Title | : | 100 Word Horrors: An Anthology of Horror Drabbles |
Author | : | |
Rating | : | |
ISBN | : | - |
Language | : | English |
Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
Number of Pages | : | 128 |
Publication | : | First published January 28, 2018 |
Kevin J. Kennedy has once again brought together the best of the horror world to bring you an anthology that is packed with creepy tales. Between these pages you will find over one hundred drabbles, written by a wealth of talented authors. From the best indie horror authors to Bram Stoker award winners and Amazon top sellers. We have monsters, mayhem and madness. Come join us.
Contains drabbles by, Amy Cross, William F. Nolan, Lisa Morton, Gord Rollo, Michael A. Arnzen, Mark Lukens, Richard Chizmar, Rick Gualtieri, Jeff Strand, Kevin J. Kennedy, P. Mattern, Lee Mountford, Ike Hamill, Michael Bray, Andrew Lennon, Craig Saunders, Matt Hickman, Glenn Rolfe and many more.
100 Word Horrors: An Anthology of Horror Drabbles Reviews
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Well, since this is pretty self-explanatory, it as an Anthology of Horror Stories (or Drabbles) each told in 100 words. So, I will skip the synopsis and go straight in to a couple of my favourite stories and my GUSHING praise!!
I can’t tell you all how much I LOVED this Anthology!! It is so hard to give you all examples of the amazing stories in this because I found myself highlighting almost every story in it! Lol!! The different views on what a Horror Story should be were amazing, so many different thoughts! Some were gruesome, some were psychological, some were scary because it deals in Reality and really makes you think, and some were silly… but in a scary kind of way!
Kevin J. Kennedy himself said it best in his Afterword when he says
“I always feel that every book takes you on a journey, with anthologies often taking you on several. The stories in this book are extremely short, but I think all of the authors involved packed a lot into them. I hope you enjoyed our anthology of drabbles and, if you are new to flash fiction, I hope we have made a convert of you.”
I really hope that you allow yourself to be converted and get this book! The nice thing about each story being so short is that you can pick it up and read a little any time! (it would make a great bathroom book! Some of the stories may even scare the sh** out of you!! -
Well, I'm proud to announce that even at 50+, I still learn something new (often more than one thing) every day. Yesterday I learned this word: Drabble. A drabble is a piece of fiction writing that is exactly 100 words long. And I will make up a word of my own to describe this book: Drabblicious!
I went shopping with my husband yesterday. We ventured forth on an all-day adventure to a nearby large city to pick up monthly staples. The last stop....the game store....for card sleeves (3 new Legendary expansions needed sleeves before we could play. Yeah...I know...Nerd Alert and all that). But I digress.... I was worn out so I sat in the car and started reading this book on my phone. Little horror snippets.....some disturbing, some creepy, others gross. But all entertaining! Great quick read! All of the contributors did a marvelous job of conveying true horror in just 100 words. So much fun to read! And definitely a great book to read as Fall approaches. Halloween is my favorite holiday....and this book did a great job kicking off the pre-Halloween season for me!
This is the first book/collection offered by Kevin J. Kennedy that I have read. I'm definitely going to read more! He has several other horror collections including Collected Christmas Horror Shorts, Carnival of Horror, and (the one I'm going to read next) Collected Halloween Horror Shorts. I will be happily set up with great short horror fiction for quite some time. Thanks Kevin! :)
The front cover art for this book is just awesome! :)
And I'm going to try my hand at writing some drabbles. I think leading up to Halloween I'm going to challenge my family and friends to write some scary shorts and share them.....winner announced at our annual Halloween party (with a cool prize of course -- a paperback copy of this book!)
Horror enthusiasts -- Support Indy Authors! This book is available at several online bookseller sites (Wordery, B&N, and Amazon all have it just to name a few) and check with your local brick & mortar....they can probably order a copy! It is listed on Kindle Unlimited as well. Enjoy! -
Before hearing about this book, I had never heard of a drabble but I was intrigued. This was such a fun collection! I really loved the majority of the stories. I will definitely be going back to this collection from time to time to revisit them.
Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.
My thoughts:
My favorite stories were the ones that either spooked me, or took a turn at the very end that I wasn’t expecting!
On the flip side, the ones I didn’t care for were the ones that I felt just didn’t give us enough information, or left me thinking, "wait, what?" Of course I'm sure it’s very difficult in this format to decide which info makes it and what gets the cut... but with any type of collection, it's very normal for me to love some and dislike some.
Reading through this collection took me a while because I re-read many of the stories a couple of times before moving on.
I definitely need to read more flash fiction! These drabbles were so fun! I highly recommend checking this one out if you're a fan of horror, paranormal, and/or sci-fi and don't mind a little darkness.
Feel free to read on to see my quick thoughts after I read each story. There are very slight spoilers. -
AWESOME, I enjoyed this waaaay more than I thought I would!
Such an interesting little (very little) concept, I had never read this kind of style before.
I battled, and very nearly broke, myself with this review because for the past two years, ALL of my anthology/collection reviews are a run through of each story, in order, as well as my extra subjective opinions, plus a fair bit of gibberish.
Well, there are 110 tiny tales in this... O-o ....
Yeeea, my rambles would be longer than their drabbles, no doubt about that.
So, I popped a couple Xanax and changed up my style, a bit.
This was a fun and unique approach to flash-fiction storytelling, perfect for when you are waiting in line, stuck at a train, or in the bathroom on personal business.
I always enjoy Kevin's anthologies, they've been holiday themed short story collections so far, involving some of the most talented new, and old-er, writers in the biz.
But this go round, he feng shui-ed the hell outta the format, delivering something very outside-of-the-box, and very entertaining.
I really admire all the writers restraint here, 71 of them took on the challenge, some even brave enough for multiple entries.
It's A LOT harder than it looks!
I attempted to try it but I know, and accept, my limitations.
They have to have a great opening line, set up a premise, go in some sort of direction, and have an amazing closing line....all in exactly 100 words! Whew..
So every word has to count ~ HA quite literally but that's not what I mean.
And being able to add in a throat punch twist, well, that's just a little bonus stroke of genius right there.
Ok, so, I have a fabulous idea for the next edition, let's jump it to 300 words, call it a trabble.
But here's the kicker; it would have to be these same writers, expanding on the these same tales, picking up right (or write) where they left off. Ehhhh....
Of course they can utilize flashback to set up a bit of backstory, I'm not some sort of monster.
And the poems get a pass, that'd just be cruel. Instead, the poets could write a couple companion poems, of exactly 100 words, again. That sounds fair, right??
There are a whole bunch of these tales that have such full-on short story potential and I craved more.
However, I do have to admit that a sizeable chunk were actually flat-out perfect as is, but I'm a glutton, always wanting moooore.
And if I am being honest, a fair few of them did fall flat for me but that's bound to happen with so many and those are probably the ones that would thrive from the trabble treatment, to flesh them out a bit. :D :D
So, I give this creative collection 4.5 stars rounded UP to 5, cause I don't go down.
That came out wrong.
And Jesus Christ, I simply can NOT believe it's only a $1.40!?! Really, a whole buck-forty...
W O W....netting that kind of profit all the authors involved could like, share an variety pack of Hubba Bubba bubble gum or something. Taking turns, of course, so definitely not anything which loses flavor fast, like Juicy Fruit.
Candid Confession: Before I posted, I actually had to force myself to practically disembowel this review when I noticed I was absentmindedly yakking up a rave for some of the real jaw dropper stories, which led to a few more of my favs, and more, and more....
O-o...I was spiraling out of control.
I really reeeally do admire all the writers restraint and since mine is down-right non-existent, I had no choice but to just zap the whole lot of them from any, and all, casual commentary. :`(
No Title Left Behind, that's my credo.
I'm weak. I fall too hard and go too deep. Cold turkey was my only option.
*pops another Xanax*
So, just buy the damn book...I've been through so much...
It's one hell of a good-time read!!! 😉 -
Thanks to the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I have pointed this out before, and I'm going to do it again; It's hard for me to get into books that have short stories. I can't totally "lose" myself in the story, because before you do it, the story is ended already. In this book the stories aren't even 1 Kindle page so you won't be able to get into the story, even if you were committing and trying your best.
A longer review can be found at Bite Into Books
What I liked especially about this book with the 100 Word Horrors, is that you read a short story and that the final sentence is the moment you "get it". Sometimes you have no idea what you're reading and the final sentence gives you that little information you still needed. It sometimes left me with a great smirk on my face. There were a lot of short stories that I would've loved to be longer stories! -
This was such a fun book. I absolutely love 100 word stories! My full review can be read here --->
https://wp.me/p5t5Tf-1yO -
Genre - Horror/Anthology/Drabbles
Pages - 128
Publication Info - KJK Publishing, January 28, 2018
Format - Kindle
Stars - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
If you’re looking for an anthology that has a little bit of everything from the horror genre you will want to pick up a copy of “100 Word Horrors: An Anthology of Horror Drabbles”, Presented by Kevin J. Kennedy and authored by various authors. It’s an impressive undertaking and collection of 110 drabbles (traditionally, a drabble is a piece of fiction that is exactly 100 words long) by an even more impressive group of 74 authors from around the globe. Each of these stories is horror or a subgenre of the horror genre and there isn’t a dribble amongst the drabble (sorry I couldn’t resist).
As I’ve said in reviews of other anthologies, I love this format to get to know authors I haven’t had the good fortune of reading before. In this case, I have read many of the authors previously and/or have at least one of the authors books in my Kindle library or physical library. A few I’ve never heard of and am happy for the opportunity to get to experience their work. I look forward to reading each of these authors sometime i the future. This was a quick read but I had such a wonderful time reading it. This is one of those books that I will most likely go back to and reread certain drabbles from time to time.
This may take up a large portion of the review, but I want to give you an idea of the caliber of writing you get with this book. Authors that contributed to this phenomenal read are as follows in no particular order, and some authors are responsible for more than 1 drabble: Lisa Morton, Matthew Brockmeyer, Glenn Rolfe, Andrew Lennon, A.J. Brown, Norbert Gora, Christopher Motz, Mark Fleming, Brandy Yassa, Michael A. Arnzen, Mark Cassell, P.J. Blakey-Novis, John Dover, Matt Hickman, Sara Tantlinger, Mark Lumby, Pippa Bailey, Veronica Smith, Richard Chizmar, David Owain Hughes, Amy Cross, Michael Bray, Alex Laybourne, Suzanne Fox, Valerie Lioudis, Stefan Lear, Georgia Lennon, James Matthew Byers, C.S. Anderson, Ike Hamill, P. Mattern, Mike Duke, Robert W. Easton, Peter Oliver Wonder, Billy San Juan, Derek Shupert, Gord Rollo, Billy Chizmar, Weston Kincade, Antonio Simon, Jr., Duncan P. Bradshaw, Kevin J. Kennedy, Nicholas Diak, Becky Narron, Howard Carlyle, Chris Kelso, Adriaan Brae, Michael Paul Gonzalez, Donelle Pardee Whiting, Lisa Vasquez, Ellen A. Easton, Megan Ince, Eric J. Guignard, Christina Bergling, C.M. Saunders, James H. Longmore, Lee McGeorge, Chad Lutzke, David McClusky, Craig Saunders, Briana Robertson, Theresa Jacobs, Lee Mountford, Rhys Hughes, Philippa Bailey, Elizabeth Cash, Jeff Strand, Rick Gualtieri, Jessica Gomez, Jason M. Light, James McCulloch, Rebecca Brae and Mark K. Lukens. I hope I got all the names spelled correctly...
Enjoy!!! -
I loved this book with a passion. It’s a very quick read but the stories will make you think. I had to go back and reread them, and boy are they good. How hard must it be to boil down a whole plot to just 100 words. These talented authors accomplish it. There are many stories. Some will make you fear marriage or love. Others, the shadows. While some show the darkest of the dark: human nature. There's a piece perfect for Halloween and another one that will make you see Santa Claus in a different light. Some are gross and others have a great, if twisted sense of humor. I can't mention each and every one of these pieces, I just wanted to point out three of them because they really impressed me and made me think. “You don't see me,” by Christina Bergling made my skin crawl and gave me a sleepless night or two. “Just a Game,” by Christopher Motz made me gasp with its surprising ending. “Children of the Carnival,” by Kevin J. Kennedy, tells a whole story with only 100 words. Five enthusiastic stars!
I received a free copy from the author, but I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, Kevin J. Kennedy! -
I am so terribly happy to have stumbled upon this collection after seeing it in a review feed. Short stories collections are my weakness. I collect more than I will probably ever manage to read. Since I tend to be a bit of a minimalist anyway, last year's introduction to flash fiction just intensified that addiction. To now discover drabbles, could it EVEN get any better?!
The stories are each 100 words, a powerful punch with minimal words. I enjoyed each and every story. There were a handful that simply amazed me. I was pleasantly to find a wide selection of authors. A few of my favorite authors even made an appearance.
These fast stories are short and fun and some of them are simply mind blowing. I loved it and was excited to hear last night that volume 2 is due out later this year. -
Awesome Read!
A drabble is a story of 100 words, no more , no less. This anthology of drabbles was a quick but deliciously chilling read. It's surprising how the authors can scare the crap out of you in so few words. My hat is off to all the incredible authors who contributed to this book. I highly recommend this book to any fan of the horror genre. -
QUICK HORROR FIXES!
I enjoyed many of these 100 word horror stories (26 of them I labeled as AWESOME). I LOVE the idea of short, thought provoking mini- stories because I get to be the imaginary author of what occurred before or after the mini story began or ended. I would absolutely read more books like this in the future. -
Not something I would normally choose, but this was a very enjoyable read.
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This was a different type of book as all the authors featured had stories that were 100 words or less. All the stories were good and very creative! I was familiar with some of the authors in this book and some I didn't know. Now that I have gotten a taste of their stories I am going to look up the authors I am not familiar with and check out the rest of their books. It is hard to write a review for stories as short as these were, so all I can say is you will have to check it out on your own, but it was one of the most interesting books I have read. Three stars for this one.
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This was a great anthology, with lots and lots of stories, as suggested in the intro, I did take a minute or two after each story to think about them.
Most of them I liked some not so much, but have have to expect that with so many stories, but there is a little something for everyone!
And it has inspired me to try writing a few drabbles myself. -
A unique book, with a huge variety of stories. Fitting a plot into exactly 100 words is far from easy and all the authors involved have done just that. A great example of how good flash fiction can be.
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I opened the book with no expectations, I’ve read very few ‘drabbles’ but what I read were fine. There were many names I recognised on the TOC, yet started as anyone should, at the beginning. A mixture of stories flooded at me, some calm, some comical and others aggressive in their horror yet I continued reading, steadily picking my way through the short stories at such a rate I began to wonder if I had somehow been hypnotised. They gripped me, held fast, destroying my time as I consumed each and every delicate little morsel, leaving me hungry for more.
What I have written above is exactly 100 words, the same length as each of the stories in this collection. Prior to reading it I had perhaps read a dozen or so drabbles over the years and I’m aware that a vast amount of people love to do them. I didn’t really go in for the whole flash fiction scene, even though very good friends of mine were into it. I think I missed out.
I’d always been massively concerned with novels, writing ones which I then burned and/or reading masses of them for the sheer joy of it, sometimes a short story or collection would turn up by one of my favourite authors so I would give it a shot. Some stories being better than others but still entertaining, and in recent years I have enjoyed and occasionally endured short form fiction as a result of online requests in groups and of course through my previous association with The Ginger Nuts of Horror. I could appreciate the short form for what it is, which to me has more in common with song writing than with novels, this is because a novel as 80,000+ words to play with, and can spread out as a very involved story. A song on the other hand often has to convey a story of emotional depth in just a few minutes; there are thousands of songs which do just that.
The 100 Word Horrors book has brought together what I would consider to be a vast amount of stories, at a quick count I made it 110, from a variety of established and up-and-coming authors with the likes of Lisa Morton, Mark Cassell, Richard Chizmar, Pippa Bailey, David Owain Hughes, Michael Bray, Amy Cross, Becky Narron, Chris Kelso, Chad Lutzke and Christina Bergling to name but a few.
Each of the stories is of course bite sized, and yet I was constantly surprised by what each author had managed to do with the hundred words. With so many stories in the book and so many different authors one can expect a degree of overlap with similar themes, yet there is surprisingly little of that here and their dedication to craft has created a wealth of small but perfectly formed chillers. To me this book has many functions, it is a light read and as such could easily be the sort of thing you can get into on a tea break or the bus to work, but if you’re like me your drink will go cold or you will miss your stop and continue reading until the final tale is over. It is also a very useful guide to what is happening in contemporary horror as it is quite clear that there are many significant talents at work here with a wealth of different voices and there are several whom I’ve never read who have now enticed me to seek out more of their work.
I’m not going to single out any specific stories, as there are none which I would consider bad or confusing, they are all straightforward great little horrors, all of which are worthy of consideration. The beauty of such brevity is also that if you don’t like the story it has only been a hundred words, so you haven’t wasted hours on it. If Kevin J Kennedy decides to create another anthology such as this one then I’ll certainly look forward to reading it.
Before I go, I must give a special mention about the cover as it is one of the most inspired works of art I’ve seen on a book cover since I don’t know when. Made to look like an old gaming cassette case it has a ‘Rampage’ theme, with a King Kong like gorilla, A Werewolf and A Giant Lizard smashing burning buildings with destruction in their wake and Apache gunships et cetera firing on them. It’s all rather dramatic and I believe parallels the scale of the contents. Whether you want something to while away the afternoon, or to dip into when you have 10 minutes, this is the ideal book.
https://www.amazon.com/100-Word-Horro...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/100-Word-Hor... -
Killers, ghosts, demons, and all the other things from your nightmares, plus a few new ones to haunt your dreams, fill the pages of this fantastic collection. The subject, tone, and writing style constantly vary throughout the anthology, which was refreshing and kept me turning the pages. Because each story is exactly one hundred words this is the perfect book to take along on coffee breaks, but the quality of each drabble also make this easy to binge through in a long sitting.
Additionally, reading this compilation is a fantastic way to find your next favorite author. There are several writers included in this anthology I was already a fan of, but this book also introduced me to new voices in horror that I will quickly be adding to my reading pile. Here are just a few standout stories by authors I’m looking forward to reading more of: Children of the Carnival by Kevin J. Kennedy (compiler); Priscilla’s Pugnacious Pampered Pups by Brandy Yassa (editor); I Am the End by Michael Bray (cover designer).
I’ve been a long-time fan of short stories because they force the writer to strip away the fluff, and really hone their craft. It’s no coincidence that the legends of the written word, like Stephen King, H.P. Lovecraft, Richard Matheson, and Ray Bradbury, all have lengthy collections of short stories. Being able to tell a complete, compelling and terrifying tale in only one hundred words is no easy feat. If you’re a writer, I encourage you to study short stories. If you’re a horror writer, 100 Word Horrors: An Anthology of Horror Drabbles is your master class. -
Flash fiction masterpiece!
I grabbed this for free the other day. :) Amy Cross is a favorite of mine, abd she's always got several different books for free every day. Im always checking her Amazon Page to see if anything I don't have yet is free.
I have dozens of her books in Kindle edition. And I'm working on collecting print versions of her works. :)
Of course when I saw that this was free I had to get it. I mean, I freaking love flash fiction. 😆 I write it myself! I had to have This. And it was such a fun read! Each story is unique and creepy.
And only a 100 words each! So impressed!
I'll have to get a print version of this soon. It definitely needs to go on my bookshelf.
I loves so many of these stories. I can't name them all. But I really liked the doll one, the very first one, the one about grandma's Christmas dinners, and the nagging wife. Just to name a few.
Seriously, this was so much fun. There were just a few by any Cross, but that's okay. 😆 Now I have dozens more new authors to check out. ❤️
Highly recommended for fans of flash fiction. I know I am! -
As my first true introduction to the world of the 'drabble' I was surprised by the abilities of the dozens of various authors to create a full story in a mere 100 words. I did intend to use this book as something of a 'grab bag' to dip into when I had a few spare minutes (for which the format here is perfect), however, I got so absorbed in the stories that I binged on them and read it all in one sitting.
The quality never drops below good and is generally excellent.
Highly recommended. -
This was a lot of fun and, of course, a quick read. The story quality varies, but at only 100 words each, they’re all worth your time. My personal favorite was Knock Knock... by C.S. Anderson.
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I have never read anything like this before. I found it very entertaining and some of the stories actually made me laugh.(not sure if that's a good thing). Some of my favorite authors were in this too and some of them in it more than once. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a quick read and something different. And I can't wait until volume 2 comes out. This book doesn't take long at all to read but when it's over, you're kind of sad that it's done. Can't say enough good things about it. Keep them coming Kevin!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Drabbles are life! Good job to all the authors in this book!
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In 2018, Kevin J. Kennedy issued a challenge to some writer friends – write horror stories for an anthology, but only use 100 words to create your story. His friends came through with a creepy collection best savored in little bites. Anyone who knows me must be familiar with my enthusiasm for short and super-short stories, so this anthology is up my literary alley.
By necessity with drabble writing, the authors weighed each word. Although the collection offers many wonderful writers, there are too many stories to go into individually here. However, I must mention some of my favorites. Ellen Easton’s description in ‘It’s Just a Dream’ is breathtaking. ‘Running from Him’ by Michael A. Arnzen made me say, “Ew, bro!” Eric J. Guignard created an eerie new legend with ‘Foreverman.’ My absolute favorites, though, were Chad Lutz’s ‘Sugar and Spice’ and Kevin J. Kennedy’s ‘Children of the Carnival.’ Both of these excellent drabbles explored the innocence of children.
Some others that grabbed me included ‘Shadows’ by Antonio Simon, Jr., ‘Lightbulb’ by Matthew Brockmeyer, ‘No More’ by Mike Duke, and Suzanne Fox’s story. Many in this collection of scares possess a holiday theme. There are two Thanksgiving and several Christmas explorations.
The ‘100 Word Horrors’ anthology was such a success that there is a second and a third. -
A fantastic collection of super short stories. I really enjoyed it!
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It is really hard to rate stories that are only 100 words. Most of them beg for more details, of course! Take my ratings with a grain of salt. A low rating doesn't necessarily reflect the author's writing ability.
The Dead Thing by Lisa Morton - Creepy visuals, which is saying something for a story that is only 100 words. 4/5
Hide & Seek by Matthew Brockmeyer - Terrifying. This story can trigger many shivery feelings. It is something that can happen in the real world which I think makes it much scarier, and also sad. 5/5
They Came For Me by Glenn Folfe - TW: Spiders. I don't really have that phobia, but still, the idea of this one is shiver-inducing. 5/5
Lunchtime by Andrew Lennon - I like this one, though it is one where you really want more to it. The idea of it is disgusting, which works perfectly for the horror setting 3.5/5
Strength in the Blood by A.J. Brown - Scary and sad. I think the short format doesn't help this idea and I would like to see it more fleshed out. 3/5
It is Just Local Gossip by Norbert Gora - Spooky, but it feels lacking, which of course can't be helped much when you're limited to 100 words. 2.5/5
Just A Game by Christopher Motz - Totally a PSA to not take pills from anyone unless you know for sure what it is. 3/5
Firing Squad by Mark Fleming - Doesn't feel like a story, just a paragraph. I know not much can be done in 100 words, so I don't even blame the author. 2/5
Alone by Brandy Yassa - Spooky. 3/5
Baby Steps by Michael A. Arnzen - Um, not sure what to say for this one 2/5
A Song For Them by Mark Cassell - Scary 3/5
The Other Me by P.J. Blakey-Novis - Interesting. The idea is for sure horrifying 3.5/5
Little Date Drive by John Dover - Yikes, make sure you don't annoy your neighbors 3/5
Hobby by Matt Hickman - Unsettling, gross, sad, terryifying 4/5
Beauty Mask by Sara Tantlinger - Remind me to never use a face mask again 4/5
Bessy by Mark Lumby - Just what exactly is Bessy? Truly unnerving. 4/5
Heart Shaped Box by Pippa Bailey -Horrible, but also sad. 3/5
Post Halloween by Veronica Smith - This is why we should leave the Halloween directions up year-round! 4/5
The Man in the Black Sweater by Richard Chizmar - It looks like someone is finally going to have their revenge. 3/5
Virtual Reality by David Owain Hughes - When VR becomes too real. 2/5
I Was Loved by P.J Blakey-Novis - Something else that can and does happen a lot in the real world (Maybe not one aspect of this, depending on if you believe in ) so that makes this much scarier and sad. 5/5
The End of the Pier by Amy Cross - Sad. Reality meets supernatural (or maybe the spooky stuff is real, depending on what you believe in!) Anyways, this one is just sad and scary. 4/5
The Dublin Pub by Veronica Smith - Terrifying imagery. 4/5
I Am The End by Michael Bray - Creepy, sad, confusing (like who is the "I" character) 3/5
Beasts from Below by Alex Laybourne - No hope, poor people 3/5
Coming Home by Suzanne Fox - Interesting idea 3/5
Stone Dry by Sara Tantlinger - Maybe it is the fact that it is 4am, but this one confused my brain. 3/5
The Box by Valerie Lioudis - Many people's worst nightmare! So scary! 5/5
Best of Friends by Stefan Lear - Scary 3/5
It Came by Mark Lumby - It's gross, but it was just hungry! 3.5/5
Cold Toes by Georgia Lennon - I can relate to him. I'm always cold and my husband is always warm. I just hope our story doesn't end like this one! 4.5/5
Edmond by James Matthew Buyers - This one was told in poetry format and I really liked it 5/5
Knock Knock by C.S Anderson - Probably the scariest one haha 4/5
Delusional by Suzanne Fox - Sad and scary. No matter how much evidence there is, nobody will believe them 5/5
Disregarded Advice by Ike Hamill - You should always listen to your mother! 3/5
Harsh Sentance by P. Mattern - Imitating is the greatest form of flattery, but maybe not in this guys case 4/5
No More by Mike Duke - Sad 3/5
What is Schizophrenia, Anyway by Robert W. Easton - Scary for sure, but did a real mental health condition have to be related to it? There is already so much stigma toward mental health conditions. 2.5/5
Shower Thoughts by Peter Oliver Wonder - This is an all too real thing that can happy. Both scary and sad. 4/5
A Caring Community? by Suzanne Fox - Sad, disgusting 3/5
Lightbulb by Matthew Brockmeyer - What a twist! Pretty good. 4.5/5
A Demonic Pact by Billy San Juan - Be careful who you marry! 3/5
Till Death do us Part by Derek Shupert - Again, be careful who you marry! 3/5
Someone's in my House by Gord Rollo - More real-life horror. It makes me glad I live with nobody around, though I guess that can backfire. 3/5
It by Billy Chizmar - Well, that sucks! 3.5/5
Checkmate Roommate by Michael A. Arnzen - An example for why you shouldn't bully someone. You never know what they might do to you later. 3.5/5
Silence by Pippa Bailey - Way to go above and beyond for a bit of silence! 4/5
Jolly O' Infiltrator by Weston Kincade - Perfect poem for this time of year! (Christmas) 5/5
Shadows by Antonia Simon, Jr. - Peter Pan's shadow never did that! 3.5/5
Winter's Embrace by Duncan P. Bradshaw - This one wasn't there for me, but it does show that the author has a good writing style. 2/5
Cut Down to Size by David Owain Hughes - Well, that was unexpected. 3.5/5
Children of the Carnival by Kevin J. Kennedy - This is more sad than scary. 4/5
The Grave by Amy Cross - The writing style is great, but this one doesn't work for me. 2/5
Will-o'the-Wisp by Nicholas Diak - Beware this wisp! 3/5
Stone by Becky Narron - That will awaken anyone's fear of the water! 4/5
Meal for One by Howard Carlyle - This is why you don't go home with your Tinder date! 4/5
Don't Look Back by James Matthew Buyers - Horror poetry! I really liked it. 5/5
Street-Hearts by Chris Kelso - Interesting. 2.5/5
Consumed by Desire by Adriaan Brae - Some might say this is a good way to go, others not so much! 4/5
Another Tonight? by William F. Nolan - This is why you shouldn't go home with a person you just met at a bar! 3/5
Destiny's Embrace by Michael Paul Gonzalez - This is why you shouldn't be too hasty! 2.5/5
Clean by Valerie Lioudis - Okay 2/5
Trees by Donelle Pardee Whiting - When trees fight back 2.5/5
Dancing by David Owain Hughes -Well, that escalated quickly 3/5
Running from Him by Michael A. Arnzen -I didn't expect that! 4/5
Night Terros by Lisa Vasquez - Creepy 3.5/5
It's Just a Dream, Right? by Ellen A. Easton - Maybe it is a good thing I have trouble sleeping! 4/5
Over the Edge by Mark Cassell - This is why you don't dangle your foot over the edge! 3.5/5
The Beauty of the Sea by Kevin J. Kennedy -It is a good thing I don't live by the sea! 4/5
Breadth of Bone by Sara Tantlinger - You should always have a safe word! 4/5
Never Leave Me, Nor Forsake Me by Mike Duke -How about, no! 3.5/5
Escape by Megan Ince - Tough choice! 3/5
Forever Men by Eric J. Guignard - Eerie 3/5
The Artist by Howard Carlyle - This guy has the right idea about beauty! 4.5/5
Initiation by Mark Fleming - Why would you do something so stupid? 3.5/5
What's For Dinner? by Christopher Motz -It makes you wonder what was in her past dinners.... ew 4/5
Vermillion by Liza Vasquez - Maybe it is a good thing I don't go to church! 3.5/5
Jack Frost by Christina Bergling - Sad 3/5
Coming Around by C.M. Saunders - Harsh! 4/5
Bad Cop, Bad Cop by James H. Longmore - Confusing 2/5
Experimental Animal 7 by Lee McGeorge - Maybe you shouldn't experiment on animals! 5/5
Bummed Night by James Matthew Buyers - Maybe you shouldn't smoke 3/5
Sugar & Spice by Chad Lutzke -Nothing worse than evil children 3.5/5
Air by Dave McClusky - Maybe you should have practiced more! 4/5
You Don't See Me by Christina Bergling - Learn to be more aware of your surroundings! 3/5
The Dead Train by Craig Saunders - Messy 2.5/5
Delivery by Briana Robertson - Not cool 2/5
The Guest by Dave McCluskey - Sad, cruel 2/5
Nights in Whitechapel by Theresa Jacobs - Jack the Ripper 2/5
Betrayal by Lee Mountford - Entitled Men, am I right? 3/5
Beautiful Francesca - More entitled me. 2.5/5
Priscilla's Pugnacious Pampered Pups by Brandy Yassa - Maybe you shouldn't sleep with dogs! 4/5
Mister Fancy Pants by Rhys Hughes - Okaay 2.5/5
Greed Has No Heart by Mark Lumby - At least he gave you money! 2/5
Beast in the Bedroom by Philippa Bailey - Horror version of the BFG 4/5
The Boy by Richard Chizmar and Billy Chizmar - I hope the end was quick 2/5
Weeping Keys by Elizabeth Cash - Insanity! 3/5
Grand Slam by Christina Bergling - Just don't cheat! 3.5/5
Shock Collar by Jeff Strand - Ouch 3.5/5
The Festival of Gluttony by Mike Duke - That is not what I thought it would be! 5/5
Selfie by Rick Gualtieri -This is why we shouldn't take so many selfies! 4/5
Jonathan by Amy Cross - Look both ways before crossing roads, kids! 3.5/5
A Flash Beginning by Jessica Gomez - Sad 4/5
Spellbound by John Dover - When spells backfire 3/5
I Was a Teenage Eulogist by Jason M. Light - Just like Death Note 4/5
From the Mouths of Drunks and Babes by Alex Laybourne - You should have listened to the drunks! 3/5
Stage Fright by James McCulloch - Well written, but I'm not making sense of it 2/5
Cupid and Death by Rhys Hughes - What? I think there is a really fascinating idea in here It needs fleshed out! 2.5/5
The Feast by Rebecca Brae - It looks like meat is on the table again! 4/5
The Dolls by Mark Lukens - Didn't see that one coming! 5/5 -
A roaring dark and bloddy ride!
Whether you enjoy brief fiction or horror, you will find both here and with so many high caliber writers, you can't go wrong!
Recommended to anyone with a strong heart and a thirst for blood. -
I purchased this anthology noting one of my favourite modern day authors contributed to the collection. I also noted that Mark Lumby who compiled Dark Places, Evil Faces anthology was included on the list of authors. Therefore, I knew I was in for an exciting read!!!
With the horror stories (drabbles) being limited to 100 words each, they are fast and to the point with so much packed into such a short space. I did need to take a minute or two after each drabble to give some thought to what I had just read. Excellent little read for my morning train! -
Rollicking good read!!
Many cringe-worthy stories collected within these pages... a little something for everyone! A quick read-through the first time, then slowly savoring each one the next time through. Another winner from Kevin Kennedy! -
Drabble: A story of exactly 100 words
These are delightfully macabre. Some are thrillers, some are straight up horror, while some are subtle twist in the tale. They are all stand alone so you can dip in and out or greedily gobble it up in one sitting as I did. -
Book 86 of my Goodreads Challenge 2019
Bite size reads to make you squirm.
If you are a fan of horror this is a great book to have, so much diversity in bite sized reads. Plenty to get you squirming in just a few sentences. Well worth checking out and great for when you don't have any great length of time to spend on reading.