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Ugly Little Things: Collected Horrors
THIS IS GOING TO HURT.
The eleven stories in Ugly Little Things explore the depths of human suffering and ugliness, charting a course to the dark, horrific heart of the human condition. The terrors of everyday existence are laid bare in this eerie collection of short fiction from the twisted mind of Todd Keisling, author of the critically-acclaimed novels A Life Transparent and The Liminal Man.
Travel between the highways of America in “The Otherland Express,� where a tribe of the forsaken and forlorn meet to exchange identities. Witness the cold vacuum of space manifest in the flesh in “The Darkness Between Dead Stars.� Step into the scrub of rural Arizona and join Karen Singleton’s struggle to save her husband from a cult of religious fanatics in “When Karen Met Her Mountain.� Visit the small town of Dalton in “The Harbinger� and join Felix Proust as he uncovers the vile secrets rooted at the heart of Dalton Dollworks. And in the critically-acclaimed novella “The Final Reconciliation,� learn the horrifying truth behind the demise of the rock band The Yellow Kings.
With an introduction by Bram Stoker Award-winner Mercedes M. Yardley and illustrations by Luke Spooner, Ugly Little Things will be your atlas, guiding you along a lonely road of sorrow, loss, and regret. This is going to hurt—and you’re going to like it.
The eleven stories in Ugly Little Things explore the depths of human suffering and ugliness, charting a course to the dark, horrific heart of the human condition. The terrors of everyday existence are laid bare in this eerie collection of short fiction from the twisted mind of Todd Keisling, author of the critically-acclaimed novels A Life Transparent and The Liminal Man.
Travel between the highways of America in “The Otherland Express,� where a tribe of the forsaken and forlorn meet to exchange identities. Witness the cold vacuum of space manifest in the flesh in “The Darkness Between Dead Stars.� Step into the scrub of rural Arizona and join Karen Singleton’s struggle to save her husband from a cult of religious fanatics in “When Karen Met Her Mountain.� Visit the small town of Dalton in “The Harbinger� and join Felix Proust as he uncovers the vile secrets rooted at the heart of Dalton Dollworks. And in the critically-acclaimed novella “The Final Reconciliation,� learn the horrifying truth behind the demise of the rock band The Yellow Kings.
With an introduction by Bram Stoker Award-winner Mercedes M. Yardley and illustrations by Luke Spooner, Ugly Little Things will be your atlas, guiding you along a lonely road of sorrow, loss, and regret. This is going to hurt—and you’re going to like it.
Kindle Edition
First published September 8, 2014
68 people are currently reading
891 people want to read
About the author
Todd Keisling
42books427followersTODD KEISLING is the two-time Bram Stoker Award®-nominated author of Devil’s Creek, Scanlines, Cold, Black & Infinite, and most recently, The Sundowner’s Dance, among several others. A pair of his earlier works were recipients of the University of Kentucky’s Oswald Research & Creativity Prize for Creative Writing (2002 and 2005), and his second novel, The Liminal Man, was an Indie Book Award finalist in Horror & Suspense (2013). He lives in Pennsylvania with his family.
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September 12, 2017
4.5 stars, rounded up on the strength of the 5-star stories!
UGLY LITTLE THINGS: Collected Horrors, is a collection of eleven stories--including one novella--written by Todd Keisling.
The aspect I found most impressing in this collection was by far the versatility Keisling shows with his stories. In many single-author collections, I find a certain "style" emerges after reading a number of tales. In the setup of UGLY LITTLE THINGS, however, this had not been the case. The situation, point-of-view, and even the prevailing atmosphere differ so widely in each selection, that it's difficult to believe one person is behind all of these. The one constant being that Keisling has the ability to suck the reader right into a story--no matter what the subject--and leave them stranded there until the final page.
These tales varied in length, as much as they varied in theme. However, that isn't to assume that the shorter works had less of an impact than the longer ones. The very first story in this collection, "A Man in Your Garden", was extremely effective at conveying the sense of confusion and fearful uncertainty the narrator goes through--all in just a few pages.
". . . This impossible phantom, this formless beast, it wants you to come outside. To come and play . . ."
Rather than go into the details of every story--I'll leave that pleasure to the individual readers--I'll just highlight a few of my personal favorites.
"Radio Free Nowhere" is one of those that starts out so simply, that you don't even sense the nature of the horror until it's already upon you. (I loved that last line!)
"The Otherland Express": This tale was one that hit me emotionally right from the start. However, as with so many of Keisling's stories, it morphed into something so unusual and unique that I never saw it coming. The descriptions throughout painted concrete images firmly in my mind as I read through it.
". . . Heartache was something he couldn't shed, something he couldn't throw away. Can anyone?"
"The Harbinger": A story centered around a reporter sent to interview the woman who made a name for her small town, with a unique brand of 'time-out' dolls. Creepy dolls that look like children . . . besides a clown, is there anything more menacing?
". . . little bundles of putrescent joy . . ."
"The Darkness Between Dead Stars": This particular story was told from a unique "unbiased" point-of-view, and I felt it really helped convey a sinister, mounting dread to the reader, without the need to go into long, detailed descriptions. Maxwell Foster is a citizen chosen--from among many volunteers--to embark on a Deep Space Shuttle to Mars. There isn't much I can say without giving everything away here, so I'll just add that you do NOT want to skip over this one!
"When Karen Met Her Mountain": is my absolute favorite here, aside from the novella. Karen is the "narrator", and she is unquestionably perfect in this role. She is a loving wife, brought up by her pious, yet adoring Father. The story begins with her thoughts as her husband drives them back from her Father's funeral. The events and pacing in this selection couldn't have been any more ideal, in my opinion. Seeing things through Karen's eyes makes all the difference here.
". . . What would you do when you met your mountain?"
"I'll climb over it if I have to, Daddy . . ."
The last piece in this collection is the novella, "The Final Reconciliation". I first read this individual story earlier this year. As of this review (mid-September), I still believe it will have a place in my "Top Reads of 2017" list. Since I've already written a full review on this title, alone, I'll simply say that the blending of an aging Rocker, combined with elements from Robert W. Chambers', "The King in Yellow", merge to form a "masterpiece" all of Keisling's own. This is a story that will hold you spellbound from first to last page.
Overall, I can honestly say that there was not a single story here that I didn't like, if not outright love. Todd Keisling is a name I will be watching out for in the future. His collection UGLY LITTLE THINGS is a book that I definitely want showcased on my bookshelves.
Highly recommended!
UGLY LITTLE THINGS: Collected Horrors, is a collection of eleven stories--including one novella--written by Todd Keisling.
The aspect I found most impressing in this collection was by far the versatility Keisling shows with his stories. In many single-author collections, I find a certain "style" emerges after reading a number of tales. In the setup of UGLY LITTLE THINGS, however, this had not been the case. The situation, point-of-view, and even the prevailing atmosphere differ so widely in each selection, that it's difficult to believe one person is behind all of these. The one constant being that Keisling has the ability to suck the reader right into a story--no matter what the subject--and leave them stranded there until the final page.
These tales varied in length, as much as they varied in theme. However, that isn't to assume that the shorter works had less of an impact than the longer ones. The very first story in this collection, "A Man in Your Garden", was extremely effective at conveying the sense of confusion and fearful uncertainty the narrator goes through--all in just a few pages.
". . . This impossible phantom, this formless beast, it wants you to come outside. To come and play . . ."
Rather than go into the details of every story--I'll leave that pleasure to the individual readers--I'll just highlight a few of my personal favorites.
"Radio Free Nowhere" is one of those that starts out so simply, that you don't even sense the nature of the horror until it's already upon you. (I loved that last line!)
"The Otherland Express": This tale was one that hit me emotionally right from the start. However, as with so many of Keisling's stories, it morphed into something so unusual and unique that I never saw it coming. The descriptions throughout painted concrete images firmly in my mind as I read through it.
". . . Heartache was something he couldn't shed, something he couldn't throw away. Can anyone?"
"The Harbinger": A story centered around a reporter sent to interview the woman who made a name for her small town, with a unique brand of 'time-out' dolls. Creepy dolls that look like children . . . besides a clown, is there anything more menacing?
". . . little bundles of putrescent joy . . ."
"The Darkness Between Dead Stars": This particular story was told from a unique "unbiased" point-of-view, and I felt it really helped convey a sinister, mounting dread to the reader, without the need to go into long, detailed descriptions. Maxwell Foster is a citizen chosen--from among many volunteers--to embark on a Deep Space Shuttle to Mars. There isn't much I can say without giving everything away here, so I'll just add that you do NOT want to skip over this one!
"When Karen Met Her Mountain": is my absolute favorite here, aside from the novella. Karen is the "narrator", and she is unquestionably perfect in this role. She is a loving wife, brought up by her pious, yet adoring Father. The story begins with her thoughts as her husband drives them back from her Father's funeral. The events and pacing in this selection couldn't have been any more ideal, in my opinion. Seeing things through Karen's eyes makes all the difference here.
". . . What would you do when you met your mountain?"
"I'll climb over it if I have to, Daddy . . ."
The last piece in this collection is the novella, "The Final Reconciliation". I first read this individual story earlier this year. As of this review (mid-September), I still believe it will have a place in my "Top Reads of 2017" list. Since I've already written a full review on this title, alone, I'll simply say that the blending of an aging Rocker, combined with elements from Robert W. Chambers', "The King in Yellow", merge to form a "masterpiece" all of Keisling's own. This is a story that will hold you spellbound from first to last page.
Overall, I can honestly say that there was not a single story here that I didn't like, if not outright love. Todd Keisling is a name I will be watching out for in the future. His collection UGLY LITTLE THINGS is a book that I definitely want showcased on my bookshelves.
Highly recommended!
September 25, 2017
Ugly Little Things - Todd Keisling
A Man in Your Garden - A clever telling of seeing something out the window through the raindrop while fighting off the effects of a hard night of drinking. What's real and what's not?
4 out of 5 stars
Show Me Where The Water Fills Your Grave - Losing your spouse after all of those years together is the hardest thing Jonathan has ever had to endure. That is, unless she comes back.
4 out of 5 stars
Radio Free Nowhere - When couples can't agree on what to listen to on the radio, beware of the road trip.
4 1/2 out of 5 stars
The Otherland Express - Gregory is running away from home and his abusive father. When his destination suddenly becomes no longer viable, where will Gregory go? Luckily for him, he crosses paths with John Doe who offers him the option to become someone else. All he has to do is take a ride with him on the Otherland Express. Very Twilight Zone-y and a fun read.
4 1/2 out of 5 stars
Saving Granny From The Devil - A child makes a deal with the devil to save his beloved Granny. What he gains is more than his Granny's soul. A very engaging story.
4 1/2 out of 5 stars
The Darkness Between Dead Stars - Maxwell Foster volunteers for a one-way mission to Mars. Half of the way there, he starts hearing knocking and strange voices from outside the space capsule. What's out there? What if we're not meant to know? An excellent, EXCELLENT short story. One of the best I've read in years!
5 out of 5 stars
Human Resources - You don't see an email like that from HR every day. A fun, little read.
4 out of 5 stars
House of Nettle and Thorn - If a bunch of hot girls are coming onto you and your chucklehead friend like you've never experienced, there probably is a good reason for it. A sorority party like none other. Another fun one.
4 out of 5 stars
When Karen Met Her Mountain - Karen would do anything for her husband, Martin. He's been there for her during her darkest times. But beware, if you cross Karen, you may not live to regret it. I loved the twists and turns in this one.
4 1/2 out of 5 stars
The Harbinger - Felix is assigned to meet and interview the CEO of a doll making company in West Virginia. The town seemed odd from the moment he set foot in it. Little did he know how right he was...and they were waiting for him. A cross between Children of the Corn, Stuart Gorden's Dolls, and one F'd up episode of the Twilight Zone. A great story!
5 out of 5 stars
The Final Reconciliation - So, as a fellow metal-head, I feel a kindred spirit with Todd as he unfurls The Final Reconciliation, a story about a journalist who is interviewing Aidan Cross. Cross is an aging guitarist who is institutionalized for going off his nut over the tragic show his band played 30 years ago. Aidan was the guitarist of the prog-metal band, The Yellow Kings. After hardcore touring in support of their EP, the band lands a two-album deal and head to Los Angeles to record their official first record. After a show in Texas, they pick up a groupie named Camille, who was waiting behind the club for the band. She immediately takes a shine to their lead singer, Johnny. Soon, the band learns that Camille is not your ordinary groupie trying to sponge of the band in hopes that they'll be famous. No, she has a different agenda and the band are simply pawns in her evil plan.
The Final Reconciliation pulls out it's inner Lovecraft and marries it with story about a heavy metal band. Metal bands have been influenced by all things macabre and Lovecraft is a favorite of many, i.e. Metallica. Keisling has done his homework. As someone who knows a thing or two, not much more, but a thing or two about metal bands, touring, and recording, he executes the story flawlessly. This is where so many writers can go astray - writing about something that they don't know enough about and the cracks show. This isn't the case here. Kudos to Keisling. Not only did he get his facts right, but he delivered one hell of a story, in the process.
5 Guitar Solos out of 5
Keisling is such a force to be reckoned with. There wasn't a clunker in the bunch. All were 4-5 star reads. When was the last time you came across a collection of that caliber? Exactly. The thing I like most about this collection is Keisling's voice. He has such a smooth and easy writing style. You get lost in his words way too easily. On more than one story, I found that I had been reading for an hour and it felt like only 10 minutes had passed. Grab this collection and make sure you set your alarm, so you don't miss your appointments.
Overall - 4 1/2 stars out of 5
This ARC was provided by Crystal Lake Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
You can also follow my reviews at the following links:
/user/show/5...
A Man in Your Garden - A clever telling of seeing something out the window through the raindrop while fighting off the effects of a hard night of drinking. What's real and what's not?
4 out of 5 stars
Show Me Where The Water Fills Your Grave - Losing your spouse after all of those years together is the hardest thing Jonathan has ever had to endure. That is, unless she comes back.
4 out of 5 stars
Radio Free Nowhere - When couples can't agree on what to listen to on the radio, beware of the road trip.
4 1/2 out of 5 stars
The Otherland Express - Gregory is running away from home and his abusive father. When his destination suddenly becomes no longer viable, where will Gregory go? Luckily for him, he crosses paths with John Doe who offers him the option to become someone else. All he has to do is take a ride with him on the Otherland Express. Very Twilight Zone-y and a fun read.
4 1/2 out of 5 stars
Saving Granny From The Devil - A child makes a deal with the devil to save his beloved Granny. What he gains is more than his Granny's soul. A very engaging story.
4 1/2 out of 5 stars
The Darkness Between Dead Stars - Maxwell Foster volunteers for a one-way mission to Mars. Half of the way there, he starts hearing knocking and strange voices from outside the space capsule. What's out there? What if we're not meant to know? An excellent, EXCELLENT short story. One of the best I've read in years!
5 out of 5 stars
Human Resources - You don't see an email like that from HR every day. A fun, little read.
4 out of 5 stars
House of Nettle and Thorn - If a bunch of hot girls are coming onto you and your chucklehead friend like you've never experienced, there probably is a good reason for it. A sorority party like none other. Another fun one.
4 out of 5 stars
When Karen Met Her Mountain - Karen would do anything for her husband, Martin. He's been there for her during her darkest times. But beware, if you cross Karen, you may not live to regret it. I loved the twists and turns in this one.
4 1/2 out of 5 stars
The Harbinger - Felix is assigned to meet and interview the CEO of a doll making company in West Virginia. The town seemed odd from the moment he set foot in it. Little did he know how right he was...and they were waiting for him. A cross between Children of the Corn, Stuart Gorden's Dolls, and one F'd up episode of the Twilight Zone. A great story!
5 out of 5 stars
The Final Reconciliation - So, as a fellow metal-head, I feel a kindred spirit with Todd as he unfurls The Final Reconciliation, a story about a journalist who is interviewing Aidan Cross. Cross is an aging guitarist who is institutionalized for going off his nut over the tragic show his band played 30 years ago. Aidan was the guitarist of the prog-metal band, The Yellow Kings. After hardcore touring in support of their EP, the band lands a two-album deal and head to Los Angeles to record their official first record. After a show in Texas, they pick up a groupie named Camille, who was waiting behind the club for the band. She immediately takes a shine to their lead singer, Johnny. Soon, the band learns that Camille is not your ordinary groupie trying to sponge of the band in hopes that they'll be famous. No, she has a different agenda and the band are simply pawns in her evil plan.
The Final Reconciliation pulls out it's inner Lovecraft and marries it with story about a heavy metal band. Metal bands have been influenced by all things macabre and Lovecraft is a favorite of many, i.e. Metallica. Keisling has done his homework. As someone who knows a thing or two, not much more, but a thing or two about metal bands, touring, and recording, he executes the story flawlessly. This is where so many writers can go astray - writing about something that they don't know enough about and the cracks show. This isn't the case here. Kudos to Keisling. Not only did he get his facts right, but he delivered one hell of a story, in the process.
5 Guitar Solos out of 5
Keisling is such a force to be reckoned with. There wasn't a clunker in the bunch. All were 4-5 star reads. When was the last time you came across a collection of that caliber? Exactly. The thing I like most about this collection is Keisling's voice. He has such a smooth and easy writing style. You get lost in his words way too easily. On more than one story, I found that I had been reading for an hour and it felt like only 10 minutes had passed. Grab this collection and make sure you set your alarm, so you don't miss your appointments.
Overall - 4 1/2 stars out of 5
This ARC was provided by Crystal Lake Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
You can also follow my reviews at the following links:
/user/show/5...
September 6, 2017
Todd Keisling's Ugly Little Things contains 11 tales that sing with lyricism while they move the reader with suspenseful, clever, humorous and often wonderfully elegiac developments. The author has a keen, lucid understanding of suffering, which lends each plot-line extra heft and depth. These stories contain tenderly and humanely rendered characters who are drawn towards various forms of uncanny annihilation. After reading this excellent collection, I’m eagerly awaiting whatever Keisling produces next.
September 22, 2017
Review copy
Earlier this year, I read Todd Keisling's novella, The Final Reconciliation. It's still one of my favorite reads from 2017. Ugly Little Things is Keisling's first collection and if you didn't get to read The Final Reconciliation, I've got good news on a couple of counts. Not only is his new book a chance to be introduced to his work through ten of his shorter pieces, but it also includes his critically acclaimed novella.
A Man In Your Garden - Ever see something out of the corner of your eye and then question whether it was really there? Take that premise, add a delightfully creepy twist and you have A Man In Your Garden. And one of my favorite lines in the entire book. "...you tell yourself it was your imagination, a phantom conjured from the tomb of sleep, given life by the bourbon soaking into your liver."
Show Me Where the Waters Fill Your Grave - A well-constructed and bittersweet tale of never-ending love with a healthy dose of horror.
Radio Free Nowhere - A road trip, a radio dead zone, the song of a siren...and oh, the horror.
The Otherland Express - A terrific story with a Twilight Zone vibe. "I'm a genuine Nobody. I help all the other Nobodies get from here to there, and sometimes I find Nobodies who don't realize they're Nobodies. Sometimes, I find people who want to become Nobodies just like the rest of us."
Saving Granny from the Devil - A totally enjoyable story about choices. One that shows the man in black in a new light.
The Darkness Between Dead Stars - A mission to Mars, a single volunteer, a familiar trope with a fresh look.
Human Resources - Lovecraftian mythos in the age of technology and one of the best opening lines I've read this year. "It is with deep regret and sorrow that I must bid you farewell. Effective immediately, I am resigning from my duties as HR manager on account of having just murdered my assistant and misleading others at the company."
House of Nettle and Thorn - A story with mutant plant girls. Whats not to like?
When Karen Met Her Mountain - Is it ironic that I'm reading a story about Karen meeting her mountain at the same time I met a mountain of my own? In a single week, I nearly had a kidney transplant, but the kidney was damaged and we had to pass, I fell down a flight of stairs, and was hospitalized with Congestive Heart Failure. The following week I began dialysis. As Karen Singleton's Daddy would say, "...sometimes things just happen and there's nothin' to be done about it...when there's a mountain in your way, you either climb other it, or you find a way around it. There ain't no in-between."
The Harbinger - Some people are afraid of clowns, for me, it's dolls. In this short, Keisling takes a familiar trope and delivers an effectively scary tale.
The Final Reconciliation - In this novella Todd Keisling introduces readers to the fictional heavy metal band The Yellow Kings. It's been years since that fateful show at a small L.A. nightclub. Miles Hargrove and his producer are interviewing Aidan Cross, looking for the true story of their one and only performance of The Final Reconciliation.
Todd Keisling is a wonderful story-teller. As I read the diverse tales in Ugly Little Things I found the only common thread to be the horror. It's there in every story, and I couldn't wait to see where the author would take me next.
Ugly Little Things is available from Crystal Lake Publishing If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited you can read it at no additional charge. Also, if you are an Amazon Prime member you can read it for FREE using the Kindle Owners Lending Library.
Todd Keisling is the author of A Life Transparent, The Liminal Man (a 2013 Indie Book Award Finalist), and the critically-acclaimed novella, The Final Reconciliation. He lives somewhere in the wilds of Pennsylvania with his wife, son, and a trio of unruly cats.
Earlier this year, I read Todd Keisling's novella, The Final Reconciliation. It's still one of my favorite reads from 2017. Ugly Little Things is Keisling's first collection and if you didn't get to read The Final Reconciliation, I've got good news on a couple of counts. Not only is his new book a chance to be introduced to his work through ten of his shorter pieces, but it also includes his critically acclaimed novella.
A Man In Your Garden - Ever see something out of the corner of your eye and then question whether it was really there? Take that premise, add a delightfully creepy twist and you have A Man In Your Garden. And one of my favorite lines in the entire book. "...you tell yourself it was your imagination, a phantom conjured from the tomb of sleep, given life by the bourbon soaking into your liver."
Show Me Where the Waters Fill Your Grave - A well-constructed and bittersweet tale of never-ending love with a healthy dose of horror.
Radio Free Nowhere - A road trip, a radio dead zone, the song of a siren...and oh, the horror.
The Otherland Express - A terrific story with a Twilight Zone vibe. "I'm a genuine Nobody. I help all the other Nobodies get from here to there, and sometimes I find Nobodies who don't realize they're Nobodies. Sometimes, I find people who want to become Nobodies just like the rest of us."
Saving Granny from the Devil - A totally enjoyable story about choices. One that shows the man in black in a new light.
The Darkness Between Dead Stars - A mission to Mars, a single volunteer, a familiar trope with a fresh look.
Human Resources - Lovecraftian mythos in the age of technology and one of the best opening lines I've read this year. "It is with deep regret and sorrow that I must bid you farewell. Effective immediately, I am resigning from my duties as HR manager on account of having just murdered my assistant and misleading others at the company."
House of Nettle and Thorn - A story with mutant plant girls. Whats not to like?
When Karen Met Her Mountain - Is it ironic that I'm reading a story about Karen meeting her mountain at the same time I met a mountain of my own? In a single week, I nearly had a kidney transplant, but the kidney was damaged and we had to pass, I fell down a flight of stairs, and was hospitalized with Congestive Heart Failure. The following week I began dialysis. As Karen Singleton's Daddy would say, "...sometimes things just happen and there's nothin' to be done about it...when there's a mountain in your way, you either climb other it, or you find a way around it. There ain't no in-between."
The Harbinger - Some people are afraid of clowns, for me, it's dolls. In this short, Keisling takes a familiar trope and delivers an effectively scary tale.
The Final Reconciliation - In this novella Todd Keisling introduces readers to the fictional heavy metal band The Yellow Kings. It's been years since that fateful show at a small L.A. nightclub. Miles Hargrove and his producer are interviewing Aidan Cross, looking for the true story of their one and only performance of The Final Reconciliation.
Todd Keisling is a wonderful story-teller. As I read the diverse tales in Ugly Little Things I found the only common thread to be the horror. It's there in every story, and I couldn't wait to see where the author would take me next.
Ugly Little Things is available from Crystal Lake Publishing If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited you can read it at no additional charge. Also, if you are an Amazon Prime member you can read it for FREE using the Kindle Owners Lending Library.
Todd Keisling is the author of A Life Transparent, The Liminal Man (a 2013 Indie Book Award Finalist), and the critically-acclaimed novella, The Final Reconciliation. He lives somewhere in the wilds of Pennsylvania with his wife, son, and a trio of unruly cats.
July 13, 2018
Wonderful collection of horror shorts. I especially loved THE OTHER LAND EXPRESS- such a sad, magical, gruesome tale- like a modern episode of THE TWILIGHT ZONE.
September 16, 2017
If you aren't in love with Todd Keisling, it's only because you haven't read him yet. To say that this man can write is an understatement. Ugly Little Things is hands down my favorite anthology this year and perhaps ever. There wasn't a single story that I didn't love. I was reading a book by an author whom I was told was "the best in the business" and barely mucking through the first two stories. I put it down and picked up my ARC of ULT and was hooked on the first page. Unfortunately for me, Mr. Keisling doesn't have a lot of work out at this point, but fortunately for everyone, sources say he's working on more as we speak.
I did get an e-ARC of this early thanks to Hook of a Book Marketing and Crystal Lake. I also bought a copy of it myself yesterday after it launched but won't be happy until I have a signed copy of this on my bookshelf.
I did get an e-ARC of this early thanks to Hook of a Book Marketing and Crystal Lake. I also bought a copy of it myself yesterday after it launched but won't be happy until I have a signed copy of this on my bookshelf.
August 3, 2023
This is a delectable collection of short horror stories all in one fantastic bundle.
I took my time to read each and every one of the stories and it stood out to me how different each one was. I liked this, sometimes in short story collections you find all the stories a bit the same, a bit bland. Not here, Todd delivers up a mixed bag of horror fantastically.
It's hard to rate a collection book as often you like some stories over others, but overall this book is easily a 4 star review for me. And I highly recommend it to horror lovers and those who are keen to delve in to horror for their first time. This is a good place to start.
Todd writes exceptionally well, I am always drawn in to the story quickly and feel very much a part of what is going on. His ability to writer characters that you can connect with early on is brilliant also. It's hard to do that with short stories.
I found they varied in the scare factor, but in a clever way, it's as though each story delivers up different feelings for the reader and I would not be surprised if that is deliberate. We get a smorgasbord from Todd.
My favourite story by far was The Harbinger, wow that one scared the pants off me, very chilling, awesome plot and just great horror writing. Todd has a 5 star imagination and is one of my newly added favourite authors.
I received a copy of this collection from the author for review as I had expressed I was very keen to read more of his work as had enjoyed what I had read.
Thanks so much for reading my review! If you’d like to connect you can follow me or please send me a friend request.🐱
** “She needed books like others
need air to live� **
I took my time to read each and every one of the stories and it stood out to me how different each one was. I liked this, sometimes in short story collections you find all the stories a bit the same, a bit bland. Not here, Todd delivers up a mixed bag of horror fantastically.
It's hard to rate a collection book as often you like some stories over others, but overall this book is easily a 4 star review for me. And I highly recommend it to horror lovers and those who are keen to delve in to horror for their first time. This is a good place to start.
Todd writes exceptionally well, I am always drawn in to the story quickly and feel very much a part of what is going on. His ability to writer characters that you can connect with early on is brilliant also. It's hard to do that with short stories.
I found they varied in the scare factor, but in a clever way, it's as though each story delivers up different feelings for the reader and I would not be surprised if that is deliberate. We get a smorgasbord from Todd.
My favourite story by far was The Harbinger, wow that one scared the pants off me, very chilling, awesome plot and just great horror writing. Todd has a 5 star imagination and is one of my newly added favourite authors.
I received a copy of this collection from the author for review as I had expressed I was very keen to read more of his work as had enjoyed what I had read.
Thanks so much for reading my review! If you’d like to connect you can follow me or please send me a friend request.🐱
** “She needed books like others
need air to live� **
June 5, 2018
"For the most part, the stories in Todd Keisling’s Ugly Little Things occupy the space and language of middle-class Somewhere, USA (sci-fi 'The Darkness Between Dead Stars' excepted). Keisling’s narration often reads very much like the voices of his characters; these stories are as much about the routine and the quotidian as they are about their eventual diversions into terror."
.
.
September 15, 2017
Review: UGLY LITTLE THINGS by Todd Keisling
When commencing an anthology or a single-author collection, a reader often doesn't know quite what to expect in terms of quantity. Some single-author collections are of such high quality, consistently, that the discerning reader wishes to read, savor, reread, ponder. This year I have been immensely privileged and gratified to discover two magnificent authors new to me, via the venue of their collections: Paul F. Olson, WHISPERED ECHOES, and now Todd Keisling, in UGLY LITTLE THINGS.
Oh my oh my. When I am in the presence of a master, I am rendered speechless. I had requested to review UGLY LITTLE THINGS in advance of release, and from page one was awestruck. A review copy was not enough; I rushed to purchase. There is no single story, no single page, in this collection that is not extraordinarily perfect. I don't know from whence Mr. Keisling derives such a gift; I am satisfied to bask in his application of it.
When commencing an anthology or a single-author collection, a reader often doesn't know quite what to expect in terms of quantity. Some single-author collections are of such high quality, consistently, that the discerning reader wishes to read, savor, reread, ponder. This year I have been immensely privileged and gratified to discover two magnificent authors new to me, via the venue of their collections: Paul F. Olson, WHISPERED ECHOES, and now Todd Keisling, in UGLY LITTLE THINGS.
Oh my oh my. When I am in the presence of a master, I am rendered speechless. I had requested to review UGLY LITTLE THINGS in advance of release, and from page one was awestruck. A review copy was not enough; I rushed to purchase. There is no single story, no single page, in this collection that is not extraordinarily perfect. I don't know from whence Mr. Keisling derives such a gift; I am satisfied to bask in his application of it.
September 25, 2017
Every good collection begins with a suitable foreword, and in this case the tradition not only continues but does so wonderfully � I have yet to read Mercedes M, Yardley‘s work (I know, right? I’ve got so much to catch up on!), but she does a great job of intro-ing the collection because she doesn’t give anything away and made me excited to read it. She evokes the emotions the tales made her feel and, like a good bookseller, convinced me to begin reading. 🙂
The first tale, A Man in Your Garden, is an absolute corker � trust me, you’ll go through this thinking that it’s nothing special, nothing notable -but like all good word-wizards, that’s exactly what Todd wants you to think- and then the end hits you like a sucker-punch in pitch darkness. Excellent stuff!
The next tale, Show Me Where the Waters Fill Your Grave, is one of those quietly building horrors� It lulls you into thinking that the main character is am idiot for making the choices he does, even though you can understand why he’s making those choices, and I was left wondering at the end of the tale what his final choice would be: give in, or fight? It’ll probably leave you with the same questions.
Radio Free Nowhere works well as cautionary tale and plays with the city-folk-in-the-country trope � I kind of new where it was heading, but I still enjoyed the trip, as Todd manages to evoke that road-trip/desert-crossing/driving-into-the-unknown feeling amazingly well with his tight descriptions and fully-realized characters. Even the petrol-station attendant is given layers, instead of being the caricature most movies make that kind of character into.
The Otherland Express is one of the real stand-out tales, both a parable for our time and the kind of Horror tale starring a character we can understand and sympathize with � as Stephen King likes to do, this tale also reveals the hidden, uniquely strange things which might be hiding out there and humanizes them, forcing the reader to think about what they would do, if they were ever placed in a similar situation.
Saving Granny from the Devil is a wonderful tale and showcases Todd’s character-creation talents � we follow the life and decisions of the main character from when he’s a little boy until he’s an adult, charting the events in his life and the decisions he’s seemingly forced to make. Todd also gives us a new, almost perfect look at ‘the Devil�, one which upends some conventional ideas and revels in creating a new, interesting take on the ultimate bad guy. Really good stuff!
The Darkness Between Dead Stars is superb cosmic Horror � the kind of Horror which leaves you with more questions than answers; the story is tight and small, is written from an interesting angle (instead of the expected POV), and features some truly creepy visuals. It’s visceral and memorable and I’m pretty sure you’ll agree.
Human Resources is perfect. Just perfect. Corporate Culture meets Cultist Insanity. Love it!
House of Nettle and Thorn plays with what I believe to be one of the ultimate formative tropes teenagers in the US have to deal with � Sorority Houses. Being a South African, and not having had to deal with anything similar in high school, it still surprises me that these places exist. 🙂 I’m very glad that Todd didn’t go the way many other writers have, concerning Sorority’s, i.e. not crafting a tale in which members of different SH’s go up against each other. This is something cool and twisted and dark, explicit in places and disturbing in others, but damned good. There’s also an incredible quote-worthy passage in the tale, regarding what some men are meant to do with their lives, which made me laugh out loud it was so nail-on-the-head, but I’ll leave you to discover that passage for yourself. 🙂
When Karen Met Her Mountain is brutal, the kind of tale which hits you over and over again without letting up. In it you'll meet Karen and her husband, road-tripping and trying to find their way back to each other after a tragic loss. In it, you'll meet Karen's therapist and a group of strange, violent, mask-wearing cultists. And in it, you'll witness Karen's descent (or is it an ascent) into madness. Not for the faint of heart, but brilliantly written.
In The Harbinger, a journalist in need of redemption and a career-saving story travels to a town famous for pigs and dolls. How those two (pigs and dolls) are connected, and what Felix Proust discovers as he digs deeper into the town of Dalton and it's mysterious celebrity (the doll-maker), make this a truly memorable, creepy tale, which works on all the senses, too. Dolls have long had a unique creep-factor; Todd adds the that creep-factor while doing something unique, yet, terrible (in the terror-sense of the word) with dolls.
My favourite of the lot: The Final Reconciliation. I became of fan of Robert Chamber's 'The King in Yellow' without knowing it, thanks to the first incredible season of True Detective. Fast-forward a couple of years and I've been reading 'The King in Yellow' for a while now; I'm honestly obsessed with it. I'll explain that when I post my review, but suffice it to say that I haven't read anything resembling 'The King in Yellow'. It's utterly unique.
Which makes what Todd did with 'The Final Reconciliation' that much more incredible. Todd takes a metal band (The Yellow Kings), an evocative yet utterly unsettling track list, a self-proclaimed gypsy, and the creation of a new album, and marries them with what reads like the true-life account of this band's rise and fall. The tale is full of weird imagery and lyrical brilliance, and positively sings with the strange, unsettling aspects of what makes 'The King in Yellow' so strange - yet Todd pulls it off in a way that adds to the mythos Chambers created, putting everything that makes that strange book stand out in a modern context, yet also not explaining anything. You'll have to read it to understand what I mean. What's terrible about this tale (terrible, yet utterly creepy) is that now, more than ever, I want to delve deeper into 'The King in Yellow', and even though I probably won't survive it, I need to hear The Final Reconciliation in all it's mind-breaking brilliance.
This is, for damned sure, one of those must-have collections. 10/10
The first tale, A Man in Your Garden, is an absolute corker � trust me, you’ll go through this thinking that it’s nothing special, nothing notable -but like all good word-wizards, that’s exactly what Todd wants you to think- and then the end hits you like a sucker-punch in pitch darkness. Excellent stuff!
The next tale, Show Me Where the Waters Fill Your Grave, is one of those quietly building horrors� It lulls you into thinking that the main character is am idiot for making the choices he does, even though you can understand why he’s making those choices, and I was left wondering at the end of the tale what his final choice would be: give in, or fight? It’ll probably leave you with the same questions.
Radio Free Nowhere works well as cautionary tale and plays with the city-folk-in-the-country trope � I kind of new where it was heading, but I still enjoyed the trip, as Todd manages to evoke that road-trip/desert-crossing/driving-into-the-unknown feeling amazingly well with his tight descriptions and fully-realized characters. Even the petrol-station attendant is given layers, instead of being the caricature most movies make that kind of character into.
The Otherland Express is one of the real stand-out tales, both a parable for our time and the kind of Horror tale starring a character we can understand and sympathize with � as Stephen King likes to do, this tale also reveals the hidden, uniquely strange things which might be hiding out there and humanizes them, forcing the reader to think about what they would do, if they were ever placed in a similar situation.
Saving Granny from the Devil is a wonderful tale and showcases Todd’s character-creation talents � we follow the life and decisions of the main character from when he’s a little boy until he’s an adult, charting the events in his life and the decisions he’s seemingly forced to make. Todd also gives us a new, almost perfect look at ‘the Devil�, one which upends some conventional ideas and revels in creating a new, interesting take on the ultimate bad guy. Really good stuff!
The Darkness Between Dead Stars is superb cosmic Horror � the kind of Horror which leaves you with more questions than answers; the story is tight and small, is written from an interesting angle (instead of the expected POV), and features some truly creepy visuals. It’s visceral and memorable and I’m pretty sure you’ll agree.
Human Resources is perfect. Just perfect. Corporate Culture meets Cultist Insanity. Love it!
House of Nettle and Thorn plays with what I believe to be one of the ultimate formative tropes teenagers in the US have to deal with � Sorority Houses. Being a South African, and not having had to deal with anything similar in high school, it still surprises me that these places exist. 🙂 I’m very glad that Todd didn’t go the way many other writers have, concerning Sorority’s, i.e. not crafting a tale in which members of different SH’s go up against each other. This is something cool and twisted and dark, explicit in places and disturbing in others, but damned good. There’s also an incredible quote-worthy passage in the tale, regarding what some men are meant to do with their lives, which made me laugh out loud it was so nail-on-the-head, but I’ll leave you to discover that passage for yourself. 🙂
When Karen Met Her Mountain is brutal, the kind of tale which hits you over and over again without letting up. In it you'll meet Karen and her husband, road-tripping and trying to find their way back to each other after a tragic loss. In it, you'll meet Karen's therapist and a group of strange, violent, mask-wearing cultists. And in it, you'll witness Karen's descent (or is it an ascent) into madness. Not for the faint of heart, but brilliantly written.
In The Harbinger, a journalist in need of redemption and a career-saving story travels to a town famous for pigs and dolls. How those two (pigs and dolls) are connected, and what Felix Proust discovers as he digs deeper into the town of Dalton and it's mysterious celebrity (the doll-maker), make this a truly memorable, creepy tale, which works on all the senses, too. Dolls have long had a unique creep-factor; Todd adds the that creep-factor while doing something unique, yet, terrible (in the terror-sense of the word) with dolls.
My favourite of the lot: The Final Reconciliation. I became of fan of Robert Chamber's 'The King in Yellow' without knowing it, thanks to the first incredible season of True Detective. Fast-forward a couple of years and I've been reading 'The King in Yellow' for a while now; I'm honestly obsessed with it. I'll explain that when I post my review, but suffice it to say that I haven't read anything resembling 'The King in Yellow'. It's utterly unique.
Which makes what Todd did with 'The Final Reconciliation' that much more incredible. Todd takes a metal band (The Yellow Kings), an evocative yet utterly unsettling track list, a self-proclaimed gypsy, and the creation of a new album, and marries them with what reads like the true-life account of this band's rise and fall. The tale is full of weird imagery and lyrical brilliance, and positively sings with the strange, unsettling aspects of what makes 'The King in Yellow' so strange - yet Todd pulls it off in a way that adds to the mythos Chambers created, putting everything that makes that strange book stand out in a modern context, yet also not explaining anything. You'll have to read it to understand what I mean. What's terrible about this tale (terrible, yet utterly creepy) is that now, more than ever, I want to delve deeper into 'The King in Yellow', and even though I probably won't survive it, I need to hear The Final Reconciliation in all it's mind-breaking brilliance.
This is, for damned sure, one of those must-have collections. 10/10
May 20, 2015
A copy of Ugly Little Things: Volume One was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the author Todd Keisling in exchange for an honest review. This is said review. This book is published by Precipice Books.
I have read one other short story by Todd Keisling in the past so I was delighted when he asked if I would like to review Ugly Little Things: Volume One
This is a collection of four of his short stories. The stories in this book don’t follow a common theme. They are totally different styles and that to me makes it even more interesting. You get a true picture of depth of talent this man has. I have included my feelings of each story in this collection.
RADIO FREE NOWHERE
Conrad and Ashley are on a road trip. Ashley left the IPOD at home and the music on the radio is pathetic. Conrad doesn’t know but she did it on purpose. His music is pathetic as well.
When they stop for gas, Ashley is entranced by a song she hears playing inside the station. The attendant tries to give her some ear plugs so she can block out the music. She doesn’t understand why and refuses them.
She should have listened to him.
This is an excellent short. Very few characters but very effective in its execution. You know once the advice of the attendant is ignored that something bad is going to happen. You just don’t know what, when or how.
This story is Mr Keisling’s modern day take on the song of the siren. The end of this story is fantastic. It is so creepy the way it is written. If I had have been involved, I would have run very far, very fast.
★★★★ for general.
★★★★ for horror.
WHEN KAREN MET HER MOUNTAIN
Karen Singleton and her husband Martin are driving home after attending Karen’s father’s funeral. It is quite clear her father and Martin didn’t get on. It is quite clear Karen has “issues�.
They come across an overturned pickup truck with a woman lying injured in the middle of the road. Martin is a doctor and has to go help. As he tends to the woman, Karen sees other people sneaking out from behind the truck. Martin and Karen are drugged and kidnapped with no idea by whom or why.
As Karen comes round, her father’s voice helps her decide what to do. She must save Martin. As truths unfold, who will be saved and who will be sacrificed.
Loved this. Again very few characters involved in this story. This is something that Todd Keisling does very well. He doesn’t need to fill the story with unnecessary people and side-lines to make it interesting. The characters he does introduce you to are very strong and command the stage when they take it.
This is a story of survival. It’s a story of battles. It’s a story of revenge. It has an absolute killer twist in it that will make you gasp and probably swear as well. It’s bloody. It’s brutal at times. It’s sweet revenge.
★★★★� for general.
★★� for horror.
SAVING GRANNY FROM THE DEVIL
Todd is eight years old. He lives with his mom and his Granny. His Granny is his idol. He would do anything for her. There is no one like her in the world.
One day while playing, Todd is jumped by two local bullies who lock him in an abandoned kennel with a dead dog. The dog talks to him. It offers him help in dealing with the bullies. The dog changes into the form of a man, Harvey, and helps him chase off the bullies and escape.
As his Granny gets ill, Todd thinks to himself that he would give anything at all to save her and stop her from dying. Harvey appears again to offer his help but only if Todd makes a deal with him. After shaking on the deal, it dawns on Todd that he may have just made a deal with the devil.
Again a totally different story. This one seen through the eyes of a man telling the story of his life from being a little boy through to adult hood. A sort of coming of age story. The only difference is a deal has been made with the devil and no one can be sure when he will arrive to collect.
As well as being a creepy tale, this is beautifully written. It examines the relationship between a young child and his best friend, his Granny and what he is prepared to do to save her life. It follows him through his life and the decisions he must make. Both good and bad. You can’t help but wonder how things would have gone if he hadn’t made that deal.
★★★★� for general.
★★� for horror.
THE HARBINGER
Felix Proust works for Toys in the Attic magazine. He is on a trip to Dalton to interview the elusive Miss Maggie Eloquence, owner of a local company that makes dolls.
When he gets to Dalton, all does not seem right. It turns out Miss Eloquence doesn’t do interviews and won’t see him. In a diner he bumps into the resident drunk who secretly asks to meet him later to divulge the secrets of Dalton.
What he tells Felix can’t be true. It just doesn’t sound believable. Felix sets about finding out. Nothing could prepare him for his eventual meeting with Miss Eloquence.
I don’t know whether it’s because this one has dolls in it or not but this was one verrry creepy tale. It reminds me of some of the old Hammer Horror films I used to watch as a kid. I could imagine this being set in the 70’s. It has that sort of feel about it.
Felix is a man recovering from a pretty torrid life. He really just wants things easy now. He tries not to get involved in things but just can’t help himself.
When he starts to look for answers he notices things just aren’t right. This is where you will start to get creeped out. There are no huge elaborate scenes to try and scare you. It’s the little, subtle things that do it. Something being in a different place than it was a few minutes ago. That sort of thing.
It has quite a big ending and again brings me back to the old horror films.
Brilliant stuff.
★★★★� for general.
★★★★� for horror.
This edition also includes an excerpt from Nonentity which is book three of Todd’s Monochrome Trilogy due out in 2016. I didn’t read this part. The main reason for this is because I have not yet read Books One and Two and didn’t want to spoil any of it for myself. I intend to try and rectify that very soon after reading Ugly Little Things.
To summarise: 4 short stories of horror. Not jumpy horror as I would call it but slow horror that seeps into your pores and gradually gets you crapping yourself. Every story is completely different from the last. It’s a very good mix. Todd Keisling has proved to me with this collection that he is a master of writing something which doesn’t need a whole host of characters and huge elaborate scenes to make something creepy. He can do it in a small amount of words. Well worth picking up if you’re after an “easy� read, as in no big complicated stories. A perfect read for a summer’s night just as it’s starting to get dark and cool down.
General rating:
★★★★.75 Practically perfect.
Horror rating:
★★�.75 Could have had a little bit more jumpy bits.
I have read one other short story by Todd Keisling in the past so I was delighted when he asked if I would like to review Ugly Little Things: Volume One
This is a collection of four of his short stories. The stories in this book don’t follow a common theme. They are totally different styles and that to me makes it even more interesting. You get a true picture of depth of talent this man has. I have included my feelings of each story in this collection.
RADIO FREE NOWHERE
Conrad and Ashley are on a road trip. Ashley left the IPOD at home and the music on the radio is pathetic. Conrad doesn’t know but she did it on purpose. His music is pathetic as well.
When they stop for gas, Ashley is entranced by a song she hears playing inside the station. The attendant tries to give her some ear plugs so she can block out the music. She doesn’t understand why and refuses them.
She should have listened to him.
This is an excellent short. Very few characters but very effective in its execution. You know once the advice of the attendant is ignored that something bad is going to happen. You just don’t know what, when or how.
This story is Mr Keisling’s modern day take on the song of the siren. The end of this story is fantastic. It is so creepy the way it is written. If I had have been involved, I would have run very far, very fast.
★★★★ for general.
★★★★ for horror.
WHEN KAREN MET HER MOUNTAIN
Karen Singleton and her husband Martin are driving home after attending Karen’s father’s funeral. It is quite clear her father and Martin didn’t get on. It is quite clear Karen has “issues�.
They come across an overturned pickup truck with a woman lying injured in the middle of the road. Martin is a doctor and has to go help. As he tends to the woman, Karen sees other people sneaking out from behind the truck. Martin and Karen are drugged and kidnapped with no idea by whom or why.
As Karen comes round, her father’s voice helps her decide what to do. She must save Martin. As truths unfold, who will be saved and who will be sacrificed.
Loved this. Again very few characters involved in this story. This is something that Todd Keisling does very well. He doesn’t need to fill the story with unnecessary people and side-lines to make it interesting. The characters he does introduce you to are very strong and command the stage when they take it.
This is a story of survival. It’s a story of battles. It’s a story of revenge. It has an absolute killer twist in it that will make you gasp and probably swear as well. It’s bloody. It’s brutal at times. It’s sweet revenge.
★★★★� for general.
★★� for horror.
SAVING GRANNY FROM THE DEVIL
Todd is eight years old. He lives with his mom and his Granny. His Granny is his idol. He would do anything for her. There is no one like her in the world.
One day while playing, Todd is jumped by two local bullies who lock him in an abandoned kennel with a dead dog. The dog talks to him. It offers him help in dealing with the bullies. The dog changes into the form of a man, Harvey, and helps him chase off the bullies and escape.
As his Granny gets ill, Todd thinks to himself that he would give anything at all to save her and stop her from dying. Harvey appears again to offer his help but only if Todd makes a deal with him. After shaking on the deal, it dawns on Todd that he may have just made a deal with the devil.
Again a totally different story. This one seen through the eyes of a man telling the story of his life from being a little boy through to adult hood. A sort of coming of age story. The only difference is a deal has been made with the devil and no one can be sure when he will arrive to collect.
As well as being a creepy tale, this is beautifully written. It examines the relationship between a young child and his best friend, his Granny and what he is prepared to do to save her life. It follows him through his life and the decisions he must make. Both good and bad. You can’t help but wonder how things would have gone if he hadn’t made that deal.
★★★★� for general.
★★� for horror.
THE HARBINGER
Felix Proust works for Toys in the Attic magazine. He is on a trip to Dalton to interview the elusive Miss Maggie Eloquence, owner of a local company that makes dolls.
When he gets to Dalton, all does not seem right. It turns out Miss Eloquence doesn’t do interviews and won’t see him. In a diner he bumps into the resident drunk who secretly asks to meet him later to divulge the secrets of Dalton.
What he tells Felix can’t be true. It just doesn’t sound believable. Felix sets about finding out. Nothing could prepare him for his eventual meeting with Miss Eloquence.
I don’t know whether it’s because this one has dolls in it or not but this was one verrry creepy tale. It reminds me of some of the old Hammer Horror films I used to watch as a kid. I could imagine this being set in the 70’s. It has that sort of feel about it.
Felix is a man recovering from a pretty torrid life. He really just wants things easy now. He tries not to get involved in things but just can’t help himself.
When he starts to look for answers he notices things just aren’t right. This is where you will start to get creeped out. There are no huge elaborate scenes to try and scare you. It’s the little, subtle things that do it. Something being in a different place than it was a few minutes ago. That sort of thing.
It has quite a big ending and again brings me back to the old horror films.
Brilliant stuff.
★★★★� for general.
★★★★� for horror.
This edition also includes an excerpt from Nonentity which is book three of Todd’s Monochrome Trilogy due out in 2016. I didn’t read this part. The main reason for this is because I have not yet read Books One and Two and didn’t want to spoil any of it for myself. I intend to try and rectify that very soon after reading Ugly Little Things.
To summarise: 4 short stories of horror. Not jumpy horror as I would call it but slow horror that seeps into your pores and gradually gets you crapping yourself. Every story is completely different from the last. It’s a very good mix. Todd Keisling has proved to me with this collection that he is a master of writing something which doesn’t need a whole host of characters and huge elaborate scenes to make something creepy. He can do it in a small amount of words. Well worth picking up if you’re after an “easy� read, as in no big complicated stories. A perfect read for a summer’s night just as it’s starting to get dark and cool down.
General rating:
★★★★.75 Practically perfect.
Horror rating:
★★�.75 Could have had a little bit more jumpy bits.
September 15, 2017
After reading and loving Todd Keisling's The Final Reconciliation earlier this year, I was excited to have the opportunity to read more stories by Keisling in Ugly Little Things.
The first thing I want to mention is The Final Reconciliation is included in this collection. You can read my full review for that here. It's my favorite novella I've read so far this year.
I didn't realize that several of the stories in Ugly Little Things had been previously published. This was fine for me as I hadn't read any of the other tales, but your mileage could vary on that.
I was pleasantly surprised to find a few of the tales fell into the novelette/novella range. I'm a big fan of that format when it comes to horror, and I think these longer works are also the best of this collection.
I highly recommended The Final Reconciliation earlier this year, and with Ugly Little Things you get that novella and more. It's kind of a no brainer if you are interested in checking out Todd Keisling's work. He's an author I keep on my radar, and I look forward to reading more of his work in the future.
The first thing I want to mention is The Final Reconciliation is included in this collection. You can read my full review for that here. It's my favorite novella I've read so far this year.
I didn't realize that several of the stories in Ugly Little Things had been previously published. This was fine for me as I hadn't read any of the other tales, but your mileage could vary on that.
I was pleasantly surprised to find a few of the tales fell into the novelette/novella range. I'm a big fan of that format when it comes to horror, and I think these longer works are also the best of this collection.
I highly recommended The Final Reconciliation earlier this year, and with Ugly Little Things you get that novella and more. It's kind of a no brainer if you are interested in checking out Todd Keisling's work. He's an author I keep on my radar, and I look forward to reading more of his work in the future.
September 7, 2017
This collection was received free from Crystal Lake Publishing in return for an honest review.
These stories are dark. From the good old-fashioned creepiness of A Man In Your Garden, to the murderous madness of Karen in When Karen Met Her Mountain and the unsettling dolls in The Harbinger, in Ugly Little Things Todd Keisling brings you horror in all its many different and wonderful guises. Some are subtle, others � like The House of Nettle and Thorn � will make you wince, particularly if you are of the male persuasion. The sheer variety and scope of imagination to be found in these tales is amazing. Overall though, Keisling’s novella The Final Reconciliation is my hands down favourite. He won me over by referencing some of my favourite bands (Slipknot, Ministry � via Uncle Al Jourgensen) and kept my interest going with his well-paced take on The King in Yellow. Revolving around a band, The Yellow Kings, its lead guitarist Aidan Cross recounts the tale of how their first—and only—album, came to be and the deadly consequences of its first—and only—live performance. I loved this tale even though it ended on a note of inevitable doom and the knowledge that it is about to happen all over again. In Ugly Little Things, Todd Keisling has produced a great collection of stories to read as the season of mists and shadow takes hold.
These stories are dark. From the good old-fashioned creepiness of A Man In Your Garden, to the murderous madness of Karen in When Karen Met Her Mountain and the unsettling dolls in The Harbinger, in Ugly Little Things Todd Keisling brings you horror in all its many different and wonderful guises. Some are subtle, others � like The House of Nettle and Thorn � will make you wince, particularly if you are of the male persuasion. The sheer variety and scope of imagination to be found in these tales is amazing. Overall though, Keisling’s novella The Final Reconciliation is my hands down favourite. He won me over by referencing some of my favourite bands (Slipknot, Ministry � via Uncle Al Jourgensen) and kept my interest going with his well-paced take on The King in Yellow. Revolving around a band, The Yellow Kings, its lead guitarist Aidan Cross recounts the tale of how their first—and only—album, came to be and the deadly consequences of its first—and only—live performance. I loved this tale even though it ended on a note of inevitable doom and the knowledge that it is about to happen all over again. In Ugly Little Things, Todd Keisling has produced a great collection of stories to read as the season of mists and shadow takes hold.
December 16, 2019
If you would have asked me a year ago what some of my favorite collections of short stories were, I probably would have laughed and assumed you were making fun of my short attention span. I am not sure what sparked my prejudice against any and all short stories/novellas. I had always just been under the impression that if a book was under 300 pages, I was going to find some reason not to enjoy it. It physically pains me to say this in most situations but, I was wrong. I have been converted. I officially now have a list of favorite short story collections and this book has crept it’s way onto that list.
Ugly Little Things by Todd Keisling is a collection of short stories that did not disappoint for even the briefest of moments. A Man in Your Garden is the perfect “what the hell?� story and introduction for the collection. The book opens with this quick little banger that while reading, you’re pretty sure the antagonist is losing his shit and maybe he’s not hungover from the night before but is, in fact, still drunk. Then you finish and cannot help but wonder if the character is the individual having trouble distinguishing drunken stupor from reality of if it is you.
Saving Granny from the Devil was one of my favorites. Upon finishing the story, I had a feeling there may have been a few non-fictional elements thrown in as the relationship between Todd and his grandmother in this story felt too real to have been pulled from someone’s imagination. After reading the story notes from the author, I learned that I was correct which only made me enjoy this story so much more. What you really need to know about this story is this: you will learn an incredibly important life lesson from a fictional Devil. Not even kidding, this Devil’s words are ones to live by.
My absolute favorite piece in the collection is The Harbinger. If there is one thing that will make me shiver and cringe every single time, it is dolls in a horror story. Dolls coming to life is NOT ok. With that being said, I really enjoy creepy little dolls in horror because it is guaranteed to scare me. Felix Proust is a writer on an assignment for the publication he works for to interview Miss Maggie Eloquence the founder of Dalton Dollworks. Miss Maggie has personally invited Felix to visit the doll factory for this interview and when he arrives, she pulls a no-show. Felix cannot return to his employer emptyhanded and decides to do a little unplanned digging. One thing that he finds is that for a town with a popular doll manufacturer located in it, there seems to be a surprisingly small number of children living there. When Felix finally tracks Miss Maggie down, the story takes a bizarre turn. If you think the children have been attacked and have disappeared due to the presence of evil little dolls, you would be wrong. If you think the story ends with Felix being attacked by the same evil little dolls, nope, wrong again. You will not be able to predict where this story goes and if you do not say something along the lines of “I seriously did not just read that� out loud, I will be thoroughly impressed.
The Harbinger and really this entire collection are a prime example of why I read horror and have come to love short story collections and novellas. All readers will become all too familiar with a variety of genre tropes once they find their niche. Ugly Little Things takes the horror trope handbook and slaps you upside the head with it. It will thrill you with its originality and ambiguity in all of the right places.
Ugly Little Things by Todd Keisling is a collection of short stories that did not disappoint for even the briefest of moments. A Man in Your Garden is the perfect “what the hell?� story and introduction for the collection. The book opens with this quick little banger that while reading, you’re pretty sure the antagonist is losing his shit and maybe he’s not hungover from the night before but is, in fact, still drunk. Then you finish and cannot help but wonder if the character is the individual having trouble distinguishing drunken stupor from reality of if it is you.
Saving Granny from the Devil was one of my favorites. Upon finishing the story, I had a feeling there may have been a few non-fictional elements thrown in as the relationship between Todd and his grandmother in this story felt too real to have been pulled from someone’s imagination. After reading the story notes from the author, I learned that I was correct which only made me enjoy this story so much more. What you really need to know about this story is this: you will learn an incredibly important life lesson from a fictional Devil. Not even kidding, this Devil’s words are ones to live by.
My absolute favorite piece in the collection is The Harbinger. If there is one thing that will make me shiver and cringe every single time, it is dolls in a horror story. Dolls coming to life is NOT ok. With that being said, I really enjoy creepy little dolls in horror because it is guaranteed to scare me. Felix Proust is a writer on an assignment for the publication he works for to interview Miss Maggie Eloquence the founder of Dalton Dollworks. Miss Maggie has personally invited Felix to visit the doll factory for this interview and when he arrives, she pulls a no-show. Felix cannot return to his employer emptyhanded and decides to do a little unplanned digging. One thing that he finds is that for a town with a popular doll manufacturer located in it, there seems to be a surprisingly small number of children living there. When Felix finally tracks Miss Maggie down, the story takes a bizarre turn. If you think the children have been attacked and have disappeared due to the presence of evil little dolls, you would be wrong. If you think the story ends with Felix being attacked by the same evil little dolls, nope, wrong again. You will not be able to predict where this story goes and if you do not say something along the lines of “I seriously did not just read that� out loud, I will be thoroughly impressed.
The Harbinger and really this entire collection are a prime example of why I read horror and have come to love short story collections and novellas. All readers will become all too familiar with a variety of genre tropes once they find their niche. Ugly Little Things takes the horror trope handbook and slaps you upside the head with it. It will thrill you with its originality and ambiguity in all of the right places.
September 29, 2017
“Ugly Little Things: Collected Horrors�: A book that will Not help you sleep better at night
~~Written 9/14/2017; Edited 9/29/2017
Renee Young DeCamillis September 14, 2017
I received an ARC of this dreadfully scrumptious collection of horror stories, and I'm thankful to Crystal Lake Publishing for giving me the opportunity to be one of the first to read this book.
Are you ready to shed your skin, confront your shadow, or remove your mask? “Ugly Little Things: Collected Horrors,� Todd Keisling’s first collection of horror stories, will leave you questioning who you are underneath the surface. But even more horrifying than looking within yourself—once you’ve read this unputdownable collection, you’ll start wondering who the people around you really are.
From the first story to the last, Todd Keisling’s remarkable storytelling will hold your attention with a death grip. And once you’ve read through the very last track of “The Final Reconciliation,� you’ll realize you’re out of breath from the exhilarating Hellride you’ve just finished.
Both “Radio Free Nowhere� and “The Final Reconciliation� will bring you into the depths of music, to fully take in every nuance of the mesmerizing ability of sound. You will see what those infectious notes can do to transform a person, though these transformations will chill you to your core. In “The Final Reconciliation� (my absolute favorite in this collection)—the way Keisling describes music and its overpowering ability to bring the listener, and especially the players, to unseen and unknown places makes it sound as though he wrote the songs within this story himself. He has a keen sense of the true power of music, and he writes about it like a seasoned musician. As I read, it was as though I had The Yellow Kings soundtrack playing on the stereo in my mind. (And I must mention that I love all the references to bands that are on my favorites list. Maybe Keisling and I should start a band together.) The characters and their world are so real and their dark and maddening plight is one that will leave you breathless. From Aiden with his facial scars to Camilla the traveling seductress, the desire to follow these characters no matter what hell ensues is so strong that putting down the story before it is finished is not an option.
“When Karen Met her Mountain,� my second favorite piece in this collection, shows the blurred line between sanity and insanity. What is it that can push a person to their breaking point? Or, maybe a much more fitting question with this story—what will it take for a person to finally find their inner strength? Maybe they never will. For some people it may take life shattering occurrences to show them what they are truly capable of. Sanity and insanity can mean different things to different people, and the two can often wear the same face. Once you’ve finish reading through the final scene, Keisling will leave you asking yourself—“What will you do when you meet your mountain?� The answer may terrify you.
You know the saying about walking in another man’s shoes? Well, what about walking in another man’s skin? Never tried it? Have a little stroll through Keisling’s fictional world and you can have a look-see. Don’t be surprised when that stroll turns into a race to find out what happens when Gregory Simmons gets to his destination. When you are lost and looking to get away from your troubles, take a trip on “The Otherland Express�.
The tasty breadcrumb trail that leads you through this collection will leave you hungry for more. I know I’m hungry, and I can’t wait to read more from this writer who is here to stay.
Todd Keisling’s words take the reader by the hand and pull them along through grief and torment, through the melancholy and the macabre, through horrors that will make you leave your lights on after you turn the last page. Though you may want to think twice about those lights, or “A Man in Your Garden� will have a clear view through your window, but I have a creeping suspicion he can see you with or without the lights on.
Sleep tight.
~~Written 9/14/2017; Edited 9/29/2017
Renee Young DeCamillis September 14, 2017
I received an ARC of this dreadfully scrumptious collection of horror stories, and I'm thankful to Crystal Lake Publishing for giving me the opportunity to be one of the first to read this book.
Are you ready to shed your skin, confront your shadow, or remove your mask? “Ugly Little Things: Collected Horrors,� Todd Keisling’s first collection of horror stories, will leave you questioning who you are underneath the surface. But even more horrifying than looking within yourself—once you’ve read this unputdownable collection, you’ll start wondering who the people around you really are.
From the first story to the last, Todd Keisling’s remarkable storytelling will hold your attention with a death grip. And once you’ve read through the very last track of “The Final Reconciliation,� you’ll realize you’re out of breath from the exhilarating Hellride you’ve just finished.
Both “Radio Free Nowhere� and “The Final Reconciliation� will bring you into the depths of music, to fully take in every nuance of the mesmerizing ability of sound. You will see what those infectious notes can do to transform a person, though these transformations will chill you to your core. In “The Final Reconciliation� (my absolute favorite in this collection)—the way Keisling describes music and its overpowering ability to bring the listener, and especially the players, to unseen and unknown places makes it sound as though he wrote the songs within this story himself. He has a keen sense of the true power of music, and he writes about it like a seasoned musician. As I read, it was as though I had The Yellow Kings soundtrack playing on the stereo in my mind. (And I must mention that I love all the references to bands that are on my favorites list. Maybe Keisling and I should start a band together.) The characters and their world are so real and their dark and maddening plight is one that will leave you breathless. From Aiden with his facial scars to Camilla the traveling seductress, the desire to follow these characters no matter what hell ensues is so strong that putting down the story before it is finished is not an option.
“When Karen Met her Mountain,� my second favorite piece in this collection, shows the blurred line between sanity and insanity. What is it that can push a person to their breaking point? Or, maybe a much more fitting question with this story—what will it take for a person to finally find their inner strength? Maybe they never will. For some people it may take life shattering occurrences to show them what they are truly capable of. Sanity and insanity can mean different things to different people, and the two can often wear the same face. Once you’ve finish reading through the final scene, Keisling will leave you asking yourself—“What will you do when you meet your mountain?� The answer may terrify you.
You know the saying about walking in another man’s shoes? Well, what about walking in another man’s skin? Never tried it? Have a little stroll through Keisling’s fictional world and you can have a look-see. Don’t be surprised when that stroll turns into a race to find out what happens when Gregory Simmons gets to his destination. When you are lost and looking to get away from your troubles, take a trip on “The Otherland Express�.
The tasty breadcrumb trail that leads you through this collection will leave you hungry for more. I know I’m hungry, and I can’t wait to read more from this writer who is here to stay.
Todd Keisling’s words take the reader by the hand and pull them along through grief and torment, through the melancholy and the macabre, through horrors that will make you leave your lights on after you turn the last page. Though you may want to think twice about those lights, or “A Man in Your Garden� will have a clear view through your window, but I have a creeping suspicion he can see you with or without the lights on.
Sleep tight.
January 26, 2015
Reader, welcome back. I’m so glad you could join me. I’ve something to show you, over there: Yes that cover. I’m referring to those empty eyes, pierced with an impenetrable blackness, and that pallid face like fossilized and hardened skin.
Now before you sit down, and I get to rambling off. Nowadays that’s really all I do anyway. I’ll tell you: quick and fast � that if you’re wondering if you should read this volume, Ugly Little Things: Volume One, written by that strange fellow Todd Keisling � then yes, you should. That Todd Keisling’s a brilliant mind. I’d put him right up there with the best, anyday.
In fact, now, I’ll do the nice thing right here, and tell you I rated this volume a 4.5/5. Aren’t I a gentleman? See here? Really reader, you’re too kind. You don’t even half to finish reading beyond this point if you don’t want to. And the reason for that is quite simple.
If you like horror, disturbed and captivating characters � and whether you’re a babe or an old-timer in the genre -- you’ll treasure this here read. That’s all there is to it. Hey! Off with those shoes. I just shampooed the damn carpet!
Do I still have your attention? Let’s start with this here cover. Scroll back up if you have to. Look at it. Now�
Do you see what I see? the beauty of this ugly little thing? Look here. I’ve an excerpt for you, by the hearth: the story of those black and staring eyes. Even those eyes have a story, and those shadows looming behind them? Yes, they’ve a story too.
I should have known. How can I show you any words without my specks? It reminds me of someone’s father, though I’m failing to remember who exactly. He’d been talking to his little girl: a sweet and troubled little thing. I remember what they said like it happened just on yesterday.
A dull blade won’t cut anything, honey.
“We’ll see, Daddy.�
Excerpt from When Karen Met Her Mountain (sub-rated 4.5/5)
When Karen Met Her Mountain is the second story is Todd Keisling’s collection of short stories, Ugly Little Things: Volume One. It maintains the pace of the first story, and follows a woman walking through the Arizona Desert. She’s covered in blood and humoring the thoughts of her deceased Father.
What we see, walking with Karen, is a world blanketed in pale sun. Keisling follows her suffering and what it’s done to change who she is: how it’s taken her to blackened depths and left her sharpening her nails. I’ll be frank. Karen scares me more than her opposition.
But that’s enough about that. You didn’t come here to hear about Karen. You’ve come to hear about this book’s cover, am I right? Isn’t that a lovely picture? Look here, on this page. I’ve been wanting to read this to you since you came in. Listen:
The lake stretched out before them, its shores lined with the cars and trucks of other lucky listeners. The moon shimmered on those gentles waters, looking back at her like a single pale eye.
Excerpt from Radio Free Nowhere (sub-rated 4.5/5)
Radio Free Nowhere is the first story in the volume. And I’ll be goddamned if it doesn’t choke you for air early. Here we follow Ashely, driving down a lonely and quiet interstate. She has company, and maybe that’s half the problem.
The trouble starts when she hears a song: a song so beautiful it’s painful. Surely you can relate: when a song touches you deep inside: and its finger is cold and wet, yet you shudder to make it stop. It tears you apart, ripping you up the seam�
And yet you smile.
Look at me, rambling again. I see that look you’re giving me. Forget it. Maybe music only moves me, anyway. You’ve come here about the cover. How bout I make you a deal? And by God don’t say the devil made me do it. You know one time I was at a red-light, tapping Ring of Fire on the steering wheel. Next to me there was a boy and his grandma talking.
“Penny for your thoughts?�
“Still thinking about the Devil.�
Excerpt from Saving Granny from the Devil (Sub-rated 4/5)
Saving Granny from the Devil comes forward in black and white with burn-spots from the classical formula it was birthed from. It’s about a contract with Lucifer, and the darkness that comes with it, haunting Todd as he deals with his Grandmother’s deteriorating health.
From the beginning, and staring with a handshake between boy and demon, Todd’s life shifts as he questions what he knows about Christianity. But as his Granny slips away, the pact becomes something more insidious: something that gives the devil a face that looks like someone you might know.
Oh, so you’ve never thought about making a deal with the devil? not for money, or for booze or nothing? Fine. That’s all right. Frankly, I think you’re lying, but pick up that book. Bring it here.
Thank you.
That’s a doll on that there cover � and I won’t try to change your mind but look here. The man sold me that book told me this. He said:
You never know Mr. Proust. Dalton has a way of changing a man’s mind. Maybe Miss Maggie will make a doll just for you.
Excerpt from The Harbinger (Sub-rated 4.5/5)
As the final story in the volume, The Harbinger doesn’t stray away much; it stays put, in the same rank and putrid air as the other tales. It brings you to Dalton, West Virginia, where there are more dolls than children: where people amble on with lifeless and empty eyes.
Felix is our guide: a divorced man with baggage. He’s lost his appetite because the town’s within nose-shot of a pig farm. Year’s before he’d drink it off, drowning his misfortune in liquor. But he’s a different man: more in control, more responsible.
So responsible, in fact, he pushed himself deeper into Dalton. He needed to know why where there were dolls there was the stench of pig shit; he needed to know why the church was sealed up, and why the smell was so much worse there.
But of course, not before he bought his own doll.
Ugly little Things: Volume One single-handedly restored my faith for horror: not only as a genre, but as a literary vehicle of exploration. There is substance in each of these tales that clings to your skin in sticky clumps. It knows what disturbs you and compels you to press on anyway.
And despite its shortcomings, which are really too insubstantial to name, (and really more relative to each story’s plot anyway) Todd Keisling has crafted a gem I’d gladly place in the pantheon of masterpieces. This is no longer literature but heart-wrenching and impressionistic art.
So yeah, about that cover. Isn’t it grand to look at? Doesn’t it chill you and yet sooth you as you sleep? The cover by itself tells a more intriguing story than most of the horror I’ve read. So git on. Git, take it with you.
It’s too beautiful for me.
Check me out on Horror Novel Reviews. I might have some other things you'd like to see.
Now before you sit down, and I get to rambling off. Nowadays that’s really all I do anyway. I’ll tell you: quick and fast � that if you’re wondering if you should read this volume, Ugly Little Things: Volume One, written by that strange fellow Todd Keisling � then yes, you should. That Todd Keisling’s a brilliant mind. I’d put him right up there with the best, anyday.
In fact, now, I’ll do the nice thing right here, and tell you I rated this volume a 4.5/5. Aren’t I a gentleman? See here? Really reader, you’re too kind. You don’t even half to finish reading beyond this point if you don’t want to. And the reason for that is quite simple.
If you like horror, disturbed and captivating characters � and whether you’re a babe or an old-timer in the genre -- you’ll treasure this here read. That’s all there is to it. Hey! Off with those shoes. I just shampooed the damn carpet!
Do I still have your attention? Let’s start with this here cover. Scroll back up if you have to. Look at it. Now�
Do you see what I see? the beauty of this ugly little thing? Look here. I’ve an excerpt for you, by the hearth: the story of those black and staring eyes. Even those eyes have a story, and those shadows looming behind them? Yes, they’ve a story too.
I should have known. How can I show you any words without my specks? It reminds me of someone’s father, though I’m failing to remember who exactly. He’d been talking to his little girl: a sweet and troubled little thing. I remember what they said like it happened just on yesterday.
A dull blade won’t cut anything, honey.
“We’ll see, Daddy.�
Excerpt from When Karen Met Her Mountain (sub-rated 4.5/5)
When Karen Met Her Mountain is the second story is Todd Keisling’s collection of short stories, Ugly Little Things: Volume One. It maintains the pace of the first story, and follows a woman walking through the Arizona Desert. She’s covered in blood and humoring the thoughts of her deceased Father.
What we see, walking with Karen, is a world blanketed in pale sun. Keisling follows her suffering and what it’s done to change who she is: how it’s taken her to blackened depths and left her sharpening her nails. I’ll be frank. Karen scares me more than her opposition.
But that’s enough about that. You didn’t come here to hear about Karen. You’ve come to hear about this book’s cover, am I right? Isn’t that a lovely picture? Look here, on this page. I’ve been wanting to read this to you since you came in. Listen:
The lake stretched out before them, its shores lined with the cars and trucks of other lucky listeners. The moon shimmered on those gentles waters, looking back at her like a single pale eye.
Excerpt from Radio Free Nowhere (sub-rated 4.5/5)
Radio Free Nowhere is the first story in the volume. And I’ll be goddamned if it doesn’t choke you for air early. Here we follow Ashely, driving down a lonely and quiet interstate. She has company, and maybe that’s half the problem.
The trouble starts when she hears a song: a song so beautiful it’s painful. Surely you can relate: when a song touches you deep inside: and its finger is cold and wet, yet you shudder to make it stop. It tears you apart, ripping you up the seam�
And yet you smile.
Look at me, rambling again. I see that look you’re giving me. Forget it. Maybe music only moves me, anyway. You’ve come here about the cover. How bout I make you a deal? And by God don’t say the devil made me do it. You know one time I was at a red-light, tapping Ring of Fire on the steering wheel. Next to me there was a boy and his grandma talking.
“Penny for your thoughts?�
“Still thinking about the Devil.�
Excerpt from Saving Granny from the Devil (Sub-rated 4/5)
Saving Granny from the Devil comes forward in black and white with burn-spots from the classical formula it was birthed from. It’s about a contract with Lucifer, and the darkness that comes with it, haunting Todd as he deals with his Grandmother’s deteriorating health.
From the beginning, and staring with a handshake between boy and demon, Todd’s life shifts as he questions what he knows about Christianity. But as his Granny slips away, the pact becomes something more insidious: something that gives the devil a face that looks like someone you might know.
Oh, so you’ve never thought about making a deal with the devil? not for money, or for booze or nothing? Fine. That’s all right. Frankly, I think you’re lying, but pick up that book. Bring it here.
Thank you.
That’s a doll on that there cover � and I won’t try to change your mind but look here. The man sold me that book told me this. He said:
You never know Mr. Proust. Dalton has a way of changing a man’s mind. Maybe Miss Maggie will make a doll just for you.
Excerpt from The Harbinger (Sub-rated 4.5/5)
As the final story in the volume, The Harbinger doesn’t stray away much; it stays put, in the same rank and putrid air as the other tales. It brings you to Dalton, West Virginia, where there are more dolls than children: where people amble on with lifeless and empty eyes.
Felix is our guide: a divorced man with baggage. He’s lost his appetite because the town’s within nose-shot of a pig farm. Year’s before he’d drink it off, drowning his misfortune in liquor. But he’s a different man: more in control, more responsible.
So responsible, in fact, he pushed himself deeper into Dalton. He needed to know why where there were dolls there was the stench of pig shit; he needed to know why the church was sealed up, and why the smell was so much worse there.
But of course, not before he bought his own doll.
Ugly little Things: Volume One single-handedly restored my faith for horror: not only as a genre, but as a literary vehicle of exploration. There is substance in each of these tales that clings to your skin in sticky clumps. It knows what disturbs you and compels you to press on anyway.
And despite its shortcomings, which are really too insubstantial to name, (and really more relative to each story’s plot anyway) Todd Keisling has crafted a gem I’d gladly place in the pantheon of masterpieces. This is no longer literature but heart-wrenching and impressionistic art.
So yeah, about that cover. Isn’t it grand to look at? Doesn’t it chill you and yet sooth you as you sleep? The cover by itself tells a more intriguing story than most of the horror I’ve read. So git on. Git, take it with you.
It’s too beautiful for me.
Check me out on Horror Novel Reviews. I might have some other things you'd like to see.
September 22, 2017
It’s five-thirty in the morning, I just finished doing inventory for work, and I’m hyped up on caffeine. Screw it, let’s do a book review!
I’ll admit right now, the major reason I did the Lover Her Wild poetry review was because of this review. You see, I was given a digital ARC of Ugly Little Things from Crystal Lake Publishing if I were to give them a review in return. But since my last review before I did the poetry review was another one for Todd, I didn’t want to come back doing back-to-back reviews of his work, hence the middle review of poetry. But, with the deadline of the publication approaching, I think it’s bout time I fulfilled on the latter part, huh?
...
I'm gonna include the link to the rest of the review here:
October 19, 2017
Some great novelette length stories! I really dug The Harbinger.
September 13, 2017
A fantastic collection! Definitely one of my favourite reads this year.
August 10, 2017
Ugly Little Things: Collected Horrors by Todd Keisling is a collection of stories that explore what happens when people are pushed to their limits.The first story called A Man In Your Garden sets up the anthology perfectly. It’s about a man who believes a stranger is standing on his lawn. The man is scared but is there, someone, really out there or does he have an overactive imagination. I love how this story shows that sometimes we are our worst enemy.
Another good story here is Saving Granny From The Devil, this is a coming of age story where a young kid name Todd gets help from the devil. Flash forward a few years and the devil is coming for Todd’s Granny and Todd makes a deal to save her. The problem is that while Todd’s heart is in the right place, he may have made the wrong decision. We then see how his actions affected his life and his Granny’s. What I like about this story is the idea presented that love lasts forever and maybe the devil isn’t such a bad guy. Todd Keisling shows that he has a gift for creating deep characters that you can’t help but care for even when they do wrong.
My favorite story in this collection is When Karen Met Her Mountain. Karen comes from a religious father who recently died and not too long ago she had a miscarriage that she hasn’t mentally recovered from. Tragedy strikes when a religious cult shows up and kidnaps her husband. The Cult is messing with the wrong woman and Karen is going to make them pay. I liked how you see Karen’s personality change as she hunts down her victims and then towards the end we find out that her therapist believed something like this would happen if the wrong trigger was pulled. The ending of this one really surprised me, this is a woman pushed to the edge and comes out stronger and more vicious.
The last story in the collection is a novella called The Final Reconciliation. It’s about a progressive rock band called The Yellow Kings, four kids with big dreams set out on their first tour. Little did they know that their first album would only be heard once and would cause the death of nearly 200 people. This story is a twist on an old mythology and a story of four kids achieving their dreams and worst nightmares at the same time.This is another coming of age story as the kids are working to leave the rough backgrounds that they come from.
Ugly Little Things is a book about the human spirit but the human spirit doesn’t always triumph. Even when you get what you want there is a dark side to it and that’s what Ugly Little Things is about. This is a book that’s shocking and disturbing but most of all it’s a look at what happens to people when they can’t handle the horror of life.
Another good story here is Saving Granny From The Devil, this is a coming of age story where a young kid name Todd gets help from the devil. Flash forward a few years and the devil is coming for Todd’s Granny and Todd makes a deal to save her. The problem is that while Todd’s heart is in the right place, he may have made the wrong decision. We then see how his actions affected his life and his Granny’s. What I like about this story is the idea presented that love lasts forever and maybe the devil isn’t such a bad guy. Todd Keisling shows that he has a gift for creating deep characters that you can’t help but care for even when they do wrong.
My favorite story in this collection is When Karen Met Her Mountain. Karen comes from a religious father who recently died and not too long ago she had a miscarriage that she hasn’t mentally recovered from. Tragedy strikes when a religious cult shows up and kidnaps her husband. The Cult is messing with the wrong woman and Karen is going to make them pay. I liked how you see Karen’s personality change as she hunts down her victims and then towards the end we find out that her therapist believed something like this would happen if the wrong trigger was pulled. The ending of this one really surprised me, this is a woman pushed to the edge and comes out stronger and more vicious.
The last story in the collection is a novella called The Final Reconciliation. It’s about a progressive rock band called The Yellow Kings, four kids with big dreams set out on their first tour. Little did they know that their first album would only be heard once and would cause the death of nearly 200 people. This story is a twist on an old mythology and a story of four kids achieving their dreams and worst nightmares at the same time.This is another coming of age story as the kids are working to leave the rough backgrounds that they come from.
Ugly Little Things is a book about the human spirit but the human spirit doesn’t always triumph. Even when you get what you want there is a dark side to it and that’s what Ugly Little Things is about. This is a book that’s shocking and disturbing but most of all it’s a look at what happens to people when they can’t handle the horror of life.
August 30, 2017
4.5 stars, rounded up to Five
Reviewer’s Note: I was provided with an arc of “Ugly Little Things� by Crystal Lake Publishing in return for a fair and honest review.
The Basics:
Todd Keisling is a nice, unassuming, generous, funny, and talented author. He is a delight to interact with and—as forward writer Mercedes M. Yardley says—“He’s somehow privy to more than we are.�
He is younger than I, yet so much wiser.
This collection is delightfully evil. I enjoyed each story between the covers, and have noted my favorites below. These characters creations of Keisling’s are amazingly real. As real as you, me, your coworkers�
Or your grandmother.
You will fear for them, cheer them on…wish them well or ill. And that is all by the author’s grand design. Pick this one up and enjoy the nightmares from the mind of an author who knows how to send old-fashioned chills rocketing up and down your spine.
The Details:
“A Man In Your Garden� is the perfect overture piece for this anthology. Keisling, in one brush stroke, shows us to expect the unexpected and reminds us that we can be our own worst enemy.
“Show Me Where the Waters Fill Your Grave� both surprised and horrified me. I’ve seen those videos of caskets floating down streets after Katrina. This was one of my favorites from this collection.
“Radio Free Nowhere� preys on your worst fears if you’ve ever traveled lonely roads without radio reception. Imagine: no cell signal, your ipod is out of juice and Sirius isn’t syncing up. It’s just you, the road, and a haunting tune sung by an unseen “woman…�
Next is “The Otherland Express,� about a teenager caught between unrequited love and an abusive father. The seventeen-year-old is met on the bus by one of many nobodies in the world and a choice is made. This one will leave your skin crawling.
“Saving Granny From The Devil� is a modern take on the Devil and Daniel Webster. Keisling’s delightful character development in the exploration of an age-old trope makes this one fresh and unexpected. Decisions made for the right reasons sometimes have unintended and horrific consequences.
Next was my least favorite story—“The Darkness Between Dead Stars.� Told in a “This is really what happened� style from the viewpoint of an engineer for a doomed Mars mission, I really didn’t sympathize with either the narrator or the “MVP.�
“Human Resources� made me laugh out loud, and I so do enjoy Keisling’s dry sense of humor. In the form of an e-mail resignation letter from a newly converted Human Resource Manager, this Lovecraftian note brings back for an encore performance Charles Boid (Praise His Glory).
Still chuckling over the last story, the horrific college boy/lust piece, “House of Nettle and Thorn,� is disturbing for many reasons, not the least of which is the depiction of the main character’s roommate: “Nick Edgleman’s contribution to the great human identity would be equal to a crusted stain on a pair of boxer shorts with the reek of Axe body spray.� We ALL knew somebody like him�
My second of three favorites was “When Karen Met Her Mountain.� Once again, Keisling’s deep character work creates a believable protagonist, whose own past horrors are reignited and amplified when a cult kidnaps her husband.
“The Final Reconciliation,� a novella I’d just recently read, completes the Ugly Little Things collection. It is the story of The Yellow Kings (delicious Lovecraft and “True Detective� reference), a heavy-metal band of four youngsters from Kentucky who set out on their first tour--told historically through an interview with the metal band’s now aged guitarist, Aiden Cross.
Keisling’s knowledge of Heavy Metal and his meticulous description of “band life� makes this piece my top pick of my favorite three.
Beware the groupies and grab yourself a copy today!
Reviewer’s Note: I was provided with an arc of “Ugly Little Things� by Crystal Lake Publishing in return for a fair and honest review.
The Basics:
Todd Keisling is a nice, unassuming, generous, funny, and talented author. He is a delight to interact with and—as forward writer Mercedes M. Yardley says—“He’s somehow privy to more than we are.�
He is younger than I, yet so much wiser.
This collection is delightfully evil. I enjoyed each story between the covers, and have noted my favorites below. These characters creations of Keisling’s are amazingly real. As real as you, me, your coworkers�
Or your grandmother.
You will fear for them, cheer them on…wish them well or ill. And that is all by the author’s grand design. Pick this one up and enjoy the nightmares from the mind of an author who knows how to send old-fashioned chills rocketing up and down your spine.
The Details:
“A Man In Your Garden� is the perfect overture piece for this anthology. Keisling, in one brush stroke, shows us to expect the unexpected and reminds us that we can be our own worst enemy.
“Show Me Where the Waters Fill Your Grave� both surprised and horrified me. I’ve seen those videos of caskets floating down streets after Katrina. This was one of my favorites from this collection.
“Radio Free Nowhere� preys on your worst fears if you’ve ever traveled lonely roads without radio reception. Imagine: no cell signal, your ipod is out of juice and Sirius isn’t syncing up. It’s just you, the road, and a haunting tune sung by an unseen “woman…�
Next is “The Otherland Express,� about a teenager caught between unrequited love and an abusive father. The seventeen-year-old is met on the bus by one of many nobodies in the world and a choice is made. This one will leave your skin crawling.
“Saving Granny From The Devil� is a modern take on the Devil and Daniel Webster. Keisling’s delightful character development in the exploration of an age-old trope makes this one fresh and unexpected. Decisions made for the right reasons sometimes have unintended and horrific consequences.
Next was my least favorite story—“The Darkness Between Dead Stars.� Told in a “This is really what happened� style from the viewpoint of an engineer for a doomed Mars mission, I really didn’t sympathize with either the narrator or the “MVP.�
“Human Resources� made me laugh out loud, and I so do enjoy Keisling’s dry sense of humor. In the form of an e-mail resignation letter from a newly converted Human Resource Manager, this Lovecraftian note brings back for an encore performance Charles Boid (Praise His Glory).
Still chuckling over the last story, the horrific college boy/lust piece, “House of Nettle and Thorn,� is disturbing for many reasons, not the least of which is the depiction of the main character’s roommate: “Nick Edgleman’s contribution to the great human identity would be equal to a crusted stain on a pair of boxer shorts with the reek of Axe body spray.� We ALL knew somebody like him�
My second of three favorites was “When Karen Met Her Mountain.� Once again, Keisling’s deep character work creates a believable protagonist, whose own past horrors are reignited and amplified when a cult kidnaps her husband.
“The Final Reconciliation,� a novella I’d just recently read, completes the Ugly Little Things collection. It is the story of The Yellow Kings (delicious Lovecraft and “True Detective� reference), a heavy-metal band of four youngsters from Kentucky who set out on their first tour--told historically through an interview with the metal band’s now aged guitarist, Aiden Cross.
Keisling’s knowledge of Heavy Metal and his meticulous description of “band life� makes this piece my top pick of my favorite three.
Beware the groupies and grab yourself a copy today!
September 1, 2017
This is by far my favorite anthology published by Crystal Lake. It had me hooked from the first story to the last. Be sure to read "Saving Granny a from The Devil"!
I received a copy if this book from the publisher and chose to review it.
I received a copy if this book from the publisher and chose to review it.
January 30, 2016
Ugly Little Things is a book made up of short stories. It actually made me remember Tales of the Crypt as some of the stories really played out in my head and they are of the horror kind.
My personal favourite stories were Saving Granny from The Devil and The Harbinger.
Saving Granny from The Devil surprisingly had me actually like the devil in this story. I loved the way Harvey the devil would say kiddo as it made him more humanised and for me I think the author has portrayed the devil really well. I really enjoyed this one and was quite sad to get to the end of it.
The Harbinger was scarily spooky. A town where the children all appear to be dolls. Don't get me wrong I loved dolls when I was a child but there was always some dolls that just looked really freaky and could be very scary to a child and this is what I envisioned when I was reading this story.
I have never read anything by this author before but after reading volume one I will certainly be keeping my eye out for the next one.
Many thanks to Booklover Catlady Publicity & Reviews and the author as I won an e copy of this book in a give away over on Maxine's book page.
My personal favourite stories were Saving Granny from The Devil and The Harbinger.
Saving Granny from The Devil surprisingly had me actually like the devil in this story. I loved the way Harvey the devil would say kiddo as it made him more humanised and for me I think the author has portrayed the devil really well. I really enjoyed this one and was quite sad to get to the end of it.
The Harbinger was scarily spooky. A town where the children all appear to be dolls. Don't get me wrong I loved dolls when I was a child but there was always some dolls that just looked really freaky and could be very scary to a child and this is what I envisioned when I was reading this story.
I have never read anything by this author before but after reading volume one I will certainly be keeping my eye out for the next one.
Many thanks to Booklover Catlady Publicity & Reviews and the author as I won an e copy of this book in a give away over on Maxine's book page.
September 7, 2017
Whoo!! What a ride this book was. I couldn't put it down from start to finish. This author has a skill of visualization with condensed material. I can't decide which story got under my skin the most. Highly recommend if you don't mind a little gory detail in your reading.
August 1, 2017
Uncaged Book Reviews
A collection of various horrors all of them with their own little twists and turns One or two of my favorites was of a young boy. Who makes a deal with an odd gentlemen by the name of Harvey in order to escape some bullies. Another was a rock band who meet a groupie who is a gypsy that decides to stay with the band as a good luck charm. But really has the band under each other’s skin. There’s also one about some creepy dolls. So if that doesn’t get you wanting to read this book nothing will. You won’t need the light’s on but you may need to check under your bed before you go to sleep. I hear those dolls have a great story to tell you. Sweet dreams tonight. Reviewed by Jennifer
A collection of various horrors all of them with their own little twists and turns One or two of my favorites was of a young boy. Who makes a deal with an odd gentlemen by the name of Harvey in order to escape some bullies. Another was a rock band who meet a groupie who is a gypsy that decides to stay with the band as a good luck charm. But really has the band under each other’s skin. There’s also one about some creepy dolls. So if that doesn’t get you wanting to read this book nothing will. You won’t need the light’s on but you may need to check under your bed before you go to sleep. I hear those dolls have a great story to tell you. Sweet dreams tonight. Reviewed by Jennifer
September 2, 2017
Disclaimer: I received an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.
Don't you just love that cover? It doesn't just look cool, but also serves as an introduction to this collection since most of the stories feature disembodied hands, hands reaching out of murky water, hands reaching out of the depths of space, or something like that. Let's face it. Hands not attached to anything are creepy. By the way, there's also some nifty artwork accompanying each story within.
Ugly Little Things by Todd Keisling starts out with "A Man in Your Garden", a second person story that I found frightening, surprising, and dream-like. "Show Me Where the Waters Fill Your Grave" is about an old man waiting for the return of his deceased wife. I particularly liked this line about how over time we start to talk like the people closest to us: "She was a part of him even in speech, living on as a linguistic phantom that could not be exorcised." However, I have to admit, I didn't care for this story overall. "Radio Free Nowhere" is a modern take on the lure of the siren's song. I didn't personally care for this one either, but everybody's tastes are different. You might love it.
"The Otherland Express" is about a teenager running away from an abusive father to meet someone he met online. I found him to be the most real character so far. He seemed like a real person and I found myself rooting for him. On the downside, I did think the internal monologue was often unnecessary. I think most readers would have a pretty good idea what the character is thinking without being told just based on what's happening. Sometimes, less is more, y'know? This one started out promising, but I couldn't suspend my disbelief when the supernatural element showed up.
I guessed that "Saving Granny from the Devil" was at least partly autobiographical since the main character shares his name with the author (this is confirmed by the story notes at the end.) It starts with bullies locking Toddy into a kennel with a dead dog in a truly horrifying scene. I liked how the Devil was portrayed in this story. He's not just the embodiment of evil as you'd expect, but is based more on the Bible's portrayal of him. This story is highly recommended.
"The Darkness Between Dead Stars" is about a space mission gone awry. I liked the mystery of it and the unanswered questions we were left with. "Human Resources" is a humorous story written in the form of an email. "House of Nettle and Thorn" takes place in a sorority house from hell. There's a reference to "the last reconciliation" which make me wonder how it's tied to the final story in this volume.
"When Karen Met Her Mountain" is a revenge fantasy (I Spit on Your Grave is mentioned as an influence in the story notes at the end). Karen's deceased father speaks to her throughout the story, helping her out. I don't know why she and her husband didn't call the police when they first saw the accident, but then I guess there wouldn't be a story. I usually don't like revenge fantasies, but this one had more substance to it than most. We learn about Karen's past and sit in on conversations she had with her psychologist. Another favorite in this collection.
"The Harbinger" reminded me of H.P. Lovercraft's "Shadow Over Innsmouth", especially the part where the town drunk warns the reporter about the town's dark secret. Sure enough, "Innsmouth" is listed as an influence in the story notes. Called it! Although I should mention the story isn't simply a retelling of "Innsmouth", just partly inspired by it. The reporter in question writes for a toy magazine and is there to interview a doll maker, and as you'd expect from a horror story, there are plenty of creepy dolls. Like in the previous story, our narrator hears the voice of a former loved one in his head. In this case, it's his ex-wife. And of course, there's a scene with hands emerging from water again.
This collection rounds out with the excellent "The Final Reconciliation" which I've reviewed as it was originally published as a stand alone book. Another highly recommended story.
Don't you just love that cover? It doesn't just look cool, but also serves as an introduction to this collection since most of the stories feature disembodied hands, hands reaching out of murky water, hands reaching out of the depths of space, or something like that. Let's face it. Hands not attached to anything are creepy. By the way, there's also some nifty artwork accompanying each story within.
Ugly Little Things by Todd Keisling starts out with "A Man in Your Garden", a second person story that I found frightening, surprising, and dream-like. "Show Me Where the Waters Fill Your Grave" is about an old man waiting for the return of his deceased wife. I particularly liked this line about how over time we start to talk like the people closest to us: "She was a part of him even in speech, living on as a linguistic phantom that could not be exorcised." However, I have to admit, I didn't care for this story overall. "Radio Free Nowhere" is a modern take on the lure of the siren's song. I didn't personally care for this one either, but everybody's tastes are different. You might love it.
"The Otherland Express" is about a teenager running away from an abusive father to meet someone he met online. I found him to be the most real character so far. He seemed like a real person and I found myself rooting for him. On the downside, I did think the internal monologue was often unnecessary. I think most readers would have a pretty good idea what the character is thinking without being told just based on what's happening. Sometimes, less is more, y'know? This one started out promising, but I couldn't suspend my disbelief when the supernatural element showed up.
I guessed that "Saving Granny from the Devil" was at least partly autobiographical since the main character shares his name with the author (this is confirmed by the story notes at the end.) It starts with bullies locking Toddy into a kennel with a dead dog in a truly horrifying scene. I liked how the Devil was portrayed in this story. He's not just the embodiment of evil as you'd expect, but is based more on the Bible's portrayal of him. This story is highly recommended.
"The Darkness Between Dead Stars" is about a space mission gone awry. I liked the mystery of it and the unanswered questions we were left with. "Human Resources" is a humorous story written in the form of an email. "House of Nettle and Thorn" takes place in a sorority house from hell. There's a reference to "the last reconciliation" which make me wonder how it's tied to the final story in this volume.
"When Karen Met Her Mountain" is a revenge fantasy (I Spit on Your Grave is mentioned as an influence in the story notes at the end). Karen's deceased father speaks to her throughout the story, helping her out. I don't know why she and her husband didn't call the police when they first saw the accident, but then I guess there wouldn't be a story. I usually don't like revenge fantasies, but this one had more substance to it than most. We learn about Karen's past and sit in on conversations she had with her psychologist. Another favorite in this collection.
"The Harbinger" reminded me of H.P. Lovercraft's "Shadow Over Innsmouth", especially the part where the town drunk warns the reporter about the town's dark secret. Sure enough, "Innsmouth" is listed as an influence in the story notes. Called it! Although I should mention the story isn't simply a retelling of "Innsmouth", just partly inspired by it. The reporter in question writes for a toy magazine and is there to interview a doll maker, and as you'd expect from a horror story, there are plenty of creepy dolls. Like in the previous story, our narrator hears the voice of a former loved one in his head. In this case, it's his ex-wife. And of course, there's a scene with hands emerging from water again.
This collection rounds out with the excellent "The Final Reconciliation" which I've reviewed as it was originally published as a stand alone book. Another highly recommended story.
September 15, 2017
Received ARC in exchange for honest review.
So, I had never read anything by Todd Keisling, until this collection. I gotta say, this is by far one of the best short story collections I've ever read. From the very first story, I just couldn't put it down. It's been a while since I felt this way about any one author, but the way he executes his ideas reminds me of the good ol' days when horror was actually creepy. When it scared you!
Being a huge fan of stories about the devil, my favorite in this collection is Saving Granny From The Devil. Fabulously written, thought provoking, and most importantly...different.
If you want to know what good horror is and get a chance, take a look at Todd Keisling. Fantastic collection!
So, I had never read anything by Todd Keisling, until this collection. I gotta say, this is by far one of the best short story collections I've ever read. From the very first story, I just couldn't put it down. It's been a while since I felt this way about any one author, but the way he executes his ideas reminds me of the good ol' days when horror was actually creepy. When it scared you!
Being a huge fan of stories about the devil, my favorite in this collection is Saving Granny From The Devil. Fabulously written, thought provoking, and most importantly...different.
If you want to know what good horror is and get a chance, take a look at Todd Keisling. Fantastic collection!
February 4, 2015
This was a great Four short story collection that built up suspense and sent a chill up your spine.Each story was well thought out with realistic characters and situations that reaches within you and stimulates your brain and sense of reason.Well done Mr Todd Keisling.
In "Radio Free Nowhere."
A short,right to the point chilling story.
You meet a young couple Ashley and Conrad who are traveling down I 69.Conrad is irritated because he thinks Ashley forgot his I-pod filled with music.And his is unable to get a clear station tuned in on the cars radio.They stop at a filling station and the elderly clerk offers Ashley a set of ear plugs she thought this odd and declined to accept the gift of ear plugs.Which seemed to perturb the kindly clerk, just then she hears the beautiful tones she had briefly heard prior to stopping and Ashley asks "What is that hauntingly beautiful and moving melody and where is it coming from? " Pick up this collection to find out more.Though this story is short, it is graphic in it's chilling description of what happens next.(This was my second favorite story in this collection though they were all very good.)
In "When Karen Met Her Mountain."
A gory story of one woman's hidden strength to protect herself and her loved one.
Karen and Martin have been struggling to get past a trgidy and Martin seems to be picking up the pieces and moving on better the Karen is.Karen sees a Therapist whom is helping Karen move past the loss of a child yet unborn, and the feelings of guilt and shame she feels each time she looks at Martin.Who is being the caring and supportive husband. This is a story of overcoming loss, love at its finest, being blindsided, betrayed and making a choice that is right for you. when Karen met her mountain.
They are on their way to her father's funeral taking place out of town. Karen was close to her father who was a Minister.She hears him speak wisdom in her mind when she needs the lessons he thought her when she was young the most.On their way to the funeral, they stop for a lady in need of help laying in the road. Against Karen urging Martin, not to get out of the car he still does.From this point on life as they know it is over.Martin is taken away after being injured by the lady in the road and ambushed by others they would learn are her family.Karen is abducted and taken away in a different truck.It is up to her to save Martin.But first she needs to escape and find out where they are holding him to be sacrificed later by these religious zealots.Will she be able to save him?
In "Saving Granny from the Devil."
A true Masterpiece!
An Excellent thought provoking trip back to childhood.The fears and joys and never-ending quest of what is life all about and self-discovery.Will you be the driving force of your own life...or will you let circumstance and others dive your life while you sit back a and let it happen?
What a Brilliant piece of work!Todd Keisling takes you back to being a kid.The hopes and fears, the joy and times of utter love and stability, the per sauna that are trust on us by others, even though that is not who we really are inside.
Todd takes you on a trip that allows you to visit thoughts and feelings from childhood, teen, to adulthood.
This story is about an eight-year-old little boy Todd who has a hard working, divorced mom and a grandmother that is also his best friend and playmate.His dad's mother.He would do anything to save his grandmother he makes a deal with a stranger he named Harvey J Winderbell who had saved him from a team of relentless Bullies Gerald and Brent.Todd thought Harvey was a magician and that was pretty cool.From that point on Todd's life became strange after meeting his new friend.Later he would make a pact with this strange man in order to save his Granny.Pick up this heart-wrenching thought provoking story of love,
fear, turmoil, self-resentment, and realization of the truth.I don't want to give too much away but it is a great read, hard to put down short story.
Keisling is a Master of story telling.He is Brilliant!(This was one of my favorite story in this collection.)
In "The Harbinger"
One really good creepy story.
What a story! It would be the death of a Pediophobian(Someone with the fear of dolls.)In this book you meet Felix Proust,a journalist,and a five year sober, alcoholic,who has "something" to prove to his boss and maybe even himself ,after a few personal issues.Felix works for the publication that goes by the name" Toys in the attic." He is sent to a small coal mining town to meet with the owner of Dalton's Doll, Miss Maggie Eloquence.At first the town may have looked like any other mining town once the mine had dried up.Empty store front's and quiet street's of a dead or dying. Felix has a feeling that something was,just not right from the beginning.After meeting the town drunk Henry Watson, behind the only thriving business on main street Henry told Felix to get out!. Felix thought it had more to do with the bottle Henry had climbed in.... more so then the town.Until Henry told him to go check out the church on the edge of town if he didn't believe him.After that things went down hill fast.Pick up the book to read more.
Not only is this a well written story with the eye for detail and the smack of feasibility as a classic horror tale being told on a rickety old front porch from generation to generation.Todd Keisling knows how to build and keep the interest for the reader.He runs his icy fingers up your spin with his words and story telling ability's. Well done Fine Sir.
In "Radio Free Nowhere."
A short,right to the point chilling story.
You meet a young couple Ashley and Conrad who are traveling down I 69.Conrad is irritated because he thinks Ashley forgot his I-pod filled with music.And his is unable to get a clear station tuned in on the cars radio.They stop at a filling station and the elderly clerk offers Ashley a set of ear plugs she thought this odd and declined to accept the gift of ear plugs.Which seemed to perturb the kindly clerk, just then she hears the beautiful tones she had briefly heard prior to stopping and Ashley asks "What is that hauntingly beautiful and moving melody and where is it coming from? " Pick up this collection to find out more.Though this story is short, it is graphic in it's chilling description of what happens next.(This was my second favorite story in this collection though they were all very good.)
In "When Karen Met Her Mountain."
A gory story of one woman's hidden strength to protect herself and her loved one.
Karen and Martin have been struggling to get past a trgidy and Martin seems to be picking up the pieces and moving on better the Karen is.Karen sees a Therapist whom is helping Karen move past the loss of a child yet unborn, and the feelings of guilt and shame she feels each time she looks at Martin.Who is being the caring and supportive husband. This is a story of overcoming loss, love at its finest, being blindsided, betrayed and making a choice that is right for you. when Karen met her mountain.
They are on their way to her father's funeral taking place out of town. Karen was close to her father who was a Minister.She hears him speak wisdom in her mind when she needs the lessons he thought her when she was young the most.On their way to the funeral, they stop for a lady in need of help laying in the road. Against Karen urging Martin, not to get out of the car he still does.From this point on life as they know it is over.Martin is taken away after being injured by the lady in the road and ambushed by others they would learn are her family.Karen is abducted and taken away in a different truck.It is up to her to save Martin.But first she needs to escape and find out where they are holding him to be sacrificed later by these religious zealots.Will she be able to save him?
In "Saving Granny from the Devil."
A true Masterpiece!
An Excellent thought provoking trip back to childhood.The fears and joys and never-ending quest of what is life all about and self-discovery.Will you be the driving force of your own life...or will you let circumstance and others dive your life while you sit back a and let it happen?
What a Brilliant piece of work!Todd Keisling takes you back to being a kid.The hopes and fears, the joy and times of utter love and stability, the per sauna that are trust on us by others, even though that is not who we really are inside.
Todd takes you on a trip that allows you to visit thoughts and feelings from childhood, teen, to adulthood.
This story is about an eight-year-old little boy Todd who has a hard working, divorced mom and a grandmother that is also his best friend and playmate.His dad's mother.He would do anything to save his grandmother he makes a deal with a stranger he named Harvey J Winderbell who had saved him from a team of relentless Bullies Gerald and Brent.Todd thought Harvey was a magician and that was pretty cool.From that point on Todd's life became strange after meeting his new friend.Later he would make a pact with this strange man in order to save his Granny.Pick up this heart-wrenching thought provoking story of love,
fear, turmoil, self-resentment, and realization of the truth.I don't want to give too much away but it is a great read, hard to put down short story.
Keisling is a Master of story telling.He is Brilliant!(This was one of my favorite story in this collection.)
In "The Harbinger"
One really good creepy story.
What a story! It would be the death of a Pediophobian(Someone with the fear of dolls.)In this book you meet Felix Proust,a journalist,and a five year sober, alcoholic,who has "something" to prove to his boss and maybe even himself ,after a few personal issues.Felix works for the publication that goes by the name" Toys in the attic." He is sent to a small coal mining town to meet with the owner of Dalton's Doll, Miss Maggie Eloquence.At first the town may have looked like any other mining town once the mine had dried up.Empty store front's and quiet street's of a dead or dying. Felix has a feeling that something was,just not right from the beginning.After meeting the town drunk Henry Watson, behind the only thriving business on main street Henry told Felix to get out!. Felix thought it had more to do with the bottle Henry had climbed in.... more so then the town.Until Henry told him to go check out the church on the edge of town if he didn't believe him.After that things went down hill fast.Pick up the book to read more.
Not only is this a well written story with the eye for detail and the smack of feasibility as a classic horror tale being told on a rickety old front porch from generation to generation.Todd Keisling knows how to build and keep the interest for the reader.He runs his icy fingers up your spin with his words and story telling ability's. Well done Fine Sir.
September 14, 2017
Ugly little things
Todd Keisling
A collections of stories by Todd Keisling. This is the first time I have heard of Todd. I thoroughly enjoyed every story and it's hard to pick a favourite. There is The Harbinger about a town that makes dolls or The Final Reconciliation about a man telling the story of his band 30 years later that leads us on a dark and twisted path thru the madness of those final days but I really enjoyed Saving Granny from the Devil. I'm not sure what it was but it was just great story telling.
All in all this is a fantastic collection to sink your teeth into.
This is an honest review in exchange for ARC
Todd Keisling
A collections of stories by Todd Keisling. This is the first time I have heard of Todd. I thoroughly enjoyed every story and it's hard to pick a favourite. There is The Harbinger about a town that makes dolls or The Final Reconciliation about a man telling the story of his band 30 years later that leads us on a dark and twisted path thru the madness of those final days but I really enjoyed Saving Granny from the Devil. I'm not sure what it was but it was just great story telling.
All in all this is a fantastic collection to sink your teeth into.
This is an honest review in exchange for ARC
September 7, 2015
Review copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
Todd Keisling's Ugly Little Things - Volume 1 collects the first four short stories that make up Keisling's Ugly Little Things universe, an ongoing title and umbrella for his short fiction. I have been finding myself drawn more and more to the short story format because it is a great vehicle for horror fiction. I still love plopping down on the couch and starting a novel, but it is always interesting to see how various authors handle the constraints of the short story to craft punchy tales.
"Radio Free Nowhere" kicks off the collection and introduces readers to the young couple Conrad and Ashley. They are driving through the mountains through "Radio Free Nowhere", one of those little patches of land where it seems like nothing but wilderness and the radio cuts in and out, the GPS doesn't work and it feels like you are totally cut off from civilization. They find a lone gas station and stop for gas and directions. It is here, while pumping gas, Ashley first hears the music. When she heads inside she meets an attendant who conjures up images of that guy in horror movies who always tries to warn people coming into the secluded town of dangers and immediately becomes the first person you suspect of being involved. He is wearing ear plugs for seemingly no reason, but tells Ashley she will need them too and warns her the music she hears may make her do crazy things. She finds herself enthralled by the hypnotic music and the attendant takes her silence as a refusal his help and issues a final unnerving warning. Ashley follows the music and when she discovers what it is, readers are treated to a truly creepy scene that kind of reminded me a bit of a Twilight Zone episode.
"When Karen Met Her Mountain" follows a woman named Karen who finds herself battling depression when she loses her dad and then suffers a miscarriage. It is hinted that she may have addiction problems. Her and her husband are on their way to the funeral when they are attacked in the desert by religious fanatics. She "hears" her father offer her advice as she tries to survive the hellish encounter. There are session notes interspersed throughout that are a nice touch that shows how depressed and down on herself Karen felt. Stranded in the desert with no way to reach out for help, Karen relies on her animalistic need for survival and begins plotting her revenge. This is a highly thrilling story about overcoming loss and finding inner strength and offers plenty of exciting twists throughout the story.
"Saving Granny From The Devil" has some emotionally powerful scenes early in the story. While reading this story, I couldn't help but think of one of my favorite short stories of all-time, John F.D. Taff's "What Becomes God". A visceral and emotionally engaging story, this is definitely one of the standouts from the collection. This is the perfect blend of the sort of horrible things we go through in real life and the supernatural. It is a semi-autobiographical tale and the honesty Keisling shows here made this my favorite story of the collection.
"The Harbinger" - I was never really terribly afraid of dolls or other inanimate objects growing up, but I do remember the first fiction character that really scared me was Slappy the Dummy from the Goosebumps series. Those books are marketed towards younger readers so the things he does is rather tame by horror standards, but man, those stories really terrified me as a young reader. Keisling tapped into my childhood fears in this creepy as hell story about a town on its last legs and their creepy obsession with a doll factory that seems to be the town's only hope of survival.
I must applaud Keisling for the creation of the Ugly Little Things universe. The stories contained within this first volume all have a distinct voice and aren't connected in a literal way, but Keisling's decision to group them together as the "ugly little things" that lurk in his imagination is an effective choice. While they are all distinct and hit on different emotions, they piece together perfectly.
What made me fall in love with this collection was the variety of the stories and the emotional impact a few of them had on me. While I enjoy a straightforward horror story, the ones that really leave a lasting impact for me are the ones that explore more complex emotions and situations. These stories can be terrifying in their own right, but they also stir up other emotions. Keisling utilizes that ability to the max with stories like "When Karen Met Her Mountain" and "Saving Granny From The Devil". These are engaging stories full of horror thrills and yet they still explore the depths of human nature and add a complex element to his works.
The short story format has been gaining popularity with a vengeance and there have been an absolute wealth of great ones released recently. Keisling's Ugly Little Things is one of those standouts and deserves to be added to any horror fans collection. As of this review, there has been two more entries in the Ugly Little Things universe, "The Other Land Express" and "House of Nettle and Thorn". After reading Ugly Little Things -Volume One, I am definitely looking forward to reading these! Keisling is an amazing talent and if you are into horror, you absolutely need to purchase this collection. Huge, huge fan and I can't wait to see what other "Ugly Little Things" this author has in store for readers!
Todd Keisling's Ugly Little Things - Volume 1 collects the first four short stories that make up Keisling's Ugly Little Things universe, an ongoing title and umbrella for his short fiction. I have been finding myself drawn more and more to the short story format because it is a great vehicle for horror fiction. I still love plopping down on the couch and starting a novel, but it is always interesting to see how various authors handle the constraints of the short story to craft punchy tales.
"Radio Free Nowhere" kicks off the collection and introduces readers to the young couple Conrad and Ashley. They are driving through the mountains through "Radio Free Nowhere", one of those little patches of land where it seems like nothing but wilderness and the radio cuts in and out, the GPS doesn't work and it feels like you are totally cut off from civilization. They find a lone gas station and stop for gas and directions. It is here, while pumping gas, Ashley first hears the music. When she heads inside she meets an attendant who conjures up images of that guy in horror movies who always tries to warn people coming into the secluded town of dangers and immediately becomes the first person you suspect of being involved. He is wearing ear plugs for seemingly no reason, but tells Ashley she will need them too and warns her the music she hears may make her do crazy things. She finds herself enthralled by the hypnotic music and the attendant takes her silence as a refusal his help and issues a final unnerving warning. Ashley follows the music and when she discovers what it is, readers are treated to a truly creepy scene that kind of reminded me a bit of a Twilight Zone episode.
"When Karen Met Her Mountain" follows a woman named Karen who finds herself battling depression when she loses her dad and then suffers a miscarriage. It is hinted that she may have addiction problems. Her and her husband are on their way to the funeral when they are attacked in the desert by religious fanatics. She "hears" her father offer her advice as she tries to survive the hellish encounter. There are session notes interspersed throughout that are a nice touch that shows how depressed and down on herself Karen felt. Stranded in the desert with no way to reach out for help, Karen relies on her animalistic need for survival and begins plotting her revenge. This is a highly thrilling story about overcoming loss and finding inner strength and offers plenty of exciting twists throughout the story.
"Saving Granny From The Devil" has some emotionally powerful scenes early in the story. While reading this story, I couldn't help but think of one of my favorite short stories of all-time, John F.D. Taff's "What Becomes God". A visceral and emotionally engaging story, this is definitely one of the standouts from the collection. This is the perfect blend of the sort of horrible things we go through in real life and the supernatural. It is a semi-autobiographical tale and the honesty Keisling shows here made this my favorite story of the collection.
"The Harbinger" - I was never really terribly afraid of dolls or other inanimate objects growing up, but I do remember the first fiction character that really scared me was Slappy the Dummy from the Goosebumps series. Those books are marketed towards younger readers so the things he does is rather tame by horror standards, but man, those stories really terrified me as a young reader. Keisling tapped into my childhood fears in this creepy as hell story about a town on its last legs and their creepy obsession with a doll factory that seems to be the town's only hope of survival.
I must applaud Keisling for the creation of the Ugly Little Things universe. The stories contained within this first volume all have a distinct voice and aren't connected in a literal way, but Keisling's decision to group them together as the "ugly little things" that lurk in his imagination is an effective choice. While they are all distinct and hit on different emotions, they piece together perfectly.
What made me fall in love with this collection was the variety of the stories and the emotional impact a few of them had on me. While I enjoy a straightforward horror story, the ones that really leave a lasting impact for me are the ones that explore more complex emotions and situations. These stories can be terrifying in their own right, but they also stir up other emotions. Keisling utilizes that ability to the max with stories like "When Karen Met Her Mountain" and "Saving Granny From The Devil". These are engaging stories full of horror thrills and yet they still explore the depths of human nature and add a complex element to his works.
The short story format has been gaining popularity with a vengeance and there have been an absolute wealth of great ones released recently. Keisling's Ugly Little Things is one of those standouts and deserves to be added to any horror fans collection. As of this review, there has been two more entries in the Ugly Little Things universe, "The Other Land Express" and "House of Nettle and Thorn". After reading Ugly Little Things -Volume One, I am definitely looking forward to reading these! Keisling is an amazing talent and if you are into horror, you absolutely need to purchase this collection. Huge, huge fan and I can't wait to see what other "Ugly Little Things" this author has in store for readers!
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