Dark Screams: Volume Six [My Book Review]

I am usually a huge fan of short stories. In fact, my favorite short story collections are by Richard Matheson! So I was really excited to read this book, “Dark Screams: Volumn Six” which features stories by Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates, Norman Prentiss, and others. I have to say, the book as a whole left me a bit disappointed, but there were some gems in the collection I want to point out.

THE RICH ARE DIFFERENT by Lisa Morton:

This story was so odd. It reminded me a bit of the Island of Dr. Moreau mixed with Bridesmaids and maybe a dash of the short story classic “The House on Haunted Hill’. Kind of a wild combo, right? Anyways, this was about a woman falling in love with a very wealthy, and very strange man. It starts out with her waiting for something very frightening about to happen and then you are taken back to when she first meets this rich family. Anyways, I don’t want to give anything away but this story takes an aesthetically pleasing to look at setting and turns into it into something potentially grim and dangerous. I loved it.

THE MANICURE by Nell Quinn-Gibney

I thought this was so odd and kind of creepy in a hilarious dark way. And I don’t think I was supposed to think it was funny at all. But it starts out with this character who is terrified of these nail clippers but they visit a nail salon anyways. Snip snip right? Well, this was worth reading as each finger takes you back to a weird memory of something going very very wrong.

THE COMFORTING VOICE by Norman Prentiss

I liked this one and I thought it was very disturbing but entertaining. A couple have a baby and the wife invites her father to live with them. The grandfather has reconciled with his daughter and can’t wait to dote on his new grandchild. Well the husband doesn’t trust any of it. And well…I don’t want to give anything away but it’s a really captivating and bizarre story.

So, those three were gems and I think those are worth seeking out and reading. But the others…I was disappointed by Stephen King and the short story by Joyce Carol Oates was oddly forgettable. And the last story was very long and I didn’t finish it. Just didn’t catch me.

Overall, it wasn’t a book that caught me completely but it was pretty good overall. I was a bit disappointed, but there were some good stories mixed in there. It’s actually available as an ebook on Amazon for $0.99 and you know? That’s a fantastic deal so buy it, read those stories I mentioned, and let me know what you think! Purchase now. 

I received this book in exchange for my honest review.