Jack’s mother is a storyteller, a game-player. On an impulsive trip out to the family lake house, she spins a macabre tale for Jack and his father – a tale that, as the weekend progresses, Jack finds more and more difficult to untangle from his family’s real life.

First publication: 20th Century Ghosts
Date: 2005
Author(s): Joe Hill
Nomination(s): No
Movie: No

The books, magazines and/or collections in which these titles are also published:
· The Year’s Best Fantasy And Horror 2006, 19th Annual Collection
· Best New Fantasy
· Darkness: Two Decades Of Modern Horror

The book/story is published with these cover(s):
(Click image to see full cover)

All covers
20th Century Ghosts
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–		 9780312356156
Hardcover
St. Martin’s Press
2006		 9780312356149
Paperback
St. martin’s Press
2006		 9780809556786
Paperback
Prime Books
2006
9781892391957
Paperback
Tachyon
2010

Information about edition(s):
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The story starts as follows:
On the drive to Big Cat Lake, we played a game. It was my mother’s idea. It was dusk by the time we reached the state highway, and when there was no light left in the sky, except for a splash of cold, pale brilliance in the west, she told me they were looking for me.
‘They’re playing-card people,’ she said. ‘Queens and kings. They’re so flat they can slip themselves under doors. They’ll be coming from the other direction, from the lake. Searching for us Trying to head us off. Get out of sight whenever someone comes the other way. Quick, get down. Here comes one of them now.’

Other information:
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Nomination(s):
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Movie:
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