Punk goes Horror: A Mixtape Anthology

by William Sterling, Eric J. Guignard, Glenn Rolfe

15 Authors. 15 Songs. 15 Nightmares.

PUNK goes HORROR is a mixtape anthology, full of terrifying tales inspired by some of your favorite authors' favorite punk, or punk adjacent, songs. Get ready for hymns of rebellion and stories of musical mayhem which connect body horrors to bass drums, rhythm guitars to psychological terrors, and microphones to human monsters.



William Sterling
Eric J. Guignard
Glenn Rolfe
Max Booth III
S.A. Bradley
Wendy Dalrymple
Christoph Paul
Brennan LaFaro
Liz Kerin
Carson Winter
Shannon Riley
Kayli Scholz
Ian A. Bain
JR Billingsley
Brain McAuley
Rachel Harrison

Genres: Horror, Adult

290 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 11, 2025

About the author

William Sterling is an independent novelist who hails from the darkest depths of Georgia.

He is especially into horror, fantasy, science fiction, and anywhere that he can find them overlapping.

Follow along and get updates on Instagram by following @Spooky_Sterling, or @spooky.sterling on Bluesky

Reviews

[Gyalten Lekden · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a solid, sometimes grimy, collection! A good number of the stories were not only inspired by music but took place somewhere in the music scene, yet there was enough variety that it didn’t feel repetitive. There was nothing too literary in this collection, more like the literary equivalent of pinwheeling fists in a mosh pit: sometimes rough around the edges and not always perfectly aimed, but sneaking up in your peripheral vision and landing a nice, cathartic blow all the same. While not perfect this collection is quick, sharp-edged, and a lot of fun. There is a variety in the narrative styles and each story has a way to pull the reader in.

The unfortunate thing, though, is that this anthology doesn’t include author bios, and doesn’t include a list of the songs that they were using as influence. There is a QR code that links to a Spotify playlist but as of December 2025 the link is not working. If we had just a paragraph with each author about what inspired their story that would have made this collection feel a lot more complete. I don’t think anthologies always need notes from the authors, but when each story is inspired by a specific song it feels like it would have been an appropriate addition. Still, without that context the stories are still fun and worth your time, especially if you like a little eardrum-bursting DIY, take-no-prisoner kind of vibes with your stories.

(Rounded from 3.5)

[Nikita · Rating 5 out of 5]

One thing I love about horror is that in the midst of all the, well, horrors, there’s an aching relatability. And what blends better with that slightly painful anger and loving brutality than punk? Those screams and that passion entwine to form an anthology that should be required reading. Each story covers so much; twisting horror, punk, and the macabre with politics, heart, and punk rock ethics. Fucking brilliantly done.

[Natascha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Punk und Horror begleiten mich seit meiner Jugend und so konnte ich diese Anthologie einfach nicht unbeachtet lassen. Zum Glück für mich, denn ich bin nicht nur in den Genuss einiger großartigen Geschichten gekommen, nein, ich wurde auch an einige wirklich tolle Lieder erinnert die ich schon seit Jahren nicht mehr gehört habe.

Meine Highlights waren:

Let's Lynch the Landlord - S.A. Bradley
Christian Woman - Christoph Paul
Down By the Water - Liz Kerin
Screaming Infidelities - Brian McAuley
This Could Be Love - Rachel Harrison

Aber auch die restlichen Geschichten konnten überzeugen und das ist für eine Anthologie äußerst selten. Wer also mal wieder an seine wilde Jugend erinnert werden will oder auch einfach nur gute Horrorgeschichten lesen möchte sollte hier auf jeden Fall zugreifen. Und es lohnt sich zur Printausgabe zu greifen, denn auch bei der Aufmachung wurde sich wahnsinnig viel Mühe gegeben.

[Anna Dupre · Rating 5 out of 5]

A huge thanks to the folks at Truborn Press and William Sterling for sending an ARC my way!

A frenzied guitar riff, the bang of drums, and a screech of a microphone all signify the start of a song, music that has the chance to change us, transport us, or even tell us a story. And to be even more specific, punk music unites the lonely, defies social norms, and screams the anthems of those who don’t always fit the mold. Can’t the same be said of horror? This is a genre that dares to explore the darkness, shining a light on the unfathomable to bring folks who thought they stood alone into one frenzied mosh-pit of unity. The folks over at Truborn Press know this and have crafted one hell of a setlist for our horror hearts to enjoy, complete with stories of violence, cosmic entities, rock bands gone wrong, love turned sour, revolutions of every size, and so much more. Punk Goes Horror is an anthology that begs you to crank up the volume and fall into the deafening crescendo of chaos.

Discussing music and fiction is always a damn delight, no matter the genre. However, punk music, or punk-adjacent music, gives horror fans so much to work with in terms of its great messaging. This is something that is widely understood by ever contributor in this anthology as every story takes a different stance on some form of “otherness.” Yes, there are a handful of stories that detail actual, horrific music scenes gone terribly wrong that are bloody brilliant, but there are also so many stories that take the notion of punk and run with it in a completely unexpected and delightful way. Normally, I would discuss my top three favorite stories in an anthology review like this, but I’ll be perfectly honest in saying that selecting just three feels impossible. So let’s buckle up and face the music together as I unpack my favorite tales.

Max Booth III’s story, “Kids of the Black Hole,” is punk personified. Dipping a toe into the realm of cosmic horror, this short story is packed with emotion as the very idea of feeling “other” is displayed in full force, with a damn disturbing physicals manifestation of such a feeling. “Heads Will Roll” by Wendy Dalrymple is such a freakin’ delight. Punchy, unsettling, and strangely humorous, we get a whole new meaning to phrase, “Don’t lose your head!” Brennan Lafaro delivers the exact story I envisioned when I picked up this antho with his tale, “Dying in New Brunswick.” A rock show gone terribly wrong and retold through police transcripts? My bread and butter! “Down by the Water” by Liz Kerin is another story similar to Max Booth III’s in that Kerin finds a way to apply the meaning of punk to such a unique scene. This story is beautifully gorgeous and so damn creative, you just need to read it for yourself. Brian McAuley. Whew. “Screaming Infidelities” is a story that takes so many turns in such a short space with so much darkness and subtly mounting dread. I get goosebumps even now thinking about it in the weeks after reading it. And last, but most certainly not least, Rachel Harrison delivers one gnarly piece of jarring horror with her story, “This Could Be Love.” It’s a story made of grit and hurt, told in a way that is so notably haunting. Plus, I’ve still got Alkaline Trio stuck in my head so bonus points for that.

*Cue the guitar smash*

While playing through each and every one of these stories will leave you a bit breathless, Punk Goes Horror is a damn good time. This is an anthology that is stacked with talent offering so many perspectives on what it means to be punk with such creative ideas cranked to ten. William Sterling has done a phenomenal job curating this list as we get every flavor of punk to sample. Friends, fellow music lovers, and resistors alike, this is the anthology you need in your life. An ode to all things different, unique, and horrific, Punk Goes Horror: A Mixtape Anthology is wildly entertaining, subtly haunting, and undeniably punk as hell. Rock on friends.

[Melissa Leitner · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun collection! The second I heard about this I knew I had to bump it up my list of priorities and read it immediately. Luckily for me, it was on Kindle Unlimited so I was able to read it immediately! Full disclosure: I was a warped tour kid who very much looked forward to those punk-pop albums every year when they were released. So this collection does indeed feel like it was made for my generation of music lovers. I loved that most of the stories in this collection were set in some type of music setting whether it be at a concert, after a concert, or concert adjacent. That being said there definitely were some stories that had literally nothing to do with punk music but related because of a song they were inspired by. Some stories from the collection stand out as more memorable than others. I really enjoyed Brennan LaFaro's mixed media aspect of his story as well as the intense body horror in some of the other stories. If you enjoy punk music you should definitely check out these stories as it is fun to check out the songs that go along with the stories as well!

[Full Throttle Sound · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was everything I wanted to experience and more.
As a punk now in my forties, each entry felt like going through that old Chuck Taylor shoebox full of ticket stubs and memorabilia, but you know, with more blood.
The anthology feels just like going to a show; the anticipation, the fun, the love, the violence, the total chaos of one frenzied song to the next, all the way down to the final hits at the end that feel so much like an encore to send everybody out the doors raving about what they just experienced.

[Robin Dickert · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Then one day someone finally said, “Fuck all this.” And they plugged in an electric guitar.' - Smells Like Teen Spirit by Eric J. Guignard

Punk rock and horror collide in stories of basement black holes and undead rockers. These are the stories of the transgressive 'fuckups, misfits, and geeks' (S.A. Bradley's words). And with so many fantastic authors contributing, I'm not surprised this is good! One more word: skelepunks.🤘

'It’s incredible what a song can do.' - Bastards of Young by Carson Winter

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I have a piece, "A Box Full of Sharp Objects," published in this anthology.

That being said, the authors selected for this excellent collection, are simply some of the best doing horror today. What a pleasure it was to be listed alongside some of these writers. I'm not going to pick and choose favorites, but there were absolutely some pieces here that had me kicking my feet, and then punching the air. There are silly stories, bloody ones, ones that feel like walking, talking poetry, and ones that will make you want to pull out the old Strat you've had in your basement since 10th grade and finally restring the damn thing. This collection has something to say, and it's saying it at the perfect time. Both punk and horror are inherently socially transgressive, and both exist as a way to buck the system. They're both spaces for outsiders. It feels natural to pair the two.

I hope you enjoy as much as I did!

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you like punk AND horror? Check out this anthology when it comes out March 11th, 2025!

[Madeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This anthology rocks the casbah. Brilliant idea, brilliantly executed. My favorite of the stew is “Kids of the Black Hole."

[Kyle Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really fun collection.