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I Am the Ghost Here
Win a free print copy of this book!
5 days and 21:20:18
20 copies available
U.S. only
Twelve women confront the mounting existential terrors of modernity—climate change, unbridled capitalism and greed, an entertainment industry that will go to surreal lengths to stay relevant—in this debut story collection set in a slightly off-kilter version of reality.
A woman's limbs disappear into “the cloud” during wildfire-induced power outages. A lonely DoorDasher accidentally becomes the star of someone else's reality show, forced to resolve her fraught relationship with her immigrant mother for the narrative. Succumbing to a widely denied pandemic, a gymnastics coach must carry her heart around in a Mason jar, using her disability to become an influencer. Two chronically single, chronically ill people become soulmates, only to discover their meeting was algorithmically orchestrated by ad tech. Other dramas unfold as icebergs melt and island-sized trash heaps burn.
Threaded with sharp social commentary, these stories question the engineering of human connection through technology, social media, and reality television. Warm, endlessly strange, and filled with dark yet hopeful humor, I Am the Ghost Here casts familiar crises of contemporary life in a wholly unique light, offering a pathway towards our shared humanity even as reality comes crumbling down.
A woman's limbs disappear into “the cloud” during wildfire-induced power outages. A lonely DoorDasher accidentally becomes the star of someone else's reality show, forced to resolve her fraught relationship with her immigrant mother for the narrative. Succumbing to a widely denied pandemic, a gymnastics coach must carry her heart around in a Mason jar, using her disability to become an influencer. Two chronically single, chronically ill people become soulmates, only to discover their meeting was algorithmically orchestrated by ad tech. Other dramas unfold as icebergs melt and island-sized trash heaps burn.
Threaded with sharp social commentary, these stories question the engineering of human connection through technology, social media, and reality television. Warm, endlessly strange, and filled with dark yet hopeful humor, I Am the Ghost Here casts familiar crises of contemporary life in a wholly unique light, offering a pathway towards our shared humanity even as reality comes crumbling down.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published February 24, 2026
24 people are currently reading
8747 people want to read
About the author
Kim Samek
2 books48 followersKim Samek is the author of the debut story collection I AM THE GHOST HERE (The Dial Press, 2026). Her short stories have won awards including The Pushcart Prize (2026) and have been cited as a Distinguished Story in Best American Short Stories (2025). Her fiction also appears in Guernica, Ecotone, Electric Literature, The Threepenny Review, STORY, ZYZZYVA, and others. A native of Seattle, she studied creative writing and German Literature at Stanford University. Her television work has been nominated for an Emmy Award. She lives and works in Los Angeles.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
February 25, 2026
love ghosts. hope to be haunting myself someday.
mini-reviews for each story:
I AM THE GHOST HERE
i wish i had a puppeteer who made me cooler.
rating: 3.5
EGG MOTHER
i have read a lot about motherhood, but i never considered the possibility of postpartum turning-into-eggs.
rating: 3.5
EVERYTHING DISAPPEARS WHEN YOU'RE HAVING FUN
even if i owned a desk chair that sucked whoever sat in it into a near-death wilderness experience, i would still never fall in love with a man named turtle about it.
rating: 3
TRASH HEAP HERO
i have my own self esteem issues, but at least my confidence isn't tied to my ability to put out literal garbage fires.
rating: 3
RETURN
time travel! :) pandemic fiction. :(
rating: 3
THE SHARPEST KNIFE
more pandemic fiction...although not covid specifically to be fair. this one is a virus that makes you get surgery to put your vital organs in a bluetooth-enabled mason jar you have to carry around.
rating: 3
SVEN
if you picked up an earpiece and it made you a reality tv star, basically. new nightmare unlocked.:
rating: 3
MUSCLE TO MUSCLE, TOE TO TOE
love in the time of advertising algorithms <3
rating: 3.5
ANOTHER TOAD IN THE FEELY BOX
the title of this one was the best part.
rating: 3
THE GARBAGE PATCH
oh, good...another dump story...
rating: 3
THE MILF HOTEL
and another reality show one...
rating: 3
THE CLOUD
when the power goes out your limbs disappear and are leant out to the victims of international bombings. sure!
rating: 2.5
OVERALL
there is just both too much and not enough going on in these stories. each of them starts with an out-there concept and then falls flat, failing to live up to its own strangeness.
rating: 3
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
mini-reviews for each story:
I AM THE GHOST HERE
i wish i had a puppeteer who made me cooler.
rating: 3.5
EGG MOTHER
i have read a lot about motherhood, but i never considered the possibility of postpartum turning-into-eggs.
rating: 3.5
EVERYTHING DISAPPEARS WHEN YOU'RE HAVING FUN
even if i owned a desk chair that sucked whoever sat in it into a near-death wilderness experience, i would still never fall in love with a man named turtle about it.
rating: 3
TRASH HEAP HERO
i have my own self esteem issues, but at least my confidence isn't tied to my ability to put out literal garbage fires.
rating: 3
RETURN
time travel! :) pandemic fiction. :(
rating: 3
THE SHARPEST KNIFE
more pandemic fiction...although not covid specifically to be fair. this one is a virus that makes you get surgery to put your vital organs in a bluetooth-enabled mason jar you have to carry around.
rating: 3
SVEN
if you picked up an earpiece and it made you a reality tv star, basically. new nightmare unlocked.:
rating: 3
MUSCLE TO MUSCLE, TOE TO TOE
love in the time of advertising algorithms <3
rating: 3.5
ANOTHER TOAD IN THE FEELY BOX
the title of this one was the best part.
rating: 3
THE GARBAGE PATCH
oh, good...another dump story...
rating: 3
THE MILF HOTEL
and another reality show one...
rating: 3
THE CLOUD
when the power goes out your limbs disappear and are leant out to the victims of international bombings. sure!
rating: 2.5
OVERALL
there is just both too much and not enough going on in these stories. each of them starts with an out-there concept and then falls flat, failing to live up to its own strangeness.
rating: 3
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
January 23, 2026
“On our way to the elevator, I think I see a zombie, but when I get closer I realize I’m looking at an elderly lady walking backward unsteadily; I’ve mistaken her loose bun for a face.”
These stories are just the right level of strange while still being mostly grounded in reality. Many of them contain an element of Magical realism, which I love, and they’re all well written. Dark, funny, and sad. The ultimate literary trifecta.
Specifically, the one about the chair actually kind of read like something adjacent to the universe of Tim Robinson’s “The Chair Company,” but more mystical.
Some of the endings were less than satisfying, but a solid ending can be difficult to pull off.
I enjoyed this collection and would absolutely read this author again!
Thank you to Netgalley and to the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Biggest TW: Chronic illness, Suicide
These stories are just the right level of strange while still being mostly grounded in reality. Many of them contain an element of Magical realism, which I love, and they’re all well written. Dark, funny, and sad. The ultimate literary trifecta.
Specifically, the one about the chair actually kind of read like something adjacent to the universe of Tim Robinson’s “The Chair Company,” but more mystical.
Some of the endings were less than satisfying, but a solid ending can be difficult to pull off.
I enjoyed this collection and would absolutely read this author again!
Thank you to Netgalley and to the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Biggest TW: Chronic illness, Suicide
December 1, 2025
this is the most exciting and cohesive story collection i’ve ever read. every story in this debut feels alive with intention, crafted around a strong central metaphor that unfolds into dark humour, existential dread, and emotional clarity. it’s rare for a collection to land every single piece for me, but Kim Samek manages it. each story stands out, yet together they form a sharply unified portrait of modern anxieties.
Samek writes in a style that blends surrealism with painfully recognisable reality. instead of preaching, the stories embody these themes through wild, imaginative premises. the absurdity is never for shock value; it’s purposeful, metaphorical, and deeply human.
what impressed me most was the idea density and control. Samek knows exactly how long each story needs to be. they’re tight, purposeful, and paced with real confidence. the writing is clever without being showy, reflective without drifting into vagueness, and emotionally pointed without losing that off-kilter humour. every story gave me something to chew on. i found myself thinking about the implications long after finishing each one.
if you enjoy existential fiction, strange-but-recognisable worlds, and stories that turn anxiety into art, this collection is a gem. it’s warm, weird, funny, and super reflective beneath all the chaos. i’m already excited to see what Kim Samek writes next.
-------
to-read:
i already know that i will like this. all ideas just sound epic.
*thank you to The Dial Press for the ARC*
Samek writes in a style that blends surrealism with painfully recognisable reality. instead of preaching, the stories embody these themes through wild, imaginative premises. the absurdity is never for shock value; it’s purposeful, metaphorical, and deeply human.
what impressed me most was the idea density and control. Samek knows exactly how long each story needs to be. they’re tight, purposeful, and paced with real confidence. the writing is clever without being showy, reflective without drifting into vagueness, and emotionally pointed without losing that off-kilter humour. every story gave me something to chew on. i found myself thinking about the implications long after finishing each one.
if you enjoy existential fiction, strange-but-recognisable worlds, and stories that turn anxiety into art, this collection is a gem. it’s warm, weird, funny, and super reflective beneath all the chaos. i’m already excited to see what Kim Samek writes next.
-------
to-read:
i already know that i will like this. all ideas just sound epic.
*thank you to The Dial Press for the ARC*
October 22, 2025
4.5 Weird girl short stories that hinge together modern social & political issues with bizarre outcomes for our FMCs. Limbs are disappearing or turning into scrambled eggs, organs must be carried around in mason jars and communicate through bluetooth, people eating plastic because if you can’t beat them…
”them” being plastic particulates.
Each story is a totally unique and fresh concept that features a Thai FMC who loves 90s music. I totally vibe with them because I love 90s music, I “prefer(s) complex characters who make suffering seem attractive,” and I “prefer (s) the taste of blood to the sound of bullshit.” (Metaphorically of course.) One FMC “brings only one suitcase, filling it with books.” That’s my kind of girl. I also believe there’s a nod to Heckit from Open Throat… how many bachelor mountain lions do you know who live alone in the park? Loved it!
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the eARC.
Pub date Feb 24, 2026
”them” being plastic particulates.
Each story is a totally unique and fresh concept that features a Thai FMC who loves 90s music. I totally vibe with them because I love 90s music, I “prefer(s) complex characters who make suffering seem attractive,” and I “prefer (s) the taste of blood to the sound of bullshit.” (Metaphorically of course.) One FMC “brings only one suitcase, filling it with books.” That’s my kind of girl. I also believe there’s a nod to Heckit from Open Throat… how many bachelor mountain lions do you know who live alone in the park? Loved it!
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the eARC.
Pub date Feb 24, 2026
February 12, 2026
Here we have: smart and witty, mostly present tense satire of the hyper modern situation dealing with the strange ways in which human relationships are changing when presented with increasingly complex technology, layering acute modern concerns on chronic lifelong health problems. In twelve stories, Samek delves into several dozen themes that have come to define the times we live in today.
Situationally, the characters here are being put THROUGH IT. I mean, both in ways we can relate with, and in bizarre, quirky altered reality sort of ways regarding out of control technology that definitely make for interesting setups.
There’s an ease with which the reader can digest these stories, making them palatable and enjoyable, but still they each leave a particular taste behind that can linger for some time, providing an opportunity to really mull them over for a discerning reader.
The author is very good at the busy story, adding details in a bulky menagerie reflective of the cluttered social media issues and garbage piles and fires and conflicting neuroses present in the stories, creating palpable tension and a sense of empathy with the characters.
I’ve said this before in other reviews, but my healthcare background makes reading about medical situations tend to take me out of the story at hand. It causes this sudden slack in my suspended disbelief and sends my brain other places I can’t really help but go. If you like reading stories that involve chronic illness and hospital scenarios, though, read this!
Situationally, the characters here are being put THROUGH IT. I mean, both in ways we can relate with, and in bizarre, quirky altered reality sort of ways regarding out of control technology that definitely make for interesting setups.
There’s an ease with which the reader can digest these stories, making them palatable and enjoyable, but still they each leave a particular taste behind that can linger for some time, providing an opportunity to really mull them over for a discerning reader.
The author is very good at the busy story, adding details in a bulky menagerie reflective of the cluttered social media issues and garbage piles and fires and conflicting neuroses present in the stories, creating palpable tension and a sense of empathy with the characters.
I’ve said this before in other reviews, but my healthcare background makes reading about medical situations tend to take me out of the story at hand. It causes this sudden slack in my suspended disbelief and sends my brain other places I can’t really help but go. If you like reading stories that involve chronic illness and hospital scenarios, though, read this!
March 11, 2026
The first story is honestly still on my mind! Also, the one where they eat the plastic. Each story presents with an out of pocket concept, but it ends up telling something very relevant.
The way this writer poised each story was interesting, and totally out there. While I may not have enjoyed every story, there were some that really stuck out to me and that I throughly enjoyed. This book is short, but definitely is something that shouldn’t be flown through. Taking the time to slowly read and comprehend each story is what really makes this book shine. There is a lot of unpack in such few pages.
While I can see this being harder to digest, I thought this short story collection was good. I don’t think it will be for everyone, but the author’s writing is excellent. I would say give it a try if you even slightly consider picking it up!
***Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House/The Dial Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
The way this writer poised each story was interesting, and totally out there. While I may not have enjoyed every story, there were some that really stuck out to me and that I throughly enjoyed. This book is short, but definitely is something that shouldn’t be flown through. Taking the time to slowly read and comprehend each story is what really makes this book shine. There is a lot of unpack in such few pages.
While I can see this being harder to digest, I thought this short story collection was good. I don’t think it will be for everyone, but the author’s writing is excellent. I would say give it a try if you even slightly consider picking it up!
***Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House/The Dial Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 9, 2025
This is a short story collection that truly proves you don't need to have a large word count in order to write an intriguing story.
Each story gets straight to the point from the very beginning, so it's easy to get pulled in immediately. One story that had my attention from the very first sentence was "Egg Mother" wherein a woman suddenly turns into a scrambled egg one day. With this crazy opening line, I was instantly locked in and already had twenty questions even though I wasn't yet twenty words into the story! (Like what do you mean you turned into eggs? Is this supposed to be literal or figurative? Did she just collapse into a pile of egg or was she a human shaped egg?)
Some other notable stories for me were: "The Sharpest Knife" which involves a pandemic that causes people to have to carry around their own surgically removed organs that still continue to function after said removal; "Everything Disappears When You're Having Fun" which features a chair that teleports the people who sit in it to rather remote locations; "Muscle to Muscle, Toe to Toe," a story that really drills down into how social media algorithms affect our lives; and the titular story, "I Am the Ghost Here," featuring a man who has elected to become a puppet and allow another human being to completely control all aspects of his life.
So needless to say these are stories about strange happenings, but they still feel very grounded in reality. These are stories that tackle real life concerns and problems, just with more abstract presentations. Some of the stories show their themes from the beginning while others take a bit of time to reveal their true nature, but they all manage to feel quite meaningful. I'm very impressed at how well Samek is able to write stories that are simultaneously haunting and hopeful.
With a total of twelve fascinatingly unique stories, I think most readers will be able to come out of this collection with at least a handful of stories that they enjoyed. I would definitely recommend this one to anybody who is a fan of speculative fiction in particular, as well as anybody who likes stories that are just a little bit odd.
(Thank you to Random House and The Dial Press team for providing me with an advance review copy for free via NetGalley! I am leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.)
Each story gets straight to the point from the very beginning, so it's easy to get pulled in immediately. One story that had my attention from the very first sentence was "Egg Mother" wherein a woman suddenly turns into a scrambled egg one day. With this crazy opening line, I was instantly locked in and already had twenty questions even though I wasn't yet twenty words into the story! (Like what do you mean you turned into eggs? Is this supposed to be literal or figurative? Did she just collapse into a pile of egg or was she a human shaped egg?)
Some other notable stories for me were: "The Sharpest Knife" which involves a pandemic that causes people to have to carry around their own surgically removed organs that still continue to function after said removal; "Everything Disappears When You're Having Fun" which features a chair that teleports the people who sit in it to rather remote locations; "Muscle to Muscle, Toe to Toe," a story that really drills down into how social media algorithms affect our lives; and the titular story, "I Am the Ghost Here," featuring a man who has elected to become a puppet and allow another human being to completely control all aspects of his life.
So needless to say these are stories about strange happenings, but they still feel very grounded in reality. These are stories that tackle real life concerns and problems, just with more abstract presentations. Some of the stories show their themes from the beginning while others take a bit of time to reveal their true nature, but they all manage to feel quite meaningful. I'm very impressed at how well Samek is able to write stories that are simultaneously haunting and hopeful.
With a total of twelve fascinatingly unique stories, I think most readers will be able to come out of this collection with at least a handful of stories that they enjoyed. I would definitely recommend this one to anybody who is a fan of speculative fiction in particular, as well as anybody who likes stories that are just a little bit odd.
(Thank you to Random House and The Dial Press team for providing me with an advance review copy for free via NetGalley! I am leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.)
February 24, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House, and Kim Samek for giving me access to this eARC!
I am a short story lover and I am a weird lit lover. Samek managed to give me both and do it so well. Her short stories are anything but simple. There is so much nuance in every story. We explore climate change, pollution, overconsumption, society's obsession with appearances, messy family dynamics, and the role of technology on our society. I don't think there is a hard topic that Samek doesn't at least brush on momentarily in at least one of the stories. I think we can all find a relatable aspect in this collection, whether it be something that gives us anxiety or a part of ourselves that we would prefer to hide. Many of these stories have aspects of surrealism/magical realism involved but their overarching messages are very much on the real side.
Muscle to Muscle, Toe to Toe - about a couple who's relationship seems to be predestined by the algorithm and what happens when we create the algorithm to fit our own idea of our future - was definitely my favourite. Do any of us truly believe technology isn't "listening" to us? This really made me side eye some of my own past relationship choices in this digital age.
I highly recommend picking up I Am the Ghost Here, a wonderful 4 star read!
I am a short story lover and I am a weird lit lover. Samek managed to give me both and do it so well. Her short stories are anything but simple. There is so much nuance in every story. We explore climate change, pollution, overconsumption, society's obsession with appearances, messy family dynamics, and the role of technology on our society. I don't think there is a hard topic that Samek doesn't at least brush on momentarily in at least one of the stories. I think we can all find a relatable aspect in this collection, whether it be something that gives us anxiety or a part of ourselves that we would prefer to hide. Many of these stories have aspects of surrealism/magical realism involved but their overarching messages are very much on the real side.
Muscle to Muscle, Toe to Toe - about a couple who's relationship seems to be predestined by the algorithm and what happens when we create the algorithm to fit our own idea of our future - was definitely my favourite. Do any of us truly believe technology isn't "listening" to us? This really made me side eye some of my own past relationship choices in this digital age.
I highly recommend picking up I Am the Ghost Here, a wonderful 4 star read!
March 18, 2026
In short, this is one of the most well done short story collections I have ever read.
Each story is weird, uncanny, and filled with raw emotional grit. I ended up highlighting and tabbing so many quotes that my copy is falling apart. Going through some immense grief myself, I found so many of the themes throughout this collection relatable. It was clear that the author put her heart and soul into each story, especially since they touched on themes that she was experiencing and processing in her life. The stories focusing on mental and physical health concerns hit home.
They focus on female narratives and the loss of bodily autonomy, as well as futuristic topics. Particularly related to technology and how it has changed the way we experience social connection (or lack thereof), capitalism, and productivity.
I thoroughly enjoyed the undertone of how instead of our devices being accessories, in many ways, we have become accessories to them and the digital world. One story even touched on how the algorithm shaped the character's identities and interests.
Some of my favorite stories included:
- "Egg Mother" (Which I based the crocheted pop tab featured in my picture on)
- "SVEN"
- "The Garbage Patch"
But all of them were winners!
If you enjoy short stories, this is a must-read collection. It might just change the way you think about so many things.
Each story is weird, uncanny, and filled with raw emotional grit. I ended up highlighting and tabbing so many quotes that my copy is falling apart. Going through some immense grief myself, I found so many of the themes throughout this collection relatable. It was clear that the author put her heart and soul into each story, especially since they touched on themes that she was experiencing and processing in her life. The stories focusing on mental and physical health concerns hit home.
They focus on female narratives and the loss of bodily autonomy, as well as futuristic topics. Particularly related to technology and how it has changed the way we experience social connection (or lack thereof), capitalism, and productivity.
I thoroughly enjoyed the undertone of how instead of our devices being accessories, in many ways, we have become accessories to them and the digital world. One story even touched on how the algorithm shaped the character's identities and interests.
Some of my favorite stories included:
- "Egg Mother" (Which I based the crocheted pop tab featured in my picture on)
- "SVEN"
- "The Garbage Patch"
But all of them were winners!
If you enjoy short stories, this is a must-read collection. It might just change the way you think about so many things.
March 19, 2026
my favorite short story collection to date. human and not human all at the same time
March 3, 2026
5/5 stars! I adored this collection. Whether the story is tackling environmental impact, mental health, grief, chronic illness, advancing technology, or alarming trends in social media, Samek deftly captures our not-so-distant society with a touch of surrealism and sly humor. Some standouts from the collection for me were I Am the Ghost Here, Egg Mom, Muscle to Muscle Toe to Toe, and The Cloud, but all of them will stick with you long past the final page.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC!
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC!
December 2, 2025
This is a book that I know will stick with me for the rest of my life. Every single one of these stories offers a unique and thought-provoking insight into some aspect of our world. Many of the stories take place in a frighteningly near future, one where limbs can be spontaneously snatched into “the cloud” or people snack on plastic or surgically removed organs can connect to their owner via Bluetooth.
Samek’s dry, matter-of-fact humor makes these stories tangibly, heart-wrenchingly terrifying. The characters move through the world with a relatable mix of cynicism and hope; the strategies they use to survive their unfortunate circumstances feel uncomfortably close to how people today survive our only slightly less unfortunate circumstances.
The absurdity in these stories reminded me a little of Amparo Davila’s work, where the vagueness of the imagery adds to the reading experience. For instance, in the second story in this collection (“Egg Mother”), the narrator becomes scrambled eggs. The technicalities of this are never really explained; the reader is unclear on what, exactly, this looks like, or what the precise limitations of her abilities are in scrambled egg form, or even if this is a common affliction in the world of the story. The confusing nature of this metaphor only strengthens it. The woman is scrambled eggs. You must accept this before beginning to understand the story’s themes.
I could list a hundred of my favorite lines from this book, but I think the best way to give you a glimpse into the style of this collection is to share a few of the stories’ first lines.
"At thirty-six I turn into a scrambled egg." (“Egg Mother”)
"All Thuy wants is a man who will eat plastic with her, but it’s been hard to find a man like that in this town." (“The Garbage Patch”)
"It is not until my brother is thirty-three that I learn he’s controlled by a puppeteer." (“I Am the Ghost Here”)
If you enjoy surrealist humor, or you’re anxious about the state of the world, or you like reading about weird people in weird situations, I think you’ll love I Am the Ghost Here.
***Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with a free advanced reader copy in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.***
Samek’s dry, matter-of-fact humor makes these stories tangibly, heart-wrenchingly terrifying. The characters move through the world with a relatable mix of cynicism and hope; the strategies they use to survive their unfortunate circumstances feel uncomfortably close to how people today survive our only slightly less unfortunate circumstances.
The absurdity in these stories reminded me a little of Amparo Davila’s work, where the vagueness of the imagery adds to the reading experience. For instance, in the second story in this collection (“Egg Mother”), the narrator becomes scrambled eggs. The technicalities of this are never really explained; the reader is unclear on what, exactly, this looks like, or what the precise limitations of her abilities are in scrambled egg form, or even if this is a common affliction in the world of the story. The confusing nature of this metaphor only strengthens it. The woman is scrambled eggs. You must accept this before beginning to understand the story’s themes.
I could list a hundred of my favorite lines from this book, but I think the best way to give you a glimpse into the style of this collection is to share a few of the stories’ first lines.
"At thirty-six I turn into a scrambled egg." (“Egg Mother”)
"All Thuy wants is a man who will eat plastic with her, but it’s been hard to find a man like that in this town." (“The Garbage Patch”)
"It is not until my brother is thirty-three that I learn he’s controlled by a puppeteer." (“I Am the Ghost Here”)
If you enjoy surrealist humor, or you’re anxious about the state of the world, or you like reading about weird people in weird situations, I think you’ll love I Am the Ghost Here.
***Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with a free advanced reader copy in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.***
December 9, 2025
Do you love weird stories that, while highly speculative, are also very relatable about relationships humans have with each other and technology? Then you need this book in your life. Loneliness in the digital age, climate change, and postpartum isolation are just some of the topics touched on. I'll be the first to admit that short stories aren't typically for me but these towards were so bite sized and yet packed such a huge punch. They each are so unique and absurd as well. Be still my heart. While I enjoyed every single story greatly here are my top 5.
'Egg mother': a newly postpartum women finds herself turning into scrambled eggs (totally relatable iykyk).
'Everything Disappears When You're Having Fun' : an unexpected relationship is informed after a women sells a man a faulty chair which teleports you to the middle of nowhere when you sit on it and the two of them establish custody of the chair.
'Sven': a women picks up a earbud and suddenly finds a producer in her ear. Now she's a part of a TV show we're she is guided with how to say and act. (This one definitely spoke to my anxiety).
'Muscle to Muscle, Toe to Toe': a women meets the perfect man only to find out that the success of their relationship is due to an apps algorithm.
'The Garbage Patch': After a misunderstanding, a women realizes that a man might not be so bad after they realize they both love eating plastic (This was my favourite of the whole book).
The writing is exceptional, making the total absurd seem completely plausible. I know this stories will stick with me for many years to come!
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the arc.
'Egg mother': a newly postpartum women finds herself turning into scrambled eggs (totally relatable iykyk).
'Everything Disappears When You're Having Fun' : an unexpected relationship is informed after a women sells a man a faulty chair which teleports you to the middle of nowhere when you sit on it and the two of them establish custody of the chair.
'Sven': a women picks up a earbud and suddenly finds a producer in her ear. Now she's a part of a TV show we're she is guided with how to say and act. (This one definitely spoke to my anxiety).
'Muscle to Muscle, Toe to Toe': a women meets the perfect man only to find out that the success of their relationship is due to an apps algorithm.
'The Garbage Patch': After a misunderstanding, a women realizes that a man might not be so bad after they realize they both love eating plastic (This was my favourite of the whole book).
The writing is exceptional, making the total absurd seem completely plausible. I know this stories will stick with me for many years to come!
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the arc.
October 18, 2025
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the E-ARC.
This is the best short story collection I’ve ever read. The stories were cohesive yet distinct. They tackled themes of climate change, feminism, classism, motherhood, and technology. Some of these stories blew me away so much I had to put down the book and stare at the damn wall. Here’s my ranking:
1. Egg Mother
2. I Am the Ghost Here
3. The Cloud
4. The Sharpest Knife
5. Return
6. Trash Heal Hero
7. The Garbage Patch
8. The MILF Hotel
9. Everything Disappears
10. Another Toad in the Feely Box
11. Sven
12. Muscle to Muscle, Toe to Toe
This is the best short story collection I’ve ever read. The stories were cohesive yet distinct. They tackled themes of climate change, feminism, classism, motherhood, and technology. Some of these stories blew me away so much I had to put down the book and stare at the damn wall. Here’s my ranking:
1. Egg Mother
2. I Am the Ghost Here
3. The Cloud
4. The Sharpest Knife
5. Return
6. Trash Heal Hero
7. The Garbage Patch
8. The MILF Hotel
9. Everything Disappears
10. Another Toad in the Feely Box
11. Sven
12. Muscle to Muscle, Toe to Toe
October 17, 2025
I am so thankful to The Dial Press, Kim Samek, and NetGalley for granting me advanced access to this collection of stories that is just DEFINITELY giving WEIRD GIRL FIC!
Each story is a little bit more eerie than the next, never failing to not shock me into the next plain.
We’ve got new moms turning into scrambled eggs, earpiece reality TV generational trauma, California on fire (which isn’t too unrealistic), and many more tales of mayhem that kept me cackling and gasping.
Each story is a little bit more eerie than the next, never failing to not shock me into the next plain.
We’ve got new moms turning into scrambled eggs, earpiece reality TV generational trauma, California on fire (which isn’t too unrealistic), and many more tales of mayhem that kept me cackling and gasping.
March 5, 2026
My Selling Pitch:
Speculative fiction meets mommy horror in this short story collection. 1/2 duds, 1/2 biting social commentary takes worth the read.
Pre-reading:
I love a quirky short story collection. Dunno what it is about egg covers this year, but I really respond to them.
(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
I am the ghost
I'm such a slut for lit fic hooks. Like yes, girl, 0 to 60!
This is giving my depressed son used a therapist to function but we don’t believe in therapy. Or like a controlling girlfriend.
Oh, this is gonna be some wild living vicariously through your son shit. (YUP.)
Fun! 3/5
————
Egg
Scrambled egg mom. Slay. Mommy horror goes so hard.
And that's on postpartum depression.
It reminds me of Portalmania and Olivie Blake’s Monsterlove.
4/5 mommy horror banger
————-
Everything disappears
Just put it in a landfill?
2/5 quirky but didn't do much for me
-———-
Trash
2/5 being a woman is thankless
——-
Return
I love a Crunch Bar.
1/5 it’s just kind of a wishful thinking thought experiment. As a chronically ill girlie, I do relate to the desire to just skip ahead to when you’re fixed. It does feel like you’re missing life.
——————
Sharpest knife
Oh man, that’s real about the news and the pandemic.
This organ/disease commentary and how it affects identity is EXCELLENT commentary.
Everyone makes mistakes, everybody has those days 🎶✌️
This is really fucking good commentary on women’s unpaid emotional labor
Hahaha women don’t exist to hone a man. Fuckin get ‘em.
5/5 social commentary banger
————-
Sven
That’s a whack Love is Blind reference.
Yeah, not decorating your home is like peak sign of repressed mental distress. Been there, done that, apartment is a pink dopamine decor explosion now and I feel much better.
3/5 More just I go to therapy but they’re asking me to move emotionally faster than I’m able to so I’ll just cease and desist instead.
————-
Muscle
The social commentary in this one is brutal.
5/5 mommy horror rocks
————
Another toad
Dystopian Roomba. This woman’s mind
Some are like quietly unfinished thematically, but she understands dystopian capitalism and tech so well.
4/5
——
Garbage
I don’t get this one. I liked the facewash microplastic reference though. Whack that they were ever allowed to sell that.
1/5
———
Milf Hotel
I love V8 juice.
I’m so curious what the author’s personal life is like because so many of these stories have such similar things.
2/5 good grief commentary, but I don’t get the reality show component. They’re very disjointed imo.
————
Cloud
These mommy ones are great, but so so similar.
Women’s pain IS being erased.
Yeah, but the burden for mankind’s mistakes falls to women again. Typical.
I like the data cloud/snow cloud
4/5 commentary banger
Post-reading:
This is a real mixed bag of stories. The most successful are easily the mommy horror ones. Sure, they all read pretty similarly, but it’s so interesting to see this generation of intensely intelligent female authors put their foot down and rail against the lie of motherhood. It’s such a neat little horror subgenre they've carved out, and I fuck heavy with it. You can't raise us with Barbie’s be anything empowerment and then be surprised when we bite back when we realize the system isn't just broken, it’s rigged. Patriarchy sucks for everyone, and we’re tired of pretending it doesn't.
The weaker stories in the collection still have intriguing bits of prose but they feel unfinished both thematically and in terms of plot. We get more of a premise and no resolution. I think a common criticism of short story collections is that they're the story ideas that didn't have enough juice to work. I don't think that’s true about good collections, but it seems to ring true for a lot of the bad ones-a well, I've put this much time and effort into it, I may as well get something back from it feel.
I think if you like speculative fiction and left-leaning social commentary, you’ll like at least a few of the stories in here. I'd like to see a full-length dystopian horror novel from this author.
Who should read this:
Olivie Blake fans
Debbie Urbanski fans
Feminists
Social commentary fans
Ideal reading time:
Anytime
Do I want to reread this:
I’d like to reread it and discuss it with a book club
Would I buy this:
Yup.
Similar books:
* Portalmania by Debbie Urbanski-short story collection, dystopian, sci-fi, horror, satire, social commentary, queer, autism
* Oddbody by Rose Keating-short story collection, horror, fairytale retelling, social commentary, queer
* You Have a Friend in 10A by Maggie Shipstead-short story collection, lit fic, social commentary
* Games and Rituals by Katherine Heiny-short story collection, lit fic, social commentary
* Januaries by Olivie Blake-short story collection, fantasy, horror, fairytale retelling, social commentary
* Girl Dinner by Olivie Blake-lit fic, dark academia, horror, social commentary, queer
* Normal Women by Ainslie Hogarth-lit fic, psychological horror, thriller, social commentary
* How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu-short story collection, dystopian, sci-fi, lit fic, social commentary
* Shark Heart by Emily Habeck-lit fic, dystopian, horror, family drama
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Speculative fiction meets mommy horror in this short story collection. 1/2 duds, 1/2 biting social commentary takes worth the read.
Pre-reading:
I love a quirky short story collection. Dunno what it is about egg covers this year, but I really respond to them.
(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
I am the ghost
I'm such a slut for lit fic hooks. Like yes, girl, 0 to 60!
This is giving my depressed son used a therapist to function but we don’t believe in therapy. Or like a controlling girlfriend.
Oh, this is gonna be some wild living vicariously through your son shit. (YUP.)
Fun! 3/5
————
Egg
Scrambled egg mom. Slay. Mommy horror goes so hard.
And that's on postpartum depression.
It reminds me of Portalmania and Olivie Blake’s Monsterlove.
4/5 mommy horror banger
————-
Everything disappears
Just put it in a landfill?
2/5 quirky but didn't do much for me
-———-
Trash
2/5 being a woman is thankless
——-
Return
I love a Crunch Bar.
1/5 it’s just kind of a wishful thinking thought experiment. As a chronically ill girlie, I do relate to the desire to just skip ahead to when you’re fixed. It does feel like you’re missing life.
——————
Sharpest knife
Oh man, that’s real about the news and the pandemic.
This organ/disease commentary and how it affects identity is EXCELLENT commentary.
Everyone makes mistakes, everybody has those days 🎶✌️
This is really fucking good commentary on women’s unpaid emotional labor
Hahaha women don’t exist to hone a man. Fuckin get ‘em.
5/5 social commentary banger
————-
Sven
That’s a whack Love is Blind reference.
Yeah, not decorating your home is like peak sign of repressed mental distress. Been there, done that, apartment is a pink dopamine decor explosion now and I feel much better.
3/5 More just I go to therapy but they’re asking me to move emotionally faster than I’m able to so I’ll just cease and desist instead.
————-
Muscle
The social commentary in this one is brutal.
5/5 mommy horror rocks
————
Another toad
Dystopian Roomba. This woman’s mind
Some are like quietly unfinished thematically, but she understands dystopian capitalism and tech so well.
4/5
——
Garbage
I don’t get this one. I liked the facewash microplastic reference though. Whack that they were ever allowed to sell that.
1/5
———
Milf Hotel
I love V8 juice.
I’m so curious what the author’s personal life is like because so many of these stories have such similar things.
2/5 good grief commentary, but I don’t get the reality show component. They’re very disjointed imo.
————
Cloud
These mommy ones are great, but so so similar.
Women’s pain IS being erased.
Yeah, but the burden for mankind’s mistakes falls to women again. Typical.
I like the data cloud/snow cloud
4/5 commentary banger
Post-reading:
This is a real mixed bag of stories. The most successful are easily the mommy horror ones. Sure, they all read pretty similarly, but it’s so interesting to see this generation of intensely intelligent female authors put their foot down and rail against the lie of motherhood. It’s such a neat little horror subgenre they've carved out, and I fuck heavy with it. You can't raise us with Barbie’s be anything empowerment and then be surprised when we bite back when we realize the system isn't just broken, it’s rigged. Patriarchy sucks for everyone, and we’re tired of pretending it doesn't.
The weaker stories in the collection still have intriguing bits of prose but they feel unfinished both thematically and in terms of plot. We get more of a premise and no resolution. I think a common criticism of short story collections is that they're the story ideas that didn't have enough juice to work. I don't think that’s true about good collections, but it seems to ring true for a lot of the bad ones-a well, I've put this much time and effort into it, I may as well get something back from it feel.
I think if you like speculative fiction and left-leaning social commentary, you’ll like at least a few of the stories in here. I'd like to see a full-length dystopian horror novel from this author.
Who should read this:
Olivie Blake fans
Debbie Urbanski fans
Feminists
Social commentary fans
Ideal reading time:
Anytime
Do I want to reread this:
I’d like to reread it and discuss it with a book club
Would I buy this:
Yup.
Similar books:
* Portalmania by Debbie Urbanski-short story collection, dystopian, sci-fi, horror, satire, social commentary, queer, autism
* Oddbody by Rose Keating-short story collection, horror, fairytale retelling, social commentary, queer
* You Have a Friend in 10A by Maggie Shipstead-short story collection, lit fic, social commentary
* Games and Rituals by Katherine Heiny-short story collection, lit fic, social commentary
* Januaries by Olivie Blake-short story collection, fantasy, horror, fairytale retelling, social commentary
* Girl Dinner by Olivie Blake-lit fic, dark academia, horror, social commentary, queer
* Normal Women by Ainslie Hogarth-lit fic, psychological horror, thriller, social commentary
* How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu-short story collection, dystopian, sci-fi, lit fic, social commentary
* Shark Heart by Emily Habeck-lit fic, dystopian, horror, family drama
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 4, 2025
Short stories about corporate human puppeteering, a teleporting chair, becoming scrambled eggs, and a milf hotel…
If you like Raphael Bob Waksberg, you’ll like this and also be scared of this
If you like Raphael Bob Waksberg, you’ll like this and also be scared of this
March 12, 2026
Truly, I Am The Ghost Here is one of the best short story collections I’ve read in a long time. The stories are absurd, sci-fi-leaning, woman-centered, and they touch on a huge range of themes: postpartum depression, suicide, motherhood, aging, disability, chronic illness, addiction, climate change, wealth inequality, late-stage capitalism, existentialism, and even more. It sounds like a lot, but Samek manages to weave these ideas together in a way that feels natural within the strange and surreal worlds she builds.
One of the things I appreciated most is how the absurdity of the stories actually makes the themes hit harder. Instead of feeling heavy or overly serious, the stories use absurdist elements to engage in social and political commentary. This combination made them dark, funny, and sad all at once and kept me very engaged throughout the collection.
I’m generally not the biggest fan of short story collections because they can sometimes feel incohesive but that definitely wasn’t the case here. Each story felt carefully structured, starting and ending at exactly the right moment. None of them dragged on too long or felt unfinished. Because of that, the collection reads smoothly and feels thoughtfully constructed as a whole rather than just a group of disconnected stories.
My favourite was probably the titular story, “I Am The Ghost Here,” where there’s essentially a puppet in the brain controlling someone’s movements. It’s a bizarre premise that really stuck with me. In fact, the other day I found myself thinking about this story again while on the metro, just randomly pondering the idea, before even remembering it was part of this collection. That’s the mark of a good story.
I also really liked “The Sharpest Knife.” Normally I don’t like when music or fiction reference COVID, because it can pull me out of the story or make it feel too tied to a specific moment in time and I have too many of my own experiences that can maybe get placed onto the content. But here it actually worked really well. It’s the first time I’ve read something that used the pandemic in a way that felt thoughtful rather than distracting, and using absurdist elements was a really interesting way of processing the aftermath of that period.
The environmental themes throughout the collection were also really compelling. Stories dealing with plastic, garbage islands, fires, and environmental collapse, and the darker sides of the tourism industry stood out to me because they managed to capture the strange anxiety of living in a world shaped by those realities. Absurd elements were there but like our entire reality is absurd so why not, let’s go. By adding that humour, it removed a bit of the bleak truth of reality.
Another aspect I appreciated was how consistently the stories center women’s perspectives. Many of them also take place outside the typical American context that dominates a lot of contemporary fiction, which gives the collection a broader and more interesting perspective.
Overall, Samek did a wonderful job with this collection. Every story felt strong in its own way, and together they form a really memorable and cohesive book. Even after finishing it, the ideas and images from these stories keep resurfacing in my mind, which is always a sign that something has really worked for me as a reader. I look forward to reading whatever Kim Samek puts out next!
Final Rating: 5/5 and thanks for The Dial Press for the ARC.
One of the things I appreciated most is how the absurdity of the stories actually makes the themes hit harder. Instead of feeling heavy or overly serious, the stories use absurdist elements to engage in social and political commentary. This combination made them dark, funny, and sad all at once and kept me very engaged throughout the collection.
I’m generally not the biggest fan of short story collections because they can sometimes feel incohesive but that definitely wasn’t the case here. Each story felt carefully structured, starting and ending at exactly the right moment. None of them dragged on too long or felt unfinished. Because of that, the collection reads smoothly and feels thoughtfully constructed as a whole rather than just a group of disconnected stories.
My favourite was probably the titular story, “I Am The Ghost Here,” where there’s essentially a puppet in the brain controlling someone’s movements. It’s a bizarre premise that really stuck with me. In fact, the other day I found myself thinking about this story again while on the metro, just randomly pondering the idea, before even remembering it was part of this collection. That’s the mark of a good story.
I also really liked “The Sharpest Knife.” Normally I don’t like when music or fiction reference COVID, because it can pull me out of the story or make it feel too tied to a specific moment in time and I have too many of my own experiences that can maybe get placed onto the content. But here it actually worked really well. It’s the first time I’ve read something that used the pandemic in a way that felt thoughtful rather than distracting, and using absurdist elements was a really interesting way of processing the aftermath of that period.
The environmental themes throughout the collection were also really compelling. Stories dealing with plastic, garbage islands, fires, and environmental collapse, and the darker sides of the tourism industry stood out to me because they managed to capture the strange anxiety of living in a world shaped by those realities. Absurd elements were there but like our entire reality is absurd so why not, let’s go. By adding that humour, it removed a bit of the bleak truth of reality.
Another aspect I appreciated was how consistently the stories center women’s perspectives. Many of them also take place outside the typical American context that dominates a lot of contemporary fiction, which gives the collection a broader and more interesting perspective.
Overall, Samek did a wonderful job with this collection. Every story felt strong in its own way, and together they form a really memorable and cohesive book. Even after finishing it, the ideas and images from these stories keep resurfacing in my mind, which is always a sign that something has really worked for me as a reader. I look forward to reading whatever Kim Samek puts out next!
Final Rating: 5/5 and thanks for The Dial Press for the ARC.
March 11, 2026
3.5 stars. Odd but interesting stories.
March 15, 2026
I enjoyed a couple of the short stories but more often felt like there was an inside joke I wasn't getting tbh.
March 1, 2026
Interesting debut. Short stories that highlight the pitfalls of technology, climate change, reality television, and motherhood. My favorite was Egg Mother. All of the stories are a little absurd - but that is to make a point.
A woman's limbs disappear into “the cloud” during wildfire-induced power outages. A lonely DoorDasher accidentally becomes the star of someone else's reality show, forced to resolve her fraught relationship with her immigrant mother for the narrative. Succumbing to a widely denied pandemic, a gymnastics coach must carry her heart around in a Mason jar, using her disability to become an influencer. Two chronically single, chronically ill people become soulmates, only to discover their meeting was algorithmically orchestrated by ad tech. Other dramas unfold as icebergs melt and island-sized trash heaps burn.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House/The Dial Press for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.
A woman's limbs disappear into “the cloud” during wildfire-induced power outages. A lonely DoorDasher accidentally becomes the star of someone else's reality show, forced to resolve her fraught relationship with her immigrant mother for the narrative. Succumbing to a widely denied pandemic, a gymnastics coach must carry her heart around in a Mason jar, using her disability to become an influencer. Two chronically single, chronically ill people become soulmates, only to discover their meeting was algorithmically orchestrated by ad tech. Other dramas unfold as icebergs melt and island-sized trash heaps burn.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House/The Dial Press for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.
February 26, 2026
I Am the Ghost Here is a debut collection of 12 short -stories about women and their anxieties in the modern world.
Every story feels like it was written with intention. Samek writes these wild and surreal premises that feel just weird enough to be jarring and uses them to explore existential dread and dark humor. The absuridty never feels like it is present for shock valuie instead it feels like a purposeful lense to look at moden anxieties. Its a perfect blend of surrealism and a reality that is painfully recognizable.
This is a debut. What really impressed me here is Samek's ability to create tight and well-paced stories. The writing is clever without being showy and emotionally pointed without losing that off-kilter humor.
I found myself thinking about these stories long after finished them.
Thank you Netgalley and Random House for an advanced copy of I Am the Ghost Here.
Every story feels like it was written with intention. Samek writes these wild and surreal premises that feel just weird enough to be jarring and uses them to explore existential dread and dark humor. The absuridty never feels like it is present for shock valuie instead it feels like a purposeful lense to look at moden anxieties. Its a perfect blend of surrealism and a reality that is painfully recognizable.
This is a debut. What really impressed me here is Samek's ability to create tight and well-paced stories. The writing is clever without being showy and emotionally pointed without losing that off-kilter humor.
I found myself thinking about these stories long after finished them.
Thank you Netgalley and Random House for an advanced copy of I Am the Ghost Here.
February 17, 2026
5⭐️ My brain is officially re-wired in the best way possible.
I was utterly floored by this collection of short stories. Each one is wildly genre bending, but not in a gimmicky “look at me” way. It’s more like getting dropped into a perfectly calibrated fever dream where the logic is emotional instead of linear, and instead of a ‘what on earth’ reaction, it makes sense.
What floored me most is how seen these stories made me feel. Not in a neat, relatable, dopamine hit kind of way. More like someone quietly clocked a private frequency I didn’t realize I’d been broadcasting and translated it into language if that makes sense. Each story evoked a feeling that I could sense but can’t name, like thoughts that hover just out of reach when you try to explain them out loud.
Thank you to NetGalley, Dial Press & Random House, and Kim Samek for the advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are left voluntarily and are of my own.
I was utterly floored by this collection of short stories. Each one is wildly genre bending, but not in a gimmicky “look at me” way. It’s more like getting dropped into a perfectly calibrated fever dream where the logic is emotional instead of linear, and instead of a ‘what on earth’ reaction, it makes sense.
What floored me most is how seen these stories made me feel. Not in a neat, relatable, dopamine hit kind of way. More like someone quietly clocked a private frequency I didn’t realize I’d been broadcasting and translated it into language if that makes sense. Each story evoked a feeling that I could sense but can’t name, like thoughts that hover just out of reach when you try to explain them out loud.
Thank you to NetGalley, Dial Press & Random House, and Kim Samek for the advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are left voluntarily and are of my own.
November 7, 2025
A series of very creative short stories that highlight the loneliness of living in a digital world, environmental issues, and complicated family dynamics. Each story provides a new and often comical metaphor, but there is an obvious theme that is very rooted in reality.
Definitely a more conceptual work and less of a character- or plot-driven work.
While I absolutely loved the ridiculous concepts that Samek came up with, a lot of the stories made me feel depressed and lonely. The ridiculousness is in fact a necessary feature to balance the bleak tone. (Some stories did end with hopeful vibes, the bleakness was in part provided by my own psyche)
This book is not meant to be binged. Gotta chew slowly and digest. Many of these stories I had to sit with after reading and come back to them to really think about what they were trying to say. Consequently I started to appreciate them more the more I thought about them. However, there were a couple of stories that did fall flat for me. I don't know if this is a fault of the writing or if they "went over my head" (it's very possible, as I've seen other reviewers list those stories as favorites).
I keep accidentally reading books that touch on living with chronic health conditions, and having been recently diagnosed with one myself I was not emotionally equipped for this book. A+ Representation but oof it hits like bricks sometimes.
I Am the Ghost Here is a great collection for people who enjoy thinking critically and sorting through outrageous symbolism in texts. It would also be good for a heavier buddy-read or book club pick.
For my final star rating I evaluated each individual story based on 6 different factors that personally were applicable to my enjoyment, and assigned a rating to it, then I averaged those scores. My favorites include: I am the Ghost Here, The MILF Hotel, The Cloud, Return, and Sven.
Thank you Netgalley for the eARC.
Definitely a more conceptual work and less of a character- or plot-driven work.
While I absolutely loved the ridiculous concepts that Samek came up with, a lot of the stories made me feel depressed and lonely. The ridiculousness is in fact a necessary feature to balance the bleak tone. (Some stories did end with hopeful vibes, the bleakness was in part provided by my own psyche)
This book is not meant to be binged. Gotta chew slowly and digest. Many of these stories I had to sit with after reading and come back to them to really think about what they were trying to say. Consequently I started to appreciate them more the more I thought about them. However, there were a couple of stories that did fall flat for me. I don't know if this is a fault of the writing or if they "went over my head" (it's very possible, as I've seen other reviewers list those stories as favorites).
I keep accidentally reading books that touch on living with chronic health conditions, and having been recently diagnosed with one myself I was not emotionally equipped for this book. A+ Representation but oof it hits like bricks sometimes.
I Am the Ghost Here is a great collection for people who enjoy thinking critically and sorting through outrageous symbolism in texts. It would also be good for a heavier buddy-read or book club pick.
For my final star rating I evaluated each individual story based on 6 different factors that personally were applicable to my enjoyment, and assigned a rating to it, then I averaged those scores. My favorites include: I am the Ghost Here, The MILF Hotel, The Cloud, Return, and Sven.
Thank you Netgalley for the eARC.
November 5, 2025
The stories housed in this debut collection mostly surround topics related to technology, climate change and human relationships. Speculative, weird and intriguing, I thought this short story collection would be a homerun. Sadly, I didn't find it to be exceptional. The potential was there but most stories just never hit that mark for me. My favorites of the dozen were the title story 'I Am the Ghost Here,' 'Trash Heap Hero,' 'Everything Disappears When You're Having Fun' and 'The Sharpest Knife.'
I give I Am the Ghost Here by Kim Samek 3.5 stars ⭐⭐⭐💫
Thank you Random House for this eARC through NetGalley!
I give I Am the Ghost Here by Kim Samek 3.5 stars ⭐⭐⭐💫
Thank you Random House for this eARC through NetGalley!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to NetGalley & Random House for the ARC!
Kim Samek’s I Am the Ghost Here is a pastel-hued Black Mirror-esque anthology of all the ways modernity threatens one’s selfhood.
Short story collections are always hit-or-miss, but Samek goes 12-0 by constructing each narrative around its intended impact. The punchiness is the point, and the stories themselves almost take a backseat to their respective hooks. On the surface, these stories are very, well, surface-level because Samek maps interiority onto radical physical changes. For example, in the titular opener, a Thai-American man is puppeteered to social success by a white woman. As in, yes, there is literally a white woman inside him. When his family finds out, they lose all respect for him, but they also don’t like the “real” him. There’s not much more to the story than that, and Samek cheerily jumps into a new what if before the dust has settled on the impossible plight of the second-gen experience: being born into a community that glorifies what white masculinity represents while resenting what it means. Ultimately, I Am the Ghost Here gets at a really interesting idea—the very things that constitute our identities also threaten them, and attempts to find our “essential” selves can be an act of self-annihilation.
Samek’s writing is a treat, delivering dire existentialism with a chipper bemusement. One can almost sense the characters looking around going, “Crazy, right? Look at us.” Everybody in the book is thinly-sketched, but they know it, and whenever they grasp at something more substantial, things quickly turn absurd. A woman’s postpartum body changes into literal scrambled eggs. An illness forces someone else to have “a heart pumping blood remotely, by bluetooth." Another character tries to resist the social media algorithms that forced her into her partner’s orbit, which causes her to derail her life by doing the opposite of whatever comes naturally. No matter how far-fetched the narratives become, the emotional logic always feels true and coherent.
That said, I Am the Ghost Here may almost be too cohesive. I mentioned Black Mirror earlier in this review because Samek takes a similar narrative approach. While each story sings playfully through its subject—health, marriage, motherhood, employment—there’s a slight sense of diminishing returns because there’s not really much thematic development—just thematic reiteration. In a way, this approach allows Samek to highlight the futility of the question, who am I? It’s impossible to whittle oneself down to an essential answer. But because each story is so focused on its respective “punch,” by the end of the book, the reader almost feels clobbered by their singular, shared point. For that reason, I wish maybe three or four of the stories had been reserved for a different book, not because they are weak, but because they all deserve a chance to shine.
When I think about how spotty the short story genre is, however, my critiques feel a little silly. I Am the Ghost Here is such a strong debut, and Kim Samek is so focused in what she sets out to do that one can’t help but be won over. I’m really excited to follow her work in the future, and if she ever chooses to write a full-length novel, I’ll be the first one begging for an ARC.
Kim Samek’s I Am the Ghost Here is a pastel-hued Black Mirror-esque anthology of all the ways modernity threatens one’s selfhood.
Short story collections are always hit-or-miss, but Samek goes 12-0 by constructing each narrative around its intended impact. The punchiness is the point, and the stories themselves almost take a backseat to their respective hooks. On the surface, these stories are very, well, surface-level because Samek maps interiority onto radical physical changes. For example, in the titular opener, a Thai-American man is puppeteered to social success by a white woman. As in, yes, there is literally a white woman inside him. When his family finds out, they lose all respect for him, but they also don’t like the “real” him. There’s not much more to the story than that, and Samek cheerily jumps into a new what if before the dust has settled on the impossible plight of the second-gen experience: being born into a community that glorifies what white masculinity represents while resenting what it means. Ultimately, I Am the Ghost Here gets at a really interesting idea—the very things that constitute our identities also threaten them, and attempts to find our “essential” selves can be an act of self-annihilation.
Samek’s writing is a treat, delivering dire existentialism with a chipper bemusement. One can almost sense the characters looking around going, “Crazy, right? Look at us.” Everybody in the book is thinly-sketched, but they know it, and whenever they grasp at something more substantial, things quickly turn absurd. A woman’s postpartum body changes into literal scrambled eggs. An illness forces someone else to have “a heart pumping blood remotely, by bluetooth." Another character tries to resist the social media algorithms that forced her into her partner’s orbit, which causes her to derail her life by doing the opposite of whatever comes naturally. No matter how far-fetched the narratives become, the emotional logic always feels true and coherent.
That said, I Am the Ghost Here may almost be too cohesive. I mentioned Black Mirror earlier in this review because Samek takes a similar narrative approach. While each story sings playfully through its subject—health, marriage, motherhood, employment—there’s a slight sense of diminishing returns because there’s not really much thematic development—just thematic reiteration. In a way, this approach allows Samek to highlight the futility of the question, who am I? It’s impossible to whittle oneself down to an essential answer. But because each story is so focused on its respective “punch,” by the end of the book, the reader almost feels clobbered by their singular, shared point. For that reason, I wish maybe three or four of the stories had been reserved for a different book, not because they are weak, but because they all deserve a chance to shine.
When I think about how spotty the short story genre is, however, my critiques feel a little silly. I Am the Ghost Here is such a strong debut, and Kim Samek is so focused in what she sets out to do that one can’t help but be won over. I’m really excited to follow her work in the future, and if she ever chooses to write a full-length novel, I’ll be the first one begging for an ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I was looking forward to reading this one a lot. I haven't read too much weird girl fiction before but I was excited to get more into this sub-genre. Unfortunately, I was disappointed.
A lot of the stories fell flat. They were trying so hard to be weird but they failed entirely on being interesting. The tone fluctuated a lot. The absurd elements were not quite absurd enough in a way that was entertaining and the emotional beats got heavy in a way that didn't feel sincere, precisely because of the slight absurdity. I couldn't connect with any of the characters enough to care about what happened to them in these modern times parody worlds.
The theme of motherhood is explored in about half of these stories but it was all the same and not anything I haven't read a million times before.
There were two stories I enjoyed a little bit more than others: the titular "I Am the Ghost Here" and "The Garbage Patch." "I Am the Ghost Here" started off the collection and honestly that was a smart move because it's the most interesting one. It follows a woman whose brother goes off to college and comes back completely changed for the better because he hires a woman to puppeteer his body around in social situations. It's weird and funny and one of the only stories here that actually manages to hit the emotional beats. I confess, when I first read it I was excited to read the rest of the collection because I was hoping this was just the warm up. Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there, especially after the novelty wore off.
"The Garbage Patch" is the third to last story and it follows a woman who is trying to get to the garbage patch on the water outside the city she lives so she can get her hands on some plastic and eat it. She meets a man who is trying to do the same thing and they start dating and fall in love while eating plastic together until the woman gets swallowed by a whale right before their wedding. It's absurd and ridiculous and also sounds a lot more fun than it was. But there was something about the descriptions of the place where the main character lives and the dates she goes on with this man that I really enjoyed. It was atmospheric in a way not many of the other stories were. The whale ending was stupid and felt like a gag, especially after the author tried to infuse some seriousness into the tone right beforehand. But it was better than most of the other stories.
Overall, I think the stories stayed on theme in tone throughout the collection and the order of the stories was well curated, which I can appreciate. I'm not sure if I will pick up anything else by this author in the future but I'm glad I got a chance to sample her work.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.
A lot of the stories fell flat. They were trying so hard to be weird but they failed entirely on being interesting. The tone fluctuated a lot. The absurd elements were not quite absurd enough in a way that was entertaining and the emotional beats got heavy in a way that didn't feel sincere, precisely because of the slight absurdity. I couldn't connect with any of the characters enough to care about what happened to them in these modern times parody worlds.
The theme of motherhood is explored in about half of these stories but it was all the same and not anything I haven't read a million times before.
There were two stories I enjoyed a little bit more than others: the titular "I Am the Ghost Here" and "The Garbage Patch." "I Am the Ghost Here" started off the collection and honestly that was a smart move because it's the most interesting one. It follows a woman whose brother goes off to college and comes back completely changed for the better because he hires a woman to puppeteer his body around in social situations. It's weird and funny and one of the only stories here that actually manages to hit the emotional beats. I confess, when I first read it I was excited to read the rest of the collection because I was hoping this was just the warm up. Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there, especially after the novelty wore off.
"The Garbage Patch" is the third to last story and it follows a woman who is trying to get to the garbage patch on the water outside the city she lives so she can get her hands on some plastic and eat it. She meets a man who is trying to do the same thing and they start dating and fall in love while eating plastic together until the woman gets swallowed by a whale right before their wedding. It's absurd and ridiculous and also sounds a lot more fun than it was. But there was something about the descriptions of the place where the main character lives and the dates she goes on with this man that I really enjoyed. It was atmospheric in a way not many of the other stories were. The whale ending was stupid and felt like a gag, especially after the author tried to infuse some seriousness into the tone right beforehand. But it was better than most of the other stories.
Overall, I think the stories stayed on theme in tone throughout the collection and the order of the stories was well curated, which I can appreciate. I'm not sure if I will pick up anything else by this author in the future but I'm glad I got a chance to sample her work.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I Am The Ghost Here: Stories, by Kim Samek, is a collection of surprisingly weird and utterly delightful short stories that also manage to have many layers of deeper meaning. Each of these 12 stories features a FMC who is navigating how to live and love and be in relationship amidst the disturbing complexities of our modern age—technology, climate peril, capitalism, the entertainment industry, racial inequalities. How do we live in a world that we are (over) consuming, and that is also in turn devouring us? And, are we consuming ourselves, and each other?
I enjoyed each of these stories immensely—which is especially significant given how I typically prefer reading novels rather than short stories.
I especially enjoyed these three, which are towards the beginning of the collection:
“Egg Mother”: A postpartum mom turns into a scrambled egg, and wonders how she will care for her baby and show up for her husband if she sleeps in the fridge. Will she be able to find herself again? Does confronting her own childhood trauma hold the key? Or is this just motherhood?
“Everything Disappears When You’re Having Fun”: A television producer and a man she meets on Craigslist share custody of a office chair that they realize does more than just hurt one’s back…and eventually try to find a way to maintain their connection but break free of the chair (hopefully without hurting anyone else).
“Trash Heap Hero”: A young woman will do anything to keep showing up to her job of putting out fires on the top of her town’s trash heap…but what will it cost her, and her family?
While tackling complex and heavy themes with a surreal twist, Samek also manages to include so many details that are just so FUN to come across as a reader. I can’t tell you how many times I literally laughed out loud while reading these from the sheer pleasure of Samek’s writing.
Heartfelt gratitude to Samek for her delightful stories, and to NetGalley and Random House for this digital ARC. Please read a copy for yourself—publication date is February 24th, 2026.
I enjoyed each of these stories immensely—which is especially significant given how I typically prefer reading novels rather than short stories.
I especially enjoyed these three, which are towards the beginning of the collection:
“Egg Mother”: A postpartum mom turns into a scrambled egg, and wonders how she will care for her baby and show up for her husband if she sleeps in the fridge. Will she be able to find herself again? Does confronting her own childhood trauma hold the key? Or is this just motherhood?
“Everything Disappears When You’re Having Fun”: A television producer and a man she meets on Craigslist share custody of a office chair that they realize does more than just hurt one’s back…and eventually try to find a way to maintain their connection but break free of the chair (hopefully without hurting anyone else).
“Trash Heap Hero”: A young woman will do anything to keep showing up to her job of putting out fires on the top of her town’s trash heap…but what will it cost her, and her family?
While tackling complex and heavy themes with a surreal twist, Samek also manages to include so many details that are just so FUN to come across as a reader. I can’t tell you how many times I literally laughed out loud while reading these from the sheer pleasure of Samek’s writing.
Heartfelt gratitude to Samek for her delightful stories, and to NetGalley and Random House for this digital ARC. Please read a copy for yourself—publication date is February 24th, 2026.
March 2, 2026
I am the Ghost Here is a collection of short stories that Samek focuses on the trials and tribulations women face in modern society. From adjusting to social media to online dating, to the common struggles we face in today's age I Am The Ghost Here is a collection that women can relate to. The need to be seen and acknowledged and recognized in today's society is something that each and every woman can identify with.
While Samek constructs each and every story in a unique fashion and way from the unexpected Black Mirror style to near science fiction exploration, the stories resonate and are relatable to experiences I can identify with. Sure the stories are out of the ordinary and far beyond the norm but the soul and root of the struggles of each character are those that women can experience.
The struggles of dating in today's society, the struggle to seek acceptance and understanding from a partner, a spouse, or family member , to the challenges of motherhood are what is the soul of these stories.
No matter how extreme and unusual the story, the title resonates throughout the story. It is a common feeling to feel unseen and misunderstood as a girlfriend, a daughter, a wife, and a mother to the point you cannot help but question maybe I am just a Ghost.
The true question lingers of what is the value and worth of self when everyone else seems to no longer value you as who you truly are. To me I Am The Ghost Here starts to answer these questions and also leave the reader to think and reassess their place in the world.
If you appreciate a book and collection of stories that makes you look beyond the lens then I highly recommend I Am the Ghost Here. Thank you again for The Dial Press for sharing this copy of this book with me. Until next time, happy reading!
While Samek constructs each and every story in a unique fashion and way from the unexpected Black Mirror style to near science fiction exploration, the stories resonate and are relatable to experiences I can identify with. Sure the stories are out of the ordinary and far beyond the norm but the soul and root of the struggles of each character are those that women can experience.
The struggles of dating in today's society, the struggle to seek acceptance and understanding from a partner, a spouse, or family member , to the challenges of motherhood are what is the soul of these stories.
No matter how extreme and unusual the story, the title resonates throughout the story. It is a common feeling to feel unseen and misunderstood as a girlfriend, a daughter, a wife, and a mother to the point you cannot help but question maybe I am just a Ghost.
The true question lingers of what is the value and worth of self when everyone else seems to no longer value you as who you truly are. To me I Am The Ghost Here starts to answer these questions and also leave the reader to think and reassess their place in the world.
If you appreciate a book and collection of stories that makes you look beyond the lens then I highly recommend I Am the Ghost Here. Thank you again for The Dial Press for sharing this copy of this book with me. Until next time, happy reading!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A strange and absolutely wonderful collection of short stories, unlike anything you are likely to ever read. These stories resonate, they sing, metaphorically, as they broach topics like crippling anxiety, the insecurities of motherhood, chronic illness and our destruction of the environment, all couched in stories of missing organs and limbs, weird biological transformations, plastic eating people, reality shows, terrifying pandemics, marketing algorithms and sinister rogue technology.
A masterpiece of storytelling, these are stories that cannot help but remind us of our feeble vulnerabilities, in the face of the terrifying and unknown changes we are setting in motion to our environment, our culture, and the world our children will inhabit. Wildfires, mounting garbage, disappearing bees, — the protagonists here are exposed to it all. Wives cling to husbands as mixed up and afraid as they are. Not to mention unsure of what is real, and what is actually manufactured, as they are secretly filmed, their lives made into entertainment, or they become the victims of strange global and disturbing conspiracies.
No topic too strange, no subject too bizarre, this brilliant and sweeping testament to our times is a collection of remarkable stories this reader will no doubt find the time to revisit.
A great big thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.
A masterpiece of storytelling, these are stories that cannot help but remind us of our feeble vulnerabilities, in the face of the terrifying and unknown changes we are setting in motion to our environment, our culture, and the world our children will inhabit. Wildfires, mounting garbage, disappearing bees, — the protagonists here are exposed to it all. Wives cling to husbands as mixed up and afraid as they are. Not to mention unsure of what is real, and what is actually manufactured, as they are secretly filmed, their lives made into entertainment, or they become the victims of strange global and disturbing conspiracies.
No topic too strange, no subject too bizarre, this brilliant and sweeping testament to our times is a collection of remarkable stories this reader will no doubt find the time to revisit.
A great big thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.
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