Author | Critic
As 2018 ends and 2019 begins, I’m unbelievably grateful to see some book reviewers listing Darkest Hours as one of their favorite books of the year.
Check out the full lists:
Mother Horror’s Most Loved Books of 2018
Char’s Horror Corner: Top Ten Anthologies and Collections of 2018
S.P. Miskowski situates her latest novel The Worst is Yet to Come in the fictional town of Skillute, a setting she has used in several previous works (including Knock Knock and Astoria). Although Miskowski imbues her locale with an impressive amount of detail, it also works well as a cipher for Anywhere, USA, distilling contemporary tensions into a relatively small and concentrated population.
Miskowski quietly but powerfully foregrounds the conflicts of a nation in distress. She expertly depicts the special kind of anxiety that stems from holding progressive views while living in a community that is anything but. This political unease serves not as the novel’s primary focus, but as a disquieting undercurrent. Miskowski’s writing operates on multiple synchronized registers, producing a narrative that merges current dread with Gothic traditions while also drawing nuanced, fascinating connections between psychology and space.
The plot centers on a developing friendship between two teenage girls, Tasha Davis and her rebellious classmate Briar Kenny. The book shifts intermittently from Tasha’s superficially idyllic but stifling home environment to Briar’s dysfunctional, poverty-stricken upbringing. The novel builds toward a moment of violence that brings the girls closer together before coming to reveal sinister and long-suppressed secrets.
Although the novel does veer head-on into the territory of Gothic horror, it is above all else a richly drawn piece of character-focused dark fiction. Miskowski oscillates masterfully between insights into adolescent alienation and painfully adult revelations about regret and self-deception. Come for the perfectly mounted thriller plot, stay for the connective tissue—the ups and downs of relationships, trauma, disappointment, boredom and introspection.
I’ve said it many times and I’ll say it again: Miskowski is one of the best in the game. Her writing is distinctive, profoundly honest and essential.
Buy this book.
Stephanie and Rachel are joined by Devin to discuss their reading year of 2018: successes, failures and everything in between. Also, Rachel has a huge announcement with regards to the podcast in 2019. This episode was recorded live, with the participation of their patrons.
The co-hosts of the Sleazoids Podcast (Josh Lewis and Jamie Miller) invited to talk about two films of my choice. The rules: they both had to be genre films (preferably one relatively “known” film and one I considered under-appreciated) and they both had to be pre-2000 releases. I went with The Tingler (1959) and Corridors of Blood (1958).
Unnerving published Mike Thorn’s debut short story collection Darkest Hours exactly one year ago. Critics and authors say:
“Thorn is an exciting new talent in the genre.”
The Horror Bookshelf
“Some sections recall Chuck Palahniuk in their nihilistic ultraviolence, while others have a Barker-esque feel… in their embrace of beauty in carnage.”
Anya Stanley
“These short stories show the author’s incredible range and versatility.”
Sadie “Mother Horror” Hartmann
“Take a dollop of Michael A. Arnzen and Brian Evenson’s quirky styles, and add a pinch of Mark Twain, stir well and let bubble, and you have a sense of Mike Thorn’s stories.”
Bram Stoker Award winner Marge Simon, author of Four Elements and Satan’s Sweethearts
“There are times in Thorn’s prose where I’m reminded not only of some of the best Stephen King from Skeleton Crew or Night Shift, but also of some of the more bizarre stories from Clive Barker’s Books of Blood.”
Biff Bam Pop
“Fast, fun and full of fear, Darkest Hours turns on a dime from a laugh to a scream. Terrifying and sly, Mike Thorn writes with refreshing originality and hides fangs behind a smile.”
John C. Foster, author of Mister White
“Mike Thorn’s debut story collection is not to be missed by those who enjoy an academic intellect with a potent flair for fiction.”
Dustin LaValley, author of A Soundless Dawn
“The stories are clever and witty. The characters are all too real.”
Cedar Hollow Horror Reviews
“Just read the opener, ‘Hair’ and became an instant fan. How can you not delight in a story about a metalhead fixated on long hair who starts obsessively eating it until hair begins to… um, well, buy Darkest Hours now and find out.”
Bram Stoker Award winner Michael Arnzen, author of Grave Markings
“Thorn has certainly made his mark on the genre as a whole, and also on me.”
Sci-Fi and Fantasy Reviewer
“A bloody fantastic collection.”
Lydian Faust, author of Forest Underground
“Dark, funny, entertaining, horrifying, clever, this book announces the arrival of a new frustratingly exceptional talent to the dark fiction scene.”
Leo X. Robertson, author of Bonespin Slipspace
“Darkest Hours is for readers wishing to take a thrilling walk on the dark side. Mike Thorn has delivered a promising debut with this collection showing off his commitment to stories of nuance, heart, and of course… darkness.”
Daniel Braum, author of The Night Marchers and Other Strange Tales
“There is more than enough talent showcased within these pages to suggest that Mike Thorn’s journey has only just begun.”
Grim Reader Reviews
“I compared these stories many times to my favorites from Poe.”
Sunshine Somerville
“Mike Thorn’s Darkest Hours contains the most diverse selection of stories that I’ve ever read from a single author.”
Sci-Fi & Scary
“Thorn has compiled a varied and creative anthology.”
Cellar Door Lit Rants & Reviews
Mike Thorn’s latest story “Mr. Mucata’s Final Requests” was published today in Vague Visages.
To celebrate Halloween, Nathan Smith and Mike Thorn wrote a dialogue about Rob Zombie’s Halloween (2007) and Halloween II (2009) for Cinematary.
I just happen to currently have some extra copies of Darkest Hours I’m willing to sign and mail out (with one surprise spooky bonus item per shipment). $18 USD + shipping.
Contact me if you’re interested!
“Perfectly paced from the first sentence, these stories grab you by the collar with the urgency of mortal danger. Highly recommended.”
— Bram Stoker Award nominee S.P. Miskowski, author of Strange is the Night
“Thorn presents a collection of horror stories that are not only scary, but also intelligent, thoughtful, and carefully planned confronting the anxieties of modern life.”
— iHorror
“Just read the opener, ‘Hair’ and became an instant fan. How can you not delight in a story about a metalhead fixated on long hair who starts obsessively eating it until hair begins to… um, well, buy Darkest Hours now and find out.”
— Bram Stoker Award winner Michael Arnzen, author of Grave Markings
“When you first encounter Thorn’s writing, a number of qualities impress themselves: the macabre intelligence (brutal really), the chilling wit, the naturalness of the dialogue. Plus there’s the skill and style of the prose. It may all play out like a nightmare, but a terrible logic remains inherent.”
— Robert Dunbar, author of The Pines and Willy
“These short stories show the author’s incredible range and versatility.”
—Sadie “Mother Horror” Hartmann
“Fast, fun and full of fear, Darkest Hours turns on a dime from a laugh to a scream. Terrifying and sly, Mike Thorn writes with refreshing originality and hides fangs behind a smile.”
— John C. Foster, author of Mister White
“Mike Thorn’s debut story collection is not to be missed by those who enjoy an academic intellect with a potent flair for fiction.”
— Dustin LaValley, author of A Soundless Dawn
“Take a dollop of Michael A. Arnzen and Brian Evenson’s quirky styles, and add a pinch of Mark Twain, stir well and let bubble, and you have a sense of Mike Thorn’s stories.”
— Bram Stoker Award winner Marge Simon, author of Four Elements and Satan’s Sweethearts
“One of the best and most rewarding feelings as a horror fan is reading a new author’s work and being blown away by their talent and the awe of discovering something cool. That is the exact feeling I got when I first sat down to crack open Mike Thorn’s debut story collection, Darkest Hours.”
— The Horror Bookshelf
“I think Mike Thorn is an author to watch. I think he’s going to do great things in the world of horror and dark fiction, and I for one, will be there to watch it. Will you?”
— Char’s Horror Corner
“Darkest Hours is for readers wishing to take a thrilling walk on the dark side. Mike Thorn has delivered a promising debut with this collection showing off his commitment to stories of nuance, heart, and of course… darkness.”
— Daniel Braum, author of The Night Marchers and Other Strange Tales
“Darkest Hours is a varied and hugely enjoyable gathering of dark fiction. There is more than enough talent showcased within these pages to suggest that Mike Thorn’s journey has only just begun.”
— Grim Reader Reviews
“Darkest Hours is horror for horror people. For the ‘confirmed ghost story and horror film addict,’ if you will. But it’s also for people with strong emotions and a desire for philosophical thought.”
— One Critical Bitch
“There are times in Thorn’s prose where I’m reminded not only of some of the best Stephen King from Skeleton Crew or Night Shift, but also of some of the more bizarre stories from Clive Barker’s Books of Blood.”
— Biff Bam Pop
“The stories are clever and witty. The characters are all too real.”
— Cedar Hollow Horror Reviews
“Mike Thorn’s Darkest Hours contains the most diverse selection of stories that I’ve ever read from a single author.”
— Sci-Fi & Scary
“If you’re looking for a diverse and original collection of dark stories, Darkest Hours is one I really recommend!”
