Ditch of the Damned and Other Tales

by Ryan Hoyt

A collection of five short stories from Ryan Hoyt

Ditch of the Damned
A pit in the middle of the American frontier beckons weary pioneers... Just don’t stare into its depths.

Senior Class
For 75 years, the members of a graduating class have met brutal fates. Now they’re down to two.

Butterscotch
A family moves into an old house and finds a hidden secret. The neighbors want a piece of it.

The Hoarder’s House
Erica’s sister is missing, but her house is far from empty. Something lurks in the depths of depravity.

Freddy Goodman (Ain’t No Good Man)
He failed his own coming-of-age story. Now he must try again as an adult.

Genres: Horror

172 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 10, 2024

About the author

Ryan Hoyt is a San Francisco Bay Area native currently residing near Sacramento, CA. His love for creepy and fantastic stories was nurtured early on by his mother, who let him watch the TV miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s It at six years old.

Since 2021, Ryan has published several fantasy and horror books through his publisher, Machete & Quill Press. Sign up for his newsletter at MacheteAndQuill.com to get exclusive news and more!

Reviews

[Shannon Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ryan Hoyt's Ditch of the Damned and Other Tales is a horror anthology that showcases the author's mastery of diverse sub-genres. The eponymous 'Ditch of the Damned' sets a bleak tone with its eerie frontier backdrop and cryptic pit that lures travelers. This anthology features five stories, each probing unique horrors, from high school classes afflicted by curses to haunted houses and distorted coming-of-age tales. Hoyt's ability to weave suspenseful narratives with a disquieting atmosphere earns accolades from readers, making this anthology a prime selection for horror aficionados.

[Joan Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This selection of short stories was a lot of fun. Several of the stories are side stories of his cosmic horror story. It's a fun idea to expand on a novel or novella already in existence.

Ryan Hoyt is an author I truly enjoy. I have read all his stories and I am always waiting for another story to be released.

[Dez Nemec · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some great stories in here, and the author did a great job of narrating. If I had to pick a fave, I'd choose Ditch of the Damned. Good boy, Jack!

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a big fan of Ryan Hoyt’s novels but had never read any of his shorter works. Ditch of the Damned: And Other Tales showed his short stories are just as good. There wasn’t a bad story in the bunch. He touched on many different aspects of horror; some were much creepier than others, and some had moments that were sad or poignant. Butterscotch was my favorite. It made me so uncomfortable while reading it, showcasing Hoyt’s talent for evoking feelings in his readers.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

First time reading anything by this author. I found these stories refreshing and original. Enjoyed them while going through a reading slump

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for providing a review copy.

Ryan Hoyt has definitely cemented his place as a "must-read" author. I loved Raventree Hollow, and this collection is a nice little addendum to that book. Although the stories can definitely be read on their own, having read RH first adds some more depth to the stories. 4 stars

Ditch of the Damned ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Senior Class ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Butterscotch ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
The Hoarder's House ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Freddy Goodman (Ain't No Good Man) ⭐⭐⭐.5

[Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm going to start out by saying I haven't read Raventree Hollow yet, though after reading this collection, maybe I should. I'm interested in what's going on in this town and how it connects to any of the people in these stories.

My favourite of this collection was Hoarder's House! Having seen some pretty gross houses/apartments in my line of work, I could envision the inside of this house pretty well, and the images my mind conjured up were absolutely disgusting! And the Linda thing, gross! God help me if I ever end up surrounded by that much filth.

Senior Class was probably my next favourite. You don't see older psychopaths much, mostly because they can't control their urges that long, or they get found out and dealt with before then. Pearl was an interesting character, and I'd love to know more about her motivations for what she did and what started the whole thing. I like the trope to of the villain dying of some disease and being like, "Well, I'm dying anyway, so **shrug** here we are."

There isn't a bad story in the bunch, and it's definitely done its job in that I want to check out more of this world and what's happening in Raventree Hollow!

[Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this collection of short stories! They reminded me of “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” but a bit more creepy, in a grown-up way because they’re witty and some of them are uncomfortably relatable. Ryan Hoyt is creative and imaginative and I enjoyed the background he included with his stories. Looking forward to reading more.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars. Loved listening to the audiobook version! Reminds me of spooky stories you tell around a campfire. Only took off half a star because I need a longer story about the adventures of Pearl! I recommend this if you want a few quick stories to read :)

[aistė aidur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable. I really liked the one about a hoarder, it felt really original and just *yuck* (which is perfect for a horror ;)