Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
William Morrow (2007), 316 pages
Description
A compilation of short fiction includes the tales of Imogene, the legendary ghost of the Rosebud theater, and Francis, an unhappy, hopeless human turned giant locust seeking revenge on his Nevada hometown.
User reviews
LibraryThing member eleanor_eader
I’m a little backwards in getting to this collection; I read both of Hill’s currently published novels first, and then, convinced of his strong storytelling capabilities, was unable to resist the siren song of 20th Century Ghosts. Three things surprised me: that he is a very gifted short story
Most of the stories have young men or boys as the first-person narrator, which makes sense, (the only exception I can think of is the hidden story in the acknowledgements at the beginning), but otherwise, each one is so varied as to seem to come from an entirely different part of the map of Joe Hill’s imagination. The amazingly odd ‘Pop Art’, whose narrator is best friends with an inflatable boy, a boy’s transformation into a giant cricket in ‘You Will Hear the Locusts Sing’, the clever and frightening Van-Helsing pastiche, ‘Abraham’s Boys’ and an abducted child’s otherworldly assistance in ‘The Black Phone’. The rise of a super-villain in ‘The Cape’. Nothing in this collection prepares you for anything else in it, making the reader itch with curiosity.
My favourite in the book, though, is the persuasively disturbing; ‘My Father’s Mask’, which begins as a game told by a mother to entertain her son in the car, and is so subtly seeped in growing surreality as to make it absolutely eerie and unnerving, a real gem of a story. This is the one I can’t shake.
I would almost rather read another collection of shorts from Joe Hill next than another novel… not that his novels aren’t great reading, but some of these tales were powerhouses of storytelling ability, and I closed the book both thrilled and disappointed at how quickly I had charged through them. He’s now on my list of authors from whom I would immediately purchase another book of short horror stories. There are only two writers on it. I don’t suppose I have to tell you who the other one is.
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writer, with hardly a dud in the collection, that he writes very sweet ghost stories and very weird fantasy, and that while I’ve read the comparisons in reviews between the author and [insert name of inevitably mentioned horror writer with off-the-chart short-story telling talent and personal connection to Joe Hill] but hardly any of Neil Gaiman – because it’s Gaiman that this collection of Hill’s reminds me of, very strongly. Most of the stories have young men or boys as the first-person narrator, which makes sense, (the only exception I can think of is the hidden story in the acknowledgements at the beginning), but otherwise, each one is so varied as to seem to come from an entirely different part of the map of Joe Hill’s imagination. The amazingly odd ‘Pop Art’, whose narrator is best friends with an inflatable boy, a boy’s transformation into a giant cricket in ‘You Will Hear the Locusts Sing’, the clever and frightening Van-Helsing pastiche, ‘Abraham’s Boys’ and an abducted child’s otherworldly assistance in ‘The Black Phone’. The rise of a super-villain in ‘The Cape’. Nothing in this collection prepares you for anything else in it, making the reader itch with curiosity.
My favourite in the book, though, is the persuasively disturbing; ‘My Father’s Mask’, which begins as a game told by a mother to entertain her son in the car, and is so subtly seeped in growing surreality as to make it absolutely eerie and unnerving, a real gem of a story. This is the one I can’t shake.
I would almost rather read another collection of shorts from Joe Hill next than another novel… not that his novels aren’t great reading, but some of these tales were powerhouses of storytelling ability, and I closed the book both thrilled and disappointed at how quickly I had charged through them. He’s now on my list of authors from whom I would immediately purchase another book of short horror stories. There are only two writers on it. I don’t suppose I have to tell you who the other one is.
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LibraryThing member pmtracy
Joe Hill is quickly becoming one of my new favorite writers. After reading Heart Shaped Box, I was looking forward to going back and trying some of his short stories that were compiled into 20th Century Ghosts.
While mainly a horror writer, 20th Century is interesting to read because you can tell
For me, two stories stand above the rest. “Better Than Home” doesn’t really offer a complete story, but I really enjoyed the characters and I’d like to see Hill bring them back in a full novel. The narrator is a highly functional autistic child and his father “deals with his issues” in a positive and nurturing manner. Hearing the story from the son’s viewpoint, some portions of the narration are well thought and meticulously described and others are manic and confused. The internal dialogue is a great mechanism for showing how an autistic mind might function. Both father and son would make great heroes in a horror novel.
The second notable work was “My Father’s Mask.” With shades of Poe and Lewis Carroll, it was a psychological twister. This story is, once again, narrated by a young boy whose parents undergo a transformation while wearing masks at their weekend cabin. Their odd behavior, surreal elements and the brutal ending makes this an overall disturbing tale that’s going to stay with me for some time.
If you’re interested in Joe Hill, I’d recommend that this not be your introduction as it isn’t a fair representation of the level of writing he’s doing now. However, if you’ve already decided you like his writing then this is an interesting look at how he got to where he is today.
While mainly a horror writer, 20th Century is interesting to read because you can tell
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Hill was testing his writing skills using many different styles. Some of the stories are traditionally “spooky” while others are merely literary snippets.For me, two stories stand above the rest. “Better Than Home” doesn’t really offer a complete story, but I really enjoyed the characters and I’d like to see Hill bring them back in a full novel. The narrator is a highly functional autistic child and his father “deals with his issues” in a positive and nurturing manner. Hearing the story from the son’s viewpoint, some portions of the narration are well thought and meticulously described and others are manic and confused. The internal dialogue is a great mechanism for showing how an autistic mind might function. Both father and son would make great heroes in a horror novel.
The second notable work was “My Father’s Mask.” With shades of Poe and Lewis Carroll, it was a psychological twister. This story is, once again, narrated by a young boy whose parents undergo a transformation while wearing masks at their weekend cabin. Their odd behavior, surreal elements and the brutal ending makes this an overall disturbing tale that’s going to stay with me for some time.
If you’re interested in Joe Hill, I’d recommend that this not be your introduction as it isn’t a fair representation of the level of writing he’s doing now. However, if you’ve already decided you like his writing then this is an interesting look at how he got to where he is today.
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LibraryThing member delphica
(#37 in the 2008 Book Challenge)
This is a short story collection, most but certainly not all them are of the horror type. My favorite, "Pop Art," is more surreal than anything else. There's also a realistic story about the child of a hot-tempered MLB manager that was snicker-out-loud funny.
Grade: A-
Recommended: Yes, very entertaining for even a casual horror fan. If you HATE horror/supernatural stories, this isn't for you, but just about anyone else would think it was fine.
In the real world, Joe Hill is Joe King, Stephen King's son. It was almost impossible for me to stop thinking about that while I was reading. Joe is a fine writer, the problem is with me. I even developed* this strange little mantra in my head that went something along the lines of "but this is NOT the perfect collection of horror short stories because he hasn't said anything at all about CLOWNS, or getting hit by a TRUCK, or MAINE ..." and then I was genuinely startled when, out of the blue, he threw in a clown! It was more like an homage to the clown genre than an actual clown story, but still. The balloons, they floated, you know?
*Also an homage.
This is a short story collection, most but certainly not all them are of the horror type. My favorite, "Pop Art," is more surreal than anything else. There's also a realistic story about the child of a hot-tempered MLB manager that was snicker-out-loud funny.
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Overall, I thought it was a great mix of tone. Some of the horror was that disturbing/graphic twist style, others were more vaguely but delightfully creepy.Grade: A-
Recommended: Yes, very entertaining for even a casual horror fan. If you HATE horror/supernatural stories, this isn't for you, but just about anyone else would think it was fine.
In the real world, Joe Hill is Joe King, Stephen King's son. It was almost impossible for me to stop thinking about that while I was reading. Joe is a fine writer, the problem is with me. I even developed* this strange little mantra in my head that went something along the lines of "but this is NOT the perfect collection of horror short stories because he hasn't said anything at all about CLOWNS, or getting hit by a TRUCK, or MAINE ..." and then I was genuinely startled when, out of the blue, he threw in a clown! It was more like an homage to the clown genre than an actual clown story, but still. The balloons, they floated, you know?
*Also an homage.
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LibraryThing member lesleydawn
This was a truly entertaining book. It seems that the older I get, and the busier that my life becomes, the more I enjoy short stories. Sometimes I start a book, and then don't get back to it for a week or more. Not because I'm not interested - just because sometimes life gets in the way. With a
This collection was recommended to me by a friend. I had never read anything of Hill's before, but was told that this book contained some good reads. "Pop Art" was unusual and quirky. "The Black Phone" was particularly disturbing for me because I have two young children, and "Voluntary Committal" was captivating. Actually, all of the stories were. Some I liked more than the others (the ones mentioned above were my favorites) but they were all memorable. It seems that a lot of horror authors rely on gore or shock to hook a reader. Joe Hill didn't do that with these stories. The horror is subtle, and at times chilling. It doesn't jump out at you, but rather sneaks up on you in the night. It's wonderful.
This is a book that I will undoubtedly recommend to others, and that I will probably pick through, rereading favorites time and again, for years to come.
I can't wait to read more from Joe Hill.
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novel, this is a bad thing. I have to go back and reread a chapter or so, and eventually I quit going back, and just start something new. Short stories are the perfect alternative. This collection was recommended to me by a friend. I had never read anything of Hill's before, but was told that this book contained some good reads. "Pop Art" was unusual and quirky. "The Black Phone" was particularly disturbing for me because I have two young children, and "Voluntary Committal" was captivating. Actually, all of the stories were. Some I liked more than the others (the ones mentioned above were my favorites) but they were all memorable. It seems that a lot of horror authors rely on gore or shock to hook a reader. Joe Hill didn't do that with these stories. The horror is subtle, and at times chilling. It doesn't jump out at you, but rather sneaks up on you in the night. It's wonderful.
This is a book that I will undoubtedly recommend to others, and that I will probably pick through, rereading favorites time and again, for years to come.
I can't wait to read more from Joe Hill.
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LibraryThing member blueslibrarian
Joe Hill burst onto the scene this spring with the extraordinary novel Heart Shaped Box (my favorite book of the year) and he continues apace here with a collection of short stories. Hill isn’t your run of the mill horror writer, it’s not all blood and guts (although there is a little of that)
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but a really thoughtful and creepy kind of horror reminiscent of Poe or Hitchcock that creeps up on you and sticks with you. Several of Hill’s stories in this collection examine issues of friendship during adolescence, like “Voluntary Committal” that examines a man’s relationship with his autistic brother who has extraordinary powers, and “Pop Art,” the story of a young man and his best friend, a living inflatable boy. The title story is the truly creepy story of a haunted movie theater, and it manages to be charming and charming and scary at the same time. Not all of Hill’s stories are about ghosts, but many of them are haunting and will stick in your mind long after you’ve read them. Show Less
LibraryThing member copefiend2
Holy crap! I know I’m late to this party but what a wonderful read. This is a collection of short stories that have character and depth which far exceeded my expectations.
Some of the stories like “Pop Art” are simply outstanding pieces of original and exciting literature. While this
I will not sit here and talk about each story but I will say every last story in this book was well worth my time. A number of these stories hit home with me and this book has enough teeth for a re-read. 20th Century Ghosts has enough diversity for a fan of well written stories even if you aren’t a big fan of horror/suspense/supernatural.
Some of the stories like “Pop Art” are simply outstanding pieces of original and exciting literature. While this
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particular story may not be to everyone’s taste it provides a rich and unusual view into a young man’s life. I will not sit here and talk about each story but I will say every last story in this book was well worth my time. A number of these stories hit home with me and this book has enough teeth for a re-read. 20th Century Ghosts has enough diversity for a fan of well written stories even if you aren’t a big fan of horror/suspense/supernatural.
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LibraryThing member LibraryCin
This is a book of short stories, some horror, some fantasy, some a combination. Some of the stories include: a young Van Helsing, a movie theatre ghost, a boy who wakes up one morning having turned into a bug, two brothers – the younger a savant who builds cardboard box mazes, an inflatable boy,
I really enjoyed most of these stories. Collections of short stories often end up ok for me, with a mix of liking some stories and not liking others. I don’t think there were any I disliked in this collection, and most I really liked. Many of the stories don’t quite “end”… with more of a leave-it-up-to-your-imagination kind of thing, which can be extra-creepy with horror stories! I have had “The ants go marching one-by-one...” going through my head since I finished the book (it played a role in one of the last stories).
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a very reclusive horror writer, a basement with an old nonworking phone that rings, an odd museum, a boy who can actually fly while wearing his cape, and more.I really enjoyed most of these stories. Collections of short stories often end up ok for me, with a mix of liking some stories and not liking others. I don’t think there were any I disliked in this collection, and most I really liked. Many of the stories don’t quite “end”… with more of a leave-it-up-to-your-imagination kind of thing, which can be extra-creepy with horror stories! I have had “The ants go marching one-by-one...” going through my head since I finished the book (it played a role in one of the last stories).
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LibraryThing member tapestry100
I think it's a rare thing to be able to find a collection of ghost stories that have true heart and soul behind them, but that's exactly what you'll find with Joe Hill's collection, 20th Century Ghosts. Don't get me wrong, you'll find your typical, run-of-the-mill ghost story here, but there still
My favorite of the lot would have to be the title story, '20th Century Ghost'. It is such a unique and honestly touching ghost story, that I actually went back and reread that particular story a couple of times over as I read through the other stories.
Joe Hill has proven himself as a solid writer who doesn't have to use his father's celebrity at all to propel himself (his father is a writer a few of you may have heard of before, Stephen King). I'm looking forward to reading more of his work.
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seems to be something in the background of each story that makes it more than just that typical ghost story.My favorite of the lot would have to be the title story, '20th Century Ghost'. It is such a unique and honestly touching ghost story, that I actually went back and reread that particular story a couple of times over as I read through the other stories.
Joe Hill has proven himself as a solid writer who doesn't have to use his father's celebrity at all to propel himself (his father is a writer a few of you may have heard of before, Stephen King). I'm looking forward to reading more of his work.
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LibraryThing member crazysalad
A friend who knows I like short stories gave me this collection as a gift. In the short format, my favorites are mysteries - not so much the ghost stories. But I gave it a shot and was completely blown away. They're so good! They're not ghost stories, really; they're wonderfully creative and moving
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stories by a talented writer. "Pop Art" is one of the most original stories I've read in years, and the whole collection is outstanding. And Hill's range is impressive - though there is an element of the odd or ghoulish throughout "20th Century Ghosts," one story is simply set on the movie set of a horror movie and there's nothing macabre about it - it's just a well-written story about people and relationships; an Alice Munro fan would appreciate it. Joe Hill is a gifted writer and storyteller and I'm excited to see what comes from him next. Show Less
LibraryThing member caanderson
I enjoyed 20th Century Ghost. I liked all the creepy, quirky, scary short stories. The stories are full of suspense with a high creep factor. All the characters were rich and believable. Great creepy book!
LibraryThing member flying_monkeys
Rating: 4.5 of 5
20th Century Ghosts WOWed me! I loved Hill's take on "ghosts." I loved that the collection included horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and mainstream fiction. But what I loved most was that I could (can) still remember all 16 stories (there was one hidden in the Acknowledgments), and there
Hands down my absolute favorite of the collection was My Father's Mask. After I finished it I sat dazed for about 15 minutes. Then I just sat there, staring at the wall, and thought about it for another 30 minutes. Finally I had to consult the Net to see if others reacted the same way. Sure enough, I was not alone. I'll be thinking about this story for I don't know how many days (weeks? years?) to come.
Best New Horror was pure fun, and a warning to all us horror nuts who think we'd never end up like one of those characters. HA! Voluntary Committal, The Black Phone, The Cape - all equally creepy and brilliant.
Highly recommended to fans of psychological horror and/or great storytelling. If you're looking for tons of BOO! in your face scares or a splatterfest, skip this one for now, but come back to it when you want something deeper and, at times, more frightening.
20th Century Ghosts WOWed me! I loved Hill's take on "ghosts." I loved that the collection included horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and mainstream fiction. But what I loved most was that I could (can) still remember all 16 stories (there was one hidden in the Acknowledgments), and there
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were only two I didn't like. Frequent readers of short stories know how rare that is.Hands down my absolute favorite of the collection was My Father's Mask. After I finished it I sat dazed for about 15 minutes. Then I just sat there, staring at the wall, and thought about it for another 30 minutes. Finally I had to consult the Net to see if others reacted the same way. Sure enough, I was not alone. I'll be thinking about this story for I don't know how many days (weeks? years?) to come.
Best New Horror was pure fun, and a warning to all us horror nuts who think we'd never end up like one of those characters. HA! Voluntary Committal, The Black Phone, The Cape - all equally creepy and brilliant.
Highly recommended to fans of psychological horror and/or great storytelling. If you're looking for tons of BOO! in your face scares or a splatterfest, skip this one for now, but come back to it when you want something deeper and, at times, more frightening.
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LibraryThing member Edward.Lorn
I first heard of Joe Hill after winning a bundle of used hardcovers on Ebay. Among the books in the lot were several King, some limited edition Laymon, a Straub or two, and two first editions by an author of which I had never heard. Heart Shaped Box and 20th Century Ghosts were in fantastic
Notes on the Audible Edition: David Ledoux has a unique narrative voice. Every story herein is worth a read, but David's narration gives them that little something extra that just makes 'em pop. On the down side, the music, while thoroughly creepy, was produced at an entirely different volume than the spoken word. I had to turn down my device every time a story ended for fear of rupturing my ear drums when the musical intro for the next story began. Other than that, I recommend the Audible version.
Now, I will not be reviewing each and every story because they're all above average. I will warn that some of these tales have no ending. They are not open endings, or bad ending, but the stories of which I speak are completely devoid of any closing scene. They simply STOP. A perfect example of this is the opener, "Best New Horror", which is also one of the best stories in the collection. My absolute favorite story in the collection is "Pop Art", and that's because of the sheer originality of the tale. Going into 20th Century Ghosts, I knew nothing about "Pop Art", and I hope you have the same option. Even giving you a brief, vague synopsis would ruin the experience, so I will move on. Other notable tales are "20th Century Ghost", "The Black Phone", "The Cape" (which has one of the best endings I've ever read where short stories are concerned), and the uber imaginative "Voluntary Committal". The only story I disliked was "Abraham's Boys". Hill tried too damn hard to breathe new life into overused, out-of-date characters, and it resulted in the book's only failure. That one story slowed the book down and gummed up the collection's works so badly I was compelled to knock off a full star from the overall rating. Yes, it was that bad. If I had to rate "Abraham's Boys" on its own, I would give it two stars. Everything else gets fours and fives.
You should know that these are not short stories; not technically anyway. Hill suffers the same what-ails-him as his father. Neither man seems to grasp the concept of "short", but they write so damn well that you barely notice that their outings are more along the line of novelettes and novellas than they are short stories.
In summation: A terrific collection of longer short stories, and far more literary in scope than your average horror anthology. If you're a fan of Stephen King's Skeleton Crew or Neil Gaiman's Smoke and Mirrors, you should enjoy 20th Century Ghosts.
(A Note to Completionists: Hill hides a short story in the afterward, so make sure you don't skip the acknowledgment section. You're welcome.)
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condition, and seemed to have never been read. I threw these two books on my shelf and forgot all about them. Later that year, I found a book at my local BAM entitled Horns. The premise piqued my interest, so I bought the hardcover, devoured it over the course of three days, and then went to place the book on my shelf in alphabetic order by author. Low and behold, I laid eyes on two other books by the same writer, the aforementioned ones I'd won in the bundle, which I had forgotten all about. It wasn't until I finished Heart Shaped Box (which was in slightly less perfect condition in comparison to 20th Century Ghosts) and went in search of more Joe Hill goodness on Amazon that I found out that Hill is Stephen King's son. Surprise, surprise! The following year, Hill released NOS4A2 and cemented his place as one of my new favorite authors. Still, I hadn't read 20th Century Ghosts. You may be asking yourself why, and the answer is one that all book collectors can sympathize with: my hardcover copy is a first edition AND it is in pristine condition. I wouldn't crack that book open if you put a gun to my head. But I had to read it, of course I did, so I bought the ebook and added the audio book as a companion purchase. And let me tell you, the audio book is the way to go.Notes on the Audible Edition: David Ledoux has a unique narrative voice. Every story herein is worth a read, but David's narration gives them that little something extra that just makes 'em pop. On the down side, the music, while thoroughly creepy, was produced at an entirely different volume than the spoken word. I had to turn down my device every time a story ended for fear of rupturing my ear drums when the musical intro for the next story began. Other than that, I recommend the Audible version.
Now, I will not be reviewing each and every story because they're all above average. I will warn that some of these tales have no ending. They are not open endings, or bad ending, but the stories of which I speak are completely devoid of any closing scene. They simply STOP. A perfect example of this is the opener, "Best New Horror", which is also one of the best stories in the collection. My absolute favorite story in the collection is "Pop Art", and that's because of the sheer originality of the tale. Going into 20th Century Ghosts, I knew nothing about "Pop Art", and I hope you have the same option. Even giving you a brief, vague synopsis would ruin the experience, so I will move on. Other notable tales are "20th Century Ghost", "The Black Phone", "The Cape" (which has one of the best endings I've ever read where short stories are concerned), and the uber imaginative "Voluntary Committal". The only story I disliked was "Abraham's Boys". Hill tried too damn hard to breathe new life into overused, out-of-date characters, and it resulted in the book's only failure. That one story slowed the book down and gummed up the collection's works so badly I was compelled to knock off a full star from the overall rating. Yes, it was that bad. If I had to rate "Abraham's Boys" on its own, I would give it two stars. Everything else gets fours and fives.
You should know that these are not short stories; not technically anyway. Hill suffers the same what-ails-him as his father. Neither man seems to grasp the concept of "short", but they write so damn well that you barely notice that their outings are more along the line of novelettes and novellas than they are short stories.
In summation: A terrific collection of longer short stories, and far more literary in scope than your average horror anthology. If you're a fan of Stephen King's Skeleton Crew or Neil Gaiman's Smoke and Mirrors, you should enjoy 20th Century Ghosts.
(A Note to Completionists: Hill hides a short story in the afterward, so make sure you don't skip the acknowledgment section. You're welcome.)
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LibraryThing member karieh
I’m a pretty big fan of short stories. Instead of sitting down to a huge literary cake, short stories are a box of assorted chocolates that one can pick and choose from. You can eat just one at a time or gorge yourself – you’ve got options.
“20th Century Ghosts” quite a few tasty treats
“Best New Horror” was, if a bit predictable, wonderfully disgusting and chill inducing. Made me think of that episode of the X-Files, “Home”, I think? Ruined Johnny Mathis songs for me. Very vivid - I could so clearly see the ending in my mind that I had to make sure that my husband and kids were nearby and looking just the way they should.
“Pop Art” is a sweet, sad story that I enjoyed a great deal, even if I felt like I was missing the main message of the piece. The humanity of the maybe not so human focus of the story was heartbreaking…and mirrors a small piece of the mina characters soul, one he keeps carefully hidden away.
“It is my belief that, as a rule, creatures of Happy’s ilk – I am thinking here of canines and men both – more often run free than live caged, and it is in fact a world of mud and feces they desire, a world with no art in it, or anyone like him, a place where there is no talk of books or God or the worlds beyond this world, a place where the only communication is the hysterical barking of starving and hate-filled dogs.”
I read this paragraph over and over – forgetting a moment about the rest of the story – and several people who receive far too much attention in our world today leapt to mind. As sad as it is, I could not agree more with the character/author.
“My Father’s Mask”? CREEPY! And? In my head, takes place in the same cabin where Joe Hill’s father’s book “Gerald’s Game” occurred. Only increasing the creepy factor.
This book is a very interesting mix of the creepy, gory, sad and thoughtful. A good example of the creepy/gory is this – in “You Will Hear the Locust Sing”:
“He still wore his former skin like a coat, the skin of who he had been when he was human. Four of his six legs poked through rents in the damp, beige, pimpled, mole-studded, tragic, reeking cape of flesh.” And later in this story, “The memory of that day in the dump made him a little sentimental for his father – they had had some good times together, and Buddy had made a decent meal in the end. Really, what else could you ask from a parent?”
So, add tragic-comic to that list as well.
I think, what will stay with me over time as I think of this book, is the thoughtful. The reflections on “What Is” among all the “What Ifs”.
From “The Black Phone”: “He did not sleep, he was not awake. Minutes did not pass, collecting into hours. There was no point in thinking about time in the old way. There was only one moment and then another moment, in a string of moments that went on in a quiet, deadly procession.”
Among all the sweets, something to savor.
Sorry.
“20th Century Ghosts” quite a few tasty treats
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and no gross nougat center ones. (Though there were a couple of stories that I might liken to the type of chocolate one might eat and be OK with – but not be 100% sure what the filling was. Caramel, butter cream…? Without one of those handy charts, sometimes it’s hard to tell.) OK – I’m done with the candy thing. Sorry.“Best New Horror” was, if a bit predictable, wonderfully disgusting and chill inducing. Made me think of that episode of the X-Files, “Home”, I think? Ruined Johnny Mathis songs for me. Very vivid - I could so clearly see the ending in my mind that I had to make sure that my husband and kids were nearby and looking just the way they should.
“Pop Art” is a sweet, sad story that I enjoyed a great deal, even if I felt like I was missing the main message of the piece. The humanity of the maybe not so human focus of the story was heartbreaking…and mirrors a small piece of the mina characters soul, one he keeps carefully hidden away.
“It is my belief that, as a rule, creatures of Happy’s ilk – I am thinking here of canines and men both – more often run free than live caged, and it is in fact a world of mud and feces they desire, a world with no art in it, or anyone like him, a place where there is no talk of books or God or the worlds beyond this world, a place where the only communication is the hysterical barking of starving and hate-filled dogs.”
I read this paragraph over and over – forgetting a moment about the rest of the story – and several people who receive far too much attention in our world today leapt to mind. As sad as it is, I could not agree more with the character/author.
“My Father’s Mask”? CREEPY! And? In my head, takes place in the same cabin where Joe Hill’s father’s book “Gerald’s Game” occurred. Only increasing the creepy factor.
This book is a very interesting mix of the creepy, gory, sad and thoughtful. A good example of the creepy/gory is this – in “You Will Hear the Locust Sing”:
“He still wore his former skin like a coat, the skin of who he had been when he was human. Four of his six legs poked through rents in the damp, beige, pimpled, mole-studded, tragic, reeking cape of flesh.” And later in this story, “The memory of that day in the dump made him a little sentimental for his father – they had had some good times together, and Buddy had made a decent meal in the end. Really, what else could you ask from a parent?”
So, add tragic-comic to that list as well.
I think, what will stay with me over time as I think of this book, is the thoughtful. The reflections on “What Is” among all the “What Ifs”.
From “The Black Phone”: “He did not sleep, he was not awake. Minutes did not pass, collecting into hours. There was no point in thinking about time in the old way. There was only one moment and then another moment, in a string of moments that went on in a quiet, deadly procession.”
Among all the sweets, something to savor.
Sorry.
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LibraryThing member nicole0112
I like Stephen King very much. Sometimes, mostly lately, I've had to try hard to keep liking him, but overall I think he's usually worthwhile reading. When I found out that Joe Hill, the author of 20th Century Ghosts, was his son, I was angry that Mr. Hill would even try to write a book. Surely, he
I'm not usually a fan of short stories. I like long novels where I can get to know the characters intimately. Short stories leave me feeling unfulfilled sometimes, like I was cheated out of something better and richer. This isn't always the case. I love O. Henry and John Updike, just to name a few. Short stories are something that are becoming lost in our culture, and I think it's a tragedy. Joe Hill has managed to jump the hurdles of the present and execute little gems that are a true pleasure to read.
While, technically, the stories are supposed to be horror, they go far beyond that genre. They are bizarre and touching at the same. The tales are often gruesome, but not overtly so. Pop Art, probably my favorite, is about an inflatable boy with a tragic wish and is truly a beautiful story about friendship. Some of then endings of the stories aren't what you would expect, but to me that's what makes good short stories so wonderful, you should be surprised and maybe a little angry. There is a definite old school vibe to the stories and they all make for a good read. A lot of short story anthologies have a lot of hit or miss stories that I often end up paging through, but not Joe Hill. He's all hit.
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couldn't live up to the legacy that his father left. The only reason I picked up the book was because he didn't capitalize on his last name, but instead chose to shorten up his middle name- Hillstrom-and use Hill as his pen name to hide his King heritage. I figured that it might be readable, but if not then I could just set it on the shelf to gather dust. He wasn't good. He was VERY good. I would even say, better than his father...maybe not yet, but I think he will be.I'm not usually a fan of short stories. I like long novels where I can get to know the characters intimately. Short stories leave me feeling unfulfilled sometimes, like I was cheated out of something better and richer. This isn't always the case. I love O. Henry and John Updike, just to name a few. Short stories are something that are becoming lost in our culture, and I think it's a tragedy. Joe Hill has managed to jump the hurdles of the present and execute little gems that are a true pleasure to read.
While, technically, the stories are supposed to be horror, they go far beyond that genre. They are bizarre and touching at the same. The tales are often gruesome, but not overtly so. Pop Art, probably my favorite, is about an inflatable boy with a tragic wish and is truly a beautiful story about friendship. Some of then endings of the stories aren't what you would expect, but to me that's what makes good short stories so wonderful, you should be surprised and maybe a little angry. There is a definite old school vibe to the stories and they all make for a good read. A lot of short story anthologies have a lot of hit or miss stories that I often end up paging through, but not Joe Hill. He's all hit.
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LibraryThing member cefeick
I enjoyed this book though I didn't "get" every story here. Hill, like his father, has a way with words that makes even the most incomprehensible situation sound poetic.
LibraryThing member lovesrequiemo
A unique collection of short stories, some classified as horror, others not. Many of the 'not' category left me, the reader asking questions like, "What the heck.." which is a good thing because I enjoy reading works that make you go hmmm.....
LibraryThing member TW_Spencer
The King's have began a true literary dynasty. Stephen, Tabitha, and their son Joe Hill are the king, queen and prince of horror and this book proves that claim.
LibraryThing member Sengels
Wow! I was intrigued with Hill after reading "Heart Shaped Box" so I picked this book up as soon as it was out. What an amazing collection of stories--some horror, some fantasy, some wonderfully creepy. The one that knocked my socks off was "Pop Art." If you have time for only one story, read this
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one. Show Less
LibraryThing member swl
Aside from multi-author anthologies, not too many short story collections are being pubbed these days, especially in genre. That's too bad. There is something to be gained from reading a wide swath of an author's work in the form, IMHO.
In JH's case, it's an appreciation of his astonishing range on
Range: the book includes gross-out horror (no judgment intended, I just mean traditional gore), light-to-medium supernatural, and pure literary, as well as a couple of standards - the serial killer victim in the basement and the boys-at-play-discovering-something-awful-in-the-woods. It's not my place to say which JH does best; I suspect that would come down to a reader's preference.
Unifying elements: JH's control of the story is a combination of a beautifully light touch and an unflinching attention to whatever represents the horror in the work. There's never a lecture, unwieldy dialog, or clunky narrative (an occupational hazard, I'm afraid, of the horror writer who envisions a separate reality only to falter when trying to describe it).
Many of the stories are told from a child's point of view. It's safe to say that JH's inner child is alive and well. I loved the often-sweet characters, who are all "other" in some way. In fact, otherness is the closest thing to a universal theme for the book - otherness and its attendant ills: bullying, isolation, loneliness, detachment from reality, and, in some cases, violence.
I agree with Christopher Golden, who wrote the forward, that "Pop Art" is a truly exceptional work.
I wish that horror-haters would read this book, as I think it represents what the genre can be at its best.
In JH's case, it's an appreciation of his astonishing range on
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the one hand and the consistency of the unifying elements on the other.Range: the book includes gross-out horror (no judgment intended, I just mean traditional gore), light-to-medium supernatural, and pure literary, as well as a couple of standards - the serial killer victim in the basement and the boys-at-play-discovering-something-awful-in-the-woods. It's not my place to say which JH does best; I suspect that would come down to a reader's preference.
Unifying elements: JH's control of the story is a combination of a beautifully light touch and an unflinching attention to whatever represents the horror in the work. There's never a lecture, unwieldy dialog, or clunky narrative (an occupational hazard, I'm afraid, of the horror writer who envisions a separate reality only to falter when trying to describe it).
Many of the stories are told from a child's point of view. It's safe to say that JH's inner child is alive and well. I loved the often-sweet characters, who are all "other" in some way. In fact, otherness is the closest thing to a universal theme for the book - otherness and its attendant ills: bullying, isolation, loneliness, detachment from reality, and, in some cases, violence.
I agree with Christopher Golden, who wrote the forward, that "Pop Art" is a truly exceptional work.
I wish that horror-haters would read this book, as I think it represents what the genre can be at its best.
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LibraryThing member jonwwil
Read this book.
With a title like 20th Century Ghosts, it's easy to assume that it's a collection of horror/ghost stories, and that's true, but only to a point. Most of them, I would say, use elements of horror or fantasy simply as a backdrop for interesting human stories. "Bobby Conroy Comes Back
All of these stories are good. Most are very good, and some are (for me, at least) simply mind-blowing. When I finished "The Cape," I had to close the book and just look out the window for a few minutes. That's my favorite of the bunch, I'd say, although there are several others that were close. I love that feeling. I'm very much looking forward to picking up Heart-Shaped Box.
I just hope people don't immediately write off this book because they don't like horror stories. Yeah, there's plenty here to like for those of us who do like horror, but there's so much more, too. I also hope people can enjoy the work on its own merits, and not simply dutifully read it due to their appreciation of some other famous writer that Joe Hill may be related to. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of that guy too, but Joe's work stands on its own. This is the real thing, folks. Good, good stuff.
With a title like 20th Century Ghosts, it's easy to assume that it's a collection of horror/ghost stories, and that's true, but only to a point. Most of them, I would say, use elements of horror or fantasy simply as a backdrop for interesting human stories. "Bobby Conroy Comes Back
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from the Dead" comes immediately to mind in this regard--the main characters are dressed in zombie makeup for a movie; otherwise, it's just a regular story.All of these stories are good. Most are very good, and some are (for me, at least) simply mind-blowing. When I finished "The Cape," I had to close the book and just look out the window for a few minutes. That's my favorite of the bunch, I'd say, although there are several others that were close. I love that feeling. I'm very much looking forward to picking up Heart-Shaped Box.
I just hope people don't immediately write off this book because they don't like horror stories. Yeah, there's plenty here to like for those of us who do like horror, but there's so much more, too. I also hope people can enjoy the work on its own merits, and not simply dutifully read it due to their appreciation of some other famous writer that Joe Hill may be related to. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of that guy too, but Joe's work stands on its own. This is the real thing, folks. Good, good stuff.
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LibraryThing member stefferjo
Fantastic. I enjoyed Hill's short story collection better than Heart-Shaped Box. My personal favorite stories are The Cape, Last Breath, Pop Art, Dead-Wood, My Father's Mask and Voluntary Committal. That's a lot, I know, but each is wonderful in its own way. The bonus story hidden within the book
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is also a gem. I'm looking forward to more from Joe Hill. Show Less
LibraryThing member miyurose
Hill may not be using his father’s name, but he’s certainly inherited his father’s imagination. I thought this was a great collection, and I’m really not a short story fan. They’re not all horror and gore… some of the stories are sweet, touching, even familiar. Though some of them
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definitely creeped me out. My favorites were 20th Century Ghost, Voluntary Committal, Pop Art, and The Black Phone. Show Less
LibraryThing member smammers
This short-story collection is absolutely excellent. There is a wide variety of story genres, ranging from creepy ("Best New Horror") to grotesque ("You Will Hear The Locust Sing") to quirky (the excellent "Pop Art"). Each of the stories has stuck vividly in my mind until more than a year later,
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and I'm itching to re-read them now. If you've read Hill's other books, or are a fan of Stephen King's short stories, or generally like oddball fantasy/horror tales, this is a book for you. Show Less
LibraryThing member george.d.ross
I read a couple of the stories in this before giving up. Mr. Hill has a canny grasp of the postmodern, writerly style, but there is nothing remotely scary in these stories. I hope the author lives long enough to realize he was never meant to write horror.
LibraryThing member cassiopia_cat
What an amazing book to creep you out-weird you out and disturb your sleep. Although not all the stories are typical horror, they all contain elements of Joe Hill's vivid imagination, which seems to be unlike any normal person's ravings! I highly recommend.
Awards
Audie Award (Finalist — 2008)
World Fantasy Award (Nominee — Collection — 2006)
Bram Stoker Award (Nominee — Collection — 2005)
British Fantasy Award (Winner — Collection — 2006)
International Horror Guild Award (Winner — Collection — 2005)
Original language
English
Original publication date
2007-10-16
Physical description
316 p.; 5.5 inches
ISBN
0061147974 / 9780061147975