An anthology which includes one of my favourites, Stephen King.
As with most anthologies, I felt that some of the stories were very good and some not so good, but you can't enjoy everything.
Looking forward to the next instalment.

Without fail, whenever I review an anthology, I first explain both why I like them and what I look for when I decide whether or not to purchase a particular collection. For those who've read my reviews of anthologies in the past, I'll make this short. I enjoy reading compilations of various authors' works because many times, if the editor is worth their salt, I'm introduced to an author (or multiple authors) that I may have not have read before. I like having the opportunity to sample a writer without getting fully vested in his or her work, and if their short piece grabs me, I inevitably go onto full-length works by them. And here's the thing, while I do look at the authors' names contained in the potential purchase, I first look at the editor who put it together because if there's a rock solid editor on the cover, more often than not you are going to have a good time. Such is the case with Dark Screams: Volume One.

You can read my full review at HorrorDNA.com.

Dark Screams: Volume One is the first of at least four volumes of short horror anthologies that are projected for publication through August 2015. The books are being published as ebooks only through Random House’s digital-only genre imprint, Hydra, for a bargain price of $2.99.

Volume One starts out with one of the most popular horror writers ever: Stephen King. “Weeds” was originally published in Cavalier, a “men’s magazine,” in 1976, and has never been reprinted until now — though it did become a part of the movie “Creepshow,” with King himself playing the role of Jordy Verrill. Jordy is the protagonist of “Weeds,” a not particularly intelligent man who farms a spread situated on Bluebird Creek in New Hampshire. He’s alone at twilight on the Fourth of July when a meteor flashes overhead. It lands close enough that Jordy feels the thump in his feet, and his eyes light up with dollar signs. Those fellows at the college might pay good money for this thing, he reasons. The meteor cracks in two when he pours water on it to cool it down, and there’s white flaky stuff coming from the center. He burns his fingers badly when he tries to touch the white stuff, but he treats them with burn ointment and goes to bed. When he wakes, he feels like he’s got the flu — and then he sees what’s growing out of those burned fingers. Things go from bad to worse for Jordy from there. In fact, things may be going badly for everyone on earth from that point. It’s vintage King, written in his transparent prose and getting more horrific — or at least grosser — with every subsequent paragraph. King has written better work, no doubt, but finding this story is like coming across an extra chocolate truffle you didn’t know you had.

“The Price You Pay” by Kelley Armstrong is about Kara’s friendship with Ingrid. The friendship began in childhood and lasted throughout the girls’ early teen years. They separated in their late teens, and Kara married Gavin and had a child. Now Ingrid has once again appeared, and the girls have resumed their friendship, though Kara is not so eager for Ingrid’s company as Ingrid is for hers. Still, the two young women go out drinking on the night of Kara’s 21st birthday, only to become too intoxicated to drive home safely. While they wait for Gavin to rescue them from a dark country road, they are abducted. While Kara is being beaten by a hooded assailant in a dark basement, we learn of her past, and why she and Ingrid parted company. Soon we begin to question everything we’ve learned so far. Armstrong plays out her plot thread by thread until all of our expectations are turned around.

Bill Pronzini gives us a first-person protagonist in “Magic Eyes” who swears he’s not crazy and that he did not kill his wife. When a story starts with that information, you know you’re in for something special, and Pronzini doesn’t disappoint. The work we’re reading is the protagonist’s journal; Edward Tolliver, its author, is writing it on his doctor’s suggestion, but he’s sure that the doctor will be reading it despite his assurances of privacy. So he drops the occasional line about “magic eyes” or “invaders,” trying to smoke out the doctor. It is only when he concludes that the doctor isn’t reading his journal that Tolliver writes about what really happened that night his wife died. Pronzini’s protagonist is obviously intelligent; and just as obviously . . . well, but that would give too much away. The journal is the perfect mechanism for telling this story, giving us a close-up view of how Tolliver’s mind operates. Tolliver is a finely drawn character, and this story features the best characterization in the anthology.

Simon Clark’s “Murder in Chains” never explains itself. We never learn why the first person narrator wakes up in an underground vault chained to another man by a ring around his throat. All we know is that the man at the other end of the chain radiates brutality, and behaves as if the narrator doesn’t even exist as he tears about the vault until after he’s killed a third man with his bare hands, for no apparent reason. Clark is plainly reaching for the Kafkaesque, but winds up with mere splatterpunk instead.

The always reliable Ramsey Campbell takes the last position in this short anthology with The Watched. Jimmy is a 12-year-old boy who lives with his grandmother. As the story opens, he is returning from the grocery shop with a heavy bag of potatoes and getting more tired with every step. When he comes to the hide that is situated on the canal that leads to home, he dodges in to get a break, only to find that someone else is already there: a policeman, who tells him that his neighbors are dangerous drug dealers. He asks Jimmy to keep an ear out for what’s going on next door. It’s not the best idea to rely on a 12-year-old, though, and trouble inevitably follows. But more than that, someone’s been smearing his grandmother’s windows. And there’s been a sluggish dragging sound outside. What’s this all about? Campbell has a way of transforming the ordinary into the frightening, of hinting at a horror without ever showing us more than its outlines, which makes his stories all the more terrifying. It’s a fitting end to a fine anthology.

Dark Screams, Volume One, promises that we’ll be getting solid anthologies for a very low price as the new year progresses. The voices we’ll be hearing from include some of the best talents the field has to offer; you’d think with King, Armstrong, Clark, Pronzini and Campbell in the first volume, the following volumes would have to fall off, but instead they promise stories by the likes of Clive Barker, Peter Straub, Robert R. McCammon, Richard Matheson and others. The stories may not be the best each of these writers has to offer, but they are definitely stories worth reading, and I’m looking forward to reading them.

3-1/2 stars rounded up to 4.

Dark Screams is an entertaining horror anthology and a quick read - great for the chilly weather and spooky feel of autumn. It consists of 5 short stories. My favorites were Weeds by Stephen King and Magic Eyes by Bill Pronzini. Even in just a few short pages, the character development was spot-on. As for the other 3 stories, they weren't bad by any means - they just weren't as strong. In general, this is definitely worth a read for horror lovers!

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for the ARC.

Weeds by Stephen King is an oldie but a goodie. Classically told is a way all his own. The descriptions of Jordy dealing with the growing weeks will make your skin crawl. It reminds me of another classic King story called The Raft. Your pulled in and not at all ready for the ride.

The price you pay by Kelly Armstrong is a tale that starts off in one direction and turns so many times I didn’t see the ending coming until the final few pages. This story has great suspense and develops characters I loved hating. I was surprised how my feelings changed about some of the characters as the story unfolded. This being my first time reading Kelly Armstrong was more than satisfying, now I’m left wondering why I haven’t read her work before.

Magic eyes by Bill Pronzini is told in the first person and his way of storytelling is fantastic. Magic eyes is the tale of a man in an asylum for killing his wife. I’m not sure if he is crazy or not and I’m not sure I’m meant to. Regardless Bill Pronzini’s style makes the reading fast paced, a true page turner. Again my first time reading this author and no disappointment here.

Simon Clark’s Murder in Chains has plenty of horror and just enough descriptions to leave plenty to your imagination. Everything isn’t set up for the reader leaving us to wonder how, why and who. But the story is none the less suspenseful and terrifying and just when you think someone may catch a break you’re wrong again.

The Watched by Ramsey Campbell rounds out this anthology nicely. It’s a ghost story of sorts and fits well with the other stories. Young Jimmy learns about being the watcher as well as being watched. Sometimes it’s better not to be seen nor heard, a lesson Jimmy learns the hard way as he deals with his neighbors.

Richard Chizmar and Brian James Freeman have put together a fine mix of authors for this anthology. I’m really excited to see who they put in the next one.

What a great selection of stories. I admit that I first got this for the Stephen King story "Weeds", which was first found in comic form in Creepshow. But the other stories were just as good. I definitely plan to look into these other authors as well!

I really enjoyed this the first entry in a series of short stories. I particularly liked Simon Clark's Murder in Chains. Highly recommended.