Product Description

The monsters lurk in everyone: monsters of greed, of guilt, of the pleasure found in pain, of the pain found when pleasure dies. Carefully disguised, the monsters can sit down beside you or take up residence within you at the slightest twist of fate. Will you try to stop them? Will you want to?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2189687 in Books
• Published on: 2009-02-16
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Customer Reviews

The good stories are really good.
I am of two minds about this anthology, "The Monster Within Idea," edited by R. Thomas Riley, from Apex Publications. On one hand, I really liked it. On the other hand, it really frustrated me. The good stories, like "Touching God," "Jenny," "Haven," "The Run," "Bubo" and "Brittle Bones, Plastic Skin" are really excellent stories. Creepy, visceral and evocative stories than make you grin while your skin puckers in goose bumps. They lead you to the edge of the precipice and then drop you over to a satisfying conclusion--be it a sudden crash at the end or the revelation of wings.

The other stories are not bad stories. Far from it and that is why I am frustrated. I believe this is a stylistic choice by the editor (who does a good job putting the stories together in a way that makes them flow), but many of the stories seemed to be chapters 4 through 6 of an eight chapter story. They don't have satisfying conclusions. They are well written, draw you in and then leave you hanging. The most frustrating of these stories is the first story of the book, "Attrition." It stops too soon. I want to know if the protagonist makes into and through the tunnel. I want to know what he goes through. Instead, I am left with knowing he is going to go through it but not knowing if he makes it or not.

I give this anthology a 3 out of 5 because the strong stories are enough to pull the reader through the stories that stop too soon. There is no bad writing in this anthology. Just a few too-short stories mixed amongst the gems.

One of the best dark fiction collections I have read in a long time.
After reading this collection, R. Thomas Riley became one of my favorite writers.

Few authors have a voice as strong as his, and even fewer have an imagination as strong as his.

R. Thomas Riley gives us an excellent example of modern day dark fiction.

This collection is a must have for any fan of dark fiction/horror.

I have a gut feeling this author is going places. You will be hearing a lot from him soon.

The Monster Within Idea is a great book
If you like the author Stephen King, then you'll like this book and this author. His writing style reminds me alot of Stephne King, but isnt the same. I really enjoyed the zombie stories. And the last story, which I cant remember the name of, but it has an old forest and a boy who is trying to save his mothers life... very cool story. Jenny is great too, I read that one allowed to my kids and husband.... I loved not knowing for sure who "Jenny" was :) hehe :) its worth the money and they are short stories so if you dont have alot of time, you can read one, then set it down to pick up later. great book.