What do you think?
Rate this book
Blackout: Im Herzen der Finsternis
Inmitten eines wunderschönen Sommers, in einer ruhigen Wohngegend, lauert ein fernes Übel, das darauf wartet, auf die nichtsahnenden Bewohner herabzustoßen.
Zuerst kommen die pulsierenden Lichter, dann heftiger Regen, starker Wind und schlussendlich bringt ein kompletter Stromausfall absolute Dunkelheit. Aber das ist nur der Anfang …
Als die peitschenden, schwarzen Tentakel vom Himmel fallen und wahllos Menschen packen und nach oben in die Finsternis reißen, müssen die Bewohner vom Piccamore Way die entsetzliche Wahrheit entdecken, was diese Wesen mit der menschlichen Spezies vorhaben.
Zuerst kommen die pulsierenden Lichter, dann heftiger Regen, starker Wind und schlussendlich bringt ein kompletter Stromausfall absolute Dunkelheit. Aber das ist nur der Anfang …
Als die peitschenden, schwarzen Tentakel vom Himmel fallen und wahllos Menschen packen und nach oben in die Finsternis reißen, müssen die Bewohner vom Piccamore Way die entsetzliche Wahrheit entdecken, was diese Wesen mit der menschlichen Spezies vorhaben.
138 pages, Paperback
First published August 19, 2014
38 people are currently reading
1381 people want to read
About the author
Tim Curran
149 books599 followersTim Curran lives in Michigan and is the author of the novels Skin Medicine, Hive, Dead Sea, Resurrection, The Devil Next Door, and Biohazard, as well as the novella The Corpse King. His short stories have appeared in such magazines as City Slab, Flesh&Blood, Book of Dark Wisdom, and Inhuman, and anthologies such as Shivers IV, High Seas Cthulhu, and Vile Things.
For DarkFuse and its imprints, he has written the bestselling The Underdwelling, the Readers Choice-Nominated novella Fear Me, Puppet Graveyard as well as Long Black Coffin.
Find him on the web at: www.corpseking.com.
For DarkFuse and its imprints, he has written the bestselling The Underdwelling, the Readers Choice-Nominated novella Fear Me, Puppet Graveyard as well as Long Black Coffin.
Find him on the web at: www.corpseking.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews
October 16, 2019
so, this is the third book i have read by tim curran. who is not
tim curran seems to enjoy writing about horrible supernatural situations that affect small towns, whose inhabitants will then huddle and gather together in their helplessness, safety-in-numbers style, which thinking *of course* proves to be flawed, as these numbers are not at all safe and are in fact reduced drastically by the story's final scene. he also doesn't shy away from , which i appreciate strictly in terms of realism, and not because i am a monster.
like Worm, this one involved worm-like things, but this time it was TENTACLES!
GIANT TENTACLES FROM OUTER SPACE!!!
and this quiet neighborhood will never be the same!!
unlike many books i have read in which tentacles played a major part, and unlike Worm, there's not much in the way of sexxytimes, which surprised me, because i have been conditioned to think tentacles = sexxytimes. which is a horrifying realization, but in my defense, i did not expect quite so much vaginal-invasion from worms in that other book, and yet that's what i was given, so i'm just an innocent pavlovian puppy in all of this.
but - right - back to Blackout.
so - following a typical suburban block party, during which much alcohol and red meat was consumed, and there was puking in the bushes and the inevitable adulterous flirtations and boob-offerings, our hero jon awakens in the middle of the night to find his neighborhood experiencing a blackout, his wife katy nowhere to be found and then OH NO TENTACLES!!! TENTACLES EVERYWHERE!
the story takes off from there, as neighbors do that aforementioned huddle-and-gather thing in jon's house in all horrible shared nightmarish confusion: the breast implanted-and-tattooed town flirt, her drunken-alpha husband, an addled and muttering old woman, and the civic-minded governmentally-ambitious town crank. soon the tentacles are joined by a giant blue searchlight, and other unspeakable things, the town erupts in panic, and then people start to... vanish.
if you assume you would be safe as houses in your houses, you would be incorrect.
it's reminiscent of The Mist, but the ending is all its own, and it's a very solid novella. it's also kinda heartbreaking for something i really only expected to be a splatter-filled diversion. i didn't like it as much as i liked the raucous fun of Worm, but it's definitely a more thoughtful work, with less emphasis on the campy violence and a more lasting food-for-thought impression.
and tentacles.
okay, and reading this book made me remember when i was a little girl and my dad would sit me down with those giant seventies headphones and put on jeff wayne's musical version of war of the worlds and i just remember being CAPTIVATED (a great way to get me out of his hair for 6 hours), so i am listening to it RIGHT NOW all modern-style on spotify and holy shit, this is some cheesy-ass but SPECTACULAR laser beamy shit.
ulla!!
if anyone needs me, i will be in my childhood...
come to my blog!
tim curran seems to enjoy writing about horrible supernatural situations that affect small towns, whose inhabitants will then huddle and gather together in their helplessness, safety-in-numbers style, which thinking *of course* proves to be flawed, as these numbers are not at all safe and are in fact reduced drastically by the story's final scene. he also doesn't shy away from , which i appreciate strictly in terms of realism, and not because i am a monster.
like Worm, this one involved worm-like things, but this time it was TENTACLES!
GIANT TENTACLES FROM OUTER SPACE!!!
and this quiet neighborhood will never be the same!!
unlike many books i have read in which tentacles played a major part, and unlike Worm, there's not much in the way of sexxytimes, which surprised me, because i have been conditioned to think tentacles = sexxytimes. which is a horrifying realization, but in my defense, i did not expect quite so much vaginal-invasion from worms in that other book, and yet that's what i was given, so i'm just an innocent pavlovian puppy in all of this.
but - right - back to Blackout.
so - following a typical suburban block party, during which much alcohol and red meat was consumed, and there was puking in the bushes and the inevitable adulterous flirtations and boob-offerings, our hero jon awakens in the middle of the night to find his neighborhood experiencing a blackout, his wife katy nowhere to be found and then OH NO TENTACLES!!! TENTACLES EVERYWHERE!
the story takes off from there, as neighbors do that aforementioned huddle-and-gather thing in jon's house in all horrible shared nightmarish confusion: the breast implanted-and-tattooed town flirt, her drunken-alpha husband, an addled and muttering old woman, and the civic-minded governmentally-ambitious town crank. soon the tentacles are joined by a giant blue searchlight, and other unspeakable things, the town erupts in panic, and then people start to... vanish.
if you assume you would be safe as houses in your houses, you would be incorrect.
it's reminiscent of The Mist, but the ending is all its own, and it's a very solid novella. it's also kinda heartbreaking for something i really only expected to be a splatter-filled diversion. i didn't like it as much as i liked the raucous fun of Worm, but it's definitely a more thoughtful work, with less emphasis on the campy violence and a more lasting food-for-thought impression.
and tentacles.
okay, and reading this book made me remember when i was a little girl and my dad would sit me down with those giant seventies headphones and put on jeff wayne's musical version of war of the worlds and i just remember being CAPTIVATED (a great way to get me out of his hair for 6 hours), so i am listening to it RIGHT NOW all modern-style on spotify and holy shit, this is some cheesy-ass but SPECTACULAR laser beamy shit.
ulla!!
if anyone needs me, i will be in my childhood...
come to my blog!
June 22, 2025
3.5 stars.
June 14, 2014
Jon wakes up after having a few too many at a block party to find his wife gone and his neighborhood mostly deserted and in the grips of a blackout. Jon soon finds himself fighting for his life with a small group of survivors, trying to evade the sinister tentacles ensnaring people and snatching them away into the maw of some unseen predator in the sky...
I got this from DarkFuse via Netgalley. And it was really damn good.
Blackout's premise is simple enough. Something knocks out the power and starts knocking off the humans. As Jon and the other survivors fight for their lives, the details start trickling out and the depth of the shit Jon's town is in proves to be much deeper than originally anticipated.
Tim Curran does a fantastic job showing how quickly things go to hell in a hand basket during a crisis situation. Of course, most of us would behave the same way as Jon and the other survivors once an alien horror from beyond starts harvesting humanity like a bunch of blueberries.
I think the frantic pace coupled with the slow reveal of what was attacking the town is what made the book a home run for me. Since the story was told in the first person, I had an idea of what the ending would be but Curran surpassed my expectations.
The DarkFuse Novella series continues rolling on with the momentum of an asteroid strike. Five out of five squamous stars.
I got this from DarkFuse via Netgalley. And it was really damn good.
Blackout's premise is simple enough. Something knocks out the power and starts knocking off the humans. As Jon and the other survivors fight for their lives, the details start trickling out and the depth of the shit Jon's town is in proves to be much deeper than originally anticipated.
Tim Curran does a fantastic job showing how quickly things go to hell in a hand basket during a crisis situation. Of course, most of us would behave the same way as Jon and the other survivors once an alien horror from beyond starts harvesting humanity like a bunch of blueberries.
I think the frantic pace coupled with the slow reveal of what was attacking the town is what made the book a home run for me. Since the story was told in the first person, I had an idea of what the ending would be but Curran surpassed my expectations.
The DarkFuse Novella series continues rolling on with the momentum of an asteroid strike. Five out of five squamous stars.
May 11, 2016
This is my first Tim Curran book and I will without a doubt read more.
Blackout was a fantastic science fiction story about a neighborhood that discovers that people are disappearing. Something is grabbing them from the sky. First, it is just confusing for them, the stars are gone, the sky is black and then it hit them! And, I really mean hit them, long tentacles from the sky is snatching up people as soon as they touch them. And, our little group of people has to do anything to stay alive.
I got sucked into this story so much that last night that I had to put the book down for a moment because the story had gotten to me. I had read I think around 75% of the book and I had to calm myself down because I cared so much for Jon, Billy, Iris, and Bonnie that it was hard reading the book and knowing every time I turned the page that anyone of they could be sucked up into the sky. This is the first horror/science fiction book that has gotten to me in a long while.
The book reminded me a bit of The Mist by Stephen King, just this book was better, more terrifying and had better characters. The characters in this book, they are not perfect, they could act annoying, but considering the circumstances everything is forgiven in my opinion, it’s not every day you get to be witness to the end of the human race and I would probably freak out too. Blackout is a terrific book and I recommend it highly to anyone that likes science fiction, horror or the end of the day stories!
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!
Blackout was a fantastic science fiction story about a neighborhood that discovers that people are disappearing. Something is grabbing them from the sky. First, it is just confusing for them, the stars are gone, the sky is black and then it hit them! And, I really mean hit them, long tentacles from the sky is snatching up people as soon as they touch them. And, our little group of people has to do anything to stay alive.
I got sucked into this story so much that last night that I had to put the book down for a moment because the story had gotten to me. I had read I think around 75% of the book and I had to calm myself down because I cared so much for Jon, Billy, Iris, and Bonnie that it was hard reading the book and knowing every time I turned the page that anyone of they could be sucked up into the sky. This is the first horror/science fiction book that has gotten to me in a long while.
The book reminded me a bit of The Mist by Stephen King, just this book was better, more terrifying and had better characters. The characters in this book, they are not perfect, they could act annoying, but considering the circumstances everything is forgiven in my opinion, it’s not every day you get to be witness to the end of the human race and I would probably freak out too. Blackout is a terrific book and I recommend it highly to anyone that likes science fiction, horror or the end of the day stories!
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!
December 12, 2014
Mr. Curran asked if I would like to do a beta read of this book and I said HELL YEAH! This book is my favorite Curran story yet.
I don't want to say anything that could possibly ruin it for a potential reader but I can say this. A blackout is already a scary thing, right? Imagine a blackout where things start coming down from the sky. Have you read Curran's Dead Sea? I feel like this book is Dead Sea from the sky. Unsettling as all get out.
Wildly imaginative and creative, Blackout is an example of fine dark fiction. You should buy this book the day it comes out. Really, you should.
I don't want to say anything that could possibly ruin it for a potential reader but I can say this. A blackout is already a scary thing, right? Imagine a blackout where things start coming down from the sky. Have you read Curran's Dead Sea? I feel like this book is Dead Sea from the sky. Unsettling as all get out.
Wildly imaginative and creative, Blackout is an example of fine dark fiction. You should buy this book the day it comes out. Really, you should.
August 10, 2016
This narrative unreels in a rapid-fire series of events that goes from point A to point Z and beyond in quick succession. Reaction supersedes action as a small group of survivors face a destructive catastrophe. Driven by the primal instinct to survive, they confront a seemingly impossible and rapidly changing environment. Turbulent, brutal and chilling.
August 28, 2014
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
Hey, what’s that????
Horrifying tentacle monster? Yes, please.
I know there are a lot (and I mean A LOT ) of people reading some very different tentacle stories, but for now I’ll just stick with good old fashion horror. Of course, the tentacle monsters in this story did come from the sky, so there very well could have been some anal probing that Tim Curran just decided to leave on the editing room floor.
According to Goodreads, this little tale was 234 pages long, but I read it in like one hot minute. Either the page number stat is wrong, or Curran really knows how to pack a wallop that keeps the pages flying. This baby was seriously high octane . . . (wait, high voltage????? yeah, all the action sprouts from a simple little lightning storm, so definitely high voltage) thrill-ride.
I won’t give everything away here, but if your idea of some quality fun is mixing a 1950s “B Horror Movie”
with the a modern day alien classic
You might like this one more than a little bit.
And the monsters? They kick ass and take names . . .
serious ass . . .
(Technically I think this one is probably a squid, but tomato/tomahto – you try finding relevant octopus .gifs on 4 hours of sleep)
The only reason Blackout didn���t earn all 5 Stars from me is for the lackluster ending, but now you’ve been warned, so hopefully it will save you some disappointment and you’ll remember that the other 97% of the story was AWWWWWWESOME.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you, NetGalley!
Hey, what’s that????
Horrifying tentacle monster? Yes, please.
I know there are a lot (and I mean A LOT ) of people reading some very different tentacle stories, but for now I’ll just stick with good old fashion horror. Of course, the tentacle monsters in this story did come from the sky, so there very well could have been some anal probing that Tim Curran just decided to leave on the editing room floor.
According to Goodreads, this little tale was 234 pages long, but I read it in like one hot minute. Either the page number stat is wrong, or Curran really knows how to pack a wallop that keeps the pages flying. This baby was seriously high octane . . . (wait, high voltage????? yeah, all the action sprouts from a simple little lightning storm, so definitely high voltage) thrill-ride.
I won’t give everything away here, but if your idea of some quality fun is mixing a 1950s “B Horror Movie”
with the a modern day alien classic
You might like this one more than a little bit.
And the monsters? They kick ass and take names . . .
serious ass . . .
(Technically I think this one is probably a squid, but tomato/tomahto – you try finding relevant octopus .gifs on 4 hours of sleep)
The only reason Blackout didn���t earn all 5 Stars from me is for the lackluster ending, but now you’ve been warned, so hopefully it will save you some disappointment and you’ll remember that the other 97% of the story was AWWWWWWESOME.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you, NetGalley!
February 10, 2017
This had me hooked right from the beginning. A man wakes up in the middle of the night to find his wife isn't there. She could have gotten up to use the bathroom, or any number of things, but he knows something is wrong. He hears something slithering across the roof while he's looking around in the pitch-dark garage, and just manages to catch a glimpse of some sort of really long, snake-like "thing" moving lightning-quick through the grass when he checks outside.
Pretty freaky. Turns out he's not the only one in town with problems this night. The power's out everywhere, and something otherworldly, (mild spoiler) , is taking the townspeople one by one, and a handful of them must band together to try and save themselves. Now, this is totally my type of thing, and it had me in it's grip for most of the first half, but once it became apparent what was going on, much of the mystery and weirdness suddenly evaporated for me.
Still, anyone looking for a quick (less than 100 pages--that "234 pages" listing up top is wrong), intense read filled with non-stop action and terror could certainly do worse than Blackout. The first-person, no-frills writing style here from Curran really works for this type of action-horror tale, and I'm definitely down for checking out more of his work.
3.5 Stars.
(P.S.: I went into this knowing next to nothing of the story, and only skimmed reviews to see if this would be up my alley. I'm glad, as a big part of the intrigue for me was not knowing just what in the hell was happening, or why, and I feel the plot synopsis gives a bit too much away.)
Pretty freaky. Turns out he's not the only one in town with problems this night. The power's out everywhere, and something otherworldly, (mild spoiler) , is taking the townspeople one by one, and a handful of them must band together to try and save themselves. Now, this is totally my type of thing, and it had me in it's grip for most of the first half, but once it became apparent what was going on, much of the mystery and weirdness suddenly evaporated for me.
Still, anyone looking for a quick (less than 100 pages--that "234 pages" listing up top is wrong), intense read filled with non-stop action and terror could certainly do worse than Blackout. The first-person, no-frills writing style here from Curran really works for this type of action-horror tale, and I'm definitely down for checking out more of his work.
3.5 Stars.
(P.S.: I went into this knowing next to nothing of the story, and only skimmed reviews to see if this would be up my alley. I'm glad, as a big part of the intrigue for me was not knowing just what in the hell was happening, or why, and I feel the plot synopsis gives a bit too much away.)
July 19, 2014
Wait? This isn't tentacle porn?
This story starts off in a suburb. Normal afternoon of grilling with the neighbors, drinking a few beers and inter-marital groping.
Then it starts lightning and all the lights go off. No cell service. It begins. Of course I read the book when it's storming outside and my power is flickering.
This book reads like a Twilight Zone episode or a whacked out X-Files. Heck yes!
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This story starts off in a suburb. Normal afternoon of grilling with the neighbors, drinking a few beers and inter-marital groping.
Then it starts lightning and all the lights go off. No cell service. It begins. Of course I read the book when it's storming outside and my power is flickering.
This book reads like a Twilight Zone episode or a whacked out X-Files. Heck yes!
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 19, 2017
“The story I am about to tell you is about what happened after the lights went out. I’m going to tell you what happened to your beautiful green world and the people that called it home. Understand, it’s not a happy story and there is no moral. It’s not that kind of story.”
True that.
Blackout starts out so normal. So very mundane, even. A bunch of middle class folks, in a middle class neighborhood have just finished up with a little get-together where one neighbor grabbed another wife’s butt and one wife got a bit too drunk for her own good. They could be anyone’s neighbors.And that’s what makes the book so damned frightening. This setup lulls you into thinking this could happen to you and this is why, when it all went to hell, I enjoyed it so much.
As night sets in a storm starts, the lights go out and sticky tentacles drop from the sky. Those who first peek outside to investigate don’t return. A small band of survivors are witness to atrocities beyond belief and to say much more would spoil the whole thing for you.
I’ll just say it’s fascinating and gruesome and so realistic it’ll probably make your skin crawl.
If you’re looking for an imaginative horror story with an ending that makes so much sense it will probably haunt you, you’ll be wanting to pick give this a read. I don’t think you’ll regret it.
True that.
Blackout starts out so normal. So very mundane, even. A bunch of middle class folks, in a middle class neighborhood have just finished up with a little get-together where one neighbor grabbed another wife’s butt and one wife got a bit too drunk for her own good. They could be anyone’s neighbors.And that’s what makes the book so damned frightening. This setup lulls you into thinking this could happen to you and this is why, when it all went to hell, I enjoyed it so much.
As night sets in a storm starts, the lights go out and sticky tentacles drop from the sky. Those who first peek outside to investigate don’t return. A small band of survivors are witness to atrocities beyond belief and to say much more would spoil the whole thing for you.
I’ll just say it’s fascinating and gruesome and so realistic it’ll probably make your skin crawl.
If you’re looking for an imaginative horror story with an ending that makes so much sense it will probably haunt you, you’ll be wanting to pick give this a read. I don’t think you’ll regret it.
June 28, 2016
Want to know how to do sci-fi/horror right? Something that takes you back to great cinematic offerings from the hey day of 1980s? Look no further than Tim Curran's Blackout. Claustrophobic, eerie, familiar surroundings and people, and like a master magician, Curran only shows you what he wants you to see when he wants you to see it.
Blackout is told from the point of view of Jon. Jon lives in your average middle-American neighborhood in your average middle-American town with his average middle-American neighbors. They all feel like people you know in a place you're familair with. After a neighborhood barbecue with a few too many beers, Jon crawls in bed with his wife Kathy only to be woke up later by weird strobe lights. He's fighting off a hangover and his wife is missing with the front door wide open. And here we discover that all is not right in ordinary, average middle-America. The power goes out all over and it is pitch black as far as the eye can see, which is only a few feet in front of your face. Strange black hose-looking cables descend and hang from the sky with no explanation. With all of the neighbors trying to figure out what is going on, Jon and their world is turned upside down.
Such a great, great story. Curran's tale evokes memories of Twilight Zone with Invasion of the Body Snatchers in a delicously retro story that is, at the same time, all original and unique. How he isn't more of a mainstream name commanding his place on the NY Times Best Seller list, while dreck like Nicholas Sparks and Sandra Brown are, is beyond me. Almost a third of the way into 2015 and Blackout is now my current favorite read of this year.
5 out of 5 stars
You can also follow my reviews at the following links:
https://kenmckinley.wordpress.com
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A2J1...
TWITTER - @KenMcKinley5
Blackout is told from the point of view of Jon. Jon lives in your average middle-American neighborhood in your average middle-American town with his average middle-American neighbors. They all feel like people you know in a place you're familair with. After a neighborhood barbecue with a few too many beers, Jon crawls in bed with his wife Kathy only to be woke up later by weird strobe lights. He's fighting off a hangover and his wife is missing with the front door wide open. And here we discover that all is not right in ordinary, average middle-America. The power goes out all over and it is pitch black as far as the eye can see, which is only a few feet in front of your face. Strange black hose-looking cables descend and hang from the sky with no explanation. With all of the neighbors trying to figure out what is going on, Jon and their world is turned upside down.
Such a great, great story. Curran's tale evokes memories of Twilight Zone with Invasion of the Body Snatchers in a delicously retro story that is, at the same time, all original and unique. How he isn't more of a mainstream name commanding his place on the NY Times Best Seller list, while dreck like Nicholas Sparks and Sandra Brown are, is beyond me. Almost a third of the way into 2015 and Blackout is now my current favorite read of this year.
5 out of 5 stars
You can also follow my reviews at the following links:
https://kenmckinley.wordpress.com
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A2J1...
TWITTER - @KenMcKinley5
July 21, 2014
Tim Curran is really at the top of his game with this intense novella! (It didn't help that I read most of it during a severe thunder/lightning storm). BLACKOUT has everything you could possibly want in a great horror story: intense atmosphere, incredibly real characters with believable motivations/actions, and an ever-thickening plot that draws you into the horror relentlessly. If you start to read this and think "I've read this type of story before"--think again. Curran adds "things" and twists that will have you reading with your mouth agape!
I can say that this is easily one of the top 5 novellas I've read so far this year! A HUGE hit for the DarkFuse novella line.
Highly recommended!
I can say that this is easily one of the top 5 novellas I've read so far this year! A HUGE hit for the DarkFuse novella line.
Highly recommended!
October 29, 2025
What Has Appeared from Outer Space?
Small backstory:
Jon and Kathy head to bed after being at a neighborhood party most of the day, but then sometime during the night Jon wakes up to weird lightning that is going on outside. Jon is wondering why Kathy is able to sleep through it and he soon finds out that Kathy is no longer in bed.
While Jon goes on the hunt to find out what happened to his wife he realizes that a lot of his neighbors are out and about but what is worse is when black tentacles drop from the sky and then the neighbors start hearing the screams!
That is about all I can hand out with a small backstory so if you are intrigued then go read this book!
Thoughts:
This book is told in first person of the character Jon as he weaves a story of what happened in their neighborhood. The author, Tim Curran delves deep into the characters in this story as you come to learn their fears of what is actually out there.
The book is fast paced and I had a hard time putting it down as so much happens in this story from the beginning when the character Kathy disappears all the way to the end of the book when everything is revealed of what is laying in wait in the skies above.
This book reminded me of "B" movie horror flicks mixed with science fiction which kind of puts the book between the Twilight Zone and the X-Files. This is my second book by Tim Curran and look forward to reading more of his work in the future. Giving this book five "Horror from the Skies" stars!
Small backstory:
Jon and Kathy head to bed after being at a neighborhood party most of the day, but then sometime during the night Jon wakes up to weird lightning that is going on outside. Jon is wondering why Kathy is able to sleep through it and he soon finds out that Kathy is no longer in bed.
While Jon goes on the hunt to find out what happened to his wife he realizes that a lot of his neighbors are out and about but what is worse is when black tentacles drop from the sky and then the neighbors start hearing the screams!
That is about all I can hand out with a small backstory so if you are intrigued then go read this book!
Thoughts:
This book is told in first person of the character Jon as he weaves a story of what happened in their neighborhood. The author, Tim Curran delves deep into the characters in this story as you come to learn their fears of what is actually out there.
The book is fast paced and I had a hard time putting it down as so much happens in this story from the beginning when the character Kathy disappears all the way to the end of the book when everything is revealed of what is laying in wait in the skies above.
This book reminded me of "B" movie horror flicks mixed with science fiction which kind of puts the book between the Twilight Zone and the X-Files. This is my second book by Tim Curran and look forward to reading more of his work in the future. Giving this book five "Horror from the Skies" stars!
May 10, 2015
You had me at tentacles from the sky....
November 1, 2014
Let's get the 'didn't like' stuff out of the way first.
Not my favourite Tim Curran's book. The editor should have done a better job. From unnecessary explanations ('You could almost hear the blood draining from our faces. That's an exaggeration, of course') to mixed up names to - and this one is completely personal and not the editor's fault - annoying characters, it doesn't come close to other Curran's stories I loved.
That being said, I still liked it though. I liked the original The War of the Worlds too. This take on the story is really good.
The protagonist, Jon, wakes up in the middle of the night to find his wife missing and his whole world changed. He and a small group of people try their best to survive, but they are not equipped for it. I never got around to care for these characters, especially Bonnie. God, I wish she died the moment she was introduced into the story.
I liked the atmosphere. They are stuck, they don't know what is going on, the darkness is getting thicker and the tentacles are dropping from the sky. The aliens are not what you'd expect. You never get any explanation for the attacks.
Not my favourite Tim Curran's book. The editor should have done a better job. From unnecessary explanations ('You could almost hear the blood draining from our faces. That's an exaggeration, of course') to mixed up names to - and this one is completely personal and not the editor's fault - annoying characters, it doesn't come close to other Curran's stories I loved.
That being said, I still liked it though. I liked the original The War of the Worlds too. This take on the story is really good.
The protagonist, Jon, wakes up in the middle of the night to find his wife missing and his whole world changed. He and a small group of people try their best to survive, but they are not equipped for it. I never got around to care for these characters, especially Bonnie. God, I wish she died the moment she was introduced into the story.
I liked the atmosphere. They are stuck, they don't know what is going on, the darkness is getting thicker and the tentacles are dropping from the sky. The aliens are not what you'd expect. You never get any explanation for the attacks.
February 6, 2021
একদিন রাতে ঝড়ের পর সবকিছু লন্ডভন্ড হয়ে নেমে এলো নিকষ কালো আঁধার। একের পর এক উধাও হয়ে যেতে থাকল মানুষ। নেমে এলো অদ্ভুত ধরনের সব অস্তিত্ব। দেখা দিল বিশেষ ধরনের এক তার। কী কারণে পিকামোরের মত শান্তিপূর্ণ শহরে ঘটছে এসব? এসব তান্ডবলীলা কী প্রাকৃতিক নাকি প্রযুক্তিগত?
টিম কারেনের লাভক্রাফটিয়ান ধাঁচের সাইফাই ব্ল্যাকআউট। সাইফাই হলেও উপন্যাসিকাটার মূল চালিকাশক্তি লাভক্রাফটিয়ান। লাভক্রাফটিয়ান আবহ বেশ ভালোরকমের-ই অস্বস্তি সৃষ্টি করেছে পুরো বইটা জুড়েই। পিকামোর শহরের শ্বাসরুদ্ধকর পরিস্থিতি অনুভব করতে পারবেন পাঠকও। সাসপেন্স ছিল পুরো কাহিনীতেই। শেষে রহস্য খোলাসা করা হয়েছে।
অনুবাদক লুৎফুল কায়সারের অনুবাদ নিয়ে কিছু বলার নেই। মনে হবে মৌলিক পড়ছেন। মূল বইয়ের সাসপেন্স ভালোভাবে তুলে ধরেছেন অনুবাদেও।
আফসার ব্রাদার্সের বইটার প্রচ্ছদ ও প্রডাকশনও আকর্ষণীয়।
সাসপেন্স হরর ও সাইফাই পাঠকদের ভালো লাগবে বইটা।
টিম কারেনের লাভক্রাফটিয়ান ধাঁচের সাইফাই ব্ল্যাকআউট। সাইফাই হলেও উপন্যাসিকাটার মূল চালিকাশক্তি লাভক্রাফটিয়ান। লাভক্রাফটিয়ান আবহ বেশ ভালোরকমের-ই অস্বস্তি সৃষ্টি করেছে পুরো বইটা জুড়েই। পিকামোর শহরের শ্বাসরুদ্ধকর পরিস্থিতি অনুভব করতে পারবেন পাঠকও। সাসপেন্স ছিল পুরো কাহিনীতেই। শেষে রহস্য খোলাসা করা হয়েছে।
অনুবাদক লুৎফুল কায়সারের অনুবাদ নিয়ে কিছু বলার নেই। মনে হবে মৌলিক পড়ছেন। মূল বইয়ের সাসপেন্স ভালোভাবে তুলে ধরেছেন অনুবাদেও।
আফসার ব্রাদার্সের বইটার প্রচ্ছদ ও প্রডাকশনও আকর্ষণীয়।
সাসপেন্স হরর ও সাইফাই পাঠকদের ভালো লাগবে বইটা।
January 27, 2015
Tim Curran does it again!
This novella is almost perfect. I am even more impressed with the author than I was before. Intense, scary, and absolutely bleak, Blackout is a quick read with no filler. Never let's up, and left me completely satisfied .
This novella is almost perfect. I am even more impressed with the author than I was before. Intense, scary, and absolutely bleak, Blackout is a quick read with no filler. Never let's up, and left me completely satisfied .
February 28, 2015
This delivered in every way one would hope for in this kind of horror book. When I look for a horror read, I'm hoping for fresh description, sharp tension, and characters I react to when they bleed or die. Blackout has all of that in a quick and increasingly engaging read. This story is comparable to a Fringe episode in how it bends your perception of reality while introducing a new kind of monster. It may be a one off story, but with these kind of skills on display, I'm confident any other Tim Curran book I pick up will entertain me with similar strength in storytelling. It may not be in my top books ever, but it gets a strong recommendation to anyone in the mood for a quick, scary read about monsters cloaking a town in darkness and plucking people one by one.
*A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
*A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
August 20, 2014
While I would love to write my own short description of the plot, I won't in this case since it might prepare you mentally for what you're about to read. I do promise that the summary that you can see on the book will not prepare you enough.
This novella freaked me out. While the plot of many horror novels can be discounted with rational thinking, the plot of this one hits on one of my largest fears (probably the same for most people) and cannot be brushed aside or called unlikely because we don't know for certain. Curran barely lets the book get started before grabbing you by the throat and refusing to let go until the breathtaking conclusion. I can't recommend this one highly enough as it's a novella of the year candidate for me. Read it! You won't be disappointed.
This novella freaked me out. While the plot of many horror novels can be discounted with rational thinking, the plot of this one hits on one of my largest fears (probably the same for most people) and cannot be brushed aside or called unlikely because we don't know for certain. Curran barely lets the book get started before grabbing you by the throat and refusing to let go until the breathtaking conclusion. I can't recommend this one highly enough as it's a novella of the year candidate for me. Read it! You won't be disappointed.
Want to read
January 18, 2017This mini-hardcover is copy 41 of 100 copies signed by Tim Curran.
February 20, 2017
Tim Curran and I may have been separated at birth given the similarities between us.
For one, we were both horror comic junkies when we were kids.
Check out his bio. The comic books here could easily have been found on my closet floor when I was 12:
Tim Curran
For another, in this novel, he describes a warm, dry gust of heat to what he experienced during a KISS concert when he was 13. KISS was my first concert, back in 1977 when I was 15, and I've told countless people about that show and how you could feel the heat coming off the fireballs that bloomed up from the corners of the stage.
Yeah, there's a kinship here. So Tim has become one of my can't miss guys when it comes to the type of crazy horror that makes you feel like a kid under the bed covers digging those scary comic books.
Blackout was an impulse add to my to-read list when I realized he wasn't there and I was really in the mood for some good terror this long weekend. And once again, Curran delivers.
The story is akin to King's The Mist, a bit, in that something out there is grabbing people out of the darkness. Curran has a gift of pulling you through a story very fast, and yet with efficient descriptive prose, gives you the exact feeling and visual of setting.
This is an unnerving read, and he pulls out all the horror stops. I loved it.
This isn't high brow literature or something so special that would warrant 5 stars from most reviewers, but listen: I've read a lot of horror. It takes a lot to unnerve me, but Curran seems to do it time and again. For anyone to do that to a former horror comic junkie like me, that's saying something. I guess he just hits the right buttons for me.
This is exactly what I needed this weekend and it only took me about a day to read. Tim, you made me feel like the kid I miss being. Thank you sir, and here are five stars again for you!
For one, we were both horror comic junkies when we were kids.
Check out his bio. The comic books here could easily have been found on my closet floor when I was 12:
Tim Curran
For another, in this novel, he describes a warm, dry gust of heat to what he experienced during a KISS concert when he was 13. KISS was my first concert, back in 1977 when I was 15, and I've told countless people about that show and how you could feel the heat coming off the fireballs that bloomed up from the corners of the stage.
Yeah, there's a kinship here. So Tim has become one of my can't miss guys when it comes to the type of crazy horror that makes you feel like a kid under the bed covers digging those scary comic books.
Blackout was an impulse add to my to-read list when I realized he wasn't there and I was really in the mood for some good terror this long weekend. And once again, Curran delivers.
The story is akin to King's The Mist, a bit, in that something out there is grabbing people out of the darkness. Curran has a gift of pulling you through a story very fast, and yet with efficient descriptive prose, gives you the exact feeling and visual of setting.
This is an unnerving read, and he pulls out all the horror stops. I loved it.
This isn't high brow literature or something so special that would warrant 5 stars from most reviewers, but listen: I've read a lot of horror. It takes a lot to unnerve me, but Curran seems to do it time and again. For anyone to do that to a former horror comic junkie like me, that's saying something. I guess he just hits the right buttons for me.
This is exactly what I needed this weekend and it only took me about a day to read. Tim, you made me feel like the kid I miss being. Thank you sir, and here are five stars again for you!
January 12, 2016
These DarkFuse novellas are like tasty little gummi bears that I munch on in between the bigger meals. So far, they've all been fun, quick and easy reads that I can get through in a day or two. This latest one is by horror writer Tim Curran and in it, a science teacher wakes up to an immense blackout and his wife missing. He groups up with his fellow neighbors on what is usually a quiet neighborhood street and try to figure out what's happening. Then the shiny, black tentacles start dropping from the sky...
The story is fast-paced and told from the point of view of an everyday guy that could be any one of us, trying to make sense of the chaos. Even though I got the sense that the author was making up the story as he went along (with a bungled third act and the rules of the creatures not being entirely consistent), it's still an enjoyable book and reads like an homage to H.G. Wells's War of the Worlds laced with Stephen King's incredible The Mist.
The story is fast-paced and told from the point of view of an everyday guy that could be any one of us, trying to make sense of the chaos. Even though I got the sense that the author was making up the story as he went along (with a bungled third act and the rules of the creatures not being entirely consistent), it's still an enjoyable book and reads like an homage to H.G. Wells's War of the Worlds laced with Stephen King's incredible The Mist.
October 12, 2014
If there is one thing that Tim Curran does well, it's creating atmosphere. In Blackout his descriptions of the blackness are claustrophobic, he continues to build on this throughout the first part of the novella, ratcheting up the tension whenever someone has to venture out into the night.
The story sees suburbanite, Jon, awakened by a storm to find his wife is missing. On searching part of the neighbourhood he notices black cables coming down from the sky. Whilst unsettling it isn't until a little later that the residents of Piccamore Way find out how deadly these cables are.
There is a lot to enjoy with this novella, the invaders are not the usual run of the mill aliens and nothing is really explained as to why the attacks are happening, if it's localised or pandemic which is unsettling.
I did find the characters weren't as engaging, this may have been due to there being too many and therefore none being really memorable. Even Jon, the main character, wasn't as fleshed out as I would have expected.
Still, a great read and one that I would readily recommend.
June 18, 2014
This was an eARC from Netgalley.
When the lights go out....the hunt begins as Tim Curran spins "The War of the Worlds" into a nightmarish battle for survival when the human race discovers it's not alone in the dark. From the first flash of lightning to the final gutwrenching revelation, this is a white knuckle thrill ride that proves the author is one of the most original voices in the genre.
Highest possible recommendation.
When the lights go out....the hunt begins as Tim Curran spins "The War of the Worlds" into a nightmarish battle for survival when the human race discovers it's not alone in the dark. From the first flash of lightning to the final gutwrenching revelation, this is a white knuckle thrill ride that proves the author is one of the most original voices in the genre.
Highest possible recommendation.
March 31, 2017
Alien invasion? Sign me up! This book was an incredibly fun, entertaining read that combined humour with horror in a fantastic way. The aliens worked for me, they weren't always completely visible but their presence was felt and that helped to build up the atmosphere. The book had excellent tense moments and parts of the book genuinely scared me! and even more so, .
There were only a few small gripes I had but that's to do with personal taste and is not a criticism of the author. I would've liked slightly more character development, so that I could feel slightly more attached to the characters. I also would've preferred a slightly longer ending, just so that a couple of things could be explored or maybe explained a bit more. Again, these are just to do with my personal tastes and I still really enjoyed the book.
This was my first Tim Curran book and it definitely won't be my last, I look forward to reading more of his works.
There were only a few small gripes I had but that's to do with personal taste and is not a criticism of the author. I would've liked slightly more character development, so that I could feel slightly more attached to the characters. I also would've preferred a slightly longer ending, just so that a couple of things could be explored or maybe explained a bit more. Again, these are just to do with my personal tastes and I still really enjoyed the book.
This was my first Tim Curran book and it definitely won't be my last, I look forward to reading more of his works.
August 7, 2016
A quaint little street in middle class suburbia USA. Everybody knows everybody and life is simple…maybe even boring. Not this night, however. Jon’s wife goes missing and he is growing more and more frantic to find out how why she has disappeared. The neighborhood search is on…then the lights go out. And I mean out – No power, internet, phones, nothing. Even the stars have gone black. A storm is brewing. Now, it’s up to Jon and his neighbors to find out what is going on before the whole block goes to hell in a hand basket.
Tim Curran is easily in my top 10 favorite authors, probably top 5. The dude has serious skills that imbibe intense feelings of growing dread. You can be assured, if it’s putrid, his words have the power to make you smell the decay. Tim also has the uncanny ability to build solid and deep characterization quickly and effectively even within the confines of a novella length tale. Fast, dark, tense and completely Curran. 5 Stars! Highest Recommendation!
Tim Curran is easily in my top 10 favorite authors, probably top 5. The dude has serious skills that imbibe intense feelings of growing dread. You can be assured, if it’s putrid, his words have the power to make you smell the decay. Tim also has the uncanny ability to build solid and deep characterization quickly and effectively even within the confines of a novella length tale. Fast, dark, tense and completely Curran. 5 Stars! Highest Recommendation!
February 3, 2022
ওয়েল, নিঃসন্দেহে বইটা পড়ার এক্সপেরিয়েন্স অন্যরকম ছিলো। ভয়ের ব্যাপারটা স্বাভাবিক ভাবে পড়লে হয়তো খুব বেশি অনুভূত হবে না, কিন্তু বইয়ে লেখা সিচ্যুয়েশন খানিকটা চোখ বন্ধ করে চিন্তা করলে, নিজেকে ঐ জায়গায় দাঁড় করালে বেশ ভালো ভয় পাবার কথা। ওদিকে লুৎফুল কায়সার ভাই দারুণ অনুবাদ করেছেন। পড়তে গিয়ে কোথাও আটকাইনি, তবে 'বোকাচো*' শব্দটার ব্যবহার একটু বেশি চোখে পড়েছে। মনে হয় এইটা ভাইয়ের ফেভারিট গালি।
সব মিলিয়ে, লাভক্রাফটিয়ান হরর বুঝতে চাইলে এইটা পড়তে পারেন।
সব মিলিয়ে, লাভক্রাফটিয়ান হরর বুঝতে চাইলে এইটা পড়তে পারেন।
September 29, 2014
The following is based on an eARC made available by DarkFuse Publishing through NetGalley, and can be found - along with other reviews like it - at Horror After Dark.
At about the halfway point of Tim Curran's soon to be released novella, I found myself wondering what goes on in this author's head. Specifically: What makes him tick? How does he come by his ideas? And whether he keeps himself awake at night thinking up the horrors that he inflicts upon his readers? But by the end of the read, I'd decided I really didn't want to know.
Such is the scope and impact of the visceral horror Curran presents in Blackout.
Clocking in at a short 95 pages, Blackout is just about the perfect horror novella. It opens quickly, builds a sense of the world in which it is set, and then proceeds to take savage joy in utterly destroying that world in truly incredible and imaginative ways. In essence, Blackout tells the story of middle-aged Jon and his neighbours as they attempt to survive a sudden attack by things that initially remain hidden following a blackout at night. Curran spends a little time building a creeping sense of dread, before he sets an array of horrors onto his cast of just developed-enough characters in increasingly grotesque and gore-soaked fashion. Believe me when I say tentacles falling from the sky - as described in the blurb - barely scratches the surface of what Curran has in store for his readers here.
In this instance, Curran's writing is razor sharp. Those who have complained that he is too literary and over-descriptive in his longer works have nothing to fear here, as virtually every word powerfully conveys what protagonist Jon and his allies are going through.
Reminiscent of Stephen King's The Mist, perfectly paced, and incredibly imaginative, Blackout is apocalyptic horror at its very finest, with an ending that also manages to be cleverly thought-provoking.
Highest possible recommendation.
5 Constricting Tentacles for Blackout.
At about the halfway point of Tim Curran's soon to be released novella, I found myself wondering what goes on in this author's head. Specifically: What makes him tick? How does he come by his ideas? And whether he keeps himself awake at night thinking up the horrors that he inflicts upon his readers? But by the end of the read, I'd decided I really didn't want to know.
Such is the scope and impact of the visceral horror Curran presents in Blackout.
Clocking in at a short 95 pages, Blackout is just about the perfect horror novella. It opens quickly, builds a sense of the world in which it is set, and then proceeds to take savage joy in utterly destroying that world in truly incredible and imaginative ways. In essence, Blackout tells the story of middle-aged Jon and his neighbours as they attempt to survive a sudden attack by things that initially remain hidden following a blackout at night. Curran spends a little time building a creeping sense of dread, before he sets an array of horrors onto his cast of just developed-enough characters in increasingly grotesque and gore-soaked fashion. Believe me when I say tentacles falling from the sky - as described in the blurb - barely scratches the surface of what Curran has in store for his readers here.
In this instance, Curran's writing is razor sharp. Those who have complained that he is too literary and over-descriptive in his longer works have nothing to fear here, as virtually every word powerfully conveys what protagonist Jon and his allies are going through.
Reminiscent of Stephen King's The Mist, perfectly paced, and incredibly imaginative, Blackout is apocalyptic horror at its very finest, with an ending that also manages to be cleverly thought-provoking.
Highest possible recommendation.
5 Constricting Tentacles for Blackout.
July 16, 2014
Really well done homage to the classic War of the Worlds. Modernized with an interesting twist and Curran's singular gory erudite style. He sent me to google again---this time looking up extinction events.
I have read several of Curran's works and he certainly knows his classics and never fails to put in material that makes me want to research the stories behind his stories. This isn't just a retelling, although reflections abound for those familiar with War of The Worlds. I found his biological machines even scarier than the robot walkers of Wells---those tentacles were beyond nasty---how does he think of this stuff?
If you are reading horror and you aren't reading Curran, you are definitely missing out. He is, in my opinion, a master of the horror novella, and I am so grateful to Darkfuse for providing me a steady diet of his short dark and disturbing fiction. It is the perfect length for his tales of nastiness and this one is no exception.
I have read several of Curran's works and he certainly knows his classics and never fails to put in material that makes me want to research the stories behind his stories. This isn't just a retelling, although reflections abound for those familiar with War of The Worlds. I found his biological machines even scarier than the robot walkers of Wells---those tentacles were beyond nasty---how does he think of this stuff?
If you are reading horror and you aren't reading Curran, you are definitely missing out. He is, in my opinion, a master of the horror novella, and I am so grateful to Darkfuse for providing me a steady diet of his short dark and disturbing fiction. It is the perfect length for his tales of nastiness and this one is no exception.
December 6, 2014
When the citizens of Piccamore Way have a neighborhood cookout to celebrate the summer, they have no idea it will be their last. Then science teacher, Jon, awakes in the middle of the night, to find his wife inexplicably missing, nowhere to be found. Then the power goes out, strange black tentaclelike cables descend from the night, and those who touch them get yanked up into the sky. And that is only the beginning of the unimaginable horror.
Tim Curran's latest Darkfuse novella is tinged with Lovecraftian cosmic horror, but the reality behind the deadly black cables, glowing huge orbs, and unfathomable massive dark shape floating high above Piccamore Way is wholly his own. Highly recommended.
Tim Curran's latest Darkfuse novella is tinged with Lovecraftian cosmic horror, but the reality behind the deadly black cables, glowing huge orbs, and unfathomable massive dark shape floating high above Piccamore Way is wholly his own. Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews