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When Things Get Dark: Stories Inspired by Shirley Jackson
Legendary editor, Ellen Datlow, collects today’s best horror writers in tribute to the genius of Shirley Jackson. Featuring Joyce Carol Oates, Josh Malerman, Paul Tremblay, Richard Kadrey, Stephen Graham Jones, Elizabeth Hand and more.
A collection of new and exclusive short stories inspired by, and in tribute to, Shirley Jackson.
Shirley Jackson is a seminal writer of horror and mystery fiction, whose legacy resonates globally today. Chilling, human, poignant and strange, her stories have inspired a generation of writers and readers.
This anthology, edited by legendary horror editor Ellen Datlow, will bring together today’s leading horror writers to offer their own personal tribute to the work of Shirley Jackson.
Table of Contents
“Introduction” Ellen Datlow
“Funeral Birds” M. Rickert
“For Sale By Owner” Elizabeth Hand
“In the Deep Woods; The Light is Different There” Seanan McGuire
“A Hundred Miles and a Mile” Carmen Maria Machado
“Quiet Dead Things” Cassandra Khaw
“Something Like Living Creatures” John Langan
“Money of the Dead” Karen Heuler
“Hag” Benjamin Percy
“Take Me, I Am Free” Joyce Carol Oates
“A Trip to Paris” Richard Kadrey
“The Party” Paul Tremblay
“Refinery Road” Stephen Graham Jones
“The Door in the Fence” Jeffrey Ford
“Pear of Anguish” Gemma Files
“Special Meal” Josh Malerman
“Sooner or Later, Your Wife Will Drive Home” Genevieve Valentine
“Tiptoe” Laird Barron
“Skinder's Veil” Kelly Link
A collection of new and exclusive short stories inspired by, and in tribute to, Shirley Jackson.
Shirley Jackson is a seminal writer of horror and mystery fiction, whose legacy resonates globally today. Chilling, human, poignant and strange, her stories have inspired a generation of writers and readers.
This anthology, edited by legendary horror editor Ellen Datlow, will bring together today’s leading horror writers to offer their own personal tribute to the work of Shirley Jackson.
Table of Contents
“Introduction” Ellen Datlow
“Funeral Birds” M. Rickert
“For Sale By Owner” Elizabeth Hand
“In the Deep Woods; The Light is Different There” Seanan McGuire
“A Hundred Miles and a Mile” Carmen Maria Machado
“Quiet Dead Things” Cassandra Khaw
“Something Like Living Creatures” John Langan
“Money of the Dead” Karen Heuler
“Hag” Benjamin Percy
“Take Me, I Am Free” Joyce Carol Oates
“A Trip to Paris” Richard Kadrey
“The Party” Paul Tremblay
“Refinery Road” Stephen Graham Jones
“The Door in the Fence” Jeffrey Ford
“Pear of Anguish” Gemma Files
“Special Meal” Josh Malerman
“Sooner or Later, Your Wife Will Drive Home” Genevieve Valentine
“Tiptoe” Laird Barron
“Skinder's Veil” Kelly Link
1 pages, Audio CD
First published September 21, 2021
365 people are currently reading
4455 people want to read
About the author
Ellen Datlow
270 books1,836 followersEllen Datlow has been editing science fiction, fantasy, and horror short fiction for forty years as fiction editor of OMNI Magazine and editor of Event Horizon and SCIFICTION. She currently acquires short stories and novellas for Tor.com. In addition, she has edited about one hundred science fiction, fantasy, and horror anthologies, including the annual The Best Horror of the Year series, The Doll Collection, Mad Hatters and March Hares, The Devil and the Deep: Horror Stories of the Sea, Echoes: The Saga Anthology of Ghost Stories, Edited By, and Final Cuts: New Tales of Hollywood Horror and Other Spectacles.
She's won multiple World Fantasy Awards, Locus Awards, Hugo Awards, Bram Stoker Awards, International Horror Guild Awards, Shirley Jackson Awards, and the 2012 Il Posto Nero Black Spot Award for Excellence as Best Foreign Editor. Datlow was named recipient of the 2007 Karl Edward Wagner Award, given at the British Fantasy Convention for "outstanding contribution to the genre," was honored with the Life Achievement Award by the Horror Writers Association, in acknowledgment of superior achievement over an entire career, and honored with the World Fantasy Life Achievement Award at the 2014 World Fantasy Convention.
She's won multiple World Fantasy Awards, Locus Awards, Hugo Awards, Bram Stoker Awards, International Horror Guild Awards, Shirley Jackson Awards, and the 2012 Il Posto Nero Black Spot Award for Excellence as Best Foreign Editor. Datlow was named recipient of the 2007 Karl Edward Wagner Award, given at the British Fantasy Convention for "outstanding contribution to the genre," was honored with the Life Achievement Award by the Horror Writers Association, in acknowledgment of superior achievement over an entire career, and honored with the World Fantasy Life Achievement Award at the 2014 World Fantasy Convention.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 518 reviews
October 20, 2021
SPOOKTOBER'S FOR SPOOKIN'!
repurposing my review-intro to Tiny Nightmares: Very Short Stories of Horror (itself repurposed from my review-intro to Tiny Crimes: Very Short Tales of Mystery and Murder), with some adjustments:
part of the reason i don’t read a ton of short story collections is because the prospect of reviewing short story collections makes my soul quake. it’s like having to write SEVERAL reviews instead of one. and sure i could just write a review for the collection in toto or not review the book at all, but that seems worse somehow. so, instead of shrinking from a challenge or rising to a challenge, i am going to ricochet the challenge a little and write an EIGHTEEN THOUSAND WORD REVIEW, using that math where a picture is worth a thousand words. picture reviews take much longer than word-reviews, but they’re much more fun. for me, anyway. i’m not sure who you are or what you find fun. but feel free to tell me. i’m just going to be over here, finding the one perfect image that nutshells each individual story perfectly and maybe later there will be WORDS!
Funeral Birds—M. Rickert
★★★★☆
For Sale by Owner—Elizabeth Hand
★★★★☆
In the Deep Woods; The Light is Different There—Seanan McGuire
★★★★☆
A Hundred Miles and A Mile—Carmen Maria Machado
★★★☆☆
Quiet Dead Things—Cassandra Khaw
★★★★★
Something Like Living Creatures—John Langan
★★★☆☆
Money of the Dead—Karen Heuler
★★★★☆
Hag—Benjamin Percy
★★★★☆
(this picture is much goofier than percy's story, but i couldn't resist it. maybe later i will find an image more indicative of the story's tone...)
Take Me, I Am Free—Joyce Carol Oates
★★★★★
A Trip to Paris—Richard Kadrey
★★★★★
The Party—Paul Tremblay
★★★★☆
Refinery Road—Stephen Graham Jones
★★★★☆
The Door in the Fence—Jeffery Ford
★★★☆☆
Pear of Anguish—Gemma Files
★★★★☆
Special Meal—Josh Malerman
★★★★☆
Sooner or Later, Your Wife Will Drive Home—Genevieve Valentine
★★★★★
Tiptoe—Laird Barron
★★★★☆
Skinder's Veil—Kelly Link
★★★★☆
maybe some words TK, but—briefly—this is an outstanding collection that is absolutely perfect for spooktober, and year-round for shirley jackson fans!
come to my blog!
repurposing my review-intro to Tiny Nightmares: Very Short Stories of Horror (itself repurposed from my review-intro to Tiny Crimes: Very Short Tales of Mystery and Murder), with some adjustments:
part of the reason i don’t read a ton of short story collections is because the prospect of reviewing short story collections makes my soul quake. it’s like having to write SEVERAL reviews instead of one. and sure i could just write a review for the collection in toto or not review the book at all, but that seems worse somehow. so, instead of shrinking from a challenge or rising to a challenge, i am going to ricochet the challenge a little and write an EIGHTEEN THOUSAND WORD REVIEW, using that math where a picture is worth a thousand words. picture reviews take much longer than word-reviews, but they’re much more fun. for me, anyway. i’m not sure who you are or what you find fun. but feel free to tell me. i’m just going to be over here, finding the one perfect image that nutshells each individual story perfectly and maybe later there will be WORDS!
Funeral Birds—M. Rickert
★★★★☆
For Sale by Owner—Elizabeth Hand
★★★★☆
In the Deep Woods; The Light is Different There—Seanan McGuire
★★★★☆
A Hundred Miles and A Mile—Carmen Maria Machado
★★★☆☆
Quiet Dead Things—Cassandra Khaw
★★★★★
Something Like Living Creatures—John Langan
★★★☆☆
Money of the Dead—Karen Heuler
★★★★☆
Hag—Benjamin Percy
★★★★☆
(this picture is much goofier than percy's story, but i couldn't resist it. maybe later i will find an image more indicative of the story's tone...)
Take Me, I Am Free—Joyce Carol Oates
★★★★★
A Trip to Paris—Richard Kadrey
★★★★★
The Party—Paul Tremblay
★★★★☆
Refinery Road—Stephen Graham Jones
★★★★☆
The Door in the Fence—Jeffery Ford
★★★☆☆
Pear of Anguish—Gemma Files
★★★★☆
Special Meal—Josh Malerman
★★★★☆
Sooner or Later, Your Wife Will Drive Home—Genevieve Valentine
★★★★★
Tiptoe—Laird Barron
★★★★☆
Skinder's Veil—Kelly Link
★★★★☆
maybe some words TK, but—briefly—this is an outstanding collection that is absolutely perfect for spooktober, and year-round for shirley jackson fans!
September 3, 2021
Ellen Datlow is to be congratulated in putting together this excellent collection of short stories from a talented group of contributing writers, all drawing on inspiration from the great author, Shirley Jackson. The writers take what Jackson said 'use fear, to take it and comprehend it and make it work', surprising me with how well they achieved this across the board in the following 18 stories edited by Datlow:
Funeral Birds – M Rickert
For Sale by Owner – Elizabeth Hand
In the Deep Woods; The Light is Different There - Seanan McGuire
A Hundred Miles and a Mile – Carmen Maria Machado
Quiet Dead things – Cassandra Khan
Something Like Living Creatures – John Langan
Money of the Dead – Karen Heuler
Hag – Benjamin Percy
Take Me, I am Free – Joyce Carol Oates
A Trip to Paris – Richard Kadrey
The Party – Paul Trembley
Refinery Road – Stephen Graham Jones
The Door in the Fence – Jeffrey Ford
Pear of Anguish – Gemma Files
Special Meal – Josh Malerman
Sooner or Later, Your Wife Will Drive You Home – Genevieve Valentine
Tiptoe – Laird Barron
Skindler’s Veil – Kelly Link
All the tales can be clearly seen to be influenced by Jackson, they are well written, of varying lengths, with some that I wished had been longer, some end abruptly, expertly raising the unsettling factor, disturbing, unexpected, yet subtle and nuanced as opposed to utilising blood and gore that can typify the horror genre. To give you a taste of some of the stories, Lenore attends a funeral that ends with her seeing a ghost, 3 older women have a sleepover in an empty house in the woods, and Millie Ellis has spent a lifetime of being caged, she has recently divorced her violent and abusive husband, she takes up residence in a family lake house, only to spend a night in a wardrobe. A woman is seen to have a strange conversation with a child in a department store, the town of Cedarville flourishes, whilst simmering with the sins of its residents below the surface, as death begins to run rampant, body parts arrive on the Maine coast, while an investigative reporter comes to write a story, a woman fails to tell her partner that the theme of a party they are going to is the end of the world and you really do not want to eat Roxanne's beef stew.
This collection of dark fiction is being published at the perfect time as our days are getting shorter, as we welcome Autumn and begin to look forward to Winter, the traditional time for horror, ghosts, the supernatural, evil, and other unsettling fiction. It is probable that not every story will hit its mark for every reader, but for me, almost all of them did. A wonderful selection to savour. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
Funeral Birds – M Rickert
For Sale by Owner – Elizabeth Hand
In the Deep Woods; The Light is Different There - Seanan McGuire
A Hundred Miles and a Mile – Carmen Maria Machado
Quiet Dead things – Cassandra Khan
Something Like Living Creatures – John Langan
Money of the Dead – Karen Heuler
Hag – Benjamin Percy
Take Me, I am Free – Joyce Carol Oates
A Trip to Paris – Richard Kadrey
The Party – Paul Trembley
Refinery Road – Stephen Graham Jones
The Door in the Fence – Jeffrey Ford
Pear of Anguish – Gemma Files
Special Meal – Josh Malerman
Sooner or Later, Your Wife Will Drive You Home – Genevieve Valentine
Tiptoe – Laird Barron
Skindler’s Veil – Kelly Link
All the tales can be clearly seen to be influenced by Jackson, they are well written, of varying lengths, with some that I wished had been longer, some end abruptly, expertly raising the unsettling factor, disturbing, unexpected, yet subtle and nuanced as opposed to utilising blood and gore that can typify the horror genre. To give you a taste of some of the stories, Lenore attends a funeral that ends with her seeing a ghost, 3 older women have a sleepover in an empty house in the woods, and Millie Ellis has spent a lifetime of being caged, she has recently divorced her violent and abusive husband, she takes up residence in a family lake house, only to spend a night in a wardrobe. A woman is seen to have a strange conversation with a child in a department store, the town of Cedarville flourishes, whilst simmering with the sins of its residents below the surface, as death begins to run rampant, body parts arrive on the Maine coast, while an investigative reporter comes to write a story, a woman fails to tell her partner that the theme of a party they are going to is the end of the world and you really do not want to eat Roxanne's beef stew.
This collection of dark fiction is being published at the perfect time as our days are getting shorter, as we welcome Autumn and begin to look forward to Winter, the traditional time for horror, ghosts, the supernatural, evil, and other unsettling fiction. It is probable that not every story will hit its mark for every reader, but for me, almost all of them did. A wonderful selection to savour. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
November 4, 2021
This was incredible. A few mind-blowing standouts, solid anthology overall, and just a few that didn’t stick the landing for me but definitely a must-have for lovers of short fiction and Shirley Jackson. Datlow is Queen. I have 6 pages of notes.
Review originally published at LitReactor (Reading Notes)
https://litreactor.com/reviews/readin...
The stories in this anthology drew inspiration from American writer, Shirley Jackson. These tales capture different facets of her literary style and the overarching themes commonly found threaded through her collective body of work.
Present in this anthology are stories of quiet horror, murder mysteries, secrets, hauntings, dysfunctional families, rage, loneliness, psychological terrors, and the supernatural. Following are the notes I jotted down for each story as I read them. I was vacationing at Dillon Beach, CA, and staying in a quaint, little cliff-side house called Wit’s End. It was literally the perfect setting.
A note about "reviewing notes":
As I read, I jot things down about the stories to help me remember what they were about and how they made me feel. So, these are not complete sentences or full reviews, but I think they get the message across and I'm happy to share them.
"Funeral Birds" by M. Rickert
Lenore is socially awkward and lonely. Going to funerals to people-watch. Part of the suffering and sadness of others while at the same time, just an observer. Maybe even fantasizing the funeral is someone she loved.
"For Sale by Owner" by Elizabeth Hand
Subtle, quiet horror with a memorable opening line. A dog walker finds joy in her curiosity about the homes of strangers. She gathers a group of women to trespass with her for an overnight stay in a strange house.
"In the Deep Woods; The Light is Different There" by Seanan McGuire
A beautiful, atmospheric, literary story blurring the line between fantasy and horror.
"A Hundred Miles and A Mile" by Carmen Maria Machado
“I wouldn’t approach a dog that bites.” The luring of a girl? Repressed childhood memories.
"Quiet Dead Things" by Cassandra Khaw
A tense story about a murder in a strange, little town.
"Something Like Living Creatures" by John Langan
A strong sense of mood and power. Divination. Witches. Empowerment. Rituals.
"Money of the Dead" by Karen Heuler
A claustrophobic, suffocating, toxic relationship between a mother and her son. A tragic tale rife with parental guilt. Suffering. Nature vs. nurture. Terrifying.
"Hag" by Benjamin Percy
“The ocean likes to cough up its dead.” For fans of cults, small-town horror and secrets, murder, family dynamics, and a strong sense of place. Coastal. FEED THE HAG. One of my favorite stories in this collection.
"Take Me, I Am Free" by Joyce Carol Oates
A disturbing story of neglect. “Before I knew what was happening she got inside me and kept growing and growing and now she’s everywhere.” Unwanted child. Reluctant motherhood.
"A Trip to Paris" by Richard Kadrey
Compelling tale. Needing freedom, independence from family. Tied-down. Claustrophobic. Mold. Guilt.
"The Party" by Paul Tremblay
“Eat, drink, and fuck for tomorrow we die.” Living in the moment. Unplugging. Secretive, weird, cultish party. Cake.
"Refinery Road" by Stephen Graham Jones
Themes of friendship. Ghosts. Family secrets. Abuse. Guilt. Redemption.
"The Door in the Fence" by Jeffery Ford
A strange little story about the journey a widow embarks on after the death of her husband.
"Pear of Anguish" by Gemma Files
Another favorite story, this one is dark. Coming-of-age. Adolescent girls. Self-harm. Witchcraft. Menstruation. Finding kindred spirits when you’re awkward, lonely, different.
"Special Meal" by Josh Malerman
A family meal. Dystopian? Restrictions on education; learning. Math. Rebellion. Defiance.
"Sooner or Later, Your Wife Will Drive Home" by Genevieve Valentine
Different women in “compromising” situations. “You could kill a woman practically anywhere.” Sexism. Predators. Pretending and performing in relationships. Independence.
"Tiptoe" by Laird Barron
Photography. Predators. A childhood game. Family dynamics. “Warm and fuzzy outside, cold tapioca on the inside.” A lakehouse vacation—the description transports the reader. Clairvoyance. Sons & Fathers.
"Skinder's Veil" by Kelly Link
A man is distracted by his roommate having too much sex, takes a job as a housesitter for a friend who has a regular housesitting gig for a residence out in the woods. There are some strange house rules. The story is very “Twilight Zone”-esque. Rose Red & Rose White. Friends & Neighbors.
This is my ritualistic plug for anthologies and short fiction collections by one author. I truly believe that anthologies are the best way to discover new storytellers that are compatible with your unique preferences. It's so simple to pick up something like, When Things Get Dark and sample the stories as they apply to the overall theme that interests you. In this case, if you're a fan of Shirley Jackson, you're bound to find something here that moves you the way her stories did. Then, you can pick up one of these author's collections and sample more short fiction to be totally sure they're a fit.
Short fiction. It's the best.
Review originally published at LitReactor (Reading Notes)
https://litreactor.com/reviews/readin...
The stories in this anthology drew inspiration from American writer, Shirley Jackson. These tales capture different facets of her literary style and the overarching themes commonly found threaded through her collective body of work.
Present in this anthology are stories of quiet horror, murder mysteries, secrets, hauntings, dysfunctional families, rage, loneliness, psychological terrors, and the supernatural. Following are the notes I jotted down for each story as I read them. I was vacationing at Dillon Beach, CA, and staying in a quaint, little cliff-side house called Wit’s End. It was literally the perfect setting.
A note about "reviewing notes":
As I read, I jot things down about the stories to help me remember what they were about and how they made me feel. So, these are not complete sentences or full reviews, but I think they get the message across and I'm happy to share them.
"Funeral Birds" by M. Rickert
Lenore is socially awkward and lonely. Going to funerals to people-watch. Part of the suffering and sadness of others while at the same time, just an observer. Maybe even fantasizing the funeral is someone she loved.
"For Sale by Owner" by Elizabeth Hand
Subtle, quiet horror with a memorable opening line. A dog walker finds joy in her curiosity about the homes of strangers. She gathers a group of women to trespass with her for an overnight stay in a strange house.
"In the Deep Woods; The Light is Different There" by Seanan McGuire
A beautiful, atmospheric, literary story blurring the line between fantasy and horror.
"A Hundred Miles and A Mile" by Carmen Maria Machado
“I wouldn’t approach a dog that bites.” The luring of a girl? Repressed childhood memories.
"Quiet Dead Things" by Cassandra Khaw
A tense story about a murder in a strange, little town.
"Something Like Living Creatures" by John Langan
A strong sense of mood and power. Divination. Witches. Empowerment. Rituals.
"Money of the Dead" by Karen Heuler
A claustrophobic, suffocating, toxic relationship between a mother and her son. A tragic tale rife with parental guilt. Suffering. Nature vs. nurture. Terrifying.
"Hag" by Benjamin Percy
“The ocean likes to cough up its dead.” For fans of cults, small-town horror and secrets, murder, family dynamics, and a strong sense of place. Coastal. FEED THE HAG. One of my favorite stories in this collection.
"Take Me, I Am Free" by Joyce Carol Oates
A disturbing story of neglect. “Before I knew what was happening she got inside me and kept growing and growing and now she’s everywhere.” Unwanted child. Reluctant motherhood.
"A Trip to Paris" by Richard Kadrey
Compelling tale. Needing freedom, independence from family. Tied-down. Claustrophobic. Mold. Guilt.
"The Party" by Paul Tremblay
“Eat, drink, and fuck for tomorrow we die.” Living in the moment. Unplugging. Secretive, weird, cultish party. Cake.
"Refinery Road" by Stephen Graham Jones
Themes of friendship. Ghosts. Family secrets. Abuse. Guilt. Redemption.
"The Door in the Fence" by Jeffery Ford
A strange little story about the journey a widow embarks on after the death of her husband.
"Pear of Anguish" by Gemma Files
Another favorite story, this one is dark. Coming-of-age. Adolescent girls. Self-harm. Witchcraft. Menstruation. Finding kindred spirits when you’re awkward, lonely, different.
"Special Meal" by Josh Malerman
A family meal. Dystopian? Restrictions on education; learning. Math. Rebellion. Defiance.
"Sooner or Later, Your Wife Will Drive Home" by Genevieve Valentine
Different women in “compromising” situations. “You could kill a woman practically anywhere.” Sexism. Predators. Pretending and performing in relationships. Independence.
"Tiptoe" by Laird Barron
Photography. Predators. A childhood game. Family dynamics. “Warm and fuzzy outside, cold tapioca on the inside.” A lakehouse vacation—the description transports the reader. Clairvoyance. Sons & Fathers.
"Skinder's Veil" by Kelly Link
A man is distracted by his roommate having too much sex, takes a job as a housesitter for a friend who has a regular housesitting gig for a residence out in the woods. There are some strange house rules. The story is very “Twilight Zone”-esque. Rose Red & Rose White. Friends & Neighbors.
This is my ritualistic plug for anthologies and short fiction collections by one author. I truly believe that anthologies are the best way to discover new storytellers that are compatible with your unique preferences. It's so simple to pick up something like, When Things Get Dark and sample the stories as they apply to the overall theme that interests you. In this case, if you're a fan of Shirley Jackson, you're bound to find something here that moves you the way her stories did. Then, you can pick up one of these author's collections and sample more short fiction to be totally sure they're a fit.
Short fiction. It's the best.
October 26, 2021
Full disclosure, I have a short story in this anthology.
Every story in this inspired anthology is well worth your time. Brilliant standouts include the stories from Liz Hand (perhaps my favorite, so subtly chilling), John Langan, Laird Barron, and Kelly Link.
Every story in this inspired anthology is well worth your time. Brilliant standouts include the stories from Liz Hand (perhaps my favorite, so subtly chilling), John Langan, Laird Barron, and Kelly Link.
September 26, 2022
This collection is SUBLIME! And I'm not even an overly great fan of Jackson, but each story in this book is magic!
The ones I especially enjoyed are:
For Sale by Owner by Elizabeth Hand - I love everything written by Hand and this was no exception. The story is about three elderly women who decide to squat in an abandoned house in the woods but unfortunately regret it.
Quiet Dead Things by Cassandra Khaw - Malicious small town horror brings about a deserved revenge. I was wondering about Khaw's writing, because they are seemingly very controversial right now (their latest, Nothing but Blackened Teeth, got very mixed reviews) but if this story is illustrative of their skills, I want more of it!
Something Like Living Creatures - You just have to love John Langan... Plus, Ms. Jackson herself makes a cameo appearance, spectacular!
Money of the Dead by Karen Heuler - When elderly neighbors in a housing complex find "money of the dead", they have to decide what to do with it and not everybody's choice is wise. I didn't much like the ending but read the story breathlessly and I'll read more by Heuler, definitely.
The Door in the Fence by Jeffrey Ford - Such a strange story, but again, I was so enthralled. The narrator tells the curious story of his neighbor's wife, who starts acting unusually after her husband's death.
Tiptoe by Laird Barron - I have to admit that to me, this was the most accessible piece of writing by Laird Barron so far and I loved it. It's the story of a man who tries to find the source of his panic attacks and ends up realizing things about his childhood he maybe always knew but didn't see very clearly.
These were my personal highlights, but every single other story in this collection is awesome too - each of them combines the mundane and the extraordinary in a very Shirley Jackson kind of way. I can't wait to re-read.
I have to add I also really appreciate the physical book itself; the jacket, the print of Jackson's trademark glasses and the orange color, it is gorgeous inside and out. A classic. Just grab it already.
The ones I especially enjoyed are:
For Sale by Owner by Elizabeth Hand - I love everything written by Hand and this was no exception. The story is about three elderly women who decide to squat in an abandoned house in the woods but unfortunately regret it.
Quiet Dead Things by Cassandra Khaw - Malicious small town horror brings about a deserved revenge. I was wondering about Khaw's writing, because they are seemingly very controversial right now (their latest, Nothing but Blackened Teeth, got very mixed reviews) but if this story is illustrative of their skills, I want more of it!
Something Like Living Creatures - You just have to love John Langan... Plus, Ms. Jackson herself makes a cameo appearance, spectacular!
Money of the Dead by Karen Heuler - When elderly neighbors in a housing complex find "money of the dead", they have to decide what to do with it and not everybody's choice is wise. I didn't much like the ending but read the story breathlessly and I'll read more by Heuler, definitely.
The Door in the Fence by Jeffrey Ford - Such a strange story, but again, I was so enthralled. The narrator tells the curious story of his neighbor's wife, who starts acting unusually after her husband's death.
Tiptoe by Laird Barron - I have to admit that to me, this was the most accessible piece of writing by Laird Barron so far and I loved it. It's the story of a man who tries to find the source of his panic attacks and ends up realizing things about his childhood he maybe always knew but didn't see very clearly.
These were my personal highlights, but every single other story in this collection is awesome too - each of them combines the mundane and the extraordinary in a very Shirley Jackson kind of way. I can't wait to re-read.
I have to add I also really appreciate the physical book itself; the jacket, the print of Jackson's trademark glasses and the orange color, it is gorgeous inside and out. A classic. Just grab it already.
April 4, 2024
Whether the short stories included her are in the same vein, or have the essence of a Shirley Jackson tale, I am not certain. A few of them dealt with a haunting, house or person, but Datlow said the point was not to recreate a Jackson story, so it's more of a homage sort of thing. 18 authors are included here, many well known too. Tremblay, Stephen Graham Jones, Gemma Files. Only a few hit the spot for me, and came late in the collection at that. Maybe I had expected more early in, or it's also possible that I wasn't particularly in the mood for horror at the moment (rarely happens, but is does from time to time). Only three favorites to make mention of then: ”Special Meal” by Josh Malerman, ”Tiptoe” by Laird Barron, and ”Skinder's Veil” by Kelly Link.
January 12, 2022
This was a really strong collection of stories written as tribute to Shirley Jackson - she's not just her own horror genius, but inspires the best in other authors, too.
As usual with anthologies I enjoyed some more than others, but there weren't any flat out duds - and there was a great number of really good ones. Group read with Spells, Space and Screams, which is always a good time!
So, some of the standouts - Laird Barron's Tiptoe was top of the pile for me, it was layered, ramped up slowly, and that ending was just mindblowing. Seanan McGuire, Benjamin Percy, Kelly Link, and Stephen Graham Jones knocked it out of the park too, as they usually do.
All in all a solid collection, one I'd recommend in a heartbeat.
As usual with anthologies I enjoyed some more than others, but there weren't any flat out duds - and there was a great number of really good ones. Group read with Spells, Space and Screams, which is always a good time!
So, some of the standouts - Laird Barron's Tiptoe was top of the pile for me, it was layered, ramped up slowly, and that ending was just mindblowing. Seanan McGuire, Benjamin Percy, Kelly Link, and Stephen Graham Jones knocked it out of the park too, as they usually do.
All in all a solid collection, one I'd recommend in a heartbeat.
July 11, 2021
Shirley Jackson is one of my favourite authors, so I was keen to read this anthology of short stories inspired by her writing.
The stories included are:
Funeral Birds – M Rickert
For Sale by Owner – Elizabeth Hand
In the Deep Woods; The Light is Different There - Seanan McGuire
A Hundred Miles and a Mile – Carmen Maria Machado
Quiet Dead things – Cassandra Khan
Something Like Living Creatures – John Langan
Money of the Dead – Karen Heuler
Hag – Benjjamin Percy
Take Me, I am Free – Joyce Carol Oates
A Trip to Paris – Richard Kadrey
The Party – Paul Trembley
Refinery Road – Stephen Graham Jones
The Door in the Fence – Jeffrey Ford
Pear of Anguish – Gemma Files
Special Meal – Josh Malerman
Sooner or Later, Your Wife Will Drive You Home – Genevieve Valentine
Tiptoe – Laird Barron
Skindler’s Veil – Kelly Link
Eighteen in all, with some really interesting authors, who are respected in the genre. I found the first few stories really engaging and particularly liked, “For Sale by Owner.” Another favourite, quite near the beginning was, “In the Deep Woods; The Light is Different There.” I flagged slightly in the middle, although obviously which stories/authors you will like personally, is very subjective. Towards the end, though, I really found myself engaged again. “Money of the Dead,” was very creepy and I really enjoyed “Special Meal,” and “Skindler’s Veil.”
Overall, this is a really enjoyable collection and many of the stories do have the atmosphere that Jackson evoked. The everyday becoming suddenly threatening, for example. It is a joy to see her writing given this tribute from today’s writers. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
The stories included are:
Funeral Birds – M Rickert
For Sale by Owner – Elizabeth Hand
In the Deep Woods; The Light is Different There - Seanan McGuire
A Hundred Miles and a Mile – Carmen Maria Machado
Quiet Dead things – Cassandra Khan
Something Like Living Creatures – John Langan
Money of the Dead – Karen Heuler
Hag – Benjjamin Percy
Take Me, I am Free – Joyce Carol Oates
A Trip to Paris – Richard Kadrey
The Party – Paul Trembley
Refinery Road – Stephen Graham Jones
The Door in the Fence – Jeffrey Ford
Pear of Anguish – Gemma Files
Special Meal – Josh Malerman
Sooner or Later, Your Wife Will Drive You Home – Genevieve Valentine
Tiptoe – Laird Barron
Skindler’s Veil – Kelly Link
Eighteen in all, with some really interesting authors, who are respected in the genre. I found the first few stories really engaging and particularly liked, “For Sale by Owner.” Another favourite, quite near the beginning was, “In the Deep Woods; The Light is Different There.” I flagged slightly in the middle, although obviously which stories/authors you will like personally, is very subjective. Towards the end, though, I really found myself engaged again. “Money of the Dead,” was very creepy and I really enjoyed “Special Meal,” and “Skindler’s Veil.”
Overall, this is a really enjoyable collection and many of the stories do have the atmosphere that Jackson evoked. The everyday becoming suddenly threatening, for example. It is a joy to see her writing given this tribute from today’s writers. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
December 27, 2021
I really enjoyed these shorts. I've never read Shirley Jackson's work so I can't compare but I enjoyed all but one of the stories. Take Me, I am Free Joyce Carol Oats was very disturbing to me, child abuse is never entertaining. That story made me sick to my stomach, it was too close to reality.
I would recommend this book minus the one story
I would recommend this book minus the one story
February 11, 2022
"There were so many empty places, so many shallow ponds and stretches of woods, so many trucks, so many roads. You could kill a woman practically anywhere."
LOVE this anthology of complete awesomeness!!!!! As I've stated before, I adore short stories, these types of collections are always a treat! This one is comprised of some great tales written in the same vein as the Queen that is Shirley Jackson.. highly recommend!
LOVE this anthology of complete awesomeness!!!!! As I've stated before, I adore short stories, these types of collections are always a treat! This one is comprised of some great tales written in the same vein as the Queen that is Shirley Jackson.. highly recommend!
November 5, 2021
I really enjoyed this collection, some of the stories were creepy some not so much but still enjoyable.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author of this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author of this book.
September 1, 2021
This anthology features short stories from some of my favourite writers, including Seanan McGuire. It also introduced me to some writers whose work I hadn’t read before. All are paying tribute to Shirley Jackson.
Like any collection of short stories, there were some I absolutely loved. My favourites in this anthology were those by M. Rickert, Elizabeth Hand, Seanan McGuire, Joyce Carol Oates, Josh Malerman and Kelly Link.
Although the other stories were well written, I often failed to connect with either the main character or the plot. Some I enjoyed, until I realised I’d run out of story before the thing I felt was missing showed up. I don’t expect to love every story in an anthology, though.
Usually when I review anthologies, I’ll include a short quote and a sentence to describe each story: what it’s about, its theme, or what I loved or didn’t love about it. I started doing that here but then abandoned the idea. There were some stories that I couldn’t explain in a sentence without spoiling them for you.
There were others that I couldn’t explain because, quite honestly, I need someone to explain them to me. Perhaps a reread will help me find the missing puzzle pieces. Maybe what I perceived as deliberate ambiguity was actually the literary equivalent of a joke’s punchline going over my head. I may read the review of someone smarter than myself and when they explain it, the lightbulb will finally turn on above my head.
So, instead of giving you an explanation and a quote, I’m only providing a quote here.
Funeral Birds by M. Rickert
Content warnings include .
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Titan Books for the opportunity to read this book.
Blog - https://schizanthusnerd.com
Like any collection of short stories, there were some I absolutely loved. My favourites in this anthology were those by M. Rickert, Elizabeth Hand, Seanan McGuire, Joyce Carol Oates, Josh Malerman and Kelly Link.
Although the other stories were well written, I often failed to connect with either the main character or the plot. Some I enjoyed, until I realised I’d run out of story before the thing I felt was missing showed up. I don’t expect to love every story in an anthology, though.
Usually when I review anthologies, I’ll include a short quote and a sentence to describe each story: what it’s about, its theme, or what I loved or didn’t love about it. I started doing that here but then abandoned the idea. There were some stories that I couldn’t explain in a sentence without spoiling them for you.
There were others that I couldn’t explain because, quite honestly, I need someone to explain them to me. Perhaps a reread will help me find the missing puzzle pieces. Maybe what I perceived as deliberate ambiguity was actually the literary equivalent of a joke’s punchline going over my head. I may read the review of someone smarter than myself and when they explain it, the lightbulb will finally turn on above my head.
So, instead of giving you an explanation and a quote, I’m only providing a quote here.
Funeral Birds by M. Rickert
The truth was she rarely went to the funerals. Delores was special.For Sale By Owner by Elizabeth Hand
“That’s trespassing.”In the Deep Woods; The Light is Different There by Seanan McGuire
“Only if we get caught,” I replied.
She moved here for a haunting, and even if the house refuses to be haunted, she fully intends to be.A Hundred Miles and a Mile by Carmen Maria Machado
It’s strange, the knowing-not-knowing. It twitches like something that won’t die.Quiet Dead Things by Cassandra Khaw
“We’re going to die for what happened.”Something Like Living Creatures by John Langan
“You saw something!” Samantha said.Money of the Dead by Karen Heuler
“Did you?” Kayla said.
“Yes,” Jenna said.
On one side, life; on the other, death. It was almost, sometimes, as if they could see across the divide, or hear a furtive, melancholy whistle.Hag by Benjamin Percy
“Without you, the island starves.”Take Me, I Am Free by Joyce Carol Oates
“Just sit here. Don’t squirm. I’ll be watching from the front window.”A Trip to Paris by Richard Kadrey
Why won’t you stay dead?The Party by Paul Tremblay
“I do get into the spirit of my themes. Perhaps too much.”Refinery Road by Stephen Graham Jones
It was just the three of them, same as it had always been. Same as it would always be.The Door in the Fence by Jeffrey Ford
“Some people, when they get old, all they can think about is dying. Some, on the other hand, find freedom.”Pear of Anguish by Gemma Files
The past is a trap and memory is a drug.Special Meal by Josh Malerman
Memory is a door.
“Do you really not know what today is?” Dad asked. “It’s okay if you don’t.”Sooner or Later, Your Wife Will Drive Home by Genevieve Valentine
Never be stuck on the road alone, that was the rule.Tiptoe by Laird Barron
Trouble is, old, weathered pictures are ambiguous. You can’t always tell what’s hiding behind the patina. Nothing, or the worst thing imaginable.Skinder’s Veil by Kelly Link
Skinder may show up. If he does, DO NOT LET HIM IN.While I didn’t find any of the stories scary, there were some that were accompanied by a growing sense of dread. Others were unsettling. Then there were those that left behind confusion in their wake. But that’s the beauty of anthologies; there’s usually something for everyone. The times where a question mark appeared over my head? Those stories are probably someone else’s favourites.
Content warnings include .
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Titan Books for the opportunity to read this book.
Blog - https://schizanthusnerd.com
September 21, 2021
When Things Get Dark is a psychologically complex and deliciously horrifying collection of horror short stories each in the vein of the inimitable Shirley Jackson. Drawing on inspiration from Jackson's oeuvre, the superb multi-award-winning author Datlow, as editor, brings together eighteen fantastic, atmospheric horror shorts from some of the most prominent names in the genre including Carmen Maria Machado, Stephen Graham Jones and Joyce Carol Oates. Surprisingly for an anthology, I found not a single dud amongst them and discovered that all of them had inexplicably managed to master that underlying feeling of dread creeping through the pages as you turn them, just like Jackson's original works. The eighteen featured shorts are as follows:
Funeral Birds – M Rickert
For Sale by Owner – Elizabeth Hand
In the Deep Woods; The Light is Different There - Seanan McGuire
A Hundred Miles and a Mile – Carmen Maria Machado
Quiet Dead things – Cassandra Khan
Something Like Living Creatures – John Langan
Money of the Dead – Karen Heuler
Hag – Benjamin Percy
Take Me, I am Free – Joyce Carol Oates
A Trip to Paris – Richard Kadrey
The Party – Paul Trembley
Refinery Road – Stephen Graham Jones
The Door in the Fence – Jeffrey Ford
Pear of Anguish – Gemma Files
Special Meal – Josh Malerman
Sooner or Later, Your Wife Will Drive You Home – Genevieve Valentine
Tiptoe – Laird Barron
Skindler’s Veil – Kelly Link
Evoking such feelings as horror, terror, dread and claustrophobic oppressiveness, these tales of differing lengths invite you to immerse yourself in their sinister, creepy and disturbing narratives. What I love the most is that most are subtle and full of nuance, instead of the usual cheap thrills with which the genre is often pervaded, meaning the feeling of sheer panic creeps up on you when you least expect, and you come to the sudden realisation that the story has managed to get under your skin, into your psyche and even, in some instances, into your dreams (or should that be nightmares?) Published at a time when the nights are closing in and the light diminishes ever more rapidly, not to mention with Halloween around the corner, this is the perfect autumnal read for the spooky season full of both supernatural and real-world horrors. Some begin on a bleak and frightening note while others seem innocuous enough at the beginning lulling you into a false sense of security before descending into dreadful, nightmare-inducing territory.
In For Sale by Owner, a trio of older women in their sixties explore and sleep over in an abandoned haunted house situated in dense woodland which hides a strange secret. Quiet Dead Things invites us to visit the small community of Cedarville, a sleepy township in which the sins of the community rise to the fore culminating in a spate of unexplainable deaths. In Money of the Dead, four grief-stricken neighbours discover a way to bring back their loved ones from the dead. But little do they realise, the spirit they are buying back from the afterlife will be wholly unrecognisable to them. And Special Meal, one of my favourites, is set against the backdrop of a dystopian world in which maths is strictly forbidden. It is a tale of oppression and vengeance with a fascinating folkloric sting in the tale.
So take a leaf out of Shirley Jackson’s book and pick up this chilling and unsettling selection in order to delight in what you fear.
Funeral Birds – M Rickert
For Sale by Owner – Elizabeth Hand
In the Deep Woods; The Light is Different There - Seanan McGuire
A Hundred Miles and a Mile – Carmen Maria Machado
Quiet Dead things – Cassandra Khan
Something Like Living Creatures – John Langan
Money of the Dead – Karen Heuler
Hag – Benjamin Percy
Take Me, I am Free – Joyce Carol Oates
A Trip to Paris – Richard Kadrey
The Party – Paul Trembley
Refinery Road – Stephen Graham Jones
The Door in the Fence – Jeffrey Ford
Pear of Anguish – Gemma Files
Special Meal – Josh Malerman
Sooner or Later, Your Wife Will Drive You Home – Genevieve Valentine
Tiptoe – Laird Barron
Skindler’s Veil – Kelly Link
Evoking such feelings as horror, terror, dread and claustrophobic oppressiveness, these tales of differing lengths invite you to immerse yourself in their sinister, creepy and disturbing narratives. What I love the most is that most are subtle and full of nuance, instead of the usual cheap thrills with which the genre is often pervaded, meaning the feeling of sheer panic creeps up on you when you least expect, and you come to the sudden realisation that the story has managed to get under your skin, into your psyche and even, in some instances, into your dreams (or should that be nightmares?) Published at a time when the nights are closing in and the light diminishes ever more rapidly, not to mention with Halloween around the corner, this is the perfect autumnal read for the spooky season full of both supernatural and real-world horrors. Some begin on a bleak and frightening note while others seem innocuous enough at the beginning lulling you into a false sense of security before descending into dreadful, nightmare-inducing territory.
In For Sale by Owner, a trio of older women in their sixties explore and sleep over in an abandoned haunted house situated in dense woodland which hides a strange secret. Quiet Dead Things invites us to visit the small community of Cedarville, a sleepy township in which the sins of the community rise to the fore culminating in a spate of unexplainable deaths. In Money of the Dead, four grief-stricken neighbours discover a way to bring back their loved ones from the dead. But little do they realise, the spirit they are buying back from the afterlife will be wholly unrecognisable to them. And Special Meal, one of my favourites, is set against the backdrop of a dystopian world in which maths is strictly forbidden. It is a tale of oppression and vengeance with a fascinating folkloric sting in the tale.
So take a leaf out of Shirley Jackson’s book and pick up this chilling and unsettling selection in order to delight in what you fear.
October 31, 2024
A collection of 18 stories written in the style of, or perhaps as an homage to, Shirley Jackson. Not a bad anthology by any means, but only two real standouts for me, and they were the final two, Tiptoe by Laird Baron, and Skinder's Veil by Kelly Link, 4 stars for these two, and 3 stars overall.
July 29, 2022
When Things Get Dark is an anthology of purposely written stories inspired by or in tribute to Shirley Jackson. I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that although I consider myself a fan of speculative fiction, I had never read any anthology curated by the legendary Ellen Datlow, the editor of this volume. Now, I can understand better why her name is held in such high esteem in the publishing community – this book is a real cracker. For a start, the contributing authors are all well-regarded, prize-winning writers. It would be unfair to single out specific authors, since practically all of them are household names in the horror and speculative fiction community. So here is the full list of the eighteen featured stories and their respective writers:
Funeral Birds – M Rickert
For Sale by Owner – Elizabeth Hand
In the Deep Woods; The Light is Different There - Seanan McGuire
A Hundred Miles and a Mile – Carmen Maria Machado
Quiet Dead Things – Cassandra Khaw
Something Like Living Creatures – John Langan
Money of the Dead – Karen Heuler
Hag – Benjamin Percy
Take Me, I am Free – Joyce Carol Oates
A Trip to Paris – Richard Kadrey
The Party – Paul Tremblay
Refinery Road – Stephen Graham Jones
The Door in the Fence – Jeffrey Ford
Pear of Anguish – Gemma Files
Special Meal – Josh Malerman
Sooner or Later, Your Wife Will Drive You Home – Genevieve Valentine
Tiptoe – Laird Barron
Skinder’s Veil – Kelly Link
As is wont to happen in such anthologies, some stories may be more striking than others, but none are duds. Perhaps more importantly, despite the different styles and approaches typical of each specific author, the result is a cohesive one which breathes the same atmosphere of Shirley Jackson’s writing. In her introduction, Datlow explains that she wanted the contributors to “distill the essence of Jackson’s work into their work, to reflect her sensibility.” She identifies as the defining elements of the classic author’s approach “the strange and the dark underneath placid exteriors… comfort in ritual and rules, even while those rules may constrict the self so much that those who must follow them can slip into madness”.
These themes do underlie many of the stories, which often find horror in domestic life by revealing disturbing undercurrents in parent/child relationships – for instance in the creepy Tiptoe by Laird Barron or Joyce Carol Oates’ Take me, I am free. Some of the stories adopt a realistic worldview, others are overtly supernatural. Some of the best pieces, however, are not really one or the other, but are more whimsical in nature, bordering on symbolism/magical realism. Such is the case with the closing novelette, Skinder’s Veil by Kelly Link, in which a housesitter gets more than he bargains for, including encounters with anthropomorphic animals. Or Josh Malerman’s Special Meal which, despite having no supernatural element to it, was, to this reader, the scariest, most nerve-racking of the lot.
Datlow states that she did not want authors riffing on Jackson’s own works. Some of the featured stories however do appear to be very obviously referring to specific stories or novels by Jackson. Unsurprisingly, the Haunting of Hill House is channelled in a number of haunted house tales, such as Elizabeth Hand’s For Sale by Owner and Seanan McGuire’s In the Deep Woods; The Light is Different There. Ghosts of other sorts appear in Money of the Dead by Karen Heuler, Refinery Road by Stephen Graham Jones and M. Rickert’s Funeral Birds. Quiet Dead Things by Cassandra Khaw has the same small-town horror feel to it as Jackson’s notorious The Lottery. Sooner or Later, Your Wife Will Drive You Home by Genevieve Valentine is a thoughtful piece of feminist Gothic, but also references The Bird’s Nest by naming all the female characters with variants of Elizabeth. The plot of We Have Always Lived in the Castle invites mentions of poison and poisonings (as in A Trip to Paris by Richard Kadrey and Something Like Living Creatures by John Langan).
Titan Books have got a winner here: a thrilling encounter with the uncanny courtesy of the some of the best contemporary horror writers.
https://endsoftheword.blogspot.com/20...
Funeral Birds – M Rickert
For Sale by Owner – Elizabeth Hand
In the Deep Woods; The Light is Different There - Seanan McGuire
A Hundred Miles and a Mile – Carmen Maria Machado
Quiet Dead Things – Cassandra Khaw
Something Like Living Creatures – John Langan
Money of the Dead – Karen Heuler
Hag – Benjamin Percy
Take Me, I am Free – Joyce Carol Oates
A Trip to Paris – Richard Kadrey
The Party – Paul Tremblay
Refinery Road – Stephen Graham Jones
The Door in the Fence – Jeffrey Ford
Pear of Anguish – Gemma Files
Special Meal – Josh Malerman
Sooner or Later, Your Wife Will Drive You Home – Genevieve Valentine
Tiptoe – Laird Barron
Skinder’s Veil – Kelly Link
As is wont to happen in such anthologies, some stories may be more striking than others, but none are duds. Perhaps more importantly, despite the different styles and approaches typical of each specific author, the result is a cohesive one which breathes the same atmosphere of Shirley Jackson’s writing. In her introduction, Datlow explains that she wanted the contributors to “distill the essence of Jackson’s work into their work, to reflect her sensibility.” She identifies as the defining elements of the classic author’s approach “the strange and the dark underneath placid exteriors… comfort in ritual and rules, even while those rules may constrict the self so much that those who must follow them can slip into madness”.
These themes do underlie many of the stories, which often find horror in domestic life by revealing disturbing undercurrents in parent/child relationships – for instance in the creepy Tiptoe by Laird Barron or Joyce Carol Oates’ Take me, I am free. Some of the stories adopt a realistic worldview, others are overtly supernatural. Some of the best pieces, however, are not really one or the other, but are more whimsical in nature, bordering on symbolism/magical realism. Such is the case with the closing novelette, Skinder’s Veil by Kelly Link, in which a housesitter gets more than he bargains for, including encounters with anthropomorphic animals. Or Josh Malerman’s Special Meal which, despite having no supernatural element to it, was, to this reader, the scariest, most nerve-racking of the lot.
Datlow states that she did not want authors riffing on Jackson’s own works. Some of the featured stories however do appear to be very obviously referring to specific stories or novels by Jackson. Unsurprisingly, the Haunting of Hill House is channelled in a number of haunted house tales, such as Elizabeth Hand’s For Sale by Owner and Seanan McGuire’s In the Deep Woods; The Light is Different There. Ghosts of other sorts appear in Money of the Dead by Karen Heuler, Refinery Road by Stephen Graham Jones and M. Rickert’s Funeral Birds. Quiet Dead Things by Cassandra Khaw has the same small-town horror feel to it as Jackson’s notorious The Lottery. Sooner or Later, Your Wife Will Drive You Home by Genevieve Valentine is a thoughtful piece of feminist Gothic, but also references The Bird’s Nest by naming all the female characters with variants of Elizabeth. The plot of We Have Always Lived in the Castle invites mentions of poison and poisonings (as in A Trip to Paris by Richard Kadrey and Something Like Living Creatures by John Langan).
Titan Books have got a winner here: a thrilling encounter with the uncanny courtesy of the some of the best contemporary horror writers.
https://endsoftheword.blogspot.com/20...
September 18, 2023
Overall average rating- 4 stars
Funeral birds- 5 stars- when I saw this was an anthology in the vein of Shirley Jackson, I got super excited. And I was right. Already loving this anthology. Love the slightly off main character in this one.
For Sale By Owner- 4 stars- decent story. No real resolution, but overall cool atmosphere.
In the deep woods- 5 stars- started a little flowery for me, but then turned out to be a cool little story.
A Hundred Miles and a Mile- 4 stars- my only critique is I want to know more! What did the woman tell her?
Quiet Dead Things- 3 stars- this was an alright story. Nothing great.
Something like living creatures- 3 stars- a small look into the life of witches. Not much here honestly. But I could read a whole novel into the lives of these witches
Money of the Dead- 5 stars- cool little story about using money to bring back the dead.
Hag- 5 stars- small town crazies- always enjoyable
Take Me, I Am Free-5 stars- liked this twist on things we put on the curb to be taken away.
A Trip to Paris- 5 stars- LOVED this story. Creepy atmosphere, hard to understand the motives of the MC, ambiguous ending done right. What more could you want?
The Party- 3 stars- this one left me confused. Is it really the end? Was it just a party we were learning about? This one was too open ended for me without any real answers. (This one happened to be written by Tremblay, who I haven’t had much exposure to, but what I have hasn’t been great.)
Refinery Road- 3 stars. Something about SGJ’s writing disconnects with me. Interesting premise- yes. It was the writing style for me that was so so.
The Door in the Fence- 2 stars/ not my cup of tea.
Pear of Anguish- 4 stars- this felt a little like Megan Abbott in its description of the female adolescent experience with a paranormal twist. I enjoyed it. I’ll have to look more in Gemma Files’ work.
Special Meal- 5 stars- as a math nerd- I particularly enjoyed this one. By Josh Malerman- who I usually enjoy, so no surprise.
Sooner or Later, Your Wife Will Drive Home- 3 stars- this one was trying too hard and going in too many directions. This would be better developed in a longer format to warrant having multiple perspectives.
Tiptoe- 3.5 stars- a decent tale of the characteristics of the prey and the predator. Not my preferred writing style and plot development, but still a good tale.
Skinder’s veil- 4 stars- cool little story filled with many short stories all interconnected.
Funeral birds- 5 stars- when I saw this was an anthology in the vein of Shirley Jackson, I got super excited. And I was right. Already loving this anthology. Love the slightly off main character in this one.
For Sale By Owner- 4 stars- decent story. No real resolution, but overall cool atmosphere.
In the deep woods- 5 stars- started a little flowery for me, but then turned out to be a cool little story.
A Hundred Miles and a Mile- 4 stars- my only critique is I want to know more! What did the woman tell her?
Quiet Dead Things- 3 stars- this was an alright story. Nothing great.
Something like living creatures- 3 stars- a small look into the life of witches. Not much here honestly. But I could read a whole novel into the lives of these witches
Money of the Dead- 5 stars- cool little story about using money to bring back the dead.
Hag- 5 stars- small town crazies- always enjoyable
Take Me, I Am Free-5 stars- liked this twist on things we put on the curb to be taken away.
A Trip to Paris- 5 stars- LOVED this story. Creepy atmosphere, hard to understand the motives of the MC, ambiguous ending done right. What more could you want?
The Party- 3 stars- this one left me confused. Is it really the end? Was it just a party we were learning about? This one was too open ended for me without any real answers. (This one happened to be written by Tremblay, who I haven’t had much exposure to, but what I have hasn’t been great.)
Refinery Road- 3 stars. Something about SGJ’s writing disconnects with me. Interesting premise- yes. It was the writing style for me that was so so.
The Door in the Fence- 2 stars/ not my cup of tea.
Pear of Anguish- 4 stars- this felt a little like Megan Abbott in its description of the female adolescent experience with a paranormal twist. I enjoyed it. I’ll have to look more in Gemma Files’ work.
Special Meal- 5 stars- as a math nerd- I particularly enjoyed this one. By Josh Malerman- who I usually enjoy, so no surprise.
Sooner or Later, Your Wife Will Drive Home- 3 stars- this one was trying too hard and going in too many directions. This would be better developed in a longer format to warrant having multiple perspectives.
Tiptoe- 3.5 stars- a decent tale of the characteristics of the prey and the predator. Not my preferred writing style and plot development, but still a good tale.
Skinder’s veil- 4 stars- cool little story filled with many short stories all interconnected.
August 22, 2021
Thank you Netgalley and Titan Books for this incredible arc!
When Things Get Dark is a compilation of stories (18) that were inspired by the Brilliant Shirley Jackson. And, yes, every single story in this book is a perfect fit with Jackson's style. Perhaps more modern, not the literal exact style, but really the ideas. It's in my opinion that Shirley Jackson's work was so frightening because it made me so curious, curious about the characters minds, my own ability to grasp her full meaning and how she left me thinking, always thinking.
There are some great authors involved, Seanan Mcguire and Paul Tremblay to name a few. This book was compiled and edited by Ellen Datlow who always produces remarkable collections of short stories.
I definitely had a few favorites but I loved every piece of this book. I felt an unease at times, some making me face the strange and unnatural, and some that were simply brilliantly terrifying.
I can not recommend this more for fans of Shirley Jackson and really, fans of all horror. This is a perfect read to get you in the mood for Fall weather and a spooky Halloween 👻
When Things Get Dark is a compilation of stories (18) that were inspired by the Brilliant Shirley Jackson. And, yes, every single story in this book is a perfect fit with Jackson's style. Perhaps more modern, not the literal exact style, but really the ideas. It's in my opinion that Shirley Jackson's work was so frightening because it made me so curious, curious about the characters minds, my own ability to grasp her full meaning and how she left me thinking, always thinking.
There are some great authors involved, Seanan Mcguire and Paul Tremblay to name a few. This book was compiled and edited by Ellen Datlow who always produces remarkable collections of short stories.
I definitely had a few favorites but I loved every piece of this book. I felt an unease at times, some making me face the strange and unnatural, and some that were simply brilliantly terrifying.
I can not recommend this more for fans of Shirley Jackson and really, fans of all horror. This is a perfect read to get you in the mood for Fall weather and a spooky Halloween 👻
November 29, 2021
When Things Get Dark is an anthology of short stories written as a tribute to Shirley Jackson.
First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Titan Books and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
My Synopsis and Opinions:
As I always do with anthologies, each short story will have it's own rating. These stories are a tribute to Shirley Jackson, by some of the best horror writers of today. Jackson's stories are a world-wide legacy, and have inspired many. Her stories are usually quite dark.
So, here we go....
Funeral Birds by M. Rickert ... A home care worker attends the funeral of an unlikeable patient. It was just ok (not sure I would have led with this short story. 3 stars
For Sale By Owner by Elizabeth Hand ... Three 60-something women camp out in an abandoned house. Very entertaining. 5 stars
In the Deep Woods; The Light is Different There by Seanan McGuire ... A woman inherits a lakehouse, while dealing with her divorce. This one dragged. 1 star
A Hundred Miles and a Mile by Carmen Maria Machado ... A woman has had strange visions since her childhood. This one seemed incomplete...I was lost. 1 star
Quiet Dead Things by Cassandra ... A town decides to isolate themselves after a recent death. Disquieting, but a little confusing. 3 stars
Something Like Living Creatures by John ... A girl reads from a strange bible, another reads tarot cards, a third has a vision...and then their mother arrives. Loved it! 5 stars
Money of the Dead by Karen ... Four elderly neighbours are gifted with money to bring back the dead, with unexpected results. Interesting. 4 stars
Hag by Benjamin Percy ... An island with a Hag that needs to be fed. Great story! 5 stars
Take Me, I Am Free by Joyce Carol Oates ... A woman who is not prepared for motherhood. Disturbing, but good. 5 stars
A Trip to Paris by Richard Kadrey ... A woman got away with murder, but now it looks like mold might do her in. Really good. 5 stars
The Party by Paul Tremblay ... A woman and her girlfriend attend a work party with an End of the World theme. I must have missed something, as there didn't seem to be a point. 1 star
Refinery Road by Stephen Graham Jones ... The man remembers a night out with his friends many years ago. This was a little confusing. 1 star
The Door in the Fence by Jeffrey Ford ... The neighbour behind them seems to have found the fountain of youth, with repercussions. Really good. 5 stars
Pear of Anguish by Gemma Files ... A young woman remembers her childhood, and the aches and pains of growing up, perhaps a little mentally unstable. Loved it! 5 stars
Special Meal by Josh Malerman ... A time when knowing math could be the worst thing to know. Great, innovative story. 5 stars
Sooner or Later, Your Wife Will Drive Home by Genevieve Valentine ... The perils of being a woman driver. Interesting, but disturbing. 4 stars
Tiptoe by Laird Barron... A family's rather strange game may not be as innocent as originally thought. Interesting, but it dragged a little. 3.5 stars
Veil by Kelly Link ... While trying to finish his dissertation, a man takes a job housesitting in Vermont. He get some strange visitors. This was quite good. 4 stars.
So, overall, an interesting collection. Yes, some were strange, some disturbing, and some just confusing. I didn't find any true horror in this collection. However, it was one of the better anthologies that I have read. Some of the authors were known to me, and others new. I did not expect to love every story, so I was not really disappointed. I guess I was just more surprised at the number of really good ones!
August 17, 2021
I have never read anything by Shirley Jackson, but I trust Ellen Datlow. She has excellent taste in short stories; I have discovered many gems in her anthologies. When Things Get Dark collects eighteen exclusive short stories written by today’s leading horror writers. Datlow asked them to write stories inspired by the essence of Jackson’s work - the exploration of the dark and evil that hides behind the peaceful exterior and normal life of small towns.
The stories exhibit a remarkable range of both ideas and tone. When Things Get Dark is a balanced collection of realistic and eerie, everyday and supernatural stories. Some stories are about meals and families (and family members turning on each other), others are about encounters with ghosts and the unexplainable. Above all, though, they are entertaining. Of course, there were some I did not like, but no anthology is perfect. That’s okay - I found more scary goodness in When Things Get Dark than I’d hoped.
My favorite story, For Sale by Owner by Elizabeth Hand, blends subtle humor, an imaginative take on the haunted house theme, and personal drama. It’s about three middle-aged ladies staying in a mysterious and beautiful house. I love Hand’s writing style, and with this story, she has created believable characters and a delightfully creepy atmosphere.
Other stories I particularly enjoyed include Funeral Birds by M. Rickert - a gripping and unnerving tale of obsession and guilt. Kelly Link‘s Skinder’s Veil is simply amazing, but the less you know about it, the better. Richard Kadrey ‘s A Trip to Paris offers a memorable account of a killer preparing for an international trip, probably to Paris. Except there’s a strange mold patch on her wall with very familiar silhouettes in it.
I think each story in this collection will appeal to some readers. Only a few did not quite work for me. In the Deep Woods; The Light is Different There by Seanan McGuire has cool concepts, but ends before it really gets going. Quiet Dead Things by Cassandra Kane is confusing, and to be honest, I am not a fan of Kane’s writing style. Take Me, I Am Free by Joyce Carol Oates bored me, and Paul Tremblay’s The Party left me cold.
Datlow’s selections offer a variety of voices, themes, and forms, and a balance between fresh and established voices. I recommend When Things Get Dark to readers interested in subtle horror. Ellen Datlow does not put out bad anthologies. That’s a fact.
ARC through NetGalley
The stories exhibit a remarkable range of both ideas and tone. When Things Get Dark is a balanced collection of realistic and eerie, everyday and supernatural stories. Some stories are about meals and families (and family members turning on each other), others are about encounters with ghosts and the unexplainable. Above all, though, they are entertaining. Of course, there were some I did not like, but no anthology is perfect. That’s okay - I found more scary goodness in When Things Get Dark than I’d hoped.
My favorite story, For Sale by Owner by Elizabeth Hand, blends subtle humor, an imaginative take on the haunted house theme, and personal drama. It’s about three middle-aged ladies staying in a mysterious and beautiful house. I love Hand’s writing style, and with this story, she has created believable characters and a delightfully creepy atmosphere.
Other stories I particularly enjoyed include Funeral Birds by M. Rickert - a gripping and unnerving tale of obsession and guilt. Kelly Link‘s Skinder’s Veil is simply amazing, but the less you know about it, the better. Richard Kadrey ‘s A Trip to Paris offers a memorable account of a killer preparing for an international trip, probably to Paris. Except there’s a strange mold patch on her wall with very familiar silhouettes in it.
I think each story in this collection will appeal to some readers. Only a few did not quite work for me. In the Deep Woods; The Light is Different There by Seanan McGuire has cool concepts, but ends before it really gets going. Quiet Dead Things by Cassandra Kane is confusing, and to be honest, I am not a fan of Kane’s writing style. Take Me, I Am Free by Joyce Carol Oates bored me, and Paul Tremblay’s The Party left me cold.
Datlow’s selections offer a variety of voices, themes, and forms, and a balance between fresh and established voices. I recommend When Things Get Dark to readers interested in subtle horror. Ellen Datlow does not put out bad anthologies. That’s a fact.
ARC through NetGalley
July 10, 2022
I loved this set of stories paying homage to Shirley Jackson - the master of short story writers.
Among my favourites were:
For Sale By Owner by Elizabeth Hand
Something Like Living Creatures by John Langan
Money of the Dead by Karen Heuler
Hag by Benjamin Percy
Take Me, I Am Free by Joyce Carol Oates
and probably the most unique and eerie tale I've read this year - Special Meal by Josh Malerman.
You know a collection's good when you buy a tonne of books after reading it! Highly recommend this or any collectio Ellen Datlow puts together.
Among my favourites were:
For Sale By Owner by Elizabeth Hand
Something Like Living Creatures by John Langan
Money of the Dead by Karen Heuler
Hag by Benjamin Percy
Take Me, I Am Free by Joyce Carol Oates
and probably the most unique and eerie tale I've read this year - Special Meal by Josh Malerman.
You know a collection's good when you buy a tonne of books after reading it! Highly recommend this or any collectio Ellen Datlow puts together.
January 4, 2022
Image Friendly Version
TipToe by Laird Barron ★★★★★
”Wait… were you aware?”
“Of what?”
That sent shivers all the way up my spine and down again for more. I listened to the end three times.
Take Me, I Am Free by Joyce Carol Oates ★★★★½
That story was so short yet so painful. A little girl is put out with the trash by a mother with severe postpartum depression. Not everyone was meant to be a mother but that’s a bell you can’t unring.
In the Deep Woods; The Light is Different There by Seanan McGuire ★★★★☆
Gorgeous little story about a recently divorced woman who moves into her deceased father’s lake house and befriends her fey neighborhoods. Woodfolk take care of their own and fey repay their favors with violent interest.
A Trip to Paris by Richard Kadrey ★★★★☆
Whether it was the ghosts of her murdered family, toxic mold, or guilt, a family annihilator eats her own pie.
Hag by Benjamin Percy ★★★★☆
Oooh, that took its time but had payoff! Every family needs a little mother-daughter vs monster bonding time.
Something Like Living Creatures by John Langan ★★★½☆
You can’t stop there! I want to know everything about these spooky pagan girls living in Maine. What did the organs say?!?!?
Refinery Road by Stephen Graham Jones ★★★½☆
Jones has this sturdy way of writing ghost stories - they are meaty and meaningful. It’s unique.
Skinder’s Veil by Kelly Link ★★★½☆
A doctoral student housesit’s for Death. There were several stories-within-the-story. The extra half star is for Turtle story, which was not the worst story she had ever heard about marriage. Man that made me laugh!
Funeral Birds by M. Rickert ★★★½☆
A home health care worker with a murderous secret is haunted by her last client.
The Door in the Fence by Jeffrey Ford ★★★☆☆
A boy’s memory of the odd widow next door who became “her own kind of woman.” This was quite odd but entertaining.
Pear of Anguish by Gemma Files ★★★☆☆
Ouch those preteen years are tough, for me they were harder than all of high school. Not everyone makes it, I remember the funeral. It’s best not to pick at those scars.
Special Meal by Josh Malerman ★★★☆☆
More of a tribute to Kurt Vonnegut’s Harrison Bergeron than anything I have read or heard of from Shirley Jackson.
For Sale By Owner by Elizabeth Hand ★★★☆☆
Older snoopy ladies decide to slumber squat in a fancy house abandoned in the woods. Things get a little spooky.
The Party by Paul Tremblay ★★½☆☆
With shades of The Masque of the Red Death we enter a party with dislikable characters. But by the end you are just at some awkward office party - lame.
Quiet Dead Things by Cassandra Khaw ★★½☆☆
This is about a town with ugly secrets I know not where or when. It was entertaining but it did not go anywhere.
Money of the Dead by Karen Heuler ★★½☆☆
No, bringing back the dead is never a good idea. This was sad and boring.
Sooner of Later, Your Wife Will Drive Home by Genevieve Valentine ★★☆☆☆
Not sure what this was meant to be other than depressing.
A Hundred Miles and a Mile by Carmen Maria Machado ★☆☆☆☆
As usual with this author, I wonder why I wasted my time.
I finished all 18 stories for a total of 3.2 stars.
TipToe by Laird Barron ★★★★★
”Wait… were you aware?”
“Of what?”
That sent shivers all the way up my spine and down again for more. I listened to the end three times.
Take Me, I Am Free by Joyce Carol Oates ★★★★½
That story was so short yet so painful. A little girl is put out with the trash by a mother with severe postpartum depression. Not everyone was meant to be a mother but that’s a bell you can’t unring.
In the Deep Woods; The Light is Different There by Seanan McGuire ★★★★☆
Gorgeous little story about a recently divorced woman who moves into her deceased father’s lake house and befriends her fey neighborhoods. Woodfolk take care of their own and fey repay their favors with violent interest.
A Trip to Paris by Richard Kadrey ★★★★☆
Whether it was the ghosts of her murdered family, toxic mold, or guilt, a family annihilator eats her own pie.
Hag by Benjamin Percy ★★★★☆
Oooh, that took its time but had payoff! Every family needs a little mother-daughter vs monster bonding time.
Something Like Living Creatures by John Langan ★★★½☆
You can’t stop there! I want to know everything about these spooky pagan girls living in Maine. What did the organs say?!?!?
Refinery Road by Stephen Graham Jones ★★★½☆
Jones has this sturdy way of writing ghost stories - they are meaty and meaningful. It’s unique.
Skinder’s Veil by Kelly Link ★★★½☆
A doctoral student housesit’s for Death. There were several stories-within-the-story. The extra half star is for Turtle story, which was not the worst story she had ever heard about marriage. Man that made me laugh!
Funeral Birds by M. Rickert ★★★½☆
A home health care worker with a murderous secret is haunted by her last client.
The Door in the Fence by Jeffrey Ford ★★★☆☆
A boy’s memory of the odd widow next door who became “her own kind of woman.” This was quite odd but entertaining.
Pear of Anguish by Gemma Files ★★★☆☆
Ouch those preteen years are tough, for me they were harder than all of high school. Not everyone makes it, I remember the funeral. It’s best not to pick at those scars.
Special Meal by Josh Malerman ★★★☆☆
More of a tribute to Kurt Vonnegut’s Harrison Bergeron than anything I have read or heard of from Shirley Jackson.
For Sale By Owner by Elizabeth Hand ★★★☆☆
Older snoopy ladies decide to slumber squat in a fancy house abandoned in the woods. Things get a little spooky.
The Party by Paul Tremblay ★★½☆☆
With shades of The Masque of the Red Death we enter a party with dislikable characters. But by the end you are just at some awkward office party - lame.
Quiet Dead Things by Cassandra Khaw ★★½☆☆
This is about a town with ugly secrets I know not where or when. It was entertaining but it did not go anywhere.
Money of the Dead by Karen Heuler ★★½☆☆
No, bringing back the dead is never a good idea. This was sad and boring.
Sooner of Later, Your Wife Will Drive Home by Genevieve Valentine ★★☆☆☆
Not sure what this was meant to be other than depressing.
A Hundred Miles and a Mile by Carmen Maria Machado ★☆☆☆☆
As usual with this author, I wonder why I wasted my time.
I finished all 18 stories for a total of 3.2 stars.
December 1, 2023
This is an excellent anthology of short fiction inspired by Shirley Jackson's works. There were a couple of pieces that seemed slight or off the mark, but I enjoyed most of them thoroughly. I think Datlow did an excellent job of selecting stories that presented a good sampling of Jackson's wide range of themes and styles, not just her most famous novels and stories. Among my favorites were For Sale By Owner by Elizabeth Hand, a very good haunted house story, Skinder's Veil by Kelly Link, a very melancholic and comedic piece that's quite thought-provoking (I'm not sure I understood it, but I enjoyed it), Special Meal by Josh Malerman (math is hard, but non-math is harder), Tiptoe by Laird Barron, and In the Deep Woods; The Light is Different There by Seanan McGuire. My favorite was Refinery Road by Stephen Graham Jones. It's an excellent volume of literate and literal chills.
March 28, 2022
like most anthologies, I connected to some stories more than others. There were a handful of stories that really captured the Shirley Jackson vibe.
Some of my favorites:
- Funeral Birds by M. Rickert
- For Sale By Owner by Seanan McGuire
- Quiet Dead Things by Cassandra Khaw
- Money of the Dead by Karen Heuler
Some of my favorites:
- Funeral Birds by M. Rickert
- For Sale By Owner by Seanan McGuire
- Quiet Dead Things by Cassandra Khaw
- Money of the Dead by Karen Heuler
April 14, 2022
TW: Cheating, cutting, suicide, blood, murder, divorce, alcoholism, drug abuse child death, animal death
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:A collection of new and exclusive short stories inspired by, and in tribute to, Shirley Jackson.Shirley Jackson is a seminal writer of horror and mystery fiction, whose legacy resonates globally today. Chilling, human, poignant and strange, her stories have inspired a generation of writers and readers.This anthology, edited by legendary horror editor Ellen Datlow, will bring together today’s leading horror writers to offer their own personal tribute to the work of Shirley Jackson.Featuring Joyce Carol Oates, Josh Malerman, Paul Tremblay, Richard Kadrey, Stephen Graham Jones, Elizabeth Hand, Cassandra Khaw, Karen Heuler, Benjamin Percy, John Langan, Laird Barron, M. Rickert, Seanan McGuire, and Genevieve Valentine.
Release Date: 09/21/21
Genre: Horror/thriller short stories
Pages: 382
Rating:
What I Liked:
• I love Shirley Jackson
• I love how I can hear Shirley Jackson inside the stories
• Some grear writers in this book
What I Didn't Like:
• Some of the authors missed the mark
• Some stories were only a few pages
Overall Thoughts: I am a huge fan of Shirley Jackson. This book is absolutely adorable. There are glasses all over that are a signature look for Shirley Jackson. The stories just flow and the writing for some of them is beautiful. There were definitely some stand out writers that charmed me and I will be reading more or some stuff from them.
1. Joyce Carol Oates
2. Elizabeth Hand
3. John Langan
4. Benjamin Percy
5. Josh Malerman
Paul Tremblay writes this interesting and engaging story only to leave you with this vague ending. Honestly I have zero idea what he was trying to do here. And now I'll never know if the world is going to end tomorrow or why they were looking at her.
Genevieve Valentine.....uhhhh what? Where did this story even go?
Final Thoughts: Like any short story collection, there is always some hit or misses. I felt like for the most part I liked most of the stories. Some just went no where and I was like "okay.." I'm so happy I read this collection though because I found some authors I had never heard of before that I ended up loving and needing to read more from them.
IG | Blog
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:A collection of new and exclusive short stories inspired by, and in tribute to, Shirley Jackson.Shirley Jackson is a seminal writer of horror and mystery fiction, whose legacy resonates globally today. Chilling, human, poignant and strange, her stories have inspired a generation of writers and readers.This anthology, edited by legendary horror editor Ellen Datlow, will bring together today’s leading horror writers to offer their own personal tribute to the work of Shirley Jackson.Featuring Joyce Carol Oates, Josh Malerman, Paul Tremblay, Richard Kadrey, Stephen Graham Jones, Elizabeth Hand, Cassandra Khaw, Karen Heuler, Benjamin Percy, John Langan, Laird Barron, M. Rickert, Seanan McGuire, and Genevieve Valentine.
Release Date: 09/21/21
Genre: Horror/thriller short stories
Pages: 382
Rating:
What I Liked:
• I love Shirley Jackson
• I love how I can hear Shirley Jackson inside the stories
• Some grear writers in this book
What I Didn't Like:
• Some of the authors missed the mark
• Some stories were only a few pages
Overall Thoughts: I am a huge fan of Shirley Jackson. This book is absolutely adorable. There are glasses all over that are a signature look for Shirley Jackson. The stories just flow and the writing for some of them is beautiful. There were definitely some stand out writers that charmed me and I will be reading more or some stuff from them.
1. Joyce Carol Oates
2. Elizabeth Hand
3. John Langan
4. Benjamin Percy
5. Josh Malerman
Paul Tremblay writes this interesting and engaging story only to leave you with this vague ending. Honestly I have zero idea what he was trying to do here. And now I'll never know if the world is going to end tomorrow or why they were looking at her.
Genevieve Valentine.....uhhhh what? Where did this story even go?
Final Thoughts: Like any short story collection, there is always some hit or misses. I felt like for the most part I liked most of the stories. Some just went no where and I was like "okay.." I'm so happy I read this collection though because I found some authors I had never heard of before that I ended up loving and needing to read more from them.
IG | Blog
October 10, 2021
Disclaimer: ARC via Netgalley.
Most people in the United States have read Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” or perhaps her novel, The Haunting. But Jackson wrote so much other work, including works about her children. In the Ellen Datlow edited When Things Get Dark, the contributors pay homage to Jackson by using, in many cases, both her supernatural and home themed writing.
As with any collection, some stories stand out more than others, but this is Datlow edited collection, so there isn’t a bad story in the bunch.
My favorites include:
“A Hundred Miles and A Mile” by Carmen Maria Machado, a story that at first seems to be about a woman in therapy but becomes much more. It is one of the stories that plays more with the question of ordinary.
“Quiet Dead Things” by Cassandra Khaw at first seems like it is directly channeling “The Lottery” but it isn’t really. It, like Elizabeth Hand’s “For Sale By Owner” works because you can actually see it happening. Hand’s story builds slowly and surely to its horror and works very well in terms of the ending. Hand’s story works in part because she doesn’t explain everything. Something that Stephen Graham Jones’ “Refinery Road” and “The Party by Paul Trembly also make excellent use of. All three stories work because of the detail given to the relationships that exist at each story’s core.
“Hag” by Benjamin Percy is a well written story set on an island. Percy not only works in horror but also very good familial relationships and dynamics. “Funeral Birds” by M. Rickert makes wonderful use of character and event.
Datlow says in her introduction that the purpose of the collection was to present stories that “distill the essence of Jackson’s work into their own work, to reflect her sensibility” (loc 105), the authors have succeeded at this brief.
Most people in the United States have read Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” or perhaps her novel, The Haunting. But Jackson wrote so much other work, including works about her children. In the Ellen Datlow edited When Things Get Dark, the contributors pay homage to Jackson by using, in many cases, both her supernatural and home themed writing.
As with any collection, some stories stand out more than others, but this is Datlow edited collection, so there isn’t a bad story in the bunch.
My favorites include:
“A Hundred Miles and A Mile” by Carmen Maria Machado, a story that at first seems to be about a woman in therapy but becomes much more. It is one of the stories that plays more with the question of ordinary.
“Quiet Dead Things” by Cassandra Khaw at first seems like it is directly channeling “The Lottery” but it isn’t really. It, like Elizabeth Hand’s “For Sale By Owner” works because you can actually see it happening. Hand’s story builds slowly and surely to its horror and works very well in terms of the ending. Hand’s story works in part because she doesn’t explain everything. Something that Stephen Graham Jones’ “Refinery Road” and “The Party by Paul Trembly also make excellent use of. All three stories work because of the detail given to the relationships that exist at each story’s core.
“Hag” by Benjamin Percy is a well written story set on an island. Percy not only works in horror but also very good familial relationships and dynamics. “Funeral Birds” by M. Rickert makes wonderful use of character and event.
Datlow says in her introduction that the purpose of the collection was to present stories that “distill the essence of Jackson’s work into their own work, to reflect her sensibility” (loc 105), the authors have succeeded at this brief.
July 15, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley for
When Things Get Dark: Stories Inspired by Shirley Jackson.
I love anything dark and scary so I was excited when my request was approved.
My pet peeve with anthologies is similar to how I feel about a box of chocolates: I usually only end up eating a few because I don't like coconut or caramel.
For the most part, all the stories were well written by respected authors of the suspense and thriller genre.
But, most of the stories weren't creepy and morbid enough. Perhaps that's the point; it's just supposed to make you feel unease and unsettled, not full out horror.
My favorites are "Money for the Dead" and "Skinder's Veil" but the other stories were too coconutty for me.
Fans of Shirley Jackson or anyone looking to read something kinda spooky but not downright scary would enjoy this anthology.
This wasn't dark enough for me.
I love anything dark and scary so I was excited when my request was approved.
My pet peeve with anthologies is similar to how I feel about a box of chocolates: I usually only end up eating a few because I don't like coconut or caramel.
For the most part, all the stories were well written by respected authors of the suspense and thriller genre.
But, most of the stories weren't creepy and morbid enough. Perhaps that's the point; it's just supposed to make you feel unease and unsettled, not full out horror.
My favorites are "Money for the Dead" and "Skinder's Veil" but the other stories were too coconutty for me.
Fans of Shirley Jackson or anyone looking to read something kinda spooky but not downright scary would enjoy this anthology.
This wasn't dark enough for me.
September 23, 2021
All I can say, is I loved it. Preorder this one! Full review to come <3
November 28, 2022
I absolutely loved this short story collection of dark, creepy stories. Of course, some stories linger more than others, but definitely, this captivated from start to finish. Highly recommended!
July 4, 2021
This review is for an ARC copy received from the publisher through NetGalley.
For her latest anthology, Ellen Datlow said that she was looking for authors and stories that were heavily influenced by Shirley Jackson and not tales that were mere copies or pastiches of Jackson's work. And I would say in those regards she was extremely successful in bringing together a collection that was inspired by Jackson's style.
For the most part, the stories all have a sense of 1940s-60s Americana, though sometimes a spoiled or sinister slice of that pie, whether or not they were intended to take place in that era.
The first two stories by M. Rickert and Elizabeth Hand definitely have the SJ vibe to them and read like they could have been written by her.
Seanan McGuire's entry has strong SJ vibes applied to a different kind of tale.
"A Hundred Miles and a Mile" by Carmen Maria Machado has an SJ aesthetic, but was a really odd and abrupt story.
Cassandra Khaw's "Quiet Dead Things" is a bit whimsical yet brutal, and also went in a weird direction.
John Langan's "Something Like Living Creatures" was a sucker punch of a story. Just when it started to take shape, it ended in shocking fashion.
Karen Heuler's "Money for the Dead" was one of my favorites. It was one of the more horrific tales that played out like a Twilight Zone episode.
Benjamin Percy's "Hag" was a mounting sense of dread and impending doom from the beginning. It had notes of "The Lottery" and The Wicker Man in it, and was suspenseful and frightening throughout. One of the best in the book.
"Take Me, I Am Free" is a short entry from Joyce Carol Oates, and typical of her, stuffed with more bleakness than five pages should hold.
Full of impending dread, Richard Kadrey's "A Trip to Paris" felt like "Macbeth" via SJ.
As usual, Paul Tremblay produces a story that gets you right into it with character depth established in mere paragraphs. But the ending of "The Party" left me wanting to know so much more.
Stephen Graham Jones was more accessible than usual for me, but as usual, elements of his story left me confused.
Jeffrey Ford's "The Door in the Fence" chugged along as strange but intriguing, but fell flat with a bizarre ending.
Gemma Files's "Pear of Anguish" I just couldn't finish. Unlike most of the stories which showed some restraint, this one did not, and felt out of place in the book.
Josh Malerman has what is arguably the most powerful story in the anthology with "Special Meal" that reads just like classic horror/Sci-Fi of SJ's era.
"Sooner or Later, Your Wife Will Drive Home" by Genevieve Valentine had an interesting idea, but ultimately didn't pay off.
I've never been a big fan of Laird Barron, but I found "Tiptoe" to be the most accessible story I've read by him, and one that I actually liked a lot.
The final tale, "Skinder's Veil" by Kelly Link, is the longest (as is often the case in anthologies such as this) and one of the best. It starts seemingly as some type of ghostly/supernatural tale but soon evolves into a weird and wondrous adult fairy tale.
Whether you're a fan of Shirley Jackson, the individual authors in this book or just some good ol' fashioned horror and dark fantasy, When Things Get Dark is a great read. 4.5/5*
For her latest anthology, Ellen Datlow said that she was looking for authors and stories that were heavily influenced by Shirley Jackson and not tales that were mere copies or pastiches of Jackson's work. And I would say in those regards she was extremely successful in bringing together a collection that was inspired by Jackson's style.
For the most part, the stories all have a sense of 1940s-60s Americana, though sometimes a spoiled or sinister slice of that pie, whether or not they were intended to take place in that era.
The first two stories by M. Rickert and Elizabeth Hand definitely have the SJ vibe to them and read like they could have been written by her.
Seanan McGuire's entry has strong SJ vibes applied to a different kind of tale.
"A Hundred Miles and a Mile" by Carmen Maria Machado has an SJ aesthetic, but was a really odd and abrupt story.
Cassandra Khaw's "Quiet Dead Things" is a bit whimsical yet brutal, and also went in a weird direction.
John Langan's "Something Like Living Creatures" was a sucker punch of a story. Just when it started to take shape, it ended in shocking fashion.
Karen Heuler's "Money for the Dead" was one of my favorites. It was one of the more horrific tales that played out like a Twilight Zone episode.
Benjamin Percy's "Hag" was a mounting sense of dread and impending doom from the beginning. It had notes of "The Lottery" and The Wicker Man in it, and was suspenseful and frightening throughout. One of the best in the book.
"Take Me, I Am Free" is a short entry from Joyce Carol Oates, and typical of her, stuffed with more bleakness than five pages should hold.
Full of impending dread, Richard Kadrey's "A Trip to Paris" felt like "Macbeth" via SJ.
As usual, Paul Tremblay produces a story that gets you right into it with character depth established in mere paragraphs. But the ending of "The Party" left me wanting to know so much more.
Stephen Graham Jones was more accessible than usual for me, but as usual, elements of his story left me confused.
Jeffrey Ford's "The Door in the Fence" chugged along as strange but intriguing, but fell flat with a bizarre ending.
Gemma Files's "Pear of Anguish" I just couldn't finish. Unlike most of the stories which showed some restraint, this one did not, and felt out of place in the book.
Josh Malerman has what is arguably the most powerful story in the anthology with "Special Meal" that reads just like classic horror/Sci-Fi of SJ's era.
"Sooner or Later, Your Wife Will Drive Home" by Genevieve Valentine had an interesting idea, but ultimately didn't pay off.
I've never been a big fan of Laird Barron, but I found "Tiptoe" to be the most accessible story I've read by him, and one that I actually liked a lot.
The final tale, "Skinder's Veil" by Kelly Link, is the longest (as is often the case in anthologies such as this) and one of the best. It starts seemingly as some type of ghostly/supernatural tale but soon evolves into a weird and wondrous adult fairy tale.
Whether you're a fan of Shirley Jackson, the individual authors in this book or just some good ol' fashioned horror and dark fantasy, When Things Get Dark is a great read. 4.5/5*
August 14, 2023
I love short horror stories and I love Shirley Jackson, so this anthology instantly called to me. This collection contains 18 short stories by a huge range of brilliant authors, including Joyce Carol Oates, Stephen Graham Jones, Josh Malerman, Carmen Maria Machado, Kelly Link and many more!
What I love so much about Shirley Jackson's writing are the elements and themes her stories often focused on - dysfunctional families, discontented women, domestic pain and the dark undercurrent of suburbia - so I went into this one with quite a specific expectation of what this collection would contain. While there were definitely some brilliant stories in here with full Shirley Jackson vibes, I did feel like a lot of these stories didn't reflect a huge amount of Jackson's inspiration.
I guess I sometimes hoped to feel more of Jackson's presence in some of the stories. Perhaps I missed how they were inspired in some cases, a little introduction from each author may have helped me with this. That being said, most of the collection was amazing and the stories were good in their own right. Lots of unsettling and creepy stories to enjoy!
My favourites from the book were:
- For Sale by Owner by Elizabeth Hand
- Quiet Dead Things by Cassandra Khan
- Take Me, I Am Free by Joyce Carol Oates
- A Trip to Paris by Richard Kadrey
- Sooner or Later, Your Wife Will Drive Home by Genevieve Valentine
- Tiptoe by Laird Barron
- Skinder’s Veil by Kelly Link
Overall, a solid collection of horror shorts. I really recommend this collection for horror lovers, you can enjoy it whether you're a Shirley Jackson fan or not - perfect for spooky season!
(Ad-gifted by Titan Books)
What I love so much about Shirley Jackson's writing are the elements and themes her stories often focused on - dysfunctional families, discontented women, domestic pain and the dark undercurrent of suburbia - so I went into this one with quite a specific expectation of what this collection would contain. While there were definitely some brilliant stories in here with full Shirley Jackson vibes, I did feel like a lot of these stories didn't reflect a huge amount of Jackson's inspiration.
I guess I sometimes hoped to feel more of Jackson's presence in some of the stories. Perhaps I missed how they were inspired in some cases, a little introduction from each author may have helped me with this. That being said, most of the collection was amazing and the stories were good in their own right. Lots of unsettling and creepy stories to enjoy!
My favourites from the book were:
- For Sale by Owner by Elizabeth Hand
- Quiet Dead Things by Cassandra Khan
- Take Me, I Am Free by Joyce Carol Oates
- A Trip to Paris by Richard Kadrey
- Sooner or Later, Your Wife Will Drive Home by Genevieve Valentine
- Tiptoe by Laird Barron
- Skinder’s Veil by Kelly Link
Overall, a solid collection of horror shorts. I really recommend this collection for horror lovers, you can enjoy it whether you're a Shirley Jackson fan or not - perfect for spooky season!
(Ad-gifted by Titan Books)
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