A Rap on the Door: Collected Stories

by Sean M. Tirman, Anne-Marie Rutella (Editor)

203 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 6, 2026

About the author

Sean M. Tirman is the author, creator, and custodian of the Marrower universe and has been published in both Infinite Worlds Magazine and Infinite Horrors Magazine. He lives in Rochester, New York, with his wife and two remarkably entitled, small, old dogs. Hounds of Gaia is his first novel.

Reviews

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is a collection of stories, all by the same author so I’ve broken down the individual story ratings below.

Little Rituals - 2.75/5, good setup and initial spookiness but it flinches right at the end so doesn’t commit one way or the other

The Decline and Ascent - 3.25/5, the broad strokes are clear enough to guess and the message is a good one. It just doesn’t flow well

Casa Perdida - 4/5, nice and spooky and the disjointed journal fragments works really well for the style of story

Polaris Breach - 3/5, overall just fine? I liked the choice in protagonist being a double mastectomy breast cancer survivor but the rest didn’t grab me as much as it moved too quickly

The Escape Room - 3/5, short and to the point. I didn’t spot the page count for this chapter so I was expecting it to build so the ending caught me by surprise

The Burning Fields - 2.5/5, haunting but predictable given the daftness of the MMC’s actions

Truth or Consequences - 3.75, this one has been the most interesting story so far but it jumps POV too much and too often for it to flow well

Dungeon Crawler - 3/5, love a bit of video game horror, would’ve liked the horror to be down the other routes as well as more of a buildup rather than just at the end

The Voices - 3.75/5, great buildup, liked the formatting and the building dread given by the extra information between the voicemails

Costa Valiente - 2.75/5, very quick so I was waiting for a twist but then it ended

Finders Keepers - 3/5, longer build up but the spookiness was over quickly

Small Portions - 3.5/5, I’m curious about the backstory we don’t get to see but I liked the flow of this one

The Lighted Frame - 3/5, spooky but the writing voice is almost removed from the story

Schrödinger Cake - 2.5/5, not quite sure what to make of this one, there isn’t quite enough one way or the other

Listening Post Omega - 3/5, I’m left slightly confused by the ending but I liked the sci-fi setting

Thank you to the author and booksirens for the arc.

[Ashleigh Glenister · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this collection. For me, I felt it was very underwhelming, and I would have preferred 5-6 well-rounded stories that showed the characters' experiences, following a theme and sticking to one genre that was fully understood, rather than telling the reader what is happening and trying to do too many different formats, different genres. I didn't feel immersed in these stories; sometimes it seemed like there was a lack of build-up, or when things did have a good build-up, they just felt like the climax was flat and sometimes boring.

I really would have preferred more show, less tell. There was a lot of exposition being shared, and lots of dialogue that continues to do this, but then I just got lost following the plot of the story because there was so much information that could have been left out that felt like it didn't have much of a point to it, and then it's over before I've really understood what's happening.

I genuinely struggled to get through this book because I just didn't feel connected to any of the stories. Maybe I rushed through too quickly and completely missed the point on some of them. But I genuinely feel that this was an experimental piece that was trying to do too much and did not contain any concepts or ideas that felt polished to me. Less is more is the way to go in my opinion.

I will end on a positive note; 'Truth or Consequences' was the strongest entry, and the one I genuinely enjoyed. It did everything right: tense and exciting plot, good pacing, great characters with some brilliant development. The tension was there, and I felt immersed and invested. More of this!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Marlena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely DEVOURED this bad boy in a night. Which did nothing for my sleep quality- thanks a lot for the nightmare! That alone should speak to the intrigue and quality of this book, but let me delve a little further.

I figured 'A Rap on the Door' was simply the title in order to set the tone of creepy/scary stories. But no, each story begins with some type of knock or character entry. The stories span genres, and while some aren't technically straight up 'horror', I would argue they are all horror, in that they deeply unsettle you or allude to pretty horrifying concepts.

The art of writing a short story is so difficult. It's why I don't read too many of them. Dropping someone into a story and hooking them in a short span of words while ensuring they don't get lost in this brand new world that they have no reference to. But Tirman drops you from one story, one genre, one world to the next and you are able to navigate smoothly.

'Burning Fields' made me audibly yell, "Noooooooooo!"
'Costa Valiente' wraps up my philosophy of the world today, a very clever spin on expectations.
'The Voices' reminded me of the creepypasta "Psychosis", which is my favorite short story of all time.
'Casa Perdida' gave me a nightmare, and I'd pay to see that story fleshed out into a novella. (As well as 'Listening Post Omega'!)

I could have babbling things to say about each story, but I'll leave it at that. This is my third work of Tirman that I've read; he's 3 for 3 5 stars!

[Glen W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of stories was a great read!

Each of the stories were powerful in different ways (be it the anxious feeling of a monster watching over your shoulder, or the disorientation of a wild situation that keeps escalating).

Very well written and I rather enjoyed each of the unique vibes.

Kinda gave me like Love Death and Robots vibes but with short stories, and a mix of a bit more hopeful or interesting ends vs LDnR which sometimes is a dark fantasy bummer, haha.

Each story was super interesting, and I don't know what's coming but he dripped enough suspense and spooky questions that make me want to finish the short in a single go haha.

I also really enjoyed each of the distinct characters from story to story. They all felt like real people living their lives and trying to overcome challenges (or survive, eek! Haha) and felt believable in their responses and motivations.

I think my favs are
- Listening Post Omega (I'm a suck for sci-fi haha)
- Dungeon Crawler (super fun combo of fantasy vibes with a really unique story telling style)
- Little Rituals (good and creepy vibes haha, spooked me good)
- Casa Perdida (a good creepy horror survival vibes)

More Tirman please!

[Robyn Gundy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my review of the ARC I received of A Rap on the Door by Sean M. Tirman.

The second I read the synopsis, I knew I had to request this one — and it absolutely did not disappoint. This collection of short stories was creepy, fun, and incredibly engaging from start to finish. I loved how every story began with the same simple concept — a knock at the door — yet each one went in a completely different direction. The variety of genres, tones, and outcomes kept me constantly guessing, and I never knew where the stories were going to end up.

One thing I especially appreciated was how immersive each story felt. With short story collections, I sometimes struggle to connect with the characters or feel fully invested before the story ends, but this book handled that so well. Every story felt complete and thoughtfully crafted while still leaving behind just enough mystery to keep me thinking about them long after I finished reading.

If you love spooky, atmospheric stories with creative twists and a strong underlying theme tying everything together, I’d definitely recommend picking this one up.

[Rikki Goodwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection absolutely has something for everyone. I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy, and I devoured it in an evening, then went back and read it again to attempt to pick my favorite…I couldn’t. I’ll give you three stories, but you’d be a fool not to read them all, each will be the best depending on your mood.
Casa Perdida- a liminal shared nightmare!
The Burning Fields- made me sob like a baby in three pages or less!
Listening Post Omega- SciFi has my whole heart, and I can’t believe how invested I am in this world after only a few moments with its characters. Bleak, beautiful, and even a little hopeful.
Anyway, Tirman is very quickly becoming one of my favorite, most genre diverse authors. Anything he writes is gold, I’m not kidding.

[The bookish life · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

LECTURA ARC

Este libro es una serie de relatos cortos, si bien hubo algunos que me gustaron mucho , algunos se me hicieron que estaban de más y solo hizo la lectura un poco lenta .

Los que sí me gustaron fueron

Little rituals
Casa perdida
The burning fields
The voices
Finders keepers

Estos me gustaron mucho, por muchas cosas eran raros , sobrenaturales , algunos me estresaron mucho .


ARC READ

This book is a series of short stories. While there were some I really liked, I felt that a few were unnecessary and just made the reading a bit slow.

The ones I did like were:

Little rituals
Casa perdida
The burning fields
The voices
Finders keepers

I really liked these ones. For many reasons they were weird, supernatural, and some stressed me out a lot.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most difficult things about a book of short stories is that so frequently, they don't flow well. Well, this book is not like that. It has ups and downs and flows through different horror genres with ease. It never feels jarring to move on to the next story, but it also does hit you at the end of each story. I was really impressed as I went through that there were no stories that I just didn't follow or connect with. The writing was eloquent and easy to read. Some of these twists were insane and so fun.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thanks BookSirens!

[Rallie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall this was a big disappointment. None of the stories were particularly new, and there were so many of them - this book might be improved by fewer stories, and more time spent with the good ones (e.g. "Little Rituals" and "The Escape Room" had so much potential, workshop them into longer pieces and you could have something really cool on your hands there). It also suffered from multiple attacks by a thesaurusaurus rex 🦖. I hope the author continues developing his ideas and maybe takes some time with his next work to really tighten up his writing, because there's too much potential to just be written off but not enough substance to be celebrated.

[Beatrice Lebrun · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love short story collections, particularly ones that surprise you. And damn, A Rap on the Door surprised me a lot!

All the stories are so different from each other I can almost guarantee there's at least one for every single reader out there, it reminds me a lot of the American Horror Stories anthology series.

I think this is a great book to get to know Sean's writing style and how he approaches different types of dark fiction and everyone should give it a try.

I was provided with an advance copy by the author and I'm leaving this review voluntarily

[Britta Gomez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every story is a carefully crafted work of unsettling and cathartic art. They balance suspense, fear, and generally spookiness with plots that keep you turning the page and an intense desire to find out what waits at the end. Peppered throughout with heart-warming moments and poignant portrayals of what it is to be human at the extreme edge of things - Tirman shows that he has not only mastered the full-length novel, but also the oft-feared short story format.

[Sandra Vdplaats · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high expectations, partly because of the cover, but I didn't find the collection of stories particularly remarkable. Most of them revolve around people who have a condition or are victims of something (OCD, cancer, drug cartels, life decisions), with a story woven around them. There is no distinctive writing style and the ending is unoriginal.

2.5-3 stars. Thank you Booksirens for the review copy.

[Elly Veritas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked these short stories very much! Not all of the horror shorts deal with supernatural horror, which I absolutely loved, and I was utterly captivated from the start—the book is truly addictive. Two of my favourites are "The Decline and Ascent of Miss Magdalena Santos" and "Truth or Consequences". I'm really looking forward to reading more from the author.

I received an ARC from the author—thank you sm!—and all opinions are mine.

[Micki-D · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tight, varied single‑author horror collection packed with spooky, creepy, and suspenseful stories that each hit a different flavor of fear. Some tales are predictable in a comforting, campfire‑story way, while others keep you guessing right up to the end. The range is impressive — from a mastectomy‑survivor horror piece to a video‑game nightmare to an escape‑room thriller — giving the whole collection a sense of momentum and surprise. It’s engaging, atmospheric, and full of interesting ideas.

[Ashleigh Spicy Geek · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received an ARC for my honest review

Really enjoyed the story about a woman on a boat and the shark man, but the rest I really wasn’t interested in and found myself barely skimming the pages after a while. I also couldn’t find anything to connect the stories together that would make it a good combination for a book