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From Dark Places
by
Emma Newman (Goodreads Author)
The debut anthology from E.J Newman is a dark and twisting journey across the urban landscape, mining the rich seam of human frailties with insight and humour. The stories traverse the magical and the mundane, where supernatural beings are indistinguishable from their mortal counterparts in their complexity and complicity. pp 142
Paperback, Second edition , 184 pages
Published
March 1st 2011
by Emergent Publishing
(first published January 29th 2010)
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Apr 18, 2011
Alan Baxter
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
dark-fantasy,
horror
From Dark Places is a collection of short fiction from E J Newman. The title is well placed, as the stories are all dark in a variety of ways. They explore subjects from the existential to the personal, from infidelity to murder, from the supernatural to the super normal and they’re all bloody good.
A lot of these stories are really short, flash fiction pieces capturing a vibe or an event and searing a single scene onto the reader’s brain with uncomfortable clarity. Some of the tales are longer,...more
A lot of these stories are really short, flash fiction pieces capturing a vibe or an event and searing a single scene onto the reader’s brain with uncomfortable clarity. Some of the tales are longer,...more
This book of twenty-plus short stories was the first I've read of Emma Newman's, and it was certainly impressive.
Most of these stories are very short; I don't think one exceeds around 3k words in length. My only criticism of the book as a whole would be that a couple of longer, 6k plus tales might have made it more varied in terms of pace. As it is, this is a book to dip into and read the stories one or two at a time, rather than try and gulp them all down. And as such it's an excellent debut....more
Most of these stories are very short; I don't think one exceeds around 3k words in length. My only criticism of the book as a whole would be that a couple of longer, 6k plus tales might have made it more varied in terms of pace. As it is, this is a book to dip into and read the stories one or two at a time, rather than try and gulp them all down. And as such it's an excellent debut....more
May 29, 2011
Mari Juniper
added it
My first impression at opening the pdf file from which I read From Dark Places, by Emma Newman, was relief, followed by delight.
The old cliché says you shouldn't judge a book by its cover but it's nice to have a cover to try and not judge the book from it! Several ebooks I've read in pdf format were missing their covers and I found it very frustrating. Emma's book is complete in many senses, including the back cover, so I started the reading it with an extra dose of good mood. (I also liked the...more
The old cliché says you shouldn't judge a book by its cover but it's nice to have a cover to try and not judge the book from it! Several ebooks I've read in pdf format were missing their covers and I found it very frustrating. Emma's book is complete in many senses, including the back cover, so I started the reading it with an extra dose of good mood. (I also liked the...more
From Dark Places is a short story collection by Emma Newman. The stories are mostly very short (three or four pages, usually), and deal with the darker, bizarre side of human nature. These are all character-focussed, subtle, yet deeply moving stories, and often quite funny too, exploring where the magical meets the ordinary, and where supernatural horror connects with the horror of the human mind.
The stories are beautifully written. Emma Newman seems to have a touch for capturing all the little...more
The stories are beautifully written. Emma Newman seems to have a touch for capturing all the little...more
It would be easy to say that Newman's short stories deal with horror elements such as insanity, zombies, and monsters - but that would be the easy way out, and her book will really appeal to a wider range of readers than merely horror fans. If you look past the dark atmosphere that she developed over the larger part of the book, you will find that there's something in there for everyone: this anthology is not so much about monsters, but about relatable topics such as divorce, heartache, loneline...more
When the author and I connected on twitter, she told me she had written some great horror short stories. After reading the first one, I knew she wouldn't dissapoint. There is no in your face horror, this book revolves more around our own dark fears. All the ones we had as children and continue to have as adults. The feeling you get when you move into a new house and are still trying to figure out all the noises...these stories feed off that fear and uncertainty.
Know when your parents tell you no...more
Know when your parents tell you no...more
Love it! The most wonderful thing about this collection of short shorts is that you can't outguess the stories. You may think you know where they're going by convention but it ain't necessarily so. For instance, The Art of Desire twists and turns so that the ending is always in doubt – masterful. Somerset-based Emma (the E in E.J.) also subverts the odd fairy tale: The Tenth Lord is one such.
My favourite, The Need to Create, has such a fertile premise that it could have gone in a million direct
...more
May 22, 2011
Alan Baxter
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
dark-fantasy,
horror
From Dark Places is a collection of short fiction from E J Newman. The title is well placed, as the stories are all dark in a variety of ways. They explore subjects from the existential to the personal, from infidelity to murder, from the supernatural to the super normal and they’re all bloody good.
A lot of these stories are really short, flash fiction pieces capturing a vibe or an event and searing a single scene onto the reader’s brain with uncomfortable clarity. Some of the tales are longer,...more
A lot of these stories are really short, flash fiction pieces capturing a vibe or an event and searing a single scene onto the reader’s brain with uncomfortable clarity. Some of the tales are longer,...more
This is a wonderful and refreshing book of short, modern horror stories. There are 25 short stories in all and no losers in this collection, each individual story stands out on its own. Some are touching, some are humorous, others satisfyingly macabre but every story has a sharp unexpected twist at the end. The authors imagination seems limitless here and she approaches classic horror themes such as zombies and bargaining with the devil in a new and unexpected way. If you are a fan of the Pan Ho...more
I already loved the flash fiction E.J. Newman posted on her blog, but From Dark Places is what really made me a fan. In the past I was always the "Confessions of a Shopaholic"-type of reader, but Newman's work has really made me branch out into new genres. Each story has a twist that you'll never see coming. I find myself incredibly jealous that Newman has all these characters inside her head that prompt her to tell such wonderful stories. I can't wait to see what else she comes out with--will b...more
Pleasant short storied book,reminiscent of the Twilight Zone series. I tutor three twelve years olds and each enjoyed picking one story to practicing their reading. These tales were intriguing enough to keep their interest. Definitely will use other books by this author(E.J. Newman)
A wonderful collection of dark, twisted, and fanciful stories. As with any short story collection, not all were quite to my taste, but overall I really enjoyed them. Many of them toyed with ideas I've thought about many times, and many had little Dahl-like twists at the end. Very much recommended.
Quirky, funny, brooding and dark, this delightful collection of stories has all this and more. I like collections like this, short sharp stories that you can rattle through in a few days, but that leave an impression on your mind. Look forward to reading more.
This is a great book if you love short scary stories, there were a few that genuinely creeped me out. Excellent stuff! :D
You can find my review of this book on my blog:
http://mybookaddiction.blogspot.com/2...
http://mybookaddiction.blogspot.com/2...
This is a must read for fans of horror and anthologies. E.J. has a unique way of raising the hairs on the back of your neck and leaving you wondering about what lurks in the dark. She reminded me of why I love scary stories!
May 17, 2013
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Emma drinks too much tea, has too many ideas and writes too many stories. You can find out more about her debut novel 20 Years Later on her website here and her short story anthology From Dark Places is available in print and e-book book formats. You can buy a signed copy from her website. She blogs and gets up to all kinds of writing mischief at www.enewman.co.uk.
Emma has recorded audio books for...more
More about Emma Newman...
Emma has recorded audio books for...more
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