| Title | : | Howls From the Wreckage: An Anthology of Disaster Horror |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1736780077 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781736780077 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 352 |
| Publication | : | First published June 15, 2023 |
Howls From the Wreckage will push you to the edge of imminent disaster—and drown you in the heartbreak of its fallout.
HOWL Society Press presents its thrilling anthology of disaster horror, fittingly introduced by Nick Cutter, acclaimed author of The Troop and The Deep.
“Don’t Play in the Closet” by David Worn
“(>executeRelease_)” by P.L. McMillan
“Son of Yokozuro” by Caleb Stephens
“Crickets” by Solomon Forse
“You Shall Return” by L.P. Hernandez
“The Richardson Family Reunion” by Ryan Marie Ketterer
“Casualties of a Predictable Apocalypse” by Joseph Andre Thomas
“Heavy Rain” by T.J. Price
“A War in Hell” by Mike Adamson
“Fleshies” by Thea Maeve
“A Tornado or Something Like It” by C.B. Jones
“A Thing of Habit” by Cassandra Khaw
“Unzipped” by Bridget D. Brave
“The Last Sermon of Brother Grime” by Timaeus Bloom
“Against the Flats” by Jennifer L. Collins
“Hope is a Sad Song” by Gully Novaro
“Systemic Infection” by Michelle Tang
“Forever Home” by Chelsea Pumpkins
“The Children of the Event” by Carson Winter
“Detritus” by Lindsey Ragsdale
Howls From the Wreckage: An Anthology of Disaster Horror Reviews
-
That anthologies are inconsistent mishmashes is a given, unless edited by masters of the trade in which case the overall quality is usually a level higher than your usual collection. An original concept does not always guarantee a good anthology and brilliant anthologies can emerge from the most banal premises; you never know. It also highly depends on your subjective expectations as an individual reader. Reviewing anthologies is accordingly subjective, as, to a certain degree the review to every book is, but all the more in this case. My personal verdict in the case of Howls From the Wreckage: An Anthology of Disaster Horror is accordingly and unfortunately an unfavorable one, even though I highly appreciate the Howl Society, a discord based book club, and their contributions to horror.
Not sure, but maybe it is the premise of writing about “disasters” that is something which compulsorily pulls a writing into rather “action” territory rather than horror and that was my impression for the majority of the short stories in this anthology. Result – they didn’t hit me hard enough. BUT I did find a handful of favorites that I think could interpret the theme in quite unsettling, even horrific ways. I wish they were more.
Heavy Rain by TJ Price revolves around a person whose partner has killed himself and he sees in the emerging disaster, human body parts raining from the sky, the chance to realize a Frankenstein-esque plan. The image of eyeballs, feet, torsos et all falling from the sky is nauseating enough in itself, but I also found the parts of the main character grieving for his lover, very authentic and beautifully written, affect me.
In Systemic Infection writer Michelle Tang ingeniously puts curses into disaster when a group of nurses mess with the wrong patient.
Unzipped by Bridget D. Brave deals with a kid stuck under rubble after an earthquake and the people trying to save her. Are they trying to save her, though, or is it all a psychedelic nightmare?
I will try and read more by authors highlighted here, and hope to be able to read more of HOWL authors’ work in the future, which I hope will work better for me. Rating is 2,5. -
This book contains a series of short stories revealing human nature's dark and twisted aspects. Some of them lean more toward sci-fi than horror, but they all have a creepy and unsettling impact on the reader. They are similar to the episodes of Black Mirror, where technology and society create disturbing situations that test our morals and values. The stories are not bloody or extreme, but they still evoke a sense of horror and fear. I liked some of the stories more than others, but overall I found the book to be captivating and interesting. The writing style is not very refined, but it fits the mood and setting of the stories.
Overall an enjoyable collection of stories with a few standout pieces. -
Just a fantastic anthology of stories. Usually in a themed collection like this, there’s a few stories I don’t really enjoy, but in this case, each entry was fantastic!
Some of the stories were so morbid and horrifying, but all of them were shocking! Definitely a lot of apocalyptic and dystopian tales which I loved. I’d have to say my favourite story was “Crickets”.
It was unique to format this as a series of case files for the HBI trainees! Having the authors and editors and what not with their agent picture and credentials was fun.
Thank you to NetGalley, the editor and authors and HOWL Society Press for a copy! -
To be quite honest I don’t even know how to start this review, there are so many wonderful things I’d like to point out that it’s been hard to organize them into coherent sentences.
Well, let’s start with the cover and the overall aesthetic of the book, shall we? Maia Weir did an absolutely banging job with this cover, and I adored its color scheme. Preceding the stories, we have a memo from the Director of the HOWLS Bureau of Investigation (the wonderful Christopher O’Halloran) addressed to us, the recruits (aka the readers). This reminded me of the SCP Foundation and immediately had me at the edge of my seat, ready to immerse myself in the ‘case files’ contained in this anthology.
If you know me then and know that I LOVE it when books have illustrations and this baby is FULL of them. Each story is accompanied by a handful of illustrations interspersed with the text and depicting an element from the tale. Furthermore, this anthology amps its immersive quality even more by having an agent ID (complete with an agent headshot) for the writer at the end of each story. It’s clear that the aesthetic aspect of this book was treated with as much care and dedication as the stories themselves. If you can, I’d strongly suggest you get the physical copy of this baby, I can only imagine how much cooler all those elements are when printed on paper.
Now, onto the stories. Having only lived in Brasil, I’ve never had to worry about natural disasters such as tornados, tsunamis, or earthquakes and I’m terrified of them happening whenever I leave my country. Granted, I’ve also never worried about kaijus, huge mechanical spiders, monsters that erupt from the sea, ominous crickets, aliens, or any of the other terrifying disasters that are depicted in this anthology. You’ll find every type of calamity within the pages of this book, some will leave you heartbroken, others will make you afraid of turning the lights off, but all of them are remarkable.
I’ve never struggled more choosing which stories to highlight, I genuinely loved so many of them that I could probably write a two-page review just gushing about them (but don’t worry, I won’t). As usual, before I tell you a bit more about my favorite stories, I’d like to reiterate that all tales featured here are top-notch. The ones below just happened to touch on subjects and characters that cater to my personal taste but in no way does it mean the other stories are lesser.
Don’t Play in the Closet by David Worn - This gave me intense creepypasta vibes and I mean that as one of the highest compliments ever. I am a sucker for supernatural stories, especially those that involve what hides in the darkness. The action starts right from the bat, grabs you and doesn’t let you go. I’m not joking when I say that I gasped several times whilst reading it.
(>EXECUTERELEASE_) by P. L. McMillan - Look, spiders and artificial intelligence are already two things that terrify me. Huge mechanical spiders with AI? No, thank you. The protagonist of this story is far braver than me and all I say is that if I was in her position, humanity would be doomed. Also, P.L. has made me deathly afraid to have food delivered to me ever again.
Son of Yokozuro by Caleb Stephens - Caleb is an expert at grabbing readers’ hearts right out of their chests and then breaking them into tiny pieces. It’s beautifully written and one of the sweetest stories in the collection but also one of the saddest.
Crickets by Solomon Forse - This was written as Reddit entries and so, once again, I was immediately won over by the immersive story format. It would’ve fit right in with another of my favorite anthologies, AHH! That’s What I Call Horror, due to its 90s vibes. Imagine that a possessed Furby had a baby with a Tamagotchi: that baby would be the cricket toy featured in this story.
Unzipped by Bridget D. Brave - All I have to say is that I already had no interest in going caving before reading this story. Now, there is no way in hell I am ever stepping foot inside a cave. This story will have you tense from start to finish, I actually caught myself holding my breath several times as I read it and had to remind myself to unclench my jaw.
Forever Home by Chelsea Pumpkins - After I finished reading this story I was sobbing on my couch, clutching my Kindle to my chest as I waited for my crying to subside. This will absolutely destroy you, to be honest, I haven’t emotionally recovered from this yet and it’s been days. One of the most touching and emotional stories I’ve ever read.
The Children of the Event by Carson Winter - Listen, the second I see that a story has footnotes it wins me over immediately. I love the format and style in which this was written just as much as I loved the plot. It left me wondering what happened to those characters after the story was finished, craving to know what would happen next. -
Early reviews had me a bit nervous about this one but as it turns out it was a pretty good anthology with a lot of fun aspects and stories that were well written, it all felt very polished as I like to say. The nature of the disasters covered and of the protagonists varies greatly as do the tones and approaches the authors went for. Natural disaster and manmade horrors,
I enjoyed the tidbits about the authors and the images peppered throughout the book, I thought it added a touch of levity in an anthology that could have otherwise been quite heavy.
There was only one story that I didn't care for and I had to read it twice to make sure I didn't miss something and that felt a bit out the left field considering the rest of the anthology, so it might just be that I really do not vibe with that particular author's style. One story, Forever Home, had me bawling in my cat's fur and Link (aforementioned cat) would like to file an official complaint against Chelsea Pumpkins, the author, for subjecting him to this indignity. Long story short, it's a mixed bag, like every anthology, but I enjoyed the vast majority of the entries.
Disclosure: I received a digital review copy of this book from HOWL Society Press through NetGalley. -
It is a collection of horror stories. Some stories are based on inner fears while some are twisted and weird. Some stories are unpredictable while some stories felt like there was something disconnecting in them. Some stories were of courage and bravery. While some stories were about family and husband and wife grudges. Some stories has a promising beginning and some stories had an impactful ending. Each author has done a great job by crafting such an intriguing and imaginative stories. Some of my favourites are You shall return, Heavy rain, Fleshies, & A thing of habit.
Thank you Netgalley, authors and publisher. -
I love a HOWL anthology! This is the third volume from HOWL Society and I thoroughly enjoyed it. HOWL Society is like this cool club of horror-loving people, their stories are original and varied, and together perfectly fit the theme of each anthology.
Howls From the Wreckage kicks off with a brilliant intro from Nick Cutter and Christopher O'Halloran, setting us for a hell of a journey! Like with any collection, it's hardly ever that the reader loves and connects with every single story. This is a brilliant collection, some seriously amazing stories and original writing, but I can only have that many favourites, and here they are:
1) “Don’t Play in the Closet” by David Worn - an excellent story to kick off the collection. Claustrophobic and terrifying. And what an ending! Kind of makes you think what would you do...
2) “(>executeRelease_)” by P.L. McMillan - seriously terrifying dystopian cosmic horror! I loved this so much - the story and the narrator. I still think about Arachne, several days after I finished reading the story.
3) “Son of Yokozuro” by Caleb Stephens - AMAZING! Just when I thought a story about kaiju wouldn't be "for me", I got hooked from the start and really enjoyed it. It was both fun and sad, and had so much humanity to it.
4) “Crickets” by Solomon Forse - I was exhausted after reading this in the best possible way - I was super gripped and invested, and the entire thing made my skin crawl. Bzzzz!
5) “The Richardson Family Reunion” by Ryan Marie Ketterer - I do love a story about sisters! This was pretty intriguing and I enjoyed where the author went with the missing person trope.
6) “Unzipped” by Bridget D. Brave - pretty good and claustrophobic story, super tense and made me think of the films like 127 Hours and The Descent.
7) “Systemic Infection” by Michelle Tang - really good, grim and gory. But also melancholic in a way and I loved that ending.
8) “The Children of the Event” by Carson Winter - I loved the writing style and how things escalated and turned pretty mad. Seriously good dystopian story!
As with previous anthologies from HOWL,
Howls From Hell and
Howls from the Dark Ages, I can't recommend this collection enough! And naturally, I can't wait to see what horrors this team comes up with next! -
3.5/5
This started off really strong for me, the first 5 short stories really floored me. Particularly DON’T PLAY IN THE CLOSET by David Worn, SON OF YOKOZURO by Caleb Stephens and CRICKETS by Solomon Forse stood out to me the most. Each of these short stories were incredibly unique with themes I’ve not read before. I was completely engrossed in each story and the emotion within each was compelling in such short story telling.
Mid way through, some of the short stories didn’t really capture me and unfortunately did not find some very memorable. However near the end again, this picked up steam once more. FLESHIES by Thea Maeve, AGAINST THE FLATS by Jennifer L Collins, and SYSTEMIC INFECTION by Michelle Tang were the other stand outs for me. Overall, I think there’s something in this collection for everyone and definitely worth checking out. A wide variety of themes with quite the range of story telling! -
3.5 out of 5 starts.
This is a good collection of disaster stories of all types, like most anthologies, you’re going to get a variety of stories and writing styles, most I like others I could not fully get into.
But overall there is some great unique stories in here, and it's worth checking out.
Some of my favourites are
- Execute Release by P.L.McMillan
- Don’t Play in the Closet by David Worn
- Unzipped by Bridget D. Brave
- Against the Flats by Jennifer L.Collins
*Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.* -
The best horror stories are the ones with details that dig into your brain like a parasite, becoming intrusive thoughts that haunt you & make you remember when you least expect it. Howls From the Wreckage: An Anthology of Disaster Horror is FULL of these little brain parasite stories! I was predestined to love this anthology as I lean towards disaster stories & I was not disappointed. The great thing about an anthology is that there is a little bit of something for everyone, a full range of what “disaster” could mean. Topics include natural disasters, tech invasions, supernatural, biological mysteries, aliens, environmental collapse, children snatchers, & the scariest of all…horrible human beings.
While every reader interested in this anthology will find at least one story that they like, each reader will probably not like every story. I did skip through one or two stories, but I won’t be mentioning those as that’s a reflection of my own preferences as a reader & not a reflection of the author or their writing. However, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed some of the stories with topics that I may not have picked up if it was a full-length novel, which is such a great benefit of an anthology that introduces you to a diverse range of authors & writing styles in bite-sized pieces that are easier to digest. Despite the fact that many of the stories will haunt my nightmares, I still wish I had more with some of these! Not more like the stories were lacking, but more as in these should be full-length novels that can help resolve all the solid “WTF” moments I had throughout my reading.
The stories that stood out to me the most were:
“(>EXECUTERELEASE_)” by P.L. McMillan
“Son of Yokozuro” by Caleb Stephens
“You Shall Return” by LP Hernandez
“The Richardson Family Reunion” by Ryan Marie Ketterer
“Casualties of a Predictable Apocalypse” by Joseph Andre Thomas
“Unzipped” by Bridget D. Brave
“The Children of the Event” by Carson Winter
Thank you to NetGalley & HOWL Society Press for providing this anthology for review. All opinions expressed are my own. -
"Rot starts from within."
This is a neat horror anthology that touches on every kind of disaster horror, natural and supernatural alike. I also appreciate that the order of the stories feel very thematically and structurally intertwined, with a heavy focus on the characters' reactions to their own personal tragedies.
The majority of the stories have this mysterious aspect that keep you wondering as to what the disaster "really is," some with a bleak twist. There isn't a single one I dislike, but I do think some are personally missing that eccentric factor that I sometimes look for in horror anthologies. My personal favorites are A Thing of Habit by Cassandra Khaw, Unzipped by Bridget D. Brave, and Heavy Rain by TJ Price.
Thank you NetGalley for the advance review copy, I'm leaving this review voluntarily. -
A Horror Bookworm Recommendation
Howls From The Wreckage edited by Christopher O’Halloran
https://horrorbookwormreviews.com/
Bedtime quickly becomes a parent’s worst nightmare as a child is lost to the menacing shadows of his bedroom closet. Obsessive behavior for the truth leads a father to unorthodox bizarre answers.
A behemoth monster delivers destruction and devastation to a thriving populated city. As thousands perish, a small portion of survivors are saved by means of regurgitation from the unleashed Kaiju. These select few now have become “different” and with an inventive agenda.
A plague of winged slug-like creatures have descended on an unsuspecting community. Guilty of underlying tones of discrimination, the cursed town will be taught a well learned lesson of equality by way of flesh burrowing insects.
The HOWL Society has once again compiled a most captivating anthology entitled, Howls From The Wreckage, an anthology of disaster horror. This doom and gloom package includes the editing talents of Christopher O’Halloran and a forward by the talented Nick Cutter.
Writers such as Solomon Forse, L.P. Hernandez, Cassandra Khaw and P.L. McMillan are among the many who carry the HOWL torch with passion and devotion for horror. From a cave expedition gone terribly wrong to unbridled eight-legged metallic arachnids, these whopping twenty stories of power outages, unnatural destructions and biblical carnage are only some of the casualties this doomsday book provides.
It never ceases to amaze me how many talented writers are out there today. The strengths of this particular group of authors has to be their creativity. Mesmerizing strangeness and cohesiveness add endless sub-genres to each and every story. It’s what makes this particular collection of literary works worth every page.
When the emergency sirens begin to wail and the National Weather Service announce their warnings of evacuation, don’t fear of being alone or in the dark, The HOWL Society has got you covered. Science will not recommend this book and religion will not advocate it…but the Horror Bookworm will. Grab your copy before it’s too late. -
“Rot starts from within. You’ve got to clean it out, all of it. Or things will never get better.”
I love that I am gradually accumulating a small collection of horror anthologies from the HOWL Society. And now I’ve been graced with a brand new one: Howls from the Wreckage: An Anthology of Disaster Horror!
In this collection, horror authors both seasoned and new-to-me provide readers with stories ripe with chaos of apocalyptic proportions. This anthology is about the massive disasters brought on by the unforeseen and uncontrollable as well as disasters birthed from inner destruction both mental and emotional. Some of my favorites included P.L. McMillan’s Execute Release–about a glitch in a delivery drone service that goes fatally wrong–and Solomon Forse’s Crickets–an epistolary story told through blog posts about Tamagotchi-type toys that hold a strong grip on the youth.
Some stories surprised me such as Caleb Stephen’s Son of Yokozuro–a kaiju story which was simultaneously humorous and sad–while other stories were absolutely horrifying–the climax in Michelle Tang’s Systemic Infection is sure to induce chills and vomiting. It’s quite graphic and you will absolutely squirm.
Oh! And did I mention this anthology is illustrated?--A bonus feature I always look forward to in the anthologies from HOWL. For fans of short stories ranging from cosmic horror to sci-fi horror to supernatural suspense, or simply for lovers of the HOWL anthologies, definitely pick this book up to add to your macabre bookish collection.
(Thank you to HOWL Society Press for this review copy!) -
This wasn’t my first HOWL anthology, and once again, the Horror-Obsessed Writing and Literature society did not disappoint! ‘Howls from the Wreckage: An Anthology of Disaster Horror’ is surely among the best anthologies released in 2023, and it’s chock-full of gems. The stories have been selected with the finest criteria and it shows. The opening story, “Don’t Play in the Closet” by David Worn was simply stunning and set the tone for the whole collection. “Son of Yokozuro” by Caleb Stephens offers a much needed lighter Kaizu story, one that can be read to a young relative, whereas “Unzipped” by Bridget D. Brave definitely cannot – a very creepy story! “You Shall Return” by LP Hernandez is another disturbing tale; the doppelgänger theme never ceases to unsettle me. The style of the stories varies widely: ”Crickets” by Solomon Forse has Reddit entries, “The Children of the Event” by Carson Winter has footnotes! Whereas Nick Cutter’s introduction nicely mixes the factual with the personal, pointing out the broader meaning of disasters for horror fiction.
My personal favorites were “Unzipped” by Bridget D. Brave, “Forever Home” by Chelsea Pumpkins, “Heavy Rain” by TJ Price, “A Thing of Habit” by Cassandra Khaw, and of course “Don’t Play in the Closet” by David Worn. A truly memorable HOWL anthology!
Thank you to NetGalley and HOWL Society Press for an early copy! -
As with all short story collections, you’re going to get a variety of those you consider good and bad. This is no different. They are said to be horror, but most of them don’t feel like they are truly horror. if I had to classify them, I’d say they lean more toward sci fi. As easy as it has become to compare, many of them feel as if they’d be on an episode of Black Mirror. With that being said, it is a bit horrific, but definitely not close to extreme horror, or gore. I did quite like a few of the stories/themes, and even though they aren’t the best written, it was still an entertaining collection as a whole.
-
Very seldom that just about EVERY story in an Anthology crawls so deeply under my skin. Phenomenal collection. I will be recommending this to anyone and everyone that will listen.
*update* just realized this one has released so full review below.
Don't Play In The Closet -David Worn 3/5⭐️
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A Twisted, modern take on the Pied Piper (just what it reminded me of), I enjoyed it, but wish it had been longer.
>ExecuteRelease_ - P.L. McMillan 3/5⭐️
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A tale of technological advancement gone wrong, but not in the way that it's usually portrayed.
I enjoyed the idea, the ending was not my favorite.
Son Of Yokozuro - Caleb Stephens 4/5 ⭐️
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This take on Kaiju made me heart hurt, but I liked it.
Crickets - Solomon Forse 5/5⭐️
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You remember any of the weird toy crazes that pop up every few years where, somehow, at the same time, every child on earth wants the exact same toy and no one except for them, understands the appeal? It's annoying, expensive, and maybe a little creepy? This story takes that phenomenon to a new skin-crawling level of "wtf" I loved it.
You Shall Return - L.P. Hernandez 4/5⭐️
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This story is told from the POV of a little girl , Ellie, who lives with her family on the plains in the middle of nowhere Texas until one day, during a horrific dust storm, things start to get a little.... strange. I enjoyed this one more than I thought I would.
The Richardson Family Reunion 2/5⭐️
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A nervewracking family reunion is interrupted by both a welcome and unwelcome guest.
I like this idea, but I didn't so much appreciate the execution
Casualties of a Predictable Apocalypse- Joseph Andre Thomas 3/5⭐️
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After a life altering natural disaster, one woman is forced to confront her new reality.
I liked the idea behind it.
Heavy Rain - T.J. Price 3/5⭐️
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Not sure how I would be able to describe this without giving it away, it started off pretty slow, but by the end of it I enjoyed the story.
A War In Hell - Mike Adamson 3/5⭐️
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A History Professor becomes uniquely cut out for a special kind of apocalypse.
I feel like I would've enjoyed this one a lot more if the writing style didn't feel so ... heavy? I guess. It was a little tough to get through but I loved the ideas and storyline.
Fleshies- Thea Maeve 3/5⭐️
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Not sure how to describe this one without giving it away.
They got what they deserved. Except those two. You'll get what I mean. I liked the story but it felt a little rushed.
A Tornado or Something Like It - C.B. Jones 3/5⭐️
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Having lived through several Tornados this one had me squirming a bit. I feel like I missed something with the ending but I may have just been tired. I enjoyed it.
A Thing Of Habit - Cassandra Khaw 3/5⭐️
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Cassandra's stories always require at least one re-read for me to fully comprehend what is going on, this one is no different. I enjoyed the story but the ending is foggy for me.
Unzipped - Bridget D. Brave 5/5⭐️
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This story is set in a cave, I was squirming almost the entire time I was reading it, the claustrophobia is very palpable, I adored it all the way through.
The Last Sermon Of Brother Grime - Timaeus Bloom 4/5⭐️
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I don't know where to begin even trying to describe this. The whole thing felt like I smacked my head on a dumpster next to a barbecue restaurant and had a hyper-realistic fever dream.
Against The Flats - Jennifer L. Collins 5/5⭐️
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Jellyfish.
I have such an intense fear of the ocean, and this did the opposite of improving that. You aren't gonna catch me out there anytime soon.
Hope Is A Sad Song - Gully Novaro 4/5⭐️
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Short and gross.
New fear unlocked.
Systematic Infection - Michelle Tang 5/5⭐️
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Medical negligence is so incredibly terrifying. This story hurt and warmed my heart in ways that made me feel queasy.
Forever Home - Chelsea Pumpkins 3/5 ⭐️
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This story should be a 4/5 but it hurt me so much I couldn't do it. Made me want to cry and hug my animals.
The Children of The Event- Carson Winter 4/5⭐️
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Huge fan of this Author's NoSleep stories so was pleasantly surprised to see this in the collection. Really intriguing storyline, I wish the story had lasted longer.
Detritus- Lindsey Ragsdale 3/5⭐️
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I enjoyed this ocean voyage tale but I couldn't help but feel like it was missing something.
Thank you to Netgalley for the review copy. -
howls from the wreckage: an anthology of disaster horror is honestly one of the best horror anthologies i’ve read in a long long while. normally with anthologies you’ll always have hits and misses but this was genuinely good all the way through — there was only one story i didn’t care much for, mostly because it’s a kind of story i rarely like, but the writing was still fully on point and on par with the rest of it.
each story in howls from the wreckage takes on different approaches to disaster horror and it was interested seeing how many different ways it could be interpreted. from hive mind tamagotchis, to kaijus questioning their destructive nature, to corruption in the hospital industry, to tornados and mysterious cellars — it has it all.
while i loved majority of the stories in this anthology i do wanna highlight my top four as they a) felt very different from each other style wise and b) either wrecked me (heh) or caught my attention 100% and are good indicators for why you should pick up this anthology:
• forever home by chelsea pumpkins
when i say this story broke me into a million pieces i’m not even exaggerating. it’s a story about a woman and her cat, and it’s a disaster story, so you’ll get an idea of the actual real terror you’ll feel reading it. it’s heartbreaking, gut wrenching and i’m literally an empty shell of human being now.
if you’ve got a cat the anxiety will be very real when reading this and it’s so worth it. but also, chelsea, you owe me a therapy session after this (jk jk i hugged my cat and all is well).
• systemic infection by michelle tang
absolutely loved this one and it’s message on corruption within the system how rot needs to be removed from within for things to get better most times.
definitely emotional too!!
• the last sermon of brother grime timaeus bloom
if you like john dies at the end you’ll love this one. like, legit you should read it.
• detritus by lindsey ragsdale
this conjured up images of event horizon, dead silence and from below. think: immense dread, seclusion and lots and lots of trash. it really is such an atmospheric and dreadful story and i loved every minute of it.
——
on a finishing note, the authors and stories are super diverse, and i think it’s what makes this anthology work so well. it’s not just one perspective or one way of life that’s explored. there’s different backgrounds re race and gender, there’s queer characters and relationships, and it definitely shapes the stories and elevates the anthology as a whole because of that. i’m definitely excited to see what new authors will be in the next anthology from howl (and to see what theme it is!).
// thank you to howl society press and netgalley for the arc! -
My #1 favorite story was Michelle Tang's "Systemic Infection" which deals with corruption in the medical field AND supernatural curses. Gory, well written, with social commentary to boot!
The standouts:
Don't Play in the Closet by Worn
(>executeRelease_) by McMillan
The Richardson Family Reunion by Ketterer
Heavy Rain by Price
A Thing of Habit by Khaw
Unzipped by Brave (this is my #2, so creepy and gross)
The Last Sermon of Brother Grime (my #3)
Forever Home by Pumpkins (tied for #3 because MY HEART)
Detritus by Ragsdale -
Maybe it's a reflection of my worldview, but I've been consuming more horror in 2023 than ever before. Disaster horror is one of my favorite sub-genres, too. I know post-apocalyptic fiction is all the rage, but sometimes I really want to know, in minute detail, how a character is handling the apocalypse or impending doom as it happens. This anthology has so many amazing stories of people in peril. The creativity is outrageous and far- ranging.
Standout stories for me were The Richardson Family Reunion by Ryan Marie Ketterer, Fleshies by Thea Maeve, and Detritus by Lindsey Ragdale. I can't wait to read more by all these amazing authors, and I think it's incredible that so many of them in this anthology are women. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to review this advance copy. -
I really enjoyed this anthology! Each of the stories are well written and unique! My favorite story in this anthology is "Heavy Rain" by TJ Price but I really enjoyed them all.
10/10 - highly recommend
*Special thank you to NetGalley and the publisher and author for allowing me to read a copy of this book before publication.* -
3.5 rounded up to 4.
Skies darken. Sirens wail. Buildings tremble with each distant boom. You grasp your loved ones close to you. Any second could be your last.
I wanted to love this book more than I did after reading Howls from the Dark Ages which I absolutely adored. Maybe it was the subject content but for me there were quite a few of the stories that I just didn’t like. There didn’t seem to be as much of a connection between these stories as there were in Dark Ages and this disorientated me a little as I was reading through them. There were some real clinkers though that I thoroughly enjoyed such as: Crickets by Solomon Forse, Heavy Rain by TJ Price and A War in Hell by Mike Adamson.
At the end of the day though, I love the Howls from… series and I will definitely be keeping my eye out for the next instalment. -
A huge thank you to HOWL Society Press and BookSiren for the opportunity to read this book early!*
I always adore horror anthologies, as it gives you the chance to discover new authors. This collection was fantastic, overall. I will be honest, there are a few stories that I DNF’d and there are some that I didn’t really vibe with, but that is okay! That definitely does not mean that I don’t enjoy the author or find value in their work. Here are my overall ratings for the stories in this collection:
1. Don’t Play in the Closet- 4/5 stars
2. Execute Release- 5/5 stars
3. Son of Yokozuro- 4/5 stars
4. Crickets- 5/5 stars
5. You Shall Return- 4/5 stars
6. The Richardson Family Reunion- 3/5 stars
7. Casualties of a Predictable Apocalypse- 3/5 stars
8. Heavy Rain- 5/5 stars
9. A War in Hell- DNF
10. Fleshies- 2/5
11. A Tornado or Something Like It- 3/5
12. A Thing of Habit- DNF
13. Unzipped- 3/5
14. The Last Sermon of Brother Grimes- DNF
15. Against the Flats- 3/5
16. Hope Is a Sad Thing- 4/5
17. Systemic Infection- 3/5
18. Forever Home- 4/5
19. The Children of the Event- DNF
20. Detritus- 2/5
*Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. -
I am a huge HOWLS fan, I did back this book on Kickstarter and was given the ebook as an early chance to review before the physical gets to me.
HFTW has stories that show people, well mostly people, dealing with devastating events. The range from end of the world, end of the person to end of a kaiju and everything in between.
Don’t play in the closet-A story that shows how far we will try to save the ones we love, even if it corrupts us. The backdrop of the worlds children disappearing and causing this scrupul really works.
Execute release-if Amazon went AI and evil. I loved this story because of how close we are to this.
Son of Yokozuro-Son of “Godzilla” makes a human friend, turns against father, sees why dad hated humans.
Crickets-Evil tamigachis and a mothers mission to stop them.
You Shall Return- a dust bowel apocalyptic story that has a touch of the movie Us
Richardson family reunion-A lost sister, a family reunion, a strange devastating light, a world within a world, and an even bigger
Casualties of a predictable apocalypse- earth quakes bring up an invasion of “sea cucumbers” and a woman tries to survive with her cat.
Heavy rain- the “rain” brings back the main character’s love, one piece at a time.
War in Hell-Folklore saves the world from soul eaters!
Fleshies- wonderful representation in this one and shows what LGBTQ+ folks get blamed for, and that it’s not their fault for just existing!
A Tornado or something like it-massive tornados threaten the world and one girl ends up trapped in a cellar with an unknown creature.
A thing of habit- I love Cassandra Khaw’s writing! The melding or horror and the everyday horror of an obsessive relationship convey a weird familiar and unfamiliar vibe.
Unzipped-survival spelunking to reform a teenage girl. It’s like a creature feature, plus the Descent plus the Hills Have Eyes!
Last Sermon of Brother Grime- weird and creepy, the strange transformation of a foodie
Against the Flats-survival type horror on an island surrounded my man o war jellyfish!
Hope is a Sad Song-pretty devastating story of a father trying to be there for his daughter, the wreckage interrupts that
Systemic Infection-the other nurses and cruel patients get what they had coming once a nurse goes against a patients mothers wish’s.
Forever Home-good lord I understand the feelings for a pet. This was really good, but I hugged my dogs afterwards.
The Children of the Event- I love me an old school kaiju feeling opening! It turns into a touch of I am Legend like world changes and the memo citations are great
Detritus-a view of doing something too late and our own inventions, in this case plastic its self, coming for us. The setting of the story, a ship working to clean up plastic island, really adds to the end of the world and trapped feeling. -
Howls from the Wreckage: An Anthology of Disaster Horror is the latest collection of short story collections released by the Horror-Obsessed Writing and Literature society. The stories were the result of the annual HOWL online writing workshop, highlighting what the editor felt were the strongest stories submitted. There commonalities are plots driven by disasters both natural and supernatural and the frailty of humanity.
The variety of stories, settings and plot narratives gives this book an episodic, Twilight Zone feel. Beginning with an introduction by Nick Cutter to set the scene (and reflect on his own life and influences) we enter the world of the HBI (HOWLS Bureau of Investigation) with each story presented as a caste study with the authors information at the end of each selection given as a dossier.
As with any collection, some stories stand out as stronger than others. Many of them rely on familiar tropes of horror/mystery/fantasy such as a story told, then a jump back in time to a different perspective until the narrative meet; a group dying off one by one or children the root of the issue or target of mysterious forces.
Some of the stories that stood out to me:
- Don't Play in the Closet - A song heard only by young children draws them to dark spaces where they disappear.
- Execute Release - A programmer tries to fix her biggest blunder with delivery drones
- Casualties of a Predictable Apocalypse - An earthquake survivor grieves her losses from the disaster as mysterious creatures from the sea effect other survivors.
- A War in Hell - Demons escape the center of Earth thanks to a mega disaster, but those with the knowledge of libraries fight for survival.
- The Children of the Event - A Kaiju rises from the sea and ingests many, but they are expelled still alive and help in the disaster recovery, changed.
I'm looking forward to investigating other anthologies by HOWL and will be considering joining their online reading group.
I received a free digital version of this eBook via NetGalley thanks to the publisher. -
An anthology of disaster horror from the Howl Society! Howl always pushes out a fun and unique anthology collection every year and its definitely something to look forward to. This collection is one of my new faves from them.
My top three from this book:
[EXECUTERELEASE_] by P.L. McMillan
I’m not playing favorites I swear >.> McMillan made this Anubis scifi short story in Howl’s first collection and it was *chefs kiss. Anyways, in this one we are doing scifi once again and this time we have robot spiders doing a type of amazon delivery bot thing but the robot programmer did an oops and now the bots are wrapping people up and squashing them all box sized so they fit into a nice neat package. Please McMillan, release the Egyptian space opera the people deserve! Lovers you ❤
Son of Yokozuro by Caleb Stephens
I’m a huge fan of Kaijus like everyone else and this one does not disappoint. The lizard king of Tokyo is trying to train his son to be a flame breathing, building stomping terror to take his place and his son is just not having it. Trying to convince his father that humans are alright and maybe times are changing and maybe start giving humans a chance, this argument goes back and forth while the lizard king smashes up blocks and houses and his son tries to protect his best friends house.
Detritus by Lindsey Ragsdale
Maybe this one stuck out to me because of recent events of the ocean being extra this month with the Ocean Gate submersible and shark week happening back to back but everyone knows the ocean is unknowable and creepy anyway. In this story, volunteers aboard a ship are helping to clean up the Pacific Garbage Patch because people are dicks and treat the ocean like a trash can. It’s like we WANT a sea monster to rise out of there and beat us up which happens in an earlier story in this book btw. Back to the story, a body is found overboard completely stuffed with trash and glass shards stuck in their eye sockets. The captain decides to turn the ship around and head to shore. Other passengers start doing weird things on the way home that are trash related and all chaos breaks loose.
I wanted to review every story but there’s a ton of them. Each one very enjoyable. Netflix needs to make Howls a spot and give them ALL of the funding. Yes, I know there is a strike but Black Mirror has nothing on THIS.
Also, remember there are other Howl Society anthology collections that are equally amazing and need to be read.
https://howlsociety.com/ to find their Discord and other info. They are a really great community of writers and readers.
https://piratetwinkiereadsblog.wordpr... -
In this horror anthology Howls From The Reckage you get everything from true horror to sci-fi even paranormal activity. You have a sea monster want to be blogger and a woman who risk life and limb to find her precious cat Pekoe and so much more this is one of the most unique horror anthology‘s I think I have ever read. I can usually tell by the first page if I’m going to like the story and for the most part every story in this anthology is worth buying the book for autumn my favorite was Forever Home by Chelsea pumpkins but I also love Fleshiest, Employee Of The Month and The Last Sermon Of Father Grimm but irregardless of which one you read I think they are all great on their own into something for everyone this is one bad ass Anthology and I highly recommend it a definite five star read and that isn’t an easy reading to give when there’s so many different people contributing to make a whole book but it is definitely deserved in the case of this one. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.
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Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy for review.
Great disaster horror from the Howl Society.
My favorites:
Don’t Play in the Closet by David Worn; young children are being lured into dark places (closets) and then disappear. A young father will do anything to get his son back.
You Shall Return by LP Hernandez; a family survives an epic dust storm to only be confronted with their doppelgängers.
The Children of the Event by Carson Winter; a monster consumes and then regurgitates (like a cat with a hairball) a group of humans who end up being a kinder, gentler version of us.
Disaster horror for any horror fan! -
This was super fun! I love an anthology of short stories with elements of horror. I did find a lot of them were missing the scare factor, although they were creepy and disturbing I just wanted more from them.
That being said I loved ‘Heavy Rain’ by TJ Price, and ‘Unzipped’ by Bridget D. Brave scared the fresh hell out of me.
I will definitely be looking up both of these authors to check out their other work.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book
