13 Stories

by Bryan Farrell

In DARKER, nightmarish creatures force humanity to flee into the shadows. Hiding out in a cheap motel room, a punk rocker faces her demons in RIP HER TO SHREDS. On a windswept island, HIS GRACE sees an elderly priest take a mysterious stranger’s confession. While in SAFE AS HOUSES, the past returns to haunt a suburban couple.

From the author of How To Contact The Living comes 13 STORIES, a collection full to the brim with ghost stories, folk horror, creature features, punk rock paranormal, crime thrillers, a sprinkling of sci-fi, a Taylor Swift-inspired tale of suspense, haunted yoga balls, half-price séances, and a meditation app that is most definitely not user friendly.

Also included is the acclaimed novella MAW, presented here in an exclusive alternate “Silver and Cold” edition that offers readers a winterish take on the chilling Scottish Highlands-set tale.

256 pages, ebook

Published October 8, 2026

About the author

Irish author of spooky stuff like HOW TO CONTACT THE LIVING, MAW, and 13 STORIES.

Devoted reader, angry writer, and lifelong procrastinator. Lover of punk music and all things paranormal. Honorary Aussie.

Visit www.bryanfarrellauthor.com for free stories and bonus content!

Reviews

[Rebecca Mann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Bryan for sending me an Advanced Reader Copy of your new story collection.

As someone who enjoys the short story format, I was excited to read this collection. I had not previously read anything by Bryan Farrell and this collection didn't disappoint! I now look forward to reading his novel, How to Contact the Living

This collection had a great variety of stories in various different genres, in particular supernatural/paranormal. There were some emotional, heartwarming stories in here as well as some humour. I recommend this collection, it would make a great read for the spooky season!

[Ginger Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like horror anthologies and try to read as many as I can. This one was really good. The writing was very strong across the board, and there was quite a variety within the stories. Some of them get pretty weird. While I didn't find every story particularly scary, they were all interesting and kept my attention. I think Safe as Houses was probably my favorite, but they were all good. I received a free copy of this story and write this review voluntarily.

[Alex Secam · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I heard Bryan Farrell had a new short story collection nearing completion, I knew I had to get in on the action. Last October, I read his debut rampage ‘How To Contact The Living’. A hilarious urban horror mystery…or was it actually a paranormal encounter memoir? 🤔 It was.funny, creepy and a story arc that had us pulling our hair out trying to figure out whodunit. I loved it. So I pulled the oversized ouija board from under my bed and summoned the dark powers to deliver me an advance copy of ‘13 Stories’, in exchange for one of my big toes. I just finished it, and wow, the trade was worth it. I will be limping around town trying to push this book into the hands of every self-respecting dark fiction fan I meet.

Bryan comes armed with strong, sharply drawn characters, well crafted (and sometimes strange) worlds, and an arsenal of vibrant, sparkling prose. We are pulled headfirst into ‘Rip Her To Shreds’ where a punk rock deal with dark forces takes us on a dark, violent journey. It sets the tone for a reading experience starkly different from your usual horror/dark fiction collection. The book has a strong emotional spine and depth. That's what makes this such a page turner. The writing is heartfelt and unique. Here's a passage from ‘Home Afraid’:
“Imagination is great, and fantasy is fun, but treat them like the sea and reality like dry land. Always keep an eye on the shore so you don’t drift too far.”

It's nearly a warning. Because it's hard not to drift far from shore and into the unknown in ‘13 Stories’. Each story brings the reader on a myriad of adventures, a lot of times to places where the veil of the living and the dead is just about visible.

My favourite stories:
‘His Grace’ — a remote island off the Irish coast. A church, a priest, a congregation, a demon, and shit gets weird. I don't know if it is my unhealthy fascination with religious horror, but I friggin loved this story.

Another favourite: ‘In Waking Memory (a.k.a. An Englishman Remembers)’ — This is a story that really shows Bryan doesn't need to waggle a rotten skull in your face to impress. This story soars, as we join the bizarre scene with a ghost who is one of the good ones. A spirit with dreams and loves and desires. It started off in surreal fashion, aka Madam Kondazian’s Chamber of Summoning (“Halloween Special: £13 for Palm Reading and Aura Realignment Package”)...and it just got better and better.

The writing is lean, mean, and just straight up powerful. The stories were all deeper and more impactful than I expected, while staying loyal to that signature weird paranormal and slapstick style I love about Bryan's writing. And I genuinely did say ‘wow’ more than a handful of times.

And what about that cover art!? Frigging class! I've been listening to Fugazi for over 30 years, and yes, I did listen to ‘13 Songs’ while reading ‘13 Stories’. They both have bite, and they both have spirit.

You really can't go wrong with this collection. It's out in the world today, Thursday, 8th October 2026. A book with brawn and teeth. A perfect Samhain read. Go get it.

[Eamonn · Rating 5 out of 5]

13 Stories: A Cosmic Collection From A Paranormal Punk

I pulled the oversized ouija board from under my bed and summoned the dark powers to deliver me a copy of ‘13 Stories’, in exchange for one of my big toes. Now that I have finished this collection, all I have to say is ‘wow’, the trade was worth it. From here on in, I will be limping around town trying to push this book into the hands of every self-respecting dark fiction fan I meet.

Bryan Farrell comes armed with strong, sharply drawn characters, well crafted (and sometimes strange) worlds, and an arsenal of vibrant, sparkling prose. We are pulled headfirst into ‘Rip Her To Shreds’ where a punk rock deal with dark forces takes us on an emotional and violent journey. It sets the tone for a reading experience starkly different from your usual horror/dark fiction collection. The book has a strong emotional spine, freshly unique characters and off-the-wall situations. That's what makes this book such a page turner. The writing is heartfelt, the stories are exciting and vivid. 


Here's a passage from ‘Home Afraid’:

“Imagination is great and fantasy is fun but treat them like the sea and reality like dry land. Always keep an eye on the shore so you don’t drift too far.”


It's nearly a warning, because it's hard not to drift far from shore and into the unknown of ‘13 Stories’. Each story brings the reader on a myriad of adventures, to places where the veil between the living and the dead is just about visible. 


My favourite stories:

‘His Grace’ — a remote island off the Irish coast. A church, a priest, a congregation, a demon, and stuff gets friggin weird. I don't know if it is my unhealthy fascination with religious horror, but I loved this story. 


Another favourite: 

‘In Waking Memory (a.k.a. An Englishman Remembers)’ — This is a story that really shows Bryan doesn't need to waggle a rotten skull in your face to impress. This story soars, as we join the bizarre scene with a ghost who is one of the good ones. A spirit with dreams and loves and desires. It started off in surreal fashion, aka Madam Kondazian’s Chamber of Summoning (“Halloween Special: £13 for Palm Reading and Aura Realignment Package”)...and it just got better and better.


The writing is lean, mean and just straight up powerful. The stories were all deeper and more impactful than I expected, while staying loyal to that signature weird paranormal and slapstick style I love about Bryan's writing. I genuinely did say ‘wow’ more than a handful of times.


And what about that cover art!? It's class! I've been listening to Fugazi for over 30 years, and yes, I did listen to ‘13 Songs’ while reading ‘13 Stories’. They both have bite, and they both have spirit. 

You really can't go wrong with this collection. A book with brawn and teeth. A perfect Samhain read. Go get it.

[Mary · Rating 4.75 out of 5]

I received this book from the author for an honest review.
I so enjoyed 13 Stories. This collection includes all types and aspects of horror. How Bryan Farrell managed, in this varied collection, to take what should be normal living and make it a scary, shivering read is a credit to him. I have my favourite story, His Grace, but the others were all a very close second.
Looking forward to more from this horror writer.

[Matthew Gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

13 Stories is an absolute triumph of short fiction. There's such amazing variety, from paranormal tales to serial-killers, sci-fi horror to raw and emotional stories of people trying to adapt to foreign countries. I went from roaring with laughter at Bryan's witty prose, to being deeply disturbed, then getting the absolute emotional sucker punch that is "An Englishman Remembers", which is genuinely the BEST ghost story I've ever read. I don't normally get emotional when reading, but that one properly got me. Bryan's style is brilliant, his characters feel so alive, so relatable, and you can feel a bit of Bryan woven into them. The real victory of this collection is the sheer variety of style, and Bryan delivers them all brilliantly. I'd highly recommend to anyone, but if you're like me and don't normally read horror, this is absolutely worth your time!

[Steve Zappa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks for the advance reader copy.

A punk rocker gets her wish with mainstream success in a Faustian-like tale. A twelve year old boy, old enough to be left unsupervised for an evening, according to his ma, is terrorized by what goes bump in the night. A tale of … alien abduction? A tale of fearing the light, of no longer being the dominant species. A ghost from the past – literally – has a horrific story that must be told. A phone conversation with a dangerous prisoner. A church on a cliff, a priest and his visitor. A ghost and a carnival. Children gone missing. A homecoming.

These are the short stories you’ll find in Bryan Farrell’s collection, “13 Stories.”

The collection starts off strong with “Rip Her To Shreds,” the story about the punk rocker. All fiction is open to interpretation, some more so than others, and it’s especially so with this one, along with others in the collection. As someone who has never been heavily into punk rock, I’ve never understood the “sell out” obsession, and why it’s frowned upon. The idea is explored here. And in the end, is she a victim? Or did she have it coming? All up to interpretation.

The remaining stories explore an array of plots and themes. That was my favorite aspect of the book. It never got stale because it was always moving toward foreign territories. I also like the supernatural, and there was a healthy dose of that. Lots of characters, all with unique voices, which is a testament to good writing.

As said above, there is a lot of open interpretation. However, the only issue I had with the book was it had moments which were a little too vague for my own taste. “Darker” was an example of that.

Overall, it was a fun read. I think it’s nice to have good short story collections around the house. Sometimes it’s good to read something that will pack a punch in one short sitting. This collection will give you that.

[Pete Tombstones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was delighted to receive an advance copy of 13 stories from the author - especially as reading it felt like being early witness to the talents of a writer who is going to be huge. It’s genuinely that good. Featuring short stories from across the writer’s time penning scary tales, this collection is a gift to horror fans and fans of well-written characters.

Like all great collections, 13 Stories covers a range of tones and terrors, from slightly comedic to stone cold serious, sci fi to folk horror, splatter to subtle - so the reader gets a true taste of what Farrell can do - and it’s very special. Reading A LOT of horror, it’s refreshing and exciting to find an author with a genuinely distinctive voice and a unique knack for expressing it.

With much short horror fiction, characters can be sacrificed in service to the plot. Not so here- these protagonists, and antagonists in some cases, feel like people with lives beyond the story, that we’ve happened to catch them at the most important point in their existence. It makes the reading journey richer, as we care about their fates.

While there isn’t a dud in the collection, personal favourites would be Rip Her To Shreds (which gives an insight into the writer’s punk sensibilities), Safe as Houses (for that aforementioned focus on character) and the absolutely mighty MAW (previously released as a standalone novella) - I could happily devour a whole book based in that world.

This is a quality collection of skin-crawlers, oozing shivers and dark humour, one which I’ll return to when October comes round. Or November. Or December. Any month a good scare is needed, basically!

[Magda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bryan Farrell's '13 Stories' is a horror-tinged anthology packed with variety. As someone who is a huge fan of the anthology as a fictional format anyway, this was everything I could have wanted from the outset.

What Farrell does extremely well is build character and authenticity in a short space of time. Each one feels incredibly real. The author switches up the writing style each time, coming from an entirely different perspective. Whether it's a child left alone in their house, or a transcript conversation between a killer and old coworker with a grudge, Farrell takes pains to make each one feel real.

Out of the selection offered to us here, I think 'His Grace' stood out as my favourite. It subverts your expectations of the typical religious horror tropes and makes for a refreshing tale of old faith. Though, 'Bad Mouth' I also tore through, and I could happily read an entire novel set in the universe of 'Darker', where murderous beings thrive in the light.

'13 Stories', in my opinion, is a real triumph. Not only because each offering is well-written, but because it is also incredibly heartfelt. Beneath creepy premises, Farrell explores themes like grief, displacement, fear and shame, with real emotional resonance. There's a lot of humour in there too, which makes it even more of a delight to read.

Overall, if you're a fan of short story collections with a variety of intriguing premises, rich, character-driven writing, and horror with a beating heart beneath it all, '13 Stories' is not one you should miss.

[Ashly · Rating 5 out of 5]

13 stories, 13 representations of what horror can be. So many times people hear the word horror and think blood and guts, jump scares, or body horror. The worst of worst of the worst. But often we forget or maybe just don't comprehend how truly vast horror is. Suspense, mystery, thriller, fantasy, horror can and does possess them all.

'13 Stories' by Bryan Farrell perfectly embodies all that horror is and can be. Post apocalyptic worlds, ancient Gods, serial killers, war, monsters under the bed, kidnappers, and a ghost story so beautiful I cried.

🌟 4.75 out of 5 stars 🌟

[Trust No Chapter · Rating 4 out of 5]

've just finished up my latest ARC, 13 Stories by Bryan Farrell!

This was A LOT of fun to read, you literally have 13 short stories all put into one book, each story taking you somewhere completely different from the last, and alot of them being left to your own interpretation which I loved!

A few I was left wanting abit more from, and I could read an entire continuation of the story in another book!

I really enjoyed this one and can't wait to read more form this author!