The Laws of Nature: A Collection of Short Stories of Horror, Anxiety, Tragedy and Loss

by Ashley Franz Holzmann

There is a dark side to human nature that neither can be wished away nor completely mitigated. Ashley Franz Holzmann details just several of these “Laws of Nature” before taking his readers on a journey through the bizarre, the terrifying, and, ultimately, the disturbingly real truths that underlie much of modern American life. Ashley makes his debut into the horror genre with “The Stump,” a story about an afternoon trot through the woods that quickly becomes a blood bath—and, much as it does for that story’s monster, the scent of fear will only lure veteran horror readers further through the forest. A teenager’s vanity will likely cause his town to be consumed by a roaming swarm of insects that burst forth from his acne-riddled skin in “White Heads;” entire populations vanish into the void of the Alaskan tundra in “Glass Houses;” and superiority takes the form of a murdering, sadistic woman in “Lady Macbeth.” But Ashley’s best retellings focus less on gore and adrenaline and instead take human psychology as their medium, as demonstrated in “Plastic Glasses,” where readers are brought into a world of disturbing personality and mental disorders. Ashley’s work abounds with stories in this vein, stories which grab a hold of a common failing—such as marital friction in “Hush,” or American male frustration in “Orpheus’s Lot”—and take it to an extreme that is nevertheless not inconceivable for most people. Coming from the mind of a man who has experienced more than his fair share of humanity, "The Laws of Nature" is, at its finest, a description of universal emotions of loss, nostalgia, anxiety, and soul-penetrating terror. Ashley’s stories elicit empathy from his readers and draw them into worlds where they both acknowledge and cuddle with their fears and which leave them, ultimately, more human.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Fiction

166 pages, Paperback

First published November 5, 2014

About the author

A boy named Sue, named Ashley. Born of veterans in foreign lands and raised around the world, he now lives in North Carolina with his wife, three children and a Great Dane named Rhino.

Visit asforclass.com to learn more about Ashley, or to sign up for his mailing list to receive an exclusive and free novella.

His mailing list is also the best way to learn about upcoming projects, exclusive deals, and opportunities for free advanced versions of his work.

Beat Navy.

Reviews

[Greg at 2 Book Lovers Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

For this review, I am going to have to take a step back and put myself in the shoes of an aspiring author. I’ve got some stories that I want to tell. I’ve put endless hours of time and thought into these stories. I want to know if I have it, that skill of an author to bring people into my world and make them feel what I feel. How should I do this? I’ll take these stories that I have and release them as a collection of short stories so that readers can get to know me as an author.

This really is a great idea. Ashley Franz Holzmann has put together a great collection of horror stories. He has demonstrated himself to be a very cerebral horror writer. I really got a sense of what I would get from a full length novel. And this is where I have my problem as a reader. Ashely Franz Holzmann is a very talented writer, he has the ability to create fantastic characters and create enthralling worlds. I just wanted more from them, a better connection to the characters and a fully developed story. To put it bluntly, the short stories were too damn short.

It’s great to see new, talented authors venturing into the publishing world, who are willing to push the limits and try something different. If you enjoy short horror stories, then The Laws of Nature would be perfect for you. But if you’re like me, I’ll be looking forward to a full length novel from Ashley Franz Holzmann, one that I can really sink my teeth into.

*3.5 Stars​

[Akshat Solanki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a dark piece of work consisting of short stories arising from fear, pain, horror, death. It consists of different stories that describe the various ways that create the darkness in peoples’ life. The author brings to light the feelings that are mysteriously hidden in the darkest corners of the heart but cast off when they are faced with the moments that can truly squeeze the life out of them. The fear on seeing a ghost and fear tickling down their spine, the guilt of murdering someone, the trouble of experiencing depression, the pain of facing the loss of a loved one, the desolate feeling, the urge to gain popularity are only some of the distress that the author has touched upon. It’s about the childhood fears coming true in the most dreaded manner.
The experience after reading the book was of feeling a little horrid, gloomy and aware of the Gun wanted disturbances in the life. It gave me goosebumps as the author dwelled into the black valleys, where there is no chance to come out of it and where the cold death seems to be the only solution to come out of the misery. The author has gathered all the dark elements that exist around us and even within us and created stories that are inspired by the incidents that have touched upon him in his lifetime. The author has used the dark emotions of anger, depression, loss, incurable pain as the story drivers in his book.

This book can be burdening and heavy for people who are light hearted and weak. Since this book displays strong emotions that contribute to anti-happiness of a human, only people who have the strength to bear the weight and are ready to go through the whole ordeal should go for this book.

[Biswanath Banerjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a Cold-shivery night. You are under the warmth of your blanket-asleep. Suddenly your sleep is shattered like a broken glass.
A nightmare that has of late become a daily feature of your sleep, has struck again today. You know that for the night there will be no more sleep on your eyelids.
Are you going to be an insomnia patient?
Or the nightmare that haunts you every night has something to deal with your subconscious?
And this night-will it be the same as every night or will be something different?
The attraction of dark, horror stories to the minds of the readers is timeless. Practically we do enjoy such stories more than any genre-yes, I repeat more than any genre.

Full review at
https://jayasreesown.wordpress.com/20...

[David]

A collection of horror stories, often with more of a psychological angle than a supernatural one. The collection opens with "The Stump," a tale of a man confronting the monster who used to lurk under his bed, which takes some decidedly dark turns. "Lady Macbeth" was a strong tale that told about a person interviewing a serial killer and finds herself drawn a little too far into the serial killer's world. Perhaps the one that will stick with me most was "White Heads" about a teen so desperate to eliminate his acne problem that he orders a cream from an internet company with horrifying results. The collection was both a little narrative heavy and full of teen angst for my personal taste, though there's also a lot here for fans of horror to like.

[Juan Vera · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good collection of stories, had some intense or very sad moments but enjoyed it.

[Jennifer Kirkwood (Levac) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Audiobookreviewer.com. I received a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This is a novel of short stories of horror, mental illness, trauma and more. A few of these stories are very unbelievable - The Stump especially but it is more of a horror story. The rest of them are more believable and very creepy. One story that really got to me was Clarissa, the story is set out as an "writer" recording his story about meeting a killer named Clarissa and how she went about killing her victims. The narrator does a great job pulling the listening into this story, making you fell like he is speaking to you. At the end of it the "writer" ask how is your writing going Jennifer and a few other questions. Because I am a Jennifer and was totally engrossed into this story I was totally thrown off and freaked out. It was likely my favourite story. I also enjoyed the one about a truck driver explaining about how he drives truck and the safety that he has to deal with all the time, the other drivers out on the road and accidents. Another story is about a man who talks about losing his son to SIDs and hearing the baby still crying at night on the baby monitor, as the reader I felt he was just going through his grieving but in the end it isn't what you would expect. If you enjoy creepy stories this is a great compilation that you should check out.

The narrator, Mr. Creepy Pasta, is amazing, he engages the readers and makes you feel like he is just talking to you. He really gets into the stories and "acts" them out verses reading them. There is music playing in the background for most of it but it really adds to the stories and makes things seem creepier. Mr. Creepy Pasta is an amazing voice for horror stories. I really enjoyed his narration so much that I looked him up on YouTube and have listened to more horror stories on his channel.

I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars. I will look for more from this author and the narrator.

[Melanie Marsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Laws of Nature is full of short horror stories that can really mess with your head. It was a great read. There is a wide variety of subjects written about and every single one of them had something different going on in one aspect or another. This book had me guessing through the entire thing. There were a few that I could figure out what was going to happen, but the majority of the time I was surprised.

Several of the stories in this book totally creeped me out, and one in particular actually kept me awake at night. This is how horror stories should be. Some have psychological elements, and some are more straightforward. Each story is unique from anything else I’ve ever read and some are, frankly, quite disturbing.

I honestly can’t think of even one negative thing to say about The Laws of Nature. It’s obvious to me that Holzmann has a very creative and twisted mind. I recommend this book to anyone who likes to be scared and is looking for something that is different from the same run of the mill types of horror or speculative fiction stories. These stories are worth every minute you spend reading. There were a few stories that I wouldn’t have minded if they were written as novellas or even as full-length stories. Though I do think, having them short and sweet may have more of an impact on how creepy they are.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely wonderful collection of short stories! Ashley writes these stories in such a hauntingly, thoughtful way that will leave the horror sticking with you forever, sometimes parts of the book creep into my head when I least want them to. I love how it isn't horror in an overly obvious way but instead in a way that picks at every part of your brain as you read them. Definitely a must read!

[Jen Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is not often that I am actually disturbed by a story. Ashley Franz Holzmann managed to creep me out at least three times in this collection of short stories. Looking forward to more from her in the future.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this one; someone suggested it to me as a more "alternative horror" book. They were right, in a way. I enjoyed the stories, largely because they were in short and very digestible pieces. That said, only a few really struck me as disturbing and creepy.

[Albert Kundrat]

A Gorgeous Compilation of Short Stories by an extremely talented and contemporary Author: A West Point Graduate Par Excellance!

[Gillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title of this book is not kidding when it says tales of anxiety, tragedy & loss! Some of the stories were so brutal I had to take a break, you can picture who and what he is describing as if you were watching it unveil in front of you. For short stories I was surprised with how much detail is packed in each, before I even finished this audible I purchased a hard copy to re-read because some of the stories I couldn't get out of my head! I need to read anything this man has written! Mr. Creepy Pasta raises the anxiety level with his above and beyond narrative! The voices he does & his quick reading, actually intensifies the story quite drastically! I listened on Audible. This is for sure not for the faint of heart. TW for every single story, this one got to me.

[Tg · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just couldn't get into this, I finished it in the end and maybe I am missing something but it felt basic to me...and it was a bit depressing...I really wanted to like it too...it seems very sincere..

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful little collection of horror and grief.

[Alan Villafana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done horror anthologies and the audio version having Mr. Creepy Pasta narrating makes the stories extra spooky!

[Namrata Ganti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stemming from real life experiences to stories of fiction, this anthology of short stories explores the human psych and the genre of horror. The stories are diverse and the author focuses on fear as one of the main points of many of his stories. It is difficult to pick up or pin-point any one story as they are all similar and different in many ways. The author writes in an abstract style, sometimes seeming to be impersonal. Many of the stories are in first person and the rest a narration. Murder, hate, suicide, fear, life and finally the human psych are some of the topics explored through the stories.

The author will force the reader to think and experience each of the feelings through the stories and inspire them to think. There is so much food for thought and introspection. As a result of reading this anthology, the reader will come away affected, but much more human, stemming from a realization of sorts. It is difficult to describe this as it will differ from person to person, but it is clear that the reader will experience a vast number of emotions in this collection of stories.

Read this for a rare and interesting experience.

[Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Laws of Nature” written by Ashley Franz Holzmann is an anthology that manages to mess with your head and create in reader’s mind kind of sense horror stories suppose to - the thrill and uncertainty.

In his collection conveniently subtitled “A Collection of Short Stories of Horror, Anxiety, Tragedy and Loss” the author delivers 19 short stories on diverse themes, made in different style, while this collection ends with the letter from the author in which he explains whole collection could be attributed to his meeting with a man named Patrick Albright.

The author also gives us a history of his anthology; his collection began with thirty stories and then reduced by the test readers and his editor to final number of nineteen published stories. Though Holzmann confesses struggling with the order of the stories, especially the first and the last one, I think he did an excellent job when it comes to ordering them in a way that will keep reader interested until the very last of them. The last of his stories “Cold Static” is actually my favorite, with its theme of dying and constant reborn.

Speaking of his style, not doubt Holzmann is a talented author that manages to convey great stories, believable characters and convincing worlds, and hopefully this anthology would give him the strength and confidence to go one step forward and write a bit longer works, novel maybe. He has capabilities and style - that I can guarantee.

Overall, “The Laws of Nature” is a good horror collection coming from an emerging name Ashley Franz Holzmann, and though young, all of his stories have that particular quality of lasting in our minds long after ending words have been read.

Hence his anthology can be recommended not only to horror short stories fans, though they can freely increase my rating for an additional star.

I was given a copy of this book by the author for the purpose of unbiased review, while all the presented information is based on my impressions.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s been a long time since I was this excited about a new author. Probably one of the best horror anthologies I have read. In “The Laws of Nature” author Ashley Holzmann assembles a collection of the most visceral, disturbing and exciting horror stories that I’ve had the pleasure of reading.
Holzmann explores every variation of nightmare possible in this collection, from dark horror fantasy, to the anxiety of the modern human psyche with expert skill. In each story the author find a new way to push at the soft barriers of your own comfort zone, and then through it, in a deliciously detailed and disturbing way.
This book was a pleasure to climb into, and as a fellow author I found the level of skill and quality inspirational and motivating for my own work.
My most highly recommended horror book of 2016.

[Haniya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original Post: http://booknauthors.blogspot.com/2016...

Another amazing novel that I read! The Laws Of Nature was an amazing mixture of short stories which took my breath away! Each story was unique and flawlessly written! There was so much tension in each story. I finished the book real quick and couldn't stop reading because a) the book was short & b) the stories had too much depression. There were so many I swear so many horror scenes that it was quite actually terrifying. The writing style of the author was amazing. 

I'd recommend this novel to 16+ readers due to sexual violent scenes. Totally amazing for horror readers.

[Boundless Book Reviews · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, I did not know what to expect when I picked up this book. I have never been one for short stories. They always seem to short to me, like they are missing so much detail, leaving so much from the story.

I have to say this book was unique. It was scary and sad. It was not what I was expecting it to be at all. I can't say I loved it but I can't say it was horrible. Some of the stories were very disturbing to the mind....Stormi


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