Horror for Good: A Charitable Anthology by Mark Scioneaux

Horror for Good: A Charitable Anthology Reviews

• 
  Trent Zelazny

  Horror for Good is better than good. This is a fantastic collection filled with both legends of the genre as well as some folks I'd never even heard of, and there isn't an even mediocre tale in the bunch. Every story is phenomenal. If you like horror stories, this one is definitely for you. And on top of pure horror awesomeness (yes, what makes this collection even better than the masterwork it already is) is that it is a charitable anthology, the money going to amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research. There is no reason whatsoever not to get this book. There is nothing not to love about this book. This is top-notch horror.
• 
  Alexander Beresford

  32 stories. 11 rare reprints. 21 brand new stories.
  
  If you're new to Horror Fiction, this book will introduce you to some of the best writers in the business; it's a fantastic starting point for the new enthusiast.
  
  If you've loved Horror Fiction for a while you'll recognize most of the names, and the writing in here will definitely blow your hair back.
  
  If you're a human being (hey, I don't know who reads these reviews...) you'll support this charity anthology created in the memory of uncle Louis "Setchie" to raise money for amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research. It benefits us all!
  
  For the truly selfish ones out there, screw the publisher, screw the charity, get this for yourself, it's one of the best collections of stories I have seen ... and I'm probably older than you.
• 
  S.C. Hayden

  I can't tell you how many times I've picked up a small press anthology and didn't bother finishing half the stories.
  Not this one though. Every tale in this collection is good, some are very good and a few are great.
  
• 
  Brian Matthews

  How do you combat the horrors of real life? Deal with the grief of a life lost? Well, for Mark Scioneaux, whose uncle died from AIDS and cirrhosis of the liver, it involved putting together one of the best collections of horror stories ever--and then donating the proceeds to AIDS research. It is truly a selfless dedication to ameliorate a real world ghoul, using the terrors crafted by some of the world's best horror authors.
  
  "Horror for Good" is a superlative collection of terrifying tales. From veterans likes Ramsey Campbell, Jack Ketchum and F. Paul Wilson to lesser-known (but no less skillful) names likes Joe McKinney, Shaun Hutson and Lisa Morton, the authors involved offer up a melange of ghastly fights to keep you awake into the deep hours of the night. Are you a fan of Disney's Ariel? Well, delve into "Baptism" by Tracie McBride and you may change your mind about mermaids. Do you love cats? I dare you to read Jack Ketchum's "Returns." How about straight out, balls-to-the-wall creepy: read "The Monster in the Drawer" by Wrath James White or "Mouth" by Nate Southard or the excellent story "Sky of Brass, Land of Iron" by Joe McKinney. I could go on and on, because all of the stories found in this collection are that good. There isn't a dud or clinker in the group.
  
  If you are a fan of the bizarre, the chilling, and the truly frightful, then this is a book for you. If you feel we, as a collective of thinking, caring human beings, can combat and defeat a horrifying evil like AIDS, then buy this anthology. You won't be disappointed.
  
  "Horror for Good" will scare you into feeling good about the money spent.
• 
  Baal Of

  I learned a couple new words: griseous and chuntering. I'm guessing that I will not remember either a few years from now.
  
  I feel like a broken record saying this anthology has a mix of good, bad, and mediocre stories like most, but for me it is true. I think it's just a factor of age and that I have read so many books over the decades, that I rarely find an anthology I think is uniformly excellent. Of the 32 (quick count from the ToC) stories I marked 4 with positive notes.
  
  From The Long Hunt this wonderful bit of descriptive nastiness
  

  He went down the aisle counting bodies... knowing it was a redundant exercise, but doing it anyway, high-stepping over pools of blood, strings of gore hanging like wet bunting. The big woman to whom the boy had spoken was unrecognizable as a human from the waist up, a gaping sack of meat and bone.

  
  
  The Silent Ones was an unusual take on a ghost story, focusing on isolation and inevitable deterioration.
  
  To And Fro managed to overcome my bias against time travel stories by keeping the rules tight, and adding a healthy dose of horror. I predicted the ending early on, but the story was well written so that didn't matter to me.
  
  The Eyes Have It was probably my favorite with it's concept of actions after death having a determining factor on the final destination of the soul.
  
  For Somewhere On Sebastian Street I just have a single comment: Lame.
  
  There were a couple glaring editorial misses: Using "spore" instead of "spoor" and using "heal" instead of "heel" but that kind of miss seems to be de rigueur for digital publishing. Overall a worthy collection of stories for horror fans.
• 
  Rena Mason

  This is a great anthology from start to finish. The mood starts off slow and creepy, then escalates to horrifying, and ends with deep thoughts. Some stories were better than others. Several of my favorites were: The Silent Ones by Taylor Grant, The Other Patrick by Brad C. Hodson, Baptism by Tracie McBride, The Depravity of Inanimate Things by John F.D. Taft, and Blood For the American People by Lisa Morton.
• 
  Joyce

  
  
  This is a really great anthology! There is something for every horror fan. A few of my favorites were Dead Letters by Ramsey Campbell, Autumn as Metaphor by GN Braun, and The Apocalypse Ain't So Bad by Jeff Strand. Five bucks, not a bad story in the bunch, and it's for a good cause, too!
• 
  Ryan Willox

  Really comes down to a simple question; is it worth $5. Yes. Buy it. It's for a good cause and the stories are all pretty good and some are exceptional, if you like horror obviously. Anyone with a inclination toward reading horror will find something to love in here. There's a bit of everything, all very well done. You really can't go wrong. Established names, newbies. It's a varied collection.
• 
  Robert Wilson

  Horror For Good: A Charitable Anthology is now available on Amazon in both trade paperback and Kindle versions!
  
  Kindle: $5.00
  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0084FO7N4
  
  Trade paperback: $15.00
  http://www.amazon.com/Horror-For-Good...
• 
  John Taff

  Fantastic collection of horror from some big names. Not a clunker in the entire anthology. Note: I do have a story in it, too, "The Depravity of Inanimate Things." Just to be above board and all.
• 
  JasonH

  Very good selection of stories. I'm impressed. Would love to see a second volume.
• 
  Hal Bodner

  To even attempt to write a detailed review of an anthology this intimidating is a daunting task which I have no intention of undertaking. The volume is crammed full of stories from established horror writers-- some of the best names in the field no less!--with an ample selection of work from some extremely talented newcomers.
  
  Very few people are going to like everything this book contains; the stories are simply too varied to appeal across the board to every reader. Rather HORROR FOR GOOD is like a very large box of assorted fine European chocolates. One person may swoon over the caramels and discard the fruit cremes with distaste while someone else will adore every soft-center and reject the nut clusters. It's a weird analogy to make, I know, but if you read this book, you'll see how fitting it is.
  
  For lovers of horror--hell, even for the neophyte who is just beginning to explore the genre--HORROR FOR GOOD should have a permanent place on the shelf. It's the kind of book that you'll pick up again and again every so often and, though you might not re-read it completely through, you'll definitely be revisiting some favored morsels to enjoy them once again.
  
  Highly recommended.
• 
  Alexandrea

  I received this book through Goodreads giveaways.
  
  I really liked the majority of these short stories. I thought the writing was really good and compelling. I usually am not a big short story reader because I don't get enough detail and I don't get attached to character which I like but these stories I liked. It was nice because I'm not a big horror/thriller reader due to gore but in these short stories there was just enough. I always wanted to find out what the 'secret' was.
  
  The only complaint I have (and it is completely personal) is that I didn't get into it so it took me way longer then it should of to read this collection. After each story it felt like I was finished so I didn't feel drawn to keep reading.
  
  I would definitely recommend this collection of short stories and I would read something like this again.
• 
  Mark Scioneaux

  As one of the editors of this book, I wanted to say thank you to anyone who has purchased and read this book. Whether you know it or not, you allowed my Uncle to live again through the power of the written word. Read my introduction to the book (you can see it in the free sample on Amazon) and it will sum up perfectly the process of putting this anthology together and about those involved.
• 
  Greg

  This is a good collection of stories from some of our best horror writers. Each story has its own focus and they cover a wide range of themes, from ghosts to creatures to psychological.
  
  I enjoyed reading this anthology. If you're a fan of horror then this is a good book to add to your collection.
• 
  John J Questore

  Horror For Good - an anthology of epic proportions, with proceeds going to amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research; and well worth the price of admission!
  
  Look, where else can you find 32 frightening, and thought provoking, stories - some never before published, some not having seen the light of day in a while - AND benefit a worthwhile organization?
  
  I'm not going to rehash the stories like I usually do in my reviews - that will take way to long. But some of my favorites are:
  
  On a Dark October - Joe R. Lansdale
  Blood for the American People - Lisa Morton
  The Silent Ones - Taylor Grant
  Sky of Brass, Land of Iron - Joe McKinney
  The Monster in the Drawer- Wrath James White
  Atlantis Purging - Boyd E. Harris
  Returns - Jack Ketchum
  Please Don't Hurt Me - F. Paul Wilson
  The Eyes Have It - Rena Mason
  Somewhere on Sebastian Street - Stephen Bacon
  
  Usually in an anthology this massive, there are bound to be a story or two that miss the mark. While there weren't any that I would say should not have been included, there were one or two that just didn't hold my interest - but that's for you to decide.
  
  The writing was top notch, the author selection outstanding, and the topic range is vast. Within these pages is something for every horror lover - you won't be sorry.
• 
  Cathy

  I love the idea of this anthology and wanted to like it, but too many of the stories just weren't very good -- either they were painfully amateurish, or very short sketches. There are some standouts, though; Baptism by the new-to-me author Tracie McBride was especially good, along with the Laird Barron story -- I've yet to read anything by Barron that hasn't impressed me. I liked The Other Patrick as well, although I thought it would have benefited from some more polishing, and Jack Ketchum's piece was short and sketchy but moving all the same.
• 
  Geoff

  I wanted to like every single story in this one.
  I tried... I really did.
  Some were great, some were good, and some were a bit... lacking.
  All up, a solid anthology, with more good than mediocre.
  There were one or two that just didn't do it for me, but that's how it goes with anthologies.
  Recommended, as there are not many anthologies that are ALL good.
  This one is good enough, and it's for a great cause...
  
• 
  Bill Borre

  "Blood for the American People" by Lisa Morton - Tom takes a job cleaning up the murder sites of a politically-motivated werewolf organization.
• 
  Sheri White

  Most of the stories were great, but a few just didn't do it for me.
• 
  Ann-Kristin

  Put it on my dnf shelf. To boring! I am aware that there might be one good story in there but I do not want to read trough it all to find it.