Dark Screams, Vol. 1

This short anthology includes five captivating tales of horror from great contemporary writers, including Stephen King, Kelley Armstrong, and Ramsey Campbell. The tales are bound together by a theme of captivity in either a literal or metaphorical way. All of the stories—including King’s, about bodily invasion by aliens, and Clark’s, about being chained to a giant madman—seize upon the concept of freedom in haunting and eerie ways. Though previously published, these tales will keep listeners locked to their earphones, especially with reader Daniels’s skillful narration. His deep voice grips listeners and demands their attention throughout the collection. He combines emphasis and timing for the maximum anxiety-inducing effects, while also managing to capture personalities of the different characters in each story. A Hydra e-book . (Jan.)