The Black Phone and Other Stories: Previously published as 20th Century Ghosts

Review Each of these chilling tales arrests you from the opening sentence and leads you - trustingly, thanks to the simple mastery of the story-teller - into a place of gulping fear. ― DAILY MAIL [An] inventive collection . . . brave and astute. ― NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW Hill's best stories veer away from the well-trodden creep shows and back alleys of genre writing into more dangerous territory: suburban basements, ball fields and schoolyards. ― WASHINGTON POST Hill's stories are visceral and nasty in places, but never gratuitous. The collection as a whole is polished and well written. Even the most macabre themes are handled exceptionally well, so one story ever feels exploitative or trashy. Joe Hill is definitely one to watch. -- Ross Sutcliffe ― SCI-FI NOW Fully developed characters with complex emotional lives enhance the 14 stories in Joe Hill's extraordinary collection ... There's not a false note or disappointing effort in this volume. ― PUBLISHERS WEEKLY The collection of short stories ranges from creepy to sweet, with an impressive arsenal of tactics to attack your psyche. ― BOSTON GLOBE [Hill] displays consummate skill in a variety of genres . . . Amusing, moving, horrifying-Ghosts runs the full spectrum. ― USA TODAY Alternately sad, scary, strange and at times even sweet, these tales will haunt you long after you've read them. ― PARADE One of the best [horror] collections of the year. Hill is a relative newcomer who consistently creates creepy, very disturbing stories ― LOCUS The selections range from the mundane to the surreal, with a strong emphasis on the kind of horror tale perfected by Ray Bradbury, Peter Straub and Stephen King. ― SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE Hill's stories are visceral and nasty in places, but never gratuitous. The collection as a whole is polished and well written. Even the most macabre themes are handled exceptionally well, so one story ever feels exploitative or trashy. Joe Hill is definitely one to watch. -- SCI-FI NOW ― Ross Sutcliffe Hill's best stories veer away from the well-trodden creep shows and back alleys of genre writing into more dangerous territory: suburban basements, ball fields and schoolyards. ― Washington Post [An] inventive collection . . . brave and astute. ― The New York Times Book Review Fully developed characters with complex emotional lives enhance the 14 stories in Joe Hill's extraordinary collection,20th Century Ghosts. There's not a false note or disappointing effort in this volume. ― Publishers Weekly The collection of short stories ranges from creepy to sweet, with an impressive arsenal of tactics to attack your psyche. ― Boston Globe 20th Century Ghosts is Hill's first collection of short stories and displays consummate skill in a variety of genres . . . Amusing, moving, horrifying-Ghosts runs the full spectrum. ― USA Today Alternately sad, scary, strange and at times even sweet, these tales will haunt you long after you've read them. ― Parade [A] lovely, earnest collection of short fiction ― Village Voice One of the best [horror] collections of the year. Hill is a relative newcomer who consistently creates creepy, very disturbing stories ― Locus Each tale is unique, and the collection proves that Hill's talent is not limited to horror, but extends well into the mainstream. ― Denver Rocky Mountain News "[A] new take on the fantasy-horror genre...Highly recommended. ― The Sun Herald (Sydney, Australia) The selections range from the mundane to the surreal, with a strong emphasis on the kind of horror tale perfected by Ray Bradbury, Peter Straub and Stephen King. ― San Francisco Chronicle Each of these chilling tales arrests you from the opening sentence and leads you - trustingly, thanks to the simple mastery of the story-teller - into a place of gulping fear. ― Daily Mail Subtle and disturbing in equal measure. ― Coventry Telegraph Product Description Imogene is young, beautiful, kisses like a movie star and knows everything about every