This is a rather uneven, somewhat bleak collection but I enjoyed the hell out of the first 2 of these 5 stories (and only one tale was "eh," imo.) Malerman is super prolific and there's plenty here to entertain, but I didn't enjoy SPIN A BLACK YARN as much as some other books of his.

This collection offers five distinct and chilling tales, each exploring different forms of horror and human dread.

Spin a Black Yarn is a collection of loosely connected novellas by Josh Malerman. Malerman's horror is psychological - what are the things in your imagination that scare you. My favorite is probably Argyle - where a father on his deathbed finally admits to what kind of person her really is. Doug and Judy is a great story about karma. And the Jupiter Drop is one where you're constantly saying "Wait...what?"
Read the acknowledgements. Malerman explains the evolution of several stories (with some Bird Box mentions)

Fans of Malerman's version of horror will enjoy this one.

Spin a Black Yarn by Josh Malerman is a mixed bag of five novellas. Some very good, others were letdowns. Typical novella collection, yes?

"Half the House is Haunted" dives into a family mystery with siblings Stephanie and Robbie facing their fears. I found this one a little hard to follow, but it was a solid start to this collection.

In "Argyle," a dying man confesses to his family that he's a serial killer. It's a surprising story that's properly creepy and easily one of the better tales here, if not the best.

"Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer™" offers a dark comedic perspective on materialism and social standing. Beware: Doug and Judy might not win your heart. This was just OK.

"The Jupiter Drop" is a journey of redemption for a remorseful, wealthy man. This one was a winner.

"Egorov" evokes those Edgar Allen Poe vibes in a suspenseful tale about a triplet who is murdered and his brothers out for revenge. This felt like stories I'd read as a kid but with a contemporary horror feel. The drawn-out storytelling took a great idea and made it a frustrating race to the conclusion. Could have been a five-star short story — it wasn't.

I'd recommend Spin a Black Yarn despite the ups-and-downs. I'm still waiting for someone to write a novella collection that matches the consistent quality of Stephen King's Different Seasons, but I've come to learn that it's the exception to the rule.

I loved this collection so much. I'm glad I waited a couple of days to finish the last novella in this collection as it had a different tone from the rest. Which is just another way to showcase how incredible of a writer Malerman is.I would def recommend not speed reading this one and maybe not doing the stories back to back, feels best enjoyed that way. Loved it, knocked it out of the park again.

Standouts for me, Doug and Judy Buy The House washer.
I don't say this lightly but here, Malerman reminds me so much of a modern Ray Bradbury here with a story that surely finds it's roots in the horror of The Veldt. No one can make me feel tension in my bones the way that Malerman does. This is so good. Can the darkest dirtiest things ever come clean?

A sister insists to her younger brother that half the house Is haunted. A dying man confesses to murders he never committed. An outer space tourist explores his own dark past. A husband and wife are tormented by a trendy home gadget. A man unknowingly murders a triplet.

I was excited about Spin a Black Yarn, even though I'm a bit leery of horror novellas because I always want more. This wasn't the case here. Two out of five of the novellas were complete flops for me, and I struggled to get through them. Despite having very interesting premises, I found the stories fell flat. Nothing was ever really explained or elaborated on, even to the extent I would expect in a novella. There was a lack of action, a lack of description, and a lack of good execution. I really wanted to like this, but it just didn't work for me. I'd recommend Malerman's full-length novels, as that seems to be where his talent lies.

2.5 stars- This band book started off stronger(ish). The premise for the first three stories were interesting, but didn’t quite end in a satisfactory way. The fourth story was almost unintelligible to me. I didn’t get the point, but luckily it was fairly short. The fifth story had an interesting premise, but was just so overdone l I ended up skimming quite a bit to get back to the action. I enjoyed Bird Box, so I’m guessing this author’s short stories, specifically, are just not for me.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me access to this eARC for my honest opinion!

This was my first Malerman and it was not the best option for that. As others mentioned, one of the saving graces to this collection seems to be the easter eggs for fans. I, of course, missed them all.

The concepts were intriguing, but ultimately the stories seemed longer than what the stories demanded. You can see where they are going; there is no mystery to solve so that is not the point. The vast majority of stuff here is mental inside of a character. They would make quite the boring movies, but they aren't meant to be that format. I understand what they are, but still wished it would just hurry up a bit. It often seemed that there were more details than I had interest for the characters or vignettes.

Because of this, the stories in the middle, not further subdivided into parts, worked the best. Doug and Judy and Argyle saved this one for me. I don't rue losing the time I spent reading this, and I will give Malerman another try. I do hope the next lands a bit better though.

[Blurb goes here]

Big Josh Malerman fan here. So it's hard for me to be objective about this anthology. Curious thing, though: Malerman's first book I got my hands on was Goblin. Still one of my favorite reads. I've read it more than a couple of times since then.

When it comes down to it, Malerman never disappoints. I love how in some of 'Spin a Black Yarn' stories, he brings back cities, towns, and even characters we'd visited before. Malerman has a unique, poignant way of putting his characters in harm's way, all the while using dark humor to lighten the load on the reader.

Some of the stories seemed absurd at first glance, but as you dig down, they become wondrous, beautiful, even.

Half the House is Haunted is amazing: an eight-year-old girl torments his six-year-old brother with this seemingly innocent earworm: half the house is haunted. No, it's not the left or the right, nor the top or bottom. Could be this step on the stairs and not the next.

Argyle is, IMHO, one of the best tales. A man on his deathbed confesses to being a serial killer to his wife and kids. Not your garden variety serial killer, though.

Doug and Judy Buy The House Washer®: an insufferable couple whose goal in life is to have what no one else can, humiliating others by pompously bragging about it. Obvious to say that they get what they deserve.

The Jupiter Drop: a man buys a trip that will take him to the vowels of Jupiter inside a Glass room. Let the torment begin!

Egorov: Sorry to say that this one didn't do it for me. Still a great story. Two brothers seek revenge for the death of a third brother. They're triplets, something the surviving brothers use to their advantage when hunting for the killer.

Malerman scares, plays with your feelings, and gives you insignificant moments of respite before pulling you again into the horrors of these stories. I wouldn't expect anything less from the mastermind behind Goblin, Pearl, and Daphne.

I can't say enough good things about 'Spin a Black Yarn.' If you're into horror and fantasy, this should be your next read.

Thank you for the advanced copy!

This was a fun set of stories. My favorite was Argyle. Although I enjoyed the last one, I did feel like it could have been trimmed. I appreciate the note from the author at the end

I wanted to love this collection. I really did, but unfortunately I did not.
I think where Malerman thrives is is his longer narratives because these ones felt more like drafts than finished works.
I guess I just wanted more. More characterization, more development, more everything.

Malerman’s writing style and unique voice does show through and if you like to pick up a short story here or there, this might be for you, but I was left feeling just whelmed.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for gifting me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Spin a Black Yarn by Josh Malerman is one of my most anticipated anthologies of 2023 and it did not disappoint. I rarely give 5 stars to a collection of short stories/novellas but Spin a Black Yarn as well as Malerman's Goblin are the exceptions to that rule. I loved this book!

Spin a Black Yarn has 5 short stories/novellas: 1) Half the House Is Haunted, 2) Argyle, 3) Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer, 4) The Jupiter Drop, and 5) Egorov. With each story growing creepier and more unsettling than the last, this collection is classic horror done well with intriguing plot points and masterful character development in the short span of the stories. I also loved the Easter eggs dropped in here and there from Malerman’s other works. While I enjoyed every story in this collection, my favorites were Half the House Is Haunted and Argyle. I'm definitely planning to purchase a copy of this collection for my shelves.

I received a review copy of this book from the author/publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

This book contains five novellas. They are:
Half This House is Haunted: about siblings where the sister is constantly trying to scare the with out of her brother, who is two years younger. Personally, I did not like this one at all. I just found the characters annoying and I didn't gel with the story at all.

Argyle: A man has something to confess before he dies. Probably my favorite novella here. Super creepy.

The Jupiter Drop- A science fiction novella about a man who goes to Jupiter in a clear apartment. Interesting idea. My second favorite.

Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer(TM): about a married couple who buys this fancy house washer thing to show off how wealthy they are at a dinner party. Couldn't connect with this one either. Hated the main characters, which of course, is the intention. I just couldn't find anything to like here.

Egorov: a triplet is murdered and his remaining brothers try to drive the murderer insane. This one would've been better had it been shorter.

One thing I liked was the Easter eggs from his other books. I'm a fan of Malerman's work, but unfortunately, this is probably my least favorite thing he's written. Your experience may be better than mine though. As ive seen others say, take time in between the novellas, it'll probably make your reading experience better.
I didn't do that and now I wish I would have. Recommended for people who like novellas, horror, and science fiction.

My thanks to Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, Del Rey, author Josh Malerman, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

Spin a Black Yarn by Josh Malerman just cemented Malerman as one of my favorite novella writers.
This book, like Malerman’s book Goblin, is a collection of novellas that all take place (kind-of) in the same town. (I say kind-of because one takes place in space.) And overall, I really enjoyed this book.
One of my favorite’s of the collection was “Half the House is Haunted.” While reading this story, you find yourself wondering, “Is this house haunted, or are the siblings just messing with each other?” and it gave me all the creepy vibes I was craving. I also related so heavily to the sibling relationship of constantly messing with your sibling and trying to scare them.
My other favorite story was “Argyle.” Imagine someone you loves makes the most outrageous deathbed confessions and you find yourself wondering if you ever truly knew this person. I could not put the book down while reading this story.
The only novella that I really didn’t like in this collection was “Egorov.” I liked the premise of the story, but didn’t connect with the writing and found myself falling asleep each time I tried to read it.
Overall, I highly recommend adding this book to your spooky reading list this season.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

While I enjoyed all of the stories in this collection, My favorites are 'Half Of The House Is Haunted' because of its creepy atmosphere and unique storyline and 'Engrov' because of how well the suspense aspect is written. I would reccommend this book. Special Thank You to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy prior to publication.

Thanks to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Spin a Black Yarn" is a collection of 5 short stories by Josh Malerman:

1) Half the House Is Haunted - a first person POV story about siblings and a haunted house. For whatever reason, I did not care for the first person POV.
2) Argyle - "confessions" of a dying man to his family.
3) Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer - a couple buys the latest trendy device.
4) The Jupiter Drop - a space adventure.
5) Egorov - family revenge.

I had high hopes for this collection based on the recommendation of a friend, but this collection was not for me. The stories were fine, at best, but nothing I feel compelled to look back on and read again.

Josh Malerman is an amazing writer. I've loved everything of his so far, I have not read Bird Box.
Just like his collection, Goblin, these tales are interconnected with his other works. All the stories take place in Samhattan, near Goblin City and the other locations in Josh Malerman's universe. These stories take place present, future and past and all the stories are very unique and intricately layered.
My favorites of this collection are Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer and Egorov, but all the stories are amazing.
In Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer, two not very nice people are confronted by some of the unsavory decisions they've made to get to where they are now.
In Egorov one brother is murdered by a despicable old man and the serviving triplets decide to track down their brothers killer....and haunt him.

Thank you to Netfalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the opportunity to enjoy this e-Arc

Not usually a novella reader, I want to sink in, so I thought these were just ok! Doug and Judy would have been a great full book in my opinion!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine/Del Rey as well as the fabulous Josh Malerman for this ARC. It has been my pleasure.
#NetGalley #DelRayBooks #SpinABlackYarn #JoshMalerman
Title: Spin A Black Yarn
Author: Josh Malerman
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group Ballantine/ Del Rey
Publication Date: August 15, 2023

Josh Malerman never disappoints and this volume of five novellas is no exception. Malerman is an exceptional writer and his offering from him is a gift.
“Half This House is Haunted” is the first novella and it’s my favorite. This story is rife with delicious ghosties and sibling rivalries. An older sister torments her younger brother with scary ghost stories but only half of the house is haunted. She’s making that all up right? The haunting in this story is so delectable and atmospheric. Despite the tense feeling throughout, Malerman always sprinkles a few laughs along the way.
“Argyle” is the story of a man on his deathbed. He describes his life of heinous crimes that he hasn’t committed. I loved this story as well. The old man is describing the things he has imagined, not that he has actually committed. We have all committed pretend crimes. This man’s killing instincts live in all of us although maybe not to this degree. This is a profile of a man’s true self revealed to his family.
“Doug and Judy Buy A House Washer” is the story about a reprehensible couple who values money above all else. They purchase a fancy washing machine just to show off. Basically, these characters were fun to hate. I liked this story.
“The Jupiter Drop” is about a wealthy man who goes to space. Gee, I wonder where Mr. Malerman got that idea. A person with a dark past goes to space. I wish that was fiction.
Anyway, I found this novella a touch bland but still well done.
“Egorov” is your classic revenge story. One third of a set of triplets is murdered and his two brothers set out to avenge his death by playing a prank involving the “ghost” of the murdered brother. This was the longest novella but it didn’t feel like it. I got a slight “Most Dangerous Game” vibe if it was written by, well, Josh Malerman. All kinds of sinister fun.
All in all, I loved this collection. The novellas were peppered with easter eggs to Malerman’s other works including Goblin and Daphne. It was a lot of fun to read and I would recommend it to any horror fan.

I struggled with how to rate this one. Malerman is talented, no doubt about it, but I have mixed feelings on Spin a Black Yarn. My favorite of the five short stories was Argyle, about a man who has lived his entire life on the straight and narrow but on his deathbed reveals to his family and close friends a demented fantasy he has craved to act on every day of his entire life. I really liked that one. Half the House is Haunted and The Jupiter Drop were just ok to me and then finally Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer and Egorov (which is the least favorite of the five) just didn’t do it for me. None the less, I’d say it wasn’t a waste of my time and I’ll be back for more. Many thanks to Del Rey and Penguin Randomhouse for my eARC.