Bram Stoker Award . International Guild of Horror Award . British Fantasy Award . Awarded by . William Crawford . Finalist of the World Fantasy Award. John Finney is thirteen years old, he is alone and in trouble For two years now, someone has been kidnapping boys in Geilsberg. And now Finney is in danger: he is locked in the basement of a psychopath, in a place stained with the blood of half a dozen murdered children. With him in the underground cell is an old phone, long disabled … But he still calls at night, and the voices of the previous victims of the serial killer are heard in the phone. "Black Phone" is one of the fifteen stories in Joe Hill's first short story collection. originally published under the title "Ghosts of the Twentieth Century" - an ingenious and frightening collection because of which this award-winning , The critically acclaimed and sought-after author has been called "a major player in twenty-first-century literary fiction". "Hill's best stories take you down the beaten paths of horror and dark alleys of the genre to a more dangerous territory - in the basements of suburban cottages, baseball fields and school yards." Take Hill as a grateful storyteller who whispers in your ear in his own words his wonderful stories, and in return asks for only a little attention. In. "Alternatively sad, scary, strange, and sometimes even cute, these stories will haunt you long after you read them." “Joe Hill is great at sneaking around .. This alone equates it with such classics of the “twilight zone” of literature as Howard Phillips Lovecraft, Ray Bradbury, Stephen King. -Christopher Golden "Inventive collection of stories ... skillful and courageous" (DT) New York Times Book Review: “Completely crafted characters with complex emotional lives amplify 14 stories in Joe Hill’s extraordinary collection.” There are no false notes or disappointing attempts in this volume.". “Stories range from creepy to cute, with an impressive selection of tactics to attack your psyche.” “This is Joe Hill’s first collection of stories, showcasing unrivalled skill in a wide variety of styles...Funny, touching, terrifying they span the full spectrum of horror.” USA Today's "Beautiful Serious Storytelling Collection" Village Voice“One of the best horror collections of the year. Joe Hill is a relative newcomer who constantly creates eerie, very disturbing stories." “Each story is unique, and the collection proves that Joe Hill’s talent is not limited to horror, but also widely distributed in the mainstream.” Denver News“A new look at the genres of fantasy and horror... Highly recommended”. The Sun Herald