Pre-Approved for Haunting: And Other Stories
In this terrifyingly relatable and surprisingly terrifying collection of short stories, Pre-Approved for Haunting spotlights supposedly familiar terrors and fears in new and unexpected ways.
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Community Reviews
I received a copy of the ARC from the publisher, Keylight Books (an imprint of Turner Publishing Company), in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and are subjective to myself as a reader.
Patrick Barb is known for his excellent prose, his ability to expose and explore the dual nature of different elements/situations and for writing unforgettable tales of tragedy and horror.
Last December was when I read my first piece of literature by Patrick Barb. I read the novelette, HELICOPTER PARENTING IN THE AGE OF DRONE WARFARE and was blown away by the writing, its atmosphere and the outside-the-box presentation of the story. I knew right away that this was an author I wanted to read more of. When I received the email asking if I'd be interested in the ARC for this one, I was thrilled.
This short story collection contains 18 tales that cover a wide spectrum of topics: living in the shadow of one's father, loneliness, loss, found family, violence, human experimentation, post apocalyptic worlds, fame - and that's just barely scratching the surface. The variety of genres and in some cases, the blending of multiple genres - make this one a fantastic read for the spooky season because you cover ALL the bases: supernatural phenomena, weird horror, speculative fiction, terror, hauntings, and even a slasher or two.
Out of the 18 stories, there were maybe 3 or 4 that I felt lukewarm on. The rest - I LOVED. I'm talking 4 and 5 stars reads for each of them. I surprised myself by pulling out tabs and tabbing these stories. I've never done that with a short story before. I was marking quotes that made an impact on me or struck me as exceptionally well written. Moments that I felt shone a spotlight on the purpose of a character or story. I have several places that I tagged that I found to be atmospheric and made me feel physically present in the story.
If I just had to choose a few top favorites, I'd have to pick:
"A Portrait Of The Artist As An Angry God (In Landscape)"
"Casual"
"Rose From The Ashes"
"Have You Seen My Missing Pet?"
"And Our Next Guest..."
"I Will Not Read Your Haunted Script"
"Pre-Approved For Haunting"
"Melvin And The Murder Crayon"
I place importance on variety when I read a short story collection by the same author, or else the stories run together and I forget them too easily. With the mixture of different types of horror and dreadful character situations - not to mention Barb's unforgettable writing style - there was no need to worry about that!
I think this collection would be pair nicely for readers who would like to dip their toes into the horror genre for the first time or for those readers who enjoy "bite-sized" horror stories for the Fall/Winter months.
You can find this review and many more on my website, https://thenerdynarrative.com or if you prefer video format, you can find those on my BookTube channel, https://youtube.com/thenerdynarrative
Patrick Barb is known for his excellent prose, his ability to expose and explore the dual nature of different elements/situations and for writing unforgettable tales of tragedy and horror.
Last December was when I read my first piece of literature by Patrick Barb. I read the novelette, HELICOPTER PARENTING IN THE AGE OF DRONE WARFARE and was blown away by the writing, its atmosphere and the outside-the-box presentation of the story. I knew right away that this was an author I wanted to read more of. When I received the email asking if I'd be interested in the ARC for this one, I was thrilled.
This short story collection contains 18 tales that cover a wide spectrum of topics: living in the shadow of one's father, loneliness, loss, found family, violence, human experimentation, post apocalyptic worlds, fame - and that's just barely scratching the surface. The variety of genres and in some cases, the blending of multiple genres - make this one a fantastic read for the spooky season because you cover ALL the bases: supernatural phenomena, weird horror, speculative fiction, terror, hauntings, and even a slasher or two.
Out of the 18 stories, there were maybe 3 or 4 that I felt lukewarm on. The rest - I LOVED. I'm talking 4 and 5 stars reads for each of them. I surprised myself by pulling out tabs and tabbing these stories. I've never done that with a short story before. I was marking quotes that made an impact on me or struck me as exceptionally well written. Moments that I felt shone a spotlight on the purpose of a character or story. I have several places that I tagged that I found to be atmospheric and made me feel physically present in the story.
If I just had to choose a few top favorites, I'd have to pick:
"A Portrait Of The Artist As An Angry God (In Landscape)"
"Casual"
"Rose From The Ashes"
"Have You Seen My Missing Pet?"
"And Our Next Guest..."
"I Will Not Read Your Haunted Script"
"Pre-Approved For Haunting"
"Melvin And The Murder Crayon"
I place importance on variety when I read a short story collection by the same author, or else the stories run together and I forget them too easily. With the mixture of different types of horror and dreadful character situations - not to mention Barb's unforgettable writing style - there was no need to worry about that!
I think this collection would be pair nicely for readers who would like to dip their toes into the horror genre for the first time or for those readers who enjoy "bite-sized" horror stories for the Fall/Winter months.
You can find this review and many more on my website, https://thenerdynarrative.com or if you prefer video format, you can find those on my BookTube channel, https://youtube.com/thenerdynarrative
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