Nearly all of these 20 stories are better heard than read. Guest editor Lauren Groff vied for "rawer, meaner, spikier" stories that have their own "weird logic." Her choices are striking and unpredictable but tend to ramble over stretches of time without much suspense or dramatic resolution. This diverse ensemble brings variety, contrast, and narrative vigor that is mostly lacking on the page. The standout is Christina Delaine, who narrates seven stories, the foreword, and the introduction and as an AI shopper assistant in Suzanne Wong's outstanding "Mall of America," delivers a stellar performance. The other narrators all contribute some degree of dramatic flair.
Pub Date: Oct. 22, 2024
Duration: 17 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063275997
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Gregoire's performance of these original stories stimulates listeners' imagination, providing plenty of food for thought.
Samek's collection of 12 short stories is thought provoking, surreal, and original. These creative stories are linked by several common threads: psychology, technology, and time. Narrator Chandler Gregoire adopts a personable tone, feminine and relatable, though her pacing can sometimes become a little bit rapid. Several standout stories from the collection include the titular tale of an older brother who has a puppeteer to control him; “Muscle to Muscle, Toe to Toe,” in which a couple is matched by an algorithm but it ends up feeling artificial; and “The Cloud,” in which mothers' limbs are stored in the cloud.
Gregoire's performance of these original stories stimulates listeners' imagination, providing plenty of food for thought.Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2026
Duration: 5 hrs, 16 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217278107
Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
The best ghost stories are meant to be read aloud. Here, the author and eight top-flight voice talents deliver the tense, devastating, chilling, and often brutal tones expressed in these 21 contemporary horror tales. Soneela Nankani nonchalantly tells of beaten corpses in "Ffuns." The terror in Lynette Freeman's voice when an old boyfriend keeps reappearing in "He Used to Scare Me by Accident" is nothing less than unsettling. The building dread in André Santana's reactions to the grotesque imagery in "I Caught a Ghost in My Eye" will floor listeners. And Dion Graham's easy homespun delivery in "Dead Bastard Revival Services" presents religious worship gone horribly wrong. Turn out the lights, listen closely, and try not to scream.
Pub Date: Feb. 7, 2026
Duration: 9 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9798228364882
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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