It can’t be easy trying to make your own way as a horror writer when your dad is Stephen King. This collection of short stories was my introduction to Joe Hill and I was pleasantly surprised. He was very clearly inspired by his father’s work, but he also brings his own style to his writing. 20th Century Ghosts is Hill’s first published collection, and though the title suggests it belongs to the horror genre, it’s actually a quite diverse collection of many different styles, mainly centering around the theme of childhood trauma. It’s honestly not the best collection of short stories I’ve ever ready, but Hill has a lot of potential and it was a pretty enjoyable read overall. I’ll definitely be reading more of his work. Individual story ratings below.

Best New Horror: The editor of a horror anthology seeks out the author of a story that captivated him and gets pulled into a horror of his own. I thought this one was a modern masterpiece. ★★★★★

20th Century Ghost: An aging theatre owner tells the story of his relationship with the theatre, and the girl who haunts it. One of the few ghost stories in this collection, and beautifully written. ★★★★☆

Pop Art: I wasn’t able to suspend my disbelief enough to fully enjoy a story about a living boy made of plastic and filled with air, though it was an interesting story with well-developed characters and despite not being able to completely connect with it, the ending hurt. ★★★☆☆

You Will Hear the Locust Sing: A boy wakes up to discover that he has turned into a giant bug. Another story that was just too unbelievable for me to really get into, but the story wasn’t as good as Pop Art. ★☆☆☆☆

Abraham’s Boys: I’m personally not really a fan of vampire stories, but the concept of the Van Helsing family life was a unique one. ★★☆☆☆

Better Than Home: I found this one a bit boring. I might at some point go back and read it again to see if I’ll appreciate it more, but it’s not what I came here for. ★☆☆☆☆

The Black Phone: Young boys start disappearing in a small town. When Finney is kidnapped, he starts receiving calls from the killer’s previous victims on a strange black phone on the basement wall. This one was pretty creepy, though I expected the ending to be a little more creative. ★★★☆☆

In the Rundown: I thought this was one of the weakest points of this collection because it didn’t really feel like a finished story. It could have been interesting, but instead it just…ended. ★☆☆☆☆

The Cape: A well-written story about a boy who has the ability to fly but he doesn’t fully realize his power until adulthood. I felt that this story ran on a bit long, but the surprise ending was a nice touch. ★★★☆☆

Last Breath: A family visits a strange roadside attraction, where the curator has collected the dying words of his victims. This was delightfully creepy. ★★★★☆

The Widow’s Breakfast: This one was weird. It was a really sad tale of a drifter who is dealing with loss and loneliness. He comes across a family living in an old farmhouse who shows him kindness and…it’s all just a punchline to a joke nobody asked for? Three stars because it’s well written until the ending. ★★★☆☆

Dead Wood: Another beautifully written story that isn’t really a story. If you’re looking for something with a plot, it might be best to skip this one, but if you enjoy good writing you might like it. ★★★★☆

Bobby Conroy Comes Back from the Dead: Two former lovers reunite decades later and reflect on what could have been. Not a horror or thriller at all, but I thought this story was really beautiful. ★★★★★

My Father’s Mask: Honestly, I had to read this one twice to figure out what was going on, and I still had no idea. ★★☆☆☆

Voluntary Committal: This one was good, but like The Cape, I felt like it could have been told better in less pages. ★★★☆☆

Scheherazade’s Typewriter: Joe Hill left one last little gift for his readers at the end of the acknowledgements simply because he didn’t think anyone had hidden a story in the end of a book before. Short, but worth sticking around for. ★★★☆☆