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Wormholes and Other Unlikely Places: A Collection of Fantasy, Horror and Science Fiction Short Stories
226 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 9, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 19, 2026
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Wormholes and Other Unlikely Places is a short story collection that explores a variety of science fiction concepts, from space travel and alternate realities to technology, humanity, horror and the unknown.
What I liked most about this collection was the variety. Since each story explores a different idea, that never repetitive, with enough range. Fans of sci-fi or horror will find at least a few stories they really enjoy.
As with most short story collections, some stories worked better for me than others. A few stood out with stronger concepts or more emotional impact, while others felt more like quick thought experiments. That is not necessarily a flaw, but it does make the reading experience a little uneven.
The writing is straightforward and accessible, making this an easy collection to pick up and read in small portions rather than all at once.
Naturally being short stories, there is less room for deep character development or fully immersive worldbuilding, so readers looking for one continuous plot or strong emotional attachment to characters may not connect with this as much. Some stories might leave some readers some food for thought, which I appreciated.
Overall, this was an enjoyable collection with interesting ideas and enough variety to keep things engaging. Not every story will be memorable, but that is part of the nature of anthologies. Worth picking up if you enjoy science fiction and bite-sized speculative fiction.
Wormholes and Other Unlikely Places is a short story collection that explores a variety of science fiction concepts, from space travel and alternate realities to technology, humanity, horror and the unknown.
What I liked most about this collection was the variety. Since each story explores a different idea, that never repetitive, with enough range. Fans of sci-fi or horror will find at least a few stories they really enjoy.
As with most short story collections, some stories worked better for me than others. A few stood out with stronger concepts or more emotional impact, while others felt more like quick thought experiments. That is not necessarily a flaw, but it does make the reading experience a little uneven.
The writing is straightforward and accessible, making this an easy collection to pick up and read in small portions rather than all at once.
Naturally being short stories, there is less room for deep character development or fully immersive worldbuilding, so readers looking for one continuous plot or strong emotional attachment to characters may not connect with this as much. Some stories might leave some readers some food for thought, which I appreciated.
Overall, this was an enjoyable collection with interesting ideas and enough variety to keep things engaging. Not every story will be memorable, but that is part of the nature of anthologies. Worth picking up if you enjoy science fiction and bite-sized speculative fiction.
July 10, 2026
Wormholes and Other Unlikely Places is a collection of short supernatural-leaning stories by Carl Alves. I received an advance review copy from BookSirens for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Wormholes and OUP reminded me of The Twilight Zone Magazine or Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine. That's a good thing. And definitely my wheelhouse.
With a fairly wide variety of story topics, there's bound to be something for pretty much any fan or fantasy, horror or science fiction. There was a time travel story, complete with a reference to Nov. 15th, a quiet nod to Back to the Future. There was a slasher story with a filmmaker named Roman, which I'm inclined to think was a nod to Scream 3. There were also a couple other callouts that I noted -- but failed to write down.
My favorites were a zombie story and a twisted game show story. My least favorite was about a middle eastern assassin. Two of the stories ended rather abruptly, one of which was about Donald Trump. I honestly missed the point of that whole story.
The book could have used a good editor. I found an reported a handful of typos. I found some more but as I had switched to a new Kindle, the "report error" wasn't an option anymore for some reason. Also, in the zombie story, I think a character's name changed briefly.
All-in-all, it was entertaining and I would gladly read another of Alves' works. He apparently has several other offerings.
Wormholes and OUP reminded me of The Twilight Zone Magazine or Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine. That's a good thing. And definitely my wheelhouse.
With a fairly wide variety of story topics, there's bound to be something for pretty much any fan or fantasy, horror or science fiction. There was a time travel story, complete with a reference to Nov. 15th, a quiet nod to Back to the Future. There was a slasher story with a filmmaker named Roman, which I'm inclined to think was a nod to Scream 3. There were also a couple other callouts that I noted -- but failed to write down.
My favorites were a zombie story and a twisted game show story. My least favorite was about a middle eastern assassin. Two of the stories ended rather abruptly, one of which was about Donald Trump. I honestly missed the point of that whole story.
The book could have used a good editor. I found an reported a handful of typos. I found some more but as I had switched to a new Kindle, the "report error" wasn't an option anymore for some reason. Also, in the zombie story, I think a character's name changed briefly.
All-in-all, it was entertaining and I would gladly read another of Alves' works. He apparently has several other offerings.
July 13, 2026
If you’re looking for a quick trip through space and time, Wormholes and Other Unlikely Places by Carl Alves is a fun ride. This collection of short stories leans heavily into sci-fi and the supernatural, often feeling like a modern-day tribute to The Twilight Zone. I really enjoyed how Alves takes high-concept ideas—like accidental dimensional travel or bizarre cosmic anomalies—and grounds them with relatable human emotions.
The sheer variety is a major plus; you never quite know where the next page will take you. On a constructive note, a few stories felt a little too brief, ending just as the premise was getting really juicy. I would’ve loved more time to explore some of these unique worlds! Overall, it’s a clever and quirky read that’s perfect for a commute. If you enjoy imaginative storytelling that keeps you on your toes, this is definitely worth a look.
The sheer variety is a major plus; you never quite know where the next page will take you. On a constructive note, a few stories felt a little too brief, ending just as the premise was getting really juicy. I would’ve loved more time to explore some of these unique worlds! Overall, it’s a clever and quirky read that’s perfect for a commute. If you enjoy imaginative storytelling that keeps you on your toes, this is definitely worth a look.
April 29, 2026
A collection of short stories that tickle your brain. Each story provides a snapshot into different emotions. Horror, terror, whimsy, curiosity, dread, disquiet, confusion...I felt them all.
I found it fun and engaging to match the phrases from the introduction to each story! Unfortunately, I'm not 100% sure about 3 of them but the others were easy (hair flip xD). What a novel idea!
Thank you for the eARC via BookSirens!
I found it fun and engaging to match the phrases from the introduction to each story! Unfortunately, I'm not 100% sure about 3 of them but the others were easy (hair flip xD). What a novel idea!
Thank you for the eARC via BookSirens!
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July 23, 2026I enjoyed most of the short stories but there were some gramatical errors that I just couldn't overlook. My favorite short story was the social media one. It was hilarious but also very onbrand with how social media is used and prioratized in todays world. Thank you for allowing me to read this book in advance!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 18, 2026
It's a collection of different genres, therefore it's like a box of chocolates. Some of the stories, in my opinion, were were very good, some just good, and some not so good.
Even the not so good ones were entertaining. Not my preferred reading style but well written.
Even the not so good ones were entertaining. Not my preferred reading style but well written.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews