The poet laureate of everyday terrors returns with a baker’s dozen of deliciously sinister tales. . . . Miniature masterworks of modern horror, proving that life is hard, weird, and always fatal.” — Kirkus Reviews [starred review]
“In his new collection of short stories, Joe Hill shows how insanely good he is at shocking, terrible, whoa, cover-your-mouth-and-gasp endings . . . . Seamless and finely crafted work.” — New York Times Book Review
“This collection cements Hill’s reputation as a versatile master of scares both subtle and shocking.” — Publishers Weekly [starred review]
“Hill’s latest collection of short stories is compulsively readable. Thirteen stories weave in and out of gritty realism, whimsical folklore, and futuristic sf, flowing from one to the next in a fast-paced journey through the surreal. Hill fills each story with shocking plot twists, excellent worldbuilding, and satisfying kismet.” — Library Journal
" Hill is a versatile talent, and this kaleidoscopic collection whirls from crime premises that sound like they could be out of a hardboiled noir, to lyrical and magical-realist works dripping with atmosphere and impressive visuals, to midwestern gothic nightmares straight out of the ’70s horror heyday. Across them all, Hill’s clear voice and talent rings through loud and clear." — barnesandnoble.com
“Hill calls to mind Harlan Ellison at his absolute best, with a penchant for cruel characters learning hard truths.” — San Francisco Chronicle
“Full Throttle is a great collection and just more proof that Hill is one of the great storytellers of the early 21st century. Highly recommended.” — SFF World
“This new collection of short fiction by acclaimed horror and suspense writer Joe Hill proves that Hill can do it all.” — CrimeReads
“A four-pack of mayhem in this sparkling collection of short novels. . . .Worth waiting in line for, if you’re a Hill fan. If you’re not, this is the book to turn you into one.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) on STRANGE WEATHER
“Every piece is driven by anxiety and unease and feature Hill’s trademark characters who feel absolutely real. But it is also the sense of place that dazzles, whether it’s a sinister version of Narnia in ‘Faun,’ on a coastal pier in ‘Dark Carousel,’ or on a plane as WWIII breaks out in ‘You Are Released.’ Hill lulls the reader into deep enjoyment, even as the terror lies just around the corner.” — Library Journal [starred review]
“[I]n times like these, when real-world terrors outstrip our night terrors, how can a novelist possibly compete? Joe Hill, the author of several terrifying bestsellers, rises to this challenge in Strange Weather.” — Washington Post on STRANGE WEATHER
“[A]nother must-read from a increasingly impressive storyteller [...] Strange Weather speaks to the versatility of Joe Hill’s craft, telling deeply disturbing stories in which cataclysmic forces of nature seem like a gentle rain when set against the actions of villains who are all too human.” — barnesandnoble.com on STRANGE WEATHER
“The Weather quartet unleashes a perfect storm of styles, from a slow-burn thriller to ethereal sci-fi, all told with a consistently strong voice…. Hill whips up emotional moments in all four that strike like lightning and thunderously rumble your soul.” — USA Today on STRANGE WEATHER
“Original and gripping, a page-turner.” — George R. R. Martin on THE FIREMAN
“[The Fireman ] reaffirms [Joe Hill’s] gifts for riveting attention and pushing genre conventions to new extremes. ” — New York Times Book Review on THE FIREMAN
“[A] superb supernatural thriller . . . a tremendous, heartrending epic of bravery and love set in a fully realized and terrifying apocalyptic world, where hope lies in the simplest of gestures and the fullest of hearts.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) on THE FIREMAN
“[An] undeniably readable work.” — Booklist (starred review) on NOS4A2
“A genuinely scary novel filled with people you care about; the kind of book that still stays in your mind after you’ve turned over the final page. I loved it unreservedly.” — Neil Gaiman on HEART-SHAPED BOX
“Powerful . . . a fast-paced plot that crackles with expertly planted surprises and revelations . . . a truly memorable debut.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) on HEART-SHAPED BOX
“[An] inventive collection . . . brave and astute.” — New York Times Book Review (Editor’s Choice) on 20th CENTURY GHOSTS
“[O]ne of the best [horror] collections of the year.” — Locus on 20th CENTURY GHOSTS
" Hill is a versatile talent, and this kaleidoscopic collection whirls from crime premises that sound like they could be out of a hardboiled noir, to lyrical and magical-realist works dripping with atmosphere and impressive visuals, to midwestern gothic nightmares straight out of the ’70s horror heyday. Across them all, Hill’s clear voice and talent rings through loud and clear."
Hill calls to mind Harlan Ellison at his absolute best, with a penchant for cruel characters learning hard truths.
This new collection of short fiction by acclaimed horror and suspense writer Joe Hill proves that Hill can do it all.
Full Throttle is a great collection and just more proof that Hill is one of the great storytellers of the early 21st century. Highly recommended.
In his new collection of short stories, Joe Hill shows how insanely good he is at shocking, terrible, whoa, cover-your-mouth-and-gasp endings . . . . Seamless and finely crafted work.
New York Times Book Review
Hill calls to mind Harlan Ellison at his absolute best, with a penchant for cruel characters learning hard truths.
[I]n times like these, when real-world terrors outstrip our night terrors, how can a novelist possibly compete? Joe Hill, the author of several terrifying bestsellers, rises to this challenge in Strange Weather.
Washington Post on STRANGE WEATHER
The Weather quartet unleashes a perfect storm of styles, from a slow-burn thriller to ethereal sci-fi, all told with a consistently strong voice…. Hill whips up emotional moments in all four that strike like lightning and thunderously rumble your soul.
USA Today on STRANGE WEATHER
A genuinely scary novel filled with people you care about; the kind of book that still stays in your mind after you’ve turned over the final page. I loved it unreservedly.
Neil Gaiman on HEART-SHAPED BOX
Original and gripping, a page-turner.
[An] undeniably readable work.
Booklist (starred review) on NOS4A2
[O]ne of the best [horror] collections of the year.
Locus on 20th CENTURY GHOSTS
[An] inventive collection . . . brave and astute.
New York Times Book Review (Editor’s Choice) on 20th CENTURY GHOSTS
[The Fireman ] reaffirms [Joe Hill’s] gifts for riveting attention and pushing genre conventions to new extremes.
New York Times Book Review on THE FIREMAN
[A]nother must-read from a increasingly impressive storyteller [...] Strange Weather speaks to the versatility of Joe Hill’s craft, telling deeply disturbing stories in which cataclysmic forces of nature seem like a gentle rain when set against the actions of villains who are all too human.
barnesandnoble.com on STRANGE WEATHER
[I]n times like these, when real-world terrors outstrip our night terrors, how can a novelist possibly compete? Joe Hill, the author of several terrifying bestsellers, rises to this challenge in Strange Weather.
Washington Post on STRANGE WEATHER
In his new collection of short stories, Joe Hill shows how insanely good he is at shocking, terrible, whoa, cover-your-mouth-and-gasp endings . . . . Seamless and finely crafted work.
New York Times Book Review
The Weather quartet unleashes a perfect storm of styles, from a slow-burn thriller to ethereal sci-fi, all told with a consistently strong voice…. Hill whips up emotional moments in all four that strike like lightning and thunderously rumble your soul.
USA Today on STRANGE WEATHER
[The Fireman ] reaffirms [Joe Hill’s] gifts for riveting attention and pushing genre conventions to new extremes.
New York Times Book Review on THE FIREMAN
★ 2019-07-15
Novelist and short story writer Hill (Strange Weather , 2017, etc.) is, of course, the son of Stephen King, with whom he collaborates here on two stories, including the title tale. As ever with King, the stories have ordinary settings with ordinary people doing ordinary things until something extraordinary happens, in this case involving the familiar King nightmare of menacing vehicles ("Could you supercharge a goddamn semi?"). If one bears in mind that in his last collection Hill posited that near-future rainstorms would shower down steel daggers instead of water, some of his setups seem almost logical. The most memorable comes in "Late Returns," in which an out-of-work trucker (there's that semi again) finds himself behind a bookmobile delivering volumes to denizens of the afterlife, most of whom owe late fees; as one such fellow tells him, the service he offers is something of a reward "for returning overdue books in spite of the inconvenience of being dead." There are other benefits: In the weird chronology of the other dimension, those who are about to enter the great beyond get previews of books that haven't even been written yet—including, perhaps the most frightening moment in the entire collection, "The Art of the Presidency: How I Won My Third Term by Donald J. Trump." Hill plays with form; one story, "The Devil on the Staircase," is told in triangles of carefully arranged prose, a storyline worthy of Poe unfolding with eldritch intent—and a nice punchline to boot. In yet another story, this one of a more satirical turn, Hill depicts a world in which the zombie apocalypse and addiction to social media are hard to tell apart. In a series of tweets, the narrator recounts a zombie being hauled before a human audience and a box of hatchets. "Don't like where this is going," she says. Exactly.
Miniature masterworks of modern horror proving that life is hard, weird, and always fatal.
This new collection of short fiction by acclaimed horror and suspense writer Joe Hill proves that Hill can do it all.
[O]ne of the best [horror] collections of the year.
Locus on 20th CENTURY GHOSTS
[An] undeniably readable work.
Booklist (starred review) on NOS4A2
Hill calls to mind Harlan Ellison at his absolute best, with a penchant for cruel characters learning hard truths.
[An] inventive collection . . . brave and astute.
New York Times Book Review (Editor’s Choice) on 20th CENTURY GHOSTS
Full Throttle is a great collection and just more proof that Hill is one of the great storytellers of the early 21st century. Highly recommended.
[An] inventive collection . . . brave and astute.
New York Times Book Review (Editor's Choice) on-20th CENTURY GHOSTS
A terrific cast of narrators lend their voices to 13 stories by Joe Hill, two of which are cowritten with his dad, Stephen King. Hill himself reads the utterly delightful introduction, remembering his childhood and his path to becoming a successful horror writer. The first story, “Throttle,” follows, with Stephen Lang perfectly portraying a gang of bikers who are being terrorized by a maniacal trucker. From there, narrating duties are shared by Neil Gaiman, Zachary Quinto, Kate Mulgrew, and more. Listeners will find their own favorites. However, booklovers may agree that “Late Returns,” narrated by Wil Wheaton—about a librarian slipping through time to offer the dead one last great read—is the gem of this collection. A.T.N. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2019 Best Audiobook, 2020 Audies Winner © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
