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The Never Dead
As Rod Serling famously said, "You unlock this door with the key to your imagination". Sixteen tales of horror and woe are ensconced here.
A record played backwards opens a portal to a dimension of monsters. A victim of abuse exacts her revenge when her werewolf gene takes over at the next full moon. Skinheads try to kill a local kid, only to discover the horrible reality of what he is. A father watches his son die in antipathy but evolves into an apocalyptic preacher as humanity descends into chaos. A cassette tape dropped by a local record store drives its listeners mad. And eleven more stories that harken back to the horror of old! The Tales From The Crypt, Outer Limits, and Weird Tales; whispers of a reality beneath the surface of our mundane lives.
A record played backwards opens a portal to a dimension of monsters. A victim of abuse exacts her revenge when her werewolf gene takes over at the next full moon. Skinheads try to kill a local kid, only to discover the horrible reality of what he is. A father watches his son die in antipathy but evolves into an apocalyptic preacher as humanity descends into chaos. A cassette tape dropped by a local record store drives its listeners mad. And eleven more stories that harken back to the horror of old! The Tales From The Crypt, Outer Limits, and Weird Tales; whispers of a reality beneath the surface of our mundane lives.
187 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 21, 2023
14 people are currently reading
32 people want to read
About the author
Dan Henk
11 books38 followersDan’s early career included a year-and-a-half stint drawing political cartoons for Madcap Magazine and Maximum Rock and Roll.
In 1997, after a violent car crash and a knife fight with a crackhead that severed the tendon on his left thumb, he attended art school. Receiving commercial and gallery acclaim for his artwork, he moved to New York City.
Immersing himself in the local hardcore scene, he produced artwork for the bands Shai Hulud, Indecision, Coalesce, Locked in a Vacancy, Beyond Reason, Zombie Apocalypse, Unsound, Kid Gorgeous, Neck, Lariat, The End, Compression, Koshari, and Proof of Purchase. In 2000, he started tattooing. A year later, in September 2001, he was stricken with brain cancer and underwent surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.
Three months after the surgery, he married fellow tattoo artist Monica Castillo. After a brief trip down south, which included owning a short-lived tattoo shop with the infamous Joe Truck, he returned to Manhattan. His work started appearing in a growing number of tattoo magazines and more fine art-influenced outlets such as Infected by Art, Aphrodisia, Cranial Visions, Eight Arms of Inspiration, Pint Sized Paintings, Excavate, Visions of the Virgin Mary, and The Tarot Project. Tattoo-related books such as No Regrets: The Best, Worst, & Most #$%*ing Ridiculous Tattoos Ever, Pandemonium, Tattoo Prodigies 1 , Tattoo Prodigies 2, Black and White Tattoos, and Inside the Tattoo Circus: A Journey Through the Modern World of Tattoos also included features. Tragedy struck again in 2007, as his wife of 6 years, Monica Henk, was killed by a hit-and-run driver. Despite extensive coverage in the local media and vigorous campaigns by both the tattoo and motorcycle communities, the culprit was never found. He moved to Austin, Texas, for three years and started doing the comic strip “Rollo & Me” for Tattoo Artist Magazine. Illustrations for Black Static Magazine and This is Horror followed suit. His first novel, The Black Seas of Infinity, was published by Anarchy Books in 2011. Deadite Press released the first book with a cover by Dan, a novel entitled “The Sopaths” by author Piers Anthony. A limited-edition chapbook, “Christmas Is Cancelled,” came out courtesy of Splatterpunk in 2013, and in 2014, he started columns for Tattoo Revue and Skin Art. A reissue of his debut novel was released by Permuted Press in April 2015, as well as a collection of his short stories, “Down Highways In The Dark…By Demons Driven”.
Continuing his work for independent magazines, he created illustrations for Black Static Magazine, Red Door Magazine, The Horror Zine, Litro Magazine, a slew of books by the imprint Out Of Step, and every issue so far of the British horror zine Splatterpunk. The books “Splatterpunks Not Dead “, “Splatterpunk Fighting Back“, “Past Indiscretions-The Very Best of Splatterpunk“, Insatiable, Bloodstains, Tales for Dark Hours, and a joint series by Marc Anthony May entitled “The Red Death” and “The Flood” all featured his covers.
His third book, “The End of the World,” debuted in March of 2018, followed in 2023 by the heavily illustrated anthology (courtesy of Dan Henk) “The Never Dead.
The 2024 and 2025 anthologies “Head Blown Off Too” and “Tumble Bleed” included his work, and 2025 saw the debut of his latest anthology “The Joke is on Mankind”.
In December of 2025, the anthology Horrorific Tales Volume 4, Eldritch Horror featured his story Northern Frontiers.
Join his email list on https://danhenk.com/newsletter/ if you want to be notified when he releases new work
"Life is indeed comic, but the joke is on mankind."
-HP Lovecraft
In 1997, after a violent car crash and a knife fight with a crackhead that severed the tendon on his left thumb, he attended art school. Receiving commercial and gallery acclaim for his artwork, he moved to New York City.
Immersing himself in the local hardcore scene, he produced artwork for the bands Shai Hulud, Indecision, Coalesce, Locked in a Vacancy, Beyond Reason, Zombie Apocalypse, Unsound, Kid Gorgeous, Neck, Lariat, The End, Compression, Koshari, and Proof of Purchase. In 2000, he started tattooing. A year later, in September 2001, he was stricken with brain cancer and underwent surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.
Three months after the surgery, he married fellow tattoo artist Monica Castillo. After a brief trip down south, which included owning a short-lived tattoo shop with the infamous Joe Truck, he returned to Manhattan. His work started appearing in a growing number of tattoo magazines and more fine art-influenced outlets such as Infected by Art, Aphrodisia, Cranial Visions, Eight Arms of Inspiration, Pint Sized Paintings, Excavate, Visions of the Virgin Mary, and The Tarot Project. Tattoo-related books such as No Regrets: The Best, Worst, & Most #$%*ing Ridiculous Tattoos Ever, Pandemonium, Tattoo Prodigies 1 , Tattoo Prodigies 2, Black and White Tattoos, and Inside the Tattoo Circus: A Journey Through the Modern World of Tattoos also included features. Tragedy struck again in 2007, as his wife of 6 years, Monica Henk, was killed by a hit-and-run driver. Despite extensive coverage in the local media and vigorous campaigns by both the tattoo and motorcycle communities, the culprit was never found. He moved to Austin, Texas, for three years and started doing the comic strip “Rollo & Me” for Tattoo Artist Magazine. Illustrations for Black Static Magazine and This is Horror followed suit. His first novel, The Black Seas of Infinity, was published by Anarchy Books in 2011. Deadite Press released the first book with a cover by Dan, a novel entitled “The Sopaths” by author Piers Anthony. A limited-edition chapbook, “Christmas Is Cancelled,” came out courtesy of Splatterpunk in 2013, and in 2014, he started columns for Tattoo Revue and Skin Art. A reissue of his debut novel was released by Permuted Press in April 2015, as well as a collection of his short stories, “Down Highways In The Dark…By Demons Driven”.
Continuing his work for independent magazines, he created illustrations for Black Static Magazine, Red Door Magazine, The Horror Zine, Litro Magazine, a slew of books by the imprint Out Of Step, and every issue so far of the British horror zine Splatterpunk. The books “Splatterpunks Not Dead “, “Splatterpunk Fighting Back“, “Past Indiscretions-The Very Best of Splatterpunk“, Insatiable, Bloodstains, Tales for Dark Hours, and a joint series by Marc Anthony May entitled “The Red Death” and “The Flood” all featured his covers.
His third book, “The End of the World,” debuted in March of 2018, followed in 2023 by the heavily illustrated anthology (courtesy of Dan Henk) “The Never Dead.
The 2024 and 2025 anthologies “Head Blown Off Too” and “Tumble Bleed” included his work, and 2025 saw the debut of his latest anthology “The Joke is on Mankind”.
In December of 2025, the anthology Horrorific Tales Volume 4, Eldritch Horror featured his story Northern Frontiers.
Join his email list on https://danhenk.com/newsletter/ if you want to be notified when he releases new work
"Life is indeed comic, but the joke is on mankind."
-HP Lovecraft
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 20, 2023
What a super book! This horror anthology edited by Dan Henk has it all! Great, original stories from sixteen excellent authors, every tale was thought-provoking and entertaining, and Hank included several nice sketches within the pages to give this book a nice extra appeal!
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July 22, 2023Bibliophilia Templum Review
https://bibliophiliatemplum.wordpress.com/2023/07/22/the-never-dead/
The Never Dead is a darkly wicked anthology of horror tales in the tradition of The Outer Limits. This book collects stories from some of the most talented authors in indie horror and then takes it up a notch with impactful corresponding original artwork by Dan Henk himself.
These 16 stories of horror push boundaries (your boundaries, genre boundaries, sanity boundaries) and are each told in the unique style of their authors. For example, Christine Morgan’s “Cosmic Catapult” has her signature, stylish mix of dark humor and horrific imagery; while “Avert Thine Eyes” by Jeff Strand has the irreverent horror humor we all love and expect from him. Dan Henk’s own “The Beach” is dark, full of mystery, and rich in local lore; and “The Cheap Rooms” by Robert Essig is brutal and intense.
The stories themselves vary in a wonderful way even while paying homage to classic themes. Tim Curran’s “Witchblood” is a brilliant nod to the old urban legend about rock albums being played backward, and “Bad Sounds” by Patrick Lacey gives a musical nod to the cult classic movie The Ring. On a personal note, I have to also give an honorable mention to two very unique stories of horrifying wrongness: Ryan C Thompson’s “Solipsism in the Switchgrass” for twisted intensity that makes you say, “That’s messed up,” and PCIII’s “Howl of the Leather Dog” for bizzarro style oh-my-gosh-wtf, you just have to read it because I can’t do it justice.
But wait, there’s more. There are also incredible stories by Bobby Lisse, Bracken MacLeod, Nat Robinson, Bridgett Nelson, Jack Bantry, and Marc Schoenbach. It’s a spectacular line up, and all of the stories are excellent in their own right. The Never Dead is a shelf-worthy book, an anthology like no other. 5 stars for expertly written horror tales and intense artwork the horror aficionado needs in their life.
https://bibliophiliatemplum.wordpress.com/2023/07/22/the-never-dead/
The Never Dead is a darkly wicked anthology of horror tales in the tradition of The Outer Limits. This book collects stories from some of the most talented authors in indie horror and then takes it up a notch with impactful corresponding original artwork by Dan Henk himself.
These 16 stories of horror push boundaries (your boundaries, genre boundaries, sanity boundaries) and are each told in the unique style of their authors. For example, Christine Morgan’s “Cosmic Catapult” has her signature, stylish mix of dark humor and horrific imagery; while “Avert Thine Eyes” by Jeff Strand has the irreverent horror humor we all love and expect from him. Dan Henk’s own “The Beach” is dark, full of mystery, and rich in local lore; and “The Cheap Rooms” by Robert Essig is brutal and intense.
The stories themselves vary in a wonderful way even while paying homage to classic themes. Tim Curran’s “Witchblood” is a brilliant nod to the old urban legend about rock albums being played backward, and “Bad Sounds” by Patrick Lacey gives a musical nod to the cult classic movie The Ring. On a personal note, I have to also give an honorable mention to two very unique stories of horrifying wrongness: Ryan C Thompson’s “Solipsism in the Switchgrass” for twisted intensity that makes you say, “That’s messed up,” and PCIII’s “Howl of the Leather Dog” for bizzarro style oh-my-gosh-wtf, you just have to read it because I can’t do it justice.
But wait, there’s more. There are also incredible stories by Bobby Lisse, Bracken MacLeod, Nat Robinson, Bridgett Nelson, Jack Bantry, and Marc Schoenbach. It’s a spectacular line up, and all of the stories are excellent in their own right. The Never Dead is a shelf-worthy book, an anthology like no other. 5 stars for expertly written horror tales and intense artwork the horror aficionado needs in their life.
August 15, 2025
The Never Dead
By Dan Henk, Jeff Strand, Tim Curran, Patrick C. Harrison III, Nathan Robinson, Christine Morgan, Robert Essig, Bracken MacLeod, Bridgett Nelson, and more
Publisher: DeadGuyLLC / Independently Published
Published Date: June 26, 2023
ASIN: B0C9KRV3QS
Page Count: 187
Triggers: Gore, body horror, animal harm, cosmic dread, splatterpunk violence, language, nightmare fuel
Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Skull Dread Rating: 💀💀
What Did I Just Walk Into?
Sixteen short horror stories from some of indie horror’s heaviest hitters, each illustrated like your nightmares needed concept art. This is a love letter to Tales from the Crypt and The Outer Limits—only with more entrails, cassette tapes from hell, skinheads who regret their life choices, and at least one story that will make you rethink carnival rides forever.
Here’s What Slapped:
Cohesive anthology vibe—rare in multi-author collections.
Dan Henk’s artwork is the creepy cherry on top.
Werewolves, evil music, cosmic freak-outs, killer cassette tapes—variety without filler.
Jeff Strand doing Jeff Strand things (translation: darkly hilarious).
Multiple stories that feel like they should be low-budget cult horror films already.
What Could’ve Been Better:
“Howl of the Leather Dog” may require brain bleach (and a dictionary of euphemisms).
Some stories will have you asking “Why am I laughing at this?”—and then you’ll feel bad about it.
Not for folks who like their horror subtle or sanitized.
Perfect for Readers Who Love:
Creepshow anthologies
Punk rock horror with an art-school twist
A mix of splatter, supernatural, and pure WTF energy
Reviewed by Robin for Robin’s Review
By Dan Henk, Jeff Strand, Tim Curran, Patrick C. Harrison III, Nathan Robinson, Christine Morgan, Robert Essig, Bracken MacLeod, Bridgett Nelson, and more
Publisher: DeadGuyLLC / Independently Published
Published Date: June 26, 2023
ASIN: B0C9KRV3QS
Page Count: 187
Triggers: Gore, body horror, animal harm, cosmic dread, splatterpunk violence, language, nightmare fuel
Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Skull Dread Rating: 💀💀
What Did I Just Walk Into?
Sixteen short horror stories from some of indie horror’s heaviest hitters, each illustrated like your nightmares needed concept art. This is a love letter to Tales from the Crypt and The Outer Limits—only with more entrails, cassette tapes from hell, skinheads who regret their life choices, and at least one story that will make you rethink carnival rides forever.
Here’s What Slapped:
Cohesive anthology vibe—rare in multi-author collections.
Dan Henk’s artwork is the creepy cherry on top.
Werewolves, evil music, cosmic freak-outs, killer cassette tapes—variety without filler.
Jeff Strand doing Jeff Strand things (translation: darkly hilarious).
Multiple stories that feel like they should be low-budget cult horror films already.
What Could’ve Been Better:
“Howl of the Leather Dog” may require brain bleach (and a dictionary of euphemisms).
Some stories will have you asking “Why am I laughing at this?”—and then you’ll feel bad about it.
Not for folks who like their horror subtle or sanitized.
Perfect for Readers Who Love:
Creepshow anthologies
Punk rock horror with an art-school twist
A mix of splatter, supernatural, and pure WTF energy
Reviewed by Robin for Robin’s Review
July 24, 2023
I'm not usually big on short stories but I love this collection! I've been a fan of Dan's work for years (Tattoos, Art, and Writing). The fact that each short story has its own illustrations is an added bonus and why I'll be grabbing a hard copy to go along with my Kindle version. Each tale pulls you in, grabs your imagination, and flows beautifully from one to the next. With anthologies I usually feel that the change in authors from one story to the next very jarring and a bit of a turn off, but the stories selected here don't do that for me. The authors while clearly having their own styles, mesh well with each other and I found I really enjoyed this read. The stories themselves are not the usual horror and overdone stereotypes either! I found them interesting with their own unique spin on things. I would highly recommend this for anyone into horror, even if you prefer longer reads, this one is worth the change in pace!
July 21, 2023
A really fun collection of modern horror shorts. If you've read Dan Henk's previous novels, you'll immediately feel at home with the tone he has curated as editor of this one...we are talking cosmic dread, a dash of splatterpunk, and a helping of body horror, with a bit of sci-fi sprinkled in. Though all the stories are strong (I love a werewolf!), my favorites were a couple of music themed ones that really brought me back to reading those amazing "Shock Rock" horror anthologies from the late '80's. I read the PDF version which features some rad art by Henk breaking up the stories...I bet they look even better in the print copies!
September 17, 2023
A friend recommended this book to me, I do like horror/splatter punk style stories. Right from the start with the layout of the book and it's many authors, it reminded me alot of tales from the crypt style. And had that creepy voice pop into my head as I read the title of each chapter.
All in all a very good book, easy to read, and would recommend this to any horror fan.
All in all a very good book, easy to read, and would recommend this to any horror fan.
July 25, 2023
I was asked by Dan to produce the audio for this book. When I read it to prep for the audio, I was truly amazed by the talent in this collection! Here are my thoughts:
Solipsism in the Switchgrass-this story went in a direction I would have never dreamed of! Freak accident in the middle of nowhere, creepy dad and daughter farmers, and let’s throw in miniature evil creatures and this one made me shudder…
Cosmic Catapult-I confess, I am enthralled with carnival settings! Let me just say after reading this one, I will NEVER get on one of those sling shot rides again….
Avert Thine Eyes-Jeff Strand never disappoints. It took me multiple takes to record this because I was laughing so hard!
Withchblood-okay, after reading this one, I truly wanted some of the metal bands described by the author to be real….are they? rock-n-roll horror at its finest!
Bad Sounds-this one creeped me out…actually all spooky sounds creep me out. You may want to check cassette tapes out before randomly shoving them in the player….
The Beach and Skinheads Ruin Everything-Dan Henk has a way of pulling you into his stories and letting your imagination end them. Kind of a sci/fi vibe with some horror thrown for good measure and you’re left with goosebumps when you are done with these two….
Revolution and Hatch…Bobby Lisse’s stories have that same sci/fi horror feel to them, both stories are creepy and I swear, at the end of Hatch, the monkey brain eating scene in the first Faces of Death movie popped in my head…ewww…
Dreamers-anyone ever get those flyers wanting you to participate in a sleep study? Read this story and you may change your mind!
The Void-apocalyptic little story that made me have nightmares. This one was a scary one to me because I confess…I fear what comes after this life sometimes….
The Ties That Bind-I LOVE Bridgett Nelson…this one does not disappoint and this is the first “mystical creature” story I have read by her. I kinda want to be a badass female werewolf now…
Howl Of The Leather Dog-okay, first of all, this story is unique for sure. Second, it made me laugh, and lastly…I don’t know how many different ways you can describe genitalia, but I think Patrick knows them all!
The Onion Club-great little story set in a small UK town that has a nice surprising twist at the end.
Wires-this one was my favorite of the bunch. Interesting and very well written serial killer story. This one could be a movie for sure! Maybe Netflix will come calling?
The Cheap Rooms-this will never happen to me because cheap hotel rooms are not for me. What happens in Vegas,stays in Vegas, especially in this creepy story.
I enjoyed this collection immensely! I tried not to give you any spoilers in this review, but if you love anthologies, you will want this one in your collection! Oh, and check out the audio too 😉
Solipsism in the Switchgrass-this story went in a direction I would have never dreamed of! Freak accident in the middle of nowhere, creepy dad and daughter farmers, and let’s throw in miniature evil creatures and this one made me shudder…
Cosmic Catapult-I confess, I am enthralled with carnival settings! Let me just say after reading this one, I will NEVER get on one of those sling shot rides again….
Avert Thine Eyes-Jeff Strand never disappoints. It took me multiple takes to record this because I was laughing so hard!
Withchblood-okay, after reading this one, I truly wanted some of the metal bands described by the author to be real….are they? rock-n-roll horror at its finest!
Bad Sounds-this one creeped me out…actually all spooky sounds creep me out. You may want to check cassette tapes out before randomly shoving them in the player….
The Beach and Skinheads Ruin Everything-Dan Henk has a way of pulling you into his stories and letting your imagination end them. Kind of a sci/fi vibe with some horror thrown for good measure and you’re left with goosebumps when you are done with these two….
Revolution and Hatch…Bobby Lisse’s stories have that same sci/fi horror feel to them, both stories are creepy and I swear, at the end of Hatch, the monkey brain eating scene in the first Faces of Death movie popped in my head…ewww…
Dreamers-anyone ever get those flyers wanting you to participate in a sleep study? Read this story and you may change your mind!
The Void-apocalyptic little story that made me have nightmares. This one was a scary one to me because I confess…I fear what comes after this life sometimes….
The Ties That Bind-I LOVE Bridgett Nelson…this one does not disappoint and this is the first “mystical creature” story I have read by her. I kinda want to be a badass female werewolf now…
Howl Of The Leather Dog-okay, first of all, this story is unique for sure. Second, it made me laugh, and lastly…I don’t know how many different ways you can describe genitalia, but I think Patrick knows them all!
The Onion Club-great little story set in a small UK town that has a nice surprising twist at the end.
Wires-this one was my favorite of the bunch. Interesting and very well written serial killer story. This one could be a movie for sure! Maybe Netflix will come calling?
The Cheap Rooms-this will never happen to me because cheap hotel rooms are not for me. What happens in Vegas,stays in Vegas, especially in this creepy story.
I enjoyed this collection immensely! I tried not to give you any spoilers in this review, but if you love anthologies, you will want this one in your collection! Oh, and check out the audio too 😉
July 8, 2024
“The Never Dead” is a compelling horror anthology written by various authors, and edited by Dan Henk. The book covers a wide range of horror themes, from supernatural elements to psychological terror and frightening real-life scenarios. The stories explore the darkness of the human situation, the fragility of the mind, and the effects of violence and isolation. The stories given provide a glimpse into the varied and imaginative world that exists in contemporary horror fiction.
The vivid and immersive descriptions that draw the reader into the twisted worlds of the tales create a real sense of dread and unease through their vivid sensory details. I particularly enjoyed the creative use of unusual or unconventional horror elements, such as the "Cosmic Catapult" device in the story of the same name, or the unique take on the werewolf stories in "The Ties That Bind". These stories showcase the authors' imaginative approaches to the genre. This book is a compilation that stands out due to the expert storytelling and willingness to explore the darker sides of human nature.
However, there was an inconsistent quality across the stories written by the various authors. While some of them were captivating and well-written, I felt some others lacked depth and were underdeveloped compared to others. The transitions between stories were not always smooth, and the general pacing felt uneven at times. A more consistent framework or thematic organizing may have enhanced the reading experience.
I will recommend it to readers seeking a well-rounded horror experience.
The vivid and immersive descriptions that draw the reader into the twisted worlds of the tales create a real sense of dread and unease through their vivid sensory details. I particularly enjoyed the creative use of unusual or unconventional horror elements, such as the "Cosmic Catapult" device in the story of the same name, or the unique take on the werewolf stories in "The Ties That Bind". These stories showcase the authors' imaginative approaches to the genre. This book is a compilation that stands out due to the expert storytelling and willingness to explore the darker sides of human nature.
However, there was an inconsistent quality across the stories written by the various authors. While some of them were captivating and well-written, I felt some others lacked depth and were underdeveloped compared to others. The transitions between stories were not always smooth, and the general pacing felt uneven at times. A more consistent framework or thematic organizing may have enhanced the reading experience.
I will recommend it to readers seeking a well-rounded horror experience.
July 6, 2024
I just reviewed "The Never Dead" by Dan Henk, Jeff Strand, Christine Morgan, Tim Curran, and 10 more talented authors. and gave it 5 stars! Check it out: https://www.ebookfairs.com/Book/Title...
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews