Vampire Stories of R. Chetwynd-Hayes

Rating:
Summary: pretty lame
Review: CH knows about descriptions. and some of the ideas can be good. but all in all, this doesn't deliver. there are three stories here worth reading. otherwise...no. there's some blend of horror and humour, good details and lack of details. CH should have focused on writing less and better stories, and keep a thread, humorous or horrible. some of the stories are even lousy, no ideas or descriptions. it's not enough if your father is a vampire. it's not a story. something else must happen.

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable, but lacking, collection
Review: I was expecting more from this collection. Some of the stories in this volume are a blend of horror and comedy; a mix that I never find wholly fulfilling. Other stories are not vampire stories, but the type of story with a metaphorical vampire. I don't know about you but when I pick up a volume of vampire stories, I want blood-sucking fiends, not houses or plants that steal people's essence.

That being said, every story in this collection is enjoyable. A few of them are even superior stories. 'Keep the Gaslight Burning' is a terrifying tale about an old lady who must always keep the gaslight in her room lit, or else... There's another story (I can't remember the title) where two travelers stay the night in an old, creaky house, only to find the house is much more than it seems. The final story 'The Werewolf and the Vampire' is an enjoyable tale of two mixed-up kids coping with their monstrous sides and trying to live a normal life. Good stuff.

On the whole, this collection is enjoyable but slight. There is an excerpt from a novel which looked very interesting and I'm going to try to track down, but being on the wrong side of the Atlantic it will be a difficult job. If you're a Chetwynd-Hayes completist, be sure to check this out. Otherwise, give it a pass. All of the stories except one can be found in other Chetwynd-Hayes collections. The sole new story, 'The Fundamental Elemental' is bizarre and confusing. Not worth the price of the collection.

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable, but lacking, collection
Review: I was expecting more from this collection. Some of the stories in this volume are a blend of horror and comedy; a mix that I never find wholly fulfilling. Other stories are not vampire stories, but the type of story with a metaphorical vampire. I don't know about you but when I pick up a volume of vampire stories, I want blood-sucking fiends, not houses or plants that steal people's essence.

That being said, every story in this collection is enjoyable. A few of them are even superior stories. 'Keep the Gaslight Burning' is a terrifying tale about an old lady who must always keep the gaslight in her room lit, or else... There's another story (I can't remember the title) where two travelers stay the night in an old, creaky house, only to find the house is much more than it seems. The final story 'The Werewolf and the Vampire' is an enjoyable tale of two mixed-up kids coping with their monstrous sides and trying to live a normal life. Good stuff.

On the whole, this collection is enjoyable but slight. There is an excerpt from a novel which looked very interesting and I'm going to try to track down, but being on the wrong side of the Atlantic it will be a difficult job. If you're a Chetwynd-Hayes completist, be sure to check this out. Otherwise, give it a pass. All of the stories except one can be found in other Chetwynd-Hayes collections. The sole new story, 'The Fundamental Elemental' is bizarre and confusing. Not worth the price of the collection.