A sprinkling of suspense/horror shorts that range from the not so good to verging on greatness.

I found myself grinning through most of Stephen King' s contribution. He offered up an old reject from his very early years. No revisions or updates...the Vietnam era slang was priceless!

Tim Curran' s contribution was my favorite, but I've come to expect a great read from him.

Overall, a great collection.

Wow what a read! This book is filled with 6 creepy stories from some of the top horror writers. If you are not familiar with a writer this is a great way to be introduced. Each story has it own creep factors to it. The stories are short so great for on the go. This was my introduction to the series so cannot wait to get my hands on Volumes 1 thru 5. I also had not read any of Nell Quinn-Gibney but am now on the lookout for her books. I enjoyed each story int his book not sure which I would call my favorite. I do love Stephen Kind and have for many years so not sure if that is my favorite story or just because I enjoy his writing so much. Anyway this is a awesome book.

I received this book from the Author or Publisher via Netgalley.com to read and review.

4.5 stars!

Dark Screams: Volume Six was the best installment of this series so far! My favorites this time around were from the lesser known authors, most especially Tim Curran, who deserves to be as famous as Stephen King.

Tim Curran's The Corpse King was easily the best story, in my book. Being novella length, Mr. Curran got to do what he does best, which is putting his imagination to work, side by side with his knowledge of history. The result is this nasty, disgusting, and fun story about grave-robbers and what things, (other than corpses), might be waiting for them down below. A resounding 5 stars with applause!

Norman Prentiss' The Comforting Voice was a beautifully told story about baby Lydia and how she loves the sound of her grampa's voice. But what happens when grampa passes away? You'll have to read this to find out. 5 FAT stars!

The Rich Are Different by Lisa Morton was a nice story, but for me, lacked a good punch. Plus, the insta-love, (a term I learned from my romance-loving friends), didn't really work for me. It was still a cool premise though. 3.5 stars!

I liked King's story, The Old Dude's Ticker. It had that feel of a classic SK story, and that's always a good thing. 3 stars!

Overall, this anthology was above average, and I highly recommend it, especially if these stories sound interesting to you. There's something here for every type of horror lover, and it's rare that a collection have such a wide range of appeal.

*Thanks to NetGalley and to Hydra for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. This is it!*

Dark Screams: Volume Six is a collection of five short stories and one longer one (Tim Curran). As usual, I liked some more than others.

The Old Dude's Ticker by Stephen King opens the collection. It was written in the '70s and rejected and King decided not to change anything. It is a modern take on Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart and no, it's not a spoiler since King himself tells you all about it before the story starts. You have your war veteran and the PTSD, his victim and go from there.

The Rich are Different by Lisa Morton is an interesting blend of mythology and horror with a dash of insta-love romance.

The Manicure by Nell Quinn-Gibney makes you sit through a manicure session while the customer remembers various things from her past. The ending is a bit underwhelming.

The Comforting Voice by Norman Prentiss is anything but comforting. It made me furious, but not because it's bad. The story is great and the impression it leaves is strong. A couple with a crying baby realises that the only thing that makes her calm is her grandfather's mechanical voice. Considering the fact that the man was a horrible father (an understatement), it's no wonder the husband isn't happy about it.
The way this story ends is perfect in an evil sort of way.

The Situations by Joyce Carol Oates is not really a story that has a beginning, middle and the end. It's more of a collection of various horrible and weird situations where Daddy shows he knows best. Occasional why is allowed, but only sometimes.

The Corpse King by Tim Curran is the longest story here and it follows Clow and Kierney, two grave-robbers. It takes place after what happened with Burke and Hare, but the trade was still on-going. The imagery of the slums, the graveyards, the corpses these two find and either deliver right away or 'preserve in their own way, the people and their lives in Edinburgh in the nineteenth century is pretty great. However, a couple of times the story switches into this lecturing mode as if you're reading an essay on resurrectionists instead of the usual Clow's point of view.
These two aren't superstitious but one night even they had to admit that something other is out there under the ground.

My favourite two are The Corpse King and The Comforting Voice.

ARC received from Random House Publishing Group - Hydra via NetGalley

My favorite so far out of the Dark Screams series, Volume Six delivers the goods. I knew I had to have it when I saw the lineup of some of my favorite authors, including Stephen King and Tim Curran. I had been meaning to read Joyce Carol Oates and was not disappointed.

I honestly loved 4/5 stories which is pretty high for an anthology for me.

The Old Dude's Ticker by Stephen King: So although I appreciate the 70's lingo, my only gripe with this one was the amount of times he asks 'can you dig' - yes, I can. One of King's more amusing stories in my opinion, it was a great opener.

The Rich Are Different by Lisa Morton: This is probably one of my favorite stories by her and I have read a couple books and a short story collection previously. An eyeful into the life of the rich and famous will leave you wanting more and I would very much like to see more into this particular world.

The Manicure by Nell Quinn-Gibney: My least favorite of the bunch, I liked the premise but the story and ending fell flat for me.

The Comforting Voice by Norman Prentiss: This is one of my favorite stories from Norman. I can still hear the voice in my head and particularly enjoyed the ending.

The Situations by Joyce Carol Oates: Daddy decides how it ends. No, really, if there is one parent that you don't want to upset, it's Daddy.

The Corpse King by Tim Curran: Can I just tell you how much I loved this? I have the limited edition sitting on my shelf but had not gotten around to reading it. Very 'Graveworm' in its presentation, this is one sick story that I think is a perfect ending to this collection and one that I'm glad to own. I freaking love Tim Curran and his ability to creep the crap out of me on a consistent basis.

If you haven't read Dark Screams, I highly recommend that you start and since they are mini-anthologies, I would start with this one. It was a fast read for me that I enjoyed immensely.

I received a copy of this from Random House-Hydra and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Dark Screams: Volume Six by multiple authors and edited by Brian James Freeman and Richard Chizmar was received directly from the publisher.  Anthologies nowadays are always hit or miss, having big names involved, or not, does not make a great anthology anymore.  The Dark Screams series has been consistently good and this one is no different.  If you like easy to read horror stories that you dont have to think about too much, keep reading these or give  this one a try, you wont regret it.
King:  3.5
Morton:  4
Quinn-Gibney:  5 
Prentiss:  4
Oates:  3
Curran:  3.5

3.83 rounded to 4

THE OLD DUDE’S TICKER by Stephen King was originally printed in Cavalier Magazine and is one this Constant Reader has never read. I loved this glimpse back to the beginning of his career and only wish there were more.

THE RICH ARE DIFFERENT by Lisa Morton is a wonderfully engaging horror-love story. Lisa never disappoints - I always look for new anthologies containing her stories.

THE MANICURE by Nell Quinn-Gibney portrays a woman with a phobia. But the ending fell flat.

THE COMFORTING VOICE by Norman Prentiss is a marvelously well crafted slide down the slippery slope to madness. Norman's characters always come to life, but none more so than those in this short tale.

THE SITUATIONS by Joyce Carol Oates was new to me and a surprise to be in a horror collection. I thought she wrote mysteries. And the story was a mystery to me and detracted from an otherwise exceptional collection.

THE CORPSE KING by Tim Curran is Tim at his ghoulish best. It is however, a reprint, so Curran fans will have already read this. New? It's a great place to pick up an author that is a true horror master. I have to admit with my backlog of reading I had never read this and loved it.

And a shout-out to Kealan Patrick Burke for making kick-ass covers! He's remade the first five book covers and is doing the next (??). Love them, Kealan.

DARK SCREAMS:VOLUME SIX BY BRIAN JAMES FREEMAN . I LOVE a good horror story! And DARK SCREAMS gives the reader a selection of short stories written by the famous and not so famous writers. Starting with Stephen King's "THE DUDE'S TICKER) to a novella styled story you have a good variety of stories. If truth to tell, my favorite story here is "THE RICH ARE DIFFERENT" by Lisa Morton.

I recieved this book free from netgalley in exchange for a review.

The Dark Screams: Volume Six rolls like a summer rock festival, with an all-star line up of names including Stephen King, Tim Curran and Joyce Carol Oates.
Featuring a mix of new stories and reprints, it’s a solid collection of unsettling dark tales from six of the genre’s best.
Stephen King is the most prominent name on the bill, with a rare offcut from the early 1970s based on Poe’s The Telltale Heart. While his homage, The Old Dude’s Ticker is far from his best work, it’s a fascinating early read for aficionados and collectors.
Lisa Morton’s The Rich Are Different is up next. An amazing story of lust, passion and hidden secrets it's a tale that both tragic and chilling and one of the picks of the collection.
Likewise, Norman Prentiss’ The Comforting Voice taps into a subtle darkness of a parent’s fear, drawing horror from a loving father who would do anything to help his daughter. It’s a gut-punch of a story that leaves you to pick yourself up off the floor afterwards.
Neil Quinn-Gibney’s The Manicure is the most difficult story to place. An uncomfortable tale about nails and manicures, it's actually quite hard to get through thanks to its vivid imagery — a bit like nails on a chalkboard — which is no mean feat.
Tim Curran’s The Corpse King and Joyce Carol Oates The Situations are the other two reprints on offer.
The first, a fun period novella about a pair of grave robbers in nineteenth century London who confront a dark force, is a solid addition and a fun way to close out the book.
Oates tale is the collection’s only misfire — a mean spirited piece that seems to revel in the notion of being cruel for no reason. It’s a disappointing entry that is far from her best work.
Overall, though it's a short, sharp and well-priced collection that offers plenty of shivers for its buck.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Here's the interesting part. I've been a fan of this serious since the first book and each volume gets better with each release. As a kid, I loved buying books like these because it allowed you explore other writers that you may not be familiar with, or maybe you've wanted to check them out, but wasn't exactly sure. Either way, volume six is packed with great talent including Stephen King, and interestingly Joyce Carol Oates who isn't really known for horror, or maybe she is and I just missed it.

Volume six of the Dark Screams series is yet another solid collection that continues to remain a must read collection. If you're a horror fan, or someone who is just getting into horror this is a great place to start. Each story connects well, and it's short enough so you don't spend most of your time picking through hoping to find a decent story. This is a collection that features some of the best in horror fiction and builds upon what makes this series so damn good. It's the talent they feature, and they keep it short enough so it doesn't become bogged down with mediocrity. If you find yourself in a volume of Dark Screams, you're talented and will no doubt be featured with legends.

Other than the corpse king, this was a great collection of horror and mystery. As with the previous books in this series, this was an enjoyable read. The corpse king was long and boring and should have been a novela by itself. Looking forward to the next in the series.

From a 1970’s version of the Tell Tale Heart by Stephen King to a seriously creepy manicure to a family of wealthy (and hungry) werewolves, this collection will have a little something to please every horror story lover

Dark Screams 1 & 2 were fun. 6 lives up to that. Very nice line up of authors, although Oates still does nothing for me, but at least her entry's brief, and an interesting selection. No rhyme or reason to it thematically, just horror. Starts off with a NAME, but the story itself is no more than a short oddity for a devoted fan, an early entry in the canon, 70s pastiche to Poe. Then a Beauty and a Beast gothic romance/erotica story from Morton. Eye roll at the chosen genre, but well done for what it is. Next up is a genuinely creepy tale that'll make you think twice about something as normal as hand beauty treatment, by an author I haven't heard of before. Prentiss delivers once again, a story of parenting with a twist. And last, but not least, and taking up about half of the volume is Tim Curran's Corpse King, a novella of grave robbery set in the utterly disgusting and filthy late 18th century Edinburgh. Curran's the author I find tends to get carried away with drawing out horrific imagery to the detriment of the plot development, but here he maintained the balance nicely. Which isn't to say the imagery isn't there, it is, plenty of. All told, nice collection, quick read, good spooky tales for a rainy afternoon. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

For me, the absolute stars of this compilation are "The Rich Are Different" by Lisa Morton in which a writer accepts an invitation to a birthday party from a very wealthy and very different sort of fan.
"The Comforting Voice" by Norman Prentiss offers no comfort at all. In fact it set my teeth on edge and made my skin crawl, in the most delightful ways. Josh and Cheryl are new parents, which under the best of circumstances would be an uncomfortable time to take in a sickly relative. When the new baby has constant fits of inconsolable crying, and the relative is your estranged and abusive father-in-law, it's about as comforting as nails on a chalkboard. This tale had my anxiety levels through the roof and I loved it. These two stories alone are worth more than the cost of admission. 5 stars to both.
"The Corpse King" by Tim Curran is the longest story in this collection. It's a creepy tale of best buddies and grave robbers Kierney and Clow who find that not everything under the ground is lifeless. 4 stars
"The Manicure" by Nell Quinn-Gibney Has me eyeing my nail scissors distrustfully while I consider buying one of those as seen on tv doodads that files them instead. Another solid 4 stars.
"The Situations" by Joyce Carol Oates is one I have read previously in another collection and though I like much of her work this one just didn't quite do it for me then or now. 3 stars
"The Old Dude's Ticker" by Stephen King is a 1970s version of the Tell Tale Heart by Poe. Sometimes the classics are best left alone. It was ok, but not one of King's best efforts. 3 stars.
All in all this is a good collection of sinister stories that are certain to jangle your nerves.