I’m admittedly a very picky audiobook reader, and the narrators in this one did not always hit the mark for me. I may have rated this collection higheI’m admittedly a very picky audiobook reader, and the narrators in this one did not always hit the mark for me. I may have rated this collection higher if I’d read it physically, but I doubt by much.
I do think this book is slightly misrepresented by the cover and synopsis. While all the stories do contain zombies, most of them have a very somber tone with less fun and action than I generally expect from zombie fiction, especially considering the cover of this book. These types of stories are fine and enjoyable, but too depressing when I was expecting something more fun. A lot of the stories used zombies as a device to delve into deeper themes, which I generally love, but in my opinion it was often done a little heavy-handedly in this collection.
I enjoyed the latter stories in the collection more overall, and so my rating is 3.5 stars, but since I was not enjoying myself much through the first half, I rounded down rather than up.
Biters by Mark Morris - 3 Why Mothers Let their Babies Watch Television by Chelsea Cain - 3 Carousel by Orson Scott Card - 3 Reality Bites by S. G. Browne - 3 The Drop by Stephen Susco � 3.5 Antiparallelogram by Amber Benson - 3 How We Escaped our Certain Fate by Dan Chaon - 3 A Mother’s Love by John M. McIlveen - 5 Down and Out in Dead Town by Simon R. Green - 3 Devil Dust by Caitlin Kittredge - 4 The Dead of Dromore by Ken Bruen � 2.5 All the Comforts of Home by John Skipp and Cody Goodfellow � 3.5 Ghost Dog & Pup: Stay by Thomas E. Sniegoski � 3.5 Tic Boom by Kurt Sutter � 4.5 Jack and Jill by Jonathan Maberry � 4.5 Tender as Teeth by Stephanie Crawford and Duane Swierczynski � 4 (This was my second reading of this story this year, and I gave it 5 stars the first time around. I think I liked how it differed from the stories in the other collection I read it in, while in this one it had a similar tone to a lot of the stories. Or maybe I just didn’t enjoy it as much because I already knew what was going to happen� Either way, it’s a great story) Couch Potato by Brian Keene - 3 The Happy Bird and Other Tales by Rio Youers - 3 Parasite by Daniel H. Wilson � 3.5 ...more
Lowland Sea by Suzy McKee Charnas-5 Wingless Beasts by Lucy Taylor-5 The Nimble Men by Glen Hirshberg-3 Little America by Dan ChIndividual story ratings:
Lowland Sea by Suzy McKee Charnas-5 Wingless Beasts by Lucy Taylor-5 The Nimble Men by Glen Hirshberg-3 Little America by Dan Chaon-4 Black and White Sky by Tanith Lee-4 Monster Makers by Steve Rasnic Tem-4 Chapter Six by Stephen Graham Jones-5 In a Cavern, in a Canyon by Laird Barron-4 Allochton by Livia Llewellyn-3 Shepherd’s Business by Stephen Gallagher-5 Down to a Sunless Sea by Neil Gaiman-5 The Man from the Peak by Adam Golaski-3.5 In Paris-in the Mouth of Kronos by John Langan-4 The Moraine by Simon Bestwick-5 At the Riding School by Cody Goodfellow-5 Cargo by Michael E. Lewis-5 Tender as Teeth by Stephanie Crawford and Duane Swierczynski-5 Wild Acre by Nathan Ballingrud-5 The Callers by Ramsey Campbell-4 This Stagnant Breath of Change by Brian Hodge-4.5 Grave Goods by Gemma Files-4 The Ballad of Ballard and Sandrine by Peter Straub-4 Majorlena by Jane Jakeman-3.5 The Days of our Lives by Adam L. G. Nevill-4 You Can Stay All Day by Mira Grant -4.5 No Matter Which Way We Turned by Brian Evanson-3 Nesters by Siobhan Carroll-4 Better You Believe by Carole Johnstone-5...more
Dolan’s Cadillac - 4.5 - (reminded me of Roadwork and 1922) The End of the Whole Mess - 4.5 Suffer the little children-4Individual story ratings below�-
Dolan’s Cadillac - 4.5 - (reminded me of Roadwork and 1922) The End of the Whole Mess - 4.5 Suffer the little children-4 The Night Flyer-3.5 (?4) Popsy-4-4.5 It grows on you-3 (I don’t think I read it carefully enough, cuz I didn’t get it. ) Chattery Teeth - 5 Dedication - 3 (what the holy f*ck?) The Moving Finger - 3.5 Sneakers - 2 You Know They’ve Got a Hell of a Band-4.5 Home Delivery-4.5 My Pretty Pony-3.5 Sorry right number-4 The ten o’clock people-5 The house on maple street-4 The fifth quarter-4 The Doctors Case-3.5 Umney’s Last Case-3.75 Head Down-no- I stopped here, save for a little skimming. I have no interest in baseball essays. Though I did read most of the notes section and enjoyed those.
I think this collection would have been stronger if a few stories were left out, both because there were a couple that I didn’t think were very good, I think this collection would have been stronger if a few stories were left out, both because there were a couple that I didn’t think were very good, and just because 19 stories in a row with the same backdrop began to be a little repetitive. Overall, though, I really enjoyed this collection.
The stories flowed well one to the next. Though the stories are “based on ‘Night of the Living Dead,’� not all seemed perfectly in cannon with the movie, but that was not an issue for me. I would recommend a watch of the movie if you’re not very familiar.
For being such specific parameters in which to write these stories, they are amazingly different, in how they’re told, stories they’re telling, genre cross-over, settings... I think limiting the backdrop opened it up to explore characters, which is pretty much my favorite thing in a good book. There are definitely some gems in this one.
Individual story ratings below:
Dead Man’s Curve by Joe R. Lansdale -3 A Dead Girl Named Sue by Craig E. Engler -4 Fast Entry by Jay Bonansinga -3.5 In That Quiet Earth by Mike Carey -3.5 Jimmy Jay Baxter’s Last Day, Best Day on Earth by John Skipp -4 John Doe by George A. Romero-5 Mercy Kill by Ryan Brown -5 Orbital Decay by David Wellington -5 Snaggletooth by Max Brailler -5 The Burning Days by Carrie Ryan -3.5 The Day After by John A. Russo -2 The Girl on the Table by Isaac Marion-5 Williamson’s Folly by David J Schow -3 You can stay all day by Mira Grant-4.5 Pages from a Notebook in Found Inside a House in the Woods by Brian Keene -3 Dead Run by Chuck Wendig -3 Lone Gunman by Johnathon Maberry-3.5 Live and On the Scene by Keith R. A. DeCandido-2.5 Deadliner by Neal and Brendan Schusterman-4...more
Breakdown: Throttle-3 Dark Carousel -5 Wolverton Station-5 By the Silver Water of Lake Chaplain-2 Faun -5 Late returns- 4 All I Care About is You-4.5 ThumbpriBreakdown: Throttle-3 Dark Carousel -5 Wolverton Station-5 By the Silver Water of Lake Chaplain-2 Faun -5 Late returns- 4 All I Care About is You-4.5 Thumbprint -3.5 Devil on the Staircase-3 Twittering from the Circus of the Dead-4.5 Mums-4.5 In the Tall Grass-4 You Are Released-4
Some people rate collections by averaging the ratings of each story (if they take the time to rate each story). If I did that, I’d give Full Throttle about a 4 star rating. I gave it 5 stars instead because I enjoyed this collection so frickin much, there is no way I won’t look at this reading experience as a 5 star. I don’t have to love every moment of a novel to give it 5 stars. To do that, I have to enjoy it overall, there has to be nothing terribly wrong with it (imho) and it has to wow me in some way. Despite a story or two that I’m fine never reading again, this very much met all my usual requirements for a 5 star book. Maybe on a reread I would feel different, but for now, yeah this is a 5 star.
It has a fantastic mix of fantastical stories and stories where I wasn’t sure if there was something supernatural afoot. It‘s full of fleshed-out, real, lively, imperfect perfect characters. It has gut-punches and tear-jerking moments and moments to make me think, a touch of horror, comedy, fantasy, and commentary.
So many of these stories I can see being taught in schools. They have important messages and themes, but are so entertaining that I didn’t notice until the end with most of them. If they are taught, I’m sure they’ll make the list of required reading that students remember and talk about on their own time.
Joe Hill is just phenomenal at writing short fiction, writing in general, but especially short stories.
Though my overall reading experience with this book was worth 5 stars, with so many over-the-top amazing stories and zero bad ones, I did take the timThough my overall reading experience with this book was worth 5 stars, with so many over-the-top amazing stories and zero bad ones, I did take the time as I read to jot down a word or two about each story and rate it on its own, and a couple overall thoughts. Here they are:
I Will Follow You: holy f*** - 5 Water, All it’s Weight: weird - 3 The Mark of Cain: loved it - 5 Difficult Women: poignant - 4 Florida: neat - 4.5 La Negra Blanca: damn - 5 Baby Arm: I loved this - 5 North Country: change of pace and made me bawl. Bawl. - 5 How: really good - 4 Requiem for a Glass Heart: 2nd sci-fi one in the bunch, weird, made me feel glum - 3.5 In the Event of My Father’s Death: whoa that was neat - 4 Break All the Way Down: f u for making me read that. I don’t like feeling like that. Can’t even rate this one. Bad priest: cool - 4.5 Open Marriage: neat, but too short - 3.5 Pat: cool - 3 Best Features: sad and poignant - 4 Bone Density: good - 4 I Am a Knife: yup more sadness - 4 The Sacrifice of Darkness: wow I can relate to the sentiment. (Especially after several stories of lost babies) - 4.5 Noble Things: Quiet, sad, good - 4 Strange Gods: oh my god - 4.5
A lot of the stories revealed things in pieces, in the middle of the present story. I really like that style. I love how she uses the weather in some of the stories. This is seriously so good, why hasn’t she written more fiction?! Some sci-fi, lots of infidelity, self-worth, lying in relationships, relationships, loss, weird... This was so worth the read, tears and all. ...more
Really mixed feelings on this. Some of these were great, funny or poignant; some had some awful dialogue and unbelievable characters; most made me wanReally mixed feelings on this. Some of these were great, funny or poignant; some had some awful dialogue and unbelievable characters; most made me want to vomit a little. It’s worth a read if you have a stomach for it, but for my taste I should have spread it out more. ...more
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