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Dreadful Things
In the twenty-one tales featured in Michael Laimo’s new collection, normal folks begin their day as simply as can be, unassuming of the Dreadful Things lying patiently in wait, poised to crush their spirits and devour their souls.
From his very first published story, 11:11, to the most recently written, previously unpublished, The Final Appearance of the Juggling Jester, these stories showcase the author at his finest, spanning an impressive thirty-year career.
Along with a hand-picked selection of previously collected works, four brand-new, previously unpublished tales of horror also help fill the pages of this transfixing read.
Sit back, crack the book, and submit to the Dreadful Things.
From his very first published story, 11:11, to the most recently written, previously unpublished, The Final Appearance of the Juggling Jester, these stories showcase the author at his finest, spanning an impressive thirty-year career.
Along with a hand-picked selection of previously collected works, four brand-new, previously unpublished tales of horror also help fill the pages of this transfixing read.
Sit back, crack the book, and submit to the Dreadful Things.
243 pages, Paperback
Published January 26, 2025
2 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
Michael Laimo
47 books337 followersMY NEW NOVEL, THE EROTIC THRILLER MISSED CONNECTION, IS NOW AVAILABLE!
Michael Laimo's novels include the erotic thriller MISSED CONNECTION, as well as the horror novels DEEP IN THE DARKNESS, RETURN TO DARKNESS, THE DEMONOLOGIST, SLEEPWALKER, FIRES RISING, ATMOSPHERE, and DEAD SOULS.
ATMOSPHERE & DEEP IN THE DARKNESS were nominated for a Bram Stoker Award.
DEAD SOULS & DEEP IN THE DARKNESS have been made into feature-length films.
His short fiction has found its way into the pages of A WALK ON THE DARKSIDE, LOST ON THE DARKSIDE, HOT BLOOD XII: STRANGE BEDFELLOWS, SURREAL MAGAZINE, INHUMAN MAGAZINE, LI PULSE MAGAZINE, plus many more anthologies and magazines. He has four short story collections, including the acclaimed DARK RIDE, from Borderlands Press.
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Michael Laimo's novels include the erotic thriller MISSED CONNECTION, as well as the horror novels DEEP IN THE DARKNESS, RETURN TO DARKNESS, THE DEMONOLOGIST, SLEEPWALKER, FIRES RISING, ATMOSPHERE, and DEAD SOULS.
ATMOSPHERE & DEEP IN THE DARKNESS were nominated for a Bram Stoker Award.
DEAD SOULS & DEEP IN THE DARKNESS have been made into feature-length films.
His short fiction has found its way into the pages of A WALK ON THE DARKSIDE, LOST ON THE DARKSIDE, HOT BLOOD XII: STRANGE BEDFELLOWS, SURREAL MAGAZINE, INHUMAN MAGAZINE, LI PULSE MAGAZINE, plus many more anthologies and magazines. He has four short story collections, including the acclaimed DARK RIDE, from Borderlands Press.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 2, 2025
Dreadful, yes. Disturbing, also yes. Since I’m Halloween and horror year round, not a lot of things really bother or scare me, but quite a few stories in Dreadful Things did! My favorite was Room 412. And now sharing it with my weird, disturbing loving friends!
September 4, 2025
If you enjoy horror short stories that are quick to get under your skin, Michael Laimo’s Dreadful Things is definitely worth picking up. This collection covers a wide range of creepy territory—everything from unsettling supernatural encounters to stories that lean more into psychological dread.
What I liked most is how different the stories feel. Some are slow burns that build atmosphere and tension, while others jump right into the horror and hit you fast. Laimo has a real talent for vivid imagery—sometimes a little graphic, but always effective—and for leaving you with that “shiver down the spine” feeling after you finish a story.
Like with most collections, not every single story is equally strong, but even the weaker ones still kept me turning pages. The highlights, though, are excellent—dark, memorable, and the kind of tales that stick with you long after you put the book down.
Overall, Dreadful Things is a solid mix of creepy, unsettling, and sometimes downright disturbing short fiction. If you like horror anthologies and discovering an author’s range across different styles of storytelling, this is a fun one to dive into.
What I liked most is how different the stories feel. Some are slow burns that build atmosphere and tension, while others jump right into the horror and hit you fast. Laimo has a real talent for vivid imagery—sometimes a little graphic, but always effective—and for leaving you with that “shiver down the spine” feeling after you finish a story.
Like with most collections, not every single story is equally strong, but even the weaker ones still kept me turning pages. The highlights, though, are excellent—dark, memorable, and the kind of tales that stick with you long after you put the book down.
Overall, Dreadful Things is a solid mix of creepy, unsettling, and sometimes downright disturbing short fiction. If you like horror anthologies and discovering an author’s range across different styles of storytelling, this is a fun one to dive into.
May 20, 2025
This is the first of Michael Laimo’s works I’ve read, but it won’t be the last. Dreadful Things lives up to its title and becomes relatable simultaneously because it’s your normal, average person whose day, Job-like, spirals out of control for no good reason. Here’s what you can expect:
“The Chicken Man” – A supervisor, insane with worry that an underling is going to take his job, takes nasty steps in a chicken processing plant.
“The Layover” – A passenger in the concourse restroom, a horribly sick person in the next stall, and a freaky reason for it all.
“Halloween Three” – Divorce would have been SO much easier…
“Through the Eyes of the Victim” – A tourist alone in Venice during Carnevale buys a mask to fit in with the crowds and comes to regret it. This story reminded me a bit of W. F. Harvey’s “August Heat.” This was my favorite story.
“Room 412” – A traveling businessman hears incessant knocking on the wall of his hotel room…and would have been better off ignoring it.
“Err” – A grim future where the human race has been saved by eliminating standard childbirth. If you want a child, it must be ordered and implanted in the female—but there is a 4% margin of error. Loved this one.
“Anxiety” – A tale of a wacko psychiatrist who experiments on his patients.
“The Alley Man” – Two men down on their luck chance to meet in an alley—one a doctor and one a sociopath. Moral of this story? Be careful who you rob. A nice twist at the end.
“The Potato” – A giant potato, a reporter eager to do a story on it, and an insane farmer. I will think of this story every time I drive by a tourist trap. Well done!
“11:11” – A cursed time for a police officer to be at a crossroads investigating a death in the projects.
“The Juggling Jester’s Final Appearance” – An old, alcoholic, drug-addicted circus juggler is replaced with a younger, better one, who lives with him and keeps him drugged up. But one night, he gives him LSD with horrific results. Old-school horror story beautifully done.
“Slugfest” – A torrential storm that rains down slugs as well as water…but not your average slugs.
“The Radio” – Abused son finds a radio among his dead father’s possessions. The son is on medication as a result of the abuse suffered at his father’s hands. When he turns the radio on, he can hear his parents’ voices. Or is it because he hasn’t been taking his meds? This has a nice twist at the end—one I didn’t see coming. Loved this one.
“Banalica” – A priest follows his best friend to Banalica, a town where his friend was summoned to fight against a great evil there. It is an old trope with a nice twist.
“Heirloom” – Sexual perversion and a gun. An ugly, well-written story.
“Gila Way” – Jerry is on the run from a couple of Vegas toughs whom he ran out on rather than paying his poker losses…but where he ended up was far worse than a beating…
“Upside Down” – a dreamlike, surreal story of a day in a man’s life where everything is suddenly upside-down.
“Sleep Tight, My Love” – Gaslighting at its most appalling.
“One Last Breath” — A man beset by a greedy ex-wife finds a man drowned in his pool and winds up solving both his problems. Clever.
“1-800-S-U-I-C-I-D-E” – A suicide hotline operator shows that semantics can be deadly.
Believe me, you will want a copy of this book. Michael Laimo’s writing combines out-and-out screaming horror with nobody special, and that’s what makes it so hard-hitting. And the fact that he is a great writer doesn’t hurt, either. His descriptions are right on without going on and on, and his dialogue is perfect. This book will stand up well to re-reading and would be a great gift or stocking stuffer for those horror fans on your list.
“The Chicken Man” – A supervisor, insane with worry that an underling is going to take his job, takes nasty steps in a chicken processing plant.
“The Layover” – A passenger in the concourse restroom, a horribly sick person in the next stall, and a freaky reason for it all.
“Halloween Three” – Divorce would have been SO much easier…
“Through the Eyes of the Victim” – A tourist alone in Venice during Carnevale buys a mask to fit in with the crowds and comes to regret it. This story reminded me a bit of W. F. Harvey’s “August Heat.” This was my favorite story.
“Room 412” – A traveling businessman hears incessant knocking on the wall of his hotel room…and would have been better off ignoring it.
“Err” – A grim future where the human race has been saved by eliminating standard childbirth. If you want a child, it must be ordered and implanted in the female—but there is a 4% margin of error. Loved this one.
“Anxiety” – A tale of a wacko psychiatrist who experiments on his patients.
“The Alley Man” – Two men down on their luck chance to meet in an alley—one a doctor and one a sociopath. Moral of this story? Be careful who you rob. A nice twist at the end.
“The Potato” – A giant potato, a reporter eager to do a story on it, and an insane farmer. I will think of this story every time I drive by a tourist trap. Well done!
“11:11” – A cursed time for a police officer to be at a crossroads investigating a death in the projects.
“The Juggling Jester’s Final Appearance” – An old, alcoholic, drug-addicted circus juggler is replaced with a younger, better one, who lives with him and keeps him drugged up. But one night, he gives him LSD with horrific results. Old-school horror story beautifully done.
“Slugfest” – A torrential storm that rains down slugs as well as water…but not your average slugs.
“The Radio” – Abused son finds a radio among his dead father’s possessions. The son is on medication as a result of the abuse suffered at his father’s hands. When he turns the radio on, he can hear his parents’ voices. Or is it because he hasn’t been taking his meds? This has a nice twist at the end—one I didn’t see coming. Loved this one.
“Banalica” – A priest follows his best friend to Banalica, a town where his friend was summoned to fight against a great evil there. It is an old trope with a nice twist.
“Heirloom” – Sexual perversion and a gun. An ugly, well-written story.
“Gila Way” – Jerry is on the run from a couple of Vegas toughs whom he ran out on rather than paying his poker losses…but where he ended up was far worse than a beating…
“Upside Down” – a dreamlike, surreal story of a day in a man’s life where everything is suddenly upside-down.
“Sleep Tight, My Love” – Gaslighting at its most appalling.
“One Last Breath” — A man beset by a greedy ex-wife finds a man drowned in his pool and winds up solving both his problems. Clever.
“1-800-S-U-I-C-I-D-E” – A suicide hotline operator shows that semantics can be deadly.
Believe me, you will want a copy of this book. Michael Laimo’s writing combines out-and-out screaming horror with nobody special, and that’s what makes it so hard-hitting. And the fact that he is a great writer doesn’t hurt, either. His descriptions are right on without going on and on, and his dialogue is perfect. This book will stand up well to re-reading and would be a great gift or stocking stuffer for those horror fans on your list.
March 5, 2025
I mean just WOW! Michael Laimo is a fantastically descriptive writer! I could barely put this book down! My skin kept crawling throughout most of the short stories and I thoroughly enjoyed every single page! If you’re a fan of all things creepy and spooky I highly recommend this book and this author!
May 22, 2025
I don't usually read short stories, but I wanted to check out this one by my new favorite author. After reading Missed Connection, Michael has become an auto-buy author. Dreadful Things was a great read as I wait for the sequel to Missed Connection. My favorite stories were Upside Down, Room 412, The Alley Man, and The Chicken Man (ewww). Thank you Michael for another great book!
February 20, 2025
Bought this and Deep in the Darkness after reading Missed Connection. This guy knows how to captivate! I devoured all three books back-to-back. I found this author on TikTok, and he seems like a chill guy too. Highly recommended!
February 4, 2025
Please note that this is a 'best of' compilation, as I personally selected my favorite stories from my previous collections Demons, Freaks, and Other Abnormalities, Dregs of Society, and Rare Cuts. The book also contains 5 previously uncollected stories, 4 of which have never been published before. 21 stories totaling 82k words of horror fiction.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews