20th Century Ghosts CD
by Joe Hill
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Read in March, 2008
recommends it for:
Bryan, Ian
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20TH CENTURY GHOSTS BY JOE HILL: The first time you pick up the hardcover copy of 20th Century Ghosts, you know you’re in for a treat. The book is cloth-bound in darkest black, sans dust jacket, with a sticker on the front listing the title and author, along with a haunting black and white photograph. As one opens the cover, one is greeted by a dried blood-red inlay, followed by the white pages of writing. It is almost as if one is opening a black and bloody wound to read what Joe Hill has ...more
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I love Fall. Football has returned to the airwaves. The leaves are changing colors, and there’s a cold snap in the…oh, who am I kidding. This is Texas. If we’re lucky, it will only be 85 degrees with 95% humidity as you’re reading this. Still, I really do like the idea of Fall, though, and if I have to make my own chill, well, then, so be it. The best way I know of to bring a chill to the air is to break out the scary stories. Luckily for us, one of the finest collections o...more
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Read in March, 2008
recommended to El by:
Belinda B
It is generally hard for me to review a collection of short stories without analyzing each story as I go along, but I won't here out of consideration. The introduction by Christopher Golden actually does not do the collection much justice. He pointed out specific stories and how/where Joe Hill was inspired by other writers (his attempt at Kafka was probably my least favorite of the bunch), but decided "Last Breath" was particularly Bradbury-esque. In my opinion all the stories could...more
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Read in July, 2008
recommends it for:
People who think horror is too skeery
July 28, 2008
Finished this afternoon.
Meh. A few stand-out stories: The Cape, Voluntary Committal, Last Breath, but for the most part, it's a collection of short stories that run a lot too long, and aren't necessarily horror, but don't quite stand up to the dread or unease that some collections could be chalked up to.
Stories like The Widow's Breakfast, Bobby Conroy Comes back From The Dead, Pop Art, while sweet could have been saved fo...more
Finished this afternoon.
Meh. A few stand-out stories: The Cape, Voluntary Committal, Last Breath, but for the most part, it's a collection of short stories that run a lot too long, and aren't necessarily horror, but don't quite stand up to the dread or unease that some collections could be chalked up to.
Stories like The Widow's Breakfast, Bobby Conroy Comes back From The Dead, Pop Art, while sweet could have been saved fo...more
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Read in January, 2008
recommended to 3dogMcNeill by:
was totally an impulse buy
20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill is so good, I want to be buried with it. I want the pages to decompose until the ink of every word stains my bones. 20th Century Ghosts left me speechless, adrift, and in complete awe—I couldn't have been more delighted!
In his introduction, Christopher Golden wrote, "Not all stories in 20th Century Ghosts are horror stories, by the by. Some are wistfully supernatural, some are darkly disturbing mainstream fiction, and one lacks any ...more
In his introduction, Christopher Golden wrote, "Not all stories in 20th Century Ghosts are horror stories, by the by. Some are wistfully supernatural, some are darkly disturbing mainstream fiction, and one lacks any ...more
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in July, 2008
recommended to Chris by:
Alexisrecommends it for: Horror Anthology Enthusiasts
Horror anthologies typically have hits and misses, and the sign of a good one are more hits than misses. Any accountant can understand that. Maybe that's why I liked Joe Hill's 1st collection of short horror stories. There's a few duds, but the rest are rather good, and one is damn near fantastic. Here's a brief summary of my thoughts on each (spoilers kept to bare minimum):
-Best New Horror - Average.
-20th Century Ghost - Creepy ghost story involving a movie theater.
-Pop Art - "...more
-Best New Horror - Average.
-20th Century Ghost - Creepy ghost story involving a movie theater.
-Pop Art - "...more
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Read in April, 2008
An amazing first collection of short stories, every one of them fresh and surprising (though I confess I’m not all that well-versed in horror and suspense, and read very little new short fiction, compared, say, to my better half). But the title and author (son of Stephen King) are misleading: only a few of these stories should be called “horror stories.” In fact, the first story, “Best New Horror,” slyly laughs at the genre and its writers, telling the tale of the jaded editor of a h...more
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Read in August, 2008
"...every fictional world was a work of fantasy, and whenever a writer introduces a threat or a conflict into their story, they create the possibility of horror."
Joe Hill's collection of short stories ranges from horror and the surreal to slices of life. While his writing is definitely engaging, I personally felt that he tended to leave too many loose ends and unanswered questions at the ends of his stories, often leaving the reader hanging as to what happens next. Not all of his s...more
Joe Hill's collection of short stories ranges from horror and the surreal to slices of life. While his writing is definitely engaging, I personally felt that he tended to leave too many loose ends and unanswered questions at the ends of his stories, often leaving the reader hanging as to what happens next. Not all of his s...more
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Read in July, 2007
Joe Hill has gone out of his way not to make a big deal out of his parentage - his father is Stephen King - but in this first anthology of short fiction he shows himself as a considerable chip off the old block. (And he clearly has a thematic interest in the father-son relationship, which he explores in several stories in a variety of creative ways.) Hill has both his father's imaginative gifts and his powerful storytelling ability, but adds to them a willingness to go into emotional terrain th...more
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Read in December, 2007
Ever since my first Girl Scout overnight camping trip I've been a sucker for scary stories, and Joe Hill's 20th Century Ghosts is one of the most original and entertaining collection of them I've read in quite some time. Some of the material here is certainly standard horror fare - "Best New Horror" is creepy and disgusting and "20th Century Ghost" is your basic ghost story, although a far better version of it - but Hill also tries his hand at science fiction, fantasy, and th...more
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Read in February, 2008
Best New Horror - Okay. I would have liked to see the story expanded and continued.
20th Century Ghost - Really good. A nice, but still creepy, "love" story for horror buffs.
Pop Art - The best short story that I have ever read. Can't go into too many details without giving away spoilers.
You Will Hear the Locust Sing - Nice story with a 1950s "giant monster" movie feel.
Abraham's Boys - Nice "continuing" tale of Van Helsing...more
20th Century Ghost - Really good. A nice, but still creepy, "love" story for horror buffs.
Pop Art - The best short story that I have ever read. Can't go into too many details without giving away spoilers.
You Will Hear the Locust Sing - Nice story with a 1950s "giant monster" movie feel.
Abraham's Boys - Nice "continuing" tale of Van Helsing...more
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Read in August, 2008
I think I like this book as well or better than any new thing I've read in the last three or four years. I'm a huge fan of short stories to begin with. I think it's an art form that too many people attempt and not enough of them are able to perfect. Or anything anywhere close to "perfect." O Henry, Mark Twain, Neil Gaiman, and Stephen King are ju...more
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Read in December, 2007
2007 has been the year for Joe Hill. Once the public discovered that he was Stephen King's son (Joe Hillstrom King), interest in his writing exploded. What is amazing in this case of the son of a famous author: his writing is actually good - excellent even.
In October, Hill released 20th Century Ghosts, a collection of short stories that was originally released in 2005. I found some o the tales in this collection even more satisfying (and darker) than the novel. The narration by David Ledoux ...more
In October, Hill released 20th Century Ghosts, a collection of short stories that was originally released in 2005. I found some o the tales in this collection even more satisfying (and darker) than the novel. The narration by David Ledoux ...more
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recommended to Mike by:
Neil Gaiman
recommends it for: Joe, lovers of spooky stories
recommends it for: Joe, lovers of spooky stories
I will read this, yeah, sure, I will! Just go ahead and dare me to! I'm not afraid of Joe Hill's writing prowess! I'm not!
I'm terrified of it! I must be serious! Just look at all these exclimation points! As with Heart Shaped Box I mean to read this one but since it's probably going to scare the pants off of me I'm not really looking forward to reading it since I often read at work and that would be inappropriate(being pantsless).
OK,...more
I'm terrified of it! I must be serious! Just look at all these exclimation points! As with Heart Shaped Box I mean to read this one but since it's probably going to scare the pants off of me I'm not really looking forward to reading it since I often read at work and that would be inappropriate(being pantsless).
OK,...more
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Read in July, 2008
I do not like horror.It isn't because I'm a wimp its just because horror,whether its movies or novels, is a bit too over rated.Blood,guts and gore- neither makes my stomach churn nor gives me the creeps.No i am not a person who is ignorant and over smart, its just these 'horror' that bores me no end.Yet,on the contrary, i will read graphic novels and watch spooky flicks.Ironically i like reading Stephen King's books,in fact i have enjoyed it,but i don't own a single copy of his.
20th century gh...more
20th century gh...more
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Read in February, 2008
recommends it for:
Those interested in well-written dark fiction
I thought this was the best horror anthology I've read in years. Hill has a unique voice....it almost harkens back to a different time when horror wasn't so "in your face". Some of the stories within aren't even horror really, but they're all very well written and engaging. I loved this book. 'Abraham's Boys', 'Pop Art', and 'Voluntary Comittal' were my personal favorite selections.
I've read some comments on the Internet about Hill "riding on the coattails" of his f...more
I've read some comments on the Internet about Hill "riding on the coattails" of his f...more
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Read in February, 2008
Joe Hill, the author of this short story collection is a true talent. He has a distinct voice and isn't afraid to experiment, but he has clearly been influenced by the likes of Richard Matheson and O.Henry. His stories are varied, moving from the ridiculously surreal(Pop Art, My Fathers Mask) to realistic and bittersweet (Better than home). Hill's characters are well wrought and his easy style is a little reminiscent of his father;Stephen King. He has a tendency to get into some very dark and di...more
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Read in January, 2008
This book contains what are now some of my favourite short stories in any genre, and it's because Joe Hill understands particularly well that good stories are not about the things that happen, be they horrific, fantastical, strange, quirky or unsettling (all these things apply to tales in this book). Good stories are about the people they happen to. It shouldn't be possible that a tale about a boy who wakes up as a six foot grasshopper is uniquely dangerous, or that another about an inflatable...more
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Read in November, 2007
recommends it for:
Jeremy
Joe Hill burst onto the scene this spring with the extraordinary novel Heart Shaped Box (my favorite book of the year) and he continues apace here with a collection of short stories. Hill isn’t your run of the mill horror writer, it’s not all blood and guts (although there is a little of that) but a really thoughtful and creepy kind of horror reminiscent of Poe or Hitchcock that creeps up on you and sticks with you. Several of Hill’s stories in this collection examine issues of friendship ...more
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