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Dark Nights and Candlelight: 31 Tiny October Tales
31 nights. 31 tales. Let the countdown to Halloween begin.
166 pages, Hardcover
Published October 20, 2021
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55 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 2, 2018
I remember reading Frederic Brown’s Nightmares and Geezenstacks when I was in high school and thinking to myself “what a great idea! Micro short stories with surprise endings!”. The stories weren’t more than a page or two long in most cases and always had that whopper of an ending. Much like what Gregory Miller does here in “Dark Nights and Candlelight”.
Think of each story as an idea. There is little time in a couple pages for character development or plot propulsion. Miller has an idea and pitches it in a straightforward manner, often ending each story on a spooky note which slams the haunted house front door shut immediately after you have crossed the threshold. What if...Bloody Mary was a real person and invited to your teenage daughter’s slumber party? What if...that noise in the attic wasn’t just the wind? What if...that accident you passed on the way to meet your boyfriend was all too familiar? Miller posits these and other scenarios in these 31 tales of dread.
You can knock this out in an hour or less. But don’t. It’s meant to be read one story at a time, one October night at a time. 31 stories for each night in October. I found myself looking forward to each new tale, enjoying the shiver each one gave me after a late night before bed reading. I would think reading them in one sitting would simply dull down the impact of each one. Take your time. Enjoy October and the buildup to Halloween. Read one or two aloud to your young kids for a good scare. Taken as one story a night, you enjoy them more.
So it’s the process as well as the content. Invest in the journey and enjoy the “gotcha” moments. It’s all in good fun!
Bonus—-the original cover painting for this book, rendered stylishly by the talented John York, hangs in my living room. Kudos if you noticed it’s an homage to the great Ray Bradbury!
4 out of 5 stars
Think of each story as an idea. There is little time in a couple pages for character development or plot propulsion. Miller has an idea and pitches it in a straightforward manner, often ending each story on a spooky note which slams the haunted house front door shut immediately after you have crossed the threshold. What if...Bloody Mary was a real person and invited to your teenage daughter’s slumber party? What if...that noise in the attic wasn’t just the wind? What if...that accident you passed on the way to meet your boyfriend was all too familiar? Miller posits these and other scenarios in these 31 tales of dread.
You can knock this out in an hour or less. But don’t. It’s meant to be read one story at a time, one October night at a time. 31 stories for each night in October. I found myself looking forward to each new tale, enjoying the shiver each one gave me after a late night before bed reading. I would think reading them in one sitting would simply dull down the impact of each one. Take your time. Enjoy October and the buildup to Halloween. Read one or two aloud to your young kids for a good scare. Taken as one story a night, you enjoy them more.
So it’s the process as well as the content. Invest in the journey and enjoy the “gotcha” moments. It’s all in good fun!
Bonus—-the original cover painting for this book, rendered stylishly by the talented John York, hangs in my living room. Kudos if you noticed it’s an homage to the great Ray Bradbury!
4 out of 5 stars
November 23, 2018
No need to wait for Halloween.
I didn't discover this book until the middle of November. But I love a spooky tale anytime of the year. I finished the last story on Thanksgiving day in fact, while seated before a warm fire, while November winds whip about outside, and a full moon is riding the sky. In fact, tonight feels more like Halloween weather than it did in Halloween. These stories don't fail to deliver. I had to drive home after finishing the last story, and seeing my little hometown in the dark, with shadows racing one another, a shudder ran up my spine and I was more than glad that I live nowhere near our local graveyards. Although there is a silent and dark wood not too far from my house..... So, for a grand case of the shivers, and an order of free nightmares, read Dark Nights and Candlelight. Then sleep with the lights on.
I didn't discover this book until the middle of November. But I love a spooky tale anytime of the year. I finished the last story on Thanksgiving day in fact, while seated before a warm fire, while November winds whip about outside, and a full moon is riding the sky. In fact, tonight feels more like Halloween weather than it did in Halloween. These stories don't fail to deliver. I had to drive home after finishing the last story, and seeing my little hometown in the dark, with shadows racing one another, a shudder ran up my spine and I was more than glad that I live nowhere near our local graveyards. Although there is a silent and dark wood not too far from my house..... So, for a grand case of the shivers, and an order of free nightmares, read Dark Nights and Candlelight. Then sleep with the lights on.
November 1, 2018
Another wonderful October read from Gregory Miller.
October 31, 2018
Thirty-one fun little tales - one for each day of Spooktober!
Some are chilling, some are surprisingly touching - all are a treat.
Some are chilling, some are surprisingly touching - all are a treat.
October 13, 2020
Great Halloween stories!!! Wonderful!! I want MORE!!!
What a great read!!! I could not hold back and read as the author asked, one story a day, I devoured it all in one sitting!! Great writing, good flow, lots of imagery....
What a great read!!! I could not hold back and read as the author asked, one story a day, I devoured it all in one sitting!! Great writing, good flow, lots of imagery....
October 14, 2020
Short and sweet.
The stories are short and quick reads. I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent reading. The perfect stories for a break at work or a quick read before turning out the lights....or not!
The stories are short and quick reads. I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent reading. The perfect stories for a break at work or a quick read before turning out the lights....or not!
November 2, 2020
Not one of my favorite reads. It was described to me as an advent calendar for halloween. One spooky story per day for the month of October, which it was....but spooky it was not. Some of the stories were just....odd in my opinion.
December 23, 2021
I loved the 18th
A story for every day in October, quite different from the Uncanny stories but I loved them. Easy and fast to read, leaving things to think about, some were true horror, others just a twist of the unexplained.
A story for every day in October, quite different from the Uncanny stories but I loved them. Easy and fast to read, leaving things to think about, some were true horror, others just a twist of the unexplained.
October 21, 2020
Cute short stories for Halloween
Some stories are sweet, some scary and some funny. There’s even an allusion to Lovecraft. Looking forward to reading more from Gregory Miller.
Some stories are sweet, some scary and some funny. There’s even an allusion to Lovecraft. Looking forward to reading more from Gregory Miller.
November 1, 2020
This is a collection of short horror stories, one for each day in October. As with most anthologies I enjoyed some stories more than others but overall this was a fun read.
November 23, 2020
Good read
I enjoyed some of the stories. Some held my interest others were just boring. I feel I could recommend this book.
I enjoyed some of the stories. Some held my interest others were just boring. I feel I could recommend this book.
November 24, 2020
This was a cute collection of short stories. I hate i didn't get to read it during October but it was still fun to read.
March 22, 2021
Delightful!
A collection of delightfully scary short flash fiction stories. These are more of the campfire variety in style,and very Halloween themed.
A collection of delightfully scary short flash fiction stories. These are more of the campfire variety in style,and very Halloween themed.
April 19, 2021
Gregory Miller states in the introduction that he intended this collection of 31 tales to serve as a sort of Halloween Advent calendar, for one story to be read a day up through Halloween. I think that this is an excellent idea, and this collection is perfect for that purpose. The stories are all short and sweet, radiating a cool autumnal atmosphere. Dark Nights really got me in really got me into that special October mood. There isn't one weak story in the entire collection, and I highly recommend that Halloween and horror fans pick this one up for next year.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews