20th Century Ghosts

20th Century Ghosts, by Joe Hill

I stumbled upon this book a few months back as I browsed new fiction-- I admit I was intrigued by its cover. This is a collection of outstanding short stories that range from fantasy- to moderately scary-to completely horrifying. I was compelled to read story after story and to find out more about the author. Very quickly I learned that Joe Hill won awards for "Heart Shaped Box" and that he is the son of Stephen King. "20th Century Ghosts" received the Bram Stoker Award, the British Fantasy Award, and the International Horror Guild Award for best collection, and the story that closes the book, "Voluntary Committal," won the 2006 World Fantasy Award for Best Novella. Some of my favorites: "20th Century Ghosts" and its twilight zone feel set in an old movie theater; rooting for the kidnapped boy in "The Black Phone", the inevitable ending that you know will come "In the Rundown" and the standout "Better Than Home". Not a bad pick for judging a book by its cover.
-Deirdre