| Title | : | Dark Screams: Volume Eight |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 154 |
| Publication | : | First published October 31, 2017 |
WALPUSKI’S TYPEWRITER by Frank Darabont
They say that genius is ten percent inspiration and ninety percent perspiration. For Howard Walpuski, it’s an IBM Selectric II typewriter, a nefarious secret, and a whole lot of blood.
THE BOY by Bentley Little
Christine has found the perfect neighborhood to raise her family: a quaint, quiet, friendly place where everyone gets along. Everyone, that is, except for the boy.
TUMOR by Benjamin Percy
He dodged death in the nick of time when the golf ball-sized tumor was surgically removed from his head. But the tumor isn’t done with him.
TWISTED AND GNARLED by Billie Sue Mosiman
He’s smart. Smarter than anyone knows. No one has linked him to the string of bodies he’s left up and down the California coast. Only one woman has ever come close—and she’s no match for his intellect.
THE PALAVER by Kealan Patrick Burke
It’s time for Oscar Dennihy to close his failing barber shop and retire—until a mysterious customer tells him a truly hair-raising tale . . . and gives Oscar a wonderful and terrible new purpose.
INDIA BLUE by Glen Hirshberg
Like most Americans, Enrico never gave much thought to the sport of cricket. Not until America’s Rockin’ Professional Cricket game—a spectacle that will live forever in his most horrible nightmares.
Praise for the Dark Screams series
“A wicked treat [featuring] . . . some of the genre’s best.”—Hellnotes, on Volume One
“Five fun-to-read stories by top-notch horror scribes. How can you lose? The answer: you can’t.”—Atomic Fangirl, on Volume Two
“If you have not tried the series yet, do yourself a favor and grab a copy of any (or all) of the books for yourself.”—Examiner.com , on Volume Three
“Fans of horror of every variety will find something to love in these pages.”—LitReactor , on Volume Four
“[Volume Five] runs the gamut from throwback horror to lyrical and heartbreaking tales.”—Publishers Weekly
Dark Screams: Volume Eight Reviews
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3.5/5 stars!
Another entry in the, (overall), excellent DARK SCREAMS series is here, this time with a few surprising authors. I've listed what I thought were the standout tales below.
My favorite story in this volume has to be WALPUSKI’S TYPEWRITER from Frank Darabont. Known for his work directing movies like The Green Mile and The Shawshank Redemption, I had no idea the man wrote stories. This one was dedicated to Stephen King and it even has that SK vibe to it-reminding me a lot of King's early story THE MANGLER . In this case, the machine gone-wild is a typewriter and Darabont doesn't hold back. I LOVED this tale!
Coming in a close second for me though, was Kealan Patrick Burke's THE PALAVER. Those of you who have read Kealan's work in the past may already be familiar with the town of Milestone and be as happy as I was to return. There is something about human hair that creeps me out and Kealan takes that creep factor and amps it up to eleven. Just thinking about it makes me shiver!
I enjoyed THE TUMOR by Benjamin Percy as well. I believe this is the first story I've read from this author and I'm going to have to track down some more.
DARK SCREAMS 8 delivers the goods once again. Not all the stories resonated with me, but that's not unusual. The ones that did resonated deeply and that's what keeps me coming back to this series again and again.
Recommended!
Available on Halloween! Pre-order yours here:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...
*An e-ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review. This is it.* -
3.5 stars
The latest in the Dark Screams Anthology series once again came through with some dark, creative and creepy horror stories.
My favorite has to be 'The Palaver', with 'Twisted and Gnarled' a close second.
I rarely have read a shorty in this series that I just didn't like, but I did find one here: 'India Blue'. I really struggled to get through it.
Volume nine is waiting in the wings, perfect for this time of year :)
ARC provided by NetGalley -
A mix of the fantastic, the abysmal, and the ones in between.
1. Walpuski's Typewriter
Howard Walpuski's writing career seems to be going nowhere. To make matters worse, his black IBM Selectric II typewriter is in need of dire repair. Enter Cyril Pratt, magician and owner of a repair shop. Pratt agrees to repair his typewriter for a deposit of a measly five (5) dollars, with the remainder of the price to be paid by ten percent of all of Walpuski's upcoming three novels. How will Walpuski do these three novels? Pratt introduces an entity inside the Selectric, a demonic being that will produce great works of fiction in exchange for a demanding diet of meat. And boy does it demand...
Frank Darabont is probably known to many to be the director of the great "Shawshank Redemption" and as the former showrunner of The Walking Dead. These credits don't do justice to his talent as a writer, as "Walpuski's Typewriter" is a perfect mix of horror, comedy, and satire. Darabont explores the idea of the one-hit-wonder writer through the trope of the artist selling his soul to the devil while adding a lot of gore. Darabont also gives us a slam-bang finale wherein Walpuski uses his horror knowledge to fight the evil typewriter and the result is a hilarious and horrific good time.
Speaking of black humor, I loved this line:
"He supplied false information on all the adoption papers, making everything up as he went along. This time he was a "Mr. Eichmann" living on Treblinka Street".
Gotta put in some WWII jokes, eh?
2. The Boy by Bentley Little
Christine and her husband have finally found a community to call their own, filled with great neighbors and friends to boot. But it comes with a smelly caveat: a boy from the Middle East (?) who exudes a sewer-like smell. The neighbors decry him, but Christine even more so. When an incident puts the boy into Christine's path, how will the community react?
Bentley Little goes back to his using horror as social commentary, with the boy symbolizing the easily-discriminated members of society. It's not exactly subtle but Little is not exactly known for his subtlety. But one has to applaud Little's attempts at magical realism in horror fiction; the community (and the reactions of the people therein) seem to ring true.
As usual, Little is highly engaging and readable and that is always good in my book. Even if you don't like the theme or its heavy-handedness, Little will always seek to entertain. (and maybe fail)
3. Tumor by Benjamin Percy
A down-on-his-luck man living with his more successful brother's family contracts a tumor. But his troubles don't end there, as he is constantly degraded and treated as a useless hanger-on by his brother's wife. His only friend is the tumor removed from him that he kept, and it will make things right again.
This is a powerful horror tale, one that equates the tumor with the growing dependence of the main character on his brother. Benjamin Percy is an author in the vein of Jack Ketchum and Nathan Ballingrud, writers who write bleak horror where the supernatural takes a backseat to the evil that men do.
Red Moon will have to wait because I have to read more short stories of Percy.
4. Twisted and Gnarled by Billie Sue Mosiman
A mother-hating, woman-killing, a genius serial killer is on a roll, with his body count close to double-digit. Armed with his goblin cane impaling tool,
Hannibal-like methodology, and Bateman-worthy charisma, he sets to take revenge on the female population for hindering his intellectual progress in life. But his latest conquest has an unintended consequence; the victim’s mother is gifted with the power to identify the “swarm”, a sense of intuition that warns of dangerous persons and situations. She has detected the man; the man knows that she is after him. Let the duel begin.
This is essentially female Danny Torrance versus Hannibal Lector which I would not have figured out since the mother character is introduced late in the mix. I only take note of this since this would have been a fantastic novel but alas it stops before achieving its greatness.
The serial killer character is made interesting and we get to know his philosophy as well as his moral quirks (he has certain off-limit targets). The way in which he entices his characters and takes advantage of their goodwill and sincerity reminds the living of Ted Bundy and it’s unnerving.
5. The Palaver by Kealan Patrick Burke
Oscar, the owner of the Palaver Barbershop, is facing hard times; a new barbershop has opened and has seemingly deprived him of the necessary clientele. But then a mysterious fedora-donning man comes inside his shop eager to sell him two things: “Purpose” and “Hope”. Oscar naturally doesn’t believe but the man proceeds to tell him the true and terrifying story of the mining town of Milestone…
This is Burke’s attempt at a horror-morality tale and it is successful for the most part. The gruesome fate that befalls the town of Milestone is disturbing but the reason behind such is very antiquated, shallow, and disproportionate; it’s not like the town was Nazi Germany! But it was still engaging and entertaining and that is sorely needed with today’s “look at me write” culture.
6. India Blue by Glen Hirshberg
Mr. Sifuentes takes on the job of running sound and doing PA for a cricket game organized by an Indian trust-fund kid. The game is to be held at a lousy minor-league baseball stadium that “never once attracted one thousand people to any single event, ever, not even to Blow Up Your Boss’s Mercedes Night”. But it will not just be another ordinary game, as odd characters and players soon flood the scene. But the greatest surprise of all is the “Destroyer”, a near-mythical figure in the world of cricket.
I dreaded this part of the book. Reading a Glen Hirshberg story is torture for me; I still have not recovered from his short story “The Two Sams” from the
Poe's Children: The New Horror Anthology. Hirshberg is a great writer but I feel he lacks focus and instead wastes his time with filler. This story is uninteresting already (cricket?) and he decides to employ the same rambling style that made me want to rip his story from Poe’s Children. The final paragraphs of the story do manage to tell a compelling backstory on the basis for the supernatural occurrences but at this point, it is already too late.
Just tell the story next time, ok? No more useless filler for the New York Times critics. -
Dark Screams Volume 8 is an anthology of six literary horror stories from Hydra - Random House. The volumes come out every quarter. I very much enjoyed Volume 7 that released in July 2017....so I happily curled up on the couch with a fresh cup of coffee and a blanket to enjoy this newest edition.
Stories in Volume 8 are:
Walpuski's Typewriter - Frank Darabont. Howard Walpuski takes his IBM typewriter to the repair shop of the damned, discovering too late it's never wise to hire a demon as a ghost writer. Great story! Nice opener for this anthology.
The Boy - Bentley Little. Christine and her husband just bought the perfect house in the suburbs. Their neighbors are all perfect, too....well except for that one boy. Holy crap....this story....oh my. It isn't really scary....just incredi-disturbing. Nicely done!
Tumor - Benjamin Percy. He might have survived brain cancer, but his tumor is still hanging around. Um....this story has an ewwww factor of like 9000. Not scary....just gross. lol. Definitely had a creepy effect on me....or was that nausea?
Twisted and Gnarled - Billie Sue Mosiman. He's a killer, and a genius (or at least he believes he is). Nobody suspects he is the killer leaving dead bodies, bloody and posed, all up and down the coast. Except one woman....the mother of one of his victims. But he knows he is smarter than she is. Hmmm...this one was suspenseful and very darkly demented. When I finished, I had to sit for a moment and collect my thoughts to decide how I felt about this story. Disturbing. Definitely disturbing.
The Palaver - Kealen Patrick Burke. A barber is ready to retire. But then a stranger walks into his shop one night and tells him a tale that gives him a new, and dark, reason to continue. Very creepy story! I loved the stranger's story......yikes! It doesn't pay to dis the new barber in town. Not at all.
India Blue - Glen Hirschberg. Cricket isn't a sport that most Americans follow, but America's Rockin' Cricket game will never be forgotten. To be honest, I didn't finish this story...it just wasn't enjoyable for me. I guess I'm one of those Americans that doesn't understand, or want to read about, Cricket.....even a match with supernatural ramifications. But...just because I didn't like it doesn't mean other readers won't love it. To each their own.
All in all, a nice mix of stories -- quite creepy, disturbing and dark. Only one I didn't care for out of the bunch...I call that a success. I enjoy these strange and disturbing story anthologies. The stories vary in style and theme. Most are weird and different....not just resurrected horror tropes.
**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Hydra (Random House). Opinions expressed are entirely my own.** -
Well, here it is, the latest in the series and I'm the first person to review it, so yey. A mixed bag again, though no new authors to discover this time. A disappointing tale from usually entertaining Mosiman, seems like something of an anti intellectual diatribe and frankly there's enough of that around and society is paying the high cost of stupid. Also, subjectively, it just isn't that interesting or compelling to read about sports. And then there's a seriously hairy nightmare. The most pleasant surprise came from Frank Darabont, the man traditionally associated with genre movies and screen adaptations, providing the first and best and most fun story of this collection about a hungry demon in a typewriter. That alone makes this volume worth checking out. Entertaining quick read, genre fans should enjoy this one. Thanks Netgalley.
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Now this is what I call a creepfest. These were all superb stories. Lots of creative talent that the pages flew by. The first tale hooked me in and sorta stuck with me. I thought it was clever and creepy, and it may never get out of my head. These stories take on a life of their own. Horror fans will enjoy these. In writing short horror stories, it's not easy to create a lasting impression, but these authors manage to do it.
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Fabulously unsettling!
An anthology of 8 stories, Dark Screams Volume 8 was one of my favourite in the series. Wapulski's Typewriter simply blew my mind, what a way to kick things off. It had all the characteristics of a damn good horror story; gore, character empathy, holy cow moments, this has now become one of my favourite short stories in the horror genre.
Unfortunately, as with most anthologies, not all stories resonated equally with me, but The Boy by Bentley Little and The Palaver by Kealan Patrick Burke came close seconds to Wapulski's Typewriter in terms of sheer weirdness and the creep factor. Burke's tale, in particular, had a hint of The Ring about it in terms of the hair scene. Yuck!
Overall this is a great anthology, expertly curated by the guys at Cemetery Dance who yet again live up to their amazing reputation for selection great horror. -
Dark Screams is a quarterly horror publication of short fiction. All the pieces here are quite readable and include barbers, serial killers, psychics, and more. But the reason to open this volume is Frank Darabont’s “Walpuski’s Typewriter,” which is a twist on selling your soul to the devil. Forget writer’s block! If your typewriter is possessed by a demon, you can crank out bestsellers in no time at all! Told with a vivid sense of humor, it is truly a fun read.
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I have said it before but I'll say it again. Dark Screams has quickly become one of my favorite Horror Anthology series of all time. I was thrilled to be able to grab an advance copy of this most recent installment, and excited to see new stories by 2 of my favorite authors Bentley Little and Kealan Patrick Burke.
"The Boy" by Bentley Little was brilliant. Once again Bentley Little is able to take an ordinary every day experience such as settling in to a new neighborhood, and turn it into something horrifying. Christine the happy house wife is pleased to meet her new neighbors and discover that they are also home during the day. They have lots in common and will be the best of friends. I wish I could say more without giving away too much. Suffice it to say this story was shocking and quite relevant to current attitudes and events.
"The Palaver" by Kealan Patrick Burke also hit a high note for me. Poor Oscar has virtually no customers left in his failing barber shop. He spends more time sweeping up hair that isn't there than he does plying his trade. He doesn't want to retire. "It was his father's business and his grandfather's before him." As he is readying to close one day a stranger walks in, and tells him a story that will change everything.
"Walpuski's Typewriter" by Frank Darabont was both humorous and gruesome. A struggling writer with unpaid bills and a broken typewriter makes the deal of a lifetime to get it repaired.
These were my 3 favorites in the collection and I will leave at that so as not to avoid any spoilers.
I would highly recommend this volume (along with all previous volumes) to any horror fan.
I received an advance copy for review. -
I have to admit I was let down by this book. The short stories contained within were just not that interesting. They were not fleshed out. Some ended abruptly. The last story in particular, India Blue, was really not an interesting or well put together short, I'm sorry to say. I feel like 3 stars is generous. Also disappointing because Bentley Little has a short in here and I love him.
Walpuski's Typewriter - Frank Darabont - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Boy - Bentley Little - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tumor - Benjamin Percy - ⭐️⭐️
Twisted and Gnarled - Billie Sue Mosiman - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Palaver - Kealan Patrick Burke - ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
India Blue - Glen Hirshberg ⭐️ -
A scary wonderful group of stories that will have you checking under your bed and in the closet before you go to sleep.. You really can’t go wrong with any of these volumes. As per any group of stories, I liked some stories better than others, but every story deserved its place in the book. Walpuski’s Typewriter was my favorite of the group... I keep thinking it would make an amazing series...
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2.5 rounded to 3
Probably my least favorite Dark Screams compilation to date. Half of the stories weren’t horrific or creepy in any way, and most were forgotten almost as soon as they were read. Half of these stories were easy to predict and didn’t really bring anything new. However, this is being bumped to a 3 from a 2 specifically because of the other half of the collection, the three stories that stood out to me. Twisted and Gnarled by Billie Sue Mosiman is about a serial killer and I’ll leave it at that. I really do enjoy reading from the POV of a serial killer. Palaver by Kealan Patrick Burke actually did bring something new to the genre and I was pleasantly surprised. Who knew hair could be dangerous? And finally, The Boy by Bentley Little. When a woman new to the neighborhood is tired of an ill smelling boy that walks by her house each day. And intends to do something about it.
I can’t really say I would recommend this collection due to there only being 6 stories in the first, and only half of which I enjoyed, but if you can find it the library or borrow it from a friend, then it might pass the time for a few break periods at work.
Received via Netgalley. All reviews and opinions are expressly my own -
This is a great collection of horror stories. Of the six stories here, I loved five. The final story, India Blue, was my least favorite. That story went on too long, tried to make cricket sound exciting to Americans, and had very little horror in it. This volume would have been perfect if that story was omitted.
WALPUSKI’S TYPEWRITER by Frank Darabont
This got a little predictable towards the end, but still a gripping story.
THE BOY by Bentley Little
I was actually shocked by the ending. A story of suburban horror.
TUMOR by Benjamin Percy
Very interesting story that had some dark humor.
TWISTED AND GNARLED by Billie Sue Mosiman
Great serial killer story with a look into the mind of a killer.
THE PALAVER by Kealan Patrick Burke
I loved the story within a story. When the old man finished telling his tale, I was genuinely shocked to find I was back to the original story. It was that compelling.
INDIA BLUE by Glen Hirshberg
Ugh. So boring and did not feel like it belonged in this collection.
This is my favorite of the Dark Screams series so far. I highly recommend it.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. -
Frank Darabont starts the collection off with “Walpuski’s Typewriter,” one of the two longer stories in the collection. When failing writer Howard Walpuski’s IBM Selectric II typewriter breaks down, he heads to a little repair shop, hoping for a cheap repair job so he can bang out another fast buck. What he ends up with is more than he bargained for, when the repairman summons up a demonic helper to “improve” Walpuski’s writing. A humorous horror story, its twists are bloody but not unexpected. It’s an enjoyable start to the collection, one I thought was good but not ground-shaking. It’s a reprint from a 2005 Cemetery Dance publication.
Bentley Little has earned a reputation as the master of suburban horror, and “The Boy” is a great example of how well-earned that reputation is. Christine has just moved to the perfect neighborhood to raise her growing family, a charming place full of friendly neighbors. Except for the boy. The middle-eastern tween, surrounded by a peculiar stench that disgusts the other mothers. How can someone that smells so vile not be a health hazard to their children? As usual in a Little story, things take a horrific and violent turn. A sharp little story that I found quite effective as a metaphor for “the other,” where those that deviate from the norm in cookie-cutter suburbia become both villain and victim… and made more relevant with the rise of hate crimes in the last few years. One of my favorites in this collection.
“Tumor” by Benjamin Percy features a strange character describing, in loving detail, a golf-ball-sized tumor surgically removed from his head, now kept for memory’s sake. But while he’s survived it once already, the tumor isn’t finished with him yet. It’s a dark, disturbing, and bloody tale, but it is either a bit too short or a bit too rushed—or both. There’s a rather abrupt shift in tone about halfway through the tale, then the story speeds along to a not-quite-satisfying conclusion. I’m intrigued enough to read more by Percy, but this was one of the weaker stories in the collection. It is also less scary and far more gross, so readers who get nauseous easily be warned.
Billie Sue Mosiman’s “Twisted and Gnarled” is another dark and disturbing tale. The protagonist is a “genius” serial killer, a Stanford psych professor who preys on “nondescript” women as a kind of vengeful Oedipus complex. After getting away with several murders, he slips up and one of the victims’ mothers realizes his identity–through the help of some psychic powers—and the hunter becomes the hunted. Another well-written story, though the open-ended conclusion took some of the wind out of the sails as it were. This is one story that you need to stop and ponder, after reading it; it grew on me to the point where I’d rank it as one of my faves in the collection, but I can’t say that will be true for everyone.
Kealan Patrick Burke’s “The Palavar” is about barber Oscar Dennihy and his failing shop; as he sweeps an already clean floor and contemplates retirement, a mysterious customer arrives. And that customer’s hair-raising tale—of a long-forgotten barber riding into town in the 1800s—explains the secret history and purpose of barbers, giving Oscar a terrible new purpose in life. Now that I look back at it, “barbers hiding a terrible secret” sounds kinda dumb, but don’t let my inability to summarize it put you off. It’s a solid story from a capable writer, and it’s both dead serious and effective.
Glen Hirshberg finishes off the collection with “India Blue,” the other longer story in the collection. Cricket isn’t a sport that most Americans know anything about, but an Indian developer wearing a bright blue shirt hopes to bring America’s Rockin’ Professional Cricket league to a minor-league baseball stadium in San Bernadino. The protagonist is the announcer at the stadium, retelling this glorious game of cricket and its unfortunate end, as the stuff of nightmares descends on the stadium. “India Blue” is yet another case of “I enjoyed the story, but…” The story is focused far too much on the sports over the horror; the horror elements don’t appear until the conclusion, and their origin and cause was so intentionally vague as to frustrate me. I’m not asking for answers here, I just want the horror to not originate from a barely-mentioned character I forgot even existed. Well written and spooky, but somewhat flawed
Dark Screams Volume 8 is another solid entry in the series; it’s not bad by any means, though it’s a little below average compared to how strong some of the other volumes have been. I most enjoyed the Mosiman, Little, and Burke stories, though Darabont’s was a close fourth; the other two were worth reading, but were less than perfect. Considering the one of the series’ main selling point is its impulse-buy bargain pricing ($2.99), it’s hard to go wrong. I’m glad that the series in continuing past its original 5-volume run, because bite-sized collections of (mostly original) horror stories are apparently one of my weaknesses. I’ll keep snagging these as long as they keep making them. -
Walpuski's Typewriter (Frank Darabont)
Actually, Howard Walpuski just wanted his IBM typewriter repaired, but what he got was much more. A bargain that soon turns weird - and bloody. My favorite story in the collection, it was creepy but also funny. *****
The Boy (Bentley Little)
I think this was a very mean story. ****
Tumor (Benjamin Percy)
Weird thing with a ending that makes your imagination run wild. Perfect implementation of the short story concept. ***
Twisted and Gnarled (Billie Sue Mosiman)
Suspenseful cat-and-mouse thriller. ***
The Palaver (Kealan Patrick Burke)
This is the first story of one of my favorite authors I didn't immediately warm
to. Great writing as expected, but the subject didn't really catch my interest. **
India Blue (Glen Hirshberg)
My least favorite story in the collection. I'm not familiar with that sport so didn't understand most of it. The ending was equally confusing and made me feel like I missed something vital. *
Summary: Reading the stories from top to bottom turned out to be unexpectedly anticlimactic - I so wished I would have read them in reverse order to save the best for last. However, the eighth volume in the Dark Screams series still manages to deliver some fine horror stories, and I'm glad to see the series will still go on. -
Excellent selection off stories in this edition!
Kept me captivated until I finished it. I read all the stories this time, had no urge to skip over any of them. The last story was really good, with a surprise twist art the end which you'll never see coming! -
Great read of a spooky anthology. The shining star was Kealan Patrick Burke with his story that makes me gag as I type this. Imagine choking on something and when you pull on it to get it out, you feel it attached deep within you. I'll leave you with that image. Enjoy!
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[I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review]
This latest iteration of Dark Screams is, like the earlier editions, a mixed bag. The best story is the first one - Walpuski's Typewriter by Frank Darabont. You might be surprised to find that the great director is also a pretty darn good writer outside the realm of screenplays.
Unfortunately, it is also a reprint, first issued in 2005 by Cemetery Dance. However, if you haven't read this, it makes the collection worth checking out.
The rest of the stories didn't really do much for me. Most of them I pushed through so I could write this review, but otherwise two of the other four I wouldn't even have bothered finishing. -
This is my fourth foray into the Dark Screams series. As usual, it is a great mix of authors, both known and unknown, and an interesting mix of stories.
Tumor by Benjamin Percy is an interesting little story about a man and his brain tumor.
The Boy by Bentley Little is a twisted take on suburban living and outcasts.
However for me the standout was Frank Darabont's Walpuski's Typewriter. Most people recognize the name from film, not story writing. I don't think I even knew he wrote (besides screenplays, that is). The imagery in Walpuski's Typewriter was great - the old man, the typewriter's death, the demon's installation - all incredibly vivid. He was awfully funny, too. At the risk of giving something away, let's just say it's worth the time. -
I received this arc from Netgalley.
The first story, WALPUSKI’S TYPEWRITER by Frank Darabont, was by far the best of this collection of stories. I laughed my head off at this story. Don't get me wrong, there are some scary parts as well. I will keep a look out for more books by this author. I really enjoyed reading this book. -
Review Copy
A less than average read for this volume of DARK SCREAMS. I love the series, but with the exception of the always exceptional Kealan Patrick Burke, volume eight is a near miss for me.
A haunted typewriter turned into a story that I nearly didn't finish. The author got into subject matter that personally offended me. The story itself was just so-so to start with; there are plenty of you out there that would like this one.
THE BOY was another disappointment - and again, I was offended. Is it the era of Trump that brings this garbage out? It's certainly not the first story to promote bigotry.
Mosiman's story about a serial killer was very good. I was enjoying it quite a bit. Then suddenly she decided to stop writing and in just a couple of paragraphs ended the story. What a let down.
KPB's entry THE PALAVER is a Milestone story and one I had previously read. Kealan is incapable of turning out a less than 5 star story.
Glen Hirshberg is normally wonderful, but this story went on and on about cricket and took me forever to finish. By the time I did, I didn't care what happened because I was so bored.
An ok read. -
DARK SCREAMS: VOLUME EIGHT would probably fall into the upper-middle ranking of the Dark Screams series. A good book with enjoyable stories but also a couple that fell short. On the plus side though, two of the stories worked away on my subconscious afterwards. I found myself thinking about them and pondering the events and characters and what happened. I've listed the stories below in my order of least favorite to most.
"Twisted and Gnarled" by Billie Sue Mosiman - Unfortunately this story did nothing for me. I didn't feel for any of the characters. The mystery / chase that made up the plot seemed forced. Much of the story is told by a serial killer who by definition could have been an unreliable narrator but his story was too straight-laced to be unreliable.
"Tumor" by Benjamin Percy - This story ended way too fast and was a quick tonal shift. Percy was describing most of the story in loving detail. The miscellaneous blood and guts. The events happening to the main character. And then suddenly on the last page of the story, the descriptions became vague. The gore was hidden. Plus the ending didn't seem to flow with the characters as we had seen them. I was basically thrown off and very disrupted by the ending. And not in a good scary type of way.
"The Palaver" by Kealan Patrick Burke - Burke weaves a tale within a tale with a moral in both stories that goes missed by the main characters. It was a very nice tale of how the monsters aren't always the true monsters of the story. I didn't find the scary parts with hair growth that scary but my wife would have freaked out, so I can definitely appreciate it from that angle.
"The Boy" by Bentley Little - Little is great at making parts of our every day life scary. He finds things in suburbia that are frightening. The normal rules of society that when streched can leave us powerless and afraid. I'm thinking here specifically of his novels THE ASSOCIATION and THE STORE and THE RESORT. This short story isn't as strong as those novels but I found it eating away at me a few days later. A sign to me of a good or great story.
"Walpuski's Typewriter" by Frank Darabont - When I started this story, I could have sworn I read it before. The title seemed so familiar. I quickly realized that I had not because I didn't remember anything about the story. And it's definitely a story that I would remember. It's fun, scary, and pretty creepy. The story has a feel back to the 80s and early 90s horror. Demons, hunger escalations, animal deaths, and finally a comeuppance.
"India Blue" by Glen Hirshberg - There is a lot squished into the final story of the book. The characters are richly developed; I heard all of their voices inside my head with their own accents and rhythm. The town and stadium are also flushed out and easily pictured. And probably best of all, I liked everyone even seeing and knowing their flaws. Who doesn't want to cheer the underdog as he tries to introduce Cricket to central California? An endeavor that we know will fail but not how badly it will fail. And just like Bentley Little's "The Boy", this story ate away at me afterwards. -
Again, Net Galley has provided me with a copy of the following for the honest review of their book. Dark Screams has had several entries, and this is number 8. I provide a description from the publisher for each story with my thoughts on each story between the titles.
WALPUSKI’S TYPEWRITER by Frank Darabont
They say that genius is ten percent inspiration and ninety percent perspiration. For Howard Walpuski, it’s an IBM Selectric II typewriter, a nefarious secret, and a whole lot of blood.
Originally released some time ago by Cemetery Dance, this was a story I was looking forward to reading and now it is available here in this volume. Dark and twisted story about the lengths one will go to in order to achieve fame. Walpuski always wanted to be a writer, and with a little help, from the least likely of sources that is about to become a reality except for a few small details. Very nasty and well crafted. It appears that this amazing Director has a promising career writing horror fiction.
THE BOY by Bentley Little
Christine has found the perfect neighborhood to raise her family: a quaint, quiet, friendly place where everyone gets along. Everyone, that is, except for the boy.
Short little story. Nasty, but does not live up to Mr. Little's usual work.
TUMOR by Benjamin Percy
He dodged death in the nick of time when the golf ball-sized tumor was surgically removed from his head. But the tumor isn’t done with him.
Gross, funny and well done. I enjoyed Tumor greatly and it was creepy and fun and worth a read.
TWISTED AND GNARLED by Billie Sue Mosiman
He’s smart. Smarter than anyone knows. No one has linked him to the string of bodies he’s left up and down the California coast. Only one woman has ever come close—and she’s no match for his intellect.
A great story by Ms. Mosiman. Well crafted and fast paced this story doesn't disappoint. We follow this murderer along and witness his deeds and are privy to his own delusions of grandeur. Though he is had to keep down especially when he is so darn smart. He would think so anyway.
THE PALAVER by Kealan Patrick Burke
It’s time for Oscar Dennihy to close his failing barber shop and retire—until a mysterious customer tells him a truly hair-raising tale . . . and gives Oscar a wonderful and terrible new purpose.
Unfortunately, I did not think this was a cut above the rest.
INDIA BLUE by Glen Hirshberg
Like most Americans, Enrico never gave much thought to the sport of cricket. Not until America’s Rockin’ Professional Cricket game—a spectacle that will live forever in his most horrible nightmares.
I could not get into this story though it did have a supernatural twist to it once I finished it, but I cannot really recommend this story, I had a hard time getting through it. -
Each story seemed to come to life with horror. Richard Chizmar and Brian James Freeman have done it again. These two wonderful writers and editors have come up with a great volume of stories titled, DARK SCREAMS: VOLUME EIGHT, that will send the reader on an adventure that will not be forgotten through some great authors with a lot of imagination and skills to boot. These stories will stay with you long after you have turned out the lights. The title and cover page will leave you in deep suspense as you gaze into the eyes of the art work. Then, if that isn't enough to capture you, wait until you begin to read the first scary story.
WALPUSKI'S TYPEWRITER by Frank Darabont, will give you chills. The atmosphere becomes very thick with apprehension as the story opens and you become deeply involved through page after creepy page. The proprietor seems friendly enough. But are things normal, or do they just seem that way? Will the customer's typewriter be repaired? Will he get a new one, or is something else about to happen? A scary read indeed!
Our next story, THE BOY by Bently Little, a horror writer that will leave you speechless as you slide into the dark realms of the unknown. With suspense lurking behind every shadow, and down every dusty or paved road. But this neighborhood in particular something seemed unheard of or unfamiliar. You might even say foreign or alien. A story well worth looking into by a great author of whom I have had the opportunity to read some of his wonderful work.
This next story titled TUMOR by Benjamin Percy, starts out with the patient telling himself that there was nothing wrong. But he keeps saying that he has this symptom. What symptom? Could he just be making all of this up? What will the doctor say and do? How will it end? Great read!
TWISTED AND GNARLED by Billie Sue Mosiman begins with the number eight, and how the man thought that number lucky, but was it really? Maybe in his own mind he thought himself an artist, but was he? Will he get caught and have to pay the consequences? A nightmare situation.
Then we have the PALAVER by Kealan Patrick Burke, that is very unique. Our story opens as the shop is about to close for the day, and Oscar Dennihy is thinking very seriously about retiring. He really doesn't want to retire. It's the fear behind it. As he thought about the situation, the bell rings and in walks a stranger. What will happen next? Will Oscar get robbed? Will the stranger turn and leave? Or smile and sit down? A story that will give the reader some thought. Loved it!! -
If you've followed me for any length of time, you know that I am a walking advertisement for Cemetery Dance Publications. Richard Chizmar and Brian James Freeman not only put out some of the most amazing collector's editions, but their "series" books are fantastic as well; with Dark Screams being my favorite. I'm so glad I've been asked to review ARCs of the series.
So, this is the eight-volume and it doesn't disappoint.
1) Walpuski's Typewriter by Frank Darabont: What a way to start this anthology. Howard is a down in his luck writer, writing smut for men's magazines, until he needed his typewriter repaired. He then becomes a best-selling author, but at a gruesome price. The fact that it's dedicated to Stephen King, and sort of follows King's rise, makes it that much better.
2) The Boy by Bentley Little: A weird, disturbing tale with a twisted ending. There's a foul stench in the neighborhood, and you'll be surprised what is necessary to get rid of it.
3) Tumor by Benjamin Percy: This one left me with a weird feeling in my gut. I'm afraid to go have it checked out after reading this one.
4) Twisted and Gnarled by Billie Sue Mosiman: Another disturbing tale about a serial killer and his preference for nondescript women. He kills them and displays them in disgusting ways. That is until he finds a piece of driftwood to use as a weapon, and picks the wrong girl.
5) The Palaver by Kealan Patrick Burke: If you haven't read anything by Kealan, shame on you. But if you're going to start somewhere, this might not be a bad place. This is a story in a story - about a barber and their true calling. Side note: One of my favorite words is 'palaver' and this was one of my favorites of this anthology.
6) India Blue by Glen Hirshberg: With any anthology, not every story can be a "hit out of the park" (pun intended), and for me, this one misses the mark. First, the game of cricket isn't very popular here in the USA, so a lot of the terms were not understood. But barring that, the story didn't make sense to me. It wasn't scary, disturbing, or even disgusting. It may have had a touch of "supernatural", but not enough for me. But that doesn't mean you might not like it.
Another hit for Cemetery Dance Publications. -
That last story though. I want my time back.
That was really such waste of my precious time. Even the ending was sheit.
But thankfully also a lot of good and great stories.
The first Walpuski's Typewriter by Frank Darabont is a 5 star story. This was the second time I've read this story and it is still as excellent. *****
The Boy by Bentley Little was another short story I enjoyed. Another reviewer thought it was racist but they missed the point. This was the opposite and instead showing racism and how nasty people can be. ****
Tumor by Benjamin Percey Another good short story with a bit weird ending but I enjoy weird at times. *** and a half
Twisted and Gnarled by Billie Sue Mosiman OMG This was another outstanding story.This was written in view of 2 characters and if it would have been longer I would have enjoyed it as much. ***** Must check out this writer.
The Palaver by Kealan Patrick Burke I am repeating myself but this was another exquisite short story.Really good.
One where you even after finishing it you still think about.
That is why I am so pissedd of that the last story was included
India Blue by Glen Hirshberg
Too confusing and this story did not have a flow. Waste of time.
That being said I can't give this book less than 5 stars just because of the last one.
If you want to try out short horror stories I highly recommend this book. -
Dark Screams: Volume Eight by Kealan Patrick Burke; Frank Darabont; Bentley Little.
WALPUSKI’S TYPEWRITER by Frank Darabont
They say that genius is ten percent inspiration and ninety percent perspiration. For Howard Walpuski, it’s an IBM Selectric II typewriter, a nefarious secret, and a whole lot of blood.
THE BOY by Bentley Little
Christine has found the perfect neighborhood to raise her family: a quaint, quiet, friendly place where everyone gets along. Everyone, that is, except for the boy.
TUMOR by Benjamin Percy
He dodged death in the nick of time when the golf ball-sized tumor was surgically removed from his head. But the tumor isn’t done with him.
TWISTED AND GNARLED by Billie Sue Mosiman
He’s smart. Smarter than anyone knows. No one has linked him to the string of bodies he’s left up and down the California coast. Only one woman has ever come close—and she’s no match for his intellect.
THE PALAVER by Kealan Patrick Burke
It’s time for Oscar Dennihy to close his failing barber shop and retire—until a mysterious customer tells him a truly hair-raising tale . . . and gives Oscar a wonderful and terrible new purpose.
INDIA BLUE by Glen Hirshberg
Like most Americans, Enrico never gave much thought to the sport of cricket. Not until America’s Rockin’ Professional Cricket game—a spectacle that will live forever in his most horrible nightmares.
A good read. 4*.
