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Silent Nightmares: Haunting Stories to Be Told on the Longest Night of the Year
Not yet published
Expected 29 Sep 26A chilling anthology of tales centered around the longest nights of the year, paying homage to the time-honored Victorian tradition of ghost stories, edited by Chuck Palahniuk and Michael Bailey. Great writers of centuries past like Charles Dickens, Edith Wharton, and Bram Stoker understood that darkness is always hiding amid the holiday cold and cheer, revealing sinister secrets. That in the stillness of winter, when the world is wrapped in a blanket of snow, the festive spirit masks the lurking horrors that dwell beneath the surface. From haunted halls to malevolent delights, from vengeful spirits of the past to creatures lurking in the shadows, expect to encounter beings that celebrate the season in frightful ways in this Victorian-inspired horror anthology. Join Chuck Palahniuk, Michael Bailey, Josh Malerman, Joe R. Lansdale, Alma Katsu, Ramsey Campbell, Cynthia Pelayo, Gabino Iglesias, and more for stories that promise nostalgia and dread, reminding us that sometimes the most silent nights can be the deadliest.
320 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication September 29, 2026
About the author
Chuck Palahniuk
183 books133k followersWritten in stolen moments under truck chassis and on park benches to a soundtrack of The Downward Spiral and Pablo Honey, Fight Club came into existence. The adaptation of Fight Club was a flop at the box office, but achieved cult status on DVD. The film’s popularity drove sales of the novel. Chuck put out two novels in 1999, Survivor and Invisible Monsters. Choke, published in 2001, became Chuck’s first New York Times bestseller. Chuck’s work has always been infused with personal experience, and his next novel, Lullaby, was no exception. Chuck credits writing Lullaby with helping him cope with the tragic death of his father. Diary and the non-fiction guide to Portland, Fugitives and Refugees, were released in 2003. While on the road in support of Diary, Chuck began reading a short story entitled 'Guts,' which would eventually become part of the novel Haunted.
In the years that followed, he continued to write, publishing the bestselling Rant, Snuff, Pygmy, Tell-All, a 'remix' of Invisible Monsters, Damned, and most recently, Doomed.
Chuck also enjoys giving back to his fans, and teaching the art of storytelling has been an important part of that. In 2004, Chuck began submitting essays to ChuckPalahniuk.net on the craft of writing. These were 'How To' pieces, straight out of Chuck's personal bag of tricks, based on the tenants of minimalism he learned from Tom Spanbauer. Every month, a “Homework Assignment” would accompany the lesson, so Workshop members could apply what they had learned. (all 36 of these essays can currently be found on The Cult's sister-site, LitReactor.com).
Then, in 2009, Chuck increased his involvement by committing to read and review a selection of fan-written stories each month. The best stories are currently set to be published in Burnt Tongues, a forthcoming anthology, with an introduction written by Chuck himself.
His next novel, Beautiful You, is due out in October 2014.
In the years that followed, he continued to write, publishing the bestselling Rant, Snuff, Pygmy, Tell-All, a 'remix' of Invisible Monsters, Damned, and most recently, Doomed.
Chuck also enjoys giving back to his fans, and teaching the art of storytelling has been an important part of that. In 2004, Chuck began submitting essays to ChuckPalahniuk.net on the craft of writing. These were 'How To' pieces, straight out of Chuck's personal bag of tricks, based on the tenants of minimalism he learned from Tom Spanbauer. Every month, a “Homework Assignment” would accompany the lesson, so Workshop members could apply what they had learned. (all 36 of these essays can currently be found on The Cult's sister-site, LitReactor.com).
Then, in 2009, Chuck increased his involvement by committing to read and review a selection of fan-written stories each month. The best stories are currently set to be published in Burnt Tongues, a forthcoming anthology, with an introduction written by Chuck himself.
His next novel, Beautiful You, is due out in October 2014.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
September 4, 2026
Ok Overall
Has twenty horror tales of varying quality probably closer to a 2.5. These multi author collections are tough. They try to be for everyone but that just makes them for nobody. Really through the first 18 tales, there were just three (Ramsey Campbell, Joe Lansdale, and Joe Hart) that I though were great. The others were ok to quite bad and pointless. Was looking at two stars at best, though the final two tales (Gabriel Iglesias and Jonathan Maberry) were bangers and saved it a bit. So really 15 out of 20 were at best ok and really didn't do anything for me. The foreword and afterword were ok and had some interesting historical tidbits. What really gets me is this was a collection that the theme was the winter solstice and they talked about the history of the gothic ghost tale. Well very few in this collection (including a couple I liked) really fit this theme. Oh they mention the solstice and the longest night of the year but most did not have the right feel that a true gothic had.
Can't recommend, the five authors I mentioned had great tales but that's only a fourth of the book. It was a slog, most of the time. I read short story collections one tale at a time between novels/longer works and I got to the point I was dreading going back to this collection. Really I read the final two tales together to get this out of the library and was shock that they were both excellent. Definitely kept me from giving it a one.
Has twenty horror tales of varying quality probably closer to a 2.5. These multi author collections are tough. They try to be for everyone but that just makes them for nobody. Really through the first 18 tales, there were just three (Ramsey Campbell, Joe Lansdale, and Joe Hart) that I though were great. The others were ok to quite bad and pointless. Was looking at two stars at best, though the final two tales (Gabriel Iglesias and Jonathan Maberry) were bangers and saved it a bit. So really 15 out of 20 were at best ok and really didn't do anything for me. The foreword and afterword were ok and had some interesting historical tidbits. What really gets me is this was a collection that the theme was the winter solstice and they talked about the history of the gothic ghost tale. Well very few in this collection (including a couple I liked) really fit this theme. Oh they mention the solstice and the longest night of the year but most did not have the right feel that a true gothic had.
Can't recommend, the five authors I mentioned had great tales but that's only a fourth of the book. It was a slog, most of the time. I read short story collections one tale at a time between novels/longer works and I got to the point I was dreading going back to this collection. Really I read the final two tales together to get this out of the library and was shock that they were both excellent. Definitely kept me from giving it a one.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received this book courtesy of NetGalley for the purpose of a fair and honest review.
Overview: What do you do when Christmas is just around the corner, and you want to read a horror story? You might not have time for a full novel, as the family and festive obligations seem to eat up the free time. And you might want a story that fits the season. This short story collection is set on the build up to Christmas, as all the stories start around the winter solstice. The stories are written by some of the leading horror authors including Chuck Palahniuk, and Joe Lansdale. Who does the collection work? Let's find out.
I received this book courtesy of NetGalley for the purpose of a fair and honest review.
Overview: What do you do when Christmas is just around the corner, and you want to read a horror story? You might not have time for a full novel, as the family and festive obligations seem to eat up the free time. And you might want a story that fits the season. This short story collection is set on the build up to Christmas, as all the stories start around the winter solstice. The stories are written by some of the leading horror authors including Chuck Palahniuk, and Joe Lansdale. Who does the collection work? Let's find out.
Dislikes: Horror stories have one tiny problem for me. They seem to skirt the edges of nihilism, and that is part of what makes the genre work well, when it lands for me. Yet, skirting that edge makes it so easy to fall directly into nihilism as a whole. If you prefer more hopeful stories, that makes this genre a hard one to get into.
Likes: Joe Lansdale's story was great. Really, what would you do if you found yourself reading a serial killer's mind?
Conclusion: This book was a little darker than I like, but it was pretty good. If you like seasonal horror, then this book is for you. Enjoy the read.
Dislikes: Horror stories have one tiny problem for me. They seem to skirt the edges of nihilism, and that is part of what makes the genre work well, when it lands for me. Yet, skirting that edge makes it so easy to fall directly into nihilism as a whole. If you prefer more hopeful stories, that makes this genre a hard one to get into.
Likes: Joe Lansdale's story was great. Really, what would you do if you found yourself reading a serial killer's mind?
Conclusion: This book was a little darker than I like, but it was pretty good. If you like seasonal horror, then this book is for you. Enjoy the read.
Overview: What do you do when Christmas is just around the corner, and you want to read a horror story? You might not have time for a full novel, as the family and festive obligations seem to eat up the free time. And you might want a story that fits the season. This short story collection is set on the build up to Christmas, as all the stories start around the winter solstice. The stories are written by some of the leading horror authors including Chuck Palahniuk, and Joe Lansdale. Who does the collection work? Let's find out.
I received this book courtesy of NetGalley for the purpose of a fair and honest review.
Overview: What do you do when Christmas is just around the corner, and you want to read a horror story? You might not have time for a full novel, as the family and festive obligations seem to eat up the free time. And you might want a story that fits the season. This short story collection is set on the build up to Christmas, as all the stories start around the winter solstice. The stories are written by some of the leading horror authors including Chuck Palahniuk, and Joe Lansdale. Who does the collection work? Let's find out.
Dislikes: Horror stories have one tiny problem for me. They seem to skirt the edges of nihilism, and that is part of what makes the genre work well, when it lands for me. Yet, skirting that edge makes it so easy to fall directly into nihilism as a whole. If you prefer more hopeful stories, that makes this genre a hard one to get into.
Likes: Joe Lansdale's story was great. Really, what would you do if you found yourself reading a serial killer's mind?
Conclusion: This book was a little darker than I like, but it was pretty good. If you like seasonal horror, then this book is for you. Enjoy the read.
Dislikes: Horror stories have one tiny problem for me. They seem to skirt the edges of nihilism, and that is part of what makes the genre work well, when it lands for me. Yet, skirting that edge makes it so easy to fall directly into nihilism as a whole. If you prefer more hopeful stories, that makes this genre a hard one to get into.
Likes: Joe Lansdale's story was great. Really, what would you do if you found yourself reading a serial killer's mind?
Conclusion: This book was a little darker than I like, but it was pretty good. If you like seasonal horror, then this book is for you. Enjoy the read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
2.5 Stars
One Liner: Not Victorian-inspired horror; just some dark stories
The official blurb describes the book as a ‘chilling anthology of tales centered around the longest nights of the year, paying homage to the time-honored Victorian tradition of ghost stories’. It specifically calls the book a Victorian-inspired horror anthology, reinforcing the theme. Words like nostalgia and dread are also used.
So, does the book deliver on these claims? Let’s read and find out.
My Thoughts
Foreword: The Longest Night of the Year and the Afterword: The Ghost of Dickens Past have some interesting information about the longest night of the year (winter solstice/Christmas).
Each story is accompanied by a single illustration inside a card. Think of it as a dark oracle deck. TBH, the illustrations were really good, much better than many stories in here.
With twenty stories promising horror, the collection should have been great. Sadly, it seems that our idea of Victorian-inspired horror does not match. A majority of these stories fall into the psychological thriller/suspense category. Only a few are atmospheric or have the gothic vibe, the sense of dread, or a strong presence of nostalgia.
Moreover, the ones with dysfunctional families feel similar despite being different. Though I read only two stories per day, I had to take a break for a day or two due to the sense of déjà vu I got from the collection.
Anyway, here’s a short commentary on each story, written immediately after I read it.
Father Christmas by Brian Evenson: A short read that leaves quite a lot to imagination. Tries to be atmospheric, but doesn’t really succeed.
Cause and Effect by Alma Katsu: Set in a building for sure, but not horror. While it does use trauma, it ends up as a psychological drama. No Gothic vibes either. The first was better, I guess.
Always Winter by Mari Ness: Umm… not sure what that was supposed to be. Not horror, again. Slice of life, maybe. No idea about the period, but maybe post-WWII (sugar shortage was mentioned).
Tidings by Ramsey Campbell: Finally, a creepy slow-burn horror, more on vibes, but delivers the chills too. A slightly longer story, too.
Shine a Light by Zoje Stage: Oh, good one again! While it still uses similar themes, the horror element is apparent, and I love the ending!
A Season for Reflection by Wil Dalton: That’s a great title, imo! Similar themes of a dysfunctional family with a ghost, but it manages to stand out on its own.
Kingston by Chuck Palahniuk: Umm… that’s dark (borderline sadistic psycho kind) with a narrator who couldn’t care less. The combo works to make it a psychological thriller, but not really horror. (and if one of the editors wrote this for what’s supposed to be Victorian-inspired horror, we are really looking at the theme from different perspectives).
We Have Always Been Red by Annie Neugebauer: Uh ohh… trigger for pandemic, anti-mask, anti-vax. Listing them out for those who want to avoid the topic. While it is horror of its own kind, I’m not a fan of using the setup to write psychological horror. Totally a personal choice.
A Life Not Lived by Joe R. Lansdale: Very much a thriller rather than a horror with trigger warnings for abuse, killing animals, and graphic murders. Naturally, set around Christmas and in a hospital.
Circle Back by Neil Krolicki: A story of a proper nutcase. Had to applaud the writing style, even if I was alternating between rolling my eyes and shaking my head at the narrator. TW: death of a dog (pet)
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Joe Hart: Oh… now this is gothic horror, the kind I was expecting from the anthology. Terrific!
God's Wife by Lisa Morton: If you haven’t guessed already, story of a cult, a woman, some magic (that somehow tries to combine Mexican shaman and Sanskrit mantras), and a sense of fear. Decent attempt, but I didn’t really feel the pressure, fear, or unease.
Loki's Story by Eugen Bacon: Umm… a retelling or a sequel fanfic? No idea, honestly. Felt very much introspective and philosophical, and the tone was so distant that it didn’t make me care for the story.
The Cheapest State of Perfect Grace by Gary A. Braunbeck: A story of a girl who escaped home and is trying to find… peace(?). It reads a bit like a fever dream, but the voices from her past root the story in reality. Again, more of a psychological thriller/drama.
Rapture by Michael Bailey: Umm… this is a religious one. God falls to earth (?), his light blinds someone, a police officer comes, and something happens. I… this went over my head. Like, total whoosh!!
Christmas in Goblin by Josh Malerman: A standup comedian’s stage fright spirals into madness. At this point, I no longer look for horror from this anthology. Sigh!
Steam by Krissy Eliot: Ohh… gothic horror when I give up hope! This was creepy but not overly so. The recurring sentences were used so well to establish the sense of unease and tension.
Lost Hearts by Cynthia Pelayo: An attempt at a gothic and dark story with a touch of Dickens’ inspiration. But underdeveloped to make a strong impact.
The Singing Children by Gabino Iglesias: Oh, this is good! A nice, creepy, atmospheric horror set in a village. A break from dysfunctional drama. Phew!
Yuletide Games with the Suicide Kings by Jonathan Maberry: Dark and kinda crazy. Starts to make sense halfway through the story. Trigger for suicide (graphic).
To summarize, Silent Nightmares has interesting stories and some scary ones, too, but the collection and my expectations did not match. If you want to enjoy the stories more, don’t read the blurb or look for horror. Just think of them as creepy stories set around Christmas.
Thank you, NetGalley and S&S/Saga Press, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley #SilentNightmares
One Liner: Not Victorian-inspired horror; just some dark stories
The official blurb describes the book as a ‘chilling anthology of tales centered around the longest nights of the year, paying homage to the time-honored Victorian tradition of ghost stories’. It specifically calls the book a Victorian-inspired horror anthology, reinforcing the theme. Words like nostalgia and dread are also used.
So, does the book deliver on these claims? Let’s read and find out.
My Thoughts
Foreword: The Longest Night of the Year and the Afterword: The Ghost of Dickens Past have some interesting information about the longest night of the year (winter solstice/Christmas).
Each story is accompanied by a single illustration inside a card. Think of it as a dark oracle deck. TBH, the illustrations were really good, much better than many stories in here.
With twenty stories promising horror, the collection should have been great. Sadly, it seems that our idea of Victorian-inspired horror does not match. A majority of these stories fall into the psychological thriller/suspense category. Only a few are atmospheric or have the gothic vibe, the sense of dread, or a strong presence of nostalgia.
Moreover, the ones with dysfunctional families feel similar despite being different. Though I read only two stories per day, I had to take a break for a day or two due to the sense of déjà vu I got from the collection.
Anyway, here’s a short commentary on each story, written immediately after I read it.
Father Christmas by Brian Evenson: A short read that leaves quite a lot to imagination. Tries to be atmospheric, but doesn’t really succeed.
Cause and Effect by Alma Katsu: Set in a building for sure, but not horror. While it does use trauma, it ends up as a psychological drama. No Gothic vibes either. The first was better, I guess.
Always Winter by Mari Ness: Umm… not sure what that was supposed to be. Not horror, again. Slice of life, maybe. No idea about the period, but maybe post-WWII (sugar shortage was mentioned).
Tidings by Ramsey Campbell: Finally, a creepy slow-burn horror, more on vibes, but delivers the chills too. A slightly longer story, too.
Shine a Light by Zoje Stage: Oh, good one again! While it still uses similar themes, the horror element is apparent, and I love the ending!
A Season for Reflection by Wil Dalton: That’s a great title, imo! Similar themes of a dysfunctional family with a ghost, but it manages to stand out on its own.
Kingston by Chuck Palahniuk: Umm… that’s dark (borderline sadistic psycho kind) with a narrator who couldn’t care less. The combo works to make it a psychological thriller, but not really horror. (and if one of the editors wrote this for what’s supposed to be Victorian-inspired horror, we are really looking at the theme from different perspectives).
We Have Always Been Red by Annie Neugebauer: Uh ohh… trigger for pandemic, anti-mask, anti-vax. Listing them out for those who want to avoid the topic. While it is horror of its own kind, I’m not a fan of using the setup to write psychological horror. Totally a personal choice.
A Life Not Lived by Joe R. Lansdale: Very much a thriller rather than a horror with trigger warnings for abuse, killing animals, and graphic murders. Naturally, set around Christmas and in a hospital.
Circle Back by Neil Krolicki: A story of a proper nutcase. Had to applaud the writing style, even if I was alternating between rolling my eyes and shaking my head at the narrator. TW: death of a dog (pet)
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Joe Hart: Oh… now this is gothic horror, the kind I was expecting from the anthology. Terrific!
God's Wife by Lisa Morton: If you haven’t guessed already, story of a cult, a woman, some magic (that somehow tries to combine Mexican shaman and Sanskrit mantras), and a sense of fear. Decent attempt, but I didn’t really feel the pressure, fear, or unease.
Loki's Story by Eugen Bacon: Umm… a retelling or a sequel fanfic? No idea, honestly. Felt very much introspective and philosophical, and the tone was so distant that it didn’t make me care for the story.
The Cheapest State of Perfect Grace by Gary A. Braunbeck: A story of a girl who escaped home and is trying to find… peace(?). It reads a bit like a fever dream, but the voices from her past root the story in reality. Again, more of a psychological thriller/drama.
Rapture by Michael Bailey: Umm… this is a religious one. God falls to earth (?), his light blinds someone, a police officer comes, and something happens. I… this went over my head. Like, total whoosh!!
Christmas in Goblin by Josh Malerman: A standup comedian’s stage fright spirals into madness. At this point, I no longer look for horror from this anthology. Sigh!
Steam by Krissy Eliot: Ohh… gothic horror when I give up hope! This was creepy but not overly so. The recurring sentences were used so well to establish the sense of unease and tension.
Lost Hearts by Cynthia Pelayo: An attempt at a gothic and dark story with a touch of Dickens’ inspiration. But underdeveloped to make a strong impact.
The Singing Children by Gabino Iglesias: Oh, this is good! A nice, creepy, atmospheric horror set in a village. A break from dysfunctional drama. Phew!
Yuletide Games with the Suicide Kings by Jonathan Maberry: Dark and kinda crazy. Starts to make sense halfway through the story. Trigger for suicide (graphic).
To summarize, Silent Nightmares has interesting stories and some scary ones, too, but the collection and my expectations did not match. If you want to enjoy the stories more, don’t read the blurb or look for horror. Just think of them as creepy stories set around Christmas.
Thank you, NetGalley and S&S/Saga Press, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley #SilentNightmares
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to both #NetGalley and Saga Press | S&S for providing me an advance copy of the #horroranthology, Silent Nightmares: Haunting Stories to Be Told on the Longest Night of the Year, with edits by Chuck Palahniuk and Michael Bailey.
#SilentNightmares is a collection of #shortstories set during winter holidays and written in the vein of Victorian ghost tales. Some of the stories are written by well-known authors, whereas others spawn from new voices curated by the editors. The foreword specifies that the intention of the anthology is to remind readers of the original sentiment associated with the winter solstice: fear.
Before the modern symbols of hot cocoa, schmaltzy carols, and festive tidings of good cheer were attributed by the likes of Norman Rockwell, Coca-Cola, and Hallmark, the winter solstice was considered a night of survival. This assortment of haunted tales are meant to embody and evoke that initial spirit anew. Think eerie and unsettling, more so than gory and traditional horror, with a heavy emphasis on grief. Approach the anthology with an open mind, and readers may find a contemporary ghost tale that can be passed down for generations.
While unusual, I recommend skimming the Afterword prior to reading any of the stories since it helps frame the goal and tone of the anthology. Stand outs in the collection include: A Season for Reflection, We Have Always Been Red, A Life Not Lived, Circle Back, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, and Christmas in Goblin.
#SilentNightmares is a collection of #shortstories set during winter holidays and written in the vein of Victorian ghost tales. Some of the stories are written by well-known authors, whereas others spawn from new voices curated by the editors. The foreword specifies that the intention of the anthology is to remind readers of the original sentiment associated with the winter solstice: fear.
Before the modern symbols of hot cocoa, schmaltzy carols, and festive tidings of good cheer were attributed by the likes of Norman Rockwell, Coca-Cola, and Hallmark, the winter solstice was considered a night of survival. This assortment of haunted tales are meant to embody and evoke that initial spirit anew. Think eerie and unsettling, more so than gory and traditional horror, with a heavy emphasis on grief. Approach the anthology with an open mind, and readers may find a contemporary ghost tale that can be passed down for generations.
While unusual, I recommend skimming the Afterword prior to reading any of the stories since it helps frame the goal and tone of the anthology. Stand outs in the collection include: A Season for Reflection, We Have Always Been Red, A Life Not Lived, Circle Back, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, and Christmas in Goblin.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to an e-ARC for review.
This, to me, was like most other anthologies I have read - hit or miss. In this case, a few of the stories were fantastic, a couple were just okay, and a couple more were not great. Everyone has different tastes so that number might fluctuate depending on what kind of stories you enjoy. For me, this was worth reading, but just barely. What I can say is that every author featured in this novel is a great writer. None of my qualms with the stories I didn't like were with the writing. I liked the uniqueness of the stories being set during Christmas-time, that was a fun way to connect all the stories.
I may have missed it somewhere in the book but I did not see trigger warnings and I believe this novel very much needs them. Some of the stories were very very heavy and had a ton of triggers in them. One of the stories was so odd and unsettling that I felt ill after, even though it wasn't inherently gory or scary.
I really enjoyed the illustrations at the beginning of the stories. They were really well done and added something to the novel.
Like I mentioned above - this was hit and miss for me. It was not as "scary" as I expected but honestly more disturbing and uncomfortable. If this kind of book sounds interesting to you and you like any of the authors that contributed, I recommend giving this a go. Just know that every story isn't for everyone and just enjoy the ride.
This, to me, was like most other anthologies I have read - hit or miss. In this case, a few of the stories were fantastic, a couple were just okay, and a couple more were not great. Everyone has different tastes so that number might fluctuate depending on what kind of stories you enjoy. For me, this was worth reading, but just barely. What I can say is that every author featured in this novel is a great writer. None of my qualms with the stories I didn't like were with the writing. I liked the uniqueness of the stories being set during Christmas-time, that was a fun way to connect all the stories.
I may have missed it somewhere in the book but I did not see trigger warnings and I believe this novel very much needs them. Some of the stories were very very heavy and had a ton of triggers in them. One of the stories was so odd and unsettling that I felt ill after, even though it wasn't inherently gory or scary.
I really enjoyed the illustrations at the beginning of the stories. They were really well done and added something to the novel.
Like I mentioned above - this was hit and miss for me. It was not as "scary" as I expected but honestly more disturbing and uncomfortable. If this kind of book sounds interesting to you and you like any of the authors that contributed, I recommend giving this a go. Just know that every story isn't for everyone and just enjoy the ride.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
"Strip away the garlands and wreaths. Tear down the colorful lights. Burn the tree. Peel Christmas down to its bones. The solstice was never a celebration. It's a night of survival. This book is a return to that truth."
The winter solstice - December 21/22 - is the longest night of the year, occurring when the Northern Hemisphere tilts farthest from the sun.
Silent Nightmares is due for release on September 29, 2026.
Delivering some Christmas vibes, Goodreads! This anthology brings Victorian-inspired ghost stories for the winter solstice. It welcomes you into a frost-covered realm of dread, where haunting tales of vengeful spirits and hidden monsters are brought to life. Each story is complemented with a chilling illustration by Orion Zangara Art. It includes contributions from well-known and invited authors, alongside winning entries from a public call with over 2,100 submissions. They are somber gothic tales that use grief and angst as their primary haunting mechanism, favoring unease over gore.
A big Thank You to Chuck Palahniuk, Michael Bailey, NetGalley, and Saga Press for gifting me this advance copy. It was an absolute pleasure to read and review this book.
The winter solstice - December 21/22 - is the longest night of the year, occurring when the Northern Hemisphere tilts farthest from the sun.
Silent Nightmares is due for release on September 29, 2026.
Delivering some Christmas vibes, Goodreads! This anthology brings Victorian-inspired ghost stories for the winter solstice. It welcomes you into a frost-covered realm of dread, where haunting tales of vengeful spirits and hidden monsters are brought to life. Each story is complemented with a chilling illustration by Orion Zangara Art. It includes contributions from well-known and invited authors, alongside winning entries from a public call with over 2,100 submissions. They are somber gothic tales that use grief and angst as their primary haunting mechanism, favoring unease over gore.
A big Thank You to Chuck Palahniuk, Michael Bailey, NetGalley, and Saga Press for gifting me this advance copy. It was an absolute pleasure to read and review this book.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
A superb selection of authors fills out this slay-ride of an anthology, which has a bumpy start that turns into a smooth journey after the halfway mark. Bailey contributes a great mood-setting intro, but I found his description of some of the authors as legends (in context of stories in the tradition of Charles Dickens) to be a little misleading. That being said, many of the current top names in speculative fiction are represented in this collection. Highlights include entries from Josh Malerman (no surprise there), Brian Evenson, Jonathan Maberry, Joe Hart, Lisa Morton, Gabino Iglesias, and Bailey himself. Ending with a literary summation of the preceding material and its tradition, Chuck's arrangement of stories, illustrations and essays is ideal for maximizing the reader's satisfaction. Ellen Datlow fans will be duly impressed with the quality and cohesion of this collection.
Wrap up in a warm blanket next to your fireplace or gas lamp if you want to stay warm enough to linger in this Silent Night .
A cryogenic thank you to Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster for the ARC.
Wrap up in a warm blanket next to your fireplace or gas lamp if you want to stay warm enough to linger in this Silent Night .
A cryogenic thank you to Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
If you're looking for a dark winter read, Silent Nightmares is a solid choice. It's a short story horror anthology focused entirely on Christmas and winter dread, paying homage to that classic Victorian tradition of telling ghost stories by the fire.
The mix of authors here is unique. You get some massive, well-known names in the horror genre alongside some newer voices pulled from a public submission call. Because of that, it has a really great variety of styles and concepts. Like any anthology, I didn’t love absolutely every single story in the bunch, but the hits definitely made it worth the read. My absolute favorite of the collection was "A Life Not Lived" by Joe R. Lansdale, which was fantastic.
Several of the stories in here fixate on some pretty grim themes, but if you appreciate a darker take on the holiday season, the vibe is spot on. A huge bonus is the fantastic artwork included at the start of each chapter, which really adds to the overall experience and sets the eerie tone before you even start reading.
Thanks to Saga Press and NetGalley for the advance copy!
The mix of authors here is unique. You get some massive, well-known names in the horror genre alongside some newer voices pulled from a public submission call. Because of that, it has a really great variety of styles and concepts. Like any anthology, I didn’t love absolutely every single story in the bunch, but the hits definitely made it worth the read. My absolute favorite of the collection was "A Life Not Lived" by Joe R. Lansdale, which was fantastic.
Several of the stories in here fixate on some pretty grim themes, but if you appreciate a darker take on the holiday season, the vibe is spot on. A huge bonus is the fantastic artwork included at the start of each chapter, which really adds to the overall experience and sets the eerie tone before you even start reading.
Thanks to Saga Press and NetGalley for the advance copy!
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
This was a Goodreads Giveaway for me. A review was optional. Firstly, I have to confess that I love Christmas fiction-- horror,sci-fi, fantasy,romance-- I'm into it.
This collection is excellent for the range and scope of horror and of Christmas tropes. It's got dystopia, body horror, psychological terror, panic rooms, possession. A real plus is the artwork, which is wonderfully macabre in and of itself.
I'm only giving it 4 stars, though, because there were more than two stories that I honestly could see myself reading in my creative writing class. They were really nicely done, but they didn't live up to the rest of the collection, which isn't cheaply priced.
I would say that anyone who likes horror would love to have this collection! Splurge, therefore, this Halloween to Christmas season on your giftee -- even if your giftee is yourself.
This collection is excellent for the range and scope of horror and of Christmas tropes. It's got dystopia, body horror, psychological terror, panic rooms, possession. A real plus is the artwork, which is wonderfully macabre in and of itself.
I'm only giving it 4 stars, though, because there were more than two stories that I honestly could see myself reading in my creative writing class. They were really nicely done, but they didn't live up to the rest of the collection, which isn't cheaply priced.
I would say that anyone who likes horror would love to have this collection! Splurge, therefore, this Halloween to Christmas season on your giftee -- even if your giftee is yourself.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★ ★ ★ ★
𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪:
Pull this book out this fall during its release and sit next to the fire with a warm blanket, warm bev and be ready to read some truly great christmas/winter theme ghost stories if you will. Some authors you may already know and some you may not have heard of yet, each story unique and their own and honestly...I enjoyed all of them.
𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦: Horror, Short Stories, Collection, Anthologies, Fiction, Ghost Stories, Winter/Christmas Theme Stories
Thank you NetGalley, Saga Press | S&S/Saga Press, & Chuck Palahnuik & Michael Bailey, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Releasing on September 29, 2026!
𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪:
Pull this book out this fall during its release and sit next to the fire with a warm blanket, warm bev and be ready to read some truly great christmas/winter theme ghost stories if you will. Some authors you may already know and some you may not have heard of yet, each story unique and their own and honestly...I enjoyed all of them.
𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦: Horror, Short Stories, Collection, Anthologies, Fiction, Ghost Stories, Winter/Christmas Theme Stories
Thank you NetGalley, Saga Press | S&S/Saga Press, & Chuck Palahnuik & Michael Bailey, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Releasing on September 29, 2026!
September 22, 2026
DNF'd at 52%
Read 11 of the stories before calling it quits. When I think of stories centered around the longest nights of the year (around Christmas time) I think of not only Christmas, but winter itself. It's dark, it's cold, in a lot of places it's snowy. That did not fit a lot of the stories I read.
Although some of the stories were fun, I felt that because they were short they missed their full potential. In addition, there was really no commonality within the ones I read. Some were heavily focused on Christmas, others barely mentioned it (or winter) and carried on in a completely different direction.
I really tried to continue on but I just can't force myself to read any more.
Read 11 of the stories before calling it quits. When I think of stories centered around the longest nights of the year (around Christmas time) I think of not only Christmas, but winter itself. It's dark, it's cold, in a lot of places it's snowy. That did not fit a lot of the stories I read.
Although some of the stories were fun, I felt that because they were short they missed their full potential. In addition, there was really no commonality within the ones I read. Some were heavily focused on Christmas, others barely mentioned it (or winter) and carried on in a completely different direction.
I really tried to continue on but I just can't force myself to read any more.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
First of all, thank you to Saga Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, for the free e-copy of Silent Nightmares, which is an anthology edited by Chuck Palahniuk & Michael Bailey for review. I loved this Christmas and winter-themed horror anthology, as each tale was solid and took a unique twist on the overarching themes. My favorites were Shine a Light and The Singing Children, as both left you with a feeling of unease with regard to what was left unsaid.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I wish there were 1/2 stars - this is really 2.5 read for me. I was really excited to read spooky stories around the Longest Night Solstice. As a lover of all things horror and spooky I found this book to fall flat. Most of the short stories had potential but felt like a rushed teenage campfire tale, or a first draft of a more refined short. Overall I can say I was disappointed. I do appreciate the opportunity to read this ARC, thank you. NetGalley and S&S
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.
I'll be honest, I didn't read this whole thing. I requested it because I love Chuck Palahniuk. However after reading the first story, I skipped ahead to read Chuck's and then decided I didn't need to spend anymore time on this. I don't know what this is, but it's not worth the read.
I'll be honest, I didn't read this whole thing. I requested it because I love Chuck Palahniuk. However after reading the first story, I skipped ahead to read Chuck's and then decided I didn't need to spend anymore time on this. I don't know what this is, but it's not worth the read.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This book has horrifying tales by some well know authors as well as new authors! If you love Victorian inspired ghost stories you will definitely love this anthology.
Thank you Netgalley and Sage Press for the ARC to review
Thank you Netgalley and Sage Press for the ARC to review
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
4.5 out of 5
I really enjoyed majority of these stories. They kept me interested and wanting to read on to the next one. A couple did fall a little short, but that didn't take away from the overall experience.
Perfect if you're looking for spooky holiday stories.
I really enjoyed majority of these stories. They kept me interested and wanting to read on to the next one. A couple did fall a little short, but that didn't take away from the overall experience.
Perfect if you're looking for spooky holiday stories.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I know I'm biased (I have a story in this book), but I really enjoyed this. It inspired me to want to write more short stories.
September 3, 2026
Some of these were good.
Some of these were bad.
It’s hard to rate a book with hits and misses.
Some of these were bad.
It’s hard to rate a book with hits and misses.
September 10, 2026
This is a 2.5 for me, but i couldn't justify rounding to 3... unfortunately most of the short stories were just not hitting for me and I didnt enjoy enough of them to rate higher....
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