David B. Silva (1950–2013)

Contains:
Each night, each year / Kathryn Ptacek --
Mark of the loser / Gary Brandner --
Timeskip / Charles de Lint --
Resettling / Steve Rasnic Tem and Melanie Tem --
The servitor / Janet Fox --
Blanca / Thonas Tessier --
Nine gables / James Howard Kunstler --
The last cowboy song / Charles L. Grant --
The ring of truth / Thomas F. Monteleone --
Eyes of the swordmaker / Gordon Linzner --
The guide / Ramsey Campbell --
Getting back / P.W. Sinclair --
Walkie-talkie / Donald R. Burleson --
Major prevue here tonite / William F. Nolan --
The brush of soft wings / Melissa Mia Hall --
Brothers / David B. Silva --
Haunted world / Robert R. McCammon --
Afterward / Dean R. Koontz.… (more)

~Mark of the Loser by Gary Brandner - he wrote The Howling which I never read but the movie is burned into childhood memories. 5* That was so much fun. Classic 1980s horror story!

~Each Night, Each Year by Kathryn Ptacek 1* That was a *really great and creepy* read until the end. The end was so f'n stupid.

~Timeskip by Charles de Lint 3.5* I liked it but it was a bit too YA/NA for my taste. The ghost story was a nice touch but it wasn't really a strong enough part of the story. Like it didn't have enough substance. LOL The bit of romance was cringey for me personally. // Charles de Lint, from an interview with FairyRoom.com. Timeskip is where Newford began: "Newford was not planned out in advance. It started (unbeknownst to me) with "Timeskip," a short story that I wrote for an anthology. I wanted to set the story somewhere other than the Ottawa area where most of my stories had taken place, but I didn't feel comfortable writing about a city that I couldn't physically visit. So I decided to use various aspects of large urban centers that I had visited, and create a fictitious setting."

~The Servitor by Janet Fox 4* I do love Janet Fox's writing style. RIP. As an adult the MC finds refuge and revenge in an old abandoned "haunted" house she knows about from her childhood. As we know you get nothing for free.

~Blanca by Thomas Tessier 2* I was really enjoying it. I liked his writing voice and the "is it a ghost or a hallucination" was interesting to follow but the last 5th of the book sucked. So he can't write an ending or at least an ending I could understand. So, so disappointed.

~The Last Cowboy Song by Charles L. Grant 2* An old widow starts seeing what we can assume is his wife's ghost. He thinks he's gone a bit mad but also assumes that means the end is near. That could be a normal story, a realistic story even but then his friend also sees her. Unfortunately nothing comes of that, stupid, waste of time. I looked forward to reading this because I'm familiar with his work as an editor but I didn't enjoy his writing style a bit.

~Haunted World by Robert R. McCammon - wrote: Swan Song & Boy’s Life. DNF - not dark enough to encourage me to give it a chance. Opens with William Shakespeare's ghost watching Jeopardy or some show on their couch. The characters can't hear him but they can see him mouthing answers. After they try to talk to him, he fades away. They look outside and they can see other ghosts.... I guess there are ghosts everywhere and they are a normal part of everyday living probably due to some event I didn't care to wait and find out about.… (more)

WALK THE SKY is a nice little weird western tale that put me in mind of the work of Joe Lansdale. Which is another way of saying this story is a lot of fun!

We start off with George and Clay traveling by horseback and coming across a young boy who is on the verge of death. As events unfold, the reader learns the boy has narrowly escaped something in a nearby town, (DED!), a town in which George and Clay must stop for supplies. Soon after their arrival, all three end up in jail and are introduced to the mad reverend and his posse. Will they get out of jail? What does the crazy reverend want from them? Will anyone survive? You'll have to read this book to find out!

I loved the western aspects of this story as well as the bits of native American folklore which were woven in. It was nice to read something different than the same old, same old. Even though some popular western tropes can be found here, the authors seamlessly pulled them together with some unique and original storytelling, much as Joe Lansdale does in his westerns. The only thing missing was that oddball humor of Lansdale's, but this wasn't meant to be a funny tale.

I listened to this on audio and as always, Matt Godfrey brings it home with a compelling style that only brings honor to the writing.

WALK THE SKY is one of those rare pieces of work that successfully straddles genres and brings to the reader a fine sense of satisfaction at the conclusion. Recommended to any fans of westerns, weird westerns, and to horror fans alike!

*I received the audio of this book free of charge from the narrator, in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.*… (more)