Wrapped in Plastic and Other Sweet Nothings

by Robert P. Ottone

"With anything Ottone writes you know you'll get solid storytelling set within dark themes. The beauty of his writing, though, is that he is willing to go to those places many authors fear. A phenomenal collection from start to finish, these stories will leave you shattered and shaking!" -Steve Stred, Splatterpunk-Award nominated author of Sacrament and Mastodon Seventeen stories claw at you from that dark space in the corner of your eye in this new collection by Bram Stoker Award-winning author Robert P. Ottone. In "Only That You Are Still Sane," uncover the accidental and bizarre discovery of time travel. Meet an ordinary couple with sexual desires that are anything but ordinary in "Nibble." Follow the harrowing story of Sleepy Hollow's town constable in "A Mourning in Sleepy Hollow." Tread carefully along the precipice of darkness in "A Most Curious Tome." And in the title story, meet a lonely civil service worker who comes face to face with the darkness eating away at him. Featuring six previously unpublished stories, Wrapped in Plastic & Other Sweet Nothings will force you to stare into the darkness within. Pray you don't blink. "Ottone captures east coast spooks, specters and evil spirits like nobody's business. Wrapped in Plastic has new takes on classic genre themes. This collection is packed with creepy fireside stories." -Freddy Morris, Night of the Living Podcast "This collection is full of heart and Ottone's innate sense of what disturbs. With something for everybody contained within, this book is a panacea for the indecisive reader." -Somer Canon, author of You're Mine

Genres: Horror, Fiction

190 pages, Paperback

Published October 27, 2023

About the author

Robert P. Ottone is the two-time Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Triangle and There’s Something Sinister in Centerfield. He is also the author of The Vile Thing We Created as well as the collections Her Infernal Name and Tear Me Open: Fears Unwrapped. A bagel-loving fabulist of spooky absurdity, Ottone enjoys cigars and time with his wife at their home in upstate New York.

Reviews

[Emily Haynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new take in the headless horseman. Robotic child creeps out its parents. The couple who travels to a foreign country for a thrill that bites. These and other tales to horrify you.

[Aeroreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it when authors lift the veil of reality and allow the reader to glimpse the other side. I find short stories in this genre will either be amazing or terrible. There is no in-between.

Wrapped in plastic falls into the amazing category. Completely fresh and original, the stories kick off with a re-telling of a classic horror tale. My only wish is that I wanted more from some of the stories, for them to keep going on and not end. Specifically, there's a story about a cursed book and I would like to know way more about this universe. I might be satisfied with a trilogy following this cursed artifact.

This is the third book by Robert Ottone that I have read, and he keeps putting out stellar stories.

Thanks for including me on your ARC team. All opinions are my own.

[Brennan LaFaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love variety in a collection and Robert P. Ottone pulls that off in spades here, not just in terms of subject matter, but in the emotional resonance within these pages. Ottone will make you laugh with "A Letter to the Ghost in My Basement", make you grimace with "A Year of Bloody Gums", make you cry with "For the Gods", and entertain you relentlessly with the rest of the sweet nothings in this story collection. A can't-miss batch of stories from one of the best new voices in horror.

[Katherine Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

These tales really dig in deep. They make you feel comfortable before they turn on their heads. You don't expect the gut-punch of loss, the twisting shadows materializing, the steel cleaving blood, the voices in your head taking shape... Ottone's collection really gets under your skin in all the right ways.

[Brittnee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every single story was an absolute hit for me! Some were chillingly spooky, some were absolutely bizarre, others were extraordinarily sad. Overall a really strong collection of stories. If I had to choose a few standouts I would say Wrapped in Plastic, Falling Asleep in the Rain, and Tiny Town would be at the top. But it’s hard to choose because A Letter to the Ghost in My Basement was hilarious. The Girl in the Floor is stuck in my brain. So I am not exaggerating when I say this collection is full of brilliant stories.

[Z. Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible collection. Whether you’re terrified of bugs or the headless horsemen this collection has something for everyone. Filled with just the right amount of shock and horror Robert delivers the chills.

[RatedHforHorror · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has 17 short horror stories. This is a great collection and I loved all of them. There is also so much variety in this, this book has werewolves, the headless horseman, time travel, cursed objects and a letter to a ghost in the basement.

I did get an arc of this and I'm so glad I gave this book a try!

[Steve Stred · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this phenomenal collection to offer a blurb! This is one you absolutely don't want to miss!