langan
A college guy’s girlfriend sets up a séance to see if he’s haunted—I found the characters super interesting and liked the Charlie Brown references. 4/5
“Sugar Skulls” by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
A girl helps her grandmother make sugar skulls to sell on Dia de Los Muertos, but she also has a plan to create a skull imbued with witchcraft. I liked diving into this part of Mexican culture and the genuineness of the girl and her family’s struggles. 4/5
“On a Dark October” by Joe R. Lansdale
A gritty reflection of Halloween bringing out the worst in people—wasn’t a fan of the cruelty in this one. 3/5
“The Vow on Halloween” by Lyllian Huntley Harris
A 1920s pulp story by an unknown author follows a Halloween party and a woman retelling a promise of her dead lover. This was a bit old school for me to appreciate. 3/5
“The October Game” by Ray Bradbury
A husband feels trapped in his marriage with a loveless wife and a daughter he doesn’t want and it all changes on Halloween. This was definitely a classic with a chiller of an ending. 5/5
“The November Game” by F. Paul Wilson
The sequel to Bradbury’s “The October Game” picks up where the dad’s a prisoner and gets his due. This had a similar nastiness to Bradbury’s story in the traditional horror sense. 4/5
“Tessellations” by Gary Braunbeck
This novella explores family ties that bind between the living and the dead. This had a cool concept with the patchwork quilt along with creepy moments towards the end. 4/5
Overall, this anthology was pretty enjoyable with majority of the stories being captivating with different takes on Halloween. As with any anthology, different pieces and writers will appeal to you more than others, but as a Halloween fan, this book as a whole captures the magic, nostalgia and mystery of this awesome holiday. 3.6/5 -
It's Not You It's Me Department: Halloween is an anthology edited by Paula Guran. I really looked forward to reading this. There are some dark delights here. There was a Ray Bradbury story (The October Game) that was new to me. There was a wonderful bit of poetry by HP Lovecraft I had never stumbled upon before and it was a delight. There was a story by Joe Lansdale that is so very dark you will cry tears of blood. Sadly none of this counteracted a very infuriating truth-even though it is the season it was not time to read this book. I toughed it out because I am stubborn but that only made it worse. Constant Reader this is a good short story collection and I think you will enjoy. I just chose the wrong Halloween anthology (I have several of them) to read this year. Onward...
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So far I only read:
Pranks by Nina Kiriki Hoffman = 3*
A bit of energy decided to turn itself into a boy and have some fun with other Halloween trick or treaters. This boy doesn't mess around with his tricks.
"I'm not sure that was a good idea."
The energy boy: "I'm not about good ideas. I'm about doing things that make me laugh..."
"You don't trick them if they offer you a treat."
The energy boy: "But I want to."
Every time he does something it costs a bit of his energy body. In the end
{short story} -
As with most anthologies there are some good, some excellent, and some not so good. Worth reading:
The Halloween Man ****
The Young Tamlane ***
Three doors ***
Auntie Elspeth's Halloween Story ****
The Sticks ****
Memories ****
Ulalume ****
Pranks ****
The Universal Soldier ****
Night Out ****
Man Size in Marble **** +
If the stories are not mentioned, there is a reason. Some I started but didn't like. Some I finished but didn't like. Sadly, I didn't like "The October Game" by Ray Bradbury, whom I LOVE, but this story was too disturbing for me.
There you have it! Happy Reading❤ -
After three years in a row trying to read through this anthology before Halloween came and went, I finally finished it! Huzzah!
It’s a pretty standard anthology, cashing in on the holiday. The editing was fine overall; decent spread of stories, fairly well-ordered. (Although a TON of distracting typos, like several per story. More than I would expect in a professionally published work.)
Most of the stories were pretty good! I especially liked the straightforward, spooky ones. Some of my favorites:
Conversations in a Dead Language - From the POV of an evil, pedophile postman and his interactions with two trick-or-treating siblings over a series of years. He of course gets his just desserts by the end.
Monsters - Nothing supernatural, just a gentle examination of childhood, accidents, and what makes a monster.
The Halloween Man - Maybe my favorite; an urban legend ghost story and the girl who believes it. Felt the most realistic, and it’s kept unclear whether the monster is actually after Katie or just in her head.
On the Reef - Lovecraft riff, with a fish cult and horrible rituals enacted by secret masked cultists.
Memories - The creature stealing peoples’ existence was awesome! And the idea of a story where the main horrific action is two old ladies, best friends, chatting on the phone and spying on the neighborhood.
Mask Game - The reveal of everyone’s hidden secrets, leading to the biggest reveal, was very well done. Plus the indication that Neva is some kind of entity outside reality?
Man-Size in Marble - Nesbit writes this character so well; hyper-male, condescending, aristocratic, but also well-meaning, gentle, and artistic. It’s a very British story, and I loved the description and the voice.
The Great Pumpkin Arrives at Last - More murderers as main characters, which seems par for the course in this book!
On A Dark October - Pretty blatant parable for white people (men) sacrificing Black people (the “other”) to ensure their own success and stability. I loved the small details, like “their young, attractive wives and ... their prosperous businesses”. Seemed particularly timely, for all that it was written in the 80s, and I completely get why people would think it “too dark” for a horror story.
The Vow on Halloween - Interesting editorial point, that the authorship of this one was a little muddy. I liked the simplicity; woman can’t escape her fiancé, even in death!, and the older, antique feel of the writing.
I noticed the repetition of public domain ones, probably added in to fill gaps: The Young Tamlane (Sir Walter Scott), Hallowe’en in a Suburb (Lovecraft), Ulalume (Poe). Then of course the book seemed to be hinged around the Bradbury story, The October Game, which is suitably creepy. I maybe could’ve done without The November Game, but it’s just fine for a follow-up.
There was an odd vein of “masculine” versus “feminine” stories throughout. The masculine ones (Three Doors, Riding Bitch, Hornets, Pumpkin Night) are all written by men so far as I could tell and all about men who lose their wife/girlfriend and are angsty about it. The two “feminine” ones (By the Book, Night Out), both written by women, feature wives who are more than their unappreciative, oblivious husbands and children realize and who seize opportunities to escape the drudgery of housewifery. I’m tempted to add Auntie Elspeth’s Halloween Story to the “feminine” list, for a uniquely spinstery main character.
There were also several stories that got so caught up in their own ~drama~ and ~imagery~ that it was hard to tell what they were even about or why I should care. Riding Bitch and Three Doors fall into this category, as did the two (or eleven, since one was ten snippets) Steve Rasnic Tem ones. With several, I liked the main image or character, but the plot was dumb or nonexistent (One Thin Dime, Pranks, Memories of El Dia De Los Muertos, Sugar Skulls). A couple others were novellas (Pork Pie Hat, Tesselations), and it took so freaking long to get through them that their spookiness was kind of cancelled out by the end.
Anyway, there are a *lot* of stories in this book (33!), so I feel it was worth my time and got me in the seasonal mood. 🎃 -
Good seasonal collection of Halloween related stories. Desperately in need of a fresh edit though. I kept getting distracted by the edits I would make if allowed. Some stories were weaker than others, but overall I am glad I checked it out.
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I really enjoyed this collection and it was perfect to read during the Halloween season. One star off for the last story because it was all over the place, confusing and didn't make sense, too weird for me, and too long also.
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"Mask Game" by John Shirley - On Halloween Juno receives a visit from a woman named Neva who she remembers as her cousin. In reality Neva is sort of like a Greek Fury bearing masks that, when donned by the family members, expose a murder.
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I enjoyed most of these but I wouldn't say they were frightening.
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Typos everywhere but great stories.
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Cute fun short stories all having to do with Halloween, what’s not to love? Did skip a couple of stories and did not finish in time for Halloween.
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This is my place marker for The Vow for Halloween by Lyllian Huntley Harris.
Goodreads adding a book is impossible anymore.
Losing relevance one book at a time. -
Delightful spooky stories, for any age! Some are a bit creepier than others; overall I loved it 😍!
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Some really fantastic stories. The only really poor story was sugar skulls. The final story, "Tessellations" was incredible. My main gripe is the terrible job of editing. Every single story had 2-3 typos. I'm not really sure what Guran contributed to this book. The stories collected were good enough to make up for the poor editing.
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I finished reading Halloween last night just before heading to bed. Halloween is a collection of 33 previously stories all having something to do with Halloween. Three of the stories are from the 1800s, but most (19) are from 2000 or later.
Although the collection wasn’t exactly what I expected, it wasn’t bad. I was expecting more creepy horror stories and, although the later stories met my expectations, the collection starts out pretty slow.
The first two stories didn’t do much for me, but the third, “The Halloween Man” (1986) by
William F. Nolan, was much better. I do wish I’d read Guran’s introduction after the story, however; like many of the introductions it contained too much information about the story. Eventually I figured out I could and should read them after the story.
Following Nolan’s story was a ballad by Sir Walter Scott I could have done without (and in fact I skipped over most of it).
Peter Straub’s long story (50+ pages), “Pork Pie Hat” (1994) came immediately after the Scott ballad, and was interesting and enjoyable, as were most of the stories that followed (although I could have done without the short poems by Poe and Lovecraft).
Other stories I particularly enjoyed were:
“The Sticks” (2007) by
Charlee Jacob (disturbing and strange).
“Riding Bitch” (2007) by
K.W. Jeter (strange, but isn’t all of Jeter’s work?)
“Halloween Street” (1999) and “Tricks & Treats: One Night on Halloween Street” (1999) by Steven Rasnic Tem.
“Memories” (2010) by
Peter Crowther.
“Mask Game” (2000) by
John Shirley (I’m a big fan of Shirley’s work and this story didn’t disappoint).
“The Universal Soldier” (2006) by
Charles de Lint (a quiet dreamy story; de Lint is another favorite author of mine).
“One Thin Dime” (2010) by
Stewart Moore (an odd little story I don’t really understand, but enjoyed nonetheless).
“On a Dark October” (1984) by
Joe R. Lansdale (Lansdale is hit-or-miss for me; sometimes I enjoy his work a lot, sometimes not so much. This little story was strange and entertaining.)
“The October Game” (1948) by
Ray Bradbury (creepy in the extreme; very unlike his later work).
Overall I’d say Halloween was worth reading. After the slow beginning I almost gave up on it, but I’m glad I didn’t. -
This is one that I actually spent my own money on ... a sort of madness took over. I'm blaming it on the headiness of October and moving on.
I'll be reading these short stories throughout the month. The introduction is an excellent overview of Halloween which incorporates new discoveries about olden time celebrations. Thus far I am not too far along but have just begun Hat by Peter Straub. I don't think I've ever read anything by him but early in it is a fabulous look at jazz, a musician's life, and the love of music. With one of the best lines ever ... which I will do from memory and fix later.I asked if Hat was still alive.
"Let's put it this way," said the bartender. "If you were him, you wouldn't be."
UPDATE
This has disappeared around the house. I have a suspicion that it is somewhere in Hannah's room because I last saw it when she was using it as a support for doing the WSJ crossword puzzle. I will unearth it soon so I can be properly horrified by Halloween
UPDATE 2
Now Halloween is gone and I am out of the mood. Plus, the stories were mostly horrific, rather than ghostly (which was what I saw in looking through the October Dreams anthology). I may finish it but for now I think it will go in the unfinished column -
Another short story book edited by Paula Guran, Halloween is an excellent selection of stories, dating as far back as the early 1800s (a poem by Sir Walter Scott, called "The Young Tamlane"). There are over 30 stories in this collection, and it is, indeed, delightful. I was pleasantly surprised to find a story in the book by Stewart O'Nan, Stephen King's collaborator in Faithful, their chronicle of the historical 2004 season of the Boston Red Sox. There is a poem by H.P. Lovecraft, called "Hallowe'en In A Suburb." There is a lengthy story by Peter Straub about a jazz musician, called "Pork Pie Hat." Another favorite is one by Charles de Lint, called "The Universal Soldier." Then there's "The October Game," by Ray Bradbury, one of the true masters of the genre. And it is followed by a "tribute/sequel," written by F. Paul Wilson, called "The November Game." The collection closes out with the most horrific of all, "Tessellations," by Gary Braunbeck, a tale of family traditions gone horribly wrong.
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The collection of stories for this book introduced me to some new writers, which is one of the reasons I love picking up anthologies like this. Some of the stories (like Tessellations) scared the ever-living Hell out me... a job well done for a short story. Although I'm a big poetry fan, I wish that the poems had not been included. I guess it's just a pet peeve of mine; when I sit down to read a collection of Halloween short stories, that's all I want to read. The poems broke the rhythm.
The main reason why the book gets 4 stars instead of 5 is because the proofreading was absolutely atrocious. There were so many words missing that it became distracting. I've never read a book with so many errors before; it surprised me.
Still, I highly recommend the book to anyone looking for some good Halloween reads. -
This is a great anthology of stories. Such stories as Straub's "Pork Pie Hat" and Braunbeck's "Tessellations" left me with a sense of inspiration and fulfilment while Sarrantonio's "Hornets" and Shirley's "Mask Game" truly captured the horror and essence of the mood that Halloween can bring.
The only reason I didn't give this book a 5 star rating is solely for the amount of grammatical and punctuational errors in this edition which cries out for a very necessary re-edit in the next edition, if they do indeed reissue a new edition. While I can forgive and marginally overlook the odd misspelling here or there, this compilation’s only annoying point was the frequency in which these errors popped up...one error every two or three pages on average, and there are 517 pages of stories!!! All in all a more than excellent October time read as long as you can get past the poor editing. -
A good collection of Halloween stories, a few of my favorites:
- The Sticks by Charlee Jacob
- Halloween Street by Steve Rasnic Tem
- Memories by Peter Crowther
A couple that were a little gruesome:
- The October Game by Ray Bradbury, this was a great story (because Bradbury is awesome) but really creepy/gruesome. The November Game, a follow up story to the October Game, by F. Paul Wilson was also a little disturbing. But both were worth the read.
- Tessellations by Gary Braunbeck (a little out there for me). -
A great mix of stories to set the mood for Halloween (or anytime, since I didn't finish the book until January). The stories give equal coverage to all of the seasonal themes--pumkins, ghosts, witches, and even El Dia De Los Muertos. The stories range from humorous ("Auntie Elspeth's Halloween Story"), endearing ("One Thin Dime"), to expectedly spooky ("Man-Size in Marble", "The Great Pumpkin Arrives at Last",and "The October Game"). Those looking for just horror stories may be disapointed, but it's definitely worthwhile for anyone looking for a good mix of Halloween tales.
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Conversations in a Dead Language 9.5/10
Monsters 9/10
The Halloween Man 9/10
Three Doors 7.5/10
Auntie Elspeth's Halloween Story 8.5/10
Struwwelpeter 8.5/10
On the Reef 7/10
Memories of El Dia De Los Muertos 7/10
The Sticks 6/10
Memories 8/10
Mask Game 7/10
By the Book 4.5/10
Pranks 8/10
Hornets 8/10
One Thin Dime 5/10
The Great Pumpkin Arrives at Last 7.5/10
Night Out 6/10
The October Game 9/10
The November Game 8/10
