“Freeman writes like someone who has seen the darkness lurking within the human heart and is compelled to shine a light on our deepest fears. His writing will leave you both chilled and deeply moved.”
— William Peter Blatty, author of The Exorcist and Legion
Brian James Freeman’s first full-length collection features twenty-nine stories that deal with both real and supernatural terrors.
These tales are populated by characters searching for answers to deeply troubling questions. They are haunted by horrors they think are out of their control, but sometimes the source of their greatest fears is closer to home than they ever imagined possible.
In these days of almost gleeful excess there’s a surprising gentleness to Freeman’s work, though, of course, that often leaves you unprepared for a heavy gut-punch when you least expect it… Intense, eerie, and compelling, the stories within will leave a haunting impression on the reader long after the final page is turned.
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Table of Contents:
Foreword by William Peter Blatty
Introduction by Brian James Freeman
Running Rain
Mama’s Sleeping
An Instant Eternity
Where Sunlight Sleeps
Marking the Passage of Time
Walking With the Ghosts of Pier 13
A Mother’s Love
Pop-Pop
Answering the Call
The Final Lesson
Loving Roger
Among Us
Not Without Regrets
What They Left Behind
The Temperament of an Artist
The Gorman Gig
One Way Flight
Monster Night
Tomorrow Could Be Even Better
One More Day
The Christmas Spirit
Silent Attic (Amy Walker)
Danny Dreams (Daniel Walker)
Ice Cold Dan the Ice Cream Man
Losing Everything Defines You
As She Lay There Dying
How the Wind Lies
Perfect Little Snowflakes
The Plague of Sadness
The Last Beautiful Day
Story Notes
Reviews & Praise:
“Brian James Freeman is a well respected author of short stories in the field of dark fiction. His specialty is what we used to call “quiet horror”(the master of which was Charles L. Grant), meaning a type of horror fiction where the reader is disturbed and unsettled in a gentle, but deep fashion, without making use of gore, unnecessary violence, and graphic details. The exact opposite of so-called “splatterpunk” but, in the end, much more effective in producing shivers and fright… [These stories] are very good. So good that it’s hard to pinpoint the more accomplished, being impossible to comment in detail upon each one… A highly recommended collection.”
— Mario Guslandi, Hellnotes
“This is a fantastic volume that gathers together the majority of Brian James Freeman’s short stories. If you have never read any of Brian’s stories, getting this volume will make your reading cup overflow with goodness… This is a volume that should definitely find a place on your horror shelf, especially if you prefer that psychologic horror that sneaks up behind you and slaps you in the back of your head… Brian James Freeman is a force to be reckoned with. He writes extremely well and his stories pack a punch to the gut. And to the heart.”
— Barry Hunter, The Baryon Review
“If you want to really make your internal temperature drop by more than just a couple of degrees, pick up Brian James Freeman’s collection of tales. Freeman has the gift for creating a world economically in his stories that lingers long after the final paragraph, sometimes because of the characters but often more the ambience evoked, something that William Peter Blatty picks up on in his introduction… A carelessly chosen word in a review can spoil the power of these stories, or give away the very carefully plotted twists… Suffice it to say that there are none that won’t make you stop and think after they’re done… and often wonder if your own heart is quite as dark as those we meet in these pages. Verdict: A dark and chilling collection of stories that will inveigle their way into your mind. 9/10”
— Paul Simpson, Sci-Fi Bulletin
The incredible team at PS Publishing has created a book trailer for the collection, which you can view here on YouTube:
Publication History:
• Lividian Publications
Trade Paperback: $18.95
Trade Hardcover: $39.95
eBook
Trade Paperback ISBN: 9781941971031
Trade Hardcover: 9781941971048
eBook: 9781941971055
Publication Date: October 2021
• Lividian Publications
Limited Edition Hardcover
200 Numbered Copies
Publication Date: July 2021
For Patreon Supporters Only
• PS Publishing
Trade Hardcover: £20
Signed & Slipcases Limited Edition Hardcover: £50
Trade ISBN: 978-1-786363-23-7
Limited ISBN: 978-1-786363-24-4
Publication Date: August 2018
