Lingering Things: 18 Dark Tales

by Dana Noraas, Dave Dick (Illustrator)

Remember the scary stories you read as a kid huddled under the covers with only a trembling flashlight to keep the shadows at bay?

Those nightmares are back, darker than ever. And they’ve been waiting for you to grow up.

A boy’s experiments with a strange force in his basement lead to a horrific new law of physics. A veteran bouncer is followed by a naked man that no one else can see. After her partner is gruesomely killed by a bear, a woman must fight for survival against the elements and other dangers that lurk in the shadows. Criminals pose as authority figures to torment a group of teenage boys on a camping trip in the remote wilderness.

In this collection of 18 uniquely terrifying tales, Dana Noraas resurrects the spirit of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark for an adult audience that knows true fear is far more than a bump in the night.

Welcome back to the dark. It missed you.

“I literally couldn’t put it down. A great read.”—Lyndsey Gallagher, author of Ruin Me

“Dana Noraas is a writer talented at delivering the scares.”—Kathryn Grace Loves Horror

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Fiction

247 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 10, 2025

Reviews

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars!

LINGERING THINGS and Other Dark Tales: A Horror Anthology, is a collection of stories by author Dana Noraas. Single author collections--as well as anthologies--are often a hit-or-miss deal for me. In a multi-author anthology, I figure there's a good chance I'll like at least half of the tales, with a few stand-outs. However, when you have a book of offerings all written by the same person, the results tend to be more uneven--at least, in my opinion.

Everything--aside from the particular tastes/preferences of the reader--hinges upon this one author. How is their style? Does every story sound the same, or do the themes vary? Do the characters remind you of dozens of others, or are they somewhat unique and imaginative?

This particular book consisted of 15 individual tales, each of varying length and topic. Of these, I rated the vast majority five-stars, based on their style, originality, and the fact that they were able to affect me with occasional shivers, looking over my shoulder, and two stories in particular have me never wanting to venture into my basement again! The rest I rated four-stars, with the exception of only two tales. Of those two, one I simply didn't "connect with"--my own personal taste. The other felt like a variation of a common theme. To be fair, that one did have its own twists, but they didn't surprise me particularly.

Overall, I am looking at a solid collection of stories that I would not hesitate to recommend to other horror fans out there. Some personal favorites of mine included:

--"The Lonely": This one hit all the right emotions. At times almost poetic, it was poignant and deep reaching--making me feel for the characters. "The Lonely dwells in a dark forest made of the shards of shattered hope . . . "

--"Hotel": The one selection of poetry, this painted a picture that was all TOO real . . . and difficult to banish.

--"Lingering Things": While I would have loved more explanation on this title piece, there is no denying the dreadful atmosphere that grabs you right from the start and never lets up. This one would make a good start to a novella or novel length book, in my humble opinion.

--"Unrest": The last, and one of the shortest of the offerings. I felt that its placement in the collection, and the meaning behind it, was the absolute perfect choice.

--"1999": Wow! Sums this one up in one word. This is one of those stories that carries nearly too much of an element of truth in it. I just couldn't shake that creeping sensation afterwards! ". . . I don't have to almost drown to appreciate breathing . . . "

--"Bar Shadows": These last two tales I'm highlighting are tied for my personal favorites. This inclusion was short and simple, yet genuinely gave me chills that lasted long after I finished it. I can still vividly recall the effectively set atmosphere and each individual scene. (I've re-read this one twice so far and have gotten the same feeling each time!)

--"Newton's Third": I think the purposeful ambiguity of this story is sheer genius. Told from the point-of-view of kids, this was very effective in conveying the underlying wonder, terror, and fear of their situation directly to the reader. To say this one got under my skin is putting it mildly! ". . . They said that they heard the other voices . . . "

A FANTASTIC collection of tales that makes me look forward to reading more from this author! One additional note: the illustrations in the book were perfect alongside the stories.

Highly recommended.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book of horrors! The stories were unnerving and gave me the chills but also left me wanting to read more. My favorite stories were “The Lonely” (that might stay with me forever) and “Good Boy”. I love that the title of this book includes the word lingering because that is exactly what these stories do – linger in your mind. The illustrations are creepy and perfectly paired with each story. I look forward to reading more from this author.

[Mcf1nder_sk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before I started diving into some long-anticipated novels for my #31daysofhorrorreads challenge, I wanted to read a couple of horror anthologies first to get into the mood. This collection of short stories by @dbhorrorwriter was near the top of my list. This was the first book by Noraas, and what a notable premiere it was to the horror genre. There is a varied collection of horror on display within these pages, ranging from wild animals and the evils of humanity to the supernatural frights most authors expose to the daylight.
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Noraas' writing is rather smooth, and she had displayed a fine grasp of creating realistic characters and making them empathetic. The storylines are easy to follow, and the tension is nicely built throughout the tales. I would like to see how the author progresses through her writing career with longer works, possibly novellas or even full-length novels, but so far this had been a very auspicious beginning.
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My Rating: 4.5/5 starts

[Iris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good beginning- there's a kernal of something real in there. The writing lacks some character, and the stories feel like they need a good editor or another few drafts. But it's a solid beginning to a writing career, and it's not often that we get to see this kind of early work. I'm excited to see what the author comes out with in the future.

[Brian Rudolph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written book with excellent illustrations to goad your mind into diving into the stories. Moving between monstrous fantasy and true-life possibility, one way or another youll find yourself looking over your shoulder and focusing on that shadow over there a little harder.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dana Noraas revisits the short terror tales of childhood with her anthology Lingering Things and Other Dark Tales. Inspired by the classic series Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, each of the fifteen segments are accompanied by a black and white sketch that hints at the horrors within. The opening act, A Mother's Love, deals with a being that mimics family members while absorbing them into itself. Bar Shadows finds a patron pursued by an eerie figure all the way to his own locked bedroom. The titular creature of The Lonely feeds off human solitude, only to finally meet its end after gorging on a favorite meal. A summer friendship is struck up in 1999, only for one of the boys to be revealed as a revenant left over from years before. A blind woman avoids a deal with the devil in Sight, while a new tenant discovers that a hungry presence resides in her rental house during Lingering Things. A pair of hikers encounters both a mother grizzly and a violent mountain lion as Apex unfolds; the poetical Hotel tells of a boogeyman follow a traveler back from abroad. Family is the lengthiest tale at three chapters long, featuring a woman's encounter with a Southern clan that "adopts" lost travelers as new additions to their kin. Documenting a strange gravitational event in a basement leads to the untimely deaths of both a son and mother in Newton's Third, an invisible spirit protects his female charges with bloody zeal during We, and a terrifying creature abducts children from the streets as Whistle for Me unfolds. Trust follows a group of high school seniors set upon during their camping trip by a trio of unhinged woodsmen, and Good Boy features a dog's point-of-view attempt to save his humans from an intruder. The book concludes with Unrest, as an author's typing battle with depression turns out to have physical consequences in the real world. Dana Noraas does a fine job of dusting off older tales of fright, adding a fresh coat of paint or two, and representing them for her audience. The brevity of the stories seems to work against her, despite attempts to match the previous successes of her aforementioned literary inspirations; the longer entries allow for a greater build up of anxiety. The smaller pieces seem to peter out too soon, or rush to a hasty conclusion. Lingering Things and Other Dark Tales are a fun flashback to childhood scares, but future collections will benefit from the writer's maturation.

[Leah Horton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from the author Dana Noraas after winning a giveaway on her IG page. I was super stoked that after I couldn’t get the e book she sent me a signed copy. ( @dbhorrorwriter )

This book was really well written. There were a lot of themes touched on here that made me very uncomfortable, but in a really scary/spooky way. I found the writing was equatable to old school campfire scary stories. I really liked Lingering Things and Apex. I read this book at our family cabin and now I’m afraid to sleep.


This book is absolutely not for everyone. But if you love horror stories, and things that make you squirm then definitely pick up a copy of this book

[Amanda (spooky.octopus.reads) Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book seriously was like a grown up version of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, complete with spooky illustrations accompanying each tale. My favorite stories had to have been The Lonely and the namesake, Lingering Things. I really don’t want to give away the stories, but just know that they will haunt you well after you put the book down. They are written in such a way that they seem so believable yet so unbelievable at the same time. Also, can I just say that any horror that involves kids always creeps me out just a little more....

I think you should pick up a copy of this book, and get ready for a quick, but satisfyingly eerie read.

[Kathryn Grace Loves Horror · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warning: There’s a lot of animal death in this collection. I struggle with reading about that on a good day, but after spending 8 hours with my cat at the animal ER the night before I started this book, I really wasn’t in the mood for it.

Aside from that, Lingering Things is a very well written collection, and Dana Noraas is a writer talented at delivering the scares. The title story in particular is genuinely unnerving. The illustrations by Dave Dick that accompany the stories are also top notch, shadowy and unsettling.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good horror anthology book

I purchased this during Halloween and I would read a story every night, very late at night, and they were all very good,some weren't even scary but the suspenders there,and I enjoy suspense very much. Recommend this book! Great for Halloween,really got me into the spirit

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid anthology

Highly enjoyed this collection of short stories! Extremely well written and I look forward to the author's future works. Definitely recommend picking up this anthology.

[Melissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF - I could not get past the writing style. It was info-dumpy and bland. The concepts were pretty ok, but some would have come across better as flash fiction rather than with so many unnecessary details. This would have appealed better to the imagination, in my opinion.

[Lyndsey Gallagher · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s not my normal genre but this book was suggested to me by a friend and I literally couldn’t put it down. A great read. Can’t wait to see mire from this author.

[Ashley F · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing short stories. Each one was fantastic and unique

[Meghan Kurth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great!

I wouldn't necessarily call the entire book "horror", but these are all interesting stories nonetheless! Good read, I would recommend.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spine chilling!

[tammy r. blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

I love a good anthology and this is it. The title does exactly as it says, these stories do linger.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was basically Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark for adults, down to the creepy illustrations that steal the show. Like with most short story collections, there were one or two stand-outs and the rest "eh".