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Rat: A Short Tale of Horror
A gruesome short story from the author of The Suffering and We’ve Already Gone Too Far.
When Victorian clipper, The Cormorant, sails upon a ghosted prisoner hulk, the captain’s decision to explore the crewless vessel proves fatal. For the hulk isn’t completely abandoned, and the entity that follows them back aboard is seeking vengeance.
Are you kind to animals? If not, don’t set foot on the ghost ship, The Tulketh Swain…
“Candyman, but in the 1800’s, and with rats not bees. Absolutely bloody disgusting. Only MJ Mars could make this premise work. Not only is RAT gross, it somehow has soul. In only a few thousand words, Mars created characters who got under my skin and burrowed into my heart. It's a story I won't forget for a long time. It's making me itch just thinking about it. Read at your own risk.” - Sarah Jules, author of You Invited It In, Found You, and Don’t Lie.
When Victorian clipper, The Cormorant, sails upon a ghosted prisoner hulk, the captain’s decision to explore the crewless vessel proves fatal. For the hulk isn’t completely abandoned, and the entity that follows them back aboard is seeking vengeance.
Are you kind to animals? If not, don’t set foot on the ghost ship, The Tulketh Swain…
“Candyman, but in the 1800’s, and with rats not bees. Absolutely bloody disgusting. Only MJ Mars could make this premise work. Not only is RAT gross, it somehow has soul. In only a few thousand words, Mars created characters who got under my skin and burrowed into my heart. It's a story I won't forget for a long time. It's making me itch just thinking about it. Read at your own risk.” - Sarah Jules, author of You Invited It In, Found You, and Don’t Lie.
- GenresHorrorShort Stories
33 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 19, 2025
5 people are currently reading
35 people want to read
About the author
M.J. Mars
25 books172 followersMJ Mars is a geek, ghoul, and horror enthusiast living in Lancaster, UK. Her debut novel, The Suffering, was published by Wicked House in 2023. When she isn’t writing, you’ll find MJ playing pool, trying to skateboard (badly), or listening to rock music. She owes every success to her mis-spent youth.
Short story collection, We’ve Already Gone Too Far out now!
NEW! The Fovea Experiments, a second novel to be published by Wicked House, is out now. MJ is currently working on a sequel to The Suffering, and a series of novellas based around the short story, Jeff Through the Trees.
Join her on Twitter @MJMars, Instagram /mjmarsauthor, and her Facebook page, MJ Mars Author.
Short story collection, We’ve Already Gone Too Far out now!
NEW! The Fovea Experiments, a second novel to be published by Wicked House, is out now. MJ is currently working on a sequel to The Suffering, and a series of novellas based around the short story, Jeff Through the Trees.
Join her on Twitter @MJMars, Instagram /mjmarsauthor, and her Facebook page, MJ Mars Author.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
June 14, 2025
Ewww! Creepy!
Rat is a good horror story. The vista of rats in my brain is overwhelming. It is a creepy vision. I am terrified of the rats.
The rats are brown which means they are Asian rats. The big ones. They are all over the place. Where do they come from? The abandoned boat? The imagination of the narrator, a little boy?
The name of the ship, the ghost ship, is the Tulketh Swain. It is a vessel for convicted prisoners. But where are they?
The boy (that’s his name), thinks he can see a shadow. Behind his back. In the corner of his eye. Around his shoulder. Is he imagining things?
This story is about a boy and rats. Where do we go from there?
Four stars. ✨✨✨✨
Rat is a good horror story. The vista of rats in my brain is overwhelming. It is a creepy vision. I am terrified of the rats.
The rats are brown which means they are Asian rats. The big ones. They are all over the place. Where do they come from? The abandoned boat? The imagination of the narrator, a little boy?
The name of the ship, the ghost ship, is the Tulketh Swain. It is a vessel for convicted prisoners. But where are they?
The boy (that’s his name), thinks he can see a shadow. Behind his back. In the corner of his eye. Around his shoulder. Is he imagining things?
This story is about a boy and rats. Where do we go from there?
Four stars. ✨✨✨✨
December 19, 2025
A very good outing with MJ Mars. For some odd reason, I've never been a fan of stories written about eras before modern times. Just never been my thing. However, this was very palatable, boasting enough eeriness and supernatural elements, in a very short story, to keep someone like myself entertained. The illustrations were also great and this was just all tied up in a nice, pretty little package. Oh, and the one scene with Rollins made my stomach flip upside down. Very memorable. But this was a good time and for anyone in need of a twenty-minute horror experience, check this out.
February 11, 2025
A neat little nautical novella with a tale of kindness, brutality, ghosts, creatures of the not-so-deep and vengeance.
I really enjoyed the feel of this book. It was extremely descriptive and felt much longer than it was. I enjoyed the young crewman’s kindness to small animals. Being at sea before modern times is scary enough, couple it with murdering rats… awesome book!
I really enjoyed the feel of this book. It was extremely descriptive and felt much longer than it was. I enjoyed the young crewman’s kindness to small animals. Being at sea before modern times is scary enough, couple it with murdering rats… awesome book!
July 10, 2025
A really good short story- creeping dread, gory deaths, and rats, lots and lots of rats. Had fun with this one.
January 22, 2025
This is a short read that punches hard. I love creature horror stories, so I had to read this one. However, this is more than just a simple creature story. It has gothic horror vibes and it's set inside a ship just to make it even scarier.
Despite that, my favorite part was still the rats killing. MJ doesn't hold back on the descriptions either. If you want a story that digs deep into the kills with all the details, this is a great one for you.
This was a nasty read, but this is why I enjoyed it so much, lol. I'm biased since I love rats, but this was an excellent short read that promises to give you nightmares. Let's see if I get some tonight, haha.
Squeak, squeak...
Despite that, my favorite part was still the rats killing. MJ doesn't hold back on the descriptions either. If you want a story that digs deep into the kills with all the details, this is a great one for you.
This was a nasty read, but this is why I enjoyed it so much, lol. I'm biased since I love rats, but this was an excellent short read that promises to give you nightmares. Let's see if I get some tonight, haha.
Squeak, squeak...
January 19, 2025
If you hear scurrying it’s already too late!
A short story with imagery that fills the senses with the smell of the brine coagulating with the fetid stench of unwashed humanity. It gives gothic vibes with its delicious prose and whilst the sea is terrifying in itself, the idea of being trapped on a ship fighting to stay alive is claustrophobic and horrifying. The kills are gloriously gruesome and you will delight in the excruciating end of one of the characters, I guarantee it!
An eye witness account of a sea voyage with the bite of a million tiny teeth, wonderful!
A short story with imagery that fills the senses with the smell of the brine coagulating with the fetid stench of unwashed humanity. It gives gothic vibes with its delicious prose and whilst the sea is terrifying in itself, the idea of being trapped on a ship fighting to stay alive is claustrophobic and horrifying. The kills are gloriously gruesome and you will delight in the excruciating end of one of the characters, I guarantee it!
An eye witness account of a sea voyage with the bite of a million tiny teeth, wonderful!
January 19, 2025
A nice nautical horror story, set in the late 1800s, with ghost ships, grumpy and filthy sailors, a kid-hearted captain, and - yes! Rats. The tale is told from the point of view of a young crewman, who believes in protecting the weak. An immersive and atmospheric horror story penned by the totally unpredictable MJ Mars!
January 19, 2025
A tiny, creepy little story about tiny creepy little monsters.
It is about a young boy with a heart, among a crew of men, one of which is particularly nasty. Great atmosphere and the story is finished in a few ghastly breaths.
I also loved the wee illustrations.
It is about a young boy with a heart, among a crew of men, one of which is particularly nasty. Great atmosphere and the story is finished in a few ghastly breaths.
I also loved the wee illustrations.
February 25, 2026
Wow 😮MJ Mars, this book was intense. I really enjoyed it. I highly recommend reading it.
February 23, 2026
The Pestilent Perils series is comprised of two very different, but delightfully horrific short stories by M.J. Mars.
"Rat" is set in the Victorian Era, and centers around the crew of a clipper ship, the Cormorant, that encounters an abandoned prison vessel bound from England to Australia. The larger ship, the Tulketh Swain, appears completely empty upon inspection, but the Cormorant's kindhearted cabin boy begins to suspect that isn't the case. A dark presence seems to have followed them back aboard the Cormorant, and soon, its malevolent (and gruesome) intentions are made clear.
By contrast, "Flea" is set in contemporary times, and follows a world-weary police detective tasked with investigating a recent series of grisly murders in which the victims are found bearing unusual, telltale wounds, and appear to have been drained of blood. The case leads him to a top-secret laboratory conducting experiments of a truly diabolical nature.
"Rat" and "Flea" are quick reads, but Mars packs a ton of horror into the pages, building layer upon layer of well-paced, creeping dread. There's plenty of gore and body horror, too, and when these hit, they hit hard and fast. At the same time, Mars has crafted wonderfully developed main characters the reader feels connected to and cares about, a feat that's challenging enough in a novel-length story, never mind ones this short.
"Rat" and "Flea" also feature striking covers and beautiful interior designs that include fantastic illustrations. They're fun to look at, and even more fun to read, and I'm hoping she adds more installments to the Pestilent Perils in the near future.
"Rat" is set in the Victorian Era, and centers around the crew of a clipper ship, the Cormorant, that encounters an abandoned prison vessel bound from England to Australia. The larger ship, the Tulketh Swain, appears completely empty upon inspection, but the Cormorant's kindhearted cabin boy begins to suspect that isn't the case. A dark presence seems to have followed them back aboard the Cormorant, and soon, its malevolent (and gruesome) intentions are made clear.
By contrast, "Flea" is set in contemporary times, and follows a world-weary police detective tasked with investigating a recent series of grisly murders in which the victims are found bearing unusual, telltale wounds, and appear to have been drained of blood. The case leads him to a top-secret laboratory conducting experiments of a truly diabolical nature.
"Rat" and "Flea" are quick reads, but Mars packs a ton of horror into the pages, building layer upon layer of well-paced, creeping dread. There's plenty of gore and body horror, too, and when these hit, they hit hard and fast. At the same time, Mars has crafted wonderfully developed main characters the reader feels connected to and cares about, a feat that's challenging enough in a novel-length story, never mind ones this short.
"Rat" and "Flea" also feature striking covers and beautiful interior designs that include fantastic illustrations. They're fun to look at, and even more fun to read, and I'm hoping she adds more installments to the Pestilent Perils in the near future.
January 25, 2025
3.5*
I'll always jump at the chance to read a new story by MJ Mars, and I'm pleased to say that Rat continues her streak of great recent releases. The story is set in 1963 and follows a 12-year-old boy aboard The Cormorant, waking to find out they have stumbled upon a navy prison ship. Going aboard and finding it completely abandoned, the crew return to their own ship—however, they haven't come back alone.
At 30 pages or so, Rat is a short, quick read. This doesn't mean that Mars has skimped on the horror, though. Supernatural elements sit alongside some very gruesome body horror and stomach-churning moments involving rodents—of course, you expected that from the title, right?—and despite the brief page count, I found myself empathising with and rooting for the main character.
If you're looking for a quick read and want to try something a bit different (after all, how many Victorian-era nautical rat-horror books have you read?), I strongly recommend giving this one a try.
I'll always jump at the chance to read a new story by MJ Mars, and I'm pleased to say that Rat continues her streak of great recent releases. The story is set in 1963 and follows a 12-year-old boy aboard The Cormorant, waking to find out they have stumbled upon a navy prison ship. Going aboard and finding it completely abandoned, the crew return to their own ship—however, they haven't come back alone.
At 30 pages or so, Rat is a short, quick read. This doesn't mean that Mars has skimped on the horror, though. Supernatural elements sit alongside some very gruesome body horror and stomach-churning moments involving rodents—of course, you expected that from the title, right?—and despite the brief page count, I found myself empathising with and rooting for the main character.
If you're looking for a quick read and want to try something a bit different (after all, how many Victorian-era nautical rat-horror books have you read?), I strongly recommend giving this one a try.
January 1, 2026
Having compassion for those smaller/weaker than you may just save your life one day.
I feel really bad for the boy on the ship! He gets treated so terribly due to his age and relative inexperience in sailing, especially by Rollins. Quite frankly, that man got exactly what he had coming to him and I am not sorry for him.
However, I am really interested in The Tulketh Swain and what happened to it. Not curious enough to go on it and explore if I happened across it, though. No siree....abandoned ghost ships would not be on the old vacation itinerary!
What a fun bit of body horror! I'm going to be seeing some of those deaths in my sleep tonight, that's for sure
I feel really bad for the boy on the ship! He gets treated so terribly due to his age and relative inexperience in sailing, especially by Rollins. Quite frankly, that man got exactly what he had coming to him and I am not sorry for him.
However, I am really interested in The Tulketh Swain and what happened to it. Not curious enough to go on it and explore if I happened across it, though. No siree....abandoned ghost ships would not be on the old vacation itinerary!
What a fun bit of body horror! I'm going to be seeing some of those deaths in my sleep tonight, that's for sure
February 26, 2025
creepy and unsettling
What a great story filled with unsettling descriptions. From the first finding of the ghost ship, The Tulketh Swain, you’ll get a feeling of dread as a boy is forced to watch an unnatural being board the ship he’s working. From there, the story takes a bloody turn and the real gore, rat style, comes out. You do not want to miss this quick little tale of fears that will haunt your nightmares for a long time.
What a great story filled with unsettling descriptions. From the first finding of the ghost ship, The Tulketh Swain, you’ll get a feeling of dread as a boy is forced to watch an unnatural being board the ship he’s working. From there, the story takes a bloody turn and the real gore, rat style, comes out. You do not want to miss this quick little tale of fears that will haunt your nightmares for a long time.
March 12, 2025
Loved this!
A gruesome nautical ghost tale that's very eerie. I really enjoyed this story and I'd love to get more history on what went down on the Tulketh Swain. Mars did a fantastic job of bringing you into a clipper ship in the middle of the ocean. You can almost smell the brine in the air.
Underneath the gore and terror there's a message. You'll have to read the story to find out what it is!
A gruesome nautical ghost tale that's very eerie. I really enjoyed this story and I'd love to get more history on what went down on the Tulketh Swain. Mars did a fantastic job of bringing you into a clipper ship in the middle of the ocean. You can almost smell the brine in the air.
Underneath the gore and terror there's a message. You'll have to read the story to find out what it is!
January 19, 2025
Absolutely bloody disgusting. Only MJ Mars could make this premise work. Not only is RAT gross, it somehow has soul. In only a few thousand words, Mars created characters who got under my skin and burrowed into my heart. It's a story I won't forget for a long time. It's making me itch just thinking about it. Read at your own risk.
January 21, 2025
Whether a full length novel or a short story, MJ has a way with descriptions that hit to the heart. At 33 pages, this short story is jam packed with everything you need for a perfect horror. The main character is instantly likeable and relatable, and the way MJ describes the scenes makes them feel very real. An excellent tale!
January 23, 2025
This book was very short (which I understand completely as I knew it would be) but I’m not seeing the massive appeal. There wasn’t much action which is understandable. This is my first ever nautical horror and I must say I don’t think it was very much my style but I will be giving the sub-genre another go.
February 12, 2026
Great short story
I really enjoyed this short story. I of course am the person at work that puts out little snacks for the mice in our building and hid the traps from my coworkers so they can't kill them. It's a garage. what damage can they do in a garage? so yes, I enjoyed this story of a boy trying to take care of a rat.
I really enjoyed this short story. I of course am the person at work that puts out little snacks for the mice in our building and hid the traps from my coworkers so they can't kill them. It's a garage. what damage can they do in a garage? so yes, I enjoyed this story of a boy trying to take care of a rat.
March 8, 2026
Read this short story today, and packs such a punch for around 35 pages!
Set in the late 1800's, a young sailor is working aboard The Cormorant when the crew stumble upon a ghost ship. After investigating and finding nothing, they return, but something follows them back and it wants revenge...
Such a good, quick read, and for so short a book, some creepy, nasty scenes!
Set in the late 1800's, a young sailor is working aboard The Cormorant when the crew stumble upon a ghost ship. After investigating and finding nothing, they return, but something follows them back and it wants revenge...
Such a good, quick read, and for so short a book, some creepy, nasty scenes!
February 2, 2025
Good mix of supernatural and body horror.
Mars finds a way to develop a sense of dread in this short story, with a dash of stomach churning moments.
The setting on the Victorian clipper worked perfectly for amping up the story.
Eager to check more of her work.
Mars finds a way to develop a sense of dread in this short story, with a dash of stomach churning moments.
The setting on the Victorian clipper worked perfectly for amping up the story.
Eager to check more of her work.
February 11, 2025
Was not expecting so much in 33 pages!
The gore and terror was sublime.
4 🌟 (I just wish it was longer!)
The gore and terror was sublime.
4 🌟 (I just wish it was longer!)
March 17, 2025
A quick gory read.
February 13, 2026
This is the kind of stuff that will give you nightmares. I love creepy tales of the ocean and this one was definitely creepy and gory. It may only be 33 pages but its full of intense horror.
February 14, 2026
Ship
A seemingly empty vessel is discovered by another ship. There is something not right about the empty ship. Now the other boat has a problem.
A seemingly empty vessel is discovered by another ship. There is something not right about the empty ship. Now the other boat has a problem.
February 14, 2026
what the fuck
March 4, 2026
RV to follow.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews