Tales from the Clergy: Stories Inspired by Ghost

by Mark C. Scioneaux, M. Wesley Corie II, Everett Baudean

Are you ready for a ritual?

Since their inception in 2006, Ghost has entertained millions of fans throughout the world. Their style of heavy metal combined with eccentric stage performances have made them a brand all their own. In Tales from the Clergy , seventeen masters of horror share their love of Ghost with a chilling tale inspired by their favorite song.

A girl is granted the power to save or kill. A corrupt priest gets what he deserves. A man plunders the sewers and finds something else is after him. A woman has a baby by any means necessary, and then must pay the price. A man realizes that to stop hurting from grief on the inside, he has to hurt on the outside. These stories, and more, are featured in a collection that will not only please the Ghost fan, but also the horror fan.

nemA.

Jo Kaplan - Michael Paige - M. Wesley Corie II - Pedro Iniguez - Mackenzie Hurlbert - Colt Skinner - Michael Balletti - Everett Baudean - Lauren Bolger - David D. West - Brian J. Smith - Robert Bagnall - Doris V. Sutherland - David Costa - Matthew M. Bartlett - Vivian Kasley - Benjamin Kane Ethridge

182 pages, Paperback

Published June 30, 2023

About the author

Mark C. Scioneaux is a Bram Stoker Award® nominated editor and author.

He is the author of INFERNO, THE CADAVER CHRONICLES, and POACHER, published by October Nights Press. He is also the author of SLIPWAY GREY, THE DIRECTOR'S CUT, and DEAD ON THE BAYOU. He is co-creator of the “Splattire Series” with books that include CANNIBAL FAT CAMP, DIE, YOU ZOMBIE CRACKERS!, and AMERICA’S NEXT DEAD MODEL. He also is the author of numerous short stories appearing in various anthologies.

HORROR FOR GOOD: A CHARITABLE ANTHOLOGY is an award-nominated anthology for charity he edited. His newest anthology, BLOOD BANK, is published by Blood Bound Books.

He is a graduate of Louisiana State University and currently resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana with his wife, Kristin.

Reviews

[Starr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4 stars

If you love Ghost even a little bit and you love horror, then this is the novel for you. You don't have to know everything about Ghost to enjoy what this novel has to offer, BUT knowing even a little bit of the lore behind the band makes it so much better. I have been keeping up with Ghost for a while, even before they were popular across all social media platforms, so I know a bit about the lore and was able to recognize a lot of the nods that the authors included in this anthology. Especially in regards to the nameless ghouls. So once I saw this book advertised I knew I had to pick it up immediately and read it!

I liked to enjoy this book by listening to each song before reading the chapter just to get the right atmosphere that inspired the chapter. I even made a playlist of all the songs to go back to if I wanted to. So I was able to confidently say that I understood where the inspiration came from, such as for To Dust You Shall Return by Jo Kaplan (Mummy Dust) and A Sun Within the Fog by Colt Skinner (Elizabeth), using the lyrics as direct inspiration, whereas others took a unique turn in their stories, that I was definitely not expecting but still overall enjoyed such as the case with The Lords Below by Michael Paige (Rats) and The House of Laments by Pedro Iniguez (Life Eternal).

That is to say though that I definitely enjoyed some authors and their writing styles much more than others in this anthology but I think that is the case for most anthologies. I loved reading each and every story but I definitely think that each story just gets better and better the further into the book. There are a ton of different point of views used for each story and unique narrators that this book was hard to put down. I especially loved the narration for Hello Darkness by Brian J. Smith (Spillways). Others even had amazing world building that I wasn't expecting of such stories, for example in Peering Through the Blazing Fates by David Costa (Depth of Satan's Eyes).

Though unfortunately some stories suffered from being so short (some being less than 10 pages) and I feel like could have had more detail to better flush out the concepts that were hastily introduced. I would have just overall loved to have read more from some chapters. If there is ever a second installment of this book though with more Ghost songs and more stories I will definitely have to pick it up though because I loved it all overall.

My top 3 stories in this anthology were:
1. Hello Darkness by Brian J. Smith (Spillways)
2. Father Knows Best by M. Wesley Corie II (Body and Blood)
3. Peering Through the Blazing Fates by David Costa (Depth of Satan's Eyes)

Honorable Mention: Figgy Pudding by Vivian Kasley (Con Clavi Con Dio)


I've made a playlist of all the songs in order of the chapters of the book!

All songs are by Ghost!

1. Mummy Dust
2. Rats
3. Body and Blood
4. Life Eternal
5. Witch Image
6. Elizabeth
7. Absolution
8. Dance Macabre
9. Deus In Absentia
10. Death Knell
11. Spillways
12. Darkness At The Heart of My Love
13. Call Me Little Sunshine
14. Depth of Satan's Eyes
15. He Is
16. Con Clavi Con Dio
17. Genesis

I do this for every book I read! :)

[Teeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

⛧°｡⋆🜏༺⸸༻🜏⋆｡°⛧
Tales From the Clergy: Stories Inspired by Ghost is a collection of seventeen short stories, each one drawing on the basis of a song, that come together to form a delightfully horrific assembly of devotion.

I first heard about this book on Reddit, and took note of it immediately. Ghost is my all-time favourite band and I definitely wouldn't be passing up an opportunity to support a book inspired by it. I purchased my e-copy soon after it was published. I've rated it 4/5 stars and I really enjoyed many of the short stories, though a few missed the mark. Below is a list of each story, my rating for it, and a short blurb about it.

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To Dust You Shall Return • Mummy Dust

5⛧ • "Mummies are rare because we ate them," the famous Tumblr text post. This might be my favourite of the bunch, there is something so unique and upsetting about southern religious horror.


The Lords Below • Rats

3⛧ • I don't understand the choice to change the creature feature to pigs? Is it because pigs will eat anything and leave no evidence? I hardly think that matters for a sewer setting. Is it because of Rodents of Unusual Size? Not sure. Atmospheric and scenic, if you can call sewage that.


Father Knows Best • Body & Blood

4.5⛧ • You know that part in Body & Blood where Papa's voice does the Repugnant thing and he scream-growls "defecate?" No? Well, this short story was horrifically disgusting and stomach twisting. Don't try this one if you're sensitive to bodily fluids. But it was also very well-written, and the vibes were unsettling as hell.


The House of Laments • Life Eternal

4⛧ • I like to call these stories "an encounter with Something." It seems normal, normal, a bit slow, boring, normal, BAM. What the fuck? I'm scared of getting cat toys from under my oven now. Thanks.


A Pale Stranger • Witch Image

3⛧ • Witch Image is such an iconic song with incredible iconic lyrics, so this mediocre story didn't really feel like a good fit. Jack the Ripper who acts as Angel of Death meets the real man in charge. Underwhelming... But serviceable.


A Sun Within the Fog - Elizabeth

2⛧ • I understand not wanting to just retell the story of Bathori, but this missed the mark. There was nothing scary about it. Nothing Elizabeth about it either unless you count very boring vampires and a girl with the same name.


On Hollow Pass - Absolution

2⛧ • Absolution is not one of my top Ghost songs, and this was not one of my top Clergy stories. I felt like there wasn't enough happening or going on to explain anything at all. By the end I was still just confused.


Ghosted - Dance Macabre

5⛧ • THIS IS THE FUNNY ONE. To me, at least. A stereotypical Reddit Guy tries to get with the ghost haunting his inherited manor and finds out that maybe being an incel is better. I laughed.


Commendation of the Dying - Deus In Absentia

3⛧ • This is another "encounter with Something." And while I really liked the voice that the Something spoke with, I couldn't really find much else about the story that I enjoyed. Something about this was very Black Parade, though!


Hallowed Ground - Death Knell

4.5⛧ • WHAT A STORY! I was not expecting this for Death Knell of all songs, but wow. The atmosphere, the descriptions, the gory details, the apocalyptic horror. If you have ever looked at Baphomet and appreciated what they have going on, this one is for you.


Hello Darkness - Spillways

5⛧ • For me, this is goriest and most horrific of the seventeen. Spillways is one of my top five Ghost songs, but this story nearly made me sick. I wasn't expecting the point of view, I think this may be one of the best written as well as best themed of them all.


Wrapped - Darkness at the Heart of My Love

5⛧ • Mother Knows Best.


Her True Calling - Call Me Little Sunshine

5⛧ • This is such a fantastic alternative history for such a short story. And I loved Sunshine. The worldbuilding is really just supreme.


Peering Through the Blazing Gates - The Depth of Satan's Eyes

5⛧ • It's a rather simple story with a lot of very good detail, character, and exploration. I was shocked by how much was packed in here. Really good writing combined with really succinct storytelling. There are no pretty lies in Hell, only horrid truths.


The Goat Priest - He Is

2⛧ • A rare instance of Southern religious horror falling flat. It's a rather common setup of "a child forced into rigid expectations of religion will eventually flee and seek everything they have been barred from." But this one circles back around to religion, and I feel like it wasn't a good representation of the freedom leaving religion can give, or the freedom of practicing Satanism. Also, the mention of the Grucifix earrings was too much.


Figgy Pudding - Con Clavi Con Dio

1⛧ • Don't do Satanic rituals to get pregnant. Don't trust Christmas Carolers. Unenjoyable in the extreme.


Creation - Genesis

1⛧ • A rather poor note to end on, because this story is confusing, long, and half-baked. I get wanting to finish with a crowning, but it was too on the nose while also not being referential enough. Too many characters, too many side-stops. I would have preferred something else. Like Cirice! Or Monstrance Clock. But hopefully those will come around in a second volume (hint hint).

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Overall, what a really great tribute to a fantastically theatrical and influential band. I hope I see more from these writers, and A Nameless Editor. As mentioned, Cirice, Monstrance Clock, but also Idolatrine, Jigolo Har Megiddo, and of course Ritual are songs I would love to see in a second volume. Cheers.

[Kai · Rating 3 out of 5]

I took so long reading this book but I think it’s because I was interested in some stories more than others. I’m a huge ghost fan so I was excited to read this since it’s written by other fans. I felt like some of the stories didn’t relate well to their songs but overall, everyone’s writing was great! My personal favorites has to be Mummy Dust and Life Eternal. Spillways made my body hurt lol

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the editor for providing a review copy.
As a Ghost fan and a short story fan, this collection was right up my alley. It was a mixed bag, as most anthologies are, but overall the quality of the stories was excellent. It also introduced me to some new authors who are now on my radar.

To Dust You Shall Return by Jo Kaplan ⭐⭐⭐
The Lords Below by Michael Paige ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Father Knows Best by M. Wesley Corie II ⭐⭐⭐.25
The House of Laments by Pedro Iniguez ⭐
A Pale Stranger by Mackenzie Hurlbert ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A Sun Within the Fog by Colt Skinner ⭐⭐⭐⭐
On Hollow Pass by Michael Balletti ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ghosted by Everett Baudean ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Commendation of the Dying by Lauren Bolger ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Hallowed Ground by David D. West ⭐⭐⭐.5
Hello Darkness by Brian J. Smith ⭐⭐.75
Wrapped by Robert Bagnall ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Her True Calling by Doris V. Sutherland ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Peering Through the Blazing Gates by David Costa ⭐⭐⭐.75
The Goat Priest by Matthew M. Bartlett ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Figgy Pudding by Vivian Kasley ⭐⭐⭐
Creation by Benjamin Kane Ethridge ⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Robert Bagnall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually give these sort of anthologies a three-star review, with a “mixed bag” comment. This mixed bag is a tad stronger than that - a three and a half rounded up to four, with some well-told tales. Special mention for Kaplan, Paige, Skinner, and Sutherland (who, I think, confuses primary and secondary school). Full disclosure: my story ‘Wrapped’ is included.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a massive Ghost fan - lucky enough to see the group live twice in the past few years - I was immediately drawn to this anthology, particularly as the authors were basing their stories on Ghost songs and would therefore share the same love for the band that I have. I had also read the work of one its authors, Vivian Kasley, before so I knew the standard would be pretty high. I wasn't disappointed.

The stories brimmed over with occult and satanic themes, corrupt clergy and contracts with the devil. Figgy Pudding by Vivian Kasley, The House of Laments by Pedro Iniguez and The Lords Below by Michael Paige were particular favourites. I just wish there had been a story based on Year Zero!

[Becky Robison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the band Ghost, I love scary stories—seemed like a good fit. Although I have to say, my favorite stories in the collection were those that referenced Ghost the least. None of them were explicitly about the band, but I especially enjoyed those that used lyrics to take us far, far away from anything related to Satanic metal. I’m not sure my brain would have made the leap from the song “Mummy Dust” to an old-fashioned tent revival, for instance. I’m glad these authors’ brains went there.

This review was originally published on my blog.

[Madison McSweeney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Among my favourites here (and the ones that best portrayed the essence of Ghost) were Matthew M. Bartlett’s “The Goat Priest,” Mackenzie Hurlbert’s “The Pale Stranger,” Lauren Bolger’s “Commendation of the Dying,” David D. West’s “Hallowed Ground,” and Benjamin Kane Ethridge’s “Creation.”

[M. Clay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely a collection of short stories for fans of Ghost. Or even people who aren't fans, there's a mix of horror and it's all good.