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Nerve Endings
From the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of THE TURTLE BOY, KIN, and SOUR CANDY, comes a collection of eleven stories designed to shred your nerves.
You can tell yourself that sound you heard outside the house on Halloween night was nothing. You can pretend you didn’t see that awful thing in the middle of the road while you were jogging. You can even ignore the old man sitting in the yard who claims he must keep watch on a door that nobody else can see. And you can act like you don’t know what lurks in that long-forgotten pool hidden away behind your neighborhood.
But true horror cannot be ignored.
From the nightmare of addiction and the throes of grief-induced insanity, to an app designed to cure your phobias, and a musician who can cast you into hell by simply playing a song, herein you’ll find a menagerie of malevolent tales to chill the blood and expose the kind of terrors that will strip away your comfort and drag their splintered nails along your NERVE ENDINGS.
Featuring an introduction and story notes by the author.
You can tell yourself that sound you heard outside the house on Halloween night was nothing. You can pretend you didn’t see that awful thing in the middle of the road while you were jogging. You can even ignore the old man sitting in the yard who claims he must keep watch on a door that nobody else can see. And you can act like you don’t know what lurks in that long-forgotten pool hidden away behind your neighborhood.
But true horror cannot be ignored.
From the nightmare of addiction and the throes of grief-induced insanity, to an app designed to cure your phobias, and a musician who can cast you into hell by simply playing a song, herein you’ll find a menagerie of malevolent tales to chill the blood and expose the kind of terrors that will strip away your comfort and drag their splintered nails along your NERVE ENDINGS.
Featuring an introduction and story notes by the author.
174 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 28, 2025
7 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
Kealan Patrick Burke
194 books2,352 followersHailed by Booklist as “one of the most clever and original talents in contemporary horror,” Kealan Patrick Burke was born and raised in Ireland and emigrated to the United States a few weeks before 9/11.
Since then, he has written six novels, among them the popular southern gothic Kin, and over two hundred short stories and novellas, many of which are in various stages of development for film/TV.
In 2005, Burke won the Bram Stoker Award for his coming-of-age novella The Turtle Boy, the first book in the acclaimed Timmy Quinn series.
As editor, he helmed the anthologies Night Visions 12, Taverns of the Dead, and Quietly Now, a tribute anthology to one of Burke’s influences, the late Charles L. Grant.
More recently, he wrote the screenplays for Sour Candy (based on his novella), and the remake of the iconic horror film The Changeling (1980), for the original film's producer, Joel B. Michaels.
He also adapted Sour Candy as a graphic novel for John Carpenter's Night Terrors.
His most recent releases are Cottonmouth, a prequel to Kin and The Widows of Winding Gale, a maritime horror novel set in Ireland.
Kealan is represented by Valarie Phillips at Verve Talent & Literary Agency.
He lives in Ohio with a Scooby Doo lookalike rescue named Red.
Since then, he has written six novels, among them the popular southern gothic Kin, and over two hundred short stories and novellas, many of which are in various stages of development for film/TV.
In 2005, Burke won the Bram Stoker Award for his coming-of-age novella The Turtle Boy, the first book in the acclaimed Timmy Quinn series.
As editor, he helmed the anthologies Night Visions 12, Taverns of the Dead, and Quietly Now, a tribute anthology to one of Burke’s influences, the late Charles L. Grant.
More recently, he wrote the screenplays for Sour Candy (based on his novella), and the remake of the iconic horror film The Changeling (1980), for the original film's producer, Joel B. Michaels.
He also adapted Sour Candy as a graphic novel for John Carpenter's Night Terrors.
His most recent releases are Cottonmouth, a prequel to Kin and The Widows of Winding Gale, a maritime horror novel set in Ireland.
Kealan is represented by Valarie Phillips at Verve Talent & Literary Agency.
He lives in Ohio with a Scooby Doo lookalike rescue named Red.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 31, 2025
Another strong story collection from one of the best in the business. Standouts for me were Attaboy, I Used To Live Here, and his harrowing look at the horrors of addiction- You Wait For It, Like It Waits For You. And that awesome cover! 🔥
April 23, 2025
Another banger from Kealan Patrick Burke. Anyone who knows me knows I'm a huge fan and very much in awe of his writing talent. Nerve Endings covers everything from grief to eco to coming of age horror and all of it is told in Burke's starkly beautiful way.
He has this uncanny ability to make me uncomfortable. Sometimes a passage will steal my breath or make me cringe or punch me in the gut, but there's a constant undercurrent of unease no matter what. I find his books are an experience. It's an old friend telling you where they've been the past few years over tea. A grizzled stranger swapping stories for snifters in a darkened pub. It's the raw human characters he crafts from thin air but one struggles to believe don't have pieces of Burke's own skin stapled to their form. They feel too life-like to not exist *somewhere*.
And the end product is a bunch of stories that leave the reader unnerved and a little sad and inexorably uncomfortable.
Highlights for me were ATTABOY, LET THE DARK DO THE REST, DISTINGUISHING FEATURES, and I USED TO LIVE HERE.
All the stars. It definitely set my nerves alight!
He has this uncanny ability to make me uncomfortable. Sometimes a passage will steal my breath or make me cringe or punch me in the gut, but there's a constant undercurrent of unease no matter what. I find his books are an experience. It's an old friend telling you where they've been the past few years over tea. A grizzled stranger swapping stories for snifters in a darkened pub. It's the raw human characters he crafts from thin air but one struggles to believe don't have pieces of Burke's own skin stapled to their form. They feel too life-like to not exist *somewhere*.
And the end product is a bunch of stories that leave the reader unnerved and a little sad and inexorably uncomfortable.
Highlights for me were ATTABOY, LET THE DARK DO THE REST, DISTINGUISHING FEATURES, and I USED TO LIVE HERE.
All the stars. It definitely set my nerves alight!
August 14, 2025
This collection was excellent. They always are when it comes to Kealan. I was familiar with a number of these stories but it's always nice to reacquaint myself with them. I loved every story. These 4 are the standouts...
~I Used To Live Here
(this was new to me)
~Julia X (love)
~Attaboy
(more devastating the second time)
~You Wait For It, Like It Waits For You
(this is brilliant/difficult and painful
to read/visceral/horrifyingly real)
~I Used To Live Here
(this was new to me)
~Julia X (love)
~Attaboy
(more devastating the second time)
~You Wait For It, Like It Waits For You
(this is brilliant/difficult and painful
to read/visceral/horrifyingly real)
April 23, 2025
“I know myself better than the dark does so I am up to the challenge of justifying my own existence. In theory anyway, because after running my fingers across the spines of all the books that make up the library of my life, I am appalled to find myself illiterate.”
Kealan Patrick Burke's collection does as the title suggests. It unnerves the readers exposing them to the horrors they want to forget and not give another thought to because in doing so it is feeding their fears.
My favourite thing about this author is how he writes his stories to be visceral. Wether it's the fears being described or situations within which the characters find themselves, there is that connection that will leave the reader unsettled and craving more.
Crafted here are a mixture of tales ranging from a breakup that sets a series of events for a man who thinks it may be a hoax but it isn't quite as it seems, a coming of age retelling of the disappearance of a childhood friend, a housekeepers experience with odd visitors at a cabin, an app a woman downloads in hope of helping her overcome her fears except in does that and much more, and a story about losing a parent, the ways in which through the lense of grief and loneliness the family life was more complicated than it seemed.
There are many stories in this collection that have stood out for me. In particular "Attaboy" resonated the most as I can relate to those feelings when I lost my father under similar circumstances over a year ago.
I recommend this collection to all horror fans for something visceral and memorable.
Kealan Patrick Burke's collection does as the title suggests. It unnerves the readers exposing them to the horrors they want to forget and not give another thought to because in doing so it is feeding their fears.
My favourite thing about this author is how he writes his stories to be visceral. Wether it's the fears being described or situations within which the characters find themselves, there is that connection that will leave the reader unsettled and craving more.
Crafted here are a mixture of tales ranging from a breakup that sets a series of events for a man who thinks it may be a hoax but it isn't quite as it seems, a coming of age retelling of the disappearance of a childhood friend, a housekeepers experience with odd visitors at a cabin, an app a woman downloads in hope of helping her overcome her fears except in does that and much more, and a story about losing a parent, the ways in which through the lense of grief and loneliness the family life was more complicated than it seemed.
There are many stories in this collection that have stood out for me. In particular "Attaboy" resonated the most as I can relate to those feelings when I lost my father under similar circumstances over a year ago.
I recommend this collection to all horror fans for something visceral and memorable.
March 15, 2025
11 stories to blow your synapses and obliterate your nerves. Perfection!
The Second Hand
Remember those idyllic summer days of endless childhood adventure with your friends? This starts that way and then veers into madness.
Distinguishing Features
Joe is unlucky in love and it seems life is taking him apart bit by bit.
Attaboy
A father and son relationship reaches an end over the cricket.
Reclamation
The cleaner versus the chemicals in a holiday cabin in the hills.
I Used to Live Here
A stranger invited in leaves something behind.
Blackjack
In the mountains the air is thinner and can send a man crazy.
Doorwatch
Ned has to watch the door, he knows if he doesn’t they will come through although, he has no idea who “they” are.
The App
There’s an app for everything right? So why not try one that will treat phobias.
Let The Dark Do The Rest
Kevin is home alone on Halloween Night or is he?
Julia X
A talent scout finds a star
You Wait For It, Like It Waits For You
The horror of recovery
With author story notes at the back this is a collection that is marvellously malevolent.
The Second Hand
Remember those idyllic summer days of endless childhood adventure with your friends? This starts that way and then veers into madness.
Distinguishing Features
Joe is unlucky in love and it seems life is taking him apart bit by bit.
Attaboy
A father and son relationship reaches an end over the cricket.
Reclamation
The cleaner versus the chemicals in a holiday cabin in the hills.
I Used to Live Here
A stranger invited in leaves something behind.
Blackjack
In the mountains the air is thinner and can send a man crazy.
Doorwatch
Ned has to watch the door, he knows if he doesn’t they will come through although, he has no idea who “they” are.
The App
There’s an app for everything right? So why not try one that will treat phobias.
Let The Dark Do The Rest
Kevin is home alone on Halloween Night or is he?
Julia X
A talent scout finds a star
You Wait For It, Like It Waits For You
The horror of recovery
With author story notes at the back this is a collection that is marvellously malevolent.
March 2, 2025
This is a creepy collection, and aptly titled since these dark and distressing stories fried my nerves. In the best ways of course. Some of my favorites were :
Distinguishing Features- After a breakup, a man suffers a series of bizarre experiences that he hopes are merely an elaborate hoax. This was a tense and chilling tale.
The Second Hand- A man recounts the summer of 1989 when his childhood friend disappeared. What feels almost like a charming coming of age tale set in my favorite decade, turns terrifying.
Attaboy- This story is heavy with grief, regret, loss and loneliness. Maybe a touch of the Tell-Tale Heart too.
Reclamation- The day in the life of a hard working housekeeper takes a deadly turn.
I used to live here- On a cold winter day in 1981 an act of kindness proves the old saying that no good deed goes unpunished.
The App- in which a woman tries to cure herself of anxiety and crippling fears by way of a helpful app on her phone. We've all seen them. Free or low cost apps that promise weight loss, relaxation, or a better night's sleep. Maybe you've wondered what there is to lose by giving it a try. Here's the answer.
Let The Dark Do The Rest-It's an hour before midnight on Halloween and a man spends a terrifying evening alone while waiting for his wife to come home. What's really out there waiting for us all in the dark?
All the stories were excellent! These are just the ones that stick in my mind the most.
There is nothing I enjoy more than a well-crafted horror story, except for an entire collection full of them, and that is what I found here in Nerve Endings.
Distinguishing Features- After a breakup, a man suffers a series of bizarre experiences that he hopes are merely an elaborate hoax. This was a tense and chilling tale.
The Second Hand- A man recounts the summer of 1989 when his childhood friend disappeared. What feels almost like a charming coming of age tale set in my favorite decade, turns terrifying.
Attaboy- This story is heavy with grief, regret, loss and loneliness. Maybe a touch of the Tell-Tale Heart too.
Reclamation- The day in the life of a hard working housekeeper takes a deadly turn.
I used to live here- On a cold winter day in 1981 an act of kindness proves the old saying that no good deed goes unpunished.
The App- in which a woman tries to cure herself of anxiety and crippling fears by way of a helpful app on her phone. We've all seen them. Free or low cost apps that promise weight loss, relaxation, or a better night's sleep. Maybe you've wondered what there is to lose by giving it a try. Here's the answer.
Let The Dark Do The Rest-It's an hour before midnight on Halloween and a man spends a terrifying evening alone while waiting for his wife to come home. What's really out there waiting for us all in the dark?
All the stories were excellent! These are just the ones that stick in my mind the most.
There is nothing I enjoy more than a well-crafted horror story, except for an entire collection full of them, and that is what I found here in Nerve Endings.
January 17, 2026
I've made it no secret that I love KPB's stuff. I invited him to be in the first anthology I published, October Screams, and that story is republished in Nerve Endings. KPB's got a way with words and characters that connects with me, and I guess I never realized until I read him talk about it in the afterword here that one of his big influences was Charles L. Grant, who I used to read incessantly in my younger days.
Loved most of these stories. Worst I can say is that sometimes they end a bit abruptly, making them feel like parts of a story that aren't finished, but man are they always fascinating to read.
Loved most of these stories. Worst I can say is that sometimes they end a bit abruptly, making them feel like parts of a story that aren't finished, but man are they always fascinating to read.
March 3, 2025
NERVE ENDINGS is the latest short story collection by must read author Kealan Patrick Burke. It contains shorty stories both new and already published in previous anthologies.
KPB is one of my favorite authors for good reason. His stories can be both highly unsettling and downright creepy. This is his first published work in a little while, but it is my understanding that he has two novels coming up!
Buy this now and get your KPB fix.
KPB is one of my favorite authors for good reason. His stories can be both highly unsettling and downright creepy. This is his first published work in a little while, but it is my understanding that he has two novels coming up!
Buy this now and get your KPB fix.
March 9, 2025
Very Engrossing
This is the fastest I have read a book in years. I didn't want to put it down, but I had to go to work. I feel this book was well worth my time.
This is the fastest I have read a book in years. I didn't want to put it down, but I had to go to work. I feel this book was well worth my time.
April 2, 2025
Possibly the best short story collection I've ever encountered.
April 14, 2025
Awesome collection as always 👌 ❤️
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews