| Title | : | Collage Macabre: An Exhibition of Art Horror |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | ebook |
| Number of Pages | : | 273 |
| Publication | : | First published April 15, 2023 |
Through these eighteen stories, dread is the medium of choice, winding its way through each unsettling and terrifying tale about human creation, the artistic follies and triumphs we imbue with so much meaning. You will find artists and audiences alike grappling with confrontations beyond their comprehension, works that require more than careful consideration—sometimes a little bit of blood is necessary. Art is alive if you are. Inside these pages you will be asked to open yourself up like a wound and expose your mind to the darker side of our oeuvre.
Collage Macabre: An Exhibition of Art Horror Reviews
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Please note, I do not rate on goodreads.
Collage Macabre, An Exhibition of Art Horror, is an array of dark and twisted stories, all of which are conceptualized from an art form. From paintings to performance, graffiti to the Gothic, the anthology is a cornucopia of creative delight in the damned.
I’m a sucker for fiction that uses art as a theme, so when I was offered the chance to read an ARC I jumped at it. A few of the authors were already known to me, though the majority were new. That’s one of the things I love about anthologies, you get to discover new voices. Of course I had my favourite stories, it’s inevitable, but each and every story was strong here. I tend towards period pieces and the Gothic, but a few of the stories set in modern day blew me away and I’ll be keeping an eye out for those writers in the future.
One of the things I loved most about this anthology was the way it looked at the broad spectrum of ‘art’ and offered the reader not just stories about paintings but also theatre, sculpture, sugar art, crochet and even performance art. The list is endless!
Similarly, some had a folktale/legend feel (Ai Jiang’s Breathe, Blow, Burn for example and also The Lament of San Miguel by Mary Rajotte) or a touch of dark fairytale about them (Julie Steven’s Lady Widow – a ‘trip’ of a story). Others felt very current and pushed the boundaries with style, POV and language choice (Demi-Louise Blackburn’s Josie, for example). I had to press pause and re-read some of her phrases because they were so powerful and captured a sense of claustrophobia, a sense of the artist being trapped, but not in a physical sense. The Preparator, by Joseph Andre Thomas was another that created a sense of claustrophobia but for different reasons.
Several of the more surreal stories were very strong, including Chiaro Obscuro by Alex Wolfgang which breaks down the process of art and in doing so provokes much thought. Another one with a very visual/bizarre feel was Like the Devil by Matthew Maichen.
I’ll end by saying I made seven pages of notes as I read this anthology and can’t possibly write them all here. Therefore, I strongly suggest you check it out for yourself and discover your own favorites.
My thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC. Much appreciated and greatly enjoyed. -
When I saw this book existed, I knew I needed to read it! A combination of art of horror stories? Yes, please! Where do I sign up?
I more than enjoyed Collage Macabre: An Exhibition of Art Horror. The stories within are surreal representations of what it feels like to make, view, and experience art. A well-written story is its own form of art. These stories were masterpieces. The collection includes examples of Gothic, folk, contemporary horror and more; all covering art forms ranging from performance, painting, sculpting, graffiti, and the list goes on. There's so much variety to be found in these stories. If you love or appreciate art in any form, I strongly recommend this book! I found so many new-to-me authors that I now intend to follow.
A few stories that stood out to me include:
Chiaro Obscuro by Alex Wolfgang - a written representation of how it feels to see the world around you when creating art. This story takes the experience to an entirely new level.
Darned if You Do, Damned if You Don't by Nikki R. Leigh - Needing extra money to cover the expense of vet bills, a crochet side hustle turns into a surreal experience.
Two of my absolute favorite stories in the collection pack a wealth of character development, tradition, and emotion into a few short pages and end on a haunting note - The Lament of San Miguel by Mary Rajotte, and Breath, Blow, Burn by Ai Jiang.
I love a good anthology, but they rarely make my list of favorite reads of the year. Collage Macabre may be an exception to that trend. Five stars!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. -
Stunning collection of art themed horror. Each exhibit will blow you away with it's simplicity and it's complexity of combining various forms of art with horror. It felt to me that each author was well versed in the art form they wrote about. If I had to pick a favorite, it would have to be Josie. Not only was it a creative story, but the sense of dread the main character experienced was palpable.
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Release April 18, 2023
Thank you to @ryanmarie47 & The Future Dead Collective for an advance copy of this work in exchange for a review!
This was truly unlike anything I've ever read. It's a collection of short stories all written by different authors. At the end of each story you're told a little about each author and I found that part so interesting, as well as just seeing their different writing styles meshed together. I think it all wove together beautifully.
This is a collection of horror stories, but they aren't too scary! They are all based upon art, but not just painting... it goes into sculpture, sugar art, crochet.... and so much more. Some I was pretty creeped out. My favorite was "Darned if you do, Damned if you Don't". -
COLLAGE MACABRE invites us into a ghoulish gallery where sinister showings are out on horrific display. Like the art in each tale, these stories enthrall, disturb, and intoxicate: the creativity and imagination found in each of these cursed creations will leave a lasting impression.
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This is an extremely diverse and creepy collection of short horror stories that all deal with some form of art. Painting, acting, sculpting, music...and even some art forms that are non-traditional.
I can honestly say that the stories in here are so different, despite the same theme, that everyone will find several to love. They run the gamut from speculative to literary to more modern horror. Which was great for me as I tend to read from all of these subgenres.
And, for the record, paintings that come to life freaks me out like dolls and puppets! And, yes, there's a story in here about that (which also features an autopsy). I dig that!
There's a story about a woman who spins sugar to perform spells, another with a fictionalised encounter with Lady Bathory, and another about an obsessive movie director. And lots more.
This is a fantastic anthology that will creep you out and I highly recommend it!
I received an ARC for my honest review. -
For lovers of dark, introspective horror, Collage Macabre offers a gallery of troubling tales. This anthology explores the shadow-side of art, the horrors that lurk in our minds and emerge through our work. Here, artists try desperately to make what they need (like artists always do). Sometimes it's an absent parent or lover. A career. A savior. An identity. Someone to grant wishes. A safe place. These are stories about artworks that require real sacrifices...offerings of blood.
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This was a great collection of the horror of art, each story was what I was looking for and each got stronger and stronger. It was a great concept overall and the authors worked well. My favorite story was How To Make It In Hollywood - Rachel Searcey.
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This was unlike any horror anthology I’ve read before! The sheer variety of the stories, both in settings and language, was astounding. ‘Collage Macabre, An Exhibition of Art Horror’ is inspired by art forms, painting, sculpture, theatre, even graffiti (a welcome surprise) and sugar molding (totally unknown to me.) Most of the stories are quite dark, beautiful horror tales, though there’s also dark fantasy, with strong folklore or fairy tale vibes (‘Breathe, Blow, Burn’ by Ai Jiang, about the aforementioned sugar molding, and ‘Lady Widow’ by Julie Steven are characteristic examples.) Those I didn’t like very much, but I have to admit that the prose and the endings made the stories super fun to read. My personal favorites were ‘The Preparator’ by Joseph Andre Thomas, ‘Chiaro Obscuro’ by Alex Wolfgang, ‘Station 42’ by Erik McHatton, and ‘Darned If You Do, Damned If You Don't’ by Nikki R. Leigh. The editor has made a superb job, bringing together extremely vivid, creative, stories, sometimes poetic, sometimes dreamy, always fascinating with plenty of heart and humor. If you like horror tales that pay off at the end, you'll dig this one.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. -
A great collection of short stories with a creative concept. I enjoyed each one as they were all so different and loved the art theme.
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This was a thoroughly enjoyable anthology. The stories were fun, gruesome reads! My personal favorite was Lady Widow, a unique take on the story of Elizabeth Bathory.
The overarching subject is art and each tale explores a different theme spanning from theater to paintings to sculpting gone awry.
This anthology truly lives up to its name as a collage of the macabre! If you enjoy the subject of art and have an itch for the gruesome I’d recommend checking this book out! -
This was a fun collection of art based horror stories. I never thought I would read something about yarn and crochet that would cause so much anxiety. My absolute favorite stories of the bunch were "Take It From the Top" by Timothy Lanz and "A Study in Umber" by Jessica Peter.
I highly recommend getting a copy of Collage Macabre for a taste of rising authors of the horror genre. -
Collage Macabre showcases a wonderful variety of artistic disciplines, each one dripping with the dark obsession that comes with being an artist. These stories prove that art lies in destruction as much as it does in creation.
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In the wonderful anthology that is Collage Macabre, there is something for every reader, the art forms featured in the stories are as varied and unique as the authors who wrote them. Here you’ll find the unveiling of a mysterious mummy, a mysterious plant that can provide you access to a perfect muse, paints that can be deadly, vases that can trigger a change of perception, entrancing dance performances, paintings that change the course of lives, sculptures that may grant you wishes, a television program that awakens a part of you that has been dying to get out, a play that must be perfect no matter the cost and many other entrancing tales. The design and aesthetic of the anthology were also absolutely on point: the cover is an actual collage featuring elements from several stories and there’s an EXHIBIT MAP at the beginning of the book, which was just unbelievingly cool to me. Also, each story is preceded by an illustration, and let me tell you, they were some of the most stunning art I have ever seen.
The common thread that links these stories together is, as you may have guessed by the title, that they’re all centered around an art piece or art form. Something I loved about this anthology is that they didn’t limit themselves to only ‘traditional’ forms of art (like paintings and sculptures) but embraced all types of artists. It was an amazing surprise to find stories about crochet, a dance performance, graffiti, a theater performance, and even a television program. Regardless of the medium chosen by each writer, all of them depicted how deeply art, and creating art, can impact an individual’s life. These talented authors show us the multifaceted effects art can have: how it can take a life of its own, be a way to process grief, how it can turn someone from helpless to powerful but can also be used to harm and manipulate. On top of that, they were all written beautifully and presented in an order that made the anthology cohesive and aided the reading flow of the book as a whole. Another huge plus for me is that there’s a list of trigger warnings for each story featured at the end of the book, so be sure to check it out if you need to.
Before I share a little bit about my favorite stories with all of you, I’d just like to say again that all tales featured in this anthology are great. The ones below just happened to touch on subjects and characters that cater to my personal taste but in no way does it mean that the other stories were lesser. With that being said, here are the four short stories that absolutely captured my heart:
Lady Widow - Julie Sevens - When I noticed that this story was inspired by (and featured!) Countess Elizabeth Báthory (1560-1614), who I might be a tad obsessed with. I adored how Julie was able to make this story her own even though it was based on an actual historical figure. This was the story that I emotionally connected with the most: it gripped me from the first paragraph and by the end it had my heart.
Paint It Red - Nina Shepardson - This left me with one of the best feelings a short story can inspire: I WANT MORE. I was desperate to know more about the characters, to know the details of the events that set off the story, I just want more. It’s safe to say that from now on I’ll be on the lookout for more stories by this incredible author.
Breathe, Blow, Burn - Ai Jiang - Out of all the stories, this one had the most terrifying ending. I don’t want to give any spoilers, so I’ll just say that this was a great reflection on colonization: how Global-North Western countries steal people and cultures, using them with no regard for the lives of the people of that country.
How To Make It In Hollywood - Rachel Searcey - From the very beginning you can tell that things won’t end well for the protagonist. However, Searcey does such an amazing job of building this character, that it becomes impossible to not connect with her and care for her. -
A brilliant collection of tales wonderfully varied in both horror and imagination. I loved the creative ways each author chose to incorporate art into their stories! From crocheting, to sugar blowing, to graffiti and beyond, each story delights and terrifies in equal measure. Even if horror is not your favorite genre, if you like all forms of artistic expression, give this anthology a try.
There wasn't a single story I didn't like, but my two favorites were "Callous" and "Twigs."
I also appreciated the thoughtful list of content warnings in the back!
This is a strong debut from the Future Dead Collective and I look forward to their future works!
I received a free ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. -
I received an eARC of this book from one of the contributors for review. All opinions are my own. Collage Macabre by the Future Dead Collective is an art themed horror anthology. As a theatre artist and filmmaker I was immediately intrigued by concept and enjoyed this title immensely. Gemma Amor wrote a great introduction which sets the stage for the reader. Each story begins with a chilling illustration and explores characters intersecting with various art forms in many horrific ways. While some tropes seemed a bit repetitive or tired, others were novel and unique. Overall the stories ranged from “ok” to “excellent” with Lady Widow by Julie Sevens, Lack by TJ Price, Chiaro Obscuro by Alex Wolfgang, Station 42 by Erik McHatton, Twigs by Andrew F. Sullivan, How to Make it in Hollywood by Rachel Searcey, and Take it From the Top by Timothy Lanz being some of my favorites. Really, there were no bad stories in the bunch, making this a truly excellent anthology. I think it will appeal to artists of all sorts as well as general horror fans as well. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
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2.5 stars ish to Collage Macabre, out today, a short story anthology of art horror that was full of great writing, but unfortunately just didn't work for me.
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I will start off by saying I think this was simply a case of wrong book wrong time for me, so that may have coloured my experience reading it. I would read more stories from all of the writers as they were all really well written and unique.
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One thing I love almost as much as horror is art history, I got my degree in it and find it endlessly fascinating, so when I heard about this collection I was pretty excited to see how my two interests would blend. Unfortunately, for me, I just didn't jive with most of the stories and I got "pretentious art academia" vibes from many of them, which was one thing I hated about my time studying it. Art doesn't have to be complicated or "meta" to be good or interesting.
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The standout stories for me were:
-The Introduction by Gemma Amor
-Darned if You Do, Damned if You Don't by Nikki R. Leigh
-The Lament of San Miguel by Mary Rajotte
-Breath, Blow, Burn by Ai Jiang
-Twigs by Andrew F. Sullivan
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I would still recommend this to anyone who likes their horror to be a bit more out there, because horror is subjective and what didn't work for me may be exactly what another reader is looking for. The authors are all fantastic writers and I'm sure there is a story for everyone in here; just overall it didn't work for me. This book is out today!
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I did receive an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review. -
Favorite stories:
- “Lack” by TJ Price
- “Chiaro Obscuro” by Alex Wolfgang
- “Breathe, Blow, Burn” by Ai Jiang
- “Like the Devil” by Matthew Maichen -
Collage Macabre: An Exhibition in Art Horror is an anthology collection of short stories from a wide range of up and coming horror newer horror authors. The theme of the collection was art so it made sense that they wanted the book to feel like an art exhibit. I really appreciated that but I wish they put the explanation of why the story was included in the anthology as that would have made it feel more broken up and more like an exhibit in general. I loved some of the short stories and felt that those authors not only understood the theme of the anthology, they shocked or at bare minimum gave me fright of some kind in that moment. However I found many of the stories to just not be for me. It was probably, my own personal biases in addition to those authors writing styles that made me not enjoy them as much or find them scary or macabre at all. Overall, I enjoyed the book and got introduced to a few new horror authors I really want to read more from. And what is an anthology, a big appetizer plate where you sample a little bit of each and from there decide what you like, who you need more from, and who you can live without. I didnt purchase this book, I received an ARC copy from booksirens and greatly appreciate the opportunity to read it before it came out
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All my friends are in this, and I am too, so I'm giving it 5 stars because our book is awesome.
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“If I could say it in words, there would be no reason to paint.”-Edward Hopper
Billed as an anthology of “art horror”, Collage Macabre presents us with a most interesting conundrum: how does one use mere words to explore a largely visual medium, to do what Edward Hopper could not? The authors from the Future Dead Collective have set off to find out.
The notion of art horror is so rife with ideas that it’s a wonder it hasn’t been explored more within the genre. From the artist driven mad by his own cosmic creation, to divine inspiration delivered by Eldritch horrors, to the questionable origins of the very paint itself, the possibilities of art horror are plenty. In fact, there is even a Wikipedia page of reportedly haunted paintings.
Not content to just explore paintings, Collage Macabre features stories that focus on a wide variety of artistic mediums. In here you will find stories about sculptors, ballerinas, plays, film, needlework, sugar blowing, graffiti, and even a story about esoteric performance art. This collection is a veritable collage of artforms (if you will), each one angling for its own unique take on the horror genre.
Some highlights for me include the following stories (and in actuality, I could've written about each story in this anthology; every single one is good):
“A Study in Umber” by Jessica Peter - a story based around an interesting bit of historical trivia: mummy paint. Before it turns into a pitch-black comedy with a dose of gore, this one was had a bit of a cozy vibe as we get to watch a party full of stuffy British people bumble around their supernatural predicament.
“Chiaro Obscuro” by Alex Wolfgang - I’ve had some experience reading Wolfgang before and he always presents these big-brained ideas that have you pondering your existence. This one is no different, has me questioning the very words I’m typing at this very moment.
“From the Top” by Timothy Lanz -Surreal and weird and perhaps the spookiest story of the bunch. If you’ve ever been on a lit stage in an empty auditorium, this one will really hit home for you. Are those seats really empty? Can you make out the silhouettes just beyond the lights?
“Station 42” by Erik McHatton - Through his weird horror stories, Erik McHatton tries to rip down the facade of what we know as reality. Best to not look too long at the static on channel 42.
“Callous” by Christi Nogle - They say some of the best art is born from suffering and grief. History is full of examples. But sometimes the grief is too much to bear. Sometimes it needs a while to percolate, to become truly alive. This is a masterful short story from a craft perspective, and I can’t wait to delve further into Nogle’s recently released short story collection, The Best of Our Past, The Worst of Our Future.
“Darned if You Do, Damned if You Don’t” by Nikki R. Leigh - A young woman works to fulfill orders from her Etsy-style online art shop. She specializes in needlework, crocheting elaborate little dolls and figures out of yarn until she one day receives a most interesting request. Nikki provides a journalistic style to this one that goes down easy as we are pulled like yarn on a crochet hook to its surprising conclusions.
“Josie” by Demi Louise Blackburn-If there was ever a story in here that I could choose to have visualized in some form or fashion, it would be this one, particularly its final scenes.
Featuring 18 stories with an original illustration opening each chapter, Collage Macabre is a fantastic marriage of the visual and verbal, a phantasmagorical collection of art horror that will bleed off of the canvas and into your nightmares. -
How did these people scare me so bad with paint?
Truth: I once lived in a dorm so artsy they called us the Cereal Bowl (‘cause we were “the flakes and the nuts.”). Living with a bunch of theater kids, visual artists, sculptors, and writers for three years means I have seen things, and I’m not talking about someone else’s sexcapades or our if-we-catch-you-up-there-you’re-expelled creepy-ass attic. We dialed 1-800-The-Great-Beyond on multiple occasions. Dead people talked to us in dreams. Psychic stuff happened on the reg. Seriously, my boyfriend once duct-taped me to a wall as performance art. No art-based anthology would scare me. Go back to drawing school.
Then I read Collage Macabre, coming from Future Dead Collective on April 18, 2023.
In retrospect, I probably freaked them out with the fangirl tweeting. Scaring me with paint? The paint was only the beginning. I will never crochet again. Sculpture? Thanks, y’all. I will now gaze upon my favorite works and wonder what nefarious artistry created them. We always knew that performance art could turn into the sun and go wrong (see above reference to duct tape), but could you really make me fear theater? Really, Timothy Lanz? Didn’t think that story was going to go there. Never saw it coming, and it came, and that’s etched in my brain-cave for eternity now, thanks (I absolutely and completely adored it; goddamn did that anthology end on a bang).
In any collection, you’ll love some stories more than others: that’s what makes a good anthology, because my tastes are different than your tastes, and there’s a difference between “This wasn’t my favorite” and “This was not a good story.” Every single story’s great. They all veer in different directions; they all stick their landings. They span time and place and subgenre.
I refuse to pick favorites because what I love best will not necessarily be what you love best, and it’s all awesome. Ai Jiang’s spare prose is a beautiful counterpoint to Demi-Louise Blackburn’s more jarring, yet ornate style. Mob’s romantic “The Red Lady” and Jessica Peter’s “A Study in Umber” bump lusciously against the voices in Joseph Andre Thomas’s “The Preparator” and Erik McHatton’s “Station 42” (if you get it, you get it, and if you don’t, you don’t).
Sure, paint it black, TJ Price. Whatevs—but oh sweet baby Jesus that’s not whatevs at all. Ryan Marie Ketterer took me through a second-person POV I enjoyed: a difficult feat (and a great story). Clearly, these authors are, when relevant, masters of the art they describe—Rachel Searcey, for example, is a filmmaker—and that authenticity shines through their stories.
This is a beautiful collection, a haunting collection, a collection of stories not soon forgotten. From romantic obsessives to art students learning to see, from television-headed men to tottering-sticked sculptures, these stories of depraved art and artists will stay with you. I loved it so much I had to:
Stop myself from tweeting each author. I looked like a weirdo.
Stop myself from reading the whole thing at once. This book demands savoring, like good wine, rather than devouring. You wouldn’t stride through an art museum, would you? Then give this collection time. Stop. Look. Contemplate. These stories deserve your full attention. -
I was given a review copy of Collage Macabre in exchange for an honest review.
Many anthologies have a theme but good anthologies have stories that do interesting things with the theme. The theme for Collage Macabre:An Exhibition of Art Horror is that each story has art as a central part of the plot, and every one of these 18 stories does a good job of stretching that theme as much as possible. We have painters and writers, but we also have stories about graffiti, crocheting, sugar blowing, theater, and moviemaking. None of the authors are household names (except for Gemma Amor who writes the introduction), but this is a collection of authors that will be on your bookshelves in the future. Many of these stories are just that good.
Not only are there huge variations on the theme, but there are so many different types of stories. We are given gothic horror, college horror, horror about grief, obsession, and loss, and of course people who receive strange gifts, people who are haunted, and sacrificial rites. All of these stories are so unique to one another that there is no doubt a reader will enjoy some but not others. This is a normal thing in a good anthology. That means there is something for everyone.
Another thing about horror anthologies is that it is easy to forget the stories as soon as I read them. Most of the time when I pull up the table of contents after finishing a collection, I have to go back to certain stories to remind me of what it was about. In this case, I am able to recall these stories without doing this, just by the table of contents. There are so many memorable and impactful stories that I can look at the lists of contents and pick out the stories just by the title. A few of my favorites:
“A Study in Umber” by Jessica Peter. Some rich guys who decide to grind up and drink a lady mummy for inspiration in their artistic endeavors, which of course does not end well for them.
“Lack” by TJ Price. A girl who’s boyfriend paints a picture that is black, and this blackness unsettles everything in their life.
“Breath, Blow, Burn” by Ai Jaing. A sugar blower who becomes part of a statue displayed in a home of a family that is falling apart. They watch it all happen, helpless to stop.
“Station 42” by Erik McHatton. A guy who is gifted an old television, that is either a performance piece or a message to drastically change his life.
“Take it from the Top” by Timothy Lanz. A play is being rehearsed, possibly forever.
There are so many other stories that are great, and the writing and editing in every story is strong. Most of these authors do not have many other stories published. This might be off-putting to some readers, but trust me, there are some future stars here. Many of these stories are ready to be adapted into episodes of Creepshow and Blumhouse films. This collection is impressive, and it should be read by anyone who enjoys good horror and/or good short stories. -
I went into it thinking the stories would be about painting mainly, but then was so surprised to see the breadth of creativity the authors went to, exploring and addressing all kinds of art. Along with the wide array of art used in the fiction, the type of horror showcased was also highly varied — weird horror, body horror, cosmic horror! Along with every story is an illustration too, which I really enjoyed — I think it added a lot to the general vibe of the anthology.
Okay, let’s look at my favourite stories!
“A Study in Umber” by Jessica Peter — some snobby artist friends decide to take an unconventional method to getting a new colour and inspiration: an ancient Egyptian mummy! This story was masterfully done with Tales of the Cryptkeeper vibes: fun, crazy, and chilling!
“The Preparator” by Joseph Andre Thomas — a medical student, stressed by assignments and classes, takes a new drug to relax and finds out more than he bargained for, lurking in the shadows of reality and his mind. At times trippy, terrifying, and tortured, this story gaves me the same vibes as those amazing 80s horror films like Hellraiser.
“The Children’s Ball” by Ryan Marie Ketterer — a man spots an old painting by the side of the road and it takes hold of his reality. This story was like another Tales of the Cryptkeeper — bizarre, tense, and with an end that left me shocked (in the best way).
“Lack” by TJ Price — a man’s partner becomes obsessed with a new paint found in a “weird little art store” and the man begins to suspect the paint is staining more than just canvas. Absolutely haunting, this story ties together a possibly unreliable narrator, intrusive thoughts, and artistic obsession into a creepy little tale.
“Darned If You Do, Damned If You Don’t” by Nikki R. Leigh — desperate to pay her beloved cat’s vet bills, a woman takes on a huge crochet commission which takes quite a twisted turn. The themes of grief, guilt, and the ending were so beautifully woven together (yes I know this is a terrible pun, I won’t stop. In fact, I think Leigh would appreciate it considering their title!) This story will haunt me, I think, it was definitely my favourite of the book!
Overall, the whole anthology was very unique and each story stood strong on its own, so definitely grab a copy if you want to be whisked away to a very strange and sinister art gallery of horrors! -
A special thanks to @ryanmarie47 & The Future Dead Collective for gifting me an ARC of this anthology.
I'll admit Art Horror would not have been my first choose for an anthology. Art has always been a difficult subject for me. I have some talent, I've dabbled in drawing, painting, carving, beadwork, soap-molding, candle-making, glass etching, and whatever other random things have caught my eye over the years, but my neurodivergent mind often struggles with the deeper side of art, artistic interpretation, and art history and movements, so I went into this story collection with a bit of trepidation.
What I found was a wonderful spectrum of stories. Some of these draw upon obscure bits of history and craft to tale their tale, while others are a bit more traditional in their presentation. I also have to profess the joy I found in the forms of art found here, from the expected paintings and sculptures, to more flavorful forms such as sugar molding, crochet, and theatre,
Some of the stories that really stood out to me included:
A Study in Umber by Jessica Peter - A unique take on the mummy stories drawing on an obscure bit of Victorian culture.
Lady Widow by Julie Sevens - An Elizabeth Bathory story from the perspective of her friend. Not what I expected going in, but I loved where the story went.
The Preparator by Joseph Andre Thomas - Proves once again that Art History classes are the greatest horror of them all.
The Children's Ball by Ryan Marie Ketter - Does that painting technically count as found art?
Paint It Red by Nina Shepardson - I want to avoid spoilers, so I'll just say this another one that draws upon a deep well of knowledge and appreciation for the subject to render its own artistic vision across the page.
Darned If You Do, Damned If You Don't by Nikki R. Leigh - This was made extra scary as my partner was knitting in the chair next to me as I read it.
Breathe, Blow, Burn by Ai Jiang - Ai is always a delight and this story of spells molded from sugar is no different. -
I got exactly what I expected out of this collection: beautiful imagery, delicate prose, and a pulling back of the curtain. A look at how the sausage gets made. The passion and hard work of artists who create beauty seemingly by magic.
From the introduction to the perfect ending story, I was sucked in. Admittedly, the stories based around painting didn't resonate as strongly with me as I'd have hoped, but I could recognize how someone with more experience in that realm would fall in love with them the way I fell in love with the theatre chapters or the more physical ones.
Every single one of these stories was good, but the ones that stole my heart were:
"Lack" by TJ Price
"Darned if You Do, Damned if You Don't" by Nikki R. Leigh
"The Lament of San Miguel" by Mary Rajotte
"Breathe, Blow, Burn" by Ai Jiang
"Station 42" by Erik McHatton
"Twigs" by Andrew F. Sullivan
"How To Make It In Hollywood" by Rachel Searcey
"Take It From the Top" by Timothy Lanz.
It's rare to come away from a collection with 8 perfect stories, so you know there's something special here. I can't wait for this to come out so I can order my physical copy.
Hopefully it's less cursed than some of the objects it contains... -
I found this collection to be a bit of a mixed bag, with beautifully written stories next to ones that needed a few more rounds of editing. I appreciated that the stories covered a wide array of arts, from sugar-blowing to crochet, and took some truly creative approaches to the subject matter. While there were several stories I was not a fan of, there were more that I liked than disliked.
Standout stories:
Chiaro Obscuro (Alex Wolfgang)
Darned if You Do, Damned if You Don't (Nikki R. Leigh)
Station 42 (Erik McHatton)
Take It From the Top (Timothy Lanz) -
This is one of the best short story collections I have had the pleasure of reading. Each tale is thrilling and horrifying. It is hard to pick a favorite. I would say my top three were "A Study in Umber" by Jessica Peter, "Lady Widow" by Julie Sevens, and "Darned if You Do, Damned if You Don't" by Nikki R. Leigh. I am grateful to this collection for introducing me to 18 new authors that I can now follow for more spine tingling chills.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. -
I'm in author in this book, so a bit biased, but I truly think this is a wonderful collection of horror! I'm so proud of the group of authors behind this, and the amount of writing, editing, and work that went into making this possible. Please check this anthology out if you're into horror short stories and want to support the indie scene!
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Haunting, imaginative, and creative. Each story in this anthology offers its own unique take on art and horror. Very enjoyable to read!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
