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The Horror Collection #15
The Horror Collection: LGBTQIA+ Edition
Kennedy’s Horror Collection series continues with book fifteen. Once again, he has collected stories from authors from all over the world, and this time they have been selected specifically from the LGBTQIA+ community. As always, only the best made the cut, and have been gathered here for your reading pleasure. Sit back, relax, and get ready for some of the best scary stories you will read this year.
251 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 4, 2023
62 people are currently reading
135 people want to read
About the author
Kevin J. Kennedy
140 books325 followersKevin J. Kennedy is a horror author, editor, and anthologist. He is the owner of KJK Publishing and runs the bestselling 'The Horror Collection' series. He is the author of Halloween Land, The Clown and Nothing is Real.
He lives in the heart of Scotland with his beautiful wife, three cats, Carlito, Ariel and Luna, and a Pomchi called Orko. He can be found on Facebook if you want to chat with him.
He lives in the heart of Scotland with his beautiful wife, three cats, Carlito, Ariel and Luna, and a Pomchi called Orko. He can be found on Facebook if you want to chat with him.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 10, 2023
Another solid entry in Kevin Kennedy’s ‘The Horror Collection’ anthology series! It’s number seventeen, and this one’s a bit special. Recognizing that there aren’t enough LGBT authors in the horror industry, nor enough LGBT characters in horror fiction, Kennedy decided to devote an entire ‘Horror Collection’ volume to authors who identify as LGBTQIA+. He writes, “While I didn’t think I could change the industry, I knew I could put a damn fine horror book together.” And indeed he did! ‘The Horror Collection: LGBTQIA+ Edition’ is made up of thirteen stories, mostly horror, some dark fantasy, but each one a true gem! Except one or two stories, all have LGBTQIA+ characters; however, almost all of them are gay or lesbians, with a transgender character making a rare appearance. This could have been handled a bit better, but there’s so much diversity in theme, so much imagination and thoughtfulness in the stories, that the matter of representation did not come up for me.
Many of the authors are well-known: Brandon Ford, Mark Allan Gunnells, Caitlin Marceau, and Michael R. Collins, for instance. Each story focuses on a certain aspect of the horrific, not emphasizing sex or gore, going instead for atmosphere, satisfying endings, and sometimes truly inspirational vibes when it comes to people who have been abused all their lives just for who they are. The difficulty of coming out, and the sadness and bitterness involved in staying in the closet, are addressed often enough, while the matters of bullying, loneliness, and the promise of freedom come up repeatedly. Still, this is a horror collection, and should be judged as such: don’t try to find some ideological message in the stories, some deep political allegory, or easy solutions to issues of gender identity – you’ll probably be disappointed. The authors prefer to disturb, unsettle, and offer the opportunity to readers to empathize with their characters, to relate to their plight, even when some of them have made bad decisions (indeed, sometimes their actions have been quite monstrous, as, e.g., in Mark Allan Gunnells’ impressive and very moving “Effigy.”) The writing style varies greatly: from a William Gibson-like prose in the explosive J. Daniel Stone’s “Zero Sum” to the beautiful voice of Caitlin’s Marceau’s “Like Peonies” (my favorite story by far!), each tale puts its own spin on horror, be it on zombies (Emma K. Leadley’s “Bad Night at the Office”), werewolves (Zachary Rosenberg’s “Wolves Within”), ghosts (Mark Allan Gunnells’ “Effigy”), or good old-fashioned monsters (Brandon Ford’s “The Ride”, James Lefebure’s “Drop. Rock. Death.”, both exemplary stories for monster lovers!)
I sum, if you're looking for an incredible anthology of short horror stories, all centered around a very important theme, go check this one out!
Many of the authors are well-known: Brandon Ford, Mark Allan Gunnells, Caitlin Marceau, and Michael R. Collins, for instance. Each story focuses on a certain aspect of the horrific, not emphasizing sex or gore, going instead for atmosphere, satisfying endings, and sometimes truly inspirational vibes when it comes to people who have been abused all their lives just for who they are. The difficulty of coming out, and the sadness and bitterness involved in staying in the closet, are addressed often enough, while the matters of bullying, loneliness, and the promise of freedom come up repeatedly. Still, this is a horror collection, and should be judged as such: don’t try to find some ideological message in the stories, some deep political allegory, or easy solutions to issues of gender identity – you’ll probably be disappointed. The authors prefer to disturb, unsettle, and offer the opportunity to readers to empathize with their characters, to relate to their plight, even when some of them have made bad decisions (indeed, sometimes their actions have been quite monstrous, as, e.g., in Mark Allan Gunnells’ impressive and very moving “Effigy.”) The writing style varies greatly: from a William Gibson-like prose in the explosive J. Daniel Stone’s “Zero Sum” to the beautiful voice of Caitlin’s Marceau’s “Like Peonies” (my favorite story by far!), each tale puts its own spin on horror, be it on zombies (Emma K. Leadley’s “Bad Night at the Office”), werewolves (Zachary Rosenberg’s “Wolves Within”), ghosts (Mark Allan Gunnells’ “Effigy”), or good old-fashioned monsters (Brandon Ford’s “The Ride”, James Lefebure’s “Drop. Rock. Death.”, both exemplary stories for monster lovers!)
I sum, if you're looking for an incredible anthology of short horror stories, all centered around a very important theme, go check this one out!
May 23, 2023
Bibliophilia Templum Review at https://bibliophiliatemplum.wordpress.com
The Horror Collection: LGBTQIA+ Edition is an anthology of stories written exclusively by LGBTQIA+ authors. The stories run the gambit from brutal and horrifying to dark and moving. There are 13 stories in all to transport you to worlds of intensity and terror.
Speaking of terror, “X-treme” by Callum Pearce is a story of inner turmoil and gruesome terror. But I also found it deeply moving. It has an unexpected depth that spoke to me.
But all of these stories are good. All of them. “Husk” is dark and haunting, a mad reflection of an all-too-common reality. “Toy Box” is a straight up good horror story. “My Cin” is deep, dark, and moving. “The Ride” is the brutal stuff of nightmares, and I love that about it. “Drop. Rock. Death.” is a horrifying story about the lies we tell ourselves made manifest.
And then there’s “Effigy” by Mark Allan Gunnells. This is a suspenseful and evocative tale about one man’s past mistakes coming for him. I found it very impactful. It is followed by “Like Peonies,” a story that is also about choices but more about the consequences of obsession. The unexpected ending speaks volumes and will make this one stay with you a long time. After that is “Wolves Within,” a dark and beautiful tale about prejudice, hypocrisy, and werewolves.
“The Loss” by Michael R. Collins is another one I found especially impactful. Collins’s poignant first-person prose tell a haunting story of a creeping terror, the manifestation of inner turmoil moving through lives and the horrifying destruction it spreads like a disease. There is some gruesome reality lying in wait beneath these words.
“The Acquisition” is another straight up horror story, this one with a wholly unique supernatural premise. “Zero Sum” is borderline bizarro, a brutal tale of dark things we don’t like to talk about. And “Bad Night at the Office” rounds out the collection with irreverent humor and shambling zombies!
There is so much to love about this collection. It’s an important addition to the Horror Collection series and a fantastic reading experience for horror lovers.
The Horror Collection: LGBTQIA+ Edition is an anthology of stories written exclusively by LGBTQIA+ authors. The stories run the gambit from brutal and horrifying to dark and moving. There are 13 stories in all to transport you to worlds of intensity and terror.
Speaking of terror, “X-treme” by Callum Pearce is a story of inner turmoil and gruesome terror. But I also found it deeply moving. It has an unexpected depth that spoke to me.
But all of these stories are good. All of them. “Husk” is dark and haunting, a mad reflection of an all-too-common reality. “Toy Box” is a straight up good horror story. “My Cin” is deep, dark, and moving. “The Ride” is the brutal stuff of nightmares, and I love that about it. “Drop. Rock. Death.” is a horrifying story about the lies we tell ourselves made manifest.
And then there’s “Effigy” by Mark Allan Gunnells. This is a suspenseful and evocative tale about one man’s past mistakes coming for him. I found it very impactful. It is followed by “Like Peonies,” a story that is also about choices but more about the consequences of obsession. The unexpected ending speaks volumes and will make this one stay with you a long time. After that is “Wolves Within,” a dark and beautiful tale about prejudice, hypocrisy, and werewolves.
“The Loss” by Michael R. Collins is another one I found especially impactful. Collins’s poignant first-person prose tell a haunting story of a creeping terror, the manifestation of inner turmoil moving through lives and the horrifying destruction it spreads like a disease. There is some gruesome reality lying in wait beneath these words.
“The Acquisition” is another straight up horror story, this one with a wholly unique supernatural premise. “Zero Sum” is borderline bizarro, a brutal tale of dark things we don’t like to talk about. And “Bad Night at the Office” rounds out the collection with irreverent humor and shambling zombies!
There is so much to love about this collection. It’s an important addition to the Horror Collection series and a fantastic reading experience for horror lovers.
July 2, 2023
This is my first horror collection book and it didn't disappoint.... there are some fantastic stories in this collection. Some of my favourites were
* X-Treme
*The Ride
*Like Peonies
*The Loss
*Zero Sum
* X-Treme
*The Ride
*Like Peonies
*The Loss
*Zero Sum
June 17, 2023
I believe this book is the 15th book of the series if you wanted to check out any of the others, it contains horror/spooky stories by various authors.
The stories we have are:
💀 X-Treme by Callum Pearce
💀 Husk by James Bennett
💀 Toy Box by Mark Young
💀 My Cin by Maxwell I. Golf
💀 The Ride by Brandon Ford
💀 Drop, Rock, Death by James Lefebure
💀 Effigy by Mark Allan Gunnells
💀 Like Peonies by Caitlin Marceau
💀 Wolves Within by Zachary Rosenburg
💀 The Loss by Michael R. Collins
💀 The Acquisition by Lindz McLeod
💀 Zero Sum by J. Daniel Stone
💀 Bad Night at the Office by Emma K. Leadley
I really enjoyed these stories, they were well written and it was a great way for me to be introduced to new authors! Absolutely brilliant.
The stories we have are:
💀 X-Treme by Callum Pearce
💀 Husk by James Bennett
💀 Toy Box by Mark Young
💀 My Cin by Maxwell I. Golf
💀 The Ride by Brandon Ford
💀 Drop, Rock, Death by James Lefebure
💀 Effigy by Mark Allan Gunnells
💀 Like Peonies by Caitlin Marceau
💀 Wolves Within by Zachary Rosenburg
💀 The Loss by Michael R. Collins
💀 The Acquisition by Lindz McLeod
💀 Zero Sum by J. Daniel Stone
💀 Bad Night at the Office by Emma K. Leadley
I really enjoyed these stories, they were well written and it was a great way for me to be introduced to new authors! Absolutely brilliant.
May 6, 2023
Another masterpiece
As in all the previous volumes of this series, this one is superb. The talented group of authors did a marvelous job.
Whether you are dealing with a demon in X-Treme, toys from hell in Toybox or a wraith in Cin you will not be disappointed. Each tale brings with that special sense of horror that only each author can provide.
As in all the previous volumes of this series, this one is superb. The talented group of authors did a marvelous job.
Whether you are dealing with a demon in X-Treme, toys from hell in Toybox or a wraith in Cin you will not be disappointed. Each tale brings with that special sense of horror that only each author can provide.
June 8, 2023
So excited that I got to read this. It was so sweet reading about characters who weren’t just heterosexual caucasians for once! Man, these stories were so freaking weird, awesomely so! Several will stick with me for a while.
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May 5, 2023Out now!
May 30, 2023
Exciting and scintillating stories of horror with a twist!
June 27, 2024
I had a lot of fun reading these excellent stories. My favorite and the one I was most excited to read is "Like Peonies" by Caitlin Marceau. :)
dnf
February 2, 2024DNF - May return to this one in the future. First two stories just didn’t grip me. Awful cover.
July 14, 2023
took me a long time to stay on track
I felt like I kept getting lost reading this . The stories weren’t grabbing me like I wanted . And I just kept forgetting what I was reading because it wasn’t keeping my interest . Just not my cup of tea
I felt like I kept getting lost reading this . The stories weren’t grabbing me like I wanted . And I just kept forgetting what I was reading because it wasn’t keeping my interest . Just not my cup of tea
October 10, 2023
good mixture of horror types
Lots of variety. Some really good ones and some not so good. Some light in gore, some a lot darker. So for an anthology a good read
Lots of variety. Some really good ones and some not so good. Some light in gore, some a lot darker. So for an anthology a good read
June 1, 2023
Another KJK winner!
I love all the anthologies that Kevin Kennedy puts together. The stories are amazing. I've read stories from some of these authors but not all of them. That will change as I plan to check them all out.
Like with any collection of stories, it's hard to pick the best but I do have a couple favorites:
Husk - James Bennett was my ultimate favorite. It was just an amazing story and written so well. It's one of those stories you can't ever forget.
X-Treme - Callum Pearce, Wolves Within - Zachary Rosenberg, and Toy Box - Mark Young were also some of my favorites. Add this book to your collection!
I highly recommend this book.
Veronica Smith - author of Chalk Outline and Salvation in the Wasteland
I love all the anthologies that Kevin Kennedy puts together. The stories are amazing. I've read stories from some of these authors but not all of them. That will change as I plan to check them all out.
Like with any collection of stories, it's hard to pick the best but I do have a couple favorites:
Husk - James Bennett was my ultimate favorite. It was just an amazing story and written so well. It's one of those stories you can't ever forget.
X-Treme - Callum Pearce, Wolves Within - Zachary Rosenberg, and Toy Box - Mark Young were also some of my favorites. Add this book to your collection!
I highly recommend this book.
Veronica Smith - author of Chalk Outline and Salvation in the Wasteland
June 12, 2023
The Horror Collection: LGBTQIA+ Edition is a collection of tales that captures such a wide variety of fears; violent shadows, people doing horrible things to one another, nightmare rideshares, terrifying forests, and so much more!
This is the FIFTEENTH book in this series! If you haven’t yet picked any of them up, I highly recommend them!
This edition specifically covers amazing ground in both story topics and diversity. You’ll never know what story you’re about to enter next!
Check out my full review here: https://www.ericarobynreads.com/the-h...
This is the FIFTEENTH book in this series! If you haven’t yet picked any of them up, I highly recommend them!
This edition specifically covers amazing ground in both story topics and diversity. You’ll never know what story you’re about to enter next!
Check out my full review here: https://www.ericarobynreads.com/the-h...
August 25, 2024
This was actually so fun, and got to discover new authors!
Honorable mentions :
1. My Cin By Maxwell I. Gold
2. Like Peonies By Caitlin Marceau
3. Wolves Within By Zachary Rosenberg
4. Zero Sum By J. Daniel Stone
Honorable mentions :
1. My Cin By Maxwell I. Gold
2. Like Peonies By Caitlin Marceau
3. Wolves Within By Zachary Rosenberg
4. Zero Sum By J. Daniel Stone
July 4, 2023
I loved the short stories this book held. It brings some much needed inclusivity to the horror world and the characters and their uniqueness was wonderful. My personal favorite was the first story! Most of the stories within the collection were beautifully written and interesting in their own ways!
May 31, 2024
Great collection of stories!
I really enjoyed reading these stories. My favorite story was “Bad Night at the Office.” (Gallows humor! LOL) The story “My Cyn” was a little confusing. But overall, I liked reading these stories. All kinds of spooky horror!
I really enjoyed reading these stories. My favorite story was “Bad Night at the Office.” (Gallows humor! LOL) The story “My Cyn” was a little confusing. But overall, I liked reading these stories. All kinds of spooky horror!
June 4, 2024
Very disappointed. Only liked 3 of the stories. I don’t think short story books are for me.
June 4, 2025
Some good stories but more that bored me than not. They are all well written though.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews