From the introduction: Halloween is more than a holiday; more than a fun time of candy and costumes for the young. It is inoculated into our very being at an early age and there it remains. As we grow old, it grows dormant... but it is still there. For the lucky ones, such as us, it emerges every year, like a reanimated corpse digging its way out of graveyard earth to shamble across our souls. And we rejoice... oh, if we are the fortunate ones, we most certainly rejoice.So turn these pages and celebrate our heritage. Blow ...
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From the introduction: Halloween is more than a holiday; more than a fun time of candy and costumes for the young. It is inoculated into our very being at an early age and there it remains. As we grow old, it grows dormant... but it is still there. For the lucky ones, such as us, it emerges every year, like a reanimated corpse digging its way out of graveyard earth to shamble across our souls. And we rejoice... oh, if we are the fortunate ones, we most certainly rejoice.So turn these pages and celebrate our heritage. Blow the dust off the rubber mask in the attic and hang the glow-in-the-dark skeleton upon the door. Light the hollowed head of the butchered pumpkin and string the faux cobweb from every corner and eave. It's Halloween once again. Shed your adult skin with serpentine glee and walk the blustery, October streets of long years past. And, most of all, watch out for misplaced steps in the darkness and the things that lurk, unseen, in the shadows in-between.Stories included in this collection: Mister Glow-BonesThe OuthouseBilly's MaskPins & NeedlesBlack HarvestPelingrad's PitMister Mack & the Monster MobileThe Halloween TrainThe Candy in the Ditch GangHalloweens: Past & PresentMonsters in a B
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I received an e-Galley ARC of Mister Glow-Bones and Other Halloween Tales, authored by Ronald Kelly from Macabre Ink, for review consideration. Cover and interior art: Ronald Kelly. Cover layout: Zach McCain. What follows below is my honest review freely given.
I rated this collection 3.5 stars. Mister Glow-Bones and Billy's Mask are new to this collection, the others were all previously published in other works, even including his blog for the essays.
MISTER GLOW-BONES
The titular short. On the fence for this one; it did transport me to that house, I could see the the scary things happening. I could also see a different type of story playing out if the husband was taken seriously at the get go, even just a little. Or with more sympathy maybe?
THE OUTHOUSE
A favorite. Brought to mind Tim Lebbon's The Silence on a more rural scale, with a belabored sentry. And just the idea that boys can't leave an outhouse well enough alone.
BILLY'S MASK
A favorite. I don't know if this counts as flash fiction, but it's a short short, but it's also the perfect amount of horror.
PINS & NEEDLES
I could see this being an episode on Tales from the Crypt, it would fit in well with the Cryptkeeper's sense of justice.
BLACK HARVEST
A favorite. Very feed the land, folk horror feel to this short.
PELINGRAD'S PIT
Another one I'm on the fence about, Pelingrad and his intentions with the "pit" seem at odds with themselves from one minute to the next. I'm not sure if I can suspend my belief for old Pelingrad's actions long term.
MISTER MACK AND THE MONSTER MOBILE
I enjoyed this short, but this really feels like the opening to a longer story.
THE HALLOWEEN TRAIN
A favorite. Chills. Love it.
THE CANDY IN THE DITCH GANG ESSAY
"Halloween is a boys holiday"� "maybe that makes me a tad chauvinistic"; I'll politely agree with you: yes that's leaning a tad chauvinistic. I loved and still love Halloween the best. It is a state of mind, not a holiday in my heart.
HALLOWEENS: NOW AND THEN ESSAY
I can't help but say, if your son wants to wear a crown, let him. Don't be placing your expectations on him already with the John Deere hat! And it's sad to read about your past Halloween and see how in some ways we haven't come that far to change.
MONSTERS IN A BOX ESSAY
I also don't know how correct "most kids today wouldn't know Count Dracula", or
"don't like building models", I think some things may rise and fall in popularity but Dracula is a classic book and models come in almost any flavor to build. My boys love to try the Lego ones but we end up doing doing most of the work still.
I feel like I was grumpy there are the end when I was reviewing the essay parts, which I guess I was, but I don't really know how to fix that, so I left it. They were originally blog posts that the author included in this collection, I almost just put there were essays with no review. These were personal thoughts by the author but since he included them, I gave my thoughts back.
