I just found the stories to be okay - nothing shocking, nothing surprising. Still, it was an acceptable read. Not sure that I would recommend it unless the topic interests you already. ( )

Any anthology, in particular a themed anthology, and deeper still a small-press anthology, is likely to be a roller-coaster ride. Needless to say, The Heroin Chronicles, a collection of short stories revolving around heroin and heroin addiction, struck me as having a greater-than-average chance to be a roller coaster with some serious low points.

There wasn't much slogging to do. The writing, cover to cover, is strong – I was never tempted to punt on a story before the end. That the stories are all worth finishing may not sound like high praise, but for a 'project' collection like this, it actually is (see paragraph 1 and roller coasters). The fact that there are a few truly arresting, evocative gems in the bunch deserves even higher praise.

Given the subject matter, the stories are as gritty and difficult, and often as violent, as you might expect. And for anyone familiar with the psychology of addiction, the lack of redemption of any kind will make perfect sense. In the weaker stories in the book, shock value gets substituted for organic momentum to move some of the stories along – again, not bad writing, but they feel like overt attempts to manipulate the reader. Ironic that this is the flaw in the some of the stories, given that most of the characters who populate the book, true to type, are major-league talents when it comes to manipulation, both pitching and catching.

Among the gems in the book: “Dos Mac + The Jones” by Nathan Larson, who, among other things, scored the movie 'Boys Don't Cry' (and many others). Set in a post semi-apocalyptic New York City (call it New York, post-United States), the main character, trying to score in this scorched landscape, takes the reader along on a tour of what was once Manhattan. Larson's sparse descriptions evoke the entire landscape, local and global, and Dos Mac, the protagonist, is a junkie you can root for. “Gift Horse” by Jervey Tervalon has a gritty noir feel to it – heroin is the catalyst in the story rather than the topic, and the pacing is as good as the rhythm of the writing itself.

All in all, a collection worth reading in every sense – culturally, artistically, and yes, as a warning to stay the hell away from heroin. ( )

Some good stories, some not so good, some disturbing (which I do believe they were meant to be). My favorite was the post-apocalyptic one, "Dos Mac + The Jones." ( )

This is a pretty great collection of writing. All of the stories involve heroin but do not necessarily center around the drug. I think that this book is batting 80/20 in favor of great stories, which is impressive for the 13 different writers they've compiled here. The standout writers I'll probably seek more work from include Tony O'Neill, Nathan Larson & Antonia Crane. The 20% of the stories I didn't care for may just not be my style. But overall I recommend checking this out. ( )

This is a scary collection of stories. It should be required reading for high school - a sort of "Scared Straight" for potential junkies. The lengths the addicts went to to procure their fix was astonishing and heartbreaking. My favorite selection was the very first story "Fragments of Joe" by Tony O'Neil. it was the story of two addicts trying and failing to kick, who find themselves murdered in a drug deal gone wrong, except even death doesn't end their need to get straight. This whole collection made me want to search out each of these authors for further works. I now have to put the first two books in this series: "The Speed Chronicles" and "The Cocaine Chronicles" on my "To Read" list, and I eagerly await the next in the series: "The Marijuana Chronicles" ( )