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McCammon's Shoppe of Olde Curiosities: Stories
A collection of genre-bending horror and dark fantasy stories from the award-winning,
New York Times–
bestselling author of the Matthew Corbett novels.This edition includes an introduction by international bestselling author Joe R. Lansdale.Featuring two Bram Stoker Award–winning tales, McCammon’s Shoppe of Olde Curiosities is a career-spanning collection gathering nineteen short stories showcasing the author’s imaginative range of frightening terror, fantastical worldbuilding, and characters confronting the unknown around them and within themselves.Pursuing a life of celebrity fame, Erik Van Helsing’s desire to cash in on his famous family’s name as vampire hunters unveils a legacy he cannot escape in “Blood is Thicker Than Hollywood”―a spinoff tale from the novel They Thirst.A woman surviving in a post-apocalyptic landscape fights off loneliness when she reads aloud to the “Children of the Bedtime Machine”―a tribute to the wondrous storytelling style of Ray Bradbury.As “Death Comes for the Rich Man” in 1703 Colonial America, Matthew Corbett is hired to delay the Grim Reaper to give a regretful old sinner time to make amends with his estranged daughter.Experimenting as a mixologist, McCammon presents five drink recipes in A Little Amber Book of Wicked Shots, accompanying stories about a serial killer in a haunted hotel, an athlete’s destiny in the face of cosmic horror, a vindictive ad man learning the price of revenge, and an ex-slave on a suicidal and soul-sacrificing mission to serve justice.Chilling and evocative, weird and humorous, these stories―and a dozen more―reveal why “no one can paint word pictures as vividly as Robert McCammon” (Sandra Brown).
352 pages, Paperback
First published July 7, 2026
About the author
Robert McCammon
169 books6,054 followersPseudonyms: Robert R. McCammon; Robert Rick McCammon
Robert McCammon was a full-time horror writer for many years. Among his many popular novels were the classics Boy's Life and Swan Song. After taking a hiatus for his family, he returned to writing with an interest in historical fiction.
His newest book, Leviathan, is the tenth and final book in the Matthew Corbett series. It was published in trade hardcover (Lividian Publications), ebook (Open Road), and audiobook (Audible) formats on December 3, 2024.
McCammon resides in Birmingham, Alabama.
Robert McCammon was a full-time horror writer for many years. Among his many popular novels were the classics Boy's Life and Swan Song. After taking a hiatus for his family, he returned to writing with an interest in historical fiction.
His newest book, Leviathan, is the tenth and final book in the Matthew Corbett series. It was published in trade hardcover (Lividian Publications), ebook (Open Road), and audiobook (Audible) formats on December 3, 2024.
McCammon resides in Birmingham, Alabama.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 17, 2026
A collection of all the uncollected short stories McCammon had placed in various anthologies over the years including a Matthew Corbett story and a sidequel to his fantastic novel "They Thirst". which happened to be my favorite of the stories, also included his hilarious contribution to the first of the "Hot Blood" anthologies from the 80's and 90's.
Favorite stories:
The Thang
Blood is Thicker Than Hollywood
Eat Me
Lizardman
The Deep End
41/2 * since Goodreads doesn't do halves and quarters
A must have for a McCammon completest
Favorite stories:
The Thang
Blood is Thicker Than Hollywood
Eat Me
Lizardman
The Deep End
41/2 * since Goodreads doesn't do halves and quarters
A must have for a McCammon completest
July 12, 2026
McCammon returns with yet another collection of short stories that prove just what an absolute master of fiction he is.
I would argue that his first collection Blue World is a better overall group of stories (seriously, the title story is still the best short story ever written), but Shoppe of Olde Curiosities is a worthy follow up and example of a McCammon who has matured and developed his craft to even higher standards while exhibiting he hasn’t forgotten his horror roots.
Stories like “The Thang” and “Eat Me” (classic tales from the late 80’s and early 90’s) are classic McCammon splattering-punk with his unique ability to throw emotion and true heartfelt characters into the midst of blood and gore. Even “Strange Candy” taps into the emotion of death and how to deal with it. There’s also a Matthew Corbett short included. It’s not the absolute best, but it’s more evidence that that series was amazing.
The last 3 stories are by far some of McCammon’s best work in years (although let’s be honest…ALL his work is fantastic). “Message from the Overmind”, “DST inc.”, and (the best story in the entire collection) “Queen of Cruelty” are perfect examples of just how varied and talented McCammon truly is and why he remains my favorite author of all time.
I would argue that his first collection Blue World is a better overall group of stories (seriously, the title story is still the best short story ever written), but Shoppe of Olde Curiosities is a worthy follow up and example of a McCammon who has matured and developed his craft to even higher standards while exhibiting he hasn’t forgotten his horror roots.
Stories like “The Thang” and “Eat Me” (classic tales from the late 80’s and early 90’s) are classic McCammon splattering-punk with his unique ability to throw emotion and true heartfelt characters into the midst of blood and gore. Even “Strange Candy” taps into the emotion of death and how to deal with it. There’s also a Matthew Corbett short included. It’s not the absolute best, but it’s more evidence that that series was amazing.
The last 3 stories are by far some of McCammon’s best work in years (although let’s be honest…ALL his work is fantastic). “Message from the Overmind”, “DST inc.”, and (the best story in the entire collection) “Queen of Cruelty” are perfect examples of just how varied and talented McCammon truly is and why he remains my favorite author of all time.
July 31, 2026
It's not often that I read a short story collection and give it 5 stars. Typically a collection will have 1 or 2 really good stories and the rest are ok at best. Not so here. McCammon is a master of his craft that is underappreciated in my opinion. There are several just fantastic stories in this collection. If I was rating stories individually I'm not sure there would be a single one that was less than a 3.5/5. It's a great mix of horror, dark fantasy, and Twilight Zone-esque tales. Some pack better characters, plots, and general storytelling than many full length novels I have read. Also, there is a great Matthew Corbett story in here that any fan of that series would very much enjoy. This collection will very likely make my list of favorite books of 2026.
August 4, 2026
It’s been over thirty years since Robert McCammon put out his iconic short story collection Tales From The Blue World and he just finally released his second collection! It's a bit of an odds and ends thing, with some being stories that were deemed not good enough for Blue World and others simply being newer. I can see why some of these got left out of the first collection, the one where a guy's dick turns into a tentacle monster would have brought down the class by multiple levels. There was also one about two zombies eating each other as they have sex which allegedly won the Stoker for best story of the year lol. As usual with McCammon, my favorites were the ones that had some heart to them, and there were a handful of good tearjerker scenes scattered throughout, although not nearly as many as in Blue World. Best stories were probably A Life In The Day Of (which the Adam Sandler movie Click totally ripped off), The Deep End, and Blood Is Thicker Than Hollywood.
October 30, 2026
McCammon is great (simply put). I’ve read just about all of his books so was shocked to discover he had a new book collecting 21 stories I had never read before. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this. Here’s my breakdown of the stories:
1) A Life in the Day of -5 stars. Gave me back to the future 2 vibes and taught me that life is short…don’t try to rush it..great story.
2) The Deep End-5 stars. There’s a monster in a swimming pool and Glen Calder is going to kill the beast that took his son’s life…loved it.
3) Best Friends-4 stars. Starts out with a creepy build up and then gets out of control with little demon creatures killing people in a hospital. Solid
4) the Thang-5 stars. One of the funniest stories I’ve ever read. Dave Neilson purchases a potion in New Orleans that will make his wiener bigger and well…it ends up creating a monster…literally. Brilliantly funny.
5). Beauty-4 stars. A short ghost story. Solid for what it is.
6) Lizardman-5 stars. An alligator hunter is seeking his greatest hunt yet and gets a little more than he bargained for.
7) the Miracle Mile-5 stars. A very dark and haunting post apocalyptic story of a man who must protect his family from the creatures that lurk at night
8) Haunted World-4 stars. Masses of ghosts have invaded the world and are causing chaos. Fun story
9) Eat Me-4 stars. Another funny story involving two zombies who become attracted to one another..ehh..I’ll leave it at that.
10) White-3.5 stars. A violent story of a man being tortured and questioned.
11) Blood is Thicker than Hollywood-5 stars. One of my favorites as it’s a prequel of sorts to They Thirst, which is McCammon’s epic vampire novel.
12) Black Boots-3.5 stars. A grim story of an outlaw who can’t escape his visions of a man hunting him who happens to be wearing black boots (hence the title)
13) Death Comes for the Rich Man-5 stars. Matthew Corbett is the star of McCammon’s epic historical thriller series and he stars in this short story where a dying man offers to pay him to stop death (appearing in human form) from taking his life. Creepy and great.
14) The Wicked Gambler and his walking cane-3.5 stories. A man has been given a cane that allows him to cheat at cards and become rich..in exchange for his soul. Too short but still good
15) Strange Candy-5 stars. The perfect Halloween story. Careful what candy you eat when you raid your child’s trick or treating loot!
16) Children of the Bedtime Machine-3.5 stars. A decent ghost story that’s well written.
17) The Old Man the Hill-3.5 stars. The title says it all. It’s man vs hill.
18) Little Green Gown-3.5 stars. A creepy child killer is visited by ghosts in a haunted hotel. Solid
19) Message From the Overmind-2 stars. A pro hockey player experiences alternate realities and I didn’t love this one
20) DST inc-3.5 stars. A man’s life is ruined after messing with the wrong company
21) The Queen of Cruelty-2 stars-a story of a vengeful ex slave that didn’t hold my interest
All in all a great collection with a few stories toward the end that could have been removed. Definitely recommend for McCammon fans like myself!
1) A Life in the Day of -5 stars. Gave me back to the future 2 vibes and taught me that life is short…don’t try to rush it..great story.
2) The Deep End-5 stars. There’s a monster in a swimming pool and Glen Calder is going to kill the beast that took his son’s life…loved it.
3) Best Friends-4 stars. Starts out with a creepy build up and then gets out of control with little demon creatures killing people in a hospital. Solid
4) the Thang-5 stars. One of the funniest stories I’ve ever read. Dave Neilson purchases a potion in New Orleans that will make his wiener bigger and well…it ends up creating a monster…literally. Brilliantly funny.
5). Beauty-4 stars. A short ghost story. Solid for what it is.
6) Lizardman-5 stars. An alligator hunter is seeking his greatest hunt yet and gets a little more than he bargained for.
7) the Miracle Mile-5 stars. A very dark and haunting post apocalyptic story of a man who must protect his family from the creatures that lurk at night
8) Haunted World-4 stars. Masses of ghosts have invaded the world and are causing chaos. Fun story
9) Eat Me-4 stars. Another funny story involving two zombies who become attracted to one another..ehh..I’ll leave it at that.
10) White-3.5 stars. A violent story of a man being tortured and questioned.
11) Blood is Thicker than Hollywood-5 stars. One of my favorites as it’s a prequel of sorts to They Thirst, which is McCammon’s epic vampire novel.
12) Black Boots-3.5 stars. A grim story of an outlaw who can’t escape his visions of a man hunting him who happens to be wearing black boots (hence the title)
13) Death Comes for the Rich Man-5 stars. Matthew Corbett is the star of McCammon’s epic historical thriller series and he stars in this short story where a dying man offers to pay him to stop death (appearing in human form) from taking his life. Creepy and great.
14) The Wicked Gambler and his walking cane-3.5 stories. A man has been given a cane that allows him to cheat at cards and become rich..in exchange for his soul. Too short but still good
15) Strange Candy-5 stars. The perfect Halloween story. Careful what candy you eat when you raid your child’s trick or treating loot!
16) Children of the Bedtime Machine-3.5 stars. A decent ghost story that’s well written.
17) The Old Man the Hill-3.5 stars. The title says it all. It’s man vs hill.
18) Little Green Gown-3.5 stars. A creepy child killer is visited by ghosts in a haunted hotel. Solid
19) Message From the Overmind-2 stars. A pro hockey player experiences alternate realities and I didn’t love this one
20) DST inc-3.5 stars. A man’s life is ruined after messing with the wrong company
21) The Queen of Cruelty-2 stars-a story of a vengeful ex slave that didn’t hold my interest
All in all a great collection with a few stories toward the end that could have been removed. Definitely recommend for McCammon fans like myself!
September 9, 2026
What a fantastic collection of short stories.
The horror is perfectly horrific, but there were a few lovely stories scattered throughout that had tones of hope and love. These stories somehow fit amongst the horror, counterbalancing the dark with the light.
I also love the Bradbury reference in one of the stories. And the fact that he was referencing one of my favorite short stories was even better.
Swan Song was perfect and this collection has certainly cemented what a wonderful writer McCammon is.
The horror is perfectly horrific, but there were a few lovely stories scattered throughout that had tones of hope and love. These stories somehow fit amongst the horror, counterbalancing the dark with the light.
I also love the Bradbury reference in one of the stories. And the fact that he was referencing one of my favorite short stories was even better.
Swan Song was perfect and this collection has certainly cemented what a wonderful writer McCammon is.
August 23, 2026
This is an outstanding collection! I felt like I had uncovered an unexpected hidden treasure. These tales (most are more like novellas than short stories) took me back to my childhood, to familiar southern places, creepy, delightful and surprising. McCammon's storytelling skills at his best. I was especially pleased to find an undiscovered Matthew Corbett and Hudson Greathouse tale! As always, Edoardo Ballerini's narration enhanced the experience!
August 8, 2026
Review to follow
September 11, 2026
4.5 stars. This is a terrific collection of short stories by Robert McCammon. While every tale may not have been 5 stars, there wasn't a single dud in the bunch. And the beloved drink recipes are a great addition to the book as well.
My favorites:
"The Deep End" for its acknowledgement of the universal fear of something in the water. "Beauty" is a hauntingly beautiful story that just becomes more and more poignant as it progresses to an emotional finale. "Little Green Gown" isn't written as a sequel to "Beauty," but it could have been. "Best Friends" is an absolutely terrifying possession story. And any time I get a Corbett short story, I'm going to be happy, but "Death Comes for the Rich Man" is a 5-star short in its own right.
More sentimental than scary:
"A Life in the Day of", "Strange Candy", "The Miracle Mile", and "Children of the Bedtime Machine" are all really good stories that are a little on the sad side. Each have an element of looking back in time with fondness in contrast to the present day. I enjoyed every one of these.
The funny ones:
"Eat Me" and especially "The Thang" brought more than one chuckle. McCammon can turn even the most ridiculous concepts into a good story.
Others:
I found "White" and "The Queen of Cruelty" to be well-written, but quite brutal...torture warning for these. Longtime McCammon fans will love "Blood is Thicker Than Hollywood," a tinseltown vampire story with an unexpected twist. And "Lizardman", "Haunted World", "Black Boots", "The Old Man and the Hill", "DST", and "Overmind" were all very good in their own right, but just a slight step down for me.
Overall, just an outstanding collection of stories. It is very rare to find one of these sets from any author that doesn't contain a letdown or two, but McCammon has definitely achieved this with Shoppe of Olde Curiosities.
My favorites:
"The Deep End" for its acknowledgement of the universal fear of something in the water. "Beauty" is a hauntingly beautiful story that just becomes more and more poignant as it progresses to an emotional finale. "Little Green Gown" isn't written as a sequel to "Beauty," but it could have been. "Best Friends" is an absolutely terrifying possession story. And any time I get a Corbett short story, I'm going to be happy, but "Death Comes for the Rich Man" is a 5-star short in its own right.
More sentimental than scary:
"A Life in the Day of", "Strange Candy", "The Miracle Mile", and "Children of the Bedtime Machine" are all really good stories that are a little on the sad side. Each have an element of looking back in time with fondness in contrast to the present day. I enjoyed every one of these.
The funny ones:
"Eat Me" and especially "The Thang" brought more than one chuckle. McCammon can turn even the most ridiculous concepts into a good story.
Others:
I found "White" and "The Queen of Cruelty" to be well-written, but quite brutal...torture warning for these. Longtime McCammon fans will love "Blood is Thicker Than Hollywood," a tinseltown vampire story with an unexpected twist. And "Lizardman", "Haunted World", "Black Boots", "The Old Man and the Hill", "DST", and "Overmind" were all very good in their own right, but just a slight step down for me.
Overall, just an outstanding collection of stories. It is very rare to find one of these sets from any author that doesn't contain a letdown or two, but McCammon has definitely achieved this with Shoppe of Olde Curiosities.
August 4, 2026
I do love me some McCammon and he really thrives in these short formats. Not a sour one in the bunch. Plus a very nice Matthew Corbet story which I didn't know was going to be in here. Sweet!
September 21, 2026
McCammon’s Shoppe of Olde Curiousities, Robert R. McCammon [Open Road, 2026].
A collection of short fiction by Robert R. McCammon including:
“A Day in the Life Of,” a Twilight Zone-esque story of an ambitious ad executive who encounters an indigent pencil salesman on the street, and through whatever supernatural machinations, is able to see what his life will be like in fast forward, on his current trajectory.
“Best Friends,” an adolescent who murdered his family, is visited in a mental ward by a public defender who learns that he used drugstore occult tomes to summon demons…
“The Thang,” a tourist from Oklahoma visits a voodoo priestess in New Orleans, seeking physiological enhancement. Things go comically awry, in this uncharacteristic sex farce…
“Death Comes for the Rich Man,” a ruthless and wealthy industrialist who believes he will soon be visited by Death in human form, hires series character Matthew Corbett to delay the inevitable, so he can make amends with his estranged daughter.
“Children of the Bedtime Machine,” a poignant and gorgeously written Ray Bradbury homage, about post-apocalyptic life.
“Little Green Gown,” a serial killer who works as a traveling representative of a men’s shirt company in the 1950s, is haunted by vengeful spirits at a hotel.
“The Queen of Cruelty,” Hannibal Thorpe, a formerly enslaved man, returns to the south seeking revenge against the mistress of the plantation who murdered his pregnant wife…
Includes an introduction by Joe R. Lansdale.
***
Robert R. McCammon is a bestselling author of horror, thriller, and historical adventure fiction. His novel, Boy’s Life, won the 1990 World Fantasy Award, and Swan Song was named as a Great American Read Top 100 Book by PBS viewers. McCammon lives in Birmingham, Alabama.
A collection of short fiction by Robert R. McCammon including:
“A Day in the Life Of,” a Twilight Zone-esque story of an ambitious ad executive who encounters an indigent pencil salesman on the street, and through whatever supernatural machinations, is able to see what his life will be like in fast forward, on his current trajectory.
“Best Friends,” an adolescent who murdered his family, is visited in a mental ward by a public defender who learns that he used drugstore occult tomes to summon demons…
“The Thang,” a tourist from Oklahoma visits a voodoo priestess in New Orleans, seeking physiological enhancement. Things go comically awry, in this uncharacteristic sex farce…
“Death Comes for the Rich Man,” a ruthless and wealthy industrialist who believes he will soon be visited by Death in human form, hires series character Matthew Corbett to delay the inevitable, so he can make amends with his estranged daughter.
“Children of the Bedtime Machine,” a poignant and gorgeously written Ray Bradbury homage, about post-apocalyptic life.
“Little Green Gown,” a serial killer who works as a traveling representative of a men’s shirt company in the 1950s, is haunted by vengeful spirits at a hotel.
“The Queen of Cruelty,” Hannibal Thorpe, a formerly enslaved man, returns to the south seeking revenge against the mistress of the plantation who murdered his pregnant wife…
Includes an introduction by Joe R. Lansdale.
***
Robert R. McCammon is a bestselling author of horror, thriller, and historical adventure fiction. His novel, Boy’s Life, won the 1990 World Fantasy Award, and Swan Song was named as a Great American Read Top 100 Book by PBS viewers. McCammon lives in Birmingham, Alabama.
October 25, 2026
An excellent collection of short stories. There are some true gems in here: A Day in the Life Of, Eat Me, Black Boots, Death Comes to the Rich Man, The Queen of Cruelty. My only issue is the unacceptable high number of printing errors, in a book that cost me in excess of £22. Open Road Media need to do a lot better.
August 9, 2026
Not a clunker in this collection. Some made me think, some made me want to cry, and some were scary.
I have been burned on the past by story collections. This was not one of those times. These stories deserved the accolades they received.
I have been burned on the past by story collections. This was not one of those times. These stories deserved the accolades they received.
July 25, 2026
4.25/5 some really great stories across a wide range of horror and emotion. Most of them also feel really unique and have interesting ideas whether they be short or long.
September 20, 2026
A fantastic collection of stories from the criminally underrated and overlooked master, Robert McCammon.
October 21, 2026
Excellent - as always!
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews