What do you think?
Rate this book
Dead Harvest: A Collection of Dark Tales
Each year, as summer fades to memory, and the sky begins to grow dark, and the leaves change color and fall, the faint, fetid scent of death—of slowly rotting things—begins to drift in, hanging on the chill air like a ghostly pall, making us wonder what this year's harvest will produce.
Well...the harvest is here. And it's dead.
With these 50 dark tales (and nearly 700 pages of terror!) readers will experience fear, depravity, love, and loss. And a kind of chill that won't soon leave your bones.
DEAD HARVEST is a crop like no other—and includes stories from: Richard Chizmar, Tim Lebbon, Jeff Strand, Ronald Malfi, Greg F. Gifune, James A. Moore, Benjamin Kane Ethridge, Tim Waggoner, David Bernstein, Richard Thomas, Jon Michael Kelley, Brian Kirk, Chad P. Brown, Lori R. Lopez, Stuart Keane, Tim Jeffreys, Ahimsa Kerp, C.M. Saunders, Martin Reaves, M.L. Roos, Gregory L. Norris, Angeline Trevena, Jeremy Peterson, Christine Sutton, Gregor Cole, Lori Safranek, Jaime Johnesee, Bear Weiter, Kyle Yadlosky, Aaron Gudmunson, Sara Brooke, C.L. Hernandez, Patrick Lacey, John Grover, Todd Keisling, Jason Andrew, Dana Wright, Andrew Bell, E.G. Smith, Amy Grech, Mark Patrick Lynch, Wayland Smith, Jonathan Templar, Marie Robinson, Michael McGlade, Jordan Phelps, Nick Nafpliotis, Matthew Pedersen, Bryan Clark—and introducing Billy Chizmar.
Enter the harvest and get lost . . .
(Editor: Mark Parker, Scarlet Galleon Publications, LLC)
Well...the harvest is here. And it's dead.
With these 50 dark tales (and nearly 700 pages of terror!) readers will experience fear, depravity, love, and loss. And a kind of chill that won't soon leave your bones.
DEAD HARVEST is a crop like no other—and includes stories from: Richard Chizmar, Tim Lebbon, Jeff Strand, Ronald Malfi, Greg F. Gifune, James A. Moore, Benjamin Kane Ethridge, Tim Waggoner, David Bernstein, Richard Thomas, Jon Michael Kelley, Brian Kirk, Chad P. Brown, Lori R. Lopez, Stuart Keane, Tim Jeffreys, Ahimsa Kerp, C.M. Saunders, Martin Reaves, M.L. Roos, Gregory L. Norris, Angeline Trevena, Jeremy Peterson, Christine Sutton, Gregor Cole, Lori Safranek, Jaime Johnesee, Bear Weiter, Kyle Yadlosky, Aaron Gudmunson, Sara Brooke, C.L. Hernandez, Patrick Lacey, John Grover, Todd Keisling, Jason Andrew, Dana Wright, Andrew Bell, E.G. Smith, Amy Grech, Mark Patrick Lynch, Wayland Smith, Jonathan Templar, Marie Robinson, Michael McGlade, Jordan Phelps, Nick Nafpliotis, Matthew Pedersen, Bryan Clark—and introducing Billy Chizmar.
Enter the harvest and get lost . . .
(Editor: Mark Parker, Scarlet Galleon Publications, LLC)
692 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 5, 2014
30 people are currently reading
362 people want to read
About the author
Mark Parker
16 books1 followerMark Parker is the founder, publisher, and managing editor of Scarlet Galleon Publications, a small press publishing company that specializes in horror and dark speculative fiction.
Parker has published several novels and edited numerous anthologies.
Parker has published several novels and edited numerous anthologies.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 19, 2014
Dead Harvest is a collection of 50 individual stories from different authors, all designed to chill and thrill the reader. I find it SO hard to rate anthologies because there is always stand out stories, okay stories and then stories that are just not that great. It never seems fair on the writers who have contributed something great to get a lower rating due to others alongside. However, I shall rate and review dear reader!
ITS ALWAYS DARKEST BEFORE THE HARVEST!
Each year, as summer quickly fades to memory, and the sky begins to grow dark, and the leaves change color and fall, the faint, fetid scent of death—of slowly rotting things—begins to drift in, hanging on the chill air like a ghostly pall. Making us wonder, what the coming harvest will produce. Well...the harvest is here. And it is dead.
Think corn fields, scarecrows, harvest time, crops then add in creepy stuff, scary stuff, horrible stuff, graphic stuff, death, decay, rot, rebirth and retribution. I think that gives you the general picture?
Overall I only found a few of the stories in this collection even remotely scary, and that was a little disappointing, some of the stories I finished and was saying "is that it?" as the story had very little impact, others stood out as being a cut above and did get the chill factor happening for me. I just wanted to be scared more, terrified more, disturbed more than what I was (weird person I know).
So, I will share with you my stand out stories from this collection, these are the ones I would rate 4-5 stars and really loved:
Retribution - Dana Wright
Hodmedod - Stuart Keane
What Lurks Within the Darkest Wealds - Matthew Pederson
Harberry Close - C.M. Saunders
And, these were my stories I liked, not quite the standard of the above but still good and enjoyable 3 star stories:
Red Fuel - Jonathan Templar
Ablation - M.L. Roos
House of Nettle and Thorn - Todd Keisling
Nails - Jeff Strand
The Flower Dies - Kyle Yadlosky
As for the rest, could take or leave really. It's a large collection of stories so I am sure there is something in here for everybody. I did find reading similar themes in many of the stories got a bit repetitive at times, seen one harvest or corn field, seen them all kind of thing, if you know what I mean.
Overall, again, struggling to rate it overall I will give it 3.5 stars, it was good but did not have the terror and scare factor (for the most part) that I was really wanting from it. I wanted to be more like this..
I received a copy of Dead Harvest from Stuart Keane, one of the talented authors featured in this collection, many thanks for the opportunity to read and review it
ITS ALWAYS DARKEST BEFORE THE HARVEST!
Each year, as summer quickly fades to memory, and the sky begins to grow dark, and the leaves change color and fall, the faint, fetid scent of death—of slowly rotting things—begins to drift in, hanging on the chill air like a ghostly pall. Making us wonder, what the coming harvest will produce. Well...the harvest is here. And it is dead.
Think corn fields, scarecrows, harvest time, crops then add in creepy stuff, scary stuff, horrible stuff, graphic stuff, death, decay, rot, rebirth and retribution. I think that gives you the general picture?
Overall I only found a few of the stories in this collection even remotely scary, and that was a little disappointing, some of the stories I finished and was saying "is that it?" as the story had very little impact, others stood out as being a cut above and did get the chill factor happening for me. I just wanted to be scared more, terrified more, disturbed more than what I was (weird person I know).
So, I will share with you my stand out stories from this collection, these are the ones I would rate 4-5 stars and really loved:
Retribution - Dana Wright
Hodmedod - Stuart Keane
What Lurks Within the Darkest Wealds - Matthew Pederson
Harberry Close - C.M. Saunders
And, these were my stories I liked, not quite the standard of the above but still good and enjoyable 3 star stories:
Red Fuel - Jonathan Templar
Ablation - M.L. Roos
House of Nettle and Thorn - Todd Keisling
Nails - Jeff Strand
The Flower Dies - Kyle Yadlosky
As for the rest, could take or leave really. It's a large collection of stories so I am sure there is something in here for everybody. I did find reading similar themes in many of the stories got a bit repetitive at times, seen one harvest or corn field, seen them all kind of thing, if you know what I mean.
Overall, again, struggling to rate it overall I will give it 3.5 stars, it was good but did not have the terror and scare factor (for the most part) that I was really wanting from it. I wanted to be more like this..
I received a copy of Dead Harvest from Stuart Keane, one of the talented authors featured in this collection, many thanks for the opportunity to read and review it
March 14, 2020
As with the vast majority of anthologies, my enjoyment of these stories varied tremendously, so I'm having trouble figuring out what to say about it. So here goes a little experiment. I'm going to just look through my notes in my Kindle, and see what sprouts.
The anthology opens strong with Autumn Lamb, an utterly gruesome story of a farmer attempting to keep his farm going as predators keep tearing apart his herd, predators that keep coming back, oozing a yellow goo, which then spreads to one of his lambs. Eventually his despair leads him to inoculate himself with the goo, the results of which are expected, but have terrible consequences. The quote I highlighted was
something I am actively experiencing. The ending of this story was perfect in its hopelessness.
The second story Villianwood was almost equally good, with a premise of a colony tree spreading via roots, destroying and enveloping houses, and providing the means for creatures, dubbed elves by the children in the story, to establish a foothold in this world. There were some fantastically nasty moments in this story, such as "The mother elf tried to grab the carving knife, but Katrina caught up with her and connected better this time, driving soupy purple brains around the bat in a flourish. The mother dropped dead there, but she kept beating her until the head puddled on the floor." Nice.
On the other hand, Bringing In The Sheaves was mediocre, relying on brutal and cheap killing of animals in attempt to horrify, so fuck that story.
Eaten Un-Alive was another stand-out with a vampires-vs-zombies premise in which the zombies have disrupted the carefully managed food supply. This story was harsh, with just the right amount of violence and gore.
Weeper was based on a concept of a man battling stream of doppelgangers attempting to replace him, and the increasing difficult time he has of dealing with the repeated murders of himself, and how to keep them concealed. I think that the title may actually be "Keeper" based on the ending.
Towards the end there were a couple stupid stories both based on the naturalistic fallacy, the first being Cornstalker which was just mildly dumb, and then Seeds Of Change which was nothing more than a propaganda piece lifted directly from all the worst arguments used by proponents for the Organic industry, and anti-GMO pundits, right down to the false claim that Monsanto (subtly named Chemsol in this witless yarn) sued honest farmers for having seeds blown into their fields. This piece of crap was extremely in its anti-science rhetoric, and contained a bounty of lies and misinformation, all justified I'm guessing by being "just a story". On top of that it contained no real story, and certainly no new or interesting ideas.
On The Quest Of The Crow King had a great quote I highlighted: "Religion is an inherent violence, an alien system that controls the way you see the world around you.". I know a lot of people would disagree, but it resonates with me.
And then the penultimate tale which was probably my favorite in the entire collection, Harberry Close in which a mysterious and creepy train trip changes a man's perspective of life for the better. This was a particularly moving story, and very well written.
The anthology opens strong with Autumn Lamb, an utterly gruesome story of a farmer attempting to keep his farm going as predators keep tearing apart his herd, predators that keep coming back, oozing a yellow goo, which then spreads to one of his lambs. Eventually his despair leads him to inoculate himself with the goo, the results of which are expected, but have terrible consequences. The quote I highlighted was
aging was a series of cruel dockings, as if the most vital parts of your life were being pruned away
something I am actively experiencing. The ending of this story was perfect in its hopelessness.
The second story Villianwood was almost equally good, with a premise of a colony tree spreading via roots, destroying and enveloping houses, and providing the means for creatures, dubbed elves by the children in the story, to establish a foothold in this world. There were some fantastically nasty moments in this story, such as "The mother elf tried to grab the carving knife, but Katrina caught up with her and connected better this time, driving soupy purple brains around the bat in a flourish. The mother dropped dead there, but she kept beating her until the head puddled on the floor." Nice.
On the other hand, Bringing In The Sheaves was mediocre, relying on brutal and cheap killing of animals in attempt to horrify, so fuck that story.
Eaten Un-Alive was another stand-out with a vampires-vs-zombies premise in which the zombies have disrupted the carefully managed food supply. This story was harsh, with just the right amount of violence and gore.
Weeper was based on a concept of a man battling stream of doppelgangers attempting to replace him, and the increasing difficult time he has of dealing with the repeated murders of himself, and how to keep them concealed. I think that the title may actually be "Keeper" based on the ending.
Towards the end there were a couple stupid stories both based on the naturalistic fallacy, the first being Cornstalker which was just mildly dumb, and then Seeds Of Change which was nothing more than a propaganda piece lifted directly from all the worst arguments used by proponents for the Organic industry, and anti-GMO pundits, right down to the false claim that Monsanto (subtly named Chemsol in this witless yarn) sued honest farmers for having seeds blown into their fields. This piece of crap was extremely in its anti-science rhetoric, and contained a bounty of lies and misinformation, all justified I'm guessing by being "just a story". On top of that it contained no real story, and certainly no new or interesting ideas.
On The Quest Of The Crow King had a great quote I highlighted: "Religion is an inherent violence, an alien system that controls the way you see the world around you.". I know a lot of people would disagree, but it resonates with me.
And then the penultimate tale which was probably my favorite in the entire collection, Harberry Close in which a mysterious and creepy train trip changes a man's perspective of life for the better. This was a particularly moving story, and very well written.
August 16, 2015
This is a great collection of stories. Probably one of the best I've read. Will all collections you will have some stories you like and some that you don't
This collection had some stories that I thought were so good they could probably be listed on their own.
I have to metion Hodmedod by Stuart Keane & Nails by Jeff Strand. Those two in particular were just fantastic.
Just go check it out. It's a massive collection and the stories are great.
This collection had some stories that I thought were so good they could probably be listed on their own.
I have to metion Hodmedod by Stuart Keane & Nails by Jeff Strand. Those two in particular were just fantastic.
Just go check it out. It's a massive collection and the stories are great.
December 2, 2014
I received Dead Harvest in exchange for an honest review but there are so many stories that it's hard for me to pick a few and base a review on those stories. I felt that I needed to do this based on the overall project.
As a collection it's huge and that alone makes it worth buying. There are stories that are straight up horror and some that aren't but the editor did an amazing job in picking the stories for this because it keeps you from growing bored and skipping through a bunch of shit sandwiches.
The authors here are all good and I was excited as all hell to see that both Stuart Keane and Jeff Strand have stories here and these were the two stories that I read as soon as I started reading this beast.
If you're looking for a solid horror anthology that goes a little deeper and a little off center this is a must read. I expected a few clunkers but that didn't happen here which is surprising given the length of this anthology. Dead Harvest is a 700 page monstrosity that kicks some serious ass.
As a collection it's huge and that alone makes it worth buying. There are stories that are straight up horror and some that aren't but the editor did an amazing job in picking the stories for this because it keeps you from growing bored and skipping through a bunch of shit sandwiches.
The authors here are all good and I was excited as all hell to see that both Stuart Keane and Jeff Strand have stories here and these were the two stories that I read as soon as I started reading this beast.
If you're looking for a solid horror anthology that goes a little deeper and a little off center this is a must read. I expected a few clunkers but that didn't happen here which is surprising given the length of this anthology. Dead Harvest is a 700 page monstrosity that kicks some serious ass.
September 21, 2016
Excellent box set. Great array of stories.
January 11, 2016
What a terror-ific book. Excellent writing from the majority of authors, some original concepts, some creepy, some disturbing, some that are pure nightmare-fuel!
The chilling cover should give you a good indication that the book will be genuinely scary. I mean come on, a scarecrows one and only job is to scare.
This collection spreads through all shadows of darkness with a terror that lingers.
I cannot mention each and every story (as there is a lot!) but I will comment on my favourites. Which is another thing: you certainly get your money's worth with this collection. Plenty to keep you busy (and horrified).
So here we go. The first story was intriguing and very unnerving. Animals on a farm keep getting slaughtered, despite the farmer's best efforts at being pro-active. This isn't helped by the farmer's health declining. But shockingly a sheep brings him something quite miraculous. This particular tale was slow paced but addictive. We as the reader are unsure where this one will go.
Then there is Villainswood. Another unsettling, intriguing yet emotional one. A struggling mother and deformed young boy experience a phenomenon when a tree starts to grow through their house. I have to say this is one of the most original stories I have ever read. Flawless writing and a perfect pace. Characterisation is also excellent, you really get a feel for each character and the difficult, strained connection between mother and son, due to his deformities.
Those two were my favourites, but there are plenty of other great ones in the bunch. A spooky collection with a story for everyone. Despite your horror preference, you'll find at least a few that will appeal to your individual horror needs. Truthfully, there was a couple that didn't really appeal to me, but that is the case with every horror collection. That didn't stop the lesser ones still being very well written.
Overall I urge any horror/suspense reader to check this out. Add it to your list and read on a dark and eerie night, alone. That will get the adrenaline pumping.
The chilling cover should give you a good indication that the book will be genuinely scary. I mean come on, a scarecrows one and only job is to scare.
This collection spreads through all shadows of darkness with a terror that lingers.
I cannot mention each and every story (as there is a lot!) but I will comment on my favourites. Which is another thing: you certainly get your money's worth with this collection. Plenty to keep you busy (and horrified).
So here we go. The first story was intriguing and very unnerving. Animals on a farm keep getting slaughtered, despite the farmer's best efforts at being pro-active. This isn't helped by the farmer's health declining. But shockingly a sheep brings him something quite miraculous. This particular tale was slow paced but addictive. We as the reader are unsure where this one will go.
Then there is Villainswood. Another unsettling, intriguing yet emotional one. A struggling mother and deformed young boy experience a phenomenon when a tree starts to grow through their house. I have to say this is one of the most original stories I have ever read. Flawless writing and a perfect pace. Characterisation is also excellent, you really get a feel for each character and the difficult, strained connection between mother and son, due to his deformities.
Those two were my favourites, but there are plenty of other great ones in the bunch. A spooky collection with a story for everyone. Despite your horror preference, you'll find at least a few that will appeal to your individual horror needs. Truthfully, there was a couple that didn't really appeal to me, but that is the case with every horror collection. That didn't stop the lesser ones still being very well written.
Overall I urge any horror/suspense reader to check this out. Add it to your list and read on a dark and eerie night, alone. That will get the adrenaline pumping.
December 26, 2014
his HUGE 700 page book is exactly what is needed on a cold winter's night. Story after story proved to be successful and thrilling reads, it was difficult to pinpoint a favourite. Three of them were weak, but the other 47? Spot on. They brought the tension, the wit, the horror and the philosophy that I love about creative horror. This is one book I will read and read again. And if this is any indication of Mark Parker as an editor, he is on the right path. If you love big books, if you love intelligent horror, this is for you.
STANDOUTS: AUTUMN LAMB by E.G. SMITH, LEARNED CHILDREN by Ronald MALFI, REAPING A QUIENT LUNACY Martin REAVES, NAILS by Jeff STRAND, REUNION by Bear WEITER, PETER PETER by Christine SUTTON, KATY AND THE GREEN BOY by Lori SAFRANEK, EATEN UN-ALIVE by David BERNSTEIN, WEEPER by Tim WAGGONER, CORNSTALKER by Lori R LOPEZ, and ABLATION by M.L. ROOS....read this book. I am sure you will be thrilled.
STANDOUTS: AUTUMN LAMB by E.G. SMITH, LEARNED CHILDREN by Ronald MALFI, REAPING A QUIENT LUNACY Martin REAVES, NAILS by Jeff STRAND, REUNION by Bear WEITER, PETER PETER by Christine SUTTON, KATY AND THE GREEN BOY by Lori SAFRANEK, EATEN UN-ALIVE by David BERNSTEIN, WEEPER by Tim WAGGONER, CORNSTALKER by Lori R LOPEZ, and ABLATION by M.L. ROOS....read this book. I am sure you will be thrilled.
April 14, 2016
Indulge!
50 stories to fulfill your horror cravings! This sizeable portion of dread offers more than one flavor and bite ... jam-packed with a variety of delicious morsels. All dark ... All well-written ... All satisfying.
50 stories to fulfill your horror cravings! This sizeable portion of dread offers more than one flavor and bite ... jam-packed with a variety of delicious morsels. All dark ... All well-written ... All satisfying.
January 20, 2016
includes such memorable tales as "extreme times, extreme measures" which reminds us to be very careful who we play a joke on, "The end" which reminds us to live as if each day could be your last, the terrifying tale "The Reaping" which asks who really deserves to get vengeance dealt to them and the timely warning tale "Seed of Change" that points the finger at the untested dangers of GMO poisoned foods. Enjoy this book with lights on.
December 30, 2015
Pretty entertaining collection of stories with varied settings and themes although the "harvest" theme was certainly central to the collection overall. A nice addition to my collection with the signed edition.
October 31, 2018
Super hit-and-miss as far as the tales go. There are several really great tales, a few not-so-great ones, and many poorly-written filler tales that are boring. Not my favorite anthology.
Currently reading
July 28, 2025"Learned Children" by Ronald Malfi - Paul is a schoolteacher who begins digging holes in his cornfield at night after his students inform him a girl named Janna who used to live in his house went missing.
"Bad Salvage" by Wayland Smith - This is a what if story which explores the idea of wreckers luring Dracula's vessel onto a sandbar.
"Bad Salvage" by Wayland Smith - This is a what if story which explores the idea of wreckers luring Dracula's vessel onto a sandbar.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews