Nightmares and Geezenstacks

Publisher's Summary

One of the great pulp writers, Fredric Brown (1906-1972) combined a flair for the horrific, a quirky sense of humor, and a wild imagination, and published many classic novels in the mystery and science fiction genres. But he was also a master of the "short-short story", tales only a page or two in length, but hard-hitting and with a wicked twist at the end. Nightmares and Geezenstacks (1961) collects 47 short gems by Brown, ranging from science fiction to noir crime to horror, including the chilling and unforgettable "The Geezenstacks". Long unobtainable, Brown's classic collection is available for the first time in almost 40 years and is sure to please both longtime fans and those who are discovering this brilliant writer for the first time.

"Might have been written by O. Henry in a black mood; alternately comic, horrifying [and] clever." (Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Review)

"My favorite author of all time." (Mickey Spillane)

"A distinctive and unique voice...one of the genre's most incisive satirists and outstanding innovators." (Library Journal)

"One of the best pulp writers." (Booklist)

©1961, 1989 The Estate of Fredric Brown (P)2017 Valancourt Books, LLC

The stories are fun and quick

This book was originally published in 1961.  Many of the stories feel charmingly dated by its mid-20th Century writing and observations.  Venusians posing as humans, closets full of radio equipment and silly electronic weapons.  The stories hold up well with time and this not a deterrent, just a message to the listener to understand what you are getting.  The 47 stories are mostly quite short, a few minutes for many of them.  They are quick and witty, rarely giving much depth into the characters, just a flash into bungled murders, foolish decisions, jaunty horror and unwise decisions.  Often the stories are literary puns.

Brown is a noted author with an impressive resume and Nightmares and Geezenstacks may be a good introduction to his work for those discovering his work for the first time.   Though it is fun to listen to very short stories, it may not be perfect for those looking to get lost in an audiobook.  They are too quick to get into.  By the time one starts, it’s over.  It’s a personal choice, but for many, these stories would be much more appropriate in their written form, a couple of quick stories before bed or while relaxing on the sofa.

Matt Godfrey performs the stories well.  He has an enjoyable voice appropriate for the humorous short horror stories.  His character voices are easy to follow and he adds the right tone to them.  He pauses when he needs to, like the timing of a comedian, which for many of the stories is exactly what you want.

For those looking to enjoy 1960s very short sci-fi/horror/humor stories, this will be a good listen or introduction.  For those looking to get lost in a novel or more developed short stories, you might be disappointed.  The stories are fun, quick and sometimes a little obvious.  You might find yourself guessing what the twist will be in story, as there always is one.  It is a throwback to simpler times and that’s sometimes what you are looking for.

Audiobook was provided for review by the narrator.

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog.

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5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Mysterious Short Stories

Basically a book filled with short stories that leave you wondering what happened and wanting more. If anyone has ever seen the Black Mirror series and loved it then I definitely recommend this book.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

What's a Geezenstack?

The stories presented here are short--very short. So short that if you listen in your car, and are in and out of your car a lot, you might get lost. They range from the truly horrible, to the funny to the "well, that was a bit dumb." All types of stories: sci fi, horror, comedy. I would highly recommend this gem. And, yes, you will find out what a Geezenstack is.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Great collection.

So much fun. a machine gun burst of short stories most ending in an amazing twist. well written, well read. over far to fast.

Excellent and Influential Collection of Stories!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This collection really stands above most others of its kind, not only from that time period, (the 60's), but this time period as well. That's not to say that some of these stories don't feel dated, because some do, but I don't feel as if that affected their impact. Also, NIGHTMARES AND GEEZENSTACKS will not work for everyone, especially those who love their tales to be extra bloody or leaning towards Bizarro. Horror was tamer in the 60's, and these stories are a product of their time.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Not applicable.

What about Matt Godfrey’s performance did you like?

I love his narration! It's perfect for each story, with just the right amount of feeling.

If you could take any character from Nightmares and Geezenstacks out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Not applicable.

Any additional comments?

This was a thoroughly enjoyable collection of short stories, superbly narrated by Matt Godfrey. I can see now why Stephen King gave Fredric Brown and specifically this collection a special mention in his non fiction book about influential horror written during the 1950's through the 1970's: Danse Macabre.

Within this volume, there are nearly 50 stories, most of them very short. There were some sci-fi tales mixed in, but most of these were horror. For whatever reason, these tiny gems brought me back to the stories I read when I first got into horror. I would say the period after Poe, but before King. I did a lot of short story reading back then; I used them as a way to find new authors, and then longer works written by them. Somehow, I never discovered Mr. Brown back then, but I'm so glad that I've discovered him now.

There are too many tales to get into here, but a few of the standouts to me were:

THE GEEZENSTACKS This was Just. Plain. Fun! How can you go wrong with a horror story about dolls?!

CAT BURGLAR That ending cracked me up!

There were several stories that began with "NIGHTMARE IN..." and I pretty much loved all of those.

Matt Godfrey does a tremendous job narrating these stories. I've listened to a few of his audios now, and he's quickly becoming one of my favorite narrators. Will Patton had better watch out!

This collection really stands above most others of its kind, not only from that time period, (the 60's), but this time period as well. That's not to say that some of these stories don't feel dated, because some do, but I don't feel as if that affected their impact. Also, NIGHTMARES AND GEEZENSTACKS will not work for everyone, especially those who love their tales to be extra bloody or leaning towards Bizarro. Horror was tamer in the 60's, and these stories are a product of their time.

That being said, I loved this collection. It had short stories that were actually short, it had a great deal of variety, most tales packed a real punch and the narration was wonderful. I give this my highest recommendation!

*I received this audio free from the narrator, in exchange for my honest review. This is it.*

1 of 2 people found this review helpful