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New Ruins The Atlas of Hell.
In New Orleans a rare bookdealer is forced to track down an infernal atlas dragged from hell itself and now stashed in the swamps of the bayou. A dive bartender picks up a phone left behind after a brawl and is pulled into a waking nightmare. On a sea voyage, a decadent group of diabolists are intent on an audience with the Devil himself. Across six tales The Atlas of Hell takes us to the fringe of sanity, the limit of infernal ambition, and the very border of our reality. Nathan Ballingrud has earned a reputation as one of the leading voices in contemporary horror fiction and in The Atlas of Hell he shows us the deepest and darkest recesses of his imagination. Ballingrud probes the wounds that are the human condition and peels back the skin to reveal the monstrous and miraculous beneath. From the author of North American Lake Monsters, this is a collection for readers unafraid to gaze into the abyss and meet the eyes of what stares back.
- GenresShort StoriesHorror
304 pages, Paperback
Published July 24, 2025
13 people are currently reading
367 people want to read
About the author
Nathan Ballingrud
73 books1,351 followersI'm the author of North American Lake Monsters: stories, coming from Small Beer Press in July 2013. I'm currently at work on my first novel and several more short stories. I live with my daughter in Asheville, NC.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 7, 2025
A strong collection (originally released in 2019) which only pales in comparison to Ballingrud's North American Lake Monsters. Some elements of dark fantasy feature in the stories here which was a little bit of a surprise as I expected straight up horror. Most of it lands but perhaps signs of early teething problems as Ballingrud found his voice.
The Butcher's Table is my standout. Like Barker riffing with Lovecraft, it's a story full of cosmic dread. Probably worth the admission fee alone. Dizzying in its terrifying scope.
The Butcher's Table is my standout. Like Barker riffing with Lovecraft, it's a story full of cosmic dread. Probably worth the admission fee alone. Dizzying in its terrifying scope.
July 5, 2025
4.5 stars
If I understand correctly, this is an older collection of Ballingrud's that is being republished. All I can say is, wow. If this is the quality of his older work, I need to hustle up and read his more recent stuff!
The short stories in this collection are thematically connected, as the title would suggest, by the geography of Hell as a physical location. Their storylines also weave together to create a more complete narrative by the end of the book. I really enjoy collections that do this but it does limit you to reading them in the order they've been presented; if you dip in and out, you'll miss the linking moments. This can be challenging in THE ATLAS OF HELL because there is a huge, quite jarring, tonal shift between the first story (The Atlas of Hell) and the second (The Diabolist). Half the stories follow the first in being more grounded in grimy present day reality, scraping the underbelly of untoward society. The other half, set more firmly in Hell, are more fantastical, and even a little whimsical. Although the imagery in both halves of the collection is phenomenal - I loved the language Ballingrud uses to sketch some truly grotesque scenes - it's tempting to skip between the stories to keep a consistent vibe.
My favourites were the gritty, human-first stories: The Atlas of Hell, The Visible Filth, and The Butcher's Table. Although I also really enjoyed Skullpocket, which was unexpectedly gentle in its description of grief.
If I understand correctly, this is an older collection of Ballingrud's that is being republished. All I can say is, wow. If this is the quality of his older work, I need to hustle up and read his more recent stuff!
The short stories in this collection are thematically connected, as the title would suggest, by the geography of Hell as a physical location. Their storylines also weave together to create a more complete narrative by the end of the book. I really enjoy collections that do this but it does limit you to reading them in the order they've been presented; if you dip in and out, you'll miss the linking moments. This can be challenging in THE ATLAS OF HELL because there is a huge, quite jarring, tonal shift between the first story (The Atlas of Hell) and the second (The Diabolist). Half the stories follow the first in being more grounded in grimy present day reality, scraping the underbelly of untoward society. The other half, set more firmly in Hell, are more fantastical, and even a little whimsical. Although the imagery in both halves of the collection is phenomenal - I loved the language Ballingrud uses to sketch some truly grotesque scenes - it's tempting to skip between the stories to keep a consistent vibe.
My favourites were the gritty, human-first stories: The Atlas of Hell, The Visible Filth, and The Butcher's Table. Although I also really enjoyed Skullpocket, which was unexpectedly gentle in its description of grief.
October 28, 2025
This was a reread, since I read Wounds several years ago. I enjoyed this even more than I did the first time.
Nathan Ballingrud captures the beauty within horror in such a way that neither beauty nor horror are compromised (I think that M. John Harrison and Caitlin Kiernan are two other authors who accomplish this). I love his use of language, and his creation of a world that begs to be explored further.
Nathan Ballingrud captures the beauty within horror in such a way that neither beauty nor horror are compromised (I think that M. John Harrison and Caitlin Kiernan are two other authors who accomplish this). I love his use of language, and his creation of a world that begs to be explored further.
July 1, 2025
I was really excited to read this, having loved North American Lake Monsters earlier this year, but this collection just didn't click for me. No shade on the writing, it is rich and excellent, but I just couldn't fall into it and the stories failed to grab me.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC!
December 18, 2025
This was a nice surprise for me as I went in mostly expecting some decent genre horror. What I got instead felt, at times, like looking at a Zdzisław Beksiński painting composed entirely of words conjured in black ink.
September 10, 2025
Good lord. I have never read something with such beautiful prose that is also equally horrifying. Some of these shorts (The Butcher’s Table in particular) I would absolutely give 5 stars, and I also particularly enjoyed the brief descriptions of various aspects of Hell that are given between each story. But god damn there is some horrific stuff in here. Not one to read if blood makes you queasy.
July 21, 2025
"The Atlas of Hell" is the UK release of Nathan Ballingrud's second short story horror collection, better known as "Wounds: Six Stories from the Border of Hell," first published in the States in 2019, to wide acclaim (and containing "The Visible Filth," a story that became the basis for a not entirely successful movie). One of the stories, the wildly inventive "The Butcher's Table,” was justifiably nominated for the 2020 British Fantasy Award for Best Novella. The UK edition includes short vignettes following each story, a sort of tour guide snippets, describing certain geographical places and important personages of Hell mentioned in the stories themselves, from the infamous "Still Harbor" to "The Black Iron Monastery," whose monks aim to be the cartographers of Hell, and thus wander with their heads permanently enclosed in boxes, so as not to be influenced by the atrocities they would have witnessed in Hell.
The stories are superbly written and spectacularly imagined, though the bleak atmosphere, the strong sense of disjointness, and the heavily descriptive prose won't be for everyone. The title change (following a special edition and the book's French translation) better reflects the content, since the collection is literally about people visiting or otherwise related to the realm of Hell, "The Visible Filth" perhaps excepted. The stories, thematically linked and frequently explaining each other, are horrific enough, though what stood out for me was the terrific visuals, coupled with twisty, absolutely original ideas, occasionally giving strong dark fantasy vibes, other times turning to historical horror tropes to make a point about humanity. This is not our Earth, however (again, "Filth" perhaps excepted).
The quality of Ballingrud's fiction is so high, I really don't have much to add to what has already been said about his storytelling skills in the years since the US edition. If you like horror or dark fantasy, or even grim and occasionally grotesque mythology, this is the real deal; the urban horror tale of a New Orleans bartender going slowly insane after picking up a cursed mobile phone in "The Visible Filth," well, that's just a bonus. Highly, very highly recommended!
The stories are superbly written and spectacularly imagined, though the bleak atmosphere, the strong sense of disjointness, and the heavily descriptive prose won't be for everyone. The title change (following a special edition and the book's French translation) better reflects the content, since the collection is literally about people visiting or otherwise related to the realm of Hell, "The Visible Filth" perhaps excepted. The stories, thematically linked and frequently explaining each other, are horrific enough, though what stood out for me was the terrific visuals, coupled with twisty, absolutely original ideas, occasionally giving strong dark fantasy vibes, other times turning to historical horror tropes to make a point about humanity. This is not our Earth, however (again, "Filth" perhaps excepted).
The quality of Ballingrud's fiction is so high, I really don't have much to add to what has already been said about his storytelling skills in the years since the US edition. If you like horror or dark fantasy, or even grim and occasionally grotesque mythology, this is the real deal; the urban horror tale of a New Orleans bartender going slowly insane after picking up a cursed mobile phone in "The Visible Filth," well, that's just a bonus. Highly, very highly recommended!
July 29, 2025
Published by Dead Ink books, The Atlas of Hell is a reworking of Nathan Ballingrud’s second US collection, Wounds: Six Stories from The Border of Hell.
The Atlas of Hell is an astoundingly imaginative piece of horror fiction that weaves its inventive spell through the six stories and the interconnecting vignettes.
Ballingrud has a brilliant imagination, and his stories are highly original in their content. His stories are full of dark fantasy and horror and at times can be quite disturbing in their imagery and have an exquisite surrealness to them, much like his latest novella, The Crypt of the Moon Spider.
There are many standouts in this collection. The first, The Atlas of Hell has an almost Keith Rosson quality to it, mixing hard boiled crime with the fantastical and supernatural. However, the collection then moves into weirder territory as we meet Allison in The Diabolist, who after losing her father, a noted Diabolist, finds a strange creature in the cellar of her house.
For those that don’t know Ballingrud’s work, his short story, The Visible Filth was made into a film called Wounds. The story takes place in a bar in Orleans, where after a fight in the bar, a bartender discovers a phone that has been left by the group of brawlers. He then starts to receive disturbing images and messages on the phone. In this story, Ballingrud masterfully creates a mounting feeling of dread that leads to a shocking conclusion.
Each of the stories in this collection is utterly beguiling in their weirdness. In interviews, Ballingrud has stated that besides the other plethora of influences on him, Clive Barker was a transformative force in his look on horror, and this is quite recognisable in his writing, However, it is not just the imagery of Barker that he has embraced, but is also the punk ethic of Barker’s early writing that pushed the boundaries of horror and gave seasoned horror readers something new.
The Atlas of Hell is a fantastic collection of stories that will keep readers, both old and new coming back for more.
The Atlas of Hell is an astoundingly imaginative piece of horror fiction that weaves its inventive spell through the six stories and the interconnecting vignettes.
Ballingrud has a brilliant imagination, and his stories are highly original in their content. His stories are full of dark fantasy and horror and at times can be quite disturbing in their imagery and have an exquisite surrealness to them, much like his latest novella, The Crypt of the Moon Spider.
There are many standouts in this collection. The first, The Atlas of Hell has an almost Keith Rosson quality to it, mixing hard boiled crime with the fantastical and supernatural. However, the collection then moves into weirder territory as we meet Allison in The Diabolist, who after losing her father, a noted Diabolist, finds a strange creature in the cellar of her house.
For those that don’t know Ballingrud’s work, his short story, The Visible Filth was made into a film called Wounds. The story takes place in a bar in Orleans, where after a fight in the bar, a bartender discovers a phone that has been left by the group of brawlers. He then starts to receive disturbing images and messages on the phone. In this story, Ballingrud masterfully creates a mounting feeling of dread that leads to a shocking conclusion.
Each of the stories in this collection is utterly beguiling in their weirdness. In interviews, Ballingrud has stated that besides the other plethora of influences on him, Clive Barker was a transformative force in his look on horror, and this is quite recognisable in his writing, However, it is not just the imagery of Barker that he has embraced, but is also the punk ethic of Barker’s early writing that pushed the boundaries of horror and gave seasoned horror readers something new.
The Atlas of Hell is a fantastic collection of stories that will keep readers, both old and new coming back for more.
July 25, 2025
"The ache of need is a music in hell."
Nathan Ballingrud's new collection features a great blend of grotesque and weird horror tales. Taking the darker corners of human nature, these stories push the characters to the cliff's edge leading them towards something much darker than one can anticipate.
Having recently read "North American Lake Monsters" I was excited to see this new collection.
Included are the following:
The Atlas of Hell
Still Harbour
The Diabolist
The Mountain that Breathes
Skullpocket
The Concert Hall
The Maw
Persons of Interest In Hell and Its Environs
The Visible Filth
The Black Iron Monastery and the Bright Road
The Butcher's Table
There's one where in New Orleans a rare bookdealer is forced to track down an infernal atlas dragged from hell itself and now stashed in the swamps of the bayou. A dive bartender picks up a phone left behind after a brawl and is pulled into a waking nightmare (Wounds). On a sea voyage, a decadent group of diabolists are intent on an audience with the Devil himself.
I enjoyed reading these stories, there were many that I won't be forgetting quickly.
Many thanks to @deadink and @netgalley for a copy of this collection.
Nathan Ballingrud's new collection features a great blend of grotesque and weird horror tales. Taking the darker corners of human nature, these stories push the characters to the cliff's edge leading them towards something much darker than one can anticipate.
Having recently read "North American Lake Monsters" I was excited to see this new collection.
Included are the following:
The Atlas of Hell
Still Harbour
The Diabolist
The Mountain that Breathes
Skullpocket
The Concert Hall
The Maw
Persons of Interest In Hell and Its Environs
The Visible Filth
The Black Iron Monastery and the Bright Road
The Butcher's Table
There's one where in New Orleans a rare bookdealer is forced to track down an infernal atlas dragged from hell itself and now stashed in the swamps of the bayou. A dive bartender picks up a phone left behind after a brawl and is pulled into a waking nightmare (Wounds). On a sea voyage, a decadent group of diabolists are intent on an audience with the Devil himself.
I enjoyed reading these stories, there were many that I won't be forgetting quickly.
Many thanks to @deadink and @netgalley for a copy of this collection.
September 7, 2025
The Atlas of Hell is the UK release of Nathan Ballingrud's short story horror collection, also known as "Wounds: Six Stories from the Border of Hell".
The stories are impressively written, each with it's own foreboding feel and superbly set atmosphere that I'm sure, will draw you with apprehension and trepidation.
The prose on display here certainly is quite something, it's incredibly detailed, spectacularly rich, dark and bleak.
All the stories being set around the theme of Hell, some are quite horrific, sure to terrify with the amazing visuals.
The quality of the writing really is of the highest order, and if you're a horror, dark fantasy or ruinous mythology, this is the read for you.
5 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's from me.
The stories are impressively written, each with it's own foreboding feel and superbly set atmosphere that I'm sure, will draw you with apprehension and trepidation.
The prose on display here certainly is quite something, it's incredibly detailed, spectacularly rich, dark and bleak.
All the stories being set around the theme of Hell, some are quite horrific, sure to terrify with the amazing visuals.
The quality of the writing really is of the highest order, and if you're a horror, dark fantasy or ruinous mythology, this is the read for you.
5 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's from me.
June 28, 2025
I’m very happy that Dead Ink are bringing Nathan Ballingrud’s stories into print on this side of the Atlantic. If the previous collection, North American Lake Monsters, concentrated mostly on, duh, monster stories, this one Is more explicitly supernatural, with all the stories tapping into an overarching mythology of Hell and the creatures that live there. It’s potent, fiercely imaginative stuff with vivd and intense imagery throughout. Ballingrud appears to have all the power and imagination of the early Clive Barker, and I am more than ready for whatever comes next.
October 6, 2025
I love a horror anthology, this was a creepy unsettling ride, some of the shorter story's felt more like morbid poetry but the longer format story's really went all over the horror genre and I loved the mix.
my reviews for each story below:
The atlas of hell - 5 stars
Still harbour - 3.5 stars
The diabolist - 4 stars
The mountain that breathes - 3.5 stars
Skull pocket - 5 stars
The concert hall - 4 stars
The maw - 5 stars
Persons of interest in hell - 3 stars
The visible filth - 5 stars
The black iron monastery - 3 stars
The butchers table - 5 stars
my reviews for each story below:
The atlas of hell - 5 stars
Still harbour - 3.5 stars
The diabolist - 4 stars
The mountain that breathes - 3.5 stars
Skull pocket - 5 stars
The concert hall - 4 stars
The maw - 5 stars
Persons of interest in hell - 3 stars
The visible filth - 5 stars
The black iron monastery - 3 stars
The butchers table - 5 stars
October 28, 2025
Really creative and some of it was quite scary - the pirates stuff was particularly crunchy and fun almost whimsical - I would never have imagined the two would go so well together but pirates and hell were extremely complimentary.
The one about the phone was particularly devastating. The rest were good but not as memorable as those other two. Some fun Halloween reading but I would have liked a bit more coziness.
The one about the phone was particularly devastating. The rest were good but not as memorable as those other two. Some fun Halloween reading but I would have liked a bit more coziness.
November 10, 2025
Weird as hell (literally!). Surreal, disjointed and weirdly compelling stories loosely centred around a mysterious atlas rumoured to be able to guide demon-worshipping travellers through the lands of Hell. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Would I recommend it? Also yes if you like your horror weird and wonderful.
August 21, 2025
I wish some stories were longer than others with this one...
October 14, 2025
scary stuff, a good Halloween read.
November 30, 2025
I found this mesmerizing. Moderate to high levels of fucked up.
December 12, 2025
More grisly than his other collection, sometimes a bit too much for me, but the prose was still impeccable and the ideas original and imaginative.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews