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Tenebrous Antiquities: An Anthology of Historical Horror
Tenebrous An Anthology of Historical Horror
contains the following Hairy Land — Joshua Rex
In the Tower of the Black Church — Chris W. McGuinness
The Verdigris Ball — Renae Rhoads
A Cave Near Bruniquel — Rex Burrows
The Barbarian Girl — Douglas Thompson
A Master’s House — Charles Wilkinson
Old Pimm’s Gibbet — LC von Hessen
The Electrical Amnesia Machine of Doctor Fallow — Jackson Kuhl
Mister Barr and the Boucher Dolls — James Pate
The Monastery — L.P. Ring
A Rural Surgeon’s Cure for Boredom — G.W. Musko
The Knocker — Jasmine De La Paz
A Day Like No Other — Sam Dawson
The Festival of Toxcatl — Stephen Kotowych
In the Tower of the Black Church — Chris W. McGuinness
The Verdigris Ball — Renae Rhoads
A Cave Near Bruniquel — Rex Burrows
The Barbarian Girl — Douglas Thompson
A Master’s House — Charles Wilkinson
Old Pimm’s Gibbet — LC von Hessen
The Electrical Amnesia Machine of Doctor Fallow — Jackson Kuhl
Mister Barr and the Boucher Dolls — James Pate
The Monastery — L.P. Ring
A Rural Surgeon’s Cure for Boredom — G.W. Musko
The Knocker — Jasmine De La Paz
A Day Like No Other — Sam Dawson
The Festival of Toxcatl — Stephen Kotowych
234 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 1, 2024
3 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
About the author
C.M. Muller
60 books48 followersI live in St. Paul, Minnesota with my wife and two sons—and, of course, all those quaint and curious volumes of forgotten lore. I am related to the Norwegian writer Jonas Lie and draw much inspiration from that scrivener of old. My tales have appeared in Shadows & Tall Trees, Supernatural Tales, Vastarien, and a host of other venues. In addition to writing, I also edit and publish the annual journal Nightscript. My debut story collection, Hidden Folk, was released in 2018.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 2, 2026
a strong 3.5 stars rounded up
short review for busy readers:
A fairly good anthology of 14 paranormal and horror short stories set in the past. Mostly in the 19th century, but we are also treated to Neanderthals, Romans, Vikings and Conquistadors. Some real gems in here! For the most part, the stories stay fairly mild in content. Only very few include actual gore.
in detail:
Many of the stories in this collection are above average for creepy tales and have a strong historical atmosphere.
One tiny critique:
I found it a little repetitive in that most of the stories take place between 1800 and about 1910. Personally, I'd have liked a little more variety in historical era. Also, there are only two stories that focus on women characters and their POV. There could have been a bit more variety there, too.
My favourite piece was "A Cave Near Bruniquel" by Rex Burrows (story #4) which is a guess as to why a clan of Neanderthals built an elaborate stone circle inside a cave. Gross, but fascinating in its conjecture of Neanderthal ritual.
Here's a run down of all the stories:
Hairy Land — Joshua Rex
A family is tormented by their "not quite right in the head" son and the mental derangement of being a pioneer in the American West. 4 stars.
In the Tower of the Black Church — Chris W. McGuinness
An insurance adjustor attempts to settle a case with a man who's clearly met some ancient Lovecraftian forces and is beyond help. Four stars.
The Verdigris Ball — Renae Rhoads
Silly, badly constructed revenge story a la Radium Girls. Amateur work. 1 star.
A Cave Near Bruniquel — Rex Burrows
A guess as to what happened at a Neanderthal burial ceremony. Not for the faint hearted. 5 stars! BEST OF SHOW.
The Barbarian Girl — Douglas Thompson
Good historical content, but flimsy plot. A barbarian girl is adopted by a Roman family but she always is in secret contact with her tribe. 2 stars.
A Master’s House — Charles Wilkinson
A man has just inherited a house from his recently deceased wife, only to find there's someone else with a better claim to it already living there. Spooky and great voice, but the order of events is scrambled and is too vague. 3.5 stars.
Old Pimm’s Gibbet — LC von Hessen
Very nicely done 1700s(?) tale of a man returning to his boyhood village only to find it possessed by the evil spirt of a hanged criminal.
5 stars!
The Electrical Amnesia Machine of Doctor Fallow — Jackson Kuhl
A man suffering from a reoccurring nightmare finds relief in a technical device. But does he really want to forget the dream? 4 stars.
Mister Barr and the Boucher Dolls — James Pate
An odd tale of a son wracked by guilt over the death of his mother who is adopted by two of her dolls. Creepy, but doesn't seem historical - could take place anywhen. 3.5 stars.
The Monastery — L.P. Ring
Vikings hoping to loot a monastery find out too late these fanged monks are not to be trifled with. Too much story for the page count. 2 stars.
A Rural Surgeon’s Cure for Boredom — G.W. Musko
A bored doctor in an African village where the people are just too healthy starts an epidemic to have something to do. Possibly a metaphorical look at how charities and international aid workers make things worse, not better, in their attempt to "help Africa". 3 stars.
The Knocker — Jasmine De La Paz
3.5 A widower returns to the seaside town where his wife died only to find he's the target of a long-dead sea captain requesting his presence in the deep.
A Day Like No Other — Sam Dawson
A day out at the sinister stone circle for some pre-WW1 servants. Some interesting lore, but too disjointed of a narrative. 2.5 stars.
The Festival of Toxcatl — Stephen Kotowych
Diary entries of one of Cortes' brutal conquistadors and his description of how his party are decimated by an virulent tropical disease. A reversal of actual historic events, zombie style! 4 stars.
short review for busy readers:
A fairly good anthology of 14 paranormal and horror short stories set in the past. Mostly in the 19th century, but we are also treated to Neanderthals, Romans, Vikings and Conquistadors. Some real gems in here! For the most part, the stories stay fairly mild in content. Only very few include actual gore.
in detail:
Many of the stories in this collection are above average for creepy tales and have a strong historical atmosphere.
One tiny critique:
I found it a little repetitive in that most of the stories take place between 1800 and about 1910. Personally, I'd have liked a little more variety in historical era. Also, there are only two stories that focus on women characters and their POV. There could have been a bit more variety there, too.
My favourite piece was "A Cave Near Bruniquel" by Rex Burrows (story #4) which is a guess as to why a clan of Neanderthals built an elaborate stone circle inside a cave. Gross, but fascinating in its conjecture of Neanderthal ritual.
Here's a run down of all the stories:
Hairy Land — Joshua Rex
A family is tormented by their "not quite right in the head" son and the mental derangement of being a pioneer in the American West. 4 stars.
In the Tower of the Black Church — Chris W. McGuinness
An insurance adjustor attempts to settle a case with a man who's clearly met some ancient Lovecraftian forces and is beyond help. Four stars.
The Verdigris Ball — Renae Rhoads
Silly, badly constructed revenge story a la Radium Girls. Amateur work. 1 star.
A Cave Near Bruniquel — Rex Burrows
A guess as to what happened at a Neanderthal burial ceremony. Not for the faint hearted. 5 stars! BEST OF SHOW.
The Barbarian Girl — Douglas Thompson
Good historical content, but flimsy plot. A barbarian girl is adopted by a Roman family but she always is in secret contact with her tribe. 2 stars.
A Master’s House — Charles Wilkinson
A man has just inherited a house from his recently deceased wife, only to find there's someone else with a better claim to it already living there. Spooky and great voice, but the order of events is scrambled and is too vague. 3.5 stars.
Old Pimm’s Gibbet — LC von Hessen
Very nicely done 1700s(?) tale of a man returning to his boyhood village only to find it possessed by the evil spirt of a hanged criminal.
5 stars!
The Electrical Amnesia Machine of Doctor Fallow — Jackson Kuhl
A man suffering from a reoccurring nightmare finds relief in a technical device. But does he really want to forget the dream? 4 stars.
Mister Barr and the Boucher Dolls — James Pate
An odd tale of a son wracked by guilt over the death of his mother who is adopted by two of her dolls. Creepy, but doesn't seem historical - could take place anywhen. 3.5 stars.
The Monastery — L.P. Ring
Vikings hoping to loot a monastery find out too late these fanged monks are not to be trifled with. Too much story for the page count. 2 stars.
A Rural Surgeon’s Cure for Boredom — G.W. Musko
A bored doctor in an African village where the people are just too healthy starts an epidemic to have something to do. Possibly a metaphorical look at how charities and international aid workers make things worse, not better, in their attempt to "help Africa". 3 stars.
The Knocker — Jasmine De La Paz
3.5 A widower returns to the seaside town where his wife died only to find he's the target of a long-dead sea captain requesting his presence in the deep.
A Day Like No Other — Sam Dawson
A day out at the sinister stone circle for some pre-WW1 servants. Some interesting lore, but too disjointed of a narrative. 2.5 stars.
The Festival of Toxcatl — Stephen Kotowych
Diary entries of one of Cortes' brutal conquistadors and his description of how his party are decimated by an virulent tropical disease. A reversal of actual historic events, zombie style! 4 stars.
October 20, 2024
Any collection that starts out with a story like Joshua Rex's The Hairy Land is going to have a couple of stunners. One of the things I liked best about this collection is the range of historical horror that the editor was able to include - the stories include here go back to the beginnings of history, to the dawn of the 20th century, and even cross oceans. Other standouts included Rex Burrows' A Cave Near Bruniquel, A Master's House by Charles Williamson, and Stephen Kotowych's Aztec-set Festival of Toxcatl. An excellent themed anthology to dip in and out of.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews