The short stories in this collection were truly enjoyable and masterfully written.

It is often a challenge to become fully engaged and interested in the characters within the limited scope of short stories. However, in this particular case, I had absolutely no problem.

The so-called "novella" that concluded the book was not at all what I was anticipating. Nevertheless, it was truly great.

It presented a nice balance of suspense, which kept me on the edge of my seat, comedy that made me laugh out loud, and thought-provoking elements that made me reflect long after I had finished reading.

Overall, this collection of short stories and the concluding novella offered a diverse and engaging reading experience that I would highly recommend to others.

This is a short story collection,

featuring some truly wonderful pieces. Each story within this collection is like a precious gem, shining with its own unique charm and beauty.

The authors have masterfully crafted these tales, taking readers on a journey through various emotions and experiences.

From heartwarming tales of love and friendship to thrilling adventures and mysterious encounters, there is something for everyone in this collection.

Whether you are looking for a quick escape or a thought-provoking read, these short stories are sure to satisfy.

So, pick up this collection and lose yourself in the captivating world of short fiction.

A solid collection of a variety of stories!

With zero expectations, I delved into this book. We journeyed from a creepy, Twilight Zone-esque yarn to several Cold War terror era nightmare pieces. There was an almost feel-good prisoner drama, and a story that closely resembled a sweaty character study, like a one-act play with a limited cast. The book concluded with a novella that had me eagerly turning the pages as the story gained momentum.

Each story ventures into its own genre yet maintains a delightfully mild sense of chaos. The characters are filled with strange minor details that赋予 them life and identity. His stories often remind me of others I've read before, but they possess a flavor that gradually reveals itself as unique.

I read 'Gone South' many years ago, but I had never explored McCammon's catalog or given myself the opportunity to understand his style. He is very much in the same era as post-Bradbury horror writers, contemporaries of King with similar influences and values. In my opinion, he leans into his tropes a little more, creating situations that can descend into the knowingly absurd and then ride that absurdity.

The writing is cinematic, descriptive yet concise. It was a welcome addition to my year's reading. I not only plan on reading more of McCammon's works but also expect to revisit this particular one again! Check it out.

Robert McCammon baby!!!

The titular novella, "Blue World," at the end of the book is an absolute gem that alone justifies the price of admission.

Here's the setup: A pornstar meets a tragic end at the hands of a psycho. One of her colleagues, burdened by guilt, seeks solace in confession and confides in a Catholic priest.

However, this priest is himself grappling with a crisis of faith and, to his surprise, begins to develop feelings for the woman.

I'll leave it at that to avoid spoiling the rest.

The remaining stories in the collection span a range from great to above average.

The beauty of McCammon's writing is that even when a story doesn't quite hit the mark, the prose is so masterfully crafted that you never feel like your time has been wasted.

He is truly one of the literary greats, and I eagerly anticipate devouring everything he has to offer.

His unique blend of storytelling and character development keeps readers hooked from start to finish.

Whether it's the macabre tale of "Blue World" or the other captivating stories in the collection, McCammon's work is a must-read for any lover of literature.

Robert McCammon truly excelled in the short form, as vividly demonstrated by this deeply unsettling, highly suspenseful, and darkly atmospheric collection.

I firmly believe that he possessed the literary skills and talent that could rival Stephen King during the peak of King's popularity in the horror genre. His works were filled with such intense emotions and captivating storylines that had the potential to draw in a much wider audience.

However, it always remained a mystery to me why he never seemed to break through and gain the attention of the wider public. Despite his undeniable talent, for some unknown reason, he remained largely an author favored by horror aficionados. It's a pity that his works didn't receive the mainstream recognition they truly deserved.

It has been quite some time since I delved into anything penned by McGammon. I categorize him among the likes of King and Koontz, writers who possess the remarkable ability to handle the macabre and twisted while still maintaining an outstanding style and skill in writing.

While browsing in a used book store, I chanced upon this 30-year-old short story collection that I was completely unaware of. I had already thoroughly relished "Gone South" and "Boy's Life", which were excellent novels.

This collection, like many others, shows some variation in quality. Some of the stories are truly excellent and highly enjoyable, while others are a bit on the eccentric side. However, the writing is always powerful, descriptive, and deft.

A special compliment goes to the novella with the book title. It tells the story of a Catholic priest who falls in love with a porn star who is being stalked by a serial killer. Yes, that can indeed lead to some rather complicated situations! Also, it's the first story I've come across where someone keeps a large land crab as a pet. Overall, it's a very entertaining read!

Ooh, I truly do love a good short story collection! It's like opening a treasure chest filled with various literary gems. As always, not every story managed to land perfectly, but the ones that did... they simply blew my tiny little mind.

Yellowjacket Summer - What a great opener it was! It immediately hooked me and set the tone for the rest of the collection.

Nightcrawlers - This story reminded me so much of a Twilight Zone episode. And guess what? Turns out it actually WAS a Twilight Zone episode. How cool is that?

Yellachile's Cage - The addition of a bit of sweetness really helped the horror aspect go down smoothly. It was a unique combination that worked well.

He'll Come Knocking at Your Door - This one had Freddy Krueger levels of horror fun. It was spine-tingling and kept me on the edge of my seat.

Something Passed By - This was an absolute five-star story. In fact, it's now one of my favorite short stories. I was so moved that I teared up at the end. It was truly stunning.

Blue World - I didn't expect to find a 200-page story in the collection, but there it was... and I loved every single page of it. A romance with a killer cowboy and a priest, along with some pornographic elements. It pretty much had it all and was a captivating read from start to finish.

The original article:

This is a simple article. It contains some basic information. But it needs to be expanded and rewritten.

The rewritten and expanded article:

This is a rather simple article.

It contains some basic information that is, however, in need of expansion and rewriting.

The current state of the article is quite rudimentary, lacking in detail and depth.

To make it more engaging and informative, it is necessary to expand on the existing content, perhaps adding examples, explanations, and additional facts.

Rewriting the article will also involve improving the sentence structure and grammar to ensure clarity and流畅ness.

By doing so, the article will be able to better convey its intended message and provide more value to the readers.

Overall, the expansion and rewriting process is essential for transforming this simple article into a more comprehensive and useful piece of writing.

I don't have an abundance of time right now to pen a lengthy review. For the present, I will simply state that I have been in possession of this book for at least 15 years. Over these years, I have lost count of the numerous times I have re-read it. The book has become a constant companion, always there to offer new insights and experiences with each reading. It has a certain charm that keeps drawing me back. The characters are vivid and the story is engaging, making it a pleasure to immerse myself in its pages. Even after all these years, it still holds the same allure and I look forward to many more readings in the future.

I actually had to add a different edition onto Goodreads on here because my copy is slightly different from the ones they had listed.

I've been in a mood to pick up another of Robert R. McCammon's works recently. But I didn't want to delve into another book of his that's closer to the length or longer even than Boy's Life. So I decided to pick this one to see what I think of his short stories!

Yellowjacket Summer is a deeply disturbing story. It has a very humid and desolate atmosphere. It's a short but intense survivalist story of a family against a town taken over by an insane individual with the power over Yellowjackets. This story had some really creepy and graphic imagery that absolutely horrified me. And I like how the ending leaves you with the question on whether or not they'll get out alive. It's a very short but terrifying read. 9/10

Makeup, conceptually, is nothing short of awesome. If like me, sometimes you would come across monster makeup as a kid perhaps from a magazine or a shop selling the stuff for Halloween. Except in this story, it isn't fancy make-believe. You can actually become a vampire, werewolf, Jack The Ripper and so on. Which makes for such a unique and fun idea to turn into a short! The story itself isn't anything to write home about but it's a really fun one with admittedly a slightly goofy ending. 8/10

Doom City has a good idea at its core. But the execution is strange and a little too short. Brad didn't have much of a character and we don't get to explore his grief and frame of mind in this situation all that much. Which disappointed me a little. And I found the ending a bit too bizarre. 6/10

Nightcrawlers is a fascinating horror story. It's about a traumatized soldier from the Vietnam war who's running away from his nightmares, quite literally. Stopping by a diner, the narrator tells a story of when the man came by and how his long-dead comrades came back with him for one final showdown. This is a haunting, depressing tale that really makes you think of the men who came back from the Vietnam war. 10/10

Pin is arguably the most disturbing and realistic story in this set. It's about a mentally unstable man contemplating shooting up a restaurant to get even with those who work there whilst preparing to self-harm himself by putting a pin into his eye. It's a very simple short story that's only 4 pages long. But I wouldn't necessarily recommend this to everyone because the material is very triggering and awfully gruesome. 5/10

Yellachile's Cage is like what if The Shawshank Redemption had a voodoo prisoner and a bird that has lived over 40 years and comes back after leaving the prison every night to tell the old man and his fellow prisoners, the world beyond. It's a sweet little story that deals with the longing of freedom but knowing they'll never get it after what they've done. 8/10

I Scream Man is a short and grim little story of a very real situation that could actually happen and the effects it could have on those who've succumbed to it. The twist took me by surprise! 8/10

He'll Come Knocking at Your Door is a perfect story to read on Halloween. It's a haunting little story with a very cool and terrifying ending! 10/10

Chico wasn't too keen on this one. It wasn't bad but it felt like it could have been so much more. It's a story about domestic abuse and a special kid with a physical disability who uses a magical power to get back at his mum's boyfriend. 5/10

Night Calls The Green Falcon is a fun little thriller with plenty of action and likable characters. It's a fairly long short story compared to the others here but it earns its length by being an exciting story that's hard to put down! 8.5/10

The Red House is an eerie little story that tackles with themes of those who refuse to change and creatures from hell who live as neighbors on the opposite end of the road of the main characters, sending the father insane. 8.5/10

Something Passed By is a unique take on what an end of the world scenario could be on a physics changing level. But it was a little too weird and I didn't really get it. 4/10

Blue World is a collection of short stories with an added novella at the end. It's a story about a priest falling in love with a pornstar in an impossible embrace of romance whilst a cruel serial killer hunts her down. It's a beautiful story that's occasionally funny, dark, and heartwarming. It's my favorite of this collection! 10/10

Overall, it's a really solid collection of short stories. There were a couple I wasn't too keen on but for the most part this was an absolutely fantastic set of tales that I will be more than happy to return to sometime in the future. It's an underrated collection and I would highly recommend it! 8/10

Robert R. McCammon is a truly talented author who has crafted a great set of stories that are simply captivating. Each and every one of them is a gem, filled with rich characters, thrilling plots, and vivid descriptions that draw the reader in and keep them hooked from start to finish.

Whether it's a heart-pounding mystery, a spine-tingling horror tale, or a touching drama, McCammon's stories have something for everyone. His writing style is engaging and accessible, making it easy for readers of all ages and backgrounds to enjoy his work.

I love all of his stories because they transport me to different worlds and allow me to experience a wide range of emotions. From the edge of my seat excitement to the quiet moments of reflection, McCammon's stories never fail to leave a lasting impression.

If you haven't yet discovered the wonderful world of Robert R. McCammon's stories, I highly recommend that you do so. You won't be disappointed!

I approached this collection with a few exceptions in mind. McCammon is a well-known and popular author, and this particular work had won awards. So, I had high hopes for some decently written horror stories.

Maybe they would align with my taste, or perhaps not, but at the very least, I expected them to be crafted with more skill than what seemed like a 16-year-old only half paying attention in their high school creative writing class. However, what I encountered was far from what I had anticipated.

There were random perspective shifts from one paragraph to the next, infodumps of completely irrelevant information, and plots that made no sense. I constantly found myself thinking, maybe it was just me. Maybe I simply couldn't appreciate horror literature written after 1940. But even before getting into the actual stories, the introduction felt like a watered-down version of Bradbury's work. And bad writing isn't a matter of personal taste.

The collection did have a few moments that weren't completely awful. Putting aside the quality of the writing itself, some stories started out compelling but then veered into goofy territory. Much of the content seemed like outtakes from The Twilight Zone or adult versions of Goosebumps. There was a consistent lack of internal logic in the stories, relying instead on cheap tricks.

For example, in "Yellowjacket Summer" - a story so poorly written that it was astonishing - a character speaks at the beginning, but then, surprise, it turns out he's actually an old corpse and was never really talking, even though it was presented to the reader as such and there was no reason to doubt it. One might argue that this is similar to what Robert Bloch did with "Psycho," but here, it's neither new nor inventive, nor is it clever in any way. It's like McCammon shows you a yellow piece of paper and then slowly replaces it with a green one, claiming it was never actually yellow, even though the yellow one is still visible behind his back. It's like an amateur magic show, with cards and flowers falling out of sleeves.

Even in the more passable stories, the characters either make illogical choices or the build-up is ruined by a silly ending. The only stories that I would wholeheartedly recommend are "Yellachile's Cage" and "I Scream Man." "Night Calls the Green Falcon" is forgivably ridiculous, the title story is okay, and "Something Passed By" is pretty good, but all of them suffer from the random head-hops.

I suppose I should have known better. If I couldn't tolerate Stephen King's work past the ripe old age of 14, it stands to reason that his lesser contemporaries would be equally unappealing.

And a dishonorable mention goes to the fact that every woman in these stories is either a devoted mother or a sassy sex worker. Apparently, according to McCammon, this is the entire spectrum of womanhood.