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Supernatural Tales 57: Winter 2024/5
'Forever Chemicals' by Steve Duffy.
A young man in need of a job ends up as a nightwatchman on the run-down Docklands site. Businessmen of the less honest kind dump stuff in the dock. As Christmas approaches, so does a strange and unwanted 'miracle'.
'Wendigo' by Michael Kelly.
Strangers on a train. A Canadian winter. A story about a legendary creature. All this and more as events unfold in a cabin in the wilderness and disturbing truths revealed.
'The Unfortified Heart' by Tim Jeffreys
An affair with a married woman is an exciting thing, what with the thrill of transgression and all that. But what if the husband finds out? An age-old premise given a new, supernatural twist in this gripping tale.
'The Wet Wife' by Reggie Chamberlain-King.
Our second nod to Algernon Blackwood, as a couple spend a holiday by the Danube. The willows are present and correct. But it's not vegetation that proves troublesome when the husband decides to take a swim.
'Episodes From the Life and Death of a Pantomime Horse' by William Curnow.
Seasonal fun for all the family! No, not really. This tour de force looks at the career of an old-school comedy partnership whose wholesome act seems to evolve over time into a minor circle of hell.
'The Night Visitor' by Steve Rasnic Tem.
A tale by one of the undisputed masters of the modern genre. An old man, lonely and increasingly fearful, awaits the onset of the festive season. Who would want to send him a volume of classic British ghost stories? A strange form of harassment...
A young man in need of a job ends up as a nightwatchman on the run-down Docklands site. Businessmen of the less honest kind dump stuff in the dock. As Christmas approaches, so does a strange and unwanted 'miracle'.
'Wendigo' by Michael Kelly.
Strangers on a train. A Canadian winter. A story about a legendary creature. All this and more as events unfold in a cabin in the wilderness and disturbing truths revealed.
'The Unfortified Heart' by Tim Jeffreys
An affair with a married woman is an exciting thing, what with the thrill of transgression and all that. But what if the husband finds out? An age-old premise given a new, supernatural twist in this gripping tale.
'The Wet Wife' by Reggie Chamberlain-King.
Our second nod to Algernon Blackwood, as a couple spend a holiday by the Danube. The willows are present and correct. But it's not vegetation that proves troublesome when the husband decides to take a swim.
'Episodes From the Life and Death of a Pantomime Horse' by William Curnow.
Seasonal fun for all the family! No, not really. This tour de force looks at the career of an old-school comedy partnership whose wholesome act seems to evolve over time into a minor circle of hell.
'The Night Visitor' by Steve Rasnic Tem.
A tale by one of the undisputed masters of the modern genre. An old man, lonely and increasingly fearful, awaits the onset of the festive season. Who would want to send him a volume of classic British ghost stories? A strange form of harassment...
117 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 21, 2024
About the author
Steve Duffy
84 books68 followersSteve has written/coauthored seven collections of weird short stories. His latest collection, THESE AND OTHER MYSTERIES, was published by Sarob Press in 2024.
Steve's work also appears in a number of anthologies published in the UK and the US.
In 2016 he won the Shirley Jackson Award for Best Novelette 2015, with the story "Even Clean Hands Can Do Damage". He won the International Horror Guild's award for Best Short Story of the year 2000, and was shortlisted for a World Fantasy Award in 2009, and again in 2012.
Visit Steve's Amazon Page: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Steve-Duffy/e...
Steve's work also appears in a number of anthologies published in the UK and the US.
In 2016 he won the Shirley Jackson Award for Best Novelette 2015, with the story "Even Clean Hands Can Do Damage". He won the International Horror Guild's award for Best Short Story of the year 2000, and was shortlisted for a World Fantasy Award in 2009, and again in 2012.
Visit Steve's Amazon Page: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Steve-Duffy/e...
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 22, 2025
✭✭✭
“Forever Chemicals”, Steve Duffy ✭✭✭✭½
“Wendigo”, Michael Kelly ✭✭✭✭
“The Unfortified Heart”, Tim Jeffries ✭✭✭½
“The Wet Wife”, Reggie Chamberlain-King ✭✭
“Episodes from the Life and Death of a Pantomime Horse”, William Curnow ✭½
“The Night Visitor”, Steve Rasnic Tem ✭✭✭✭
All stories published 2024.
“Forever Chemicals”, Steve Duffy ✭✭✭✭½
“Wendigo”, Michael Kelly ✭✭✭✭
“The Unfortified Heart”, Tim Jeffries ✭✭✭½
“The Wet Wife”, Reggie Chamberlain-King ✭✭
“Episodes from the Life and Death of a Pantomime Horse”, William Curnow ✭½
“The Night Visitor”, Steve Rasnic Tem ✭✭✭✭
All stories published 2024.
April 9, 2025
A fantastic issue with six high quality tales, two of which are absolute standouts: "Forever Chemicals" by Steve Duffy and "Episodes from the Life and Death of a Pantomime Horse". Both have their own compelling vernacular voices and although very different in style, both have a chilling, quiet, despairing voice about them.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews