Some Will Not Sleep: Selected Horrors

by Adam L.G. Nevill

A bestial face appears at windows in the night.
In the big white house on the hill angels are said to appear.
A forgotten tenant in an isolated building becomes addicted to milk.
A strange goddess is worshipped by a home-invading disciple.
The least remembered gods still haunt the oldest forests.
Cannibalism occurs in high society at the end of the world.
The sainted undead follow their prophet to the Great Dead Sea.
A confused and vengeful presence occupies the home of a first-time buyer . . .

In ghastly harmony with the nightmarish visions of the award-winning writer's novels, these stories blend a lifelong appreciation of horror culture with the grotesque fascinations and childlike terrors that are the author's own.

Adam Nevill's best early horror stories are collected here for the first time.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Fiction, Anthologies, Thriller, Horror Thriller, Paranormal

288 pages, Hardcover

First published October 31, 2016

About the author

ADAM L. G. NEVILL was born in Birmingham, England, in 1969 and grew up in England and New Zealand. He is an author of horror fiction. Of his novels, The Ritual, Last Days, No One Gets Out Alive and The Reddening were all winners of The August Derleth Award for Best Horror Novel. He has also published three collections of short stories, with Some Will Not Sleep winning the British Fantasy Award for Best Collection, 2017.

Imaginarium adapted The Ritual and No One Gets Out Alive into feature films and more of his work is currently in development for the screen.

The author lives in Devon, England.

Reviews

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lord have mercy!



I love me some scary books. This one is full of short stories but they are crazy train creepy. I mean I like some of them more than others, but they are crazy train peeps.

This book is also on Kindle Unlimited for those that have it.

I can't even wrap my head around some of those creepy stories. Lol

[Maxine (Booklover Catlady) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creepy Book Alert!.

In my opinion this IS absolutely still the best short story horror collection I’ve ever read. Grab this one if you love some terror in your life.

It's no big secret that Adam Nevill is my favourite horror author of all time. When I was invited to read this selection of some of his best short stories ever written it was like winning the lottery but without the money. I knew I was going on an adventure buy by golly I did not expect these tales to take me where they did! Be ready to get on the wagon rushing you over to the dark side.

Adam has chosen stories that have meaning to him and those that he believes have stood the test of time, they range from periods of his early writing days to much more current stories and every single one of them is totally unique.

Adam does not write cookie-cutter fiction, not only are all his successful novels very different from each other but each story in this deliciously dark collection all stand on their own merits.

I won't break down my thoughts on each story but I can tell you that I loved every single one. In some short story collections I find a few I love, a few middle ground and then those I could leave behind. No so with this creepy and dark collection, each one had me sucked in and engrossed in the dark worlds created by Adam's exceptional imagination. Nothing was expected, nothing was predictable.

I felt true and genuine fear in reading this book and very few books can do that to me. I had the little hairs on my arms standing too attention, dry mouth and a constant check on the shadows I could see in my room reading the Kindle in the dark. He made me feel afraid. Very afraid.

There is no other horror Author I have read that can pen so many different writing styles. Adam really is unique and so very talented. A stand out author that doesn't follow the crowd and thank God for that.




Nevill yet again took me INTO the story, it's hard to describe unless you have read his work but he has the ability to have you feeling emotions alongside characters, feeling disgusting things being described as if your hands are in the reality of the fiction.

Let's talk about smells - these are not scratch n sniff books but somehow Nevill can always make me small the foul stench, the smell of death, the filth, the evil as if I am in the room with it. It's quite disturbing.

I many times wondered if I was going to get sucked into a story and not come back out again, forever written into the plot with no way out. Visually, Nevill takes your senses and imagination to new and terrifying places. Certain scenes from these stories will stick with me forever, as clear as scenes from a movie.

Nevill has tackled different writing styles and settings and has pulled it off brilliantly. Much of it is based on places and times in his own life which he explains at the end of the book. From a story chasing an evil Mormon tribe of undead people in a Western setting (I was even reading the story with a cowboy twang American accent) that just works brilliantly up to it's graphic and powerful finale to a terrifying story of a house guest that just won't go. No ordinary house guest, a house guest from hell - that story was so exceptionally good it blew my mind, it awoke all the senses in me and then some.

To creatures in the wilds of Scandinavia, the very special pull of a mother's milk to toys that just want to come out and play Nevill takes you on a journey into horror, terror with concepts that you may not have read anywhere else. His work is a unique voice.

I love my horror but I read a lot of horror that claims to be terrifying and quite simply it's just not. I can read those books waiting and hoping to feel real chills and they never come.

I have come to the conclusion that you can write books with lots of scary things in it, grotesque creatures, dark scenes, gory moments BUT to be able to weave in and sprinkle real fear over those words is only done by the very best of artists in this genre. Adam Nevill is one of the very few that can take me to that terrified place.

I got half way through this book and was so unnerved reading in the dark that I had to put it down and pick up a women's fiction book to start reading, needing to "cleanse" before trying to sleep. This is very RARE for me. I think maybe 5 books in my lifetime had this impact.

This collection is just phenomenal, it needs to be on the shelf of every single fan of horror fiction. Nevill fans will love this for their treasured collection and if you have never read any of his books before this is not a bad place to start. Trust me - you are in for one hell of a treat. Nevill's version of "horror" can be anything from the ordinary to the extraordinary. Nothing escapes his touch.

A totally delectable and dark read, I liked the way each story just ran into the next one so it just keeps flowing, the cover artwork is highly fitting and yet again Adam Nevill has proven to me why he is my No.1 Horror Author. He just goes places where others don't and was born to do this. I recommend this with every confidence that the reader will also love it.

I received a gorgeous hardback copy of this book direct from the author in exchange for a fair and honest, professional book review, many thanks Adam. Still your No.1 Fan!

::~~~~~~:::::~~~~~:::::~~~~~:::::~~~~~~::

Thanks so much for reading my review!
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[Ginger · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 STARS!!
Some of the short stories were excellent and others lost focus and had confusing endings. So I will rate each story seperately to help out on whether you want to take on Some Will Not Sleep. I do love Adam Nevill's writing. He's so creative and descriptive on the creepy shit!

Where Angels Come In
4 STARS! I loved this one and it was one of the more creepier and scarier short stories in the book.

The Original Occupant
3 stars - It had the feel of The Ritual about it and I came to find out that Nevill wrote this short story before. Aha!
Stay away from the deep, dark woods of Sweden and Norway! hahaha

Mother's Milk
2 stars - Nah, just too weird and disgusting for me.

Yellow Teeth
4 STARS! I loved this one as well because Nevill brought out all my hoarding fears and being a prisoner in your own home. Yeah, I cleaned the house after reading this one. ha!

Pig Thing
2 stars - Had promise but lost direction at the end. Just a little too weird for me and I didn't understand the purpose of it.

What God Hath Wrought?
2 stars - It was okay. I liked the Old West period and location of Utah but thought it still didn't help with giving the short story some brillance. It was bland. Meh.

Doll Hands
2 stars - Just so weird and no direction again. It was creative but I wanted a purpose to the story.

To Forget and Be Forgotten
2 stars - This had a cool start and I was excited to see where the creepiness and scare factor would go. And then Nevill wrote a strange ending and ruined the whole damn story.

The Ancestors
4 STARS! - I think this was my favorite in the whole book. I loved the Asian horror feel to the story along with all the toys. Gasp!! This was well done from beginning to end!

The Age of Entitlement
3 stars - Not really a horror story but not bad. I liked how supressed feelings end up coming out stronger then what was planned.

Florrie
4 STARS! - I liked the concept of moving into an old home that's furnished with old furniture and what happens when you try to renovate. Yeah, it was creepy.

[Elle_bow 🩷 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall this book was really good. Most of the short stories were super unique and fun to read (and straight up terrifying). Although I think it’ll be easier to quickly rate each book with a small review instead of trying to sum up 11 different short stories.

Where Angels Come In - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Absolutely terrifying, straight up nightmare fuel.

The Original Occupant - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Eerie and creepy but I just read Frankenstein so old Victorian English writing is not it right now.

Mother’s Milk - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Excuse me?!?!

Yellow Teeth - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
That was wild but so well written and also super gross.

Pig Thing - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Really good, I just wanted a bit more description of the Pig Thing. That ending as well got me.

What God Hath Wrought? - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I loved this one. I’m a big sucker for westerns and I thought this one was amazing. I absolutely loved the story.

Doll Hands - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book did not go the way I was expecting and the very end was a bit confusing for me.

To Forget And Be Forgotten - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I loved the beginning but it kinda lost me in the end.

The Ancestors - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I thought it started off a lil slower but my jaw legit dropped by the end of it.

The Age Of Entitlement - ⭐️⭐️
It was okay but overall I just wasn’t really interested in this one.

Florrie - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I liked it but was a bit confused by the ending (once again lol).

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

SOME WILL NOT SLEEP: Selected Horrors is a collection featuring eleven of Adam L.G. Nevill’s early horror stories, as well as story notes that give us some insight into each tale’s origin. In any collection, I expect a mix when it comes to the contents, themselves. Some will—hopefully—impact me powerfully and prove memorable, whereas others simply won’t capture my attention as strongly, if at all. In Adam Nevill’s book, I was astonished to find seven stories that I, personally, felt were five-star material, three four-star, and only one three-star rating. A grouping of stories in one book that nearly ALL stayed with me is a very rare find.

As these stories were written during the years between 1995 through 2011 approximately, it shouldn’t have come as any great surprise when I realized I had read many of these in earlier anthologies (many “Best of . . .”). Adam Nevill’s writing style—no matter which type of narration he goes with—consistently impresses me in each of his stories. Simply put; this man can wield words with a precision that few others attain on a reliable basis. This is why his stories and novels have such a lingering, lasting effect on the reader, and one reason—I believe—that so many of these have made it into “Year’s Best” anthologies after their initial publications.

Regardless of the “type” of story—be it supernatural, psychological, graphic violence, or merely a growing sense of disquiet and unease—Nevill’s own voice contains a distinct quality that remains present in every tale he tells. It is this quality that makes his name so recognizable in the writing world.

Now, on to the stories in this collection!

The very first one, “Where Angels Come In” just so happens to be one of my favorite short stories—period. Before reading it in this collection, I had read it at least five times prior, and each time I felt like a kid, myself, examining a “haunted house” on a dare. Told from the point of view of a child, there’s just something significantly “different” in this tale that sets it apart from others with similar subject matter. Again, I feel this has much to do with the words Nevill uses to build his atmosphere. Coming from a youth’s standpoint, this was particularly effective in conveying the primal fear rooted in the base of our subconscious. This story is a solid five-star read, in my opinion, no matter how may times I re-read it.

“The Original Occupant” was a new read to me, and one in which the atmosphere is so perfectly detailed that I still shudder to think on some of the scenes. “What was once given, is missing. One will come to fetch it back.” Something older than man roams a cursed forest, and it doesn���t care if you believe in its legend, or not . . .

“Yellow Teeth” is a story I first read in Cemetery Dance’s BRITHISH INVASION. This one stayed with me in a more psychological sense as one of the characters comes off as either having some sort of “hidden knowledge” or another personality vying for dominance within him. The entire tale reminded me of a part of one of the author’s novels I’d recently read, and yet was so utterly complete as a story, on its own.

“Pig Thing” was a fantastic tale in that I could honestly believe in the characters’ actions and in the impressions that they “felt”. I’m a huge advocate of the use of a convincing atmosphere in a story of any size—the right environment can lead a reader to believe in events even if the characters themselves do not. In “Pig Thing”, Nevill’s use of a family’s recent move to a more remote location, and of old superstitions, play into the unsettling bush surrounding them. “. . . Maybe it took a four-year-old to see it properly . . .

“Doll Hands” is another type of story altogether, in my mind, and yet one that had me not only “accepting”, but also “believing” the state of the characters as fact. I found this to be a perfect example of an author using their words to transport the reader to an alien location, and immediately having them regard all of the characters’ words and actions as truth. “. . . I am a grain of seed that cannot escape her yellow teeth . . .”

Another of my personal favorites was “The Ancestors”. Told through the voice of a young Japanese girl, the true horror of this story was not so much in what was stated or shown to the reader, but rather in the innocent acceptance that the child in question shows. The things that she doesn’t think to doubt are enough to give any grown human nightmares.

My last specific story to mention is “Florrie”. This tale differs from many others in that it’s a much more “subtle” type of horror. For those that invest mentally into our narrator’s world, the darkness becomes all too real: “. . . overwhelmed by an unwelcome notion of age, its indignities, its steady erasure of who you had once been . . . "

As I commented earlier, there wasn’t a “bad” story—in my opinion—in this entire collection. Although I didn’t note each and every title, they all had places, characters, or quotes that took over my imagination for a time. This is, after all, what great authors do best. Adam Nevill certainly fits this definition, in my mind, and his books will always have a place on my shelves.

“Fade to grey. It became my motto . . . " (from “To Forget and be Forgotten”.)

Highest recommendation!

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very solid collection of shorts from Adam Nevill. I enjoyed every one of these twisted tales. Some were darker than others, but they were all very well written and enjoyable. Nicely done.

[Latasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of these stories were the craziest things I've read in a long time but none were bad.

[11811 (Eleven) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good stuff. One story was very similar to The Ritual but that's okay because that book was awesome. Another story was like a discarded rough draft of Under a Watchful Eye which was a little weird that he just threw that in there but still a solid four star collection.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

Some Will Not Sleep: Selected Horrors by Adam Nevill is a well put together book of short stories by one of the industries greatest writers today. Adam Nevill has become my favorite horror author over the last several years. He was always second to the wonderful Catherine Kiernan who just does not write enough these days. (She was my former favorite and still would be if she put out new material.) Those of you not familiar with Nevill, he is a talent not to be missed. Like most of the British horror these days, Nevill is more concerned with the buildup, the suspension, and the atmosphere over our American quick scares and gory action. His novels have literary value and can sit on the same shelves with the great authors of fiction.

In this collection we are treated to a vast array of story lines, places, and you types of horror by Nevill. They all have his touch and flair and some work really well. For those of you who know me, know that I normally am not a fan of short fiction. I felt that I appreciate his writing style so much that I had genuine interest in reading his short stories as well as his early stuff.


If you have not read an Adam Nevill novel and are a fan of the horror genre than do yourself a favor and put him next on your list to read. He is an author not to be missed. Some Will Not Sleep: Selected Horrors would be a great starting point for new readers as he touches on all the areas that make him a gifted writer of the macabre.

[Rachael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had read the taster selection for this book last year (Before you sleep) and funnily, it contained my favourite stories from this expanded collection.

The majority of these tales are fantastically creepy, are great quality and have an unsettling undercurrent that Adam Neville excels at. He writes childrens' thoughts and speech patterns particularly well.

A few of the stories are less horror and lean more towards science fiction or just the epically strange.

My personal favourite story is 'Florrie' in which a young man begins to gradually change after moving into an old house. His nostalgic recollections of the food, television and decor of his youth made me feel very cosy, so I'm off to watch countdown in front of the 3 bar fire with a Fish finger sandwich, because for some reason I don't feel like ever leaving the house...

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first time I have read this author and I am glad I did. Different stories to creep you out to the point you might think your in the twilight zone. Loved the different stories and the way the author grabs you and doesn't let you go. Four stars for this one.

[Badseedgirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Where Angels Come In" was so deliciously creepy. It has been a long time since I have had a really good creep-out from any story, but this one did it. The collection would be worth at least four stars just for that tale, but the rest were good reads also. Especially "Pig Thing".

[C.F. Page · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy crap. Banger after banger, this collection is grade-A horror. Some Will Not Sleep showcases some of the best horror stories I’ve ever read; not just well-written, but fundamentally unnerving. Nevill understands the nuance of horror, and that ofttimes what isn’t said is scarier than what is. To say the least, this might actually the scariest collection I’ve ever read; a few of these stories really got under my skin.

I can confidently say—since this is the seventh book I’ve read by Nevill—that he is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, conjurer of descriptive prose of any living horror writer. He shows, never tells.

My favorite stories were “Where Angels Come In,” “Mother’s Milk,” “To Forget and Be Forgotten,” and “The Ancestors,” but all of them were good.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

[Sara Saif · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was great! It wasn't over-long, the stories were creepy but intelligently told and most of them evoked a sense of horror inside me in small and some not-so-small measures.

Where Angels Come In:
My first thought, when I finished this, was that it was kiddie version of IT. A KIDDIE version of IT. This is ironic on so many levels but anyway. What I look for the most while reading short stories is the sense of completeness. No matter how short it is I should be able to feel that it had a beginning and an end. While short stories almost always end on vague notes, this story and the others managed that for me.

The Original Occupant:
An old house in the middle of nowhere being barged in by a sinister, unknown presence. Classic stuff. Also, scary.

Mother's Milk:
Extremely gross but extremely, uniquely horrifying. There are so many times you have to make peace with things you want more explanations of but once you achieve to take them as they are the experience becomes more enjoyable. Here, for example, I was bursting with the need to know more but when the author ended the story I knew it had done what it meant to: to nauseate me so much I would be glad it was over.

Yellow Teeth:
This was brilliant. I felt repulsion, frustration and dread deep inside me. It told me enough to feel these things and be invested in the outcome while left enough blank spaces for me to try to fill them on my own and draw my own conclusions, which were NOT NICE.

Pig Thing:
Another classic: hiding inside while the monster lurks outside and tries to hunt you down. BUT WITH A TWIST. *screams*

What God Hath Wrought:
Westerns can be fun but tedious too. This was definitely fun. Again, it had me invested completely, intrigued and surprised me with the creativity in it.

Doll Hands:
The part of my brain that transforms the words on the page into a film inside my head was on full swing when I read this. I felt myself transported but the world was so terrifying I wish I hadn't. NOT NICE AT ALL.

To Forget and Be Forgotten:
Probably my least favorite but with no less weirdness involved than all the rest. The climax was awesome. It was exactly what a horror thriller is supposed to be like.

The Ancestors:
Dolls. Do I need to say more? The climax of this one too was smart and horrible but awesome.

The Age of Entitlement:
There was nothing supernatural in the story but the story certainly had that vibe. The actual 'horror' part is pretty grounded, aka, a psychopath, not Doctor Who-esque Sleeping Angels as I had originally suspected. You know what though? I'm on the psychopath's side in this one.

Florrie:
Like that animated movie about a haunted house but much, much worse.

All in all, this was excellent.

[Andi Rawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finally got around to reading Adam Nevill and only wish that I had done so sooner, this man is amazing. I had originally bought a limited copy of Some Will Not Sleep as a bundle with a T-shirt and bookmark from Adam's online store, Ritual Limited, but also ended up buying the e-book so that I didn't have to smudge my gorgeous copy. That book cover was all the convincing I needed to know that I needed it in my collection.

I have a love/hate relationship with most short story collections, as it sometimes feels like authors like to squeeze in their garbage stories just to get them published, sandwiched between reprints and the few good stories that hooked you into buying it in the first place. There was not a single story in Some Will Not Sleep that I didn't love or that I think was less than stellar. The stories are creepy in a way that most authors can't pull off. With a blend of folklore mixed with the utterly irrational and bizarre, it's unsettling in a way that makes you want to crawl under the covers of your bed like a child, from the things lurking outside that shouldn't exist. I'm pretty sure that more than 'some' will not be sleeping after reading this.

I had previously read Adam's free 3-story collection called Before You Sleep which has one story that isn't in this collection and it's also very good. The plan at this point is to pretty much just read everything this man writes from here on out, he's -that- good.

I did not receive a free copy. I bought both the limited edition version and the e-book and they were both worth it. :)

[James Parsons · Rating 4 out of 5]

These were the first short stories I have read from this author, and I was not entirely sure what to expect. He had built up a good respectable reputation here in the UK over the last decade or more with his novels. These tales though were all very varied and different.
Yes, there is the influence of authors such as Clive Barker, M.R. James, Ramsey Campbell through some of the stories. Some of them seem mundane or ordinary to start with before revealing some chilling truth or terror. There were two or three which I thought did not entirely work too well, but I understood what he had been trying to do and that was admirable anyway. While not all of the tales may have been amazing, I will say that most of the time the way that Nevill writes his prose and style is always very good. This book may be a good starting point if you have not read his books.

[👑 💀 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Collection Will Not Sleep

This book marks one of the best horror story collections I’ve read to date—if not the best overall. Few authors can rival Nevill’s liquid prose, disturbing characters, bizarre settings, and above all, his quiet unraveling of mind-blasting horror. Not since reading H.P. Lovecraft’s works as a teen have I been so inspired yet so distressed with conflicting emotions of wonder and terror, fascination and awe. While I’ve always considered Nevill a competent novelist, his short-fiction craft is nonpareil. I won’t be surprised if many of the stories in this collection find their ways to “classic horror fiction” lists across the web over the coming decades.

[L J Field · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superlative collection

This book contains 11 short stories of horror fiction -- and every one of them is gold. This is very difficult to pull off even if you are building a collection of various authors with their best work. I am amazed at the high level of accomplishment in the telling of each tale. I've read only two of Adam Nevill's seven novels, but now I am moving some of his others to the top of my pile. The two I'd read were very good, but these short stories really knocked me out. A+ work.

[Arun Divakar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first book by Adam Nevill and the amount of depth he brings into some of the stories in this collection was pretty much mind-blowing. What really stood out was his ability to take things we use in daily life like milk, toys, utensils and infuse into them a feeling of unfamiliarity that evokes dread and an indescribable creeping terror that slowly builds up.

Here are the stories and what they made me feel :

Where Angels come in : Apart from the glorification in religious literature and fairy tales, have you ever wondered how terrifying an entity like an Angel would be ? That smug superiority over mere mortals, the absolute certainty of being the chosen ones of God would all be quite terrifying to behold if you ever met an Angel. Imagine a naïve, curious child coming face to face with an immortal entity like an Angel in a dilapidated building. 4 stars.

The Original Occupant : Bearing witness to the wild unknowns of the planet is quite a humbling experience. There is an insignificance that you feel in a large jungle, a desert or in the ocean which makes you see life from a different perspective. From a secluded life in a bustling metropolis, one man sets out to find a niche in the wild unknown and ends up finding more than what he bargained for. 3 stars.

Mother’s Milk : Milk can be terrifying and quite revolting if you are not careful enough. 3 stars.

Yellow Teeth : Finding old acquaintances and trying to rekindle old memories can sometimes be a terrifying experience. This story is more along the lines of being very disturbing than being actual horror. 2 stars.

Pig Thing : There are two narrative positions to this story. The first and the more effective part is when a monster story is viewed through the eyes of a small child and the second is when a much older woman’s viewpoint is revealed. If it stuck to the child’s view, this would have been much more chilling. 3 stars.

What God hath wrought : At the surface this is a Zombie thriller set in the Wild West but dig deeper and you find the thorns of abandonment, poverty and hopelessness pricking your skin. Among all the stories in this collection, this one has the most stunning landscapes and the most vivid action sequences. It is Roland the Gunslinger meets Mad Max meets Dawn of the Dead. 4 stars.

Doll Hands : A post-apocalyptic world where human beings live like oddly misshapen creatures that resort to cannibalism and how easy it is for a person’s mental state to break down amidst such dreariness. 2 stars.

To Forget and be Forgotten : This one while it has it’s moments felt like a mishmash of Where Angels come in and Doll Hands. 2 stars.

The Ancestors : This is hands down the most terrifying story of them all. A toy or a doll is like putty in the hands of a good horror writer and with enough imagination, you can turn it into the stuff of nightmares. 4 stars.

The Age of Entitlement : Right from the get-go, this story gives you an idea as to how it will end and there are no surprises either. It is an exploration of how pent up rage and scorn can explode into nasty outcomes set against the backdrop of an England worn down by WWII. 2 stars.

Florrie: This story is what happens when it is not a haunted house but haunted furniture that gets to you. The slow mental unravelling of the protagonist was where the horror was hidden in this tale. 3 stars.

[Neil Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been reading a lot of horror collections and anthologies recently, and this is the finest I've come across. Dark, speculative fiction at its best.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a neat collection of surreal horror with themes that resonate with me, like isolation and despair, as well as resentment curdling into insanity. Many of the stories are told in a child-like tone, which gives the monsters here an impressive menace, aided by their very incomprehensibility to the narrators. The prose is quite good as well, but some of the stories blend together and some are a bit generic. One of the best stories is a Western-style zombie/vampire tale, but even it echoes Barron and Langan maybe too much. This book may work better for those edging into the current horror scene than old hands, but this is solid modern horror well-told, and I will read more of the author's work very soon.

[Simon Dalton · Rating 2 out of 5]

The opening story for this collection had me worried. The writing came off as juvenile, I believe on purpose, as it’s written from the first-person perspective of a child, but it didn’t land for me. The story didn’t reflect what I’d come to expect from the author’s previous works. Luckily, it begins to pick up with some of the later stories and got me re-engaged. I particularly enjoyed ‘Yellow Teeth’ and ‘What God Hath Wrought?’ Overall, the stories are hit or miss, but I think it’s definitely worth a read.

[Kayleigh Marie Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best short story collection I've ever read.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seems entirely apt, what with Halloween being just around the corner, that this week’s review falls squarely into the horror genre. Some Will Not Sleep is collection of Adam Nevill’s short fiction that were original published in the period between 1995 to 2011. Eleven wonderfully macabre tales that cover the whole gamut of the horrific. The supernatural rubs shoulders with the bizarre, body horror and psychological trauma walk hand in hand. What can else can I say, there is something here for every fan of dark fiction which ever flavour you prefer.

Where Angels Come In – Things kick off in a grand fashion. The local haunted house and three boys trying to out dare one another. What could possibly go wrong? You can’t beat a haunted house story. There are some nicely creepy moments going on here.

Original Occupant – A man dreams of solitude, of getting away from it all. A remote cottage in Sweden forest seems like the ideal place to find that peace. Sadly, he finds he is not entirely alone. There is something inherently appealing about bringing horror and isolation together. I suspect we are often at our weakest when we are alone. This story plays with that idea to great effect.

Mother’s Milk – It should be the most natural thing in the world, a mother’s milk. In this tale Nevill manages to twist it into something far more sinister. If this story doesn’t put you off drinking milk, then I don’t expect anything will. A strange semi-human family live in the woods. Their only source of sustenance? The mother’s milk. Turns out addiction and body horror are a heady mix.

Yellow Teeth – We’ve all been there. Someone has invaded your personal space and made themselves at home. Is there anything worse than an unwelcome houseguest? How about a religious nut who can’t take the hint when it comes to overstaying his welcome?

Pig Thing – Hector, Jack and Lozzy live with their parents on a remote farmstead in New Zealand. A monstrous creature terrorises this British family who have immigrated to the back of beyond. Perhaps their nearest neighbours will be able to help? I’m a big fan of the Outback classic Razorback. Pig Thing easily be set in the same universe.

What God Hath Wrought? – A gnarled old gold prospector meets a mysterious soldier out on the prairie and so begins a classic tale of Western vengeance.

Doll Hands – Based on this story’s title you may be forgiven for thinking this tale features Donald Trump. (It doesn’t, thank goodness). It does however manage to be a damning exploration of the class system. In the future, with society is on its last legs, those who can afford it still get to eat, no matter where the protein comes from.

To Forget and Be Forgotten – Jack is a night watchman who wants nothing more than to be left alone. The residents in the building he patrols have very different ideas. This starts off very normal and spirals off on a weird, slightly surreal tangent. For someone who is a fan of peace and quiet, this story particularly appealed.

The Ancestors – Yuki has a special friend called Maho. Maho has all the best toys. I’ll be honest, one of the things that really freaks me out is creepy children. The first, and only, time I watched Ringu I had terrible nightmares and woke up screaming. This story properly messed with my head. Subtle, but with an ever growing sense of unease, you just know things are going to end badly.

The Age of Entitlement – Toby really is the worst friend in the world, frankly he is just plain rude. His travelling companion has had more than enough of his boorish ways and decides something needs to be done. For reasons I would have difficulty adequately explaining, this story reminded me of Tales of the Unexpected. You remember, that wonderfully dark anthology show from the nineteen eighties whose stories often ended on a delightfully dark note.

Florrie – Frank has grand plans for his new house but there is a presence there that has other ideas. We round things off with another tale of isolation and introspection. The scariest thing about this story is that viewed one way, it all sounds as though it could be frighteningly real. I think Adam Nevill may have saved the best story for last. There is something heartbreakingly sad about Florrie. I loved it.

As an added bonus the anthology also contains some of the author’s notes and details of the publication history for each story. This additional insight helps to frame the collection and also sheds some light on the themes and ideas that makes Adam Nevill tick. As a relatively new fan of this author’s work, I’ve only read No One Gets Out Alive and Lost Girl so far, it is fascinating to explore some of his earlier short fiction. It is always interesting to see the evolution of an author. Being able to compare his most recent work and Some Will Not Sleep was a perfect way to do this. This experience has certainly made me more keen to visit the rest of this author’s back catalogue.

[clumsyplankton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good. If you like short horror stories you’ll find something in here that appeals to you

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was initially given an ARC of this book, but once I'd seen Ritual Press' hardback signed version I just had to buy a copy. Before I delve into the stories, a word has to be said about the production quality of the copy I received. In short, it is superb. The spec of the imprint includes 120gsm Munken Pure paper and the cover bound in Wibalin boards with printed endpapers, together with a foiled spine and head and tail bands. This boosted my reading experience to the next level as the thick, smooth paper was a delight to run your hands over and the actual smell of the book was divine (or should I say infernal?)
Anyhow, on to the stories themselves. Something that strikes the reader right from the outset is the sheer descriptive quality of Nevill's prose. This is a central strand of his author 'voice' running consistently through these tales, although the storytelling style can be quite diverse - something which is explained in Nevill's author's notes at the end of the book. In this respect, the author can be likened to a progressive rock band in the sense that Nevill constantly experiments with style and narrator's voice in the same way that, for example, Rush, did not stand still from the seventies through to the present day with their musical output. The product has the author/musician's unmistakable signature, but it does not stay static, fixed in a desperate attempt to adhere to a winning formula.
In 'Some will not sleep' (SWNS), as is Nevill's wont, the horror is often seen in the peripheral vision, hinted at rather than displayed full frontal, as it were. This makes the tales all the more terrifying. I'm not going to give a run-down of each story; rather, mention a few highlights.
Keeping the reader on the edge of their seat is difficult to achieve in written horror these days, but through use of rich descriptions that link setting and characters seamlessly, the author plays to the strengths of the written word. In 'What God hath Wrought', for example, Nevill paints mini-scenes depicting confrontations with the half-dead spaced out staccatto-fashion as a US dragoon deals death with his sword, 'Wrist-breaker.' Other tales horrify by exploring amplification of the merely irritating into a helter-skelter descent into terror. In 'Yellow teeth', a home invasion by a malignant narcissist turns into the awakening of an ancient horror. Yet the most disturbing part for me was the unfolding of the said antagonist's influence as he ransacks the main character's pristinely organised house and leaves it a den of squalor - something that flipped my horror switches as it conflicts with my personal OCD leanings.
Nevill's narrative voice takes on a simpler tone in 'Mother's milk' as we witness the gradual entrapment borne of dependency that a simple man experiences. As the title suggests, the source of addiction is far from ordinary.
The variety of tone and setting make this horror anthology stand out. Whether it be the Lovecraftian slant on a haunted house theme, or the future dystopian vision of a resident's home, nestled in a world cloaked with a chemically toxic atmosphere. In this tale, 'Doll Hands', cannibals' dishes are served to order using a social underclass of 'livestock.'
Mix these premises with the disappearance of a man who holes himself up in a remote, and wintry Swedish landscape; or an oriental-flavoured short featuring miniature terrors from the viewpoint of a child, and you have the recipe for a rewarding read this halloween.

'Some will not sleep' is available in ebook form from the usual retailers:

US Amazon - https://amzn.com/B01LBBQV7W
UK Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01LBBQV7W

But I strongly recommend the hardback version that you can obtain while stocks last from Adam's own website - http://www.adamlgnevill.com/

[Tom Breen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The spirit of MR James hovers over many of these stories, but never in a way that feels obvious or like a pastiche. Instead, Nevill takes James' sense of estrangement and unease and threads it through scenarios as disparate as a night porter in a luxury apartment building being asked to watch over an elderly tenant to the sinister way a seemingly mundane old house impresses its character on its new owner. Among other pleasures of this book is that Nevill is one of the few writers of weird fiction to offer a sustained and insightful approach to the implications of growing old in a society that often treats its elderly as bothersome afterthoughts. A splendid command of language and a genuinely original imagination characterize these stories.

[Brandon Petry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adam Nevill's Some Will Not Sleep: Selected HorrorsSome Will Not Sleep is a superb collection of literary horror. My favorite of these stories included images, scenes, and monsters that burrowed into head and refused to leave. I've re-read "Pig Thing" a few times already.

Adam Nevill's The Ritual and Last Days kept popping up as recommendations from various sources. And when a recent favorite author, T.E. Grau mentioned his love of Nevill's writing during an episode of This is Horror, I went shopping on my kindle.


That led me to picking up a free copy of Before You Sleep (a teaser eBook that includes 3 short stories from this collection: "Where Angels Come In," "The Ancestors," and "Florrie"). I read the first story, "Where Angels Come In" and immediately bought a physical copy of Some Will Not Sleep. And I'm glad I did.

Listening to the three part interview Nevill recently did with This is Horror, I learned this is the first book he's publishing under his own Ritual Limited company. He released a limited edition hardback first and then a paperback and eBook version. The paperback is beautiful. Designed with care and a clear aesthetic that I wish more horror publishers would take with their products. You can tell how much work and thought went into making this. Clearly a labor of love and I'm thankful I stumbled upon that first story. I'm a full on fan boy now and can't wait to read more of Nevill's work and support his efforts with my money.

My favorite stories were:
"Pig Thing"
"Where Angels Come In"
"To Forget and Be Forgotten"
"Florrie"

Though I really enjoyed:
"Yellow Teeth"
"The Ancestors"
"What God Hath Wrought?"

The volume's wrapped up with a "story notes" section. I love it when authors take the time to do this. For a writer and reader like me it really adds to my overall enjoyment.

This is great literary horror and well worth checking out. If the free stories from Before You Sleep don't impress you than I'd skip the whole collection as it's not going to be your thing.

If you are a fan, you can go over to the authors website and sign up for the newsletter and he will send you a free eBook, Cries from the Crypt of selected essays, rare short stories and lost chapters from previous novels.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

When, earlier this year, I found out that Adam Nevill was going to publish a collection of short stories, I was absolutely thrilled. I had just come off the works of Ligotti and Blackwood, and was craving for more. You see, I've long held the belief that the skill of an author - especially in the horror genre - can best be judged by how effectively he/she manages to deliver a tale to send shivers down your spine in just the space of a few pages. Very few manage to do so for me, personally, and even fewer with originality and an inventiveness that goes beyond the comfortable and the established.

This is where Adam comes in. The first of his novels I got my hands on was 'The Ritual', and I was immediately entranced. Here was an author who surprised me at every turn, whose feel for the 'outre', the strange and weird made me - literally - shudder with pleasure. Needless to say I have since devoured everything he has written.

Keeping in mind what I've just said you might understand why I felt almost nervous when I first picked up 'Some Will Not Sleep' (for the sake of fairness: I received an advance digital copy; but my order for the hardcover beauty still stands). I'd vowed to myself to put it aside until I'd finished the novel I was reading at that time, but I just couldn't. Once I was home from work, I picked up my iPad, locked the door and tore through the first stories (still re-reading the ones I'd already come across in 'Before You Sleep').

Throughout all of these stories, Adam's talent manages to shine (darkly, of course, as cheerful sparkles would be more than out of place in this area of literature). His style of writing is as evocative as it has ever been, painting dark and gruesome scenes in your mind but giving you just the right amount of information, never too much, never too little. He does what he can do better than any contemporary author I'm following, and that is to suggest. He won't feed you a definitive explanation - which is not to say that all of these stories are open-ended - he'll rather build a world and throw us, the reader, smack in the middle of it, without any divine understanding or guidance. We experience the stories much like a human experiences life - one is only wiser after it is all done, and even then we never have all the answers. Which is also possibly what creates the atmosphere of dread so inherently present in all of Adam Neville's writing: if we don't know what is happening, and why, how can we know it won't happen to us?
As H.P. Lovecraft once reportedly said: "The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown."

I could gush here endlessly, about how I love Adam's writing, and even about how great a person he is, but I'd rather have the stories speak for themselves. They have a lot to tell - and show - you.

[B.P. Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

What are we reading?: Some Will Not Sleep: Selected Horrors by Adam LG Nevill.

Give me the short version: Think you know horror? Will you know it when it fumbles along your face in the dead of night, presses flabby flesh across your gaping lips?

Some Will Not Sleep’s Halloween release is rushing at us on pattering little feet but by a stroke of fortune I got my grubby paws on an advance e-copy in exchange for an honest review. Cut a long story short I’m now gagging to buy the limited edition hardcover with its eerie artwork as soon as the new store comes online.

Quite the labour of love, Some Will Not Sleep is Mr Nevill’s first collection of shorts. An author who writes fluently and often about his work, he includes fascinating backstory on how these were compiled.

The most enchanting thing about Some Will Not Sleep as a collection is its scope, you really get a sense of what Mr Nevill is capable of when the gloves come off. Honestly, it is impossible to adore every single piece an author puts out. Especially an author looking to extend themselves, because nobody’s brain is wired exactly like yours and other people often want to explore different side trails. That’s where the awesomeness of short stories comes in. You get variety, there’s something to push everyone’s sticky buttons. Over time you’re also furbished a smeared window on the development of the author’s obsessions.

Tackling horror and humanity Mr Nevill writes with his trademark flourishes of miserable, naked honesty; a direct challenge for you to look away, to try and deny this is happening. All the stories gave me the shudders but neck and neck my favourites were Mother’s Milk and What God Hath Wrought? for their unusualness and deep unsettling sense of transgression.

If, like me, you’d read the novels and thought you knew Nevill you have quite the treat coming. And if you have never heard of Mr Nevill you have quite the treat coming.

My favourite bit: “… as soon as I’m in the garden the grass catches my eye and holds my stare. It grows in my dreams. Sometimes in the middle of the night I imagine I’ve woken up face-down, and that I’m pushing my nose and mouth into the lawn’s soft pelt, sucking the sugary blades.”