Dark Dreams edited by Brandon Massey
A Review By: AT
With heart-stopping stories by Zane, Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes, Joy M. Copeland, Robert Fleming, Terence Taylor, Francine Lewis, Brandon Massey, and 12 other established or up-and-coming writers, Dark Dreams is a must-have contemporary anthology for fans of the supernatural.
Review Notes:
Audio Book Publication Year: 2006
An installment in a Series? No
Narrator (s): Various
A diverse collection of stories from the minds of Black writers.
I really enjoyed the diversity of stories and characters. Horror for Black people can mean many things that make its definition vastly different from one who is not a part of the culture. Hence, this, like other anthologies I've indulged in that were written by Black authors, includes stories of racism, slavery, and gentrification. While some were compelling and attention-grabbing, others, especially those in the first half of the collection, were slow and didn't catch my interest. Favorites include Red by Rickey Windell George which was disturbing but kept me engaged, Grandad's Garage by Brandon Massey, Wild Chocolate by Patricia E. Canterbury, Come on! It's Lovely Weather by Anthony Beal which was very wordy but incredibly original, The Gray Riders by B. Gordon Doyle, and Danger Word by Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes. This collection was narrated by various voice actors with the best performances being from Dion Graham in The Gray Riders and Myra Lucretia Taylor in Siren Song by Francine Lewis. I did not enjoy some of the other narrations. Overall, this was a good audio experience and worth the listen.
Reading Recommendation? Yes
Rating: 3 - It's aight
Content Warnings? Human or animal loss
