Dark Water

Love love Koji Suzuki's horror stories ♡

The short stories really draw you in. Very eerie and excellent character development. Koji Suzuki is also the writer of the Ring series of horror novels and if you haven’t read those you need to!

This one was brought to my attention by a YouTuber I follow, named Magnus Mephisto, and it was quite the ride actually.My favorites were Floating water, Forest under the sea, The hold and solitary isle, they were cool and pretty particulars.The others weren't that bad, it were just a little weird for me actually.The physiological stress they put you under is amazing, you kept reading and wandering what can be true what cannot, since actually one of his stories already resembles a world class mystery with the Death of Elisa Lam, it just makes you wonder what else could you find in this strange world of ours.

After reading the Ring for a college horror class, Suzuki had me hooked. This is the second book of his that I have read and it is superb. He conveys a sense of dread and curiosity in his stories, I love his take on horror and I found it difficult to put this book down. There's an excellent sense of mystery in each of these short horror stories, I never wanted any of the stories to end but when they did I found each one quite fulfilling. I enjoy Suzuki's horror because it is just that, horror, a true dreadful horror, where as authors like King I tend to find that version of horror to be rather depressing, a book like Carrie left me sad where as Suzuki gets my adrenaline pumping (this is just my very personal opinion, everyone has different taste!) I also read this book on the beach, which I definitely recommend, truly adds to the overall creepiness this anthology of horror stories creates

This is the 6th book I've read by Koji Suzuki, and I've loved every single one!! I hesitated to buy Dark Water, as I thought it would be something I'd already "seen" - the first story, "Floating Water," was made into the movie called "Dark Water" (along with a U.S. remake of the film). What a wonderful surprise!! Not only was the story itself wonderful, but the entire book (all short stories based on water-related themes) was amazing. A segment of Masters of Horror called "Dream Cruise" was also credited to Suzuki, although the story in the book was VERY different from the episode of that series.This was an absolutely incredible journey, from beginning to end. I read it in 2 days, as I simply couldn't put it down!! Suzuki has become my favorite Japanese writer, and Dark Water is a good example of why - even though I liked his book "Edge" far better (this author is very much into quantum physics, which I love!!), every single one of his books has been a delight to read, and I won't stop reading his work until he's stopped writing!! HIGHLY recommended for those who love good horror stories - Japanese or otherwise!! Excellent translation, as well!!

Water, it has a stong effect on our subconscious, whether it be a stream, lake, pond, or ocean. It bring us back to our primordial past, back to the womb, therefore it is full of mystery and sometimes unsettling feelings. All the tales in Dark Water relate to water in one manner or another.The first story is chilling enough to make one never want to drink tap water ever again. I can see why this was made into a movie, an everyday thing in our lives has been transformed into something completely vile.Although Koji Suzuki is more known for his stories that relate to horror/supernatural, not every story in this book has a supernatural slant, some are just plain though provoking and strange. Solitary Isle and Forest Under the Sea aren't as supernatural and rely more on those primal, subconcious feelings.For fans of the supernatural there are chilling stories like The Hold, and Dream Cruise, one speaks of a man's descent into madness after the disappearance of his wife, and the other tells of a man's wish to sail in a yacht when the crew on his fishing boat find an abandoned one on the ocean.I can see why some people see Koji Suzuki as the Japanese Stephen King, his writings are able to capture the imagination in fantastic ways that can leave one feeling unsettled for hours after reading.

Koji Suzuki never fails to deliver eerie stories. Dark Water has been one of my favorite horror anthologies since I first read it. This book includes the short story that the Hollywood adaption staring Jennifer Connelly, which is totally different that the story. If you disliked the horror movie, please don't let it deter your from buying this book. The story in question is a haunting part of a larger work that will make you think twice about going for a swim or taking a long hot bath. I've read the book three times in entirety and go back to individual stories at least once a year. If you are looking for a new horror story to enjoy, be sure to pick up this book TODAY.