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The Darkling Halls of Ivy
In recent years, colleges and universities have become known for their “trigger warnings” and “safe spaces”—but as the 18 authors who penned stories for this powerful new anthology can tell you, there’s plenty of danger still lurking behind the stolid stonework, leather-bound volumes, and thickets of ivy.
Award-winning editor Lawrence Block has assembled a Who’s Who of literary luminaries and turned them loose on the world of academia, where petty rivalries and grand betrayals inflame relations between professors and students, deans and donors. From Ian Rankin to Joe Lansdale, Seanan McGuire to David Morrell, each author reveals the dark truths and buried secrets that make institutions of higher learning such a hotbed of controversy.
You’ll encounter plagiarism, sexual misconduct, and brutal competition—not to mention secret societies, cover-ups of murder, and one near-future course of study that makes The Handmaid’s Tale look like Mother Goose. So: collect your supplies, plan your schedule, and prepare to pull an all-nighter, because The Darkling Halls of Ivy is required reading.
Award-winning editor Lawrence Block has assembled a Who’s Who of literary luminaries and turned them loose on the world of academia, where petty rivalries and grand betrayals inflame relations between professors and students, deans and donors. From Ian Rankin to Joe Lansdale, Seanan McGuire to David Morrell, each author reveals the dark truths and buried secrets that make institutions of higher learning such a hotbed of controversy.
You’ll encounter plagiarism, sexual misconduct, and brutal competition—not to mention secret societies, cover-ups of murder, and one near-future course of study that makes The Handmaid’s Tale look like Mother Goose. So: collect your supplies, plan your schedule, and prepare to pull an all-nighter, because The Darkling Halls of Ivy is required reading.
328 pages, Hardcover
First published May 31, 2020
49 people are currently reading
156 people want to read
About the author
Lawrence Block
758 books3,011 followersLawrence Block has been writing crime, mystery, and suspense fiction for more than half a century. He has published in excess (oh, wretched excess!) of 100 books, and no end of short stories.
Born in Buffalo, N.Y., LB attended Antioch College, but left before completing his studies; school authorities advised him that they felt he’d be happier elsewhere, and he thought this was remarkably perceptive of them.
His earliest work, published pseudonymously in the late 1950s, was mostly in the field of midcentury erotica, an apprenticeship he shared with Donald E. Westlake and Robert Silverberg. The first time Lawrence Block’s name appeared in print was when his short story “You Can’t Lose” was published in the February 1958 issue of Manhunt. The first book published under his own name was Mona (1961); it was reissued several times over the years, once as Sweet Slow Death. In 2005 it became the first offering from Hard Case Crime, and bore for the first time LB’s original title, Grifter’s Game.
LB is best known for his series characters, including cop-turned-private investigator Matthew Scudder, gentleman burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, globe-trotting insomniac Evan Tanner, and introspective assassin Keller.
Because one name is never enough, LB has also published under pseudonyms including Jill Emerson, John Warren Wells, Lesley Evans, and Anne Campbell Clarke.
LB’s magazine appearances include American Heritage, Redbook, Playboy, Linn’s Stamp News, Cosmopolitan, GQ, and The New York Times. His monthly instructional column ran in Writer’s Digest for 14 years, and led to a string of books for writers, including the classics Telling Lies for Fun & Profit and The Liar’s Bible. He has also written episodic television (Tilt!) and the Wong Kar-wai film, My Blueberry Nights.
Several of LB’s books have been filmed. The latest, A Walk Among the Tombstones, stars Liam Neeson as Matthew Scudder and is scheduled for release in September, 2014.
LB is a Grand Master of Mystery Writers of America, and a past president of MWA and the Private Eye Writers of America. He has won the Edgar and Shamus awards four times each, and the Japanese Maltese Falcon award twice, as well as the Nero Wolfe and Philip Marlowe awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, and the Diamond Dagger for Life Achievement from the Crime Writers Association (UK). He’s also been honored with the Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award from Mystery Ink magazine and the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement in the short story. In France, he has been proclaimed a Grand Maitre du Roman Noir and has twice been awarded the Societe 813 trophy. He has been a guest of honor at Bouchercon and at book fairs and mystery festivals in France, Germany, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Spain and Taiwan. As if that were not enough, he was also presented with the key to the city of Muncie, Indiana. (But as soon as he left, they changed the locks.)
LB and his wife Lynne are enthusiastic New Yorkers and relentless world travelers; the two are members of the Travelers Century Club, and have visited around 160 countries.
He is a modest and humble fellow, although you would never guess as much from this biographical note.
Born in Buffalo, N.Y., LB attended Antioch College, but left before completing his studies; school authorities advised him that they felt he’d be happier elsewhere, and he thought this was remarkably perceptive of them.
His earliest work, published pseudonymously in the late 1950s, was mostly in the field of midcentury erotica, an apprenticeship he shared with Donald E. Westlake and Robert Silverberg. The first time Lawrence Block’s name appeared in print was when his short story “You Can’t Lose” was published in the February 1958 issue of Manhunt. The first book published under his own name was Mona (1961); it was reissued several times over the years, once as Sweet Slow Death. In 2005 it became the first offering from Hard Case Crime, and bore for the first time LB’s original title, Grifter’s Game.
LB is best known for his series characters, including cop-turned-private investigator Matthew Scudder, gentleman burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, globe-trotting insomniac Evan Tanner, and introspective assassin Keller.
Because one name is never enough, LB has also published under pseudonyms including Jill Emerson, John Warren Wells, Lesley Evans, and Anne Campbell Clarke.
LB’s magazine appearances include American Heritage, Redbook, Playboy, Linn’s Stamp News, Cosmopolitan, GQ, and The New York Times. His monthly instructional column ran in Writer’s Digest for 14 years, and led to a string of books for writers, including the classics Telling Lies for Fun & Profit and The Liar’s Bible. He has also written episodic television (Tilt!) and the Wong Kar-wai film, My Blueberry Nights.
Several of LB’s books have been filmed. The latest, A Walk Among the Tombstones, stars Liam Neeson as Matthew Scudder and is scheduled for release in September, 2014.
LB is a Grand Master of Mystery Writers of America, and a past president of MWA and the Private Eye Writers of America. He has won the Edgar and Shamus awards four times each, and the Japanese Maltese Falcon award twice, as well as the Nero Wolfe and Philip Marlowe awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, and the Diamond Dagger for Life Achievement from the Crime Writers Association (UK). He’s also been honored with the Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award from Mystery Ink magazine and the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement in the short story. In France, he has been proclaimed a Grand Maitre du Roman Noir and has twice been awarded the Societe 813 trophy. He has been a guest of honor at Bouchercon and at book fairs and mystery festivals in France, Germany, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Spain and Taiwan. As if that were not enough, he was also presented with the key to the city of Muncie, Indiana. (But as soon as he left, they changed the locks.)
LB and his wife Lynne are enthusiastic New Yorkers and relentless world travelers; the two are members of the Travelers Century Club, and have visited around 160 countries.
He is a modest and humble fellow, although you would never guess as much from this biographical note.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
May 20, 2020
I received a free advance copy from NetGalley for review.
Lawrence Block has gone back to school. Just like Rodney Dangerfield only there is no Triple-Lindy.
Block’s introduction explains how despite him being a college dropout he somehow ended up as writer-in-residence teaching at a college which then led to him compiling this anthology of stories with an academic theme. Unfortunately, that’s the only LB writing we get in this collection, and while there are some good stories in it there aren’t really any great ones, and there a few I found to be outright duds.
Sticking with the positive side of things – The first story Requiem for a Homecoming by David Morrell has an interesting structure in which a screenwriter is a guest of honor at his old college, and he has an interest in an old murder that occurred when he was a student. Joe R. Lansdale provides a futuristic sci-fi tale that takes a horrifically funny look at what the college experience could be in the future. Goon #4 by Tod Goldberg was my favorite story about a guy who retire from international security/thug work to go back to school and finds himself applying some of his skills and philosophy to college life. It’s got a great sense of deadpan black humor that takes a nice twist in the end.
There’s some skippable stories, but enough quality to make it worth a look.
Lawrence Block has gone back to school. Just like Rodney Dangerfield only there is no Triple-Lindy.
Block’s introduction explains how despite him being a college dropout he somehow ended up as writer-in-residence teaching at a college which then led to him compiling this anthology of stories with an academic theme. Unfortunately, that’s the only LB writing we get in this collection, and while there are some good stories in it there aren’t really any great ones, and there a few I found to be outright duds.
Sticking with the positive side of things – The first story Requiem for a Homecoming by David Morrell has an interesting structure in which a screenwriter is a guest of honor at his old college, and he has an interest in an old murder that occurred when he was a student. Joe R. Lansdale provides a futuristic sci-fi tale that takes a horrifically funny look at what the college experience could be in the future. Goon #4 by Tod Goldberg was my favorite story about a guy who retire from international security/thug work to go back to school and finds himself applying some of his skills and philosophy to college life. It’s got a great sense of deadpan black humor that takes a nice twist in the end.
There’s some skippable stories, but enough quality to make it worth a look.
October 24, 2020
The Darkling Halls of Ivy:
This was a thoughtful gift from the fiancé. Seems extra fitting as I only left uni in 2019 and find myself missing it now that I am officially adulting... I’ve marked the stories I enjoyed the most with a *
-The overarching theme is academia and it’s darker side. Unsurprisingly this broad topic led to 18 very different stories and means that you’re likely to find at least a few that agree with you (and some, on the other hand, that will be forgettable). I found a few gems that I’m happy I came across.
Requiem for a Homecoming (David Morrell):
In this story reminiscent of the true crime case/murder of Betsy Aardsma, friends & former students Ben & Howard are catching up and discuss the unsolved murder of a coed in the library. It might just be that they both knew more than they let on.
An Even Three (Reed Farrel Coleman):
Susan Kiner has struggled in her career and had issues getting tenure despite her best efforts. -Although playing nice also seems to be difficult for her; amongst other things she gave an “award” to the student with the dumbest test answer of the term at her former job. She’s on her last shot and manages to get hired at Halleyton College thanks to knowing (and having had an affair) with the Dean but the agreement is that she will be respectful towards the students, respect safe spaces and avoid micro aggressions, -none of which is easy for her. She tries, but is soon called in as a student complained about the “violence” of the Trolley Dilemma. She thinks she knows which student complained and sets out to get revenge on him. Things don’t entirely go to plan though.
Writing Maeve Dubinsky (Jane Hamilton):
A student has her notebook (in which she wrote intimately about her relationship with her bf) appropriated by another student when she forgets it in the cantina. She only realizes when she hears the story In the writing class.
*Alt-ac (Warren Moore):
A story about the lack of jobs in academia- even for the ones with degrees, like Roger Patterson (recently Doctor Patterson). Roger offers to drive prof. Wayne Beggs to the airport after a conference they both partook in. What follows is 10 pages about the hardships of finding a work in academia and a dramatic end highlighting entrepreneurial skills in securing a job in a dark comedic way.
*Einstein’s Sabbath (David Levien):
Loew has reenrolled and is struggling at his university after the war. Chapel attendance is mandatory, also for those of the Jewish faith (like Loew) until Einstein volunteers to host the Jewish students on Sabbath in lieu of chapel. This sabbath proves to be a life a much needed on for Loew who has witnessed the true horrors of the war and been unable to let go of them.
*The degree (Joe R. Lansdale):
Charles is advising his cousin about the environmental studies he’s in since the cousin wants to follow in his foot steps. It starts innocently enough but then We start getting hints about what this environmental corps is about and things get progressively darker: lab class where you get your hands dirty and learn how to lower the population? Charles then comes across as Immigrant hostile and complains about the number of kids they have. Yeah..Things are getting grim here. The lab class includes specimens and experiments unlike any I had when I was still a student. The story is only 8 pages long but paints a very disturbing picture of the society Charles and his cousin find themselves in.
Rounded with a sleep (A.J. Hartley):
Sr faculty member & Shakespeare expert finds himself at odds with the more modern system around him and refuses to change his teaching style just to cater to them or the students in spite of a lot of pressure. He’s suddenly confronted by a man who insists on partaking in the class dealing with The Tempest, -with dire consequences. This supernatural tale gives us an odd spin on the Shakespeare classic.
*The Reasonsers (Ian Rankin):
Chris Digance is hoping to write about secret societies in Britain’s universities and finds himself investigating the mysterious 1960s disappearance John Chambers, a member of the The Reasoner’s Club in Edinburgh.
*Noise Cancellation (Tom Straw):
A professor who plagiarized his gifted (and deceased) student’s work feels severely judged by Mr.Rogers. The paranoia is strong and the story delivers a fitting twist.
Monkey in Residence (Xu Xi):
A strange fable/anthropomorphic story about the monkey king academic competitiveness. This was just too strange for me.
Bertie and the Boat Race (Peter Lovesey):
Bertie, Prince of Wales & amateur sleuth recalls his younger days and the first time he solved a case which involved a death, a love interest and a regatta.
*That Golden Way (Owen King):
Peter’s dorm mate has a mental breakdown (possibly because he saw too much) and this event marks the beginning of a strange freshman year that ends with an act of bravery. The story gave me slightly Lovecraftian vibes and plays nicely on the insecurities of being young, away from home/alone and new on campus.
*With Footnotes and References (Gar Anthony Haywood):
Parnell is a rich kid paying Megan, a less privileged but talented student, to write papers for him. Fast forward to Megan trying to up the price only to be outsmarted and paid less by Parnell. Her bitterness grows and we head towards another confrontation and surprising ending.
Penelope McCoy (Nicholas Christopher):
Professor Varick is approached by a (former) master’s candidate Penelope McCoy. He recently lost his wife and daughter in a fire. Then McCoy keeps showing up places he finds himself and every encounter becomes more sinister and might be linked to his bereavement.
Tess and Julie, Julie and Tess (Jill D. Block):
New at college, Julie’s dorm mate is the successful Tess. Told from Julie’s perspective, she’s happy to be Tess’ friend. It gradually becomes clear that this is not so much a friendship as a straight up obsession.
Why She Didn’t Tell (John Lescroart):
Marian is raped by her partner’s doctoral advisor and the story is about why she doesn’t tell anyone. Unlike some of the other reviewers, I don’t have an issue with it having been written by a male author. It’s not the strongest story in this anthology, but it wasn’t written in a disrespectful way and I honestly believe it’s good for men to mentally try to put themselves in a rape survivors place.
Foundational Education (Seanan McGuire):
Eloise is a scholarship student who’s recently started college only to find that the class differences and snide comments from the privileged are just as bad as they were in high school. She manages to befriend Charles who’s in a similar situation as her. Things aren’t looking too bad for her, but this story comes with a sinister ending. Not a bad story.
*Goon (Tod Goldberg):
Professional thug/killer has had it with his work and goes back to school but still finds himself having to use some of his skills to help out a teacher. I quite enjoyed this and in a way it reminded me of a fav movie of mine, Grosse Pointe Blank). My mom also borrowed this anthology from me and this ended up being her favourite story of the lot.
This was a thoughtful gift from the fiancé. Seems extra fitting as I only left uni in 2019 and find myself missing it now that I am officially adulting... I’ve marked the stories I enjoyed the most with a *
-The overarching theme is academia and it’s darker side. Unsurprisingly this broad topic led to 18 very different stories and means that you’re likely to find at least a few that agree with you (and some, on the other hand, that will be forgettable). I found a few gems that I’m happy I came across.
Requiem for a Homecoming (David Morrell):
In this story reminiscent of the true crime case/murder of Betsy Aardsma, friends & former students Ben & Howard are catching up and discuss the unsolved murder of a coed in the library. It might just be that they both knew more than they let on.
An Even Three (Reed Farrel Coleman):
Susan Kiner has struggled in her career and had issues getting tenure despite her best efforts. -Although playing nice also seems to be difficult for her; amongst other things she gave an “award” to the student with the dumbest test answer of the term at her former job. She’s on her last shot and manages to get hired at Halleyton College thanks to knowing (and having had an affair) with the Dean but the agreement is that she will be respectful towards the students, respect safe spaces and avoid micro aggressions, -none of which is easy for her. She tries, but is soon called in as a student complained about the “violence” of the Trolley Dilemma. She thinks she knows which student complained and sets out to get revenge on him. Things don’t entirely go to plan though.
Writing Maeve Dubinsky (Jane Hamilton):
A student has her notebook (in which she wrote intimately about her relationship with her bf) appropriated by another student when she forgets it in the cantina. She only realizes when she hears the story In the writing class.
*Alt-ac (Warren Moore):
A story about the lack of jobs in academia- even for the ones with degrees, like Roger Patterson (recently Doctor Patterson). Roger offers to drive prof. Wayne Beggs to the airport after a conference they both partook in. What follows is 10 pages about the hardships of finding a work in academia and a dramatic end highlighting entrepreneurial skills in securing a job in a dark comedic way.
*Einstein’s Sabbath (David Levien):
Loew has reenrolled and is struggling at his university after the war. Chapel attendance is mandatory, also for those of the Jewish faith (like Loew) until Einstein volunteers to host the Jewish students on Sabbath in lieu of chapel. This sabbath proves to be a life a much needed on for Loew who has witnessed the true horrors of the war and been unable to let go of them.
*The degree (Joe R. Lansdale):
Charles is advising his cousin about the environmental studies he’s in since the cousin wants to follow in his foot steps. It starts innocently enough but then We start getting hints about what this environmental corps is about and things get progressively darker: lab class where you get your hands dirty and learn how to lower the population? Charles then comes across as Immigrant hostile and complains about the number of kids they have. Yeah..Things are getting grim here. The lab class includes specimens and experiments unlike any I had when I was still a student. The story is only 8 pages long but paints a very disturbing picture of the society Charles and his cousin find themselves in.
Rounded with a sleep (A.J. Hartley):
Sr faculty member & Shakespeare expert finds himself at odds with the more modern system around him and refuses to change his teaching style just to cater to them or the students in spite of a lot of pressure. He’s suddenly confronted by a man who insists on partaking in the class dealing with The Tempest, -with dire consequences. This supernatural tale gives us an odd spin on the Shakespeare classic.
*The Reasonsers (Ian Rankin):
Chris Digance is hoping to write about secret societies in Britain’s universities and finds himself investigating the mysterious 1960s disappearance John Chambers, a member of the The Reasoner’s Club in Edinburgh.
*Noise Cancellation (Tom Straw):
A professor who plagiarized his gifted (and deceased) student’s work feels severely judged by Mr.Rogers. The paranoia is strong and the story delivers a fitting twist.
Monkey in Residence (Xu Xi):
A strange fable/anthropomorphic story about the monkey king academic competitiveness. This was just too strange for me.
Bertie and the Boat Race (Peter Lovesey):
Bertie, Prince of Wales & amateur sleuth recalls his younger days and the first time he solved a case which involved a death, a love interest and a regatta.
*That Golden Way (Owen King):
Peter’s dorm mate has a mental breakdown (possibly because he saw too much) and this event marks the beginning of a strange freshman year that ends with an act of bravery. The story gave me slightly Lovecraftian vibes and plays nicely on the insecurities of being young, away from home/alone and new on campus.
*With Footnotes and References (Gar Anthony Haywood):
Parnell is a rich kid paying Megan, a less privileged but talented student, to write papers for him. Fast forward to Megan trying to up the price only to be outsmarted and paid less by Parnell. Her bitterness grows and we head towards another confrontation and surprising ending.
Penelope McCoy (Nicholas Christopher):
Professor Varick is approached by a (former) master’s candidate Penelope McCoy. He recently lost his wife and daughter in a fire. Then McCoy keeps showing up places he finds himself and every encounter becomes more sinister and might be linked to his bereavement.
Tess and Julie, Julie and Tess (Jill D. Block):
New at college, Julie’s dorm mate is the successful Tess. Told from Julie’s perspective, she’s happy to be Tess’ friend. It gradually becomes clear that this is not so much a friendship as a straight up obsession.
Why She Didn’t Tell (John Lescroart):
Marian is raped by her partner’s doctoral advisor and the story is about why she doesn’t tell anyone. Unlike some of the other reviewers, I don’t have an issue with it having been written by a male author. It’s not the strongest story in this anthology, but it wasn’t written in a disrespectful way and I honestly believe it’s good for men to mentally try to put themselves in a rape survivors place.
Foundational Education (Seanan McGuire):
Eloise is a scholarship student who’s recently started college only to find that the class differences and snide comments from the privileged are just as bad as they were in high school. She manages to befriend Charles who’s in a similar situation as her. Things aren’t looking too bad for her, but this story comes with a sinister ending. Not a bad story.
*Goon (Tod Goldberg):
Professional thug/killer has had it with his work and goes back to school but still finds himself having to use some of his skills to help out a teacher. I quite enjoyed this and in a way it reminded me of a fav movie of mine, Grosse Pointe Blank). My mom also borrowed this anthology from me and this ended up being her favourite story of the lot.
May 13, 2020
As with any anthology there are some that really stand out as great and some that are bad, and a bunch that are somewhere in the middle. The general vibe I got was that many of these writers are annoyed with the way students are treated today and this was their way to write about some of their frustrations and be able to have them turn more violent and deadly… which I enjoyed.
The ones that I really enjoyed were; Requiem for a Homecoming by David Morrell (it had a murder mystery movie feel to it with a twist at the end), An Even Three by Reed Farrel Coleman (a woman is sick of the men’s club in academia and takes it to the extreme), The Reasoners by Ian Rankin (a mystery involving secret societies), and Goon #4 by Tod Goldberg (an assassin trying to find his joy).
The ones that I really didn’t care for… but as with any opinion, others may really like, were; Alt-AC by Warren Moore (almost the entire story was the main character complaining how bad the education system is when it comes to seniority and new teachers… while I completely agreed with it all, I didn’t enjoy an entire story complaining about it.), Monkey in Residence by Xu Xi (it dealt with the politics of today and was weird and was just not something I enjoyed), and Why She Didn’t Tell by John Lescroart (this story was about rape… a man writing about a woman getting raped… I would need to have a face to face discussion to talk about this more in depth, and it just didn’t feel like it fit with the rest of the stories.)
The others were middle of the road for me, some better than others. If you’re involved in higher education, like anthologies, or want to read one of the stories because you really like the author then you should definitely pick this one up.
The ones that I really enjoyed were; Requiem for a Homecoming by David Morrell (it had a murder mystery movie feel to it with a twist at the end), An Even Three by Reed Farrel Coleman (a woman is sick of the men’s club in academia and takes it to the extreme), The Reasoners by Ian Rankin (a mystery involving secret societies), and Goon #4 by Tod Goldberg (an assassin trying to find his joy).
The ones that I really didn’t care for… but as with any opinion, others may really like, were; Alt-AC by Warren Moore (almost the entire story was the main character complaining how bad the education system is when it comes to seniority and new teachers… while I completely agreed with it all, I didn’t enjoy an entire story complaining about it.), Monkey in Residence by Xu Xi (it dealt with the politics of today and was weird and was just not something I enjoyed), and Why She Didn’t Tell by John Lescroart (this story was about rape… a man writing about a woman getting raped… I would need to have a face to face discussion to talk about this more in depth, and it just didn’t feel like it fit with the rest of the stories.)
The others were middle of the road for me, some better than others. If you’re involved in higher education, like anthologies, or want to read one of the stories because you really like the author then you should definitely pick this one up.
November 19, 2022
I was hoping this would be a better collection than it was. I liked the following stories, and give them all 4-4.5 stars.
Einstein’s Sabbath—David Levien
The Degree—Joe R. Lansdale
The Reasoners—Ian Rankin
That Golden Way—Owen King
Foundational Education—Seanan McGuire
Goon #4—Tod Goldberg
I was especially glad I read the Levien story, because it sent me on an fascinating internet search for information about Einstein and Jewish student life at Princeton, and I found this neat article https://www.dailyprincetonian.com/art....
The Lovesey, Straw, and Haywood stories were decently written, but the narrators were such creeps, I didn’t want them on my “liked” list.
The rest of the stories were 1-3 star reads I could take or leave.
Einstein’s Sabbath—David Levien
The Degree—Joe R. Lansdale
The Reasoners—Ian Rankin
That Golden Way—Owen King
Foundational Education—Seanan McGuire
Goon #4—Tod Goldberg
I was especially glad I read the Levien story, because it sent me on an fascinating internet search for information about Einstein and Jewish student life at Princeton, and I found this neat article https://www.dailyprincetonian.com/art....
The Lovesey, Straw, and Haywood stories were decently written, but the narrators were such creeps, I didn’t want them on my “liked” list.
The rest of the stories were 1-3 star reads I could take or leave.
November 1, 2021
A terrific compiled and edited by the always excellent Lawrence Block.
Though there are a few duds, this is an exceptionally good collection of campus mysteries from a terrific slate of authors.
All are worth a read except one. I recommend skipping John Lescroart’s offering, which is centered on a graphic on-page rape with no justice served or any real conclusion. Not something I ever want to see from a male author, if at all.
That aside, the collection has many outstanding entries. Be sure to read Block’s forward, which is hilarious and wonderful.
Following are the best of the collection:
An Even Three - Reed Farrel Coleman
Writing Maeve Dubinsky - Jane Hamilton
Alt-AC - Warren Moore
Noise Cancellation - Tom Straw
Bertie and the Boat Race - Peter Lovesey
That Golden Way - Owen King
Penelope McCoy - Nicholas Carpenter
Tess and Julie, Julie and Tess - Jill D. Block
Goon #4 - Tod Goldberg
Though there are a few duds, this is an exceptionally good collection of campus mysteries from a terrific slate of authors.
All are worth a read except one. I recommend skipping John Lescroart’s offering, which is centered on a graphic on-page rape with no justice served or any real conclusion. Not something I ever want to see from a male author, if at all.
That aside, the collection has many outstanding entries. Be sure to read Block’s forward, which is hilarious and wonderful.
Following are the best of the collection:
An Even Three - Reed Farrel Coleman
Writing Maeve Dubinsky - Jane Hamilton
Alt-AC - Warren Moore
Noise Cancellation - Tom Straw
Bertie and the Boat Race - Peter Lovesey
That Golden Way - Owen King
Penelope McCoy - Nicholas Carpenter
Tess and Julie, Julie and Tess - Jill D. Block
Goon #4 - Tod Goldberg
May 3, 2020
Lawrence Block is one of favorite mystery writers, and several of his books were made into films including the Liam Neeson film "A Walk Among the Tombstones." More recently the author has editing anthologies like this one that focuses on academia. The stories are varied and interesting but I didn't find any of particularly compelling reading.
January 15, 2025
I'm currently working on a dark academia TTRPG and wanted to read some lesser-known (and shorter) works in the genre, so I picked up this anthology. Subterranean Press have a track record of putting out good work, so I was hopeful.
I should have realised what I was getting into when the marketing blurb talks about "safe spaces" and "trigger warnings" with an implied (derogatory) behind it. There's a common thread in this anthology of the stories being reactionary, tinged with right-wing rhetoric about "snowflakes" (one literally uses the phrase "Snowflake Generation" to describe Millenials) and a fear of anything resembling social justice or equity, and are deeply misogynistic. I think it's obvious that the majority of these stories were written by white American men in their 60s and 70s (an observation that Jane Hamilton's "Writing Maeve Dubinsky" would likely take issue with, as it examines identity politics through a lens of "straight white women should be able to write about whatever they want, and are probably better at telling the stories of queer and Black people than they are themselves, even when they have to steal them to make it possible").
Alongside the aforementioned plagiarism story we have tales about a professor who murders her students for being too woke (after seducing them); a man with a PhD in Medieval Studies who can't get a job and so shoots down a plane full of tenured professors with an RPG to create openings in the job market; a school where they learn to murder non-white and disabled people; a story that introduced its female main character as being "smarter than most of the male students [...] and damn near all the women" but who isn't, it turns out, smarter than the male characters who fuck her over and have her killed; and a woman who is raped by her boyfriend's PhD supervisor but says nothing because everyone knows she's slept with other men before and so it was basically her fault, if it was even rape. That last one might be trying to make a point about why women don't report these things, but if it is it does it clumsily and in a way that seems to point the finger at the victim.
It's not all terrible. Ian Rankin's story of a man investigating an historic murder in a secret society is gripping and genuinely very good right up until its slightly clumsy ending. Owen King's "That Golden Way" takes a step sideways into weird otherspaces horror and was really fun, even if it wasn't quite what I was looking for from "dark academia". Seanan McGuire's tale of a girl with a dark past and a darker future in her first days at university was a really nice fish out of water story right up until the very surprising twist into supernatural territory and I wish it had been longer.
Normally in anthologies I find that one or two stories strike me as being great, and that the rest are just fine aside from a couple of stinkers. Here I spent most of my time wondering if there was going to be a single story in the book that I liked even a little bit. Out of the 18 stories here there were only 3 that I actually thought were good, with the rest veering from bad to actively offensive. But, based on the thesis of most of these stories, maybe I've just spent too much time in these soft leftist halls of learning and need to toughen myself up.
I should have realised what I was getting into when the marketing blurb talks about "safe spaces" and "trigger warnings" with an implied (derogatory) behind it. There's a common thread in this anthology of the stories being reactionary, tinged with right-wing rhetoric about "snowflakes" (one literally uses the phrase "Snowflake Generation" to describe Millenials) and a fear of anything resembling social justice or equity, and are deeply misogynistic. I think it's obvious that the majority of these stories were written by white American men in their 60s and 70s (an observation that Jane Hamilton's "Writing Maeve Dubinsky" would likely take issue with, as it examines identity politics through a lens of "straight white women should be able to write about whatever they want, and are probably better at telling the stories of queer and Black people than they are themselves, even when they have to steal them to make it possible").
Alongside the aforementioned plagiarism story we have tales about a professor who murders her students for being too woke (after seducing them); a man with a PhD in Medieval Studies who can't get a job and so shoots down a plane full of tenured professors with an RPG to create openings in the job market; a school where they learn to murder non-white and disabled people; a story that introduced its female main character as being "smarter than most of the male students [...] and damn near all the women" but who isn't, it turns out, smarter than the male characters who fuck her over and have her killed; and a woman who is raped by her boyfriend's PhD supervisor but says nothing because everyone knows she's slept with other men before and so it was basically her fault, if it was even rape. That last one might be trying to make a point about why women don't report these things, but if it is it does it clumsily and in a way that seems to point the finger at the victim.
It's not all terrible. Ian Rankin's story of a man investigating an historic murder in a secret society is gripping and genuinely very good right up until its slightly clumsy ending. Owen King's "That Golden Way" takes a step sideways into weird otherspaces horror and was really fun, even if it wasn't quite what I was looking for from "dark academia". Seanan McGuire's tale of a girl with a dark past and a darker future in her first days at university was a really nice fish out of water story right up until the very surprising twist into supernatural territory and I wish it had been longer.
Normally in anthologies I find that one or two stories strike me as being great, and that the rest are just fine aside from a couple of stinkers. Here I spent most of my time wondering if there was going to be a single story in the book that I liked even a little bit. Out of the 18 stories here there were only 3 that I actually thought were good, with the rest veering from bad to actively offensive. But, based on the thesis of most of these stories, maybe I've just spent too much time in these soft leftist halls of learning and need to toughen myself up.
April 26, 2020
So, another collection of short stories, this one tied together by a common theme of college/university: The Darkling Halls of Ivy, edited by Lawrence Block.
As with most collections, this is a mixed bag. The book starts off with several dark stories, many of which don’t have a pleasant resolution. But then the collection gets better as you get into the book, ending with several great additions.
The introduction is well worth reading as well – Mr. Block is getting crankier as he gets older, and one can tell he doesn’t give a hoot what people think about him anymore (not that he ever did). Unfortunately, he does not contribute a story to this collection, because it would have been fun to see what he would have come up with.
Then we start with the stories. A former student confronts a murder from his past. A professor denied tenure gets one more chance, but can she adapt to the current teaching mindset? A new (old) teacher causes a showdown between a perfect girl and her plagiarizer. A new teacher finds an alternative path for opening up job opportunities. A former soldier confronts Albert Einstein. A letter to a cousin sums up what the future universities might be preparing us for. A tenured Shakespeare professor unwilling to change gets drawn into The Tempest. A reporter tries to understand how a secret society got away with murder. Mr. Rodgers acts as the conscience of a teacher who harbors a secret about his research. A weird story about a scholarship program for monkeys. A Bertie Prince of Wales story from Peter Lovesey. A student who doesn’t fit in confronts hallucinations from a long-gone roommate. The have and the have nots play a power game that leads to murder. A stalker wants to get back into academia at any cost. A roommate isn’t the best friend she thinks she is. A wife pays the price with her husband’s mentor. A poor girl gets her revenge on the rich kids. And finally, in the best story of the bunch, a former soldier/goon takes his college classes too literally.
Three or four of the stories, written by the usual suspects (Rankin, Lovesey, etc.), are really outstanding, the majority are OK, and some of them are just depressing. As I've said, a mixed bag.
I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Subterranean Press via NetGalley. Thank you!
As with most collections, this is a mixed bag. The book starts off with several dark stories, many of which don’t have a pleasant resolution. But then the collection gets better as you get into the book, ending with several great additions.
The introduction is well worth reading as well – Mr. Block is getting crankier as he gets older, and one can tell he doesn’t give a hoot what people think about him anymore (not that he ever did). Unfortunately, he does not contribute a story to this collection, because it would have been fun to see what he would have come up with.
Then we start with the stories. A former student confronts a murder from his past. A professor denied tenure gets one more chance, but can she adapt to the current teaching mindset? A new (old) teacher causes a showdown between a perfect girl and her plagiarizer. A new teacher finds an alternative path for opening up job opportunities. A former soldier confronts Albert Einstein. A letter to a cousin sums up what the future universities might be preparing us for. A tenured Shakespeare professor unwilling to change gets drawn into The Tempest. A reporter tries to understand how a secret society got away with murder. Mr. Rodgers acts as the conscience of a teacher who harbors a secret about his research. A weird story about a scholarship program for monkeys. A Bertie Prince of Wales story from Peter Lovesey. A student who doesn’t fit in confronts hallucinations from a long-gone roommate. The have and the have nots play a power game that leads to murder. A stalker wants to get back into academia at any cost. A roommate isn’t the best friend she thinks she is. A wife pays the price with her husband’s mentor. A poor girl gets her revenge on the rich kids. And finally, in the best story of the bunch, a former soldier/goon takes his college classes too literally.
Three or four of the stories, written by the usual suspects (Rankin, Lovesey, etc.), are really outstanding, the majority are OK, and some of them are just depressing. As I've said, a mixed bag.
I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Subterranean Press via NetGalley. Thank you!
April 26, 2020
This is a collection of 18 short stories by different authors (not including Lawrence Block, but does include Jill D. Block who I assume is Lawrence's wife). Authors include Ian Rankin, Peter Lovesey, and John Lescroart among others. They all take place in colleges. I usually find short stories not as good to read as full length novels, but some of these are very clever. Several were definitely dark!
One of my favorites was Alt-Ac by Warren Moore. A new PhD in medieval literature was having trouble finding a teaching job and found a clever way to open up a few positions. Another which I liked was Noise Cancellation. The protagonist was inspired by Mr. Rogers at his Dartmouth graduation. However, he stopped following Rogers' direction and ended up missing his goals - another clever ending. I also liked Goon #4 where the goon leaves his tough man job to go to college. He takes a class called JOUR 121, shows up early to check it out, and watches the teacher come in and spill her coffee. After helping her clean up, he finds the class is in radio broadcasts, befriends his teacher, and saves her from a stalker. I also enjoyed David Levien's story about Einstein at Princeton, Lovesey's story about Bertie at Oxford, and Lescroart's story about a wife having to deal with her husband's advisor.
I thank Netgalley and Subterranean Press for allowing me to read this book to review before publication.
One of my favorites was Alt-Ac by Warren Moore. A new PhD in medieval literature was having trouble finding a teaching job and found a clever way to open up a few positions. Another which I liked was Noise Cancellation. The protagonist was inspired by Mr. Rogers at his Dartmouth graduation. However, he stopped following Rogers' direction and ended up missing his goals - another clever ending. I also liked Goon #4 where the goon leaves his tough man job to go to college. He takes a class called JOUR 121, shows up early to check it out, and watches the teacher come in and spill her coffee. After helping her clean up, he finds the class is in radio broadcasts, befriends his teacher, and saves her from a stalker. I also enjoyed David Levien's story about Einstein at Princeton, Lovesey's story about Bertie at Oxford, and Lescroart's story about a wife having to deal with her husband's advisor.
I thank Netgalley and Subterranean Press for allowing me to read this book to review before publication.
May 24, 2020
The Darkling Halls of Ivy is dark academia in short story form. The collection features eighteen stories all set in the world of college applications, lectures, libraries, and residence halls.
All the stories are good, some are outstanding. My personal favorites were Ian Rankin’s ‘The Reasoners’ which deals with secret societies and their secret crimes, Owen King’s ‘That Golden Way’ which provides a sort of out of body experience with someone’s life hanging in the balance, and Seanan McGuire’s ‘Foundational Education’ which shows us the lengths some people will go to in order to ensure a good college experience.
There were no bad stories in this collection, although a few were not particularly my style. Joe R. Lansdale’s ‘The Degree’ is a weird sort of alternative racism at its worst, John Lescroart’s ‘Why She Didn’t Tell’ involves a rape and its aftermath, and Xu Xi’s ‘Monkey in Residence’ stepped completely off the map of reality and got good and weird.
If you like dark academia and don’t mind a few murders, then pick up The Darkling Halls of Ivy, edited and with a foreword by Lawrence Block, published by Subterranean Press and releasing May 31, 2020.
I received a free electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
All the stories are good, some are outstanding. My personal favorites were Ian Rankin’s ‘The Reasoners’ which deals with secret societies and their secret crimes, Owen King’s ‘That Golden Way’ which provides a sort of out of body experience with someone’s life hanging in the balance, and Seanan McGuire’s ‘Foundational Education’ which shows us the lengths some people will go to in order to ensure a good college experience.
There were no bad stories in this collection, although a few were not particularly my style. Joe R. Lansdale’s ‘The Degree’ is a weird sort of alternative racism at its worst, John Lescroart’s ‘Why She Didn’t Tell’ involves a rape and its aftermath, and Xu Xi’s ‘Monkey in Residence’ stepped completely off the map of reality and got good and weird.
If you like dark academia and don’t mind a few murders, then pick up The Darkling Halls of Ivy, edited and with a foreword by Lawrence Block, published by Subterranean Press and releasing May 31, 2020.
I received a free electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 19, 2025
The Darkling Halls of Ivy
Edited by Lawrence Block
I purchased my copy at a local library sale. I perused the contents, seeing the authors David Morell, Joe R. Landale, and Ian Rankin in the TOC, and said “That’s worth buying.” And it was.
My favorites were:
Requiem for a Homecoming (David Morrell)
Alt-ac (Warren Moore)
Einstein’s Sabbath (David Levien)
The Degree (Joe R. Lansdale)
The Reasoners (Ian Rankin)
Noise Cancellation (Tom Straw)
Bertie and the Boat Race (Peter Lovesey)
With Footnotes and References (Gar Anthony Haywood)
Why She Didn’t Tell (John Lescroart)
Foundational Education (Seanan McGuire)
Goon (Tod Goldberg):
Lots of solid tales this collection.
Other reviewers offer more details on the individual stories. Check out their reviews. Great purchase for the price! Support your local libraries.
Edited by Lawrence Block
I purchased my copy at a local library sale. I perused the contents, seeing the authors David Morell, Joe R. Landale, and Ian Rankin in the TOC, and said “That’s worth buying.” And it was.
My favorites were:
Requiem for a Homecoming (David Morrell)
Alt-ac (Warren Moore)
Einstein’s Sabbath (David Levien)
The Degree (Joe R. Lansdale)
The Reasoners (Ian Rankin)
Noise Cancellation (Tom Straw)
Bertie and the Boat Race (Peter Lovesey)
With Footnotes and References (Gar Anthony Haywood)
Why She Didn’t Tell (John Lescroart)
Foundational Education (Seanan McGuire)
Goon (Tod Goldberg):
Lots of solid tales this collection.
Other reviewers offer more details on the individual stories. Check out their reviews. Great purchase for the price! Support your local libraries.
July 10, 2020
I have many reasons for reading anthologies.
I get to read stories written by some of my favorite authors who are flexing their skills into different topics
I get to read stories written by many authors new to me in hopes of finding new favorites
The length of these stories condenses the reading experience, allowing me to fill in short blocks of time
The length of these stories forces the reader...me...to think and follow their reasoning
and many, many more reasons....
This book fulfilled all of my expectations of a book bearing Lawrence Block's name. I enjoyed them all, some more than others, but that's what an anthology is about. A great compilation of stories all set into the back story of college experiences. 5 stars the easy way.
I get to read stories written by some of my favorite authors who are flexing their skills into different topics
I get to read stories written by many authors new to me in hopes of finding new favorites
The length of these stories condenses the reading experience, allowing me to fill in short blocks of time
The length of these stories forces the reader...me...to think and follow their reasoning
and many, many more reasons....
This book fulfilled all of my expectations of a book bearing Lawrence Block's name. I enjoyed them all, some more than others, but that's what an anthology is about. A great compilation of stories all set into the back story of college experiences. 5 stars the easy way.
July 22, 2020
Lawrence Block has done it again! He has gathered a gang of authors together, gave them all a topic, in this case crime on campus, and turned them loose to write. Each one interpenetrated the theme in their own fashion. And as with any anthology, certain tales will appeal to the reader, while others are just so so. My personal top three stories are Alt-Ac by Warren Moore, Einstein's Sabbath by David Levien, and Goon #4 by Tod Goldberg. Seanan McGuire's Foundational Education and Peter Lovesey's Bertie and the Boat Race make up a good second tier of stories. But when you read this collection, you are likely to find others may fit your palette better. So do take the time to pick up this book and enjoy!
May 25, 2020
This collection of tales associated with higher learning had to be good. With authors like Joe R. Lansdale and Owen King it was supposed to be on the “darker end of the spectrum”. These stories were anything from professors trying to keep tenure to freshman just trying to figure how things work.
Unfortunately I found most of the tales immediately forgettable and only 7 out of 18 did I give 4 stars or higher out of 5.
Goon #4 by Tod Goldberg was my only 5 star because it was fun, the characters were enjoyable and it had a great pace.
Unfortunately I found most of the tales immediately forgettable and only 7 out of 18 did I give 4 stars or higher out of 5.
Goon #4 by Tod Goldberg was my only 5 star because it was fun, the characters were enjoyable and it had a great pace.
September 14, 2020
I wasn't really sure what to expect when I started reading this book of stories. There are so many different places that this book could have went. After reading it, I really wished that the topic would have been narrowed down some for the writers. There were a couple of stories that I could just not get into, but the last was extremely memorable. I think that this was a good average compilation, but I felt it could have been better with a narrower range of subject choices, or if the stories would have been more related. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.
May 23, 2022
Mr. Block's Introduction, while it covers material we have seen before, made interesting reading for me. As for the stories, they covered a wide span of approaches to storytelling and, as advertised, all were well worth reading. My only gripe goes with the territory: I am not a fan of the adolescent mind, whether encased in a teenaged body or carried well into adulthood. Several stories featured the fantastical thinking and deep ignorance of the child and today's diaperless baby pundits.
Still in all, a well-put-together collection.
Recommended.
Still in all, a well-put-together collection.
Recommended.
June 10, 2020
I never pass up anything edited by Larry Block, but this set of short stories by 16 of his fellow writers isn't a particularly good one. The quality of the entries various wildly, and tying them together by the theme - they all take place on tivy-covered campuses - doesn't make for especially interesting, lively or engaging stories it's as if the editor had asked his contributors to dig up something that was meeting in their desk drawers, and the result has a musty aroma.
October 11, 2020
2/5 - Requiem for Homecoming
1/5 - An Even Three
4/5 - Writing Maeve Dubinsky
2/5 - Alt-AC
5/5 - Einstein's Sabbath
4/5 - The Degree
5/5 - Rounded with a Sleep
3/5 - The Reasoners
2/5 - Noise Cancellation
2/5 - Monkey in Residence
3/5 - Bertie and the Boat Race
3/5 - The Golden Way
4/5 - With Footnotes and References
1/5 - Penelope McCoy
2/5 - Tess and Julie, Julie and Tess
2/5 - Why She Didn't Tell
1/5 - Foundational Education
5/5 - Goon #4
1/5 - An Even Three
4/5 - Writing Maeve Dubinsky
2/5 - Alt-AC
5/5 - Einstein's Sabbath
4/5 - The Degree
5/5 - Rounded with a Sleep
3/5 - The Reasoners
2/5 - Noise Cancellation
2/5 - Monkey in Residence
3/5 - Bertie and the Boat Race
3/5 - The Golden Way
4/5 - With Footnotes and References
1/5 - Penelope McCoy
2/5 - Tess and Julie, Julie and Tess
2/5 - Why She Didn't Tell
1/5 - Foundational Education
5/5 - Goon #4
January 19, 2024
Some of my favorites:
Lawrence Block's introduction
The Golden Way by Owen King
The Degree by Joe Lansdale
The Reasoners by Ian Rankin
As with all short stories, in my opinion, some are ok and some are great in this collection. There is an art to creating a setting and get an impact from your writing when you are set to a short story format. It's an art.
I had randomly found this book when walking through the shelves at my library. It was, overall, a good read 📚
Lawrence Block's introduction
The Golden Way by Owen King
The Degree by Joe Lansdale
The Reasoners by Ian Rankin
As with all short stories, in my opinion, some are ok and some are great in this collection. There is an art to creating a setting and get an impact from your writing when you are set to a short story format. It's an art.
I had randomly found this book when walking through the shelves at my library. It was, overall, a good read 📚
May 2, 2020
This is a fairly gritty anthology of academia-related stories, which are varied in style, substance, and subject. Good overall quality, Some well known authors are included, and most stories are pretty compelling. Recommended for those seeking mostly dark tales.
Thanks very much for the ARC for review!!
Thanks very much for the ARC for review!!
July 8, 2020
These are short, mostly dark stories involving the academic world. It is a mixed bag, with some stories more memorable than others.
The few I didn't enjoy focused mainly on the "terrible" state of today's higher learning. While there is some validity of the complaints, it didn't make for compelling reading .
I received a free ARC. I am leaving my honest review.
The few I didn't enjoy focused mainly on the "terrible" state of today's higher learning. While there is some validity of the complaints, it didn't make for compelling reading .
I received a free ARC. I am leaving my honest review.
February 13, 2023
Contrary to the impression given by its title, this short story collection is not the romanticized dark academia that Secret History fans might be looking for. Trigger warnings for anyone who has experienced academic trauma with a capital or a lower-case "T". An extremely well-written, well-curated collection, but not for the faint of heart.
April 18, 2020
I couldn’t get into this at all. Different writers different stories yet not like Mashup from years ago which was great. I didn’t care for any of the character thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc
May 8, 2020
These 18 short stories all centered around academia and mostly on college campuses are quite enjoyable as each can all be read easily in just a short time. This anthology is edited by Lawrence Block (please bring back Keller).
There is a little something here for everyone.
There is a little something here for everyone.
June 9, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and Subterranean Press for the unproofed ebook version of this collection of stories in exchange for an honest review.
The Darkling Halls of Ivy is a collection of short stories that take place in around universities. Written by modern horror authors, including Joe R. Lansdale and Owen King, these short stories run the gamut, from an historical fiction involving Albert Einstein post-WWII to Death in the form of a Shakespeare-loving auditor. Any horror/thriller/crime fiction fan will find something to love in this collection of 17 new and one reprinted stories.
The Darkling Halls of Ivy published on May 31, 2020, and can be purchased anywhere you buy books.
The Darkling Halls of Ivy is a collection of short stories that take place in around universities. Written by modern horror authors, including Joe R. Lansdale and Owen King, these short stories run the gamut, from an historical fiction involving Albert Einstein post-WWII to Death in the form of a Shakespeare-loving auditor. Any horror/thriller/crime fiction fan will find something to love in this collection of 17 new and one reprinted stories.
The Darkling Halls of Ivy published on May 31, 2020, and can be purchased anywhere you buy books.
November 28, 2022
This is a collection of short stories set on college campuses. There is a good variety, some darker than others but all entertaining. I recognized some authors and encountered some new ones. I suspect some stories have a bit of truth!
October 5, 2020
Interesting collection of stories set on college campuses.
January 27, 2022
For “Foundational Education” by Seanan McGuire
May 31, 2020
I loved the idea of this book. Short mysteries/thrillers set at Ivy League schools. Some off the first stories were slow getting through. They didn't make sense and didn't grab my attention. However, there were several stories that I enjoyed that redeemed this book for me.
February 29, 2024
Take a walk on the dark side…. Another great short story anthology curated by Lawrence Block. These tales are dark, but not as dark as horror (I only skipped one!). No puppies or roses, so look elsewhere if you want light stories.
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