DARK SCREAMS: VOLUME EIGHT would probably fall into the upper-middle ranking of the Dark Screams series. A good book with enjoyable stories but also a couple that fell short. On the plus side though, two of the stories worked away on my subconscious afterwards. I found myself thinking about them and pondering the events and characters and what happened. I've listed the stories below in my order of least favorite to most.

"Twisted and Gnarled" by Billie Sue Mosiman - Unfortunately this story did nothing for me. I didn't feel for any of the characters. The mystery / chase that made up the plot seemed forced. Much of the story is told by a serial killer who by definition could have been an unreliable narrator but his story was too straight-laced to be unreliable.

"Tumor" by Benjamin Percy - This story ended way too fast and was a quick tonal shift. Percy was describing most of the story in loving detail. The miscellaneous blood and guts. The events happening to the main character. And then suddenly on the last page of the story, the descriptions became vague. The gore was hidden. Plus the ending didn't seem to flow with the characters as we had seen them. I was basically thrown off and very disrupted by the ending. And not in a good scary type of way.

"The Palaver" by Kealan Patrick Burke - Burke weaves a tale within a tale with a moral in both stories that goes missed by the main characters. It was a very nice tale of how the monsters aren't always the true monsters of the story. I didn't find the scary parts with hair growth that scary but my wife would have freaked out, so I can definitely appreciate it from that angle.

"The Boy" by Bentley Little - Little is great at making parts of our every day life scary. He finds things in suburbia that are frightening. The normal rules of society that when streched can leave us powerless and afraid. I'm thinking here specifically of his novels THE ASSOCIATION and THE STORE and THE RESORT. This short story isn't as strong as those novels but I found it eating away at me a few days later. A sign to me of a good or great story.

"Walpuski's Typewriter" by Frank Darabont - When I started this story, I could have sworn I read it before. The title seemed so familiar. I quickly realized that I had not because I didn't remember anything about the story. And it's definitely a story that I would remember. It's fun, scary, and pretty creepy. The story has a feel back to the 80s and early 90s horror. Demons, hunger escalations, animal deaths, and finally a comeuppance.

"India Blue" by Glen Hirshberg - There is a lot squished into the final story of the book. The characters are richly developed; I heard all of their voices inside my head with their own accents and rhythm. The town and stadium are also flushed out and easily pictured. And probably best of all, I liked everyone even seeing and knowing their flaws. Who doesn't want to cheer the underdog as he tries to introduce Cricket to central California? An endeavor that we know will fail but not how badly it will fail. And just like Bentley Little's "The Boy", this story ate away at me afterwards.

The stories included in this anthology are not your average horror stories.  They are written for those who love suspense and for those who like to "think" about the stories that they read long after they are done with them. 

"Walpuski's Typewriter" by Frank Darabont is written in the style of Steven King.  When you dance with the devil, there is always a price.  Walpuski is repulsed and fascinated by the price he is expected to pay.  Specifically, to his typewriter.

In "The Boy," Bentley Little shows just how much of a nightmare the suburbs really can be, especially if you have just the right neighbors.

And "The Palaver," is a story of the evil that is overtaking our world and those who do their best to restore the balance of good and evil.  

The other stories will also take you for a ride in the authors' twisted imaginations and leave you wondering,"what if this were true."This compilation is a great break from the normal and lets you explore the darkness in the safety of your living room.  It's a fun, yet disturbing break from reality.

There are no weak links in this collection, but there are some standout stories from Bentley Little and Frank Darabont. The stories are pulpy and fun rather than chilling, but that's no bad thing.

Excerpt from Review: "...I enjoyed every tale in Dark Screams: Volume Eight, but I actually have two favorites: Walpuski’s Typewriter and Twisted and Gnarled. In Wapulski’s Typewriter, we actually have a nod at Stephen King’s Needful Things – the monetary prices are low, but there is always something that has to be done to repay the shopkeeper. In Frank Walpuski’s case, he not only owes the shopkeeper, but the demon possessing his typewriter as well. Just when you think Frank has finally come to his senses and found a way to fight the demon, there’s a nasty, bloody twist. The serial killer in Twisted and Gnarled reminds me of Dexter in a way. I love it when the tables are turned on our serial killer. How could this woman possibly find him? How could she know who he is? What mistake did he make that led her to him? Can he get to her before she gets to him? I loved this one the most – the way the author moves back and forth between the two characters as they plan their attack was awesome.

I should also mention just how disturbing The Boy is given the unrest in our country right now. The fact that someone can be persuaded to believe that someone different from them doesn’t belong and brings down the community is scary, but that sort of thing is exactly what is going on today. Christine is like every psychopath out there who decides they have to do something to wipe out the stain of the people who have “invaded” their communities and their lives. Scary story simply because it has basis in the truth..."

I enjoyed the grotesqueness of Walpuski's Typewriter and the paranoid creativity behind The Palaver. The other stories- especially the final tale- fell a little flat.

The DARK SCREAMS series reaches an all-time high with Volume Eight.


I've been enjoying Hydra's e-book exclusive DARK SCREAMS series, both in concept and execution: A semi-regular assortment of short Horror stories anchored by a novella, with each volume a mix of old and new stories, genre greats and relative newcomers, all at a very attractive price.


DARK SCREAMS, VOLUME EIGHT is, without a doubt, one of the strongest entries in the series.


The collections opens with THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION Director Frank Darabont's whimsical Horror story, Walpuski's Typewriter, which saw print over a decade ago as a Cemetery Dance limited-edition hardcover. The story of a hack screenwriter who strikes a deal with a typewriter repairman/sorcerer is a fun bit of fluff, but I would recommend interested parties track down a copy of the hardcover. It features beautiful Bernie Wrightson illustrations, which are worth the price of admission alone, but it also has a lengthy introduction by Darabont, which puts the rather pedestrian story in a historical context that makes it easier to enjoy.


The legendary Bentley Little is up next, with THE BOY a typically surreal offering about a strange little boy and the uptight housewives who make it their mission to make his already miserable life even worse.


Benjamin Percy's TUMOR is a real surprise, and marks Percy as a writer to keep an eye on. This disturbing tale of an underachieving man and his brain tumor is a winner on every level. I can't recommend this one enough.


This is followed by another stunning short, Billie Sue Mosiman's TWISTED AND GNARLED, which features a duel of wits between a serial killer and the mother of his most recent victim. This could have gone on much longer, and I would have been fine with it. Excellent stuff.


Kealan Patrick Burke's THE PALAVER is another tale of his fictional town of Milestone, and he knocks it out of the park, as usual. I have yet to be disappointed by anything that Burke has written. Quiet horror does not get any better than this.


The collection closes with Glen Hirshberg's odd tale of a ill-fated American Cricket league. Hirshberg's quiet, funny tale builds to a shocking climax that I didn't quite understand, but loved nonetheless.


Hydra provided a review copy, but this is well worth paying for.

If you've followed me for any length of time, you know that I am a walking advertisement for Cemetery Dance Publications. Richard Chizmar and Brian James Freeman not only put out some of the most amazing collector's editions, but their "series" books are fantastic as well; with Dark Screams being my favorite. I'm so glad I've been asked to review ARCs of the series.

So, this is the eight-volume and it doesn't disappoint.

1) Walpuski's Typewriter by Frank Darabont: What a way to start this anthology. Howard is a down in his luck writer, writing smut for men's magazines until he needed his typewriter repaired. He then becomes a best-selling author, but at a gruesome price. The fact that it's dedicated to Stephen King, and sort of follows King's rise, makes it that much better.

2) The Boy by Bentley Little: A weird, disturbing tale with a twisted ending. There's a foul stench in the neighborhood, and you'll be surprised what is necessary to get rid of it.

3) Tumor by Benjamin Percy: This one left me with a weird feeling in my gut. I'm afraid to go have it checked out after reading this one.

4) Twisted and Gnarled by Billie Sue Mosiman: Another disturbing tale about a serial killer and his preference for nondescript women. He kills them and displays them in disgusting ways. That is until he finds a piece of driftwood to use as a weapon, and picks the wrong girl.

5) The Palaver by Kealan Patrick Burke: If you haven't read anything by Kealan, shame on you. But if you're going to start somewhere, this might not be a bad place. This is a story in a story - about a barber and their true calling. Side note: One of my favorite words is 'palaver' and this was one of my favorites of this anthology.

6) India Blue by Glen Hirshberg: With any anthology, not every story can be a "hit out of the park" (pun intended), and for me, this one misses the mark. First, the game of cricket isn't very popular here in the USA, so a lot of the terms were not understood. But barring that, the story didn't make sense to me. It wasn't scary, disturbing, or even disgusting. It may have had a touch of "supernatural", but not enough for me. But that doesn't mean you might not like it.

Another hit for Cemetery Dance Publications.

Review Copy

A less than average read for this volume of DARK SCREAMS. I love the series, but with the exception of the always exceptional Kealan Patrick Burke, volume eight is a near miss for me.

A haunted typewriter turned into a story that I nearly didn't finish. The author got into subject matter that personally offended me. The story itself was just so-so to start with; there are plenty of you out there that would like this one.

THE BOY was another disappointment - and again, I was offended. Is it the era of Trump that brings this garbage out? It's certainly not the first story to promote bigotry.

Mosiman's story about a serial killer was very good. I was enjoying it quite a bit. Then suddenly she decided to stop writing and in just a couple of paragraphs ended the story. What a let down.

KPB's entry THE PALAVER is a Milestone story and one I had previously read. Kealan is incapable of turning out a less than 5 star story.

Glen Hirshberg is normally wonderful, but this story went on and on about cricket and took me forever to finish. By the time I did, I didn't care what happened because I was so bored.

An ok read.

3.5/5 stars!

Another entry in the, (overall), excellent DARK SCREAMS series is here, this time with a few surprising authors. I've listed what I thought were the standout tales below.

My favorite story in this volume has to be WALPUSKI’S TYPEWRITER from Frank Darabont. Known for his work directing movies like The Green Mile and The Shawshank Redemption, I had no idea the man wrote stories. This one was dedicated to Stephen King and it even has that SK vibe to it-reminding me a lot of King's early story THE MANGLER . In this case, the machine gone-wild is a typewriter and Darabont doesn't hold back. I LOVED this tale!

Coming in a close second for me though, was Kealan Patrick Burke's THE PALAVER. Those of you who have read Kealan's work in the past may already be familiar with the town of Milestone and be as happy as I was to return. There is something about human hair that creeps me out and Kealan takes that creep factor and amps it up to eleven. Just thinking about it makes me shiver!

I enjoyed THE TUMOR by Benjamin Percy as well. I believe this is the first story I've read from this author and I'm going to have to track down some more.

DARK SCREAMS 8 delivers the goods once again. Not all the stories resonated with me, but that's not unusual. The ones that did resonated deeply and that's what keeps me coming back to this series again and again.

Recommended!

Available on Halloween! Pre-order yours here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...

*An e-ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review. This is it.*

Again, Net Galley has provided me with a copy of the following for the honest review of their book. Dark Screams has had several entries, and this is number 8. I provide a description from the publisher for each story with my thoughts on each story between the titles.

WALPUSKI’S TYPEWRITER by Frank Darabont
They say that genius is ten percent inspiration and ninety percent perspiration. For Howard Walpuski, it’s an IBM Selectric II typewriter, a nefarious secret, and a whole lot of blood.

Originally released some time ago by Cemetery Dance, this was a story I was looking forward to reading and now it is available here in this volume. Dark and twisted story about the lengths one will go to in order to achieve fame. Walpuski always wanted to be a writer, and with a little help, from the least likely of sources that is about to become a reality except for a few small details. Very nasty and well crafted. It appears that this amazing Director has a promising career writing horror fiction.

THE BOY by Bentley Little
Christine has found the perfect neighborhood to raise her family: a quaint, quiet, friendly place where everyone gets along. Everyone, that is, except for the boy.

Short little story. Nasty, but does not live up to Mr. Little's usual work.

TUMOR by Benjamin Percy
He dodged death in the nick of time when the golf ball-sized tumor was surgically removed from his head. But the tumor isn’t done with him.

Gross, funny and well done. I enjoyed Tumor greatly and it was creepy and fun and worth a read.

TWISTED AND GNARLED by Billie Sue Mosiman
He’s smart. Smarter than anyone knows. No one has linked him to the string of bodies he’s left up and down the California coast. Only one woman has ever come close—and she’s no match for his intellect.

A great story by Ms. Mosiman. Well crafted and fast paced this story doesn't disappoint. We follow this murderer along and witness his deeds and are privy to his own delusions of grandeur. Though he is had to keep down especially when he is so darn smart. He would think so anyway.

THE PALAVER by Kealan Patrick Burke
It’s time for Oscar Dennihy to close his failing barber shop and retire—until a mysterious customer tells him a truly hair-raising tale . . . and gives Oscar a wonderful and terrible new purpose.

Unfortunately, I did not think this was a cut above the rest.

INDIA BLUE by Glen Hirshberg
Like most Americans, Enrico never gave much thought to the sport of cricket. Not until America’s Rockin’ Professional Cricket game—a spectacle that will live forever in his most horrible nightmares.

I could not get into this story though it did have a supernatural twist to it once I finished it, but I cannot really recommend this story, I had a hard time getting through it.

Dark Screams Volume 8 is an anthology of six literary horror stories from Hydra - Random House. The volumes come out every quarter. I very much enjoyed Volume 7 that released in July 2017....so I happily curled up on the couch with a fresh cup of coffee and a blanket to enjoy this newest edition.

Stories in Volume 8 are:

Walpuski's Typewriter - Frank Darabont. Howard Walpuski takes his IBM typewriter to the repair shop of the damned, discovering too late it's never wise to hire a demon as a ghost writer. Great story! Nice opener for this anthology.

The Boy - Bentley Little. Christine and her husband just bought the perfect house in the suburbs. Their neighbors are all perfect, too....well except for that one boy. Holy crap....this story....oh my. It isn't really scary....just incredi-disturbing. Nicely done!

Tumor - Benjamin Percy. He might have survived brain cancer, but his tumor is still hanging around. Um....this story has an ewwww factor of like 9000. Not scary....just gross. lol. Definitely had a creepy effect on me....or was that nausea?

Twisted and Gnarled - Billie Sue Mosiman. He's a killer, and a genius (or at least he believes he is). Nobody suspects he is the killer leaving dead bodies, bloody and posed, all up and down the coast. Except one woman....the mother of one of his victims. But he knows he is smarter than she is. Hmmm...this one was suspenseful and very darkly demented. When I finished, I had to sit for a moment and collect my thoughts to decide how I felt about this story. Disturbing. Definitely disturbing.

The Palaver - Kealen Patrick Burke. A barber is ready to retire. But then a stranger walks into his shop one night and tells him a tale that gives him a new, and dark, reason to continue. Very creepy story! I loved the stranger's story......yikes! It doesn't pay to dis the new barber in town. Not at all.

India Blue - Glen Hirschberg. Cricket isn't a sport that most Americans follow, but America's Rockin' Cricket game will never be forgotten. To be honest, I didn't finish this story...it just wasn't enjoyable for me. I guess I'm one of those Americans that doesn't understand, or want to read about, Cricket.....even a match with supernatural ramifications. But...just because I didn't like it doesn't mean other readers won't love it. To each their own.

All in all, a nice mix of stories -- quite creepy, disturbing and dark. Only one I didn't care for out of the bunch...I call that a success. I enjoy these strange disturbing story anthologies. The tales vary in style and theme. Most are weird and different....not just resurrected horror tropes. All delightfully nightmare provoking!

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Hydra (Random House). Opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

Volume 8 was mostly great a few misses but not many. The story lines were a bit out there in a good way. Not monotonous at all. Horror fans will enjoy this one

I received this ebook from Cemetery Dance for an honest review.

Generally the six stories in this new Dark Screams Volume 8 live up to the previous books in this series likeability. Enjoy!

I had previously read WALPUSKI’S TYPEWRITER by Frank Darabont and once again enjoyed it here.

THE BOY by Bentley Little is a little disquieting as would be expected from Mr. Little.

TUMOR by Benjamin Percy is one of those stories that reminds me of a Twilight Zone or Outer Limits episode to the extreme.

TWISTED AND GNARLED by Billie Sue Mosiman is a great entry in this tome, as are THE PALAVER, by Kealan Patrick Burke and INDIA BLUE, by Glen Hirshberg which round out the remainder of the stories.

I have said it before but I'll say it again. Dark Screams has quickly become one of my favorite Horror Anthology series of all time. I was thrilled to be able to grab an advance copy of this most recent installment, and excited to see new stories by 2 of my favorite authors Bentley Little and Kealan Patrick Burke.

"The Boy" by Bentley Little was brilliant. Once again Bentley Little is able to take an ordinary every day experience such as settling in to a new neighborhood, and turn it into something horrifying. Christine the happy house wife is pleased to meet her new neighbors and discover that they are also home during the day. They have lots in common and will be the best of friends. I wish I could say more without giving away too much. Suffice it to say this story was shocking and quite relevant to current attitudes and events.

"The Palaver" by Kealan Patrick Burke also hit a high note for me. Poor Oscar has virtually no customers left in his failing barber shop. He spends more time sweeping up hair that isn't there than he does plying his trade. He doesn't want to retire. "It was his father's business and his grandfather's before him." As he is readying to close one day a stranger walks in, and tells him a story that will change everything.

"Walpuski's Typewriter" by Frank Darabont was both humorous and gruesome. A struggling writer with unpaid bills and a broken typewriter makes the deal of a lifetime to get it repaired.

These were my 3 favorites in the collection and I will leave at that so as not to avoid any spoilers.

I would highly recommend this volume (along with all previous volumes) to any horror fan.

This is my fourth foray into the Dark Screams series. As usual, it is a great mix of authors, both known and unknown, and an interesting mix of stories.

Tumor by Benjamin Percy is an interesting little story about a man and his brain tumor.

The Boy by Bentley Little is a twisted take on suburban living and outcasts.

However for me the standout was Frank Darabont's Walpuski's Typewriter. Most people recognize the name from film, not story writing. I don't think I even knew he wrote (besides screenplays, that is). The imagery in Walpuski's Typewriter was great - the old man, the typewriter's death, the demon's installation - all incredibly vivid. He was awfully funny, too. At the risk of giving something away, let's just say it's worth the time.

Another excellent addition to the continually growing Dark Screams collections. As I've mentioned before, the joy about reading collections is reading new stories by some old favourites but discovering new works by authors you've yet to discover. This collection is now different. From a great story from Director Frank Darabont about an evil typewriter and its voracious appetite, to a bunch of stories from authors whose back catalogues I'll be sure to seek out like Billie Sue Mosiman, whose Twisted and Gnarled is, for me, the standout of the collection.

3 stars

Ha ha

Some rules to live by:

Be careful what you wish for…When your IBM Selectric typewriter breaks down, just toss it. Don’t take it to be fixed. (Although, I imagine they’re pretty rare nowadays, thank goodness.) This story provides a good chuckle – except for when it gets to well…you’ll have to read it to find out.

When you move into a new home and something smells, be sure to check out the sewer or septic tank before you assume it’s a neighbor that smells…

When you have a tumor growing somewhere on your body, make sure you leave it behind at the hospital when you go home.

Beware of really smart people – or rather people who think they are smart.

Check your barber out thoroughly out before you let them cut your hair.

This is a mixed bag of short stories. The best by far was WALPUSKI’S TYPEWRITER by Frank Darabont. It started out as a laugh, but turned rather horrible by the end. The next two were entertaining, and then it went downhill from there. So while the book started out very well, it ended poorly. That’s the risk one takes when one picks an anthology.

I want to thank Random House Publishing Group – Hydra/Hydra for forwarding to me a copy of this book to read.

Well, here it is, the latest in the series and I'm the first person to review it. A mixed bag again, though no new authors to discover this time. A disappointing tale from usually entertaining Mosiman, seems like something of an anti intellectual diatribe and frankly there's enough of that around and society is paying the high cost of stupid. Also, subjectively, it just isn't that interesting or compelling to read about sports. And then there's a seriously hairy nightmare. The most pleasant surprise came from Frank Darabont, the man traditionally associated with genre movies and screen adaptations, providing the first and best and most fun story of this collection about a hungry demon in a typewriter. That alone makes this volume worth checking out. Entertaining quick read, genre fans should enjoy this one. Thanks Netgalley.