Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

To Each Their Darkness

4.33 of 5 stars 4.33 · rating details · 55 ratings · 14 reviews

2010 Stoker Award Winner for Superior Achievement in Nonfiction

Explore the world of writing horror from a Bram Stoker and International Horror Guild award-winning author's point of view. Gary Braunbeck uses film, fiction and life experience to elucidate the finer points of storytelling, both in and out of genre. This part-autobiographical, always analytical book looks at h...more

Paperback, 346 pages

Published December 1st 2010 by Apex Publications

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

One Door Away from Heaven by Dean Koontz

The Ten-Ounce Siesta by Norman Partridge

Kevin Lucia's Favorite Books of 2011

49th out of 53 books — 1 voter

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 119)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Dec 22, 2010 Nicole Cushing rated it 4 of 5 stars

There are MANY books about the writing life, but this one fills a unique niche for authors of dark fiction. Braunbeck writes with a clear affection for the horror genre, but also with concern about the direction in which it has often gone since the hyperviolent '80s horror boom...in which, he states, books too often resorted to cheap scares (violence, gore, etc.) rather than exploring subtext and creating works with an emotional core.

This book is at its best when Braunbeck is giving his well-inf...more There are MANY books about the writing life, but this one fills a unique niche for authors of dark fiction. Braunbeck writes with a clear affection for the horror genre, but also with concern about the direction in which it has often gone since the hyperviolent '80s horror boom...in which, he states, books too often resorted to cheap scares (violence, gore, etc.) rather than exploring subtext and creating works with an emotional core.

This book is at its best when Braunbeck is giving his well-informed discourse on the state of the genre, and also when he relates (with brave self-disclosure) several of his own real-life traumas that have informed his writing. Braunbeck goes on to detail the process of how the trauma (to him) made its way onto the page as part of story. This part of the book was, for me, invaluable. I think almost all authors of dark fiction have had an unhealthy share of emotional hurt in their own lives. Braunbeck's book provides positive examples of how to translate the pain to the page without becoming maudlin or pretentious. The inclusion of the short stories "Duty" and "Need", to give a clear example (in story) of what the author is discussing (in writing lesson) was helpful.

For me, the book dragged a little in places where Braunbeck discussed his film influences. I don't watch movies. At least, not many (I can count on one hand the number of movies I've watched in the last year...none of them in a theater). So, for me, this wasn't all that relevant. But if you're like the other 98% of the world and watch movies, you probably won't feel the same way. The inclusion of several of Braunbeck's introductions to several other authors' books felt a little awkward and unnecessary, but in its own way, revealing of the sort of fiction Braunbeck wants to put a spotlight on. The sort of thing he'd like to see more of.

All in all, this book is well worth your money. It's NOT "just another book on writing". It's about bleeding life onto the page to create strong, unforgettable fiction in your own unique voice. It's this passion...this SOUL of the book, that distinguishes it from the other writing books out there. You should buy it. Now.

(less)

like · see review

Feb 02, 2011 Richard Wright rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

Part biography, part writer manifesto, this is a seriously impressive book, particularly if you're drawn to the darker end of the fiction scale. Most admirable is the way that Braunbeck has taken a series of genuinely horrific tragedies in his life, brutally and plainly laid out for you to re-experience with him, and allowed them to merge into a solid mission statement. If you know Braunbeck's harrowing, humane works, it explains a lot. The book isn't perfect though, particularly in the way that...more

like · see review

Jan 07, 2011 Craig rated it 5 of 5 stars

This volume is a revised and expanded version of Braunbeck's earlier volume, FEAR IN A HANDFUL OF DUST: HORROR AS A WAY OF LIFE, but is different enough from the earlier book to make it worth buying even if you have the previous iteration. There are still a few errors in the typesetting of the text, which made the earlier version extremely difficult to follow, but they are relatively minor in comparison. Several sections of the original are not included, but there is a lot of new material. The a...more

like · see review

Feb 09, 2011 Nick Cato rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Since reading the brilliant novel IN SILENT GRAVES back in 2004 (a novel I've now read 3 times), Gary Braunbeck instantly became one of my must-read authors. I quickly sought out as much from his as I could, and just about everything I've read from him has managed to inspire me both as a writer and (even) as a person. TO EACH THEIR DARKNESS is an extended version of Gary's FEAR IN A HANDFUL OF DUST: HORROR AS A WAY OF LIFE, a book I had missed out on, so everything here was new to me (except for...more Since reading the brilliant novel IN SILENT GRAVES back in 2004 (a novel I've now read 3 times), Gary Braunbeck instantly became one of my must-read authors. I quickly sought out as much from his as I could, and just about everything I've read from him has managed to inspire me both as a writer and (even) as a person. TO EACH THEIR DARKNESS is an extended version of Gary's FEAR IN A HANDFUL OF DUST: HORROR AS A WAY OF LIFE, a book I had missed out on, so everything here was new to me (except for a couple of short sections I had read online over the past few years).

This isn't a "how-to" manual, but rather a series of sections dealing with the films, literature, and real-life events that have inspired and shaped Gary as an author. As a huge film fan, I could've read another 500 pages of Gary's film reviews and recommendations, but as it stands there's plenty here to seek out (I was especially thrilled to see how much of an affect the Burt Lancaster film, THE SWIMMER, had on the author: it has been one of my favorites since I saw it as a kid on late night TV). Seriously...if you read this, keep a pen and pad on hand as you'll surely want to check some (if not) all of these films out.

Like his fiction, Gary's real-life stories are quite dark, depressing, and (some) downright terrifying, yet like a car accident, I just couldn't look away, and now that he has shared these accounts, it has given some of my favorite stories from him even more depth than they already have (it was also nice to see him dissect much of his own writing, especially one of my favorites, his short titled 'NEED' that literally caused my stomach to drop the first time I read it). There's also a story of one of Gary's closest friends that had me laughing my ass off, so despite the grim aura surrounding most of DARKNESS, there's still a few laughs to be had (as well as much to benefit from, which I'm sure is Gary's main goal here).

Gary also gives much space to what he believes keeps horror (as a genre) less respectable than other forms of literature, yet not once does he apologize for being a genre writer. And when he gets into the issue of the lack of subtext used within modern horror fiction, writers would do well to pay close attention.

If you're a fan of Braunbeck, these 330 pages will fly by. While I'm not sure it was necessary to feature several introductions Gary had written for other author's books, there really isn't anything negative I can say about this look into the mind of one of horror fiction's most gifted authors. Check it out.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 08, 2013 Gef rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-books, horror, nonfiction

To Each Their Darkness
by Gary A. Braunbeck
Apex Books (2010)
ASIN B004G5Z6XG

As much as I enjoy reading horror literature from authors, I'm occasionally drawn to their opining on the genre and writing as a whole through their nonfiction titles. Stephen King's On Writing sits at the tippy-top of that list. Gary A. Braunbeck wrote a book in a similar vein, which was published by Apex Books, and much ballyhooed by his peers. It is not strictly a memoir though, but more a collection of essays and crit...more To Each Their Darkness
by Gary A. Braunbeck
Apex Books (2010)
ASIN B004G5Z6XG

As much as I enjoy reading horror literature from authors, I'm occasionally drawn to their opining on the genre and writing as a whole through their nonfiction titles. Stephen King's On Writing sits at the tippy-top of that list. Gary A. Braunbeck wrote a book in a similar vein, which was published by Apex Books, and much ballyhooed by his peers. It is not strictly a memoir though, but more a collection of essays and criticisms, and it had me riveted much of the time.

The book offers everything from Gary's thoughts on his favorite films and what makes a great story (and a not-so-great story), all the way to some of the most heartrending glimpses at his personal and professional life. It ain't pretty at times, but it's honest. It's kind of funny in a way, because I'll piss and moan about something or other with a put-upon attitude, but by comparison to some of the stuff Gary A. Braunbeck has endured my first world problems really look weak.

I've only read one of his novels so far, Coffin County, but it was enough to know this guy is a heckuva storyteller and a writer to be heeded when he's waxing poetic on the craft of storytelling. A couple of the chapters feel meandering, as he digressing from one crystallized thought to the next, but he brings it all together by the end to get his point across. And at the end, I really came to appreciate the process he goes through in approaching his work--and agonizing over it.

If there are any authors out there that didn't already have a sobering realization as to what the life of a writer provides, both financially and emotionally, Braunbeck heaves a healthy bucket of cold water on your most fanciful dreams. That said, it's not a discouraging portrait--quite the opposite. Just about every chapter provides some kind of micro-revelation, whether it's figuring out why he loved Rob Zombie's House of a Thousand Corpses while everyone around him hated it, or coming to the conclusion that what is really holding your story back from what it should be is you and finally getting out of your own way, or how in Gary's poetic phrasing: "... horror fiction is still the deformed drooling bastard child who picks at its scabs and who Literature keeps locked up in the cellar when company drops by ..."

If you are a writer, a reader, a horror hound, a literary snob, a pessimist, or an optimist, I doubt I can recommend this book enough. And I dare say that like House of a Thousand Corpses, you'll probably walk away loving or hating his book--no room for fence-sitters. It's either a medley of disjointed ramblings or a mosaic of one author's love-hate relationship with the horror genre. Take your pick.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 05, 2011 Richard Sanford rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A scruffier, lo-fi answer to King's Danse Macabre that does an amazing job of showing all aspects of an artist's work and the connective tissue between life and art and how one can screw up - or lift up - the other. Also featuring some of the most heartbreaking memoir I've ever read.

Made me curse myself and want to sit down and write a thousand words.

like · see review

Dec 13, 2011 Ciro rated it 1 of 5 stars

Populist and insufficiently differentiated from other how-to-write's (Delaney's is really solid). Worse, the guy makes sweeping claims about all forms of art that he doesn't really have the experience to judge. Finally, I couldn't stand the over cutesy, folksy, digressive writing—irritating in the extreme.

like · see review

May 03, 2012 Shawn Scarber rated it 4 of 5 stars

As an occasional horror writer, this book shed a lot of light on the process and the genre. It opened my eyes to the possibilities of horror as literature. This book isn't a how-to book, it's also not a memoir, it's also not a critique of the horror genre, it's a little bit of all those things.

like · see review

Mar 04, 2011 Eric rated it 2 of 5 stars

A really really strong beginning but it tanks near the end as it just becomes a compilation of introductions and afterwards the author has written. This was far less interesting than the personal history and genre thoughts.

like · see review

Jan 20, 2011 Lee Thompson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Buy it.

like · see review

Feb 13, 2011 Mark rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Mark by: 2010 Stoker Sheet

This book made me want to write again. Stay tuned.

1 like · like · see review

Mar 28, 2012 Tj rated it 4 of 5 stars

Great read. This book definitely provides an interesting insight into the mind and personal history of one of contemporary horror's more interesting authors.

My only gripe - and it's a small one - is that I expected more about the details of his writing process itself.

like · see review

Feb 12, 2011 Glen Krisch rated it 5 of 5 stars

The most brutally honest nonfiction book I've read. Part memoir, part genre overview, this book will stay with you long after you've finished the last page.

like · see review

Apr 12, 2012 Craig Rettig rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Even if you have no interest in writing, the commentary, analogies, and personal reflections Gary presents in this book are entertaining, moving, and every emotion in between.

like · see review

May 15, 2013 Legato Darksummers added it

Shelves: daddy-dark-s-baby-warrior-list

May 09, 2013 Michael Joe marked it as to-read

May 01, 2013 DoctorHatchet marked it as to-read

Apr 10, 2013 Kaine Andrews marked it as to-read

Mar 19, 2013 Trish Hildebrandt rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mar 15, 2013 Stephanie marked it as to-read

Feb 13, 2013 Lesley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Feb 11, 2013 Robby rated it 4 of 5 stars

Feb 08, 2013 Roy Huff marked it as to-read

Feb 05, 2013 Sophie marked it as to-read

Jan 22, 2013 Jessica Nelson marked it as to-read

Mar 31, 2013 Traci Douglass rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jan 18, 2013 The Hermit's marked it as to-read

Jan 12, 2013 Jim Miller marked it as horror-science-fiction-buy

Jan 09, 2013 Kevin Clayton marked it as to-read

Jan 04, 2013 Ellie marked it as to-read-if-time

Shelves: writing

« previous 1 2 3 4 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (2)

Genres

Non Fiction

6 users

Horror

6 users

Language > Writing

3 users

See top shelves...

About Gary A. Braunbeck

Gary A. Braunbeck is a prolific author who writes mysteries, thrillers, science fiction, fantasy, horror, and mainstream literature. He is the author of 19 books; his fiction has been translated into Japanese, French, Italian, Russian and German. Nearly 200 of his short stories have appeared in various publications.

His fiction has received several awards, including the Bram Stoker Award in 2003 fo...more

More about Gary A. Braunbeck...

Books by Gary A. Braunbeck

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About To Each Their Dar...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: To Each Their Darkness
avg rating	preview: To Each Their Darkness Goodreads rating: 4.33 (55 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9859438-to-each-their-darkness?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1294874052l/9859438.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9859438-to-each-their-darkness?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]To Each Their Darkness by Gary A. Braunbeck[/url]

To Each Their Darkness

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

combineOther Editions (2)

Genres

About Gary A. Braunbeck

Books by Gary A. Braunbeck

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About To Each Their Dar...

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (2)