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Obscene Folklore
Obscene Folklore features tales of hags, haints, and hexes among the hills and hollers of southern Oklahoma. Ancient witch covens, campground ghosts, mysterious pale boys in the woods, giant hog-goddesses, and more combine in this creepy yet clever collection that will have you looking askance at every snapping twig and thinking twice before eating anything served to you at the next neighborhood BBQ.
Mer Whinery serves up his unique blend of modern hillbilly horror with the kind of old-fashioned storytelling genius that will make readers want to return to the dark forests and foggy valleys of Black Knot, Crow Hollow, and Coffin Mills again and again.
Mer Whinery serves up his unique blend of modern hillbilly horror with the kind of old-fashioned storytelling genius that will make readers want to return to the dark forests and foggy valleys of Black Knot, Crow Hollow, and Coffin Mills again and again.
308 pages, Paperback
Published July 16, 2024
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29 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 3, 2025
It's not just a shame, but an utter crime that this collection is out of print.
It's easily one of the best single-author short story collections I've ever had the pleasure to read. Many of the stories are interconnected, but the stories themselves...man! There's atmosphere to spare here.
This is small town, down home folk horror—stuff I wish I could write, but I just don't have the background or experience or upbringing—and it should be a genre all its own.
If you can get your hands on this, do it. It's absolutely worth the read. Phenomenal collection.
It's easily one of the best single-author short story collections I've ever had the pleasure to read. Many of the stories are interconnected, but the stories themselves...man! There's atmosphere to spare here.
This is small town, down home folk horror—stuff I wish I could write, but I just don't have the background or experience or upbringing—and it should be a genre all its own.
If you can get your hands on this, do it. It's absolutely worth the read. Phenomenal collection.
July 16, 2024
These tales will have you looking around for what caused that sound. What are those pale looking shapes in the woods? Not everything at a BBQ should be eaten. Creepy tales to make your heart pound.
February 13, 2025
This collection brings together many of Whinery's shorter works set in and around his Coffin Mills area of Oklahoma. Some of these have appeared in his own collections previously, some in sundry other anthologies, and a few are new to Obscene Folklore.
If you're already a fan, you'll find familiar work to enjoy here as well as new work to delight. If you're new to his work, this can be a good introduction as it demonstrates a nice cross section of Whinery's strengths. "The Hungry Boy" shows how deftly he can write in a voice as distinctive from his own as that of a very young, lovesick girl (with a nice, never quite revealed, twist involving her grandmother). "The Loved Ones", not to be associated with the amazing movie of the same name, is a rare venture into science fiction for Whinery. A number of these stories are doing some great world building around his Coffin Mills/Black Knot/Lavera/Bava universe. "Little Red Tent at the Edge of the Woods" connects to a real world tragedy in a really interesting way. And "The Tenth Life" feels like a good old fashioned fairy tale more than anything
If you're already a fan, you'll find familiar work to enjoy here as well as new work to delight. If you're new to his work, this can be a good introduction as it demonstrates a nice cross section of Whinery's strengths. "The Hungry Boy" shows how deftly he can write in a voice as distinctive from his own as that of a very young, lovesick girl (with a nice, never quite revealed, twist involving her grandmother). "The Loved Ones", not to be associated with the amazing movie of the same name, is a rare venture into science fiction for Whinery. A number of these stories are doing some great world building around his Coffin Mills/Black Knot/Lavera/Bava universe. "Little Red Tent at the Edge of the Woods" connects to a real world tragedy in a really interesting way. And "The Tenth Life" feels like a good old fashioned fairy tale more than anything
September 29, 2025
Obscene Folklore is a memorable collection of horror stories, most of which fall into the very popular subgenre of Folk Horror. These are stories built on the tales told in southern Oklahoma, made especially impactful because of the authentic voice in which they are told.
As the title suggests, this collection veers a bit more into the extreme horror direction than I usually favor, but in this case, it worked. These aren't merely tales of madmen slicing and dicing outsiders who wander onto their property. Here we have monstrous cults lurking under the surface of contemporary rural life, or vicious turns of folk magic, or sinister fairy tales coming true. Most of the stories take place in or around the fictional town of Coffin Mills, creating a shared mythos.
Often in Folk Horror, the monstrous events are visited upon outsiders who come to the remote village for some reason or another. That is not the model we usually find here. For most of us, you might say that we the readers are the outsiders, and we are the ones who witness the horrors.
As the title suggests, this collection veers a bit more into the extreme horror direction than I usually favor, but in this case, it worked. These aren't merely tales of madmen slicing and dicing outsiders who wander onto their property. Here we have monstrous cults lurking under the surface of contemporary rural life, or vicious turns of folk magic, or sinister fairy tales coming true. Most of the stories take place in or around the fictional town of Coffin Mills, creating a shared mythos.
Often in Folk Horror, the monstrous events are visited upon outsiders who come to the remote village for some reason or another. That is not the model we usually find here. For most of us, you might say that we the readers are the outsiders, and we are the ones who witness the horrors.
June 15, 2024
Great anthology! I really enjoy reading horror and paranormal anthologies. Obscene Folklore had exactly what I crave in an anthology; fast paced, variety, and just the right amount of the good type of cringe. It was a quick read for me but I reread some of the more squeamish scenes only because I am a strange individual. Oklahoma is the place I call home and Mer Whinery used an abundance of areas and descriptions for Oklahoma and the people of the past which only fueled my liking of Obscene Folklore. I also enjoyed how some of the stories tied into each other with different timelines but involved the same family. After each story, there is an Author Note that I found helpful in how Mer Whinery may have had the ideas he wrote about. There are TW of cannibalism, body torture, and fetus death(very small paragraph but still impactful)
I read an abundance of horror anthologies and this one gets a 4 star especially due to the squeamish nature in the right areas of the stories.
I read an abundance of horror anthologies and this one gets a 4 star especially due to the squeamish nature in the right areas of the stories.
July 3, 2024
Obscene Folklore is incredibly well written Southern Gothic with more than a little red neck peeking out from beneath the collar. Mer Whinery's voice, which changes pretty seamlessly between stories from first to third person, is always distinct and confident in a way I have not read in awhile. The best way I can describe this collection of shorts, and I mean this with utmost praise, is imagine if Flannery O'Connor got a little looser and flamboyant with her narratives. Now, also imagine she had a thing for ghouls, ghosts, witches, all slapped with a splash of gore. This one is sure to appease the lit-horror nerds (like me) right alongside the pulp-heads (also, like me).
July 16, 2024
Obscene Folklore, is an incredible collection of short stories that is packed with witches, ghosts, and more, sprinkled with the right amount of gore to make you twist in your chair. I couldn't put this book down. The author, Mer Whiney, wrote these with the perfect southern accent and takes you back to a different era that is long forgotten. Through his words, and stories, you experience something incredibly magical. I can't wait to get more books from this author!!! Lastly, if you enjoy camping, sitting by the fire or just finding a cozy place with dimmed lights, this is the absolute perfect book!!! It gives you all the feels.
June 24, 2024
Mer Whinery's Obscene Folklore is a great anthology filled with witches, monsters, vampires, zombies, cannibals, and seedy town folk. But it's the interesting human characters revolving around these ten smart, well-written, get-under-your-skin creepy horror stories will pull the reader into a sense of security before Mer rips the rug out from under them. The horror hits hard, fast, and very brutally at times forcing you to read through your fingers, which I did a few times. I highly recommend this anthology! Five Bloody Stars!
September 8, 2024
Like all anthologies and short story collections, there’s always going to be some stories that stand out over others. My favorite of this collection is Hungry Boy, which is about a young girl that chooses love over friends and family. I’ll leave it at that so there’s no spoilers.
My second favorite is actually two different stories that follow the same family, The Feasting Season being the first.
Mer brilliantly sets his scene and the stories bounce off of each other in this setting he’s created.
Coffin Mills, and the other places he’s created, could be the next Fear Street.
My second favorite is actually two different stories that follow the same family, The Feasting Season being the first.
Mer brilliantly sets his scene and the stories bounce off of each other in this setting he’s created.
Coffin Mills, and the other places he’s created, could be the next Fear Street.
July 3, 2024
Decently short but it took a while to get through it as some of the stories felt like they droned on a bit. At first I was excited to see it was centered around Oklahoma folklore as I have family there. However, they all felt very vague and yet also too detailed. Maybe the authors writing style just isn’t my cup of tea, which is why I gave it 3 stars. While it wasn’t my personal favorite, someone else who loves this style may feel differently.
June 14, 2024
I LOVED this book! Started it around 5pm on Thursday June 13 and finished it around 2:30 pm June 14. Once I started reading I just couldn’t stop except when I got too sleepy to read anymore. I guess if I had to pick a favorite it would be “The Children of the Crow Hollow Skillet” but there are no bad stories in this anthology. Definitely looking to read more of Mer Whinery!
July 21, 2024
This collection of short stories grabbed me from the first story and drug me through the backwoods of Oklahoma without stopping. The stories had that backwoods quality told with a high level of prose. You have witches and haunts and other unworldly demons!
I highly recommend!!!! A must read!!!
I highly recommend!!!! A must read!!!
July 25, 2024
No one does southern-fried horror like Whinery, and this revamped collection is no different. His ability to write setting, regardless of genre, is next level impressive. He knows how to tap deep into a reader’s psyche and draw out every fear imaginable, in large part by taking nostalgia and childhood and spinning it on its decapitated head. Can’t recommend enough!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews