| Title | : | If I Die Before I Wake: Tales of the Otherworldly and Undead (The Better Off Dead Series Book 5) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | - |
| Publication | : | Published June 14, 2021 |
You don’t believe in what you can’t see, yet something is there, watching, waiting. You can feel its unholy intentions deep down in the marrow of your bones. You don’t know where it came from, but you know with every fiber of your being that it is not from this earth, and as you feel its gaze searing through your skin, you know the end just might be near.
It took its last breath, you watched the dirt being shoveled onto its coffin, yet there it is, standing before you, staring you down like you’re its next meal. It’s vicious and it’s evil and even though you know—you’re absolutely positive—that the abomination before you should be dead, somehow it’s not, and its ungodly eyes are focused on you.
The Otherworldly and Undead are out there and they are coming for you. When you run—and oh, will you run—you don’t need to be the fastest…you only need to be faster than the person beside you—at least until there is no one else left. Join us for the most terrifying stories of Otherworldly and Undead beings as they stalk and torment the living, feeding off their souls and their flesh before recruiting them to eternal damnation.
The Better Off Dead series delves into the farthest corners of your mind, where your deepest, darkest fears lurk. These masters of horror will haunt your dreams and stalk your nightmares, taking you to the edge of sanity before pushing you to the brink of madness!
Contains stories by Renee M.P.T. Kray, Jeremy Megargee, Scotty Milder, Steven Pajak, Barry Charman, Red Lagoe, Richard Clive, David A. Anthony, Kristal Stittle, Scott Harper, R.E. Sargent, LP Hernandez, and Bridgett Nelson.
Foreword by New York Times Bestselling Author Richard Chizmar.
If I Die Before I Wake: Tales of the Otherworldly and Undead (The Better Off Dead Series Book 5) Reviews
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I've read three out of the five volumes of this series and two things I've noticed are
1) the books are released quickly so I never need to wait long to enjoy them.
2) the stories are always high quality.
Sure I liked some more than others but NONE of them were duds.
Standouts for me were -
🤡 The Magenta Room by Jeremy Megargee
This one was creepy but also relatable because there's a few kids shows that seem pretty bizarre to me lol
🙀 Curiosity by Kristal Stittle
It's got some great Pet Sematary vibes but I like that underneath that it's a story about the fear of growing old.
🎭 The Show Must Go On by Bridgett Nelson
I'm a big fan of Bridgett's and I read everything she writes and IMO this is her best story yet. An absolutely brilliantly haunting tale of a starlet who will go to any lengths for fame.
The next volume is coming in September, I think and I'm already looking forward to it! -
Absolutely wonderful-as usual.
So I must say: hats off to all the writers. I also want to say if you are reading this and are an individual who likes and appreciates horror novels, do yourself a favor and add this great anthology.
I have been a fan of the Better Off Dead Series from the beginning. I have never read one anthology I have not liked and appreciated and the winning streak continues with this one.
Tales of the Otherworldly and Undead-scary, eerie with stories that differ so much from each other, all well written, all dark and dangerous, pulsing with horror and intensity-top notch from beginning to end.
Reading these anthologies always feels like receiving a jolt of energy. It's stronger than any cup of coffee-LOL. I always feel even more awake after completing a volume.I feel energized. That is one thing I love about these anthologies-they are never dull-never.
And all the stories are great and vary so deeply from one another. I am one of those people who likes a good plot with my horror-depth and soul and edge. All the stories have that and more. Are you sold on them yet?
I will mention a few but if any authors see this and I have not mentioned yours, please know I loved all of them. It is just that it is after 2:AM as I write this review. What can I say? I'm a night person!
Granny's Gift-Renee M.P.T. Kray-This story was extraordinary. I cannot believe how deeply I was drawn in. The main protagonist mattered to me and I felt compassion toward her. This story also had the pleasure of giving me the creeps while also making me feel. That is the best kind of horror!
For Better or For Worse-R. E. Sargent- What can I say? This is my favorite. I started reading this writer's work quite awhile ago and have never been let down. This story is my favorite by him and that is saying something because I love all his work.Reading this, was a fascinating experience. I could visualize everything so deeply. And I could not stop thinking: how does your mind work? How did you come up with this?
The Magenta Room-Jeremy Megargee-OK-This was seriously one of the creepiest stories I've ever read. It reminded me of one of the creepiest movies I've ever seen but I cannot reveal the movie or I will spoil the story. This one shook me-really a nightmare but one you cannot turn away from.
Croaker-Barry Charman-This story is indescribable. It is one of the most unique stories I've ever read. Fascinating and inscrutable.
The show must go on-Bridgett Nelson-Bridgett, you are a star. I happen to be a Phantom of the Opera fan so I love reading about theaters. This story was haunting. I adored it.
So thank you authors, for the great works and the great stories. I have come to look forward to them and rely on them to make me smile and that's a good thing, in these tough times. I also must say I cannot WAIT until the release of the anthology on ocean creatures since I have been obsessed with the sea since girlhood.
Five stars. Keep up the great work! -
I know, I know. You guys are probably getting sick of this DISCLAIMER, but I've gotz to do it. My story, THE SHOW MUST GO ON, is part of this anthology. My review is for the other authors' content only.
So, the theme of If I Die Before I Wake: Volume 5 is a little convoluted. Tales of the Otherworldly and Undead? What does that encompass exactly? Well, I'll tell you...it encompasses a wide range of really kick-ass stories - everything from aliens to demons to zombies. These stories are good. No, I take that back. They're great. You'll recognize some authors included within these pages, and you'll also discover some new, talented voices in the horror genre.
Even better? The foreword was written by the brilliant, New York Times Bestselling Author,
Richard Chizmar.
So, here's the line-up:
Granny's Gift by
Renee M.P.T. Kray - Many of you probably remember Renee's story, SOUL SKEETER, from
If I Die Before I Wake: Tales of Deadly Women and Retribution. I know it was a favorite of many readers (including me!), and deservedly so. Well, Renee is back, and better than ever...and Granny just needs to GO!
The Magenta Room by
Jeremy Megargee - Let me preface this by saying, I have a soft spot for Jeremy. He's a fellow West Virginia Mountaineer, and he's truly one of the nicest guys I know. I'm so glad we've become friends after meeting via this anthology. Something else about Jeremy? He's an incredibly talented writer, and this story proves just what I mean. It's atmospheric, creative, gross-as-hell, and creepy as fuck! I loved it!
The Fireball by
Scotty Milder - I know I sound like a broken record, but every time Scotty submits to Sinister Smile Press, his stories get better and better. This is definitely one of my favorites of the bunch. Trust me, you don't want to miss it. He's a crazy-talented guy, and I'm very honored to have been included with him in multiple anthologies.
Fallen Earth by
Steven Pajak - Steve is my boss. He's one of my best friends. He's my mentor. I adore him. I also adore this story. One of Steve's greatest strengths as a writer is really delving into human emotions...and creating the perfect dialogue that reflects the emotional undertones of the story. I've honestly never read anyone who does it better. You're gonna love this story.
Croaker by
Barry Charman - I was not expecting to love this story as much as I did. Incredibly atmospheric, great characters, an intriguing plot...this one is a winner. It's unlike anything I've read before.
Infectious Glow by
Red Lagoe - We've all come to love Red's stories in The Better Off Dead series. She has been included in every single book, after all. And there's a reason. Red is a really freaking good writer. Her sophomore short story collection,
Dismal Dreams, is debuting this summer, so be on the lookout!
Made In Hell by
Richard Clive - This is Richard's debut story...and it's a doozy! A clever mafia plot, with a big old supernatural twist. As a side note, Richard and I have become buddies. He is such a sweetheart!
Reflections of Us by
David A. Anthony - I suspect this will be a very popular among our readers, as the idea behind this story is truly scary. I mean, we all have mirrors in our house... It's fantastic. And to David, "Go 'hawks!"
Curiosity by
Kristal Stittle - Pet Sematary vibes abound in this remarkable story. Kristal is an amazing writer and has published a number of novels, including those in the Survival Instinct series.
Boogeyman Nights by
Scott Harper - I LOVED this story, which references many classic horror movie monsters. It's one of my favorites of Scott's stories. It's gruesome and full of non-stop action. Two thumbs up, Scott!
For Better or for Worse by
R.E. Sargent - I love that R.E. has been pushing himself as a writer and giving us these spectacular stories we probably wouldn't have expected from him, even a year ago. What can I say? He's my role model. He's smart, talented, kind, patient, and I couldn't love him more.
From the Red Dirt by
LP Hernandez - The first time I read this, I felt a little sick. But then I read it again. And damn, if this isn't an incredible story. Set during the Dust Bowl, this story will give you all the feels...on just about every level. LP can write! And I love that he gave us a different take on a very tired trope - zombies. I'm a huge fan, LP!
The Show Must Go On by
Bridgett Nelson - No review. But I would like to take a minute to thank my Goodreads buddy, Ian, for his help with the origination of this story. Without him, this story wouldn't exist...and I'll be forever grateful! (And look, Ian, it's even in the coveted final position!) Hope you love the story and your character!
Pre-order your copy today!
Available June 14, 2021
My heartfelt thanks to Sinister Smile Press for my review copy. -
Five stars for me. This was another really great collection of stories with diverse ideas, story-telling, and topics dealing with the undead and the Otherworldly. SSP always does such a great job putting these together. I’ve never—never—thought, oh, this one wasn’t great or why is this in here. It is very obvious to me they give these collections and their content a lot of thought and a ton of work goes into them. But like the others I’ve seen there were some real standouts. (May I also say that cover is brutally awesome! So kudos to your artist, guys.) This one was also a bit different in the sense that it seemed like some of the stories were longer than in past volumes I read. Or at least that was the sense I got. I could be wrong about that.
So here is what this one offers:
Renee M.P.T. Kray returns to the SSP collections with her offering, Granny’s Gift. Tells a relatable story about a kid who is a black sheep in the family. Just when you thought the grandparent who should love you and didn’t is dead and out of your life…well, maybe not so much for our main character, here, Jessica “Jezz” Nelson. This particular grandparent was a real piece of work. Each grandchild got a gift. Jezz’s gift is, unfortunately for her, creepy as … (you get the idea). It had maybe a few too many cliché references, but no big deal. The very end felt to me maybe a tiny bit abrupt, but it was a pretty cool ending to it in the sense that you find out about other family members. (Don’t want to give it away.) I really like Kray’s storytelling voice.
Oh man, then we get to The Magenta Room by Jeremy Megargee. Damn. I mean just, DAYUUUM! If you set aside the burning question you might have as a reader thinking, dude, why in the world would you go into a busted down, creepy looking house in the dark without weapons, back up illumination, armor, and video feed to your “guy in the chair” to help you plan and process and relay tactical advice… Okay, I know that’s over-thinking it. We wouldn’t have a lot of the horror stories out there without that kind of thing. This story stuck with me. Another standout for sure. It was really powerful. If it creeps me out, I am sold and impressed and sold and…did I mention impressed yet? And it felt creative to me. When the MC gets to the main antagonist, it is just gloriously gross. It had some “King-esque” vibes to it, which I always appreciate.
Scotty Milder is in this one too with The Fireball. It is an interesting tale told from two perspectives, one an alien fighting for survival (and ) and Carlton, an aging rocker. I liked the images told from the alien’s perspective as it explores our world. It was fun seeing our world through its “eyes.” The two characters meet and its carnage all around.
In Fallen Earth, Steven Pajak gives us a unique twist on humanity’s first encounter with an alien species. An alien with vast knowledge collected over at least 11 billion years. The MCs and the aliens are discussing how to prevent Earth from ending on September 23, 2025. (And for my part, I sure hope that’s not a firm date or prophetic. I kinda had stuff I wanted to do and places to go and I’m not sure four more years is enough!) It tells us a lot about human hubris and plays with ideas of mortality, collective good, and the vastness of the universe. It makes you really hope there are nice aliens out there.
This year’s award for best, most awesome opening line goes to Barry Chapman, Croaker: “Sitting in the bar as it burned, Croaker knocked back a pint of ashes and wondered if he’d heard right.” (Sorry Mr. Chapman, your trophy is on back order.) Dude, if you don’t want to keep reading a story after that line, then there’s something wrong with you. This one was a standout. I am not often at a loss for words after reading a story. I was here. It had great images and an amazing plot. So Croaker is a demon. The guy in charge of the underworld sends him back up to Earth for an assignment—to find out if humanity is any closer to finding peace. Sounds simple enough, right? Well… yeah. This one had such a haunting effect created by examining what humanity is and does and acts. For example, there’s a line “The story of any society was told by the people that slipped through its cracks.” I felt myself looking at human behavior, as depicted in the story, and what even I see and do. And it makes you realize that making your own plans and success will often come at someone else’s expense. But then again, how else can a society work? It has a lot of poignant ideas that make you face uncomfortable truths. I must confess I often didn’t like what I saw in ourselves. This story is very powerful in that respect.
In Red Lagoe’s Infectious Glow, you are offered a different take on a classic sort of zombie theme, although it did have some formulaic elements. But I liked it because it spoke to human emotions in times of crises and how we all hope we would act in a zombie apocalypse. Chuck, and 84-year-old amateur astronomer gets thrown into a world that is getting over run by zombies. It had touching moments of love and sacrifice. The references to the different types and brands of astronomy equipment were a bit lost on me, I must confess. But I have always found Red Lagoe’s stories very entertaining. Had good amounts of suspense. (Loved the Quantum Leap reference!)
I also liked Made in Hell by Richard Clive. We’ve got wise-guys, violence, executions, bada bing, bada boom, bada BURN demon BURN!!! Since it is a gangster story, candidly, the characters are, shall we say, thoroughly horrendous in how they act and talk. I liked the end. It’s a great revenge story. It’s got two guys who, neither one of them is a good guy, and in a dog eat dog world of mobsters, you have to appreciate the shades of gray that life (and death) this story offers up.
Reflections of Us by David A. Anthony relates the harrowing experience of some sort of creature that is kicking the crap out of humanity. Even when faced with death, the trio manages to have interpersonal issues that complicate their lives, but enriches the story, for sure. The SSP crew have such a knack for finding diverse types of storytelling. David Anthony is one such story-telling talent. I found the way the aliens/demons/whatever-they-mighta-been came into our world was pretty creative. And at the end it offers But I would have liked a bit more at the end. That’s not really a criticism though.
I took Kristal Stittle’s story, Curiosity, as a tale about obsession and what can happen when you don’t want to let go of something, being someone or something you love or something that will let you have the things you love (including one’s own vitality) forever. It had a vibe to it like Cocoon and Pet Semetary had a love child. Can’t be any less cryptic than that without a huge spoiler. But I liked it a lot. Quite creative and poignant.
Oh how I loved Boogeyman Nights by Scott Harper. This one takes the classic story of a repressed person making a deal with the devil and getting frighteningly potent powers and revenge on society completely out of control. But, it had a great twist toward the end. I would never have seen it coming but once it did, I was thinking, well of course…
In R.E. Sargent’s ’Til Death Do Us Part, we got one of the longer-seeming stories. Chapters and everything! I liked that as a change of story-telling pace. One of our MCs, Tyler, has met his dream mate. But it turns sour when a night goes awry. Then we have an exciting escape attempt and a powerful force threatening Tyler and his newlywed, not everything she seems, Tabitha. It leads you on a journey that kept me guessing as to whether love can conquer all when part of the “all” are desperate, but powerful aliens with tech far beyond anything we have and want to end that love.
From the Red Dirt by LP Hernandez takes us back to Texas, at the end of the Great Depression. Now this one features a grandparent I can get behind, even though But he’s not to be trifled with and he stood by his family and The descriptions of how the flies interacted with him was SPECTACULARLY GROSS! Amazing. I loved the voice that Hernandez came up with on this one. It was pretty convincingly told from the POV of a kid who had to grow up without a lot, largely uneducated, but had to grow up in a hurry and stood by the people he loved. I felt like Hernandez did a good job capturing the bleak setting of Depression era, dustbowl kind of territory and life. Well done.
And now it’s time to gush. SSP had the wisdom and skill to save the best for last. The third stand out and my favorite in this volume. Bridget Nelson’s The Show Must Go On. I loved her story Political Suicide as such a moving tale. Then Invader offered up a wonderfully grisly revenge story. Those were in the two prior IIDBIW I had the pleasure to read. The Show Must Go On wasn’t a revenge story. At least not per se. But I say with complete candor I found this one to be marvelously creative, even more creative than the first two of her stories that I’ve read. As I’m sitting here typing this, this one seemed like on its surface a straightforward tale. That in itself is not a bad thing. That in fact can be really good. But it can be hard to pull off. The Show Must Go On took ideas of haunting, desperate ambition, love, violence, fear taking what doesn’t belong to you and added little ideas that made it, in my humble opinion, intriguingly nuanced and a joy to read. The same goes for the imagery created, whether describing feelings or people. Like saying someone had That, to me is just one of many ways that she created a person that was instantly distinguishable from what might have otherwise been a stereotyped description. Just a little tiny thing that made that character special. Or how Also, how the main baddie dispatched their victims felt pretty insanely brutal and visceral and interesting at the same time. Oh, and it had a twist (which I’m always a sucker for) that I never in A MILLION YEARS would have guessed or seen coming. The whole story also gave new meaning to the phrases be careful what you wish for and being sold a bill of goods.
Finally, I want to thank the SSP team for my ARC copy of If I Die Before I Wake: Tales of the Otherworldly and Undead (The Better Off Dead Series Book 5) for an honest review. -
Wow! What a great compilation of horror stories. I was thoroughly entertained the whole time. I love how they included snippets of all types of horror genres - splatterpunk, sci-fi, creature features, and so much more. There were a few stories that weren’t particularly my favorite, but they were still well-written. My personal favorite was “From the Red Dirt” - the body horror in this one is unbelievable!
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I haven't read the other volumes of the "If I Die Before I Wake" but this one prompted me to add the others to my "to-read" list!
I really enjoyed the variety of stories within the book. I thought the pace of the book was nice, each story had an adequate length and I felt as though they were a good collection together. I look forward to reading the other books in the series. -
My favorite story was Curiosity. I could picture that as a movie actually. The stories were all really great. These anthology collections are real class
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Like the previous two anthologies produced by these publishers read, Sinister Smile, the stories contained within If I Die Before I Wake Volume 5 were pretty unique and interesting. Enough to want to read more of these anthologies.
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A nicely curated collection of original, well-written stories-- there wasn't a bad one in here! I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series. Thanks to Sinister Smile Press for providing an ARC!
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Tales of Otherworldly and the undead is a book to give you nightmares!!! This is book 5 in the series and is a brilliant read not to be missed.
Absolutely riveting read, the book delves into the world of the undead each unique story written by each of the author's different writing styles was amazing. I'll definitely be checking out other books by these author's name in the book.
Scary, creepy, horrific and gut-wrenching moments that made me feel queasy especially The Magenta Room just don't have anything to eat before reading that one it'll definitely put you off what your are eating.
Each story was brilliant in their own way. Gripping to the extent I struggled to put it down.
So if you are after reading a scary, shocking, gory and bloody gut wrenching tales this book is for you.
I am now am now hooked to this series, looking forward to more to come in the future, excellent just excellent. -
This is the third book of this series I've read and I've really enjoyed them all. This particular book is probably the most dynamic. There is some really good writing included in this anthology. Stand-outs for me included The Magenta Room, Croaker, From the Red Dirt, and The Show Must Go On (which is my favorite of Bridgett's stories).
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Who knew stories about dead creatures could be so wild? Not me. I was simply blown away by the creative variety of stories in this collection. I went in expecting zombies and came out with a new respect for the entire trope.
A few of my favorite stories are:
1. The Magenta Room by Jeremy Megargee
Childhood nostalgia takes a dark turn when someone decides to seek out the set of one of their favorite children's shows, The Magenta Room. They're quick to learn that sometimes, the secrets of show business are better left off screen.
I loved how immersive the descriptions were in this one. Very easy to get lost in the creepy atmosphere. Easily my favorite of the collection.
2. Curiosity by Kristal Stittle
Stephen King had it right. Sometimes dead really is better. When Sara finds an odd glowing orb in her yard, she doesn't think much of it. Until dead animals mysteriously rise again.
Very emotional and twisty, I loved the slow change of Sara's character throughout the story.
3. Granny's Gift by Renee M.P.T. Kay
After Jezz's grandmother passes away, she can't help but feel relieved. All her life she's failed to meet her expectations and that's led to nothing but arguments. So when her grandmother leaves her a doll, she's surprised. Even more surprised to discover the grisly truth behind the gift.
I've never been a fan of rag dolls, and this story really emphasized how creepy they can be. Jazz is a very relatable character and the drama of being a black sheep is something many people can relate to. -
Really excellent anthology.
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Great collection of stories
I really enjoyed this anthropology of horror stories. They interesting, scary and a bit weird which makes it so great. The authors did a great job and I was able to plow through them all in about 2 days. I will be anxiously awaiting the next book in the series.
