Stitched Lips: An Anthology of Horror from Silenced Voices

by Ken MacGregor (Editor), Jim McLeod (Introduction), R.L. Meza

R.L. Meza, Sarah Hans, Linda Nagle, Lucy A. Snyder, Lee Murray, Z.Z. Claybourne, Joanna Koch, Gabino Iglesias, Hailey Piper, Patty Templeton, and Michael Paul Gonzalez bring you some of the most horrifying tales available today. All profits from this anthology will be donated to the Southern Poverty Law Center, an organization whose goal is the advancement of human rights for all people.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Anthologies

160 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 2, 2021

About the author

Ken MacGregor’s short stories have appeared in dozens of anthologies, magazines and podcasts. One of his stories was nominated for the Micro Award. Ken is a member in good standing of The Great Lakes Association of Horror Writers and an Affiliate member of HWA. He lives in Michigan with his family.He can be found on Facebook (Ken MacGregor - Author), Amazon and at ken-macgregor.com.

Reviews

[Stitching Ghost · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever considered the horror of silence, or more exactly the horror of being silenced? This is the reflection this anthology invites you to through its multi-voice exploration of the theme. Some stories are graphic, some are quite obvious in their message while others are all subtlety. Most of the stories fall under the it could really happen/all monsters are human brand of horror.

There is only one story that I would consider as being extreme horror (Aristotle's Lantern by Joanna Koch) and my was it stomach churning but also just wow.

Upon turning the last page I was left with a deep sense of discomfort and a low buzz of anxiety, a sure sign of effective horror in my book (no surprise considering the caliber of the authors assembled in this anthology).

[Sophie]

dnf @20%

I've never reviewed a book written (or in this case, edited) by someone I've actually met before, so I'm kind of nervous, please don't murder me, Ken. 😬😬😬

I tried, I really did, but extreme body horror is just still 100% not for me. I have the stomach of a vertigo ridden child filled to the brim with junk food after a go-around on the tilt-a-whirl.

I think this is really more of a case of me not liking horror in general, so I feel like it wouldn't really be fair of me to give it a bad rating since it's not the writing's fault, I'm just a delicate flower. But I'll speak a little bit on what I read anyway, if you're curious.

The theme of the story collection is supposed to be horror that centers around marginalized voices, which I thought was a really cool concept. Interesting! Fabulous! The intro, however, in my opinion, missed the mark a little bit. It was written by an older cis white gentleman (not the editor) WHICH IS OK, I wasn't mad at him for being all that, let me preface. But the whole thing was just about how he used to be a closeted homophobe and racist and went on about how "he's totally not one anymore though" and "racism is bad and it's great that people are different." And as a very queer young person I was just kind of like, "hmm." 🤔 I can't even exactly verbally pinpoint or explain to you why it made me uncomfy and didn't sit right, but it just felt... like it was not the vibe.

One of the stories I actually did end up reading was very good though, it was about a society where women have their vocal chords removed at the age of three because they're not supposed to be allowed to speak, centering a runaway women who can perform surgery on people's vocal chords. It was thought provoking, even though the story itself was pretty gross and terrifying.

Again, I think this is definitely more of a case of me not being a huge horror fan, and if you actually like horror and creepy-crawly-stomach-churning books, then I would definitely give this one a peek. 👀👀👀

Special thanks to the editor for loaning me a copy!

[Renata · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book caught my attention with its catchy cover - a simple design that reveals a lot. I also liked how each of the contributing writers is mentioned on the front cover, unlike most anthologies that only feature the editor's name. As the tagline states, each of the stories are set around the theme of 'silenced voices', and I loved how every single writer interpreted the concept and integrated it with their stories.

Stitched Lips is a powerful ode to voices that go unheard and people who remain unseen. Each of the stories has a strong metaphorical angle delicately balanced with pure horror and gore. When you read between the lines, the topics covered here are not uncommon. How often has someone been shushed while speaking, told to be grateful about having a job and stay silent to retain it, ordered to follow the hierarchy without asking questions, had credit stolen for work done, threatened to be extradited or fired for standing up and speaking out, the helplessness of not knowing the language of the people around you, speaking but not being heard, heard but not understood, being stalked or harassed, facing casual racism and sexism dismissed as a joke, considered irrelevant, suggestions and ideas discarded, treated like a living statue? Whether an actress abused by male co-stars, or a comatose man desperate for attention, an immigrant unable to ask for help, to a student whose research professors claim as their own, voices are silenced and people can be dismissed in myriad ways.

A dark collection that sheds light on important issues, Stitched Lips is not to be missed. Definitely a must-read for horror fans, the book deserves to be read by all readers for the topics it addresses and the stand it takes for the oppressed, powerless and disenfranchised.

[Kathryn Grace Loves Horror · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was the cover that initially caught my attention. And then the subtitle, An Anthology of Horror from Silenced Voices. In the third decade of the 21st century, one would have hoped horror would have become more diverse, and it is getting there, but books like this are still important. However, diversity would be for almost nothing if the stories themselves weren’t any good. Fortunately, most of them are excellent. A unifying theme weaves the stories together, one of being silenced, by society, by government, and occasionally more literal means. As a queer woman, this was a theme that spoke to me, and I think it will resonate with a lot of readers.

Sarah Hans’s delicious dystopian “Chorus of Whispers” was probably my absolute favorite, if I had to choose. In a world where women are literally silenced, some dare to reclaim their voices and fight back. I devoured this story. I could read it a million more times and still love it. I’ve had Hans’s collection, Dead Girls Don’t Love sitting on my shelf for a minute, and I’ve clearly been missing out by overlooking it.

Another favorite was “Artown Correctional Center” by Patty Templeton, about a nurse’s investigation into ongoing disappearances of inmates at the prison where she works. The real monsters here are the people that perpetuate evils by looking the other way and allowing injustice to go unchecked. Plus, this creature feature has a very satisfying ending.

Lucy Snyder’s “Avocation,” a tale of corrupt insurance companies and one woman’s revenge, was so satisfying, especially since I’ve been dealing with my own insurance headaches after a couple of recent trips to the hospital.

Other standouts: Lee Murray’s “Nil by Mouth” is a horribly heartbreaking realistic horror story. Gabino Iglesias’s “Bad Green, Quiet Black” scratches my itch for science themed horror, and “Why We Keep Exploding” deals up more satisfying revenge. Finally, “Tableau Vivant” by Michael Paul Gonzalez is a mercilessly nerve wracking tale of a living statue witnessing a massacre.

There were a couple of pieces that didn’t work for me, but that’s true with most anthologies. And just a warning to dog lovers, while ZZ Claybourne’s “The Toll” is an excellent story and beautifully written, it does feature dog death. Otherwise, this is a must read collection, and I wish I heard more people talking about it. Read it if you’re looking for diverse horror or even if you just want a solid collection of good stories.

[J.M. Horn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cover captured my attention and the authors kept it.

I knew I was in for a treat the moment I finished the first story. Each one had a uniqueness to it and kept me turning the page. The following stories stood out to me and had me wanting more.

Avocation by Lucy A. Snyder
Chorus of Whispers by Sarah Han
Bad Green, Quiet Black by Gabino Iglesias
Why We Keep Exploding by Hailey Piper

This is a solid anthology put together by the editor Ken MacGregor and The Dragon's Roost Press.

If you are even a casual fan of horror, you will find more than one story that tugs at you. You would be making a mistake if you passed up on this anthology.

[Michael]

R.L. Meza, Sarah Hans, Linda Nagle, Lucy A. Snyder, Lee Murray, Z.Z. Claybourne, Joanna Koch, Gabino Iglesias, Hailey Piper, Patty Templeton, Michael Paul Gonzalez bring you some of the most horrifying tales available today. All profits from this anthology will be donated to the Southern Poverty Law Center, an organization whose goal is the advancement of human rights for all people.

[Larisa Leader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, spine tingling bizarre and creepy stories that will keep you up at night. Loving the creativity of these dreadful tales.

[Danielle Yeager · Rating 4 out of 5]

This anthology contains 11 stories written by women, LGBTQ+, and BIPOC authors, several of whom are Shirley Jackson or Bram Stoker awards nominees/recipients, so the writing is exceptional. The 'silenced voices' theme and that the profits will be donated to The Southern Poverty Law Center are the reasons I was drawn to this collection. For me, the standouts are:

Chorus of Whispers by Sarah Hans: Dystopian body horror about a society that requires females to be surgically silenced when they are children.

Bad Green, Quiet Black by Gabino Iglesias: Science and nature horror about the role of Indigenous traditional land use and ecological knowledge in research.

Aristotle's Lantern by Joanna Koch: Cinematic body horror and powerful, lyrical prose about a female victim of kidnapping and extreme torture during the making of a child snuff film.

Artown Correctional Center by Patty Templeton: Creature feature about the devaluation and invisibility of Black people, especially those who go missing.

Thank you to the Editor, Ken MacGregor, for providing me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[H.V. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection is brilliant! I'm so glad I picked it up. It introduced me to several authors I hadn't read previously, and I'm planning on checking out some of their longer works. If you're looking for new voices in horror, this is a really good starting place.

[Halley Hopson · Rating 4 out of 5]

STITCHED LIPS

The Worldeaters - 3.75
Chorus of Whispers - 5
Jack - 2.75
Avocation - 4
Nil By Mouth - 3.5 bc the ending was so abrupt
The Toll - 2
Aristotle’s Lantern- 1.5
Bad Green, Quiet Black - 3
Why We Keep Exploding - 4
Artown Correctional Center - 3.5
Tableau Vivant- 5

[John Esse · Rating 3 out of 5]

standout selections:
chorus of whispers, Sara Hans, 4/5
avocation, Lucy A Snyder, 4/5
nil by mouth, Lee Murray, 4/5
the toll, Z.Z. Claybourne, 5/5