I loved this anthology! I absolutely loved all the things the authors had to say about Rick, in the back of the book. These stories showed just how much of an influence/inspiration Hautala was to all of these authors. I only got to know Mr. October for a short time but it felt like I knew him a lot longer. I miss our chats, what a humble down to earth guy. I am so happy these anthologies were created to honor him. ( )

LibraryThing gave me free e-copies of Mister October Volumes I and II: An Anthology in Memory of Rick Hautala as part of their Early Reviewer program. I had never heard of Rick Hautala (even though he’s published dozens of novels and short stories), but I had heard of several of the authors included in this anthology. So I was looking forward to checking out this collection.

As some of you may know, there’s a sad reason for the books’ creation. Rick Hautala died of a heart attack in March 2013, leaving his wife and children in a bad way financially; money struggles had forced him to let his life insurance slip. So editor Christopher Golden chose to create this anthology as a way to raise money for the family. Chris Paine at Journalstone agreed to publish the books without taking a profit.

The result is a decent collection of horror stories. I found the second volume to be stronger the first, enjoying more of the stories therein. I really liked Jack Ketchum‘s evilly funny “Hotline,” Peter Straub‘s “Little Red’s Tango” (I once aspired to have an apartment full of records like that, just not the demon), and Nancy Collins‘ “Catfish Gal Blues,” along with Jeff Strand‘s “Hologram Skull Cover” and Nate Kenyon‘s “The Dreamcatcher.” They were the strongest in terms of both the horror itself and the writing. Volume I’s shining moments included Yvonne Navarro‘s “Craving,” Joe Lansdale‘s “Tight Little Stitches,” and Jonathan Maberry‘s “Property Condemned: A Story of Pine Deep.” The latter, a seriously creepy haunted house tale, has me wanting to read Maberry’s Pine Deep Trilogy now.

In fact, this anthology introduced me to a lot of authors I want to read more of: for example, Sarah Langan, John Skipp, the editor Christopher Golden, Tim Lebbon, José Nieto, and Duane Swierczynski. Their stories made up for the weaker ones, and there are sadly many of those in this collection. Stories that are weak in the telling, dull, or repulsive in a not-good horror way.

Your mileage may vary, of course. Mister October is definitely worth a read and buying it helps folks who need it. Seems like a good thing all around, even thought the reason for it is a sad one. 3.2/5 ( )

LT ER Review.
Two huge volumes of short stories from many horror writers compiled in tribute to the writer Rick Hautala who died suddenly and too young.
A few strong and memorable stories, many OK ones and more. ( )

LibraryThing gave me free e-copies of Mister October Volumes I and II: An Anthology in Memory of Rick Hautala as part of their Early Reviewer program. I had never heard of Rick Hautala (even though he’s published dozens of novels and short stories), but I had heard of several of the authors included in this anthology. So I was looking forward to checking out this collection.

As some of you may know, there’s a sad reason for the books’ creation. Rick Hautala died of a heart attack in March 2013, leaving his wife and children in a bad way financially; money struggles had forced him to let his life insurance slip. So editor Christopher Golden chose to create this anthology as a way to raise money for the family. Chris Paine at Journalstone agreed to publish the books without taking a profit.

The result is a decent collection of horror stories. I found the second volume to be stronger the first, enjoying more of the stories therein. I really liked Jack Ketchum‘s evilly funny “Hotline,” Peter Straub‘s “Little Red’s Tango” (I once aspired to have an apartment full of records like that, just not the demon), and Nancy Collins‘ “Catfish Gal Blues,” along with Jeff Strand‘s “Hologram Skull Cover” and Nate Kenyon‘s “The Dreamcatcher.” They were the strongest in terms of both the horror itself and the writing. Volume I’s shining moments included Yvonne Navarro‘s “Craving,” Joe Lansdale‘s “Tight Little Stitches,” and Jonathan Maberry‘s “Property Condemned: A Story of Pine Deep.” The latter, a seriously creepy haunted house tale, has me wanting to read Maberry’s Pine Deep Trilogy now.

In fact, this anthology introduced me to a lot of authors I want to read more of: for example, Sarah Langan, John Skipp, the editor Christopher Golden, Tim Lebbon, José Nieto, and Duane Swierczynski. Their stories made up for the weaker ones, and there are sadly many of those in this collection. Stories that are weak in the telling, dull, or repulsive in a not-good horror way.

Your mileage may vary, of course. Mister October is definitely worth a read and buying it helps folks who need it. Seems like a good thing all around, even thought the reason for it is a sad one. 3.2/5 ( )

I received a copy of this book from the Library Thing Early Readers program, and I'm truly glad I did.

First of all, I have a confession to make. I've never read any of Rick Hautala's work. Or, I should say, I haven't read any of Rick Hautala's work, yet. After reading this anthology I am determined to read some of Rick's stories, and sorry I didn't do so sooner.

This collection of stories didn't feel cohesive, to me, and I was left with the impression I was reading something that had been thrown together very quickly. Which given the circumstances around the book's publication, I probably was. Since there were very good reasons for getting this book together and published quickly I think that's completely understandable and I feel bad even mentioning it, but I am going to because it was distracting to me.

The stories in this collection are kind of a mixed bag, and were a bit hit or miss for me. When they hit, however, they REALLY hit, and if you're a fan of horror it's probably worth your time and money to pick up this anthology for those stories alone. Plus, sales benefit a good cause, which is always (for me) a great selling point. ( )