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Spectrum: An Autistic Horror Anthology
Deep in the recesses of our minds are twisted realities that so closely mirror our own. In these pages, our nightmares are laid bare, made to manifest. There is no waking up; there is no going back once you fall into the tapestry of terrors that await. Are you ready? From courteous neighbors gone awry to the burning brightness of everlasting daylight comes Spectrum: An Autistic Horror Anthology reflective of the vast array of neurodivergent artists in our community and the things that keep them up in the night, the things they can’t look away from.
Don’t Blink.
"A DIY horror anthology that totally rips. Every story here is firing on all cylinders. What an absolute blast. If this book's only the introduction to Third Estate, I can't wait to see what they do next."
--Max Booth III, Ghoulish Books
Don’t Blink.
"A DIY horror anthology that totally rips. Every story here is firing on all cylinders. What an absolute blast. If this book's only the introduction to Third Estate, I can't wait to see what they do next."
--Max Booth III, Ghoulish Books
240 pages, Paperback
First published April 2, 2024
17 people are currently reading
487 people want to read
About the author
Aquino Loayza
4 books33 followersAquino Loayza is a Queer Latino author from the Boston Area. Deep is their Debut Novel. Aquino has always been drawn to horror, and deeper societal themes. Outside of writing, Aquino enjoys traveling and experiencing the peculiar, strange, and otherwise overlooked. They live with their wife and pug in rural Massachusetts.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 15, 2024
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book by the publisher in exchange for my review.
So starting off, I was super excited when I found out about this anthology and even more so when I got approved for an ARC. Having now read the anthology, I can definitely say that my excitement was well worth it. I often found myself positively surprised by how much I adored this anthology and the way it was put together and I have also found a few authors I want to keep an eye now. It is a really, really good collection with a variety of authors and a variety of horror genres and I really enjoyed it. There's gothic horror (Discourse on the Seven Headed Monkey), folk horror (Worry your Head), post-apocalyptic horror (Survive Lot 666), haunted house horror (the Thing that Lives in the House), creature body horror (So This Is Freedom?), slasher horror (The Mask It Wears), eldritch horror (Given Names) as well as a lot of modern or less definable horror (This list is also just based on my vibes mainly and so you may define some of the stories differently, but I just want to use that to point out that we get a lot of really cool horror in here and that if any one horror genre is not to your liking you will find 19 other stories that might work for you!). I really liked the variety here and even though I did not enjoy every piece presented here, I liked the vast majority and even loved quite a few of them (Like No Blood, But the Wi-Fi is Great, Given Names, The Thing That Lives in the House, So This is Freedom?, Freedom was a Flaying, Silence of Broken Things and Shabbat Dinner are all what I would consider 5 star reads to me if I had read them on their own and a lot of others just barely did not make my Oh My God More Immediately Please). In general there were only two stories I did not enjoy as much, which in a collection of 20 different stories is something I've rarely experienced. I also was positively surprised at the diversity of queer representation in here (mostly trans men, but also sapphic, ace, and nonbinary MCs get their spotlight, there is no explicitly transfemale character, besides a trans woman LI unfortunately). All in all this is a great anthology and I can't wait to order a paperback copy as soon as it comes out, so I can add this amazing creation to my bookshelf!
I have also taken some notes on each short story collected here with trigger warnings and rep. Obviously a lot of characters in here are autistic and they are all written by autistic authors but I also made a note of each one that mentions being autistic or showing clearly autistic traits in the stories, in case this is a selling point for you! So beware, from now on here there be spoilers!
Worry your head by Rain Corbyn - a really quite interesting story, I liked the dialect, its only a bit scary, but I enjoyed reading it, plus who wouldn't enjoy taking a trip with your husband's head in a box while he's still talking? TW: transphobia, homophobia, child abuse, ableism, animal death, gore, Rep: autistic gay trans man
Like No Blood by Adrian Speth - a really great horror about raising the dead and what happens after, very tense and very emotional, I was on the edge of my seat for a lot of the story and the writing style is really, really great, also I've discovered my new fav trans worstie, TW: animal death, murder, needles, Rep: gay trans man, t4t (one of my favs)
These Thirteen Simple Tricks Will End Your Sleep Hallucinations For Good by Catherine Forrest - A short horror story about sleep hallucinations, nice and spooky, TW: Medical horror, needles
A Dream So Sweet by Chris Nelson - This story combines a play about a gay man grieving the death of his lover and an alien linguist and his wife investigating where the work came from, it was interesting, but one of the stories I enjoyed less, the story skipped around its own time frame a lot and was a bit hard too follow, TW: Death and grief, threats of child murder, violence
Survive Lot 666 by Caroline Hung - A survival reporter travels through a scary post-apocalyptic house filled with monsters, its short and creepy and I like the cosmic horror, but I would have loved some more world building, TW: animal death
Discourses on the Seven-Headed Monkey by Tim Lieder - this gothic horror explores a man's history with a seven headed monkey and the impact the being had on his life, i unfortunately did not like it very much to begin with as the story keeps skipping around in its time line and is not easy to follow and then there's also a sexual assault perpetrated by the protagonist for which I would have prefered trigger warnings and so unfortunately all in all my least favorite piece in this anthology, TW: rape, suicide
Curse the Darkness by Die Booth - this story follows a man with S.A.D. and intrusive thoughts who tries witchcraft to deal with his mental illness, it was an interesting short story and I enjoyed reading it, even though the way he phrased his witch spell already invited disaster and I was screaming at my screen when he said it, the story definitely builds dread really well and I enjoyed that a lot, TW: suicide, intrusive thoughts, depression, animal cruelty, Rep: trans man
The Sun Approaches Every Summer by Akis Linardos - I was already really happy with the title of this one after reading the previous short story, it just fits together quite well so definitely another kudos to the editors, in this story a young man discovers a silly game he plays for his wife might have catastrophic consequences, it's a really interesting story that builds heavy dread very well and I liked it, TW: mass extinction event, death, gore, Rep: autistic gay or ace man
But the Wi-Fi is Great by John Wiswell - After breaking up with her boyfriend a young woman follows a friend's invitation to stay at his hotel, which is run down but has great Wi-Fi, this one was really interesting and spooky and fun, (plus the genre of sun-related horror is one I very much understand and relate to so! Yippieh!) TW: acephobia, attempted sexual assault, sexual boundary pushing, migraines, Rep: asexual woman (one of my favs)
Given Names by Lucas Shipwright - a pregnant trans man and his trans girlfriend visit the guy's father in a small town for the first time, but something is waiting in the mountain for his return, sooo nice and spooky and fucked upppp, i love it, TW: misgendering (apologized for), murder, gore, Rep: trans man, trans woman (one of my favs)
Safe Food by Xochilt Avila - A nonbinary autistic teen is abused heavily by their controlling father until one night something finally changes, it was fun, the twist was expected, but still cool, TW: deadnaming, body shaming, abusive parent, food restriction, unsafe food consumption, eating disorder (due to lack of available food), cannibalism, Rep: austistic nonbinary MC (one of my favs)
The Thing That Lives in the House by Nexus Hope - a haunting story told in letters about a person living in a loud house, manages to feel very claustrophobic and relateable as someone who is also sensitive to noise, I liked it a lot, TW: murder, overstimulation (one of my favs)
So This is Freedom? by Steve Neal - this one has so many things to love! cool body horror, unmasking taken literal, isolated night shift clerks, plant body horror, its scary and fun!!! I loved it. TW: gore, body horror, prejudiced costumers, isolation, paranoia (one of my favs)
The Mask It Wears by Sarah Musnicky - A costumer in a haunted house takes things too far. Again there's a gorey unmasking and I really enjoyed it, a fun twist on slasher horror, TW: murder, gore, body horror (one of my favs)
Freedom was a Flaying by Onxy Osiris - A young trans man is sacrificed by his towns people, but the God they sarificed him to helps him get revenge, very good, very gorey and veeeery fun!, TW: murder, transphobia, child abuse, gore, Rep: autistic trans man (one of my favs)
Bitemark Bitch by Olive J. Kelley - this one was fun and kinky, but unfortunately quite short and I didn't really get all the implications? TW: gore, murder, serial killer, knife play, death, Rep: Sapphic MC
Neighborly by Aquino Loayza - A messed up and kind off very poetic piece about murder and chaos, I really liked it, the writing style is unusual, but fits very well for the story, it was a lot of fun, TW: murder, serial killer, gore, death
The Silence of Broken Things by Xan Van Rooyen - the story of the creation of an album interspersed with a review describing the end result, a very touching story, that I really enjoyed, TW: child abuse, grief, obessession, gore (one of my favs)
Shabbat Dinner by Zachary Rosenberg - the story of a jewish autistic trans person (gender not specified) living under a facist regime, it was haunting and I loved the ending. TW: facism, masking for survivals sake, Rep: jewish autistic trans person (one of my favs)
Different by Ashley Lezak: A girl wakes up in the hospital and suddenly everything is different for her, this story is filled with a creeping dread about ableist's need to "cure" autism, very interesting and I enjoyed it, TW: graphic child abuse, ableism
So all in all, if you like horror, if you're interested in what horror from an autistic perspective could look like (and yes sometimes it's overstimulation and sometimes it's allistic people's ableist preconception and sometimes it's about allowing yourself to unmask, but a lot of times it's just something completely different as well, so don't fear that autism is presented shallowly or one-dimensional here, because autistic creators just get to shine in all their glory here) do check this anthology out when it is published and enjoy the Horrors.
So starting off, I was super excited when I found out about this anthology and even more so when I got approved for an ARC. Having now read the anthology, I can definitely say that my excitement was well worth it. I often found myself positively surprised by how much I adored this anthology and the way it was put together and I have also found a few authors I want to keep an eye now. It is a really, really good collection with a variety of authors and a variety of horror genres and I really enjoyed it. There's gothic horror (Discourse on the Seven Headed Monkey), folk horror (Worry your Head), post-apocalyptic horror (Survive Lot 666), haunted house horror (the Thing that Lives in the House), creature body horror (So This Is Freedom?), slasher horror (The Mask It Wears), eldritch horror (Given Names) as well as a lot of modern or less definable horror (This list is also just based on my vibes mainly and so you may define some of the stories differently, but I just want to use that to point out that we get a lot of really cool horror in here and that if any one horror genre is not to your liking you will find 19 other stories that might work for you!). I really liked the variety here and even though I did not enjoy every piece presented here, I liked the vast majority and even loved quite a few of them (Like No Blood, But the Wi-Fi is Great, Given Names, The Thing That Lives in the House, So This is Freedom?, Freedom was a Flaying, Silence of Broken Things and Shabbat Dinner are all what I would consider 5 star reads to me if I had read them on their own and a lot of others just barely did not make my Oh My God More Immediately Please). In general there were only two stories I did not enjoy as much, which in a collection of 20 different stories is something I've rarely experienced. I also was positively surprised at the diversity of queer representation in here (mostly trans men, but also sapphic, ace, and nonbinary MCs get their spotlight, there is no explicitly transfemale character, besides a trans woman LI unfortunately). All in all this is a great anthology and I can't wait to order a paperback copy as soon as it comes out, so I can add this amazing creation to my bookshelf!
I have also taken some notes on each short story collected here with trigger warnings and rep. Obviously a lot of characters in here are autistic and they are all written by autistic authors but I also made a note of each one that mentions being autistic or showing clearly autistic traits in the stories, in case this is a selling point for you! So beware, from now on here there be spoilers!
Worry your head by Rain Corbyn - a really quite interesting story, I liked the dialect, its only a bit scary, but I enjoyed reading it, plus who wouldn't enjoy taking a trip with your husband's head in a box while he's still talking? TW: transphobia, homophobia, child abuse, ableism, animal death, gore, Rep: autistic gay trans man
Like No Blood by Adrian Speth - a really great horror about raising the dead and what happens after, very tense and very emotional, I was on the edge of my seat for a lot of the story and the writing style is really, really great, also I've discovered my new fav trans worstie, TW: animal death, murder, needles, Rep: gay trans man, t4t (one of my favs)
These Thirteen Simple Tricks Will End Your Sleep Hallucinations For Good by Catherine Forrest - A short horror story about sleep hallucinations, nice and spooky, TW: Medical horror, needles
A Dream So Sweet by Chris Nelson - This story combines a play about a gay man grieving the death of his lover and an alien linguist and his wife investigating where the work came from, it was interesting, but one of the stories I enjoyed less, the story skipped around its own time frame a lot and was a bit hard too follow, TW: Death and grief, threats of child murder, violence
Survive Lot 666 by Caroline Hung - A survival reporter travels through a scary post-apocalyptic house filled with monsters, its short and creepy and I like the cosmic horror, but I would have loved some more world building, TW: animal death
Discourses on the Seven-Headed Monkey by Tim Lieder - this gothic horror explores a man's history with a seven headed monkey and the impact the being had on his life, i unfortunately did not like it very much to begin with as the story keeps skipping around in its time line and is not easy to follow and then there's also a sexual assault perpetrated by the protagonist for which I would have prefered trigger warnings and so unfortunately all in all my least favorite piece in this anthology, TW: rape, suicide
Curse the Darkness by Die Booth - this story follows a man with S.A.D. and intrusive thoughts who tries witchcraft to deal with his mental illness, it was an interesting short story and I enjoyed reading it, even though the way he phrased his witch spell already invited disaster and I was screaming at my screen when he said it, the story definitely builds dread really well and I enjoyed that a lot, TW: suicide, intrusive thoughts, depression, animal cruelty, Rep: trans man
The Sun Approaches Every Summer by Akis Linardos - I was already really happy with the title of this one after reading the previous short story, it just fits together quite well so definitely another kudos to the editors, in this story a young man discovers a silly game he plays for his wife might have catastrophic consequences, it's a really interesting story that builds heavy dread very well and I liked it, TW: mass extinction event, death, gore, Rep: autistic gay or ace man
But the Wi-Fi is Great by John Wiswell - After breaking up with her boyfriend a young woman follows a friend's invitation to stay at his hotel, which is run down but has great Wi-Fi, this one was really interesting and spooky and fun, (plus the genre of sun-related horror is one I very much understand and relate to so! Yippieh!) TW: acephobia, attempted sexual assault, sexual boundary pushing, migraines, Rep: asexual woman (one of my favs)
Given Names by Lucas Shipwright - a pregnant trans man and his trans girlfriend visit the guy's father in a small town for the first time, but something is waiting in the mountain for his return, sooo nice and spooky and fucked upppp, i love it, TW: misgendering (apologized for), murder, gore, Rep: trans man, trans woman (one of my favs)
Safe Food by Xochilt Avila - A nonbinary autistic teen is abused heavily by their controlling father until one night something finally changes, it was fun, the twist was expected, but still cool, TW: deadnaming, body shaming, abusive parent, food restriction, unsafe food consumption, eating disorder (due to lack of available food), cannibalism, Rep: austistic nonbinary MC (one of my favs)
The Thing That Lives in the House by Nexus Hope - a haunting story told in letters about a person living in a loud house, manages to feel very claustrophobic and relateable as someone who is also sensitive to noise, I liked it a lot, TW: murder, overstimulation (one of my favs)
So This is Freedom? by Steve Neal - this one has so many things to love! cool body horror, unmasking taken literal, isolated night shift clerks, plant body horror, its scary and fun!!! I loved it. TW: gore, body horror, prejudiced costumers, isolation, paranoia (one of my favs)
The Mask It Wears by Sarah Musnicky - A costumer in a haunted house takes things too far. Again there's a gorey unmasking and I really enjoyed it, a fun twist on slasher horror, TW: murder, gore, body horror (one of my favs)
Freedom was a Flaying by Onxy Osiris - A young trans man is sacrificed by his towns people, but the God they sarificed him to helps him get revenge, very good, very gorey and veeeery fun!, TW: murder, transphobia, child abuse, gore, Rep: autistic trans man (one of my favs)
Bitemark Bitch by Olive J. Kelley - this one was fun and kinky, but unfortunately quite short and I didn't really get all the implications? TW: gore, murder, serial killer, knife play, death, Rep: Sapphic MC
Neighborly by Aquino Loayza - A messed up and kind off very poetic piece about murder and chaos, I really liked it, the writing style is unusual, but fits very well for the story, it was a lot of fun, TW: murder, serial killer, gore, death
The Silence of Broken Things by Xan Van Rooyen - the story of the creation of an album interspersed with a review describing the end result, a very touching story, that I really enjoyed, TW: child abuse, grief, obessession, gore (one of my favs)
Shabbat Dinner by Zachary Rosenberg - the story of a jewish autistic trans person (gender not specified) living under a facist regime, it was haunting and I loved the ending. TW: facism, masking for survivals sake, Rep: jewish autistic trans person (one of my favs)
Different by Ashley Lezak: A girl wakes up in the hospital and suddenly everything is different for her, this story is filled with a creeping dread about ableist's need to "cure" autism, very interesting and I enjoyed it, TW: graphic child abuse, ableism
So all in all, if you like horror, if you're interested in what horror from an autistic perspective could look like (and yes sometimes it's overstimulation and sometimes it's allistic people's ableist preconception and sometimes it's about allowing yourself to unmask, but a lot of times it's just something completely different as well, so don't fear that autism is presented shallowly or one-dimensional here, because autistic creators just get to shine in all their glory here) do check this anthology out when it is published and enjoy the Horrors.
September 27, 2024
This was a wonderful collection that moved in and out of a few different flavors of horror. All of the contributors were neurodivergent, and a lot of them queer as well, but they way the overlapping identities played into the stories was different across the collection. In some stories the protagonist was explicitly neurodivergent and the point of the story revolved around that experience; in other stories it was not clear if any of the characters were neurodivergent and if they were that was secondary to whatever else was happening in the story; and every other type of representation in between was also found in this concise collection. All of the stories were short stories but they did vary a little in length as well, some were essentially flash fiction, which kept the collection feeling dynamic. Every story entertained me and a few of them really wowed me, and they all showed that there is a great power to celebrating traditionally marginalized voices. The representation in this collection felt expansive and meaningful and, most importantly, natural. This collection wasn’t interested in pandering, but in its captivating and horrific pages it highlights a diverse range of voices (and characters) and is all the better for it. It is definitely worth checking out, especially for fans of short fiction but really for all horror (and horror-curious) fans.
Want to read
February 16, 2024I am absolutely thrilled to be a contributing author in this exceptional anthology!
February 25, 2024
I am delighted to contribute to this diverse, challenging, and fresh anthology of Autistic horror.
Full review soon.
Full review soon.
March 24, 2024
Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
When I first saw this anthology come across social media, I was instantly intrigued. A lot of horror is still stuck in the old mindset that any neurodivergent character in a book or film must be the villain, so having a collection written by autistic and neurodivergent authors would finally give a chance for some much needed better representation. This anthology is so much more than that. It's a great collection full of incredibly diverse characters, great writing, and wonderfully unique stories. It stands on it's own two legs and isn't gimmicky. Highly recommended.
When I first saw this anthology come across social media, I was instantly intrigued. A lot of horror is still stuck in the old mindset that any neurodivergent character in a book or film must be the villain, so having a collection written by autistic and neurodivergent authors would finally give a chance for some much needed better representation. This anthology is so much more than that. It's a great collection full of incredibly diverse characters, great writing, and wonderfully unique stories. It stands on it's own two legs and isn't gimmicky. Highly recommended.
December 10, 2024
A phenomenal anthology. These stories are eerie and terrifying, and some of the most hard-hitting, the ones that will stay with you long after you finish the last page, are from first-time writers! Unforgettable and highly recommended.
May 15, 2024
I was all over the place with this one.
I had sort of a hard time finishing this one, and I think in a weird way it helped me enjoy it? I have been experiencing some anthology burnout lately, so I'm theoretically on hiatus from reading them. But I got too excited about this release, and dove in, and I think it was a little too soon.
Spectrum is a particularly challenging kind of anthology for me because it has such an open theme, and I can find the drastic subgenre/style/topic changes to be very jarring. I have a bad habit of sitting down and reading anthologies cover to cover instead of spreading them out.
I think because I was feeling burnout, and because I had a couple false starts with picking this one up, it was easier to pace myself with the stories. Taking breaks between them was a much better way to appreciate the diversity, the different kinds of representation, and the individual talents on display.
A strong standout for me was "Safe Food" which I believe was actually the first story I've gotten to read from Xochilt Avila. I'm already a big fan of these types of stories, but the prose really helped sell me on the contents, and I can't wait to read more of their work.
I also think that the range of stories, once spread out appropriately, ended up being a great asset to the anthology. There's something in this for everyone, and I truly do believe that.
I had sort of a hard time finishing this one, and I think in a weird way it helped me enjoy it? I have been experiencing some anthology burnout lately, so I'm theoretically on hiatus from reading them. But I got too excited about this release, and dove in, and I think it was a little too soon.
Spectrum is a particularly challenging kind of anthology for me because it has such an open theme, and I can find the drastic subgenre/style/topic changes to be very jarring. I have a bad habit of sitting down and reading anthologies cover to cover instead of spreading them out.
I think because I was feeling burnout, and because I had a couple false starts with picking this one up, it was easier to pace myself with the stories. Taking breaks between them was a much better way to appreciate the diversity, the different kinds of representation, and the individual talents on display.
A strong standout for me was "Safe Food" which I believe was actually the first story I've gotten to read from Xochilt Avila. I'm already a big fan of these types of stories, but the prose really helped sell me on the contents, and I can't wait to read more of their work.
I also think that the range of stories, once spread out appropriately, ended up being a great asset to the anthology. There's something in this for everyone, and I truly do believe that.
May 29, 2024
This is a really fun anthology! The copy editing and printing leave something to be desired--decent number of formatting errors, especially in the back half of the book, and the pages have very small margins (and very large text?). The latter is potentially an accessibility aide, but I really had to spread the book flat in order to see all the text, so I'm mixed as to how much the large text helped in the end.
The stories themselves are broadly good! My favourite, by far, was "The Silence of Broken Things" by Xan Van Rooyen--wonderful, heart-wrenching story and in a quality class of its own formally and tonally. Other highlights were the beautiful and satisfying "Safe Food" by Xochilt Avila, "Freedom was a Flaying" by Onyx Osiris with its evocative descriptions, and the delightfully bizarre "Discourses on the Seven-Headed Monkey" by Tim Lieder.
As something of a side note/small critique on the editorial side: a lot of these stories featured characters ripping/having their faces ripped off. Which, hey, makes sense, its a good metaphor for unmasking. However, the fact that it features in so many of the stories made it tricky to keep each story distinct in my head. My favourites ended up being, broadly speaking, the more surreal, "weird-fiction" of the bunch, less so the more traditional body horror offerings.
The stories themselves are broadly good! My favourite, by far, was "The Silence of Broken Things" by Xan Van Rooyen--wonderful, heart-wrenching story and in a quality class of its own formally and tonally. Other highlights were the beautiful and satisfying "Safe Food" by Xochilt Avila, "Freedom was a Flaying" by Onyx Osiris with its evocative descriptions, and the delightfully bizarre "Discourses on the Seven-Headed Monkey" by Tim Lieder.
As something of a side note/small critique on the editorial side: a lot of these stories featured characters ripping/having their faces ripped off. Which, hey, makes sense, its a good metaphor for unmasking. However, the fact that it features in so many of the stories made it tricky to keep each story distinct in my head. My favourites ended up being, broadly speaking, the more surreal, "weird-fiction" of the bunch, less so the more traditional body horror offerings.
March 29, 2024
Disclaimer- I was given an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Wow. This anthology has some of the most original and creative horror stories that I've read in a while. As an AuDHD reader, this is the most "seen" that I've felt.
"A Dream So Sweet" by Chris Nelson is one of the standout stories for me, about an otherworldly linguist on a relentless quest for the answer to a riddle. The "spider" pursues a human like entity that would rather meet death than enlighten the spider to the inner workings and meanings of the human race. There are some tongue in cheek references to Hamlet and his famous soliloquy that only made the story even more enjoyable.
The anthology is full of beautiful, yet painful insights into autistic lived experiences. It is a collection that is raw and relatable, a must have for any horror fan.
Wow. This anthology has some of the most original and creative horror stories that I've read in a while. As an AuDHD reader, this is the most "seen" that I've felt.
"A Dream So Sweet" by Chris Nelson is one of the standout stories for me, about an otherworldly linguist on a relentless quest for the answer to a riddle. The "spider" pursues a human like entity that would rather meet death than enlighten the spider to the inner workings and meanings of the human race. There are some tongue in cheek references to Hamlet and his famous soliloquy that only made the story even more enjoyable.
The anthology is full of beautiful, yet painful insights into autistic lived experiences. It is a collection that is raw and relatable, a must have for any horror fan.
Read
October 14, 2025An interesting collection of highly ambitious stories. Some I absolutely loved, and others I didn't quite connect with. I wasn't familiar with a lot of the authors, so I have many new ones to check out.
April 20, 2025
This is such a spectacular anthology. I'm so grateful it exists and that I got to read it. Each of these writers is incredibly talented. It's also wonderful how so many of these stories feature queer and trans protagonists. In some stories the horror is subtle and in others it is more straightforward. I highly recommend this anthology to readers who are neurodivergent and/or enjoy horror. :)
May 14, 2024
Disclaimer that this anthology was co-edited by FM, but they don't have a story in it (or at least not in this edition - I think there's another story that has also since been removed that I didn't realise until after). I don't think the other authors deserve to have their work tarnished by FM being an absolute piece of shit racist idiot.
This was a really solid anthology, definitely one of the stronger ones I've read in a while! There was only one story really that I did not enjoy and it was more about the writing style than anything else.
Rep: Autistic MCs, trans, gay, & ace MCs
TW/CWs: Horror/gore, misgendering/deadnaming, animal injury/death, needles, grief, s*icide, acephobia, DV, cannibalism, ableism
This was a really solid anthology, definitely one of the stronger ones I've read in a while! There was only one story really that I did not enjoy and it was more about the writing style than anything else.
Rep: Autistic MCs, trans, gay, & ace MCs
TW/CWs: Horror/gore, misgendering/deadnaming, animal injury/death, needles, grief, s*icide, acephobia, DV, cannibalism, ableism
April 7, 2024
This horror anthology has so much range, from body horror (SO much body horror) to revenge fantasies to slashers and more abstract, philosophical meditations on the horrors of social constraints. So many focus on trans and/or nonbinary characters, too, as an added bonus.
The ones that spoke to me the most were:
“Given Names” by Lucas Shipwright
A folk/mountain horror gem, this one gets weird and beautiful and heartbreaking. It’s all about trans acceptance, family, monstrosity, and violence. I think this one will stick with me the longest.
“The Mask It Wears” by Sarah Musnicky
One of the more traditional horror stories here, a full-contact haunted house slasher tale with a lovely twist at the end that plays with expectations for autistic folks in a particularly satisfying way.
“Freedom Was a Flaying” by Onyx Osiris
My favorite story of the collection, this one features a trans protagonist who strikes a deal with the Nahua Flayed God, Xipe Totec, in order to enact bloody “justice” on his transphobic would-be murderers (and beyond). This one’s just transcendent. (There’s definitely a reason I’ve been following the author on Twitter for years!)
“Like no blood” by Adrian Speth
And the award for most horrifying, IMO, goes to this little stab of a story, about T4T relationship where the protagonist can bring creatures back to life, but maybe they come back a little bit wrong. It doesn’t go where you think it will, and it’s a gut punch.
The ones that spoke to me the most were:
“Given Names” by Lucas Shipwright
A folk/mountain horror gem, this one gets weird and beautiful and heartbreaking. It’s all about trans acceptance, family, monstrosity, and violence. I think this one will stick with me the longest.
“The Mask It Wears” by Sarah Musnicky
One of the more traditional horror stories here, a full-contact haunted house slasher tale with a lovely twist at the end that plays with expectations for autistic folks in a particularly satisfying way.
“Freedom Was a Flaying” by Onyx Osiris
My favorite story of the collection, this one features a trans protagonist who strikes a deal with the Nahua Flayed God, Xipe Totec, in order to enact bloody “justice” on his transphobic would-be murderers (and beyond). This one’s just transcendent. (There’s definitely a reason I’ve been following the author on Twitter for years!)
“Like no blood” by Adrian Speth
And the award for most horrifying, IMO, goes to this little stab of a story, about T4T relationship where the protagonist can bring creatures back to life, but maybe they come back a little bit wrong. It doesn’t go where you think it will, and it’s a gut punch.
April 3, 2024
Spectrum is a game-changing piece that showcases authentically creative and boundary-pushing storytelling by autistic artists. Several different horror sub-genres and styles are featured in this anthology, including the rare second-person viewpoint which I love. My personal favorites are the sci-fi “A Dream So Sweet” by Chris Nelson and the surrealist “Neighborly” by Aquino Loayza, but there was not a single story I did not enjoy. I felt that each story gave me a new perspective and am excited to revisit each one. The anthology as a whole was so well curated - all the stories fit together harmoniously, and I felt that the way they were put together told its own broader story which is amazingly layered. The cover art is beautiful and visceral, and it truly encapsulates what you’re about to read. I cannot wait to see what Third Estate Books publishes next and am in awe of the talent and artistry displayed in Spectrum.
April 9, 2024
Spectrum: An Autistic Horror Anthology is a collection of chilling horror tales crafted to sink deep into your psyche, allowing the terror to linger while also offering varied perspectives on the human experience.
The authenticity of each tale and the things that the authors each bring to the page is astonishing. Readers will never know what to expect with any turn of the page! The tales cover such an awesome range, with very real-world horrors that each one centers around.
This anthology is the kind of collection that makes me want to shout from the rooftops, urging everyone to grab a copy!
Check out my full review here: https://www.ericarobynreads.com/spect...
The authenticity of each tale and the things that the authors each bring to the page is astonishing. Readers will never know what to expect with any turn of the page! The tales cover such an awesome range, with very real-world horrors that each one centers around.
This anthology is the kind of collection that makes me want to shout from the rooftops, urging everyone to grab a copy!
Check out my full review here: https://www.ericarobynreads.com/spect...
December 1, 2025
It’s hard to rate an anthology because each story/author had a very different style and some just weren’t for me. But it was a cool concept and great way to discover a whole bunch of autistic authors. The last story was horrifying in a very real and disturbing way.
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the last story is about a girl who is non-consensually subjected to a neurosurgical procedure to remove her autism
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the last story is about a girl who is non-consensually subjected to a neurosurgical procedure to remove her autism
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 1, 2024
(3.5) Some great stories in here, some much more mid, but overall a very cool anthology. The first two stories and the last one were absolute bangers - I won’t describe them at because I feel like it’s better to go in with few expectations. Only one story was really unreadable which is pretty decent for an anthology.
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