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Push! An Anthology of Childbirth Horror
In all of human experience, there is very little that holds more intimate horror than childbirth. Bodies are ravaged, minds are torn, and lives are caught in a precarious balance of hope and fear. In this anthology of seventeen authors, the horrors of childbirth are knife-sharp and womb-deep.
The stories in this anthology are painful and dark. A surprising parasite deeply planted in its mother's womb. A harrowing choice made by a mother with no options. Demon babies. Post-partum madness. Lifeblood lost.
Check your triggers (found at ruthannaevansdotcom), gird your loins, and dive in to this delightful, strange, and horrifying selection of childbirth horror.
The stories in this anthology are painful and dark. A surprising parasite deeply planted in its mother's womb. A harrowing choice made by a mother with no options. Demon babies. Post-partum madness. Lifeblood lost.
Check your triggers (found at ruthannaevansdotcom), gird your loins, and dive in to this delightful, strange, and horrifying selection of childbirth horror.
- GenresHorror
137 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 30, 2025
7 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
Ruth Anna Evans
52 books107 followersRuth Anna Evans is a writer of short horror fiction who lives in the heart of all that is sinister: the American Midwest. She has been composing prose of all types since childhood but finds something truly delightful in putting her nightmares on the page. Her stories are full of twists and turns with relatable protagonists and startling endings. If you like Grady Hendrix and Ira Levin, you'll like Ruth Anna Evans. Follow Ruth Anna on Twitter @ruthannaevans for updates on her work.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
June 1, 2025
My pregnancies and childbirths were literally some of the most beautiful and yet traumatic and terrifying times of my life.
When I realized there was going to be an anthology of childbirth horror I knew it was something I wanted to get my hands on and it definitely did not disappoint.
The types of stories and styles of writing truly made this a unique experience. Some were pretty far fetched while others really fed into some of the biggest childbirth fears.
When I realized there was going to be an anthology of childbirth horror I knew it was something I wanted to get my hands on and it definitely did not disappoint.
The types of stories and styles of writing truly made this a unique experience. Some were pretty far fetched while others really fed into some of the biggest childbirth fears.
April 28, 2025
A wild ride of short stories all related to childbirth. I had a great time reading these stories, and some of them will haunt me for a while.
Thank you Nuno, for providing a review copy.
- Just Like a Certain Chocolate Egg Toy by Antonija Meznaric 4* (It was a painful read, I was feeling all the loneliness of the character and her desperation as well.)
- Dystocia by Nuno Gonçalves 5* (this one send shivers down my spine! So cold, so clinical).
- Nesting by Marie Lestrange 3.5 (I enjoyed the idea for this one, but something didn't work for me in the end)
- Engorged by Rebecca Burgess 4.5* (I saw it coming, but was still shocked by it!)
- Take the Baby by Peter J. Larrivee 4* (I didn't saw it coming! Wow)
- The Animus of Agnes Grishom by Deborah Coldiron 5* (Love the environment and the details!)
- There Was a Number Seven by Patricia Lameida 5* (This one got me in a chokehold, I was tense and in the edge of my seat for the whole thing)
- Don't Say a Word by Autumn Weese 4.5* (another one that surprised me a lot!)
- Not Like the Seahorses by S.E. Howard 4* (Clever twist!)
- The Quickening by Emma Rose Darcy 5* (no notes, loved it!)
- A Piece of My Heart by Ruth Anna Evans 4.5 (heartbreaking... too soon?)
- Proud to Be a Mother by C.J. Subko 4* (the end made me smile/laugh... sometimes that happens to me with horror. I might have issues TBD)
- Mother Earth and the Terrestrial Birth by Jacy Morris 4* (Lovely!)
- The Dry Earth Giveth by Amanda DeBord 4.5* (Wow, that was unexpected)
- Little Fox by Tory Favro 5* (chilling!)
- The Baby Stopped Crying by Paul Avery Tindol 5* (yes!)
- Stillborn by Sheri White 5* (I was shocked- in a good way)
Thank you Nuno, for providing a review copy.
- Just Like a Certain Chocolate Egg Toy by Antonija Meznaric 4* (It was a painful read, I was feeling all the loneliness of the character and her desperation as well.)
- Dystocia by Nuno Gonçalves 5* (this one send shivers down my spine! So cold, so clinical).
- Nesting by Marie Lestrange 3.5 (I enjoyed the idea for this one, but something didn't work for me in the end)
- Engorged by Rebecca Burgess 4.5* (I saw it coming, but was still shocked by it!)
- Take the Baby by Peter J. Larrivee 4* (I didn't saw it coming! Wow)
- The Animus of Agnes Grishom by Deborah Coldiron 5* (Love the environment and the details!)
- There Was a Number Seven by Patricia Lameida 5* (This one got me in a chokehold, I was tense and in the edge of my seat for the whole thing)
- Don't Say a Word by Autumn Weese 4.5* (another one that surprised me a lot!)
- Not Like the Seahorses by S.E. Howard 4* (Clever twist!)
- The Quickening by Emma Rose Darcy 5* (no notes, loved it!)
- A Piece of My Heart by Ruth Anna Evans 4.5 (heartbreaking... too soon?)
- Proud to Be a Mother by C.J. Subko 4* (the end made me smile/laugh... sometimes that happens to me with horror. I might have issues TBD)
- Mother Earth and the Terrestrial Birth by Jacy Morris 4* (Lovely!)
- The Dry Earth Giveth by Amanda DeBord 4.5* (Wow, that was unexpected)
- Little Fox by Tory Favro 5* (chilling!)
- The Baby Stopped Crying by Paul Avery Tindol 5* (yes!)
- Stillborn by Sheri White 5* (I was shocked- in a good way)
April 25, 2025
This was spectacular. You will not view childbirth the same after these stories.
Man or woman, you will appreciate the fear, the hopelessness, the absolute dread these tales evoke. I am haunted by several.
The ones that stick out the most at this time (because my brain is a filing cabinet that rotates between the horrors) are:
NESTING by Marie Lestrange
TAKE THE BABY by Peter Larrivee
A PIECE OF MY HEART by Ruth Anna Evans
LITTLE FOX by Tory Favro
THE BABY STOPPED CRYING by Paul Avery Tindol
The one that will likely fester in my gut for years is LITTLE FOX. It was…. 🤯
Man or woman, you will appreciate the fear, the hopelessness, the absolute dread these tales evoke. I am haunted by several.
The ones that stick out the most at this time (because my brain is a filing cabinet that rotates between the horrors) are:
NESTING by Marie Lestrange
TAKE THE BABY by Peter Larrivee
A PIECE OF MY HEART by Ruth Anna Evans
LITTLE FOX by Tory Favro
THE BABY STOPPED CRYING by Paul Avery Tindol
The one that will likely fester in my gut for years is LITTLE FOX. It was…. 🤯
March 19, 2025
PUSH! An Anthology of Childbirth Horror
🩸🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🩸
I’ve been super excited to read this horror anthology collection and it didn’t disappoint!! I gobbled it up quickly!
There are stories that portray sadness, grossness, strangeness, bloodiness, and lots more!!
Each story is uniquely different, except for the common theme; something to do with childbirth!
There are 17 short stories in this awesome collection and I enjoyed them all, but my standouts are:
• JUST LIKE A CERTAIN CHOCOLATE EGG TOY by
Antonija Menaric
•NESTING by Marie Lestrange
•A PIECE OF MY HEART by Ruth Anna Evans
•PROUD TO BE A MOTHER by C.J. Subko
•THE DRY EARTH GIVETH by Amanda DeBord
•LITTLE FOX by Tory Favro
•THE BABY STOPPED CRYING by Paul Avery Tindol
•STILLBORN by Sheri White
Thank you to Ruth Anna Evans for an arc of this spectacular anthology! It is an exciting and intense read! So many great authors coming together to add into this crazy collection!
*This book will be released April 30th and is a must read!!*
🩸🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🩸
I’ve been super excited to read this horror anthology collection and it didn’t disappoint!! I gobbled it up quickly!
There are stories that portray sadness, grossness, strangeness, bloodiness, and lots more!!
Each story is uniquely different, except for the common theme; something to do with childbirth!
There are 17 short stories in this awesome collection and I enjoyed them all, but my standouts are:
• JUST LIKE A CERTAIN CHOCOLATE EGG TOY by
Antonija Menaric
•NESTING by Marie Lestrange
•A PIECE OF MY HEART by Ruth Anna Evans
•PROUD TO BE A MOTHER by C.J. Subko
•THE DRY EARTH GIVETH by Amanda DeBord
•LITTLE FOX by Tory Favro
•THE BABY STOPPED CRYING by Paul Avery Tindol
•STILLBORN by Sheri White
Thank you to Ruth Anna Evans for an arc of this spectacular anthology! It is an exciting and intense read! So many great authors coming together to add into this crazy collection!
*This book will be released April 30th and is a must read!!*
April 2, 2025
I went into Ruth Anna Evans' new anthology with some trepidation; she always gets the best stories, picking the best writers for the anthology's theme, but this time I had good reason to feel a bit squeamish: as a man, I wondered whether I'd be able to relate to the stories, to feel the anxiety and the fear of a woman giving birth; and I wasn't even sure I wanted to - it's one thing to imagine it (I had a friend who'd attended childbirth, and advised every man who'd go through the same experience -just attending, mind- to "AVOID LOOKING AT THE BUSINESS END!" and "BE PREPARED FOR SOME WEIRD SHIT!"), another to get detailed descriptions of bleeding, sh**ing, shouting, smelling, and so on. Plus this'd be a horror anthology, so I expected very grim cases of pregnancies gone wrong, and births of, well, monsters. And to top it all, the awesome cover, by Evans herself, did not exactly inspire confidence (as it shouldn't!).
And damn it, I was right.
"PUSH!" is rightly capitalized: this is HORROR, folks! Seventeen stories by both female and male authors, about all sorts of hellish childbirths; a foreword by Candace Nola ("Nothing and no one, not even this introduction, can prepare you for what lies within" - thank you, Candace!); and an introduction by Ruth Anna Evans ("I wanted to create this book because pregnancy and childbirth truly is horror"!). All stories are brilliant takes perfectly suited to the theme. I'll mention a few that floored me.
The opening story, "Just Like a Certain Chocolate Egg Toy" by Antonija Meznaric, sets the theme: it's about "Disassembled Baby Syndrome," totally fictional thank God, but spot on about society's expectations of pregnant women. Of course, there's blood and vomit, and body horror galore. Marie Lestrange's "Nesting" better have a good excuse for bringing eggs into the picture! This story is absolutely INSANE! Is it about post-partum depression or the cruelties brought about by a sinister haunting? Either way, the final scene is quite disturbing (and I didn't know chickens can purr. Welp). Peter J. Larrivee's "Take The Baby" goes for the volume's creepiest reveal; I should have seen the grotesque ending from miles away, but I didn't! I was sucked into it from the begininng (excuse the pun!). S.E. Howard's "Not Like The Seahorses" has the greatest twist; and to think that it all starts with kids' Saturday Story Hour in the library. Evans' own story, "A Piece of My Heart," is about parents and baby, and what the former will do for the latter; I expected to be grossed out (this is Evans, IYKYK), I got my heart broken. Jacy Morris' "Mother Earth and the Terrestrial Birth" is a terrific eco-horror tale about a planetary vagina; I agree, the less said the better lol. Paul Avery Tindol's "The Baby Stopped Crying" asks how far would a widower go to keep the baby quiet, just to sleep a bit better. This is a superb ghost story. The closing story, Sheri White's "Stillborn," gets high praise from me for the nastiest ending: won't get that image out of my mind anytime soon. This is gore growing naturally out of what the story demands.
In sum, this is the kind of anthology you might gift your partner or your mom if they start pressuring you about having kids - and you don't want any, or not yet. It won't put a stop to it forever, but it'll get you a couple of weeks reprieve. Beautiful horror, guaranteed to get out of you a visceral body horror response.
And damn it, I was right.
"PUSH!" is rightly capitalized: this is HORROR, folks! Seventeen stories by both female and male authors, about all sorts of hellish childbirths; a foreword by Candace Nola ("Nothing and no one, not even this introduction, can prepare you for what lies within" - thank you, Candace!); and an introduction by Ruth Anna Evans ("I wanted to create this book because pregnancy and childbirth truly is horror"!). All stories are brilliant takes perfectly suited to the theme. I'll mention a few that floored me.
The opening story, "Just Like a Certain Chocolate Egg Toy" by Antonija Meznaric, sets the theme: it's about "Disassembled Baby Syndrome," totally fictional thank God, but spot on about society's expectations of pregnant women. Of course, there's blood and vomit, and body horror galore. Marie Lestrange's "Nesting" better have a good excuse for bringing eggs into the picture! This story is absolutely INSANE! Is it about post-partum depression or the cruelties brought about by a sinister haunting? Either way, the final scene is quite disturbing (and I didn't know chickens can purr. Welp). Peter J. Larrivee's "Take The Baby" goes for the volume's creepiest reveal; I should have seen the grotesque ending from miles away, but I didn't! I was sucked into it from the begininng (excuse the pun!). S.E. Howard's "Not Like The Seahorses" has the greatest twist; and to think that it all starts with kids' Saturday Story Hour in the library. Evans' own story, "A Piece of My Heart," is about parents and baby, and what the former will do for the latter; I expected to be grossed out (this is Evans, IYKYK), I got my heart broken. Jacy Morris' "Mother Earth and the Terrestrial Birth" is a terrific eco-horror tale about a planetary vagina; I agree, the less said the better lol. Paul Avery Tindol's "The Baby Stopped Crying" asks how far would a widower go to keep the baby quiet, just to sleep a bit better. This is a superb ghost story. The closing story, Sheri White's "Stillborn," gets high praise from me for the nastiest ending: won't get that image out of my mind anytime soon. This is gore growing naturally out of what the story demands.
In sum, this is the kind of anthology you might gift your partner or your mom if they start pressuring you about having kids - and you don't want any, or not yet. It won't put a stop to it forever, but it'll get you a couple of weeks reprieve. Beautiful horror, guaranteed to get out of you a visceral body horror response.
June 30, 2025
A haunting anthology of childbirth and the challenges some women face when having their families!
June 26, 2025
I received PUSH! An Anthology of Childbirth Horror as an ARC from Ruth Anna Evans. This collection of short stories was absolutely fantastic, and the stories "Take the Baby" by Peter Larrivee, "There Was a Number Seven" by Patricia Lameida, and "Mother Earth and the Terrestrial Birth" by Jacy Morris particularly stuck out. If you can handle the subject matter, and are into strange, transgressive, and (at times) extreme horror, this anthology is for you. Thanks to Ruth Anna Evans for sending this ARC to me.
June 17, 2025
I was curious to see how this anthology would land with me since I’m not now, nor have I ever wanted to be, a mom (and am now even more reassured by my life’s choices thanks to several traumatizing scenes in this book.)
I think it’s a testament to the great storytelling that a good percentage of the stories in this collection were deeply, horrifyingly disturbing (and gruesomely bloody!) and go far beyond the thematic premise of childbirth and should be appealing to all fans of horror and dark fiction.
Particular standouts for me were:
Nuno Gonçalves – Dystocia (a single page of a story that was something I’d never even considered and was so deeply unsettling)
Deborah Coldiron – The Animus of Agnes Grishom (a solid commentary on the hypocrisy of society)
Patricia Lameida – There Was a Number Seven (a moving tale of the cycle of abuse)
Autumn Weese – Don’t Say a Word (a shocking ending that I didn’t see coming)
Ruth Anna Evans – A Piece of My Heart (the ultimate parental sacrifice!)
Jacy Morris – Mother Earth and the Terrestrial Birth (a darkly humorous ecological birth and revenge story all wrapped up in a short, sharp little tale)
A solid collection!
𝘔𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺. 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺.
I think it’s a testament to the great storytelling that a good percentage of the stories in this collection were deeply, horrifyingly disturbing (and gruesomely bloody!) and go far beyond the thematic premise of childbirth and should be appealing to all fans of horror and dark fiction.
Particular standouts for me were:
Nuno Gonçalves – Dystocia (a single page of a story that was something I’d never even considered and was so deeply unsettling)
Deborah Coldiron – The Animus of Agnes Grishom (a solid commentary on the hypocrisy of society)
Patricia Lameida – There Was a Number Seven (a moving tale of the cycle of abuse)
Autumn Weese – Don’t Say a Word (a shocking ending that I didn’t see coming)
Ruth Anna Evans – A Piece of My Heart (the ultimate parental sacrifice!)
Jacy Morris – Mother Earth and the Terrestrial Birth (a darkly humorous ecological birth and revenge story all wrapped up in a short, sharp little tale)
A solid collection!
𝘔𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺. 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺.
March 31, 2025
4.5 stars
I was not expecting to like this as much as I did!! The majority of the stories are unexpected and so different from what's already out there (I mean, from my perspective, and to be honest I do not have a lot of experience in this genre lol), some of them with a witty critique of how society views childbirth and all the problems related to everyone wanting to have a say about pregnant women and parents, some of them portraying in a very clever and on-your-face way the fears of childbirth from very different angles. The ones that stuck with me are "Just Like a Certain Chocolate Egg Toy", a very good story setting the tone for the rest of the book, "Dystocia", I was certainly not expecting THAT, "Nesting", the two perspectives and the construction of the story just sucked me into it, "There Was a Number Seven", a strong and very serious one, almost makes you uncomfortable, "Don't say a word", I was deceived until the end!, "Not Like the Seahorses", very much an unforgettable one, did not expect any of that, "Mother Earth and the Terrestrial Birth", yes the Earth is in fact pregnant, and "Stillborn", will never be able to get that image out of my head.
I was not expecting to like this as much as I did!! The majority of the stories are unexpected and so different from what's already out there (I mean, from my perspective, and to be honest I do not have a lot of experience in this genre lol), some of them with a witty critique of how society views childbirth and all the problems related to everyone wanting to have a say about pregnant women and parents, some of them portraying in a very clever and on-your-face way the fears of childbirth from very different angles. The ones that stuck with me are "Just Like a Certain Chocolate Egg Toy", a very good story setting the tone for the rest of the book, "Dystocia", I was certainly not expecting THAT, "Nesting", the two perspectives and the construction of the story just sucked me into it, "There Was a Number Seven", a strong and very serious one, almost makes you uncomfortable, "Don't say a word", I was deceived until the end!, "Not Like the Seahorses", very much an unforgettable one, did not expect any of that, "Mother Earth and the Terrestrial Birth", yes the Earth is in fact pregnant, and "Stillborn", will never be able to get that image out of my head.
March 21, 2025
I remember when Ruth Anna Evans ask if there was interest in a childbirth horror anthology, I was immediately excited! Soon as I saw this ARC signup I needed it.
This collection of horror short stories, focused around childbirth and postpartum, is so creepy at times and wtf at others. Each story is unique in its own way. From a vanishing twin to the nightmare of engorgement, every author did a great job expressing the fear and uncertainty that is giving birth.
I’m sure glad I don’t plan to be pregnant any time soon! Thanks for this ARC Ruth Anna Evans and all the other authors in this awesome read!
This collection of horror short stories, focused around childbirth and postpartum, is so creepy at times and wtf at others. Each story is unique in its own way. From a vanishing twin to the nightmare of engorgement, every author did a great job expressing the fear and uncertainty that is giving birth.
I’m sure glad I don’t plan to be pregnant any time soon! Thanks for this ARC Ruth Anna Evans and all the other authors in this awesome read!
March 23, 2025
Despite what you’ve heard, pregnancy isn’t all corn dogs and ice cream! This anthology takes all of the scary and often irrational pregnancy and birth worries and turns them into reality. Purring chickens, nesting taken to a whole new level. Gallaghers watermelons. Baby demons. Men having the sleep deprivation instead of the women?? (The horror!). Public restrooms. Seahorses. Pregnant earth. Disassembled baby syndrome.
No fear is left behind in this fantastic assortment of short stories. Thank goodness I’m done having kids 🤣🫣😵💫
No fear is left behind in this fantastic assortment of short stories. Thank goodness I’m done having kids 🤣🫣😵💫
March 25, 2025
When it comes to medical horror, Ruth Anna Evans has to be one of my favorites to read. This anthology that she put together was no different!
This was so much fun! Every author featured brought something different to the table. I don’t think I read a story I didn’t enjoy, but my favorites were probably “Just like a certain chocolate egg toy”, “A Piece of My Heart”, “Dystocia” and “Stillborn”.
As a mom who has had C-sections a couple of these stories made my scar hurt haha.
Easy 5⭐️ read! Thank you Ruth Anna for the opportunity to ARC read!
This was so much fun! Every author featured brought something different to the table. I don’t think I read a story I didn’t enjoy, but my favorites were probably “Just like a certain chocolate egg toy”, “A Piece of My Heart”, “Dystocia” and “Stillborn”.
As a mom who has had C-sections a couple of these stories made my scar hurt haha.
Easy 5⭐️ read! Thank you Ruth Anna for the opportunity to ARC read!
June 4, 2025
An anthology of childbirth horror. A concept that I could have never imagined and that’s surprising, considering I can’t think of anything more terrifying,but as soon as I saw it was by Ruth Anna Evans, I knew I had to give it a chance. My other read by this author was Against Medical Advice and it was amazing, so I knew this would be as well.
It’s a compilation of 17 short stories, very well compiled so you can take a necessary break, because these will really get to you. There’s plenty of gore to be found. There is a great mix of stories ranging from those grounded in reality to those with supernatural aspects. There’s something for everyone, even a tokophobe, like me.
It’s a compilation of 17 short stories, very well compiled so you can take a necessary break, because these will really get to you. There’s plenty of gore to be found. There is a great mix of stories ranging from those grounded in reality to those with supernatural aspects. There’s something for everyone, even a tokophobe, like me.
April 29, 2025
Thank you Ruth Anna Evans for this read!
Honestly I was nervous going into this book as horror more towards the extreme end sometimes isn't my thing but it sounded great so I knew I needed to read it.
I'm so glad I did! This book was amazing. Each story was cleverly crafted around many of the joys and lows that come with pregnancy and childbirth. The imagery was VIVID and when I tell you that I will have images in my head for a long time- I mean it. The end story just sealed the deal with the vivid imagery!
Overall I enjoyed each and every story - some made me cringe while others made me sad. I HIGHLY suggest this for all the horror lovers - especially all the mums - but please check trigger warnings ⚠️ !
Honestly I was nervous going into this book as horror more towards the extreme end sometimes isn't my thing but it sounded great so I knew I needed to read it.
I'm so glad I did! This book was amazing. Each story was cleverly crafted around many of the joys and lows that come with pregnancy and childbirth. The imagery was VIVID and when I tell you that I will have images in my head for a long time- I mean it. The end story just sealed the deal with the vivid imagery!
Overall I enjoyed each and every story - some made me cringe while others made me sad. I HIGHLY suggest this for all the horror lovers - especially all the mums - but please check trigger warnings ⚠️ !
May 8, 2025
“She didn’t want to come back to her home with a vomit baby sewn together so that it could be alive.”
Just a little taste of what you’re in for with Push: An Anthology of Childbirth Horror, edited by Ruth Anna Evans and available now. I had no idea that there could be such a variety of stories surrounding childbirth, but this anthology has got it all. There are some truly disturbing stories in this one. There are some familiar favourites of mine, such as Ruth Anna Evans and Paul Avery Tindol, but I’ve discovered some new authors I would love to read more of - Marie Lestrange’s story, Nesting, was one of those standouts for me! You’ll be cringing, gagging, and shedding a few tears - I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this anthology! Highly recommend.
Just a little taste of what you’re in for with Push: An Anthology of Childbirth Horror, edited by Ruth Anna Evans and available now. I had no idea that there could be such a variety of stories surrounding childbirth, but this anthology has got it all. There are some truly disturbing stories in this one. There are some familiar favourites of mine, such as Ruth Anna Evans and Paul Avery Tindol, but I’ve discovered some new authors I would love to read more of - Marie Lestrange’s story, Nesting, was one of those standouts for me! You’ll be cringing, gagging, and shedding a few tears - I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this anthology! Highly recommend.
April 18, 2025
Whoooooo strap in, ya'll this one is a ROUGH ride...in all the best ways!
June 4, 2025
This is now my favorite anthology of all time. Full review to come.
May 29, 2025
Who knew there could be so many different ways to see birth. I thought it would be a collection of stories about pregnancy and birth in the conventional ways, but no, I was wrong. I found myself laughing, crying, and being terrified at times. It was very hard to find a favourite. So my highlights had to be The Animus of Agnes Grisholm by Deborah Coldiron for the heart guttering emotions it evoked and Little Fox by Tory Favro for it's sheer cleverness. If you are looking for a very broad collection on the subject of pregnancy and birth, you can't go past this book.
June 1, 2025
Okay, so I was going to skip on reading this one, which was hard for me, one of my favorite cover artists doing an anthro and then some of my favorite indie authors hopping in the mix?
Childbirth, terrifies me, but I dont mean as in, I wake up in a cold sweat thinking about it, I’m not loosing my mind about it, but I would love to avoid it, and just teleport the kid out, something other than, what we have now and it makes my skin crawl and it just, it sounds horrifying, the stories I have heard...
But I couldn’t keep saying no, because on top of what I have already mentioned, I saw a familar name, but new as an author to me, and I said, okay, okay Becky, you got me.
So here I go, into this absolute hell portal of a book for me lol
This was so well done, I didn’t forget my revulsion, but I did forget why, and slid into a whole new world of things I hadn’t considered, and realized, wow, my fears were in the minor leagues.
Marie Lestrange Nestling
Was an incredibly fucked up story, that I only can say, what the fuck, I have a thing about eggs anyways, It’s not a fear I swear just a weird, I dont eat eggs thing so imagine my horror when I get to this story. Mix that up with what is either supernatural fuckery or PPD gone unmanaged, and the horror and tension is palpable, by the time I finished this one, I was tense myself.
Paul Avery Tindol The Baby Stopped Crying
Another top pick for me, and I am not shocked, Paul knows how to weave a whole story in such a short space, and was another top reason I actually decided to read this anthro.
This one is also one that really gets to me, how far would a parent go to get a little sleep, even if that means quitting the baby..forever.
Holy crap.
Engorged by Becky Burgess
I saved this one for last, because, it was one of the ones I was looking forward to the most, and now I don’t know how to review it with out spoiling the hell out of it.
I loved it, it was so fucked up, I felt like, okay yes, I know what’s going on .
But when it happened, I felt absolutely blindsided, holy shit.
Safe to say, I cannot wait to see what else she writes, and I loved getting a peak at this.
Listen I know this is a touchy subject for some, but if its just a gross factor for you, like it was me, go ahead and check this out, it was really well done, and I actually enjoyed it much more than I thought I would.
That being said, please be aware if this topic is triggering, go ahead and skip it.
Childbirth, terrifies me, but I dont mean as in, I wake up in a cold sweat thinking about it, I’m not loosing my mind about it, but I would love to avoid it, and just teleport the kid out, something other than, what we have now and it makes my skin crawl and it just, it sounds horrifying, the stories I have heard...
But I couldn’t keep saying no, because on top of what I have already mentioned, I saw a familar name, but new as an author to me, and I said, okay, okay Becky, you got me.
So here I go, into this absolute hell portal of a book for me lol
This was so well done, I didn’t forget my revulsion, but I did forget why, and slid into a whole new world of things I hadn’t considered, and realized, wow, my fears were in the minor leagues.
Marie Lestrange Nestling
Was an incredibly fucked up story, that I only can say, what the fuck, I have a thing about eggs anyways, It’s not a fear I swear just a weird, I dont eat eggs thing so imagine my horror when I get to this story. Mix that up with what is either supernatural fuckery or PPD gone unmanaged, and the horror and tension is palpable, by the time I finished this one, I was tense myself.
Paul Avery Tindol The Baby Stopped Crying
Another top pick for me, and I am not shocked, Paul knows how to weave a whole story in such a short space, and was another top reason I actually decided to read this anthro.
This one is also one that really gets to me, how far would a parent go to get a little sleep, even if that means quitting the baby..forever.
Holy crap.
Engorged by Becky Burgess
I saved this one for last, because, it was one of the ones I was looking forward to the most, and now I don’t know how to review it with out spoiling the hell out of it.
I loved it, it was so fucked up, I felt like, okay yes, I know what’s going on .
But when it happened, I felt absolutely blindsided, holy shit.
Safe to say, I cannot wait to see what else she writes, and I loved getting a peak at this.
Listen I know this is a touchy subject for some, but if its just a gross factor for you, like it was me, go ahead and check this out, it was really well done, and I actually enjoyed it much more than I thought I would.
That being said, please be aware if this topic is triggering, go ahead and skip it.
June 3, 2025
PUSH, an anthology of childbirth related short horror stories, curated by Ruth Anna Evans, contains 17 tales covering every aspect of the child-bearing process you can think of, and some you probably never imagined.
The stories here are all short, typically a few thousand words, with some a little shorter. It makes for a snappy collection that you could chip away at to break up your other reading (You, reading seven books at once, I’m looking at you!) I read a few stories at a time, but I’m not sure I’d be able to tackle too much of the same theme at once.
I found this to be a fun collection, with a nice mixture of horror and a fairly decent spread of concepts and takes on the theme. Some of the stories get very visceral and gory as you’d expect from horror based on the visceral and gory act of one human pushing another human out of itself. There’s plenty of splatter for those who like that, a lot to squirm over, some stories to make you feel blue, and some that might have you laughing despite the circumstances.
A few that stood out to me were Nesting by Marie Lestrange, which was a lot of fun and a great take on the theme, The Animus of Agnes Grishom by Deborah Coldiron, a period piece, which can be a tough sell for me, but was well executed and satisfying, Engorged by Rebecca Burgess, which was a terrific concept with a fun voice and a lot of tension, and The Baby Stopped Crying by Paul Avery Tindol which had engaging visuals and a good punch. I also like the seahorse story by SE Howard and Don’t Say a Word by Autumn Weese.
There’s a good mix of stories based in a potential reality and stories with supernatural elements, so things often feel fresh here. There were times I was worried that a story was heading for just the dread of a demonic baby being born, but in most cases, it turned things in a more creative direction. And if you’re an animal lover, you’ve got stories here about chickens, seahorses and foxes, so you’ll get your fill of the cute and cuddly. Maybe…
Overall I think PUSH is a strong collection, and though it can be a bit much to read in large chunks, taking a bit here and there will make for a satisfying experience. Just take it slow, remember to breathe, and you’ll get through this! And don’t forget to turn up some sheets and boil some water!
The stories here are all short, typically a few thousand words, with some a little shorter. It makes for a snappy collection that you could chip away at to break up your other reading (You, reading seven books at once, I’m looking at you!) I read a few stories at a time, but I’m not sure I’d be able to tackle too much of the same theme at once.
I found this to be a fun collection, with a nice mixture of horror and a fairly decent spread of concepts and takes on the theme. Some of the stories get very visceral and gory as you’d expect from horror based on the visceral and gory act of one human pushing another human out of itself. There’s plenty of splatter for those who like that, a lot to squirm over, some stories to make you feel blue, and some that might have you laughing despite the circumstances.
A few that stood out to me were Nesting by Marie Lestrange, which was a lot of fun and a great take on the theme, The Animus of Agnes Grishom by Deborah Coldiron, a period piece, which can be a tough sell for me, but was well executed and satisfying, Engorged by Rebecca Burgess, which was a terrific concept with a fun voice and a lot of tension, and The Baby Stopped Crying by Paul Avery Tindol which had engaging visuals and a good punch. I also like the seahorse story by SE Howard and Don’t Say a Word by Autumn Weese.
There’s a good mix of stories based in a potential reality and stories with supernatural elements, so things often feel fresh here. There were times I was worried that a story was heading for just the dread of a demonic baby being born, but in most cases, it turned things in a more creative direction. And if you’re an animal lover, you’ve got stories here about chickens, seahorses and foxes, so you’ll get your fill of the cute and cuddly. Maybe…
Overall I think PUSH is a strong collection, and though it can be a bit much to read in large chunks, taking a bit here and there will make for a satisfying experience. Just take it slow, remember to breathe, and you’ll get through this! And don’t forget to turn up some sheets and boil some water!
May 31, 2025
I have been saying “nobody does medical horror like Ruth Anna Evans,” and now it’s apparent that not only does nobody write it better, but nobody chooses authors who do it just as good either. This collection of childbirth horror is amazing, thought provoking, and writhe-worthy.
I love the symbolism between the current events of the world intertwined into the stories that come together in the most horrifying way. The ideas behind each story are incredibly unique in perspectives. I have a hard time picking one favorite because each story has no similarity other than being related to childbirth, and they’re all downright amazing!
Mother Earth and the Terrestrial Birth was so symbolic, so relevant, and so much deeper than I expected. The human existence and its toll on the earth, the witty “humans f’ed the earth” premise was just incredibly clever.
Nesting was deranged and yet somehow seemed to capture the postpartum moods in a most exaggerated way. It was brilliant and dove deep into the psyche of a mother on the edge.
There Was A Number Seven - I mean, wow, talk about heartbreaking and tragic. Yet still even never have lived that horrendous life I somehow resonate with the mother holding the seven of socks.
Not Like Seahorses - Jeez. That’s all I can say. Animals relations to babies spilling over into one woman’s psychological issues of abandonment was an incredible stretch of the imagination just done right. So right.
Get ready to be astonished, blown away, and in love with another of Ruth Anna Evan’s books! I can’t say enough good things about this. If you need something deep, emotionally challenging, relatable, and compelling you need this book NOW.
I love the symbolism between the current events of the world intertwined into the stories that come together in the most horrifying way. The ideas behind each story are incredibly unique in perspectives. I have a hard time picking one favorite because each story has no similarity other than being related to childbirth, and they’re all downright amazing!
Mother Earth and the Terrestrial Birth was so symbolic, so relevant, and so much deeper than I expected. The human existence and its toll on the earth, the witty “humans f’ed the earth” premise was just incredibly clever.
Nesting was deranged and yet somehow seemed to capture the postpartum moods in a most exaggerated way. It was brilliant and dove deep into the psyche of a mother on the edge.
There Was A Number Seven - I mean, wow, talk about heartbreaking and tragic. Yet still even never have lived that horrendous life I somehow resonate with the mother holding the seven of socks.
Not Like Seahorses - Jeez. That’s all I can say. Animals relations to babies spilling over into one woman’s psychological issues of abandonment was an incredible stretch of the imagination just done right. So right.
Get ready to be astonished, blown away, and in love with another of Ruth Anna Evan’s books! I can’t say enough good things about this. If you need something deep, emotionally challenging, relatable, and compelling you need this book NOW.
April 10, 2025
Thank you to the editor for providing a review copy.
As soon as Ruth Anna Evans announced this anthology, I knew I was all the way in. Childbirth is rife with horrors anyway, and it was cool to see how the different authors interpreted the theme. 4 stars
Just Like a Certain Chocolate Egg Toy by Antonija Meznaric ⭐⭐⭐.25
Dystocia by Nuno Gonçalves ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Nesting by Marie Lestrange ⭐⭐⭐.5
Engorged by Rebecca Burgess ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Take the Baby by Peter J. Larrivee ⭐⭐⭐.25
The Animus of Agnes Grishom by Deborah Coldiron ⭐⭐⭐⭐
There Was a Number Seven by Patricia Lameida ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Don't Say a Word by Autumn Weese ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Not Like the Seahorses by S.E. Howard ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
The Quickening by Emma Rose Darcy ⭐⭐⭐
A Piece of My Heart by Ruth Anna Evans ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Proud to Be a Mother by C.J. Subko ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Mother Earth and the Terrestrial Birth by Jacy Morris ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Dry Earth Giveth by Amanda DeBord ⭐⭐⭐.5
Little Fox by Tory Favro ⭐⭐⭐
The Baby Stopped Crying by Paul Avery Tindol ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Stillborn by Sheri White ⭐⭐⭐⭐
As soon as Ruth Anna Evans announced this anthology, I knew I was all the way in. Childbirth is rife with horrors anyway, and it was cool to see how the different authors interpreted the theme. 4 stars
Just Like a Certain Chocolate Egg Toy by Antonija Meznaric ⭐⭐⭐.25
Dystocia by Nuno Gonçalves ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Nesting by Marie Lestrange ⭐⭐⭐.5
Engorged by Rebecca Burgess ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Take the Baby by Peter J. Larrivee ⭐⭐⭐.25
The Animus of Agnes Grishom by Deborah Coldiron ⭐⭐⭐⭐
There Was a Number Seven by Patricia Lameida ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Don't Say a Word by Autumn Weese ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Not Like the Seahorses by S.E. Howard ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
The Quickening by Emma Rose Darcy ⭐⭐⭐
A Piece of My Heart by Ruth Anna Evans ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Proud to Be a Mother by C.J. Subko ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Mother Earth and the Terrestrial Birth by Jacy Morris ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Dry Earth Giveth by Amanda DeBord ⭐⭐⭐.5
Little Fox by Tory Favro ⭐⭐⭐
The Baby Stopped Crying by Paul Avery Tindol ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Stillborn by Sheri White ⭐⭐⭐⭐
May 2, 2025
A horror anthology about child birth just makes sense. In real life, it can be terrifying enough. Add to that these amazing twisted minds and it should drive the sale of birth control.
This one has everything I love from a multi author anthology. Each story shares the same theme but each one has the authors distinctive voice so it never becomes stale. There's a good amount of blood and gore but the stories range from the extreme to the weird to the poignant.
Bookended by two bangers and a cornucopia of deliciously disgusting treats in-between, the variety of horrors around this subject is astounding.
From a woman who gives birth in a very different manner to a twisted tale about seahorses to a baby born without a heart to a woman who thinks she's turning into a chicken to a painfully brutal story about breast milk to....well....many many more!
All of these stories are on the shorter side and can be read in increments or even in one sitting easily. Yet each one is impactful. I highly recommend this.
This one has everything I love from a multi author anthology. Each story shares the same theme but each one has the authors distinctive voice so it never becomes stale. There's a good amount of blood and gore but the stories range from the extreme to the weird to the poignant.
Bookended by two bangers and a cornucopia of deliciously disgusting treats in-between, the variety of horrors around this subject is astounding.
From a woman who gives birth in a very different manner to a twisted tale about seahorses to a baby born without a heart to a woman who thinks she's turning into a chicken to a painfully brutal story about breast milk to....well....many many more!
All of these stories are on the shorter side and can be read in increments or even in one sitting easily. Yet each one is impactful. I highly recommend this.
May 1, 2025
Childbirth is a subject that I'm not well versed in so when the opportunity to read and review an arc of this collection came up I jumped at it. Let's be clear this aren't pleasant stories, it's very much horror. But there's meaning behind them. Whether it's railing against sexism, suffering through exaggerated (though probably less than I'd like to think) physical changes, or lamenting some of the less positive outcomes of a pregnancy there is a feeling that the authors are deeply invested. These stories are horror with points and perspective and they are certainly worth reading with characters worth empathy or at the very least sympathy.
Thank you to Ruth Anna Evans for providing the arc, I'm glad I took the plunge. I am voluntarily providing an honest review.
Thank you to Ruth Anna Evans for providing the arc, I'm glad I took the plunge. I am voluntarily providing an honest review.
April 17, 2025
Full disclosure, I actually submitted a story for this anthology, and it was rejected, so I had a personal interest in seeing what stories Ruth Anna Evans chose instead of mine. I have to be honest, after reading PUSH, I cannot argue one bit with her selections. This is a wonderful collection of childbirth horrors by various authors that does its job of, not only frightening the reader, but also making th reader squirm and feel very uncomfortable at times. I hinestly liked them all, but if you were backing me into a corner, I'd probably have to choose The Baby Stopped Crying, and maybe Nesting as favorites here. But again, there's not a bad choice in the bunch.
Kudos, Ruth Anna Evans!
Kudos, Ruth Anna Evans!
June 2, 2025
I find childbirth and everything related to it disgusting anyway, so this collection of stories was some proper horror for me!
The stories have a lovely mix of ideas and themes, plenty of body horror but also some psychological and some more surreal stuff. Some of them are told in a very clear way, but some are set in odd versions of our world.
A wonderfully gory and gooey mess - I very much enjoyed!
The stories have a lovely mix of ideas and themes, plenty of body horror but also some psychological and some more surreal stuff. Some of them are told in a very clear way, but some are set in odd versions of our world.
A wonderfully gory and gooey mess - I very much enjoyed!
April 30, 2025
An anthology of 17 stories of childbirth; each brilliantly illuminating the terror, grotesque, visceral, and unique experiences of childbirth gone wild. Honestly, this collection left me speechless and deeply disturbed. These authors BROUGHT IT! Beautifully horrific with a whole lot of WTH!? This is definitely one of those reads I will revisit.
*Absolute favorites for me (although I really loved them all) were:
Just Like A Certain Egg Toy-Antonija Meznaric
Dystocia-Nuno Goncalves
There Was A Number Seven-Patricia Lameida
Don’t Say A Word-Autumn Weese
The Baby Stopped Crying-Paul Avery Tindol
Little Fox-Tony Favro
*These ones just hit a little different.🖤
*Absolute favorites for me (although I really loved them all) were:
Just Like A Certain Egg Toy-Antonija Meznaric
Dystocia-Nuno Goncalves
There Was A Number Seven-Patricia Lameida
Don’t Say A Word-Autumn Weese
The Baby Stopped Crying-Paul Avery Tindol
Little Fox-Tony Favro
*These ones just hit a little different.🖤
June 2, 2025
As a mother, I knew these stories were not going to be cuddly and filled with baby giggles. These stories were downright savage and brutal and trauma filled. If I was not a mom, I sure as heck would not get pregnant after reading these! And to the males, don’t think you are safe either. You also suffer in some of these stories
May 30, 2025
I absolutely loved this, brought back lots of memories of my births and added a few extra horrors along the way.
A wonderful collection, highly recommended!! Just maybe not if your baby is due imminently!!
A wonderful collection, highly recommended!! Just maybe not if your baby is due imminently!!
April 6, 2025
Eye opening and thought provoking, Ruth Anna Evans has once again put together an anthology that is guaranteed to make you uncomfortable and disturbed
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