After Death...

by Eric J. Guignard (Editor), Bentley Little (Contributor), Steve Rasnic Tem (Contributor)

Librarian note: alternate-cover edition of 9780988556928.

Death. Who has not considered their own mortality and wondered at what awaits, once our frail human shell expires? What occurs after the heart stops beating, after the last breath is drawn, after life as we know it terminates?

Does our spirit remain on Earth while the mortal body rots? Do remnants of our soul transcend to a celestial Heaven or sink to Hell's torment? Are we offered choices in an individualized afterlife? Can we die again in the hereafter? Is life merely a cosmic joke, or is it an experiment for something greater?

Included within this critically acclaimed anthology are answers to these queries alongside tales and suppositions relating from traditional ghosts to the afterlife of e-coli. Explore the afterworld of an Australian cowboy. Discover what the white light really means to the recently departed. Consider the impact of modern, or future, technology on the dead. Follow the karmic path of reincarnation. Travel from the 999th level of Fengdu's Hell to the gates of Robot Heaven.

Enclosed are thirty-four all-new dark and speculative fiction stories, individually illustrated by Audra Phillips, and exploring the possibilities "after death."

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Introduction by Eric J. Guignard
Someone to Remember by Andrew S. Williams
Boy, 7 by Alvaro Rodriguez
Sea of Trees by Edward M. Erdelac
The Last Moments Before Bed by Steve Rasnic Tem
The Resurrection Policy by Lisa Morton
High Places by John M. Floyd
Circling the Stones at Fulcrum's Low by Kelda Crich
I Will Remain by David Steffen
Tree of Life by Aaron J. French
The Reckless Alternative by Sanford Allen & Josh Rountree
The Thousandth Hell by Brad C. Hodson
Mall Rats by James S. Dorr
Afterword by Ray Cluley
Like a Bat out of Hell by Jonathan Shipley
The Overlander by Jacob Edwards
Forever by John Palisano
My Father Knew Douglas MacArthur by Bentley Little
Robot Heaven by Jamie Lackey
Beyond the Veil by Robert B. Marcus, Jr.
Prisoner of Peace by David Tallerman
A Feast of Meat and Mead by Christine Morgan
Be Quiet At The Back by William Meikle
Cages by Peter Giglio
Hammerhead by Simon Clark
Marvel at the Face of Forever by Kelly Dunn
The Unfinished Lunch by Trevor Denyer
I Was The Walrus by Steve Cameron
The Devil's Backbone by Larry Hodges
The Death of E. Coli by Benjamin Kane Ethridge
Final Testament of a Weapons Engineer by Emily C. Skaftun
Acclimation Package by Joe McKinney
Hellevator by Josh Strnad
In and Out the Window by Allan Izen
With Max Barry in the Nearer Precincts by John Langan

Genres: Horror, Anthologies, Short Stories, Fiction, Fantasy, Supernatural

332 pages, Paperback

First published April 5, 2013

About the author

ERIC J. GUIGNARD is a writer and editor of dark and speculative fiction, operating from the shadowy outskirts of Los Angeles, where he also runs the small press, Dark Moon Books. He’s twice won the Bram Stoker Award (the highest literary award of horror fiction), won the Shirley Jackson Award, and been a finalist for the World Fantasy Award and International Thriller Writers Award for his works of dark and speculative fiction.

He has over one hundred stories and non-fiction author credits appearing in publications around the world. As editor, Eric’s published multiple fiction anthologies, including his most recent, Pop the Clutch: Thrilling Tales of Rockabilly, Monsters, and Hot Rod Horror , and A World of Horror , a showcase of international horror short fiction.

He currently publishes the acclaimed series of author primers created to champion modern masters of the dark and macabre, Exploring Dark Short Fiction ( Vol. I: Steve Rasnic Tem ; Vol. II: Kaaron Warren ; Vol. III: Nisi Shawl ; Vol. IV: Jeffrey Ford ; Vol. V: Han Song ; Vol. VI: Ramsey Campbell).

He is also publisher and acquisitions editor for the renowned +Horror Library+ anthology series. Additionally he curates the series, The Horror Writers Association Presents: Haunted Library of Horror Classics through SourceBooks with co-editor Leslie S. Klinger.

His latest books are Last Case at a Baggage Auction ; Doorways to the Deadeye ; and short story collection That Which Grows Wild (Cemetery Dance).

Outside the glamorous and jet-setting world of indie fiction, Eric’s a technical writer and college professor, and he stumbles home each day to a wife, children, dogs, and a terrarium filled with mischievous beetles. Visit Eric at: www.ericjguignard.com, his blog: ericjguignard.blogspot.com, or Twitter: @ericjguignard.

Reviews

[Michael Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished reading After Death his week and it was a good’un! Really impressed with such a variety of stories offering what could happen after we die. Writing was excellent and the stories either scary or inspiring. Too many great stories to note but here are some of my favories: ‘My Father Knew Douglas MacArthur’ by Bentley Little. A man decides he doesn't like the way the weird factory-like afterworld is being run and decides to take matters into his own hands. ‘Beyond the Veil’ by Robert B. Marcus, Jr. Who says there is an afterlife at all? This story is about the consequences of having to live your same exact life over and over, like a record on repeat. ‘Prisoner of Peace’ by David Tallerman. The ghost of a Japanese prisoner trapped in the after-effect of Hiroshima. ‘Boy, 7’ by Alvaro Rodriguez. A kidnapped child hopes to get everything he wants. ‘Afterword’ by Ray Cluley. The afterlife of an author brings him to the characters he created. ‘The Overlander’ by Jacob Edwards. The ghost of an Australian cowboy forever wanders the outback. ‘With Max Barry in the Nearer Precincts’ by John Langan. The story of how an alternate heaven was created.

[Vivian Metzger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this book is a profound collection of stories covering so many chilling and smart possibilities of what could happen after death. There's lots of ghost and devil stories, but there's also things I never thought up, like the afterworld for bacteria, what happens to animals after death, coming back after death from technology, stories of different gods from other cultures and bizarre interpretations of otherworldly rooms and worlds. I really liked The Reckless Alternative which was Joe Strummer (from the Clash) in his own afterlife; and Beyond the Veil in which we never die, but live our same life over and over; The Unfinished Lunch, where a man dies and his soul absorbs into a salad bowl (sounds weird, but really touching!); and Circling The Stones At Fulcrum's Low, about a witch who is cursed to remain in a superstitious town that hunts her down every time she is reborn.

[Eva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each story in the "After Death" has something unique and different to offer, even the stories that are similarly themed or that take place within the same framework. As with the Bram Stoker Award-nominated "Dark Tales of Lost Civilizations", editor Eric J. Guignard has produced another highly readable, compelling anthology of dark fiction that is of such a high calibre that I am sure it will also be nominated for a Stoker Award. If you see it at any convention tables or booths during the fall season, buy it on the spot. There are very few horror and dark fantasy anthologies with this amount of incredible, high quality stories, and I know it’s always a gamble with anthologies because even though you may be familiar with some of the bigger names in the table of contents, you’re not to sure if it will deliver (which is understandable, of course), but I’m telling you straight up that if you buy just one horror anthology this year, make it "After Death" even though there are at least a few that rise above the rest each season, including "The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy and Horror" and pretty much anything Ellen Datlow edits. "After Death" is on par with all the most quality, worthwhile anthologies in the genre.

Some of the stand-outs and my favourite tales are:
“Acclimation Package” by Joe McKinney
“Hammerhead” by Simon Clark
“Be Quiet At The Back” by William Meikle
“I Will Remain” by David Steffen
“Boy, 7″ by Alvaro Rodriguez
“The Resurrection Policy” by Lisa Morton
“Robot Heaven” by Jamie Lackey
“Marvel at the Face of Forever” by Kelly Dunn

[Carl Alves · Rating 5 out of 5]

After Death starts off with a cool premise, what happens after a person dies. Sometimes the stories occur immediately after death, sometimes it’s during a much longer time line. There is a mix of big name horror authors and lesser known ones, and overall a really good flow to the anthology. One of the things that I really enjoyed about the anthology was the short introductions that precede each of the stories. They were little nuggets of insight that added to the stories and were a nice touch. There were a variety of topics from the ferryman transporting the dead, to reincarnation, to purgatory, hell, heaven, and many places in between.

Like most anthologies, not all of the stories worked, but most of them were quite good. If I had to single out a few that I especially enjoyed, they would have to be “Someone to Remember” by Andrew S. Williams, which starts off the book on the right track; “The Resurrection Policy” by Lisa Morton, which I found to be crafty and creative; and “The Devil’s Backbone” by Larry Hodges, which I found to be well-conceived, well-executed, and well-written, my favorite in the anthology. There is a lot of good short fiction in this anthology, and it was impeccably edited. This is an anthology that I highly recommend.

Carl Alves - author of Blood Street

[Kenneth Cain · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading the anthology Guignard edited last year, I simply could not pass on this one. And the theme for this one appealed to me, so much so that I wish I would have sent something in. The stories are fantastic, a wide range of interpretations of death or what lies beyond or otherwise. Fantastic stories that leave you wondering, which is why the theme alone is so wonderful. The opening two stories pack a punch. "Someone to Remember" offers a beautiful detailing of love everlasting and "Boy 7" comes back at us with a brutal story of hope. I'm also quite fond of "I Will Remain," and especially "Mall Rats" which had a spooky feel throughout. But all of the stories were good, and those fascinated with the after life will thoroughly enjoy this effort.

[Marge Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the introductory words of editor Eric Guignard, "...I would argue there is no greater mystery than that which occurs after we die. What exactly is the destination of our journey?" He also asks: "Can curses transcend the life-death boundary? Are there different hereafters to accommodate multiple religions? Do we all share a common singularity?" You will find 34 different answers to those questions, each one simply fascinating.


It's rare when I read an anthology of such consistently good stories that I have a terrible time finding a stopping point. AFTER DEATH is one such collection. I was going to just read the first story, maybe the middle and the last story. Oh, and of course Joe McKinney's, Lisa Morton's, and Steve R. Tem's, a couple more and be done. How wrong I was!

I started with the first story, "Someone to Remember" by Andrew S. Williams, a writer I'd not heard of. It was so good, I gave it a Stoker rec right after finishing it! Then went on to the next, and the next --two hours later, I was still reading. I had to stop at that time. But I've returned again and again. I found so many well done and wildly different ideas about what happens after death, it's hard to pick more favorites. I think you will find, as did I, that this is a treasure chest of fiction you'll want to keep and return to many times.

-Marge Simon

[Jonathan Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kudos to this anthology which tackles such a broad and introspective topic without coming out seeming preachy or shabby. This book has some amazing, amazing stories included, ones which cause you to ponder the mysteries of the universe in many different ways. It is a fiction collection, but these stories cover a broad range of theologies and popular culture, such as exploring Greek afterlife, Chinese afterlife, Viking afterlife, animal afterlife, afterlife for suicides, robots, bacteria, and angry killers. I was impressed with the editor’s thought in accumulating these stories – all new and collected just for this book. Good explanations from the editor for each story, as to why it was included and how it ties in (besides the obvious), which he did in his first book, Dark Tales of Lost Civilizations. Like before, this anthology is categorized under horror, but it’s not horror by the traditional definition. Many of the stories are bleak and dark, but many of them are just good old fashioned science fiction and some of them are actually very uplifting and spiritual (in a non-religious way). Well done, all around.

[Ann Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This book of Anthologies is intense!
Who hasn’t wondered what happens to us after death? Does our soul go on? Are we reborn? Is it just endless emptiness?
It seemed I was always reading this at night. In the dark. I guess I like to torture myself, because some of the anthologies are just plain creepy. Like “Boy 7″ by Alvaro Rodriguez doesn’t sit well right before bed.
Most of the anthologies were good, some I found myself skimming through. Of course, what I found insightful or scary you might find boring and vice versa.

Some of them were so good that I thought a whole novel could be written around the storyline. The two that come to mind are “The Resurrection Policy” by Lisa Morton and “Acclimation Package” by Joe McKinney

Overall, it is such a great collection I can’t imagine being without it. This is the type of book you could easily gift at Christmas (or Chrismahannaqwansika:P ) to any book lover.

[Sebastian Abbott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never realized there were so many different views on death. As a Catholic, I grew up with knowledge I would go to Heaven or Hell. Maybe make a pit stop in Purgatory.

After reading this I know what the Greeks, Jews, and Indians (to name a FEW) think happens after death.

Of course some of the analogies were straight out of the authors head, and some of them were very thought provoking. I enjoyed some of the stories more than others, but that is the great thing about having such a awesome variety. Everyone can have a different opinion and still come away satisfied.

[Melissa Hammond · Rating 5 out of 5]

These anthologies all put together do something that apart they could never pull off. Although I guess that is the point right?
After some of them, like John Palisano's "Forever", I had to put my kindle down for a little while before moving on.


Very thought provoking and I'm sure I will read it again.

[Judi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely more darker of a book than I normally read, but I still loved it very much. I read the editor’s last book, Dark tales of lost civilizations, and became a fan of the Twilight Zone-like stories he selected. When I heard he released this book I got a copy. I was surprised at the variety of stories. I knew it would include horror, but there are some funny tales and a couple that are genuinely heart-warming. Some of the authors are the same from Dark tales of lost civilizations, and some of the authors are very famous names I’ve read before, but most of the authors were new to me and I was very happy to become acquainted with them. I really liked the stories: Circling the stones at fulcrum low by Kelda Critch, and I will remain by David Steffen, and Forever by John Palisano, Robot heaven by Jamie Lackey, and The Overlander by Jacob Edwards. Lots of other good stories which brought together points of view from many cultures and experiences. If I was still a teacher, this would get an A+.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very impressed with the quality of writing. I wondered if it would be, with it being short stories from multiple authors, but each story was very well written. My favorites were "Like a Bat Out of Hell" and "Mall Rats." I enjoyed the different, thought provoking perspectives of what could possibly happen after death. Each story is an original peep hole into the "other world" - each story's version being unique. For example, "Like a Bat Out of Hell" is about what happens to mythical characters after their time on Earth has passed. If those creatures had existed, what happened when the world moved on and stopped believing in them (keeping them alive)?

I highly recommend this to lovers of dark fiction or horror stories.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

After Death is an interesting anthology about death and what comes after. The editor compiled 30+ short stories, each with a unique take on the concept. While a few were not to my personal taste, they were all well-written and interesting.
The only serious flaw in the book was its production values. Unfortunately, the printer did a miserable job reproducing the illustrations. Since there was one illustration per story, that means there were 30+ badly-printed illustrations, along with weirdly pixilated title and author information at the start of each story. Thus, what looks like it would have been very good artwork by Audra Phillips was almost a complete waste.
Stories by Steve Rasnic Tem, Lisa Morton, Christine Morgan and others were especially memorable, with tales of such things as failed resurrections and finding the wrong afterlife. Are there animals in heaven, and if reincarnation exists, is there a limit to how you come back? These and other things are dealt with in this anthology. Not quite horror, not quite fantasy, not quite theology, but an interesting blend of fictions related to all three.

[Dark Matter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evie Kendal reviewed this book; for more reviews by Evie, see Evie Kendal on Dark Matter Zine. To see all reviews on Dark Matter Zine, go to Dark Matter Zine's reviews.

After Death is an anthology of short stories investigating life after death. The anthology is introduced and edited by Eric J Guignard and includes 34 different tales.

Guignard also provides introductions for each of the individual stories. A short biography of each author is included at the end of their contribution.

Audra Phillips illustrates the collection, however the printing of the illustrations is quite low quality, which affects their impact (it is possible this is only the case in the review copies though). All of the stories deal with possible afterlives, however the following were my favourites (since the stories are very short it is not possible to avoid spoilers):

Andrew S Williams’s ‘Someone to Remember’ is about a man who has died and is refusing to board the ferry across the underworld to the realm beyond. He is waiting for his beloved to die and join him so they can travel together. During the story he is tricked and thrown into the River Lethe, which makes him forget his former life and his love. Rescued by the ferryman, the man has no choice but to cross the river, however the ferryman decides to let him become his partner so they can search for his beloved together. This story relies on Greek mythology to explore life after death.

Alvaro Rodriguez’s ‘Boy, 7′ is from the perspective of a kidnap victim bound in the trunk of his captor’s car as he flees the police. While the ending is slightly ambiguous, it appears most likely that the boy bled out before the police managed to free him and the final scene, involving caramel sundaes, occurs in Heaven. The “bad man” who kidnapped him becomes faceless and sinks to the ground where he is devoured by dogs, presumably in Hell. As such, this tale uses a traditional Catholic view of the afterlife.

Joe McKinney’s ‘Acclimation Package’ is set in the near future where the Lazarus Institute can revive people long after death. Dan Spencer was a cop in his mid-forties who died in 2013 and is now alive again’ but with the memories and experience of Heather Carter, a twenty-four year old neurology student due to be married next year…in 2035!

Dr Graham explains that he was put in cryogenic suspension after he was killed in the line of duty. He has been recently thawed and given an artificial heart. The memories of Carter turn out to be his “acclimation package” intended to prevent psychotic episodes in revived patients by teaching them about their new temporal environment. However, Spencer soon learns that he shouldn’t be able to recall Carter’s memories or have any “identity overlap” with his “donor.” If his doctors found out they would be one step closer to developing a method for full transference of a person’s consciousness into another person’s body, essentially making them immortal. As Spencer sees more of Carter’s past he realises she was further along in her research than she wants Dr Graham to know, and that she had enemies that are now after him. This story explores life after death in a cyberpunk reality.

With a wide variety of stories based on many different theories and beliefs about the afterlife After Death is a very interesting read. The tales are all quite short and easy to read so the book is suitable for people too busy to commit to a long novel. The sustained theme holds the anthology together very well and keeps the dark flavour. Recommended for anyone with an interest in the gothic and supernatural.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Artists interpretation of what happens when we die. Many different opinions here. Stories are quick to read and make one ponder his own mortality.

[Stefu Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this collection of stories. I give it four stars because some of the stories were hard for me to get into. But others, like "Sea of Trees" were so excellent that I couldn't help being drawn into the wonder of it. Each story provides a slightly different view of what may happen after we die. Most fall in the dark fiction side of things, but others touch on science fiction, fantasy, and speculative fiction.

[Anita Patel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saw this won a Bram Stoker award while reviewing the editor on another anthology he did. Congratulations! Good author and good editor.

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of well-written, imaginative tales was a balanced mix of horror, fantasy and speculative “other.” From expected fire and brimstone to unexpected raw emotion, the talented writers within obviously spent a great deal of time analyzing their thoughts on the hereafter (and it shows in the quality and depth of their writing). Highly recommended.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting anthology of various opinions on the after death experiences. As with all anthologies, some good stories, some not so good. If you like to speculate on this subject, then this is for you.

[Bianca Rose (Belladonnabooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who has experienced a lot of loss within my own life and finds the subject of death and my own mortality absolutely frightening yet fascinating, I was very excited to read this collection of stories which explore the possibilities of what occurs after death.
The collection explores a variety of thought provoking themes within death such as reincarnation, the process of passing over, diverse religions, contemplating of ones life after death, hell etc.

I honestly enjoyed every one of these stories due to the diverse range of directions they took and I was impressed with how deeply the theme of death was explored by the various authors who all contributed to the collection in their unique way.

I did have some personal favourites from the collection though and they include:
⚰️ Sea of trees
An exploration of suicide through the journey of a man grieving for his mother.
⚰️ Circling the stones at fulcrum’s low
A tale of a witch who is pursued by a group of men who ‘shall not let a witch live.’
⚰️ I will remain
This story explores if reincarnation exists and if it does can we change from human to animal?
⚰️ The Overlander
This was set within the harsh outback of Australia where ghosts roamed. I loved the descriptions of the outback.
⚰️ Forever
I cried in this one. My absolute favourite. Not horror but incredibly beautiful. It details the journey of a deceased loved one guiding their loved one as they pass away. It gave me so much hope and and really warmed my heart.
⚰️ A feast of meat and mead
A warrior travels to the Norse land of Valhalla after death.
⚰️ Hammerhead
This is about a hammerhead shark that realises it was reincarnated from a man in its past life and has the opportunity to settle a score with a past enemy.

Very grateful to the editor of this collection, Eric J. Guignard for sending me a free copy in exchange of a fair and honest review.

[Jonathan Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kudos to this anthology which tackles such a broad and introspective topic without coming out seeming preachy or shabby. This book has some amazing, amazing stories included, ones which cause you to ponder the mysteries of the universe in many different ways. It is a fiction collection, but these stories cover a broad range of theologies and popular culture, such as exploring Greek afterlife, Chinese afterlife, Viking afterlife, animal afterlife, afterlife for suicides, robots, bacteria, and angry killers. I was impressed with the editor’s thought in accumulating these stories – all new and collected just for this book. Good explanations from the editor for each story, as to why it was included and how it ties in (besides the obvious), which he did in his first book, Dark Tales of Lost Civilizations. Like before, this anthology is categorized under horror, but it’s not horror by the traditional definition. Many of the stories are bleak and dark, but many of them are just good old fashioned science fiction and some of them are actually very uplifting and spiritual (in a non-religious way). Well done, all around.

[Caesar Warrington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Any anthology which includes a tale about the late Joe Strummer traveling through the next world ("The Reckless Alternative" by Sanford Allen and Josh Rountree), should signal that many of the other stories included make for more than worthwhile reading. In addition to that tale involving the Clash's former frontman, "Sea of Trees" by Edward M Erdelac, "Be Quiet At the Back" by William Meikle, "The Thousandth Hell" by Brad C. Hodson and especially "I Will Remain" by David Steffan are excellent stories about what souls may or may not experience once they leave this plane of existence.

[S.J. Townend · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mostly really enjoyed this. A handful of stories didn't grab my attention and life is too short so I did skip about four stories, but that is the lucky dip situation of an anthology!
On the whole, a great read. Eric is a skilled editor and eagle-eyed story selector.
My faves: Mall Rats (poignant), Afterword (funny), Like a Bat out of Hell (clever), Robot Heaven (cute), Beyond the Veil (emotive), and I Was the Walrus (probably the truth).

[Journey · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a retired English teacher, with almost 30 years of classroom experience, I tell you this: I can, and others like me can, teach people where to put commas and periods and when to start new paragraphs, but I can't teach creativity. An individual either has it, or not, and Eric J. Guignard has it.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Lots of tossed-off ones, but there are still some standouts. I think “I was the walrus” was my favorite.

[Resa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second anthology I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing edited by Eric Guignard, the first being Dark Tales and Lost Civilizations. While Guignard cannot take credit for the individual stories themselves as they’ve all been written by authors’ talented in their own right, the man knows how to put together an excellent anthology. Unlike his first anthology After Death includes stories that detail the multiple possibilities of what happens to the spirit after the body is dead (or in some cases what can happen to a recently deceased body as well). The stories vary from the entertaining, to the literary, to the bizarre so while not every story might be for you, there’s at least one story for everyone.

Some of the stand outs (and my personal favorites) include:
The Resurrection Policy by Lisa Morton which explores the possibility of paying for “after death” insurance, and the somewhat disturbing results of defaulting on your payments.

Sea of Trees by Edward M. Erdelac that’ll make you think twice before ever thinking twice about suicide, and will make you grateful for your ability to make changes in your life, and the opportunities being alive offers you.

The Devil’s Backbone by Larry Hodges detailing what happens when a bad person reformed gets sent to hell…with an ice cream truck.

Not all of these stories are excellent, and there were several I had to force myself to finish, but overall this anthology provides enough interesting tales to make it worth the effort. But, while not all of these stories kept me glued to my seat, they all give you something to think about. Who hasn’t thought, even briefly, about what happens to us when we die? Have you thought about where your recently departed loved ones are and whether or not they’ll meet you on the other side? To believe that a deity will be waiting to usher you into paradise (or the alternative…)? Or are you a non believer, who wants to know what science can do to keep our consciousness alive?

Whatever the questions you’ve asked yourself about life after death, this anthology provides you with a possible answer, whether or not it’s the answer you’re hoping for. There’s one thing this anthology is not, and that is a bunch of stories about creatures who survive after death. You will not find stories detailing the lives of vampires, zombies, mummies, or ghost. If there’s one thing all these stories have in common it’s that all of these characters, at least before their death, were human and these are the stories of what await us beyond.