It Came From the Darkness is a unique collection of drabbles (stories of 100 words exactly) and artwork, compiled by Red Cape Publishing and Philip Rogers 101 PR in aid of the Max the Brave Fund. A huge number of horror writers, poets, artists, and film makers have come together to support the cause and offer the reader something special. Each piece of writing begins with the same five words, but the stories themselves are all wonderfully varied. So dig in, take each tale one bloody bite at a time, and beware of what comes from the darkness. Includes stories from David Owain Hughes, Matthew V. Brockmeyer, Tim Lebbon, Lou Yardley, Cortney Palm, Lee Franklin, MJ Dixon, Singh Lall, and many, many more.
Author of The Broken Doll, parts 1 & 2, both released in 2017. Author of 6 collections of short horror stories: Embrace the Darkness, Tunnels, The Artist, Karma, The Place Between Worlds, and Home, as well as the horror novella Four. Author of a children's book, Grace and Bobo, co-written with his daughter. Editor of Indie Writers Review magazine, and co-founder of Red Cape Publishing P.J. also has stories in numerous anthologies.
It came from the darkness…. several creepy and spooky short stories and art that will sure haunt your dreams tonight.
I was intrigued by the idea of a collection of short stories each exactly 100 words. Would it work out? Would the stories be spooky/creepy/NOPE? After reading this collection I can give the answer to both these questions: HECK YES.
Each of the stories (or poems) start with It Came From The Darkness. Or well, 99% of them do. I found one that didn’t start that way which had me confused a bit. I did love that the title of the book comes back in each (or almost) story.
The stories are great, at least most of them were. Just like in any collection/anthology there are always a few that aren’t my cup of tea. But as I said, most of them were, most had my eyes racing over the words, drinking in all the darkness. They are short but to the point and most of them were very creepy/spooky/NOPE/gory. I loved that the authors could tell a scary tale in so few words. It definitely requires skills as I have also read longer short stories that missed a lot of things.
Sometimes it was a bit too gory for me, but then again, these days my stomach just cannot handle much it seems. But me from a couple of years ago would have loved the gory bits as she had no problem reading them (or watching them given I somehow managed to watch Elfen Lied while these days I can’t even go further than 5-10 minutes before I stop watching 😛 ).
I am not too sure how I felt about the artwork. Some I liked but others just weren’t my cup of tea. Plus, it definitely didn’t help that I read this one in Kindle.
All in all, I am so happy I found this book. This was definitely a good read, full of creepy things! I would recommend it.
I love to write drabbles, it's very challenging to keep a story within 100 words and leave an impression on the reader. Difficult! So, when you see so many talented authors churning out this amount, it's a book you want to read. Although there were a few I would rate as 3 and 4, I believe the 5-star is warranted because most of them are. Some of my favourites are from Justin Boote, Dale Parnell, P.J. Blakey-Novis, Lee Franklin, and Lou Yardley...just to name a few. Also, the artwork is fantastic.
Also, this is a charity anthology for an extremely important cause, so to be part of this is a privilege. Recommended for those who love those little slices of horror.
It Came from The Darkness is a charity anthology featuring some of the absolute best in horror fiction. It is compiled by Red Cape Publishing and Phillip Rogers PR 101 in aid of Max the Brave Fund. What I really enjoyed about this anthology was the 100-word piece allowance – it gave a teaser of what could be but largely left you hungering for more! The stories were deep, dark, and dangerous…it was stories in amongst stories. It felt like unravelling a Russian Doll. One thing was for sure – this book felt like two faces of an old coin – It Came from The Darkness but so many different interpretations of it.
It Came from The Darkness was my first read from Red Cape Publishing but wow those guys can really nail an anthology. Instantly recognisable names and some new writers to me coming together for a common goal. The descriptive writing had me clutching my kindle tighter, threatening to snap ( that wouldn’t be very clever!) this anthology had a wicked sense of power, each contributor had a keen sense of sophistication that has the book flowing like a powerful river…quietly existing but tempt it and it will consume you.
I can confidently say that this anthology didn’t have a bad story contained within it, but some just stood out.
The Visitor by Ross Baxter. This instantly blew me away. It’s the kind of story I love, pushing the boundaries between horror and mental health.
Captivating Love by Phillip Rogers. A beautifully haunting poem that isn’t scared to detail the emotion and the violence.
It Came from The Darkness by Tim Lebbon. A dark tale that has the shock factor contained within.
Death Penalty by Theresa Jacobs. This was by far my favourite story. I particularly enjoyed the thin line between murder and madness.
Honeycomb Face by Eric LaRocca. This story really doesn’t hold back on the intended violence. This one made me gasp aloud.
What Shadows Eat by Lou Yardley. Nobody does things that go bump in the night better than Lou Yardley. Another frightening tale that had me peering over my shoulder.
Shriekers by Gareth Clegg. Another favourite. The image created by Clegg was outstanding and for some reason gave me serious 28 days later vibes.
Tavern Whispers by Mark Cassell. I love a bit of creature horror and Cassell nailed it. I wanted to know more, read more. It was horrifying and perfectly gruesome.
It Came from The Darkness was a thoroughly entertaining and gruesome read. The writing was evocative and oozed emotional rawness. Make this your next read, not only is it for a great cause but you also get creepy storytelling of the highest order
There are a lot of stories in the book, some are good others are fantastic, but it’s not the sort of book you sit down are read page after page, I find it better to read a few pages every day or so.
So I saw this book being advertised by another writer and when I saw it was for a good cause, how could I say no? My entire young life was conventions, Tombolas and fundraisers, so a charity anthology was right up my street. So the book is not only a collection of 100-word stories but also poems and artwork. I loved the variation, and it broke the book up beautifully. The artwork by David was very creepy and very detailed. It added an air of mystery to the book cover. Suzie Yardley and Lou Yardley made the introduction for the book. As explained in the book summary, the book funds go towards the charity ‘Max The Brave’. The opening was by Max’s mother and aunty. Honestly, it was so moving. They talk about Max's deep love for books and the charities that helped him before his sad passing. Honestly, as an Honorary Aunt of a fantastic little bookworm myself, my heart broke for them. I have put more details below the article, including the Go Fund Me page.
The forwarding by the publishing company and Philip Rogers, who got the ball rolling, was an exciting read. I don't know about you guys, but I love a bit more background on projects like these, so it was a nice bit of insight. As an extra twist, every story or poem had to start with ‘It Came From The Darkness’. Now usually, as you may have noticed, I pop up all the authors involved above the review. However, as there were so many of them that contributed their work for this fantastic cause, and I don't want to give away plots and themes for all the stories. I have picked a couple that I am going to mention that stood out for me. “But Nat!” You cry, “that's just lazy reviewing!”. Well, kind reader, you're probably right. But don't fret. I will have the list of authors that I don't get round to mentioning below too.
To mention, these are in no particular order, so don't go sending me hate mail for my organisation. There's a Que for that, and my partner Daryl has been waiting a lot longer than anyone for me to organise my brain. So first on my long list is two by Tony Sands, who did Barry (or How Preston's Biggest Johnny Cash Tribute Act Faced Death And Survived), which was probably my favourite. This 100-word pulled me instantly. As a Johnny Cash fan, too, I found this pretty hilarious. The other one by Tony was Sweet Dreams, and It was very tense, so he completely shifted from horror comedy to horror dark. I love versatile writers like this, but sweet dreams made me wish the character didn't wake up. Poppy Dog by Lee Franklin sent a shiver down my spine, and in all fairness, if my dog were trapped in a bog, I wouldn't hesitate either.
Dark by Peter Germany left me feeling claustrophobic, so cheers, Pete. I felt like I was in a dark space and couldn't escape. But also great detail and work in setting the scene. Philip Rogers’s Captivating Love poem was eerie and enticing. The poem put me there in the background. I felt the characters fear and the sinister captor added to the poem.
Just a thing to bear in mind, drabbles as we call them- 100-word stories to most. Aren't as easy to do as most people think, so all these writers did an incredible job with 100 words. Moving swiftly along to my next favourite, Sleep, It Whispered by M.J Dixon, which also came with Artwork. M.j your combo made me fear getting a dog, so I think yours and Lee’s work should be next to each other. Thanks to you two, if I get a dog, it's avoiding swamps and bogs and sleeping in my room. Gemma Paul did a cracking poem that paid homage to beloved scream queens and famous horror icons. She also did some killer art (see what I did there, you can't say I haven't warned you). Her story ‘it came from the Darkness’ was also a good read. It made you take yourself into bed with a baseball bat, though. The Art and story reflected a pervasive fear of the monster under the bed.
Janine Pipe, also called ‘It Came From The Darkness’. The strong message of that story does hit home, of how truly broken humanity is. The demon who searches the surface to find humankind is already in its hell was an ingenious idea. Shadows Of The Mind hit home for me; the poem was so dark and, as someone who struggles with her inner demons, was relatable. Depression can make you sink to such horrible levels, and you feel that in this poem. Anna Laban’s was also hard to look away from; the message of the Art showed me reflections of my battles. You honestly feel so much pain and loss through the person's eyes. The poem encapsulated that so profoundly, Behind The Mask pulls at your heartstrings.
Till Death Do, Us Part by Dale Parnell was brutally good, and the Art that accompanies it by Cong Nguyen just added to this. The sheer vicious attitude towards his dead wife makes you want him to get what's coming to him. Dale also did another one I liked called ‘Where’s Mother’, all the creepy goodness that made me glad I don't have a basement. If I do get one, I hope I don't hear scratching at my door because I'll move house. Justin Boote’s Infection was fresh and different, and the concept is excellent, proving even the most innocent of things can be deadly. So I won't be sticking out my tongue for snowflakes anymore.
Laurence Saunders did two amazing stories with Schooled, and It came from the Darkness. The interactive piece is very well done. I felt like it was me in the story and looked over my shoulder a couple of times. The bedroom light flickering did not make this any better. But I did get reminded we seriously need to change the bulb. Schooled was a terrific and terrifying concept; it puts you into the scene of a school shooting and makes you not want to be there. Creature Of The Night by Alexander Churchyard and had a delicious twist, and as a person who likes to put a twist at the end. I appreciated this one. I mean, Egypt worships these critters for a reason, and indeed, after this story, I won't turn my back on one.
Who's There by Arthur M Harper was also one for the list for its little twist that made me chuckle. I could do with getting an anti-burglary system like that one. This Is Your Punishment by Tori Romero reminded me that I should talk to my family more because I really wouldn't want to be haunted by mom. However, I'm pretty sure I would be in less trouble than the character in this story. Bad Idea by Dave Jeffery also left an impression, the dark recesses of the mind can be terrifying indeed. I want to know what happened next because you could tell the madness was drilling into the character. Honestly, guys, this whole book had something for everyone. I mean, I still have more on my list. But I don't want to send you guys to sleep because of me droning on and on. One, it's a good read for sure, and Two, it's for a great cause; need I convince you further?
You will find all the links below to the list of incredible writers and their pieces below. Just because I didn't mention them, it doesn't mean their stories weren't good. It was just bloody hard picking through them. If you can donate to Max The Brave, do it because it's a great cause. So happy reading critters and remember if it came from the darkness, shut the door and hid in the cupboard. Because the bed isn't safe anymore.
Human Nature by C.L. Raven, The Visitor by Ross Baxter, Artwork by Aimee Laban, When the Earth Opened Up by C.M. Saunders, This Checkered Prison by Owen Townend, Figment by Alain Elliott, And the Darkness Followed by Roma Gray, Sleep by Bella Hamblin, Granny Goose by Bill 'Bloody Bill' Pon, Artwork by Leanne Blakey-Novis, It Came From The Darkness by Tim Lebbon, Blues for the Sinner by Mike T. Lyndon, Contact Tracing by John Ryan Howard, Stolen Colours by Carmilla Voiez, Death Penalty by Theresa Jacobs, Legend by D.J. Doyle, Egress by Monster Smith, Well of Madness by Joe Duncombe, Feast by Peter Hearn, Worse Things Happens At Sea by Michael Holiday, Honeycomb Face by Eric LaRocca, Identity by Sam Mason Bell, No Man's Land by Ian F. White,It Came From The Darkness by Jamie Evans Sleep, Tree by Bella Hamblin, Leviathan by Gareth Clegg, Fame by Laurence Saunders, It Only Takes One Something by Pat Higgins, Two-Cloaked by Huw Lloyd, These Four Walls by Paul Downey, Jane Doe by Russel Shor, What Shadows Eat by Lou Yardley, The Vampire by David Owain Hughes, It Came From The Darkness by Tony Newton, Delivered From Darkness by Paul Rogers, Artwork by Tiana Rogers, Eat, Martha by Matthew V. Brock Meyer, Its Breath On My Sister by Mark Anthony Smith, Its Mind Is Rage by Nick Stead, Let There Be Light by Laurence Saunders, Michael by Matthew Cash, The Runner by David Owain Hughes, It Came From The Darkness by Huw Lloyd, Shriekers by Gareth Clegg, Demons by Tony Newton, Lonely Man by L.A. Lopes, Artwork by Diane DaSilva & Larrysa Lupu-Chaplin. That's My... by Philip Rogers & Jack Conway, Behind. Mr President by P.J. Blakey-Novis, Mother R.I.P. by Martin W. Payne, Light by J.C. Michael. It Came From The Darkness by Pablo Raybould. Reader, Alone by Laurence Saunders, Melancholy by David Green, Dredge by Reece Connolly, Siren Song by Cortney Palm. Tavern Whispers by Mark Cassell, The Brooklyn Butcher by Monster Smith, The Gestation of Hate by Mark Steensland, Artwork by Art Autopsy, Soul Eater by J.A. Sullivan, The Chudail by Maya & Singh Lall, Traffic Incident by Dale Parnell, The Truth by Debbie Rochon, Your Blood, My Love by Jason McFiggins, Donor by David Owain Hughes, The Littlest Creature by Tony Mardon and Artwork by Tony Mardon. Never Ever by Sean Breathnach, Death In Paradise by David Owain Hughes, They're Still Out Here by Matt Doyle, Pure Evil by David Gaskin, Hexed Man's Lament by Clifford Beal, It Came From The Darkness by C.M. Angus, Split by P.J. Blakey-Novis, It Came From The Darkness by Charlie Steeds, The Skull of Wrath by V. Castro, Not Unpunished by Tracy Allen, Serial Killer Soliloquy by Danni Winn, Beguiled by Craig Fisher, It Came From The Darkness by Helen Laban, Artwork by Natasha Neale, Black Eyed Child by Tom Lee Rutter, Under the Cabinet by Debra Lamb, Chaos by Danni Winn, Artwork by Jonas Wolcher.
This is a collection of 100 word stories all starting with "It came from the darkness" and going from there. I'm in awe that such a complete tale can come from only those 100 words. Well done.