A Thin Black Veil

by Henrik Sorensen

A Thin Black Veil is a collection of Gothic stories by Henrik Sorensen drawn from the Mormon cultural, historical, and cosmological landscape. Sorensen weaves familiar pieces of Mormon folklore with original concepts, exploring the tenuous link between life, death, and the unknown and unknowable forces that dwell in the space between. The result is eleven short stories that, whether you grew up listening to tales about pioneer ancestors or are just dipping your toes into unfamiliar waters, will leave you questioning just how thin the veil is that separates us from a dark spiritual plane.

Genres: Horror

120 pages, Paperback

Published October 10, 2025

About the author

Henrik Sorensen is an independent author who is doing his best.

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: I received an ARC.

Even glimpses of heaven can be hell. These are Mormonads for lovers of Peele and Aster. Whether your own spooky liminal spaces include wandering trails, midnight construction sites, desert crevasses, or a very specific corridor of your church building, I am confident that A Thin Black Veil holds a nightmare or two for you. Eleven short stories that hold together as a tightly constructed Gothic tracklist. It worked for me as both pulp and parable. These are accessible latter-day ruminations for those of faith or those in it just for the niche gospel lore. If you've ever wondered how a double date at Vivian Park could go maximally, mortally wrong, these are the stories you're looking for. The back-to-back pioneer dread of "Skin" and Biblical despair of "A Winter Road" left me absolutely floored. In "Bloodstone", think Roy Neary if he were a high priest. Conversely harrowing and hilarious. The eponymous tale is a believer's reflection on the glories and terrors of physical death. The ending will bring you back, as it were, to the beginning. Recommended if you like a little Herzog in your Hess.

[Lindsey Memory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by the author of one of my favorite Twitter accounts of all time (@nihilists4jesus), this collection of short ghost stories is inspired by Western Americana and the “cultural, historical, and cosmological landscape of Mormonism.” Folks, it is a treat. Not too terrifying—just north of chilling, most of them—which is exactly how I like my ghost stories.

The story right out of the gate is one that all American Mormons have our own internal version of: what lies at the end of the folding-chair tunnels under the stage in the cultural hall 🫣👻

He uses a few too many descriptors, particularly in the first few stories (kill more darlings, man!), but the second half of the book was chock full of bangers to make up for it. I reread this run-on sentence on the very first page twice, so in shock I was that the guy whose every tweet is formed with pinpoint hilarity would use this many adjectives: “I pulled against the reluctant hydraulics of the glass-panel side door of the chapel, framed by the beige yellow brick glowing sickly tangerine in the sodium lights of the empty parking lot.” But hey, no one is perfect, and the story of the mute pioneer child who gets lost before a snowstorm on the plains is so spooky that I forgot to be annoyed with any other excesses.

I think my other favorites were the baptism for the evil dead ancestor, the group date in Provo Canyon that turns psycho-deadly, one of the 1/3rd host explaining where his “enmity” comes from, and oh yea! the bloodstone buried beneath the SLC Temple foundation! 💯. And he really saved the best for last: an invented conversation with Lucifer set right before the heart of Mormonism, the dark moments of anguish before Joseph’s First Vision. Chills! Bravo!!

I want to read a few of these to my siblings (who are a mix of Mo and ExMo) out loud at our Christmas Eve party. The thought makes me feel all warm and fuzzy… and black ❤️‍🔥🖤

[Chelsylynn91 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engrossing and easy to read! Since the stories followed a similar vein, I almost wish it had focused on one demon, so to speak, and given more history and explanation on it as it possessed and tempted people through the ages. I do recognize that the not knowing is what makes it so intriguing however. I feel like speculation is such a huge part of the Mormon religion. This felt like a religious based Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. I very much enjoyed it. The writing was also beautifully descriptive.

[Logan Cherrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an Advanced Review Copy.

This book was the perfect mix of spooky yet familiar. Which is perhaps what makes good horror. When I heard about this I thought that I would have heard at least some of the stories already. Not true at all! Every single one of them was original at least to me. Overall just a fantastic quick read, whether you are into horror or not.

[Kailey Caldwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

An atmospheric blend of niche idiosyncrasies and universal unease. Loved the combination of folklore, family history, cosmology, and doctrine. An instant classic for us and one I'll be thinking about for awhile!

[Cheyenne · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Note: I received an ARC)
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked up this anthology. Mormon horror is a largely unexplored genre, and I wondered how someone could craft stories that were sufficiently spooky. And yet I finished the whole thing in a day.

The story that really drew me in was “Skin.” Pioneer stories are usually framed as hopeful and inspiring, but what if it was horrifying instead?

My favorite story was “Enmity” wich offers an enjoyable thought experiment about what it might be like to be a fallen angel.

Henrik does a masterful job of creatively exploring Mormon lore and culture. I’m happy to say I got a few chills and I’ll be thinking about these stories for the rest of the week. It’s a refreshing (and scary!) collection, perfect for a cozy, spine-tingling Halloween evening.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Note: I received an ARC of this title)

Each of the stories in this collection is atmospheric, creepy and gripping. Having read Henrik Sorensen's previous book, Corsair,I knew he was an excellent writer but A Thin Black Veil demonstrates how much he has grown as an artist. His prose is so beautiful here and his ability to create a mood of suspense and dread is second to none.

As an aside, while this is certainly a collection that deals with Mormon culture and faith, the stories are compelling enough to be enjoyed by all.

Highly recommended!

[Derek Hutchins · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a lover of Mormon horror myself — I feel like this collection was written for me. Henrik does a fantastic job taking familiar stories of Mormon history, scripture, and folklore and giving them all a dark spin. Not every story is equal, but I enjoyed them all. Standouts for me include: A Winter Road, which is a fun spin on the Cain story, Enmity, which explores the idea of fallen angels and what it could be like to be forced from heaven, bodiless, forced to dwell here among God’s children; and Bloodstone, where a mysterious object is excavated from beneath the Salt Lake Temple. I could read a hundred more of these tales, and I hope there are more to come.

[Russell Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

These Mormon-related horror stories are good, spooky fun. Some of the author's more experimental stuff didn’t work for me, but the stories that moved into kind of folk tale territory were pretty great. I especially liked “A Winter Road,” where the traveler—whom I imagine to be some late 19th-century missionary in Tennessee; Parley P. Pratt, perhaps?—meets Cain while traveling some mountain path. And “Brown Bottle,” in which he takes seriously one of those horribly stupid Sunday School movies from the 1970s, was kind of awesome. Two thumbs up!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of Mormon horror short stories. A lot of them have a pulpy feel where they end abruptly--but I think this is much better than dragging on. while others took folk theology and ripped it a new one. My favorites are the ones that take folk doctrines to one possible logical end. "Enmity" imagines a non-human place on earth for the "fence-sitters" in the war in heaven. " Thin Black Veil" is about contact with a malevolent spirit via the temple. These are short but I highly recommend them.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Straight up spooky. You did not have to do that to them, any of them.
Henrick builds a world in each of his stories that has just enough reality within the horror to let you believe it just a little bit, leaving you chilled. He uses a unique voice for each story in a way that fits the narrative just right. His descriptive writing flows easily.
The religious elements throughout the stories are familiar enough to those who know, and intriguing to those who don't. Woven with the element of fear, they excite and entrance.
Overall a 4.5 stars with over 600 reviews quality ghost story

[Jeffrey Goddard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of short stories was once thrilling and poignant. I found myself sitting with each and every story, and they made me ponder on our shared folk heritage. As a convert to both the mormon faith and the intermountain west, I feel the curtains have been surreptitiously parted to invite me into some of the lore of the people who have graciously made me their own, in the light and in the dark.

[Dillon Redd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was reading an Edgar Allan Poe anthology when I started reading this. I had to take a break from Poe and just read this because I was so into it. It’s a super fun read. A bit niche but I don’t think that’s a bad thing!

I guess I mention Poe as a way of saying this can hang with one of the greats of the genre!

[Westyn Drake · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read! The prose is a delight, and the concept for each story is unique and creepy. I enjoyed the relatability of the stories as a member of the church.

This left me wanting more!

Disclaimer: I purchased the paperback version, but I received a digital copy from the author.

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mormon tinged short horror stories, vignettes maybe. Very creepy, very spooky-dookey. Filled with lore and mysticism and took many common (cultural? doctrinal?) ideas to their scary conclusions.