20th Century Ghosts

By: Joe Hill

Narrated by: David LeDoux

Length: 12 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

A dazzlingly original, award-winning collection of visions and nightmares from the New York Times best-selling author of Heart-Shaped Box.

Imogene is young and beautiful. She kisses like a movie star and knows everything about every film ever made. She's also dead and waiting in the Rosebud Theater for Alec Sheldon on an afternoon in 1945....Arthur Roth is a lonely kid with big ideas and a gift for attracting abuse. It isn't easy to make friends when you're the only inflatable boy in town....Francis is unhappy. He was human once, but that was then. Now he's an eight-foot tall locust and everyone in Calliphora will tremble when they hear him sing....John Finney is locked in a basement that's stained with the blood of half a dozen other murdered children. In the cellar with him is an antique telephone, long since disconnected, but which rings at night with calls from the dead.

The past isn't dead. It isn't even past.

©2005, 2007 Joe Hill (P)2007 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

• Audie Award Winner, Short Stories/Collections, 2008

"Most of the stories display the unself-conscious dash that made Hill's novel an intelligent pleasure....Not just for ghost addicts." (Kirkus Reviews)

Atmospheric and Spooky

Overall a lovely listen for doing chores, spooky without being too on the nose, with a variety of different feeling stories.

GREAT stories!

He is a creepy writer. I like the modern twists to ghost stories. Pop Art is my favorite.

Not my favorite

I love Joe Hill. I read the description for this book on at least 5 separate occasions but never had a good feeling about it. I'm not really crazy about short stories and these just didn't keep my attention. I wouldn't say it was bad overall, just not my style.

Disappointing

I have read everything else that Joe Hill has written and enjoyed them, and I like short stories. But I was disappointed in this book. Several of the stories just ended, and I was left wondering what happened. Also, there are very few ghost stories, which was also disappointing, given the title.

Great writing, poor narrator :(

Joe Hill definitely inherited his father's (Stephen King, in case any did not know) talent, and the stories here were as fantastic and entertaining as Heart Shaped Box and Horns, but I was very annoyed listening to this narrator - he read every single story in a nasally, exaggerated childish tone as if he were reading a children's story!! I will avoid this narrator in the future :(

Like Father, Like Son

I absolutely loved this book. Joe Hill has a unique talent and these stories are some of the best short stories I’ve read in a long time.

Wonderful and recommended

I am not a fan of short stories in general and I had never heard of Joe Hill. I don't even know what possessed me to buy this particular book but I think it must have been good luck that I did.

The beauty of the language he uses to describe everything from an inflatable boy to a boy who turns into a giant bug is beautiful. Almost like listening to poetry. Some of the stories are just plain weird and others are downright poignant. The little novella that ends the collection, voluntary commital, is probably one of the best short stories I have ever heard. I find myself giving this book repeat listenings.

If you dislike the twilight zone I doubt you would enjoy this.

Delightful Hodgepodge of Creepy

Story after story after story. This is a collection of creepy, funny, horrific, darling gems. All of which come at you, one after the other, from various angles. Sometimes right up front, sometimes sideways, the best of them sneak up behind you and gently tap you on the shoulder.

The title story, 20th Century Ghost, is a fine tale that pays a sweet tribute to the era of the silver screen.

In the Rundown had me dreading the ending - so much so I almost skipped ahead to the next story. Glad I didn't. It has the perfect ending. (If you appreciate films like Inception and Limbo, you'll love the way it ends too.)

Bobby Conroy Comes Back From the Dead gave me a new reason to love George Romero.

My Father's Mask is my favorite story from this collection. I really hope that Joe Hill finds his way back to Jack.

Only cause of complaint.... Audible why can't you code this audiobook work its titles!?!?! I shouldn't have to go to Wikipedia to find out the name of the story I've listened to - it should be on my screen.

great

amazing stories well performed! love Joe hill in general & the way the reader acted them out was amazing.

Inventive,Profound,MUST READ

I was riveted. Heart Shaped Box was not my favorite book. This however was astounding. I came into it a lover of horror, and had never contemplated feeling so emotional about an inflatable boy. Pop Art is possibly the best short story ever written. His "metamorphasis" of Kafka was also seriously entertaining. Look out, The Playing Card People will get you! All of these stories paid off and i am proud to say that i am now a life long HILL fan.