Walking Alone by Bentley Little

[Dan Hocker]

Walking Alone
by Bentley Little
Brand New Book Coming Next Year!



This is the discussion thread for the Walking Alone announcement.

CLICK HERE to purchase this product!

CLICK HERE to view the announcement!

[kshane]

This should be great. Hoping there are comments by Bentley accompanying each story (as was done in THE COLLECTION), or at least an introduction or afterword from Bentley. 'Literally' gets overused a lot, but Bentley could literally be the only horror author who refuses to use the internet, and while I know he still gives the occasional interview, any comments from him in this book would be very welcome.

I'm certainly curious how the short stories were chosen for WALKING ALONE, his fourth book of short stories. His first three short story collections (MURMUROUS HAUNTS, THE COLLECTION and INDIGNITIES OF THE FLESH) contained 48 stories. After checking the internet, WALKING ALONE appears to have 17 brand new stories in addition to 10 previously published stories, but how were those 10 stories chosen out of the 100 plus stories he's had published that have never been collected? Did Bentley pick them at random? Were they some of his favourites? Maybe that will be discussed by Bentley if he's written an intro/afterword, but it wouldn't matter if there's no intro/afterword - I'm buying this! His short stories are so damn good.

[Martin]

This should be great. Hoping there are comments by Bentley accompanying each story (as was done in THE COLLECTION), or at least an introduction or afterword from Bentley. 'Literally' gets overused a lot, but Bentley could literally be the only horror author who refuses to use the internet, and while I know he still gives the occasional interview, any comments from him in this book would be very welcome.

I'm certainly curious how the short stories were chosen for WALKING ALONE, his fourth book of short stories. His first three short story collections (MURMUROUS HAUNTS, THE COLLECTION and INDIGNITIES OF THE FLESH) contained 48 stories. After checking the internet, WALKING ALONE appears to have 18 brand new stories in addition to nine previously published stories, but how were those nine stories chosen out of the 100 plus stories he's had published that have never been collected? Did Bentley pick them at random? Were they some of his favourites? Maybe that will be discussed by Bentley if he's written an intro/afterword, but it wouldn't matter if there's no intro/afterword - I'm buying this! His short stories are so damn good.

I love it when Authors write about the story.

[bookworm 1]

Got a shipping notice today......well I'm a pre shipping notice according to the post office. Anyway looks like this one is on its way soon.

[Dan Hocker]

Yep we started shipping these yesterday. Should be done today I would think.

[Dan Hocker]

To amend this, my help didn't get as far as I thought they would today / got side tracked by some other stuff. So if I have help tomorrow they should probably be done tomorrow, otherwise it probably won't be until Monday.

[dannyboy121070]

Glad that this is shipping...I'm going to take advantage of today's coupon and snag a copy for my Mom's birthday.

[JJ123]

I'm very pleased with this collection. I am trying not to read it too quickly. Little's reserved, simple style combined with captivating concepts makes the tales enjoyable and entertaining.

As Kshane posted above, way back in January, it would have been great if there had been an introduction and/or comments before each tale, but that's okay. And yes, he truly is a mystery. Wish he would do a real interview one of these days on video. If he perhaps had been more public, his brand could have become as valuable as King's. Again, though, it is okay...I can understand not wanting attention besides what is garnered from the stories, which are more important, anyway.

[kshane]

Finished this book and it was indeed very, very good. I'm assuming that Bentley will write a new novel every two years from now onwards (his next novel should be in 2019), so maybe CD could publish another Bentley Little short story collection in between novels (2020 or 2022?). He's got enough stories for three more collections! Hopefully the next collection will also have an introduction or comments on each story, as everyone seems to love those.

I would also like to suggest that CD begin their short story collections with some of the best stories in any given collection, as the first few stories can be previewed (read for free) on the ebook section of Amazon, Kobo and Barnes&Noble (maybe Google Play and iTunes as well). CD is more likely to get higher sales of any collection they publish if the preview stories (the first few stories) include some of the best stories of that collection.

That being said, I've read about 40 short stories from Bentley Little that have not been in a collection, and the best ones I've read were FROM THE MOUTHS OF BABES, SEE MARILYN MONROE'S PANTIES!, STRANGE SKIN, MOM and NOTES FOR AN ARTICLE ON BAINBRIDGE FARM.

[kshane]

I also thought I'd provide CD with a list of all Bentley Little stories not in a collection. I've listed them in order of when they were first published, although the majority have only been published once. I thought it was a good idea to write this list here instead of sending an email to CD, as emails can get deleted. Anyone on the forum can let me know if there are any other stories they know of.

1. WAITING FOR SANTA 1984
2. WHAT’S YOUR PLEASURE? (as Phillip Emmons) 1985
3. A PIRATE’S LIFE FOR ME 1985
4. NURSING HOME 1985
5. WITCH WOMAN 1985
6. ONE NIGHT STAND (as Phillip Emmons) 1986
7. I AM DEAD 1986
8. THE BURNING 1986
9. ON THE FARM (poem) 1986
10. RUNT 1987
11. FAT LADY (as Phillip Emmons) 1987
12. POSSUM 1987
13. I AM GOD 1987
14. THE PICNIC 1987
15. I LIKE TO DIE 1988
16. SECOND SPRING 1988
17. THE MYTHOS 1988
18. THE SURVIVALIST 1988
19. THE CARNIVAL 1988
20. THE JANITOR 1988
21. HUMANE SOCIETY 1988
22. THE BUG 1989
23. GAMES PEOPLE PLAY 1990
24. DEADMOM 1990
25. FIVE TO MIDNIGHT, GRENADA TIME 1990
26. THE POUNDING ROOM 1990
27. THE STAIRWAY 1990
28. AFTER 1990
29. BIG AL’S 1991
30. THE TOWN 1991
31. MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP 1991
32. THE BASTILLE 1991
33. POSSESSION 1992
34. NURSERY SCHOOL 1992
35. HARD TIMES 1992
36. AFTERBIRTH OF A NATION (with Hodge/Partridge/Sallee) 1992
37. DEADIPUS REX 1993
38. ESCAPE 1993
39. HERMANOS DE EL NOCHE 1993
40. FROM THE MOUTHS OF BABES 1994
41. THE NUMBERS GAME 1994
42. SEE MARILYN MONROE'S PANTIES! 1995
43. PLAYING WITH FIRE 1998
44. CONNIE 1999
45. CUCKOO CLOCK 1999
46. THE THEATRE 1999
47. TREE HUGGER 2000
48. THE MOVE 2001
49. THE RIDERS 2001
50. AFTER THE DATE 2002
51. THE LADY DOWN THE STREET 2002
52. THE CIRCLE 2002
53. LAST WISH 2003
54. THE PLANTING 2003
55. THE ADDITION 2004
56. THE DEVIL'S HANDS 2004
57. WE FIND THINGS OLD 2004
58. POP STAR IN THE UGLY BAR 2005
59. FINDING FATHER 2005
60. HELL 2006
61. THE STATION 2008
62. THE COLLECTOR 2008
63. THE WHEEL 2010
64. WE 2010
65. STRANGE SKIN 2010
66. JAMMERS 2010
67. THE SECURITY SYSTEM 2010
68. MOM 2011
69. DOGLEG 2011
70. MEETING JOANNE 2011
71. CONVERSATION BETWEEN TWO WOMEN OVERHEARD AT MY DENTIST’S OFFICE 2011
72. THE MIRACLE 2012
73. WE ARE ALL TOGETHER 2012
74. MY FATHER KNEW DOUGLAS MACARTHUR 2013
75. THE END OF THE TRAIL 2013
76. NOTES FOR AN ARTICLE ON BAINBRIDGE FARM 2013
77. IN THE ROOM 2013
78. THE PEN 2014
79. THE PLAYHOUSE 2015
80. PETOHTALRAYN 2015
81. PAINTING BY NUMBERS 2015
82. THE PLUMBER 2017
83. THE MACHINE 2017
84. THE BOY 2017
85. THE CHAIR 2019
86. THE BOY FROM EL SALVADOR 2020
87. ESTATE SALE 2020
88. AFTER THE STORM 2020
89. DARKNESS IN AUGUST 2021

[kshane]

Hi, I updated the list in the previous post just to make a few things clearer. And just in case it wasn't clear, I made this list so the people at CD can use it as a reference of all uncollected stories if they want to release another Bentley Little short story collection.

It's also worth noting that almost all of Bentley's stories from 2010 onwards are cheap and easy to find (mostly as ebooks on amazon; this was my favourite - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0975VXTFK), while the stories from 1985-1993 are the most difficult to find. There are three stories that are completely impossible to find anywhere:

HUMANE SOCIETY (Dark Starr Vol. 3, No. 2 1988)
AFTER (The Year in Darkness #1 1990)
NURSERY SCHOOL (Doppelganger #14 1992)

Does anyone here have any of those magazines?

Anyway, I'd love to see those three stories included if there's another collection in a few years (and ideally plenty of the 1985-1993 stories too)! And if anyone wants me to clarify something feel free to ask or send me a PM.

[kshane]

I also found the Booklist review for WALKING ALONE. This is on page 60 of the April 1st 2018 issue of Booklist. blwa - Copy.png

[kshane]

Here are the publication credits for the 27 stories in WALKING ALONE. This information could be added (after confirmation from Bentley Little) if there is a signed edition or Graveyard Edition of WALKING ALONE in the future.

MILK RANCH POINT: Unknown if this has been published before.
SNOW: Grue Magazine #4 1987
CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL: The Horror Show Spring 1986
PALM READER: The Horror Show Winter 1986
SLAM DANCE: 666: The Number of the Beast 2007
LAST RODEO ON THE CIRCUIT: Thin Ice 5 1989, reprinted in Quick Chills II: The Best Horror Fiction From the Specialty Press 1992
THE CAR WASH: Eldritch Tales No. 19 1989
THE FEEB: Unknown if this has been published before.
THE MALL: Amazon Kindle single 2006
HUNTING: Amazon Kindle single 2006
THE PIANO PLAYER HAS NO FINGERS: Palace Corbie #7 1997
THE MAN WHO WATCHED CARTOONS: The Reaper Issue #3 August 1999
The last 15 stories (from APT PUNISHMENT through A RANDOM THOUGHT FROM GOD’S DAY) are exclusive to WALKING ALONE.