Tag Archives: Ghosts

Finding Magic by Stacia Kane

November 19, 2024Book ReviewDownside Ghosts, Ghosts, Paranormal Fantasy, Stacia Kane, Urban Fantasyskyebjenner

Title: Finding Magic
Author: Stacia Kane
Series: Downside Ghosts #0.5
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Ghosts, Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novella
Year: 2012

I’ve read a Downside Ghosts story in the past, but this is actually the beginning of the series. And it’s also been a long while since I’ve read the original short stories. Finding Magic is a great introduction to this world. It gives a lot of information about this urban fantasy reality that I absolutely ate up. It makes me want to dive into this series and find out what happens to Chess further down the road. She’s at a point of conflict in her life during this, and I wonder how that’s going to resolve leading into the novels within the series.

It was interesting that this is a world in which religion and ghosts play a key part. The history of the intersection between religion and ghosts was integral to this story, and I seriously enjoyed how it became a misaligned feeling throughout. It also highlighted the conflict in Chess. She seems to be seeing the reality behind the religious / cultlike power. It sets the powers that be up to be fallible and corrupt, but also makes you question everything throughout. Chess is so down on herself, painfully insecure and I’m unsure as to whether I enjoyed that more or less.

Alongside all of the phenomenal world building, I really enjoyed the mystery of this story. It was a good murder mystery, and I spent most of the book trying to figure out just who the guilty party was. I was intrigued and it meant that it was incredibly difficult to put this aside for more responsible adulting.

<- More Stacia Kane

Unholy Ghosts ->

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Phantoms of the Midway by Seanan McGuire

July 5, 2024Book ReviewGhosts, Mythology, Retellings, Seanan McGuire, The Mythic Dreamskyebjenner

Title: Phantoms of the Midway
Author: Seanan McGuire
In: The Mythic Dream (Dominik Parisien & Navah Wolfe)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Ghosts, Mythology, Retellings
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Short story
Year: 2019

I spent this whole story trying to figure out which myth this short story was based on. And then, I realised that it was about Hades and Persephone. Which completely makes sense, but rather than being based on romantic or sexual love, it’s about a mother’s love.

I love that Aracely and Joanna have so much potential at the turning point of seventeen. And even though they’re both dead, that potential is somehow expanded, not diminished. But, they also have a reality and a life to grow into. One that they both grasp with eyes wide open.

There is something eerie and haunting about this story from the very beginning. And, it isn’t until the end that I could quite put my finger on why. On the one hand, it’s sweet and a reminder of the lengths that a mother will go to to protect her child. On the other, it’s a little bit creepy the lengths that a mother will go to to protect her child…

<- The Mythic Dream

The Justified ->

Image source: Simon & Schuster

Olivia’s Table by Alyssa Wong

July 3, 2024Book ReviewA Thousand Beginnings and Endings, Alyssa Wong, Chinese Mythology, Ghosts, Mythologyskyebjenner

Title: Olivia’s Table
Author: Alyssa Wong
In: A Thousand Beginnings and Endings (Ellen Oh & Elsie Chapman)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Chinese mythology, Ghosts, Mythology
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Short story
Year: 2018

I love that this short story not only encompassed a part of Chinese culture and mythology, but also the immigration experience and some of the difficulties in combining the two realities. As someone who has no experience (and never will) with either reality, I really liked the insight that Wong was able to provide whilst also just writing a phenomenal short story that I didn’t want to end.

The idea of feeding the ghosts to help them move on is absolutely beautiful and I really enjoyed learning about how they are able to progress to the next part of their afterlife. It also made ghosts less scary, and far more sympathetic. I would’ve though a story about exorcising ghosts was going to be scary. But, instead, I found it incredibly peaceful.

Death and afterlife understandings and rituals are always something that have fascinated me. How do people move on and process loss? I like that Olivia’s Table is all about mourning the lost, and letting people move on, both the living and the dead. Wonderfully enjoyable and definitely a short story that I look forward to reading again in the future!

<- Forbidden Fruit

Steel Skin ->

Image source: Amazon

Misadventure by Stephen Gallagher

May 3, 2024Book ReviewGhosts, Horror, Inferno, Stephen Gallagherskyebjenner

Title: Misadventure
Author: Stephen Gallagher
In: Inferno (Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Ghosts, Horror
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Short story
Year: 2007

This was actually a surprisingly sweet short story, even if it was also horrible. I mean, it had this kind of nice quality about it that somehow softened the edges of the horror. I mean, it’s still slightly horrible, just less so than originally expected.

There are two parallel stories within this tale – both about children whose lives were put at risk because their friends just didn’t want to call for help. I hate that this is not a surprising bent in a horror – it just makes it all that much more depressing that for one of these stories, the outcome was not a positive one. This is probably where the greatest horror of the story comes from – that realistic aspect.

Alongside all of the different creepy parts of this story, I love how there are a lot of ghosts and their lingering. That they continuously linger all around us, trying to get their final bit of peace.

<- Riding Bitch

The Forest ->

Image source: Goodreads

Two Houses by Kelly Link

January 5, 2024Book ReviewGhosts, Hauntings, Horror, Kelly Link, Spaceskyebjenner

Hauntings: Datlow, Ellen: 9781616960889: Amazon.com: Books

Title: Two Houses
Author: Kelly Link
In: Hauntings (Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Ghosts, Horror, Space
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Tachyon
Year: 2013

This short story started out kind of fun, and not with too much feeling of a horror story. I mean, it’s a bunch of younger people, in space, celebrating a friends’ birthday. How could that not seem fun and innocent? But then it got a little bit darker… and kind of haunting. And then it just got twisted. I love that this horror feeling came out of left field and was quite unexpected.

To start with, the characters begin by telling each other ghost stories. A perfectly normal way to spend an evening when you’re young and bored. Again, it wasn’t overly freaky to begin with. Then we get to the story of the two houses – which is quite twisted in and of itself. But then the ship gets involved in the story and things get seriously… twisted. And horrible. Which made this a fantastic story – the unexpected nature of the ick and horrifying.

After reading this seemingly benign short story, I actually had to walk around my house and close all of the darker areas. I mean, this was a seriously creepy murder story that features a murder house. I might not live in a murder house, but it didn’t mean that I wanted to look out at the darkness that inhabits all of the shadows. I mean, you finish off this story wondering who is in the murder house, and who is in the replica…

<- Spectral Evidence

Where Angels Come In ->

Image source: Amazon

Hunger, An Introduction by Peter Straub

December 12, 2023Book ReviewGhosts, Hauntings, Horror, Peter Straubskyebjenner

Title: Hunger, An Introduction
Author: Peter Straub
In: Hauntings (Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Ghosts, Horror
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Tachyon
Year: 2013

Hunger, An Introduction was not quite as creepy as many other stories in the Hauntings collection. Which I’m kind of glad about. Because some of them were seriously intense and kind of uncomfortable to read.

This short story jumped around a lot. It talked a lot about the hunger of death. And how hauntings occur. I’d probably have to read this again to get a better grasp on how it is all related. Particularly to the child at the end.

I don’t normally feel that deaths are necessarily warranted. But Ethel and Frank’s stories were seriously twisted. Their journeys to death row something that made me cringe. And their fate as hauntings kind of felt warranted.

<- Where Angels Come In

Inferno: Tales of Terror and the Supernatural ->

Image source: Amazon

Hula Ville by James P. Blaylock

December 11, 2023Book ReviewGhosts, Hauntings, Horror, James P. Blaylockskyebjenner

Title: Hula Ville
Author: James P. Blaylock
In: Hauntings (Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Ghosts, Horror
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Tachyon
Year: 2013

This was a bit of an eerie feeling short story, one featuring angels and mummies. And just all of the discomfort that facing the unknown entails. It also had a bit of that feel that if I read it multiple times, I’d find symbols throughout that I missed the first time around. It was all about the mystery of the unknown without providing any answers whatsoever at the conclusion of the tale. Not necessarily a bad thing, but it does make it hard to recount / write a review on…

There were so many layers of meaning throughout this that I just know I didn’t quite grasp. Or at least, that’s how this story made me feel. As though I was almost reaching the reality being revealed, but not quite getting there. Although, this is in a collection called Hauntings so that very elusiveness makes it sit really well within that theme…

Everything about this story, particularly Hula Ville is just not quite what it seems. There is the constant threat of something terrifying happening from the tone of the story. And, even when things didn’t quite end as tragically as anticipated… I was still left feeling disquieted from this story.

<- Transfigured Night

The Bedroom Light ->

Image source: Amazon

Hauntings edited by Ellen Datlow

November 22, 2023Book ReviewAdam L.G. Nevill, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Connie Willis, Dale Bailey, David Morrell, E. Michael Lewis, Elizabeth Hand, Ellen Datlow, F. Paul Wilson, Gemma Files, Ghosts, Hauntings, Horror, James P. Blaylock, Jeffrey Ford, Jonathan Carroll, Joyce Carol Oates, Kelly Link, Lucius Shepard, Michael Marshall Smith, Neil Gaiman, Pat Cadigan, Paul Walther, Peter Straub, Richard Bowes, Short Story Collections, Simon Kurt Unsworth, Stephen Gallagher, Terry Dowlingskyebjenner

Title: Hauntings
Author: Ellen Datlow, Pat Cadigan, Dale Bailey, E. Michael Lewis, Lucius Shepard, David Morrell, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Joyce Carol Oates, Elizabeth Hand, Neil Gaiman, F. Paul Wilson, Jonathan Carroll, Terry Dowling, Paul Walther, Simon Kurt Unsworth, Connie Willis, Stephen Gallagher, Michael Marshall Smith, Richard Bowes, James P. Blaylock, Jeffrey Ford, Gemma Files, Kelly Link, Adam L.G. Nevill & Peter Straub
In: Hauntings (Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Ghosts, Horror, Short story collections
Pace: Slow
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Tachyon
Year: 2013

This is, as with all Ellen Datlow collections, seriously fun and enjoyable. The fact that this fantastic collection is full of seriously creepy stories made it that much more enjoyable. Mostly because it’s out of my usual genre of choice. Horror and ghost stories might not be quite my usual speed, but that didn’t mean that I didn’t love reading this collection!

Although I really enjoyed reading all of these short stories, I did find that this was not an anthology I should be reading late at night. Or when I was home alone. Whilst some of the stories were kind of mild and not too terrifying, some made it really difficult to sleep after turning the final page. Or just made it difficult to turn off the lights. Which is why this took me a little bit longer to read than I had anticipated.

Hauntings runs the gambit of horror and ghost stories, from horrible hauntings to stories that had a little bit more hope at the end. They made me feel all of the feelings, and I would most definitely read this collection again in the future.

<- The First Lunar Halloween

Eenie, Meenie, Ipsateenie ->

Image source: Amazon

Everybody Goes by Michael Marshall Smith

September 14, 2023Book ReviewGhosts, Hauntings, Horror, Michael Marshall Smithskyebjenner

Title: Everybody Goes
Author: Michael Marshall Smith
In: Hauntings (Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Ghosts, Horror
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Tachyon
Year: 2013

This wasn’t quite the “haunting” tale that I was expecting, but it was even better. I mean, I was kind of expecting something that was scary and disturbed. Instead, it was actually a little bit sweet and innocent. I mean, there is still a haunting and a bit of a creepy factor, but overall, it was actually kind of innocent and sweet.

Before I got to that point of kind of innocent though, I got some pretty serious IT vibes. I honestly kept on expecting a creepy, horrifying, killer clown to dive out of the pages and attack the children. Which definitely lent to the feeling of suspense that kept me turning the pages. Then, the ending made everything much more innocent in hindsight.

This was a good, easy read. It had a bit of a suspenseful feeling. But it also worked as a great reminder of the innocence of childish days and memories.

<- The Horn

Transfigured Night ->

Image source: Amazon

The Fooly by Terry Dowling

July 12, 2022Book ReviewGhosts, Hauntings, Horror, Terry Dowlingskyebjenner

Title: The Fooly
Author: Terry Dowling
In: Hauntings (Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Ghosts, Horror
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Tachyon
Year: 2013

So I read this at about 4am waiting for my infant daughter to fall asleep. It was certainly enjoyable and a good way to keep me up. But… maybe it was a little too good. Even after I managed to get back to sleep… the dreams were kind of weird to say the least. It was definitely a haunting kind of story. But one that had just a nice little dash of humour.

After finishing this story, I wondered who and what Katie was who was in a different town. After all, if the lead in this story was some kind of creature that haunts the haunters, then who in the heck is Katie? I like all of the possibilities that my mind took me on and made me wonder about. After all, that’s generally why I enjoy reading horror short stories so much… the possibilities are endless.

This was such a quick short story, so it definitely suits that this is a quick review. It was short, sharp and shiny and seriously enjoyable. The perfect way to wait out a 4-month old who refuses to sleep. But not read it to her… because you know, I want her to actually sleep…

<- Mr. Fiddlehead

The Toll ->

Image source: Amazon

Earth and Skye

The ramblings of a bibliophile.

Tag Archives: Ghosts

Finding Magic by Stacia Kane

Phantoms of the Midway by Seanan McGuire

Olivia’s Table by Alyssa Wong

Misadventure by Stephen Gallagher

Two Houses by Kelly Link

Hunger, An Introduction by Peter Straub

Hula Ville by James P. Blaylock

Hauntings edited by Ellen Datlow

Everybody Goes by Michael Marshall Smith

The Fooly by Terry Dowling