Terrible Lizards: A Dinosaur Horror Anthology Supporting the RSPB

by Kyle J. Durrant, N.S. Neill (Contributor)

Dinosaurs. Everyone’s favourite prehistoric monsters.

Explore thirteen terrifying tales of tyrannosaurs, pterosaurs, and everything in between, supporting the protection of the dinosaurs that remain.

All proceeds go to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the last living descendants of these remarkable creatures.

Journeys through time? Lost worlds? Bloodthirsty predators? They’re all right here.

Featuring the talents of A. W. Mason, Wesley Winters, Derek Hutchins, Andrew Jackson, Nicole Neill, Jamie Stewart, Ethan J. Pollard, Samuel M. Hallam, Kay Hanifen, MG Mason, C. D. Kester, Loki DeWitt, and Megan Kiekel Anderson.

Genres: Horror, Dinosaurs, Anthologies

278 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 18, 2024

About the author

Kyle J. Durrant was born in 1997 and raised in East Anglia, though has probably spent most of his life exploring other worlds. He fell in love with writing at the age of ten and hasn't stopped since.

When not writing, he tends to sit in varying stages of existential dread, or delves into video games, books and movies relating to whatever obsessive fixation he is in at the time.

Kyle has written copious amounts of notes relating to his fictional worlds, which drastically outnumber his completed stories.

Follow him on Instagram: @kylejdurrantauthor

Reviews

[cosmic_truthseeker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can confidently say that they are very strong examples of Dinosaur Horror done right. They capture the majesty of these ancient animals without losing their fear-inducing mystique.

And they don't rely on the familiar species, either, providing a variety of creatures and plotlines. Whether gore or the fear of being stalked through the woods, there's something in here for every horror fan.

If nothing else buying a copy of this book will help the RSPB look after birds, and anything we can do to look after nature is a positive.

[Samuel (Still Reading Sam) M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic anthology of dinosaur horrors! Check it out!

[FrankR · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful selection of prehistoric themed stories

[Derek Hutchins · Rating 4 out of 5]

*full disclosure, I have a story in this anthology*

That being said, I love the idea of dinosaur horror! As with most anthologies, this one is a mixed bag of stories. Most will find something to enjoy here. My personal favorites from the book were:

The Beast from Before by Andrew Jackson
As Gods Upon the Land by Ethan J Pollard
Please Don’t Feed the Plesiosaur by Kay Hanifen

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Short story anthologies are always a bit of a toss-up – and unfortunately, as a dinosaur enthusiast and avid horror reader, this was a massive disappointment. Frankly, most of these stories were profoundly unimpressive, with sophomoric writing and lacklustre plots. 

However, there were two gems I'd be remiss in not highlighting, both smart, compelling takes on dino horror: 

The Beast from Before by Andrew Jackson transports readers to the Old West, where the residents of a sulphur mining town are terrorized by an unknown beast. With historical references setting the scene, this atmospheric read captured my attention right from the start. I found myself immersed in the harsh, unforgiving landscape alongside Cesar, Sheriff Weatherby, and Deputy Condor as they track the creature across the desert.

Meanwhile, we find ourselves on a medieval battlefield in As Gods Upon the Land by Ethan J. Pollard. Commander Vancis leads his besieged troops in a losing battle – and in a last-ditch effort, makes a deal with the Wain-Knights, an army of fearsome mercenaries. The visceral brutality of medieval war is further compounded by eldritch horrors, beings beyond earthly comprehension.

[Damascus Mincemeyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since the first recorded discoveries of their fossilized remains in the early nineteenth century, dinosaurs (Greek for ‘Terrible Lizard’), have captivated our collective consciousness. During their approximately 140 million-year reign during the Mesozoic Era, dinosaurs varying in size from the Compsognathus—no larger than a domestic chicken—to Brachiosaurus, which is known to exceed fifty tons, dominated the earth, and their extinction baffles as much as it intrigues. The simple fact that dinosaurs no longer exist (except, as many scientists concede, the modern-day birds into which some evolved) is perhaps what excites our minds the most; the notion that an entirely different world arose, thrived, and then disappeared before humankind ever appeared captures the imagination in boundless ways. We marvel at their bones, daydream of their primal prehistoric power through works of literature and film; dinosaurs speak to us of a primordial past we cannot entirely grasp, and therein lies the attraction. That some of the carnivorous breeds inspire horror with monstrous maws of razor-sharp teeth is a dark extension of that allure; we can all-too-easily envision ourselves being devoured.

Saurischian Press editor Kyle J. Durrant understands the potency in that mixture of fascination and fright with the thirteen selected stories of the new multi-author fiction collection, Terrible Lizards. Subtitled A Dinosaur Horror Anthology Supporting the RSPB, it’s a tour-de-force successfully designed to invoke equal parts wonder and fear.

The volume starts strong with A.W. Mason’s ‘Terror on Central Park West’, about a high school field trip to a history museum where the fossilized exhibits return to murderous life. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic ‘The Lost World’ clearly inspired two tales thereafter: Derek Hutchin’s ‘The Hidden Grotto’, about a crew of spelunkers on a rescue mission in a dinosaur-populated cave, and Andrew Jackson’s rootin’-tootin’ six-shootin’ Old West-set ‘The Beast From Before’. Two teenagers living on a military base discover dinosaurs aren’t part of the Halloween festivities when they attend ‘A Primitive Party’ by Nicole Neill.

The book’s second half gets underway with blood-soaked battlefield backdrop of Ethan J. Pollard’s ‘As Gods Upon The Land’, in which a mysterious elite corp of knights magically conjure dinosaurs as war beasts to destroy a vicious enemy force. Sarah and her girlfriend, Rose, risk everything when they enter a deep-immersion dinosaur virtual reality program without turning on its ‘Safety Protocols’ in Samuel M. Hallam’s tense tale. A family on a cross-country trip inadvertently drive through a portal to the Cretaceous period in C.D. Kester’s thrilling ‘Lost In Time’, only to learn that humans are far more dangerous than any dinosaur. A man’s fondness for Mad Max provides some exotic imagery when the motorcycle-riding cosplay group he leads encounters a pterodactyl in the desert of ‘Terror Dawn’ by Loki DeWitt. Closing out the volume, Megan Kiekel Anderson’s ‘Danielle and the Diplodocus’ provides a welcome thematic link to the introductory story, as a bullied girl on a class trip establishes a psychic rapport with with a dinosaur who offers a chance for revenge.

Durrant’s editorial instincts were superb when compiling Terrible Lizards. Deftly avoiding any filler, every entry entertains, and though some repetition exists in terms of individual story scenarios (intrepid explorers happening upon remote environs populated by dinosaurs in the modern day is a recurring premise), the tome largely avoids the repetitious pitfalls common to many themed anthologies. Action is never in short supply, either, and though the book is marketed as horror, there’s ample genre variety: sci-fi, humor, teen drama, even epic fantasy.

With such an outstanding table of contents, four stories still deserve special recognition. Commentary on the 2023 Titan submersible implosion lurks in Jamie Stewart’s ‘Livestream’, when a narcissistic billionaire recklessly leads an expedition to a mysterious isle. A mission to gather Tyrannosaur eggs for cancer research leaves a professional poacher trapped in a nest between an angry momma and sharp-shooting corporate rivals in Wesley Winters’ furious ‘Burning Dawn’.

Salmonweird author M.G. Mason goes full-auto with ‘Age of the DinosaurZ’, which sees a military unit trapped in the past engage in a desperate battle against dinos infected with an undead pathogen that turns them (and anyone they bite) into ravenous zombies.

But for sheer jaw-dropping irony, the valedictorian of Terrible Lizards is undoubtedly Kay Hanifen’s ‘Please Don’t Feed The Plesiosaur’; the inventive premise involves a bio-engineering firm introducing the titular dinosaur into Scotland’s famous Loch Ness as a potential tourist magnet, but its the surprise ending that earns Hanifen’s effort the blue ribbon.

Whether a reader loves dinosaurs or not (and really, shouldn’t one be suspicious of those who don’t love dinosaurs?), Terrible Lizards makes for exhilarating entertainment. Fast-paced and energetic, its selected tales revel in the awe these great creatures commanded. That the book’s proceeds will be donated to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds is an added charitable bonus, and will ensure that dinosaurs—or their modern-day avian descendants, in any event—will continue to prosper 65 million years from now.

I hereby grant Terrible Lizards: A Dinosaur Horror Anthology a roaring 4 (out of 5) here on Goodreads. Recommended for Jurassic Park fans, monster movie aficionados, and the young-at-heart wherever they may be. Dinosaurs will rule the earth again!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a wonderful anthology. I really enjoyed reading these stories. Many of them are very eco-horror themed, which makes sense. I really liked it when obnoxious and entitled people got ripped apart by dinosaurs. It's also nice that some of these stories feature queer characters. My favorites are The Hidden Grotto by Derek Hutchins, Livestream by Jamie Stewart, Please Don't Feed the Plesiosaur by Kay Hanifen (this has an aroace protagonist, yay!) and Danielle and the Diplodocus by Megan Kiekel Anderson. I highly recommend this to readers who love dinosaurs and horror.

[Amaris · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an avid dinosaur lover, I am so impressed! While anthologies can often be a hit or miss, I found myself truly enjoying most of the stories in this collection. Please read if Jurassic Park is your thing or “creature features” generally! Not only is it entertaining, but the proceeds go to a fantastic organization.

And extra brownie points for the page of TWs for each individual story and the author profiles at the end of the book!

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

While 3 stars may seem like a low average rating, I was really impressed by this anthology. Some authors gave me exactly what I expected from an anthology like this (such as Terror on Central Park West by A.W. Mason), and others really made it their own (As Gods Upon the Land by Ethan J. Pollard and Burning Dawn by Wesley Winters). You gotta applaud creativity when you can, even if it doesn't land for you.

My favorites were Terror on Central Park West by A.W. Mason, Please Don’t Feed the Plesiosaur by Kay Hanifen and The Hidden Grotto by Derek Hutchins.

[Mike Roderique · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75⭐️ Love me some dinosaurs and horror. The variety of dinos in this anthology was pretty fun. Most of the stories were like short episodes of Tales from the Jurassic Crypt. Stereotypical and silly. But entertaining.