WEIRD. DARK.

By: Luke Smitherd

Narrated by: Luke Smitherd

Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

From the author of Audible #1 bestsellers In The Darkness, That's Where I'll Know You, The Physics of the Dead, and The Stone Man - shortlisted for the Audible Audiobook of the Year award 2015 - comes this special omnibus edition collecting three of Luke Smitherd's weirdest, darkest tales: “Hold On Until Your Fingers Break”, “The Man On Table Ten”, and “My Name Is Mister Grief”, plus exclusive bonus story "The Crash", unavailable anywhere else!

“My Name Is Mister Grief”. What if you could get rid of your pain immediately? What price would you be prepared to pay?

“Hold On Until Your Fingers Break”. A hangover, a forgotten night out, old men screaming in the street, and a mystery with a terrible, terrible answer...

“The Man On Table Ten”. He has a story to tell you. One that he has kept secret for decades. But now, the man on table ten can take no more, and the knowledge - as well as the burden - is now yours.

Exclusive story, “The Crash”. If you put a dent in someone's car, the consequences can be far greater - and more strange - than you expect.

©2015 Luke Smitherd (P)2015 Luke Smitherd

Critic reviews

"...a novel that intrigues, enthralls, horrifies, thrills, and hits the reader with an emotional resonance as only the best stories can." (Ain'tItCoolNews.com)

"...strong characterization, moral quandaries, mystery, and a whole lot of tense moments. Reading the final sentence was truly a bittersweet moment." (SFsignal.com)

"For me there is no greater joy than seeing an artist excel at his craft. WEIRD and DARK, yes, but more importantly...exciting and imaginative. Whether you've read his novels and are already a fan or these stories are your first introduction to Smitherd's work, you'll be blown away by the abundance of ideas." – (Ain't It Cool News.com)

It's Rare and Delightful and I loved it

It's very rare and very refreshing to hear the author read his own audiobook. I've always wondered what the authors sound like when I read something by them. This is is the third book I've read/listened to by Mr. Smitherd and it's one of my favorites so far! I look forward to hearing/ reading another book by this author.

Three great tales... Love this man's voice too!

Love these three tales - Stand-Alones on their own, always hoping some talented movie producer will pick up on this author!
If you have a friend that's going through a break-up, this might be a great gift for them. Get one for you, and one for them!

A truly original writer and near-perfect narration

I hadn’t heard of Luke Smitherd but gambled on In the Darkness which surprised me with its originality. After listening to WEIRD. DARK. I can say I’ve found a new favorite author. Also, Luke’s narration suits his stories perfectly. I’m looking forward to more from this talented and self-published writer.

worth it, good book.

loved it, I always liked Luke's story's. This one is no different. refreshing ideas, nice for a change.

Weird and Dark

Okay so the title of this review isn't original, but it perfectly describes the contents of Weird. Dark. It's not often I enjoy a book read by the author, but Smitherd has a clear voice and the production quality was superb. He does read quite fast, which I enjoyed, but the fast pace may be hard for some to follow.

The stories in this collection mess with your head and do so without the gore many stories contain. This makes them perfect for all kinds of horror fans.

Best Smitherd Works To Date

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

I absolutely *loved* this collection. Smitherd's best work to date. My favorite was "My Name is Mister Grief." It was complex in its construction with several layers of story & characterizations all happening at once, and Smitherd does a great job at keeping us guessing and entertained. This is one of those where I genuinely cared about the characters & was happy/sad right along with them. And that ending! Wow. Just great. "Hold On Until Your Fingers Break" was a proper mind-warp. It was a little slow to get going, but once it did it was truly a fantastic & fun concept to think about. Also, another great ending. "The Man On Table Ten" took me somewhere I didn't see coming, and once again I was fully entertained by both story and characters. Finally, the short piece, "The Crash" was a quick, fun read which felt like a true bonus to this great collection.
To my mind, Smitherd is coming into his own as a writer & I can't wait to see where he'll go next.

What was one of the most memorable moments of WEIRD. DARK.?

The ending of "My Name is Mister Grief".

What does Luke Smitherd bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Any time an author reads his/her own work you know you're getting all the right emotions, cadences, & emphasis. It's great hearing a story the way it was meant to be read, and Smitherd does a great job. You'd never know he wasn't a professional narrator (though maybe he is).

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Strange Science. Strange Worlds.
Weird & Dark.
Be Prepared For Anything.

Weird Dark

Luke Smitherd is now one of my favorite authors. I have purchased all of his books on audible and can't wait for the next one. Time and money well spent. I thought three of the stories were outstanding and the other story was good, that's not my usual luck with short stories. Will listen to this again someday. Recommended.

Four Strange Stories = One Great Book

This is a collection of three short stories. Each of them makes you ask yourself what you would do if you were in these situations. The answers aren't easy. The decisions made can be questionable, but that is what makes these stories so relatable. The characters are just like us. They are human, with all the good and bad that brings. We try to do the right things, but sometimes things don't turn out how we expected.

1. Hold on Until Your Fingers Break asks the question: How far would you go to avoid certain death? The consequences of that decision determines the fate of the characters.

2. The Man on Table Ten - I immediately thought of this as a Twilight Zone episode as I read it. The question asked here: Is the old man in the pub crazy or does he really know how the world will end? Or both? Do we want to know the answer?

3. My Name is Mister Grief - This is the most emotional of the three stories. It will haunt you after you read it. The question asked here: Would you do anything, regardless of the consequences, to end your grief? If you could eliminate that pain and emptiness, would it matter if others were hurt or if you lost yourself in the process? You will be asking yourself those questions long after you've finished this story. There is also a story-within-a-story that tells the tale of two boys with special "gifts" and the different ways their gifts are used. That story could be expanded into a book itself and would be fascinating.

I highly recommend this book. These stories will stay with you long after you've finished them.

The narrator is British, but I had no problem with the accent or those strange words that we use differently even though we're both speaking English. I also think the emotions of the stories are intensified if, as you listen to the stories, you close your eyes and see the scenes unfold in front of you. See yourself in these situations and immerse yourself in the words.

You're traveling through another dimension....

I gave that title to my review because this set of stories reminds me so much of sitting and binge watching episodes of the Twilight Zone. There is a uniqueness and otherworldly quality to these stories that truly makes you think and wonder "What If?" Absolutely loved this collection!

The Twilight Zone at 2x

If you could sum up WEIRD. DARK. in three words, what would they be?

Thought provoking eeriness.

What did you like best about this story?

This book is a collection of three stories, but my favorite, by a long shot, is "The Man at Table Ten." This tale blends two of the key elements of any good piece of psychological fiction: An average, every day person, in this case a waitress in a bar earning money to to finish her college degree, must try to come to grips with a very unusual patron who she doesn't want to deal with. The patron is an old man. He is clearly not the type of person who is trying to pick her up. So why is she so entranced and frightened by him, even after he orders drink after drink? The answer lies in that land of shadow and substance that we all stumble upon from time to time, a place that simultaneously intrigues and frightens.

What three words best describe Luke Smitherd’s performance?

Reads too fast.

Any additional comments?

This is third Smitherd book I've read, and he never ceases to disappoint. The first one, The Stone Man, was not narrated by the author, and maybe that was a good thing upon reflection. The next two I listened to, A Head Full of Knives, and this one, were read in a very accomplished way by the writer, but he reads so fast I had to turn the audio down to 0.75. Perhaps it's because he's British and I'm American, and it was no trouble, but I also think that, for me, a narrator who is not the author lends more power to a book; it seems to add a layer of objectivity that you don't get from the author himself or herself.