Dark Screams Volume 4

Dark Screams Volume 4 begins with a Clive Barker story that proves death can, after all, be fun. In “The New War” by Lisa Morton, Mike Carson is more than a little confused. Has he lost touch with reality? Or is someone or something really trying to kill him? “Sammy Comes Home” by Ray Garton is a deceptive retelling of the old Lassie Come Home tale, only this dog isn’t Lassie and home isn’t home sweet home any more. “The Brasher Girl” by Ed Gorman proves that “with friends like these, who needs enemies?” is so very true. Gorman admits to stealing the story idea from his friend Stephen King. Gorman’s tale is so powerful that Heather Graham’s “Creature Feature” seems lame by comparison. “Creature Feature” is an okay story but the writing seems hurried and the editors should have offered suggestions for shoring up the prose. Gorman’s brilliant story and Lisa Morton’s poignant tale make Dark Screams Volume 4 worth buying. The other stories are icing on the cake.