Praise for ‘Fourtold’
“Fourtold is a great sampler of Michael Stone’s work. I found his easy prose, his natural, descriptive style, and near flawless presentation a joy to read, even when describing terrible angels or undead guardians of ancient tombs.
“I’d recommend the book to anyone with a taste for dark fantasy…especially something a little different than the usual tropes which tend to choke the genre.”
“Fourtold is great storytelling times four in novella form. Take this book along with you for those moments when you have to wait for an appointment or decide to grab a quick lunch by yourself, and get your terror-fix quick! Prefaced by a thoughtful foreword from award winning author Garry Kilworth, Fourtold proves that good things come in small packages.”
“With Fourtold versatility is the key note. Stone’s work covers the waterfront, ranging from the surreal and grotesque through to more traditional horror fare, and he seems equally adept with each form, while back of all these stories is what can best be described as a delight in invention, as if the author is constantly challenging himself to top what has gone before.”
Black Static
“Michael Stone’s narrative is offbeat, hilarious, and absolutely gripping.”
“Stone’s stories are both thoughtful and entertaining, and the richly-imagined lives he creates reflect on our own in ways that are not easily forgotten.”
Dred Tales
“Fourtold is like a non-stop run of some exceptionally great Twilight Zone episodes, or flipping through a collection of favorite Tales from the Crypt comics. Finishing the final novella left me hungry, yearning for more.”
“Not one of these pieces treads trails of predictability. Stone’s speculative stories are a peculiar brand of fantasy and horror, tinged with an ominous air of anything-can-happen mystery.”
“Fourtold not only touches the monkey, but slaps its ass and calls it Sally three times over.”
“One of Michael Stone’s strengths as a writer is his economy of language, which happily appears to be a natural achievement. This sharp, pared prose produces a heady rush of narrative which carries you pleasurably through his stories. There is also a certain intrinsic brilliant illumination buried in the tales.”
Garry Kilworth, winner of the British Science Fiction Award and the World Fantasy Award
“Michael Stone is a vivid and exuberant writer and a terrific storyteller.”
Graham Joyce, three times winner of the British Fantasy Award and winner of the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel
“Elegant, bizarre, beautiful and captivating, Fourtold is impossible to forget. Michael Stone proves himself to be a brilliant weaver of wonders with his debut collection.”
Joel A. Sutherland, author of Frozen Blood
“Michael Stone delivers an original collection that will stick with you long after you turn the last page. Sometimes funny, more often haunting, his deft words linger in the brain like ghosts that refuse to leave. Fourtold is a smart, complex, and very entertaining work. I can’t get the vision of the Lemon Man out of my head.”
Michael J. Hultquist, Harvest Hill co-editor and author of Off Track
Michael Stone is a gifted storyteller, weaving dark and light with a grand imagination. His characters will long haunt your heart and your dreams. Fourtold offers a rich banquet to feast on Stone’s sumptuous writing talent, and no doubt it will leave you hungering for more.”
Fran Friel, Bram Stoker Award Finalist and Author of Mama’s Boy and Other Dark Tales
“A true talent in cross-genre fiction, Michael Stone is an author to follow.”
Matt Hults, editor of The Beast Within
“Just when you start getting comfortable, just as you settle into that cozy spot on the couch and think, ‘Everything’s going to be okay,’ something springs out at you. The warmth of the new friends you’ve met melts away as you’re confronted with something uncertain, foreign, and always threatening. That’s the powerful vision Mike Stone wields, folks. Get ready to find yourself involved and invested, and get ready to glimpse inside the mirror of a true master. Fourtold is a must read.”
John Palisano, director of Man Made and Devil’s Hand, and author
The following are links to reviews that appeared on writers’ blogs and Live Journals:
