Each story seemed to come to life with horror. Richard Chizmar and Brian James Freeman have done it again. These two wonderful writers and editors have come up with a great volume of stories titled, DARK SCREAMS: VOLUME EIGHT, that will send the reader on an adventure that will not be forgotten through some great authors with a lot of imagination and skills to boot. These stories will stay with you long after you have turned out the lights. The title and cover page will leave you in deep suspense as you gaze into the eyes of the art work. Then, if that isn't enough to capture you, wait until you begin to read the first scary story.

WALPUSKI'S TYPEWRITER by Frank Darabont, will give you chills. The atmosphere becomes very thick with apprehension as the story opens and you become deeply involved through page after creepy page. The proprietor seems friendly enough. But are things normal, or do they just seem that way? Will the customer's typewriter be repaired? Will he get a new one, or is something else about to happen? A scary read indeed!

Our next story, THE BOY by Bently Little, a horror writer that will leave you speechless as you slide into the dark realms of the unknown. With suspense lurking behind every shadow, and down every dusty or paved road. But this neighborhood in particular something seemed unheard of or unfamiliar. You might even say foreign or alien. A story well worth looking into by a great author of whom I have had the opportunity to read some of his wonderful work.

This next story titled TUMOR by Benjamin Percy, starts out with the patient telling himself that there was nothing wrong. But he keeps saying that he has this symptom. What symptom? Could he just be making all of this up? What will the doctor say and do? How will it end? Great read!

TWISTED AND GNARLED by Billie Sue Mosiman begins with the number eight, and how the man thought that number lucky, but was it really? Maybe in his own mind he thought himself an artist, but was he? Will he get caught and have to pay the consequences? A nightmare situation.

Then we have the PALAVER by Kealan Patrick Burke, that is very unique. Our story opens as the shop is about to close for the day, and Oscar Dennihy is thinking very seriously about retiring. He really doesn't want to retire. It's the fear behind it. As he thought about the situation, the bell rings and in walks a stranger. What will happen next? Will Oscar get robbed? Will the stranger turn and leave? Or smile and sit down? A story that will give the reader some thought. Loved it!!

Hydra and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Dark Screams: Volume Eight. I was under no obligation to review this anthology and my opinion is freely given.

Having read all of the anthologies that have come before this one, I can say that Dark Screams: Volume Eight is among my favorite.

The book starts out on a very high note with Walpuski's Typewriter by Frank Darabont. Howard Walpuski is a writer with a broken typewriter and five wrinkled dollar bills to his name. What will he do to turn his failures into successes? Well crafted and perfectly twisted, Walpuski's Typewriter sets the tone for the anthology. Dedicated to Stephen King, the tale definitely fits into the type of world that the Master of Horror has spent years crafting.

The next two stories, The Boy by Bentley Little, and Tumor by Benjamin Percy, will send shivers down the spines of readers. The Boy gives new meaning to the phrase "cleaning up the neighborhood," while Tumor shows how illness can take on a life of its own. I thought both tales were strong and were just twisted enough.

Twisted and Gnarled by Billie Sue Mosiman is the story of a serial killer and the woman who threatens to take him down for good. Written in a dual perspective format, the tale was neither compelling nor interesting to me. As I have read many books with a similar premise, there was nothing here that made the story stand out.

The Palaver by Kealan Patrick Burke is told in the perspective of Oscar, a barber in a world that is uninterested in what he has to offer. A salesman appears on his doorstep and offers Oscar an unwanted purpose. The Palaver is a little less twisted than some of the other offerings in this anthology, but the tale does make readers think of days gone past.

The final tale in Dark Screams: Volume Eight, India Blue by Glen Hirshberg, does not seem to fit in with the tone of the novel. A twisted cricket game is the premise, which did not deliver any chills or horror filled moments for me. The anthology would have been more cohesive without its addition.

Dark Screams: Volume Eight is well balanced overall and one that I would recommend to readers of horror fiction.

The first story, WALPUSKI’S TYPEWRITER by Frank Darabont, was by far the best of this collection of stories. I laughed my head off at this story. Don't get me wrong, there are some scary parts as well. I will keep a look out for more books by this author. I really enjoyed reading this book.

This eight entry in the Dark Screams series offers up six short stories of horror that vary from the incredibly creepy to just meh.

My favorite of the lot was "Walpuski's Typewriter" by Frank Darabont, a story about a writer and his typewriter. They say you sacrifice for your craft, but Howard Walpuski probably had no idea what he'd have to do for his IBM Selectric II typewriter.

A second favorite was "Twisted and Gnarled" by Billie Sue Mosiman, a story about a narcassistic and highly intelligent serial killer and his latest victim that alternates telling the tale from each other's point-of-view.

The only weak story to me was the closer, "India Blue" by Glen Hirshberg, a story of a cricket game with some unusual characters. However, it just took so long to get to the turning point in the story and was so meandering I was almost angry I took the time to finish it.

But it's rare to like all stories in a collection, and Dark Screams: Volume Eight hits more than it misses for me. I would recommend it to horror fans with the caveat of perhaps passing on the last story.

"Dark Screams Vol. 8" edited by Brian James Freeman and Richard Chizmar

Dark Screams Vol. 8 was edited by Brian James Freeman and Richard Chizmar. Published by Hydra an imprint of Random House.

This anthology had six stories total. The anthology opened up with "Walpuski's Typewriter." A fairly strong story. A good opener for this anthology. Followed were the stories "The Boy," "Tumor," "Twisted and Gnarled," and "The Palaver." Ending the anthology was "India Blue" which I found to be the weakest story of the set.

This was a horror themed anthology as if the title didn't give that away. Rest assured these were horror stories. I did find them to be on the softer side of the horror spectrum though. Nothing too hardcore or extreme.

In fact, I found a couple of the stories that didn't quite feel like horror to me at all. They had a little bit of the horror genre in them, but very subtlety. A couple I would have called thrillers more than horror. This was definitely a mixed bag of stories in this anthology.

Overall the writing of the stories was average, with the exception of one story that was poorly written in my opinion. Nothing really stood out to me with most of the stories and they were done to expectation. Sometimes that is a good thing. There was no roller coaster of writing skills in this anthology. They were all pretty solid in their delivery.

The exception to the writing be solid was "India Blue." I found this to be poorly written and very confusing. I didn't find anything about the story entertaining and spent most of my time wondering what the hell was going on. I was disappointed to see this as the closing story in the anthology. I think it could leave a bad taste in people's mouth after reading some decent stories before it. I wish they would have left this story out of the anthology and, or, replaced it with a different story. That's how it goes sometimes though.

For the price I found this to be an excellent buy. I was given a copy for a review, but the price of the e-book is a fair price for what you get. You get some good stories that are worth the price by themselves, the rest are just extra bonuses.

If you enjoy hardcore horror, this probably won't be the anthology for you. If you enjoy the slightly mysterious, the slightly thrilling, all of them with an undertone of the dark you will enjoy this anthology. I don't think you can go wrong for some quick entertainment with this anthology.

I give reviews of each of the stories for this anthology on my website: www.afantasymuse.com .

A good anthology. I've yet to read an anthology in this collection that I didn't enjoy.

Some good, creepy stories just in time for Halloween! Highly recommend!

I think this book was a good book full of some good Halloween type creepy stories. This is a book for people who like to be scared and enjoy short stories.

"Walpulski's Typewriter" opens this collection, and it's every writer's nightmare: a deal with a demon to write bestsellers, which backfires spectacularly.

"The Boy" is creepy in an entirely different way. Instead of being dark and bloody and broody, this story takes place in a pristine suburban community, with a clique of stereotypical PTA moms who feel that there is one particular boy that drags down the perfection of the neighborhood. The action is sudden, and the horror is in the subtle way the story ends.

"Tumor" and "India Blue" both have elements of gory horror stories, but neither of them left me particularly horrified or disturbed. I think it's because there's a distance between the characters and the horror parts so that it's almost too far removed from the reader's awareness. I don't feel invested in any of the characters or events in those two stories.

"Twisted and Gnarled" is one that drew me in out of morbid fascination, as it chronicles a serial killer as he leaves bodies along the California coast. This is more of a suspense story as it goes on, and I enjoyed the climactic fight scene.

"The Palaver" is a nested story-within-a-story tale, which doesn't quite work as well for me. I actually enjoy the embedded story more than the framing one, though it's set up in such a way that the reader knows the events in the embedded story are meant to happen again.

I raced through the stories in this collection and found it an easy, quick read and in keeping with the Halloween spirit.

Dark Screams: Volume Eight may be one of my favorites in the series with stories by Kealan Patrick Burke and Frank Darabont. WALPUSKI’S TYPEWRITER is an excellent story to kick off this book. The tension and story are similar to what I've felt reading early Stephen King short stories going back to Night Shift. THE PALAVER gripped me from beginning to end and this story is at the top of my list of stories from Kealan. Bentley Little gives a solid story in his classic style. The book has many really good other stories and these where what stuck with me.

What Worked & Didn’t Work
Five of these six stories reminded me of the best episodes from late 80s/early 90s horror anthology TV shows (Tales from the Darkside, Monsters, Freddy’s Nightmares). Each had a great twist of an ending and variable levels of gore.

Frank Darabont’s “Walpuski’s Typewriter” sets the tone for the anthology. It’s a nasty piece of work (in a good way!) involving a writer and a demon possessed typewriter. Darabont is best known for his screen writing and adaptations; notably The Shashank Redemption and The Mist. I hadn’t read any of his prose. It did not disappoint.

“The Boy” by Bentley Little was the perfect followup. I found myself wondering if I was supposed to like Christine’s neighbors, especially as they make fun of a kid who supposedly smells. By the end of the story, I wasn’t sure who was worse. Christine solves their stinky kid problem, in a way that is probably more honest than her two-faced neighbors would consider.

With Benjamin Percy’s “Tumor,” we’re solidly back in the land of Tales from the Darkside. This is a simple short, tale, but full of gory glee.

A shift in tone happens in the latter half of Dark Screams, Vol. 8. The stories are more complex and a smidge more contemplative in their horror. The one story that didn’t work for me was right after the mid-point, “Twisted and Gnarled” by Billie Sue Mosiman. The story is told alternately through first person point of view of a serial killer, The Man, and a somewhat psychic mother, The Woman. The internal dialogue of both of these characters really didn’t work for me.

Quiet horror continued in “The Palaver” by Kealan Patrick Burke. Alluding to the stories of the late 19th century, this is a tale within a tale. Our narrator is the owner of the slowly failing Palavar Barbershop. He’s told a story of cosmic horror from the Great Depression that may or may not repeat itself in the 21st century.

The last story in the anthology is Glen Hirshberg’s “India Blue.” As with many of these tales, the “payoff” is at the end of the story, which means reading through one man’s endeavor to bring cricket to America. Not just cricket though, but America’s Rockin’ Professional Cricket, complete with cheerleaders and a showboat player who has been drummed out of respectable leagues. Luckily, the journey is possibly better than the ending.

Overall
Solid anthology. It’s release date is Halloween and it’s the perfect little reading treat.

3.5 stars

The latest in the Dark Screams Anthology series once again came through with some dark, creative and creepy horror stories.

My favorite has to be 'The Palaver', with 'Twisted and Gnarled' a close second.
I rarely have read a shorty in this series that I just didn't like, but I did find one here: 'India Blue'. I really struggled to get through it.

Volume nine is waiting in the wings, perfect for this time of year :)

ARC provided by NetGalley

Have you read the previous volumes? Even if you have, don't stop now! Volume eight has terrific stories to read. I enjoyed them all. I guess (hard to decide) my favorite story is "Walpuski's typewriter." It certainly surprised me. I know I will never look at a typewriter without remembering this story and wonder. All the stories were excellent. I didn't know a couple of the writers. It was great reading their stories. I will be looking forward to more writing from those writers.

This volume has delivered great stories again! I highly recommend it!

The stories in this collection were quite strong and definitely on the dark side. Great seasonal reading material around Halloween time.

Dark Screams Volume Eight is a weaker than usual entry in this otherwise excellent series. With short stories by Frank Darabont, Bentley Little, Benjamin Percy, Billie Sue Mosiman, Kealan Patrick Burke, and Glen Hirshberg it continues the trend of mixing some genre greats with new voices in a bite-sized, affordable ebook.

Of the stories on offer, Darabont's Walpuski Typewriter and Patrick Burke's The Pavaler are the two stand outs. The first is a quirkier one about about a struggling writer who makes a deal with a mysterious typewriter repairer that would not be out of place as a Twilight Zone episode. A fun, if familiar tale with shades of Little Shop of Horrors, it overcomes any cliched ideas with a snappy humour and a cool, smart-talking typewriter.

The Palaver is another highlight about a creepy story about a man who visits a down on his luck barber to unveil a darker truth. Tense and original it's well worth a look.

Of the others, Little's The Boy is probably the only other story worth digging out. A short, punchy story about a woman who is unnerved about a smelly boy, while not his best, it's written with Little's typical efficiency and a killer ending.

Dark Screams Volume 8 edited by Richard Chizmar and Brian James Freeman was received direct from the publisher. The Dark Screams series never lets the reader down. If you or someone you know likes shorter length horror stories you generally cant go wrong purchasing from this series. This particular rendition has its ups and kind of downs but a good solid read overall.

I really enjoyed the following stories: Walpuski's Typewriter by Frank Darabont, Twisted and Gnarled by Billie Sue Mosiman and The Palaver by Kealan Patrick Burke. The Boy by Bentley Little seemed to be more social commentary than horror. Also I found the motives behind the main character's actions very offensive. Tumor by Benjamin Percy is the type of body horror story that didn't appeal to me due to its grotesque sexual imagery. Finally, India Blue by Glen Hirshberg was a letdown because I found the descriptions of cricket very boring and nothing exciting happened until near the end.

I was given this ebook by netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Dark Screams has done it again with Volume 8 in the series. I love this series. It is a set of 6 short stories, all of which are creepy or just downright scary. I love that each book and each story is written by a different author. Some stories I like, some not so much, but the stories I like out weight the ones I don't by a large amount. It's not that the ones I didn't care for were bad, they just weren't my thing I guess.

My favorite in this book would be Walpuski's Typewriter by Frank Darabont. I love that he dedicated it to Stephen King and it has the feel of Stephen King's writing style in this story. Did you know Frank Darabont is a Award Nominated movie director, a screenwriter, and a producer? He is now a short story writer too.

Can't wait to read Volume 9!!

I received this book from the Author or Publisher via Netgalley.com to read and review.

the normally brilliant 'dark screams' anthology series' eighth entry is sort of a let down. the stories feel more like stories about people trying to tell stories about good horror than actually just being good horror stories in and of themselves. definitely not the kind of taut story telling the 'dark screams' name has worked so hard to become known for.

This is a great collection of horror stories. Of the six stories here, I loved five. The final story, India Blue, was my least favorite. That story went on too long, tried to make cricket sound exciting to Americans, and had very little horror in it. This volume would have been perfect if that story was omitted.

WALPUSKI’S TYPEWRITER by Frank Darabont
This got a little predictable towards the end, but still a gripping story.

THE BOY by Bentley Little
I was actually shocked by the ending. A story of suburban horror.

TUMOR by Benjamin Percy
Very interesting story that had some dark humor.

TWISTED AND GNARLED by Billie Sue Mosiman
Great serial killer story with a look into the mind of a killer.

THE PALAVER by Kealan Patrick Burke
I loved the story within a story. When the old man finished telling his tale, I was genuinely shocked to find I was back to the original story. It was that compelling.

INDIA BLUE by Glen Hirshberg
Ugh. So boring and did not feel like it belonged in this collection.

This is my favorite of the Dark Screams series so far. I highly recommend it.