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