Author | Critic
“Every now and then, […] you find a horror author who can disarm and unsettle you while telling these incredibly meaningful, important stories, and those are the ones that tend to stick with me. Mike Thorn? He’s one of those authors.”
“I truly enjoyed reading this book. It is evident through his writing that Thorn has a true love for the horror genre. Each of the stories were distinct and well thought out. He can write subtle horror and then switch to something weird and morbid. He masterfully uses imagery to make his fictional work all that more realistic and disturbing. But he also leaves a lot up to the reader’s own imagination, which doesn’t always work, but in this case it was beautifully executed.”
Josiah Morgan and I have been online acquaintances for several years, bonding initially over our mutual passion for film. I recently read his debut poetry collection Inside the Castle and was stunned by its formal sophistication, thematic complexity and breadth of reference. I sent him a message asking if he would like to publish a chat with me about writing, genre and influences and he kindly agreed.
Our conversation is now available to read on Kendall Reviews.
“Darkest Hours is brutal. I mean that in the best way possible. The stories here range from cosmic horror to real horror and everything in between. I, myself, am a massive fan of heavy music and it was great seeing stories interjected with death and black metal imagery and references.”
“Overall, I can’t fault this collection of versatile, dark, gory, graphic, psychological stories.”
“His stories are bizarre in the best way and bring personal flaws and disaster to the forefront. Most of these protagonists are not the greatest of folks but somehow you’re still rooting for them as their lives completely fall apart. Thorn knows how to grab you within the first few sentences and then throw up all over you in the best way. Some of his best stories in this collection are everyday situations that are twisted and given a dash of demon, a dash of murderous ghosts, and some drug abuse. And at the end you’re sweating from the tension.”
Horror Bound just posted a new review of Darkest Hours and an interview with me. Read now!
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
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
