Something for Everyone

There are 27 short stories in this collection, along with an introduction by Neil Gaiman. Each story has its own chapter. I found it incredibly frustrating that Audible did not provide information on the individual stories, so I put together the following list of Chapter numbers, story titles, authors, narrators, and story lengths. My favorites include "Blood", "The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains", "Juvenal Nyx", "Goblin Lake", "Catch and Release", "Loser", "Unwell", "A Life in Fictions", "Let the Past Begin", "Parallel Lines", and "The Devil on the Staircase".

1. “Introduction – Just Four Words” by Neil Gaiman – narrated by Neil Gaiman – 8:23

2. “Blood” by Roddy Doyle – narrated by Euan Morton – 22:24

3. “Fossil-Figures” by Joyce Carol Oates – narrated by Anne Bobby – 37:02

4. “Wildfire in Manhattan” by Joanne Harris – narrated by Jonathan Davis – 50:53

5. “The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains” by Neil Gaiman – narrated by Euan Morton – 1:03:19

6. “Unbelief” by Michael Marshall Smith – narrated by Peter Francis James – 16:33

7. “The Stars are Falling” by Joe R. Lansdale – narrated by Jonathan Davis – 1:10:39

8. “Juvenal Nyx” by Walter Mosley – narrated by Peter Francis James – 1:15:55

9. “The Knife” by Richard Adams – narrated by Euan Morton – 6:42

10. “Weights and Measures” by Jodi Picoult – narrated by Anne Bobby – 37:08

11. “Goblin Lake” by Michael Swanwick – narrated by Jonathan Davis – 35:04

12. “Mallon the Guru” by Peter Straub – narrated by Peter Francis James – 14:42

13. “Catch and Release” by Lawrence Block – narrated by Jonathan Davis – 34:04

14. “Polka Dots and Moonbeams” by Jeffrey Ford – narrated by Peter Francis James – 34:41

15. “Loser” by Chuck Palahniuk – narrated by Jonathan Davis – 16:50

16. “Samantha’s Diary” by Diana Wynne Jones – narrated by Katherine Kellgren – 35:36

17. “Land of the Lost” by Steward O’Nan – narrated by Anne Bobby – 12:22

18. “Leif in the Wind” by Gene Wolfe – narrated by Katherine Kellgren – 27:56

19. “Unwell” by Carolyn Parkhurst – narrated by Anne Bobby – 27:51

20. “A Life in Fictions” by Kat Howard – narrated by Katherine Kellgren – 11:21

21. “Let the Past Begin” by Jonathan Carroll – narrated by Jonathan Davis – 31:13

22. “The Therapist” by Jeffrey Deaver – narrated by Peter Francis James – 1:25:59

23. “Parallel Lines” by Tim Powers – narrated by Anne Bobby – 26:34

24. “The Cult of the Nose” by Al Sarrantonio – narrated by Peter Francis James – 22:58

25. “Human Intelligence” by Kurt Anderson – narrated by Katherine Kellgren – 45:04

26. “Stories” by Michael Moorcock – narrated by Euan Morton – 58:39

27. “The Maiden Flight of McCauley’s Bellerophon” by Elizabeth Hand – narrated by Jonathan Davis – 2:23:02

28. “The Devil on the Staircase” by Joe Hill – narrated by Peter Francis James – 39:06
(The last 4:50 of this chapter is the end credits for the audiobook)

145 people found this helpful

Tales of the Macabre

Fall is the time for spooky stories and this collection suits the season well. Not tales of horror or ghost stories per se, these stories all deliciously skirt along the borderline between reality and unreality, the natural and the supernatural, wonder and horror. Almost all succeed in evoking an eerie dreamlike surrealism in settings ranging from an ancient Celtic island to modern day NYC.

As in any collection of stories, there will be some that appeal more than others. I was going to list some of my favorites, but the list got too long (although Gaiman's The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains is exceptional). The various narrators are each wonderfully suited to and adept at the stories they read.

If you prefer high levels of action and graphic horror, this book is probably not what you're looking for. But if you like stories which could be told around a fire on a stormy fall night and which will leave you with a prickly feeling on your neck, you will find this collection quite to your taste.

35 people found this helpful

Story titles better than "Chapter 1" etc.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

On the basis of content and narration, yes I would reccomend to a friend. There were a few duds (I'm looking at you, Michael Moorcock), but most of the stories were entertaining and thought-provoking

What did you like best about this story?

It wasn't one story, it was anthology of stories. A few had a Christmas theme, but it wasn't a Christmas-themed anthology overall.

Any additional comments?

Please consider listing story titles instead of merely chapter headings for anthologies such as this.

6 people found this helpful

Too focused on rape/murder/etc

These stories are much, much darker than I expected, so much so that Gaiman’s contribution was actually one of the lightest in the bunch.

I wanted slightly spooky, otherworldly, magical stories (and there are some here), but for the most part, these stories are less fantasy, and more fever dream.

Don’t get me wrong, the stories are well written. Just leaning a bit too hard on horror for my liking.

5 people found this helpful

overall it's art,worth a credit few duds expected

i found it pleasant and conforting to be taken on a new journey by new authors, 8/10 were 4 stars or better. this book it setup to last a while, im on the hunt now for more like it.

quite a few of these authors were extremly gifted, the short story format allows some to twist a perfect tale. thanks for organizing these poets neil gamen.

20 people found this helpful

I Love This Book! They really are All-New Tales.

What did you love best about Stories?

The stories are brand new...really new! A fresh take on "unusual" characters and plots with really good narration.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

There is such a varied collection of stories it is difficult to speak of them as a whole but I enjoyed the mystery, humor, sass and the pure creative spirit of this audio book.

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

There are multiple narrators. These stories uncannily have the right narrator for each one.

Who was the most memorable character of Stories and why?

Joyce Carol Oates' "Fossil Figures" a story of twins was a favorite as was "Wild Fire in Manhattan" by Joanne Harris, "Juvenal Nicks" by Walter Mosley plus "Catch and Release" by Lawrence Block, Actually too many characters over-all to list.

Any additional comments?

Lots of listening time. I have listened to these stories multiple times and probably will continue to do so. This is a favorite "travel buddy". Of at lease 25+ audio books, this is the only one to which I repeatedly return.

7 people found this helpful

Excellent way to past the time

If you could sum up Stories in three words, what would they be?

The stories are varied and they're all well acted. There are a lot of stories of varying lengths so there is something for everyone.

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite story is about Deel and his return form the war

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

There are several really good narrators- all gave a really great performance

If you could rename Stories, what would you call it?

Moments to Ponder

Any additional comments?

Highly recommend.

6 people found this helpful

A pleasure

Where does Stories rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

In my top 3

What did you like best about this story?

Well, it is a collection of stories from a variety of authors which makes each a unique and worthwhile listen. There is a wonderful dearth of literary perspective each author presents.

Have you listened to any of the narrators’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

It is a cast reading, and each gave life to the story that he/she was reading.

If you could rename Stories, what would you call it?

I would, the name piques curiosity in such a way as to draw the reader in. Besides, each story is different and there is no better unifying title than the name of the collection.

6 people found this helpful

Loved it!

Amazing stories with wonderful readers. I recommend it. It has been a wonderful company for lonely times.

16 people found this helpful

False advertising

Neil Gaiman's intro suggests these are great stories well told, but that is untrue. Most are below average, more like fan fiction from people who are not fans of the macabre or whatever this is supposed to be. These stories are nothing special, most are predictable, some have terrible or abrupt endings, as if the writers had no idea where to go. They feel phoned in, pedestrian, written by amateurs. If you are a true aficionado of the weird, pass on this or be disappointed. If this is the height of Gaiman's taste, he obviously prefers to sip from the bottom of the barrel.

2 people found this helpful