20th Century Ghosts

by Joe Hill

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20th Century Ghosts

by
Joe Hill

published	2008 by Gollancz
binding	Paperback
isbn	0575083085 (isbn13: 9780575083080)
pages	448
date added	12-24-07 edit book

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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 542)

Trish

Trish rated it:

(review of isbn 0061147974)

03/02/08

Read in March, 2008

recommends it for: Bryan, Ian

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

An outstanding collection -- honestly the best thing I've read in ... I don't know how long. Adam Johnson / Elliot Perlman / Bruno Maddox good. "I've got to own a copy of this so I can push it on people" good.

Best New Horror: An editor of horror fiction is confronted with the terrifying, exhilarating reality behind the best story he's read in a long time.

20th Century Ghost: A sweet ghost story--both a paean to vanishing movie palaces and a romance.

Pop Art: Perhaps the first...more

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Alex

Alex rated it:

(review of isbn 0061147974)

03/06/08

bookshelves: books-read-in-2007

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 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 to offer.

20th Century Ghosts is a short story collection of modern horror, revealing what else has been going on in the mind of the author who brought us the bestselling Heart-Shaped Box. Originally released in hardcover two years ago in England, Joe Hill fans will be happy to have this beautiful hardcover edition available at the more affordable price than the out-of-print edition only available on the likes of eBay.

With a quick introduction from Christopher Golden, author of The Myth Hunters and Strangewood, the collection kicks of with a chilling story titled “Best New Horror.” It is about an editor of the annual Best New Horror collection who is sent a fresh and disturbing story for the next edition, featuring a level of the macabre and disgust that he hasn’t seen in a long time. The editor seeks out the author and finds himself in his very own horrific story on a level with that of the one that so entranced him. The title story, “20th Century Ghost,” is a classic modern-day ghost story about an old movie theater that is being haunted by a young girl who loved to watch movies until she died suddenly one day at the theater. Now she returns every once in a while to engage a movie viewer in chilling conversation.

From there Hill takes the reader on a journey into different kinds of horror. A man in a Kafkaesque world awakes as a giant cockroach. A young boy is kidnapped by a terrifying hulk of a man who admits he won’t hurt him, but simply wants to watch him. A short and enchanting tale about the ghosts of trees. The fascinating story about a boy who can fly whenever he wears his childhood cape. Not all stories are of the horror variety, but more the mundane and yet still able to move the reader. “Pop Art” is the incredible and yet strangely enchanting story about a world where some people are “inflatable,” composed of little more tan plastic and air and must be careful not to get caught on anything sharp, or they will deflate and die. It is a moving story about a boy and his relationship with one of these inflatable people. A considerable number of the stories in 20th Century Ghosts involve children, specifically young boys. Perhaps Hill is turning to his own childhood imagination, or maybe he feels that childhood is a time when the imagination is most creative and easily convinced, even if the demons and monsters that are imagined are actually real.

While Heart-Shaped Box was not as great a book as I’d hoped, 20th Century Ghosts has convinced me that Joe Hill is an entertaining and talented new horror writer, who is still working somewhat in the style of his father’s, Stephen King, but as time passes and more stories and books are written and published, he will no doubt become one of the most popular and most interesting of today’s horror writers. I look forward to reading his next work.

For more reviews, and writings, or to buy yourself a copy, please visit www.alexctelander.com....less

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Peggy

Peggy rated it:

(review of isbn 0061147974)

10/16/07

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 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 of contemporary horror stories has just been released in the US.

Some of you may have picked up a debut novel this past Spring called Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill (If you didn’t, go ahead and grab one now. I’ll wait.). It was a terrific book: fast-paced, subtle, surprisingly touching, and truly creepy. But you might not know that way back in 2005 a British publisher called PS Publishing took note of a spate of award-winning stories by a new American author and collected them all together into a book called 20th Century Ghosts. The book garnered many award mentions and landed on numerous best-of lists, but it was only available in Britain. Darn greedy Brits. Lucky for us, an American version is finally available, just in time to add some spice to our Fall. As a bonus, because we had to wait so long, we get an extra story not included in the British edition. Take that, greedy Brits!

Joe Hill is a mighty-fine writer, and this collection really showcases his talent. Are you looking for a sweet and subtle ghost story with some cogent points to make about aging and regret? Look no further than “20th Century Ghost.” Did you ever wonder what it would be like if you introduced Franz Kafka to the Nuclear Age (or just have a fondness for giant bugs)? Check out “You Will Hear the Locust Sing.” Maybe you favor a meditation on friendship and persecution? Take a look at “Pop Art,” which Christopher Golden (rightly) called transcendent. But wait a minute. I was talking about chills, wasn’t I? Maybe that’s what you want; the hard stuff. Like “Black Phone,” where a small child trapped in a very bad place receives phone calls from the dead. Or “Last Breath,” which starts out creepy and then sinks into downright disturbing. No, I know. You need a harsh story. A modern story. A story that actually uses your knowledge of horror conventions to build its atmosphere. You need “Year’s Best Horror.”

20th Century Ghosts is a terrific collection, and one that really makes use of Joe Hill’s talents. The stories differ in tone but share a style and subtlety and emotional impact – Hill weaves a web of such dark beauty that you long to be ensnared.
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El rated it:

(review of isbn 0061147974)

03/31/08

bookshelves: 21st-centurylit

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 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 have been written by Ray Bradbury, more so in the final story than anywhere else; had someone given me a photocopied selection of stories from this book I probably would have guessed Bradbury wrote most of them. On one hand it's annoying to read someone's works that feel so much like someone else's, but on the other hand Hill still managed to give each story his own amount of flair that made it all feel more original than not. He is clearly his father's son, but again, Hill's writing is more sharp and more defined than his father's.

Hill's talent seems to lie in writing touching stories from a young boy's perspective, with real and imagined fears coming alive in each story. He has a knack for the nostalgic, like his daddy, and usually knows which details are likely to be the most likely to spook and chill his reader - he rarely goes for gore, but focuses on a character's psychology instead, which, as we all are aware, is infinitely more frightening than anything real anyhow. The head is a scary place with scary people. Joe Hill truly gets that and puts on paper those scary places and those scary people. His non-horror genre stories still manage to give one a little thrill without being sappy or corny.

After now having read both his short story collection and his full-length novel, I would say that his short stories hold more punch. Stephen King is the same way, and I hope that Hill can be smart enough to take the road of the story more often than not to avoid a length of sub-optimal novels like his dad.

I had not planned to read the entire book over the weekend, but I was in Ohio for a wedding and spent some quality time alone while my boyfriend was off doing his "not-really-best-man-but-good-enough" duties. I had other books to read, but Belinda had just loaned her copy to me the day before so I took advantage of the silence (you take it when you can get it when visiting Ohio) and devoured the hell out of it. It was perfect for the occasion (in a macabre sort of way), and absolutely the right thing for me to keep me sane....less

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Mark

Mark rated it:

(review of isbn 0061147974)

05/04/08

bookshelves: recentlyread

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 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 horror magazine who “felt weak at the thought of reading another story about vampires having sex with other vampires. He tried to struggle through Lovecraft pastiches, but at the first painfully serious reference to the Elder Gods, he felt some important part of him going numb inside.” When the editor discovers a story that actually shocks him, he goes to great lengths to track down the author, with predictable and parodic consequences. Many of the stories are about the tribulations of kids and might appear the freshman efforts of a young writer exorcising adolescent demons. But they’re sophisticatedly different, moving studies or parodies all. You might even detect some Oedipal fun, especially in stories like “You Will Hear the Locust Sing,” a revisiting of Kafka’s “Metamorphosis,” or “Abraham’s Boys,” a startling new take on Dracula (Abraham being Professor Van Helsing). A little revenge on Dad, the king of horror? But then the following story, “Better Than Home,” is a powerful story of father-son love (though a very quirky pair they are) and of baseball (a passion I’m guessing King and Hill share). Not all of the stories are equally superb—there are a couple of puzzlers—but all are memorable. The near-title story, “20th Century Ghost,” about an old movie theatre, and the final story, a 50-page piece called “Voluntary Committal,” about a mentally ill/brilliant boy, are each on their own worth the price of admission.

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Maggie

Maggie rated it:

(review of isbn 0061147974)

12/30/07

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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Tom

Tom rated it:

(review of isbn 0061147974)

01/06/08

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

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Karltonst

Karltonst rated it:

(review of isbn 0061447757)

12/20/07

bookshelves: audio-book, pop-lit, sf-fantasy

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

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Mike

Mike marked it as to-read (review of isbn 0061147974)

04/21/08

bookshelves: oh-no-i-scared-my-pants-off-, to-read

recommended to Mike by: Neil Gaiman
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

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Tsering

Tsering is currently reading it (review of isbn 0061147974)

06/21/08

bookshelves: currently-reading

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

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Rob

Rob rated it:

(review of isbn 0061147974)

02/03/08

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

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Will

Will rated it:

(review of isbn 0061147974)

04/23/08

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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Richard

Richard rated it:

(review of isbn 0575081929)

02/10/08

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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Tim

Tim rated it:

(review of isbn 0061147974)

12/03/07

bookshelves: 2007reads

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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Deidra

Deidra rated it:

(review of isbn 0061147974)

05/27/08

Read in May, 2008

recommends it for: Horror aficianados, especially of King and Bradbury

You know how with some short story collections, you skip around, sample some, never get to others? Well, that doesn't happen here. Each story is so well-crafted and original that they immediately pull you in and keep you there. Pretty scary stuff (Voluntary Committal is particularly creepy), and also some pretty moving stories too (Pop Art in particular).

I have to agree with the author in the introduction that Joe Hill has writing pieces that are reminiscent of Stephen King's brand of horro...more

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Amy

Amy rated it:

(review of isbn 0061147974)

01/29/08

Read in December, 2007

I'm very conflicted about this book. I can't recommend it to anyone because of the swearing. It was very interesting and had a lot of creative stuff in it. The down side was that in a couple of the short stories, the characters started to sound the same. There was a whole series of kind of drifting loser guys...but really, it wasn't their fault...I have a hard time relating to that kind of character. And the language was really bad. I am so unimpressed with all the F-words. It doesn't feel edgy,...more

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Justine

Justine rated it:

(review of isbn 0061147974)

04/23/08

I discovered Joe Hill at 2006 World Fantasy Conference because everybody was buzzing about him (he went on to win several awards at Sunday night banquet). I went to my hotel room, read a story of his in an anthology I'd just purchased, went straight back to the conference bookstore and hunted down the one small-press copy they had. (The same collection has since been released by a major publisher.)

Just a talented writer & stylist as well as an entertaining storyteller (the two don't alw...more

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vladimir

vladimir rated it:

(review of isbn 0061147974)

07/25/07

recommends it for: those who love to be scared sometimes, awed by another's imagination most other times...

So, I wasn't so into his debut novel, "Heart Shaped Box", and I should really get back to finishing it in all fairness... BUT, man can he write short stories!

Holy damn! One of the best, most heart-breaking short stories I've read in years, "Pop Art", is in this collection.

While people are trying to pidgeon-hole him in Horror, he's too talented to limit his potential audience. "20th Century Ghosts" contains some gruesome, deeply creepy stories, but Hill's ta...more

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Laila

Laila rated it:

(review of isbn 0061147974)

04/01/08

Read in April, 2008

recommends it for: Ade, my ghost-story-hater boyfriend

I randomly picked this book from Kinokuniya's "Highlight Books" shelf, hoping it will give me a good scare...

... and it did.

Even better, it doesn't just scares you, it creeps up on you when you least expect it. Nevertheless, "20th Century Ghosts" isn't just about creepy tales, but also melancholic, powerful dramas. The stories are so effortless in captivating your emotion, and they soon become addicting after a few pages.

I don't read Stephen King, and it's probab...more

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Howard

Howard rated it:

(review of isbn 0061147974)

01/28/08

Read in January, 2008

Joe hill brings a new take to the word ghosts. They can be a haunting place, or a memory, and not have to mean a specter or one of unfinished business waiting to claim their last stake in life before moving on,

Marvelous stories abound within the bindings of this book; I enjoyed them very very much. The narration in some of the beginnings of these stories placed me back to watching "Amazing stories" as a kid. They draw you in and hold your attention...

I did notice Joe hill used ...more

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avg rating (this edition): 0.00 (0 ratings)
number of reviews: 102

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