| Title | : | Not All Monsters |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1946335312 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781946335319 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 288 |
| Publication | : | Published October 1, 2020 |
Women have dealt with monsters throughout countless films, books, media, and certainly in real life. With this anthology, we wanted to give women the chance to take something back to show their skills and storytelling abilities, but to also create striking stories that resonate profoundly with readers: Protagonists who take no shit; women who save themselves; women who slay the beast; women who become the monster.
Not All Monsters Reviews
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Confession time: I used to really have beef with short stories. I was a voracious reader, and I wanted to tuck into the banquet of a novel. Something that gave me meat to sink my teeth into. Shorts felt like a cheat - I'd barely have gotten into them before they were gone, and I had to start over.
I've really come to appreciate them over the last few years, and I think that has a lot to do with a greater understanding and appreciation for different forms of expression. For a story not being a linear, structured, logical thing of a to b to c and all those letters mean exactly what they say. The short story is an art form, and the more I delve in, the more enamored I am.
All this lead up to say, Not All Monsters is the epitome of what I'm looking for in a short these days. This is an incredible antho of wide ranging tones, themes, elements and content. I got lost in each individual world, achingly constructed with deft skill by a TOC of strong writers. No matter how short a time I spent in the pages of each world, that world was complete, the characters real and the tapestry rich. I got pulled in from the very first story, Portrait of a Girl in Red and Yellow by Joanna Royce. The pacing was perfect, the story intriguing, and the ending was satisfyingly horrific. Each story that followed kept the promise of the first - this is a strong antho from beginning to end, and I'd expect no less from the powerhouse of lyrical horror who is Sara Tantlinger.
What a perfectly satisfying line up. What a gorgeous symphony of monstrous voices. You won't find two in here that are alike, but each holds the note and carries it throughout. Stand out favorites included Black Feathered Phlogiston by K.P. Kulski, Inked by E.E. Florence, Midnight in the Garden of Life and Death by Kayleigh Barber, Pretty Little Vampires by Sam Fleming (what a fun, aesthetic departure), Without a Face by Hailey Piper, The Revenge of Madeline Usher by Joanna Koch, and The Sugar Cane Sea by Juliana Spink Mills. -
‘Not All Monsters’ explores the horror of bodies, the dark magic of becoming, and the psychology of fear. It speaks of the bravery of fighting back, and the delicious discovery of self. Each of the women here brings horror and heart across a range of styles and tonal takes on the genre. From the wickedly satirical (flipping the bird at That Guy We All Know From Social Media - in ‘Leather’ by S.M. Ketcham) to the vivid ‘children of the cane’ fantasy of Juliana Spink Mills’ ‘The Sugar Cane Sea’, I enjoyed every story.
To celebrate a few personal highlights...
‘The Good Will’ is astonishing, occupying that dark intersection somewhere between Angela Carter and Neil Gaiman, and one which writer Briana McGuckin makes her own.
The domestic hyperdrama of ‘This Can Happen to You’ by Jessica McHugh attacks you like grand guignol or noh theatre, with lashings of emotional intensity, manic wit, and delirious bloody mayhem.
‘Heart of the Lion’ by J.H. Moncrieff is like an Amicus movie on steroids, with a provocatively poignant message beneath its action-packed sinew that animal lovers (and cat lovers in particular) will find stirring.
A hitherto voiceless presence is given darkly urgent agency in a bold reframing of a classic gothic tale in ‘The Revenge of Madeline Usher’ by Joanna Koch. This story celebrates what has gone before while exploding the male lens to reveal the real story that was, until now, ignored.
Christa Carmen’s ‘And Sweetest in the Gale is Heard’ transcends even Jack Ketchum’s mantra that for the horror to feel authentic the pain must be all too real. Carmen’s writing here completely floored me, and is a dazzling standout in this outstanding anthology. -
This anthology is filled with monster stories and explores what makes a monster. “The Problem with Being a Monster” by Annie Neugebauer inhabits the theme of the anthology very tightly by disarming you by being touching and warm with a stinger. “Wasted” by Amy Easton is full of excellent inhabited characters and does some interesting work to combine teenage self doubt with sex positivity and erotic gore. “Black Feathered Phlogiston” by K. P. Kulski wreathes its rage in a vicious, bloody metaphor. “Without a Face” by Hailey Piper is about facing the ghosts of the past and cleaning the slate. I loved the gothic girls school setting and the fencing team reunion. “The Miraculous Ones” by G. G. Silverman is a great dark fantasy story about siamese twins where one turns towards God and one towards witchcraft. “The Revenge of Madeline Usher” by Joanna Koch delivers a beautiful perspective of the Fall of the House of Usher from the unheard and paralyzed perspective.
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This may sound strange but this collection of horror stories is beautiful. Each of these stories touched me in some way, some even brought me to tears.
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Oh, how I do love horror anthologies. With 'Not All Monsters' Sara Tantlinger has curated an impressive collection, with the common denominator being that all the authors are women.
Plenty of dark stuff on display, and there are really no dead (no pun intended) spots here.
While the styles vary the overall sense of dread, horror, and even beauty ring true.
Highly recommended! -
Not All Monsters is a collection of short stories that each have some sort of monster within; whether that's a creature or a choice made that tips a human over into the realm of monster.
I received a copy of this in the December 2020 Nightworms package. As February is Women In Horror month, what better way to kick off my reading this month?!
To kick things off, the intro by Sara Tantlinger briefly discusses how this anthology came about before summarizing what stories readers will find within these pages.
My favorite stories from this anthology include:
- Inked by E. E. Florence
- The Good Will by Briana McGuckin
- Midnight in the Garden of Life and Death by Kayleigh Barber
- Pretty Little Vampires by Sam Fleming
- Antifreeze and Sweet Peas by Angela Sylvaine
- And Sweetest in the Gale is Heard by Christa Carmen
- The Sugar Cane Sea by Juliana Spink Mills
Per usual, here are my quick thoughts on each tale:
Portrait of a Girl in Red and Yellow by Joanna Roye – 3/5
What a bizarre tale! How creepy is the thought of suddenly having rashes cover your body, then to have your aunts tell you it’s a family thing? I loved that you weren’t totally sure about what was going on until the very end.
The Miraculous Ones by G.G. Silverman – 3/5
When conjoined twins start to grow up and take separate paths, it’s clear their interests are going to be troubling to do together. These poor girls. I loved their individuality and love for one another.
Parlor Tricks by Stacey Bell – 4/5
Wow, this one took a heartbreaking turn that I didn’t see coming. If you could change your appearance at whim, what would you use that power for?
Wasted by Amy Easton – 3/5
What in the world was happening here?! I have so many questions! Who are these girls? Was he drugged? What that all real or was some of it in her head?
Black Feathered Phlogiston by K. P. Kulski – 4/5
When two sisters learn a flock of harpies have taken roost in their attic, they feed them deli meats. But soon, they want more than just deli bits… I loved the sisterly love in this one! The toxic family situation was horrible, but the revenge was great!
Leather by S. M. Ketcham – 3/5
When a man that expects everything to go his way sets his sights on a woman, he assumes she will want to be with him. When he asks her out and things don’t go as he thought, he works on plan b. This guy made my blood boil. My god I hated him instantly. I couldn’t wait to see what these girls had planned for him!
Inked by E. E. Florence – 5/5
When a woman goes to a tattoo convention, one artist’s work draws her in. But this isn’t just any tattoo. My goodness I loved this one! It was dark and twisted. I was totally captivated.
The Good Will by Briana McGuckin – 5/5
I loved the lesson in this one!! When was the last time you said “I love me”?
The Problem with Being a Monster by Annie Neugebauer – 4/5
When a monster just wants to prove he shouldn’t be feared by humans, his original plan goes poorly. But as a result, he meets Winona, a woman that doesn’t fear him. This story was filled with so much emotion! Poor Glug…
Midnight in the Garden of Life and Death by Kayleigh Barber – 5/5
When working on a very unusual farm, our main character is given an offer that her curiosity wouldn’t let her refuse. I loved the writing style in this one! I need to look for more of this authors work ASAP!
Pretty Little Vampires by Sam Fleming – 5/5
When a woman buys a kit to attract fairies, she’s so excited to see them when they begin to show up. But soon, she will learn why her coworker calls them pests. This one was so light and fun at first but then took a very dark turn! I loved it!
Without A Face by Hailey Piper – 4/5
School reunions never seem to go well, do they? When this group from a school fencing team meet up, there’s a score that needs to be settled. This story was quite a trip!
Heart of the Lion by J.H. Moncrieff – 4/5
When a hunter is given a chance to travel to go on a hunt for a prize, she can’t resist. Once at the location, it’s clear something is very wrong. This one was intense! I loved the suspense and the ending!
This Can Happen To You by Jessica McHugh – 4/5
Propelled into the public eye by winning the lottery, our main character begins a nasty slide into a life filled with negativity all being carefully watched and discussed by the public. Goodness this one had me SO angry! But that ending was so eerie!
A Certain Age by Jennifer Loring – 3/5
Phew, that ending! I had no idea where this one was going.
The Revenge of Madeline Usher by Joanna Koch – 3/5The scene in the coffin was terrifying!
Antifreeze and Sweet Peas by Angela Sylvaine – 5/5
When a woman gifted with a special sight who works in a bakery hands out her special treats, the men that receive them seem to wind up dead… I loved this one! What a terrifying thought, but what awesome revenge for the victims.
Cake by J.C. Raye –
This one unfortunately didn’t work for me as it was split into varying sections and I couldn’t stay focused. I’ll have to try to return to this one another time.
And Sweetest in the Gale is Heard by Christa Carmen – 5/5
Being kidnapped is one of my many fears. When this woman is taken, she has only one thing keeping her hopeful. What a terrifying and heartbreaking tale! This one is a must read.
The Sugar Cane Sea by Juliana Spink Mills – 5/5
When a mother and her son are on the run, they find shelter in an unlikely place. As they try to move on, they learn this magical place isn’t quite ready to let them leave yet. I loved this one so much! I loved the characters, their love for one another, the bravery, and so much more.
Unfettered by Leslie Wibberley – 4/5
What an awesome tale of escape and freedom to finish up this collection! I loved the exhilarating feeling the end of this one brings.
My Final Thoughts
Overall, I enjoyed this collection! Per usual, there were some stories I loved while others were less of a hit for me. For the tales that I rated 5/5 for me, I would LOVE to see these turned into horror shorts to see on the screen!
If you enjoy a wide range of horror all in one collection, I highly recommend this one to you! -
An awesome collection of horror tales by women. These ladies are killing it!
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What a powerful group of stories by some fantastic female horror writers. Every story was unique and beautifully written. Some of the authors I had read before, while others were brand new to me.
A few highlights for me:
I loved Black Feathered Phlogiston by K.P. Kulski. I’ve always been intrigued by harpies and their lore. This is quite the revenge tale and made me feel powerful by just reading the ending.
The Goodwill by Briana McGuckin was powerful in the way it expressed self-love and confidence, something that unfortunately is usually thrust out of women through toxic people and the media. The message was inspiring and the afterworld description was original and a joy to read.
Without A Face by Hailey Piper had me remembering some of the horrible girls of my adolescence. I think every young girl knows a group of “ladies” exactly like this. Cliques...feeling like an outsider. Those feelings were expressed and then actually felt as I read this story.
One of the last stories in the book was The Sugar Cane Sea by Juliana Spink Mills. I adored this story. It resonated deep in me as a single mother escaping with her small child. This read more like a novel to me. I would like to know more about Amy and the cat Solace. I’d like to here what happened to Nina and Jake after they left the farm. The characters were written so well that I was left a little sad that I’d never get to meet them again.
Ultimately, there was not a single story in this collection that I didn’t enjoy. I loved how there was a theme of power and transformation running throughout. 5 stars across the board for all of these amazing authors! -
This was phenomenal. Short story collections can be hit or miss at times, but I was very impressed with how consistently good the stories in this book were. Phenomenal examples of horror, across a variety of subjects and sub genres. This book is a testament to the talent of these Women of Horror. I hope to see great things from them in the future!
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3.5 stars.
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You can read my full review at:
https://strangersights.com/not-all-mo...
4.5 stars rounded up to 5 for Goodreads.
Overall, this is an incredibly strong collection of stories. I’m really pleased that I sprung for the special edition hardcover. It’s a beautiful addition to my shelves. It has some truly gorgeous artwork scattered throughout done by Don Noble. -
Such a great anthology! The stories were amazing, I wish each one could turn into a full length book! Some very interesting things happen throughout the book, sometimes even wildly unexpected things. My favorite of them if I had to pick would be “The Good Will” overall definitely worth the read!
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3.25 A solid collection but few really stood out to me. An exception? "The Sugar Cane Sea" by Juliana Spink Mills will stick with me for a long time. Exquisite.
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3.75
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This was such a fantastic collection of short stories. I had a lot of fun reading these. Some of my favorites were The Good Will, The Sugar Cane Sea, Pretty Little Vampires, Antifreeze and Sweet Peas, and the Miraculous Ones. Highly recommend!
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Not All Monsters is a short story collection that made me want to finish the sentence—Not All Monsters are what? Not All Monsters are men is what I kept coming back to. While I was reading I couldn’t stop thinking about the role men play in horror and I felt vindicated when I was reading the various author bios at the end and came across one author, Amy Easton, who talked about “the ways that the horror genre can reflect, subvert and challenge misogyny and violence against women”. Food for thought.
Although I’m not usually a huge fan of short story collections, I did really enjoy this one. My favorite story in the collection was The Good Will by Briana McGuckin, which was a touching and inventive look at life after death. Overall I’m glad that I read this one to celebrate #womeninhorrormonth and thank you to @night_worms for including Not All Monsters in a past package and putting it on my radar. -
I don't like anthologies but this is one of the best horror anthologies I have read in a long time.
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I enjoyed all the stories in this anthology. Beautiful and sorrowful.
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This is my first time ever reading an anthology written entirely by women and I wasn't expecting it to be any different than reading a mixed gender anthology series but it was and in all the best ways. First I found the stories to all range in uniqueness when it came to not only monsters but subject matter and as someone who identifies as gender fluid but appears outwardly as female to most people in the world I could really sympathize within some of the more realistic horrors in this book .
The first story, I enjoyed simply for the use of the Naga like monster but found it to be a bit lacking in the actual story department. the second story was very fun and gave such a interesting twist to the twin telepathy myths. The third story, while very unique suffered the same flaw as the first.
The fourth story was the first one that really had me on the edge of my seat. I kept expecting a real world horror and then a supernatural one only to be met with a very unexpected real world horror twist in the end. Think Hannibal but more poetic. The firth story made up where the first story let me down. It featured a very rarely seen mythic monster in a well flushed out tale of revenge and rage. Story number six made my skin crawl and my stomach twist and even though you shouldn't root for the killer the victim in this story made it hard not to.
Story number seven was something I had never seen before and I honestly expected to dislike it but it was just creepy enough in the beginning and gory enough in the end to become one of my absolute favorites in this collection. Story eight was unique and well written but very easy to forget amongst the others in this collection. Story number nine is once again well written and a nice change of pace in the monster genre but was one of my least favorites in the end. I just found it a bit simple and the ending anticlimactic.
Story nine is enjoyable for anyone who is a fan of Greek myth. It shares aspects with the Persephone and Hades myths with a lovely LGBTQ spin. Story ten, " pretty little Vampires " was by far one of my favorites in the collection. How often do you get to see evil fairies in modern stories. Story eleven was great, very reminiscent of 90's slather films but I will like it could benefit from a longer telling.
" heart of a lion " was a cool twist on the invited to a rich mans house for a hunting torment storyline and I appreciate the character growth and overall message in such a short story. I'm not going to lie, " This Can Happen To You " freaked me out. I've always had an irrational fear of evil children and Little Ella in this story has certainly got something dark in her.
" A Certain Age " brings back an classic with a werewolf on the prowl at a local dive bar. " The Revenge Of Madeline Usher " had a classic horror feel to it as it should considering its obvious inspiration. " Antifreeze And Sweet peas " caught me by surprise just by title alone and kept on surprising me to the very end.
" Cake " was a new and unexpected twist on a happy fairy tale that I thoroughly enjoyed. The third to last story touched on one of my deepest fears and I had to fight to finish it. If you are triggered by thoughts or mentions of capture and rape I suggest skipping this one.
" The Sugar Cane Sea " Was beautiful to read and reminded me of Stephen Kings " The Stand ". The finale story in the collection, " Unfettered " Was unique, well written and enjoyable but in my opinion was maybe not the best choice for the closing chapter of a horror anthology.
Over all I found myself loving this book and unable to put it down for hours at a time and will highly recommend it to fellow horror enthusiast. -
I went into this anthology with high expectations — I've enjoyed work from many of the contributing authors previously, and Sara Tantlinger's writing is awesome on its own — but was thoroughly blown away. The stories are diverse, intimate, and across the board fascinating. Though I enjoyed them all to varying degrees, a few plucked hard at my heartstrings — "Wasted," by Amy Easton; "The Good Will," by Briana McGuckin (this one had me in tears, "Without a Face," by Hailey Piper, "This Can Happen to You," by Jessica McHugh; and "The Sugar Cane Sea," by Juliana Spink Mills.
Is that a long list of "favorites?" Sure! But this anthology is loaded to the brim with storytelling, and well worth every horror reader's interest. -
This is a very solid collection. I enjoyed the bulk of the stories. There was a great variety in the stories centered around monsters...some inhuman, some human. I love anthologies because you get to sample authors, many I’ve never read before.
Some faves were:
The Sugar Cane Sea by Juliana Spink Mills (probably my fave of the collection)
The Miraculous Ones by G.G. Silverman
Inked by E.E. Florence
The Revenge of Madeline Usher by Joanna Koch
Portrait of a Girl in Red and Yellow by Joanna Royce
Black Feathers Phlogiston by K.P. Kulski
Highly recommend! -
A brilliant example of some truly unique female voices in horror and evidence that women in horror are stepping up their game, hard!
I loved this anthology - these stories are edgy, with a feminist focus and beautiful in many ways.
These stories range from deep sea horror, strange feathered creatures and my personal favourite - a woman who gets a tattoo and something else in the process. There’s vicious little fairies and eerie apple orchards.. honestly something for everyone. -
As is the case with all anthologies, there were a couple of stories that missed the mark for me. That aside, this was a fantastic collection with a few absolute gems. Among my favorites were Inked, And Sweetest in the Gale is Heard, Pretty Little Vampires, and Antifreeze and Sweet Peas. This would be a 4.5 out of 5 if we could do half stars.
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Horrifying, and beautiful, brutal and ironic. Not All Monsters is like a popsicle for your split lip. Some of the stories will sit with you at night like sleep paralysis(how thoughtful) . Highly recommend for anyone who has a varied appetite and can't seem to turn away from the dark.
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This was a pretty good collection of stories from women writers. My favorites were:
*Portrait of girl in red and yellow
*Parlor tricks
*Black feathered phlogiston
*Leather
*Inked
*A certain age
*Antifreeze and sweet peas
*The sugarcane sea -
A solid collection of horror, thriller, fantasy and sci Fi stories by women.
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4.5*
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I took this brilliant anthology everywhere until I finished...and I didn't want to rush. Enormous talent in this collection and a forever favorite on my shelf.
