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Strange New Moons
You can hardly swing a dismembered deer carcass these days without hitting a “No vampires, no zombies, and no werewolves” sign on an anthology.
Well, to that we say “Pshaw!” And also, “Awooo!”
Because what readers really don’t like are dull werewolf stories. So, we tasked the horror community with writing the weirdest, wildest, most creative, utterly bonkers tails (ha!) of lycanthropic lunacy possible.
And did they ever deliver! Wait until you
- a brutal, boneshattering peek at the kind of “dogfights” the super-wealthy watch to amuse themselves
- a story of two inquisitive city employees trying to find out who (or what!) keeps pooping on a local landmark
- a ride along with a delusional cop trying to prevent the total werewolf apocalypse. Werepocalypse!
Plus werewolf Frankenstein! And werewolves in space! This book is all gore and no bore.
With a lineup running the gamut from brand, spanking new cubs to heavyweight timber alphas, you’d have to be the weakest elk in the herd not to slobber all over…
STRANGE NEW MOONS
Somer Canon
Simon Clark
Matthew R. Davis
Kayleigh Dobbs
John Durgin
Amanda Headlee
Stephen Kozeniewski
Tim Lebbon
Keawe Melina Patrick
Rebecca Rowland
Mary SanGiovanni
EJ Sidle
Rose Strickman
Well, to that we say “Pshaw!” And also, “Awooo!”
Because what readers really don’t like are dull werewolf stories. So, we tasked the horror community with writing the weirdest, wildest, most creative, utterly bonkers tails (ha!) of lycanthropic lunacy possible.
And did they ever deliver! Wait until you
- a brutal, boneshattering peek at the kind of “dogfights” the super-wealthy watch to amuse themselves
- a story of two inquisitive city employees trying to find out who (or what!) keeps pooping on a local landmark
- a ride along with a delusional cop trying to prevent the total werewolf apocalypse. Werepocalypse!
Plus werewolf Frankenstein! And werewolves in space! This book is all gore and no bore.
With a lineup running the gamut from brand, spanking new cubs to heavyweight timber alphas, you’d have to be the weakest elk in the herd not to slobber all over…
STRANGE NEW MOONS
Somer Canon
Simon Clark
Matthew R. Davis
Kayleigh Dobbs
John Durgin
Amanda Headlee
Stephen Kozeniewski
Tim Lebbon
Keawe Melina Patrick
Rebecca Rowland
Mary SanGiovanni
EJ Sidle
Rose Strickman
381 pages, Paperback
Published January 27, 2025
4 people are currently reading
20 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Kozeniewski
44 books434 followersStephen Kozeniewski (pronounced "causin' ooze key") is a Splatterpunk Award-winning author and two-time World Horror Grossout Contest champion. His published work has also been nominated for the Voice Arts and Indie Horror Book Awards, among other honors. He lives in Pennsylvania with his fiancée and their two cats above a fanciful balloon studio.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 6, 2025
Werewolves! All kinds of werewolves! I don't read a lot of short story collections but this one was definitely entertaining!
It starts off with a story about a woman alone in a snow covered landscape with her twins. She hears growling outside... Then there's a trapped werewolf trying to survive and avoid being experimented on. Explorations of "othering" as portrayed through werewolves. Tongue in cheek feminist takes … (I'm not even going to describe it because the story is fantastic). There are confined werewolves, full on creatures, half human/half werewolf. There's Xenoarchaeology, stem cells and genetic resequencing and an alien virus with terrifying consequences.
I was really surprised at the variety of ideas and world building in this collection. It was engaging from beginning to end. Thoroughly enjoyable.
It starts off with a story about a woman alone in a snow covered landscape with her twins. She hears growling outside... Then there's a trapped werewolf trying to survive and avoid being experimented on. Explorations of "othering" as portrayed through werewolves. Tongue in cheek feminist takes … (I'm not even going to describe it because the story is fantastic). There are confined werewolves, full on creatures, half human/half werewolf. There's Xenoarchaeology, stem cells and genetic resequencing and an alien virus with terrifying consequences.
I was really surprised at the variety of ideas and world building in this collection. It was engaging from beginning to end. Thoroughly enjoyable.
February 28, 2025
This is a solid collection of werewolf short fiction - all the stories hit the theme bang on but there’s enough variety to stop it being too samey. Lots of good stories, with my personal favourite ones being from Kayleigh Dobbs (who also co-edited), Tim Lebbon, Simon Clark and Ej Sidle. Well worth the reader’s time.
April 30, 2025
What a great collection of werewolf stories! They are all so original and entertaining. I have two or three favorites, but I loved most of them. I'm glad I discovered some very interesting authors.
October 15, 2025
Strange New Moons is a love letter to the werewolf genre by authors more than capable of demonstrating there’s life in that old dog yet. Better still, no topic feels off limits, and from the inversions of the genre to the integration of action and emotions across the tales, it proves why there are some genres which no silver bullet can kill. There are solid number of high points and the peaks outweigh the troughs. Favourites included Keawe Melina Patrick's Seamus, Kayleigh Dobbs' That Time of the Month, Somer Canon's Who Keeps Shitting on the Memorial Tower Fire?, and Simon Clark's Red in Tooth and Law.
September 6, 2025
Strange New Moons edited by Stephen Kozeniewski & Kayleigh Dobbs is a collection of werewolf tales where every tale is an adventure and full of the unexpected!
I love the lore of the werewolf, but I always seem to struggle to find a good story about them. In this collection, I struggle to choose favorites! Every tale was so unique and absolutely wild in its own way.
Werewolf fans, don’t wait, grab your copy today!
Check out my full review here: https://www.ericarobynreads.com/stran...
I love the lore of the werewolf, but I always seem to struggle to find a good story about them. In this collection, I struggle to choose favorites! Every tale was so unique and absolutely wild in its own way.
Werewolf fans, don’t wait, grab your copy today!
Check out my full review here: https://www.ericarobynreads.com/stran...
January 15, 2026
Strange New Moons, edited by Stephen Kozeniewski and Kayleigh Dobbs, offers a baker’s dozen of lycanthropic tales that pad between humor, metaphor, gore, and the occasional whiff of literary self-importance. These are short stories, after all, and they do exactly what good, short form horror should do: spark curiosity, raise goosebumps, and sometimes bite before you’re fully settled in. Not every moon here is equally bright, but even the silver slivers here adroitly move in for the kill.
The strongest stories bookend the collection. Mary SanGiovanni’s Norwegian opener is a tense and emotional tale of a mother protecting her children from a hungry werewolf, perfectly blending folklore with raw parental fear. On the flip side, Simon Clark closes things out with a pulpy, action-forward story about a “werewolf cop” hunting a feral threat, leaning hard into genre fun without losing momentum. Together, they frame the anthology with confidence and claws.
Werewolves are inherently ridiculous and endlessly adaptable, capable of being tragic, satirical, grotesque, or darkly funny, sometimes all at once. Strange New Moons embraces that flexibility and, more importantly, shines a spotlight on indie and genre authors who deserve to howl at the moon.
The strongest stories bookend the collection. Mary SanGiovanni’s Norwegian opener is a tense and emotional tale of a mother protecting her children from a hungry werewolf, perfectly blending folklore with raw parental fear. On the flip side, Simon Clark closes things out with a pulpy, action-forward story about a “werewolf cop” hunting a feral threat, leaning hard into genre fun without losing momentum. Together, they frame the anthology with confidence and claws.
Werewolves are inherently ridiculous and endlessly adaptable, capable of being tragic, satirical, grotesque, or darkly funny, sometimes all at once. Strange New Moons embraces that flexibility and, more importantly, shines a spotlight on indie and genre authors who deserve to howl at the moon.
February 4, 2026
Excellent collection of werewolf stories.
February 26, 2025
A werewolf anthology. What new takes can possibly be given to a trope which for some time has been stuck in the doldrums and seemingly ignored? Well, quite a few from what I have read in this book which serves up thirteen helpings of lycanthropic delight.
The opener, Vargsangen, by Mary SanGiovanni, set the bar high and I must admit, it is my favourite. I'm a big fan of Norse/Scandi mythology and the poetry of the Eddas - and this tale had an almost poetic layer reminding me that wonderful literature. Put the use of language together with a story of the powerful maternal drive to protect and the result is this little gem.
Following this high standard, the remaining authors continue to deliver quality, including those offered by the editors themselves. Kayleigh Dobbs' "That Time of the Month" is strongly metaphorical with some nice touches of humour (and violence) which most women would recognise: that little gathering at the end - perfect. Whilst Stephen Kozeniewski's Blackfish's off-world sci-fi setting and the nature of the transformation are highly original.
It is noticeable that a number of these tales revolve around family, the bond between parent and child, or those stretching across society translating into the overarching idea that the pack is all important. The common perception of the werewolf is of a lone creature who turns and then devours its victim, and yes, there are some where the lycan appears to be more isolated, but ultimately that behaviour is driven by the desire to help or protect others. Simon Clark in "Red in Tooth and Law" leans in to this aspect and gives us someone whose decision to try and protect humanity as a whole leaves him walking a lone path.
Powerful stories of love and grief (Amanda Headlee's "Lark" is exceptionally moving) are tempered with tales carrying light touches of humour (Kayleigh Dobbs, Somer Canon, Simon Clark, Rose Strickman). And in a genre which often spotlights the male, this collection highlights how the female can be even more deadly when the moon is full.
I usually dip in and out of anthologies over a couple of weeks, but this one I read in a couple of evenings. Highly recommended.
The opener, Vargsangen, by Mary SanGiovanni, set the bar high and I must admit, it is my favourite. I'm a big fan of Norse/Scandi mythology and the poetry of the Eddas - and this tale had an almost poetic layer reminding me that wonderful literature. Put the use of language together with a story of the powerful maternal drive to protect and the result is this little gem.
Following this high standard, the remaining authors continue to deliver quality, including those offered by the editors themselves. Kayleigh Dobbs' "That Time of the Month" is strongly metaphorical with some nice touches of humour (and violence) which most women would recognise: that little gathering at the end - perfect. Whilst Stephen Kozeniewski's Blackfish's off-world sci-fi setting and the nature of the transformation are highly original.
It is noticeable that a number of these tales revolve around family, the bond between parent and child, or those stretching across society translating into the overarching idea that the pack is all important. The common perception of the werewolf is of a lone creature who turns and then devours its victim, and yes, there are some where the lycan appears to be more isolated, but ultimately that behaviour is driven by the desire to help or protect others. Simon Clark in "Red in Tooth and Law" leans in to this aspect and gives us someone whose decision to try and protect humanity as a whole leaves him walking a lone path.
Powerful stories of love and grief (Amanda Headlee's "Lark" is exceptionally moving) are tempered with tales carrying light touches of humour (Kayleigh Dobbs, Somer Canon, Simon Clark, Rose Strickman). And in a genre which often spotlights the male, this collection highlights how the female can be even more deadly when the moon is full.
I usually dip in and out of anthologies over a couple of weeks, but this one I read in a couple of evenings. Highly recommended.
March 12, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys the werewolf genre. Unlike other werewolf books, movies, or stories I’ve encountered in the past, this collection offers a series of unique and captivating tales about werewolf characters. In particular, I appreciated the wolf icons scattered throughout the pages, which added a nice thematic touch.
However, the only aspect I found slightly frustrating was that some stories felt as though they began in the middle of a narrative, while others ended abruptly, leaving me curious and wanting to know more. Despite this, one story that stood out to me the most was It’s All for the Best, Sweetie by Rose Strickman. I was especially fascinated by the way this story unfolded through letters from a grandmother to her granddaughter, and it felt like a creative spin on the classic Red Riding Hood tale. Additionally, the fact that the story concluded with a police report added a fun and unexpected twist. I would have loved it even more if the book had included letters from the granddaughter back to the grandmother, as this story truly left me wanting more.
However, the only aspect I found slightly frustrating was that some stories felt as though they began in the middle of a narrative, while others ended abruptly, leaving me curious and wanting to know more. Despite this, one story that stood out to me the most was It’s All for the Best, Sweetie by Rose Strickman. I was especially fascinated by the way this story unfolded through letters from a grandmother to her granddaughter, and it felt like a creative spin on the classic Red Riding Hood tale. Additionally, the fact that the story concluded with a police report added a fun and unexpected twist. I would have loved it even more if the book had included letters from the granddaughter back to the grandmother, as this story truly left me wanting more.
January 11, 2026
A solid collection of werewolf stories. Nice to see the variety and different takes from all the authors with my favourites being Lark by Amanda Headlee, Expose the Fur Below by Rebecca Rowland and Bit Part by Matthew R Davis.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews