I am a big fan of Joe Hill, first becoming aware of him through his graphic novel series Locke & Key. Afterward, I read other graphic novels by him, plus his horror-themed short story collections. I read this book years ago and found it uneven, for it was his first published book. While it did include some gems, he has honed his writing since then.
Best New Horror (4/5): An editor on the lookout for a promising author finds him in a home reminiscent of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Did he escape?
20th Century Ghost (3.5/5): A theatre is haunted. Alec buys it anyway.
Pop Art (4/5): I almost gave up on this magical realism tale, but it grew on me. An inflatable boy is real- just go with it.
You Will Hear the Locust Sing (2/5): Radiation turns Francis into an insect. Chaos ensues.
Abraham’s Boys (4/5): Atmospheric rural gothic horror.
Better Than Home (2/5): Skipped most of this baseball-themed story.
The Black Phone (5/5): First of my two favorites. A boy is kidnapped and the disconnected black phone in his prison will help save him. Recently it was tuned into an excellent movie with Ethan Hawke.
In the Rundown (4/5): Kensington is a punk who gets drawn into a domestic tragedy. Who will be believed?
The Cape (4.5/5): This story is the reason I picked up the collection. I read the graphic novel that is based on this story, hoping for more insight. Turns out the graphic novel story is more fleshed out than this story. A solid and disturbing story. Read my review of the illustrated version, plus its prequel.
Last Breath (3/5): Saw the ending coming a mile away.
Dead-Wood (3/5): Super short story about trees.
The Widow’s Breakfast (4/5): Historical fiction set during the Depression with a slightly creepy end.
Bobby Conroy Comes Back From The Dead (3.5/5): Not scary at all, and the a$$ in the story might steal away his ex.
My Father’s Mask (2/5): Weird, weird story with a 70s vibe.
Voluntary Committal (5/5): Second fav, and the longest of the stories. A cool and creepy story about brothers and other dimensions.
Even if this collection didn’t knock my socks off, I adore his work as a whole, and will always seek his books out.
Graphic Novelty² 
January 18, 2023 at 11:39 am
Kalie and I saw ‘Black Phone’ last year and loved it! I think we went to see it two or even three times at the theatre. I was so impressed with how the story unfolded. That being said, I’ve not read the short story though I have been tempted to check it out, loving the movie and having read (and loved) ‘Locke & Key’ at your suggestion.
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January 19, 2023 at 8:30 am
You should pick up the book and read the short stories, The Black Phone and Voluntary Committal, my two favs from the collection. Then you can decide what you like better- the movie or the orginal story!
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February 6, 2023 at 10:15 am
When I was in college and even just out – so like my early and mid-twenties – that was *my* thing. I loved, loved, loved reading the book before the movie and then seeing the movie to compare! Somewhere along the line life got to busy to do that but I still miss it :/. This would be a fun (is that the right word??) story to go back to doing that sort of comparison with.
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