A Persistent and Growing Unease: 20 Tales of Terror

by H.T. Waite

A late night children's TV broadcast from the 1950s leaves hundreds traumatized.

A sadist comes into contact with a woman with some rather unusual requests.

A cinephile finds a supposedly lost film and begins to find their world falling apart at the seams.

The mother of a young girl is permanently injured in a car accident and turns to alternative solutions to ease the pain.

A PERSISTENT AND GROWING UNEASE brings you 20 horror stories for your darkest nights. This collection has every flavor of horror, from haunted apartments, to creepy reflections, to found journal entries from tattered old diaries. Read… if you dare.

Genres: Horror

336 pages, Paperback

Published October 17, 2024

Reviews

[Milt Theo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most of the stories in the book I'd already read on the author's Reddit page, but they're worth re-reading. I enjoyed them all, and recommend them highly to all horror lovers who enjoy getting creeped out. The writing style is especially appropriate for people who try to rationalize the weird: it's sober, tight, not wasting a word.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love love. I liked every single story which is pretty rare with short story collections. They were all so unique and well-written!

[Michael Hamby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

I had never read this author, and she is a pleasant surprise. All these stories are unique, unusual, and well-written, a step up from ordinary horror. There is a courtly tone to them. They are, however, far from genteel, and gave me several moments of surprised shock. I look forward to her next book. If you're looking for something different and fresh, try this collection.

[Khaled · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing variety of horror stories. We got the


- [ ] A new apartment and a Sleep paralysis hallucination
- [ ] A son missing in the woods, who’s changed when he returns
- [ ] A lost 1930s film is recovered by a movie buff.
- [ ] The last days of a Colorado town before it’s abandoned due to a “mine fire”
- [ ] An old vet recounts a secret government protect he was part of (scary af)
- [ ] An Urban explorer finds a mysterious notepad
- [ ] A mysterious lost show about a sinister puppet
- [ ] A journal from a WW1 vet
- [ ] A mysterious church choir every Christmas Eve
- [ ] A unique cartoon panel of a wolf
- [ ] Dreams of the your boss smiling without blinking for hours
- [ ] A trans woman’s revenge against fascists
- [ ] An invincible masochist
- [ ] A missed connection with an old friend
- [ ] An empty robe
- [ ] A mimicked beep
- [ ] An untouchable tree
- [ ] Something that came from the Ocean
- [ ] Something you’ve never noticed before

And that’s without spoiling anything. Very fun and creepy stories. Why have I never heard of this author?!

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

H. T. Waite does a fantastic job in writing this collection of horror stories, it had that feel that I was looking for and enjoyed going through the twenty stories. Each was terrifying and worked overall. H. T. Waite wrote this well and was glad I read this.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[M.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw someone else online describe this short story collection as "creepypasta" and I agree although I think that person meant it perjoratively and I do not. I was frequently surprised and delighted by this collection of stories, many of which took very unexpected turns or had an extra spooky little sting at the end.
I liked every story here but my favorites were "An Unusual Incident in the Field of Televised Puppetry" because it was so very weird and "The Laughing Masses" because of how disturbing I found it. I would definitely read more by this author

[Jeanne Pocius Dorismond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Spooky Stories

Taking seemingly mundane daily activities and turning them macabre tends to create the best Ghost stories in my opinion .
This collection is wonderfully creepy, and well worth several evenings of reading in a well-lit room, preferably with company!
Bravo! A+++

[Emma Elkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this collection of short stories.

They weren't particularly terrifying but all of them were creative and engaging with very eerie or unsettling endings. Great twists and pacing, while making each of the narrators both unique and realistic.

A fun read for a stormy night.

[Edith Rubin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spooky and Familiar Had a Baby

What I loved about these stories was how I sometimes was chilled by them but also felt a familiarity that made them relatable. I'm looking forward to the next one.

[Sean Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extraordinarily competent anthology ─ some of the most enticing and innovative spins on the common stock of cosmic horror. The spin on the Tillinghast Resonator was particularly glorious

[AMBER CLARK · Rating 4 out of 5]

20 horror stories for your darkest nightmares. Beautiful dark and twisted. Excellent tales of terror. Truly creepy stories that you won't want to read alone.

[Reshma Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the last few stories

[Shawna Mathieu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unnerving

I really enjoyed this book. As an autistic mom of an autistic child, the story about the son's reflection being wrong really resonated with me.

[Elizabeth Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

i thoroughly enjoyed these stories

[Hallie S. · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's fine

A few of the stories are creepy and interesting. The others I found boring and skipped so it's a so so book for me.

[Matt Powell · Rating 1 out of 5]

Interesting stories undermined by dreadful writing.

[Bob Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good collection of short stories. I couldn't quite give this 5 stars, but I wanted to give it 4.5. Very enjoyable. I'm looking forward to reading the second book in the series.

[kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

i liked this one- very spooky, reminded me of Scary Stories to Tell in the dark <3

[Ramir Abawag · Rating 4 out of 5]

a title that delivers

Each story definitely evokes that sense you have when you’re watching a horror movie and you think to yourself, “don’t open that door…” From the truly terrifying to stories that just don’t sit well. Some stories are better than others, but as a whole, it’s definitely worth a read. Highly recommend.