Rating: 
Summary: Eerie, excellent, highly recommended
Review:
C hocked full of amazingly different stories that don''t hold anything back, keeping the imagination running in overdrive, overfilling the senses, almost to the point of a nervous breakdown.
R ich in atmosphere, eerie scenes, some suspenseful, dark and morbid.
E asily read, written in a simple to understand style, with poetic-like prose used when it benefits.
E xcellent themes and ideas, the majority of them original, many surprising.
P owerful characters, most of them easily latched on to.
Y ields when it needs to, speeds up when its better for the stories. Pace is tight and used for the maximum impact.
Rating:
Summary: Disturbing, Compelling, Powerful, Hypnotic, Sublime
Review: A book for lovers of stories long or short. A book that is as unorthodox structurally as the plots of these stories. There are no boundaries to Douglas Clegg's horrific imagination, and as far as authors writing books that actually scare, Douglas Clegg is primo. Just wonderful. Buy it!
Rating: 
Summary: Somewhat lacking...
Review: A series of short stories linked by over-story. Disappointing overall; this guy wants the depth of Clive Barker with the pop appeal of Koontz. However, it leaves the reader unstated. With a nod to the theories espoused by S King in Danse Macabre, Clegg attempts to build stories with sparse, slightly ambiguous climaxes that leave the reader's imagination to 'fill in the blanks.' In this collection, itdoesn't work. Some of Clegg's vignettes could end with the phrase "...But it wasn't." From the first vignette, "Underworld," with an ending that doesn't leave the reader in any personal certainty of what occurred, I found myself saying, "that wasn't completely filled in, I hope they aren't all like that." In nearly every tale, this is a large ambiguity that should be better developed. The point of leaving such a skeletal phrase is that the story has caught up the reader in a fever of imagination such that the emptiness is filled without hesitation by the reader's worst fears. There's not enough substance to these tales to allow even the interested reader to fill in those blanks. I was left saying, "Now what?" I found myself re-reading for hints at what may have been an ultimate solution, and figuring this guy wanted to leave it up to me, but he just didn't give me enough to go on. The organization of the piece, consisting of an over- plot in which tales of horror are forcibly related to the characters, is an interesting concept, sort of a pop horror Arabian Nights. Unfortunately, it feels forced. The characters, in both the over-story and the anthology stories are unlikable. It's hard to sell readers on characters you don't care about. It's interesting to tear the reader between a morally repulsive but likeable character. Clegg doesn't achieve this; in a few stories, he tries to convince the reader to bond with a central character, but his own tone of dislike gives these trojan horses away, and the reader just won't buy into the forced and unseeming charisma of the attempted protagonists. Because there is such a thick underlying and repetitive theme of showhorse repulsion and gore, the reader will not trust the mysterious characters introduced, in "The Little Mermaid" and "the Chosen." After a couple stories, the ironies and twist endings are no surprise, if indeed, they were at any point. You expect the worst and will get it. Clive Barker is an excellent writer because the reader has a sense of mythology and development underlying his stories. Even if it's bull, the reader feels the underlying world, even if the storyteller chooses not to describe it in vivid detail. Barker describes his characters and scenes with such vivid familiarity that one feels the author's comfort with his subject matter, and trusts him on the journey. Clegg's worlds and scenes feel like a 'cheat' of that. It's like he's trying to convince you such a bond between author and story exists, but it's just not there. In a strong resemblance to Barker's Hellraiser concept, Clegg's "White Chapel" attempts to evolve a secret mythology of perversion, pleasure and pain, but again, the story just isn't 'fleshed out,' and believable to the degree that Barker's is. There is a lack of flavor, spice, that leaves the reader saying "that could have been better, I'm just not sure how." There's just not enough development underlying the stories to give it that full richness of a well-told and remembered tale. Clegg comes up with some interesting concepts, can write complete sentences and occasionally drops a good metaphor. However, the meal overall lacks spice and substance, and it all pretty much tastes the same. Might be a good book to pick up from the library for a beach trip or an airplane ride, but don't pay full price for it.
Rating:
Summary: An exciting new horror author
Review: Another leader in the new generation of horror authors is Douglas Clegg, along with being one of the most prolific. In "The Nightmare Chronicles" he brings thirteen short stories to life in one of the most clever ways I've ever seen. The book begins with what you think is the first story, but it's actually a framework story that continues around each of the mini-thrillers contained here and brings the book to a close. It's a good story by itself and you find yourself waiting to see what happens next in the "frame" story. This is probably one of the best collections I've read in a long time. There's a lot of variety in style, setting, time periods, subjects and, of course, horror factor. The stories are graphic in ways you don't expect, which raises them above the blood and guts type of horror, but the shock value is WAY up there. A great way to get a fast introduction to an exciting new horror author.
Rating:
Summary: Unputdownable!
Review: Clegg cuts to the chase. This collection of short stories is an emotional roller coaster which actually managed to frighten this long-time horror addict.
From the very beginning Clegg introduces so many twists and eerie images that it is impossible to put the book down. Clegg introduces us to a kidnapped boy who turns out to be anything but as he shares his vision stories with his abductors. Each story weaves an incredible picture of disturbing images of human behavior (er..mostly human).
If you read any horror anthologies, you've likely run across Clegg before, especially the story White Chapel. This collection then is sure to make you a fan.
Rating:
Summary: A master of the short story
Review: Clegg is a rarity; a master at the short story and the novel. That is very unusual. A writer is usually better at one or the other, but Clegg knows how to scare in either form. The collection are nightmares by a boy who has been kidnapped by some truly unsavory characters. The first is "Underworld" and starts off with a bang. This is one creepy and scary story; take my word for it. You will break out in goosebumps. Other stories of note: "The Rendering Man" and possibly the best stolry of the bunch, "I am infinite:I contain multitudes." The third story will surprise and shock you. Quite simply, "Clegg is a weaver of nightmares," as one reviewer said of him years ago about his debut, Goat Dance.
Rating:
Summary: A master of the short story
Review: Clegg is a rarity; a master at the short story and the novel. That is very unusual. A writer is usually better at one or the other, but Clegg knows how to scare in either form. The collection are nightmares by a boy who has been kidnapped by some truly unsavory characters. The first is "Underworld" and starts off with a bang. This is one creepy and scary story; take my word for it. You will break out in goosebumps. Other stories of note: "The Rendering Man" and possibly the best stolry of the bunch, "I am infinite:I contain multitudes." The third story will surprise and shock you. Quite simply, "Clegg is a weaver of nightmares," as one reviewer said of him years ago about his debut, Goat Dance.
Rating: 
Summary: creepy and unsettling
Review: Clegg's short stories are a cut above (sorry) most because they rely on atmosphere and twisted psychology rather than blood and gore (though there is a fair share of that here). Having said that, there are a few here that still come off as a bit routine, and only a few are truly memorable. High marks, nevertheless, by someone who sees most modern horror fiction as future landfill.
Rating:
Summary: creepy and unsettling
Review: Clegg's short stories are a cut above (sorry) most because they rely on atmosphere and twisted psychology rather than blood and gore (though there is a fair share of that here). Having said that, there are a few here that still come off as a bit routine, and only a few are truly memorable. High marks, nevertheless, by someone who sees most modern horror fiction as future landfill.
Rating:
Summary: Clegg delivers once again!
Review: Clegg's THE NIGHTMARE CHRONICLES hits on so many different levels and styles but sacrifices none of the sheer effectiveness of delivering top flight chills! Clegg's short stories are realistic and moving. Some are a more quiet type of horror, while others hit you in the face. A very compelling collection!
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