Night Worms Guest Post: DARKEST HOURS Playlist by Mike Thorn
“Heavy metal has always shared a close relationship with the horror genre. From metal grandaddy Black Sabbath’s very name (lifted from Mario Bava’s 1963 anthology film) to the occult aesthetics of black metal and the grisly imagery of death metal, this diverse sonic universe overlaps with horror in varying noteworthy ways. Indeed, I found my gateways into heavy music around the same time I discovered horror fiction and cinema, and it all seemed somehow connected.”
Mike Thorn presents a cinematic mood board for his latest book Darkest Hours: Expanded Edition
“As I did with Shelter for the Damned, I have created here a list of titles that provide a kind of cinematic “mood board” for Darkest Hours. I included the films I reviewed in the expanded edition’s Criticism section, as well as the films that had overt or indirect impact on the stories.”
Darkest Hours: Expanded Edition Reviewed on Kam’s Place
“No sober person had any supernatural encounters. Nothing good happens after dark, so stay the F*** home. Oh, and mirrors are evil so get rid of them! Now!”
Review of Darkest Hours: Expanded Edition on IndieMuse
“In the short story notes, Thorn cites a lot of influences (both literary, musical and cinematic) that inform his work, but Thomas Ligotti seems to be a name that crops up throughout. While Darkest Hours covers a lot of the same themes (nihilism, anxiety, and the human condition), Thorn’s work approaches them in a far more mainstream and accessible way. Still, I think this says a lot about the prevailing tone of his work, and there are stories here that scared (‘Long Man’, ‘Sabbatical’), disturbed (‘The Auteur’, ‘Fear and Grace’) and disgusted (‘Fusion’) like few other collections have managed for me.”
Candace Nola Reviews Darkest Hours: Expanded Edition
“I was already a fan of his work, but the range he displays in this collection for both fiction and non-fiction writing is mind-boggling. I loved every word, and every creepy minute.”
Darkest Hours: Expanded Edition Reviewed on Hellnotes
“Highly recommended—whether Thorn is composing his own horror fiction or opining on horror cinema, he’s a gifted writer and craftsman of the written word, and I very much look forward to much more from him.”
Mike Thorn 