Fading Light: An Anthology of the Monstrous

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Fading Light: An Anthology of the Monstrous

4.35 of 5 stars 4.35 · rating details · 48 ratings · 21 reviews

The light has failed: the era of man is at its end.

Born of darkness, the creatures of myth, legend, and nightmare have long called the shadows home. Now, with the cruel touch of the sun fading into memory, they've returned to claim their rightful place amidst humanity; as its masters.

Fading Light collects 30 monstrous stories by authors new and experienced, in the genres o...more

Paperback, 380 pages

Published September 1st 2012 by Angelic Knight Press

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Oct 09, 2012 Seak (Bryce L.) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-review, 2012

I picked up this anthology not only because it was an ARC given to me by a favorite author of mine, Tim Marquitz, but also because I felt like it would be some fun to read ... and the story by Mark Lawrence may have helped as well.

Anthologies, for me, are going way out of my comfort zone. I'm typically a lazy person and can only take so much "new" at a time and anthologies are always filled with "new," each and every story in fact. But, I love a good monster story, be it zombies, vampires (mayb...more

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Sep 27, 2012 Mia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Tim Marquitz did a stellar job of collecting stories that will appeal to many. There's something for everyone in this anthology. There are aliens, environmental disasters, crisis of faith, scientific mishaps, manmade calamities. The common thread is that they are all end of days scenarios, some of which are familiar urban legends, some are new to me.

There are also recurring themes in the stories. Practically all demonstrate that things are not as they seem. A good number also espouse the idea th...more Tim Marquitz did a stellar job of collecting stories that will appeal to many. There's something for everyone in this anthology. There are aliens, environmental disasters, crisis of faith, scientific mishaps, manmade calamities. The common thread is that they are all end of days scenarios, some of which are familiar urban legends, some are new to me.

There are also recurring themes in the stories. Practically all demonstrate that things are not as they seem. A good number also espouse the idea that we may not have dominion of this world -- or the galaxy -- after all.

I enjoyed how many of the stories do not proceed to a definitive conclusion. They simply create the mood, ground the tale in a specific time and place, introduce a host of characters and an unusual occurrence, then set the stage for the reader's imagination to take over. If you're like me and are a fan of the horror genre in all forms, your imagination is like a wild flower child of the sixties which, when given free reins, can take a tale to truly horrifying ends.

I will confess that I found some tales too odd to inspire fear in me. I read horror tales with the expectation of shaking in my boots. Some were just too strange for me to suspend disbelief so I read them in a more detached manner and was not able to place myself in that scenario. There was no story I really disliked though. Many had great premises or characters but just ended rather abruptly and needed more development.

Special mention goes to Mark Lawrence's Dark Tide. The caveat: I'm totally biased because I'm a huge fan of his Broken Empire series. Dark Tide didn't disappoint -- it was equal parts tragic and hopeful, spurs the imagination and creates vivid images reminiscent of old Twilight Zone tales.

Others I enjoyed: A Withering of Sorts by Stephen McQuiggan (creepy and reminded me of a tale of biblical doom), They Wait Below by Tom Olbert (great mood setting with a twist at the end), The Beastly Ninth by Carl Baker (another twist on the Napoleonic wars, like Naomi Novik's Temeraire series, and I can see this turned into a full length novel), Friends of a Forgotten Man by Gord Rollo (a great double revenge tale which got progressively creepier), Der Teufel Sie Wissen by TSP Sweeney (another tale grounded in a historical event, with some philosophical slant), Born of Darkness by Stacey Turner (with a familiar and definite biblical theme, believable and eerie), and Light Save Us by Ryan Lawler (good action bits).

A final note: While doom and gloom are staples of horror, the tales in this anthology seem to leave a beacon of hope. Many of the tales do end with a tragedy or downturn, but many seem to leave a strong hint or implication that the last described disaster need not be the final word on the matter. A gruesome end is indeed probable or likely but not preordained or irreversible. They always left room for some intervention that may change the tide.(less)

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Sep 12, 2012 Mihir rated it 4 of 5 stars

Full Review originally at Fantasy Book Critic

Overall rating = 4 & 1/2 stars

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: This anthology was something I was looking forward to because it played with the apocalyptic themes along with horror genre, both of which fascinate me entirely. The blurb can be read here and I'll be speaking about each story as it will be in line with the previous anthology FBC reviews and simply helps in elucidating what I liked and disliked about each story (apologies in advance for its lengt...more

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Sep 02, 2012 Natasha McNeely rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-review-copy, reviewed

I received an Advance Reading Copy of this from one of the contributors, Mark Lawrence, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. I intend to give just that.

First I'll give an overview of my general thoughts concerning this anthology and then I'll delve a bit deeper into a small handful of my favorite stories. Here goes!

General Thoughts
Horror isn't a genre I've read much of; I'll be the first to admit that. However, I've been reading more and more of it lately and this is an anthology I'd r...more

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Mar 04, 2013 Matthew Baker rated it 5 of 5 stars

It is official: I have found the best horror anthology of 2012. FADING LIGHT: AN ANTHOLOGY OF THE MONSTROUS is the best collection of stories from last year, and I would daresay it has some of the best monster short stories I’ve ever read. If you knew how much I read, you would understand how monumental that statement truly is. Regardless of how much you read, though, this is one anthology you must own if you are a horror fan.

I tore through this book in about two days; it is simply that good. Ev...more

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Sep 04, 2012 Bryan Hall rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was lucky enough to get an advance reader copy of this from the publisher, and have to say that it stands out as one of the strongest anthologies I've ever read. Hands down, it's well worth picking up if you're a fan of horror.

The writers all bring their A-game, with Adam Millard's excellent opening story and Stacey Turner's meditation on hope and hopelessness being the two standouts for me.Each story is well-edited and told with a strong, confident voice while at the same time having the indi...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Candice rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

I received an advanced ebook copy of this anthology from my good friend Jake Elliot, who has a story featured in it. The ebook version is great, because you get an extra group of stories not featured in the hard copy edition (which I will also be purchasing).

Rather than individually review each story, I'd like to comment on the overall experience of reading the anthology. This is great horror writing. In my opinion, too many horror movies and books now-a-days are nothing but a bunch of pointless...more I received an advanced ebook copy of this anthology from my good friend Jake Elliot, who has a story featured in it. The ebook version is great, because you get an extra group of stories not featured in the hard copy edition (which I will also be purchasing).

Rather than individually review each story, I'd like to comment on the overall experience of reading the anthology. This is great horror writing. In my opinion, too many horror movies and books now-a-days are nothing but a bunch of pointless blood and gore packaged together with flat, idiotic, one dimensional characters who walk blindly from attack to attack.

What makes this great writing, in my humble opinion, is that these stories look into the dark side of human nature. Sure there are monsters: krakens, aliens, zombies, black water from the center of the moon, spirits kidnapped from the center of the sun, huge whale-like angels... but these stories are about humanity. The overreaching theme is the loss of the sun, the earth being plunged into darkness, and what emerges from that perpetual midnight. More often than not the real monster is inside of us.

The greatest compliment I can give all the writers in Fading Light is this... time after time while reading my mind went back to one of the first Ray Bradbury stories I ever read... "All Summer In A Day." A colony of humans live on Mars, where the sun shines for a half hour every 7 years. At school a girl, Margot, remembers the sun because she moved from earth only 5 years ago. The other kids are hateful bullies and lock Margot in a closet, causing her to miss the sun because they were jealous of her previous experience. As a kid, this was my first reading experience highlighting the dark, monstrous side of humanity...

Fading Light echoed my Bradbury experience in the best way possible. This is a talented group of authors, some well established and some up-and-coming. I highly recommend this anthology to not only fans of horror, but to fans of quality, thought-provoking writing.
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What my stars mean:

5 stars... this book changed the way I view life. It made me a better thinker/reader/writer/person. It holds a special place in my heart

4 stars... this book is great... I would read it again, it exceeded my expectations and I would recommend it to others.

3 stars... this is a good book. It delivered what it promised. 3 stars is a good thing, not a disparagement.

2 stars... meh, I finished it, that's all I can say. It's just alright

1 star... don't even bother...(less)

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Dec 11, 2012 Donald rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, horror

My original assumption about Fading Light was that it was entirely about the literal end of the world. A great many of the stories certainly are. "Parasitic Embrace" by Adam Millard envisions the end of the world under a mysterious cloud originating with a volcanic eruption. The threat, of course, isn't really from the darkness that engulfs the world, but rather what's hiding in that darkness.

In Mark Lawrence's "Dark Tide", scientists awaken something while doing research at the bottom of the Ma...more My original assumption about Fading Light was that it was entirely about the literal end of the world. A great many of the stories certainly are. "Parasitic Embrace" by Adam Millard envisions the end of the world under a mysterious cloud originating with a volcanic eruption. The threat, of course, isn't really from the darkness that engulfs the world, but rather what's hiding in that darkness.

In Mark Lawrence's "Dark Tide", scientists awaken something while doing research at the bottom of the Marianas Trench, something that is antithetical to life and light, something that quickly begins to cover the world. Alan, a typical middle class husband and father with a typical middle class family, must navigate the new reality he's faced with in order to save himself and his family.

"Out of the Black" by William Miekle isn't so much about the end of the world as how mankind adapts following the end of the world. The sun has gone out, though not in an expansion of nuclear fire like scientists say will happen. Rather, the sun, and the Earth with it, has grown cold. Almost four centuries later, an underground enclave of survivors is searching for a new vein of the ore (coal, I assume) that provides light, keeps them warm, and runs the machinery necessary for survival. Our protagonist does indeed find a new source of ore, as well as something far worse.

Then there are stories that are more subtle with the "fading light" theme. "A Withering of Sorts" by Stephen McQuiggan is not about the end of the world. There's no swarm of ravenous insects. No Cthulhu-esque creatures have taken over. The sun hasn't gone out, nor has anything obscured it. No, this is a story about a tragedy in a small town. The nature of that tragedy, however, has robbed the survivors of their future, killed whatever spark for life they may have once had.

Carl Barker's "The Beastly Ninth" is a retelling of the Battle of Champaubert, though with some major differences. First, it's between the French and the English. More importantly, however, is that the battle is fought not just with swords, rifles, and cannons, but also with necromancers, zombies, and werewolves. The relevance to the central theme of the anthology in this story is more inferred than outright stated. Mankind is harnessing powers it does not fully understand, powers that dwarf traditional weapons, all in the name of war. At the time of the story, these powers are ostensibly under man's control. But what happens when the slaves grow tired of being such? A silver bullet may stop a werewolf, and destroying a zombie's head will give it a second death, but what do you do when both are attacking you? And what of the things you can't see, forces that aren't harmed by bullets and blades?

Tim Marquitz, the editor, also uses his anthology to showcase what I feel is going to be a real strength for ebooks. My understanding is that publishers typically put an upper limit on how long an anthology can be, largely due to printing costs. There's no reason for such a limitation on ebooks, however. Marquitz has taken advantage of this and released a companion to Fading Light that collects five more stories. Each of these is just as good as anything in the anthology itself, perhaps even better than a few.

"Evensong" by Alex Marshall is my favorite of the additional stories. Humanity has been forced deep underground by a failing sun and the monsters it allows to roam the surface. Society is divided into castes, with one (the Seers) ruling over all others though advanced technology and, perhaps, some magic. We aren't told how long things have been like this, though it is hinted that a great deal of time has passed;t the caste responsible for burrowing ever deeper into the earth has started to evolve to better accomplish this task. Enter Morya, a nurse who has learned something that could change everything. The Seers, of course, want things to remain as they are and cruelly punish anyone inciting rebellion of any sort.

Tim Marquitz has accomplished something truly special with Fading Light: there are no bad stories in this anthology. Some are perhaps weaker than others, but even those are far beyond some of what I've encountered in other horror-themed anthologies, even the various "year's best" books. It is my ardent hope that Mr. Maquitz will be the editor for future anthologies. With time, I can easily see his name being mentioned in the same breath as Ellen Datlow, Stephen Jones, and Karl Edward Wagner.(less)

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Aug 30, 2012 Frank Errington rated it 4 of 5 stars

Tim Marquitz has put together a beautiful anthology "firmly rooted in the imagery of H. P. Lovecraft and the stark atmosphere of Stephen King's The Mist."

The content is wonderfully captured in Jessy Lucero's brilliant cover art. I was thrilled when Tim offered to allow me to read an advance copy of or his effort, but when I saw the cover, I couldn't wait to see what was inside.

The initial story, "Parasitic Embrace" by Adam Millard, is very true to the editor's stated vision, with a huge volcanic...more Tim Marquitz has put together a beautiful anthology "firmly rooted in the imagery of H. P. Lovecraft and the stark atmosphere of Stephen King's The Mist."

The content is wonderfully captured in Jessy Lucero's brilliant cover art. I was thrilled when Tim offered to allow me to read an advance copy of or his effort, but when I saw the cover, I couldn't wait to see what was inside.

The initial story, "Parasitic Embrace" by Adam Millard, is very true to the editor's stated vision, with a huge volcanic eruption leading to an ash cloud covering Great Britain and bringing with it much more than darkness. Well writen and very effective.

One of the things I love about an anthology like this, is getting to sample new writers. Sure there are some stories in here from folks I've read before. People like Gene O’Neill, William Meikle, Nick Cato, Gord Rollo (loved his entry, "Friends of a Forgotten man." - A truly creepy story involving leeches), and others. But, some of the best stories in this collection are from people I've never read before, like Stephen McQuiggan's "A Withering of Sorts." A really disturbing tale with a Pied Piper feel to it and my favorite in the collection, from Stacey Turner, "Born of Darkness." Wow. What a story, worthy of being expanded into a longer piece. It's about darkness blocking out of the sun and a little girl who shows up at Cassie and Jeb's door, they take her in and care for her even though she cannot speak. Darkness, Light, Good & Evil. It's all there in this beautifully crafted short.

There are all kinds of stories in Fading Light, a number of them deal with the darkness above, a couple with the darkness below, a fear of losing gravity, leeches, body-snatching, wars, Kraken, plagues, (did I mention leeches?), comets and more.

And if you get the e-book, there are some pretty cool bonus stories. One that I greatly enjoyed was "Torrential" by Regan Campbell.

Truthfully, not every story knocks it out of the park, but most of them do. This is one collection that is well worth your time and money. Be on the lookout for this one, real soon.

Warning: The entire anthology is recommended for mature adults. There is some profanity and plenty of disturbing images.

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Sep 22, 2012 Abhinav rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, weird, lovecraftian

You can find the full review over at The Founding Fields:

http://thefoundingfields.com/2012/09/...

Shadowhawk reviews the latest horror/weird fiction anthology by small press publisher Angelic Knight Press.

“These are stories that are going to mess with your head, so bring your game face. Oh and they are also quite awesome too.” ~The Founding Fields

Tim Marquitz is another author I’ve met through Facebook/Twitter and have been interested in reading for a while now but didn’t quite get around to. Sti...more You can find the full review over at The Founding Fields:

http://thefoundingfields.com/2012/09/...

Shadowhawk reviews the latest horror/weird fiction anthology by small press publisher Angelic Knight Press.

“These are stories that are going to mess with your head, so bring your game face. Oh and they are also quite awesome too.” ~The Founding Fields

Tim Marquitz is another author I’ve met through Facebook/Twitter and have been interested in reading for a while now but didn’t quite get around to. Still, he is a fairly chatty person and a great guy to interact with. When he offered review copies of his new anthology of weird/horror fiction, I jumped on the chance, even though neither of those are my genres. Quite outside my comfort zone in fact, and I’ve read very, very little weird/horror fiction over the years. If I had to even take a guess, I’d say that the last truly horror fiction I read was some Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Ghost Mysteries (?) stuff about thirteen-fourteen years ago, or some Goosebumps novels around the same time. Yeah, I know, kind of depressing to a degree. But its just not my thing. Chance to rectify was had however and I dove into Fading Light with enthusiasm, waiting to be surprised and wowed or whatever as I really had no expectations from it given my relative inexperience.

Fading Light opens with some truly fantastic stories by Adam Millard, Nick Cato, and Stephen McQuiggan. The first one is all about parasites in a soon-to-be post-apocalyptic world, the second about a man’s fear of gravity, and the third about a (sorcerous) serial killer in an out-of-the-way town. What helped my immersion into these stories was that they were all short and they set the tone and mood for the rest of the anthology. They also hint at what can be found in the rest of the pages, especially in terms of the the type of stories being told. In that respect, these three stories worked really well for me and were a good intro to weird/horror fiction. Based on this experience, I’d like to read more of the same from these authors. Adam Millard and Stephen McQuiggan’s stories particularly have a strong kernel of emotion to them, the former being all about the creepy-crawly horror, and the latter about the tragedy of an entire town losing its children to a man who could give even Joker nightmares.

From then on, the anthology starts to mature in leaps and bounds. You have stories set in the depths of the deepest waters of Earth, stories about all kinds of other parasites and insects, stories about the weirdest aliens you can imagine, some Lovecraftian stuff, doom-and-gloom end of the Earth type of stuff and so on. Some of these stories were downright disgusting, some were just plain weird that I didn’t get, some offered interesting protagonists in the everyday world, some were about the most silliest of characters and so on. The mix of stories in terms of the lengths and the contents and the styles means that Fading Light has something to offer for everyone and is, to my inexperienced eyes, widely representative of the genre.

The overarching theme of the anthology is that mankind’s rule over Earth is coming to an end and that horrors from the beyond, whether a different dimension or out of the solar system or what have you are hastening that demise. The light of humanity is, literally, fading. As such, there are a LOT of stories in the anthology that deal with extraterrestrial horrors, a high percentage of those with a science-fiction bent. It certainly is an interesting theme to stick to, however, it is not represented so well by many of the stories therein as they don’t play up that angle as much as they could have.

To be fair however, while the title offers clues as to the content, I wasn’t bothered that many of the stories didn’t enforce that fading light theme. I gave the back-of-the-book blurb only a passing glance before I dived into reading the anthology and as I remarked to Tim at one point, there were a lot of extraterrestrial horror stories here. Bit of a slip-up on my part but there you have it! I was far more interested in the stories themselves rather than with the themes they were conveying.(less)

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Apr 18, 2013 Paulo Carvalho rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: anthology, horror, apocalyptic-post-apocalyptic, weird-fiction, lovecraftian

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. So, this one heck of a ride. A interesting compilation of short stories that deal with Monstrous beings that would wipe out Earth. Some were pretty good that even made me look for other stories from those writers, others I didn't felt that they capture the monstrous bit and even if a good story it didn't belong here. And fortunally small ones weren't that interesting. Overall thumbs up.

Note: Interesting or not some writers wrote the title of this anthology in their works... Fading Light. A bit o...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Jake rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author)

Shelves: fantasy, horror, history-fiction, sci-fi

First off, I have a story in this anthology. 'Rurik's Frozen Bones' is my contribution.

Second, I have a PDF copy of the paperback edition and it is not completely edited, and it was without the bonus stories that will be in the e-book format.

I did not finish this read, I am awaiting an e-book copy because I hate pleasure reading on my computer. This is my workstation, plus on my Kindle I'll get to read the four bonus stories. However, I've read enough to say this book is AWESOME.

Horror writer T...more

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Feb 03, 2013 Chris Strange rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, anthology

Fading Light is a horror anthology put together by the awesome Tim Marquitz, featuring stories by many rising stars alongside well-known authors such as Mark Lawrence and David Dalglish. I’ll admit upfront that I’m not much of an anthology reader. I tend to find it a little exhausting to read a story, get invested in the characters, and then have it end, only for a new story to begin. To combat this I got into the habit of reading a story or two at a time, dipping in and out while I read other t...more Fading Light is a horror anthology put together by the awesome Tim Marquitz, featuring stories by many rising stars alongside well-known authors such as Mark Lawrence and David Dalglish. I’ll admit upfront that I’m not much of an anthology reader. I tend to find it a little exhausting to read a story, get invested in the characters, and then have it end, only for a new story to begin. To combat this I got into the habit of reading a story or two at a time, dipping in and out while I read other things on the side. But despite my haphazard reading style, I thoroughly enjoyed this anthology and discovered many new-to-me authors that I’d love to read more of in the future. Not all of the stories were quite to my liking, but that’s expected from any anthology. I’m sure everyone will have their own favourites in this book.

A couple of criticisms first: I felt that the anthology suffered slightly by having several stories with similar themes and settings grouped close together. If some of these stories had been spread throughout the book, they probably would have seemed fresher. A couple of the stories also used framing stories, as in the case of the tale of a Viking telling his story to friends at a tavern. I’m not a fan of this technique, especially in short stories where you really need to get to the conflict quickly. But these are minor problems with an otherwise great horror anthology. I’ll highlight a few of my personal favourite stories.

The Beastly Ninth by Carl Barker – This is one of a few historical fantasy stories in the collection. Set during the Battle of Waterloo, this tale focuses on the Duke of Wellington and a few of the soldiers under his command as they face off against the terrifying, unnatural might of Napoleon’s beastly army. But the British are not without their own dark magic...

Late Night Customer by David Dalglish – David Dalglish is probably best known for his Half-Orc dark fantasy series, but he also writes a mean contemporary horror tale. The protagonist is an ordinary waitress in an out-of-the way diner, going about her work as usual until a terrified traveller comes in and reveals he’s running from something. This is a fast-paced little story with some great characters and lots of tension.

Der Teufel Sie Wissen (The Devil You Know) by TSP Sweeney – My favourite of the bunch. It is near the end of World War II, and a group of Hitler Youth are sent to kill a solitary Russian officer who’s been spotted in the ruined city. But the tables are soon turned as the officer proves to be like no adversary they’ve seen before. This story is dark and brutal with an interesting setting to boot.

If you’re into horror stories or dark fantasy at all, do yourself a favour and pick up a copy of Fading Light. It’s sure to have something you love. Highly recommended.
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Feb 24, 2013 Tim Lewis added it

Premise: When the sun is blotted out and darkness settles in, the most terrible of monstrosities can take hold. Creatures from other planets or the darkness within us can lay in waiting for the opportunity to strike and devour everything. Will we give into the darkness or grasp onto the last remnants of the fading light and continue to fight for existence?

Aliens, ancient creatures, and the dark hidden traits deep inside people are the foes faced through this anthology of the weird. Fading Light...more Premise: When the sun is blotted out and darkness settles in, the most terrible of monstrosities can take hold. Creatures from other planets or the darkness within us can lay in waiting for the opportunity to strike and devour everything. Will we give into the darkness or grasp onto the last remnants of the fading light and continue to fight for existence?

Aliens, ancient creatures, and the dark hidden traits deep inside people are the foes faced through this anthology of the weird. Fading Light uncovers the things that dwell in the darkness and reveals the horrors they are capable of. It tells the stories of those monsters, but also the people that face them when it matters the most for their own sake and for the sake of humanity.

Themes: One grand theme stretching across the stories in Fading Light encompasses the various aspects for survival, from the everyday physical needs to the challenges on mental faculties that can sometimes be much more important in order to survive.

Our reactions to change, especially for the worst, are brought bubbling to the surface in Fading Light. How do different people react to situations that they never even conceived of?

Fear can be paralyzing to many, but for some the instinctive reaction is to fight. This fight or flight response is triggered as these characters face strange creatures and unspeakable terrors.

Pros: Fading Light is a splendid hat tip to H.P. Lovecraft. Many of the stories take similar strands from his stories and weave them into more modern tales that I am certain the horror master would approve of. Just about every piece in this anthology can stand on its own, even apart from the rest of the collection, as a well-written short story, which is something I think every contributing author should be proud of. More than anything, this collection felt fresh, with something more to contribute than other anthologies I have read. There is a consistency in thought through the anthology, though the mood changes from story to story.

Cons: If you are looking to Fading Light for a comparison to the language and style of Lovecraft, then this is probably the one place where it doesn’t compare. The style is much more modern, which can be a pro or a con depending on the reader. There was more profanity in the dialogue than I care for, which is something that I find unnecessary especially in horror writing. I think it adds a false sense of edginess that comes across as trying too hard. There were a couple of plot devices I felt were overused, especially the Sun being blocked out by some kind of cloud or gas or whatever. For those unfamiliar with weird tales of this ilk, Fading Light might be a little depressing.

Recommendations: As a collection of weird tales, Fading Light brings a fresh sense of uncomfortable giddiness to the realm of anthologies. As a tribute to H.P. Lovecraft, this was a wonderful homage without the need for mimicry. Though it had some repetitive elements and more modern language than Lovecraft, Fading Light made me uneasy in a way that only good horror can. Tim Marquitz shows us his ability to gather quality tales and weave them into something cohesive. Horror fans will most likely love Fading Light.(less)

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Sep 24, 2012 D.L. Seymour rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author)

Well, being biased, I thought that Tim has done an excellent job gathering together a collection of wonderful stories that fit very well together. All of them with their own slanted view of the world we live in.

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Aug 17, 2012 Ryan Lawler rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author)

So first up - full disclosure is that my story Light Save Us is in this anthology.

Onto the review, I really enjoyed this anthology. Tim Marquitz managed to gather a lot of great authors and everybody really delivered.

My favourite stories include The Equivalence Principle by Nick Cato, Friends of a Forgotten Man by Gord Rollo, Lottery by Gene O’Neill and The Theophany of Nyx by Edward M. Erdelac.

There are a lot of dark stories here, so it might be a downer for a few people, but there are some exc...more

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Sep 10, 2012 Kaila marked it as abandoned

I tried, it was SO gruesome though. And I don't consider myself squeamish, but there's only so many passages about ribs cracking open and skin bubbling off that I can read.

I plan on coming back and reading Mark Lawrence's story at a later date, when I've recovered from the gore.

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Jan 12, 2013 Gavin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror

A shonky but charming short-horror omnibus.

Bunch of good ones, very few bad ones, but the ones that are bad are just dreadful. Not much to say here other than: If you want really dismal, depressing light-burning out end of all things horror there's some really good slices of that in here.

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Oct 23, 2012 Pippa Jay added it · review of another edition

Shelves: anthology, horror, fantasy-book-review, could-not-finish

Sadly this book wasn't for me and I couldn't finish it. For true fans of the horror genre, particularly the dystopian variety, this will probably suit you down to the ground.

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Nov 28, 2012 Tyson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: scifi-fantasy, horror

My review here.

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Aug 30, 2012 Gef rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author)

Shelves: arc, dark-fantasy, e-books, first-reads, horror, my-short-stories, short-stories

A completely biased review coming soon.

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About Tim Marquitz

Dark Fantasy Author

"Horror becomes art when it flows from the pen of Tim Marquitz." ~ Bobby D. Whitney - BookWenches

"Witty, sarcastic and hilarious." Michelle - Publishers Weekly

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13793342-fading-light?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1346986784l/13793342.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13793342-fading-light?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Fading Light: An Anthology of the Monstrous by Tim Marquitz[/url]

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