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No Gods, Only Chaos
Your understanding
of life is a beating heart. It is blood in your veins and air in your lungs. I have no heart. I do not breathe your air. I came to this place while dreaming, floating through the great void beyond the warmth of any sun. There are no gods in the Universe, only chaos. I am but a small part of it.
No Gods, Only Chaos is a collection of stories exploring the full spectrum of horror. A Dust Bowl-era grandfather refuses to stay buried until his work is done. A serial killer manipulates his victims like a puppeteer, certain their suffering will unlock something vital within himself. An elderly man is convinced his wife is trapped inside her body, and he knows just how to free her.
Dark, but often hopeful, these twisting voyages through liminal spaces and brutalized landscapes pay homage to no one. L.P. Hernandez’s vision is fresh and devastating.
"Front to back, one of the best horror short story collections I've EVER read."
-Johnny Compton, critically acclaimed author of The Spite House
No Gods, Only Chaos is a collection of stories exploring the full spectrum of horror. A Dust Bowl-era grandfather refuses to stay buried until his work is done. A serial killer manipulates his victims like a puppeteer, certain their suffering will unlock something vital within himself. An elderly man is convinced his wife is trapped inside her body, and he knows just how to free her.
Dark, but often hopeful, these twisting voyages through liminal spaces and brutalized landscapes pay homage to no one. L.P. Hernandez’s vision is fresh and devastating.
"Front to back, one of the best horror short story collections I've EVER read."
-Johnny Compton, critically acclaimed author of The Spite House
222 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 4, 2024
29 people are currently reading
672 people want to read
About the author
L.P. Hernandez
27 books131 followersMy journey to becoming a writer began with a love of books, Goosebumps to start followed quickly by Stephen King and Dean Koontz. I later found and fell in love with Robert McCammon as well as works outside of the genre. I wrote stories about alien abductions and sentient scarecrows. I still have some of these stories and...wow. Awful! I never stopped writing but my life would only allow it to be a hobby until I was around thirty. I submitted my first story to a competition and was given an honorable mention. That gave me the confidence to submit elsewhere, including The NoSleep Podcast. My fist acceptance barely caused a ripple, but it lit a fire in me. I placed stories with homegrown anthologies, cobbled together my own collection, and eventually became a regular on the Podcast. I am writing this in 2022 in what has been my most gratifying writing year to date. I will share a TOC with New York Times Bestsellers this year, and also was privileged to release my first novella, Stargazers, into the world. This is just the beginning, I hope, because the fire is an inferno now.
When I am not writing you can find me front row of a metal show, getting a tattoo, hanging with my wife and kids, wrestling with our dogs, and giving out crisp high fives. I also serve as a medical officer in the Air Force.
When I am not writing you can find me front row of a metal show, getting a tattoo, hanging with my wife and kids, wrestling with our dogs, and giving out crisp high fives. I also serve as a medical officer in the Air Force.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
April 11, 2024
This authors ability to create such vivid imagery is amazing, I could see, feel and even SMELL the scenes, this was a fantastic eclectic collection with sub genres of horror to please everyone, at the core is a dark exploration of the darker/desperate side of the human psyche as we are taken on a chilling journey into what I can only describe as a cavernous abyss of despair (was that too poetic, it felt like song lyrics) it's rare to love every single story in a collection but no fillers are found here, a few that stood out for me were Cemetery Joe, Hesitation Cuts and Offerings to an Old God, although the stories are short they linger in the ol noggin for quite some time after, I really enjoy this authors writing style, when you know an authors for you, you just know, you know? I'm a fan, horror fans will love this highly recommend!
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April 21, 2024N.B. I do not rate on Goodreads
I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of short stories, just as I expected to, as I had previously read some of L.P. Hernandez’s work in anthologies.
It’s often said that (insert author’s name) has a way with words, but this guy really does. Considering most of the stories are about death, it seems strange to say there’s so much life in them, but it’s true, and it comes courtesy of a vivid and wild imagination.
As with any collection, people will have their favourites, so here are mine:
Cemetery Joe
The Bystander
From the Red Dirt (OMG! The imagery and sense of place in this one!)
Urbex (tapped into some personal fears of mine)
Offerings to an Old God (loved the folk horror feel)
Only Ever Night (vintage carnival kind of creep)
The Return of the Champion
Family Annihilator
The Last Chance Diner
Some stories are heartbreakingly poignant; others darkly humorous, but each and every story earned its place.
Read and enjoy!
I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of short stories, just as I expected to, as I had previously read some of L.P. Hernandez’s work in anthologies.
It’s often said that (insert author’s name) has a way with words, but this guy really does. Considering most of the stories are about death, it seems strange to say there’s so much life in them, but it’s true, and it comes courtesy of a vivid and wild imagination.
As with any collection, people will have their favourites, so here are mine:
Cemetery Joe
The Bystander
From the Red Dirt (OMG! The imagery and sense of place in this one!)
Urbex (tapped into some personal fears of mine)
Offerings to an Old God (loved the folk horror feel)
Only Ever Night (vintage carnival kind of creep)
The Return of the Champion
Family Annihilator
The Last Chance Diner
Some stories are heartbreakingly poignant; others darkly humorous, but each and every story earned its place.
Read and enjoy!
April 10, 2024
Hernandez really hit the nail on the head in his new collection. Truly, there is such an eclectic mix of stories in this book, something for every type of horror fiend. You’ve got some excellent examples of horror sub genres to sample; extreme, cosmic, western, historical, grief, supernatural, etc.
I really enjoyed each tale individually as well as the book as a whole. I would have to say the one that creeped me out the most was “Cemetery Joe”. The absolute fear I felt as George had to complete the dare… oh man the chills I have just thinking about it still!
“He lived in defiance of God, skin as gray as the bologna forgotten in a backpack for the summer, fingers like anatomical models of the skeleton. He stank of death, of dirt and the pollen of memorial flower arrangements. He had a candy cane for a spine, broken concrete for teeth, and hair so thin it might as well have been an aura.”
My other favourites were “From the Red Dirt”, “Offerings to an Old God”, “Only Ever Night” (which I think should be expanded into a longer story- it’s so interesting!), and “Family Annihilator”.
I’ve read some of the author’s other work previously, so I knew I was in for some well written fiction- this book did not disappoint!
Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Darklit Press for a copy!
I really enjoyed each tale individually as well as the book as a whole. I would have to say the one that creeped me out the most was “Cemetery Joe”. The absolute fear I felt as George had to complete the dare… oh man the chills I have just thinking about it still!
“He lived in defiance of God, skin as gray as the bologna forgotten in a backpack for the summer, fingers like anatomical models of the skeleton. He stank of death, of dirt and the pollen of memorial flower arrangements. He had a candy cane for a spine, broken concrete for teeth, and hair so thin it might as well have been an aura.”
My other favourites were “From the Red Dirt”, “Offerings to an Old God”, “Only Ever Night” (which I think should be expanded into a longer story- it’s so interesting!), and “Family Annihilator”.
I’ve read some of the author’s other work previously, so I knew I was in for some well written fiction- this book did not disappoint!
Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Darklit Press for a copy!
April 22, 2024
This is one of the most impressive and varied collections I’ve read in years. Hernandez packs a whole array of horror angles into these stories, from comedy-grotesquerie and mythological fantasy-horror — all the way to some utterly savage tales of psychotic, sadistic punishment. A few of these takes will charm you with goofy B-movie beats, whilst others unleash unexpected levels of nastiness and depravity. There isn’t really a dud in the whole set, but Hesitation Cuts, From the Red Dirt, and Offerings to An Old God really show off the author’s range. And as for “Family Annihilator”, I’ll just say this - I read a LOT of horror but this may be the most distressing story I’ve read in years.
May 30, 2024
I consider L. P. Hernandez one of the most talented writers of horror short stories and novellas, so a new collection of his was a book I had to read instantly. And I was not disappointed! Hernandez is not only an incredible writer, he's also an ideas man, namely he comes up with great nifty story ideas: in his collections, I've found brilliant spins on familiar tropes of creepy terror, large-scale horrific vistas of the inner, psychological landscapes of messed-up people - and, quite often, some hugely original idea that sticks to memory for a long time. The same holds here: the new collection, 'No Gods, Only Chaos' (the title taken from a line uttered by a godly, non-human entity in one of the stories), entertains with its detailed, impactful imagery, unsettles with several terrifying implications, and satisfies with its thoughful and well-rounded endings. The collection's thirteen stories prove their worth themselves, so I'll just say a few words about each.
"Cemetary Joe," the opening story (whose name changed from the original, otherwise I'd have some trouble mentioning it without people cringing lol), feels like a perverted Creepshow episode, hovering between dark school humor and raw horror. It employs the familiar trope of the dare, and places a teenager in a cemetery who's been assigned to discover if the rumors about the depraved sexual leanigs of the infamous "Cemetery Joe" are true. The ending is rather funny, if you like your horror with a bit of tongue-in-cheek fun.
"Hesitation Cuts" goes for the throat, by inserting the readers right into the narrator's mind - tasting his mental confusion and allowing them to appreciate, very slowly, the implied significance of his actions; I was shocked once I realized the motive is love.
"The Bystander" was one of my absolute favorites, blending seriously dark humor with a brutal portrayal of the human monster, ending up messing with my sense of decency, by opening up to view the workings of a very sick mind. This needs to be expanded into a full novel.
"From the Red Dirt," another favorite, puts the zombie trope to good use, by placing it in the middle of a western horror story. The way this horrific tale ends up strengthening the sense of family was simply astonishing!
"Under No Circumstances" takes a very simple and straightforward approach to the familiar idea of 'not letting the monster out,' grounding the story in extremely well-done dialogue and very relatable characters, it's crammed with many promising twists and subtle hints on the monster's nature and background - I wish it were longer!
"Urbex" is the second story about roaches I was fortunate enough to read this week without actually gagging, since I hate them. The other story replaced roaches, at the last minute, with rats; in this one, Hernandez decided to hold back and not go full throttle on the roach thing - thank God for small favors! That said, the story has some very disturbing imagery and people who hate bugs will be triggered.
"Offerings to the Old God" is the only cosmic horror story in the collection, though Henrandez has put a bizarre spin on the trope, essentially cancelling its sting. I was taken aback by how the ending reflected more the sickness of the human soul and less the sinister eeriness of the godly.
"The Final Gift" managed to hurt me without actually explaining anything. A father-daughter love is portrayed with precise, sober wording, as their world collapses.
"The Last of Our Kind," the collection's single vampire story, was too rich for its own good; though enjoyable, I would have appreciated it more if it were longer and far more detailed. It ends up cramming a timespan of decades in its last two pages, and this undid, for me, most of the tension and the immediacy of what went before.
"Only Ever Night" was too metaphysical for me, bordering on fantasy, but it has an interesting premise and keeps the reader's interest till the end. It's the emotionally heaviest of the bunch, taking a family's existential predicament and showing how it affects them from the inside. The name of another story, "Family Annihilator," might better fit this story.
"The Return of the Champion" is a tale of sci-fi horror, developing along very familiar lines: a space crew disappears while on the way to the edges of the Solar System, they come back, and people closest to them realize that something is not right. I enjoyed the story, but the sense of mystery and the riddling out of what had happened to the original crew needed far more development; it was too short, I'd love to read a full novel with this premise.
"Family Annihilator," another favorite, taking the serial killer trope and employing it just to upset the reader. What makes this tale unique in my eyes is the incredible writing. The worst things in this story are happening in great literary style!
"The Last Chance Diner," the closing story of the collection, turns the volume down and goes for a cozy and gentle finish to the book; it felt like a heartfelt love letter to the people in our lives who have left things unsaid before passing on.
Overall, this collection is the perfect introduction to both Hernandez and contemporary horror shorts; it's fresh, very often marvellous, containing pieces of quality prose and triggering visuals, pieces that both entertain and horrify.
"Cemetary Joe," the opening story (whose name changed from the original, otherwise I'd have some trouble mentioning it without people cringing lol), feels like a perverted Creepshow episode, hovering between dark school humor and raw horror. It employs the familiar trope of the dare, and places a teenager in a cemetery who's been assigned to discover if the rumors about the depraved sexual leanigs of the infamous "Cemetery Joe" are true. The ending is rather funny, if you like your horror with a bit of tongue-in-cheek fun.
"Hesitation Cuts" goes for the throat, by inserting the readers right into the narrator's mind - tasting his mental confusion and allowing them to appreciate, very slowly, the implied significance of his actions; I was shocked once I realized the motive is love.
"The Bystander" was one of my absolute favorites, blending seriously dark humor with a brutal portrayal of the human monster, ending up messing with my sense of decency, by opening up to view the workings of a very sick mind. This needs to be expanded into a full novel.
"From the Red Dirt," another favorite, puts the zombie trope to good use, by placing it in the middle of a western horror story. The way this horrific tale ends up strengthening the sense of family was simply astonishing!
"Under No Circumstances" takes a very simple and straightforward approach to the familiar idea of 'not letting the monster out,' grounding the story in extremely well-done dialogue and very relatable characters, it's crammed with many promising twists and subtle hints on the monster's nature and background - I wish it were longer!
"Urbex" is the second story about roaches I was fortunate enough to read this week without actually gagging, since I hate them. The other story replaced roaches, at the last minute, with rats; in this one, Hernandez decided to hold back and not go full throttle on the roach thing - thank God for small favors! That said, the story has some very disturbing imagery and people who hate bugs will be triggered.
"Offerings to the Old God" is the only cosmic horror story in the collection, though Henrandez has put a bizarre spin on the trope, essentially cancelling its sting. I was taken aback by how the ending reflected more the sickness of the human soul and less the sinister eeriness of the godly.
"The Final Gift" managed to hurt me without actually explaining anything. A father-daughter love is portrayed with precise, sober wording, as their world collapses.
"The Last of Our Kind," the collection's single vampire story, was too rich for its own good; though enjoyable, I would have appreciated it more if it were longer and far more detailed. It ends up cramming a timespan of decades in its last two pages, and this undid, for me, most of the tension and the immediacy of what went before.
"Only Ever Night" was too metaphysical for me, bordering on fantasy, but it has an interesting premise and keeps the reader's interest till the end. It's the emotionally heaviest of the bunch, taking a family's existential predicament and showing how it affects them from the inside. The name of another story, "Family Annihilator," might better fit this story.
"The Return of the Champion" is a tale of sci-fi horror, developing along very familiar lines: a space crew disappears while on the way to the edges of the Solar System, they come back, and people closest to them realize that something is not right. I enjoyed the story, but the sense of mystery and the riddling out of what had happened to the original crew needed far more development; it was too short, I'd love to read a full novel with this premise.
"Family Annihilator," another favorite, taking the serial killer trope and employing it just to upset the reader. What makes this tale unique in my eyes is the incredible writing. The worst things in this story are happening in great literary style!
"The Last Chance Diner," the closing story of the collection, turns the volume down and goes for a cozy and gentle finish to the book; it felt like a heartfelt love letter to the people in our lives who have left things unsaid before passing on.
Overall, this collection is the perfect introduction to both Hernandez and contemporary horror shorts; it's fresh, very often marvellous, containing pieces of quality prose and triggering visuals, pieces that both entertain and horrify.
April 14, 2025
This is one of those "holy shit!" books..books that you expect to be good, but not "holy shit, this is GOOD!"
Way back toward the beginning of November 2024, author LC Marino picked up this book and pretty much shoved it into my hands. He had this grin on his face, and this look in his eye as he told me how freaking good this book was.
I took his word for it, and purchased the book.
Six months later, I have to say, if anything, Marino undersold the book. This has a collection of thirteen of some of the most incredible short stories I've had the privilege to read. Maybe part of my love is halo effect, because there's a good chunk of these that, under slightly different circumstances, I feel I could have written myself, so they were definitely in my neighbourhood.
But all of them, every one of them, grabbed me and had me hooked. Often, even with short story collections, I'll just blast through them, reading four or five stories back to back. But this collection? Yeah, it demands that the reader slow down, read each story, then sit back and freaking get their mind right with what they just read.
I've been lucky enough to have read a few story collections this year, but this one?
Holy shit, it's good.
Way back toward the beginning of November 2024, author LC Marino picked up this book and pretty much shoved it into my hands. He had this grin on his face, and this look in his eye as he told me how freaking good this book was.
I took his word for it, and purchased the book.
Six months later, I have to say, if anything, Marino undersold the book. This has a collection of thirteen of some of the most incredible short stories I've had the privilege to read. Maybe part of my love is halo effect, because there's a good chunk of these that, under slightly different circumstances, I feel I could have written myself, so they were definitely in my neighbourhood.
But all of them, every one of them, grabbed me and had me hooked. Often, even with short story collections, I'll just blast through them, reading four or five stories back to back. But this collection? Yeah, it demands that the reader slow down, read each story, then sit back and freaking get their mind right with what they just read.
I've been lucky enough to have read a few story collections this year, but this one?
Holy shit, it's good.
August 4, 2025
These stories run the gamut of horror genres; ghost, cosmic, supernatural, extreme, psychological, and even one that could be called cozy. The writing is incredible, concise but vividly descriptive. I think Hernandez is one of those writers due for breakout recognition by a much larger audience.
September 15, 2024
One of the best collections I've ever read. This is one of those books that I want to give to every reader I know. There are a wide range of horror levels in here, from subtle to punch you in the face violent. My favorite stories were Family Annihilator, The Last of Our Kind, and Urbex.
May 11, 2024
This book is what it says it is… pure Chaos. This was my first time reading this author. I was surprised and taken aback that each section was a different story. I didn’t know that, so that surprised me. The stories are still good. I like the first one the best.
Thank you to NetGalley and DarkLit Press for providing me with a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and DarkLit Press for providing me with a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.
May 22, 2024
I loved this horror anthology!! I received this book as an ARC through netgalley. Thank you for choosing me to review your writing! I have never read anything by L.P. Hernandez before, and it’s safe to say that he will be an author I watch out for now. The style of writing is sophisticated, but still easy for the reader to grasp. I struggled to put this down and found myself often saying “one more story” before going to bed!
From page one, with good ol’ Joe, I was hooked. I will definitely be recommending this to those around me and am so excited for general release!!
From page one, with good ol’ Joe, I was hooked. I will definitely be recommending this to those around me and am so excited for general release!!
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July 4, 2024NO GODS ONLY CHAOS is a collection filled with the shocking, unsettling, weird, strange, absurd, with stories of quiet violence and filled terror that rings louder after the fact when the reality of it all seeps like cold water thrown, drenched, settled. There are stories that bend genre, that feature the body as a setting, as a liminal space in and of itself; stories that explore the way traditions are created, the way they evolve, and the way they can collapse, fall, disappear forever.
Perfect for fans of Eric LaRocca.
Perfect for fans of Eric LaRocca.
May 10, 2024
This collection is brutal and beautiful! The stories run the gamut of creepy cemeteries, urban exploration, old west zombies, 90's girls on bikes, and so much more! A definite must read for horror fans!
February 19, 2025
This was my favorite horror collection of 2024. Yes, I’m biased. No, that bias does not influence this review. It’s that damn good. I hope you’ll give it a read to confirm for yourself. Highlight: FAMILY ANNIHILATOR
June 21, 2024
I don’t tend to read a lot of short story collections, as I prefer the character development in full-length novels. This one, however, is a fantastic compilation of stories! I honestly couldn’t say there was a story I disliked, which is usually the case when I read these collections. Every story was a solid 4 or 5 star read. I have a hard time picking a favourite - I would have to say it’s between The Bystander, From the Red Dirt, Offerings to the Old God, and Family Annihilator. (Yeah, I know that’s like half the book 😆)
I’ll definitely read more by L.P. Hernandez!
I’ll definitely read more by L.P. Hernandez!
May 31, 2024
First of all, No Gods, Only Chaos is a great title and probably my overriding outlook at our place in the universe. Like, I want this title as a tattoo.
Secondly, and more importantly, No Gods, Only Chaos is a superb collection of short stories from L.P. Hernandez. Every story is dark and terrifying, yet there are glimmers of hope and love. As I worked my way through the collection, my favorite story kept changing as Hernandez took me from the dust bowl to the cosmos to forgotten cemeteries to ancient caves to dank basements.
Looking back now, I have two favorites that have stuck with me. Permanently.
Red Dirt, a zombie story where a grandfather’s love won’t let him rest. And Offerings to an Old God, that questions generational fear and blind acceptance of the status quo.
This could be the best horror short story collection I have ever read. Period.
Thank you @netgalley and @darklitpress and @lejeunebecky for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Secondly, and more importantly, No Gods, Only Chaos is a superb collection of short stories from L.P. Hernandez. Every story is dark and terrifying, yet there are glimmers of hope and love. As I worked my way through the collection, my favorite story kept changing as Hernandez took me from the dust bowl to the cosmos to forgotten cemeteries to ancient caves to dank basements.
Looking back now, I have two favorites that have stuck with me. Permanently.
Red Dirt, a zombie story where a grandfather’s love won’t let him rest. And Offerings to an Old God, that questions generational fear and blind acceptance of the status quo.
This could be the best horror short story collection I have ever read. Period.
Thank you @netgalley and @darklitpress and @lejeunebecky for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
September 7, 2025
This was such a great short horror story book! There are 13 chapters, each chapter a different short story. I especially loved the skull emblems at the beginning of each chapter. You'll find zombies, cosmic gods, and even aliens in these stories. The author's writing was intriguing and the stories were very unique. I highly recommend this book!
Thank you so much to DarkLit Press for providing this ARC ebook via NetGalley in return for my honest opinion.
Thank you so much to DarkLit Press for providing this ARC ebook via NetGalley in return for my honest opinion.
May 12, 2024
DNF, the beginning had no hook. The stories that I read were not scary but had "shocking" situations. Simply for the shock factor.
May 24, 2024
Thank you to Dark Lit Press and Netgalley for this e-ARC!
This was a fun horror short story collection. I'm going to break down by story:
1) Cemetary Joe: The weakest of the stories in my opinion and should not have been the opener. Although the depiction of dumb teenage boys was spot on, Joe's explanation of using life force to reanimate corpses felt half baked at best.
2) Hesitation Cuts: One of my favorites because it creeped me the hell out. It brilliantly built up the unreliable narrator and messed with the readers sense of reality. Going to recommend anyone who has a family member with dementia not read it......
3) The Bystander: I loved this one. I thought jumping back and forth between the present day and the narrator's childhood was absolutely brilliant. It showed how he was a monster that was via nature and nurture. I would love for this to be a full length novel.
4) From the Red Dirt: I liked the setting of Dust Bowl Era America as I felt it made the story more compelling than if it were set in present day. Hernandez did create a unique and sweet twist on the zombie genre with this story. Thank you for giving it a happy ending!
5) Under No Circumstances: The concept for this story is pretty cool but I think it would have worked better as a full length novella/novel . There was just too much going on that was packed into so few pages and it destroyed any tension.
6) Urbex: Utter nightmare fuel because I cannot stand bugs. This was another one that I wished was longer.
7) Offerings to the Old God: Cosmic horror for the win! This story was my favorite. I loved the set up, I loved the climax and I loved the resolution. Our main character was so brave and intelligent (and to be honest, a better main character than a lot of full length fantasy novels). And come on the line: ' There are no gods, only chaos' is such a banger!
8) The Final Gift: Turns out you can shatter a reader's heart with minimal page count.
9) The Last of Our Kind: This story was again another unique twist on an overused genre. I thought it was sweet that the vampire maintained a connection with our narrator throughout their lives. Hate to repeat myself but this is yet another story that would make a great full length novel.
10) Only Ever Night: Brilliantly written and again dabbling into cosmic horror in the best way. I love an apocalypse story and this one was incredibly well done considering how short it is. My heart hurt for the family.
11) The Return of the Champion: This was one of the other weakest stories. I immediately knew that when Miranda's husband came back that it wouldn't really be him. It just felt a little too cliche.
12) Family Annihilator: Based upon the title, this story did not go how I thought it would and I wasn't mad about it. It was darkly funny and I may have enjoyed myself a little too much.....
13) The Last Chance Diner: Very sweet and the perfect way to end the book.
Overall, a good mix of various horror sub genres and quality of stories. Definitely worth a read.
This was a fun horror short story collection. I'm going to break down by story:
1) Cemetary Joe: The weakest of the stories in my opinion and should not have been the opener. Although the depiction of dumb teenage boys was spot on, Joe's explanation of using life force to reanimate corpses felt half baked at best.
2) Hesitation Cuts: One of my favorites because it creeped me the hell out. It brilliantly built up the unreliable narrator and messed with the readers sense of reality. Going to recommend anyone who has a family member with dementia not read it......
3) The Bystander: I loved this one. I thought jumping back and forth between the present day and the narrator's childhood was absolutely brilliant. It showed how he was a monster that was via nature and nurture. I would love for this to be a full length novel.
4) From the Red Dirt: I liked the setting of Dust Bowl Era America as I felt it made the story more compelling than if it were set in present day. Hernandez did create a unique and sweet twist on the zombie genre with this story. Thank you for giving it a happy ending!
5) Under No Circumstances: The concept for this story is pretty cool but I think it would have worked better as a full length novella/novel . There was just too much going on that was packed into so few pages and it destroyed any tension.
6) Urbex: Utter nightmare fuel because I cannot stand bugs. This was another one that I wished was longer.
7) Offerings to the Old God: Cosmic horror for the win! This story was my favorite. I loved the set up, I loved the climax and I loved the resolution. Our main character was so brave and intelligent (and to be honest, a better main character than a lot of full length fantasy novels). And come on the line: ' There are no gods, only chaos' is such a banger!
8) The Final Gift: Turns out you can shatter a reader's heart with minimal page count.
9) The Last of Our Kind: This story was again another unique twist on an overused genre. I thought it was sweet that the vampire maintained a connection with our narrator throughout their lives. Hate to repeat myself but this is yet another story that would make a great full length novel.
10) Only Ever Night: Brilliantly written and again dabbling into cosmic horror in the best way. I love an apocalypse story and this one was incredibly well done considering how short it is. My heart hurt for the family.
11) The Return of the Champion: This was one of the other weakest stories. I immediately knew that when Miranda's husband came back that it wouldn't really be him. It just felt a little too cliche.
12) Family Annihilator: Based upon the title, this story did not go how I thought it would and I wasn't mad about it. It was darkly funny and I may have enjoyed myself a little too much.....
13) The Last Chance Diner: Very sweet and the perfect way to end the book.
Overall, a good mix of various horror sub genres and quality of stories. Definitely worth a read.
May 18, 2024
This was my first time reading something by L.P. Hernandez, and two things became apparent to me very quickly. Firstly, this is an author who is concerned with the darker side of human existence. The initial couple of stories make it clear that he isn't going to shy away from pushing your limits in places, and that his writing will be about sometimes challenging subject matter—about death, about things that make death seem like a sweet release, and about ideas and prospects beyond death.
Secondly, and the main reason I was eager to devour these sometimes nasty tales as quickly as I did, is that Hernandez is an excellent writer. There were odd passages throughout that I found myself re-reading just to enjoy the prose, and constant evocative descriptions that conjured such strong mental images. He has a real knack for creating a sense of place, and for bringing the environment to life even in the short form. I often felt like I was right there, in the room, in the location, voyeuristically watching on—no matter how much I may have wished I didn't, at times.
I'll be honest and say that after the first story, I was somewhat concerned that despite the obvious quality, that this collection was written with the intention of shocking, or using extreme or splatter elements to get a reaction rather than storytelling. I'm glad to say that I couldn't have been more wrong. The second, Hesitation Cuts, used a first person unreliable narrator clearly in the midst of losing their faculties, and I found it so compellingly written that I thought there was more to the collection than I first feared; by the time I reached the fourth, From The Red Dirt, I realised that Hernandez was writing in this gory, sometimes brutal, way with a real sense of heart running throughout. After this, I found nearly every story was a hit for me, and I couldn't wait to read more.
There are so many subjects touched on here—an urban explorer wanting to be first to explore an abandoned building and getting more than she bargained for, bike-riding teenage girls who make a startling discovery in the desert, a tale of a village that reads like a cosmic horror version of Jackson's The Lottery, and a final story that's equal parts beautiful and heartbreaking through the framing of an isolated diner—and the author has done an excellent job maintaining quality through the variety of the stories. Once I found my rhythm within his writing I couldn't put the book down, and I look forward to delving into his back catalogue in the near future.
Secondly, and the main reason I was eager to devour these sometimes nasty tales as quickly as I did, is that Hernandez is an excellent writer. There were odd passages throughout that I found myself re-reading just to enjoy the prose, and constant evocative descriptions that conjured such strong mental images. He has a real knack for creating a sense of place, and for bringing the environment to life even in the short form. I often felt like I was right there, in the room, in the location, voyeuristically watching on—no matter how much I may have wished I didn't, at times.
I'll be honest and say that after the first story, I was somewhat concerned that despite the obvious quality, that this collection was written with the intention of shocking, or using extreme or splatter elements to get a reaction rather than storytelling. I'm glad to say that I couldn't have been more wrong. The second, Hesitation Cuts, used a first person unreliable narrator clearly in the midst of losing their faculties, and I found it so compellingly written that I thought there was more to the collection than I first feared; by the time I reached the fourth, From The Red Dirt, I realised that Hernandez was writing in this gory, sometimes brutal, way with a real sense of heart running throughout. After this, I found nearly every story was a hit for me, and I couldn't wait to read more.
There are so many subjects touched on here—an urban explorer wanting to be first to explore an abandoned building and getting more than she bargained for, bike-riding teenage girls who make a startling discovery in the desert, a tale of a village that reads like a cosmic horror version of Jackson's The Lottery, and a final story that's equal parts beautiful and heartbreaking through the framing of an isolated diner—and the author has done an excellent job maintaining quality through the variety of the stories. Once I found my rhythm within his writing I couldn't put the book down, and I look forward to delving into his back catalogue in the near future.
February 19, 2025
Another from Neil's top-10 list, this time at #5, and I think it mostly does live up to the billing. Ghoulish King/EC vibe to start, which reminds me of Lansdale's "The Night They Missed the Horror Show," in a story that I think is disturbing but also horrifically funny. (What if you went far, then went farther, to make it even worse than the reader imagines?) There's a cosmic-horror space story, a folk-horror graveyard tale (stay away from pranks or jobs involving graveyards, is his general guidance), one with desert teen-girl vampires (needs to be longer; see below), as well as a couple of torture-pornish, new-French-extremity miniatures that are good of the kind, I guess, though not my thing. They're excruciating by design, though one ends with a weird kind of moral redemption that feels like the enforced behaviorism celebrated, if that's the word, by the original Saw--just listened to a great episode of Faculty of Horror that considered Saw (they're comparatively positive, at least about the first entry in the series) vs Hostel (they kind of hate it but have smart things to say) and the justness of the "torture porn" label. (Wow, is that an article someone has written? Skinnerian conditioning and Saw? Not from my five seconds of research.)
There's a somehow delightful Dust-Bowl zombie story, a dark-fantasy tale that does, as he notes, evoke Beowulf and Shirley Jackson, and a howl of theological despair set in 1936 Colorado. (I would read something longer he does set in the past in the Southwest. He has a real affinity for tone and setting there, with a Steinbeckian simplicity of language.) And we close with an "Owl Creek Bridge" homage that his story notes pitch as a gift to friends.
Proofing is iffy (I should literally just loan myself out to proofread books in exchange for like three free copies), but the creativity and range of tones is a lot of fun. A few feel like undeveloped sketches, and the vampire-girl one lacked, for me, enough detail to supply the intended emotional punch at the end. But Hernandez evokes King and Graham Jones and Barron and King again (one of them recalls "The Jaunt"), never bad names to conjure with in the genre.
There's a somehow delightful Dust-Bowl zombie story, a dark-fantasy tale that does, as he notes, evoke Beowulf and Shirley Jackson, and a howl of theological despair set in 1936 Colorado. (I would read something longer he does set in the past in the Southwest. He has a real affinity for tone and setting there, with a Steinbeckian simplicity of language.) And we close with an "Owl Creek Bridge" homage that his story notes pitch as a gift to friends.
Proofing is iffy (I should literally just loan myself out to proofread books in exchange for like three free copies), but the creativity and range of tones is a lot of fun. A few feel like undeveloped sketches, and the vampire-girl one lacked, for me, enough detail to supply the intended emotional punch at the end. But Hernandez evokes King and Graham Jones and Barron and King again (one of them recalls "The Jaunt"), never bad names to conjure with in the genre.
June 1, 2024
No Gods Only Chaos by LP Hernandez is a short story collection that I think any horror fan can find a story to love. From an urban explorer who gets her wish in the worst way, a girl who doesn’t want to sacrifice her baby brother, a family annihilator, a missing friend the stories and their differences are mini but the entertainment is plentiful. Some of the stories made me cringe in a good way and others had me wanting to hide my eyes despite having to read the story I really really enjoyed the stories I usually pick a favorite but I’m being honest when I say in this book I cannot do it, I really cannot. All the stories were so so good! It seems like every story is better than the last. This author really has a grasp on the creepy and macabre and he threads it throughout his stories with a talent not seen every day I truly loved the stories and wish he would write a novel because I would be so down to read that. I want to thank dark lit press for my free arc copy via NetGalley. Please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.
April 15, 2024
First off, thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
Listen…at this point I’m sure I just seem like an LP Hernandez Stan (I am) but the man doesn’t miss!
This collection of short stories doesn’t have a single dud. There is so much variety without it ever feeling scattered or jarring.
The stand outs for me were, “The Bystander,” “The Final Gift, “The Return of the Champion,” and “Family Annihilator.” “The Final Gift” might be my overall favorite. Any time LP writes about family, or loss, or grief, it just hits so hard. He does it SO well. I believe this was the shortest story in the bunch but it packs an emotional punch that left me just sitting there for a little while.
I’ve said it over and over again, but I will read anything and everything LP Hernandez writes. He writes horror that spans from absolutely brutal, to heartbreakingly emotional, while keeping the characters and the actual story at the center of it all. Another win!
Listen…at this point I’m sure I just seem like an LP Hernandez Stan (I am) but the man doesn’t miss!
This collection of short stories doesn’t have a single dud. There is so much variety without it ever feeling scattered or jarring.
The stand outs for me were, “The Bystander,” “The Final Gift, “The Return of the Champion,” and “Family Annihilator.” “The Final Gift” might be my overall favorite. Any time LP writes about family, or loss, or grief, it just hits so hard. He does it SO well. I believe this was the shortest story in the bunch but it packs an emotional punch that left me just sitting there for a little while.
I’ve said it over and over again, but I will read anything and everything LP Hernandez writes. He writes horror that spans from absolutely brutal, to heartbreakingly emotional, while keeping the characters and the actual story at the center of it all. Another win!
April 23, 2024
I received this as an e-arc via net galley. 4.5 stars. Only because I wish the stories were more fleshed out (I wouldn’t mind a whole novel based around some of them)
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I cannot stop thinking about this collection of nightmares. The stories are quick but oh so terrifying. They’re like the awful intrusive thoughts…but they just keep going. I had nightmares a few times from this and it brushed at some ever present fears wandering around in my skull. And I kept going back. It was so spine chilling. I will be recommending this to anyone I can. This is my first read of this authors work and will be coming back for more. There are stories for everyone here.
I couldn’t finish urbex (I have an irrational fear of tunnels don’t ask me. I can’t do a lot of horror movies because of it) the rest were absolutely delightful.
~~
I cannot stop thinking about this collection of nightmares. The stories are quick but oh so terrifying. They’re like the awful intrusive thoughts…but they just keep going. I had nightmares a few times from this and it brushed at some ever present fears wandering around in my skull. And I kept going back. It was so spine chilling. I will be recommending this to anyone I can. This is my first read of this authors work and will be coming back for more. There are stories for everyone here.
I couldn’t finish urbex (I have an irrational fear of tunnels don’t ask me. I can’t do a lot of horror movies because of it) the rest were absolutely delightful.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 1, 2024
From start to finish this collection is fantastic! There's human cruelty, old gods, vampires, zombies, home invasion, reality falling apart, and aliens. A lot of these stores take place in West Texas and you can feel that desert setting in the words.
Starting the book with a character named Corpse Fucker Joe is a bold choice! "Hesitation Cuts" brings you into the mind of a man losing his mental facilities, scary. "Family Annihilator" is one of the more brutal stories I've read. "Offerings to an Old God" was a nice change of style and place that shows LP Hernandez's take as a writer. "The Last of Our Kind" was great vampire story, one with heart and friendship. "Only Ever Night" has this unnerving unraveling of reality, reminded me a bit about The Lamgoliers.
I could go on about each story, just read this book, it's so good!
Starting the book with a character named Corpse Fucker Joe is a bold choice! "Hesitation Cuts" brings you into the mind of a man losing his mental facilities, scary. "Family Annihilator" is one of the more brutal stories I've read. "Offerings to an Old God" was a nice change of style and place that shows LP Hernandez's take as a writer. "The Last of Our Kind" was great vampire story, one with heart and friendship. "Only Ever Night" has this unnerving unraveling of reality, reminded me a bit about The Lamgoliers.
I could go on about each story, just read this book, it's so good!
January 11, 2025
It is rare that I read straight through a collection like I would a novel. There are only a few authors that inspire me to do that, writers like Brian Evenson, Carmen Maria Machado, Stephen Graham Jones, and Laird Barron, and now L.P. Hernandez. This collection of stories is great. In such a small book the scale of what it does is incredible, moving seamlessly through intimate stories of grief, violence, vampires, and even scifi and cosmic horrors. But even the cosmic is seen at a human scale. Hernandez has given us some of the creepiest, gruesome, and darkest stories that I have read in a while, but never neglecting the emotional experience. I really liked his novella Stargazers, but haven't returned to his writing until now. He has now become a must-read author and I'm looking forward to picking up his other books in the future. Highly recommend this to all readers of horror.
June 5, 2024
Read from May 26th, 2024 to June 3rd, 2024. Written on June 5th, 2024.
~1.5~
DNF @ 43%.
At first, I was really excited for this book. The first short story was chaotic, intense, creepy. The rest, some of them, followed but not close to the emotion I felt. I'm not saying I compared all the stories to the first, but none of them gave me the excitement the first one did, which is what eventually drove me to quit this book, unfortunately.
I don't know what it was, because I usually love gore and horror, maybe this was too much for me? I don't know. Hopefully in a couple years I'll reread it and like it more.
Signing off,
B.
(Free ARC from NetGalley and DarkLit Press that I chose to review after reading)
~1.5~
DNF @ 43%.
At first, I was really excited for this book. The first short story was chaotic, intense, creepy. The rest, some of them, followed but not close to the emotion I felt. I'm not saying I compared all the stories to the first, but none of them gave me the excitement the first one did, which is what eventually drove me to quit this book, unfortunately.
I don't know what it was, because I usually love gore and horror, maybe this was too much for me? I don't know. Hopefully in a couple years I'll reread it and like it more.
Signing off,
B.
(Free ARC from NetGalley and DarkLit Press that I chose to review after reading)
August 18, 2024
Thank you Netgalley and L P Hermandez for the eArc of No Gods, Only Chaos.
No Gods, Only Chaos, truly holds to the title as each story within this book brings forth a multitude of different elements from the horror genre. Anything from tapping into unknown ( or known) fears, gore, suspense and spookiness, It has a little bit of everything. Each story is fast paced and visceral. I found myself flying through the whole book very quickly as I usually pick up a collection of short stories, read one to two and put it down. No Gods, Only Chaos was a page turner for me. Even though these stories are short, you still get a good idea of the characters and the surroundings. Some of these definitely made my hairs raise and my skin tingle in places. A well worth read!
4 stars
No Gods, Only Chaos, truly holds to the title as each story within this book brings forth a multitude of different elements from the horror genre. Anything from tapping into unknown ( or known) fears, gore, suspense and spookiness, It has a little bit of everything. Each story is fast paced and visceral. I found myself flying through the whole book very quickly as I usually pick up a collection of short stories, read one to two and put it down. No Gods, Only Chaos was a page turner for me. Even though these stories are short, you still get a good idea of the characters and the surroundings. Some of these definitely made my hairs raise and my skin tingle in places. A well worth read!
4 stars
April 13, 2024
This was a solid, unsettling, and endlessly fascinating collection of horror stories. Throughout, Hernandez showcases his creative range, keen sense for the uncanny, and a wicked sense of humor in even the bleakest situations. Some stand outs for me included From The Red Dirt a horror tale with an unexpectedly positive twist, The Return of the Champion a compulsively readable story about the terrors of space travel, and Family Annihilator one of the most upsetting yet fascinating home invasion stories I've ever read. This collection was a great introduction to this author for me and I will definitely be picking up other works of his in the future.
May 5, 2024
Loved this one! Full of tales of urban exploring, cemeteries, zombie grandpas, sacrifices, vampires and space travel.
My favorite was Urbex. I’ve always loved the idea of urban exploring. It’s terrifying and I’ll never do it…but I think more horror set in the wasteland of abandoned urban building would be wonderful!
The narrator, riddled with cancer, takes on an urban building that just feels off. It was her “hidden Everest”. She tells no one where she’s going and as she travels deeper she falls through the floor and into a whole new world.
Great compilation of stories. I loved this authors novella, Stargazers,
My favorite was Urbex. I’ve always loved the idea of urban exploring. It’s terrifying and I’ll never do it…but I think more horror set in the wasteland of abandoned urban building would be wonderful!
The narrator, riddled with cancer, takes on an urban building that just feels off. It was her “hidden Everest”. She tells no one where she’s going and as she travels deeper she falls through the floor and into a whole new world.
Great compilation of stories. I loved this authors novella, Stargazers,
May 19, 2024
4.25/5
I had more fun with this than with most horror short story collections I've read in a while. The subjects were widely varies, from aliens to serial killers to zombies, and they all did a great job at building tension and keeping me interested. In my experience, horror stories that go too deep into the explanation behind phenomena usually fall flat and kill the tension, and I really appreciated that these didn't fall into that category and let the unknown stay unknown and remain creepy! My favorites were Hesitation Cuts, From the Red Dirt, Urbex, and Only Ever Night.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I had more fun with this than with most horror short story collections I've read in a while. The subjects were widely varies, from aliens to serial killers to zombies, and they all did a great job at building tension and keeping me interested. In my experience, horror stories that go too deep into the explanation behind phenomena usually fall flat and kill the tension, and I really appreciated that these didn't fall into that category and let the unknown stay unknown and remain creepy! My favorites were Hesitation Cuts, From the Red Dirt, Urbex, and Only Ever Night.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
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