Classic Monsters Unleashed

The Unleashed Series, Book 1

De: various, James Aquilone - editor

Narrado por: Joe Hempel, Paul Woodson, Tim Campbell, Emily Lawrence, P. J. Ochlan, Christopher Salazar, Cindy Kay, Cary Hite

Duración: 13 h y 36 m

Resumen del Editor

2023 Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award Winner for Best Classic Horror Fiction

2023 Aurealis Award for Best Horror Short Story for Geneve Flynn’s “They Call Me Mother”

Stories of famous monsters in a new horror anthology featuring Joe R. Lansdale, F. Paul Wilson, Jonathan Maberry, Ramsey Campbell, and many others.

Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, the Bride of Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dr. Moreau, the Headless Horseman, the Invisible Man, the Phantom of the Opera, the Wicked Witch of the West—they’re all here, in this collection of horror short stories that reimagine, subvert, and pay homage to our favorite monsters and creatures.

Written by the biggest names in the genre, including Joe R. Lansdale, F. Paul Wilson, Jonathan Maberry, Ramsey Campbell, Lisa Morton, Owl Goingback, Richard Christian Matheson, Seanan McGuire, Maurice Broaddus, Dacre Stoker, Linda D. Addison, Alessandro Manzetti, Tim Waggoner, John Palisano, Mercedes M. Yardley, Lucy A. Snyder, Gary A. Braunbeck, Rena Mason, and Monique Snyman.

©2022 by Black Spot Books. All stories copyright © by their respective authors (P)2022 by Blackstone Publishing

It's kind of porny and occasionally a bit woke.

The stories are well written and thought out. They are interesting to listen to, but you can tell that some of the authors are pushing toward the woke side of things. Not offensively but to the detriment of the stories. Men are often negatively portrayed as weak and useless while women are most often strong and powerful.

I could ignore it until the invisible man story had a black man in the modern era being treated as if it were the era of Jim Crow. If a black man with a useful degree is being treated poorly and being called openly the diversity hire he can move to another employer, he hasn't been sold to that corporation. Lincoln did free the slaves after all.

In horror suspension of disbelief is very important. Setting up a situation that makes no sense in the real world distracts from the supernatural stuff I am supposed to believe.

Great reimaginings!

I loved all these reimaginings! I get excited when I see classic stories get retold in ways I never thought. the narrations in this collection was well done and I got lost in them as I read the books while listening to it.

Open your mind and expand your imagination with these short stories and get caught up in the world of Classic Monsters with a modern day twist! Amazon lists this as book 1 so maybe we will get even more and better stories in a book 2!

Not a weak story in the bunch

This anthology is as much fun as watching a Universal monster movie. Some monsters (Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster, etc.) are easy to spot. but there are a few of the more obscure denizens of the Universal world that are as much fun and as well done as “the usual cast of characters.” There really is not a weak story in the bunch. And while certain elements might have been reimagined, nothing is outlandish. It all works. Very well. Highly recommend.

Old Monsters, New Life

Excellent work here. In spite of some ridiculous negative reviews that have somehow slipped past the review guidelines..this is “must listen” Audible content.

Mostly Hits, a Few Misses.

If you like monsters from classic movies and books, including some really, legitimately interesting and fun reimaginings that stay true to the spirit of the originals, you’ll love 87% of this collection. There are a couple of stumbles, but who cares. Well worth a credit!

A Bloody Good Time

It’s a rare thing to feel like a book you’ve found was written almost exclusively for you. It’s not of course, but after discovering an anthology book about the classic monsters that features a foreword by Kim Newman (my favorite author) and a story by Seanan McGuire, I could be forgiven for thinking my nerdy prayers had been answered.
I’ve been a classic monsters fan since I was 10 years old. What started as a tedious 4th grade book report on The Phantom Of The Opera by Gaston Leroux quickly became a lifelong love affair with the “Gods and Monsters” of classic cinema and literature. Dracula, Erik the Phantom, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, all held a special place in my villain-loving heart. If there was a movie about them I saw it and if there was a book about them I read it. From the Universal Studios catalogue to the Hammer Horror series, my appetite for these characters was (and still is) insatiable. There’s an undeniable charm and alluring danger about these characters that continues to grab our collective imaginations. To get new and interesting interpretations of these “monsters” is always such a treat.
Like all anthology books some stories work better than others. Some might’ve benefited from another edit or a little more character development, but on the whole this is a very fun read. To a one the authors are clearly writing from a place of love and respect for these characters and they give them the consideration they deserve. The authors capture the dangerous charm and captivating fiendishness of these horror icons beautifully and are clearly having a fun time doing and saying something new with them. That morbid joy very quickly becomes contagious and the stories carry you away on a tide of bloody good fun. Horror junkies and monster movie geeks (my people) will probably get the most out of this book but it’s honestly such a fun read that I’d recommend it to anyone. This was a book that made me feel like a kid again in the best way possible.

If you enjoyed Classic Monsters Unleashed and are looking for something similar check out Kim Newman’s Anno Dracula series (or anything by Kim Newman really), Theodora Goss’s Athena Club series, or Neil Gaiman’s A Study In Emerald.

Classic Monsters Unleashed

The title pretty much says it all. This is a volume of short stories revolving around classic Monsters of literature and film. There are a few diversions away from the more well known creatures, but the mood and sentiment are essentially the same. It's quite a mix when you look at it. Everything from mad scientists to mummies, to vampires, and even the Blob. Don't imagine that the good guys always win here as in most of the older creature features. These are dark little tales that fit better as episodes of Hammers House Of Horror than an episode of Svengoolie. If you are looking for dark tales, this will suit you well. If you want something lighter, you may want to look elsewhere.

Extremely disappointed! Dull and Uninspired!

I am extremely disappointed with the stories contained in this collection as I absolutely love The Universal Classic Monsters. I could honestly only make it halfway through due to it just being so incredibly dull and uninspired. I respect the fact that a lot of people worked on this project but the end result was extraordinarily lackluster. Furthermore a lot of the stories had some very woke current day elements that simply detracted from the timeless legacy of the Classic Monsters. Overall the best thing about this entire project was the book cover showing all of the wonderful Classic Monsters.

woke garbage

just plain ruined some of my favorite childhood monster stories. Definitely won't be listening again.