Duel the Darkness for Nightmare Rule

by Calvin Demmer

Deranged entrepreneurs, uncanny folk, ominous guests, and other strangers wander these pages.

A short story collection.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Supernatural, Horror Thriller

144 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 11, 2024

About the author

Calvin Demmer is a South African author of horror, dark fantasy, science fiction, and crime. His books include the flash fiction collection The Sea Was a Fair Master and the short story collections Dark Celebrations, Her Heart Beats for Ancient Beasts, Through the Ravenous Night We Ride, Duel the Darkness for Nightmare Rule, and The Town That Feared Dusk. When not writing, he is intrigued by that which goes bump in the night and the sciences of our universe.

You can find him online at calvindemmer.com or sign up for his newsletter to stay up to date with his latest projects.

Reviews

[Amina Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this collection!

The stories get eerier as you keep reading.

I’m getting my camp fire horror stories vibe!

Submitted for the approval of the bookish society… I present to you “Duel The Darkness For Nightmare Rule”

[Mia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love an anthology type of book so I was immediately drawn to Calvin Demmer’s book. His vibe is very much Trick-R-Treat if you’ve ever seen that movie.

[Josh reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another wonderful collection of stories by Calvin Demmer! Each story is very unique and different than the previous although Countdown to Extinction was definitely my favorite. Highly recommended!

[Sarah Budd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow I had so much fun reading this collection of horror stories by Calvin Demmer. It was such a thrilling ride. I easily devoured this in one sitting and like previous collections by Calvin Demmer you're always left wanting more. Calvin is amazing at nailing short horror fiction.
There honestly wasn't one story I didn't like in this collection but I would have to say my favourite was Countdown to Extinction probably because I'm a huge fan of The Island of Doctor Moreau! Other standouts include Jelly and Mickey Strange but in this collection they're all bangers!

[Jeannette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Duel the Darkness For Nightmare Rule by Calvin Demmer is a collection of short stories ranging from regular people experiencing uncanny and eerie things to scenarios that border on horror and science fiction.

I got through this book pretty quickly. The variety of plots kept me interested and anticipating the next. The stories are short and concise, but didn’t leave me feeling lacking or like I needed more.

Out of all the stories “Count Down to Extinction” was my favorite. This story featured on unsettling look at what science can do, and showcases why maybe it shouldn’t be done. This one hit particularity hard for me as AI makes its way more and more into our world. How far is too far?

If you want a ton of descriptive language and in depth dialogue, you may not be fan of this collection. However, if you prefer just getting to the crux of the story you’ll enjoy the author’s work. I enjoyed the minimalism. To me reading through this was reminiscent of reading a Richard Matheson book.

Thank you to the author for providing me an ARC of this book. It was a welcome read during spooky season and I recommend it for anyone that wants a quick and eerie read.

[Sunshine Somerville · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have I read pretty much everything this author has put out? Yes, yes, I have. And once again, I was not disappointed with this short story collection. These are fun - albeit spooky and disturbing - horror stories that are unique and always, always leave me wanting more. Demmer is a phenomenal writer whether you're looking for great dialogue, intense action, or creepy twists.

I should also note that one of these stories, "The Small Hours Broadcast," actually gave me recurring nightmares, which kind of makes sense, given the story itself. I also really enjoyed "Countdown to Extinction," but each and every story in the collection is worth a read.

[Maria Tovar · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've decided for this and any future scary short story compilations, my standards will always be compared to "Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark". To me that is an easy 5 star and creeps me out to this day.
This one was okay. Some were "eery" for sure, but not scary and only kind of interesting.

[DecayingPumpkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

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[Amy Schmid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another eerily fun collection from Calvin Demmer. Duel the Darkness for Nightmare Rule is filled with different tales of spooks and scars, each as goosebump inducing as the one before. I always enjoy these collections as you get a taste of the multitude of horrors that may not generally be in a single book.

[SUSAN · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always deliciously entertaining... I kinda wish there was a t-shirt with the book title on it. But then again, I could just make it myself. Go read this book and I will shut up now.

[Valerie]

4.5 ⭐️ Review to follow.