My name is Arthur Chaldeon, and the narrative that I offer is the journal of my nephew, Victor. His own disappearance occurred nearly three years after that of his wife. She was presumed dead, but was never found; and that event set into motion, the bizarre series of circumstances that are recounted in his journal. I will let the story be told nearly word for word, primarily via that journal. Based on its contents, it seems to be dated about a year before Victor vanished. Download it today!
My name is Arthur Chaldeon, and the narrative that I offer is the journal of my nephew, Victor. His own disappearance occurred nearly three years after that of his wife. She was presumed dead, but was never found; and that event set into motion, the bizarre series of circumstances that are recounted in his journal. I will let the story be told nearly word for word, primarily via that journal. Based on its contents, it seems to be dated about a year before Victor vanished. Download it today!
I really tried to like this book. And a couple of the stories like the first two I really did. But the rest I found too short to have any impact at all. It is like reading a bunch of storied that have no finality. You want more to find out what is going on and there just isn't any more.
But I will say that if the first two stories were made into actual full books they would have turned out great.
This book was well written and entertaining enough to get and keep my attention. The plot and story lines were good and the characters were likable. I personally would have liked the author expand some and be a little more descriptive in and out of the "realm". I may be somewhat spoiled to detail by Stephen King. He can spend half a chapter describing a blackboard. All in all I found the book and story to be enjoyable.
This review is from spinetinglers.com
The book is also nominated for their 2009 Book of the Year:
On the Verge of Madness
By George Wilhite
“I wake up in a world of utter silence...”
All of us are haunted by something—our pasts, fear of our futures, even the memory of a departed loved one. The questions remain: Do we let these demons that haunt us destroy us? Do we let them make us obsess? Do we surrender to them? Do we let them to take us to the brink? Do we fight them or do we stay on the knife’s edge? And how long can you stay On the Verge of Madness...?
George Wilhite is an author with which Spinetinglers is well acquainted. His stories have been published on our site several times and have received some rave reviews from our members. So, of course we were delighted to review his first compilation of short stories.
All of the stories have the same resounding theme: each main protagonist is, in some way, obsessed or haunted by someone or something. In short, all of the characters are On the Verge of Madness.
The first two stories, Victor Chaldean and the Portal and Murmurers, are terrifically tantalising teasers as to what this author has to offer. Both stories are fractured tales of another world beyond our own, where the souls of the dead have tales to tell and vengeance to seek. The reader can clearly see the influence of Poe and Lovecraft, and this horror author has obviously read the classics. I can’t wait for the continuation of both of these stories in his next book.
The rest of Wilhite’s tales stand on their own, and apart from the On the Verge of Madness theme, they have few similarities. This, of course, is a very good thing, because when trying to stick to a common theme, a lot of authors can fall into a trap and tell you ten or so versions of the same story. The result is a reading experience that can be quite boring for the audience. On the contrary, Wilhite’s stories are original, dark and devilishly distinctive.
Apart from great gothic literature, the author also gives you an insight into his process. He tells you in some detail what inspired him to write such a first-rate anthology. This may offer some burgeoning authors tips and inspiration to spark their imagination.
George Wilhite’s On the Verge of Madness is a commendable selection of short stories. Our only criticism, if you can call it that, is that some of the stories are too short. There is definitely room to expand on these wonderfully crafted tales.
Spinetinglers wants to see more from this author!
7 Tales of Darkly Psychotic Horror
* A gigolo invited to a remote island by an aging socialite with a terrifying secret.
* A gameshow host forced to participate in a nightmare version of his own game.
* A recluse who likes his ladies on the large side, and will stop at nothing to feed his fetish.
From the depraved depths of the human psyche come 7 slices of twisted candy, each one guar...
Sleep child/find rest/in their caress/as the dream shadows hiss...
The Phantom Poetic is a collection of science fiction, fantasy, and horror themed poetry. The short stories, Devil in a Bottle, Personal Judas, and Ol’Zeke are also included.
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Comments for "On the Verge of Madness"
But I will say that if the first two stories were made into actual full books they would have turned out great.
The book is also nominated for their 2009 Book of the Year:
On the Verge of Madness
By George Wilhite
“I wake up in a world of utter silence...”
All of us are haunted by something—our pasts, fear of our futures, even the memory of a departed loved one. The questions remain: Do we let these demons that haunt us destroy us? Do we let them make us obsess? Do we surrender to them? Do we let them to take us to the brink? Do we fight them or do we stay on the knife’s edge? And how long can you stay On the Verge of Madness...?
George Wilhite is an author with which Spinetinglers is well acquainted. His stories have been published on our site several times and have received some rave reviews from our members. So, of course we were delighted to review his first compilation of short stories.
All of the stories have the same resounding theme: each main protagonist is, in some way, obsessed or haunted by someone or something. In short, all of the characters are On the Verge of Madness.
The first two stories, Victor Chaldean and the Portal and Murmurers, are terrifically tantalising teasers as to what this author has to offer. Both stories are fractured tales of another world beyond our own, where the souls of the dead have tales to tell and vengeance to seek. The reader can clearly see the influence of Poe and Lovecraft, and this horror author has obviously read the classics. I can’t wait for the continuation of both of these stories in his next book.
The rest of Wilhite’s tales stand on their own, and apart from the On the Verge of Madness theme, they have few similarities. This, of course, is a very good thing, because when trying to stick to a common theme, a lot of authors can fall into a trap and tell you ten or so versions of the same story. The result is a reading experience that can be quite boring for the audience. On the contrary, Wilhite’s stories are original, dark and devilishly distinctive.
Apart from great gothic literature, the author also gives you an insight into his process. He tells you in some detail what inspired him to write such a first-rate anthology. This may offer some burgeoning authors tips and inspiration to spark their imagination.
George Wilhite’s On the Verge of Madness is a commendable selection of short stories. Our only criticism, if you can call it that, is that some of the stories are too short. There is definitely room to expand on these wonderfully crafted tales.
Spinetinglers wants to see more from this author!
The Pornographer's Party & Other Stories
By: Chike Deluna
7 Tales of Darkly Psychotic Horror * A gigolo invited to a remote island by an aging socialite with a terrifying secret. * A gameshow host forced to participate in a nightmare version of his own game. * A recluse who likes his ladies on the large side, and will stop at nothing to feed his fetish. From the depraved depths of the human psyche come 7 slices of twisted candy, each one guar...
The Phantom Poetic
By: Kelvin Bueckert
Sleep child/find rest/in their caress/as the dream shadows hiss... The Phantom Poetic is a collection of science fiction, fantasy, and horror themed poetry. The short stories, Devil in a Bottle, Personal Judas, and Ol’Zeke are also included.