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The Leper's Garden: And Other Contagions
Eleven tales of historical dark romance and horror. Be guided through the teeming streets and markets of old Hong Kong, the listless heat of French Senegal and the fog of Victorian London. Step inside circus tents, penny arcades, shadow theatres and freak shows.
These are tales dreamt in the dark, touched by madness and the caress of demons. They whisper of grief and loss, of old curses from the Inquisition, of bad bargains struck in haste and fear on the battlefields of the Great War.
Be warned. There is contagion here. These stories will infect you.
And know there is no cure.
These are tales dreamt in the dark, touched by madness and the caress of demons. They whisper of grief and loss, of old curses from the Inquisition, of bad bargains struck in haste and fear on the battlefields of the Great War.
Be warned. There is contagion here. These stories will infect you.
And know there is no cure.
- GenresHorror
237 pages, Paperback
Published September 17, 2025
3 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Clulow
11 books8 followersJeff Clulow is a British/Australian author of romantic dark fiction and horror. Born in Cornwall in the UK, Jeff now lives and writes in Sydney, Australia. Jeff’s writing leans towards the lighter end of dark fiction, exploring themes of family, childhood, love and loss. He’s inspired by folktale, mythology and the notion that the old gods still walk among us.
His stories have reached the finals of the Aurealis Awards, the Shadows Awards, the American BookFest Awards and the National Indie Excellence Awards. He has been awarded an ‘Honourable Mention’ in the Robert N. Stephenson competition for short fiction in horror and is the winner of the 2023 Asylumfest Mayday Hills Ghost Story Competition.
Find out more about Jeff and his work at www.jeffclulow.com
His stories have reached the finals of the Aurealis Awards, the Shadows Awards, the American BookFest Awards and the National Indie Excellence Awards. He has been awarded an ‘Honourable Mention’ in the Robert N. Stephenson competition for short fiction in horror and is the winner of the 2023 Asylumfest Mayday Hills Ghost Story Competition.
Find out more about Jeff and his work at www.jeffclulow.com
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 15, 2025
If you haven’t experienced Jeff Clulow’s writing before, then you are in for a treat with this beautifully solemn, often poignant collection of darkly romantic stories. Creepiness and elements of horror abound, with themes of love, grief and sacrifice. Set in the Edwardian/ Victorian period, these tales introduce you to ghosts, myths, curses, shapechangers, and more. Clulow has done a wonderful job crafting and nurturing this collection to maturity—befitting its botanical theme. Don’t delay! This is a standout collection, deserving pride of place on your bookshelf.
December 13, 2025
** I received an ARC for an honest review **
I recently read The Leper’s Garden and Other Contagions by UK-Australian horror and dark fantasy author Jeff Clulow.
Review
The Leper’s Garden and Other Contagions is the latest collection from Clulow and offers a slice of dark fantasy and horror suitable for all. There is a mixture of old favourites from previous publications and several new tales. Clulow writes with aplomb and beautiful prose that can be chilling, magical and carry a sense of foreboding and longing sometimes in the same work. Typical to Clulow’s style, there are no wasted words and the tone of each story is strong and vibrant.
Clulow has carefully curated this collection to span stories of gothic horror, military horror, dark fantasy, alternate history, the supernatural, folkloric and the macabre. Some of my particular favourites are:
“Rats’ Alley”
“The Songbird on Sampan Street”
“Pegger Moe”
“Unshadowed”
“The Leper’s Garden”
“The Hare Bride”
Clulow’s story that lends its name to the collection, “The Leper’s Garden” is a story of revenge, the macabre, the exploited, and in way like Rats’ Alley, is a work focused on disability but in a very different manner. Here, stigmas are on display in the characters attitudes and the thrill of revenge hangs heavy at the end. It is not a tale for the faint-hearted but is one of great impact as is “Pegger Moe” which again features disability in the Victorian era but with more direct brutality.
Conclusion
A recommended read for fans of dark fantasy and horror. This collection is broad, spanning supernatural, gothic horror, dark fantasy, dark romance, historical fantasy and dark folklore. These stories will not disappoint.
I recently read The Leper’s Garden and Other Contagions by UK-Australian horror and dark fantasy author Jeff Clulow.
Review
The Leper’s Garden and Other Contagions is the latest collection from Clulow and offers a slice of dark fantasy and horror suitable for all. There is a mixture of old favourites from previous publications and several new tales. Clulow writes with aplomb and beautiful prose that can be chilling, magical and carry a sense of foreboding and longing sometimes in the same work. Typical to Clulow’s style, there are no wasted words and the tone of each story is strong and vibrant.
Clulow has carefully curated this collection to span stories of gothic horror, military horror, dark fantasy, alternate history, the supernatural, folkloric and the macabre. Some of my particular favourites are:
“Rats’ Alley”
“The Songbird on Sampan Street”
“Pegger Moe”
“Unshadowed”
“The Leper’s Garden”
“The Hare Bride”
Clulow’s story that lends its name to the collection, “The Leper’s Garden” is a story of revenge, the macabre, the exploited, and in way like Rats’ Alley, is a work focused on disability but in a very different manner. Here, stigmas are on display in the characters attitudes and the thrill of revenge hangs heavy at the end. It is not a tale for the faint-hearted but is one of great impact as is “Pegger Moe” which again features disability in the Victorian era but with more direct brutality.
Conclusion
A recommended read for fans of dark fantasy and horror. This collection is broad, spanning supernatural, gothic horror, dark fantasy, dark romance, historical fantasy and dark folklore. These stories will not disappoint.
November 9, 2025
Jeff Clulow's new collection of short stories, "The Leper's Garden and Other Contagions," is nothing short of brilliant. I knew he was a talented writer going in, having read his gothic horror novel "Veil" earlier this year. But from the opening passages of the first story, "Rats' Alley," I realized that Clulow was, in fact, a PHENOMENAL writer, one of those rare and extraordinary talents whose work is so impressive, you can't even envy it as much as you covet it, longing for even one iota of comparable imagination and ability.
"Rats' Alley" is a gut punch of an opening salvo, and from there, Clulow seems to have made it a personal imperative to make each story more vivid, beautifully written, and haunting than the last. Some leave you hanging on a hopeful note, such as "The Songbird on Sampan Street" with its lessons on surviving grief, or "The Hare Bride" and "The Hidden," a pair of grown-up fairy tales about finding our better halves (whether in this world or the next).
Other stories go to some dark, disturbing places, and perhaps none more so than "The Leper's Garden" itself. It's my favorite of the collection, filled with some vicious twists, as a charming and ambitious swindler helps an equally conniving businessman in a hostile--and horrific--takeover of a competitor's business and home. Discovering what the eponymous leper's garden actually is, and how it comes into play in the story is part of the fun, so no spoilers here, but trust me--your skin's going to crawl.
Each of the stories in "The Leper's Garden" are set in the past, but Clulow has mastered the fine art of finding just the right narrative tone, pacing, and phrasing to capture a vintage atmosphere without seeming stodgy, stiff, or pretentious. There is an elegance to his writing, a lush and descriptive attention to detail that belies the more ominous undertones of many of the tales. There's not a story in this book I didn't absolutely love, but my top picks would have to be "Rats' Alley," "The Leper's Garden," "The Deceiver's Tale," "Lazlo the Unformed," and "The Hare Bride."
"The Leper's Garden and Other Contagions" isn't a book you simply read; rather, you hang on its every word, absolutely enthralled, dreading the moment when you finish, because you hate to have it end. In all honesty, it's the best book I've read all year, in terms of both the caliber of stories and quality of writing. Clulow is a masterful storyteller, and one you won't soon forget.
"Rats' Alley" is a gut punch of an opening salvo, and from there, Clulow seems to have made it a personal imperative to make each story more vivid, beautifully written, and haunting than the last. Some leave you hanging on a hopeful note, such as "The Songbird on Sampan Street" with its lessons on surviving grief, or "The Hare Bride" and "The Hidden," a pair of grown-up fairy tales about finding our better halves (whether in this world or the next).
Other stories go to some dark, disturbing places, and perhaps none more so than "The Leper's Garden" itself. It's my favorite of the collection, filled with some vicious twists, as a charming and ambitious swindler helps an equally conniving businessman in a hostile--and horrific--takeover of a competitor's business and home. Discovering what the eponymous leper's garden actually is, and how it comes into play in the story is part of the fun, so no spoilers here, but trust me--your skin's going to crawl.
Each of the stories in "The Leper's Garden" are set in the past, but Clulow has mastered the fine art of finding just the right narrative tone, pacing, and phrasing to capture a vintage atmosphere without seeming stodgy, stiff, or pretentious. There is an elegance to his writing, a lush and descriptive attention to detail that belies the more ominous undertones of many of the tales. There's not a story in this book I didn't absolutely love, but my top picks would have to be "Rats' Alley," "The Leper's Garden," "The Deceiver's Tale," "Lazlo the Unformed," and "The Hare Bride."
"The Leper's Garden and Other Contagions" isn't a book you simply read; rather, you hang on its every word, absolutely enthralled, dreading the moment when you finish, because you hate to have it end. In all honesty, it's the best book I've read all year, in terms of both the caliber of stories and quality of writing. Clulow is a masterful storyteller, and one you won't soon forget.
November 4, 2025
“The Lepers Garden: and other Contagions” is a cleverly written, and quite original, collection of short stories. Each of the eleven stories is unique with settings ranging from Hong Kong to Victorian London and various locations in between. Author, Jeff Clulow explores dark romance, grief, war, fear, PTSD, weird science, demon-possessed books, revenge, and otherworldly love. The collection is a mix of supernatural, horror, and historical, each story separate from the other, each its own clever twist on a theme.
I want to tell you more, but I think it’s best you discover these creative stories for yourself. Even if you’re not “into” horror fiction, do give “The Lepers Garden” a try. It’s not all horror all the time and could be the start of you widening your reading horizons.
I want to tell you more, but I think it’s best you discover these creative stories for yourself. Even if you’re not “into” horror fiction, do give “The Lepers Garden” a try. It’s not all horror all the time and could be the start of you widening your reading horizons.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews