Strange Phenomena: Volume 1

by Matthew J. Gleason

A collection of short stories depicting the weird and the horrifying. There are monsters within.

58 pages, Paperback

First published November 30, 2022

Reviews

[Stitching Ghost · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a short read and free of extra fluff so it felt like I had a lot of bang for my proverbial buck but it was also delightfully bizarre.

[Camille Danciu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t be fooled by the books size. This compilation of short stories had more depth and clarity than most full length novels three times its size.

I was absolutely blown away by the stories here. I mean seriously, where do I begin. The stories are futuristic and dystopian. However I feel like some of the stories could be used in a literary seminar to debate the authors message for hours.
For example, I feel like the first story could be a metaphor or riff on the phenomenon of juvenoia. The older generations perception of the younger ones and maybe how people feel without kids. Whereas the movie theater scene could hold deeper meaning for those without children in public spaces.

I just absolutely loved this book. I loved the stories each one was wildly entertaining and uniquely interesting. I couldn’t put it down. I’ll likely read it again and I will most definitely, without question, be purchasing volume two. The author is so imaginative and creative.

[Shaina Renae · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a freakin huge fan of Matthew J. Gleason, and this collection definitely did not disappoint! Some of the stories made me squirm. Others had me laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes. The last two left me feeling hollow and alone. Beautifully done.

[Scott Roche · Rating 4 out of 5]

These were inventive little stories. Some were better than others. On balance, I enjoyed most of them.

[Andrew Stone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this on the flight home from BizarroCon. The ideas behind these stories are, for the most part, excellent. However, many of them felt like early drafts that would be much stronger after another round of editing. That said, this was a lot of fun. Absolutely loved “Tremble.”

[Gerhard Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed every Strange Phenomenon I encountered. These eleven tales by Matthew J. Gleason are reminiscent of early stories by Stephen King, from books like Night Shift and Skelekon Crew. They are classically Bradburian. The come in quick, a jab to the left, a dodge, and then a surprise uppercut that leaves the reader reeling, gasping, and wanting more. My favorite of the bunch is Support Group, one that I felt I could connect to on a very personal level. Fly Paper, Spicy Spirit Rolls, and the Family Body are three others that stood out to me for their excellence, and general f@ck-up-ed-ness. I have already purchased Strange Phenomenon Volume 1 & 2, and expect more of the same!

[Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever wondered where baby unicorns come from? The answer might be a bit darker than you expect.

Aptly named as every single story within the pages of this book is, in fact, very strange. I myself am strange and unusual meaning I immediately connected with this collection and the writing.

Each story is unlike anything I've ever read I never knew what to expect and that doesn't happen often. My only complaint- I wish there was more variance in the POV's. (Most stories are told in first person.) The stories are only a few pages long but they were all fully developed and easy to get sucked into. Dark, gory, bizarre. I look forward to Vol 2!

[Nat Whiston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well this collection certainly starts with a bang. Story number one Generation Freak, gives us an alternative paradigm where mutation and evolution go hand in hand. A deep and unsettling undertone carries this tale, of a man struggling to survive what feels like a doomed future. Children are monsters working on the basic instinct of animals rather than humans. Brutal horror sci-fi to peak the reader's interest of what is next to come. Revealing a Dark and twisted collection of alternate realities where humans are but a source of amusement for higher beings in Family Body. Unicorns takes a dark and damn right disturbing turn, but is a brilliantly executed twist of the Unicorn mythos. Making this and Tremblings my favourites of the collection. Bad night out was also up there with the creativity and dark humour ending. Then there's Spicy Spirit Rolls which is another horrifying tale, however regardless of the end I still craved sushi. Support Group also has an intense story around Zombies converted back to humans and reliving their mistakes.
Each story takes an in depth look at the human psych in these short sharp shockers. They almost have a black mirror vibe to them which I love.

[RatedHforHorror · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really quick collection of 11 short horror stories.
My top 3:
Spicy spirit rolls
Tremble
Generation Freak

I can't wait to read the other two volumes.