Customer Reviews

Peaceable Kingdom

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Truly a phenomenal anthology, I buzzed through Ketchum's collection like a goose through a field of June-bugs, smacking my lips at every tasty morsel.

There are thirty-two stories here in this collection, way to many to give even the briefest of synopsis for each, but trust me when I say that Ketchum runs a gamut here from realism to surrealism straight through the ethereal and on into the pits of hell itself. Yummy.

A Mother sees her ten year old son for the monster he is, a mysterious empty box that leaves death in its wake, parrots and body-painting in a haunted bar, the unbreakable melding of minds with twins, a dying author's last wish, new methods of gentlemen's justice, just to skim a few teasers.

Of special mention are the tales "Meagan's Law", a horrifying look at a real life monster that twists your views around; "The Great San Diego Sleazy Bimbo Massacre", a brutal and hilarious tale of two barflys and an unwanted husband; "The Rose", in which a tattoo artist frees a slave; and "Lines: Or Like Franco, Is Elvis Still Dead", a realistically scary tale of Fatal Attraction.

Ketchum has proven in this collection that he not only writes well, but can cross whatever genre he chooses successfully. Wild, weird, wonderful, horrific, and even inspiring, this is a must-have for you anthology collection.

Includes Introduction and Afterward by Jack Ketchum, both factually interesting enough to take note of. Enjoy!

This book is worth the price alone for the story titled MAIL ORDER, which is one of the best short horror tales I've read in years (think a more demented version of the film 8MM). Kethcum shines with this collection, and the few non-horror tales (plus a western) all keep the readers' interest. Horror fans will eat this up. The thirty-two tales fly by.

When one gets to know an author through his or her fiction, one comes to expect a certain sameness or familiarity in their work, a comfortable foundation on which they will build a new, but not entirely unfamiliar story. With Ketchum, one must only expect a well written story, because that is the only similarity you are going to get. He has written so broadly and so well over the years, and this collection is the highlight of a brilliant, if somewhat underappreciated, career. It collects most of his short fiction, contains a few stories exclusive to this edition, and reprints all but two stories from his earlier and long out of print collection The Exit At Toledo Blade Boulevard. If you get the Subterranean Press limited edition, you will find some artwork to two of the stories, if you get the Leisure edition, you will find a new afterword. I recommend them both. Some of these stories will make you laugh, some will make you cry, some will leave you stunned. The range of this author far outshines any other, and you can't go wrong with this book.

I've never read a bleaker and more paranoid writer than Jack Ketchum. Very rarely do you see a Jack Ketchum story with a happy ending, and even if there's such a thing, the story in question must've contained a few twisted elements that made you wish you didn't read it in the first place.

A story depicting a mother killing her own son after seeing the horror that he keeps in his personal hideout is just the first of this wonderfully written short story collection; most of the rest are just as thought-provoking and bleak. And to mix it up, he's even added some stories outside of his normal writing range. There are comedies and there is even a sci-fi story in "Amid the walking wounded" in there. But make no mistake, this is Ketchum you're reading and like Stephen King said, he doesn't play nice. Not at all.

Don't let your fear of Ketchum prevent you from reading this wonderful collection though. You'll be drawn in by some of the best suspense writing this industry has to offer.

This is one of the best short story collections I've put my hands on. Gone, one of the stories in this collection won the Bram-Stoker award for best short story. Keep that in mind when you check out this book.
It has everything from scares to heartache, suspense to despair.
This is must have for Ketchum fans! He is simply one of the most exciting contemporary artists working today!

Joseph McGee, author of In the Wake of the Night and Phil's Place

If you like 'some' Ketchum or 'all' Ketchum this is an absolute must have for your library! One of Ketchum's greatest draws is his diverse writing, from macabre to simply chilling, from 'mainstream' to hardcore, and from unnerving to straight out jaw clenching - and this collection covers ALL the bases!

With an introduction that will make you smile this book begins with a bang... literally in 'The Rifle.' The first story is not forgotten as you delve into the various tunnels of his macabre mind and travel through these stories that attack your senses - in fact, The Rifle is the story that sticks with me still.

Writing on the edge of reality, Ketchum empowers his readers with the gift of 'what if' and you tend to leave his works with furrowed brow and fearful contemplation. From a mother's dilemma to a western setting, he has the ability to put horror into any normal situation and remove your securities.

Characters are generally difficult to develop fully in short stories, but Ketchum leaves you with several memorable creations. There is truly something for everyone within these pages. Whether you like hardcore or subtle, modern or classic, you will walk away wanting more.

A solid 5. If you've never read Ketchum, this is a great sampler - if you have you'll love this!

Despite the western and a few soft, non-horror stories (?!), Jack Ketchum's collection PEACEABLE KINGDOM will leave horror fans (especially those into gore) hungering for more. MAIL ORDER is one of the best short horror stories in years (with an ironic and truly horrifying ending), as is THE HAUNT. Ketchum truly shines in the short story format, and delivers a much better compilation than other recent offerings on the Leisure Books label. Add two HUGE pluses for a unique and latent zombie tale as well as a very strange view of the vampire genre.

I was first turned onto Ketchum's work through a co-worker, and have been an avid fan ever since. Still have yet to read Off Season or Cover,but I've been in awe of this author since his dark coming of age tale The Girl Next Door. Ketchum's voice, in case you don't know is EXTREMELY dark which shows through his writing. This collection of stories range in styles, you have everything from westerns, to sci-fi,and of course,straight freaky-*** horror. I'm only about halfway through this book, but the stories that I will definately be re-reading are
The Box-Stoker winner for short story. Dear GOD!!!! It's creepy!!!
The Work-might be some autobiographical aspects to this story, but once you read it,you hope and pray that this won't happen.
Ketchum's voice is dark, but if you consider yourself a fan of horror, give it a try. And oh yes, Leisure books rule!!!

Short stories aren't as popular as they used to be. In fact, the short story has become an endangered species. People aren't interested in the shorter form anymore. Just look at the books lining the shelves at your local bookstore; it seems that people want bricks instead of more compact stories.

The horror genre has always found a place for the shorter format. Some writers have excelled at it; Stephen King, Douglas Clegg, Lucy Taylor... And Jack Ketchum. Ketchum should be a name familiar to any hardcore horror fan. After all, he's the man who brought us the vicious, disturbing Girl Next Door and Off Season and the wonderfully quiet horror tale Red. Peaceable Kingdom brings most of his short stories together for the reader's own pleasure.

And what a pleasure it is. This collection proves that Ketchum is an amazing talent. The tome collects hardcore horror tales, suspense stories, more dramatic fare, sci-fi based sotries... There's something for everyone in here.

Trying to point out one story over another is almost impossible. There isn't one dud in this collection. But some stories are more memorable than others; The Box and The Rifle are two of Ketchum's most known shorts, but they are also his best. Both stories are able to find horror in the ordinary and disturb reader with their realism. But more titles should be added to that list; The Haunt, Father and Son, Twins, Closing Time, Snakes, The Visitor, Exit at Toledo Blade Boulevard and especially Forever. That last story is so emotionally powerful and the ending is so shocking that it will leave you longing for more.

Ketchum is without a doubt the best horror writer out there after King himself. No one has been able to deliver the goods like Ketchum does. Everything he writes is worth reading, every story of his is a little masterpiece of horror. If you haven't yet discovered Ketchum, this is the best place to start. And if you have already discovered him, this is the must-own collection that will leave you craving for more.

This is the quintessential Jack Ketchum short fiction collection. A great place to start for the reader who wants to accquaint himself with the author's work.

The stories in this lengthy collection range from the eerie and disheartening, such as "The Box" and "Sundays," to the deeply disturbing, "Megan's Law", "the Rifle" to morbidly funny tales such as "The Great San Diego Sleazy Bimbo Massacre" and "The Business." There's even a few western ghost stories included.

Powerful, brutal, and unrelenting, Ketchum pulls no punches ad does the unthinkable to sympathetic characters. This book ranks up there with King's "Night Shift" and Barker's "Books of Blood" as one of the best horror short fiction collections ever.