Darkscapes

by Steven E. Wedel

A church congregation uses macabre methods to reclaim a lost lamb. A man on the brink of murder and suicide faces the truth of who he is. A nameless monster at the bottom of an old quarry captures souls and enslaves bodies. Explorers to another galaxy find terror in the petals of flowers covering a planet. An abused girl performs her last sex act on her father’s best friend. Ghosts invite a man to rejoin his lost wife and child at a mysterious Halloween party. These are just a few of the tales you’ll find in Darkscapes, a collection of 34 short stories that explore the unlit places we try to avoid. The darkness of the human soul, of loss, anger and revenge, as well as things that go bump in the night, are all waiting between the covers of Darkscapes.

210 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

I’ve been writing stories since I was a teenager dreaming of fame and fortune in the literary world. While I’m still waiting on the fortune part, I’ve published over 50 books, mostly in horror, but also in literary fiction, thrillers, Westerns, young adult, and children’s genres—sometimes under other names.

My writing tends to explore the darker sides of life, often blending the supernatural with raw human emotion. If you like slow-burn psychological horror with depth, you’ll probably find something on my shelf worth reading.

In my other lives, I’ve worked as a machinist, journalist, corporate writer, public relations guy, and English teacher. I have a master's degree in creative writing from the University of Oklahoma, and a background in journalism, too. I'm a lifelong Oklahoman, currently living in the central part of the state with a couple of dogs, a cat, and too many books.

When I'm not writing, I'm probably kayaking, camping, or spending time with my kids and grandkids.

Feel free to reach out—I enjoy connecting with readers.

Reviews

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of my (mostly) early short stories. No theme, just 34 stories.