Moon on the Water [Paperback]

Mort Castle (Author), Robert Weinberg (Foreword), Lucien Stryk (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2000

Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 2000. "The stories (in MOON ON THE WATER) are by turns funny, moving, surprising and dark. Mort Castle is a writer who loves word-play, but like every writer worth his salt remembers that even for kids, play is a serious business. Play is the Real Thing. From the heart and from deep down under your skin. You'll race through one of these yarns effortlessly and then sit back and stew on it for awhile." Jack Ketchum, author of THE GIRL NEXT DOOR.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"If you're interested in what horror--the entire range of horror, not a specific sub-category--can do, pick up Moon on the Water. You'll be amazed." Thomas Deja, for "Nightmare Library," in Fangoria Magazine

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Darktales Publications (June 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 096720299X
• ISBN-13: 978-0967202990
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,874,545 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Haunting and darkly beautiful!, August 6, 2002

By 

FloozyFlapper1926 (Somewhere in the 20's) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Moon on the Water (Mass Market Paperback)

This is one of the most amazing works I've ever read. Literary and haunting, this one stays with you long after its over. Each story is a taste of darkness, deep and black, yet humorous at times as well. There are stories in here that are magic and must be read while listening to Lady Day or Coltrane. One of those is "Moon on the Water", a beautiful, stirring tale of heroin shooting jazzmen and the woman who comes into their lives and changes it forever. The ending of this story is amazing and atmospheric. Let's just say I made a few people I know read the story and they are buying the book because I couldn't part with it.

"If you take my hand, son" is a horrifying look into a dying man being crossed over to the other side. And it doesn't end the way you think it will. "Buckeye Jim in Egypt" is another powerful story about racism, unions and a look at what might happen if someone supernatural came to earth. I won't give anything else away, but its wonderful. "Love, hate and the Junkyard Sea" is another favorite. However, all these stories are great in different ways and there isn't one bad story in the bunch. That is a rare achievement.

This book is one to pick up if you love literary horror that makes you think. As poetic as a Tom Waits song, these characters are real and you will never forget them. Beautiful!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars About half-decent, December 26, 2002

By 

bonsai chicken (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Moon on the Water (Mass Market Paperback)

MOON ON THE WATER is like a meal with a delicious first course, while the rest is bland and tasteless. The collection starts off with some very good stories: a dying robber thinks of his father during his last moments; a delusional man spends half his waking hours in a fantasy world; a child's jealousy of his newborn brother grows; a man entertains a little girl who may or may not be his own. Most of them are short, and they have a satisfying bite to them.

After these, the book takes a different track. There are a few gems buried in the remainder, but too much of it consists of confused, disconnected ramblings. Many of them, even the straightforward ones, simply left me shaking my head. In addition, a number of stories couldn't be classified as horror even under the broadest definition, though I wouldn't have minded if they'd been better. Overall, a disappointment.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars has its ups, has its downs, February 26, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Moon on the Water (Mass Market Paperback)

One story in this collection alone is worth the price of admission. "The Running Horse, the High White Sound" is one of the best stories I've come across in years. I won't spoil it for you, so you'll have to trust me. But it really got to me. On the other hand, there are stories that simply left me scratching my head wondering why they were even included in the book. You could skip "With Father, at the Zoo, then Home" and "FDR: A Love Story" and not even feel bad for doint it. But don't you dare skip "A Someday Movie". Buy it. I don't think you'll be sorry.