What do you think?
Rate this book
Growing Dark
A small town is ruined by black rain, and two police officers find themselves face to face with the creatures lurking in the flooded streets. In the wild west, an aging gunslinger returns to his favorite brothel, only to encounter a fathomless black tar that's devouring everyone within. Paramedics find a remedy for a zombie virus outbreak – but can the survivors come to terms with their cannibalism? Former high school sweethearts reconnect for the anniversary of a murder. A young boy finds his family farm corroded by an evil that threatens to destroy his parents. Two deceased cowboy movie legends come back as avenging angels, tracking demons through haunted canyons.
These stories and more fill Growing Dark, a collection of Kristopher Triana’s darkest short stories. A macabre collection of lurking dread and bloodcurdling terror, ranging from otherworldly evils to very human nightmares, this powerful collection is sure to keep you sleeping with the lights on.
These stories and more fill Growing Dark, a collection of Kristopher Triana’s darkest short stories. A macabre collection of lurking dread and bloodcurdling terror, ranging from otherworldly evils to very human nightmares, this powerful collection is sure to keep you sleeping with the lights on.
- GenresHorrorShort Stories
220 pages, Paperback
First published May 15, 2015
7 people are currently reading
548 people want to read
About the author
Kristopher Triana
67 books2,118 followersKristopher Triana is the author of Gone to See the River Man, Full Brutal, They All Died Screaming, Shepherd of the Black Sheep, Toxic Love, and more.
His fiction has appeared in countless magazines and anthologies and has been translated into multiple languages, drawing praise from Publisher's Weekly, Cemetery Dance, Rue Morgue, Scream, The Ginger Nuts of Horror and others.
Full Brutal won the Splatterpunk Award for Best Horror Novel of 2019, and Triana won the award again in 2022 for The Night Stockers, which he cowrote with Ryan Harding.
He lives in Connecticut.
His fiction has appeared in countless magazines and anthologies and has been translated into multiple languages, drawing praise from Publisher's Weekly, Cemetery Dance, Rue Morgue, Scream, The Ginger Nuts of Horror and others.
Full Brutal won the Splatterpunk Award for Best Horror Novel of 2019, and Triana won the award again in 2022 for The Night Stockers, which he cowrote with Ryan Harding.
He lives in Connecticut.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
November 7, 2021
Growing Dark truly showcases the eclectic range Triana is capable of in a way a reader would otherwise only discover if they took the time to read half a dozen books. Running the gamut from intense cosmic horror to something that could be considered kid-friendly, there's no doubt any lover of dark fiction will find something to love in this short collection.
From the Storms, A Daughter kicks everything off, sharing the story of a town that's been going through hard times, and they're only getting harder as the region gets flooded. First responders in boats are struggling to locate stragglers to take them to safety, but what they find instead is evidence that there's more to fear than the water.
Eaters is a post-apocalyptic excursion into the remnants of the old world, as a small party of hunters is clearing the area of zombies. As with most tales like that, things don't go smoothly. Triana manages to bring some originality to the topic, and an ending that readers/listeners are unlikely to see coming.
Growing Dark is a coming-of-age tale gone wrong, as a farm boy surrounded by sickness and decay desperately wants to prove to his father that he can be a man. Sometimes being a man involves making some hard choices, and sometimes they'll be bad choices as well.
Reunion is an insightful story of childhood regrets and how the mistakes we make can haunt us well into adulthood, altering the courses we travel and where we ultimately end up.
Before the Boogeymen Come was the most surprising inclusion in this collection. Triana entertains readers as he breathes life into the monsters who plague the imaginations of young children before media and experience provide new monsters to replace the old.
The Bone Orchard is a heartbreaking western tale that could be read, depending on the reader's perspective, as being either pro-life or pro-choice in its message. An old shootist returns to an old haunt and old love, only to discover there's a sinister secret behind keeping the brothel running smoothly.
Soon There'll Be Leaves is a character study framed by multiple horrors, the most potent of which being reflection on a life not well-lived and the looming loss of family. Returning to a place he'd sooner never see again, our protagonist is approached by an old flame who proves the adage that one can never go home again, as an attempted affair takes an unforeseen twist.
Video Express is a nostalgic exploration of the video rental stores of our youth and condemnation of how we quickly turned our back on the family-run establishments in favor of places where we could easily snag the newest titles.
Giving from the Bottom is another character study, this time focused on the horrors of everyday life and the gradual erosion of both one's ability to care and one's will to live when nothing seems to turn out as expected.
The collection ends with the strangely epic Legends, a vision of an afterlife that is not at all what one might expect. In Triana's captivating narrative, we discover that the dead--if they're famous or infamous enough--become eidolons of a sort. Charles Bronson and Lee Marvin come together as paragons of what generations of moviegoers and fans imagined them to be, and as such, they are bestowed with purpose and power to protect the world from infernal entities who may have similarly familiar faces. For me, Legends was the best of the whole collection, providing a glimpse into a world I could see the author fleshing out into a much longer piece.
The narrations provided by Dani George, John Wayne Comunale, and Kristopher Triana himself were the best of the bunch. Triana especially did an excellent job of providing his characters with distinctive voices, and in the case of Before the Boogeymen Come a level of caricature that was enjoyable. The additional narrators, Michael Zapcic, Thomas Mumme, Jennifer Mumme, and Kevin McGuire were satisfying as well, just not as memorable as those provided by the three previously mentioned.
From the Storms, A Daughter kicks everything off, sharing the story of a town that's been going through hard times, and they're only getting harder as the region gets flooded. First responders in boats are struggling to locate stragglers to take them to safety, but what they find instead is evidence that there's more to fear than the water.
Eaters is a post-apocalyptic excursion into the remnants of the old world, as a small party of hunters is clearing the area of zombies. As with most tales like that, things don't go smoothly. Triana manages to bring some originality to the topic, and an ending that readers/listeners are unlikely to see coming.
Growing Dark is a coming-of-age tale gone wrong, as a farm boy surrounded by sickness and decay desperately wants to prove to his father that he can be a man. Sometimes being a man involves making some hard choices, and sometimes they'll be bad choices as well.
Reunion is an insightful story of childhood regrets and how the mistakes we make can haunt us well into adulthood, altering the courses we travel and where we ultimately end up.
Before the Boogeymen Come was the most surprising inclusion in this collection. Triana entertains readers as he breathes life into the monsters who plague the imaginations of young children before media and experience provide new monsters to replace the old.
The Bone Orchard is a heartbreaking western tale that could be read, depending on the reader's perspective, as being either pro-life or pro-choice in its message. An old shootist returns to an old haunt and old love, only to discover there's a sinister secret behind keeping the brothel running smoothly.
Soon There'll Be Leaves is a character study framed by multiple horrors, the most potent of which being reflection on a life not well-lived and the looming loss of family. Returning to a place he'd sooner never see again, our protagonist is approached by an old flame who proves the adage that one can never go home again, as an attempted affair takes an unforeseen twist.
Video Express is a nostalgic exploration of the video rental stores of our youth and condemnation of how we quickly turned our back on the family-run establishments in favor of places where we could easily snag the newest titles.
Giving from the Bottom is another character study, this time focused on the horrors of everyday life and the gradual erosion of both one's ability to care and one's will to live when nothing seems to turn out as expected.
The collection ends with the strangely epic Legends, a vision of an afterlife that is not at all what one might expect. In Triana's captivating narrative, we discover that the dead--if they're famous or infamous enough--become eidolons of a sort. Charles Bronson and Lee Marvin come together as paragons of what generations of moviegoers and fans imagined them to be, and as such, they are bestowed with purpose and power to protect the world from infernal entities who may have similarly familiar faces. For me, Legends was the best of the whole collection, providing a glimpse into a world I could see the author fleshing out into a much longer piece.
The narrations provided by Dani George, John Wayne Comunale, and Kristopher Triana himself were the best of the bunch. Triana especially did an excellent job of providing his characters with distinctive voices, and in the case of Before the Boogeymen Come a level of caricature that was enjoyable. The additional narrators, Michael Zapcic, Thomas Mumme, Jennifer Mumme, and Kevin McGuire were satisfying as well, just not as memorable as those provided by the three previously mentioned.
July 10, 2017
Separated by short story, ready go:
From the Storms, A Daughter
4 out of 5 stars
I love sea monsters! So much! Black rain flooding the world gives rise to creepy things beneath the surface of the water....
Eaters
4 out of 5 stars
A highly original take on the zombie idea. It's a virus that people can potentially beat, so even if you eat someone you may still recover and be fully human again. It's trying to reconcile your actions (eating people) once you're healthy again that's the problem.
Growing Dark
4 out of 5 stars
Again! Fantastic ending--the symmetry between the different scenes was perfectly done. A boy finally has the nerve to prove to his pa that he's not so soft anymore.
Reunion
3 out of 5 stars
Surprisingly this one ended sort of sweet. The tone is nothing compared to the first three stories and I appreciated the author showing he can branch a little bit.
Before the Boogeymen Come
4 out of 5 stars
Think Monsters, Inc but more brutal. We get to see behind the scenes as three night monsters--the one under your bed, the one in your closet, and the one in the shadows--discuss the best way to terrify a child.
The Bone Orchard
4 out of 5 stars
This is a fabulous story about revenge. A tired old cowboy returns to an old haunt to see an old flame, only for the world to fall apart around them. What comes to get them from inside that storm wants to make a point.
Soon There'll Be Leaves
3 out of 5 stars
A lonely old modern cowboy tries to find a reprieve with the wrong woman. Not particularly scary or creepy, but a solidly admirable work. Probably my least favorite so far simply for the lack of creepy or clever.
Video Express
4 out of 5 stars
Ever seen the episode of South Park where Stan's dad Randy buys a Blockbuster video? It's that, but better!
Giving From the Bottom
3 out of 5 stars
Ugh okay this one was just depressing. A man can't seem to fake the Christmas spirit when everything's getting him down.
Legends
4 out of 5 stars
A fine ending to the compilation. I can tell this author likes cowboys: this one follows a legendary movie cowboy after his death, and what he has to do to earn his place in the afterlife.
Final Words
I loved this collection! These are precisely up my alley and I enjoyed all of them, even the ones that didn't grip me as fully. I'm going to give this to my boyfriend next, I think he will enjoy them.
From the Storms, A Daughter
4 out of 5 stars
I love sea monsters! So much! Black rain flooding the world gives rise to creepy things beneath the surface of the water....
Eaters
4 out of 5 stars
A highly original take on the zombie idea. It's a virus that people can potentially beat, so even if you eat someone you may still recover and be fully human again. It's trying to reconcile your actions (eating people) once you're healthy again that's the problem.
Growing Dark
4 out of 5 stars
Again! Fantastic ending--the symmetry between the different scenes was perfectly done. A boy finally has the nerve to prove to his pa that he's not so soft anymore.
Reunion
3 out of 5 stars
Surprisingly this one ended sort of sweet. The tone is nothing compared to the first three stories and I appreciated the author showing he can branch a little bit.
Before the Boogeymen Come
4 out of 5 stars
Think Monsters, Inc but more brutal. We get to see behind the scenes as three night monsters--the one under your bed, the one in your closet, and the one in the shadows--discuss the best way to terrify a child.
The Bone Orchard
4 out of 5 stars
This is a fabulous story about revenge. A tired old cowboy returns to an old haunt to see an old flame, only for the world to fall apart around them. What comes to get them from inside that storm wants to make a point.
Soon There'll Be Leaves
3 out of 5 stars
A lonely old modern cowboy tries to find a reprieve with the wrong woman. Not particularly scary or creepy, but a solidly admirable work. Probably my least favorite so far simply for the lack of creepy or clever.
Video Express
4 out of 5 stars
Ever seen the episode of South Park where Stan's dad Randy buys a Blockbuster video? It's that, but better!
Giving From the Bottom
3 out of 5 stars
Ugh okay this one was just depressing. A man can't seem to fake the Christmas spirit when everything's getting him down.
Legends
4 out of 5 stars
A fine ending to the compilation. I can tell this author likes cowboys: this one follows a legendary movie cowboy after his death, and what he has to do to earn his place in the afterlife.
Final Words
I loved this collection! These are precisely up my alley and I enjoyed all of them, even the ones that didn't grip me as fully. I'm going to give this to my boyfriend next, I think he will enjoy them.
January 25, 2021
All stories of good level.
October 12, 2016
First-rate storytelling! You can read my full review here... https://horrornovelreviews.com/2016/1...
July 2, 2015
What a great collection of short stories! 'Growing Dark,' is predominantly horror - almost every story representing a different sub-genre; from demons to zombies to cannibals to crazies to ghosts. The stories that aren't horror are simply dark and haunting. Actually, dark and haunting is how I would describe nearly every story in this collection - and I mean that in a good way!
Mr. Triana's writing style is reminiscent of Stuart O'Nan, with a cowboy twist. His stories are atmospheric, dark, moving, relatable, and often tragic in their own right. These are stories about simple, honest folks who remind us of ourselves or people we know - except with, you know, monsters and stuff! This collection, in my opinion, is so successful because it's terrifying on a very human level.
On a side note, several of these stories take place in central Florida and Mr. Triana nails the towns to a tee - right down to the descriptions of the bulk of the people who live here. It's not all palm trees and sunshine and he knows it! "Video Express," in particular, hit me right in the feels with a heavy dose of nostalgia - both for the store and for 80s horror.
Highly recommended!!
Mr. Triana's writing style is reminiscent of Stuart O'Nan, with a cowboy twist. His stories are atmospheric, dark, moving, relatable, and often tragic in their own right. These are stories about simple, honest folks who remind us of ourselves or people we know - except with, you know, monsters and stuff! This collection, in my opinion, is so successful because it's terrifying on a very human level.
On a side note, several of these stories take place in central Florida and Mr. Triana nails the towns to a tee - right down to the descriptions of the bulk of the people who live here. It's not all palm trees and sunshine and he knows it! "Video Express," in particular, hit me right in the feels with a heavy dose of nostalgia - both for the store and for 80s horror.
Highly recommended!!
June 9, 2020
Like most grab bag books of stories,I thought some of these tales were better than others. This is my first Triana book and I was not disappointed. There s a very interesting take on a zombie virus that made me laugh my butt off. I'm not usually a fan of ghost and supernatural stuff, but the story about a VHS rental store was probably my favorite out of all the stories. There was a couple that I thought were just kinda okay, but none of them were bad. This author does have a very interesting imagination
March 24, 2016
I received this book for free from the Goodreads Giveaways.
Kristopher Triana has written a masterpiece collection of horror and interesting short stories.
Some of these pieces didn't feel like horror to me but I thoroughly enjoyed every single one of them. I don't even know which one would be my favorite.
The book opens with a short story about a town flooded by a gross rain that is transforming the children and unborn babies into flesh eating monsters.
The second is about a group of survivors in the zombie apocolypse and one of them becomes infected and wants to eat the others. Then he survives the virus and he and the others like him begin a new cannibalistic religion.
The third short story is about a father who pushes his son to be a man so much so that the son becomes crazed and slaughters every living thing on their dying farm.
The fourth is a very short story about two people who reunite on the anniversary they killed someone and got away with it.
The fifth was a cute story from the point of view of monsters under a 7-8 year old's bed who must succeed in scaring him or they'll be replaced by the big bad boogeymen.
The sixth was an enthralling story about a saloon being overtaken by the whores' nine babies who the owner had slaughtered.
The seventh is about a man whose mother is dying from cancer and he's returned to his hometown to see her. While she's at the hospital he goes off to meet an old lover of his who turns out to be a sort of self acclaimed succubus and he kills her instead which makes him realize he needs to be there for his mom and tells his ex girlfriend that she needs help as he has now seen crazier.
The eighth was a fantastic story about a horror movie enthusiast who sees an online ad for a vhs movie rental store. He goes there only to find it's been out of business for years and everything he sees is front but it's too late he's signed the membership agreement.....
The ninth short story is about a broken man who helps his cousin break into a pharmacy and then burns his ex fiancé's things while drugged up (he may or may not die at the end I guess that's left to our discretion?).
The final short story was very fitting, I felt. It was about two movie stars from old westerns who had died and were fighting demons in the afterlife to keep them from making time go haywire. They don't even know if this will reward them with seeing their loved ones again, but they hope.
Kristopher Triana has written a masterpiece collection of horror and interesting short stories.
Some of these pieces didn't feel like horror to me but I thoroughly enjoyed every single one of them. I don't even know which one would be my favorite.
The book opens with a short story about a town flooded by a gross rain that is transforming the children and unborn babies into flesh eating monsters.
The second is about a group of survivors in the zombie apocolypse and one of them becomes infected and wants to eat the others. Then he survives the virus and he and the others like him begin a new cannibalistic religion.
The third short story is about a father who pushes his son to be a man so much so that the son becomes crazed and slaughters every living thing on their dying farm.
The fourth is a very short story about two people who reunite on the anniversary they killed someone and got away with it.
The fifth was a cute story from the point of view of monsters under a 7-8 year old's bed who must succeed in scaring him or they'll be replaced by the big bad boogeymen.
The sixth was an enthralling story about a saloon being overtaken by the whores' nine babies who the owner had slaughtered.
The seventh is about a man whose mother is dying from cancer and he's returned to his hometown to see her. While she's at the hospital he goes off to meet an old lover of his who turns out to be a sort of self acclaimed succubus and he kills her instead which makes him realize he needs to be there for his mom and tells his ex girlfriend that she needs help as he has now seen crazier.
The eighth was a fantastic story about a horror movie enthusiast who sees an online ad for a vhs movie rental store. He goes there only to find it's been out of business for years and everything he sees is front but it's too late he's signed the membership agreement.....
The ninth short story is about a broken man who helps his cousin break into a pharmacy and then burns his ex fiancé's things while drugged up (he may or may not die at the end I guess that's left to our discretion?).
The final short story was very fitting, I felt. It was about two movie stars from old westerns who had died and were fighting demons in the afterlife to keep them from making time go haywire. They don't even know if this will reward them with seeing their loved ones again, but they hope.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2018
I am a sucker for short stories, Anything I can read when I only a bit of time and these one fit the bill Doubly as I am a fan of horror tales! I guess I don't scare very easily anymore, but these stories were suitable dark and well written. I especially enjoyed Giving From The Bottom! It was fun to revisit deceased actors in the after life! Also, Eaters was a fun take on Zombies! Awww, they were all fun in their own ways . Unique and entertaining!
I received an advance copy from the publisher in exchange for a fair review.
I received an advance copy from the publisher in exchange for a fair review.
June 6, 2020
Short stories and all of them are good.
August 22, 2022
I’m clearly late to the party with this 2015 Triana collection but not too late to enjoy more of his work, in whatever capacity!
Growing Dark is a collection of creepy AF short stories and I was here for each and every single one of them! Creatures lurking in black rain, old west heroes and villains, zombie outbreak, the supernatural but most importantly is the writing that captivates the dark and haunting! I say this all the time, I’m a sucker for short stories and Triana proves that he can write in all degrees of intensity from the brutal and extreme to a darker and moodier, docile storytelling!
A few of my favorites include:
From The Storms, A Daughter – Black rain causes family tragedies
Growing Dark – a coming-of-age story of a young farm boy reaching extreme lengths to make his Pa proud
Before the Boogeymen Come – a witty take of three monsters’ strategizing the best way to terrify a child
The Bone Orchard – A cowboy returns to an old brothel and is faced with a thirst for revenge
Legends – two old movie star legends return as avenging angels
You should not infer that these were the ONLY good ones as the rest really set the stage for quick and satisfying moody read! Triana is exceptional at story telling and so lucky I picked this one up!
Growing Dark is a collection of creepy AF short stories and I was here for each and every single one of them! Creatures lurking in black rain, old west heroes and villains, zombie outbreak, the supernatural but most importantly is the writing that captivates the dark and haunting! I say this all the time, I’m a sucker for short stories and Triana proves that he can write in all degrees of intensity from the brutal and extreme to a darker and moodier, docile storytelling!
A few of my favorites include:
From The Storms, A Daughter – Black rain causes family tragedies
Growing Dark – a coming-of-age story of a young farm boy reaching extreme lengths to make his Pa proud
Before the Boogeymen Come – a witty take of three monsters’ strategizing the best way to terrify a child
The Bone Orchard – A cowboy returns to an old brothel and is faced with a thirst for revenge
Legends – two old movie star legends return as avenging angels
You should not infer that these were the ONLY good ones as the rest really set the stage for quick and satisfying moody read! Triana is exceptional at story telling and so lucky I picked this one up!
December 28, 2021
ⓇⒺⓋⒾⒺⓌ
Kristopher Triana - Growing Dark
I feel like I’m waiting for Kristopher Triana to write something that sucks, because up to now I really can’t fault him.
There is something for everyone in this collection, and I was surprised by the variety. Almost every story has it’s own Horror sub genre.
My favourite’s:
The Bone Orchard - A aging gunslinger is trapped inside a brothel he used to frequent by wild tar storms, but what is in the storm trying to get in, and why?!
From the storms, a Daughter - Black rain storms brings a heart broken man a Daughter.
Eaters - What if you were a zombie, and then cured. Could you live with your actions?
Video Express - 80’s nostalgia horror
Before the Boogeymen come - think Monsters Inc getting a rated R do over, funny and horrifying
From the storms, a Daughter
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
Eaters
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
Growing dark
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
Reunion
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
Before the Boogeymen come
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
The Bone Orchard
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
Soon there’ll be leaves
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
Video Express
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
Giving from the bottom
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
Legends
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
I listened to this on Audible, and the narrator’s, including Mr Triana himself were fantastic.
Triana can do no wrong, and I just need to read everything in his catalog of work
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚/10
Kristopher Triana - Growing Dark
I feel like I’m waiting for Kristopher Triana to write something that sucks, because up to now I really can’t fault him.
There is something for everyone in this collection, and I was surprised by the variety. Almost every story has it’s own Horror sub genre.
My favourite’s:
The Bone Orchard - A aging gunslinger is trapped inside a brothel he used to frequent by wild tar storms, but what is in the storm trying to get in, and why?!
From the storms, a Daughter - Black rain storms brings a heart broken man a Daughter.
Eaters - What if you were a zombie, and then cured. Could you live with your actions?
Video Express - 80’s nostalgia horror
Before the Boogeymen come - think Monsters Inc getting a rated R do over, funny and horrifying
From the storms, a Daughter
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
Eaters
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
Growing dark
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
Reunion
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
Before the Boogeymen come
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
The Bone Orchard
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
Soon there’ll be leaves
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
Video Express
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
Giving from the bottom
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
Legends
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
I listened to this on Audible, and the narrator’s, including Mr Triana himself were fantastic.
Triana can do no wrong, and I just need to read everything in his catalog of work
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚/10
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 18, 2015
A collection of real cowboy horror. Triana's writing is moody and expressive, and his narrative voice is strong, although not changing much from one story to another. Female characters are not a strength: Soon There'll Be Leaves could be a textbook illustration of the Madonna/Whore complex, with the bipolar ex occupying both spaces. This is not a particularly unusual problem for male writers.
In my opinion, the best-realized story is Growing Dark, from which the book gets its title. There is an enigmatic, creeping wrongness that leaves enough unanswered to keep you thinking, and the child protagonist is drawn not from societal ideas of childhood, but from unvarnished memory and observation. The plotline resembles The Colour Out Of Space, and plays with the possible horrors of childish incomprehension.
In my opinion, the best-realized story is Growing Dark, from which the book gets its title. There is an enigmatic, creeping wrongness that leaves enough unanswered to keep you thinking, and the child protagonist is drawn not from societal ideas of childhood, but from unvarnished memory and observation. The plotline resembles The Colour Out Of Space, and plays with the possible horrors of childish incomprehension.
April 17, 2020
Absolutely great read! Each story was just fascinating as the last. My personal favorites being Before the Boogeyman Come, The Bone Orchard, Soon There'll Be Leaves, and of course Video Express. Kristopher Triana had compiled a masterpiece of short stories and it is an absolutely wonderful read.
May 23, 2020
Great variety of stories. This was my 2nd book by this author. Will definitely be reading more books by him. His short stories kinda remind me of Joe Landsdale.
March 4, 2023
As collections of short stories go, this might be the best one I've read so far.
Triana intertwines overarching themes of loss, grief, regret, and trauma into each respective short story and does so from a uniquely poignant perspective each time around. This makes the short stories impossible to compare, but I'd classify them in the following way (no particular order of preference as each was fascinating in its own way).
Supernatural:
Legends
Video Express
Before the Boogeymen Come
The Bone Orchard
Character studies:
Growing Dark (an argument for the nurture camp in the nature vs nurture debate)
Giving From the Bottom
Reunion
Soon There'll Be Leaves
Creature feature:
Eaters (a character study in and of itself, but - zombies)
From the Storms, A Daughter
Triana intertwines overarching themes of loss, grief, regret, and trauma into each respective short story and does so from a uniquely poignant perspective each time around. This makes the short stories impossible to compare, but I'd classify them in the following way (no particular order of preference as each was fascinating in its own way).
Supernatural:
Legends
Video Express
Before the Boogeymen Come
The Bone Orchard
Character studies:
Growing Dark (an argument for the nurture camp in the nature vs nurture debate)
Giving From the Bottom
Reunion
Soon There'll Be Leaves
Creature feature:
Eaters (a character study in and of itself, but - zombies)
From the Storms, A Daughter
October 1, 2019
I discovered Kristopher Triana in a splatterpunk anthology. His story was jaw-droppingly extreme. Therefore, I was somewhat surprised at the tameness of this collection, which includes not only softer horror, but also a couple westerns with a supernatural spin (not really my thing). The best story was "Video Express," in which a horror nerd finds himself in a retro '80s video rental store with suspicious employees.
September 2, 2021
Ya había escuchado mencionar a Kristopher Triana porque es uno de los autores de la serie de libros Splatter Westerns, pero como suelo hacer con autores que no he leído, comienzo por sus historias cortas.
En general el libro es bueno, pero no todas las historias son de terror como tal. Me gustó lo suficiente y creo que lo siguiente que leeré será, por supuesto, The Thirteenth Koyote
En general el libro es bueno, pero no todas las historias son de terror como tal. Me gustó lo suficiente y creo que lo siguiente que leeré será, por supuesto, The Thirteenth Koyote
November 13, 2016
Eh. The first story was the best, but it sort of went downhill from there. I don't think this author likes women very much. He has a tendency to kill all of them off in increasingly violent ways, or they're easily disposed of as cold hearted bitches. Do not recommend (unless you just want to read the first story. That one was good.)
October 4, 2023
Another win for Kristopher Triana. Very good stories. Favorites are:
-Before the Boogeymen come: insanely original and so much fun.
-The Bone Orchard: Behind closed doors horrors. Loved it.
-Soon there’ll be leaves: A hook up turning bad, very bad.
-Vidéo express: analog horror haunt. Nostalgic and…haunting.
-Legends: Cowboys fighting demons in limbo. What’s not to like?
-Before the Boogeymen come: insanely original and so much fun.
-The Bone Orchard: Behind closed doors horrors. Loved it.
-Soon there’ll be leaves: A hook up turning bad, very bad.
-Vidéo express: analog horror haunt. Nostalgic and…haunting.
-Legends: Cowboys fighting demons in limbo. What’s not to like?
July 18, 2023
This was a wonderfully written collection of stories. There was so much variety of classic, in your face horror and horror that lives in the mind and infects your heart and soul. Some of these stories were surprisingly deep and I loved them all.
August 16, 2017
Only read 1/2 of it. I'm not a real fan of short stories but the ones I did read were a bit gruesome. I will keep nearby when I want a quick read.
June 4, 2025
10 short stories all by Kristopher Triana. A couple of my favorites are The Bone Orchard and Video Express.
December 17, 2025
An excellent collection of Triana's short fiction that demonstrates his range and skill.
November 1, 2023
I’ve posted this a billion times, and I’ll probably start every review this way - not a huge short story or anthology fan. That does not deter me from trying though!
I did really like this book, overall. There was maybe a story or two that was a little “meh” for me, but nothing I truly disliked.
My favorite part about the book is that some stories were very.. apocalyptic? Some were full of monsters this world has never known. But other stories were truly real life horror and sadness - I felt the feelings!!
My favorite story was about the childhood monsters under a kid’s bed 😂 They were evil, but they made me laugh. Super fun and creative story, one that I never saw coming from this author. But it was a nice little change of pace, surrounded by some of the more dark stories.
If you like anthologies, this really is a good one!
I did really like this book, overall. There was maybe a story or two that was a little “meh” for me, but nothing I truly disliked.
My favorite part about the book is that some stories were very.. apocalyptic? Some were full of monsters this world has never known. But other stories were truly real life horror and sadness - I felt the feelings!!
My favorite story was about the childhood monsters under a kid’s bed 😂 They were evil, but they made me laugh. Super fun and creative story, one that I never saw coming from this author. But it was a nice little change of pace, surrounded by some of the more dark stories.
If you like anthologies, this really is a good one!
February 20, 2024
Great collection, wide and diverse in theme and emotion. Includes the story, Legends, which felt like a Twilight Zone episode, mostly because both Charles Bronson and Lee Marvin were on the original series. Also felt very much like Lansdale writing bizarro fiction.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews