Thanks everyone, and i've not see too many reviews but this one from Horror World made my day ...
http://horrorworld.org/hw/2014/01/in-mint-condition/
In Mint Condition: 2013 is a dark fiction anthology published with contributions from the members of the Stephen King website, TheDarkTower.org. There are thirteen short stories, three poems, and sixteen pieces of artwork to accompany the fiction between its 4” x 6 ¾” covers (small enough to slip into your back pocket, a rarity for horror anthologies these days). With the exception of a few of the artists, I wasn’t familiar with the names of any of the contributors. There is no apparent theme to the anthology, the back cover stating only that the major criterion for acceptance was that the stories be “the best of the best”. Judging from the introduction, its content, and the end notes, everyone involved gave their all to make this the “best of the best”, and it appears like they had a lot of fun putting this little book together.
Like most anthologies, there is good and bad in, In Mint Condition: 2013, and if readers are prepared to overlook some of the misfiring, there is enough good to make, In Mint Condition: 2013 an enjoyable read.
My biggest problem with the anthology is the lack of editing. The introduction states that the majority of the editing duties were left to the contributors, that might not have been the wisest move. Many of these tales went on far too long and, as a result, their narratives became repetitive. There were also many instances of words repeated too often in the story (or even in the same paragraph) taking the reader out of the tale. Finally, while only a few readers might find this problematic, I thought there were way too many first person stories. In more skillful hands this might not have bothered me so much, but many of those narratives seemed to drone on and on, diluting any frights they might have built up.
On the positive side, I thought the majority of these stories were enjoyable. While not all of them held up, the ones that did managed to provoke enough excitement to keep me more than attentive to the end. Highlights are listed below:
The Receptionist by Bob Ireland: A chilling tale of a man who accepts a new job, only to discover that it requires much more of him than he could have dreamed.
The Train Graveyard by Ariel Bosi: A coming of age story focusing on the story of two brothers, and how their reaction to bullying changed their lives.
Seagrass Encounter by David Swearingen: A man versus Barracuda story with an ending I didn’t expect.
The Rule of Three by Thomas Cranham: A uniquely plotted story where the narrator is observing a young man and his two buddies as they encounter an evil wearing a short skirt and possessing a high libido. (This was my favorite tale in the anthology).
Tabula Rasa by Hannah O’Conner: This story concerns a young woman who was impregnated with a clone, and her desperate attempt to escape the scientists who keep her captive.
Special mention also goes out to Jeannine Bulsara whose decidedly different presentation of her story about child sexual abuse not only got my attention, but left me feeling chilled.
It seems lately that there is a glut of horror anthologies in the market. In Mint Condition: 2013 tries very hard to distinguish itself from that pack with stories that are diverse, stimulating and enjoyable. While it doesn’t hit these goals all the time, it does do the job with the majority of them, and that’s remarkable considering that many of these writers appear to be novices.
http://horrorworld.org/hw/2014/01/in-mint-condition/
In Mint Condition: 2013 is a dark fiction anthology published with contributions from the members of the Stephen King website, TheDarkTower.org. There are thirteen short stories, three poems, and sixteen pieces of artwork to accompany the fiction between its 4” x 6 ¾” covers (small enough to slip into your back pocket, a rarity for horror anthologies these days). With the exception of a few of the artists, I wasn’t familiar with the names of any of the contributors. There is no apparent theme to the anthology, the back cover stating only that the major criterion for acceptance was that the stories be “the best of the best”. Judging from the introduction, its content, and the end notes, everyone involved gave their all to make this the “best of the best”, and it appears like they had a lot of fun putting this little book together.
Like most anthologies, there is good and bad in, In Mint Condition: 2013, and if readers are prepared to overlook some of the misfiring, there is enough good to make, In Mint Condition: 2013 an enjoyable read.
My biggest problem with the anthology is the lack of editing. The introduction states that the majority of the editing duties were left to the contributors, that might not have been the wisest move. Many of these tales went on far too long and, as a result, their narratives became repetitive. There were also many instances of words repeated too often in the story (or even in the same paragraph) taking the reader out of the tale. Finally, while only a few readers might find this problematic, I thought there were way too many first person stories. In more skillful hands this might not have bothered me so much, but many of those narratives seemed to drone on and on, diluting any frights they might have built up.
On the positive side, I thought the majority of these stories were enjoyable. While not all of them held up, the ones that did managed to provoke enough excitement to keep me more than attentive to the end. Highlights are listed below:
The Receptionist by Bob Ireland: A chilling tale of a man who accepts a new job, only to discover that it requires much more of him than he could have dreamed.
The Train Graveyard by Ariel Bosi: A coming of age story focusing on the story of two brothers, and how their reaction to bullying changed their lives.
Seagrass Encounter by David Swearingen: A man versus Barracuda story with an ending I didn’t expect.
The Rule of Three by Thomas Cranham: A uniquely plotted story where the narrator is observing a young man and his two buddies as they encounter an evil wearing a short skirt and possessing a high libido. (This was my favorite tale in the anthology).
Tabula Rasa by Hannah O’Conner: This story concerns a young woman who was impregnated with a clone, and her desperate attempt to escape the scientists who keep her captive.
Special mention also goes out to Jeannine Bulsara whose decidedly different presentation of her story about child sexual abuse not only got my attention, but left me feeling chilled.
It seems lately that there is a glut of horror anthologies in the market. In Mint Condition: 2013 tries very hard to distinguish itself from that pack with stories that are diverse, stimulating and enjoyable. While it doesn’t hit these goals all the time, it does do the job with the majority of them, and that’s remarkable considering that many of these writers appear to be novices.
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