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Echoes of the Damned: A Horror Collection
Even the bones of the dead whisper secrets if you dare to listen.
A little girl is excited to take her new friend to a special place where the sweetness of childhood transforms into something far more sinister. A teenager is invited to a friend's house for dinner only to discover a grotesque secret with far reaching consequences.
A worn out clown tries out a sample of a new face paint said to revolutionize the industry and discovers that innovation can be deadly. An animatronic obsessed cop is assigned to a case that makes him wish he had chosen a different hobby.
These are just a few of the eleven chilling stories in this dark collection, where the screams of the damned echo loudest in the dark.
A little girl is excited to take her new friend to a special place where the sweetness of childhood transforms into something far more sinister. A teenager is invited to a friend's house for dinner only to discover a grotesque secret with far reaching consequences.
A worn out clown tries out a sample of a new face paint said to revolutionize the industry and discovers that innovation can be deadly. An animatronic obsessed cop is assigned to a case that makes him wish he had chosen a different hobby.
These are just a few of the eleven chilling stories in this dark collection, where the screams of the damned echo loudest in the dark.
168 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 3, 2025
18 people want to read
About the author
Ian Gielen
30 books76 followersA horror fan since childhood, Ian embraces his inner geek with pride, his dedication displayed in the intimidating collection of horror novels and video games that threaten to take over his living space.
He is mad for all things Alien, Star Wars, and cats, his furry companions always there to keep him company as he scribbles down his latest ideas.
He's a father in Melbourne, Australia, sharing his home with his partner, two stepdaughters, and four cats. The sheer number of furry and human companions in his life might be enough to drive anyone a little crazy.
You can follow his writing journey on Facebook at - Ian Gielen - Author
He is mad for all things Alien, Star Wars, and cats, his furry companions always there to keep him company as he scribbles down his latest ideas.
He's a father in Melbourne, Australia, sharing his home with his partner, two stepdaughters, and four cats. The sheer number of furry and human companions in his life might be enough to drive anyone a little crazy.
You can follow his writing journey on Facebook at - Ian Gielen - Author
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 26, 2025
This was a nice collection of horror stories that I thoroughly enjoyed. As my first book by Ian Gielen it was a nice introduction to some of his work! I cannot wait to read some more of his books as this left a good impression on me.
September 17, 2025
The gorgeous cover by Matthew Wildasin perfectly captures the vibes of Ian Gielen's terrific, eleven-story horror collection! Crammed with vivid scenes of shivering terror, sometimes combining several horror tropes together (for example, serial killers, creepy children, and ghosts in the opening story), the collection shows both Gielen's strong storytelling skills, and his care to tell the story exactly right, without any fluff or unnecessary detail. His versatility, as well, shines through the wide variety of the tales: he can do emotions and heartfelt dialogue as needed, and the next moment he's ready to plunge the reader into a mix of revenge rage and cruel butchery. Case in point: "The Scientist's Curse," where a teen invited by his friend to a family dinner receives a most unsettling welcome - and secrets are slowly revealed till the explosive ending! Or "Storm of Shadows," in which a mother's care for her young son and the son's love for his mother open the door to something neither was prepared for. Gielen also has the tendency to drop his characters right in the middle of the worst situations possible: insect apocalypses, AI attacks, worm infestations, eldritch rituals or alien invasions; whereas his characters may be a clown, a bus driver, a gamer, or a fed up husband. The sheer variety of the stories is impressive and often makes for a super-exciting read!
This being a debut horror collection, perhaps a small complaint is in order: occasionally the stories have too much "tell" and not enough "show". Gielen tries to cover a lot of ground in a single story, and this requires him to jump around too much in a limited space. But the story never gets chaotic or confusing on that account (which is an achievement in itself): there's a well-calculated payback in the end, a surprising twist or a disturbing reveal awaiting the reader just around the corner.
I eagerly recommend the collection to anyone who enjoys creepy, wildly varied, horror entertainment; straight titillation to your brain, by an author with damn good things in his future!
This being a debut horror collection, perhaps a small complaint is in order: occasionally the stories have too much "tell" and not enough "show". Gielen tries to cover a lot of ground in a single story, and this requires him to jump around too much in a limited space. But the story never gets chaotic or confusing on that account (which is an achievement in itself): there's a well-calculated payback in the end, a surprising twist or a disturbing reveal awaiting the reader just around the corner.
I eagerly recommend the collection to anyone who enjoys creepy, wildly varied, horror entertainment; straight titillation to your brain, by an author with damn good things in his future!
September 10, 2025
If memory serves correctly, I’ve read a few of Ian Gielen’s flash fiction stories, but nothing with a longer word length. The flash fiction was great, so I was expecting a lot from this anthology, and it was certainly a wild and varied read through the eleven stories within — psychopathic kids, a sadistic father, crazed hunters, dormant organisms threatening to end humanity, Halloween horrors, ghosts, and parasites to name but a few.
These stories really pulled me out of the comfort of my reading room and dragged me into some really friggin’ weird scenarios and had me genuinely worried for several characters (although, not all; some of them deserved to die) and also Ian’s state of mind as a writer — *whispers, “Ian, you need help!”
My favourite five-star reads were:
The Scientist’s Curse - The redneck (if that’s the right term) Corbin brothers, Buster and Hank, go hunting, but not for what you think. The end scenes brought a twist I wasn’t expecting, along with some gruesome gore.
One Night In Halloween Land - It’s Halloween and some really scary gory shit happens. What more can I say?
Storm Of Shadows - Not much I can say without spoiling it, so all I’ll say is, don’t mess with the supernatural.
Paint The Clown Red - This isn’t the usual horror IT style clown, this is just a clown. The horror that goes down isn’t even his fault, so I kinda felt sorry for him. Gory, blood fest involving the clown’s makeup. Sick.
A skull cracking collection of stories!
Five out of five damned skulls 💀💀💀💀
These stories really pulled me out of the comfort of my reading room and dragged me into some really friggin’ weird scenarios and had me genuinely worried for several characters (although, not all; some of them deserved to die) and also Ian’s state of mind as a writer — *whispers, “Ian, you need help!”
My favourite five-star reads were:
The Scientist’s Curse - The redneck (if that’s the right term) Corbin brothers, Buster and Hank, go hunting, but not for what you think. The end scenes brought a twist I wasn’t expecting, along with some gruesome gore.
One Night In Halloween Land - It’s Halloween and some really scary gory shit happens. What more can I say?
Storm Of Shadows - Not much I can say without spoiling it, so all I’ll say is, don’t mess with the supernatural.
Paint The Clown Red - This isn’t the usual horror IT style clown, this is just a clown. The horror that goes down isn’t even his fault, so I kinda felt sorry for him. Gory, blood fest involving the clown’s makeup. Sick.
A skull cracking collection of stories!
Five out of five damned skulls 💀💀💀💀
October 3, 2025
Echo
A young man goes to have dinner at a friend's house but things are very strange. A clown and other horrors await.
A young man goes to have dinner at a friend's house but things are very strange. A clown and other horrors await.
December 27, 2025
A lot of times with short story collections I only enjoy about 1/2 of them. This book was different. While I enjoyed some more than others, every story was good.
From cannibalism to creepy scarecrows, these stories keep you on the edge of your seat. I could have done without the worms 🤢 I have had a thing about worms since I read The Troop 🤣
This was my first book by this author but not my last!
From cannibalism to creepy scarecrows, these stories keep you on the edge of your seat. I could have done without the worms 🤢 I have had a thing about worms since I read The Troop 🤣
This was my first book by this author but not my last!
October 13, 2025
This collection was awesome!
The writing was smooth and easy to read, and there are a wide variety of story types, psychopathic kids, crazy rednecks, mysterious organism, ghosts, creatures, and some sci-fi horror, just to name a few.
All of these stories were unique and compelling, and every time I put the book down for the night, I found myself sneaking glances at it, thinking just one more story before bed.
And if or when he puts out another collection, it will be automatic buy for me.
Defiantly a new author to keep an eye on.
The writing was smooth and easy to read, and there are a wide variety of story types, psychopathic kids, crazy rednecks, mysterious organism, ghosts, creatures, and some sci-fi horror, just to name a few.
All of these stories were unique and compelling, and every time I put the book down for the night, I found myself sneaking glances at it, thinking just one more story before bed.
And if or when he puts out another collection, it will be automatic buy for me.
Defiantly a new author to keep an eye on.
November 28, 2025
Book Review
Author: Ian Gielen
Title: Echoes of the Damned
Book Rating: 5 Stars
Horror collection
I became a fan of Ian Gielen a couple of months ago when I read his novella Saving Tommy, so I immediately jumped at the chance to read his short story collection Echoes of the Damned.
This is a collection of short horror stories, and each one packs an emotional punch. Some are scary, some are thought provoking, and some are bleak and terrifying.
When a family goes scuba diving what is brought back can change the world.
What does a world look like where Santa was killed off by Krampus?
When a prisoner who hears the voices of the dead escapes, what new hell will he unleash?
These are but a few synopses that await you in this book.
Gielen is a horror author you will definitely need to keep your eye on. What he is able to do with short stories rivals what other authors do with full novels. He is able to drive fear and hopelessness into every sentence. This collection is very bleak, and what seems like happy endings in some if the stories really aren't when you start thinking about it.
Echoes of the Damned is grade A horror at its absolute best. It is perfect for when you have an extra 15-20 minutes to spare and want to knock out a quick story at a time. I can not recommend this book enough.
Author: Ian Gielen
Title: Echoes of the Damned
Book Rating: 5 Stars
Horror collection
I became a fan of Ian Gielen a couple of months ago when I read his novella Saving Tommy, so I immediately jumped at the chance to read his short story collection Echoes of the Damned.
This is a collection of short horror stories, and each one packs an emotional punch. Some are scary, some are thought provoking, and some are bleak and terrifying.
When a family goes scuba diving what is brought back can change the world.
What does a world look like where Santa was killed off by Krampus?
When a prisoner who hears the voices of the dead escapes, what new hell will he unleash?
These are but a few synopses that await you in this book.
Gielen is a horror author you will definitely need to keep your eye on. What he is able to do with short stories rivals what other authors do with full novels. He is able to drive fear and hopelessness into every sentence. This collection is very bleak, and what seems like happy endings in some if the stories really aren't when you start thinking about it.
Echoes of the Damned is grade A horror at its absolute best. It is perfect for when you have an extra 15-20 minutes to spare and want to knock out a quick story at a time. I can not recommend this book enough.
2025
December 3, 2025The perfect amount of mystery, gore, and terror. With several short stories, it is very fast paced. Your heart never stops pounding. There's Cannibalism, creepy Scarecrows and even some frightening little friends. Worst of all, insects and worms. The creepy crawly feelings stay with you for awhile.
I would recommend this short story collection to anyone looking for some versatility with there blood and screams. Great read.
I would recommend this short story collection to anyone looking for some versatility with there blood and screams. Great read.
September 29, 2025
If you haven’t checked out any of Ian’s work yet, Saving Tommy and Unholy Blood are great reads. Echoes of the Damned is his first collection of short stories and that awesome cover drew me right in. We get a nice variety of scary tales, ranging from over-the-top gorefests to atmospheric hauntings. From aliens to Christmas apocalyptic horror. There’s a little bit of everything in this collection.
I had a lot of fun reading these, although I found the second half of this collection a lot stronger than the first. Ian’s got some wild, out-there ideas in his head. The creativity here is really on point, as always with Ian’s work. For his first collection, this really delivers on the chills, thrills and sheer madness.
Deadly Bytes, Storm of Shadows, and Echoes of the Damned were my favorites. Special shout out to Paint The Clown Red and Ashes of Christmas Past for being just straight up bonkers.
I had a lot of fun reading these, although I found the second half of this collection a lot stronger than the first. Ian’s got some wild, out-there ideas in his head. The creativity here is really on point, as always with Ian’s work. For his first collection, this really delivers on the chills, thrills and sheer madness.
Deadly Bytes, Storm of Shadows, and Echoes of the Damned were my favorites. Special shout out to Paint The Clown Red and Ashes of Christmas Past for being just straight up bonkers.
September 25, 2025
Echoes of the Damned is a collection of short horror stories curated to give you thrills, chills and leave you with that eerie, cold feeling. Each story is horrifying in its own unique way. Descriptive enough to give you a vivd image of what's happening, but not enough to be boring. I really enjoyed the way this was written. All the gore makes this the perfect spooky, halloween time read. Sone of the stories are a little out of the box and push past your comfort zones a little bit, but I enjoyed those and those types were actually my favorite. I can't wait to see what's next.
September 12, 2025
This is a great collection of short stories, covering a few different horror genres. Ian’s style of story telling is gripping, and manages to paint those exquisite details without becoming wordy.
While I enjoyed them all, the highlights for me were Ghostly Desires, Ashes of Christmas Past, One Night In Halloween Land, and the titular story, being the last one in the book, Echoes of the Damned. Just a word of warning, try not to get close to any of the characters in any of the stories.
While I enjoyed them all, the highlights for me were Ghostly Desires, Ashes of Christmas Past, One Night In Halloween Land, and the titular story, being the last one in the book, Echoes of the Damned. Just a word of warning, try not to get close to any of the characters in any of the stories.
November 11, 2025
This was a solid collection of 11 stories with touching on various different themes. It’s got Christmas, ghosts, sci-fi, slasher, all sorts!
My favorite stories in the collection were Ghostly Desires, Paint the Clown Red, and Deadly Bytes.
Each story sets a scene and pulls you into the twisted tome. I throughly enjoyed this collection as it addressed multiple facets of horror. Some stories I didn’t want to end, but there’s talent to short stories, talent Ian possesses.
4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My favorite stories in the collection were Ghostly Desires, Paint the Clown Red, and Deadly Bytes.
Each story sets a scene and pulls you into the twisted tome. I throughly enjoyed this collection as it addressed multiple facets of horror. Some stories I didn’t want to end, but there’s talent to short stories, talent Ian possesses.
4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
September 19, 2025
I really wanted to enjoy this. l really did. But, once I realized I was skipping full paragraphs to get to the end of the stories I knew it was time to put it down.
The concepts are great but the atmosphere was lacking and the character development was dry.
Maybe I'll pick it back up but time will tell.
The concepts are great but the atmosphere was lacking and the character development was dry.
Maybe I'll pick it back up but time will tell.
September 23, 2025
11 short horror tales that leave you wanting more. Ian delivers in each one of these tales. They are scary, gory, and the characters don't always last long. The creepy atmosphere and full on horror in these stories goes unmatched. My favorite by far was "One Night in Halloween Land". This just whets your appetite for his next collection.
November 23, 2025
An enjoyable collection of dark tales from an up-and-coming Australian author. Recommended.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews