Unburied: A Collection of Queer Dark Fiction

by Rebecca Rowland (Editor), Felice Picano (contributor), Greg Herren (contributor)

An asteroid miner recovering from an accident learns that the cure might be scarier than the trauma. A man discovers a mirror in an antiques shop that allows its gazers to climb inside and visit paradise. A teenager is haunted by the memory of a strange boy who appeared in his bedroom when he was a child. A future pandemic survivor is forced to make a terrible sacrifice in order to save the world's gay male population. A cult survivor sees a man who reminds him of someone from the past and begins to lose a bit of his hard-earned control. An entity that exhibits characteristics of both angel and vampire tells its peculiar story to an anonymous confessor and potential lover in the shadows of an LGBTQ club.

  Silent film actresses who haunt a Hollywood Hills mansion, mysterious beings who lurk in the closet, and witches who may or may not live under the bed: these and many other dark fiction entities from this twisted box of curiosities come together to serve the reader a cornucopia of chilling horror, sci-fi terror, and dark fantasy. In a bloody twist on the antiquated trope of "burying the gays,” sixteen established and award-winning genre fiction scribes from around the globe, including Felice Picano (Lambda Award nominee and co-founder of The Violet Quill), Greg Herren (Lambda Award winner and co-founder of the Saints and Sinners Literary Festival), Daniel M. Jaffe (Rainbow Award and American Fiction Prize finalist), and Thomas Kearnes (2019 Lambda Award nominee), put forth a dazzling array of creature features, shadow fables, and dreadful delusions spotlighting LGBTQ+ characters. 

  Prepare to unearth your deepest nightmares.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, LGBT, Science Fiction, Anthologies, Fiction

280 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2021

About the author

Rebecca Rowland is a Shirley Jackson Award-nominated author, a Bram Stoker Award-nominated editor, and the recipient of a Godless 666 Horror Fiction Award. She is an Active member of the Horror Writers Association and International Thriller Writers, and having lived in Massachusetts for most of her life, she chooses to set most of her fiction there.
Despite earning graduate degrees in English, Education, and Information Science, she miraculously managed to pay off her student loans before retirement and/or death.
In her spare time, she pets her cats, eats cheese, and drinks vodka, though not necessarily in that order.
She is represented by Becky LeJeune of Bond Literary Agency.

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciate the Net Galley readers and others giving this collection a chance. As a person who is old enough to remember queer characters being "buried" within mainstream literature and film, I fought hard to bring it to fruition, and I could not be prouder to have published stories from each one of these sixteen gifted authors. All of them had other projects they were juggling at the time I invited them to submit, and on top of that, we were in the tidal wave of the CoVid-19 pandemic. They had every reason to turn me down, and yet, they crafted these amazing, memorable tales. For that, I am eternally grateful.

All of the stories are "dark" (not "horror." I apologize: Net Galley doesn't offer a "dark fiction" category) and each exists on its own literary sub-genre island, and I love all of them for their uniqueness. All of them are disturbing or unsettling in their own way, and I wouldn't have changed a thing.

[J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, a big thank you to Rebecca Rowland and Dark Ink for providing me a copy of Unburied: A Collection of Queer Dark Fiction. This is an Anthology featuring 16 established writers providing many different subgenres that fall under the Horror and Dark Fiction Umbrella while spotlighting LGBTQ+ characters.

Although I am not part of the LGBTQ+ community, I am a supporter, and an Activist for equal rights. I must say I enjoyed the HELL out of these stories. So just in case you are on the fence and think because the writers include characters from the LGBTQ+ community this may not be for you, think again. Any fan of Horror or Dark Fiction will find enjoyment with the stories in the collection. Emphasis on the Dark Fiction part. Although I sometimes combine these categories, there is a difference between Horror and Dark Fiction. Some of these stories do contain horror, but most lean toward the Dark Fiction side of things.

I found myself really enjoying each story as I went through this anthology, on many different levels. First, with it being an Anthology, this is a perfect time to discover a new writer to you. There are 16, and you are bound to find some that you really enjoy and plan to check out other works. With a little searching you can definitely find additional pieces of work from all of these authors within this anthology. There are a couple of writers in this collection that I’ve already read other pieces by. And something else that is really cool with this collection are the author bio’s at the end of each story, so you get a little bit of a background on the author you just read.

Next, this collection represents several subgenres when it comes to the horror and dark fiction world. There is bound to be a subgenre in here for everyone, with stories ranging from psychological horror, to supernatural, to even dark fantasy and sci-fi horror. It’s a good representation of the Horror and Dark Fiction World overall, and even then it’s still just scratching the surface. This could very well be a nice gift to someone who may be interested in getting into this genre but doesn’t really know where to start.

And then we have the LGBTQ+ presence in each story. This is where this Anthology really shines. Representing the community comes to the limelight in this collection. History tells us there is a period of time when having a gay character or a transgender character in a written story or even on the big screen was frowned upon, even boycotted at times. Unburied shines light on this issue and comes across as somewhat of a celebration from the contributors, as to say their artwork will no longer be silenced. The authors of the stories were able to mix in the horror some of the characters had to live through or who had to hide a certain part of their life or struggled with their lifestyle due to the ignorance of society around them.

At no time throughout these stories did I get the feeling that this wasn’t for me. So don’t go into the stories, or the Anthology as a whole, thinking you need to be part of the LGBTQ+ community to relate. I wasn’t able to relate, to connect to every part of every story. It didn’t however prevent me from enjoying and appreciating the art.

This collection is not too graphic or extreme. A couple of the stories teetered on becoming more extreme, but were able to be pulled back a bit. Just remember going into this collection, Horror and Dark Fiction are not happy go lucky sunshiny stories where everything is perfect, where every person is an outstanding pillar of the community and everyone has white picket fences. There are a few stories that involve scenes that some may question, such as extreme violence and sexual assault. One thing you need to realize for this genre is, a lot of things are insinuated, enough to make your emotions rise, maybe to get your blood boiling. Things aren’t supposed to be perfect. This is not a perfect world. In fact, the imperfections are foundations for some of the dark horrifying stories.

Let’s go through some of the stories. I won’t touch on all of them because there are 16 of them and we will be here long past the release date of June 1st. And I won’t throw any spoilers in here. We’ll just touch on what I’m seeing.

Sweet Dreams, M.C. St. John is your typical Supernatural Element hiding under the bed of a kid. But it’s told in such a nice flow, showing innocence and suspense as it builds up to a bit of a twisted ending.

Flawed, Felice Picano: This one is a bit trippy in my opinion. A man finds a mirror at an antique store and it can transport people to a paradise. Then the several layers start to unravel.

Open Up and Let Me In, Laura DeHaan is a heartfelt emotional story of love and loss and a woman trying to get over the loss of her spouse. But the question is, is she possibly going insane?

The Red Candle, Louis Stephenson: This one is a tale of something happening to a kid, and when it does, he is able to set himself free in a sense.

Some Kind of Monster, Azzura Nox: A great Dark Seductive Supernatural Story

For The Gods, Robert P Ottone: The longest, and probably the most developed story in the collection, and just the way it’s structured I can see it being expanded more, maybe becoming a novella.

Honestly, all of these are good stories. These were just my favorites out of this collection.
Overall, this is truly a remarkable collection of short stories that will allow you to explore many different emotions as you make your way through them. I believe there is something here for everyone to enjoy. Normally when I’m reading an Anthology, in my head I’m rating each story as I go along to come up with a good average. I started doing that with this one, but I soon realized I didn’t need to.

I’m giving it a 5/5. Not only are these stories fantastically written with proper pacing and superb subject matter, but this Anthology as a whole is a collective voice for a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

In some ways I wasn’t fully prepared for this anthology. The title made me thing that perhaps it would be a push back against the “bury your gays” trope that exists everywhere, especially in horror. But that’s not exactly the case, as a number of the stories do deal with queer characters being murdered. Rather, I think the project is a bit more about reclaiming queer horror in a way that doesn’t tokenize or marginalize the queer characters. That allows them to be gloriously and sometimes messily queer, but is still very much grounded in the traditions and possibilities of horror. Of grim stories that drip blood, that envelope with shadow. And it brings these queer perspectives and lives into the light. Digging them up not to present a “clean” look at queerness, but to show the decomposition and horror of what’s been done. What continues to be done. Queer horror as a kind of zombie digging itself up from the grave, ready to shuffle to its own beat. And it’s a great bunch of stories!

[Madeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am now adding this first part after reading some of the reviews left so far. NO TRIGGER WARNING IS NEEDED for this collection. This anthology has no graphic sexual abuse scenes. Any sexual misconduct is hinted at and not described explicitly in any way. Even the story with the Weinstein Hollywood mistreatment of women is subtle in the way it presents the abuse.

More importantly, this is a DARK FICTION book. It is supposed to make the reader upset. If you are looking for a book to make you laugh or cry or feel great about society, this isn’t it and I didn’t think it would be. As a queer woman myself, I am really irritated that someone would throw out the queer-people-are-already-targets card as a reason for dissing this book. If anything, this book reminds people that queer people experience the same exact issues that non-q people do: they are mistreated AND mistreat others. They, we, are human. Please, fellow reviewers, don’t take a book to review if you don’t understand the genre (it's horror, science fiction, fantasy, and thriller) and please stop ruining book ratings for independent publishers because you wish you were listening to Fresh Air.

Now, the actual review I wrote for this book.

Thank you, Net Galley and Dark Ink for my complimentary copy.

To start off, let me give you the run down on the queer factor of Unburied. Every story features queer characters, though most are gay men. Of the 16 stories, 9 primarily have gay male characters, 6 have lesbian characters, and 1 has a transwoman who is straight. It could be that some of the characters are bisexual but at least in the way that they are presented, all but the trans character are attracted to people of the same gender.

I really enjoy reading anthologies because you get a little bit of everything. There’s a swanky restaurant near my house that serves a huge breakfast buffet every Sunday (before pandemic anyway) and I totally love it because I can try everything. If I try something and don’t like it, I don’t feel like I wasted my money on a whole plate of it. That’s what anthologies are like. Unburied in particular, gives the same opportunity but on a larger scale. Instead of being just a horror anthology, it provides a sample of just about every type of dark fiction, from science fiction and fantasy to thriller and paranormal horror. I’m more of a thriller or suspense fan, but I sampled everything, and this is how the meal went.

Sweet Dreams: I loved that the book started off this way. A married couple have a son who thinks there’s a monster under the bed and one of the men spends the night trying to soothe the kid and convince him otherwise. Reminded me of the beginning of the Twilight Zone movie.

Night Follows Night: My favorite story in the book. A man who has escaped a cult and has anxiety remnants (understandably) thinks he spots one of the cult members in a supermarket and freaks out. Likely the best depiction of what it’s like to have a panic attack I have ever read. I could read this again and again. It was super suspenseful and I couldn’t put it down.

Flawed: My second favorite in the collection for sure. It’s not a scary story, more like a Twilight Zone episode, but maybe that’s why I liked it so much. On its surface, a man discovers a mirror that can transport objects and people, but the story has many more layers than that, with themes of clandestine sexuality and tongqi. Witty, smart, and fun. I would love to see this as an episode of Shudder’s Creepshow.

When the Dust Settles: Miners on a faraway planet and robo-limbs! I always have trouble reading science fiction because I can’t imagine the settings well, but this story was very easy to envision and I believed every word. There’s a little bit of body horror in here, too and the lesbian relationship is really subtle, showing that like straight characters, sex doesn’t have to be the focus of queer characters in stories.

I Can’t Wait to Become a Man: I have never done crystal meth but I will never, ever try it thanks to this story. It’s probably the quietest of the 16 but it felt like I was being dragged into a deep dark hole the further the story went and I mean that in a good way. Anyone who has been addicted to something, alcohol, drugs, food, or even a person, will understand how desperation and need and feeling out of control can be the scariest thing on earth.

Open Up and Let Me In: This one was also one of my favorites because it got more and more trippy as the story went on. A woman mourning the loss of her wife starts to go insane, or does she? This story shows how marriage, fidelity, loss, and love are way, way more complex than the mainstream media likes to portray.

The Red Candle: I could not believe this writer was from the UK (the biography for each writer is right after the story, which was super cool) because I could really hear the dialect of the American South in this one. Also, the ending took me by surprise and made me want to reread the story again to collect the clues the author dropped along the way. So good. Another vote for a Creepshow adaptation.

Razor, Knife: The more I read from Elin Olausson the more I want to read from her! Two sociopathic kids meet an older boy, one of the kids crushes on him while the other wants to plot his demise. Reminded me of the original Prom Night, though I am not quite certain why. Creepy, creepy.

The Procedure: This might have been my least favorite one but I am not a science fiction person or a gay man, so two strikes there. However it is really well written and super timely with some good tongue in cheek virtual porn humor and irony.

Moi Aussi: Ghosts of cinema ingénues haunt a Hollywood mansion and punish the Weinsteins who visit. Sad at times but with sweet notes of women loving other women in a much more closeted time. I imagined this one in black and white and that’s because the writer did an excellent job presenting the characters.

The Other Boy: This more than any of the other stories frightened me. Overall, I think this collection is not scary. It’s creepy or just dark. But this story did scare me a bit. It’s also the smartest of the 16 because everything is hinted at subtly and can be interpreted in a million different ways. It tells a story of a man recalling his adolescence and the terror of coming to terms with being gay in a household where football and beer guts are acceptable but sex with a man is something best kept a dark secret or a phase of rebellion. I felt this one deep in my soul.

Cut Off Your Nose to Spite Your Race: So much to unpack in this one, including themes of misogyny, government control, eugenics, and the timeless problem of people trying to control reproductive rights, and it contains one of my favorite main characters in this book. I’d hang around with Harper anytime.

For the Gods: Likely the most upbeat of the 16. The story features an adolescent who is struggling with his identity and finds an outlet through drag. Glittery fun.

Some Kind of Monster: I read just about everything Azzurra Nox puts out. Seeing her name on this book is what made me pick it up. A fun story of seduction by a tempting monstress.

1,000 Tiny Cuts: A Sleeping with the Enemy recut with lesbians and minus Julia Roberts’s distracting collagen injections. Anyone who has been in a controlling relationship is going to feel this one deep inside.

Blessed: The trippiest of the stories, for certain. I felt like I was being glamored by the narrator’s sentences. The more he said, the most hypnotized I felt, which I think is what the author was going for, given the narrator’s supernatural powers and purpose. A perfect way to end the collection.

I review a lot of anthologies on Amazon and I follow a lot of book reviewers blogs and I recently realized that the best reviewers don’t just say what they liked or don’t liked. They weigh each book on its merit, even if it’s not their cup of tea. Not every story resonated with me but I didn’t expect them to. It’s a collection of all different genres! However, if I am reviewing for writing ability, creativity, engagement, and embodiment of the promised theme (dark fiction), I’d have to say, this one is a 5 star. I’d recommend people to buy it and keep on their shelves to revisit as years pass. Tastes and preferences change and this array of stories is guaranteed to have something for everyone.

[Isabella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and DarkInk for an ARC.

This book is a collection of dark stories of various genres. The stories are about cults, technology gone wrong, monsters under the bed and much more. Some of which can be triggering. But isn’t that only a plus? Personally I read scary stories to get, well - scared. To get triggered. To learn something new about myself and to process fears. Both childish and adult. “Unburied” managed to trigger me, and I’m better off for it.
Though the stories were only sometimes frigthening, they were all well worth reading.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, Dark Ink, for a complimentary copy of Unburied for review purposes. I will be purchasing the audiobook when it is released on June 1.
 
This anthology is a well-designed showcase of the full range of dark fiction, from the heart-racing thriller (1,000 Tiny Cuts) to the dark fantasy with a brief but effective scene of body horror and splatter-gore (The Red Candle) and everything in between. There are monsters both literal (Sweet Dreams, Some Kind, Blessed) and figurative (Night Follows, I Can’t Wait, Razor Knife, The Other Boy). There are unreliable narrators and there are heroes/heroines. Because the stories are so different, I didn’t care for all of them, but there wasn’t one I stopped reading because I was bored or disappointed by the writing quality. I’d rate this a 4.5, rounded up to 5.
 
As far as the trigger warning issues that some readers have raised, my feeling is this. The recent trend in mandating that readers and viewers be warned ahead of time that the work they are about to read/watch may contain upsetting things such as sexual abuse is perhaps the strongest disservice to survivors of such trauma. For decades, survivors of such abuse have been shamed and silenced. To add a “trigger warning” to a piece of literature is essentially telling the reader, “you might want to look away.” That, more than any change we’ve made in victim advocacy policy, only serves to reinforce the silence and shame we have been trying to eradicate. Do I relish reading a story where a person is victimized? One thing preying on another is the root of horror, whether it’s a supernatural force or a human monster. Therefore, in that case, yes, as do all fans of horror. Do I seek out stories that contain sexual predators? No, I don’t, but they do pop up in literature from time to time. They also pop up in life from time to time, and it’s quite rare that we’re warned beforehand. Perhaps it’s time we stopped telling people to “look away” and start facing up to the monsters without evoking shame.

[Gab · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I don't consider myself an expert when it comes to literature or anything like that, I can say for a fact that in the last few years I read hundreds of indie author' books - for review and for pleasure - most of which horror. So far, I read two anthologies edited by Rebecca Rowland and both of them are of higher quality than an "average" anthologies of indie authors.

God knows the LGBT+ community had and still has to face so much hostility, that I'm pleased to see that a collection of dark fiction centered on this thematic is so full of characters who (generally speaking) find a way to keep their fire stoked and their spirits intact. Even when there are less than cheerful themes like, say, domestic violence, which are unfortunately a reality and would be silly to ignore.
I am also happy to see somebody actually giving a voice to LGBT+ authors, rather than post a rainbow during Pride month and call it a day.

The stories in itself are of very high quality and there are a few names that I've been keeping an eye on myself because they're going places. I've been also pleased with some other voice that was new to me.
Out of sixteen stories, there is one story that when I read I thought "Ooh, this is going to piss some people off!" but nothing that made me expect so many reviews saying that the anthology needs a trigger warning. I was unfortunate enough to have a lot of people sending me stories to review which relayed on torture porn and sexual violence (ACTUAL sexual violence, not a mention of it) in order to get some shock from the readers and I really don't think this anthology has that kind of stories in it, but again: anybody has the right to express their opinion, so if someone says they got triggered, fair enough.

Anyway, as I was saying, out of sixteen stories, one might upset someone and one I think the anthology would be so much better without, but the other fourteen are great!

[Felice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rebecca Rowland's previous collection, The Half That You See, was quite good but in Unburied: A Collection of Queer Dark Fiction we get to read more than a dozen or more excellent pieces of dark fantasy and horror. With the inclusion of Greg Herren's "Night Follows Night" and Veronica Zora Kirin's "1,000 Tiny Cuts" the editor brings reality into the anthology and the result is even more disturbing than even the most Grand Guignol. Herren's interior monologue of a hunted/guilty young man in New Orleans finally living the healthy gay life he always dreamed of, and Kirin's tale of a perfect Lesbian marriage, are as horror-filled as any stories you will read: even worse in that they are not only very possible, but indeed, quite likely happening right now somewhere in the country or the world. Somewhere a young man is fleeing the abusive Religious cult his family threw him into; and somewhere a young woman is going through the step by step domestic relationship surgery that we know well from hetero marriages that go bad. For that alone this collection would be recommended, as a reminder that not all of us are free and that not all of us are by any means safe. I do want to point out several other tales that struck me for various reasons, Daniel M. Jaffe's all too possible medical horror, The Procedure, Laramie Dean's creepy The Other Boy, Louis Stephenson's graphic The Red Candle, Christina Delia's very Hollyweird Moi Aussi, Elin Olausson's first slightly then completely off Razor, Knife and J. Askew's brilliant Cut Off Your Nose To Spite Your Face. I did a count and the narrators are more victims than victimizers in the book, except in a few like my own "Flawed," where you get one of each.

[T.MAGIK · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this collection. All the nooks of horror, creepy dark sci-fi and more. A breath of fresh air for queer community. It was really nice to read stories from queer perspective. five stars. Can't wait for more from Rebecca Rowland and all the talented writers that contributed to this gem.

[Marisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this! As a queer lover of horror, Unburied is everything I could have hoped it would be. The collection is eerie, and even if the stories aren't all horror per se, there's an element of creepiness that makes it fit with the rest of them. The genres are all completely different, which was nice to see, and I enjoyed seeing queer people centered in horror that wasn't tragedy based around their sexuality, if that makes sense. Rebecca Rowland did a great job putting this collection together, and I hope to see more!

[Christina Delia · Rating 5 out of 5]

***I received a complimentary review copy from the publisher.***

I am honored to have my story “Moi Aussi” included in this stellar anthology of diversely comprised and devastatingly gorgeous dark fiction.

MC St John’s “Sweet Dreams” lulled me in with the security of familial rituals: the sleep deprived nights, the beloved toy that slips under a child’s bed, and then the story pounced, and I loved it. Short, delightful and grabs as good as a campfire tale.

Greg Herren’s “Night Follows Night” takes us on an anxiety-driven ride. The only thing defective here is the shopping cart wheel, and you’ll just have to read the story to find out what happens. My anxiety built reading it in a terrific way. I appreciate the pop culture references, and would be curious to see this story as a graphic novel.

I am a fan of looking glasses and anthology horror, so Felice Picano’s “Flawed” was a welcome read, as this writer crafts a wondrous tale.

I also want to point out how masterfully this anthology is arranged. Editor Rebecca Rowland takes us from the supernatural glow of Felice Picano’s story “Flawed” and moves right into Sarah Lyn Eaton’s “When the Dust Settles”, a story that begins with a dream and thrusts us into a sterile clinical nightmare. It’s evocative of when one is asleep, and moves from one nightmare to the next before waking up in a cold sweat.

Much of the imagery in Thomas Kearne’s “I Can’t Wait to Become a Man” lingered after I read the story: The stacked bacon cheeseburger, the slaughterhouse profession, the horrific ways in which human beings communicate and harm each other, that LEGO boat. Not an easy story to read, but should horror and dark fiction be light, breezy reading?

Again, Editor Rebecca Rowland takes us through these horrors into those of Laura DeHaan’s “Open Up and Let Me In”, from one frightening journey into the next. The reader is met with different characters, different emotions, but is wise to keep their guard up through this story of deep loss. DeHaan navigates a landscape of trauma and cleverly builds terror through photographs, emails and cassette recording transcripts. A haunting story.

Louis Stephenson’s “The Red Candle” gripped me from the first sentence. Adolescent friendships and loves bloom and wither, as Stephenson fuses this tale with superstition, blood and a glimmering moon.

Perfect placement achieved, as Editor Rebecca Rowland motions us through the dark world of Stephenson’s teens into Elin Olausson’s own young, brooding and gleefully troublesome characters in “Razor, Knife.” This story felt like dark poetry in motion, and I adore when fiction sings in that way (I already mentioned this to the writer, so I might as well mention this to you!)

Daniel M. Jaffe’s “The Procedure” is another grab-‘em-by-the-first line gripper. I had read that there was some controversy regarding Covid being part of the storyline, but I disagree. This writer worked with the current terror we’re societally living through, and shaped the anxieties and pain into a fine story. Just the idea that as writers we’re not supposed to work within current events? I object to the call for imposed censorship. This anthology is titled Unburied for a reason.

In “The Other Boy” Laramie Dean envisions the departure from childhood into adolescence richly; in innocence, hopefulness, and terror. Like a childhood memory, this story streams sadness and beauty through the fading sunlight and into the darkness. And then the already uneasy bottom drops out, and the fright layers beautifully.

J. Askew’s “Cut Off Your Nose to Spite Your Race” is a witty, wry, sci-fi dystopian love story. The banter between Harper and Scarlett keeps the story moving and the reader charmed and entertained, but don’t get too enchanted, as there’s grit and truth at the core.

Fun music (I love Madonna!) and teen idol poster references set the scene for Robert P. Ottone’s “For The Gods”. Fresh summertime imagery mingles with adolescent angst and awakening. I was moved and stricken by the moments of beauty and heinous ugliness in this story. Robert P. Ottone is a talent.

Azzurra Nox’s “Some Kind of Monster” delivers the promise of the story’s title, and I enjoyed the smart horror references, growing dread, and ultimate enfolding terror.

Veronica Kirin’s “1,000 Tiny Cuts” shows us the origins of a romantic relationship, and then sharply dashes the lovey dovey dreaminess. The writer skillfully shifts gears from bliss to toxicity, as we witness the sinister downfall of what was once assumedly so pretty. The post-honeymoon phase red flags start the spiral that takes us down through the terror to come. The way this story details an abusive relationship is painfully relatable to anyone who has ever been in one, and potentially eye-opening for those who perhaps don’t notice the signs in their loved ones’ lives. Yes, this is dark fiction, but it is also a cautionary tale, and I think a valuable story that could help people.

George Daniel Lea’s “Blessed” is the ideal story to end this anthology: the vampiric narration bottle rocket burst of love, lust and confessional torment illuminating the dark landscape; a glowing firework grand finale.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

16 tales about the supernatural, psychological horror, paranormal, dark, and science fiction.

I wanted to highlight a few stories that really stuck out to me:

1. Cut Off Your Nose to Spite Your Race (science fiction horror)
Two lovers are stationed at a futuristic breeding compound awaiting their results. Both wishing they are infertile, so they can live their lives the way they would like instead of staying at the compound and conceiving three children to help populate the human race.
I really wish this was a longer story! I loved the main characters and the society that they lived in. This would be an even better story (than it already is) if it was fleshed out more.

2. 1,000 Tiny Cuts (psychological thriller)
Girl meets girl, girl moves in with girl, girl marries girl. Life seems perfect with Claire, until she realizes life with Claire might not be so picturesque.
This story had me feeling for the main character every step of the way. It's a page turner!

3. When the Dust Settles (science fiction horror)
Tara owes The Company since she signed the contract, but now she's hospitalized after an accident in the mines that she can't quite remember. The Company has supplied neural integrated prosthetics so she can get back to the mines, but she's having trouble making them move. What will Tara find once she starts remembering the events of the accident? Will she ever be able to fully use her prosthetics so she can pay off her debt?
This also would be even better as a longer story. I was wanting to learn more about Tara, her friends, The Company, and the accident. I was really sad to see it end.

If you like stories about witches, cults, haunted items, ghosts, creatures, monsters, etc. then you should give this collection a read!

TW: rape, domestic abuse, violence

Thank you to NetGalley and AM Ink Publishing for the ARC

[Coralie • spellboundchapters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange of my honest opinion!

I don't read many short stories because I always find them too... well, short (big books lover here!). But when I saw that these were queer and dark fiction, I absolutely had to try it and boy am I *not* disappointed! I still had a couple short stories that I didn't really vibe with, which was predictable - but overall I'm very pleased with the amounts of 4 and 5 stars I gave!

Here are the ratings I gave each story - these are just my personal opinions, keep in mind we all have preferences and different tastes, so you might end up loving some I didn't !
Sweet Dreams : 3*
Night Follow Night : 4*
Flawed : 3*
When the Dust Settles : 4*
I Can't Wait to Become a Man : dnf - the writing style sadly didn't work for me
Open Up and Let Me In : 5*
The Red Candle : 4*
Razor, Knife : 4*
The Procedure : 2*
Moi Aussi : 5*
The Other Boy : 3*
Cut Off Your Nose to Spite Your Race : 3*
For the Gods : 5* (probably my favourite of the anthology <3)
Some Kind of Monster : 5*
1,000 Tiny Cuts : 5*
Blessed : 2.5 - the writing here was superb but I definitely need to re-read it later because a lot went way over my head 😅

Average : 3.8 rounded up

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always loved collections of short stories so I was excited to read this book. This is one of the only times that I've liked every story in the collection. I loved how each one was different than the others and none of them repeated themes. Each story was different in it's own way and they were great. I look forward to buying this for my son.

[Elin Olausson · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received a complimentary copy from the publisher*

This was a great read - such a diverse collection of genres and voices, where each story was completely different from the others. I really liked the theme of this anthology, and thought that the authors had fresh and interesting takes on it.

My favorite stories were:

"The Other Boy" by Laramie Dean - A wonderfully creepy story I can't stop thinking about.

"Open Up and Let Me In" by Laura DeHaan - An excellent paranormal horror story about a woman who believes her dead wife is haunting her.

"Night Follows Night" by Greg Herren - A man with a traumatic past has learnt to be in control, sort of. When he thinks he sees a person from those dark years, everything comes back to him. This was subtle and felt very real, which I loved.

[Candace Nola · Rating 5 out of 5]

This anthology has something for everyone. I was delighted to find so many great stories within this collection. Right out of the gate, M.C. St. John immediately drew goosebumps with the story “Sweet Dreams”. As a childhood survivor of many nightmares and years of night terrors, I immediately was a child again, begging for my dad to look under the bed. Young Harold insists that what he heard was real, that what he saw so often under his bed, was really there. Tonight, his father finds out if Harold was telling the truth or not.

Sarah Lynn Eaton creates a chilling tale of off-world horror in “When the Dust Settles,” where an injured asteroid miner is recovering from her wounds, but does not remember her accident. She has been fitted with some prosthetic limbs which she is still learning to control, or are they learning her?

Another story truly left me feeling haunted when I finished reading it, Laura DeHaan’s “Open Up and Let Me In.” This story follows Dana as she is left grieving the death of her wife. Her grief, pain and sense of loss is truly heartbreaking as she reaches out to friends and counselors for help with her sorrow. She also feels like she is losing her grip on things as she begins to see her wife’s face everywhere, at least in reflective surfaces. Her descent into obsession and madness ends with a truly disturbing twist.

Every one of these stories delivers a haunting tale or deeply disturbing scenes that will leave you chilled long after you put the book down. This is a 5 star collection, make sure to pick this one up today.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Unburied" is a collection of short "dark fiction" stories (often horror) in a variety of genres, all centering queer characters and experiences. The plots and characters are varied; in one story, a man discovers a portal in a mirror; in another, a woman realizes her relationship is not quite as wonderful as she initially believed; in another, a father tries to dispel his son's fear of the creature beneath his bed.

On average, I felt the stories were decent, with a few standouts. My favorite of the stories, by far, was "For the Gods", which follows a young queer man through his adolescence and into his adulthood as he navigates love, coming out, trauma, and the mysterious creature that lives, literally, in his closet; the characters were vibrant and well-written, the narrative arc extremely engaging, and the premise just generally worked really well. I also particularly enjoyed "Moi Aussi" (justified revenge, ghosts, and a really fun narrative voice) and "Blessed" (atmospheric, a little mysterious, and well-characterized). "Night Follows Night" was also extremely well done - it absolutely nailed the creeping dread and the main character's inner monologue. I also really enjoyed the variety of genres, and the fact that the book was united more in theme and mood than in specific generic conventions.

There are a couple major reasons I am not rating this collection higher. First, and less importantly, most of the horror didn't scare me. I like to be a little freaked out when I read horror; that's why I read it! For the most part, I wasn't scared by this book, which was disappointing given that I felt it was marketed to me as a horror collection. (The notable exception to this was "Night Follows Night".)

My other major qualm is that quite a few of the stories involved sexual violence. (IIRC, TWs for: "Night Follows Night", "Moi Aussi", "For the Gods", "I Can't Wait to Become a Man", "The Other Boy") In some of these stories, it's part of the plot but not the horror of the story; in some, it's integral to the reason the story is frightening. I don't like horror that relies upon sexual violence; it can be extremely triggering (especially when the violence is presented as a "twist"), and while it's certainly horrifying, it generally doesn't do a good job of building the atmosphere and dread that I associate with good horror. Especially given that the LGBTQ+ community experiences higher rates of sexual violence, I did not expect this collection to rely so heavily upon sexual-violence-centric horror, and I really think that a lot of the stories (even the ones I otherwise liked!) would have been better without that underlying thread and the possibility of triggering their audience.

I wish I could rate this higher - I think there's a lot of really great potential in the theme of the collection, and I really enjoyed several of the stories - but this last concern, especially, made it hard for me to really enjoy. 2.5, rounded up.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet Dreams by M.C. St. John- 3/5
Night Follows Night by Greg Herren- 4.5/5
Flawed by Felice Picano- 2.5/5
When the Dust Settles by Sarah Lyn Eaton- 4/5
I Can't Wait to Become a Man by Thomas Kearnes- 2/5
Open Up and Let Me In by Laura DeHaan- 5/5
The Red Candle by Louis Stephenson- 3.5/5
Razor, Knife by Elin Olausson- 5/5
The Procedure by Daniel M. Jaffe 1/5
Moi Aussi by Christina Delia- 4/5
The Other Boy by Laramie Dean- 4/5
Cut Off Your Nose to Spite Your Race by J. Askew- 4/5
For the Gods by Robert P. Ottone- 5/5
Some Kind of Monster by Azzurra Nox- 4/5
1,000 Tiny Cuts by Veronica Zora Kirin- 4/5
Blessed by George Daniel Lea 2/5

Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Most of these stories were really well-written, but if you don't like stories involving sexual assault or abuse then I wouldn't recommend this collection.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the privilege of receiving an advanced copy of Unburied from the publisher. Having read several of Rebecca Rowland’s books, I had high expectations for this collection and I was not disappointed. This collection has a strong theme, fantastic writers and vast array of stories that are unsettling, creepy and fascinating. When I find myself thinking of a story the next day, I know it impacted me on an impressive level and several stories in this book stuck with me beyond the initial reading. Personally, I enjoyed the book so much I’m going to get the audio copy as well so I can revisit these stories through a narrative voice.

While some stories stand out more than others, the writing is consistent and intriguing throughout, making every story in the collection worth a second read. This anthology is truly dark fiction at its best.

On a side note, I’m a bit baffled by the reviews that mention the lack of “trigger warnings”. The entire point of dark fiction and horror is to make you uncomfortable, scared and well… horrified. When choosing to read a book that is labeled as “horror”, that genre IS the trigger warning. I could go on about how every study has shown that trigger warnings are more harmful than good and list a wealthy of articles on the topic, but doing that would be taking away from the book. The bottom line is, Unburied is a tight, enjoyable read that should make the LGBT horror community proud.

[Sarika Patkotwar · Rating 4 out of 5]

*This review was initially published at The Readdicts Book Blog. For more book related content, go here .

A collection of queer dark fiction sounded right up my alley and super intriguing. To top it all of, Unburied is a collection of short stories that are just the perfect length and still manage to pack in heaps of action, which works perfectly. From supernatural, psychological, science fiction and paranormal horror to dark fantasy to ghost stories to psychological thrillers, this collection has something for all taste buds and each story is unique, spooky and shudder in its own way.

While it took me a while to really get into the collection as a whole, there are many stories that I know are going to stay with me for a long time to come. I did consider mentioning them, only to realise it’s more than half of them, so I will let the titles pass. The reason I picked up this book is because it has a not so surprisingly astonishing short story by my all time favourite writer, Azzurra Nox.

Overall, this collection is packed with engrossing and spine-chilling stories that are so well written and narrated that you will definitely want more. If you’re into horror and psychological thrillers, this is the perfect book for you. To come up with a horror stories collection that is queer only is a brilliant idea and in this case, it was executed astoundingly.

Another point worth mentioning is that this collection is really an eye-opener in a way in that it takes up serious issues like domestic violence in same sex relationships and mental illnesses in manner that’s implicit but still makes one ponder and in turn, probably serving its purpose in the first place.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by Rebecca Rowland in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.

[Patrick J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A completely and whole-heartedly insane rollercoaster of a collection! I had such an amazing time reading “Unburied”, and each story took me on to an entirely different dimension in my mind.

As a queer horror author myself, reading the variety of narratives these authors created was beyond inspirational. Each and everyone, whether perfect or not, brought out some sense of fear and intrigue in me and that’s not easy to say.

The standouts for me in the collection would have to be: “When The Dust Settles” (by Sarah Lyn Eaton), “Open Up and Let Me In” (by Laura DeHaan), “The Red Candle” (by Louis Stephenson) with my two personal favorites being “The Other Boy” (by Laramie Dean) and “Razor, Knife” (by Elin Olausson). These 5 stories were top tier in every sense to me, and are some of the best queer horror, and horror in general, I’ve ever read. The dread, the descriptions, the characters; everything was worked out some precise and concise I was left craving so much more.

In general, this collection was such a treat, and was the perfect way for me to experience some new powerhouses authors. Can’t wait for Volume #2!

[Diversity Horror · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most anthologies have a formula: Some of the stories are amazing, some are just okay, and most are middle of the road. But with Unburied ALL of the stories are amazing. I don't know what dark being was summoned to create that one-in-a-million anthology where all the stories are outstanding, but the final result is superb. Unburied contains a wide array of horror fiction from dark fables and psychological thrillers to sci-fi and creepy creatures, so there's something to scare everyone. No matter how hot the weather gets outside, this collection of queer dark fiction is sure to send chills down your spine.

[L.E. Daniels · Rating 5 out of 5]

A potent accumulation of love, wisdom and endurance meant for savoring. Take your sweet time with this read and let it unspool in your hands. Brilliant!

[Bill Hsu · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't say this is terribly memorable. The layering on of barely relevant detail gets tiresome (hardly surprising to my friends). Despite the grumbling, I was enjoying the old-fashioned charm of the Picano story. Until we hear from the botany researcher at Berkeley who appears to have confused Borneo/Sarawak with Papua New Guinea, and offered his professional opinion on "pitcher plants, Nepenthes, also known as the Venus Flytrap." Either this was a particularly incompetent botanist, or he's too lazy to look up wikipedia. Very few of us amateur enthusiasts would get nepenthes confused with flytraps.

I enjoyed Laramie Dean's "The Other Boy", uncomfortable and steering clear of easy explanations. Judging from the rest of the selections, I must be one of very few queers who is allergic to overwriting.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unburied edited by Rebecca Rowland is a collection of 16 short horror stories, all from queer authors featuring queer characters.

I always say, horror is inherently queer, but it’s so nice to see it put into paper (or screen lol) like this! I enjoyed most of the stories; some were amazing and others were just okay, but there were no disappointing stories in this collection.

Some of my favorites include: Night Follows Night by Greg Herren, When the Dust Settles by Sarah Lyn Eaton, The Red Candle by Louis Stevenson, The Procedure by Daniel M. Jaffe, and Cut Off Your Nose to Spite Your Race by J. Askew.

This collection has a little bit for everyone: there’s dark fantasy, paranormal horror, psychological thrillers, creature features, and my favorite, sci-fi horror.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dark Ink/AM Ink Publishing, and Rebecca Rowland for the advanced review copy!

CW: homophobia, transphobia, body horror, illness, domestic violence

[April Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although not every story was great, most of them were quite enjoyable. I liked reading this queer collection, especially the story about the young boy who grew up to be a drag queen. It was nice to read a collection that spoke to me instead of it all being the usual straight fare.

[W. Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting though sometimes uneven anthology. Read my full review here: https://www.ihorror.com/book-reviews-...

[E.F. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something in all shades of horror, and beyond, in this collection -from taut psychological chills to supernatural, sci-fi, and suspenseful thriller. That's a lot of territory, but Rowland's arrangement flows smoothly and the stories all hit hard, standing on their own and adding a different level of creepy to the collection. Some favorites include Dean's terrifying "The Other Boy," which has notes of Ligotti -an expertly stylish suspenseful tale that breathes terror into a landscape that edges toward surreal; St. John's "Sweet Dreams" which crafts a monster-under-the-bed story involving gay parents and a frightened child with a slow building creepiness that lurks under the covers; Herren's psychologically gripping tale of trauma's aftermath "Night Follows Night"; Delia's punchy Hollywood haunt "Moi Aussi"; and Nox's supernatural nail biter, "Some Kind of Monster." Fantastic stories in this collection, exquisitely queer takes on the genre, and something for all tastes.

[Tessa Smith]

*I was given an advance copy by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
Honestly, this book was just too much trauma. I couldn't finish it. I’d read a couple of reviews (that the editor subsequently trashed which is a huge red flag) so I was on my guard but it was still just so much. I could’ve have done with a trigger warning. I wouldn’t have even considered this if I’d known how much upsetting content it contains. I like horror and I get that trauma and horror are intrinsically linked but half of the time the content in here didn’t even add to the story; it was just in there for shock value. Wouldn’t recommend.

The only redeeming story was the asteroid one. Shout out to that author. You did great.

[Kearstyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recieved a free copy of this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was fine, nothing badly written but also no stories that made me want to seek out the author's other work. I did think it was a bit tasteless to include a COVID-related story, though. The US may be on its way back to normal but the rest of the world is still in the midst of the pandemic. Given the damage being done in India by the new variant there, it seems particularly insensitive to include a story centering on new variants that transmit in a clearly fictitious manner.