Enjoyed this one very much, a fantastic short horror story collection from author Josh Malerman. Never disappoints, highly recommend!

One thing I love about a short story collection is when they all kind of intertwine with each other. This one has vague mentions to the other stories, and they all take place in about the same area, which heightened the enjoyment for me. I enjoyed most of the stories, but the last story kind of took me out of it. I really enjoyed the plot, but the story itself was way too long. I'd love to see some more sci-fi horror from Josh Malerman, though. His tale about a murderous cleaning technology nodded to not only the future, but past science fiction stories. Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this short story collection!

It took me a bit to get into this collection, but I was hooked once I did. Josh Malerman is continuing to put himself forward as a strong voice in the horror genre. I could visualize the imagery of the stories well. They were unsettling and engaging. Well done.

Each story in SPIN A BLACK YARN warrants a uniquely different reaction, leaving readers with feelings of fear, horror, awe, and wonder. As always, Malerman did a stellar job. He’s brilliant. Also, the cover is ominous and beautiful!

The stories have all the right ingredients—eerie premises, dark twists, and psychological tension—but for some reason, they didn’t come together in a way that truly grabbed me. I appreciated the creativity behind each tale, like the haunting idea in “Half the House Is Haunted” and the unsettling domestic horror of “Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer™,” but I found myself wanting more depth or connection with the characters.

That said, Malerman’s writing is still strong, and I can see why some readers would enjoy these novellas. They’re quirky, unsettling, and play with the boundaries of reality in interesting ways. But for me, the collection as a whole didn’t leave the lasting impact I was hoping for.

Overall, Spin a Black Yarn is a mixed bag. If you’re a die-hard Malerman fan, it’s worth checking out, but if you’re new to his work, this might not be the best starting point. I’d still give it a shot if you’re into speculative horror, but just know it may not live up to the high bar set by some of his earlier novels.

"Spin a Black Yarn" by Josh Malerman is a mesmerizing and unsettling collection of stories that delve into the eerie and surreal. Its inventive narratives and chilling atmosphere showcase Malerman's talent for crafting psychological thrills and darkly imaginative tales.

Really enjoyed this collection by Josh Malerman. All the stories were great. Enjoyed the characters, the plots, and the pacing. Argyle was my favorite, but they were all great. #SpinaBlackYarn #NetGalley

Spin a Black Yarn is an engaging, creepy collection of short stories/novellas. Some (Half of the House is Haunted, Argyle) are stronger than others.

This didn't really feel like a short story collection as much as it did a "novella" collection. That being said, there are 5 stories/novellas, and they mostly missed for me. "Half the House is Haunted" was sort of interesting, but it was too drawn out and a bit boring to really get anywhere for me. "Argyle" was also sort of interesting, but it just felt like a lot of nothing went on. The ones that stood out the most for me were "Doug and Judy Buy the House WasherTM" -- this one was inventive and disturbing and fascinating. It moved quickly enough and had enough happening that I was fascinated, and it lingers. The other is "The Jupiter Drop" -- because what a crazy and implausible idea that would never happen but holy weirdness! If you're moneybags-McGee and feel like it, I guess (aka deep-sea submersible billionaires), then you can live in a one room glass box for 2 months while it "drops" through Jupiter? in space? but avoids the magma core? and there may or may not be forms out there in the planet layers that somehow seem like glowing, swirling, wormhole type visuals? Claustrophobic, like the "House Washer" tale, and also memory-rabbit holes, but it was so weird I liked it.

I ended up not being able to finish this one. The first couple stories did not have the same Josh Malerman feel that usually enjoy so much.

In this collection of horror and speculation stories, the stories are about human beings weaknesses and tragic endings. The first novella “Half the house” has supernatural elements and a secret that is unknown till the end of the story. In “Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer™,” a couple of wealth tries out “the most luxurious item on the market,” shutting themselves inside a large glass tube in their living room as the house and all its contents are submerged in miracle cleaning goop. As revealing letters and other secret items swoosh up against the glass, they become conflicted over what is found out and are unable to shut off the machine. What does the future hold for them? In “The Jupiter Drop,” a rich man estranged from his family confronts his existence on an “interstellar thrill ride” that has him free-fall through Jupiter’s stormy atmosphere. Argyle,” tells the story of a dying man celebrating getting through his life without acting on his murderous desires. “Half the House Is Haunted” tells the long-term psychological effects of an 8-year-old girl’s efforts to scare her 6-year-old brother in their creepy home. In “Egorov,” the time is around the turn of the 20th century in Samhattan’s Little Russia, two identical 24-year-old triplets use their ghostly presences to find the murderer of their brother.

I suppose I may have told too much but I wanted to give you enough information to decide if you want to read these stories. The novellas are good but at times were slow reading for me. I think “Egorov” was my favorite novella.

I usually do not pick up short story collections, I like novels or novellas better but since it was Malerman I decided to give it a try. I did enjoy quite a few of the stories but struggled to get through the last one. It made me even more keen to pick up more his novels. Thank you for the early copy!

So I'm back and forth on Malerman. I really want to enjoy his work more than I usually tend to actually enjoy it.

However, I'm happy to say that I mostly enjoyed this one! The only story that didn't connect with me was the last one, which I ended up not finishing.

Malerman does it again. Great story. Unique theme with believable characters. Always enjoy a Josh Malerman story and this one did not disappoint.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

I love Josh Malerman. I've read everything of his that I can get my hands on and have yet to be disappointed. Daphne, Pearl, Goblin, Malorie, Inspection, A House at the Bottom of the Lake, Unbury Carol, Black Mad Wheel, and of course, Bird Box. So I'm happy to say this one was also just as excellent.

I'm normally not a big short story/novella person, but I can't pass up a Malerman book. The first few stories were excellent, but the last one dragged on a bit for me, so I skimmed the last one. My favorite was "Argyle" about a dying man whose last confession isn't one you would expect. There is a great haunted house story told in three parts: childhood, middle age, and elderly from the characters' POVs. Another great story is "The Jupiter Drop" where a man travels to outer space, and a fun story about a house-washing device gone rogue.

I'm giving this one four stars because of the final story being a bit too long, but overall, another stand-out from a fabulous writer.

An engaging read that I thoroughly enjoyed! LOVE Malerman and will read anything he writes. Highly recommend and will purchase several physical and digital copies for library collections. Thank you!!

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have not read the previous works by this author so I was not sure what to expect in terms of style of horror -- but I caught on quickly that what Malerman writes is a range. I was less-so disturbed and more intrigued by how he writes human nature and its fallibility. I sensed a lot of King-esque sentiments about how evil lives in people and how they act on it, which in turn make a pretty decent horror story. However, I wish that Malerman would rely more on the fantastical and the unknown for some of his scares rather than the complexities of the human mind and the mystery of violence and bad deeds.

3 stars.

Book Review:
Title: Spin A Black Yarn Novellas
Author: Josh Malerman
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/3 stars

Knowing this author wrote, Bird Box immediately made me click on, "Request!" Few books actually scare me, and that was one of them! When I saw I was accepted to receive the arc, it made my day!

-Half Of The House is Haunted was strange! The lady in the rocking chair was a creepy touch.
-Argyle was trippy as well. Who admits to murders that they never committed?
-The Jupiter Drop was terrifying! This one gave me chills, especially once he's doing the drop.
-Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer (TM) was my favorite! I could see this really being created!
-Egorov was a mind-bending story about triplets. Very dark!
Published: August 15th, 2023

Thank you, @netgalley and @randomhouse, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Josh Malerman is one of my favorite authors because his work is always so unique and engaging. These short stories actually creeped me out and that’s saying a lot. I felt them linger long after I finished reading. His work is perfect for people who are looking for something outside of the typical horror tropes in the genre and this book checked that box for me.

What can I say? Josh Malerman is the real deal. I am a huge fan of his horror stories in particular and this collection of creepy novellas does not disappoint.