Read This One with ALL the Lights On

[Christine L]

SEIZE THE NIGHT edited by Christopher Golden

They’re not handsome/pretty or friendly and they do not exercise self-control.  They ARE ugly, vicious, gritty and evil.  Vampires – just the way I like ‘em!

I’m a bit of a purist when it comes to my vampires.  I don’t want Edward and daywalkers – I want creatures of the night and fog … Stoker’s Dracula, Lon Chaney Jr.’s bat, Christopher Lee’s chill, Nosferatu and blood dripping off fangs.  “Seize the Night” delivers on all counts.

Christopher Golden has edited this anthology written by some of the best horror writers of the 21^st century.

In his introduction Mr. Golden takes the reader through a very quick history of vampires as portrayed in different cultures and through the ages.  And he warns the reader in no uncertain terms, “In Seize the Night … what matters is the terror”.  This reader was not disappointed.  The challenge to the writers contributing to this anthology was to “strike back against the notion that the vampire has lost its ability to inspire fear”.  In my humble opinion all twenty tales in this book managed to inspire plenty of fear, as well as some squeezing shut of the eyes, groan and goose bump moments. 

In compilations of short stories, almost without fail, there seem to be some that do not appeal as much as others.  Not so in this book … there was nary a one I didn’t enjoy reading.  I don’t want to point fingers but even the one story that had me scratching my head in confusion and thinking “okay, here’s the dud” absolutely redeemed itself when it gave me that “Aha!” moment at the end – worth waiting for and most definitely cringe-worthy.

The stories were as varied as the authors, some based on ancient myths and native folklore, others borrowing from nature.  A few took place in the present and a few others in a post-apocalyptic near-future.  If you held a fang to my throat and forced me to pick a favorite I would have to go with “Up In Old Vermont” by Scott Smith, which happens to be the first story in the collection.  For originality it would definitely be “Paper Cuts” by Gary A. Braunbeck.

* I received this ebook at no charge via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review *

THE CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS

Scott Smith (Up in Old Vermont)

Seanan McGuire (Something Lost, Something Gained)

Michael Koryta (On the Dark Side of Sunlight)

Sherrilyn Kenyon (The Neighbors)

Gary A. Braunbeck (Paper Cuts)

Charlain Harris (Miss Fondevant)

Laird Barron (In a Cavern, In a Canyon)

Dana Cameron (Whiskey and Light)

Kelley Armstrong (We Are All Monsters)

Tim Lebbon (May the End Be Good)

Dan Chaon and Lynda Barry (Mrs. Popkin)

Leigh Perry (Direct Report)

John Langan (Shadow and Thirst)

Joe McKinney (Mother)

Robert Shearman (Blood)

Lucy A. Snyder (The Yellow Death)

Brian Keene (The Last Supper)

Rio Youers (Separator)

John Ajvide Lindqvist (What Kept You So Long)

David Wellington (Blue Hell)

ABOUT THE EDITOR (from his website) 

Christopher Golden is the award-winning, bestselling author of such novels as The Myth Hunters, Wildwood Road, The Boys Are Back in Town, The Ferryman, Strangewood, Of Saints and Shadows, and (with Tim Lebbon) The Map of Moments. He has also written books for teens and young adults, including Poison Ink, Soulless, and the thriller series Body of Evidence, honored by the New York Public Library and chosen as one of YALSA’s Best Books for Young Readers. Upcoming teen novels include a new series of hardcover YA fantasy novels co-authored with Tim Lebbon and entitled The Secret Journeys of Jack London.

A lifelong fan of the “team-up,” Golden frequently collaborates with other writers on books, comics, and scripts. In addition to his recent work with Tim Lebbon, he co-wrote the lavishly illustrated novel Baltimore, or, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire with Mike Mignola. With Thomas E. Sniegoski, he is the co-author of multiple novels, as well as comic book miniseries such as Talent and The Sisterhood, both currently in development as feature films. With Amber Benson, Golden co-created the online animated series Ghosts of Albion and co-wrote the book series of the same name.

As an editor, he has worked on the short story anthologies The New Dead and British Invasion, among others, and has also written and co-written comic books, video games, screenplays, the online animated series Ghosts of Albion (with Amber Benson) and a network television pilot.

The author is also known for his many media tie-in works, including novels, comics, and video games, in the worlds of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Hellboy, Angel, and X-Men, among others.

Golden was born and raised in Massachusetts, where he still lives with his family. His original novels have been published in fourteen languages in countries around the world.