Snag Your Copy Enter At Your Own Risk: Old Masters, New Voices Originated By Alex Scully Conveyed In Interactive EBook
I really enjoyed this anthology, Strong stories by several modern writers, particularly B, E. Scully definitely have to read Verland now juxtaposed with classic writers exploring similar themes, And not just the obvious most published stories by the older writers, "There Was A Man Dwelt by a Churchyard" by M, R. James was hairraising and "The Spectre Bride" by William Harrison Ainsworth is one of the darkest stories I have ever read,
If you want to commune with some Gothic ghosts, this story will conjure them up for you, The Old Masters of Dark Fiction in this collection include Poe, Lovecraft, Bram Stoker, and other eminent storytellers from the lateth and earlyth century.
Most stories are brief, fewer thanpages, and could help pass time in a waiting room, bus or train,
The New Voices in this collection are a bit rough and their stories are in need of editing, But, some of the stories have potential and may appear reedited in other collections or on the web, A story by Mari Adkins piqued my interest: a young woman is idly browsing a record story when a detective approaches her, He wants her help locating a murder victimafter dinner and sex, she agrees to use her paranormal powers to help the detective, but as they search for the victim she slowly becomes aware that she may soon become a victim herself.
The eerie conclusion is a shocker suitable for this anthology,
My review copy of Old Masters/New Voices came in the email as a PDF, Unfortunately, the table of contents was corrupted and would not display with Adobe Reader, I rebuilt the TOC using PDFpenPro, nice app to have around,
If you like classic horror or stories of the weird and are willing to build a tableofcontents for your PDF reader then you may find this anthology worthwhile for your smart phone or tablet, but otherwise I would skip this anthology.
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I got this through goodreads giveaways, Thanks!
This is a pretty good anthology with a creepy feel, If you're looking for slashers and gore, this definitely isn't the novel for you, As for me, I love a bit of good old creepy,
There weren't many stories I truly "disliked", just one on the top of my head, there are a few blahs, as expected in an anthology, but for the most part, the stories were interesting and creepy.
I recommend it for fans of horror and suspense, One really has to take a moment to appreciate what anthologist Dr, Alex Scully is trying to do with ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK: FIRES AND PHANTOMS, Her intent is not only an admirable one, it's an intriguing one, Dr. Scully's purpose seems to be to contrast more "classic" horror tales with those of more modern authors, all along a similar theme,
The theme she has chosen concerns itself with gay/lesbian issues, The challenge seems to be that, prior to the Twentieth Century, there may not be very much literature out there that overtly fits this theme.
Or, if it exists, Dr, Scully may simply not have found it, The classic selections range from largely bland to mildly interesting, Given the sexual repression of the past, especially during the Victorian Age, it's disappointing that this anthology does not provide more interesting fodder,
It is in her choice of the newer material, however, that Dr, Scully's critical eye proves to be at its best, When it comes to her choices of modern material, Scully avoids the trap of so many anthologists, that of including the sameoldsameold authors and stories who readers interested in this particular subgenre will undoubtedly have read many times before.
These are fresh pieces by "new" authors in that they are not quite so commonly read as other writers currently known for their gay/lesbian genre work.
My one major criticism of an otherwise enjoyable volume is that I feel that it could have used some kind of interstitial material, by way of a short introduction to each story perhaps.
If Dr. Scully's goal is to compare and contrast, as I believe it is, she has chosen not to provide the reader with an effective way to place the stories in any historic context.
To be fair, she may have wished to allow the reader to reach their own conclusions, However, I found myself repeatedly flipping to the Author Bios at the end of the book to try and determine when, historically, a story was written and whether a particular author was alive or dead.
When it comes to GLBT literature for example, especially when a story is from the hand of a gay man, I find there are distinct differences in view depending on whether the author was writing before or after the socalled Plague Years when there was a distinct cultural shift.
This is a small nitpick insofar as my enjoyment of the collection goes but, I feel it is still an important point to make,
Some of the stories stand out, whether for good or ill, and bear specific mention,
R. T. Anderson's "When You Are Right" starts the volume off with a bang, It is a creepy, disturbing story with a lovely tension throughout, spoiled only slightly by a trite "surprise" ending which isn't really necessary,
B. E. Scully's "Time for One More Show" is one of the standout pieces, It's a kind of vengeful ghost/possession story set in a San Francisco "lap dance joint", Scully's characters are fullyfleshed out people we're eager to follow them on their journey, even if it is to be a short one,
"In the End He Dreamed' by Michael Meeske is a sweet and touching tale, "Sing For Me, Baby" is Catherine R, Smyka's surprisingly disturbing story of a lesbian couple's tragic attempt to defy a vengeful spirit, And Edith Wharton's "The Eyes" is a rare treat as it is not commonly found in collections, Ted Cornwell's "Stage Whisper" manages to communicate a haunted longing, tragically never fulfilled that will resonate with many readers,
However, the two
stand out stories by far are "Country People" by Richard Hall and the brilliant story by Richard May, "Inheritance, " These two pieces alone are worth the price of the book and Alex Scully needs to take a bow for providing them to us,
"Country People" is a bittersweet story of repression, finally set free, It is a "gimmick" story with a clever reveal at the end that most readers will easily see coming, But, in truth, that doesn't matter, Richard Hall's style is just delightful his prose is replete with emotion, This story, in the end, will leave all but the most jaded reader with a warm feeling in their soul,
Finally, I cannot rave enough about Richard May's "Inheritance, " Another ghost story, this one comes complete with a family curse and a wonderfully macabre yet romantic resolution, I daresay that "Inheritance" ranks up there with the amazing Jan Vander Laenen's "Epistle of the Sleeping Beauty" as one of the best examples of short gay horror fiction in recent decades.
In sum, this anthology is an ambitious attempt, quite enjoyable, which stops just a hair shy of fully accomplishing its aims, That being said, it is certainly well worth your time to read, Though aficionados and students of gay/lesbian literature will find it particularly interesting, most of the stories herein are worthwhile enough to be enjoyed by anyone who like reading horror short fiction.
Highly recommended.
which is finally given in the volume, a story with an obvious, but nonetheless in depth subtext, If Gothic masters like Lovecraft, Poe, and Stoker could whisper new tales from beyond the grave, what stories would they create in response to increasingly urgent issues such as the threat of environmental collapse, the ongoing struggles for equal rights, and the innumerable challenges, thrills, and dangers of life in thest century In this new anthology, classic Gothic tales are juxtaposed with modern short stories in a fascinating exploration of how much things change in the world of horror and chillsand how much they stay the same.
The stories provide an engaging time travel through the twisted tunnels of the human psyche and the equally disturbing behavior that accompanies itguilt, lust, revenge, regret, the eternal and often deadly power of love, the inseparable allure/repellence of evil.
. . and the sceptered shadow of Death which lurks over all, Special treats from the classic authors include a rare, early story from Poe, and Bram Stoker's "lost" chapter from Dracula, Withtales from three centuries' worth of delightfully deranged minds, this collection reveals the astonishing scope of the Gothic writer's incomparable genius for revealing our deepest emotions and penetrating our darkest dreams.
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