Under a Malevolent Eye

by Eric Raglin, Meagan Kane, Charlene Elsby

A plague of eyes descends upon a fascist-occupied city. After a woman gets an illegal abortion, her period-tracking app threatens to turn her in. A government agent becomes dangerously obsessed with the person they're tracking. When a call center worker fails to meet her quotas, a mysterious entity vows to ruin her life.

Under a Malevolent Eye collects eight horror and Weird fiction stories that explore how our lives fall apart under inescapable surveillance. Featuring Meagan Kane, Charlene Elsby, Joe Koch, Cynthia Gómez, Briar Ripley Page, Eric Raglin, Zin E. Rocklyn, and Mae Murray.

Genres: Horror

140 pages, Paperback

First published August 18, 2026

About the author

Eric Raglin (he/him) is a horror/Weird fiction writer based in Minneapolis. His short story collections include Extinction Hymns and Nightmare Yearnings. He owns Cursed Morsels Press and has edited multiple horror/Weird fiction anthologies. Find him on Bluesky or Instagram @ericraglin1992.

Reviews

[Sam]

Disclaimer: I received an ebook-copy from the publisher.

This collection of horror and Weird fiction short stories focuses on one aspect of life that most people simply cannot escape anymore: that of constant surveillance. Moving past current surveillance tools of digital purchases and the push for providing your ID to access social media, these short stories sometimes tighten the noose of observation in our current reality only a slight notch and other times they change the playing field all together into a more futuristic dystopian one. From eyes that the government can access speckling a body, toy shaped wellness guides mandated by management, surveillants, who get too close to those they surveil and period trackers being used to persecute pregnant people for exercising their bodily autonomy, there is a variety of ideas surrounding the terrifying aspects of surveillance explored in this anthology. I really liked that there is a variety of horror subgenres present: technological horror, both with current technological means and with more developed ones, supernatural horror, body horror and creature horror, all tied together through their examination of the horror of being observed, unable to avoid the piercing gaze of others and the stress that this constant surveillance brings with it.
The people most likely to suffer from such surveillance (bipoc, queer, migrant and disabled people) take front and center in this anthology and add another terrifying flavor of realism to these stories. Most of the stories here focus on how marginalized people are forced to draw their horror from that, some focus on what constantly surveilling others does to the observer, another focuses more on the satisfying potential for revenge if the rich and powerful could not hide from it for once and a final one focuses on who can avoid the danger born of surveillance, if not the surveillance itself. I liked that this allowed for surveillance to be examined in a variety of ways, which made this anthology feel quite interesting and never boring.
While there wasn't a single story here that I didn't like, my favorites were Eyes Don't Melt by Meagan Kane, In Sickness and In Hell by Joe Koch, Burden of Guilt by Briar Ripley Page and Rest Not, for You Have Scarcely Toiled by Eric Raglin.
If you are a fan of (or curious about) Weird fiction, indie horror or any of the authors (some of which I had already been familiar with due to their place in the Weird Fiction scene), I can absolutely recommend you check this collection out. It collects a really intriguing series of stories on the topic written by some of the most interesting current voices in Weird Fiction and I really enjoyed reading them all!

*FAV* Eyes Don't Melt by Meagan Kane: A harrowing body horror story about trying to resist an oppressive regime when your body has been turned into a tool for surveillance. An illness has caused eyes, accessible to federal insight, to pop up on people's bodies. Removing them is painful and only always temporary. Despite this Anna tries to do some good and maybe solve the disappearance of a friend along the way by making deliveries. Haunting and heavy on the stress of living under the thumb of a brutal state, this takes current political events and sprinkles some infectious body horror on top, creating a really tense read. I loved Anna's character and her motivation for what she did and I really adored the (very fast) pace of this story and how it still managed to include a lot of worldbuilding.
TW: eye trauma, ICE raids, injury, surveillance

Reflections from Day 19 Surveilling Christie Tonkin by Charlene Elsby: The surveillant assigned to Christie Tonkin struggles between what their job demands of them and their interest in Christie. A harrowing look into surveillance and those who perform it, creepy and paranoia-inducing. I really liked how it highlighted the way surveillants themselves are changed through the invasive nature of what they do.
TW: invasion of privacy, surveilance, workplace sexual harassment (non-explicit)

*FAV* In Sickness and In Hell by Joe Koch: A surveillant follows their target after previous reports have come up inconclusive. Following him, their own past will finally catch up with them. A really intriguing combination of technological surveillance with parasite and sickness body horror. Incredibly evocative writing from Joe Koch as always, I also really liked the way the body is centered. The story itself feels nearly feverish, twisting around the main character's memories in wonderful ways. Definitely a short story to be savored.
TW: infection, infestation, stalking, surveillance

I Spy by Cynthia Gómez: A doll bought to keep his granddaughter company observes the grandfather's actions, preparing to reveal them. Great haunted object horror with a really unlikeable protagonist, but a very satisfying end. It is always fun to read about somebody being brought down for their own greedy, selfish actions and while it is different from the other short stories included here in how it treats surveillance, I still enjoyed it.
TW: workplace sexual harassment (non-explicit)

*FAV* Burden of Guilt by Briar Ripley Page: Surveillance tools shaped like cute toys and mandated for the sake of wellness at the workplace are a recent addition to Terry's daily life. They aren't making things any easier for them though. Exploring the intersection of wellness ideals with ableism and societal control, this short story really thrives from the uncomfortable atmosphere it creates and how the main character tries to exist in it. I really enjoyed having a canonically nonbinary character here and how their lack of agency surrounding their gender in a transphobic society added to the horror here.
TW: ableism, restricted eating, surveillance, transphobia

*FAV* Rest Not, for You Have Scarcely Toiled by Eric Raglin: When Thalia finds out her manager will be replaced by a productivity entity, she isn't quite sure what to think. But when she misses her daily quota, she soon finds out. Harrowing office horror that follows up incredibly well to Burden of Guilt. I adored the horror elements here and found this story incredibly unsettling.
TW: animal endangerment

Baby Maker by Zin E. Rocklyn: Ashley finds herself in trouble after a surprise pregnancy and an abortion, when her period tracker, which she hadn't updated in a bit, starts sending her push notifications saying "We know". I really enjoyed the way this highlighted the danger of period trackers. I also loved that the second part of the story took a bit of a turn, which I hadn't been expecting, but enjoyed.
TW: criminalization of abortion access, injury

Paper Dolls by Mae Murray: In order to crack down on unlawful protesting, children are forced to wear cameras at all times. Ben finds that out when his son returns from school the day after he murdered his wife. Haunting, in particular once the enforcer, tasked with ensuring that the camera stays unobscured at all times, showed up. I really enjoyed that this short story added another dimension to who surveillance becomes a threat to and who can avoid its harrowing gaze.
TW: child abuse, child neglect, racism, sexism

[Shrike]

This surveillance horror anthology couldn't have more appropriate timing. Some these stories felt only marginally fictional.

I especially liked Reflections from Day 19 Surveiling Christie Tonkin by Charlene Elsby. What if the parasocial surveillance agent we joke about was real and somehow even worse than we imagine?

Another standout, Baby Maker by Zin E. Rocklyn, honed in on the increasingly paper-thin veneer of medical privacy and bodily autonomy. This story holds a special irony for me...I remember years ago when I thought folks who avoided health tracking apps seemed paranoid. The idea doesn't sound so silly in today's reality.

I closed this book with the awful feeling that these "what ifs" are "when ifs..." although it feels naive to pretend they haven't already begun.

On that lovely note, I'm so grateful I got the chance to read an advance copy. I'm leaving this review of my own accord.

[Shaawan Keahna]

The new wave of Weird lit is… well, it would be unkind and disingenuous to say "being outpaced by a Weird World" (shout out Allie X) but something close. That's what I love most about Cursed Morsels. Their insistence on hyper-specific themed anthologies understands that universality is best explored through specificity, and I've never been disappointed in a single read.

I'm oscillating between three-and-a-half and four stars on this one, though. It's a feel bad, wretched endeavor for sure (high praise) that sees the moment we're in, the moment that sees you right back, and comes up to meet it. Some of the worst (compliment) pieces were from the usual suspects: Eric Raglin, Joe Koch, though others were from authors new to me. I'm on my period as I write this, and Baby Maker pissed me off (also compliment) because that story pretty much happened beat-for-beat to a frenemy of mine, like, in real actual life. Skynet is here and he is a tyrant who wants female bodies torn asunder by babies nobody will love, except by accident, babies to grow into prisoners and laborers and cannon fodder.

Out of all these awful, horrific little morsels, my least favorite by far was I Spy, though as I told my boyfriend (both of us floating in Coney Island's turbid water) I could appreciate it as a classic Twilight Zone episode. But it was the only one that did make me put down the book and go play for a bit, because, well, tonally, Under a Malevolent Eye is very much against surveillance, if one could put a moral point to it, while I Spy almost espouses the benefits of surveillance, should we surveil The Right People. Again, not a bad story on its own, great craft, tone, the works, but within the broader context, it was meh.

The opener was STRONG. When I say Under a Malevolent Eye met the moment, I'm talking about THIS. It captured the vibe of Operation Metro Storm perfectly, and all the outgrowths (reference intended) as ICE has dug and wormed its way into the flesh of the American body. The fedwalkers were a perfect analogue to how it feels watching cadre diminish, how it feels to live in what my friend is calling a "post-care world."

All in all, the collection made me feel like shit, I started crying, and then I realized I needed to finish my review before I keep going on my Cursed Morsels rampage. Really good stuff, as always.

I received an advance review copy for free and nobody's holding a gun to my head. Or, uh, in honor of the real-or-imagined surveillance bots censoring our posts: I received an advance review copy for fr33 and nobody's holding a g*n to my head.

[Books For Decaying Millennials]

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

It seems that more than a few folks out there are finally waking up to the reality of the strange and deeply disturbing surveillance omni-culture we are immersed in. Like a
Yes, some of this is very new, hot garbage and nothing but a bad time. Yes, some of the bells and whistles are new, but the panopticon was not built over night. The whisper networks and tapped phone lines have been long buried, hidden like unseen root networks for ages. The eyes in the painting are following you across the room, as they followed your grandparents, and relatives long forgotten.
The knee jerk reaction, when coming to Under A Malevolent Eye, is an expectation of stories purely about the now. Perhaps because there such growing body of investigative reports, whistle blower testimonies and lived experience being shared, around contact and interaction with that great amorphous Surveillance Blob. Publisher, editor and contributing author Eric Raglan, seems to have anticipated this most probable expectations. Seemingly in direct response, Eric has intentionally brought together authors whose stories eschew the easy path of derivative horror. Each author recognizes that draw of the easy scare, the “fast fiction” capability of telling something unsettling about the present incarnation of the surveillance state, yet staying on the surface. That’s not what the stories are written for, because there’s nothing to learn if we remain on the surface.
Under a Malevolent Eye will make your stomach hurt. You’re heart will ache, while your pulse speeds up. We’re all acutely aware of the state of things now, and are riddled with anxieties about what nightmares could blossom tomorrow, or the day after that. Whether it’s from a meditation on self sacrifice and inability to grieve, out of fear. Or perhaps it will be from a reminder of the capacity individuals to willingly harm others through wielding power and control. Collectively these are stories both timeless and prescient. Meagen Kane, Charlene Elsby, Joe Koch, Cynthia Gomez,Briar Ripley Page, Zin E. Rocklyn, Mae Murray and Eric Raglan, each bring a thread to the collective work of weaving a web of tales, to trouble, to warn and educate us. But for a few brief glimpses of light (we take care of our pet cats), there is no happiness here, but there is illumination. Through the reading, and perhaps their the writer own telling, there is hope.

[Andrew Keahey]

When it comes to the modern era, there are few things more looming and terrifying than the near complete loss of our privacy. "Under a Malevolent Eye" takes this fear and plays in it, not only giving us a look at the watched, but also the watchers.

The stories in this collection are all profound, incredibly written, and will make you even more aware just how under the microscope we all are.

Author Meagan Kane turns our own bodies against us in "Eyes Don't Melt", Zin E. Rocklyn explores the very real horror of lost body autonomy in "Baby Maker", and Mae Murray shines a light on who the ever-watchful eye always ends up benefitting in "Paper Dolls". These stories genuinely left me breathless, and the other authors in this collection will make you feel as though you're being watched... Which is good, because you are.

Horror has always and will always reflect the times we live in, and "Under a Malevolent Eye" is a stunning look at the failures of the people above us to keep us safe. Moreso than that, it exposes how they place us in danger without caring what becomes of us.

This is one for the shelf. This is what a horror story collection should be.


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

[Milt Theo]

This is a terrific anthology of dystopian surveillance horror, eight stories of weird fiction (a couple bordering on bizarro, two others figuring creepy dolls, most of the tales queer horror), rich in imagination and strong on original concepts and ideas. In fact, their originality and attention to detail can't be overstated! I loved the opening story especially, "Eyes Don't Melt" by Meagan Kane: eyes opening anywhere on the body as a means of surveillance in a city trying to avoid ICE was an outstanding idea, creepy, awfully graphic, and spot on on the anxiety-producing methods of a state turning hostile toward its people. A masterclass in paranoia and dread! Other stories I liked were "Rest Not, for You Have Scarcely Toiled" by Eric Raglin, and "In Sickness and In Hell" by Joe Koch. I only wish some of the other stories were a little longer!

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

[Rebecca]

Thank you for the ARC!

I adored these stories in a cautionary way. A cathartic way. There is reassurance that myself and my loved ones aren't the only ones who daydream nightmares about whatever strange future we're headed towards. In a way that scares me because I could see any one of these becoming reality in our near future. All of the characters were incredibly relatable, and I loved that there are multiple queer MCs in this. It's a quick, potent read. There were so many unique takes on surveillance tech and dystopia that every story felt really fresh. I was going to list my standout stories, and I really can't choose. They're all great, weird, gross, sad, and disturbing in their own different ways.

[Nuriko Windchaser]

I love horror short stories, so I was excited to read this book. However, a couple of the authors write in incredibly dense language, making their stories a chore to even figure out what was happening. Aside from those couple verbose authors, the rest of the stories are very good, there are some truly disturbing ones in here. If those good stories have any flaws it's only that several of them feel too short, they introduce really interesting concepts and worldbuilding, then everything just stops right as they're really getting going. Really, 3 stars feels too harsh, but between the two dense writers and how truncated so many of the other stories felt, I can't give it 4, either. 3.5 stars from me.

[adrian]

ARC Review.

I received a copy of Under a Malevolent Eye by the publisher, Cursed Morsels. I honestly went into this blind, and I’m really glad I did. This anthology is about the horror of surveillance. From literal eyes popping up on humans, to AI entities, this anthology induces straight paranoia. The dystopian dread in this isn’t so dystopian. Some of these stories aren’t far from our future, and that scares me. This is definitely a read that makes you feel like shit in a good way. If that is your jam, you’ll be happy to know it’s also queer! I’m very wishy-washy about anthologies, but this is one I’m happy to recommend.

[Jay]

Masterfully done… I read this sort of horror short fic all the time, but every one of these stories left me with an undeniably chilling sense of unease. Poignant analysis of current concerning trends in surveillance, packaged into eight tiny, nail-biting packages. "Rest Not, For You Have Scarcely Toiled" really hit close to home in an almost-too-intense way, as a cat dad. "Eye Spy" and "Burden of Guilt" play with paranoia & fears of being watched in a way I especially enjoyed. Overall a really solid anthology!

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

[Toby walrus]

Disclaimer: I was permitted with a free edition from the publisher and am reviewing voluntarily.

Under A Malevolent Eye is the kind of fantastically disgusting commentary you can’t get out of your head. Short stories about fascist governments, the elimination of choice, and what it means to survive and love under a system meant to control you.

From authors Megan Kane, Charlene Elsby, Joe Koch, Cynthia Gómez, Briar Ripley Page, Eric Raglan, Zin E. Rocklyn, and Mae Murray, are some of the most disturbing and vividly described horrors I’ve had the pleasure of trying to scrape out of my head since reading.

[Brian Mcclain]

Another anthology compiled by Eric Raglin, another success. At this point I'd be comfortable recommending anything he's attached to. It kept me entertained with a number of different ways of looking at the central prompt and no real let downs throughout. Recommended!

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