Gathering the Bones

Rating:
Summary: Contemporary horror
Review: The two stories I most enjoyed in this book, convince me that I am not a fan of contemporary horror. Tiger Moth by Graham Joyce, and the Big Green Grin, by Gahan Wilson, are more in tune with the fantasy genre.

Most of the other stories are well written, but they didn't scare me, or make me break out in a cold sweat. In my opinion, several are simply depressing, (Picking up Courtney, Sounds Like, Bedfordshire) and that is not what I look for in any story. Terry Dowling's "The Bone Ship" reminded me of Roald Dahl's story The 'Landlady', except I didn't care for the protagonist. I didn't finish Lil' Miss Ultrasound because the subject matter didn't interest me. I thought Stephen Dedman's story was interesting, but in the end seemed to be a fairly predictable tale of revenge. I lost interest in Andrew Brown's story half way through, I thought it was too long. Perhaps it is OK to use said bookisms/adverbs in dialogue, if Simon Brown's story is a guide. No man's land, finished suddenly, I thought there might be more to it, the ending didn't impress me at all.

Overall, this is a better anthology than "Dreaming Down Under", but if these tales are representative of where contemporary horror is headed, then it is not my cup of tea.

Rating:
Summary: Nagy's "Hanged Man of Oz" story in Gathering The Bones
Review: This particular story in "Gathering The Bones" has made it impossible for me to watch The Wizard of Oz without looking for the fabled "hanged man."
I'd heard of this urban legend many times before, but Nagy's well-drawn characters and compelling, mindbending narrative has brought the cinematic oddity to life. I'll never be able to watch that movie again without feeling just a bit creeped out.

Rating:
Summary: Nagy's "Hanged Man of Oz" story in Gathering The Bones
Review: This particular story in "Gathering The Bones" has made it impossible for me to watch The Wizard of Oz without looking for the fabled "hanged man."
I'd heard of this urban legend many times before, but Nagy's well-drawn characters and compelling, mindbending narrative has brought the cinematic oddity to life. I'll never be able to watch that movie again without feeling just a bit creeped out.

Rating:
Summary: The Beautiful Judith
Review: We *know* the beautiful Judith mentioned in this book. And it's all TRUE!