Skidding into Oblivion

By: Brian Hodge

Narrated by: David Bendena

Length: 10 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

We each inhabit many worlds, often at the same time. From worlds on the inside to the world on a cosmic scale. Worlds imposed on us, and worlds of our own making. In time, though, all worlds will end. Bear witness:

1. After the death of their grandmother, two cousins return to their family’s rural homestead to find a community rotting from the soul outward and a secret nobody dreamed their matriarch had been keeping.
2. The survivors of the 1929 raid on H.P. Lovecraft’s town of Innsmouth hold the key to an anomalous new event in the ocean. If only someone could communicate with them...
3. The ultimate snow day turns into the ultimate nightmare when it just doesn’t stop.
4. An extreme metal musician compels his harshest critic to live up to the hyperbole of his trolling.
5. With the last of a generation of grotesquely selfish city fathers on his deathbed, the residents of the town they doomed exercise their right to self-determination one last time.
6. As history repeats itself and the world shivers through a volcanic winter, a group gathers around the shore of a mountain lake to, once again, invoke the magic that created the world’s most famous monster.

With Skidding Into Oblivion, his fifth collection, award-winning author Brian Hodge brings together his most concentrated assortment yet. It includes all of the best picks and awards finalists. All stories have one thing in common: It’s the end of the world as we know it, and we don’t feel fine at all.

©2019 Brian Hodge (P)2019 Journalstone

Oh wow!

This book was much better than I expected! The stories this collection contains are very intriguing and not about already played out plots. They are not what I would consider horror stories (I love some good spookies) but they draw you in with interesting concepts that, however outlandish, still also seem to have a firm root connecting them to a possible actuality in the world. There were a couple of stories I had to rewind a bit to ensure I heard the ending correctly, not because it was ill written, but because the ending was slightly bizarre. I would highly recommend this book for anyone looking to go on a curious adventure of the odd possibilities that may be available in this world. I had never before experienced a book by Brian Hodge, but after listening to this collection, I am excited to experience any collections to come for his hand.

Good writing, Bad narration.

I really enjoyed the quality of the writing. But the narration was so bad I stopped a couple times and considered returning the book. But when I finally called it quits, apparently, I listened to a little too much and was unable to return it. Perhaps I just returned to many in the last 6 months. Even so, I think I will stop listening even though no return is possible.

The narrator's voice is very soft and smooth. His tone is very consistent, that of someone fondly reminiscing about past golden years, or someone from their past that has died and they miss them very much. It is read with the same tone for scenes about old places revisited as well as action sequences and suspenseful scenes. Many of the scenes in this story collection are supposed to build suspense, be scary, be action, yet all are read in the same soft, old memory lane recollection tone. It really took all the emotion out the scenes with conflict, or dread, or tension, or whatever. The recording was clear but that alone doesn't make a good listen. There needs to be emotion in all spoken lines, and building of suspension, and terrifying reactions. none of these happen here. Just the same emotionless, well, one emotion ("it was the old days. sigh.") in the voice.

I have decided to stop listening and buy the ebook and read it instead. Then the written word will dictate the emotion and tension. Audiobooks are so much better when the person is a voice actor and make the different people different and express the words with charged emotion.

I will avoid anything from this narrator in the future.

On the plus side, the author will earn more money.

decent collection of short stories

Some of the stories are great, others kind of suck. I enjoyed more than half, so 3 stars from me.

Better than I expected

I love short stories. Especially short stories that give you enough to be sucked in, but leave enough room for mystery and wonder. As a randomly suggested title, I didn't expect much, but was left satisfied. Not all stories supernatural, not all stories with cataclysmic scales, the stories were varied enough that I was never bored, and was looking forward to what strange world waited for me in the next chapter. The narrator was great, and breathes life into the shorts.

Great book!

I like short stories and this book was perfect ! I’ll. Probably be reading it Again soon

Excellent !!

Every story is unique and thought provoking. I listened to this book non-stop. A must listen.

excellent

Incredibly good stories, almost all of them. Definitely the best book of short stories I have ever read.