Breathing in the Shadows: Tales of Monsters, Madness, and the Macabre

by Matt Kurtz

Matt Kurtz’s Breathing in the Shadows is an omnibus of his best short stories from over the years, now collected in one volume for the first time.

These twelve tales of terror span the spectrum of horror, from psychological chills and supernatural dread to dark comedy and the extreme. Within these pages, you’ll encounter ghosts, psychopaths, demons, and giant jackalopes—an array of living and undead nightmares designed to linger long after the lights go out.

The perfect companion for fans of creature features and classic peel it open, crack the spine, and inhale the darkness. Breathe in the shadows.

Genres: Horror

185 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 21, 2026

About the author

Author of THE ROTTING WITHIN, A DARKNESS UNSEEN, KINFOLK, and SHOCK WAVES, the 2024 Imadjinn Award Winner for Best Horror Novel.

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great collection of creepy stories. I really enjoyed it. It felt like a cool throwback to Creepyshow/Tales from the Crypt type stories. I've loved everything that I've read from Matt, so if you haven't read his stuff yet, you should really go and grab something.

[Jeff McIntosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Transparency: I rec'd a copy of this book for my honest opinion. Here goes.

The cover is reminiscent of the original cover of the "Creepshow" comic. The dedication is to Robert Bloch, the author of "Psycho" and numerous short stories. A nice touch.

The book consists 12 short stories, all previously published.

"Worse for Wear" in hwich a down on his luck tailor makes a bargain with a supernatural creature in a human suit brought back echoes of Bloch's "Weid Tailor". Echoes of King's "The Boogeyman" in "Within the Closet". These stories are not a hommage to the stories of other authors, but truly disturbing in their own right.

Take a spin. You'll be glad you did.

Jeff Mc

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this Anthology! The stories were so unique and each had a twist that wasn't exactly what you expected or the story led you to believe. This was a fun read overall and had themes of the twilight zone in a more morbid way. Highly recommend!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was highly entertaining and a definite page turner! I enjoyed each stories. The artwork is also rad! 🖤

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I should know by now not to read books by this author at night if I don't want to have nightmares, but I thought "It's just a collection of short stories, I'll be fine!" I was in fact not fine. Each story was terrifying in their own way, but the first two in particular were 🤯 10/10 recommend.