Impulses of a Necrotic Heart: and Other Afflictions

by Red Lagoe

Dive into the darkest depths of the human heart, into the places where we keep ghosts and grief, obsession and revenge, and monsters-both otherworldly and human.
The heart rots with every trauma, with every wrongdoing. And if we're not careful, the necrosis invades. It has spread across these fifteen tales of horror, ranging from sci-fi to supernatural, psychological to body horror. None of which are for the faint of heart.
Follow a lonely astronomer with a heart condition as he navigates a world on the brink of apocalypse. Palpate the grief of a father, clinging to hope as he follows an apparition into the woods. Cringe as beasts crawl from the chest of a young girl, seeking vengeance on those who've wronged her. Check your pulse before jumping into these horrors of the heart.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Fiction, Supernatural

238 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2023

About the author

Red Lagoe grew up on 80’s and 90’s horror and carried her fear of slashers, sewer creatures, Hitchcockian birds, and psychos into adulthood where she now purges her horror-ridden mind onto the page. She is the author of the upcoming novel "Bloodstains by Gaslight" (Brigids Gate Press 2025), "In Excess of Dark" (Sobelo Books), and three horror collections including "Impulses of a Necrotic Heart". Red has stories published in various anthologies and magazines, and she enjoyed her role as curator and editor of "Nightmare Sky: Stories of Astronomical Horror". Red also worked as a staff writer for Crystal Lake Publishing’s "Still Water Bay" series. In addition to writing, Red loves creating art using traditional fine art mediums like paint, ink, and charcoal. She is also the owner of Death Knell Press.

Reviews

[Milt Theo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Red Lagoe's new short story horror collection, 'Impulses of a Necrotic Heart: and Other Afflictions,' is a joy to read, full of imagination and insight on fatal infections of the heart, the blackness that demands answers which we are seldom able to give. Perhaps "joy" is not the appropriate term here, unless you're a dedicated horror fan or love to read well-crafted and deeply thoughful short stories; Lagoe's prose stands on its own, yet the imagery will disturb, no matter how beautifully written are the stories. Lagoe has a unique voice that lulls you in, until you suddenly realize this is not something that will fade from memory any time soon: be it the "stalactites of clotted blood" of unstoppable menstruation ("Blood Bogged"), or the "bins and boxes ... stacked to the ceiling" due to insatiable tv shopping ("Consumer Alert"), there's always some feature, some aspect, dark, yet real and tough to examine, something we simply don't desire to face up close. Lagoe, thankfully, doesn't care; she throws us into the horror whether we like it or not. Her fifteen tales range over all kinds of horrific things: suicide, sexual harassment, murder, child abduction, phobias, and, well, life itself. There's body horror, science fiction horror (indeed, "Infectious Glow" was my favorite), psychological horror, and lots of things happening to parents and kids. Although she lists trigger warnings in the back of her book, I'd advise to go blind: the endings, littered with pain, but also hope, resilience and the beauty of healing, will hit much harder this way.

Special mention should be made of Red Lagoe's illustrations: they're absolutely fantastic. Plus there are story notes, explaining the origin of the stories. What a bonus!

Huge thanks to the author for the ARC!

[Wayne Fenlon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the third short story collection from Red Lagoe and although it's my least favourite, it isn't without it's merits. And it's not to say I didn't enjoy it.
It's solid work, but I just preferred the dark fantasy and horror balance of her second collection Dismal Dreams compared to the all out horror of this one. If you have read her darker stories and enjoyed them more then you might lean more towards this one. I really appreciated the first and last story here. That's the two that stood out for me.
Anyways, I also have to say that it kind of feels right that this one is the darkest. Not that it's a trilogy of sorts, but in terms of moving in the right direction, I think it was the way to go. You aren't getting the same old... If you know what I mean.

For me, I'm giving it three stars for the stories, but five stars for the incredible artwork. Red is one hell of a talent. A force on so many levels.

Recommended.

I am just thinking... maybe one day these collections will be bundled together with a title along the lines of SHADES OF RED or something?

Okay... I'll get my coat.

[Diane Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say about this collection of short stories except that they were nothing less than fantastic. Touching on sensitive topics from body horror to grief and child loss, to sexual and emotional abuse, Red Lagoe handles them with a delicate hand while not shying from the horrific aspects of every one.

Highly recommended reading, especially if you only have time for a snippet here and there.

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anytime Red Lagoe publishes a book or has a story in other books, I need the book. Lagoe has quickly become one of my favorite authors of all time. Her writing is deep and I can relate to many of the stories she writes. It is like she can dig into my soul and tell me this is what you need to hear right now, at this moment in your life. Even though the stories are horror and obviously fiction, some have a deeper meaning for us to interpret. Here is a breakdown of the 15 stories in this collection.

Impulses of a Necrotic Heart - A young man wants out of a nefarious family lifestyle. This is a dark story, with a poetic feel to it.

Hollowed Hearts - Wesley is in the sixth grade and is dealing with all the struggles of being in middle school. He just wants to fly away and leave it all behind. The heartache is easily interpreted with Lagoe’s words.

Don't Make It Awkward - Hannah just wants to play football with the boys. She has proven many times she is capable of keeping up with the boys. This story goes from a 10mph story to a 150mph, a totally unexpected twist!

Consumer Alert - Meredith has a shopping addiction that has escalated when her daughter stops by to check on her. This is a gruesome story.

Infectious Glow - Chuck loves astronomy. When a star becomes a supernova he heads to the roof of the apartment complex he lives in, to get a better look at it. I think there is a bit of Lagoe in this story, because she loves astronomy, too.

Arachnus - Jamiah can’t handle spiders. Especially the ones where you can hear the ‘crunch’ when you step on them. Yeah, Jamiah, me too! Icky story, spiders…

The Glass Labyrinth - Isaac has purchased an old rundown mirror maze in an old building. The building has a dark past. An odd story, but I enjoyed it a lot.

Dogwood - Elijah is busy painting walls in his home and watching his little girl play outside. The artwork that accompanies this story is amazing. You gotta look closely at it.

Sensory Deprivation - When a couple decide to spend some quality time together, a life changing event happens. I hope this isn’t foreshadowing my vacation coming up!

Blood Bogged - A young lady is bleeding so much and she can’t stop it. I feel like this story is revealing a deeper meaning.

Tangerine Sky - A woman had a traumatic past that prevents her from handling certain aspects of life as an adult. This kinda tugged at the heartstrings a bit.

Here For You - A mom sees how motherhood changes a person. A dark and disturbing story.

Legacy - Ryan can’t seem to get rid of an evil in his life. His sister is of no help, either. A freaky story.

Fourteen Gallons - A couple are spending the last days of life wondering when their time is up. I love this story. A bit of romance at a bleak moment in life.

The Haunting of Swan Lake - Danny returns home after his dad has died. A dreadful story.

I enjoyed every story in this collection. At the back of the book, Lagoe gives a brief description of how she came about the story. She covers a lot of sub-genres of horror in this book. For every story, there is artwork that she has drawn to accompany the story.

If you haven’t read anything by Red Lagoe, you seriously need to fix that. An absolutely amazing author.

[Joseph Maddrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been reading a LOT of indie horror lately. There’s plenty of professional writing out there but most of it leaves me wondering Why. Why did the author write this story? Why should I care? This collection of short stories feels like it needed to be written. It pulled me in and affected my jaded heart. My favorites were “Don’t Make It Weird” (so vulnerable), “Arachnu” (so much fun), “Dogwood” (f-ing brutal), and “Blood Bogged” (I initially thought this was just a gross-out story but it’s much more than that). I’m looking forward to seeing what Red Lagoe can do with a novel and more room to run.

[Rhea Gerdes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taking me places I never knew I didn't want to go!

When stories are so well written that you don't even mind being dragged down paths that you either solidly avoid or could never have even imagined, you know the author is a skilled craftsperson.

Exploring some dark & difficult subjects, each story was incredibly well thought-out and written. I was honestly kind of glad they were short so I had a chance to recover.

The story notes were an absolutely fantastic addition!! I love getting a peek into the inner workings!!

Excellent work!

[L.C. Marino · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this collection! Red Lagoe takes you on a myriad of journeys, each dark and unique from the others. It's all here. These fifteen stories carry you through familial grief, coming of age, isolated youth, redemption, and a supernatural expanse. Red Lagoe's illustrations are some of the best touches of the book. I can't wait to dive into more of Red's work! Read in both eBook and print.

[Rowan Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been slowly consuming these stories for the last month or so, taking my time with them. I love Red's prose, its was absolutely the highlight for me (apart from the illustrations she does herself!). After a month, the most memorable (and therefore favorite) stories were Blood Booged, and Consumer Alert. If you have read Lagoe's work before and enjoyed it, this is a must-buy!

[Maximilian Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Red has been on a hot streak lately. This anthology delivers heart pounding stories that pull you into its depths and keep you there until the last word is read. Stories like Hollowed Hearts and The Glass Labyrinth are among my favorites with well written prose and hand drawn art that drums up the haunting vibes of the atmosphere. I look forward to reading more from this author.

[Cheyenne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Average Rating - 3.5 (rounded to 4 for Goodreads)

Impulses of a Necrotic Heart - 4
Hollowed Hearts - 4
Don't Make It Weird - 4
Consumer Alert - 4
Infectious Glow - 4
Arachnu - 3
The Glass Labyrinth - 3
Dogwood - 4
Sensory Deprivation - 3
Blood Bogged - 3
Tangerine Sky - 4
Here for You - 4
Legacy - 2
Fourteen Gallons - 5
The Haunting of Swan Lake - 4

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a seriously fun read. I especially loved how different each story was- there really is a great variety of scares. Lagos is so creative and her writing is so good that even though each story is short, you’re quickly transported into each setting, each viewpoint, from the very first page. I will definitely be seeking out more of her work.

[Elford Alley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a huge fan of Lagoe’s previous collections, Lucid Screams and Dismal Dreams, but this collection is on another level. Every story is a gut punch and one in particular truly haunts me. A must read!

[Kathryn Grace Loves Horror · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come.

[Erica Robyn Metcalf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Impulses of a Necrotic Heart: and Other Afflictions by Red Lagoe is a collection of short stories that will both haunt and shatter readers' hearts into a million pieces.

This author has such an amazing writing style. Each and every tale sucked me right in and I was so pleased to see the range here!

A must-read for horror lovers who aren’t afraid to be hurt by the stories they consume.

Check out my full review here:
https://www.ericarobynreads.com/impul...

[David Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting collection, not just for the theme, but for the wide variety of angles from which it is tackled. It is also very cool to see each story illustrated by the author, who is also a talented artist, bringing some of the inspiration for the words to life. There are fourteen stories in this book. My favorite is Hollowed Hearts, though I feel that this story is actually begging to be a novel. Loneliness and depression, an old spooky house... and bats. The writing throughout is strong and rich.

I read and reviewed an earlier collection by this author last year, and there is added maturity and development. The characters are well-drawn, the dark parts are brutal. At least one story was difficult even to read, but not without cause.

I highly recommend this to any fan of horror.

[Danielle (Danni) Vinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Impulses Of A Necrotic Heart is a brilliant collection of short fiction. Every story was a hit, and the writing is wonderful... heartbreaking, gut-wrenching, shocking, terrifying, and extremely disturbing. The cover artwork and illustrations, by the author herself, are stunning. My list of favourites all had multiple stars in my notebook, and 2 got big ones.

⭐ Hollowed Hearts
Consumer Alert
⭐ The Glass Labyrinth
Dogwood
⭐Sensory Deprivation
🤯 Blood Bogged
Tangerine Story
The Haunting Of Swan Lake

I loved this book. Highly recommended for short fiction junkies like me.

[Tiffany Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Combining lyrical prose and copious blood spatter, Red Lagoe’s latest collection dares you to peel back the muscle and traverse the chambers of a struggling yet still-beating heart. If you’re brave enough to take the journey, Impulses of a Necrotic Heart is a sometimes-tender, often-brutal, always-scary ride through stories that navigate intimate yearnings, deep-seated fears, otherness, and urban legends. Do you have what it takes to examine what’s lurking amid rotting ventricles and diseased tissue? Let your heart decide.

[Vivian Valentine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fifteen creepy tales about sorrow, shame, heartbreak and no small amount of blood. If you enjoy horror, Red Lagoe’s collection of short stories will make you feel bad in the best way possible. I don’t think there’s a bad one in the book, but I particularly enjoyed the rage of “Don’t Make It Weird” and the joyful melancholy of “Fourteen Gallons”.