Title Fading Light
Author Anthology
Year 2012
Stand Alone or Series Short Stories
Pages 380
Reading Time Abril 2013
Synopsis
The light has failed: the era of man is at its end.
Born of darkness, the creatures of myth, legend, and nightmare have long called the shadows home. Now, with the cruel touch of the sun fading into memory, they've returned to claim their rightful place amidst humanity; as its masters.
Fading Light collects 30 monstrous stories by authors new and experienced, in the genres of horror, science fiction, and fantasy, each bringing their own interpretation of what lurks in the dark.
Review
So, this one heck of a ride. A interesting compilation of short stories that deal with Monstrous beings that would wipe out Earth. Some were pretty good that even made me look for other stories from those writers, others I didn't felt that they capture the monstrous bit and even if a good story it didn't belong here. And fortunally small ones weren't that interesting. Overall thumbs up.
Note: Interesting or not some writers wrote the title of this anthology in their works... Fading Light. A bit of coincidences don't you think?
Parasitic Embrace by Adam Millard What a way to start. In my opinion probably one of the best tales in this anthology. A volcano A volcanic eruption in Spain draws a cloud of ash to Great Britan but not everything is at it seems. A good horror story that ends suddenly to make you wonder. This story is also a "Dust" variant as you underestant what I say 9/10
The Equivalence Principle by Nick Cato A man believes that the gravitational force is going to dissapears so he walks around with a rope in his waist. Even at work. There is small paragraphes about a being talking. Who was it? Too much unknown and even if in my opinion is a good story it was to vague to be included in the monstrous anthology. 7/10
A Withering of Sorts by Stephen McQuiggan This tale in my opinion didn't fit here even if it is a nice horror story. A family arrives at a small city where they don't like strangers and so the barkeeper explains why. 7/10
Goldilocks Zone by Gary W. Olson This is one of the most bizarre stories in this anthology. As the stars begin to dissapear people are transformed into odd beings (everyone is different type of beings). I enjoyed the conversation between the being and our main character but at the same time I must say that it was a bit too bizarre but nevertheless it belongs here 6/10
They Wait Below by Tom Olbert This tale remind me of a mix between "The Thing" and some odd creature from a lovecraft story. A inspector is working on a oil-ring when he starts to see transformation of some of the workers. As he tries to uncover what its going on he understands that not all things are as they seem. Very nice story. 7.5/10
Blessed Be the Shadowchildren by Malon Edwards This story is somewhat a bizarre tale. I really couldn't get into the tale even if I am to say it was well written unfortunally I coulnd't get into it. The characters didn't appeal to me (even I enjoyed the second part of the story) 5/10
The Beastly Ninthby Carl Barker A historial fiction with a twist of occult fantasy. It depicts a battle in the napoleonic wars between the french and the english. The author brought those vivid images we have of those battles but with occult beings like werewolves. Quite good book. There is some fiction out there with the same premises (Dragons in this case) 8/10
Late Night Customer by David Dalglish This tale remind me of one of those tales in the Twilight Zone. I really thing there was one where a man arrives in a diner trying to escape his nightmares (which in that case was the vietnam war) and everything goes downhill from that. In this case the man is running from a odd nightmarish being and everyone who sees it must start running also. And he really wants to talk to someone. 8/10
Rurik’s Frozen Bones by Jake ElliotThis tale is another tavern/inkeeper/barman tale. It's an historic tale about a man who went finish and lost most of his crew to a kraken and now he is scarred. A berserker hears the tale before setting sail. Good story. 6.5/10
Wrath by Lee MatherThis tale was a christian apocalpyse of some sorts. Quite interesting. The main character really well developed (within a short story possibility). A nice twisted tale. 8/10
Friends of a Forgotten Man by Gord Rollo - Well this is it. This is a tale that you will want to forget because it's creepy as hell. Imagine a man imprisioned in a subterrean basement who is losing his sanity. Every day leeches are coming to suck his blood and they are their only friends who whisper things to him. Nice ending. Gord Rollo really nailed it. 9.5/10
Altus by Georgina Kamsika This tale depicts something like Meg or something like that. An oceanographer goes where nobody has went. There she finds some begins that nobody knew they existed. Interesting but rather bland story. 6/10
Angela’s Garden by Dorian Dawes This was one of those stories or you love it or hated it. It's a story about a woman that thinks that she has the power to keep at bay some nocturnal evil beings. A nice interesting tale with a great main character. There arent' many out there where the main character is a female grandmother. 8/10
The Long Death of Day by Timothy Baker Skyline & Day Earth Stood remix. 6/10
Out of the Black by William MeikleThis tale was one of the most interesting. This is set in the future where humanity as gone underneath our soil because the sun stop shining. A man goes to the surface for the first time in several generations and what he finds almost kills him. Nice tale. 8/10
Degenerates by DL SeymourThis is one of the biggest tales in here. It's a tale set in the lovecraft mythos but thirty or forty years after his stories. How can you not like it? A woman teacher goes to work in Dunwich where people are starting to dissapear. Nice twist. 7,5/10
Dust by Wayne Ligon - I enjoyed this one. It has something of a pseudo-scientific explanation about it. Really interesting. Migration patters in space. What a idea...New. 8.5/10
Der Teufel Sie Wissen by TSP Sweeney - This tale is set in the WWII where a group of nazi soldiers are trying to kill some man. But this is more that a man. Quite good story and ending. 7/10
Born of Darkness by Stacey Turner - This tale is another about the christian mythology. Something happens and only a handful survive. A man, his woman and his mother survive and are trying to survive in their isolated house until a little girl arrives. Nice tale and nice characterization. 8/10
Lottery by Gene O’Neill - This tale is a remake of Lottery by Shirley Jackson and I really didn't enjoyed because I didn't know where was going. Weak ending. 5/10
Where Coyotes Fear to Tread by Gef Fox - Nice story that has some other reviewers said it's missing a larger novel behind it (or in front of it). I enjoyed the tale and the mythology behind. 8/10
The Theophany of Nyx by Edward M. Erdelac - This one is set on the moon where the first colony base was built. But the base dissappears in a explosion and a dust is coming to earth. But it seems it's more than Dust (like the first tale). Quite good story (and dialogue) 7,5/10
Double Walker by Henry P. Gravelle This story is a nice psychological tale but it doesn't fit here in my opinion. A man thinks his shadow is more than it seems. And you know what? It really is. 7/10
Light Save Us by Ryan Lawler - A man is encharged of keeping the generator working but when he goes to get some more oil something happens. Someone says that he is a victim of homophilia but I don't think so, because you can't really understand what is happening. My belief is that he was a some sort of mutant. 7/10
Dark Tide by Mark Lawrence - This tale is by a famous author and almost all other tales end badly but this one doesn't. Something liquid/slime is coming from beneath the earth and is engulfing people. A man tries to keep his family far from risk. It's has a brighter ending leaving you thinking that sometimes good triumph (even at the expense of sacrificies). I really don't think this should be the last tale because I expected "bad endings from it". That's my opinion but I cannot argue that is a bad story because it isn't. 8,5/10
Overal, it was a nice anthology with good stories and only a couple bad ones. My only question is.
I pay more from this paper book than those people buying e-books. Why are they favoured? It shouldn't be the other way around? Damn e-books. I really hate them
My global note would be 8 Overall they are good stories.