Dread Mondays

by Steve Capone Jr. (Editor), Xochilt Avila, Robert Bagnall

From the fluorescent-lit boardroom to the desolate isolation of a lonely spacecraft, Dread Mondays collects stories transforming the abstraction of mundane repetition into tangible nightmares. Featuring Bram Stoker Award winners, 'best of' authors, and fresh voices from around the globe, this anthology, in three parts, exposes the horrors we working stiffs confront in pursuit of a paycheck. "Retail Hell" highlights some of the awful truths of customer service and its forced smiles. "Institutional Terror" explores the discomfort lurking in structured environments like libraries and schools. And "Corporate Nightmare" finds ambition, technology, and alienation birthing a perfect storm of horrific speculation-because sometimes, the quarterly reports are the least of your worries.

This international collection offers a chilling and darkly humorous exploration of workplaces, where the ordinary mutates grotesquely and each profession's unique set of horrors is well-lit and impossible to ignore. Forget monsters under the the real ones await you at your desk.

332 pages, Paperback

Published October 25, 2025

About the author

Founder of Whisper House Press, whose Costs of Living and Dread Mondays horror anthologies released in the fall of 2025, Steve Capone Jr. is an award-winning, Utah-based writer hailing from the Rust Belt. A recipient of the Denis Diderot grant in support of his summer 2025 residency at Chateau d’Orquevaux in rural France, Steve self-published his first YA historical fiction novel, Max in the Capital of Spies, in 2024. Jimmy vs. Communism is due out from Gibbs Smith soon and has horror novels in the works. He frequently organizes events for the literary communities throughout Utah. You can find his short fiction in multiple anthologies and literary magazines. His “Cure for Creativity” won Best Short Screenplay at the Bloody Mirror Film Festival in 2024, and it was elsewhere nominated for multiple other awards. He’s a pizza advocate, dog helper with Arctic Rescue, and a proud member of the Horror Writers Association and League of Utah Writers. You can find his incorporeal footprint on his website at www.stevecaponejr.com or at https://linktr.ee/stevecaponejr.

Reviews

[Madeline Tiedeken · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am shamelessly, and with extreme bias, giving this five stars because I wrote a story in it. But also, it’s a blast! Anyone who enjoys horror and earns a paycheck will find something to love. Proud to be a part of it.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What a ride. I've read this thing maybe fifteen times, so while I'm biased, I think I ought to register that I've read it and that I think it a great collection of shorts. One of these wound up on the HWA's Bram Stoker Award Recommended Reading List, and two were nominated for the Pushcart Prize (nominated by me, but still... well-deserved nominations!). Further, I've used a few of them with students to great effect, and I remain impressed when I pick this book up and review (once more) this or that story. I'm so proud of it, and it deserves my vote for five stars.

[Milt Theo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Whisper House Press anthology of 35 stories went (work)places I for one did not at all expect! Plenty of surprises (if you love books, check the astonishing "When Darkness Comes" by Lisa Mortin), lots of dark humor (see Ruth E. Wlker's “The Dead are Always Such Trouble,” for example, and the opening story, Gevera Bert Piedmont's "Why You Should Always Bring Pizza to Meetings"), and a impressive range of horror tropes - from body, folk, and corporate horror, to culinary, supernatural and psychological terror in retail, the AI industry, and even inside the office fridge!

I enjoyed more than half the stories, and would eagerly recommend the book to anyone who's after entertaining, well-written stories by new and well-established authors!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Andrew Pixton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story by C.R. Langille on futuristic corporate horror was the scariest for me. Jonathan Reddoch's on a horrifying interview was the funniest. Also I do feel like my story in here is pretty neat.

[N.J. Gallegos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure, I have a story in this anthology with my Scream Kings Podcast cohost Nathaniel J. Darkish: "Cutting Room". Which incidentally is also nominated for a Pushcart Prize ;) Our story rounds out the collection and is a found footage horror taking place in a video rental store of old. The crew at Video Castle receive a tape in their return bin that shows unholy horrors and plenty of gore. Think "The Thing".

I highly enjoyed all these stories of workplace horror. Evil corporations where you still gotta work 9-5, sentient leftovers from the work fridge, scientists creating teacup velociraptors, and more! Definitely pick this anthology up if you're a horror fan... I have a feeling Whisper House Press is gonna be a big name.

[Nick Badot · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exceptionally consistent horror anthology about the horrors of work - most anthologies suffer from having a bit of dead wood on the middle or a few short stories that eclipse the others. But this is pure, solid short horror fiction from cover to cover that's both a testament to the many great authors featured here and the precision of the editor's vision

[Naito Diamond · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably one of the best horror anthologies I’ve read this year, and the editor definitely knows their job when it comes to selecting and arranging stories. The overall tone of the collection strikes the perfect balance between irony and unease — it’s creepy but also, somehow, fun. I loved the idea of facing bureaucratic monsters in the workspace, only to realize that some of them are not metaphors at all but real terrors hiding in plain sight. Every story had something fresh and entertaining to offer, even if a few didn’t fully align with my tastes. The anthology as a whole, though, was a delight to consume — clever, funny, and filled with the eerie realities of everyday job life. Dread Mondays is a wonderfully themed and well-curated collection that will appeal to anyone who loves their horror mixed with satire and a bit of workplace dread. Highly recommended.

[Rebecca Schier-Akamelu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great short story collection from Whisper House Press. Thank you to the publisher for an ARC.

I loved how this collection of stories included work horror across so many industries. Whether you’re corporate, retail, or imaging future work, you’ll find something in this collection that speaks to you. I also appreciated the range of horror— body horror, psychological, folk, supernatural, etc.

I liked all of these, but my favorite stories were:

“In the Style of Meg Lift”- Taking every writer’s fear of AI a step further

“Ooh, That Smell”- A fun and scary take on what’s in the office fridge

“The Dead are Always Such Trouble”- A darkly humorous take on the problems dead employees can cause

“When Darkness Comes”- A post apocalyptic tale that will make book lovers a bit emotional

“Become the New You”- Perfectly addresses the pressure to wear the expensive clothes you’re supposed to sell that I’ve felt working at various clothing stores

[Zimbellina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short story collection of job horror.

I really enjoyed this collection! The stories were interesting and covered a wide range of horror which made it a really fun book to read. The stories were all 5 and 4 stars for me. Loved it.

[Tina Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dread Mondays takes the misery of the standard workweek and dials it up to a terrifying eleven! If you already hate the 9-to-5 grind, believe me, this Horror Anthology will make you dread Mondays even more by adding your worst nightmares to the clock-in, clock-out routine. This is a collection of some of the nastiest surprises you could ever wish for.

As is typical for any anthology, there were a few 'misses' for me—stories with confusing narration or those that didn't flow easily. I pushed through those segments, wanting to ensure I got a complete feel for the overall intention behind the story choices. All in all, despite the minor inconsistencies, this is a horrific collection of short stories that should absolutely be on your reading list for Halloween and beyond.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Robert Foland · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Dread Mondays" is a captivating dive into the world of horror, providing endless chills and thrills with each page. This collection of horror stories excels on multiple levels, with each short story being a quick, compelling read—dark, intriguing, and often thought-provoking.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very fun horror anthology! Chef Luciano’s monster is my favourite short story!!!

[Jim Holscher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very fun collection revolving around the mundane, everyday, situations driving our work lives. I particularly loved the retail Hell section.

If you find yourself staring at the clock like the Grim Reaper at a decrepit nursing home this one is for you! 3 1/2 stars!

[Jess Reads Horror · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received an ARC from Sirens Books.

The idea of reading horror in the work setting is very interesting to me because work is so stressful and I kind of do want the whole “it could be worse” stories to help me out.

Anthologies are difficult to rate. Some of the stories were very creepy, but many others were pretty confusing and not my thing. This is why I would always encourage people to read anthologies. What works for me may not work for you, and vice versa.

Some stories started out as pretty out there, and I guess my kind of vibe is more subtle. Things are normal until they’re not. I understand it’s hard to do so with short stories as you need to get to the point as soon as you can. But either way, worth a read if you hate Mondays!

[Tig Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Above average collection with some very imaginative and original stories. The first story is my favourite by far but there were plenty of others I enjoyed. There was only one that I didn't think fitted in with the others in that it was rambling, hard to follow and basically dull. There are a number of authors whose other work I'll be looking at. Well worth a read

[Nathaniel Darkish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Am I biased, since I co-wrote the final story in this anthology? You know it. Regardless, this book is dope and you should read it.

[Emily Haynes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monday the start of a work week that can be full of all types of horror. Horror filled stories.

[JennyBrown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounded up from 3.5.

To be released 10/25. Thank you to the publisher for an ARC of this anthology.

Synopsis: A workplace horror anthology. “From the fluorescent-lit boardroom to the desolate isolation of a lonely spacecraft, Dread Mondays collects stories transforming the abstraction of mundane repetition into tangible nightmares. Featuring Bram Stoker Award winners, ‘best of’ authors, and fresh voices from around the globe, this anthology, in three parts, exposes the horrors we working stiffs confront in pursuit of a paycheck.”

Review: Overall, I enjoyed the subject matter, being both a lover of horror and a career desk-job worker. As with all anthropologies, some stories were better than others. I do wish many were longer. But, I guess that’s how they were able to fit 30 stories into just over 300 pages. I’d Have preferred more quality (longer, fleshed out) over more quantity.

My favorite story was “Ooh That Smell”.