Merry Fuckin' Christmas and Other Yuletide Shit

by Kevin J. Kennedy

Kevin J. Kennedy has brought the horror world three bestselling Christmas horror anthologies. Now, for the first time ever he collects his own tales of Christmas madness between these pages. You will find a mix of extreme, comedy, gross and bizarro Christmas horror, and there is even a few drabbles thrown in.

Genres: Horror, Christmas, Ebooks, Holiday, Short Stories

59 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 16, 2020

About the author

Kevin J. Kennedy is a horror author, editor, and anthologist. He is the owner of KJK Publishing and runs the bestselling 'The Horror Collection' series. He is the author of Halloween Land, The Clown and Nothing is Real.

He lives in the heart of Scotland with his beautiful wife, three cats, Carlito, Ariel and Luna, and a Pomchi called Orko. He can be found on Facebook if you want to chat with him.

Reviews

[Christina Pfeiffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

New review for Merry Christmas and other Yuletide Shit by Kevin J. Kennedy

This is a short story novella that all have the theme of Christmas. While all the shorts are great, there are a few standouts.

Christmas in Hell felt like a personal attack for two reasons: I once worked as a telemarketer (only inbound calls but still) and that I’m not the biggest fan of Christmas. I wish this one was longer, a full length novel because it is hilarious.

My other favorite (and wish was longer) was Merry Fuckin’ Christmas. This one was brutal and raw, sad but vindicating. This one was all too real but the ending was so satisfying.

Honorable Mention is The Christmas Surprise. This one, to sound like a broken record, in a perfect world would have been longer. A bizarro/horror reimagining of A Christmas Carol and I am living for it.

Without a millisecond of hesitation, this is an absolute win and really should be on more reader’s radars. This is my second by Kennedy and definitely will not be my last.

5/5 human Christmas trees.

[Esther · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Kevin J. Kennedy for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.


I'm always excited when I see a book by Kevin J. Kennedy on my list. I just know I'll be in for some great horror stories stories. This book had some of the stories that were in Kennedy's earlier Christmas Horror Short Story books. So I was revisiting some of my favorites! At least two of the stories were ones that I remembered I read before. Maybe there are more, but I've read so many stories and short stories over the year, that I'm surprised I recognized two!

Full review can be found at BiteIntoBooks

I had a blast reading this book. Everybody: Merry Christmas!

[Ann Keeran · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Christmas collection of the best Christmas stories written by Kevin Kennedy himself! Usually his Christmas anthologies have stories from numerous authors, but this one is a masterpiece of writings from Kevin himself. Enjoy!

[Bookaholic__Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection to add to your holiday reading. Well written horror with some splash of humor, too. It's very short, though. Would have loved to have a couple more stories in this collection. Fantastic title and cover!

[Lars (theatretenor) Skaar · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Christmas Horror Miracle

Found this awesome collection of Christmas horror on Instagram and I’m glad I did! What a fun trip through some great Christmas horror shorts! The title short, Merry Fuckin’. Christmas, was the best! Such a good story. But they all really shined. My least favorite actually being the last two. Super glad I found this!

[Amanda Ruzsa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this collection. Once upon a time, I worked as a telemarketer and the story in this book is exactly the kind of nightmare I would never survive with my sanity intact. Beautifully written. And sometimes a sexy surprise from a stranger can really bring out a whole new side of a person. A jolly festive weird bunch of Christmas horror. Definitely recommend.

[Erica Robyn Metcalf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Merry Fuckin’ Christmas and Other Yuletide Shit by Kevin J. Kennedy is a collection of horror Christmas shorts that you need to go get ASAP.

Whether you’re feeling jolly this season or not, this collection will sure spice things up!

Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way. I also purchased a copy!

Per usual with these types of collections, here are my rating breakdowns for each story along with some immediate thoughts/reactions.

I was so excited to see some familiar tales in here. It was great returning to them again!

Christmas in Hell – 5/5
I love this tale so much. It hits on all the grumpy feelings I have from time to time about the holidays and how out of control things have gotten. I love the path this story takes and that ending!!

Sisterly Love – 5/5
Yikes!!! The matching outfits… Sheesh.

Merry Fuckin’ Christmas – 5/5
This story gets me every time I read it!! I love that when it begins, you think all is well. Soon you realize something is wrong, but you’ll never guess what is about to happen next. What a heartbreaking story with a killer ending!

Christmas on the Streets – 5/5
Yikes! What a spooky one! You better watch out…

One Shift Too Many – 5/5
Brutal!!

The Christmas Surprise – 4/5
As this one had a sexual theme, it wasn’t my favorite since that’s just not my jam. But oh my gosh, this one had me giggling at first. Of course this woman’s curiosity got the better of her! Beware mysterious gifts!!

Down the Bizarro Watering Hole – 5/5
I love this one so much! While this tale was certainly a bit bizarre, it also has plenty of horror in a very real world sense, then concludes with a heartwarming bit. What a great way to end the collection!

My Final Thoughts
This is such a fun and dark collection of great tales that I will definitely be returning to during the Christmas season for years to come!

[P.J. Blakey-Novis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read most of Kevin J. Kennedy's solo collections and novellas, I was looking forward to this festive book. It didn't disappoint. Containing a selection of short stories and flash fiction, Merry Fuckin' Christmas displays Kennedy's talent for constructing a variety of themes under the banner of Christmas horror. I honestly enjoyed each tale but would have to say that Down the Bizarro Watering Hole was a favourite, and The Christmas Surprise was some naughty fun. All-in-all, a solid collection.

[Isabella Fulton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas Horror!

This was a fun read, if you like short horror for Christmas, this is the book for, good stories, well written and creepy enough to keep me interested..

[Donald Armfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well Merry FN’ Christmas to you too!
Kennedy packs a mean stocking suffer and sprinkles all the Yule Tide gonzo into this collection of short stories. Revenge comes knocking, a Krampus beginning, (maybe)? Elves and candy canes, toys with a Xmas orgasmic surprise and somewhere down the Bizarro watering hole there’s a drink for you.

[Marcus McCollom · Rating 4 out of 5]

To say this book was an interesting read would be a massive understatement

[DA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Happy Horrordays!

Great collection of holiday horror shorts. Frighteningly festive stories that will make you laugh and cringe. Perfect stories for a cold winters night.

[Nic Brady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kevin J. Kennedys work is like a day trip to a horror style Disney land with outlandish characters and incredible rides that drop you into the pitch black only for you to enjoy, scream and laugh out loud. His work is like a rollercoaster for your brain. 'Merry F***** Christmas' is a short story collection that you can read in only a few hours if you so wish. It covers a whole host of Christmas fodder. Every time I thought I had the twist and turns figured out Kevin J. Kennedy was two steps ahead with wicked shocks and gasps. Each story stands alone, with crazed, demented characters and a whole load of fun. I really enjoyed this book and urge you to take a chance on it and treat yourself to a 'Merry F*****' Christmas'.

[Natasha Sinclair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creative, Comedic, Gruesome — fantastic!

I personally avoid Christmas themed anything, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this.
This little collection hosts a really clever balance across some (favourite) horror sub-genres. From revenge, playful speculative and bizarro. Dappled With some shorter flash pieces too, it showcased Kennedy’s wicked skillset.
The stand out stories for me were the title track of ‘Merry Fuckin’ Christmas’ and the hilarious ‘The Christmas Surprise.’
Creative, comedic and gruesome.
Whether you hate of love Christmas - this is one to appeal to any horror fan at any time of year!

[Milt Theo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had lots of fun reading this short collection of gross and darkly humorous horror stories! Good things come in small packages, it seems: seven tiny (and super-tiny) short stories by Kevin Kennedy, where he manages to put those jolly good festive moments in the blender, and put a sinister smile on the face of all horror fans! I especially enjoyed "Christmas in Hell" (a nasty Krampus story), "One Shift Too Many" (a Santa Claus story that makes a horrific kind of sense), and "Down The Bizarro Watering Hole" (a weirdly freakish tale of learning to appreciate your family in the holidays!). Read and cringe, laugh, cry!

[Ali O · Rating 5 out of 5]

Merry Fuckin’ Christmas and Other Yuletide Shit
by Kevin J. Kennedy
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
This is a fun collection of short holiday horror stories. There’s a few different stories for everyone to enjoy; with some gore, some bizarre, and some creeps, but all very interesting and original!
This is an entertaining and fast read!!

My favorites were:
😈Christmas in Hell
🎄Down the Bizzaro Watering Hole

Thank you to Kevin Kennedy for a copy of this great holiday novella!
*Make sure to get your copy for this holiday!*

[Samantha Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good- confusing at first, wasn't expecting quite a few stories packed in one. Most of them had my interest and kept it throughout. I can relate to the characters thought process through some of these. Kevin did a great job!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

The newest release by Kevin J Kennedy is Merry Fuckin Christmas and other Yuletide Shit and it contains seven titles of varying lengths.

One of the stories in this book, Down the Bizarro Watering Hole, I have actually read before as it appeared in The Horror Collection: White Edition which I reviewed in December 2019. It was nice to see it pop up again! I remembered having enjoyed that one very much when I saw it appear in this new release and it was nice to revisit it. What would it take to get you to visit home for the holidays?

In this book I think my favourite story was actually Merry Fuckin’ Christmas, in which a man driven to despair carries out his revenge against those who have wronged him. I liked the process this story goes through to achieve it’s end and as always with Mr Kennedy, it is very nicely written and easy to follow.

Another close favourite is Christmas in Hell. I enjoyed that one very much and the idea of what hell is like was actually really fresh and unique. Whilst I’ve heard many different accounts of what it would be like and what you would be doing, none have quite taken this particular approach and I think as much as having lots of imagery and action, it’s important to have something new. It’s all very well going to it with a story but if fifteen other authors have done the same thing then it’s just a polished up version of what you already know. This one was very enjoyable, and part of that is the new approach to a fairly simple concept.

I’ve read many of Kennedy’s collections over the years, as you may have seen from the blog, but I’ve never sat down and read a collection of his work without other authors. This was really enjoyable and still quite varied between the stories. I think there are probably some authors who really need to be in mixed collections, just because they often write in the same tone, so you couldn’t devour their work perhaps as quickly as authors who mix up the tone and subject matter a little more. Kennedy’s work is written in such a way that it is easy to read. This particular book is only 60 pages long so it’s also easy to get through in one or, very few sittings.

This is a great festive read for any horror fan and each story is short enough to pick up and put down the book as you please. Perfect if you’re a busy person as you won’t find yourself distracted by other things since each story is really no longer than a cup of coffee! So put your feet up, relax, it’s Christmas, and see what Kennedy has in store for you

[Scott Cumming · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kennedy brings us a wee collection of Christmas themed horror tales that I found to be apt reading for the season. Christmas in Hell kicks things off in excellent fashion with our protagonist giving us the lowdown on life in the netherworld and how they celebrate the festive season.

Merry Fuckin' Christmas was a bit too nasty even by my standards as a widower who lost hisfamily to a drunk driver exacts revenge on those who thinks responsible.

The Christmas Surprise is a story that manages to foster sauciness and horror together excellently. In a way it feels almost too salacious, but that might be my own guilt as I was reading this one with the family in the room. It builds suspense expertly before coming to an excellent inclusion.

Down the Bizarro Watering Hole rounds things up with another tale in which Kennedy shows great skill at meshing the everyday with fantastical horror elements. The lives of his characters feel believable and it makes the horror elements that much more searing.

There are some additional flash pieces littered into the collection with suitable festive subjects. A great wee combo of Chirstmas and horror. I would recommend this for anybody willing to look to the more extreme side of Christmas.

[Todd Love · Rating 5 out of 5]

Merry Christmas

Jaw Dropping fun. Great collection of Christmas tales from the darker side. Each story holds it own. Fun, gross and disturbing. A must have for any horror collection fan.

[Megan Wintrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trying to get some Christmas themed reads in before the end of the month!

I absolutely love Kevin's books so this was an easy choice to make!

The book contains seven short stories, which are:
🎄 Christmas in Hell
🎄 Sisterly Love
🎄 Merry Fuckin' Christmas
🎄 Christmas on the Streets
🎄 One Shift too Many
🎄 The Christmas Surprise
🎄 Down the Bizarro Watering Hole

Well those were a strange bunch of Christmas short stories 🤣.

They were all so good especially the first one Christmas in Hell. The last one Down the Bizarro Watering Hole was indeed bizarre but cute at the same time. Oh and Christmas Surprise was erm... What can I say you had me at "curtains" 😅.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a solid collection of Christmas themed horror short stories. Christmas in Hell cracked me up. Imagine going to hell only to find that you get a job where time stops if you don't do what you're supposed to do...AND it has an extended Christmas season. Since you seem to be one of the few who retains awareness, the devil offers you a better job. Well. Less monotonous anyway. Merry Fuckin' Christmas is a heartbreaking yet satisfying revenge story. The Christmas Surprise is a cautionary tale warning you to think twice before opening and using anonymous gifts that show up on your doorstep. This collection has a nice variety of different flavors of horror, including comedy, extreme, and bizarro. All my favorites. My favorite story is Christmas in Hell, though I wish it was longer. No real stinkers in the bunch. Overall a good read.

[KASC ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a Christmas short!! The first was my favourite, some weren’t as good as others but this is to be expected with shorts. I appreciated this being a shorter collection however I could have done with at least a couple more stories! Looking forward to hopefully reading another Christmas collection this time next year

[Michael Sorbello · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stuck in holiday telemarketer Hell for all eternity. Delivering the gift of death and vengeance on Christmas. Opening up a sexy gift that leads to unexpected transformations... Merry Fuckin Christmas indeed.

This is a collection of whacky Christmas-themed bizarro horror stories. They’re short, sweet, and they pack a not so holly-jolly punch. They manage to poke fun at the negative downsides and stereotypes of the holiday season while not coming off as overly negative and hateful. The final story in this collection is actually surprisingly uplifting.

Good old morbid humor with a festive twist.

My rating: 3.7/5

[Severed Therapy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Decent Crimus Collection

The blurb said it was a mix of stories and that certainly was an apt description. I think the first two stories (not the drabble) were the best, but there wasnt a "bad" story in the bunch. Ending on the bizarro story was a choice and it worked out decently enough.

4.25 out of 5 severed thumbs-up.

[Emily Haynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas

Gritty fast paced read. Will get any horror fan in the mood for Christmas. Full of unexpected happenings and thrills.

[Jen Ramsden · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Christmas isn't your thing, or there's no jolly in your holly (sorry!) then this is a book for you! A collection of short stories that show a completely different perspective on the holiday season. Good fun!

[Teresa M Howell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to the audio book and was engaged in all the short stories. Even sat in the car to listen to then ending of a story so I wouldn't lose the horror I could picture in my mind!!

[Lisa Alva · Rating 5 out of 5]

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This is my first year reading Christmas horror and I’m just as giddy as a kid at Christmas. Outside of the movies it never really occurred to me that such books existed. I mean you don’t really find many killer Claus’ and psycho Santa’s in the bestseller sections at Target, Walmart, and B&N. 😂

I found the following book to be mostly amazing and I will be looking into this authors catalog for future entertainment.

Merry Fuckin’ Christmas and Other Yuletide Shit by Kevin J. Kennedy was my second holiday horror novel and my favorite thus far!!


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1. Christmas In Hell - A man who hates Christmas dies and is sent to hell only to spend his eternity in Christmas. The big red boss makes him an offer he can’t refuse! I found the premise of this story to be very original and quite entertaining. 5⭐️
2. Sisterly Love - I don’t get it!! The story is a whole page in a half long and didn’t make much sense to me. 👎🏻
3. Merry Fuckin’ Christmas - An excellent story about a man who has lost everything and he decides to go after some Christmas revenge. Well written and believable. Your heart goes out to all involved. 5⭐️
4. Christmas On The Streets - Santa takes on a new job. No longer the Claus who delivers your Christmas presents. This Santa takes something from you instead. It’s a very short read. Almost poetic in prose. I didn’t really care for it.
5. One Shift Too Many - After almost 2000 years Santa goes psycho! This one I liked. Lol
6. The Christmas Surprise - This is the first story in the whole anthology that made my brow rise, cheeks flush with a tinge of embarrassment, (not really) and get me to clear my throat with a, “Oh my!” Definitely for mature audiences only!! This story is racy as hell… and I loved every minute of it! Especially the surprise ending!
7. Down The Bizarro Watering Hole - This one is my absolute favorite in the book, bar none! It’s about a headstrong, independent young woman named Tiffany who looks forward to spending a quiet Christmas alone. But after a quick visit to the new neighborhood bar, Bizarro, her plans for a silent night at home become anything but.

[Lou Canning · Rating 4 out of 5]

jolly good fun

Another round of Christmas horror stories . Always a pleasure!
Fun, often gory, some times scary but alway entertaining to pick up a Kevin J Kennedy book!!