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A-Z of Horror #1
A is for Antichrist
Visit iainrobwright.com to get the Iain Rob Wright Starter Library (four best-selling books, hundreds of five star reviews) FOR FREE.Book 1 in the A-Z of Horror series. Get the entire series free via Kindle Unlimited.A short story of 22 pagesHappy birthday!A boy’s sixteenth birthday is a special occasion. It’s a time where he becomes a man. It’s a time that brings many changes.But Isaac’s sixteenth birthday brings him more changes than most. He is not quite himself and suddenly his friends don’t seem so much like friends anymore. By the end of the party, Isaac will not just change from a boy into a man, but into something else entirely.Growing pains can be Hell...From Bestselling Author of Horror & Suspense, Iain Rob Wright
32 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 15, 2014
182 people are currently reading
394 people want to read
About the author
Iain Rob Wright
163 books1,813 followersOne of Horror's most respected authors, Iain Rob Wright is the writer of more than forty books, many of them bestsellers. A previous Kindle All-Star and a mainstay in the horror charts, he is a prolific producer of unique and original stories. From his apocalyptic saga The Gates to his claustrophobic revenge thriller ASBO, Iain writes across a broad spectrum of sub genres, creating both beloved series and standalone titles.
With work available in several languages and in audio, Iain Rob Wright is one of the fastest rising stars in horror, but when not writing he is a dedicated family man. Father to Jack and Molly, and husband to Sally, he is often seen sharing his family memories with his fans on Facebook.
To get 6 of his books for free (no strings), just visit: www.iainrobwright.com
With work available in several languages and in audio, Iain Rob Wright is one of the fastest rising stars in horror, but when not writing he is a dedicated family man. Father to Jack and Molly, and husband to Sally, he is often seen sharing his family memories with his fans on Facebook.
To get 6 of his books for free (no strings), just visit: www.iainrobwright.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
April 5, 2015
Isaac’s parents have gone out, left him to it, after all, it’s his 16th birthday and he’s invited everyone to his house for a party. Only his close friends have bothered to turn up though and this is fast becoming a disaster. Inexplicably the lemonade bottle is full of vodka and things are looking up, time for some prank phone calls, come on we’ve all been there.
First up a call to the Chinese takeaway to order an Indian meal, ok not very funny but everyone’s laughing, it’s a party. Next up Barbara and a call to the local law firm asking for advice about her brothers skid marks, she hasn’t got a brother and this cracks everyone up. Is it just me or is this shit not funny and should you expect to reach a law firm after seven in the evening, I think not. This coupled with some cringe worthy dialogue had me thinking, it’s a good job this is a short story because I’m losing the will.
A dice game follows and Isaac is continually rolling three sixes, interest starts to develop and the story actually gets quite creepy as our host discovers he has some pretty nifty abilities.
Iain Rob Wright is working his way through the alphabet with short tales of terror, B is for Bogeywoman, C is for Clown, you get the general idea and currently up to F is for Feral. A is for Antichrist started off I have to say pretty badly but rescued itself and ended up turning into a menacing short story.
2.5 stars and also posted at http://paulnelson.booklikes.com/post/...
First up a call to the Chinese takeaway to order an Indian meal, ok not very funny but everyone’s laughing, it’s a party. Next up Barbara and a call to the local law firm asking for advice about her brothers skid marks, she hasn’t got a brother and this cracks everyone up. Is it just me or is this shit not funny and should you expect to reach a law firm after seven in the evening, I think not. This coupled with some cringe worthy dialogue had me thinking, it’s a good job this is a short story because I’m losing the will.
A dice game follows and Isaac is continually rolling three sixes, interest starts to develop and the story actually gets quite creepy as our host discovers he has some pretty nifty abilities.
Iain Rob Wright is working his way through the alphabet with short tales of terror, B is for Bogeywoman, C is for Clown, you get the general idea and currently up to F is for Feral. A is for Antichrist started off I have to say pretty badly but rescued itself and ended up turning into a menacing short story.
2.5 stars and also posted at http://paulnelson.booklikes.com/post/...
October 5, 2021
Isaac has turned sixteen and his plans for a wild and unforgettable party are halted with the poor turnout he and his unpopular friends could muster. However, what he does uncover during his day of birth means no-one will ever overlook him again.
This was a very short tale but, even given the short length of it, I felt events moved too swiftly for me to full any of the sinister vibes this was supposed to evoke. The majority of the focus also remained on Isaac's misogynistic thoughts concerning women and I didn't enjoy reading about these at all.
This was a very short tale but, even given the short length of it, I felt events moved too swiftly for me to full any of the sinister vibes this was supposed to evoke. The majority of the focus also remained on Isaac's misogynistic thoughts concerning women and I didn't enjoy reading about these at all.
March 2, 2015
(Review) A is for Antichrist Iain Rob Wright's first short story in the A-Z of Horror series is an imaginative little short. At 22 pages, A is for Antichrist packs a powerful punch in quick fashion. I hope Iain expands upon some of the ideas in this series because a story this good shouldn't be contained to 22 pages.
Synopsis:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY… A boy’s sixteenth birthday is a special occasion. It’s a time where he becomes a man. It’s a time that brings many changes. But Isaac’s sixteenth birthday brings him more changes than most. He is not quite himself and suddenly his friends don’t seem so much like friends anymore. By the end of the party, Isaac will not just change from a boy into a man, but into something else entirely. GROWING PAINS CAN BE HELL… From Bestselling Author of Horror & Suspense, Iain Rob Wright
Pick up this short story here.
Synopsis:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY… A boy’s sixteenth birthday is a special occasion. It’s a time where he becomes a man. It’s a time that brings many changes. But Isaac’s sixteenth birthday brings him more changes than most. He is not quite himself and suddenly his friends don’t seem so much like friends anymore. By the end of the party, Isaac will not just change from a boy into a man, but into something else entirely. GROWING PAINS CAN BE HELL… From Bestselling Author of Horror & Suspense, Iain Rob Wright
Pick up this short story here.
June 11, 2015
Truth be told, I did not mind this story of the unknowing Antichrist coming into his own on his 16th birthday. After a slow start, it intensifies into a satisfying - if fairly standard - short story. On that basis alone, I would have happily given it 3 stars and gone on to chase down B, C, D, etc in this alphabetised series.
However, and this is a big one, somehow Wright or his publisher (I suspect they are one and the same) managed to release a version of the story that still had the final round of edits made via "track changes" included within the work. It's hard (for me at least) to overlook something so fundamental that was allowed to pass and then permitted to continue existing months after its release. It screams of a significant lack of care factor. So ...
2 "It's My Party and I'll Have Your Eye Out if I Want To"s for A is for Antichrist.
However, and this is a big one, somehow Wright or his publisher (I suspect they are one and the same) managed to release a version of the story that still had the final round of edits made via "track changes" included within the work. It's hard (for me at least) to overlook something so fundamental that was allowed to pass and then permitted to continue existing months after its release. It screams of a significant lack of care factor. So ...
2 "It's My Party and I'll Have Your Eye Out if I Want To"s for A is for Antichrist.
September 14, 2021
Sadly, this wasn't for me. I think maybe this author's work in general isn't for me. He has so many books that have these incredible-sounding plots, and the writing itself is fine, but I had a really hard time with the characters in this as well as the other book I've read of his! I do have one more book of Iain's on my TBR that I'd like to read, so maybe one more try?
March 3, 2015
Ok, this was my first read of this authors work. I have heard his name mentioned by quite a few people and he is part of a group of authors I follow.
I noticed this short story was a few places above my own story in the horror charts so I thought I would give it a go.
This was a fun short story. It was pretty cool, reminded me a lot of "Horns" I think.
I enjoyed the writing itself, this new breed of horror writers seem to write in such a way that it just makes it easy to read.
I'll definitely be checking out more from this author.
All reviews can be found at http://lennonslair.blogspot.co.uk
I noticed this short story was a few places above my own story in the horror charts so I thought I would give it a go.
This was a fun short story. It was pretty cool, reminded me a lot of "Horns" I think.
I enjoyed the writing itself, this new breed of horror writers seem to write in such a way that it just makes it easy to read.
I'll definitely be checking out more from this author.
All reviews can be found at http://lennonslair.blogspot.co.uk
December 10, 2018
A short and fun story about a boy turning 16 and some unexpected developments...
November 28, 2015
Short but entertaining.
September 13, 2018
I am not sure what to think of this one. It started out well but then it became an evil game. I understood the action but I really wanted to get inside the mind of the boy. Little background of the boy would also be of help.
April 14, 2024
Decent super short story
May 6, 2015
HAPPY BIRTHDAY…
A boy’s sixteenth birthday is a special occasion. It’s a time where he becomes a man. It’s a time that brings many changes.
But Isaac’s sixteenth birthday brings him more changes than most. He is not quite himself and suddenly his friends don’t seem so much like friends anymore. By the end of the party, Isaac will not just change from a boy into a man, but into something else entirely.
GROWING PAINS CAN BE HELL…
I downloaded this story for free from Amazon. My copy had editor corrections in it. I think Mr Wright uploaded the wrong ebook file.
This story starts with a sort of slow burn, with subtle hints as to what's going on. And at first I was having a lot of fun with it. I was smiling, I was amused, I was having a good time.
But then, the crap hits the fan and any sense of creepiness is dropped for a quick, violent ending.
We didn't get into Issac's head enough, for one. There was too much telling, not showing. In one moment a character is on fire and in the next, they're burned to a crisp and dead. No flailing, no trying to douse the fire, no smell of burning flesh and hair, no drama. Just "On fire" and then "Dead".
While it was fun for the first 3/4ths of the story, the characters were flat and interchangeable. I kept forgetting which character was which until I was given a description. It seems the author forgot about at least two of them through most of the story. I know I did.
When I started this review, I rated it three stars, but now that I've laid out all my problems with it, it's a 2 star.
This is the first of a series of shorts from A-Z. I don't think I'll be continuing this series.
October 27, 2016
Ain't no party like an Antichrist party.
I've been a fan of this Author many years now but A for Antichrist is one of the books I've put off reading for one reason or another. After finally sitting down and reading I can say without a doubt that Iain is one of the best Horror writers around. While the story is a quick read the characters were fleshed out nicely for the amount of time they had on page. Also this story was incredibly fast paced and kept me glued to the story from start to finish. Lastly, the ending while brutal was set up for potentially many things to come from this character. I know I would love to read more. In the end I give this one 4 Stars.
I've been a fan of this Author many years now but A for Antichrist is one of the books I've put off reading for one reason or another. After finally sitting down and reading I can say without a doubt that Iain is one of the best Horror writers around. While the story is a quick read the characters were fleshed out nicely for the amount of time they had on page. Also this story was incredibly fast paced and kept me glued to the story from start to finish. Lastly, the ending while brutal was set up for potentially many things to come from this character. I know I would love to read more. In the end I give this one 4 Stars.
September 8, 2017
Wow! This short story certainly packs a creepy punch. A coming of age story with a remarkable difference, that ends with one of the best understated comments ever. A good giggle to balance out the demonic and visceral happenings of a 16yo antichrist and his birthday party. You wouldn't want to be a guest! Looking forward to reading more of this author's work.
March 7, 2015
This is a short story, which starts off quite normal and progresses into somewhat horrific! Some people take power to the extreme. Really enjoyed this and loved the very end too.
I'm already looking forward to reading more in this A-Z horror series.
I'm already looking forward to reading more in this A-Z horror series.
December 22, 2014
Fantastic story! Not too crazy about the length of it. It seemed to end just as I was getting into it, but I love the idea of 25 more of these bite sized portions of IRW's writing.
February 16, 2019
I wanted to check out a new horror author and that is how I stumbled on Ian R. W. and this story (that came free and its better then getting a sample of something).
I didn't know what to expect. The story starts with a nice pace and setting, group of friends celebrating 16th birthday and waiting for people to join the party. Basically we are briefly acquainted with their relationship and their social standing. Other people jump in and later some older girls even. However the party gets a turn when the birthday boy gets powers.
I know it sounds interesting, but the main character, Ian, hasn't been enough portrait. With his powers comes a change in character, which hasn't been done very well. There is only a paragraph where we see his internal struggle, figuring out that his more aggressive than usual. So at the end his change of character to extreme evil wasn't justify.
Although a fair part of the events could've been predicted and the action goes at a straight line, I would give this author another change, since writing short story and doing twists and plots in few thousand words is very difficult.
I didn't know what to expect. The story starts with a nice pace and setting, group of friends celebrating 16th birthday and waiting for people to join the party. Basically we are briefly acquainted with their relationship and their social standing. Other people jump in and later some older girls even. However the party gets a turn when the birthday boy gets powers.
I know it sounds interesting, but the main character, Ian, hasn't been enough portrait. With his powers comes a change in character, which hasn't been done very well. There is only a paragraph where we see his internal struggle, figuring out that his more aggressive than usual. So at the end his change of character to extreme evil wasn't justify.
Although a fair part of the events could've been predicted and the action goes at a straight line, I would give this author another change, since writing short story and doing twists and plots in few thousand words is very difficult.
September 25, 2018
I randomly downloaded a bunch of free horror stories to my kindle because we're getting close to the month of spoops.
A is for Antichrist is a short story about a sixteen year old boy who discovers on his birthday he's actually the antichrist. It makes for an interesting premise, but maybe my love of horror and having sat through several movies and games, both good and bad, made this one not as good as it could have been. Honestly, a lot of the horror seemed cheesy. Like if you're visualizing it, it's just some over the top stuff that would be in a cheaply made B-movie.
Isaac also goes from 0 to 60 super fast, and I feel maybe it would have benefited from being at least a little bit longer so the shift could have left like a good sudden and not a bad sudden.
Overall, it's not great but it definitely could have been worse.
A is for Antichrist is a short story about a sixteen year old boy who discovers on his birthday he's actually the antichrist. It makes for an interesting premise, but maybe my love of horror and having sat through several movies and games, both good and bad, made this one not as good as it could have been. Honestly, a lot of the horror seemed cheesy. Like if you're visualizing it, it's just some over the top stuff that would be in a cheaply made B-movie.
Isaac also goes from 0 to 60 super fast, and I feel maybe it would have benefited from being at least a little bit longer so the shift could have left like a good sudden and not a bad sudden.
Overall, it's not great but it definitely could have been worse.
September 17, 2023
3.5/5 Stars
Isaac's turning 16 and is gonna have the birthday party of his life, so far. But the turnout is less than stellar and it starts off feeling like a dud for him. However, as the night progresses, it becomes a life changing experience for all.
I figured this would be a fun, short read and I'd give it a shot. It definitely packed a punch, when it picked up, it went from 0-80 seconds flat. The kid is an incel who develops horrifying powers with no idea he even has the potential until his birth-time strikes, so you can imagine how it progresses.
However, it does feel like the writing was done to reflect the time at the party. The opening drags, leaving one rolling their eyes at what the kids do at the party, and Isaac and his friends don't seem comfortable even with each other. Yet when the pace picked up, it felt like it picked up too fast and suddenly was blurring by. The characters didn't have time to develop, the plot didn't and all of a sudden, it was like, oh it's over.
There's potential here and the writer's writing skills are strong, but it's too short to accomplish the creep factor while at the same time, focuses too long on other areas. It would be interesting to see what would happen if the author developed this into something more than a short story.
Isaac's turning 16 and is gonna have the birthday party of his life, so far. But the turnout is less than stellar and it starts off feeling like a dud for him. However, as the night progresses, it becomes a life changing experience for all.
I figured this would be a fun, short read and I'd give it a shot. It definitely packed a punch, when it picked up, it went from 0-80 seconds flat. The kid is an incel who develops horrifying powers with no idea he even has the potential until his birth-time strikes, so you can imagine how it progresses.
However, it does feel like the writing was done to reflect the time at the party. The opening drags, leaving one rolling their eyes at what the kids do at the party, and Isaac and his friends don't seem comfortable even with each other. Yet when the pace picked up, it felt like it picked up too fast and suddenly was blurring by. The characters didn't have time to develop, the plot didn't and all of a sudden, it was like, oh it's over.
There's potential here and the writer's writing skills are strong, but it's too short to accomplish the creep factor while at the same time, focuses too long on other areas. It would be interesting to see what would happen if the author developed this into something more than a short story.
August 29, 2017
A Splendid Short Read
This is the first work of Iain Rob Wright that I've read and I was very impressed. The story revolves around Isaac at his 16th birthday party and how he slowly transforms into someone of pure evil. The author gradually builds up the horror and tension as Isaac discovers the things he can make his party guests do. A perfect short and satisfying read for that bus ride or train trip.
This is the first work of Iain Rob Wright that I've read and I was very impressed. The story revolves around Isaac at his 16th birthday party and how he slowly transforms into someone of pure evil. The author gradually builds up the horror and tension as Isaac discovers the things he can make his party guests do. A perfect short and satisfying read for that bus ride or train trip.
July 31, 2023
Completely different
This novella was something completely different to anything I have ever read. Although the subject maybe isn’t too nice, it still had me enthralled from the first page.
The strange things that were happening hadn’t led me to believe anything other than that they were coincidences until about the middle of the book.
It wasn’t too gory, and just enough horror to make it engrossing but not too scary that you can’t sleep afterwards. A great little novella!
This novella was something completely different to anything I have ever read. Although the subject maybe isn’t too nice, it still had me enthralled from the first page.
The strange things that were happening hadn’t led me to believe anything other than that they were coincidences until about the middle of the book.
It wasn’t too gory, and just enough horror to make it engrossing but not too scary that you can’t sleep afterwards. A great little novella!
September 13, 2024
A very short occult horror story. It had an interesting plot, a few moments of gore and some very quotable quotes.
Trigger warnings:
-Gore
-Heresy
-Brief mentions of sex
-Very brief and subtle gore
This reminds me a lot of the Exorcist by William Peter Blatty. That ending gave it a slight comedic vibe, but the ambience is overall very dark. I'm pleasantly surprised with how that turned out.
Trigger warnings:
-Gore
-Heresy
-Brief mentions of sex
-Very brief and subtle gore
This reminds me a lot of the Exorcist by William Peter Blatty. That ending gave it a slight comedic vibe, but the ambience is overall very dark. I'm pleasantly surprised with how that turned out.
June 1, 2018
Quick, dark read
Anyone who’s interested in the horror genre should definitely read this! At only 32 pages, it’s an incredibly short read, but totally worth it. The ending leaves you hanging and wondering what comes next, giving you all the more reason to continue with the rest of the series. Definitely recommend this one!
Anyone who’s interested in the horror genre should definitely read this! At only 32 pages, it’s an incredibly short read, but totally worth it. The ending leaves you hanging and wondering what comes next, giving you all the more reason to continue with the rest of the series. Definitely recommend this one!
February 17, 2019
Well, it is a short story, short and good. The theme is pretty simple - a boy on his 16th birthday party, suddenly found that he possessed some strange powers and controls over everyone and everything. The story unfolds and the boy became the Antichrist. The writing is very very good. I. R. Wright knows how to create moods and settings necessary for a horror story. It's a thumbs up for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 21, 2021
I finally read something by Iain Rob Wright! Wait, I think I read a non-fiction essay he wrote. That was a few years ago, though. Anyway, this was a fun story! I really enjoyed the characters, the story itself, and the way it unfolded. I'm not sure what else to say without giving anything away. I look forward to checking out more by this author!
July 28, 2021
Great short story...
This was an awesome short story that is also included in the collection of short stories by Iain, The A-Z Of Horror. Check out this story and if you like it, get the collection and enjoy. I can't wait to read more of his stuff, everything so far has been great. Thanks Iain for making Horror awesome again.
This was an awesome short story that is also included in the collection of short stories by Iain, The A-Z Of Horror. Check out this story and if you like it, get the collection and enjoy. I can't wait to read more of his stuff, everything so far has been great. Thanks Iain for making Horror awesome again.
February 28, 2019
Excellent first read
This was my first story I've read from this author, and if this is what is in store for me I am very excited about reading the rest of his books ! This was a very good horror short story.
This was my first story I've read from this author, and if this is what is in store for me I am very excited about reading the rest of his books ! This was a very good horror short story.
October 2, 2023
Sloppily written but with some compelling ideas
This short work has very little of what could be called entertainment value for any but the most sadistic of readers, but some of the concepts and characters show a certain degree of potential.
This short work has very little of what could be called entertainment value for any but the most sadistic of readers, but some of the concepts and characters show a certain degree of potential.
August 3, 2025
Дуже дивна історія 🤔
Я зазвичай люблю таку чортовщину, але тут все скомкано якось, неохайно описано. Наче плюнули сюжетом в морду і бери роби з цим шо хочеш.
Був звичайний хлопець і різко став антихристом за годину 😂 Бредота, вибачте
Я зазвичай люблю таку чортовщину, але тут все скомкано якось, неохайно описано. Наче плюнули сюжетом в морду і бери роби з цим шо хочеш.
Був звичайний хлопець і різко став антихристом за годину 😂 Бредота, вибачте
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 13, 2017
Kindle freebie
Free at the time I bought it.
A is for Antichrist is a short 22 page Kindle eBook horror story by Iain Rob Wright. The thing that drew me in was the title. I didn’t know how long the book was, who the book was by, what it contained, I just knew what it was called and that it was a horror.
I went into this book thinking that it had promise, but I found it quite a bore. It’s a quick read, and I sped through it, as per usual, but I was left disappointed. Nothing remotely scary happens within this book, and I’m heavily disappointed in the horror on every page tag line on the front of the cover.
The story in this moves very slowly, and there is no discernible plot line. The story errs into suggested rape at one point. The horror doesn’t start until the very last through pages, around 72% of the way through the story.
All in all, the ending was alright. I have a lot of qualms with this story but the few pages that the horror was incorporated into were enjoyable, I suppose. It seemed mostly over the top, almost like the author was using shock horror more than trying to write the story with the theme of an antichrist character.
I didn’t really enjoy this at all, and I wouldn’t recommend this, even with it being only 22 pages. It’s not worth reading even to bump up your reading challenge. this RTC.
Free at the time I bought it.
A is for Antichrist is a short 22 page Kindle eBook horror story by Iain Rob Wright. The thing that drew me in was the title. I didn’t know how long the book was, who the book was by, what it contained, I just knew what it was called and that it was a horror.
I went into this book thinking that it had promise, but I found it quite a bore. It’s a quick read, and I sped through it, as per usual, but I was left disappointed. Nothing remotely scary happens within this book, and I’m heavily disappointed in the horror on every page tag line on the front of the cover.
The story in this moves very slowly, and there is no discernible plot line. The story errs into suggested rape at one point. The horror doesn’t start until the very last through pages, around 72% of the way through the story.
All in all, the ending was alright. I have a lot of qualms with this story but the few pages that the horror was incorporated into were enjoyable, I suppose. It seemed mostly over the top, almost like the author was using shock horror more than trying to write the story with the theme of an antichrist character.
I didn’t really enjoy this at all, and I wouldn’t recommend this, even with it being only 22 pages. It’s not worth reading even to bump up your reading challenge. this RTC.
September 21, 2017
Great
My 2nd book by this author
Good writer
Can't wait to Read the next one
Keep up the good horror books Mr. Wright
My 2nd book by this author
Good writer
Can't wait to Read the next one
Keep up the good horror books Mr. Wright
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews