Windows into Hell by James Wymore

Windows into Hell Reviews

• 
  Montzalee Wittmann

  Curiosity Quills Anthology: Windows into Hell by James Wymore and many other talents authors is the perfect book to read around Halloween time. I really enjoyed this creepy book! The cover alone was awesome, just look at it, wow, isn't it awesome? Each story has something to do with hell or demons, thus the title of the book. I really loved each story but my favorite was, "The Armadillo's Song" by Sarah E. Seeley. I love October because it is the time that all the books like this come out and it is what I read year long, so if you are like me, grab this, a great addition to any fantasy/horror collection.
• 
  The Behrg

  So this was a little different than what I was expecting. Instead of an anthology of different iterations of hell, this anthology is based off the idea presented in Steven Peck's excellent novella, "A Short Stay in Hell," in that people discover -- regardless of how they've lived their lives or what they've believed -- that Zoroastrianism is "the one true religion," then they're assigned a different iteration of hell.
  
  So I suppose the anthology is what I was expecting?
  
  Yes and no.
  
  First off, there are some fantastic stories in this collection. R.A. Baxter & D.J. Butler come up with some wickedly clever versions of hell. Michaelbrent Collings adds a unique twist with his vision, and Steven Peck's ending story will really make you think. Others felt like filler or provided little emotional connection whether from a lack of connecting with the character or a lackluster idea.
  
  One of the things I loved about the novella this anthology is based on is the exploration of the idea of eternity and how utterly unfathomable it is to our finite minds. The stories here that really grab hold of that idea but also bring a new perspective to it are the ones that succeeded, in my mind. However -- and here's the challenge in basing an entire anthology off of a central idea this compartmentalized -- after awhile the stories started to blend in with one another. I would have loved to see vastly different explorations of hell, and perhaps basing stories on another story limited the creativity or expansion of ideas a bit.
  
  Still a worthwhile venture, though I'm not sure I would have enjoyed this as much had I not first read the novella it was based on. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
• 
  Jay Barnson

  An anthology of tales from the afterlife. It's hell (even if it resembles the heaven the characters envisioned during their lifetime), and it's not pretty. These stories of bespoke hells (or purgatories) are not feel-good stories, although they are usually not without hope. These hells are not eternal... but that fact may be academic for a character who has been confined there for a thousand lifetimes. That's not to say the stories aren't enjoyable... just don't expect happy endings. However, the stories are well-written and thought provoking. I found myself thinking, "but..." and "what if...?" about some of the stories days after I'd read them. That's a good sign. I tend to rate an anthology based on the quality of its two best stories, but this one has really good stories throughout.
  
  I was (and am) a fan of the original Twilight Zone series. That's kind of the flavor of many of these stories, although they may be a hair or two darker. After all, they are stories of the damned, so even death isn't a possible release. If you are a fan of that type of story... with often open-ended endings and a certainly uncomfortable premise... then this may be an anthology you will really enjoy.
• 
  Jana Brown

  I'm is still trying to decide exactly what I think of this anthology. Each story was well written as would be expected from the folks doing the writing, which include some real masters of the craft. This is religious horror, all surrounding the idea of Hell as a type of waystation and as folks figure out what more they have to learn they move on... where they move onto isn't always explicitly answered, but they move on.
  
  This collection is a bunch of stories that make you think, and can be a bit overwhelming in one gulp. While none of the pieces were bad there are those I didn't connect with as well and wouldn't read again either based on the subject matter or how the story turned out, but most of them I'll revisit.
  
  The other nice thing was getting a short story glimpse into the writing of some authors I know by name, but I hadn't read. I'm certainly going to be looking at more books by these folks.
  
  But now I'm going to go read something light and fluffy. :)
  
  *I was provided the book for free. The review is mine.
• 
  Cobwebby Reading Reindeer In Space

  Review WINDOWS INTO HELL Anthology
  
  I expected only good things from an anthology edited and collected by James Wymore, and indeed, this very special set exceeds my expectations. A superb rendering of varied viewpoints about what happens after death, WINDOWS INTO HELL is engrossing, enlightening, and a sheer pleasure to peruse. In some anthologies or short story collections, I can select one or multiple entries as my "favorite." Not so here: each entry is outstanding. Kudos indeed to James Wymore and fellow authors for a superb and thought-provoking reading experience!
• 
  Geoff Strayer

  Hey, another collection of shorts! The kind of book I usually dislike because it is a good story in the midst of garbage. Old, smelly, fish garbage, usually.
  
  Not. This. Time.
  
  Holy...um...Hell, but this was solid. Not a wasted tale in the bunch. Not one. Which is beyond impressive.
  
  Each story is about someone arriving into hell, and what happens next. There is an oddly overarching theme that hell is a waystation, and once you learn an important lesson, you move on to a heaven better than anything you could ever imagine. I do like that idea, personally. It is an echo of some of what I read decades back in Whitley Strieber's Catmagic, that hell is only for those who need it, not for the everyone. It also echoes some interpretations of the Book of Revelation (or the Revelation of St. John the Divine - depends on the version you prefer), that you do have a last chance to repent, and enter heaven.
  
  Of course, if you check the tags on the bottom, you'll see a recurrence of the 'Zoroastrianism' tag. One conceit across the bulk of the stories is that Zoroaster (Zarathustra) got it right, no one else. Amusing, especially if you know some of how modern religion developed, and see the parallels that are there.
  
  Anyway, I could do that all day, let's talk book. First, this is emphatically not a horror anthology. Yes, Hell, but not horror. That is vital.
  
  The stories are all about the idea of a personalized hell - one you have managed to create for yourself. There is (excepting one story) no generalized hell for all, which is a nice touch. In each, the protagonist is sent to learn a lesson of some kind, the learning of which will set them free. Of course, we are not privy to the lesson, only that it is personal, exceedingly hard, and you have eternity to get there. If you think of how hard it is to change a small thing - say cutting out carbs, smoking, sugar, Diet Coke - then you can imagine how hard it is to make a fundamental change to your person. When you also have to identify the problem. And the solution. And not just mouth the words, but make the change.
  
  So, yeah, you'll be there a bit.
  
  Of all the stories, the one I was most impacted by was 'A Tall Vanilla Order' by Tonya Adolfson. On one hand, I was cringing at what looked like a overly blunt social message - one of those where you get it, understand it, and keep being clubbed by it. Of course, then the rest of the story happened, and it hits like a gut punch. Hard. Brutal. A virtual Judge Dredd of an impact. And it does exactly what it is supposed to, and makes you think. A lot.
  
  I was less impressed with 'The Egress of Hell', but then the long-form poem is not a style I have even been able to get into. As much as I might want to, it eludes me. Good ending though.
  
  Finally, the last story, 'A Hell of a Life' by Steven L Peck is the optimistic one of the bunch, and it has a tremendous outlook on things "In addition, there is so much joy to be had in life! It is true there are lives of such misery that it truly would be better not to be born, but it is not as often as you might guess, and even some lives that appear withered and worn have had moments of joy and experiences that make their life worth having been placed here below. I always think of heaven as upward, and myself as below it, down here in Hell. Whenever I can, I gaze that direction though the eyes of my shell and try to catch the attention of whatever God might be gazing back." Powerful stuff.
  
  So, yes, I can suggest this without hesitation or reservation. It is amazing, with stories that make you think, and keep you engaged throughout. It isn't being archived on the Kindle like most. It is staying in active memory, to be revisited.
• 
  Alexandria

  I did enjoy this book very much. It makes you think what is really after a lifetime lived.
  I thought that the authors of these short stories had wild imaginations. Boy, what a ride!
• 
  Dylan

  I’ve got to accept that I’m not into short stories- no matter who writes them or what they’re about. I would probably never read a book like this if I wasn’t such a fan of A Short Stay In Hell, the book all of these stories are based on.
  I’m glad I read it, didn’t love it but it continued the story which was pretty cool.
• 
  Roberta R. (Offbeat YA)

  Rated 4.5 really.
  
  Excerpt from my review - originally published at
  Offbeat YA.
  
  Pros: Imaginative and thought-provoking. Most of the stories are cleverly connected via the general setting, and/or by common themes or characters.
  Cons: Because of the above, most of the stories don't have a real ending either - you need to look at the whole picture. Also, one of them is told in epic poem form (and a shorter poem is included in another story), so you need to have a specific taste for it.
  WARNING! A few stories deal with violence/gore or mention rape and suicide.
  Will appeal to: Those who love to speculate on what's next. Those who think of life as a long lesson. Those who are in for a bunch of tales that will haunt them.
  
  First off...DISCLAIMER: I received this anthology from Curiosity Quills in exchange for an honest review. To be more precise, I specifically requested a review copy. That didn't affect my opinion and rating in any way. Here goes...
  If you're familiar with my blog, there's no way you didn't notice I'm addicted to afterlife stories. What you may not know is that I rarely enjoy short stories. I'm not sure if it's because I don't get enough time to become invested in the characters, of because I'm only completely satisfied when I spend a few hours in a book world, or because I'm not impressed by the ending of something that has barely started, so it usually fails to deliver a punch in my case. But I got a very strong vibe from this anthology. So I jumped aboard, and...well, if you're usually wary of short stories too, don't let it deter you from giving this book a chance. Some of these stories will haunt you for life. You must have the patience of connecting the dots and not asking for easy answers, but it will repay.
  
  A CHANCE IN HELL
  
  This collection is explicitly inspired (and partly modeled after) A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck, which in turn pays homage to The Library of Babel by Jorge Luis Borges. The main concepts are that 1) Zoroastrianism is the true religion, so that anyone who dies out of that faith automatically goes to hell, no matter what they accomplished in life; 2) hell is not at all what it's cracked up to be - better (or worse?) yet, there are a number of them, and the demon bureaucracy will steer you toward the most appropriate one. Not to mention that there's always a way out if you're willing to learn your lesson and try hard enough...or is there? Of course, the choice of Zoroastrianism is not casual, since it's the less popular among the old religions nowadays, so it makes for an ironic starting point - good and evil doers are paired together, and those who were sure they would be saved are not. Also, fire and brimstone are just for show, but there are worse hells than burning for all eternity. By the way, I've never really felt the weight the word "eternity" bears before I read this book. *shudders* [...]
  
  Whole review
  here.
• 
  Hillary roberts

  
  
  
  I requested this on NetGalley because I wanted a spooky read and this sounded like a spooky read. It was not. HOWEVER, it was a very thought provoking read. I learned that there is a genre called "religious horror." Who woulda thunk? Most religious people I know don't like horror of any kind. Tey seems to think being forced to endure this wretched life on earth is its specail form of hell. Just goes to show there is a market for anything.
  
  So most of us think that hell is made up of fire and brimstone, but that is not the case with the short stories in this book. Instead, they come up with alternate versions of hell that is unsettling when I stop and think about it.  Like in most people are told that they are in hell to learn a lesson then come to the realization that in all time NO ONE HAS MADE IT OUT. I know at first I was like yeah so? Then I got to thinking. What is one of the cruelest things ever? False hope. The second is dispair, and this book has both in spades. So while it is not scary per se it dose lend itself to that deeply unsettled feeling that is hard to shake off.  As someone who was raised and later left the fundamentalist church behind I may just be hard to scare what with being told I was going to face hellfire and damnation on a weekly basis. If you lack that background then maybe this book would be scarier? I have no idea. If you lack that experience and read this book let me know ok?
  
  This book is a collection of short stories. As with any short story collection, I liked some better than others. There were a couple that just confused me. Maybe I should have paid more attention in church growing up then maybe they would make more sense.  Over all though I am passed with this book as it gave me a couple of new authours to check out.
  This review was originally posted on Adventures in Never Never Land
• 
  Sue Wallace

  Windows Into Hell is a collection of horror stories.
  What happens after we die?
  Mankind has speculated through the ages that a few righteous or lucky people go straight to heaven. Or so we've come to believe. Good or bad, our journey doesn't end at death. For most of us, the afterlife begins in an office where an overworked and underappreciated demon decides our long term fate.
  Life is messy, it’s easy to miss one of the crucial lessons. In order to accommodate our unique shortcomings, a myriad of custom fitted Hells wait with open arms to teach us. No cliché fire and brimstone here, except as decorations. Besides, that would be the easy way out.
  Yes, there is a way out. All you have to do is learn one simple lesson. That shouldn't be too hard, right?
  Windows into Hell explores what awaits a few people when their life inevitably comes to an end. Featuring bestselling and award winning authors, these stories delve into humanity’s greatest fears- death and the fate of our immortal souls.
  A very good read. This is a compilation of stories with some more enjoyable than others. 4*. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book from netgalley.
• 
  Kent Winward

  After reading
  Steven L. Peck's
  A Short Stay in Hell, I thought I would give this collection a read, in part because Peck added a contribution. It looks as though Zoroastrianism and demons were part of the prompt for the writers. Peck's contribution was a diamond in a lot of rough, but even his paled to his own Borges' library hell. The biggest thing I got from this collection is just how hard a hell is for human's to comprehend (and as Peck's earlier book pointed out, the concept of the infinite is equally hard for us mere mortals). Pain and suffering are tied to our corporeal bodies, including our psychological suffering. A hell after death, as these stories show, always involves getting back into a body, even if it is not your own. No body, no consciousness, no hell. That is my window.
• 
  Seth Turner

  A hell of a read
  
  This was a good follow up to a short stay in hell. My only frustration, as with the first book, is any lack of resolution these stories offer. I especially had high hopes that Peck's short would be a sequel to the original book. Each story was good, and many were moving.
• 
  Shawn Z Gray

  Was going to give a 3,but the final story is so profound and thought-provoking.
• 
  Dave Higgins

  Mixing traditional symbols and ideas of the afterlife with parodies and fragments of the real world, this anthology provides a solid frame of reference without rendering the afterlife in any way mundane.
  
  This anthology contains eleven stories from a variety of authors set in a common universe. Each story follows a recently deceased person as they discover that they are in a hell designed for them, and that they can leave if they learn the lesson it’s designed to teach.
  
  The feature most likely to divide readers is the lack of answers. While each story is based around the protagonist (or protagonists) having an opportunity to learn a lesson to leave hell, most of the stories end without the protagonist achieving freedom or even gaining an idea what they should be doing. Some of the stories feature rules or guidance for finding the way out, but those stories where the rules are clearest provide no idea what lesson following them will teach. And where a protagonist does leave their hell, the reader is not told what the lesson was. As such, readers will probably find the stories either an annoying tease without a satisfying ending, or an amusing challenge that captures the essence of the challenge facing the protagonists.
  
  Apart from this common trait of obfuscation, the stories display a wide diversity of styles and approaches to the theme. Some hells are closer to the traditional uncomfortable realm of punishment, others are outwardly pleasant other than the subtle pressure to consider the lesson.
  
  However, the closer these trappings are to the classic symbols of faith, the more they are subverted. Sinners writhe in burning lakes, but take statutory breaks with their tormentors. Demons stalk on goat legs, but take their horns off when they aren’t working. While initially amusing, this layer of irony also destroys the readers certainty in the symbols they do recognise, adding to the sense that everything is stage-managed to support a lesson that isn’t obvious.
  
  This range of qualities applies equally to the protagonists. Religious people discover that they didn’t follow the right faith in the right way. Atheists rage argue against the injustice of a deity who didn’t provide any clues to the right faith. Children face lessons for not having parents who raised them in the right faith.
  
  And at least one protagonist wanders through other people’s hells (and stories) remaining constant yet only adding to the lack of answers.
  
  Overall, I enjoyed this anthology. I recommend it to readers looking for fantasy with a thought-provoking or surreal edge.
  
  I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for a fair review.
• 
  Ashley Sherri

  A great fast paced read, the authors definitely pull you right into the personal Hells created individually for each main character. Vivid imaginations create the different settings, and you can tell the authors also had a really fun time writing it. I enjoyed the short story format, which allows you to read for 30min -1hr and finish a story then come back and read the next one without having to remember what all was going on. You will find some settings that whether intentionally or not, seem to throwback or remind you about other popculture Hells, which is great. Especially the first story had me thinking about Beetlejuice and enjoying the snarky tone of the narrator. I also enjoyed the self-reflection encouraged by each story, as a psychological junkie I fell in love with how each individual was guided (not dissimilar to the How to Boil a Frog theory) to make their own world a better place.
• 
  Seraphia

  Windows into Hell is an anthology of horror stories about what happens to various characters after they die when they go to...Hell. Quite a few of the stories are pretty good and really engaging as you go along with the characters as they experience their own personal Hells after they die. I'll admit that I was expecting a bit more horror with some and with others that I liked they cut me off just when I felt that it was getting interesting but all in all this is still a pretty enjoyable read if you are into anthologies and getting a good variety of books all combined into one.
  So let me say this. If the cover draws you in and makes you want to know more about the stories told then I say pick it up and check it out. You'll enjoy most of them and have a little fun reading about someone else's personal Hell while taking a break from your own. ;-)
• 
  A

  Este libro es una colección de historias de varios autores que describen la llegada al infierno después de la muerte. Lo escogí para leer porque venía una historia escrita por Michaelbrent Collings, quien me parece un excelente escritor (de historias de horror), pero curiosamente su cuento no fue el que más me gustó, aunque tampoco me defraudó. Hubo algunas que me gustaron mucho, como "A little dance in paradise" de R. A. Baxter, o "Tall Vanilla Order" de Tonya Adolfson (ésta particularmente me provocó una profunda tristeza); también "The Right Side" de James Wymore y "The Armadillo Song" de Sarah E. Seeley. Las que me parecieron aburridas no las mencionaré, pues debo agradecer que la mayoría pudo estimular mi imaginación al grado de permitirme visualizar, a manera de ejercicio mental, mi propio infierno.
• 
  Andrea

  The stories ranged between mediocre and excellent as they always seem to do in short story collections. There were a couple of really interesting takes on Hell and some that could easily be developed into full stories as they leave the reader asking questions and wanting more unfortunately the mediocre stories are more frequent than the truly excellent ones hence the amount of time its taken me to finish this book as I kept putting it down when stuck in the middle of a boring short story and had to force myself to finish it so I could add into my challenge.
• 
  VeronicaMarie1986

  I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily reviewing it.
  
  I have yet to find a horror anthology from Curiosity Quills that disappoint me - this one is no exception! Loved all of the fun and freaky stories in this book. Just the right amount of creepiness. I highly recommend this to fans of horror and/or anthologies. I look forward to reading more from this wonderful group of people.
• 
  Will

  Good collection of short stories. Not horror stories, I guess the best way to describe it is stories of a life wasted, and then missing that you've wasted it after the fact. Worth a read.