Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Random House (2023), 400 pages
Description
Fiction. Horror. African American Fiction. Short Stories. HTML:The visionary writer and director of Get Out, Us, and Nope, and founder of Monkeypaw Productions, curates this groundbreaking anthology of all-new stories of Black horror, exploring not only the terrors of the supernatural but the chilling reality of injustice that haunts our nation. A cop begins seeing huge, blinking eyes where the headlights of cars should be that tell him who to pull over. Two freedom riders take a bus ride that leaves them stranded on a lonely road in Alabama where several unsettling somethings await them. A young girl dives into the depths of the Earth in search of the demon that killed her parents. These are just a few of the worlds of Out There Screaming, Jordan Peele�??s anthology of all-new horror stories by Black writers. Featuring an introduction by Peele and an all-star roster of beloved writers and new voices, Out There Screaming is a master class in horror, and�??like his spine-chilling films�??its stories prey on everything we think we know about our world . . . and redefine what it means to be afraid. Featuring stories by: Erin E. Adams, Violet Allen, Lesley Nneka Arimah, Maurice Broaddus, Chesya Burke, P. Djèlí Clark, Ezra Claytan Daniels, Tananarive Due, Nalo Hopkinson, N. K. Jemisin, Justin C. Key, L. D. Lewis, Nnedi Okorafor, Tochi Onyebuchi, Rebecca Roanhorse, Nicole D. Sconiers, Rion Amilcar Scott, Terence Taylor, and Cadw… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member ElizaJane
A collection of horror tales written by Black authors. Some have racism as a theme, while many do not. The stories were very gook there are only two I did not like. The stories were mostly not scary but they had plenty of atmosphere and weird or shocking endings. I loved the writing all around.
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2. Eye & Tooth by Rebecca Roanhorse - Brother and sister monster hunters go to a rural farmhouse to search for a monster killing animals and now something bigger. A delightful story with great characters. (4/5)
3. Wandering Devil by Cadwell Turnbull - Freddy was a wandering man. He'd stop somewhere and stay awhile then suddenly move on again but this time he fell in love and couldn't decide whether to stop for good or not. Very engaging story, and we feel for Freddy. Then a strange ending. (4/5)
4. Invasion of the Baby Snatchers by Nneka Arimah - This starts off describing the alien invasion of impregnating people and then goes on to describe one particular case. It's another fine story with a creepy ending. (4/5)
5. The Other One by Violet Allen - A woman can't stop thinking about her ex of three weeks. He just up and told her he didn't love her one day. This was a little hard to understand and I don't get it. It left me feeling 'meh'. (3/5)
6. Lasiren by Erin E. Adams - A folk tale of a woman in the sea and a girl who goes missing. This was just so-so, readable but it didn't do anything for me. (3/5)
7. The Rider by Tananarive Due - Two young women get on a bus to Montgomery to join the Freedom Riders in 1961. Really good. The author turns a realistic story into a paranormal by adding a strange man/creature. (4/5)
8. The Aesthete by Justin C Key - it's never stated as such but an AI narrates this story about him meeting a woman AI and a special bond between. I enjoyed the story but found it confusing at times. An expanded version would be more satisfying (4/5)
9. Pressure by Ezra Claytan Daniels - Three cousins reunite at one of their mum's places. A series of events leads to a shocking end. Really good. (4/5)
10. Dark Home by Nnedi Okorafor - much longer than the other stories. A woman goes back to Nigeria to bury her father. There is a traditional send-off for him. When she returns to Arizona she brings something back with her. A completely satisfying story. Good characterization of the main character and an interesting plot. (4/5)
11. Flicker by LD Lewis - The lights go off for the world and no one can see a thing. This lasts 21 seconds and causes chaos. The world is ending. This was fantastic. So creepy. Great ending. My favorite so far. (5/5)
12. The Most Strongest Obeah Woman of the World by Nalo Hopkinson - A girl who was orphaned by the giant beast who lives in the sea hole in the village goes in to kill it. Written like a folk tale, this story was good but didn't interest me much. (3/5)
13. The Norwood Trouble by Maurice Broaddus - This story reads as the horrors of man. Set after the Civil War in Indiana which is in the North but ruled by the South. It tells of racism and how it explodes one night. The story eventually turns supernatural or as the story says "preternatural". A harrowing tale as it's so real. (4/5)
14. A Grief of the Dead by Rion Amilcar Scott - A man's twin brother died in a mass shooting, his parents in a CO2 accident, and his Uncle Charlie was carried off by screeches. His sister comes to see him saying the dead are visiting her. From here the story turns into something completely different. Good characterization and an intricate plot. I didn't find it creepy or atmospheric, though. Decent enough story. (3/5)
15. A Bird Sings by the Etching Tree by Nicole D Sconiers - Two ghosts, for want of a better word, haunt a stretch of highway called "Dead Man's Curve" playing a game of who can kill the most men. Not exactly creepy but I like the women's stories and their powers. (3/5)
16. An American Fable by Chesya Burke - Just after WWII a black soldier returns home to find that in the South blacks are not treated any better than before. On the train to Chicago, he stands up for the other blacks and things go from bad to strange for him. A bit of fantasy in here changes this from an historical tale to something otherworldly but it's just okay. (3/5)
17. Your Happy Place by Terence Taylor - Martin has a happy home life but is worried about his job. He's a prison guard working at an experimental facility where he keeps noticing odd things happening and he wants to find the answers. I loved this one. The first story with a science fiction edge. And very creepy when you think about it. ,(4/5)
18. Hide & Seek by P Djeli Clark - A boy's mother lies in bed her body changing, her breathing heavy. Then he tells the back story of magic in his family. I loved this one. The boy is almost 12 and reads as such; is an entertaining story with a frightening end. (4/5)
19. Origin Story by Tochi Onyebuchi - Written as a play. Political. I got the message but certainly did not consider it entertaining. (0/5)
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Reckless Eyeballing by NK Jemison - A crooked cop starts seeing the front headlights on some cars turn into real eyes. He sees this as a sign that the car's driver is a criminal. Entertaining with a great ending. (4/5)2. Eye & Tooth by Rebecca Roanhorse - Brother and sister monster hunters go to a rural farmhouse to search for a monster killing animals and now something bigger. A delightful story with great characters. (4/5)
3. Wandering Devil by Cadwell Turnbull - Freddy was a wandering man. He'd stop somewhere and stay awhile then suddenly move on again but this time he fell in love and couldn't decide whether to stop for good or not. Very engaging story, and we feel for Freddy. Then a strange ending. (4/5)
4. Invasion of the Baby Snatchers by Nneka Arimah - This starts off describing the alien invasion of impregnating people and then goes on to describe one particular case. It's another fine story with a creepy ending. (4/5)
5. The Other One by Violet Allen - A woman can't stop thinking about her ex of three weeks. He just up and told her he didn't love her one day. This was a little hard to understand and I don't get it. It left me feeling 'meh'. (3/5)
6. Lasiren by Erin E. Adams - A folk tale of a woman in the sea and a girl who goes missing. This was just so-so, readable but it didn't do anything for me. (3/5)
7. The Rider by Tananarive Due - Two young women get on a bus to Montgomery to join the Freedom Riders in 1961. Really good. The author turns a realistic story into a paranormal by adding a strange man/creature. (4/5)
8. The Aesthete by Justin C Key - it's never stated as such but an AI narrates this story about him meeting a woman AI and a special bond between. I enjoyed the story but found it confusing at times. An expanded version would be more satisfying (4/5)
9. Pressure by Ezra Claytan Daniels - Three cousins reunite at one of their mum's places. A series of events leads to a shocking end. Really good. (4/5)
10. Dark Home by Nnedi Okorafor - much longer than the other stories. A woman goes back to Nigeria to bury her father. There is a traditional send-off for him. When she returns to Arizona she brings something back with her. A completely satisfying story. Good characterization of the main character and an interesting plot. (4/5)
11. Flicker by LD Lewis - The lights go off for the world and no one can see a thing. This lasts 21 seconds and causes chaos. The world is ending. This was fantastic. So creepy. Great ending. My favorite so far. (5/5)
12. The Most Strongest Obeah Woman of the World by Nalo Hopkinson - A girl who was orphaned by the giant beast who lives in the sea hole in the village goes in to kill it. Written like a folk tale, this story was good but didn't interest me much. (3/5)
13. The Norwood Trouble by Maurice Broaddus - This story reads as the horrors of man. Set after the Civil War in Indiana which is in the North but ruled by the South. It tells of racism and how it explodes one night. The story eventually turns supernatural or as the story says "preternatural". A harrowing tale as it's so real. (4/5)
14. A Grief of the Dead by Rion Amilcar Scott - A man's twin brother died in a mass shooting, his parents in a CO2 accident, and his Uncle Charlie was carried off by screeches. His sister comes to see him saying the dead are visiting her. From here the story turns into something completely different. Good characterization and an intricate plot. I didn't find it creepy or atmospheric, though. Decent enough story. (3/5)
15. A Bird Sings by the Etching Tree by Nicole D Sconiers - Two ghosts, for want of a better word, haunt a stretch of highway called "Dead Man's Curve" playing a game of who can kill the most men. Not exactly creepy but I like the women's stories and their powers. (3/5)
16. An American Fable by Chesya Burke - Just after WWII a black soldier returns home to find that in the South blacks are not treated any better than before. On the train to Chicago, he stands up for the other blacks and things go from bad to strange for him. A bit of fantasy in here changes this from an historical tale to something otherworldly but it's just okay. (3/5)
17. Your Happy Place by Terence Taylor - Martin has a happy home life but is worried about his job. He's a prison guard working at an experimental facility where he keeps noticing odd things happening and he wants to find the answers. I loved this one. The first story with a science fiction edge. And very creepy when you think about it. ,(4/5)
18. Hide & Seek by P Djeli Clark - A boy's mother lies in bed her body changing, her breathing heavy. Then he tells the back story of magic in his family. I loved this one. The boy is almost 12 and reads as such; is an entertaining story with a frightening end. (4/5)
19. Origin Story by Tochi Onyebuchi - Written as a play. Political. I got the message but certainly did not consider it entertaining. (0/5)
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LibraryThing member clrichm
To be frank, I'm never quite confident about how best to rate collections of short stories when they vary widely in terms of how strong and effective I found them to be. In this particular case, there were some absolutely standout stories that I would love to see finding their way to larger
My personal favorites were the ones that had a more classically horror feel: "Eye & Tooth," in which we see that intent matters more than innate monstrosity; "The Rider," which combined an urban legend-ish vibe with the real-life terror of violent racism; "Dark Home," which actually had my heart racing with the creeping dread of being hunted by unnatural forces; "Flicker," which was good old-fashioned apocalyptic bleakness combined with top-notch body horror; and "Hide and Seek," the punchline of which I didn't see coming until almost the end. If only for these five stories, the book is well-worth recommending.
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acclaim, and then there were ones that left me...I won't say "cold," because none of them disappointed in that regard. Confused? A little baffled? And perhaps that was due in large part to the unavoidable comparison to the rest of the collection. Such is the way of such anthologies.My personal favorites were the ones that had a more classically horror feel: "Eye & Tooth," in which we see that intent matters more than innate monstrosity; "The Rider," which combined an urban legend-ish vibe with the real-life terror of violent racism; "Dark Home," which actually had my heart racing with the creeping dread of being hunted by unnatural forces; "Flicker," which was good old-fashioned apocalyptic bleakness combined with top-notch body horror; and "Hide and Seek," the punchline of which I didn't see coming until almost the end. If only for these five stories, the book is well-worth recommending.
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LibraryThing member TomDonaghey
Out There Screaming (2023) edited by Jordan Peele. This collection or horror stories is amazing in its scope. Almost twenty tales of suspense and mystery fill the pages and I can’t remember when I’ve read such a varied collection of different views into the realm of what lies beyond. Be it a
Jordan Peele, late of Boom Chicago and his startling great movies, provides an introduction to this great collection of the macabre. Mr. Peele has shown his credentials several times over, letting him act as appropriate spokesman for these tales of Terror, and letting his audience know there will not be a false step in whatever lies within the covers.
I found the most amazing thing kept happening as I read this collection. I kept forgetting that the authors were Black writers. I don’t openly recall ever being concerned by a writer’s race or the color of their skin, merely that what I was reading was good or not.
This anthology is great. I’ve mentioned only two of the tales presented but there are others concerning racism, the end of the world, and the terror that hides in all of us. The work, the stories, are universal, but the creepy feeling you get reading this is real and it is personal.
Almost too real.
Don’t miss this book. But keep a nightlight on when you’re in bed later.
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warning to not mess with the old gods of Africa no matter how brilliant or feminized you might fancy yourself, or the example of your elders protecting you and your town from the far greater threat put forth by others who don’t like the color of your skin, Out There Screaming will leave you amazed.Jordan Peele, late of Boom Chicago and his startling great movies, provides an introduction to this great collection of the macabre. Mr. Peele has shown his credentials several times over, letting him act as appropriate spokesman for these tales of Terror, and letting his audience know there will not be a false step in whatever lies within the covers.
I found the most amazing thing kept happening as I read this collection. I kept forgetting that the authors were Black writers. I don’t openly recall ever being concerned by a writer’s race or the color of their skin, merely that what I was reading was good or not.
This anthology is great. I’ve mentioned only two of the tales presented but there are others concerning racism, the end of the world, and the terror that hides in all of us. The work, the stories, are universal, but the creepy feeling you get reading this is real and it is personal.
Almost too real.
Don’t miss this book. But keep a nightlight on when you’re in bed later.
Show Less
Awards
RUSA CODES Reading List (Shortlist — Horror — 2024)
Locus Recommended Reading (2023)
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best: Adults (Selection — 2023)
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
400 p.; 9.56 inches
ISBN
059324379X / 9780593243794
Local notes
Signed