The story of the two most famous art-horror directors of the period in a fictional early 1960s Hollywood and their vicious rivalry as told first-person by their mutual cinematographer. Thought provoking, resonating, like Malerman's other equally superb novella, A House at the Bottom of a Lake.

I didn't enjoy this short story as much as The House at the Bottom of the Lake or Bird Box, but I think that had a lot to do with the subject matter. I have to admit that the way the story was told was very good. Malermam is a very talented writer, to be sure. This one just didn't speak to me

A great little short story and so, so much better than the disappointing Bird Box.

The writing and story itself were great, however, this was not a book for me. The ideas weren't anything I was familiar with as I'm not a fan of the horror movie genre. The ending was quite abrupt as well and I went back and forth on the kindle a few times to make sure that I didn't get click happy and skip a page. I'd recommend only if a true fan of horror.

Engaging story from Malerman that treads different waters than what we’re used to, this is horror, but subtle, more an exploration of a genre and a movement but told through the lens of a cinematographer who worked with two of horrors emerging talents, warring filmmakers in their quest to outdo one another and also all of the genres films that came before. The storytelling as ever is beguiling, and although this was a shorter slice of horror it was full of brilliance and was as beguiling as some...

-- Review originally posted on Robots Read --I recently read that it takes about three books for most readers to become truly enarmored with an author’s work. If they’re still happily awaiting any new releases of yours after that, then congrats, you’ve got yourself a loyal fan.That being said, I’ve read and loved both Bird Box and A House at the Bottom of a Lake (see Rosey and my discussion here) by Josh Malerman and have been eyeing another story of his for quite some time. Unfortunately I alwa...

Great quick readMalerman follows up Birdbox with an odd little story that contains great visuals. I found myself picturing the scenes as they are described, you can almost visualize the art of the scenes as they would be seen through the directors eyes. Enjoyed as a quick read.

Picked this up on a whim through Prime Reading on Amazon and actually enjoyed it. It takes a bit to get into what's going on but when you do, it's pretty decent reading. The descriptions of the movies in the book made me want them to be actually made so I could see them!

I absolutely loved Bird Box by this author, even though horror is not my genre of choice. Unable to sleep a few nights ago, I was going through the kindle shorts and noticed this and on impulse just pressed the buy button. It definitely took me out of my comfort zone, but if this was a full-sized novel I don't think I would be able to finish it. If you're a fan of horror movies, this is a must read.

3 & 1/2 stars. Interesting. Very interesting.After loving Josh Malerman's Bird Box, naturally my expectations for Ghastle and Yule were a little raised. Okay, I was freaking pumped to find this. Is it as good as Bird Box? No. But it was a very entertaining short story that is just spilling over with love for the horror genre.Also, I completely broke down into giggles at this passage."It either follows the footprints of an indeterminate living thing as it crosses the snow covered mountains of Alb...

This short story is one hell of a good time...IF you are a big fan of horror and cinema. I can see others who read Bird Box but aren't explicitly horror fans not enjoying this, though. Luckily, I am a huge fan of the genre and the behind the scenes of film-making (since that's what I do for a living) so this story was pretty much made for me. It tells the tale of two competing filmmakers, their rise to popularity and critical success and their upward/downward spiral(s). Perhaps the most enjoyabl...

Someone get Christopher Nolan on the phone stat!This novella, included as a bonus with the excellent Bird Box, is so filmic in it's plot and qualities it veritably screams for an adaption by someone of Nolan's ability, perhaps in part because it mirrors his earlier work in films like The Prestige. Here, rather than magicians, we have two directors both competing against each other in 1960's Hollywood to establish a new genre perhaps best described as 'auteur horror'. The story, told from the per...

Josh Malerman can do no wrong in my eyes. This story of two warring horror directors had me wanting this to adapted by the very talented English writer/director Mark Gatiss. The end was very macabre and odd and just perfect. Loved this.

I couldn't decide between 3 and 4 stars, so let's call it 3.5. I enjoyed reading this, and I appreciated the amount of thought put into it. The ending felt a predictable and a little anti-climactic, but this wasn't the kind of roller coaster of a book that I felt needed a crazy reveal or twist or something. The way it went was how I expected it to go, but that wasn't entirely a bad thing.

Great character development in such a short story. This is well thought out, original, and well written. I read this author's book, Bird Box, and had a few moments of anxiety. It's exciting when a writer can make you feel a strong emotion like that, I'm usually so bored. With these two works I can see amazing potential for the future

What happens when 2 new directors come onto the horror scene at the same time? Their first film is a collaboration. Then slowly they part and make their own movies or do they? As one career takes off quickly the other slowly comes around. As their popularity rises so do the rumors. Each director accusing the other as stealing their ideas. Then one day the both have the exact same idea and approach the cinematographer. He doesn't know what to do. Legal battles draw out for the rights of ownership...

Because Josh Malerman is my God....And kindle unlimited.________________________I want to marry Josh Malerman. First of all, he's hot.Second of all, he's the singer of a really awesome band called The High Strung. Find them on Spotify. Or Pandora. Seriously. They're great.And third of all, he writes amazing books.Though this little novella isn't as good as his full length debut, Bird Box, it is a stellar story. Gordon Ghastle and Allan Yule are two newbie horror film directors from the sixties w...

This is a comedy for horror geeks. A quick, sharp read that tells of a feud between two directors of horror films.The main body of the story comprises of wonderful hints and impressions of the their bizarre and outlandish movies. What makes the story exceptional is within this structure Malerman delivers building dread and an actual horror ending to the novella. As a short work, it could have used a touch more fleshing out here and there, but I read the book with a big smile on my face, which I’...

Definitely intriguing and captivating. The films mentioned within are now films I want to watch. It's a good read and it's short.

This one is a bit difficult to rate...Let's start by saying this:It's not like BIRD BOX - most of the reviews will tell you.It's a very short story - 54 pages. It is written by the (unnamed) cinematographer of these two directors - Ghastle and Yule, who created the sub-genre called "Meaningful Macabre" in the late 1950's.And at the start, it reads very much like the thoughts of an insider in the immoral, whorish movie business that is Hollywood. A lot of name dropping and references, yet the con...