Post by nickmontelongo on Aug 13, 2013 19:34:33 GMT -6
A man tells us what it is like to have a serial killer in his family. A retired horror movie queen hires a detective in a case of blackmail. The Winchester House of San Jose, CA becomes the site of a series of murders. A comic book writer hires a nanny to take care of her daughter and comes to regret it. These are only four of the fourteen short stories collected in Dark Dimensions by William F. Nolan.
Nolan is a legend in the horror field and one of few surviving members of the old guard. He has been writing for over fifty years and shows no signs of slowing down. Most of the stories in this collection are quite recent. For example, “Zachry Revisited” was printed in the anthology He Is Legend (the anthology is a tribute to Richard Matheson) and is a sequel to Matheson’s tale “The Children of Noah.” There are some older stories printed here as well. “The Horror at Winchester House” was written in the late 90s; Nolan wrote this on the realization that no had ever written a story about this particular haunted house and decided to do so himself. Other noteworthy horror tales include “Child’s Care,” “A Woods Encounter,” and “Stabbed by Rob.” “The Man Who Stalked Hyde” is a fun, yet brief sequel to the Stevenson classic The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Not all of these stories are horror, however. “Getting Along Just Fine” is a touching piece of fiction with no fantastical content. “Vampire Dollars” is a very likeable and entertaining mystery tale. Another mystery that is worth reading (but a little too short) is “The Death of Sherlock Holmes” where Nolan accomplishes what Arthur Conan Doyle dreamt of doing.
Overall, this is a worthwhile collection to read. Nolan writes believable people and sets his stories at a breakneck pace. This may leave the reader with a sense of having been on a rollercoaster ride that was too short. Regardless, this is an enjoyable read. Whether this ride provided by Nolan is too fast or just right, he still leaves his riders (readers) with a pleasant thrill at the end.
Nolan is a legend in the horror field and one of few surviving members of the old guard. He has been writing for over fifty years and shows no signs of slowing down. Most of the stories in this collection are quite recent. For example, “Zachry Revisited” was printed in the anthology He Is Legend (the anthology is a tribute to Richard Matheson) and is a sequel to Matheson’s tale “The Children of Noah.” There are some older stories printed here as well. “The Horror at Winchester House” was written in the late 90s; Nolan wrote this on the realization that no had ever written a story about this particular haunted house and decided to do so himself. Other noteworthy horror tales include “Child’s Care,” “A Woods Encounter,” and “Stabbed by Rob.” “The Man Who Stalked Hyde” is a fun, yet brief sequel to the Stevenson classic The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Not all of these stories are horror, however. “Getting Along Just Fine” is a touching piece of fiction with no fantastical content. “Vampire Dollars” is a very likeable and entertaining mystery tale. Another mystery that is worth reading (but a little too short) is “The Death of Sherlock Holmes” where Nolan accomplishes what Arthur Conan Doyle dreamt of doing.
Overall, this is a worthwhile collection to read. Nolan writes believable people and sets his stories at a breakneck pace. This may leave the reader with a sense of having been on a rollercoaster ride that was too short. Regardless, this is an enjoyable read. Whether this ride provided by Nolan is too fast or just right, he still leaves his riders (readers) with a pleasant thrill at the end.
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