Rat-She

by Stephanie Ellis

When bombs were dropped across the globe as part of a world-wide agreement to cull the human population, the aftershocks triggered unbelievable horrors. Fallout from radiation and pressure waves caused disfigurements and mutations: inorganic matter melding with flesh, human and animal compressing into one, grotesqueries crawling across the blasted landscape, condemned as outcasts forever.

But there is hope. Rumours abound of the Surgeon, the one person who can cure the afflicted, cut out that which has invaded the body. Yet when Orla and her brother, Silas, succeed in tracking him down, they discover he is not exactly what they imagined …

Genres: Horror

121 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 21, 2026

About the author

Stephanie Ellis writes dark speculative prose and poetry and has been published in a variety of magazines and anthologies. Her longer work includes the novels, The Five Turns of the Wheel, Reborn and The Woodcutter, and the novellas, Paused and Bottled. Her new post-apocalytpic/sci-fi/horror novel, The Barricade is due out this year!

She is a Rhysling and Elgin nominated poet, co-authoring the poetry collection, Foundlings, with Cindy O'Quinn, Lilith Rising with Shane Douglas Keene and solo work Metallurgy.

She can be found at https://stephanieellis.org

Reviews

[Kayleigh Dobbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book from Stephanie Ellis that somehow balances horrific body horror with massive amounts of empathy and layered characters. Bravo!

[Happy Goat · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful work of post-apocalyptic body horror that encapsulates the abuse of power and fear of infection, subjugation, and being outcast. Also, fair amounts of medical horror here too!