Here Be Monsters: An Anthology of Monster Tales

Villainous #1.5

by Samantha Anderson, M.T. Murphy, Sara Reinke

Eight tales of vampires, werewolves, demons, zombies, and other horrors:

M.T. Murphy - Blackmail.
S.M. Reine - Something Wrong.
India Drummond - The Reaver.
Anabel Portillo - Lux.
Jeremy C. Shipp - Figs.
Samantha Anderson - Deals and Demons.
Sara Reinke - Periphery People.
M.T. Murphy - Spider Bag.

Genres: Horror, Anthologies, Fantasy, Short Stories, Vampires, Paranormal, Ebooks

134 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 8, 2011

About the author

I do not post or write here. Goodreads cannot seem to stop bogus books from being linked to my account so I refuse to use their site until they address their design flaws.

I'm not reading anything currently and have only published The Devrynne Kaine Trilogy, and Here Be Monsters anthology with fellow writers I know.

If you would like to follow me, please do so on Facebook or Amazon.

Reviews

[Maria Dimitrova · Rating 4 out of 5]

The thing that impressed me most about this anthology was the art at the end. It was brilliant! I should find more of Alissa Rindels and Jose Manuel Portillo Barientos' work.

At first I tried to take notes on every story but I just forgot after awhile. So only general impressions. Creepy is the predominant feeling. If you're looking for happy endings don't pick this one. I liked all of the stories though they left me in different kinds of creeped out mode. Like the third one with the stolen human souls that were used as decoration by a conquering race. That gave me the chills. Especially the one "soul orb"that contained the souls of a mother and her unborn. *shudders* Some of the stories left me plain and simple confused. I can't really grasp what happened or why it happened. Maybe that was the point but it feels strange. And there were some interesting twists on common things from real life. Like depression and cancer and AIDs. All your bad luck stems from creepy creatures (periphery people) that suck your soul from your skull . And the only way to stop it is to see the periphery people. The trick is to be constantly drunk. I never would have though to use something like that as an excuse :D

All in all it was good book but rather short.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of 8 short stories covering a variety of paranormal inventions. Here is my short synopsis:

Blackmail by M.T. Murphy - Corporate setting with vampire’s in charge and making all the rules and need you be reminded not to cross them?

Something Wrong by S.M. Reine - A story of the actions we take due to hate and of how we delay and may end up regretting it.

The Reaver by India Drummond - A creator from another world makes beautiful things from our most personal parts. It tells of how even in another time and world that choosing greed and status over our loved ones will always cause regret.

Lux by Anabel Portillo - Frankensteinish story with a larger cast of characters. Very descriptive and intelligently crafted. (p.s. I love the name Lux)

Figs by Jeremy C. Shipp - Dark and fatal story of love gone twisted and wrong.

Deals and Demons by Samantha Anderson - Good vs. Evil and would you be able to tell the difference between the sides? Which side would you end up on after all was said and done?

Periphery People by Sara Reinke - Drunk people talk too much but should you ever believe what they tell you? Maybe you should to save your soul.

Spider Bag by M.T. Murphy - Vampires aren’t the only people that exist in our paranormal universe. Did you ever consider that other creatures would disguise themselves as the vampires to get their dirty secrets fulfilled? We all have fears and vices.

Book also ends with some amazing artwork.

Typically I am put off by short story collections, but I found multiple authors here that I would enjoy following further. Very please with my first read of the year!

[Vickie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall I enjoyed this compilation. The only story I really hated was the first one, 'Blackmail'. The odd thing is the same author has another story included in this compilation called 'spiders' which ended up being one of my favorite stories. Here are my opinions on the stories:

Blackmail : This story was cheesy. I hated the name 'Lucifera' and the plot was thin and predictable. The beginning of the story is written awkwardly and reads like an amateur wrote it. I give this story 1.5 stars.

Something wrong : The atmosphere created by the author is creepy and the writing shows talent. I wish an explanation was given as to what the child was though. The lack of an explanation made the story feel a little underdeveloped. 2 stars for this one.

Reaver : I loved this story. It is one of my favorites. The premise is great and it is well written. This story manages to create an entire world within its few pages. 4 stars.

Lux : The idea behind this story is good and might make for a good novel. I think that the author was over ambitious trying to make this a short story. 2.5 stars.

Spiders: Great story. 5 stars. The dialogue is believable, characters interesting and premise unique. The writing is polished and professional. It is a complete 360 from the first story in the novel.

Figs : This was a decent story that was decently executed lol. Nothing stood out about this story or it's characters or it's ending. Short and kind of just blah. 2 stars.

Peripheral People : 5 stars. Excellent story, very creepy. This is an author I am going to have to follow up on.

Deals and Demons : 3 stars. Well written with a good plot line. Would make a good novel. Reminds me of something that could be an episode of supernatural.

OVERALL OPINION :This is a good book with some promising author's that is worth reading.

[Hyzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up because it was free on Amazon and I'm a sucker for short horror stories. They are extremely hard to pull off properly, though, and anthologies are almost always a mixed bag at best. That was true of this one. They all kind of came across as "B" movie-type stories, which isn't bad, but meant that I was rarely actually scared or even that involved.

Blackmail: This was just okay. I thought the idea was interesting, but in practice I didn't really care much by the end. The characters were not terribly developed I didn't feel and I wasn't terribly surprised by the ending. Also, "Lucifera" is a ridiculous name for a bad guy character you aren't supposed to realize is bad.

Something Wrong: This was creepy, though a little more clarification on what the child actually was would have been appreciated.

The Reaver: Some kind of horrifying concotion of fantasy/horror. Not badly written, though violent and not my favorite.

LUX: A very twisted "Frankenstein"-esque story, this was probably my favorite of the bunch.

Figs: This was just strange. I kind of saw what was coming much earlier than the main character.

Deals and Demons: This was all a bit much for me.

Periphery People: This was quite possibly tied for second favorite. It was creepy and satisfying.

Spider Bag: This was creepy, but also kind of disgusting and a bit ridiculous, honestly. I was not a fan.

Taken together, they were a decent read, but nothing I was terribly excited about. Definitely not the worst horror anthology I have ever read, but hardly the best either.

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anthologies can be hard to rate. While I was able to download this as a free book, considering the quality of stories, I would have paid for it gladly. Yes, some of the stories left a little something to be desired, but for the most part I was thoroughly entertained. I also liked all the information it gave about each of the authors at the end. I will definitely be looking a few of them up in the near future.

[Latasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the 1st story(blackmail) and Periphery People was my favorite. The last story, spider bag, was awful because I HATE spiders. I did not finish this story. I put it down as the werewolf was about to kill Chad. I did not need to read that last bit! I would love to read a full novel based on the Periphery People short.

[Hazel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I read all of these, but found none of them remarkable.

[Marcus · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very very good collection of stories for the true lover of horror stories and for things that go bump in the night. The stories have a sense of ironic humor embedded in all of them, which makes them all that more interesting. Some will make you think (even a little bit), some will make you smile, and some will make you utter a couple of profane words. All in all though, a very very good book to read.

[Sara Gilliland · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very good Anthology, a book you just love go delve into with all of these new and interesting stories by authors I have personally never read before, I really enjoyed these stories as some made me really think, some had all these twists and turns, some made me laugh, and some made me sad, this anthology is a definite read!!

[Stephanie Gamber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great books

Really great collection of short stories. Some of them are a little bit creepy, like skin crawling creepy. Really great authors in the series as well. If you get a chance to read you should.

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very depressing short story collection

I guess these are horror stories so supposed to be dark but every one is a tale of betrayal & a bit depressing.
OK for a quick read but didn't really enjoy any of them.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining reading

Eight novellas that are interesting and will written. The characters are interesting and will developed. The story lines are entertaining and complicated. I would recommend this novel to anyone who is looking for a quick read. Enjoy reading 2019😈

[Alan Loewen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Good Anthology of Horror

Avoiding the tropes that make many horror stories feel old and stale, this collection contains different takes on monsters so common in today’s horror: zombies, vampires, ghosts, etc. for this reviewer it was a refreshing read.

[Shauna Caughron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love these stories if u love supernatural this is the short story collection you can not do without. Some are serious, funny, and weird but we'll worth the read.

[Candra Krisch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this!

There was something for everyone in this anthology. I thoroughly enjoyed it! It is a must read for late nights with candles and a glass of wine.

[Karen Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

They are some really weird stories. Loved it.

[Wanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only Skipped One Story

All but one of the stories was possible to get through, the rest were possible to read, but that doesn't mean they were good. I'd call them mediocre.

[Jason Brock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb!!!

These stories are well written and very hard to put down...i would enjoy another anthology of them once again to read

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

These were sometimes scary and sometimes funny, but well written and the art at the end was gorgeous

[C.M. Rutherford · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were a few hidden gems in this anthology. I found all of the stories worth reading.

[Lolla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stories are a bit short, I like my stories abit longer still a good book

[Ben Mizrahi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fine little anthology.

[Rob Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a work offered for free, a reader has very little to complain about ... but there is some.

The Simon Cowell response:

The editing could've and should have been better. Numerous flaws throughout the book--though not in every story--from some incorrect words, to missing commas before direct addresses, and other spelling/grammar/and punctuation issues. Brings to mind Laymon's Rules of Writing, and his admonition to writers to remember that editors often don't know how to edit. Of a truth, they're often simply acquisition editors, seeking to acquire ready-to-be-published mss. in order to fill a book. Writers should never expect a book's organizers to "fix" their stories. It's their responsibility. Laymon's other recommendation: that a writer shouldn't turn over a piece of work that wouldn't earn an A+ in any English class in the country.

And yes, if any think I'm not aware, sometimes the writer has done their job with mechanics and structure, and it's the editor(s) that's monkeyed things up with their good intentions.

And then there's the formatting. It would've been nice to have a bit of space between the title, copyright notice, and the all-important "All Rights reserved," before the story-starts.

The Happy Reader response:

The most important question a reader asks is simply this: Do I want to turn the page? Do I want ... need! to find out what happens? With this book, as a whole, if not with every individual story, the answer's been a yes. And it wasn't with anything getting dragged, kicking and screaming. Rather, the work was consumed over the course of a day. Even with one particular tale, filled with some stilted dialogue, and enough intentional/unintentional humor to keep things interesting, I felt compelled to turn the page, and throughout the book, enjoying myself with the overriding B-movie flavor: offices on the 13th floor, pass-code numbers of 666, bully werewolves and bully vamps, a pathetic monster wannabe getting his body infested with spiders.

Pure Halloween fun!

And for this, I applaud all the writers.

And yet, despite the intentional and well-thought-out cheesiness of some of the stories (a compliment, not a dig), there's some serious stand-alone pieces that are gems, most notably: "Something Wrong," by S. M. Reine, and "Figs," by Jeremy C. Shipp. Either one of these stories would be worth downloading the book--and reading it.

But the work doesn't stop there! Closing the anthology, the reader gets a gallery of dark art. A very nice bonus.

Concluding remarks:

With the constantly-morphing state of publishing, the tools made available by the monster known as Amazon, and the desire to more intimately connect with readers, more and more authors are taking matters into their own hands, putting out shorts and novels, self-publishing anthos and collections, and working with Indy presses that on a case-by-case basis, are either dropping the ball, or hitting homers, and various spots in-between.

This is all a good thing.

My advice to these trailblazers is to not be afraid to take their time, either with their own work, or when assembling a team project. Simple mommy-wisdom applies: double-check your work. Triple check it: the writing, the S.G.P., the formatting, all of it. And with e-books, when flaws are found, send up a corrected file, something that despite the inconvenience, cannot be done with printed works.

And if any of the authors in "Here Be Monsters" think I've been too rough, remember, three out of five stars is still a win. A writer, too, I recognize the hard work that's gone into a project, and know, as well, that big boys ... like Dorchester Publishing, have for years, published many incredible stories, but also books with boo-boos in them.

Perfection may not be attainable, but that's what should be strived for.

That's what that fourth and fifth star are for.

[Book Lovers Never Go to Bed Alone · Rating 2 out of 5]

Here Be Monsters: An Anthology of Monster Tales is an eclectic collection of stories using the classic monster trope, but not in the traditional vampire/ zombie/ werewolf mode. There are a few of the Universal Studios godfathers here, but in general, the collection steers away from the known and tread into the unknown. There have been a number of anthologies in recent years that have deliberately tried to shift horror away from the traditional beasties we all know and fear. I don’t know if Here Be Monsters made a specific attempt at it or if it just happened to come together that way, but based on the uneven feel of this one, I’m guessing it was random selection.

There were some interesting stories here, but there was a violent thread throughout the collection that began to unsettle me. I do not care for the brutal horror elements and this anthology kept moving further and further in that direction. The violence toward women was particularly disturbing. Women nailed to tables, doctors strapping girls to tables, choking the “bitch” to death, and more started to bother me a great deal. Some of the stories even seemed written for the sole purpose of the violent action rather than any comprehensible narrative.

I would rather authors try and not quite make it rather than fall back on the cliché tropes, stereotypes, and weak plot devices we have all read elsewhere. This collection goes too far off the proverbial cliff however. In an attempt to be unique, some of the stories became plain old confusing. Combine this with the level of violence and splatter style horror, and it wasn’t a collection I enjoyed. For the gore crowd, this might be a treat. For me, it was a turnoff. Weak plots, confusing tales, and excessive violence. Not my style.

Originally published at Horror Novel Reviews

[Saewod Tice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here Be Monsters – An Anthology of Monster Tales
By M.T. Murphy, S.M. Reine, India Drummond, Anabel Portillo, Jeremy C. Shipp, Samantha Anderson, and Sara Reinke.

(Review by Saewod Tice – Great Minds Thinking Aloud Literary Community)

Eight tales of vampires, werewolves, demons, zombies, and other horrors:
M.T. Murphy - Blackmail.
- A nice twist in a familiar tale.

S.M. Reine - Something Wrong.
- A simple, beautifully written horror.

India Drummond - The Reaver.
- A fresh tale with a ghoulishly karmic finish.

Anabel Portillo - Lux.
- A tale I wish was a full novel, just to get more detail to the horrors created.

Jeremy C. Shipp - Figs.
- An unexpected climax and new meaning to justice.

Samantha Anderson - Deals and Demons.
- Good versus Evil has a new twist.

Sara Reinke - Periphery People.
- Hauntingly different and ‘campfire’ story worthy.

M.T. Murphy - Spider Bag.
- Perhaps my fear of spiders are the reason this shook me, but it may also be the actual discovery of what the spider bag is that did me in.

It’s Halloween-time and this collection of horror shorts was fun for this time of the year. I liked a couple of the stories over the others, but overall they were a pretty twisted read. Definitely recommended for a couple quick horrific reads.

Great Minds Thinking Aloud Rating – 3.5/5 Ravens
Recommended Ages – 17+
Available on Amazon & right now its FREE.

[Melissa Levine · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this pack of stories starts and ends with MT Murphy.

1. Blackmail. I wasn't a fan of this one. It was just too cheesy for me. The whole 'Lucifera' name, prefect example of cheesiness. Couldn't help but notice the name was used again in his other story.

2. Something Wrong. That story was alright. I would have liked to have known what the 'killer' daughter was though.

3. The Reaver. This was a weird story but pretty interesting.

4. LUX. What can be said for this one? Weird? Confusing? It had potential but I kept getting lost. I wasn't really sure what was going on.

5. Figs. "Her mouth tastes a lot like cinnamon and a little like manure, but I don't care." Huh? That was a strange one.

6. Deals and Demons. Another confusing read for me. And boring.

7. Periphery People. I liked this one. I wished it would have been longer though.

8. Spider Bag. This was probably the best one. Same author as the first one, whereas I didn't like the first one, I did like the last one. This was a funny one, not so much the conversation between Mickey and Hines about the wearing ladies underwear, that was stupid. But the spiders and Mickey being scared of them and later Carl (?) being full of spiders. Very good.

[Tamara aka SoMysteriousLee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of short story compilations and this one had the right amount of scary, freaky, creepy and interesting. I enjoyed them all.

M.T. Murphy-Blackmail- Fun vampire story, the twists were fun and the ending a delight.

S.M. Reine-Something Wrong- Very creepy! VERY. I advise not to read while babysitting.

India Drummond-The Reaver- Disturbing tale of soul taking, and a good reminder to parents: Don't break a promise to your child!

Anabel Portillo-Lux- The perfect killer, created by a madman!

Jeremy C. Shipp-Figs- Love comes back gently...with odors and revenge.

Samantha Anderson-Deals and Demons- "Two of four, three of three, five of one."

Sara Reinke-Periphery People- To drink or not to drink...

M.T. Murphy-Spider Bag- Useless vampire wannabe's, a werewolf and more reasons to fear spiders (and Lucy)!

The artwork was a wonderful bonus too!

[. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A neat mix of dark stories and well, morbidly dark stories… I’m looking at you SOMETHING WRONG author S.M. Reine and you too FIGS author Jeremy C. Shipp; who definitely have a twisted and hauntingly gruesome side.

For the most part, I’d say all good original stuff in HERE BE MONSTERS (An Anthology of Monster Tales). It’s a respectable collection of shorts that should satisfy any horror buff... some within even worthy of further exploration on their own, a true novella or full novel perhaps? There’s no doubt there are definitely some authors featured here that have some writing chops and this is a read I’d have no qualm about recommending to a friend. And, being that HERE BE MONSTERS is currently free through Kindle/Amazon; it’s a deal not to be missed.

[Alexandra Rolo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Esta é uma antologia que baixei da kindle store. Não é nada de outro mundo, os diversos contos falam de monstros mas nem sempre da forma a que estamos habituados.
De todos eles o melhor é sem sombra de dúvida o Something Wrong que consegue ser algo atrofiante. O leitor é conduzido numa narrativa que no fim acaba por surpreender.
Também no fim temos várias ilustrações, todas elas de grande qualidade.
Não é um livro que ficará na memória mas é uma leitura rápida que dá para distrair uma pessoa por umas horas.

in: http://livrosportodolado.blogs.sapo.p...

[DeAnna Knippling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty decent short collection of monster tales. There weren't any real standouts either way; one of the characters was a monster in each of the stories, and that character may not have been the monster you expected, the end. A comfortable read while I was sick; I'm not sure what that says about me, though.