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The Butchered Writers Present Prime Cuts: A Savory Cannibalistic Horror Anthology
What goes on in the minds of those who have a desire to consume flesh? What becomes of the victims of those strange desires? Is there a line a person shouldn’t cross in order to survive or feast? This anthology explores what may be taboo for some but just another meal for others. If you’re hungry come feast on what lies within the pages of Prime Cuts.
146 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 4, 2026
About the author
The Butchered Writers Terror Monthly
27 books6 followersThe Butchered Writers is a collective of writers and artists from around the world that are joined together by the love of horror. We write horror anthologies. There, done.
Honestly we could stop there, but for the few of you that will read this, you may want to know a little more. There are around 25 members of The Butchered Writers. We've managed to crank out about 14 anthologies in the last year with the title Terror Monthly, and have big plans for the upcoming 2025 year. Most of us chat on Facebook quite often. The conversations there can get chaotic and out of hand very quickly, as you can imagine a group of writers talking about whatever is on their mind. Topics range from food (probably the most popular), to what we're reading, to "is this a good story?", to "you'll never guess what my neighbor just did". But we always come back to horror. It's who we are and it's what we enjoy writing. Whether it's something that screws with your mind, blood and guts, monster, or folk, it doesn't matter. We love it.
So here's the pitch: If you enjoy horror stories, we're your people. Get in touch and we can chat about whatever you want, preferably horror related. Buy a book or two that we've put out. There are fantastic writers among us. The Best of Terror Monthly will be FREE in February 2025 for a month. What better way to start your journey with us than the best stories from our first 13 volumes? Read it. Tell us how much you loved it. Tell us it sucked. Tell us about the one story in the volume you read that turned your stomach.
Look us up on the Terror Monthly FB page for more info.
Honestly we could stop there, but for the few of you that will read this, you may want to know a little more. There are around 25 members of The Butchered Writers. We've managed to crank out about 14 anthologies in the last year with the title Terror Monthly, and have big plans for the upcoming 2025 year. Most of us chat on Facebook quite often. The conversations there can get chaotic and out of hand very quickly, as you can imagine a group of writers talking about whatever is on their mind. Topics range from food (probably the most popular), to what we're reading, to "is this a good story?", to "you'll never guess what my neighbor just did". But we always come back to horror. It's who we are and it's what we enjoy writing. Whether it's something that screws with your mind, blood and guts, monster, or folk, it doesn't matter. We love it.
So here's the pitch: If you enjoy horror stories, we're your people. Get in touch and we can chat about whatever you want, preferably horror related. Buy a book or two that we've put out. There are fantastic writers among us. The Best of Terror Monthly will be FREE in February 2025 for a month. What better way to start your journey with us than the best stories from our first 13 volumes? Read it. Tell us how much you loved it. Tell us it sucked. Tell us about the one story in the volume you read that turned your stomach.
Look us up on the Terror Monthly FB page for more info.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 21, 2026
Mmm…. Tastes like chicken …
This is my review for Prime Cuts , The Butchered Writers Presents anthology of stories with the theme of cannibalism. Full disclosure, I have a story in this anthology. But I’ve done my best to base this review on everyone else’s stories on a horror theme that is near and dear to my [foodie] heart.
The anthology starts out with Melinda Pouncey thinking up an interesting business model for reallocating wealth away from the 1% in Eat Like the Rich. I'm not saying it's the best business idea in the world, but I'm not not saying it either. 🤣😬🙄🤪"
After that, Sarah Moon delves into the mind of a depraved killer who pulls strings in Annie Are You Okay?
Andy H. puts out some classic survival horror in Becoming the Monster. I felt like I was reading a nail biting experience of a person in Raccoon City who wasn’t equipped to take on zombie-life.
The anthology takes a pretty unsettling, dystopian turn in a religious furor tale, The Last True Communion, by Winona Morris.
Nora Peevy puts forth a pretty chilling and convincing tale of how isolation and fear can devolve into destructive ways in Fear.
Raven Tomes offers up a different kind of cat and mouse that ends with a disturbing as all get out entree in The Interview.
It was a pleasant surprise to see a continuing tale told by DL Garvin in this volume. His story in Prime Cuts, titled The Facilitator Part 2 takes off and continues the underlying story he told in the prior anthology TBW published about the dark web. So this was pretty cool. And I'm guess this was the story from which this anthology got its title."
Colt Henderson's The Love Tree creates some spice. Horrotica AND cannibalism...? Um... sure, why not. (Don't judge me. LOL!) A nice couple finds a nice little spot to have a romantic camping trip. Baaauh-chiikee-baaauh-baaauh... Then... (gasp).
Andy H. appears again serves up some more survival horror with a chilling Lord of the Flies twist in Hunger Pangs.
Sibling rivalry takes on a dark form in Womb Meat.
Then a tale that sort of reminded me of how Lost might have gone completely dark and nuts is told by Sarah Moon's Wreckage.
DL Garvin appears in the anthology again to with a sort of Dickensian tale, complete with a desperate orphanage, and everything, in The Orphanage. But it's cool because it didn't go in the direction I thought it would.
When the Butchered Writers announced a cannibalism theme I was pumped because it gave me the chance to return to Pacifica and the "Food" universe. I expanded on Pacifican culture and told the "origin" story of Jesse, the MC in the first Food short story in They Used to Call it Christmas. I'm so happy that it's in here and that people can have the chance to see what made him who he was before donating ham to a hungry royal family.
Holy recycling Batman! That is, if we consider a very dark way of approaching the post funeral meal in Winona Morris's After the Funeral, We Eat.
Dueling perspectives of hunted and hunters unfolds in Andy H's story Hunting Trip.
It was very interesting to see how one of my favorite writers, Megan Russ approached cannibalism and it was so cool to read Relentless, a mix of fantasy and understated/subtle, but very palpable horror. This was a great way to close the anthology.
This is my review for Prime Cuts , The Butchered Writers Presents anthology of stories with the theme of cannibalism. Full disclosure, I have a story in this anthology. But I’ve done my best to base this review on everyone else’s stories on a horror theme that is near and dear to my [foodie] heart.
The anthology starts out with Melinda Pouncey thinking up an interesting business model for reallocating wealth away from the 1% in Eat Like the Rich. I'm not saying it's the best business idea in the world, but I'm not not saying it either. 🤣😬🙄🤪"
After that, Sarah Moon delves into the mind of a depraved killer who pulls strings in Annie Are You Okay?
Andy H. puts out some classic survival horror in Becoming the Monster. I felt like I was reading a nail biting experience of a person in Raccoon City who wasn’t equipped to take on zombie-life.
The anthology takes a pretty unsettling, dystopian turn in a religious furor tale, The Last True Communion, by Winona Morris.
Nora Peevy puts forth a pretty chilling and convincing tale of how isolation and fear can devolve into destructive ways in Fear.
Raven Tomes offers up a different kind of cat and mouse that ends with a disturbing as all get out entree in The Interview.
It was a pleasant surprise to see a continuing tale told by DL Garvin in this volume. His story in Prime Cuts, titled The Facilitator Part 2 takes off and continues the underlying story he told in the prior anthology TBW published about the dark web. So this was pretty cool. And I'm guess this was the story from which this anthology got its title."
Colt Henderson's The Love Tree creates some spice. Horrotica AND cannibalism...? Um... sure, why not. (Don't judge me. LOL!) A nice couple finds a nice little spot to have a romantic camping trip. Baaauh-chiikee-baaauh-baaauh... Then... (gasp).
Andy H. appears again serves up some more survival horror with a chilling Lord of the Flies twist in Hunger Pangs.
Sibling rivalry takes on a dark form in Womb Meat.
Then a tale that sort of reminded me of how Lost might have gone completely dark and nuts is told by Sarah Moon's Wreckage.
DL Garvin appears in the anthology again to with a sort of Dickensian tale, complete with a desperate orphanage, and everything, in The Orphanage. But it's cool because it didn't go in the direction I thought it would.
When the Butchered Writers announced a cannibalism theme I was pumped because it gave me the chance to return to Pacifica and the "Food" universe. I expanded on Pacifican culture and told the "origin" story of Jesse, the MC in the first Food short story in They Used to Call it Christmas. I'm so happy that it's in here and that people can have the chance to see what made him who he was before donating ham to a hungry royal family.
Holy recycling Batman! That is, if we consider a very dark way of approaching the post funeral meal in Winona Morris's After the Funeral, We Eat.
Dueling perspectives of hunted and hunters unfolds in Andy H's story Hunting Trip.
It was very interesting to see how one of my favorite writers, Megan Russ approached cannibalism and it was so cool to read Relentless, a mix of fantasy and understated/subtle, but very palpable horror. This was a great way to close the anthology.
October 6, 2026
The Butchered Writers Present Prime Cuts: A Savory Cannibalistic Horror Anthology by The Butchered Writers (Author), Winona Morris (Author), Sarah Moon (Author), Melinda Pouncey (Author), & 6 more
This themed anthology was recommended by one of the contributing authors, and it was a scheduled Buddy Read hosted by HGW Horror Book Club. The Moderator was considerate enough to post it for simply (Sept’26) which permitted the participants ample time to fully appreciate the selection. Speaking for myself, I enjoyed it quite a bit. I have already purchased an additional one of their themed anthologies (Caught In The Web: A Dark Web Horror Anthology).
The Cover design by: Clawmarker Artwork and Sarah Bauer was tastefully artistic (pun intended) and classy. There was a total of fourteen contributions which included two novellas. I enjoy both short story collections and anthologies. These are rated based upon the average of the individual works comprising the collection or anthology. It is my custom to treat any story in the collection which “blows me away” (meaning I would rate the work 10 Stars if it were possible) by “doubling” the rating in the calculations of the collection. Another quirk I have is generous in my opinion. In the event the work contains a story which I simply do not understand (and I am humble enough to admit that occasionally occurs) I deduct it from the total number of contributions. For instance, the final tale in this themed anthology is Relentless by Megan Russ. I am not drawn to fantasy, horror or otherwise. As opposed to allotting a rating of 1 Star (which would negatively impact the overall anthology’s book rating, I simply do not consider it at all and divide my ratings for fourteen (14) instead of fifteen (15).
So, without further ado, here goes with my “Spoiler Free” snippets, in order of appearance.
Eat Like the Rich by Melinda Pouncy is a tasty treat of a tale about a middle-class couple named Clara and Claude. They were coping with the rising cost of living and were managing in the changing times by adhering to the philosophy of making the best of what they had. Claude was drawn to a new meal service which delivered gourmet meals to their door for less than the price of their inflated grocery bill. This seemed "too good to be true". The proverb dictates that "it probably is". In our short horror story Clara is left aghast while Claude resumes his breakfast without a hiccough of distaste. Rated 4 Stars.
Annie Are You Okay? By Sarah Moon is a very imaginative horror short. It answers the question "What is the most violent, blood-soaked massacre that a psychopathic trained hypnotist could wreak? Tuning down the extent of the physical destruction could have made the EH more realistic and effective in my opinion. Credibility was literally stretched until it burst. Rated 3 Stars.
Becoming the Monster by Andy H. is a very well written tale that transpires during the Zombie Apocolypse that we all know and love. This story executes a highly effective literary "flip the script". The sole survivor decides his own fate after "soul searching". Bleak, depressing, yet eerily impressive. 4.5 Stars rounded up. Rated 5 Stars.
The Last True Communion By Winona Morris seemed eerily familiar to me. This short contribution to the anthology was so brief, concise, and with its economy of words to deliver such a profound and visceral impact, Jack Ketchum would have smiled with approval. PETA portends a grim end for humanity in this bleak " horror"-scope. Rated 5 Stars.
The Facilitator Part 2 by D.L. Garvin was well a written piece relating the culinary experiences and experiments of a tech billionaire. His taste buds developed an explicit taste profile and (Alexander) found himself indulging his longing for human flesh. This man of limitless worldly wealth ultimately failed to indulge his appetites and escape unscathed. Rated 3.5 Stars for originality. Rounded up due to the novelty of the concept. Rated 4 Stars.
The Interview by Raven Tomes is a brief tale of a journalist named Daniel and his final "Interview". The FBI's " Agent Collins has ostensibly given Daniel an "exclusive" online interrogation opportunity not afforded to any other journalists or news media types. The story illustrates that when a professional such as Daniel intuits something is screwy with the transmission and "off" about his subject's affect then there probably is. It also answers the riddle "When is the interviewer actually the subject of an interview?" This one felt gimmicky, but I rated it 3 Stars.
The Love Tree By Colt Henderson is short, "sweet", but also " sour" as you ingest the narrative. The story of Brenda and Bobby searching for romance and delicious fun in the "luscious forest" morphs into a "grim" fairy tale. Suggestive enough and sexually graphic in spots but lacked any real substance for me. Rated 2 Stars.
Hunger Pangs by Andy H was another nightmare glimpse of what might face any survivors at the end of this world order as we know it. It was sordid, sick, bloody and bleak as all get out. I really liked it. Rated 5 Stars.
Womb Meat By Thomas Stewart was a short story featuring a fetus with a first-person account of quadruple fratricide within the womb not to mention making a remarkable first impression on the obstetrician in the delivery room. Definitely original and well written. The opening dialogue immediately intrigues the reader. 3.5 Stars for writing skill, technique, and originality. Required some introspection but rounded up to 4 Stars.
Wreckage By Sarah Moon begins with a horrible plane crash and the terrifying events described through the personal experience and observations of one male passenger. The survivors are few and grievously injured and incapacitated for the most part. Strange and puzzling events are occurring which held my interest. I enjoyed the excellent prose style which was efficient with sustained underlying tension until the big surprise ending. Theme of the anthology obviously precludes a big reveal for the reader. 4.5 rounded up. Rated 5 Stars.
The Orphanage By D.L. Garvin. A short horror story about survival in dire straits with only desperate measures on the menu for many orphaned or homeless children. I liked this tale about what one man will exhibit the drive, cunning, and skill to do in order to meet the needs of his institutional family. Rated 5 Stars.
They Used to Call It Christmas By Jeffrey Caston is a novella that takes place within the Pacifica universe. It was outstanding but I had expected nothing less. It is a snapshot from a stark dystopian future where the King and Queen feast on the flesh of their human population. This tale tackled the familiar topic of "Special Services" in Pacifica where the young citizens are summoned to sign up for mandatory services to serve their state. I already knew the horrific punchline from reading installments of Caston's food series. Rated 5 Stars. ALLOTTED 10 Stars for “knocking my socks off” (and in addition it was a novella). It was the “most” outstanding out of one truly noteworthy and surprisingly superlative series of horror stories from The Butchered Writers
After the Funeral We Eat By Winona Morris is a brief story contribution about the funeral ceremony and a very different tradition involving a feast following the event. Different, imaginative, well written. Rated 4 Stars.
Hunting Trip By Andy H was well written and showed an element of imagination with the plot. I liked the fleshing out of the main character's background and his family's traditions. This tale would have fared better if read in a generic horror anthology. Knowing the theme made it easy for the reader to predict the outcome. Still Rated 4 Stars.
Relentless by Megan Russ is a fantasy short story. The main character is an Elf (and a Ranger). Since I am unable to fairly assess fantasy, I will not tally any rating for this tale.
The average rating for fourteen (14) stories (including “double” points for the best story in the anthology) averages out to be a surprising 4.5 Stars. What to do? Round it up. This anthology is truly very, very good and deserves to be Rated 5 Stars .
This themed anthology was recommended by one of the contributing authors, and it was a scheduled Buddy Read hosted by HGW Horror Book Club. The Moderator was considerate enough to post it for simply (Sept’26) which permitted the participants ample time to fully appreciate the selection. Speaking for myself, I enjoyed it quite a bit. I have already purchased an additional one of their themed anthologies (Caught In The Web: A Dark Web Horror Anthology).
The Cover design by: Clawmarker Artwork and Sarah Bauer was tastefully artistic (pun intended) and classy. There was a total of fourteen contributions which included two novellas. I enjoy both short story collections and anthologies. These are rated based upon the average of the individual works comprising the collection or anthology. It is my custom to treat any story in the collection which “blows me away” (meaning I would rate the work 10 Stars if it were possible) by “doubling” the rating in the calculations of the collection. Another quirk I have is generous in my opinion. In the event the work contains a story which I simply do not understand (and I am humble enough to admit that occasionally occurs) I deduct it from the total number of contributions. For instance, the final tale in this themed anthology is Relentless by Megan Russ. I am not drawn to fantasy, horror or otherwise. As opposed to allotting a rating of 1 Star (which would negatively impact the overall anthology’s book rating, I simply do not consider it at all and divide my ratings for fourteen (14) instead of fifteen (15).
So, without further ado, here goes with my “Spoiler Free” snippets, in order of appearance.
Eat Like the Rich by Melinda Pouncy is a tasty treat of a tale about a middle-class couple named Clara and Claude. They were coping with the rising cost of living and were managing in the changing times by adhering to the philosophy of making the best of what they had. Claude was drawn to a new meal service which delivered gourmet meals to their door for less than the price of their inflated grocery bill. This seemed "too good to be true". The proverb dictates that "it probably is". In our short horror story Clara is left aghast while Claude resumes his breakfast without a hiccough of distaste. Rated 4 Stars.
Annie Are You Okay? By Sarah Moon is a very imaginative horror short. It answers the question "What is the most violent, blood-soaked massacre that a psychopathic trained hypnotist could wreak? Tuning down the extent of the physical destruction could have made the EH more realistic and effective in my opinion. Credibility was literally stretched until it burst. Rated 3 Stars.
Becoming the Monster by Andy H. is a very well written tale that transpires during the Zombie Apocolypse that we all know and love. This story executes a highly effective literary "flip the script". The sole survivor decides his own fate after "soul searching". Bleak, depressing, yet eerily impressive. 4.5 Stars rounded up. Rated 5 Stars.
The Last True Communion By Winona Morris seemed eerily familiar to me. This short contribution to the anthology was so brief, concise, and with its economy of words to deliver such a profound and visceral impact, Jack Ketchum would have smiled with approval. PETA portends a grim end for humanity in this bleak " horror"-scope. Rated 5 Stars.
The Facilitator Part 2 by D.L. Garvin was well a written piece relating the culinary experiences and experiments of a tech billionaire. His taste buds developed an explicit taste profile and (Alexander) found himself indulging his longing for human flesh. This man of limitless worldly wealth ultimately failed to indulge his appetites and escape unscathed. Rated 3.5 Stars for originality. Rounded up due to the novelty of the concept. Rated 4 Stars.
The Interview by Raven Tomes is a brief tale of a journalist named Daniel and his final "Interview". The FBI's " Agent Collins has ostensibly given Daniel an "exclusive" online interrogation opportunity not afforded to any other journalists or news media types. The story illustrates that when a professional such as Daniel intuits something is screwy with the transmission and "off" about his subject's affect then there probably is. It also answers the riddle "When is the interviewer actually the subject of an interview?" This one felt gimmicky, but I rated it 3 Stars.
The Love Tree By Colt Henderson is short, "sweet", but also " sour" as you ingest the narrative. The story of Brenda and Bobby searching for romance and delicious fun in the "luscious forest" morphs into a "grim" fairy tale. Suggestive enough and sexually graphic in spots but lacked any real substance for me. Rated 2 Stars.
Hunger Pangs by Andy H was another nightmare glimpse of what might face any survivors at the end of this world order as we know it. It was sordid, sick, bloody and bleak as all get out. I really liked it. Rated 5 Stars.
Womb Meat By Thomas Stewart was a short story featuring a fetus with a first-person account of quadruple fratricide within the womb not to mention making a remarkable first impression on the obstetrician in the delivery room. Definitely original and well written. The opening dialogue immediately intrigues the reader. 3.5 Stars for writing skill, technique, and originality. Required some introspection but rounded up to 4 Stars.
Wreckage By Sarah Moon begins with a horrible plane crash and the terrifying events described through the personal experience and observations of one male passenger. The survivors are few and grievously injured and incapacitated for the most part. Strange and puzzling events are occurring which held my interest. I enjoyed the excellent prose style which was efficient with sustained underlying tension until the big surprise ending. Theme of the anthology obviously precludes a big reveal for the reader. 4.5 rounded up. Rated 5 Stars.
The Orphanage By D.L. Garvin. A short horror story about survival in dire straits with only desperate measures on the menu for many orphaned or homeless children. I liked this tale about what one man will exhibit the drive, cunning, and skill to do in order to meet the needs of his institutional family. Rated 5 Stars.
They Used to Call It Christmas By Jeffrey Caston is a novella that takes place within the Pacifica universe. It was outstanding but I had expected nothing less. It is a snapshot from a stark dystopian future where the King and Queen feast on the flesh of their human population. This tale tackled the familiar topic of "Special Services" in Pacifica where the young citizens are summoned to sign up for mandatory services to serve their state. I already knew the horrific punchline from reading installments of Caston's food series. Rated 5 Stars. ALLOTTED 10 Stars for “knocking my socks off” (and in addition it was a novella). It was the “most” outstanding out of one truly noteworthy and surprisingly superlative series of horror stories from The Butchered Writers
After the Funeral We Eat By Winona Morris is a brief story contribution about the funeral ceremony and a very different tradition involving a feast following the event. Different, imaginative, well written. Rated 4 Stars.
Hunting Trip By Andy H was well written and showed an element of imagination with the plot. I liked the fleshing out of the main character's background and his family's traditions. This tale would have fared better if read in a generic horror anthology. Knowing the theme made it easy for the reader to predict the outcome. Still Rated 4 Stars.
Relentless by Megan Russ is a fantasy short story. The main character is an Elf (and a Ranger). Since I am unable to fairly assess fantasy, I will not tally any rating for this tale.
The average rating for fourteen (14) stories (including “double” points for the best story in the anthology) averages out to be a surprising 4.5 Stars. What to do? Round it up. This anthology is truly very, very good and deserves to be Rated 5 Stars .
This anthology explores what may be taboo for some but just another meal for others. If you’re hungry come feast on what lies within the pages of Prime Cuts. – The Butchered Writers
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews