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The Horror Collection #17
The Horror Collection: Sci-Fi Edition
The newest book in Kennedy's The Horror Collection series is a bit of a change from the norm. While the first 16 books in the series are solely horror, this one focusses on Sci-Fi, all be it, Horror Sci-Fi.
- GenresHorrorAnthologies
193 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 30, 2023
About the author
Kevin J. Kennedy
151 books335 followersKevin J. Kennedy is a Scottish horror author known for his fast-paced storytelling, dark humor, and unforgettable characters. He is also the curator of the bestselling The Horror Collection and Classic Monsters anthology series.
When he’s not writing tales of blood-soaked chaos, Kevin champions indie horror, supports fellow authors, and dreams up new ways to keep readers sleeping with the lights on.
When he’s not writing tales of blood-soaked chaos, Kevin champions indie horror, supports fellow authors, and dreams up new ways to keep readers sleeping with the lights on.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 12, 2024
Highlights are: Timothy Meek by Gord Rollo, The First Day by Eric Butler, Master of Nothing by Ash Ericmore and The October House by Brennan LeFaro. Some pretty good stories here, though a few felt they didn't fit the collection. Overall entertaining.
February 1, 2024
A Bibliophilia Templum Review
https://bibliophiliatemplum.wordpress.com/2024/02/01/the-horror-collection-sci-fi-edition/
The Horror Collection: Sci-Fi Edition is a brilliant anthology of impactful sci-fi horror. Many of these stories cross into the realm of Splatterpunk as they speak to the state of things and where we are headed with brazen defiance, some entirely too close to reality for comfort.
Among those I found particularly unnerving is the first story, “Timothy Meek” by Gord Rollo. Tim is afraid of the government’s to its own catastrophic mistake, but is he just being paranoid? This is an evocative and suspenseful page-turner that will chill you to the core with its underlying realisms. The second story, “Countdown to Extinction” by Calvin Demmer, is also exceptionally poignant as well as being gruesomely brutal. It has a heavy, horrifying subtext about our disregard for the animal kingdom and an underlying word regarding how we view those different from ourselves in general.
Eric Butler’s “The First Day” is a hard-hitting sci-fi horror full of suspense and terror and brutal horrors that invade your psyche for days to come. It is followed by Ash Ericmore’s “Master of Nothing,” a provocative AI horror tale that will make you think twice about progress in such things.
“Our Quiet Rapture” by George Daniel Lea is a dark, poetic, flowing tale reminiscent of Poe but with a flair of Lovecraft and a modern sci-fi premise. “Canis Lupus Orthrus” by J. Rocky Colavito is its opposite, being a fast-paced, action-packed, violent story of a hellish experiment gone bad.
Brennan LaFaro’s “The October House” is a fantastic blending of multiple sci-fi and horror tropes into a suspenseful and compelling story that’s almost its own subgenre. Mark Young’s “Hybrid” returns us to more definitive sci-fi horror and takes us into a future that is terrifyingly easy to see unfolding; its subtext regarding greed and hubris is like a cold fish to the face.
“It Wasn’t the Rain” by Keyla Damaer is an impressive story with overtones of sci-fi cult classics, complete with broody cop, femme fatale, gruesome murder, and a twisted, wicked ending; a very nostalgic and fun read. The anthology concludes with “Beneath Her Inner Folds” by Micah Castle, a dark tale set on a dystopian world; its underlying relating of cultish fanaticism to disease is magnificently done.
This is a powerful anthology and a must-read for readers who enjoy extreme horror.
https://bibliophiliatemplum.wordpress.com/2024/02/01/the-horror-collection-sci-fi-edition/
The Horror Collection: Sci-Fi Edition is a brilliant anthology of impactful sci-fi horror. Many of these stories cross into the realm of Splatterpunk as they speak to the state of things and where we are headed with brazen defiance, some entirely too close to reality for comfort.
Among those I found particularly unnerving is the first story, “Timothy Meek” by Gord Rollo. Tim is afraid of the government’s to its own catastrophic mistake, but is he just being paranoid? This is an evocative and suspenseful page-turner that will chill you to the core with its underlying realisms. The second story, “Countdown to Extinction” by Calvin Demmer, is also exceptionally poignant as well as being gruesomely brutal. It has a heavy, horrifying subtext about our disregard for the animal kingdom and an underlying word regarding how we view those different from ourselves in general.
Eric Butler’s “The First Day” is a hard-hitting sci-fi horror full of suspense and terror and brutal horrors that invade your psyche for days to come. It is followed by Ash Ericmore’s “Master of Nothing,” a provocative AI horror tale that will make you think twice about progress in such things.
“Our Quiet Rapture” by George Daniel Lea is a dark, poetic, flowing tale reminiscent of Poe but with a flair of Lovecraft and a modern sci-fi premise. “Canis Lupus Orthrus” by J. Rocky Colavito is its opposite, being a fast-paced, action-packed, violent story of a hellish experiment gone bad.
Brennan LaFaro’s “The October House” is a fantastic blending of multiple sci-fi and horror tropes into a suspenseful and compelling story that’s almost its own subgenre. Mark Young’s “Hybrid” returns us to more definitive sci-fi horror and takes us into a future that is terrifyingly easy to see unfolding; its subtext regarding greed and hubris is like a cold fish to the face.
“It Wasn’t the Rain” by Keyla Damaer is an impressive story with overtones of sci-fi cult classics, complete with broody cop, femme fatale, gruesome murder, and a twisted, wicked ending; a very nostalgic and fun read. The anthology concludes with “Beneath Her Inner Folds” by Micah Castle, a dark tale set on a dystopian world; its underlying relating of cultish fanaticism to disease is magnificently done.
This is a powerful anthology and a must-read for readers who enjoy extreme horror.
January 1, 2024
I love this book and everything about it. This is my favorite style of book besides zombies. The book is written perfect. The Stories are well paced and full of interesting events. My first review of 2024 and it's a blast. You need to pick this up and read it. Just perfect. Great Job to everyone
March 30, 2024
KJK has put together another terrific horror anthology. Full of amazing authors and sci fi themed scary stories.
You’ll get a sampling of aliens, robots, cyborgs, cosmic monstrosities, and so much more. Don’t read this all at once either, take time to savour the tales within.
“The First Day” by Eric Butler, and “Countdown to Extinction” by Calvin Demmer were my favourites, but honestly, all the entries were well thought out and written.
You’ll get a sampling of aliens, robots, cyborgs, cosmic monstrosities, and so much more. Don’t read this all at once either, take time to savour the tales within.
“The First Day” by Eric Butler, and “Countdown to Extinction” by Calvin Demmer were my favourites, but honestly, all the entries were well thought out and written.
January 9, 2024
Out of this world
The Horror Collection has dug its claws into the world of horror science fiction with ten tales that extend beyond the limits of our rational minds into worlds where our nightmares merge with phantasms of mechanical beings, aliens, and monstrosities born from dark seeds planted in crimson soil.
Timothy Meek
Gord Rollo
When the government created a mutant virus that caused cancer in the population, the solution was nanobots. Are they the cure or will there be monstrous results?
Countdown to Extinction
Calvin Demmer
When both zoo and wild animals are enhanced with cybernetic parts, does this spell extinction for the human race?
The First Day
Eric Butler
When an alien aircraft crashes into Antarctica, frozen screams will pierce the night
Master of Nothing
Ash Ericmore
Meet Dal. This robot cooks, cleans, has sex, and uniquely disposes of dead bodies.
Our Quiet Rapture
George Daniel Lea
When the living enter a world of shades, death is around every corner.
Canis Lupus Orthrus
J. Rocky Colavito
A two-headed dog causes a river of carnage in the city.
The October House
Brennan LaFaro
The October House has a deadly secret. Pray you never find out.
Hybrid
Mark Young
When poachers threaten the existence of animals, only a hybrid is up to the task of defeating them.
It Wasn’t the Rain
Keyla Damaer
When humans travel to an alien world to live, their vices travel with them.
Beneath her Inner Folds
Micah Castle
What starts out as a tumor, develops into a nightmarish monstrosity.
The Horror Collection has dug its claws into the world of horror science fiction with ten tales that extend beyond the limits of our rational minds into worlds where our nightmares merge with phantasms of mechanical beings, aliens, and monstrosities born from dark seeds planted in crimson soil.
Timothy Meek
Gord Rollo
When the government created a mutant virus that caused cancer in the population, the solution was nanobots. Are they the cure or will there be monstrous results?
Countdown to Extinction
Calvin Demmer
When both zoo and wild animals are enhanced with cybernetic parts, does this spell extinction for the human race?
The First Day
Eric Butler
When an alien aircraft crashes into Antarctica, frozen screams will pierce the night
Master of Nothing
Ash Ericmore
Meet Dal. This robot cooks, cleans, has sex, and uniquely disposes of dead bodies.
Our Quiet Rapture
George Daniel Lea
When the living enter a world of shades, death is around every corner.
Canis Lupus Orthrus
J. Rocky Colavito
A two-headed dog causes a river of carnage in the city.
The October House
Brennan LaFaro
The October House has a deadly secret. Pray you never find out.
Hybrid
Mark Young
When poachers threaten the existence of animals, only a hybrid is up to the task of defeating them.
It Wasn’t the Rain
Keyla Damaer
When humans travel to an alien world to live, their vices travel with them.
Beneath her Inner Folds
Micah Castle
What starts out as a tumor, develops into a nightmarish monstrosity.
March 21, 2024
Fast-paced creepy stories.
February 11, 2024
Even as a child I loved horror and short stories, add to that the fact that I have been a lifelong Trekkie and Dr. Who fan, so this collection of horror stories seems right up my street.
As in any collection, there are stories that stick with you, as well as stories you immediately (want to) forget.I liked most of the stories in this collection.
The first story is about a man who is so afraid that he too will become a victim of 'Project Red' that he completely seals himself off from the outside world.
Outside, the world has turned red, but unfortunately for Tim, he cannot escape the nanobots that transform his being into a.... - Wonderful story with a nod to Kafka's world-famous tale!.
I found the second story one of the best of this collection - It again deals with the concept of 'survival of the fittest' and animals rebelling.
‘‘First Day’ is set in Alaska - a bit of natural horror with quite a Jack London vibe.
‘Master of Nothing’ - important to know what (or who) is being served....
The very best story, and one that will definitely stick with me is a mix of Shirley Jackson, and Dr. Who ( 'where is my mommy') : The October House, with a house suddenly appearing nearby. The house has a manipulative effect on the minds of the other residents of the street, making them forget they ever had children.
Unfortunately, I found the story The Hybrid very short; I would have liked to have seen this expanded more into a novella. The super-rich live in a ring around Earth - a bit like Elysium - and Kobi attempts to save the last 14 gorillas on Earth.
'It wasn't the Rain' plays on Mars, beautiful world building, a bit like Total Recall.
Good bundle with surprisingly good mix of short stories. I have more in this series, looking forward to reading the other ones.
5 stars!
As in any collection, there are stories that stick with you, as well as stories you immediately (want to) forget.I liked most of the stories in this collection.
The first story is about a man who is so afraid that he too will become a victim of 'Project Red' that he completely seals himself off from the outside world.
Outside, the world has turned red, but unfortunately for Tim, he cannot escape the nanobots that transform his being into a.... - Wonderful story with a nod to Kafka's world-famous tale!.
I found the second story one of the best of this collection - It again deals with the concept of 'survival of the fittest' and animals rebelling.
‘‘First Day’ is set in Alaska - a bit of natural horror with quite a Jack London vibe.
‘Master of Nothing’ - important to know what (or who) is being served....
The very best story, and one that will definitely stick with me is a mix of Shirley Jackson, and Dr. Who ( 'where is my mommy') : The October House, with a house suddenly appearing nearby. The house has a manipulative effect on the minds of the other residents of the street, making them forget they ever had children.
Unfortunately, I found the story The Hybrid very short; I would have liked to have seen this expanded more into a novella. The super-rich live in a ring around Earth - a bit like Elysium - and Kobi attempts to save the last 14 gorillas on Earth.
'It wasn't the Rain' plays on Mars, beautiful world building, a bit like Total Recall.
Good bundle with surprisingly good mix of short stories. I have more in this series, looking forward to reading the other ones.
5 stars!
January 4, 2024
The new anthology curated by Kevin Kennedy is simply terrific! It takes a turn from the previous sixteen Horror Collections and brings in elements of science fiction to produce some truly creepy stories, unlike anything that's been done in the series before. The combination of horror tropes with science fiction themes is handled with great care, and will satisfy fans of both genres. Ten stories, all very different from each other, though most take place in the future, some on other planets, while a couple actually make the transition from horror to scifi right in the middle of the story. In fact, those latter ones were my favorites: "The October House" by Brennan LaFaro is worth reading for the way it embeds the haunted house trope into a science fiction story - it definitely got my mind messed up; and Ash Ericmore's "Master of Nothing" turns the crazy maid trope on its head, with a dash of the well-known Ericmore kind of extreme horror. Another outstanding story is Gord Rollo's "Timothy Meek," the anthology's opening story, employing the zombie/meta-apocalyptic tropes to offer a story of survival told with subtle humor - the ending though made my hair stand on end. Another close favorite was "Hybrid" by Mark Young: this might have been "Gorillas in the Mist" if Tarantino made it! LOL. finally, I really enjoyed "Our Quiet Rapture" by George Daniel Lea: a science fiction story told in Gothic style with quasi-poetic prose and some intriguing imagery. Overall, another anthology in the Horror Collection series full of gripping, dark stories lingering in the mind long after the final page!
February 17, 2024
Thanks to Kevin J Kennedy for providing me a copy of this anthology for an honest review.
This is the first time I have read one of these anthologies, and it was quite a good experience overall. I enjoy science fiction, and every story in this collection certainly met that brief. Unfortunately, I did find that not many of the stories stayed in my memory after a few days, one (Brendan La Faro’s ‘The October House) was just confusing, and a couple of them (Eric Ashmore’s ‘Master of Nothing’ and Micah Castle’s ‘Beneath Her Inner Folds’) were a bit hard to follow, particularly towards the end of the latter, as the perspective change from diary entries back to the main character wasn't as clear as it could have been.
Having said that, I did really enjoy Gord Rollo’s ‘Timothy Meek’. It was a nice little play on a classic short story – I won’t say which one! - and I loved the repetition of ‘F$%^*%g’ this and that! Rocky Colavito’s ‘Canus Lupus Orthrus’ was also enjoyable – it provided a nice amount of fun, gore, and a great laugh in the middle of some rather heavy concepts in the other stories. But the standout of the collection for me was Mark Young’s ‘Hybrid’ – it was one of the most ‘complete’ stories of the collection, well written and put together (not a word is wasted in this one) and screaming to be filmed by a brave soul.
All in all, if you like Sci-Fi and horror, I think you’ll have a pretty good time with this one, and as a reader new to modern horror, it made me want to seek out more of these collections in the future. 3.5 stars.
This is the first time I have read one of these anthologies, and it was quite a good experience overall. I enjoy science fiction, and every story in this collection certainly met that brief. Unfortunately, I did find that not many of the stories stayed in my memory after a few days, one (Brendan La Faro’s ‘The October House) was just confusing, and a couple of them (Eric Ashmore’s ‘Master of Nothing’ and Micah Castle’s ‘Beneath Her Inner Folds’) were a bit hard to follow, particularly towards the end of the latter, as the perspective change from diary entries back to the main character wasn't as clear as it could have been.
Having said that, I did really enjoy Gord Rollo’s ‘Timothy Meek’. It was a nice little play on a classic short story – I won’t say which one! - and I loved the repetition of ‘F$%^*%g’ this and that! Rocky Colavito’s ‘Canus Lupus Orthrus’ was also enjoyable – it provided a nice amount of fun, gore, and a great laugh in the middle of some rather heavy concepts in the other stories. But the standout of the collection for me was Mark Young’s ‘Hybrid’ – it was one of the most ‘complete’ stories of the collection, well written and put together (not a word is wasted in this one) and screaming to be filmed by a brave soul.
All in all, if you like Sci-Fi and horror, I think you’ll have a pretty good time with this one, and as a reader new to modern horror, it made me want to seek out more of these collections in the future. 3.5 stars.
January 31, 2024
From mysterious and deadly illnesses to nanobots and lab-modified animals, even mysterious houses and things falling from the sky, The Horror Collection: Sci-Fi Edition presented by KJK Publishing will take readers on a terrifying journey through some killer sci-fi horror tales.
Sci-fi horror never fails to freak me out. Whether it’s the focus on the medical side of things or the unexplainable, I’m always so antsy to learn more about what is going on while I also dread seeing whether or not we’ll get answers.
In these tales, that certainly held true! There’s such a cool variety here. Each tale will leave you with lots of feelings and you can’t help but think about what you would do if you found yourself in each of these settings.
Horror sci-fi fans, this is certainly a no-brainer – you need this book!
Check out my full review here:
https://www.ericarobynreads.com/the-h...
Sci-fi horror never fails to freak me out. Whether it’s the focus on the medical side of things or the unexplainable, I’m always so antsy to learn more about what is going on while I also dread seeing whether or not we’ll get answers.
In these tales, that certainly held true! There’s such a cool variety here. Each tale will leave you with lots of feelings and you can’t help but think about what you would do if you found yourself in each of these settings.
Horror sci-fi fans, this is certainly a no-brainer – you need this book!
Check out my full review here:
https://www.ericarobynreads.com/the-h...
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews