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Carnage Candy

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A collection of tasty short-stories catering to the most extreme horror fans.

211 pages, Paperback

Published October 12, 2024

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Stuart Bray

23 books102 followers

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
Profile Image for Steph's_Creepy _Reads.
321 reviews92 followers
August 24, 2025
I think this is my favourite anthology to date.
I'm a sucker for combining food with gore and this satiated all of my cravings.
Of course, I have my favourite stories, but I read some stories here by authors I haven't picked up yet and will now because of this book.
Profile Image for Mrsgmamma.
216 reviews41 followers
December 1, 2024
Some great stories, some were better then others. Some will definitely make you question ever eating from someone ever again 🤣 disgusting and I loved it
Profile Image for Pisces51.
788 reviews62 followers
Read
June 21, 2025
CANDY CARNAGE [2024] Presented by Stuart Bray
My Review 3.0 Stars

This anthology was a Buddy Read on HGW Horror Book Club for month of June 2025.

This anthology is “catered to the most extreme horror fans” and contains a total of 11 short stories with contributions by Stuart Bray, Nick Scarbrough, Asher Darks, Jason Nicky, Matthew Vaughn, Laura Bilodeau, Carietta Dorsch, Dan Scrader, and Ashley Fox.

"Rotting Pinata" by Dan Shrader was a challenging tale for me to swallow. Let's just say it did not appeal to my taste." Rating 2 Stars.

"Mysti's Delights” by Asher Dark is a crazy story of carnival freaks who are all quite the family. Mysti is our narrator, and she is a crazy clown who sells some genuinely bloody delights from her treat wagon. Mysti met her soulmate Jax when the teenagers were locked up in an asylum. Mysti could not find Jax when she turned 18. But carnies found her, offered her a home. Nutty Jax shows up, and we learn crazy trumps all. Rated 2 Stars.

"Alien Foreskin” by Carietta Dorsch is unlike any story generally about cannibalism that I have ever read, and I do not mean this in a good way. The MC announces, "My body would be my own chocolate factory". He talks about exploring the farthest reaches of extreme snacking and defines the phrase " carnage candy" for the reader. This sick saga reminded me remotely of "The Bug Collector". But this sick tale made me queasy. Rating 2 Stars.

"The Gift of Grief” by Nick Scarbrough is the story of a grief-stricken man whose wife and daughter are murdered, and he is mandated to see a psychiatrist for grief counseling. The psychiatrist is pompous, aloof, dismissive, and it is finally the last visit of the court required therapy. This was a well-written and thought-provoking little gem of a tale. I liked it and would award 4 Stars.

"Cotton Candy 2: Tales from Moon City” by Stuart Bray was a sad sketch about living on the sordid side of the rail tracks. It featured an unfortunate gay hooker named Eddie who was at the wrong place at the wrong time one night. His misplaced feelings of attraction for a male hustler in their midst sealed his doom. It was about sleaze and betrayal. It was not a bad story but sad one. Rated 4 Stars.

"Penny Candy" by Laura Bilodeau tells a variation of the story of children taking candy from perverts. This time it is a whacky widower who runs a treat shop and sells sweet candies to the town biddies and the kiddies. He lures the kids into his shop with "sweet promises" to see how he makes the treats. When the door is locked, we know nothing "sweet" or "wholesome" is in store for the kids. Rated 3 Stars.

"Grandpa Sherbert" by C. Extreme was a grim little tale of an unusual candy store which bartered children's coins for "sweets" blended with the blood, flesh, and bodily fluids of other boys and girls who contributed the secret ingredients. Grandpa was disrupted one day by the animated corpse of a little girl who offered a special "bargain deal" the cold-hearted cook couldn't pass up. Rated this tale 5 Stars.

"The Porno Store At The Edge Of Town by Matthew Vaughn was about two boys at that awkward age between 18 and 21, both bored and horny. Kevin and Trey decided to visit the Porno Store. The guys go into the establishment where nothing is as it seems. A strange employee asks them what they want, and they see some strange things playing out with two customers. They don't leave. It was good for them until the end. Rated 2 Stars.

"Anything For Candy By Ashley Fox is the story of two Halloween loving brothers who accidentally caused the death of a trick or treat child visiting their house. The story does not end with the remorse of the two guys. There is a brother's vengeance and a Halloween curse that plagued the house. Not terribly original but I liked it. Rated 4 Stars.

A Drink Before The War by Jason Nickey was the last entry in this anthology. It was a story about the end of the world as experienced by one man, his wife, and two children. It was well written, but the plot was not that remarkable. I expected an ending like The Mist. The end was well done. Rated 3 Stars.

The average rating for the stories contributed to the anthology was 3.1 rounded to 3.0 Stars. There were editing errors within the text which were not considered in my ratings.

Profile Image for Anna.
119 reviews1 follower
August 18, 2025
It's horrifying to think some people know I read extreme horror and might think this is what the entire genre is like.
Yeah, reading short stories in a genre that's not necessarily known for an abundance of substance and plot can be risky, but I've read my fair share of good collections nevertheless - sadly, this wasn't one of them. I don't go into extreme horror expecting a literary masterpiece, but almost all of the stories in this book are atrociously poorly written. Thus, most of them are gross mainly due to the writing making it a really uncomfy experience instead of for its actual contents (which are pretty disgusting, yes, but that doesn't make up for anything else really). There are tons of typos, grammar errors and plain mistakes (as in, 'there are twenty people overall but 'only' eighty present at the moment' - dunno if my math is off but....), which simply shouldn't exist in a published book that people are paying money for. There are two stories back-to-back that are pretty much the same as well (with small variations to them), so it kinda feels like the stories were simply collected, put together at random and then published without proper editing at all.
Furthermore most of the stories are, at core, lacking any kind of plot and have little to no concept other than the disgusting premise, with nowhere to go/no story to embed it into.
There are about two exceptions to that in the entire collection, not nearly enough to make up for the rest.
Profile Image for Danielle Yvonne.
313 reviews39 followers
October 14, 2024



I wish I could just tell you to read my intro and let that be my review, but that simply wouldn’t be me lol. I knew since I did the intro, it’d be near impossible to not give a bias review. So do with it what you will, but it’d be a travesty for me not to take the stories one by one and have a little fun. SOO… let the Carnage Candy commence! 😝

🍬Rotting Piñata
By Dan Shrader

“Amber had hidden the most incredible crab dip they had ever tasted in her own body. In her vagina, to be exact.”

Welp, lmao. Starting the anthology on a strong note with this one. 😂 I mean, read the quote… need I say more?! 💀😭 Dan went full gross out on this one and worked his magic. I gagged, a lot. And I chuckled, a lot. I’d praise his writing style as I typically do, but for this one, I’m just going to let the context of his story overrule it all. 🤮

🍬Mysti’s Delights
By Asher Darks

“Part of a clot had gotten stuck under one of my fingernails, so I dug it out with my tongue and rolled it around in my mouth.”

Hahaha, fuck. I can’t, this one… oh this one… 😂 This was the story that started making me slam my laptop shut. 💀 As one would expect, Asher went hard for this story and like some of the others, gave some of the best gross out and gag worthy scenes possible. 🤮 Candy apples have forever been ruined. 🫠

🍬Alien Foreskin
By Carietta Dorsch

“My body would be my own chocolate factory.”

Lol. I feel like I shouldn’t be starting all my mini reviews laughing, but I can’t help it. This one is a nervous laughter from me… like that “chuckles—I’m in danger,” meme. 😅 No one is going to be prepared for this one lmao. Not one soul. 💀 I can get through a lot, but wooooooo 🤮 I fking GAGGED and then thanked sky daddy that I didn’t have a peen. Regardless of being dickless, it still hurt lmao. Good luck with this one everyone. 🫡

🍬The Gift of Grief
By Nick Scarbrough Author

“I placed the toothpick under the fingernail of his middle finger on his left hand, which was securely bound to the chair with zip ties.”

This was a really good story. Nick is a great writer and story teller in general, so this being fantastic shouldn’t come as a shock. 😮‍💨 Nick is big into dialogue and I must admit, he does it very well. His character development is always top tier. 🤌🏼 His theme of adding in transgression horror is also a fav of mine. 🙌🏼 I think people are going to really enjoy this one! It’ll definitely make you cringe and hurt at parts, that’s for damn sure. 😅😭🤮

🍬Cotton Candy 2: Tales From Moon City
By Stuart Bray

“His fucking face is all mangled, and there is a fucking blade in the back of his head!”

When I found out that Bray was doing Cotton Candy 2, I was shocked and excited. Cotton Candy was the first book I had ever read by him and holds a special place in my heart. Then when he asked if I would do the intro, you could have knocked me over with a feather. I know, you want to hear about the story. But if it wasn’t for Bray, this anthology wouldn’t exist, so I have to give praise where due. That being said, the story is fantastic. 🤌🏼 Going back Moon City, and revisiting Gavin White was such a good trip. Per usual, he brought it and nailed it. 🫶🏼

🍬Penny Candy
By Laura Bilodeau - Author

“Blood leaked from his mouth and ears, and his body began to twitch, but the boy was a lost cause.”

Yasss, another story and another author who knocked it out of the park with this one. Laura really showcases her super depraved and vile side with her plot and writing style. 👏🏼 This short story packs a punch and is told perfectly. It has been an honor to see Laura grow as a writer, and I really can’t wait to see what she comes up with next. 🙌🏼 I think a lot of people are going to like this one, as they should. 🤌🏼

🍬Grandpa Sherbert
By C Extreme aka Colin Emery

“I looked through them and found a stray eyeball among them. I pick it up, look at it, and frown, wondering how this got into the mix.”

Colin is another writer that I’ve had the pleasure of seeing grow from the beginning. He really tapped into some serious depravity with this one. 😅 And it totally has the fking gross out factor too. 🤮 This is one of those short stories where I’d love to see the main character built upon and get more of. 👏🏼

🍬The Porno Store at the Edge of Town
By Matthew Vaughn

“Before I take you to see her, can I offer you some cum balls?”

Oh Matt, one of my favorite authors and people overall in this community. He’s such a damn nice guy, yet he manages to write the most unhinged and vile shit I’ve ever read. 😂 This story will be a stand out for people. He gives his all with this one, which shouldn’t be a surprise. I laughed, I gagged, I cringed and more. Well fking done. 💀🙌🏼

🍬Anything for Candy
By Ashley Fox

“It was a creepy pale girl with black pigtails holding a knife. One of those animatronic ones that will jump at you when you walk by.”

This was a really fun one to read!! Ashley is a great story teller and this is the perfect Halloween story. Ashley has a unique writing style that makes it easy to binge read her work. 🤌🏼 This one comes with such a good twist which is a love for me. 👏🏼

🍬Drink Before the War
By Jason Nickey

“I don’t know, exactly. Some sort of concoction. It’ll… it’ll bring things to an end quicker if needed. Some folks started making it when everything started going to shit.”

Review after review I mention how Jason Nickey is becoming one of my favorite writers in this community. I think it’s safe to say he officially is. It’s funny, I actually told him recently that I refused to read any more of his recommendations because the last few have absolutely broke me. 😅 Then, I go and read this one, and HE is the one who broke me. 😭 This story is so good. It’s the absolute perfect way to end an anthology. Jason has grown so much as a writer and I’m also officially obsessed with his ability to tell a wicked story and put someone in their feels. An absolute standout. 👏🏼



Profile Image for Ian.
570 reviews89 followers
June 16, 2025
From Alien sores to chocolate cherry delights, Carnage Candy is a typical mix of splatterpunk, extreme horror, mainstream horror and supernatural tales all involving an element of sugary sweets and other syrupy niceties within their narratives.

Some great ideas involving a fine array of colourful, yet wicked and evil characters, that all demand the immediate attention of the avid reader who derives pleasure feeding from the well of pure horror.

An enjoyable experience overall, although it should be noted that poor editing running throughout the tales did unfortunately have a noticeable negative impact upon the gruesome, vile and grisly escapades outlined from within the pages.

Rating: 3.6 stars, rounded down to 3 due to the issue stated above.

Profile Image for Laura Bilodeau.
Author 6 books45 followers
November 10, 2024

Rotting Piñata - Dan Shrader

Right out of the gate this anthology greets you with this vile selection. It was like a bad car wreck, you just couldn’t look away and I wish I had. This story will haunt me.
When a happy married couple falls victim to the dark web mukbang-esque fetishes how far will a man go to save his marriage? The answer? You’ll need to find out for yourself.

Mysti’s Delights - Asher Dark

Oh well what the hell… I thought the last one was bad? What the hell is this? I will never look at carnie’s, clowns, circus’ or candy apples the same ever again. With a Joker/Harley Quinn type vibe creating an entirely different back story which is independently enjoyable and a total gross out fest, Asher really outdid herself in this one.

Alien Foreskin - Carietta Dorsche

No. Because what the fuck? I truly didn’t know if I’d finish this one. That was … vile. The only way I can even describe it is if dermatillomamia, cannibalism, and autosexuality morphed together as a curious toddler that touches too many things and puts them in their mouth. I am disturbed in so many ways. I’m glad that’s over.

The Gift of Grief - Nick Scarborough

Holy shit. I absolutely LOVED this story. I was so enveloped in the narrators dialogue I felt like a fly on the wall in the room. The way Nick chose his words and descriptions was stellar. This would make for an incredible full length story or even a movie. Full standing ovation for this one.

Cotton Candy 2 : Tales from Moon City - Stuart Bray

Considering I have been slacking and haven’t yet read Cotton Candy 1, which I will be now, this was a really fun read. I haven’t gotten to read much LGBTQ horror so this was fun. Gay people make everything more fun. I’m sad for Harlem, and for Eddie both who just seem lost in the world. This story felt very “real life” which added to the scare of it.

Grandpa Sherbert - C. Extreme

Well that first page is certainly grim… what the hell? This one was fun. It gave off the vibes of that Netflix show, YOU but in true C Extreme fashion. The way Colin writes is effortless and indulgent, you become so wrapped up in his powerful voice that you can’t break free from the stories he puts on pages. This one is no different.

The Porno Store at the Edge of Town - Matthew Vaughn

“Coolie as could be” got me right off rip. I’m gonna enjoy this one I know it. Oh man, matt what the fuck am I reading? Dirty dog. Matt WHAT THE FUCK? No because not a second of this story was I able to imagine what was going to happen next. I love an unpredictable story. I love that this story didn’t include candy in the same sense as others did. It was a fun palate cleanser and i wholeheartedly enjoyed the humor and uniqueness of this one.

Anything for Candy - Ashley Fox

Gonna start off saying I love the personal touch about pumpkins, knowing Ashley loves carving beautiful and spooky pumpkins really made a nice addition. Holy shit. This one was PHENOMENAL. I can’t say enough how well written this was. This one was a true anxiety giver and jump scare for me. I didn’t even realize until after I finished that I was holding my breath towards the end!

Drink Before the War - Jason Nickey

If that wasn’t the best ending to any story literally ever … especially to end an amazing anthology… this one actually made me tear up. As a mother to two Covid babies this one hit different. Jason has a way with words like no one else I know. This story was so brutal but also so emotionally jarring and that alone creates a very specific type of horror and manifests the fear deep in your soul.
Profile Image for Stefanie Duncan.
424 reviews30 followers
October 19, 2024
Gory and likely to make you gag a few times. This anthology by some pretty cool indie authors is worth reading.

I had to knock off a star due to the many mistakes (words misspelled, grammar etc). I feel like it needs to go to the editing board one more time. Despite this, great anthology! Also, from now on forward I’ll question on what they are really selling in those candy stores 🤔🤣
Profile Image for Alan.
137 reviews9 followers
June 13, 2025
Read for a Buddy Read with the HGW Goodreads group for June 2025. A collection of horror and extreme horror stories with a loosely tied thread of candy. The quality of the stories varies though nothing truly bad to be had. A few of the stories feature a lot of typos and other areas, something I also found with Stuart Bray's "Cotton Candy". Most of the standouts were actually the more mainstream horror feeling stories with the odd exception. Standout for me was "Anything for Candy" by Ashley Fox.
Profile Image for Brittany Warren.
220 reviews
November 9, 2024
This whole anthology was amazing. All the stories deserve 5⭐️. I honestly just bought this book originally cause the cover was so pretty but I knew it was gonna be vile inside and I was not let down.

Rotting Piñata by Dan Shrader
🍬Way to start off this book. Absolutely Disgusting! That’s all I really have to say about this one.

Mysti’s Delights by Asher Dark
🍬I will never eat candy apples or jelly filled donuts again! I want more to this story. I want to see what chaos Mysti and Jax create.

Alien Foreskin by Carietta Dorsch
🍬Absolutely disgusting probably shouldn’t have been eating breakfast while reading this one. I don’t know how anyone could do that to themselves.

The Gift of Grief by Nick Scarbrough
🍬I don’t want to sit here and say I understand why he did what he did. Grief effects everyone differently but it definitely made for a great story.

Cotton Candy 2: Tales from Moon City by Stuart Bray
🍬So I had to stop reading Carnage Candy so that I could ready the first Cotton Candy. I really enjoyed getting back to the chaos that is Moon city. I was definitely left wanting more with this one. I’m not sure in a good way or bad way yet though. Either way loved it.

Penny Candy by Laura Bilodeau
🍬Well I’ll never trust strange old men or the candy they make 😂

Grandpa Sherbert by C. Extreme
🍬So this is another story where you shouldn’t trust old men who run candy shops. I really liked the selling your soul to get away with murder aspect of it.

The Porno Shop at the Edge of Town by Matthew Vaughn
🍬So let me just say I could not wait to get to this story as Matthew has become one of my favorite authors. As always he never disappoints. Curiously I’m wanting to get a look at that binder! 😂 I definitely need more of what Dawg and his crew have been up to. This was great!

Anything for Candy by Ashley Fox
🍬Well I’m glad I didn’t read this before Halloween. I probably wouldn’t have let my teenager go off on her own with friends 😂 This was great though.

Drink Before the War by Jason Nickey
🍬Great story but what the hell was that ending? “I wonder if I made the right decision today. I wonder if I’ll” …..🤯😡WONDER IF HE’ll WHAT???
Profile Image for Sami Elaine.
43 reviews9 followers
May 5, 2025
This anthology book was a fun and quick read. Dark, depraved, and disgusting - each standalone story got my mind working and sometimes left me wondering what I had just read. A definite recommendation for anyone who enjoys an anthology that showcases the darkest human and brings with it a fair amount of gore.
Profile Image for Brian Mcclain.
355 reviews10 followers
January 18, 2025
Ewww

A little uneven at times and a bit of a bizarre choice to have 2 very similar stories back to back this nevertheless was a solid collection of stories for people with strong constitutions
Profile Image for Kayla Roberts.
141 reviews
December 4, 2024
I wonder if I’ll what?!?! 😭😭 really great collection of stories, some more disgusting than others, very enjoyable
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews