Unquiet Guests

by Dan Coxon (Editor), Chuck Palahniuk, Grady Hendrix

A house is more than just a place to lay your head at night. Sometimes, the walls remember.

Gathering ten modern masters of the strange and unsettling, Unquiet Guests sets fire to the blueprints and reimagines the haunted house from the foundations up. From dreamlike visions of an abandoned future mansion to a sentient building grown tired of its owners, these rooms echo with whispers of the disenfranchised and the lost.

Featuring stories by: Chuck Palahniuk, Grady Hendrix, Kirsty Logan, Will Maclean, Irenosen Okojie, Alison Moore, Matthew Holness, Claire Fuller, Clay Macleod Chapman and Ally Wilkes.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Audiobook, Anthologies, Fiction, Gothic

272 pages, Hardcover

First published October 30, 2025

About the author

Dan Coxon is an award-winning editor and writer based in London. His non-fiction anthology Writing The Uncanny (co-edited with Richard V. Hirst) won the British Fantasy Award for Best Non-Fiction 2022, while his short story collection Only The Broken Remain (Black Shuck Books) was shortlisted for two British Fantasy Awards in 2021 (Best Collection, Best Newcomer). In 2018 his anthology of British folk-horror, This Dreaming Isle (Unsung Stories), was shortlisted for a British Fantasy Award and a Shirley Jackson Award. His short stories have appeared in various anthologies, including Nox Pareidolia, Beyond the Veil, Mother: Tales of Love and Terror and Fiends in the Furrows III. His latest anthology - Isolation - was published by Titan Books in September 2022.

Reviews

[Bill Philibin · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4.0 Stars - some good, some not as good, all of them were above average)

Grady Hendrix - I am the House - This was very good… Unique 5 stars!

Claire Fuller - Another Land Beneath - This was decent

Will Maclean - The Toll - Seemed to go nowhere. Slightly boring but had potential

Clay McLeod Chapman - Deep Clean - This was interesting and fun

Kirsty Logan - Lapse - I thought this was a good story

Matthew Holness - Tearaways - Not bad, but I don't feel like I was invested in the story.

Ally Wilkes - The Collector's House - This felt unfinished, but the writing was good

Irenosen Okojie - Rocheen - This was excellent

Alison Moore - It's Dinnertime - I really liked this one but didn't quite love the ending

Chuck Palahniuk - Custodian - Palahniuk is a master! Great story.

[Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s always hard to rate a short story collection because there’s always going to be stories that work better for you than others, I think overall this collection gets a 3.5 from me.
So these are the ones that I enjoyed:

I Am The House by Grady Hendrix: The house must protect itself from the mess and chaos the children bring. 4 stars

Deep Clean by Clay McCleod Chapman: Cleaners that clean and feed and clean the house. 4 stars


Lapse by Kirsty Logan: felt like Our Wives Under the Sea! 4 stars

[Charlotte Heywood · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel a bit harsh only giving a 2 star but didn’t rate many of the stories. I even skipped two as I didn’t like their writing style. It felt like some authors were trying a bit to too hard with their ghost story. Not really scary at all.
The only two that I thought were good were ‘Deep Clean’ by Clay McLeod Chapman and ‘Tearaway’ by Matthew Holness. I am the House’ by Grady Hendrix was okay too.
It’s a shame that I’ll not be keeping it as it’s a beautiful copy.

[Runalong · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute treat of a horror story collection with ten very different stories using the idea of a haunted house and not delivering the usual. Very unsettling and just a damn good read

Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...

[Oscar Alltree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each individual style bright something frighteningly chilling, I will be revisiting these every spooky season

[Victoria Sampley · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy, cozy horror read. There were a couple that were meh, but mostly pretty good! Deep Clean was my fave!

[Dan Howarth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great collection of shorts. Only one here which wasn't on the money for me. High quality across the board.

[Liam Underwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

I saw this book in Waterstones late last year and was struck by the simple cover design, the assortment of names involved, and, of course, the sprayed edges. And since February is a short month I decided to prioritise reading another short story collection following my underwhelming experience with Thirteen Again . Now, I will say upfront that I do tend to approach short story anthologies with some trepidation - they tend to be rather hit and miss, and in all honesty more often than not more misses than hits. Unfortunately Unquiet Guests is no exception. Let's break it down.

This House is not a Home: An Introduction - Dan Coxon
This Introduction feels very academically written, which took me by surprise and had me curious about what to expect from the rest of the book. It made me hopeful that Coxon has put some consideration into the authors and stories assembled here, approaching the concept of the haunted house from multiple angles. The other media referenced in this Introduction makes it evident that Coxon has done his research.

I am the House - Grady Hendrix
Despite owning a couple of Hendrix's books, I haven't yet actually gotten around to reading any of his work, so seeing his inclusion in Unquiet Guests was definitely an influence in me picking up the book. Judging by the quality of this short story I think I'm going to have to bump Hendrix up my priority list because I really enjoyed this. The haunted house idea told from the house's perspective has some cheesy moments (mostly in the descriptions used) but ultimately is a fun take and a solid opener to the book.

Another Land Beneath - Claire Fuller
I found it curious how Covid plays into this short story entry in a way that felt a little odd - I'm not sure how relevant it really is to the events that happen here, or if it's just used to modernise the story and provide some contrast between the two principle characters. More intriguingly is the idea explored here of fractured memories, at times making me think of Penpal . Ultimately though this short story just didn't really feel like it went anywhere of note, and left me feeling somewhat underwhelmed.

The Toll - Will Maclean
This short story entry reminded me of The Artist , although the characters here are generally more unlikeable. There's some interesting ideas bubbling away beneath the surface of this short story, and I thought this was strongest when it was blending sex with the horror, but again it just doesn't really feel like it goes anywhere satisfying. It also feels like there's more to this setting that Maclean wants to explore, with an ending that is ultimately frustrating as it feels like it is setting something up that we never get to see come to fruition.

Deep Clean - Clay McLeod Chapman
There's social commentary running rampant through Chapman's entry with the subtlety of a brick to the face. I do like the protagonist we follow here, but the story feels too singularly focused on one idea that it ends up becoming somewhat repetitive and ultimately tedious.

Lapse - Kirsty Logan
This is the first short story in Unquiet Guests that feels somewhat awkwardly inserted, as if it was tweaked to fit the concept of this collection. There's more of a sci-fi tint to this story, providing the setting for an exploration of a relationship with mini-chapters that alternate viewpoints. It all just stands out in strange contrast to the previous stories included here. Putting the presentation of this story aside, I have to confess the story itself just didn't really work for me - I don't think the ideas being tackled here are executed well.

Tearaways - Matthew Holness
I'm a fan of Matthew Holness' acting work (and have been curious to check out his writing as Garth Marenghi but haven't taken the plunge yet) and so was very curious to give this short story a go. This is another entry that really stretches the haunted house concept (the setting is a soon-to-be demolished school being explored by two middle-aged ex-pupils) but I actually really like what Holness is doing here. How the ghosts of our past can haunt our present - particularly within the school setting. This is really good.

The Collector's House - Ally Wilkes
Another short story where Covid weighs heavily. There's an intriguing element of dread that is efficiently established and slowly builds, but the inevitable reveal didn't really land effectively for me. This certainly isn't one of the worst short stories included in this anthology, but I left it just wanting it to be better. The set-up and concept feels like it deserved more.

Rosheen - Irenosen Okojie
This is a compelling story but again another example of really stretching the haunted house concept. Still, I enjoyed the journey this story travels. Admittedly there are moments of convenience but the narrative is good enough that it makes it easier to overlook these.

It's Dinnertime - Alison Moore
There's a recurring gripe I tend to have with anthologies where sometimes the story feels like its just getting going when it abruptly ends. The stories included in Unquiet Guests have so far managed to sidestep this issue, but unfortunately this entry falls foul. I like the set-up and the discovery, but it feels like the pay-off is lacking. As far as criticisms go, wanting more isn't exactly a bad thing.

Custodian - Chuck Palahniuk
If I'm being honest, seeing that Chuck Palahniuk had a story in this anthology was the main draw for me. As a teenager I hungrily devoured as much of his work as I could get my hands on, and his short story Guts remains one of my all-time favourite pieces of writing. A few years ago I did begin revisiting his work (an effort I do intend to return to one day) and I will admit they didn't quite hold the same lustre, but still I was excited to read a more recent example of his writing. And this short story is fine. It doesn't quite feel like Palahniuk firing on all cylinders, but it definitely does have his distinctive voice. I didn't mind this but also I'm aware i'm a little bias where it comes to Palahniuk.

Although Unquiet Guests does contain a couple of standout stories - Grady Hendrix's I am the House and Matthew Holness' Tearaways in particular - the vast majority of this book never quite finds its footing. The rest of the entries included here range from merely okay to forgettable to outright tedious. At least the book is pretty.

2/5

[TacoFan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't normally enjoy short story collections. I only liked three stories in this collection, but it was enough that I wish that there were more stories to choose from!

I am the House - Man oh man, this was so creative and different! Truly, a haunted house. My favorite story of of the entire group. I would love to see this as a movie!
Deep Clean - This one was so sad!!
The Custodian - Proper weird and creepy.

[Anna Reads Horror · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unquiet Guests Review – Reframing the Haunted House Story
To gain a fresh perspective on the haunted house story is a challenging thing to do in arguably one of the most popular tropes in horror, but this anthology manages to do it. With a variety of authors from different writing styles - from gothic (Maclean) to more camp (Hendrix) and downright quirky (Chapman), there will be hands down something in this collection for everyone. There's also nothing better I love than reading a book where the perspective is switched up.
I wish I could make this a longer review as there is so much to unpack, so I’ll leave short summaries of some of the stories below. If I had to pick one favourite (which is extremely hard), it would be Chapman’s "Deep Clean", as I just love the stamp he is having on horror and think he has his own distinct style which I just love.
 
Grady Hendrix – I Am the House
The POV of the house haunting the resident - a refreshing take and not something I’ve read before. We often hear how the resident of the house is the one being haunted, and it’s the house that’s needed in this situation. However, we never think that the house needs the resident too.

Will Maclean – The Toll
A group of investors visit their new project for a few days and discover a door which won’t open. I thought it was interesting how this one played out and really left me wanting more. After they tried to expose the house, it exposed them... I think this house definitely had a sense of humour. I need to read more by this author asap!

Clay McLeod Chapman – Deep Clean
Speed E Cleaners go to clean a modern Airbnb one day, and something doesn’t seem right after the stains keep reappearing…
My fave! Love the idea of the cleaner keeping the house alive, and Clay’s writing is always a dream to read. Could also be a commentary on working and capitalism as a whole - touches on the digital age and how nothing is face-to-face anymore. Plays with time while also having some great visceral moments.

Matthew Holness – Tearaways
Two old friends visit their old abandoned school before it gets demolished, and it brings up some old issues. The exploration of trauma and abuse, was done well. 

Irenosen Okojie – Rosheen
A powerful story about a young woman trying to chase her lost father on a farm, from Ireland to Norfolk. Racial and generational trauma uncovering Norfolk's dark history, which embarrassingly, I haven’t read much of before (i've read books like this set in the US). Very refreshing and insightful perspective, I really am intrigued by this author.

Alison Moore – It’s Dinner Time
About a woman who escapes her abusive relationship by relocating, and she gets back her power. With a twist... I really liked this one and found it quite original.

Chuck Palahniuk
Cool concept for a short story (shortest one in the bunch) about a haunted dollhouse.

Overall Thoughts
There were only two stories I didn’t really gel with, but I very much enjoyed the variety of houses and authors. I really recommend this collection - best collection I’ve read so far this year, hands down.

[Kayla · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.4/5 stars overall.

1. I Am the House ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Grady Hendrix, my man, you've done it again)
2. A Land Beneath ⭐⭐ (not sure what the point was)
3. The Toll ⭐⭐ (felt like all the bad/boring parts of Barbarian (2022))
4. Deep Clean ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (girl, get out!!!!! this was so genuinely terrifying)
5. Lapse ⭐⭐⭐ (well-written, but felt a bit lofty and unclear)
6. Tearaways - DNF
7. The Collector's House ⭐ (oh, so now the white English woman is going to preach to us... this felt like a really, really bad British version of Rebecca Roanhorse's "White Hills," which wasn't that good to begin with)
8. Rosheen ⭐ (what you might get if you wrote down various themes and motifs from 'Silence of the Lambs,' dropped them in a hat, and then pulled them out at random while you were writing)
9. It's Dinnertime ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (my only critique is that the ghost stuff didn't really come in until the very end, which made it feel like this could have been an excellent first act of a novel rather if the author expanded it a bit, rather than just a short story)
10. Custodian ⭐ (very tired and overdone premise, and definitely a weak story to close on; I also didn't like the second-person narration, but that's a personal preference more than anything)

[Rhea Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s hard to rate a short story collection because there’s so many different things going on inside one small book. Overall I enjoyed it, it was very interesting to see how so many writers attacked the same topic, with some ideas I wouldn’t have thought of (very much enjoyed Grady Hendrix’s story from the houses POV, describing people in ‘house’ terms i.e. small sheds = kids, long shingles = long hair).
It’s notoriously hard to give a horror story a satisfactory ending, and also hard to write a satisfying short story, so some of these were pleasing and disappointing at the same time, but if you’re a true horror fan you’ll just enjoy interacting with the stories and ideas presented to you, even if you don’t actively ‘like’ them all. I’ll definitely be thinking about some of these for a while to come.
As usual the best thing about a short story collection is I now have a list of authors whose books I will be checking out.

[S.J. Townend · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of haunted-house short stories, collated and edited by Dan Coxon, is an atmospheric delight and is also an absolutely beautifully designed physical book.

The collection manages to deliver ten fresh, unique spins on the haunted house trope, and every story held my attention and kept me guessing. My favourites include the fantastic opener - I am the House - by Grady Hendrix, which does exactly what its title says it does, and gives a house's point of view of being inhabited over the years, and does this exceptionally well, Another Land Beneath by Claire Fuller - had to re-read this one but when the penny dropped, so did my jaw, It's Dinnertime by Alison Moore - love Moore's distinct voice, always, and the closing story by Chuck Palahniuk, Custodian - classic freaky Palahniuk weirdness!

A great read, five easy stars. Loved it!

[Missy (myweereads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"What we need is to get the hell out of this house..."

Dan Coxon has collected ten unique stories on the haunted house trope. The authors have taken an individual approach in changing the way in which the reader experiences these tales.

Featured are:

"I am the House" - Grady Hendrix
"Another Land Beneath" - Claire Fuller
"The Toll" - Will Maclean
"Deep Clean" - Clay McLeod Chapman
"Lapse" - Kirsty Logan
"Tearaways" - Matthew Holness
"The Collector's House" - Ally Wilkes
"Rosheen" - Irenosen Okojie
"It's Dinnertime" - Alison Moore
"Custodian" - Chuck Palahniuk

A few of these were unsettling because the way in which the stories were told, some had me pausing before I moved on and others were interesting yet dark.

I enjoyed reading these stories, many have stuck with me and if anything they make me want to read more by these authors.

[Magdalena Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short story collection is often a mixed bag, but at least this one is stunning! I loved the premise - haunted houses are my favourite - and this book has a solid list of authors, most of whom I've read and enjoyed in the past. The introduction by Dan Coxon is brilliant - he deffo got me at Disneyland Paris and Phantom Manor! I've found that I enjoyed the writing more than the actual stories, which is a bit weird; or I liked the beginning/premise, but not the execution. I really liked how different and similar some stories were to one another. The best, in my opinion, were tales by Ally Wilkes, Claire Fuller, Alison Moore and Will Maclean.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do love a good anthology of creepy short stories, and this fit the bill! While not every story was a homerun, there were enough winners to satisfy my pickiness. I don't like scary stories that end vaguely where the reader is still left wondering (I am looking at you Stephen King), and there were a few of these in here (Deep Clean, Lapse, The Toll) that I would have loved another chapter or two to wrap things up. But then there were a few gems that were sooo satisfying (I am the House and It's Dinnertime particularly).
If you like a creepy story with a good little twist, you will enjoy this collection.

[Siobhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A beautiful book and a lot of variation as to whether I found the stories to be interesting haunted house stories or not. I wasn't surprised to like Grady Hendrix's take the most (told from the perspective of the house, with the house understanding things on a house level rather than a human one) as I always enjoy his concepts. Clay McLeod Chapman's story of cleaners in a fancy house was also great haunted house horror. It was cool to see Chuck Palahniuk's (very) short story. Some of the others either felt unfinished or just didn't feel like they were saying much about the concept of the haunted house, which was really what I wanted as someone who is really interested in the concept.

[Brooke Ziegler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audio version of this book.

"I am The House" by Grady Hendrix and narrated by Jenn Lee - 5 stars, no notes. 😍

"Deep Clean" by Clay McLeod Chapman and narrated by Lynette R. Freeman. - 5 stars. This is a good story catapulted to greatness by the incredible narration of Lynette R. Freeman. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The other stories were also clever, especially "The Custodian" by Chuck Palahniuk. I was totally invested in a couple of the stories until the end, when they fell flat.

Overall, I really enjoyed this collection of stories. I highly recommend the audio version.

[Marie McWilliams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This horror anthology focuses on the scary things that lurk within buildings, including our own homes & features authors like Grady Hendrix (one of my favs), Clay Mcleod Chapman & Chuck Palahniuk. The stories take place everywhere from abandoned schools due for demolition to an inherited historical mansion. I absolutely loved this anthology & there wasn't a bad story in the bunch. I love ghost stories & this anthology definitely fed my addiction for all things spooky. I definitely recommend it!

Read if you like ghosts, hauntings, short stories.

4 spiderwebs out of 5 🕸️🕸️🕸️🕸️

[➴˚.⋆𝓇𝑜𝓃𝒶𝓃⋆˚☽ · Rating 4 out of 5]

it’s hard to rate a collection of stories but i would give it a 3.5 overall. i love how unique & imaginative these stories were and i had a great time reading them. the stories i enjoyed the most were “I am the House”, “Lapse”, “The Collectors House”, “Rosheen”, and “It’s Dinnertime”. if i had to pick a favorite it would definitely be “Lapse” as it reminded me of Private Rites by Julia Armfield (off putting sapphics in a climate apocalypse). thank you to dead ink for gifting me this copy!!! :)

[Jordyn Bushell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first short story in this book where you are listening to the houses point of view… In this horror story… Is so entirely creative and botched. The rest of the stories were good… The first one was great! Will read again.

[Steven West · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great, eclectic anthology with no weak links. Standouts include Matthew Holness' tale of middle aged men haunted by the cruelty of their old school teachers and Alison Moore's powerful, darkly comic account of an abused woman's attempt at escape.

[Picklemaniac · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this because Chuck Palahniuk was in the list of authors. His story was great, but I liked "I am The House" the most. The rest were pretty good and okay. I do suspect Kirsty Logans' "Lapse" to be assisted by an AI/LLM.

[Cara Blacklock · Rating 3 out of 5]

Average rating overall: 3.25 ⭐

Highlights:
It’s Dinnertime - Alison Moore
Deep Clean - Clay McLeod Chapman
Custodian - Chuck Palahniuk (who is suprised)
The Collector’s House - Ally Wilkes

[Ian Dodd · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute gem

[FoxieMoxie203 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. Hit or miss. Some stories were great. Some were boring.

[ink drinking lady · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really only cared for 3 or 4 of the stories. Definitely disappointing.

[Gemma]

I can never give stars to anthologies. Some 5star stories (Mr Hendrix of course). Some 3 stars. Some 4 stars.

[myreadingescapism · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of the stories were highly forgettable.

[Kirk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointing (to me) short story collection