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A Different Kind Of Magic: 14 Stories of Horror and the Supernatural
“Really incredible…”—C.D. Kester, author of Chasing Demons
Magic. Often seen as wondrous and benevolent. But T.W. Grim, a celebrated author of eerie NoSleep tales, offers a different kind of one that pulls at the very threads of reality, weaving tales of terror and wonder.
A man slips out of reality and becomes trapped in a ghastly parallel dimension. A radical scientist unleashes an experimental drug on the world to devastating consequences. An intergalactic intelligence makes a cold, logical decision to destroy humanity. An elderly man shares stories of horror around the campfire.
These stories and others blend the supernatural with spine-chilling horror. Are you ready to embrace the dark side of magic?
“Horror stories worthy of incredible praise.”—Rafael Marmol, author of If Hell is What You Want
Magic. Often seen as wondrous and benevolent. But T.W. Grim, a celebrated author of eerie NoSleep tales, offers a different kind of one that pulls at the very threads of reality, weaving tales of terror and wonder.
A man slips out of reality and becomes trapped in a ghastly parallel dimension. A radical scientist unleashes an experimental drug on the world to devastating consequences. An intergalactic intelligence makes a cold, logical decision to destroy humanity. An elderly man shares stories of horror around the campfire.
These stories and others blend the supernatural with spine-chilling horror. Are you ready to embrace the dark side of magic?
“Horror stories worthy of incredible praise.”—Rafael Marmol, author of If Hell is What You Want
- GenresHorror
199 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 17, 2023
54 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
T.W. Grim
17 books47 followersT.W. Grim is a horror novelist from Southwestern Ontario. He is the author of 99 Brief Scenes From the End of the World, Tripping Over Twilight, When the Stars Fall and The Promises We Make in December.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/T.W.Grim_Author
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWGrim_Official
IG: @t.w.grim
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/twgrim
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/T.W.Grim_Author
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWGrim_Official
IG: @t.w.grim
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/twgrim
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 22, 2021
This latest short story collection from TW Grim collects fourteen short horror stories with an underlying emotional weight that really helps separate these shorts from other horror collections.
A lot of the stories contained here are of the supernatural variety but feel simultaneously surprisingly grounded. I got very strong Stephen King vibes with a lot of these shorts, as Grim shares a conversational style with King that carries a strong narrative voice, carefully crafted to often include a story within a story.
What most readers will likely remember from ‘A Different Kind of Magic; is the collection of four ‘Tales From Henry’s Farm’ shorts. Each one features a young man and his Uncle Henry, who regales him with a (supposedly) true story from his younger days. Each story is paranormal in nature but keeps the focus on characters to make the outlandish stories relatable. As these series of tales progress, this relatability carries forward to the narrator and his nephew as the shorts become gradually less about the outlandish tales themselves, but more about the person doing the telling, and it becomes a meditative look at their relationship. It’s not a technique I can honestly say I’ve seen before and these four stories are a big highlight for this fact alone.
The ‘Tales From Henry’s Farm’ shorts also feel very nostalgic, and that is another theme that carries on throughout. The books opening story, ‘In the Summer of ‘79’ feels like classic King, as an elderly narrator reflects on a bloody time in his past. It reads like a body horror take on ‘1922’ and is a strong opener. My favourite story from the book is perhaps the most sentimental of them all. ‘Death, Magic, and the Golden Yellow Stingray’, a tale about a young boy who finds an abandoned bicycle and how it changes his summer, and life, for the better, is a heart-warming story with subtle supernatural undertones, very much in the vein of ‘Stand By Me’.
Other tales deviate from the formula somewhat to present a varied collection. ‘Swole’ is a blackly comic cautionary tale about a bodybuilder who takes things a little too far, whereas ‘It’s In The Shape Of Things’ is a frankly unsettling piece of cosmic horror and ‘A Brand New Kingdom’ gives us the most unlikely of apocalypses.
While there is far more killer than filler, not all stories are created equal, and it is the shorter offerings (‘Ten Seconds’, ‘Cenopath’, ‘I Slipped Sideways’) that suffer alongside the longer entries. They are all decent, well-told shorts, but just don’t stand out when compared to the stronger of the books’ stories. Each of these three tales’ clocks in at one to two pages, so are quick and enjoyable reads in their own right.
‘A Different Kind of Magic’ offers a wistful, sentimental selection of horror shorts with a few nasty tales to balance out the feel-good factor. Any horror fan will no doubt find something to enjoy in this consistently excellent collection.
You can read more reviews of new and upcoming horror releases at https://www.myindiemuse.com/category/...
I also promote indie horror via Twitter - @RickReadsHorror
A lot of the stories contained here are of the supernatural variety but feel simultaneously surprisingly grounded. I got very strong Stephen King vibes with a lot of these shorts, as Grim shares a conversational style with King that carries a strong narrative voice, carefully crafted to often include a story within a story.
What most readers will likely remember from ‘A Different Kind of Magic; is the collection of four ‘Tales From Henry’s Farm’ shorts. Each one features a young man and his Uncle Henry, who regales him with a (supposedly) true story from his younger days. Each story is paranormal in nature but keeps the focus on characters to make the outlandish stories relatable. As these series of tales progress, this relatability carries forward to the narrator and his nephew as the shorts become gradually less about the outlandish tales themselves, but more about the person doing the telling, and it becomes a meditative look at their relationship. It’s not a technique I can honestly say I’ve seen before and these four stories are a big highlight for this fact alone.
The ‘Tales From Henry’s Farm’ shorts also feel very nostalgic, and that is another theme that carries on throughout. The books opening story, ‘In the Summer of ‘79’ feels like classic King, as an elderly narrator reflects on a bloody time in his past. It reads like a body horror take on ‘1922’ and is a strong opener. My favourite story from the book is perhaps the most sentimental of them all. ‘Death, Magic, and the Golden Yellow Stingray’, a tale about a young boy who finds an abandoned bicycle and how it changes his summer, and life, for the better, is a heart-warming story with subtle supernatural undertones, very much in the vein of ‘Stand By Me’.
Other tales deviate from the formula somewhat to present a varied collection. ‘Swole’ is a blackly comic cautionary tale about a bodybuilder who takes things a little too far, whereas ‘It’s In The Shape Of Things’ is a frankly unsettling piece of cosmic horror and ‘A Brand New Kingdom’ gives us the most unlikely of apocalypses.
While there is far more killer than filler, not all stories are created equal, and it is the shorter offerings (‘Ten Seconds’, ‘Cenopath’, ‘I Slipped Sideways’) that suffer alongside the longer entries. They are all decent, well-told shorts, but just don’t stand out when compared to the stronger of the books’ stories. Each of these three tales’ clocks in at one to two pages, so are quick and enjoyable reads in their own right.
‘A Different Kind of Magic’ offers a wistful, sentimental selection of horror shorts with a few nasty tales to balance out the feel-good factor. Any horror fan will no doubt find something to enjoy in this consistently excellent collection.
You can read more reviews of new and upcoming horror releases at https://www.myindiemuse.com/category/...
I also promote indie horror via Twitter - @RickReadsHorror
January 11, 2021
Masterful
This book had a way of pulling at your heart strings in ways that you don't always find in horror short stories. Uncle Henry's Farm contained 4 different tales that really drew you in and made you feel at home while hearing Henry tell his many stories. When Dusk Falls on Hadley Township left a lasting impression and the final story was an emotional sucker punch right in the gut. Really incredible job piecing together this collection, and a pleasure to read.
This book had a way of pulling at your heart strings in ways that you don't always find in horror short stories. Uncle Henry's Farm contained 4 different tales that really drew you in and made you feel at home while hearing Henry tell his many stories. When Dusk Falls on Hadley Township left a lasting impression and the final story was an emotional sucker punch right in the gut. Really incredible job piecing together this collection, and a pleasure to read.
June 25, 2021
An enticing book to read. Short stories. Some I loved more than others, however, my favourites were Tales from Henry’s farm. I felt like I was there living through it. I also
Really enjoyed “the summer of 79’”.
Overall, loved the book!
Really enjoyed “the summer of 79’”.
Overall, loved the book!
February 1, 2024
This book had a way of pulling at your heart strings in ways that you don't always find in horror short stories. Uncle Henry's Farm contained 4 different tales that really drew you in and made you feel at home while hearing Henry tell his many stories. When Dusk Falls on Hadley Township left a lasting impression and the final story was an emotional sucker punch right in the gut. Really incredible job piecing together this collection, and a pleasure to read.
January 27, 2024
Spectacular
Every one of these stories sucked me in, like they were little movies. The best ones were about the narrator's uncle Henry. I'd read a whole book of the Uncle Henry stories.
Every one of these stories sucked me in, like they were little movies. The best ones were about the narrator's uncle Henry. I'd read a whole book of the Uncle Henry stories.
August 6, 2025
Really good stories!
I love to ready books like this. I'd not read anything by this author but with Kindke unlimited I though why not. I enjoyed just about every story. If you want a good read why not check this book out!
I love to ready books like this. I'd not read anything by this author but with Kindke unlimited I though why not. I enjoyed just about every story. If you want a good read why not check this book out!
March 1, 2025
I liked it!
There are some really good stories in here! The best ones are with Uncle henry!
In my opinion, there should be a whole book of Uncle henry's tales!!
There are some really good stories in here! The best ones are with Uncle henry!
In my opinion, there should be a whole book of Uncle henry's tales!!
July 8, 2021
Once again, T.W. Grim delivers another collection of blue-collar horror stories worthy of incredible praise. Following T.W. Grim’s career, readers have watched this talented writer evolve his craft and perfect his voice into something that only speaks to the heart but cuts straight through to the darkness of man’s soul.
With “A Different Kind of Magic,” T.W. Grim further sharpens that soul-cutting blade and then stabs the reader in the heart with it.
Each eerie tale within this collection pulls the reader deep into a world where raw personal demons are only the start of the troubles. Deeply flawed and emotionally complex characters are thrust into the supernatural, the suspenseful, or the sheer terror of the nightmares living in Grim’s mind.
Grim employs various horror genre tropes and injects them with his unique voice and masterful storytelling. The Uncle Henry’s Farm series of stories stand out as the most enthralling and entertaining within the book. Each story recounted by Uncle Henry is sure to leave the reader feeling creeped out and unsettled but also wanting to hear more and more of Uncle Henry’s horrifying stories.
There are also stories like “The Summer of ‘79”, “When Dusk Falls on Hadley Township,” and “Swole” that leave readers feeling unnerved and disturbed with their sheer brutality and violence.
But that’s not all!
Grim doesn’t give the reader a moment to rest between these longer stories as he provides delightfully twisted flash fiction stories to continue the onslaught. Do not discount these stories as throwaways or filler. These tiny tales pack a punch and deliver on the terror just as well as the others. And once the reader finishes one of the short tales, they are dying to continue with the longer ones.
If you are a T.W. Grim fan or someone who enjoys excellent horror, pick this up as soon as you can!
With “A Different Kind of Magic,” T.W. Grim further sharpens that soul-cutting blade and then stabs the reader in the heart with it.
Each eerie tale within this collection pulls the reader deep into a world where raw personal demons are only the start of the troubles. Deeply flawed and emotionally complex characters are thrust into the supernatural, the suspenseful, or the sheer terror of the nightmares living in Grim’s mind.
Grim employs various horror genre tropes and injects them with his unique voice and masterful storytelling. The Uncle Henry’s Farm series of stories stand out as the most enthralling and entertaining within the book. Each story recounted by Uncle Henry is sure to leave the reader feeling creeped out and unsettled but also wanting to hear more and more of Uncle Henry’s horrifying stories.
There are also stories like “The Summer of ‘79”, “When Dusk Falls on Hadley Township,” and “Swole” that leave readers feeling unnerved and disturbed with their sheer brutality and violence.
But that’s not all!
Grim doesn’t give the reader a moment to rest between these longer stories as he provides delightfully twisted flash fiction stories to continue the onslaught. Do not discount these stories as throwaways or filler. These tiny tales pack a punch and deliver on the terror just as well as the others. And once the reader finishes one of the short tales, they are dying to continue with the longer ones.
If you are a T.W. Grim fan or someone who enjoys excellent horror, pick this up as soon as you can!
April 6, 2022
Fun for all the frighful
Grim continues to build a name for himself, a name that you can trust to spin a compelling yarn. Stories range from fanciful flights of terror to teenage tension mixed with a dash of nostalgia.
Grim continues to build a name for himself, a name that you can trust to spin a compelling yarn. Stories range from fanciful flights of terror to teenage tension mixed with a dash of nostalgia.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews