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Gordon B. White is creating Haunting Weird Horrors
In his second collection, Gordon B. White, finalist for the Shirley Jackson and Bram Stoker Awards, brings his evocative prose and stylistic invention to bear in fifteen tales of ghost-possessed postcards and dinner party demons, a mercenary assault on God's dead body and a drink with the Devil itself, as well as haunted houses, riots in the streets of [REDACTED], families who tear themselves apart only to sew each other back together, and more.
Infused with dark humor and an occasional glimmer of hope, these stories showcase the impressive range of Gordon B. White's haunting weird horror(s).
Infused with dark humor and an occasional glimmer of hope, these stories showcase the impressive range of Gordon B. White's haunting weird horror(s).
- GenresHorrorShort Stories
208 pages, Paperback
Published October 13, 2023
110 people want to read
About the author
Gordon B. White
34 books44 followersGordon B. White also writes as Gordon White
Gordon B. White is a Shirley Jackson Award and Bram Stoker Award nominated writer of horror and weird fiction. He is the author of the collection As Summer’s Mask Slips and Other Disruptions, and the novellas Rookfield and And In Her Smile, the World (with Rebecca J. Allred, 2022). A graduate of the Clarion West Writing Workshop, Gordon’s stories have appeared in dozens of venues, including The Best Horror of the Year Vol. 12, and the Bram Stoker Award® winning anthology Borderlands 6. He also contributes reviews and interviews to various genre outlets. You can find him online at www.gordonbwhite.com or on Twitter @GordonBWhite.
Gordon B. White is a Shirley Jackson Award and Bram Stoker Award nominated writer of horror and weird fiction. He is the author of the collection As Summer’s Mask Slips and Other Disruptions, and the novellas Rookfield and And In Her Smile, the World (with Rebecca J. Allred, 2022). A graduate of the Clarion West Writing Workshop, Gordon’s stories have appeared in dozens of venues, including The Best Horror of the Year Vol. 12, and the Bram Stoker Award® winning anthology Borderlands 6. He also contributes reviews and interviews to various genre outlets. You can find him online at www.gordonbwhite.com or on Twitter @GordonBWhite.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
September 30, 2023
Probably the best collection I've read this year. It will be tough to beat. Will hopefully write more soon.
June 4, 2024
One of the best books I've read this year. Gordon B. White presents us imaginative stories where the horror walks side by side with the fantastic.
With a poetic style, the author constructs characters and events that seem to have come out straight of a dream (or a nightmare).
Many stories left me, at the same time, with a feeling of uneasiness and wonder. Also, even though the tales stem from many different genres of horror, they all felt very original for me.
My favorite stories were the following ones:
• One of the Good Ones (or: It's a Gas!): an officer walks in the back of a cop bar, and he finds out that, in the end, there are no good ones. A really great opening story to an amazing anthology.
• Dandelion Six: a scientist develops a green solution to global warning, and is willing to sacrifice everything to see it through.
• Godhead: what if we found God in space, brought Him down to Earth and discovered that He is dead (or just waiting to reborn)?
• What a Piece of Work: Dr. Frankenstein and his creation finally come to a reckoning, and discover that maybe things can still be fixed.
• Fine and Fancy Arms: one of my favorite stories in this collection. Love me some folk horror. The narrator tells us the story of his Great-Uncle Harwin, and all his incredible (and terrible) feats as a water witch with magical prosthetic arms.
• Devil Take Me: the narrator, trapped in a violent home with an abusive father, tells us about a deal they struck with the Devil out of desperation to escape this situation. The Devil shows up in a terrible, terrible form.
• In the Pines: when an emaciated, naked man stumbles out of the woods, he crashes a farewell party to a dying family member. I really liked this one, because here we have both the supernatural being something supernatural, as well as a metaphor for the grieving process (the whole 'crawling through dark and narrow mountain tunnels) and for death as the ending and beginning of cycles.
With a poetic style, the author constructs characters and events that seem to have come out straight of a dream (or a nightmare).
Many stories left me, at the same time, with a feeling of uneasiness and wonder. Also, even though the tales stem from many different genres of horror, they all felt very original for me.
My favorite stories were the following ones:
• One of the Good Ones (or: It's a Gas!): an officer walks in the back of a cop bar, and he finds out that, in the end, there are no good ones. A really great opening story to an amazing anthology.
• Dandelion Six: a scientist develops a green solution to global warning, and is willing to sacrifice everything to see it through.
• Godhead: what if we found God in space, brought Him down to Earth and discovered that He is dead (or just waiting to reborn)?
• What a Piece of Work: Dr. Frankenstein and his creation finally come to a reckoning, and discover that maybe things can still be fixed.
• Fine and Fancy Arms: one of my favorite stories in this collection. Love me some folk horror. The narrator tells us the story of his Great-Uncle Harwin, and all his incredible (and terrible) feats as a water witch with magical prosthetic arms.
• Devil Take Me: the narrator, trapped in a violent home with an abusive father, tells us about a deal they struck with the Devil out of desperation to escape this situation. The Devil shows up in a terrible, terrible form.
• In the Pines: when an emaciated, naked man stumbles out of the woods, he crashes a farewell party to a dying family member. I really liked this one, because here we have both the supernatural being something supernatural, as well as a metaphor for the grieving process (the whole 'crawling through dark and narrow mountain tunnels) and for death as the ending and beginning of cycles.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 9, 2025
WOW! What an incredible collection of stories this is! I wish I could take each of them one by one because they were all really great.
This collection features 15 short stories, and there's a lot of range to be had which makes this a perfect collection for all horror lovers. White has a really unique and poetic-like way of telling stories which is an easy 10/10 for me. I can honestly say this is one of the most well-rounded collections I have read to date. This was actually my first time reading something by White, which is kind of embarrassing to admit given that he was a finalist for the Shirley Jackson and Bram Stoker Awards. There's only one other author I say is a genre of his own, but White's writing is definitely something to reckon with. And definitely one I will be binge reading more of asap.
Standout stories for me in this collection were:
ONE OF THE GOOD ONES (OR IT'S A GAS)
DANDELION SIX
GODHEAD
DEVIL TAKE ME
IN THE PINES
If there were a current collection I could implore you to go and grab, this would be it! It's available on Amazon, linked below! Please get your hands on it and enjoy it as much as I did.
This collection features 15 short stories, and there's a lot of range to be had which makes this a perfect collection for all horror lovers. White has a really unique and poetic-like way of telling stories which is an easy 10/10 for me. I can honestly say this is one of the most well-rounded collections I have read to date. This was actually my first time reading something by White, which is kind of embarrassing to admit given that he was a finalist for the Shirley Jackson and Bram Stoker Awards. There's only one other author I say is a genre of his own, but White's writing is definitely something to reckon with. And definitely one I will be binge reading more of asap.
Standout stories for me in this collection were:
ONE OF THE GOOD ONES (OR IT'S A GAS)
DANDELION SIX
GODHEAD
DEVIL TAKE ME
IN THE PINES
If there were a current collection I could implore you to go and grab, this would be it! It's available on Amazon, linked below! Please get your hands on it and enjoy it as much as I did.
June 29, 2023
Was provided a Advance Review Copy
An exquisite collection of tales! The first half is body horror with a dash of bio punk, the latter half is ghosts and goblins (or cryptids, as Americans like to call them).
The two original, formerly unpublished tales, of this collection Godhead and In the Pines stand at the top of the well crafted work of surrealist fiction. They sample well the gusto with which Gordon writes his strange stories.
The other stories take you on a cruise across 3 years of published work and will not disappoint the fans of strange tales. This is a book you will feel tempted to devour in a couple of days, but I would recommend reading slowly over the course of a month or two.
On this note, the micro fiction Hearth and Home was the only story that bummed me out a little, because there wasn't enough of it for me to bite into.
An exquisite collection of tales! The first half is body horror with a dash of bio punk, the latter half is ghosts and goblins (or cryptids, as Americans like to call them).
The two original, formerly unpublished tales, of this collection Godhead and In the Pines stand at the top of the well crafted work of surrealist fiction. They sample well the gusto with which Gordon writes his strange stories.
The other stories take you on a cruise across 3 years of published work and will not disappoint the fans of strange tales. This is a book you will feel tempted to devour in a couple of days, but I would recommend reading slowly over the course of a month or two.
On this note, the micro fiction Hearth and Home was the only story that bummed me out a little, because there wasn't enough of it for me to bite into.
October 6, 2023
Why haven’t you picked this up yet? you know that the title story was one of the best short stories in recent memory, don’t you?
Just buy it already. Don’t be lazy.
Just buy it already. Don’t be lazy.
July 15, 2023
An excellent collection of original modern horror from Gordon B. White. I had already read “From October Vines,” a delicious, twisty tale, in Weird Horror, Issue 3, so I was eager to dive in. White is a clever, accomplished prose stylist, and has a wealth of interesting ideas, never succumbing to tropes or gore for gore’s sake. In “Paper Wings and Arrow Juice,” one of my favorites, a well-meaning Granma attempts to play matchmaker after discovering a hive of feral cupids, with disastrous results. Others I loved were “Godhead,” a surreal journey inside God’s corpse, and the fiendish, talking bird tale, “A Song Like Laughter.” The title story made me chuckle, but was also a suitably creepy ghost story. My only criticism (agreeing with another reviewer) is the flash piece “Hearth and Home” didn’t add much to the collection, and could have been excluded. Overall though, I loved these stories, and would recommend it to anyone searching for weird horror.
I was provided an Advance Review Copy by the author.
I was provided an Advance Review Copy by the author.
September 28, 2023
I came to this having read only a very few of Gordon’s previous stories. This is like getting very slowly lost in a forest of weirdness, where you are sure you know the way back to the path but each step is taking you further away from everything you know and feel comfortable with. But in a good way?
I had read the titular story before, but took my time getting familiar with it again. It was still a great read and a great way to set the tone. And what a tone! Body horror and internal conflict through to dowsing and cryptids, all seemingly set in a world (or worlds) where things just… work strangely. I loved Godhead and What a Piece of Work because they so very deftly laid out the character’s struggle with their own self, but Fine and Fancy Arms really gave me that ‘folktale from just before you were around’ kind of vibe that I am partial to.
Also, In the Pines was such a strong one to end on and I’ve got to make a note of it because it is so very hard to just pick a few from the collection. Top notch stuff, weird as can be from someone who knows how to take you off the path.
I had read the titular story before, but took my time getting familiar with it again. It was still a great read and a great way to set the tone. And what a tone! Body horror and internal conflict through to dowsing and cryptids, all seemingly set in a world (or worlds) where things just… work strangely. I loved Godhead and What a Piece of Work because they so very deftly laid out the character’s struggle with their own self, but Fine and Fancy Arms really gave me that ‘folktale from just before you were around’ kind of vibe that I am partial to.
Also, In the Pines was such a strong one to end on and I’ve got to make a note of it because it is so very hard to just pick a few from the collection. Top notch stuff, weird as can be from someone who knows how to take you off the path.
March 16, 2024
Can we just start with the fact that this is one of the all-time great titles? Especially because the story in question is both a story and canny joke about authorial self-promotion in the social media age? After that, there's a cornucopia of delights, several of which are backwoods Manly Wade Wellman-type tall tales (I was partial to the wood-witch one, but they're all good), which I was not expecting. But the range is really what I enjoyed: there's an Antifa-anthology take on how far police militarization could go, a blackly hilarious mad-scientist story about a necromodder doing his best to pep up his never-satisfied brother's love life, an enviro-activism/horror parable, a gaslighting house, and the heartbreaking closing story, which is at once folk horror and also completely realistic about the horror of losing a loved one. I thought this was nominated for a Stoker Award, but apparently not, based on five minutes of research--ah, it was longlisted but did not make the shortlist--but I quite enjoyed the quality of ideas, the range of genre approaches, and the humor.
October 1, 2023
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book, and am leaving this review voluntarily.
This was a fantastic collection. One of my biggest fears when approaching a single author collection is that a similar tone/style will make the stories bleed into one another. That's just not a problem when each entry is so uniquely speculative.
There's also a good range of subgenres touched on. As the title suggests there is weird horror, haunting horror, and just a dash of gross horror.
I think the collection has a little something for everyone, but I always like to highlight my favorite story in a collection. In this instance that would be "Dandelion Six" which is a beautiful, disturbing, strange little piece of body horror, and hands down one of the best short stories I've read all year.
I cannot recommend this collection enough, and I can't wait until I get to read more of his work.
This was a fantastic collection. One of my biggest fears when approaching a single author collection is that a similar tone/style will make the stories bleed into one another. That's just not a problem when each entry is so uniquely speculative.
There's also a good range of subgenres touched on. As the title suggests there is weird horror, haunting horror, and just a dash of gross horror.
I think the collection has a little something for everyone, but I always like to highlight my favorite story in a collection. In this instance that would be "Dandelion Six" which is a beautiful, disturbing, strange little piece of body horror, and hands down one of the best short stories I've read all year.
I cannot recommend this collection enough, and I can't wait until I get to read more of his work.
October 8, 2023
Gordon B. White is an absolute master of the short story and his latest collection, Gordon B. White is Creating Haunting Weird Horrors is a reminder as to why. This is an author who excels at styling his prose, constructing stories piece by piece while using words like building blocks. His stories have filled multiple prestigious publications and his latest collection brings some of his finest to print with several originals in the bargain.
You can read Zachary Rosenberg's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
You can read Zachary Rosenberg's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
June 30, 2025
Gordon B. White has created some phenomenal short stories and his use of language is some of the best I have ever seen. A few fell short for me, but overall the whole series is excellent. I particularly love the final story "In the Pines". It displayed what the horror genre is at its best: a way to explore the most traumatic issues of humanity through fantastical elements. White uses a very standard 'cabin in the woods' backdrop and a creature I could imagine in many other stories, but he uses these as tools to talk about the inevitability of death and its creeping nature in our lives.
Highly recommend this wonderful collection of spooky and haunting tales.
Highly recommend this wonderful collection of spooky and haunting tales.
September 17, 2023
This is a delightful collection of short horror with a little something for everyone. While not everyone will love every story, the ones I found the most enjoyable were: Dandelion Six, Godhead, Fine and Fancy Arms, Paper Wings and Arrow Juice, A Song Like Laughter and Devil Take Me. Some stories I found a little confusing or had details that jarred me out of immersion, but it's hard to hit a home run every time. Overall I was very entertained and would recommend this collection to anyone who wants something imaginative to read to kill the time.
October 11, 2023
My favorite thing about this collection is the range of stories. It has everything I love: ghosts, twists, killer prose, and a wonderful mix of emotions. Gordon delivers with every story, pulling the reader into his incredible imagination in a way that makes it impossible to put down. I’m so obsessed with the weirdness found in this collection (and my favorite story “From October Vines”) and if you’re looking for stories that will stay with you, this is it.
October 16, 2023
Every single story has its own voice. Each one is written in its own genre and style. They are each separate, complete worlds unto themselves. White’s prose sparkles and disgusts in equal measure, building mounting dread into all too relatable and relevant scenarios. Horror is novel, alive, and well in 2023 and this collection is not to be missed. I found myself laughing out loud and having to put down my food all throughout this title, there’s not a sentence wasted inside.
October 23, 2023
A worthy (and Weirder) follow-up to the wonderful AS SUMMER'S MASK SLIPS, this collection is a bold step forward for New Weird Fiction, served up by a confident artist willing to hold back on easy scares to deliver unease that sits closer to the bone. Ranging from the darkly satirical to the truly bizarre, GORDON B. WHITE IS CREATING HAUNTING WEIRD HORRORS more than lives up to the promise of its title... and then some, and then some more after that.
August 9, 2023
Fantastic, weird-ass, scary collection. Like Paul Tremblay, White's expansiveness and playfulness with form is just incredible. One of the best horror writers working today, and tremendously underrated.
November 9, 2023
If you love horror done sharp as a scalpel, do not miss this collection!
October 3, 2024
Fantastic collection of weird, unnerving stories. White handles the stories with confidence and delivers some exciting and interesting ideas.
February 14, 2025
Review to come.
June 27, 2023
Gordon B. White’s second collection sends you into a cop bar, a small town of lost things, a mountain range made small by a gargantuan being, and into the center of a struggle between grief and acceptance. The stories are broad in scope and beautifully written. Each story was my favorite at one point or another, kind of like a new album you love right away. Definitely deserving of a reread down the road.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews