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Strange Weather
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A collection of four chilling novels, ingeniously wrought gems of terror from the brilliantly imaginative, Joe Hill
Snapshot is the disturbing story of a Silicon Valley adolescent who finds himself threatened by “The Phoenician,” a tattooed thug who possesses a Polaroid Instant Camera that erases memories, snap by snap.
A young man takes to the skies to experience his first ...more
Snapshot is the disturbing story of a Silicon Valley adolescent who finds himself threatened by “The Phoenician,” a tattooed thug who possesses a Polaroid Instant Camera that erases memories, snap by snap.
A young man takes to the skies to experience his first ...more
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Ashley Granger
Oh no! I haven't read Sleeping Beauties yet and I hate animal cruelty! I swear, Stephen King feels the need to put that in every damn book.
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Community Reviews
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Simple explanations have the disappointing tendency to be the best explanations. Only the rational counterargument was a pile of shit, and I knew it. I just didn’t want to know it.Joe Hill has taken a break between epic horror novels to put together a collection of four novellas under the title Strange Weather. The title seems an afterthought, frankly. Only one of the stories actually incorporates weather that is certifiably strange. But, no matter. Don’t go looking for story one to relate to ...more
I feel terrible that I didn't post any updates while I was reading this one, but I was so sucked in that I kept forgetting to share my thoughts here as I went!
The only reason this wasn't a 5 star read for me was due to the fact that the first story (SNAPSHOT) underwhelmed me quite a bit. It didn't seem to fit with the other three, but that could just be a case of personal taste and opinion. Other than that, these stories contained a slow building sense of dread and disturbance that felt gritty ...more
The only reason this wasn't a 5 star read for me was due to the fact that the first story (SNAPSHOT) underwhelmed me quite a bit. It didn't seem to fit with the other three, but that could just be a case of personal taste and opinion. Other than that, these stories contained a slow building sense of dread and disturbance that felt gritty ...more
Sometimes it is considered unfair, cliche, or overdone to compare the offspring to the parental unit, but this is my review, and I feel like it, so that's what I'm gonna do!
Four Novellas - all of them pretty decent. I enjoyed the way they played out but I think there is one thing that could either be a very positive aspect or a very negative aspect, depending on your preference. (view spoiler) ...more
Four Novellas - all of them pretty decent. I enjoyed the way they played out but I think there is one thing that could either be a very positive aspect or a very negative aspect, depending on your preference. (view spoiler) ...more
Joe Hill gives us four intelligent short stories of varied length that unsettle, disturb, and horrify. However, none is less than riveting reading, provoke thought and entertain. In Snapshot, a young boy faces his nightmares, the menace of dementia, and the challenge that is the tattooed Phoenician, a thug with a polaroid camera, a camera which snaps and erases memories. Loaded is a story with the capacity to emotionally tear you apart. Its focus is guns and gun violence as it explores the scena
...more
Strange Weather is the novel I most anticipated this year and I'm happy to report that it lived up to my high expectations. It consists of four short novels, (Joe Hill dislikes the term novella), and I enjoyed them all!
Snapshot is a story about memory and a camera that steals them. Set in the 80's with a teenage boy as the protagonist, this story packed some powerful imagery along with a bit of nostalgia for good measure.
Loaded is a tale about guns. Joe Hill says it's not political, but I ...more
Snapshot is a story about memory and a camera that steals them. Set in the 80's with a teenage boy as the protagonist, this story packed some powerful imagery along with a bit of nostalgia for good measure.
Loaded is a tale about guns. Joe Hill says it's not political, but I ...more
2.5 rounded up to 3
Strange Weather, by Joe Hill, isn’t quite the disappointment that The Fireman was, but it’s still nowhere near as good as I’d hoped it would be. I find it difficult to understand how a man who tried so hard to hide the fact that he was Stephen King’s son so that he could earn his own success would then turn around and try so hard to emulate his father’s career after the cat was out of the bag. Because, like THE FIREMAN before it, this collection of novellas has Stephen King wr ...more
Strange Weather, by Joe Hill, isn’t quite the disappointment that The Fireman was, but it’s still nowhere near as good as I’d hoped it would be. I find it difficult to understand how a man who tried so hard to hide the fact that he was Stephen King’s son so that he could earn his own success would then turn around and try so hard to emulate his father’s career after the cat was out of the bag. Because, like THE FIREMAN before it, this collection of novellas has Stephen King wr ...more
Four short novels with an interesting afterward, all are good, and none are especially like any of the others.
Snapshot reminds me a lot of his dad's stories, but different enough. I thought it could have ended without the Evil Corp. attachment.
Loaded is only horror because His Internal Excellency the ambassador of Hell from Perdido Street Station is in the wings. I kept picking up his faint, but an audible echo of a soul being tortured. The JPFO should like the ending.
“Aloft” is the most tight ...more
Snapshot reminds me a lot of his dad's stories, but different enough. I thought it could have ended without the Evil Corp. attachment.
Loaded is only horror because His Internal Excellency the ambassador of Hell from Perdido Street Station is in the wings. I kept picking up his faint, but an audible echo of a soul being tortured. The JPFO should like the ending.
“Aloft” is the most tight ...more
![destiny ♡⚔♡ [howling libraries]](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1557144778p2/15335689.jpg)
I've read almost every piece of work that Joe Hill has graced the world of literature with, and I've loved all of them, but this was exceptionally brilliant. Rather than dwell on monsters and ghosts, the most terrifying aspect of Strange Weather was simply the horror of the human psyche, and how far people will go to inflict pain upon others.
I'll be breaking this up by story, as I typically do with novella reviews. I've combined the content warnings and will add them all at the end of the revie ...more
I'll be breaking this up by story, as I typically do with novella reviews. I've combined the content warnings and will add them all at the end of the revie ...more
Y'all had better get ready because this was amazing and I'm about to word vomit my thoughts all over the place. Joe Hill seriously has a deal with the devil, because he can do no wrong.
Four beautiful and haunting novellas, each dealing in their own way with "strange weather": a rain of crystal needles, flashes of 'lightning' that are missing their thunder, suspiciously shaped clouds, and raging fire tornadoes. Each story stands alone beautifully, but together they make a great collection.
Let's ...more
Four beautiful and haunting novellas, each dealing in their own way with "strange weather": a rain of crystal needles, flashes of 'lightning' that are missing their thunder, suspiciously shaped clouds, and raging fire tornadoes. Each story stands alone beautifully, but together they make a great collection.
Let's ...more
Thank you so much to my local bookstore for giving me an Advanced Reading Copy of this book for an honest review!
***
NO SPOILER REVIEW
This book is comprised of 4 shorts/novellas (whatever)
Snapshot-5 Stars
Loaded- 4 Stars
Aloft- 5 Stars
Rain- 5 Stars
***
I think Joe Hill can write his ass off. These short stories were brilliant. Not a lot of people give credit where credit is due concerning shorts/novellas. They're freakin HARD! Everything the author wants to do with the story, the setting, the charact ...more
***
NO SPOILER REVIEW
This book is comprised of 4 shorts/novellas (whatever)
Snapshot-5 Stars
Loaded- 4 Stars
Aloft- 5 Stars
Rain- 5 Stars
***
I think Joe Hill can write his ass off. These short stories were brilliant. Not a lot of people give credit where credit is due concerning shorts/novellas. They're freakin HARD! Everything the author wants to do with the story, the setting, the charact ...more
"When movie stars grieve in the tragic third act of a love story, they always make mourning look a lot more beautiful than it really is."
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC copy of this collection of short novels by Joe Hill (release date is later in the year). For those interested in a brief synopsis of each story... keep reading. If not, skip ahead! The first story, Snapshot, is about a young boy's encounter with a villain who robs his victim's memories by taking Polaroids of them. The second ...more
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC copy of this collection of short novels by Joe Hill (release date is later in the year). For those interested in a brief synopsis of each story... keep reading. If not, skip ahead! The first story, Snapshot, is about a young boy's encounter with a villain who robs his victim's memories by taking Polaroids of them. The second ...more
Snapshot
The all-seeing eye of a camera, Instamatic-style. Way back when, Polaroid cameras laid the groundwork for today's instant gratification. This one works a little differently.
Loaded
By far the most powerful story of the four, in my opinion. Timely, but preachy as hell. Mass shooting in a shopping mall, and it was terrifying. The ending was to die for. Wow!
Aloft
A reluctant skydiver makes a most unsettling landing. Love the originality of the idea, but the ending sputtered.
Rain
Don't ...more
The all-seeing eye of a camera, Instamatic-style. Way back when, Polaroid cameras laid the groundwork for today's instant gratification. This one works a little differently.
Loaded
By far the most powerful story of the four, in my opinion. Timely, but preachy as hell. Mass shooting in a shopping mall, and it was terrifying. The ending was to die for. Wow!
Aloft
A reluctant skydiver makes a most unsettling landing. Love the originality of the idea, but the ending sputtered.
Rain
Don't ...more
Strange Weather is a collection of four short Novels in one book. None of the stories are similar and range from horror to science fiction. He showcases his creative mind and also his political thoughts/viewpoints.
The book begins with Snapshot. This is set in the 80's and has a teenage boy as the protagonist. The "Phoenician" takes Polaroid pictures and in doing so his camera erases memories. I actually thought I would like this one the best as it felt more like a horror book/novel/story. It was ...more
The book begins with Snapshot. This is set in the 80's and has a teenage boy as the protagonist. The "Phoenician" takes Polaroid pictures and in doing so his camera erases memories. I actually thought I would like this one the best as it felt more like a horror book/novel/story. It was ...more
$3.99 on kindle US. Today only. 2-4-18
EDIT - 5-Aug-2018 - Changed to five stars as all of these stories are still with me.
A fantastic collection of novellas from Joe Hill, all with their own unique feel and a loose link to weather of some sort.
This collection shows off Hill’s ability to write such believable characters (for the most part) and intriguing / non-typical plots
Here is my ranking of each story:
1. Loaded - Hill’s story about the ‘hard on’ america has with guns is the best thing I’ve read all year. Such an amazing story, ...more
A fantastic collection of novellas from Joe Hill, all with their own unique feel and a loose link to weather of some sort.
This collection shows off Hill’s ability to write such believable characters (for the most part) and intriguing / non-typical plots
Here is my ranking of each story:
1. Loaded - Hill’s story about the ‘hard on’ america has with guns is the best thing I’ve read all year. Such an amazing story, ...more
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
Well, it took me nearly the entire 21 day checkout period to finish this audio collection, but I did it and I think listening was the right way for me to go. That’s not a comment I make lightly either since my drive time is so short and my attention span much like someone most are familiar with . . . .
I’ve repeated ad nauseum that short stories aren’t my bag, but the novella on the other hand??? Those could be my bread and butter. Jo ...more
Well, it took me nearly the entire 21 day checkout period to finish this audio collection, but I did it and I think listening was the right way for me to go. That’s not a comment I make lightly either since my drive time is so short and my attention span much like someone most are familiar with . . . .
I’ve repeated ad nauseum that short stories aren’t my bag, but the novella on the other hand??? Those could be my bread and butter. Jo ...more
I might go closer to 3.5 but I'm gonna round up to four. My favorite story was the first one by a long shot. The Polaroid man was such a cool concept for a villain. I wish I could've learned more about his history and about the metal that made his camera, especially at the end when the melted metal spoke. It almost sounded like the voice of Sauron in my head. Like the one ring was melted down and turned into a camera.
The second story was disturbing but was also incredibly well written and polit ...more
The second story was disturbing but was also incredibly well written and polit ...more
By far the best set of short stories I've read in a long time. I didn't want them to end!
Actually, these are more novellas than shorties, which makes a big difference when it comes to allowing for more character development and plot depth. Not that Hill needs any help in this department, as he is the king of creating memorable characters that will stick with you IMO. (The Fireman comes to mind)
Once again Hill creates visual worlds where anything can happen: from a camera that steals your memori ...more
Actually, these are more novellas than shorties, which makes a big difference when it comes to allowing for more character development and plot depth. Not that Hill needs any help in this department, as he is the king of creating memorable characters that will stick with you IMO. (The Fireman comes to mind)
Once again Hill creates visual worlds where anything can happen: from a camera that steals your memori ...more
Snapshot - I've said something like this before. No doubt I'll say it again in the future. I care about the adolescent preteens in a horror novel, in this case a novella. It's just something that works for me, and I really don't believe I'm alone in this. Granted, the characters have to be written well (check mark for this story and Joe Hill), and it always helps if the character is on the nerdy side. A troubled situation doesn't hurts either, like having a single parent. That's not quite the
...more
Strange Weather by Joe Hill is a book I got from the library. I really didn't care for two of the four stories. I enjoyed the creepy and strange story called "Snapshot". A man with a odd camera that steals memories from those that he takes pictures of. The middle two stories I didn't care for. The last story called "Rain" was fairly good. It had rain with nails made of crystals coming down and killing and destroying portions of Colorado. Life gets real strange after that.
These four novellas were very solid. Even the one about Rain. Or maybe I should say, the Rain novella was more than solid: it was hard as diamond. :)
In all cases, the characters shine. There are tons of fat comments, 80's memorabilia, and POLAROIDS in "Snapshot". The concept behind it was pure horror and quite interesting, but I was on the fence about the wrap-up. I appreciate the whole thing, the human element, and the character growth, but the oomph was kinda drowned out by it.
"Loaded" was pro ...more
In all cases, the characters shine. There are tons of fat comments, 80's memorabilia, and POLAROIDS in "Snapshot". The concept behind it was pure horror and quite interesting, but I was on the fence about the wrap-up. I appreciate the whole thing, the human element, and the character growth, but the oomph was kinda drowned out by it.
"Loaded" was pro ...more
Sep 14, 2017
Michael Hicks
rated it
liked it
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review of another edition
Shelves:
advanced-review-copy,
horror
Strange Weather, the latest offering from Joe Hill, is four books in one! Collected here are four novellas, united by the theme of weather (sometimes strongly, other times more subtly), with the stories running the gamut of apocalyptic rain to raging wildfires.
Hill hits the ground running with Snapshot, an eerie little coming-of-age tale revolving around a supernatural Polaroid camera. I was worried at first that this would be Hill riffing again on his father, Stephen King, who wrote his own sup ...more
Hill hits the ground running with Snapshot, an eerie little coming-of-age tale revolving around a supernatural Polaroid camera. I was worried at first that this would be Hill riffing again on his father, Stephen King, who wrote his own sup ...more
For someone that really enjoys horror, it’s quite surprising the only Joe Hill that I’d previously read was Horns.
This collection of short novellas seemed like a perfect way to experience the author more...
In a way this is a weird one to rate as the stories themselves didn’t really connect with me, though I really liked Hill’s descriptive style of writing.
The pick of the four stories was the first in the collection ‘Snapshot’, a nostalgic 80’s set tale with a Polaroid Camera.
Each story was aroun ...more
This collection of short novellas seemed like a perfect way to experience the author more...
In a way this is a weird one to rate as the stories themselves didn’t really connect with me, though I really liked Hill’s descriptive style of writing.
The pick of the four stories was the first in the collection ‘Snapshot’, a nostalgic 80’s set tale with a Polaroid Camera.
Each story was aroun ...more
I had no idea what to expect when I begun this series of novellas from renowned writer, Joe Hill. I was pleasantly surprised with the variety, in this anthology, as each of the four stories contained inside had an entirely different genre, focus and style, which spoke volumes of the prowess of this author.
'Snapshot, 1988' had a pure 80's horror vibe, which made this a mildly disturbing yet entirely fun story of a young boy stumbling across a camera that takes far more from this in frame than jus ...more
'Snapshot, 1988' had a pure 80's horror vibe, which made this a mildly disturbing yet entirely fun story of a young boy stumbling across a camera that takes far more from this in frame than jus ...more
Typically, I wouldn’t star individual stories and just rate the overall body of work, but decided since these were kind of all over the place I would do some math to arrive at my final star rating. Math! This could get ugly…
Snapshot – Nothing spectacularly original and fairly predictable, but an entertaining story nonetheless. 3.5 Stars
Loaded - Despite its politically charged agenda, this was my favorite in the collection. Very well done with a perfectly brutal ending. 4.5 Stars
Aloft – A lot of ...more
Snapshot – Nothing spectacularly original and fairly predictable, but an entertaining story nonetheless. 3.5 Stars
Loaded - Despite its politically charged agenda, this was my favorite in the collection. Very well done with a perfectly brutal ending. 4.5 Stars
Aloft – A lot of ...more
Snapshot is the first story and it’s narrated by Will Wheaton who does a most excellent job.
Set in the 80’s, Strange Weather is the story of a 13 year old boy and his run in with a man he calls “The Phoenician”. The Phoenician is the villain of the tale. He’s ugly, vaguely imposing and possesses a camera that steals memories.
It’s also a story about aging, and about caring for those who once cared for you. It has some misty eyed moments and just a wee bit of eeriness. It lags pretty badly toward ...more
Set in the 80’s, Strange Weather is the story of a 13 year old boy and his run in with a man he calls “The Phoenician”. The Phoenician is the villain of the tale. He’s ugly, vaguely imposing and possesses a camera that steals memories.
It’s also a story about aging, and about caring for those who once cared for you. It has some misty eyed moments and just a wee bit of eeriness. It lags pretty badly toward ...more
I was two people when reading this collection of short novels. I read the first two stories ('Snapshot' and 'Loaded') mere days before my best friend took her own life. I read the latter two entries ('Aloft' and 'Rain') after. Naturally, my mind was elsewhere when reading the final two stories — but they were good. Very good. Especially 'Aloft'. I'm terrified of heights, so that one got to me.
After The Fireman, my faith in Joe Hill had been shaken a bit . . . But my faith is reaffirmed! These a ...more
After The Fireman, my faith in Joe Hill had been shaken a bit . . . But my faith is reaffirmed! These a ...more
I was provided a copy of Strange Weather from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This is a fantastic collection of 4 novellas from an author that is quickly becoming one of my favorites. Hill's writing is quirky, unflinching, and always surprising. I've found that especially with his shorter pieces, there is a fantastical element of whimsical strangeness that sometimes ends on a happy note, and other times leaves you reeling. And that's one of the things I love so much about Hill. E ...more
This is a fantastic collection of 4 novellas from an author that is quickly becoming one of my favorites. Hill's writing is quirky, unflinching, and always surprising. I've found that especially with his shorter pieces, there is a fantastical element of whimsical strangeness that sometimes ends on a happy note, and other times leaves you reeling. And that's one of the things I love so much about Hill. E ...more
and the last story
Rain: A warped look at human nature under extraordinary circumstances
story 1, 5 stars
story 2, 4 stars
story 3, 2 stars
story 4, 5 stars
I guess you could say all the stories were really human nature related, and nature-nature related
What will a person do when their entire world and all they believe, even the weather, is shook?
Many different perspectives from various scenarios.
Rain: A warped look at human nature under extraordinary circumstances
story 1, 5 stars
story 2, 4 stars
story 3, 2 stars
story 4, 5 stars
I guess you could say all the stories were really human nature related, and nature-nature related
What will a person do when their entire world and all they believe, even the weather, is shook?
Many different perspectives from various scenarios.
Liked "Snapshot", loathed the main character in "Loaded", irritated by main character in "Afloat", was okay with "Rain" (view spoiler).
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| We Read Stuff: Strange Weather - Horror | 11 | 12 | Apr 29, 2019 07:33AM | |
| Play Book Tag: Strange Weather/Joe Hill/3.5 Stars | 1 | 9 | Apr 29, 2019 07:32AM | |
Madison Mega-Mara...:
#92 Strange Weather by Joe Hill
|
1 | 5 | Oct 05, 2018 06:46PM | |
| Stephen King Fans: Strange Weather by Joe Hill | 57 | 194 | Jul 18, 2018 09:39PM |
Readers also enjoyed
Joe Hill's debut, Heart-Shaped Box, won the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel. His second, Horns, was made into a film freakfest starring Daniel Radcliffe. His other novels include NOS4A2, and his #1 New York Times Best-Seller, The Fireman... which was also the winner of a 2016 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Horror Novel.
He writes short stories too. Some of them were gathered together in ...more
He writes short stories too. Some of them were gathered together in ...more
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“Maturity is not something that happens all at once. It is not a border between two countries where once you cross the invisible line, you are on the new soil of adulthood, speaking the foreign tongue of grown-ups. It is more like a distant broadcast, and you are driving toward it, and sometimes you can barely make it out through the hiss of static while other times the reception momentarily clears and you can pick up the signal with perfect clarity.”
—
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“The president had disappeared to a secure location but had responded with the full force of his Twitter account. He posted: “OUR ENEMIES DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY STARTED! PAYBACK IS A BITCH!!! #Denver #Colorado #America!!” The vice president had promised to pray as hard as he could for the survivors and the dead; he pledged to stay on his knees all day and all night long. It was reassuring to know our national leaders were using all the resources at their disposal to help the desperate: social media and Jesus.”
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