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13 Tales To Give You Night Terrors
Murder, mayhem, maniacs... these thirteen horror stories are guaranteed to give you night terrors!
Journey with us into the dark heart of horror as authors from around the globe reveal their deepest fears. From Scotland and England across the Atlantic to the USA, we meet a pair of twins with a sick sense of humor, a troubled family tormented by ghosts, and a man who keeps a chupacabra as a pet. Plus a department store massacre, a terrifying costumed stalker, and much, much more.
Stories by Troy H. Gardner, Jonathan Hatfull, Rosie Fletcher, Erin Callahan, Vinny Negron, Scott Clark, Tom Rimer and Elliot Arthur Cross.
Journey with us into the dark heart of horror as authors from around the globe reveal their deepest fears. From Scotland and England across the Atlantic to the USA, we meet a pair of twins with a sick sense of humor, a troubled family tormented by ghosts, and a man who keeps a chupacabra as a pet. Plus a department store massacre, a terrifying costumed stalker, and much, much more.
Stories by Troy H. Gardner, Jonathan Hatfull, Rosie Fletcher, Erin Callahan, Vinny Negron, Scott Clark, Tom Rimer and Elliot Arthur Cross.
143 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 20, 2015
66 people are currently reading
131 people want to read
About the author
Troy H. Gardner
18 books9 followersTroy H. Gardner was born in Florida but left at the ripe age of six months. He grew up and earned his Bachelor’s Degree in New England before returning to the Sunshine State just in time for Hurricane Irma.
He started writing stories on his Tandy Personal Computer as a child in the ’90s after devouring the works of Stephen King in elementary school.
Red is his favorite color, but blue hasn’t gotten the memo yet. He doesn’t understand why fans can’t equally love Star Wars and Star Trek (they’re different genres, people!). When Troy isn’t writing, or talking about writing, he enjoys killing hours on his PlayStation or watching horror movies (both really great and incredibly bad are his jam).
He started writing stories on his Tandy Personal Computer as a child in the ’90s after devouring the works of Stephen King in elementary school.
Red is his favorite color, but blue hasn’t gotten the memo yet. He doesn’t understand why fans can’t equally love Star Wars and Star Trek (they’re different genres, people!). When Troy isn’t writing, or talking about writing, he enjoys killing hours on his PlayStation or watching horror movies (both really great and incredibly bad are his jam).
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
September 24, 2017
A 3-star effort on some horror shorts.
October 10, 2018
Excerpt from my review - originally published at Offbeat YA.
Pros: Revisits old horror tropes in a fresh way. Most stories are cunningly contrived, often with a nice twist.
Cons: Some of the tales have a surrealistic feel that may not be everybody's cup of tea.
Will appeal to: Readers who like both straight-up horror (though not of the extreme variety) and creepy atmospheres.
First off...DISCLAIMER: I have already reviewed works by two of these authors (Troy H. Gardner and Erin Callahan) in the past, that they sent me for free in exchange for a honest review. Also, I've worked with both of them as a beta-reader on a few occasions, and I especially have history with Erin. Nevertheless, I guarantee I'm going to be as honest as usual in my review.
STRANGER THINGS
Um...I might have another disclaimer to make...I'm not a horror expert. I mean, I've read a good amount of books with horror in them, but not books that revolve around horror. While reading these stories, I recognised some of the classic tropes of course, and IMO, they got a great makeover, or were given an interesting twist. For the rest, I only can trust the authors' willingness to produce original content. Oh, and this is an indie book, but the quality is (un)surprisingly good (because I'm firmly convinced that only those who have indie prejudice will find it surprising). Just a handful of (genuine) typos, the same thing I recently found more than once in traditionally published books 😏. Also notable that a couple of these stories are openly queer, which apparently is far from common in horror. This been said, here are the shorties I found more outstanding, for different reasons.
Crashing Mirrors is my favourite story in here. It starts as a classic teen comedy (with a queer twist) featuring two naughty twins intent on fooling everyone with the typical sibling switch. It ends with the most unexpected (and creepy) consequence to their scam. Warning: this one features some ableist/sexist language, that clearly serves the purpose of establishing the twins' personality.
Store Macabre is a surrealistic piece about a...should I say "possessed"? department store, where all the most shocking/horrorish stuff happens - more often than not amidst the weird detachment of bystanders - while an unnamed Assistant draws a heavy and mysterious sack to the 14th floor. While the deadly store is not a new idea, the story as a whole is imaginative, matter-of-factly absurd and tragicomical. I'm not sure I understood the ending, but after a second read, I'm not sure the ending is meant to be understood either 😉.
It's Different When You Have Your Own is as short as it is unsettling. I can't say I liked it, but one thing's for sure: I'll never forget it. Which may be either a good or a bad thing 😂. Now I wish I knew how the author got the idea. Horror doesn't necessarily resides in blood and deadly creatures... [...]
Whole review here.
Pros: Revisits old horror tropes in a fresh way. Most stories are cunningly contrived, often with a nice twist.
Cons: Some of the tales have a surrealistic feel that may not be everybody's cup of tea.
Will appeal to: Readers who like both straight-up horror (though not of the extreme variety) and creepy atmospheres.
First off...DISCLAIMER: I have already reviewed works by two of these authors (Troy H. Gardner and Erin Callahan) in the past, that they sent me for free in exchange for a honest review. Also, I've worked with both of them as a beta-reader on a few occasions, and I especially have history with Erin. Nevertheless, I guarantee I'm going to be as honest as usual in my review.
STRANGER THINGS
Um...I might have another disclaimer to make...I'm not a horror expert. I mean, I've read a good amount of books with horror in them, but not books that revolve around horror. While reading these stories, I recognised some of the classic tropes of course, and IMO, they got a great makeover, or were given an interesting twist. For the rest, I only can trust the authors' willingness to produce original content. Oh, and this is an indie book, but the quality is (un)surprisingly good (because I'm firmly convinced that only those who have indie prejudice will find it surprising). Just a handful of (genuine) typos, the same thing I recently found more than once in traditionally published books 😏. Also notable that a couple of these stories are openly queer, which apparently is far from common in horror. This been said, here are the shorties I found more outstanding, for different reasons.
Crashing Mirrors is my favourite story in here. It starts as a classic teen comedy (with a queer twist) featuring two naughty twins intent on fooling everyone with the typical sibling switch. It ends with the most unexpected (and creepy) consequence to their scam. Warning: this one features some ableist/sexist language, that clearly serves the purpose of establishing the twins' personality.
Store Macabre is a surrealistic piece about a...should I say "possessed"? department store, where all the most shocking/horrorish stuff happens - more often than not amidst the weird detachment of bystanders - while an unnamed Assistant draws a heavy and mysterious sack to the 14th floor. While the deadly store is not a new idea, the story as a whole is imaginative, matter-of-factly absurd and tragicomical. I'm not sure I understood the ending, but after a second read, I'm not sure the ending is meant to be understood either 😉.
It's Different When You Have Your Own is as short as it is unsettling. I can't say I liked it, but one thing's for sure: I'll never forget it. Which may be either a good or a bad thing 😂. Now I wish I knew how the author got the idea. Horror doesn't necessarily resides in blood and deadly creatures... [...]
Whole review here.
March 9, 2016
This was really fun, my favorite short was the first one. I loved how it was LGBT because you rarely see that in Horror. I love the cover too.
November 6, 2016
This is a great intro into the horror genre. It reminds me of the old camp fire horror stories from my childhood. Though there is some adult language in some of the stories I did not find those word choices as anything a child above the age of 13 had not heard before in any action movie and or TV series.
July 17, 2023
3.5 ⭐️’s rounded down.
These story’s were creepy and spooky and left you wondering what you’d just read whilst trying to make sense of it.
I enjoyed the LGBTQ+ element of some of these stories as it’s not something you need in many horror books.
Quick and easy read for anyone new to horror reading.
These story’s were creepy and spooky and left you wondering what you’d just read whilst trying to make sense of it.
I enjoyed the LGBTQ+ element of some of these stories as it’s not something you need in many horror books.
Quick and easy read for anyone new to horror reading.
July 25, 2017
I absolutely loved these although they did not actually give me night terrors (And I did make a point to read them at night, in the dark).
I also loved that in the last story they added various trinkets from all of the preceding stories.
I also loved that in the last story they added various trinkets from all of the preceding stories.
February 7, 2017
if you like being scared, freaked out or any anyway into horror and mystery this is the book for you. 13 amazing tales of greatness from the first word to the last. Keeping you in suspense all the way. a must read
February 16, 2025
It's okay. Not bad for a free read on amazon. But maybe there's a reason why it's free.
May 28, 2022
An overall "meh" collection of stories, nothing really to get excited about.
I prefer psychological horror, and only the last story really appealed to my tastes in full. The story about the clown, although short, was rather enjoyable, but the rest really did nothing for me, and felt more gross than terrifying. Grossness doesn't always equate to horror.
I prefer psychological horror, and only the last story really appealed to my tastes in full. The story about the clown, although short, was rather enjoyable, but the rest really did nothing for me, and felt more gross than terrifying. Grossness doesn't always equate to horror.
April 16, 2024
A very good collection of creepy tales
I found a couple of stories that were hard to follow surprisingly by British authors . But the rest of the stories were easier to read and of a very high standard for the most part .
I found a couple of stories that were hard to follow surprisingly by British authors . But the rest of the stories were easier to read and of a very high standard for the most part .
October 15, 2023
13 short stories all written well, but they didn't draw me in and struggled to hold my interest at times.
October 17, 2022
Crashing Mirrors - Well I wasn't expecting that ending, it was a complete twist! Bravo to the author. Whilst the writing did leave a little to be desired it was more than made up for with the story and that shock twist.
🎃🎃🎃 out of 5
Ad Infinitum - aw this was so good! I absolutely loved the ambiguity that the story had and coupled with that story of chaotic way the story was being told to us, it was just brilliantly done. I love that whole crazed vibe and this story certainly had a lot of it.
🎃🎃🎃🎃 out of 5.
Black Holes - well this was fucking traumatising. Jfc. This was actually quite a horrific story, and it made me feel genuinely sick when I finished reading it :))))) bravo to the author though, who clearly put their heart and soul into crafting such an eerie and tense atmosphere, coupled with an impeccable story.
🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃 out of 5.
Clown - oh my good lord, this book is genuinely trying to kill me. I hate clowns and I'm scared of the dark so this story, coupled with those fears was just about enough to tip me over the edge to a full blown breakdown. This was so tense and genuinely creepy, it felt dark and it was incredibly hard not to imagine the scene in your head. It was a lot.
🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃 out of 5.
Back Home - this one was actually quite sad, a tale of loss and ghosts. It was very well done I just didn't feel the same thrill I felt with some of the others unfortunately.
🎃🎃🎃 out of 5.
Waiting For The Wolf - a shorter story that definitely packed a punch! I loved the ending and the whole chain mail vibe of this story just took me back to my younger days. I was just disappointed it wasn't longer to allow that tension to build, but it did do well in time it had.
🎃🎃🎃🎃 out of 5.
Store Macabre - DNFR.
Search History - while I did enjoy this one I felt a little mislead by the title, I was expecting something different which was a shame. Aside from that, the story was really good, I loved the way the notes formed a puzzle for Mary but also encouraged the tense feeling for the reader too. The ending did feel a bit of a let down though.
🎃🎃🎃 out of 5.
Gone For Good - I think this one was just too long and didn't have enough substance to it. Plus I guessed the ending like straight away so.
🎃🎃 out of 5.
One and Done - I was more confused by this one tbh, there were points that didn't really make sense and that spoiled it for me a bit. It did have a lot of potential though!
🎃🎃 out of 5.
Blackened Fireworks - I'm in 2 minds about this as the actual story was good and I really liked it, it was a compact read that packed a punch. But, the ending did seem a little odd, and could have ended better.
🎃🎃🎃 out of 5.
It's Different When You Have Your Own - WTF did I just read. I genuinely think this was the most disturbing one of them all.
🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃 out of 5.
The House Sitter - I feel disappointed :( this was such a good story and had everything you need to be frightened, it was tense and atmospheric and it made you fearful of things that go bump in the night. It was creepy and eerie and ghostly and I was terrified to move whilst I read it. But the ending, the ending sucked and really let the story down.
🎃🎃🎃 out of 5.
On the whole, this was a really good collection of short horror stories and while some were better than others I definitely would recommend this one!
🎃🎃🎃 out of 5
Ad Infinitum - aw this was so good! I absolutely loved the ambiguity that the story had and coupled with that story of chaotic way the story was being told to us, it was just brilliantly done. I love that whole crazed vibe and this story certainly had a lot of it.
🎃🎃🎃🎃 out of 5.
Black Holes - well this was fucking traumatising. Jfc. This was actually quite a horrific story, and it made me feel genuinely sick when I finished reading it :))))) bravo to the author though, who clearly put their heart and soul into crafting such an eerie and tense atmosphere, coupled with an impeccable story.
🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃 out of 5.
Clown - oh my good lord, this book is genuinely trying to kill me. I hate clowns and I'm scared of the dark so this story, coupled with those fears was just about enough to tip me over the edge to a full blown breakdown. This was so tense and genuinely creepy, it felt dark and it was incredibly hard not to imagine the scene in your head. It was a lot.
🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃 out of 5.
Back Home - this one was actually quite sad, a tale of loss and ghosts. It was very well done I just didn't feel the same thrill I felt with some of the others unfortunately.
🎃🎃🎃 out of 5.
Waiting For The Wolf - a shorter story that definitely packed a punch! I loved the ending and the whole chain mail vibe of this story just took me back to my younger days. I was just disappointed it wasn't longer to allow that tension to build, but it did do well in time it had.
🎃🎃🎃🎃 out of 5.
Store Macabre - DNFR.
Search History - while I did enjoy this one I felt a little mislead by the title, I was expecting something different which was a shame. Aside from that, the story was really good, I loved the way the notes formed a puzzle for Mary but also encouraged the tense feeling for the reader too. The ending did feel a bit of a let down though.
🎃🎃🎃 out of 5.
Gone For Good - I think this one was just too long and didn't have enough substance to it. Plus I guessed the ending like straight away so.
🎃🎃 out of 5.
One and Done - I was more confused by this one tbh, there were points that didn't really make sense and that spoiled it for me a bit. It did have a lot of potential though!
🎃🎃 out of 5.
Blackened Fireworks - I'm in 2 minds about this as the actual story was good and I really liked it, it was a compact read that packed a punch. But, the ending did seem a little odd, and could have ended better.
🎃🎃🎃 out of 5.
It's Different When You Have Your Own - WTF did I just read. I genuinely think this was the most disturbing one of them all.
🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃 out of 5.
The House Sitter - I feel disappointed :( this was such a good story and had everything you need to be frightened, it was tense and atmospheric and it made you fearful of things that go bump in the night. It was creepy and eerie and ghostly and I was terrified to move whilst I read it. But the ending, the ending sucked and really let the story down.
🎃🎃🎃 out of 5.
On the whole, this was a really good collection of short horror stories and while some were better than others I definitely would recommend this one!
September 22, 2024
This is such a good short horror book but not many of the stories are that scary and that’s a bit of a shame. The only one that scared me was the chapter about clowns as I am absolutely hate clowns and that stories creeped me out. All the other stories were written so well and told really good. It’s just now as terrifying as I accepted and that sadly let me down. But I would recommend this book to people as it’s a good book for the spooky season 👻 xxx
January 5, 2018
Eh. Not that scary, really. Well written, some, but I guess I've just read a bunch. They were intriguing, but I guess I expected more.
May 30, 2020
Most of the stories were just okay, there were just a few that really stood out, mainly the first and the last.
Final rating: 3.5
Final rating: 3.5
September 22, 2023
Some interesting horror stories. A very short read.
March 31, 2024
All of the stories in this anthology are fun and scary, but sadly none of them gave me night terrors :(
August 4, 2023
2.5✨ a compendium of short stories. A few of the stories were really good, others not so much. For me it was a mixed bag but still worth checking out if you enjoy short creepy stories.
June 5, 2019
Amazing
Had me turning page after page! This book had a lot of twists to each story! I would recommend this book!
Had me turning page after page! This book had a lot of twists to each story! I would recommend this book!
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews