They’ll do anything to protect their way of life. Anything.
Welcome to Priory, a small gated community in the UK, where the only thing worse than an ancient monster is the group worshipping it. They'll do anything to protect their secrets, especially with Charles Erich at the helm.
The question is, how much influence can a religious leader like Charles Erich truly have over his followers? If the time comes, would he ever allow them to leave? And is that which slithers below true evil, or does evil reside in the people of Priory?
Priory. A community of one mind and purpose. A place of order, commitment, peace, and service. A perfect world, building on mind shattering secrets from beyond the pale. Enter...if you dare.
THE OUTSIDERS follows five shared-world stories by five authors, each one delving into the world of Lovecraftian cults, murder, indoctrination, and our quest to belong.If you dare follow this UK invasion of five prime authors as they each tell their own story of the people living behind Priory's steel gates and high walls, you'll quickly find yourself an outsider as well.
Featuring stories by Stephen Bacon, James Everington, Gary Fry, V.H. Leslie, and Rosanne Rabinowitz.
To me, reading The Outsiders, was a unique experience as I've never read a collection of short stories all set in the same universe with the same characters yet written by different authors. A gated community, believed to be a religious cult, strange disappearances and people with unusual behaviour, as well as something monstrous lurking deep below the foundations of said gated community certainly could make imaginations run wild.
In the first story The Subprime, we are introduced to Lee, a man who realizes that his boss is not exactly a highly moral man. His effort to quit his job leads to a dinner with the potential to go horribly wrong. As Lee enters Priory and proceeds to the dinner party, the reader experiences firsthand his apprehension which later becomes paranoia.
In the second tale, Michala, a police woman from the nearby town of Exham, investigates a suicide which leads her to the mysterious Priory. While Ryan tries to escape his religious fanatic wife, Caitlin, elderly Petra is concerned for her husband's wellbeing and sanity.
In the final story, Meat, Motion, and Light, a young woman, whose mother is at the heart of the secret that lives below Priory, returns to lay to rest that which still haunts her from her years growing up there, and, maybe, to resolve more than just her past.
The people who appear in all the stories or in more than one of the stories, are kept in character by all the different authors. I was most impressed by the extremely well portrayed religious leader, Charles Erich, as well as by the deceptively sophisticated Mr. Philips. The reappearance of a grown up Claudia in the last story was an unexpected bonus. In that final tale she stands out as one of the more fleshed out characters in the book.
I highly recommend The Outsiders as a suspenseful, sometimes downright scary and very well compiled collection of stories to everybody who loves a steadily unfolding horror with an excellent, but unexpected, end. (Ellen Fritz)
Some horror anthologies are made to scare readers, others are made to terrify them. When it comes to The Outsiders, the latter is at work from beginning to end. It's the type of book best read during the day. This meticulously crafted shared-world anthology will inspire a great deal of panic; not only due to the psychological components present, but also because of the pure horror elements weaved into the stories. Think Jonestown with a side dish of Cthulhu.
The authors went above and beyond when they wrote these stories. Not only is it difficult to be a part of a shared-world anthology, because of the obvious creative differences involved, but to keep the characters and pace of the stories consistent is almost impossible without a great editor. The Outsiders, however, does a lovely job at staying consistent without ruining the authors' unique takes on the theme. In other words, it's a freaking remarkable anthology as far as I'm concerned.
H.P. Lovecraft fans will enjoy what The Outsiders have to offer. Folks interested in cults will love every moment spent reading this anthology. Editors will be amazed by the work that went into the project (and find something to aspire to as a result).
Definitely try to get your hands on this collection if you want to be scared.
Inside Priory awaits a lot more than meets the eye. The people might seem friendly, but only because their enigmatic leader Charles Erich doesn't give them much of a choice.
The cottages inside this gated community seem simple enough, and even though what lurks beneath them is more ancient than mankind itself, can anything be more evil than the people worshipping it?
If you dare follow this UK invasion of five prime authors as they each tell their own story of the people living behind Priory's steel gates and high walls, you'll quickly find yourself an outsider, as well.
I received an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. This is in no way reflected in my opinion of this book.
The outsiders is a collection of tales centered around The Priory. A gated community that has a secret,,, The people there worship one of the Old Gods. As a fan of the Cthulhu mythos and Lovecraftian horror, I couldn't wait to read these stories! The stories you'll find here are filled with a sense of creeping dread and claustrophobic paranoia that grabs you and won't let go. All of the stories here are good but two of them really stood out for me. The first was Precious Things, where a woman learns that her true worth is priceless. The second was Meat, Motion, And Light, which gives us a glimpse into the mating rituals of an Old One. Both really great stories! Now,,, Ignore that slithering sound coming from the pipes and curl up with this 4 star read.
An extraordinary, seamless, collection with a shared-theme, shared-world--a wonderfully Lovecraftian world, a theme unafraid to reveal the very dark underside of the Lovecraftian Mythos. Five great authors--Gary Fry, James Everington, Stephen Bacon, V.H. Leslie, Rosanne Rabinowitz--collude to provide an incredible story set about one rural English gated community, Priory, a community unlike any other, a community with one focus and one purpose. THE OUTSIDERS is Lovecraftian, yes; but the stories also manage to tell a lot about human nature and interaction, about human fear of the unknown and the perceived "different," about self-loathing turned inside out and projected against "the other." This book deserves a wide and encompassing readership.
Outwardly, the gated community of Priory appears to be the residence to aspire to – safe, quiet and filled with friendly people. Inwardly, it’s a commune more horrific than that led by Charles Manson!
It’s no easy task to be able to twine stories together to create a cohesive tale. Told by 5 very different authors, you’ll find yourself being mesmerized as each story winds through the streets of Priory like tentacles reaching out attached to a common core. Each is its own entity, but together they make a whole. As the title states this is a story of outsiders, those who don’t fit in for one reason or another. Come in; take a peek of the going-ons in this tight-knit little community. Start your visit with Kevin Lucia’s forward; here he will introduce you to the community.
Gary Fry opens with The Subprime, here we meet Lee a young up and coming lad in the mortgage business. Lee has a problem though, he has a conscience. Feeling he no longer fits in with the company’s policies he is ready to call it quits. But, Mr. Philips, his boss has other plans. He invites Lee to dinner at his home in Priory, where Lee finds out the terrible truth of what happens to those who resist conformity.
In Impossible Colours by James Everington we read of Michala, a woman of mixed ethnicity. Working as a community officer in the town of Exham it’s hard fitting in when surrounded by a sea of white faces, but she manages. Shortly after a confrontation with the town racist, he is found dead in Priory; suicide they say. Michala isn’t buying it; there is something unsettling about Priory and the people within.
Ryan and his wife are active members in the community of Priory. Ryan solicits donations and recruits new members for the compound. His wife works for the church and closely with Erich the founder of their church. All was fine until the day their son died. Stephen Bacon’s Stolen from the Sea is a story of loss. How sometimes with grief one can tend to disconnect and no longer find solace in what was.
Aah, Precious Things. What was once held dear can turn into fear. V.H. Leslie offers an interesting tale of alienation. Petra and Bernard thought they found the ideal community in which to retire. Bernard was a mineralogist and the setting of Priory offered a perfect location for the pair to stay active together with Bernard’s passion for precious stones. But alas, that wasn’t to be. Bernard has become secretive in his dealings with Erich, the community leader and has taken to locking Petra out of his study. Then comes the day when she must enter the study, and what she finds inside defies her worst fears.
Wrapping up the telling of the tale is Rosanne Rabinowitz with Meat, Motion and Light. Claudia grew up in Priory, being the only black family in the community was hard. Enduring relentless teasing from classmates as a child, Claudia is finally making a life outside of Priory’s walls while attending university. Then one day she gets a call from her mother, she is summoned back to Priory. All those old fears come back to the surface, what will she face this time?
And so we end our time in Priory with an afterword by Joe Mynhardt, the editor and publisher of this fine read. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I have!
The Outsiders is a really cleverly written horror anthology featuring some pretty fine horror talent from critically authors such as Stephen Bacon, James Everington, Gary Fry, V.H.Leslie, Rosanne Rabinowitz and Kevin Lucia contributing the introduction.I loved how these stories were written by different authors but the stories work really well together creating a really quirky horror anthology.
What's really clever about this is that the five stories all are centred around a mysterious cult like gated community known as Priory. In this very small and secular society they worship a strange eldritch sea creature who communicates via colours offering them wisdom and enlightenment in return.
The cult is headed up by a nefarious Charles Erich who is worshipped, adored and feared by his fellow residents all hand picked by him to come an live inside Priory an exclusive neighbourhood that everyone wants to live in. At first glance it seems the perfect neighbourhood, no crime, everyone looks after each other and lives in perfect harmony.
Yet underneath the surface, literally, lives the sea creature older than humanity that they worship. Caring for this beast comes at a price it must be fed, with souls.
In the first tale, The Subprime by Gary Fry we meet a young 19 year old boy Lee Mann who has always lived his life as an outsider growing up in a broken family, always having to fend for himself. He's determined to make the best of himself which he starts to do after accepting a dream job selling mortgages for Mr Phillips a resident of Priory. However soon he starts to have seconds thoughts regarding the ethics of his new boss and soon tries to find a way out.
Impossible colours by James Everington sees a police community support officer investigate the apparent suicide of a local man, Marty Young. Everyone has written him off as a mad man but as she investigates his death further she finds some disturbing information regarding the exclusive gated community in Exham town. She also learns that her and Marty are not so different after all.
Stolen From the Sea, by Stephen Bacon, follows the story of a grieving father who yearns to leave Priory after falling in love with another woman following the death of his daughter. He yearns to be free again and together with his new love, they hatch a plan to run away.
Precious Things by V.H.Leslie, witnesses the demise of a long and stable marriage. Petra soon yearns for more than what her increasingly distant husband Bernard can offer. As she tries to rebuild the bridge between them she soon realises he is keeping secrets from her.
In the final tale, Meat Motion and Light by Rosanne Rabinowitz we find the tale of Claudia who managed to escape the repressive Priory. Now she's free to do whatever she wants, be the person she was always meant to be. But her mother, still living at Priory calls her back to return to Priory. It's a call she can't ignore despite the many warning from those closest to her.
This modern British Lovecraftian thriller is composed of five linked stories set in & around a gated religious community . . . with a difference. If the fact that this community is called Priory -- & that the town nearest is Exham -- gives you a sense of dark amusement, you’re probably going to appreciate that difference a whole lot more.
Discussing Priory’s devotional practices would be a major spoiler, but suffice it to say that it’s easer to join the congregation than to leave it – ever. No matter how safe, secure, and financially comfortable life is inside, every benefit is being paid for in ways none of Priory’s residents care to think about. There’s more than a little social commentary here, though it never gets in the way of the good creepy fun.
I wound up enjoying this book quite a bit more than I was expecting to early on. The stories do interlink and progress, rather than simply offering five views of a static situation. At least a few of the characters are sympathetic, there’s a little tasty science, and the plot pacing is relentless. I was up too late with this one more than once, though I don’t recommend it for bedtime relaxation. As a Lovecraftian beach read, however, it’s probably just the thing.
A gated community brought together by worship of a Lovecraftian monster.
Each of the stories is standalone but share characters and setting. Information about the priory is revealed incrementally from the first story; an introduction to the priory from an 'outsider', a newcomer to the community, through to the final story told from the perspective of an insider. I really enjoyed this book and could sense the fun the authors must have had in collaborating and exploring how to reveal the characters and aspects of the priory; its inhabitants, rituals, recruitment and the original inspiration for the priory's religion.
Interesting anthology about a cult of squid worshipers. Each story is written by a different author, giving different twists on the subject. All the stories fit nicely together.
The Outsiders is a shared-world anthology which takes place in a small gated community in the UK called Priory, home to a cult that worships a colossal squid. Five different authors each contribute stories which fit together nicely. Each of our viewpoint characters are outsiders in some way either for being largely friendless, being black in a largely white neighborhood, being an unbeliever, or being gay in a religious community that frowns upon that. I felt like each story in the collection was better than the one before.
Gary Fry's "The Subprime" is about a young man who wants to quit his job which takes advantage of people's circumstances. He get invited to a strange dinner party at his boss's house. This felt like a rather standard horror story, but it sets the scene for the stories that follow, and I also quite liked Lee's character.
"Impossible Colours" by James Everington is about a black officer in a largely white city investigating a death related to Priory. I liked the character of Michala, but Marty's journal entries didn't read like someone actually writing in a journal.
"Stolen from the Sea" by Stephen Bacon gives us another great character named Ryan who feels isolated when his wife and the members of his religious community don't mourn with him after the death of his son, which causes him to lose his faith and feel further isolated. A great character study and very tense as it makes you wonder if he'll manage to escape and start a new life.
V.H. Leslie's story "Precious Things" is my favorite except for the final story. I liked the description of Petra's husband Bernard changing so gradually it was hard for her to notice, like the steady erosion of a rock face. I liked the detail that her ring spells out "Dearest" using gems: Diamond emerald amethyst ruby emerald sapphire tourmaline. I liked that she feels like she's lost her luster like her ring did. You can tell the writer did her research concerning gems. I loved the character of Petra.
The final story, "Meat, Motion and Light" by Rosanne Rabinowitz brings it all together. I liked the description of the cephalopod and how it communicates with light. Claudia, the punk rocker, and her mom the scientist are both cool characters. A fantastic ending that answers questions posed by the previous stories. Highly recommended.
All separate--all interconnected--all born from Priory...
I'm not a huge fan of Lovecraftian-style fiction but I was curious about how a handful of different authors would handle writing a short story stemming from a single theme. Each story was unique and well written, and could be enjoyed as a single unit as well as a part of the whole. My two favorites were: "Precious Things" by V.H. Leslie, and "Stolen from the Sea" by Stephen Bacon--each one chilling enough to send shivers up my spine.
I would definitely consider re-reading this book in the future!