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Legends of the Mountain State #2
Legends of the Mountain State 2
After putting together this anthology's predecessor, Legends of the Mountain State: Ghostly Tales from the State of West Virginia, editor Michael Knost realized he had barely scratched the surface with Mountain State folklore. The first time around, thirteen extraordinary authors had contributed horrifying tales that left everyone goosebumped and scared of the dark. After seeing great success with the project, Woodland Press, publishers of the first edition, asked Knost to put together a second editionone that focused on thirteen additional ghost stories and mountain legends. The new project, which is arguably scarier than its predecessor, embodies the same tone and texture of its forerunnerwith 13 nationally known authors and storytellers. According to Knost, this new volume, Legends of the Mountain State 2, offers fresh meat to those who devoured the stories in the first volume.
120 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 2008
94 people want to read
About the author
Michael Knost
39 books35 followersBram Stoker Award-winner Michael Knost is an author, editor, and columnist of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and supernatural thrillers. He has written many books in various genres, helmed anthologies such as the Bram Stoker Award-nominated Barbers & Beauties. His Writers Workshop of Horror won the 2009 Bram Stoker Award for superior achievement in nonfiction. His critically acclaimed Writers Workshop of Science Fiction & Fantasy came out in early 2013—a writer’s guide with works by Neil Gaiman, Orson Scott Card, Ursula K. Le Guin, and many others. His latest novel is Return of the Mothman. To find out more, visit www.MichaelKnost.com.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 2, 2021
This is the second in a series of anthologies of original supernatural stories set in the state of West Virginia. The book contains a bakers' dozen of tales, most of them good, short ghost stories. (Not many of the authors are actually from West Virginia, but I got the idea that most of them had at least visited.) I particularly enjoyed the ones by Mark Justice, Maurice Broaddus, and Brian J. Hatcher, not to mention Michael Laimo (even if he does refer to a twelve year old as a teenager), Gary A. Braunbeck, Lucy A. Snyder, and Mary SanGiovanni. My favorite was an unusual Sherlock Holmes story by Jonathan Maberry, The Adventure of the Greenbrier Ghost. I was a bit bothered by the farrier, who is described twice as the man who made shoes for horses and cows, because I don't believe cattle wear shoes due to the cloven hoof thing, but maybe things were different in the 19th century. Once I got past that, I really enjoyed seeing Holmes and Watson in the wild and wonderful. Overall, it's a fun little spooky volume.
January 15, 2023
I absolutely loved this book. Dark Wisdom stuck with me. I hope to read the other books. A must read if you are a fan of haunted West Virginia.
February 2, 2013
A haunting book filled with a mix of sorrowful and horrific tales from Appalachian authors. I enjoyed all of the stories found in this collection. My favorite story is The Adventure of the Greenbrier Ghost by Jonathan Maberry, who utilized Sherlock Holmes to retell one of West Virginia's most famous ghost stories, The Greenbrier Ghost. LOL, but yes, I squeed when I started that story!
Dancing in Time to the Beating Heart of the World by Mark Justice, An Angel in the Balcony by Brian J. Hatcher, and Andi by Mary SanGiovanni left me melancholic because the stories play off emotions revolving around children. I'm an infertile woman - those stories made my own internal wounds sting.
Dancing in Time to the Beating Heart of the World by Mark Justice, An Angel in the Balcony by Brian J. Hatcher, and Andi by Mary SanGiovanni left me melancholic because the stories play off emotions revolving around children. I'm an infertile woman - those stories made my own internal wounds sting.
August 28, 2010
As a collection, the thirteen stories in Legends of the Mountain State 2: More Ghostly Tales from the State of West Virginia work cohesively to paint a multi-layered portrait of a working-class region overflowing with superstition and ghostly lore. As in the first volume, editor Knost does a commendable job balancing the terror and tenderness. Individually, some of the stories feel restrained by an arbitrary word count, like butterflies whose wings can’t fully spread because of the constraints of their cocoons.
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January 10, 2014
I enjoyed this book. It even mentions my old high school in one of the stories. Awesome!
August 17, 2015
As with its predecessor, fictional stories based on locations and possible lore in West Virginia.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
