Nightmares From Eberus

Books can be tricky when it comes to defining your "taste" but it is always nice to have something that provides a sample of different stories that enevitably help you as a consumer, refine your future literary preferences. With that said, overall, Nightmares From Eberus (not Nightmares from Erebus which I agree would of been better) is a good read. It danced through so many topics and raised so many questions that I couldn't help but explain some stories to friends to discuss the possibilities and question of our own preconceived notions of truth. Obviously this book does need some grammatical fine tunning but that is not my area of expertise and nor do I wish to bore anyone with those corrections or comments. I do not want to review each story to be fair to the reader's preferences but I will comment on the one's that I found particularly juicy and left me craving more. J.C. De La Torre started out Nightmares From Eberus on a unsuspecting strong foundation. Continuum Force-The New Guy (I think there's a better title out there) blew my mind. I am a big history buff and I have never thought about any alternative histories that might have been or could have been. This chapter also took me by surprise for I was expecting a more "nightmarish" (if that is a word) book. Nor did I expect string theory to get mixed up with roswell and the fall of the Roman Empire, but for me, that made this story and book even more unique! The only story that left me remotely "scarred" (not really but I would let it fall in that genre), I would say it's more creeptacular, was Serial. As a twilight fan, I did enjoy this story, but I think I enjoy vampire stories in generally because I also enjoy the classics. Maybe it's the immortality, mysteriousness, and power but realistically, when it comes to brass tax, would you really want to become one? A life of savagery (not just drinking blood but essentially devouring people and/or their organs), "cleaning-up" meals and evading, essentially becomming a loner, but when one finds themselves in flight or fight, live or die circumstances, it's the bodies natural reaction to fight and live, but what if that was the consequence? Think about that one Twilighters and see if you are still wishing to be "vegetarian, sparkling" vampires! I loved the perspective the story was told from, I loved the characters, I loved the return to the more mainstream mentality of vampires but I did like the twist, and truthfully when I finished the story, I felt like reading serial again. I really think with the popularity of vampires right now and using this new twist could attract a larger adult audience and become a huge seller. If I were to explore, expand, and continue one of these stories, it would most definitely be Serial! Inspiration for Shockers was instantly recognizable but the story did become interesting when things seemed to be "wrapping up". More detail could have been used about the paranormal activity to make it a little longer, creepier, and provide that "blair witch" or "paranormal activity" effect. Again, this story reads like a movie and when that happens for me, I think that is some great writing because no one enjoys re-reading a page just to get the facts straight. Plus this story had an awesome historical set up, reader familiarity, suspense, climax, and creepy resolution. Great formula. The last story I will touch on is Lucifer's Lament. I do not have many words to say other than, wow. I know my history and religion and once again JC De La Torre has thought outside of the box and provided a new but unsuspecting viewpoint. I was hesistant to read a story involving religion for obvious reasons (everyone has their opinions) but this is a great story to step back from thinking of religion as a belief, idea, and way of life and just listening to all sides as a mediator. The story has not changed my personal beliefs but it has definitely given me something to chew on (which makes me wonder if chewing on it is wrong;)(Food for thought, but wasn't it food that got the ball of mischief rolling?). That last bit would make a little more sense after reading that story. Summary: Nightmares From Eberus contains 10 fictioal short stories that mainly can be classified under sci-fi. The book has some great stories that will get those wheels turning about "what-if" possibilities. It is another good conspiracy book. Every story may not be for everyone but I am sure if you enjoy fiction, sci-fi, paranormal, vampires, short stories or fantasy, you will have no problem finding some entertainment value from this book.

Date of Posting: 01 March 2011
Posted By: Renee Thompson

Nightmares From Eberus, A Speculative Fiction Collection by JC De La Torre is an interesting mixture of stories that create a book that is shaken and stirred, leaving it a bit murky around the edges. The majority of the short stories contained in the book are dark fantasy or creep into horror, but there are a couple of sci-fi tales thrown into the mix. I liked the author’s take on the world of dark fantasy, with the standout tales for me being Shockers and Serial. Shockers is both a takeoff of ghost hunting shows and a chilling paranormal story, while Serial is a nice old-fashioned vampire tale. However, I really felt the author was off his game when it came to the sci-fi stories; they didn’t quite gel in my opinion, veering too near to caricature for my taste. Continuum Force – The New Guy in particular I didn’t enjoy; it seemed to be in need of a good edit. The idea behind the story was very fascinating and thought-provoking, but it just required more substance. On average, the stories in Nightmares From Eberus are reasonably enjoyable, ripe with intriguing premise and often tinged with a nice edge of satire, although sometimes that satire moved too close to unrealistic exaggeration. Still, it was a satisfying enough book to read, if not an exceptional one. At least for me.

Date of Posting: 01 March 2011
Posted By: AF Stewart
Author

Nightmares From Eberus: A Speculative Fiction Collection by JC De La Torre is a wonderful collection of stories that spark multi-level emotions and further imaginings. The author provides a fair range of genres in this collection, horror, sci-fi, paranormal, speculative etc. did find myself wanting to know more about a number of characters throughout this collection, asking, ‘what could have been?’ or thinking ,this could have been a great novella or novel if the premise had been further developed’. As I read a great deal of horror and sci-fi, I found myself wanting more stories like the creepy ‘Serial’, ‘Gator Country’ and ‘Shockers’, my favorites here. ‘Lucifer's Lament’ will most assuredly provoke some level of outrage in those that would deem it near blasphemy, however, for those that can appreciate the author’s take on the story line and can, for a short time at least, think outside the religious ‘box’, it should spark the reader to at least get a chuckle at some of the ideas and views that truly push at, or explode past the ‘box’ edges. The other stories fall somewhere in the middle. Overall, worth the read and I for one am looking forward to more from De La Torre.

Date of Posting: 01 March 2011
Posted By: Dennis Clarke

This is an eclectic collection of short stories from a talented author. Topics include time travel, vampires, twisted reality shows, psychics, mythology, and mobsters. Truly, how can any reader not find something to love within these pages? I'm a sucker for character-driven fiction and De La Torre doesn't disappoint. His characters are all unique, a little crazy, a lot of fun, and keep you turning pages. Great entertainment!

Date of Posting: 01 March 2011
Posted By: Book Addict

The introduction is written in a funny style making curious about the stories that will follow. I loved the vampire story, the island story and the haunted house story was my favorite - it scared and shocked me, letting a bad feeling in me :). Killing Osama is captivating but I would have preferred a other end t it. It kind of depressed me. All in all I really enjoyed reading this book, once a story started I couldn't stop before the end. The only story I didn't like was the last one, it is not my kind of thing. Looking forward to the next short stories book!

Date of Posting: 24 August 2010
Posted By: ureshii ly
paris, france

De La Torre takes you on a trip through the darkness, challenging religious dogma, pop culture stereotypes, and personal belief while delivering a ten pack of outstanding, well written short stories.

Date of Posting: 29 June 2010
Posted By: Spec Fic Stories Review