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On the Night Border
Dark things stir in the night. When the world sleeps and quiet settles in, shadows assume sinister shapes, guilt and regret well up from the mind’s deepest recesses, and the lonely face their greatest fears. Darkness bares the secret truths whispered on the lips of the lost and the desperate. At night, terrors come alive. For those who journey too far into the dark, no escape remains—but there is a place from which to view these nightmares, a place…on the night border.
The fifteen stories collected here come from the last edge of the light and deliver glimpses into the dreadful, the mysterious, and the strange. These stories offer readers unsettling and weird visions from across the border, visions out of history and from the world around us, visions of cosmic horror, personal madness, and agonizing heartbreak.
A literary legend confronts the reality of a chaotic, uncaring universe. A young girl grows up in the shadow of a ferocious monster. A man seeks to kill his memories. Love defeats death in an odd world not unlike our own. An artist’s drawings unlock a terrifying truth of his adopted city. A mask burns. The mother of plagues offers a deadly future.
Readers will find here all of these and many other visions of what lies on the far side of the line, including, by special arrangement, stories of Lin Carter’s Anton Zarnak and Kolchak, the Night Stalker. Walk up to the edge. Listen to the whispers on the wind. Peer across at the terrors beyond from your vantage point…on the night border!
The fifteen stories collected here come from the last edge of the light and deliver glimpses into the dreadful, the mysterious, and the strange. These stories offer readers unsettling and weird visions from across the border, visions out of history and from the world around us, visions of cosmic horror, personal madness, and agonizing heartbreak.
A literary legend confronts the reality of a chaotic, uncaring universe. A young girl grows up in the shadow of a ferocious monster. A man seeks to kill his memories. Love defeats death in an odd world not unlike our own. An artist’s drawings unlock a terrifying truth of his adopted city. A mask burns. The mother of plagues offers a deadly future.
Readers will find here all of these and many other visions of what lies on the far side of the line, including, by special arrangement, stories of Lin Carter’s Anton Zarnak and Kolchak, the Night Stalker. Walk up to the edge. Listen to the whispers on the wind. Peer across at the terrors beyond from your vantage point…on the night border!
218 pages, Paperback
First published September 12, 2019
3 people are currently reading
94 people want to read
About the author
James Chambers
62 books45 followersJames Chambers writes tales of horror, crime, fantasy, and science fiction. He is the author of The Engines of Sacrifice, a collection of four Lovecraftian-inspired novellas published in 2011 by Dark Regions Press which Publisher’s Weekly described as “…chillingly evocative….” He is also the author of the short fiction collection Resurrection House (Dark Regions Press, 2009). Most recently, Dark Quest Books published The Dead Bear Witness and Tears of Blood, volume one and two in his Corpse Fauna novella series. Volume three, The Dead in Their Masses, will be published in late 2013. In August 2005 Die Monster Die Books published his first short story collection, The Midnight Hour: Saint Lawn Hill and Other Tales, created in collaboration with illustrator Jason Whitley.
His short stories have been published in the anthologies Bad-Ass Faeries, Bad-Ass Faeries 2: Just Plain Bad, Bad-Ass Faeries 3: In All Their Glory, Bad Cop No Donut, Barbarians at the Jumpgate, Breach the Hull, By Other Means, Crypto-Critters (Volume 1 and Volume 2), Dark Furies, The Dead Walk, The Dead Walk Again, Deep Cuts, The Domino Lady: Sex as a Weapon, Dragon’s Lure, The Green Hornet Chronicles, Hardboiled Cthulhu, Hear Them Roar, Hellfire Lounge, In An Iron Cage, Lost Worlds of Space and Time (Volume 1), Mermaids 13, New Blood, No Longer Dreams, Sick: An Anthology of Illness, So It Begins, To Hell in a Fast Car, Walrus Tales, Weird Trails, and Warfear; the chapbook Mooncat Jack; and the magazines Bare Bone, Cthulhu Sex, and Allen K’s Inhuman.
His tale “A Wandering Blackness,” one of two published in Lin Carter’s Doctor Anton Zarnak, Occult Detective, received an honorable mention in The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror, Sixteenth Annual Collection.
He has also written numerous comic books including Leonard Nimoy’s Primortals, the critically acclaimed “The Revenant” in Shadow House, and most recently a Midnight Hour story for the comics anthology Negative Burn.
He is a member of the Horror Writers Association and the current chairperson of its membership committee.
He lives in New York.
His short stories have been published in the anthologies Bad-Ass Faeries, Bad-Ass Faeries 2: Just Plain Bad, Bad-Ass Faeries 3: In All Their Glory, Bad Cop No Donut, Barbarians at the Jumpgate, Breach the Hull, By Other Means, Crypto-Critters (Volume 1 and Volume 2), Dark Furies, The Dead Walk, The Dead Walk Again, Deep Cuts, The Domino Lady: Sex as a Weapon, Dragon’s Lure, The Green Hornet Chronicles, Hardboiled Cthulhu, Hear Them Roar, Hellfire Lounge, In An Iron Cage, Lost Worlds of Space and Time (Volume 1), Mermaids 13, New Blood, No Longer Dreams, Sick: An Anthology of Illness, So It Begins, To Hell in a Fast Car, Walrus Tales, Weird Trails, and Warfear; the chapbook Mooncat Jack; and the magazines Bare Bone, Cthulhu Sex, and Allen K’s Inhuman.
His tale “A Wandering Blackness,” one of two published in Lin Carter’s Doctor Anton Zarnak, Occult Detective, received an honorable mention in The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror, Sixteenth Annual Collection.
He has also written numerous comic books including Leonard Nimoy’s Primortals, the critically acclaimed “The Revenant” in Shadow House, and most recently a Midnight Hour story for the comics anthology Negative Burn.
He is a member of the Horror Writers Association and the current chairperson of its membership committee.
He lives in New York.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 2, 2020
On The Night Border is a collection of dark stories that has a little something for everyone fond of horror fiction. Oftentimes a collection like this can feel repetitive and fatigue me so much that I need a break from it but that didn’t happen here. I never knew quite what I was getting into with each story and that’s the best feeling!
I’m not going to summarize every story because we are currently in an apocalypse and who has the time to read all that when you could be reading the book?! Also? Still lazy over here.
There were no badly written stories here nor were there any duds. There was only one story, the last one actually, that didn’t thrill me because it was about infectious disease and quarantine camps and death and this is all something I’m trying my best to avoid reading about right now. Totally not the story’s fault though.
My favorite stories are these:
Marco Polo: This one was pure grisly fun and I loved it. It reminded me of that old show Tales from the Darkside. Anyone but me remember that show with its wonderfully ghastly tagline: ‘there is, unseen by most, an Underworld, a place that is just as real, but not as brightly lit, a Dark side. The Dark Side is always there, waiting for us to enter, waiting to enter us.’? Mwahaha. This story and many of the stories in this book would fit right in on that show. If someone rich and famous is reading my dumb reviews PLEASE REBOOT TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE. This story, in particular, is dark and twisty and a little manic. The perfect type of story to escape into.
Sum’bitch and the Arakadile This story is a tale of monsters and monstrous mothers and it made me sad for a few reasons I will not spoil. It’s short and to the point and might just poke you in the heart if you have one.
Mnemonicide: My notes say only YIKES! Haha, so I’m going on memory here. This one is about the purging of memories. We’ve all likely said and/or done things, maybe seen a few things, or met some people that we’d like removed from our brains. One dude decides to go for it in the most selfish way possible. This one BOTHERED me so much! You must read it and get bothered too!
What’s in the Bag, Dad? The setting is a traveling circus and ever since falling in absolute love with Katherine Dunn’s GEEK LOVE, I have a huge soft spot for those. There’s magic and pain and again some sadness here. It also kept me guessing which kept me reading because I am nosy and had to know what the hell was in the bag!
The Driver, Under A Cheshire Moon: Well, this sucker packs a punch. It’s dark but it is the best kind of dark. It lulls you into thinking one thing and then it sideswipes you with the truth of the situation. I ♥ it.
Living Dead: is a lighter-hearted story about the lovelorn and the living dead. This is my kind of story. And if you like this one you should also read Terry Maggert’s COOL TO THE TOUCH as a nice little companion piece. You will thank me later, haha.
I’ll stop here before I end up carrying on about all of the stories. Do yourself a favor and read this one if you need some fiction that’ll transport you to another world for a little bit. I don’t think you’ll regret it.
I’m not going to summarize every story because we are currently in an apocalypse and who has the time to read all that when you could be reading the book?! Also? Still lazy over here.
There were no badly written stories here nor were there any duds. There was only one story, the last one actually, that didn’t thrill me because it was about infectious disease and quarantine camps and death and this is all something I’m trying my best to avoid reading about right now. Totally not the story’s fault though.
My favorite stories are these:
Marco Polo: This one was pure grisly fun and I loved it. It reminded me of that old show Tales from the Darkside. Anyone but me remember that show with its wonderfully ghastly tagline: ‘there is, unseen by most, an Underworld, a place that is just as real, but not as brightly lit, a Dark side. The Dark Side is always there, waiting for us to enter, waiting to enter us.’? Mwahaha. This story and many of the stories in this book would fit right in on that show. If someone rich and famous is reading my dumb reviews PLEASE REBOOT TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE. This story, in particular, is dark and twisty and a little manic. The perfect type of story to escape into.
Sum’bitch and the Arakadile This story is a tale of monsters and monstrous mothers and it made me sad for a few reasons I will not spoil. It’s short and to the point and might just poke you in the heart if you have one.
Mnemonicide: My notes say only YIKES! Haha, so I’m going on memory here. This one is about the purging of memories. We’ve all likely said and/or done things, maybe seen a few things, or met some people that we’d like removed from our brains. One dude decides to go for it in the most selfish way possible. This one BOTHERED me so much! You must read it and get bothered too!
What’s in the Bag, Dad? The setting is a traveling circus and ever since falling in absolute love with Katherine Dunn’s GEEK LOVE, I have a huge soft spot for those. There’s magic and pain and again some sadness here. It also kept me guessing which kept me reading because I am nosy and had to know what the hell was in the bag!
The Driver, Under A Cheshire Moon: Well, this sucker packs a punch. It’s dark but it is the best kind of dark. It lulls you into thinking one thing and then it sideswipes you with the truth of the situation. I ♥ it.
Living Dead: is a lighter-hearted story about the lovelorn and the living dead. This is my kind of story. And if you like this one you should also read Terry Maggert’s COOL TO THE TOUCH as a nice little companion piece. You will thank me later, haha.
I’ll stop here before I end up carrying on about all of the stories. Do yourself a favor and read this one if you need some fiction that’ll transport you to another world for a little bit. I don’t think you’ll regret it.
October 10, 2019
On the Night Border by Bram Stoker award winning author James Chambers is a short story horror collective that offers a little bit of everything for any horror fan. From stories that are straight up horror filled, some with elements of fantasy, lore and the macabre, Chambers has captured something truly frightening in each one of the fifteen stories in this collective. Stories that I enjoyed reading include:
Marco Polo: We have all played this game when we were kids, but in this story Marco Polo takes a sinister turn when a mask, found in a burnt out super mart, takes a life of its own with some deadly consequences.
Lost Daughters: When Drew stumbles upon three young women looking over the side of “suicide bridge,” he does what any good samaritan would do. He tries to help the young women from making the worst mistake of their lives. Only, the three women turn out to be a lot more than Drew ever bargained for when they turn on him, his life hanging in the balance
The Driver, Under a Cheshire Moon: A driver is showing his passenger a scrapbook he has been making in regards to children who have had bad things happen to them. What seems like an “innocent” enough ride with a driver who is passionate about the welfare of children soon takes a sinister turn when his passengers are not the “ordinary” kind.
One thing I have taken away from each of these stories and it is something that the author makes note of in his introduction about “beginnings.” The beginning of a story can make or break any story and having a good first hook will draw readers in. James Chambers has really captured this statement in every one of his stories in this collective. I found myself thoroughly enjoying and being hooked right from the first few sentences of each story. Since every story is different in it’s horror themed setting, I began to notice looking forward to what secrets would be discovered.
While I loved each story, there definitely were a few favorites and I think my favorite out of all of them was definitely Marco Polo. This short story really gives new meaning to the game Marco Polo which I am sure all of us have played when we were children. Really creepy and I will probably always remember this story for a very long time.
If you are a fan of horror then you definitely do not want to miss this collection of stories that are sure to make you sleep with the lights on and maybe even hiding under the covers!
Marco Polo: We have all played this game when we were kids, but in this story Marco Polo takes a sinister turn when a mask, found in a burnt out super mart, takes a life of its own with some deadly consequences.
Lost Daughters: When Drew stumbles upon three young women looking over the side of “suicide bridge,” he does what any good samaritan would do. He tries to help the young women from making the worst mistake of their lives. Only, the three women turn out to be a lot more than Drew ever bargained for when they turn on him, his life hanging in the balance
The Driver, Under a Cheshire Moon: A driver is showing his passenger a scrapbook he has been making in regards to children who have had bad things happen to them. What seems like an “innocent” enough ride with a driver who is passionate about the welfare of children soon takes a sinister turn when his passengers are not the “ordinary” kind.
One thing I have taken away from each of these stories and it is something that the author makes note of in his introduction about “beginnings.” The beginning of a story can make or break any story and having a good first hook will draw readers in. James Chambers has really captured this statement in every one of his stories in this collective. I found myself thoroughly enjoying and being hooked right from the first few sentences of each story. Since every story is different in it’s horror themed setting, I began to notice looking forward to what secrets would be discovered.
While I loved each story, there definitely were a few favorites and I think my favorite out of all of them was definitely Marco Polo. This short story really gives new meaning to the game Marco Polo which I am sure all of us have played when we were children. Really creepy and I will probably always remember this story for a very long time.
If you are a fan of horror then you definitely do not want to miss this collection of stories that are sure to make you sleep with the lights on and maybe even hiding under the covers!
November 20, 2019
*I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for my fair and honest review.*
James Chambers showcases his natural ability as a storyteller in 'On the Night Border', by turning the mundane and ordinary into terrifying realities. He can easily breathe horror into innocence in a truly horrific and imaginative way! These are a collection of 15 stories, some old, some new, and all guaranteed to send some chills up your spine!
'On the Night Border' encompasses fifteen stories that offer glimpses into the dreadful, the strange, and the mysterious. The tales range from unsettling whispers across the border, weird visions out of history and from the present-visions of cosmic horror that are as agonizing and heartbreaking as they are horrifying. The reader will witness a literary legend confront the reality of an uncaring universe. A young girl grows up in the shadow of a monster. A mask that turns deadly. These will give you just a taste of the terror and wonder that James Chambers has patiently crafted and waiting for you.
This is my first venture into James Chambers writing, and I wasn't disappointed in the least! The stories have a wide range of variety, keeping the reader on their toes, not knowing what they will get from one story to the next. He also uses different points of view which gave each story it's own individuality- aside from it's own main theme. It's these narratives that compels the reader to keep turning the pages and holds their interest as they delve into the next piece of horror Chambers is about to serve up. The stories cover torture,violence, madness, greed, anger, and pain- with the themes of grief and loss skillfully woven into the tales of terror.
A few of my favorite stories:
Lost Daughters- a lesson in no good deed goes unpunished.
The Driver Under the Cheshire Moon- a tale of a man sitting in a car, showing the woman in the passenger seat repulsive images. The intensity and creep factor are definitely cranked to 11 on this one!
A Wandering Blackness- a common, age old tale of a man who doesn't appreciate what he has. Throw in some black magic and you've got yourself a great, witchy, cautionary tale!
Kolchak, The Night Stalker- leaving the best for last. I'm going to fan girl a bit! I watched reruns of this show when I was a kid! It was shown a few years before my time, but was like the original X-Files in a way. The main character is taken from the 1970's show of the same name. Kolchak is a beloved reporter who has a knack for cracking supernatural cases. The first Mulder if you will. This series brought him and the supernatural into households all over the world and visually introduced us to things that go bump in the night. In this particular case, we meet Kolchak as he is speaking to a woman that believes her child isn't her real child and it's up to Kolchak to solve this paranormal conundrum. What he discovers is an intriguing scenario, similar to an X-Files episode. This was a fun story and a great throwback to a show that paved the supernatural TV show highway.
'On the Night Border' delivers stories that any horror fan is bound to love- at least a few! James Chambers writing is fluid with enigmatic and fantastic characters that are perfect for their roles in each individual short story. He does a wonderful job at tension building, leaving the reader anxiously waiting for the proverbial bag to drop, the curtain to be lifted, to allow us to see the full spectrum of the horrific landscape he had created and was patiently waiting for us to discover- and to make us jump out of our skin! This collective is a satisfying gut punch that I dare you not to read in one sitting.
James Chambers showcases his natural ability as a storyteller in 'On the Night Border', by turning the mundane and ordinary into terrifying realities. He can easily breathe horror into innocence in a truly horrific and imaginative way! These are a collection of 15 stories, some old, some new, and all guaranteed to send some chills up your spine!
'On the Night Border' encompasses fifteen stories that offer glimpses into the dreadful, the strange, and the mysterious. The tales range from unsettling whispers across the border, weird visions out of history and from the present-visions of cosmic horror that are as agonizing and heartbreaking as they are horrifying. The reader will witness a literary legend confront the reality of an uncaring universe. A young girl grows up in the shadow of a monster. A mask that turns deadly. These will give you just a taste of the terror and wonder that James Chambers has patiently crafted and waiting for you.
This is my first venture into James Chambers writing, and I wasn't disappointed in the least! The stories have a wide range of variety, keeping the reader on their toes, not knowing what they will get from one story to the next. He also uses different points of view which gave each story it's own individuality- aside from it's own main theme. It's these narratives that compels the reader to keep turning the pages and holds their interest as they delve into the next piece of horror Chambers is about to serve up. The stories cover torture,violence, madness, greed, anger, and pain- with the themes of grief and loss skillfully woven into the tales of terror.
A few of my favorite stories:
Lost Daughters- a lesson in no good deed goes unpunished.
The Driver Under the Cheshire Moon- a tale of a man sitting in a car, showing the woman in the passenger seat repulsive images. The intensity and creep factor are definitely cranked to 11 on this one!
A Wandering Blackness- a common, age old tale of a man who doesn't appreciate what he has. Throw in some black magic and you've got yourself a great, witchy, cautionary tale!
Kolchak, The Night Stalker- leaving the best for last. I'm going to fan girl a bit! I watched reruns of this show when I was a kid! It was shown a few years before my time, but was like the original X-Files in a way. The main character is taken from the 1970's show of the same name. Kolchak is a beloved reporter who has a knack for cracking supernatural cases. The first Mulder if you will. This series brought him and the supernatural into households all over the world and visually introduced us to things that go bump in the night. In this particular case, we meet Kolchak as he is speaking to a woman that believes her child isn't her real child and it's up to Kolchak to solve this paranormal conundrum. What he discovers is an intriguing scenario, similar to an X-Files episode. This was a fun story and a great throwback to a show that paved the supernatural TV show highway.
'On the Night Border' delivers stories that any horror fan is bound to love- at least a few! James Chambers writing is fluid with enigmatic and fantastic characters that are perfect for their roles in each individual short story. He does a wonderful job at tension building, leaving the reader anxiously waiting for the proverbial bag to drop, the curtain to be lifted, to allow us to see the full spectrum of the horrific landscape he had created and was patiently waiting for us to discover- and to make us jump out of our skin! This collective is a satisfying gut punch that I dare you not to read in one sitting.
January 12, 2020
One of the books I most looked forward to this last year was this collection of short stories by James Chambers. I first met James at the 2011 Borderlands boot camp for writers in Maryland. There were many great writers many of them with great published works but James was the one whose work most impressed me then and continues to amaze me. The man has gone on to win a Stoker award and been mentioned in Ellen Datlow's respected year's best horror list so he doesn't me to validate his amazing work.
Let me start by saying this book is a short story collection that doesn't sell as well as novels in general. I am not sure why I have to convince people to take that extra step and read a collection but this is a good one to read. On the Night Border is a great sampler of Chambers's strengths as a writer. That is what you hope for when you read a collection.
In different stories, Chambers plays with different narrative styles and tones. Some are more tricky than others like the second person narrative that is hiding the fact that it is really a first-person all along. Chambers is very inventive about how he reveals plot and character. One thing you know reading his work is that he knows the genre and takes seriously the tiny details that make horror stories tick. He builds tension and suspense with deliberate choices that require skill and attention to detail. I think that is one reason his fellow writers will really love this book.
Nine of the fifteen stories had lives in various anthologies and magazines and yet they work together as they were planned to piece together. Several stories have Lovecraft and mythos vibe if that is what you're into that. The best examples are the opening story that mixes Jack Kerouac and Lovecraft and the Dagon story Odd Quahogs.
My favorites in the collection were Lost Daughters and Mnemoncide. That said all the stories worked for me on some level those two were just my favorites. Lost Daughters has the feel of a horror classic with a great opening section that sets the creepiest tone of the whole book. The story goes on to deliver. Mnemoncide is the second-person story and the most experimental piece in the book. I liked Chambers going weird and would really enjoy to read him stretch those muscles more.
There are very few negatives for me, in fact it is pretty nitpicking but probably the only thing I didn't like was the modern setting of the Kolchak the Night Stalker story. Either he is super old in the story or he was moved into a time where he would make references to the internet and Donald Trump. I think Kolchak should stay in the 70's. My opinion.
On the Night Border is a top-notch collection by an underrated author. I say that knowing he has already won awards for his writing. The best thing I can say about James Chambers the story-teller is that every word on every page is engineered for effect and you are in great hands.
Let me start by saying this book is a short story collection that doesn't sell as well as novels in general. I am not sure why I have to convince people to take that extra step and read a collection but this is a good one to read. On the Night Border is a great sampler of Chambers's strengths as a writer. That is what you hope for when you read a collection.
In different stories, Chambers plays with different narrative styles and tones. Some are more tricky than others like the second person narrative that is hiding the fact that it is really a first-person all along. Chambers is very inventive about how he reveals plot and character. One thing you know reading his work is that he knows the genre and takes seriously the tiny details that make horror stories tick. He builds tension and suspense with deliberate choices that require skill and attention to detail. I think that is one reason his fellow writers will really love this book.
Nine of the fifteen stories had lives in various anthologies and magazines and yet they work together as they were planned to piece together. Several stories have Lovecraft and mythos vibe if that is what you're into that. The best examples are the opening story that mixes Jack Kerouac and Lovecraft and the Dagon story Odd Quahogs.
My favorites in the collection were Lost Daughters and Mnemoncide. That said all the stories worked for me on some level those two were just my favorites. Lost Daughters has the feel of a horror classic with a great opening section that sets the creepiest tone of the whole book. The story goes on to deliver. Mnemoncide is the second-person story and the most experimental piece in the book. I liked Chambers going weird and would really enjoy to read him stretch those muscles more.
There are very few negatives for me, in fact it is pretty nitpicking but probably the only thing I didn't like was the modern setting of the Kolchak the Night Stalker story. Either he is super old in the story or he was moved into a time where he would make references to the internet and Donald Trump. I think Kolchak should stay in the 70's. My opinion.
On the Night Border is a top-notch collection by an underrated author. I say that knowing he has already won awards for his writing. The best thing I can say about James Chambers the story-teller is that every word on every page is engineered for effect and you are in great hands.
October 6, 2019
I was really excited when I received this collection of short stories because this is the first time I've read a book by James Chambers. And now that I have, I'll definitely want to read more.
Okay, this is going to be a long review because I've got a little something to say about every single story.
A SONG LEFT BEHIND IN THE AZTAKEA HILLS:
What starts out as the sad thoughts of an artist who feels abandoned by love and muse going to a bar to drown his sorrows, soon turns into an unexpected encounter with a mathematician that throws him over the edge of memory and so much more...
This is one trippy story that manages to twist mathematics, music, addiction, monsters and other dimensions together, while throwing in Jack Kerouac and heartbreak into the mix.
MARCO POLO:
A silly game turns into a horror story when one kid accepts the creepy dare of finding a mask inside a burnt-out store that is better left untouched...
OMG, this situation escalated fast! It starts out harmless enough with one kid daring another to go and find something creepy. And when he does, they all get stuck playing a hideous game of tag with deadly consequences.
LOST DAUGHTERS:
All Drew wanted to do was help three girls who looked like they were going to jump from the bridge. Instead, he gets caught up in a nightmare that might be just what he needed...
I loved everything about this story. The creepy girls. The Good Samaritan. The way it was written. The way the uncertainty and dread builds. And especially how it ends because sometimes, everyone needs to be reminded about what's really important in life.
SUM'BITCH AND THE ARAKADILE:
There's something in the woods that hunts the young. Jillian's mother told her so. Always warns the children about the Arakadile. But what's really going on is even weirder than she imagined...
I enjoyed this one. It's short, but definitely not sweet. It's also a really dense story, where so much about family, secrets and lies is twisted with the monster hunting them. Very clever tale!
MNEMONICIDE:
When you can't handle all the memories that haunt and hurt you, you might one day decide to kill them...
This was quite the story. It's interesting, horrible and totally mad. The fact this man goes on a killing spree to free himself of the bad stuff is bonkers. But you know, it's very well writtem in a POV I usually don't like. And it's clever in its madness too. Plus, Angie... she was really something. 😳
THE MANY HANDS INSIDE THE MOUNTAIN:
What starts out as a straightforward situation about a guy who loves his town and his girl, even though he's unfaithful, turns into a macabre Halloween celebration of bloody proportions...
Yikes! This one really got me with it's sharp turn. A tale of deception, love, revenge and greed with an awesome horror twist. And there's plenty of candy to give everything that happens an extra bittersweet dose. Great story that proves everything has a price, and that some people aren't as clever as they think they are.
WHAT'S IN THE BAG, DAD?
Garde's business is struggling. The circus/carnival scene and its performers just don't pull in the crowds they used to. And now that his wife has been gone for a year, his grief threatens to overwhelm him...
I've kept this brief and don't go anywhere near the heart of this very sad story. I loved the carnival feel and the array of characters. The twist is also very, very cool. But like I said, so sad.
THE DRIVER, UNDER A CHESHIRE MOON:
The driver is speaking to the woman sitting in the passenger seat beside him. He's talking about violence against kids, showing his scrapbook, sharing a few bits about his life, and that's not all...
OMG. This story! It starts out a little disorientating because this guy is talking and talking inside the claustrophobic confines of a car, but once the narrative steps back and the big picture starts to come into focus... Wow.
What an amazing story. It's violent and totally unapologetic about it. It's disturbing but totally takes you into territory you don't expect.
LIVING/DEAD:
Phil and Gustav are two friends heading to a pub to do a bit of speed dating. One is there in search of love, the other is there for moral support. But they both live in a world where dead isn't always dead...
This was a lot of fun. A bit of a zombie tale with a wicked and very original twist. Yet, it's also takes a very interesting look at how society reacts to change, and how love can destroy, fulfill or complete someone.
THE CHAMBER OF LAST EARTHLY DELIGHTS:
In a world where it's encouraged to commit suicide by entering the Government Lethal Chambers, one man's life is torn apart when his family is affected and reality blends into nightmare...
This is one weird tale. Told as journal entries by a very unreliable narrator, I was instantly drawn into this macabre version of 1920s New York and the crap this man goes through. The imagery in this one is vivid and gross, but I enjoyed every minute of it.
ODD QUAHOGS:
Big Gene is a good guy with a few problems. But none as big as what's happened to his wife...
Whoa. This was something! It's mysterious, weird, and all-so wonderful in a cosmic kind of way. There's a lot to love about this story, especially the easygoing style it was written in, even though there's a lot to be terrified about. You really need to be careful with what lurks beneath the water.
A WANDERING BLACKNESS:
An interesting story about a man who feels he deserves so much more than he has, and winds up getting himself into a pretty dark corner...
With names like Blackapple and Zarnak, this was a trippy story featuring some dark mystical magic and plenty of selfish motivations.
KOLCHAK, THE NIGHT STALKER: THE LOST BOY:
Carl Kolchak, supernatural investigator and reporter meets with a lady who is convinced her toddler is not her child. He accepts the challenge and discovers a very interesting situation bound to cause a lot of trouble...
I love supernatural investigators. I don't mind if they're PIs, special cops, journalists, reporters, or even of the made-up variety. And the mystery at the heart of this one was one of my favourite scenarios. There were no surprises here, but I loved it just the same.
PICTURE MAN:
Ethan wakes up in hospital and doesn't remember how he got there. Even after reading about it in newspapers and on TV, he can't remember what happened in the subway. And when the memories start trickling in, he might wish he didn't know...
Another great story! This one is about amnesia after an attack, and how sometimes not remembering a bad incident might be a blessing in disguise. Because what Ethan discovers is pretty nasty.
RED MAMI:
When sickness hits a village, it starts taking everyone with it...
This one was just okay for me. Maybe it was because the subject matter was too real and the supernatural aspects didn't hit the right note for me.
Well. Wow. This book is certainly packed with dark delights. There's something here for everyone, and because I love variety in my horror, this was perfect.
Not only was there variety in the subgenres, but also in the writing style. These tales are full of nice narrators, bad narrators, unreliable accounts, interesting people, horrible people, monsters and everything in between. They're also told in first, second and third-person POVs, and everything works together very well.
I enjoyed the hell out of all fifteen stories, but my most faves were: Lost Daughters, The Driver, Under a Cheshire Moon, The Chamber of Last Earthly Delights, Odd Quahogs, Kolchak, the Night Stalker: The Lost Boy. These were the ones that really stood out for me.
On the Night Border is an outstanding short story collection by a very talented author. Every tale is different, but all cover some sort of nightmarish situation. Plus they all have one thing in common: they hooked me in right away and kept me there.
I loved this collection!
I'd like to thank Erin Sweet Al-Mehairi and Raw Dog Screaming Press for sending me a copy of this great book. I will definitely add this to my Keeper Shelf.
Okay, this is going to be a long review because I've got a little something to say about every single story.
A SONG LEFT BEHIND IN THE AZTAKEA HILLS:
What starts out as the sad thoughts of an artist who feels abandoned by love and muse going to a bar to drown his sorrows, soon turns into an unexpected encounter with a mathematician that throws him over the edge of memory and so much more...
This is one trippy story that manages to twist mathematics, music, addiction, monsters and other dimensions together, while throwing in Jack Kerouac and heartbreak into the mix.
MARCO POLO:
A silly game turns into a horror story when one kid accepts the creepy dare of finding a mask inside a burnt-out store that is better left untouched...
OMG, this situation escalated fast! It starts out harmless enough with one kid daring another to go and find something creepy. And when he does, they all get stuck playing a hideous game of tag with deadly consequences.
LOST DAUGHTERS:
All Drew wanted to do was help three girls who looked like they were going to jump from the bridge. Instead, he gets caught up in a nightmare that might be just what he needed...
I loved everything about this story. The creepy girls. The Good Samaritan. The way it was written. The way the uncertainty and dread builds. And especially how it ends because sometimes, everyone needs to be reminded about what's really important in life.
SUM'BITCH AND THE ARAKADILE:
There's something in the woods that hunts the young. Jillian's mother told her so. Always warns the children about the Arakadile. But what's really going on is even weirder than she imagined...
I enjoyed this one. It's short, but definitely not sweet. It's also a really dense story, where so much about family, secrets and lies is twisted with the monster hunting them. Very clever tale!
MNEMONICIDE:
When you can't handle all the memories that haunt and hurt you, you might one day decide to kill them...
This was quite the story. It's interesting, horrible and totally mad. The fact this man goes on a killing spree to free himself of the bad stuff is bonkers. But you know, it's very well writtem in a POV I usually don't like. And it's clever in its madness too. Plus, Angie... she was really something. 😳
THE MANY HANDS INSIDE THE MOUNTAIN:
What starts out as a straightforward situation about a guy who loves his town and his girl, even though he's unfaithful, turns into a macabre Halloween celebration of bloody proportions...
Yikes! This one really got me with it's sharp turn. A tale of deception, love, revenge and greed with an awesome horror twist. And there's plenty of candy to give everything that happens an extra bittersweet dose. Great story that proves everything has a price, and that some people aren't as clever as they think they are.
WHAT'S IN THE BAG, DAD?
Garde's business is struggling. The circus/carnival scene and its performers just don't pull in the crowds they used to. And now that his wife has been gone for a year, his grief threatens to overwhelm him...
I've kept this brief and don't go anywhere near the heart of this very sad story. I loved the carnival feel and the array of characters. The twist is also very, very cool. But like I said, so sad.
THE DRIVER, UNDER A CHESHIRE MOON:
The driver is speaking to the woman sitting in the passenger seat beside him. He's talking about violence against kids, showing his scrapbook, sharing a few bits about his life, and that's not all...
OMG. This story! It starts out a little disorientating because this guy is talking and talking inside the claustrophobic confines of a car, but once the narrative steps back and the big picture starts to come into focus... Wow.
What an amazing story. It's violent and totally unapologetic about it. It's disturbing but totally takes you into territory you don't expect.
LIVING/DEAD:
Phil and Gustav are two friends heading to a pub to do a bit of speed dating. One is there in search of love, the other is there for moral support. But they both live in a world where dead isn't always dead...
This was a lot of fun. A bit of a zombie tale with a wicked and very original twist. Yet, it's also takes a very interesting look at how society reacts to change, and how love can destroy, fulfill or complete someone.
THE CHAMBER OF LAST EARTHLY DELIGHTS:
In a world where it's encouraged to commit suicide by entering the Government Lethal Chambers, one man's life is torn apart when his family is affected and reality blends into nightmare...
This is one weird tale. Told as journal entries by a very unreliable narrator, I was instantly drawn into this macabre version of 1920s New York and the crap this man goes through. The imagery in this one is vivid and gross, but I enjoyed every minute of it.
ODD QUAHOGS:
Big Gene is a good guy with a few problems. But none as big as what's happened to his wife...
Whoa. This was something! It's mysterious, weird, and all-so wonderful in a cosmic kind of way. There's a lot to love about this story, especially the easygoing style it was written in, even though there's a lot to be terrified about. You really need to be careful with what lurks beneath the water.
A WANDERING BLACKNESS:
An interesting story about a man who feels he deserves so much more than he has, and winds up getting himself into a pretty dark corner...
With names like Blackapple and Zarnak, this was a trippy story featuring some dark mystical magic and plenty of selfish motivations.
KOLCHAK, THE NIGHT STALKER: THE LOST BOY:
Carl Kolchak, supernatural investigator and reporter meets with a lady who is convinced her toddler is not her child. He accepts the challenge and discovers a very interesting situation bound to cause a lot of trouble...
I love supernatural investigators. I don't mind if they're PIs, special cops, journalists, reporters, or even of the made-up variety. And the mystery at the heart of this one was one of my favourite scenarios. There were no surprises here, but I loved it just the same.
PICTURE MAN:
Ethan wakes up in hospital and doesn't remember how he got there. Even after reading about it in newspapers and on TV, he can't remember what happened in the subway. And when the memories start trickling in, he might wish he didn't know...
Another great story! This one is about amnesia after an attack, and how sometimes not remembering a bad incident might be a blessing in disguise. Because what Ethan discovers is pretty nasty.
RED MAMI:
When sickness hits a village, it starts taking everyone with it...
This one was just okay for me. Maybe it was because the subject matter was too real and the supernatural aspects didn't hit the right note for me.
Well. Wow. This book is certainly packed with dark delights. There's something here for everyone, and because I love variety in my horror, this was perfect.
Not only was there variety in the subgenres, but also in the writing style. These tales are full of nice narrators, bad narrators, unreliable accounts, interesting people, horrible people, monsters and everything in between. They're also told in first, second and third-person POVs, and everything works together very well.
I enjoyed the hell out of all fifteen stories, but my most faves were: Lost Daughters, The Driver, Under a Cheshire Moon, The Chamber of Last Earthly Delights, Odd Quahogs, Kolchak, the Night Stalker: The Lost Boy. These were the ones that really stood out for me.
On the Night Border is an outstanding short story collection by a very talented author. Every tale is different, but all cover some sort of nightmarish situation. Plus they all have one thing in common: they hooked me in right away and kept me there.
I loved this collection!
I'd like to thank Erin Sweet Al-Mehairi and Raw Dog Screaming Press for sending me a copy of this great book. I will definitely add this to my Keeper Shelf.
November 1, 2019
Thank you so much Raw Dog Screaming Press for sending me a copy of On the Night Border in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this collection. I've never read anything by James Chambers before but I'm interested in checking out more of his work!
On the Night Border is a short story collection where all the stories traverse that misty line between waking and the world of dreams. Each story had a dreamlike, ethereal feel to it. It was like lucid dreaming; you know you're dreaming but you can't wake up. You pray you are only dreaming. The stories all contain different horrors - lovecraftian, vigilantism, psychological, and the very real monsters that walk among us (which is the scariest in my opinion).
I really enjoyed this collection. I've never read anything by James Chambers before but I'm interested in checking out more of his work!
On the Night Border is a short story collection where all the stories traverse that misty line between waking and the world of dreams. Each story had a dreamlike, ethereal feel to it. It was like lucid dreaming; you know you're dreaming but you can't wake up. You pray you are only dreaming. The stories all contain different horrors - lovecraftian, vigilantism, psychological, and the very real monsters that walk among us (which is the scariest in my opinion).
December 20, 2019
This is a fun collection. “Marco Polo” explores the fertile ground of adolescent dares to delve into places where brutal serial killers have plied their trade. This is fed by both our cultural obsession with monstrous tragedy, as well as slasher films reveling in them. The bogeyman story “Sum`bitch and the Arakadile” has such a great voice and snaps along at an excellent pace.
August 28, 2019
Review coming to Booklist Magazine and blog soon
March 18, 2021
It’s been awhile since I read James Chambers’ collection On the Night Border, so I glanced through it anew to write this. I’d previously encountered Chambers’ writing in Truth or Dare?, an anthology from Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing, which included the Chambers story “Marco Polo”, reprinted in On the Night Border. Though I thought it was an average to good story back then, it is only upon rereading it in the context of stories by Chambers that I could fully appreciate all it is, and the wide range of what Chambers can effectively write within the horror genre.
The first handful of stories in this collection immediately establish that Chambers can work well with completely different voices and styles. “A Song Left Behind in the Aztakea Hills” features a Lovecraftian plot set in New England. Its protagonist is an artist, a painter, who once knew Jack Kerouac. A mathematician seeks him out at the local bar to hear a story about his time with Kerouac, in particular an incident that occurred in the nearby hills on a trip with a band. As they travel back to the hills, the artist recalls the otherworldly sounds they experienced there, and he faces the mingling grief and indifference of being recently dumped by his boyfriend. The story is written with poetic descriptions and complex layers to its sentences. Chambers renders one section in the style of Kerouac, a mad frenzy that is a fitting pairing to Lovecraft. Though taken place in relatively contemporary time, the richness of the style and words evoke the eldritch inspirations behind the tale.
The next story, the aforementioned “Marco Polo”, is also set in relatively contemporary times and draws on themes of madness and recovery, but centers on a completely different population: teens. A group of friends dare one another to enter the fire-charred remains of a house to recover an object. The notorious house inspires fear both due to the physical danger of its ruins, but also on the spiritual side. It was the site for something horrendous, and the object is somehow associated with it. The reader soon learns more details, and the meaning of the title becomes apparent. But I won’t spoil that. With a focus on the impetuousness of youth, Chambers style and tone completely shifts from the first story. Curt dialogue between the friends and colloquial taunts blend with the inner thoughts of teenage uncertainty. But these soon give way to text again depicting madness. However, where in “A Song Left Behind in the Aztakea Hills” that madness fit the Lovecraft style mold, here it takes the form of slasher film syle.
Already, readers can begin to get a sense of those elements common to all of Chambers’ stories. First, he uses a plot set up that will be familiar to horror readers, or anyone who has heard a scary story or urban legend. He then chooses a unique voice to explore one central theme through that plot setup. He does that in ways that then take something ordinary and and skew it into a dark and dream-like haze. The story formed as the end product thus really fits with the title to this collection: a tale on the border between the mundane and bone chilling, on the border of familiar and uncanny.
“Lost Daughters” serves as a great example. One of my favorites in the collection, it began like something I read or heard before. A man drives on dark road over ‘suicide bridge’. He stops to pick up three young women, concerned for their safety out alone on such a night. Sounds like a ghost story from Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. To that setup Chambers then explores the emotions of a concerned father, and through that character’s voice reveals the terror as terror begins to unfold and his concern shifts to self preservation. I quickly realized these aren’t ghosts, they are another horror staple But, then the end brings the fatherhood concern theme full circle in novel ways.
To follow this, “Sum’bitch and the Arakadile” demonstrates yet another unique character/voice for Chambers to use, while also illustrating the first example in the collection of using some humor alongside the horror, even if the tone doesn’t ever really become ‘light’ per se. Later, with “Living/Dead”, Chambers shows that he can in fact do that too, with a memorably sweet story that uses the zombie concept to explore the mystery of love. This, right after the most brutal story in On the Night Border: “The Driver, Under a Chesire Moon”, where the main character is the eponymous driver, explaining to a passenger his fascination with the evils done against children, and the staggering statistics of child disappearance.
Though Chambers’ stories all share some common core, the shifts in voice and sub-genre of horror make it a very eclectic and varied collection. Looking at other reviews of On the Night Border, readers often seem to indicate very different stories as favorites, note others as good, and more rarely point out one not liked. Considering Chambers’ range, I don’t find this surprising. He’s very much a jack-of-all-trades within short fiction horror. Unless one really doesn’t like the voice or sub-genre he chooses, a reader will at least find a story to be decent. He’s not going to change your mind about what you’re partial to. But whatever horror thing is your favorite, he’ll write one that you will probably just adore.
I could not read “Mnemonicide” because it is written as an exercise in the second person. No matter how much that fits the story, I just don’t care. But others mark that as a favorite. I could take or leave Lovecraft. “Odd Quahogs” a story here featuring Dagon was good, but nothing special to me. The Lovecraftian “A Song Left Behind in the Aztakea Hills” I liked even more, but still wouldn’t put at the top.
Beyond ones mentioned earlier above, “The Many Hands Inside the Mountain”, “What’s in the Bag, Dad?”, “Picture Man”, and “Red Mami” were among my favorites. I won’t belabor things with summaries of those, and I’m out of fresh insights to particularly connect with them as examples.
Before getting to my last points, for the sense of completeness: “The Chamber of Last Earthly Delights” sat kind of in the bottom middle for me in level of appreciation. It’s inspired by the mythology of Robert Chambers’ The King in Yellow (not James Chambers the author of this collection). Unlike Lovecraft mythos, I have never heard of Robert Chambers or his work before. The story goes in a more SF direction than others, which I found interesting. But, perhaps missing the reference/inspiration, the themes and plot of the story were really lost on me.
That James Chambers can so effectively employ varied voices/styles in a range of horror sub-genres seems to have led him to not just use other mythos as his inspiration, but to go even a bit further and pen additional stories featuring classic characters. The remaining two stories in the collection I haven’t yet mentioned fall into this category. In both cases, I’ve read nothing on the original sources, but unlike The King in Yellow, I have at least heard of them and/or their creators.
The first, “A Wandering Blackness” features Anton Zarnak, Supernatural Sleuth, a character by Lin Carter. Once Zarnak gets into this story by Chambers, it is awesome. The lead up to that, however, seemed unnecessarily prolonged. The second I read as far more successful: “Lost Boy” featuring Kolchak, the Night Stalker, a character who Chambers has also written for in the graphic novel format. It’s a familiar changeling fairy story, but the modern twist of a mother wronged by a rich businessman and the Kolchak series placement make it interesting and satisfying.
The collection is followed by author notes on each of the stories. I found these really useful for recalling some stories for this review so long after first reading them, but also they provide fantastic insights into why Chambers wrote them – the themes he found himself pondering or the inspiration/voice he wanted to delve into. The notes enhance the stories, especially for then rereading and gaining new appreciations.
Horror fans are sure to find a good deal to enjoy in On the Night Border. I failed to mention earlier one other element that ties together all the stories. No matter their voice or style, they are all cinematically evocative. Chambers writing really makes the reader hear and see what is going on, while also triggering the other senses like any good horror should. It deserves continued notice, and I hope to see much more from Chambers.
The first handful of stories in this collection immediately establish that Chambers can work well with completely different voices and styles. “A Song Left Behind in the Aztakea Hills” features a Lovecraftian plot set in New England. Its protagonist is an artist, a painter, who once knew Jack Kerouac. A mathematician seeks him out at the local bar to hear a story about his time with Kerouac, in particular an incident that occurred in the nearby hills on a trip with a band. As they travel back to the hills, the artist recalls the otherworldly sounds they experienced there, and he faces the mingling grief and indifference of being recently dumped by his boyfriend. The story is written with poetic descriptions and complex layers to its sentences. Chambers renders one section in the style of Kerouac, a mad frenzy that is a fitting pairing to Lovecraft. Though taken place in relatively contemporary time, the richness of the style and words evoke the eldritch inspirations behind the tale.
The next story, the aforementioned “Marco Polo”, is also set in relatively contemporary times and draws on themes of madness and recovery, but centers on a completely different population: teens. A group of friends dare one another to enter the fire-charred remains of a house to recover an object. The notorious house inspires fear both due to the physical danger of its ruins, but also on the spiritual side. It was the site for something horrendous, and the object is somehow associated with it. The reader soon learns more details, and the meaning of the title becomes apparent. But I won’t spoil that. With a focus on the impetuousness of youth, Chambers style and tone completely shifts from the first story. Curt dialogue between the friends and colloquial taunts blend with the inner thoughts of teenage uncertainty. But these soon give way to text again depicting madness. However, where in “A Song Left Behind in the Aztakea Hills” that madness fit the Lovecraft style mold, here it takes the form of slasher film syle.
Already, readers can begin to get a sense of those elements common to all of Chambers’ stories. First, he uses a plot set up that will be familiar to horror readers, or anyone who has heard a scary story or urban legend. He then chooses a unique voice to explore one central theme through that plot setup. He does that in ways that then take something ordinary and and skew it into a dark and dream-like haze. The story formed as the end product thus really fits with the title to this collection: a tale on the border between the mundane and bone chilling, on the border of familiar and uncanny.
“Lost Daughters” serves as a great example. One of my favorites in the collection, it began like something I read or heard before. A man drives on dark road over ‘suicide bridge’. He stops to pick up three young women, concerned for their safety out alone on such a night. Sounds like a ghost story from Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. To that setup Chambers then explores the emotions of a concerned father, and through that character’s voice reveals the terror as terror begins to unfold and his concern shifts to self preservation. I quickly realized these aren’t ghosts, they are another horror staple But, then the end brings the fatherhood concern theme full circle in novel ways.
To follow this, “Sum’bitch and the Arakadile” demonstrates yet another unique character/voice for Chambers to use, while also illustrating the first example in the collection of using some humor alongside the horror, even if the tone doesn’t ever really become ‘light’ per se. Later, with “Living/Dead”, Chambers shows that he can in fact do that too, with a memorably sweet story that uses the zombie concept to explore the mystery of love. This, right after the most brutal story in On the Night Border: “The Driver, Under a Chesire Moon”, where the main character is the eponymous driver, explaining to a passenger his fascination with the evils done against children, and the staggering statistics of child disappearance.
Though Chambers’ stories all share some common core, the shifts in voice and sub-genre of horror make it a very eclectic and varied collection. Looking at other reviews of On the Night Border, readers often seem to indicate very different stories as favorites, note others as good, and more rarely point out one not liked. Considering Chambers’ range, I don’t find this surprising. He’s very much a jack-of-all-trades within short fiction horror. Unless one really doesn’t like the voice or sub-genre he chooses, a reader will at least find a story to be decent. He’s not going to change your mind about what you’re partial to. But whatever horror thing is your favorite, he’ll write one that you will probably just adore.
I could not read “Mnemonicide” because it is written as an exercise in the second person. No matter how much that fits the story, I just don’t care. But others mark that as a favorite. I could take or leave Lovecraft. “Odd Quahogs” a story here featuring Dagon was good, but nothing special to me. The Lovecraftian “A Song Left Behind in the Aztakea Hills” I liked even more, but still wouldn’t put at the top.
Beyond ones mentioned earlier above, “The Many Hands Inside the Mountain”, “What’s in the Bag, Dad?”, “Picture Man”, and “Red Mami” were among my favorites. I won’t belabor things with summaries of those, and I’m out of fresh insights to particularly connect with them as examples.
Before getting to my last points, for the sense of completeness: “The Chamber of Last Earthly Delights” sat kind of in the bottom middle for me in level of appreciation. It’s inspired by the mythology of Robert Chambers’ The King in Yellow (not James Chambers the author of this collection). Unlike Lovecraft mythos, I have never heard of Robert Chambers or his work before. The story goes in a more SF direction than others, which I found interesting. But, perhaps missing the reference/inspiration, the themes and plot of the story were really lost on me.
That James Chambers can so effectively employ varied voices/styles in a range of horror sub-genres seems to have led him to not just use other mythos as his inspiration, but to go even a bit further and pen additional stories featuring classic characters. The remaining two stories in the collection I haven’t yet mentioned fall into this category. In both cases, I’ve read nothing on the original sources, but unlike The King in Yellow, I have at least heard of them and/or their creators.
The first, “A Wandering Blackness” features Anton Zarnak, Supernatural Sleuth, a character by Lin Carter. Once Zarnak gets into this story by Chambers, it is awesome. The lead up to that, however, seemed unnecessarily prolonged. The second I read as far more successful: “Lost Boy” featuring Kolchak, the Night Stalker, a character who Chambers has also written for in the graphic novel format. It’s a familiar changeling fairy story, but the modern twist of a mother wronged by a rich businessman and the Kolchak series placement make it interesting and satisfying.
The collection is followed by author notes on each of the stories. I found these really useful for recalling some stories for this review so long after first reading them, but also they provide fantastic insights into why Chambers wrote them – the themes he found himself pondering or the inspiration/voice he wanted to delve into. The notes enhance the stories, especially for then rereading and gaining new appreciations.
Horror fans are sure to find a good deal to enjoy in On the Night Border. I failed to mention earlier one other element that ties together all the stories. No matter their voice or style, they are all cinematically evocative. Chambers writing really makes the reader hear and see what is going on, while also triggering the other senses like any good horror should. It deserves continued notice, and I hope to see much more from Chambers.
September 12, 2019
With an introduction by horror legend Linda Addison, things get off to a very memorable start in the latest short story collection from Bram Stoker Award®-winning horror author James Chambers. As Linda asserts, the stories herein are memorable, bold, and evocative. They have a cinematic quality to them, indeed making one feel the same immediacy as watching a film rather than reading a narrative. Additionally, Chambers has a knack for streamlined narratives whether he’s taking on an established property, such as the Kolchak universe, or adding to his own.
Here are stories of madness, torture, violence, settling scores, pain, and more. There are races against time, swerves to keep the reader on the edge of their seat, and haunting descriptions that remain long after the book has finished.
Highlights for me included “Lost Daughters” for its mystery around a deceptively scenario, someone trying to be a good Samaritan, but learning the hard way that sometimes no good deed goes unpunished. I believe I read this when I reviewed the anthology Deep Cuts years ago, and can say with some confidence that the story is just as memorable now as it was then for me.
The interestingly-named “Sum bitch and the Arakadile” featured a Southern influence and violent confrontations vividly painted that made the story pop off the page for me. “The Many Hands Inside the Mountain” was a similarly well-done piece, featuring more fantastical elements mixed in with the horror, and showcased Chambers’s versatility as a writer. “Mnemonicide” is also a piece that highlights the dangers of not letting go of the past, the inability for some to separate wounds from so long ago, holding people responsible, getting things twisted about pain and memories, and more. It was one of the most compelling pieces and had a philosophical bent to it that I enjoyed.
Chambers is a highly skilled practitioner of the craft of story, and he knows how to unveil compelling narratives to keep readers engaged in the deeper, darker things that go bump in the night that they may not necessarily want to look at. His “Author’s Notes” at the back of the book are well worth the read to find out his insights not only of how he came up with some of the stories, but also how he incorporated aspects of himself into the work. I found it fascinating.
For fans of Chambers’s run with Kolchak stories, particularly the award-winning The Forgotten Lore of Edgar Allan Poe, this collection will be right up their alley. Those who enjoy homages to the pulp stories of the 1940s and 50s will also enjoy those offerings included here. Readers with a hankering for Lovecraftian and cosmic horror themes will have plenty to satisfy their sweet tooth for those (in particular, “The Chamber of Last Earthly Delights.”). Readers who enjoy well-written supernatural stories will appreciate the selections in this multifaceted collection.
Here are stories of madness, torture, violence, settling scores, pain, and more. There are races against time, swerves to keep the reader on the edge of their seat, and haunting descriptions that remain long after the book has finished.
Highlights for me included “Lost Daughters” for its mystery around a deceptively scenario, someone trying to be a good Samaritan, but learning the hard way that sometimes no good deed goes unpunished. I believe I read this when I reviewed the anthology Deep Cuts years ago, and can say with some confidence that the story is just as memorable now as it was then for me.
The interestingly-named “Sum bitch and the Arakadile” featured a Southern influence and violent confrontations vividly painted that made the story pop off the page for me. “The Many Hands Inside the Mountain” was a similarly well-done piece, featuring more fantastical elements mixed in with the horror, and showcased Chambers’s versatility as a writer. “Mnemonicide” is also a piece that highlights the dangers of not letting go of the past, the inability for some to separate wounds from so long ago, holding people responsible, getting things twisted about pain and memories, and more. It was one of the most compelling pieces and had a philosophical bent to it that I enjoyed.
Chambers is a highly skilled practitioner of the craft of story, and he knows how to unveil compelling narratives to keep readers engaged in the deeper, darker things that go bump in the night that they may not necessarily want to look at. His “Author’s Notes” at the back of the book are well worth the read to find out his insights not only of how he came up with some of the stories, but also how he incorporated aspects of himself into the work. I found it fascinating.
For fans of Chambers’s run with Kolchak stories, particularly the award-winning The Forgotten Lore of Edgar Allan Poe, this collection will be right up their alley. Those who enjoy homages to the pulp stories of the 1940s and 50s will also enjoy those offerings included here. Readers with a hankering for Lovecraftian and cosmic horror themes will have plenty to satisfy their sweet tooth for those (in particular, “The Chamber of Last Earthly Delights.”). Readers who enjoy well-written supernatural stories will appreciate the selections in this multifaceted collection.
February 15, 2020
I love collections of short horror stories, especially when I find a new author to read. James Chambers instantly made my "must read everything he writes" list with this collection. So good! There isn't a dud in the entire collection.
December 8, 2019
Very simple criteria for a 5 star review, I enjoyed every story in the collection. There is something in here for everyone. Some Lovecrafian mythology, some media tie in ( Kolchak 😁) some mystery and some dark shadows, each story is well written and compelling. Recommended.
January 31, 2020
Loved this collection of thought-provoking, unsettling horror. Beautifully written.
January 28, 2020
Full reviee to come soon!
May 17, 2021
Excellent collection. There is a wide variety of horror stories here, something for every taste. It's also a great introduction to Chambers's writing; I will definitely be checking out more from him.
Some highlights include:
"A Song Left Behind in the Aztakea Hills" - I did my junior year high school term paper on the Beat poets, so this story involving Jack Kerouac was right up my alley. A lonely artist reminisces on his friendship with Kerouac and the night they experienced something strange in the wooded hills behind the artist's hometown. The artist confronts this mystery again when he ventures back into those woods following Kerouac's death.
"The Many Hands Inside the Mountain" was a Halloween set story and one of my favorites in the collection. A man plans his revenge on his fiancé's wealthy father, but all doesn't go according to plan when he witnesses the family's annual Halloween ritual in the woods.
"The Driver Under a Cheshire Moon" - You want to go into this story knowing as little as possible, because the truth of the story is only revealed to you gradually. I don't want to say any more, but this one is an emotional must read.
"Living/Dead" is a fairly lighthearted story about a near future where love is capable of resurrecting the dead. Needless to say, this makes the search for romance all the more desperate. It also means there are fanatics who are against the resurrections and willing to go to great lengths in protesting it.
"Kolchak, The Night Stalker: The Lost Boy" - My other favorite story. I'm a big Kolchak fan, and Chambers is excellent in channeling the character's voice; I could almost hear Darren McGavin narrating this one. A fun, fairly lighthearted story of fairy changelings and human greed.
Some highlights include:
"A Song Left Behind in the Aztakea Hills" - I did my junior year high school term paper on the Beat poets, so this story involving Jack Kerouac was right up my alley. A lonely artist reminisces on his friendship with Kerouac and the night they experienced something strange in the wooded hills behind the artist's hometown. The artist confronts this mystery again when he ventures back into those woods following Kerouac's death.
"The Many Hands Inside the Mountain" was a Halloween set story and one of my favorites in the collection. A man plans his revenge on his fiancé's wealthy father, but all doesn't go according to plan when he witnesses the family's annual Halloween ritual in the woods.
"The Driver Under a Cheshire Moon" - You want to go into this story knowing as little as possible, because the truth of the story is only revealed to you gradually. I don't want to say any more, but this one is an emotional must read.
"Living/Dead" is a fairly lighthearted story about a near future where love is capable of resurrecting the dead. Needless to say, this makes the search for romance all the more desperate. It also means there are fanatics who are against the resurrections and willing to go to great lengths in protesting it.
"Kolchak, The Night Stalker: The Lost Boy" - My other favorite story. I'm a big Kolchak fan, and Chambers is excellent in channeling the character's voice; I could almost hear Darren McGavin narrating this one. A fun, fairly lighthearted story of fairy changelings and human greed.
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