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Macabre Tales: Anthology of Uncanny Short Stories
Fear always doesn’t have to be an apparition or a ghost! It can have an altered guise altogether; perhaps a living sociopath is more than enough to give you the chills. And what if in dense forests you hear the ulutations of dead women warriors whose presence is still believed by the locals. Not all unearthly beings are appalling, they have a purpose and reason to be on this earth and around you, they might be either protecting you or perhaps want to devour you. Macabre Tales will take you to such a riveting roller coaster ride where fear in each story will have a different face and meaning. The labyrinth of 17 odd stories from different households will give you the mixed feelings of fear, sympathy, contemplation, doubts, anxiety and much more. Horror is not the thing this year, macabre tales are!
189 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 18, 2021
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If an editor is known, however, Various is not necessary. List the name of the editor as the primary author (with role "editor"). Contributing authors' names follow it.
Note: WorldCat is an excellent resource for finding author information and contents of anthologies.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 15, 2021
Dale Carnegie once said -- "Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy."
I say-- “ Do sit at home and keep fear as close as possible to you, because before you know it by the end of this book , you may just lose it and become fearless!”
“Macabre Tales” is a thriller anthology brought together by Chrysanthemum Chronicles. It is a dystopian corpus ignited by Monalisa Joshi, the director and founder of CC, the book was edited under the fine guidance of a brilliant poet and writer/editor Nandita De nee Chatterjee. The book has 17 short stories written by prolific splendid writers.
Dr. Santosh Bakaya a seasoned and amazing writer, sets the mood for this thriller, her story ‘And the fireplace roared on’ is unimaginably mysterious that will keep you guessing till the end. It is about a new year’s party, the exuberant guest and their lively discussion on the liquor, entrepreneurial skills, love for antique, ailments, poetry and stock market et al. And amongst all this vanity talks were two guest who were uninvited. Story set in the cold winter of December with the fireplace roaring, what was the purpose of these two gatecrashers? Who were they?
‘The Patient’ by Harshali Singh throws light on the Dissociative Identity Disorder and the ordeals a senior doctor faces under politics and power play. In the fight between the wrong and the right, who wins? It’s a story about a person’s multiple personality disorder, and complicating decisions making by the medical fraternity.
‘Last of the Pench Tigers’ by Antara Banerjee is a story which will shake you up to womanhood and woman power. When the submissive wounded ones take charge to revenge and find justice in their own hands, hell breaks loose. This is a must to be read story of unrelenting spirit, terrifying acts by brave women, and the echoes of their defiance and confrontations.
‘Larceny of Identity’ by Purba Chakraborty is a story about human insecurities , revenge and denial. It is a story about deceit and lies using a doppelganger. It is an intriguing tale and depicts human shades of revenge and jealously.
‘Kurchi-The wild flower’s tale’ is an titillating tale about a couple’s lustful nights of obsessive love and yet their lack of steam in their conjugal togetherness. Lopamudra Banerjee has beautifully crafted femininity revealing the insides of a yearning women, her yearnings and search for something unknown.
‘The Last Train to Earth’ by Monalisa Joshi is a fascinating story, with an interesting name to it that makes you want to read about this last train. Who are the passengers and why is it the last train ? The story about a women who desperately wants to get onto this train but why? This riveting story of longing and separation will leave you spellbound.
‘The Elixir and the Nemesis’ by Sreeparna Sen is a suspense thriller in the real sense. The plot develops quickly and swiftly, shifting focus and makes you race your mind a la Sherlock Holmes to find the real culprit and the victim. The story is engrossing and will keep you hooked till the end.
‘The Connoisseur’ by Alipi Das is an interesting tale about a blast from the past and how the past tries to revel the doings, jolting an unrelated family of their peace and sanity. The narrative is strong and keeps you glues till the end.
How buckled up emotions can turn into grief and loneliness, hate and regret is what ‘Delusion’ is all about. With a fine and crisp narration by Muskan Sharma this story has a griping suspense build up in the middle of the story that makes it impossible to pause and you may find yourself finish and complete it in one breath.
‘Love with Fire’ by Dr. Paromita Mukherjee Ojha is story with shades of love, denial, hate, revenge and deceit. Strange is love and strange are the feelings that come with rejection that reveals the true nature of humans. The engaging tale has indeed all the elements of a thriller.
‘Ratha Katteri’ by Varadharajan Ramesh is a folklore of a creature with an unquenchable bloodlust. The kingdom of King Vikrama Varma feels unsafe with a monstrous entity – Ratha Ketteri. The astrologers claim the influence of Mars and reincarnation on king’s younger brother. What havoc and terror does he bring to the kingdom and who would control it. It’s a wonderful mythical tale of horror by the wonderful writer.
‘Being immortal’ by Preeti S. Manaktala : Now, since I wrote this story I cannot review it myself , but here is a short summary instead.
Can dreams turn you and your personality into becoming demonic? Can dreams run you and your day? This tale tells the story of a woman who is stalked by evil voices in her head and the grisly dreams that makes her do evil things which turns her into the vile women that she is not.
‘In Your Bloody Eyes’ by Rashmi Agrawal is a vengeance tale with intriguing twist and turns. Quick turn of events, planned moves and an interesting plot makes it engaging for the readers to indulge in this treat.
‘Fly with Me Love’ by Preethi Warrier is a story that builds up well right from the very start, and you will find yourself completing the story in no time. A very well crafted unique tale of a family’s tussle with violence and disturbed life. The writer has crafted a true thriller in every sense.
‘A Complot on the foothills’ is an intriguing story set in the foothills of a quaint township. Penned by Moushumi Bhattacharjee it portrays dark truth of the today’s current times. It’s a story of a murder which is camouflaged as an accident, the search for the culprit and the underlying corruption holds the story together making it very gripping.
When a bestselling crime author moves into a house with a dark history, he finds himself write the story of the house dweller who vanished into thin air. Would he be able to get to the core of the truth and find the real culprit or will all his efforts too vanish into thin air. ‘The Fulcher House Mystery’ by Zainab MM is a story that the readers would wish does not end.
‘Forbidden’ by Nandita De nee Chatterjee tells a story of the sexual harassment and molestation of a section of vulnerable tribal group, the Adivasi girls. It is a story about three girls on their anthropology project in a small town near Khargone. It is an intriguing tale of eerie encounter, salvage and belief.
All the stories in this collection absolutely fit in into this book -The Macabre Tales , published by Chrysanthemum Chronicles this book shall keep you on the edge and you may want to wish for a part 2 by the end of it.
A little about the publishing house - Chrysanthemum Chronicles :
This is the utopian land of contemporary fables, folklores, whimsical tales and verses. It is a place of candid expressions of literary journeys in abundance. It is a publishing house which gives shape to myriad unspoken, unheard voices from Asian subcontinents and across the globe through its literary voyage.
A book review by -
Preeti S Manaktala
I say-- “ Do sit at home and keep fear as close as possible to you, because before you know it by the end of this book , you may just lose it and become fearless!”
“Macabre Tales” is a thriller anthology brought together by Chrysanthemum Chronicles. It is a dystopian corpus ignited by Monalisa Joshi, the director and founder of CC, the book was edited under the fine guidance of a brilliant poet and writer/editor Nandita De nee Chatterjee. The book has 17 short stories written by prolific splendid writers.
Dr. Santosh Bakaya a seasoned and amazing writer, sets the mood for this thriller, her story ‘And the fireplace roared on’ is unimaginably mysterious that will keep you guessing till the end. It is about a new year’s party, the exuberant guest and their lively discussion on the liquor, entrepreneurial skills, love for antique, ailments, poetry and stock market et al. And amongst all this vanity talks were two guest who were uninvited. Story set in the cold winter of December with the fireplace roaring, what was the purpose of these two gatecrashers? Who were they?
‘The Patient’ by Harshali Singh throws light on the Dissociative Identity Disorder and the ordeals a senior doctor faces under politics and power play. In the fight between the wrong and the right, who wins? It’s a story about a person’s multiple personality disorder, and complicating decisions making by the medical fraternity.
‘Last of the Pench Tigers’ by Antara Banerjee is a story which will shake you up to womanhood and woman power. When the submissive wounded ones take charge to revenge and find justice in their own hands, hell breaks loose. This is a must to be read story of unrelenting spirit, terrifying acts by brave women, and the echoes of their defiance and confrontations.
‘Larceny of Identity’ by Purba Chakraborty is a story about human insecurities , revenge and denial. It is a story about deceit and lies using a doppelganger. It is an intriguing tale and depicts human shades of revenge and jealously.
‘Kurchi-The wild flower’s tale’ is an titillating tale about a couple’s lustful nights of obsessive love and yet their lack of steam in their conjugal togetherness. Lopamudra Banerjee has beautifully crafted femininity revealing the insides of a yearning women, her yearnings and search for something unknown.
‘The Last Train to Earth’ by Monalisa Joshi is a fascinating story, with an interesting name to it that makes you want to read about this last train. Who are the passengers and why is it the last train ? The story about a women who desperately wants to get onto this train but why? This riveting story of longing and separation will leave you spellbound.
‘The Elixir and the Nemesis’ by Sreeparna Sen is a suspense thriller in the real sense. The plot develops quickly and swiftly, shifting focus and makes you race your mind a la Sherlock Holmes to find the real culprit and the victim. The story is engrossing and will keep you hooked till the end.
‘The Connoisseur’ by Alipi Das is an interesting tale about a blast from the past and how the past tries to revel the doings, jolting an unrelated family of their peace and sanity. The narrative is strong and keeps you glues till the end.
How buckled up emotions can turn into grief and loneliness, hate and regret is what ‘Delusion’ is all about. With a fine and crisp narration by Muskan Sharma this story has a griping suspense build up in the middle of the story that makes it impossible to pause and you may find yourself finish and complete it in one breath.
‘Love with Fire’ by Dr. Paromita Mukherjee Ojha is story with shades of love, denial, hate, revenge and deceit. Strange is love and strange are the feelings that come with rejection that reveals the true nature of humans. The engaging tale has indeed all the elements of a thriller.
‘Ratha Katteri’ by Varadharajan Ramesh is a folklore of a creature with an unquenchable bloodlust. The kingdom of King Vikrama Varma feels unsafe with a monstrous entity – Ratha Ketteri. The astrologers claim the influence of Mars and reincarnation on king’s younger brother. What havoc and terror does he bring to the kingdom and who would control it. It’s a wonderful mythical tale of horror by the wonderful writer.
‘Being immortal’ by Preeti S. Manaktala : Now, since I wrote this story I cannot review it myself , but here is a short summary instead.
Can dreams turn you and your personality into becoming demonic? Can dreams run you and your day? This tale tells the story of a woman who is stalked by evil voices in her head and the grisly dreams that makes her do evil things which turns her into the vile women that she is not.
‘In Your Bloody Eyes’ by Rashmi Agrawal is a vengeance tale with intriguing twist and turns. Quick turn of events, planned moves and an interesting plot makes it engaging for the readers to indulge in this treat.
‘Fly with Me Love’ by Preethi Warrier is a story that builds up well right from the very start, and you will find yourself completing the story in no time. A very well crafted unique tale of a family’s tussle with violence and disturbed life. The writer has crafted a true thriller in every sense.
‘A Complot on the foothills’ is an intriguing story set in the foothills of a quaint township. Penned by Moushumi Bhattacharjee it portrays dark truth of the today’s current times. It’s a story of a murder which is camouflaged as an accident, the search for the culprit and the underlying corruption holds the story together making it very gripping.
When a bestselling crime author moves into a house with a dark history, he finds himself write the story of the house dweller who vanished into thin air. Would he be able to get to the core of the truth and find the real culprit or will all his efforts too vanish into thin air. ‘The Fulcher House Mystery’ by Zainab MM is a story that the readers would wish does not end.
‘Forbidden’ by Nandita De nee Chatterjee tells a story of the sexual harassment and molestation of a section of vulnerable tribal group, the Adivasi girls. It is a story about three girls on their anthropology project in a small town near Khargone. It is an intriguing tale of eerie encounter, salvage and belief.
All the stories in this collection absolutely fit in into this book -The Macabre Tales , published by Chrysanthemum Chronicles this book shall keep you on the edge and you may want to wish for a part 2 by the end of it.
A little about the publishing house - Chrysanthemum Chronicles :
This is the utopian land of contemporary fables, folklores, whimsical tales and verses. It is a place of candid expressions of literary journeys in abundance. It is a publishing house which gives shape to myriad unspoken, unheard voices from Asian subcontinents and across the globe through its literary voyage.
A book review by -
Preeti S Manaktala
December 15, 2021
Macabre Tales is a debut book coming from the house of Chrysanthemum Chronicles as a publishing house. Macabre Tales was initially visualized by the Director and Founder of Chrysanthemum Chronicles, Monalisa Joshi to take shape of a Dystopian Novel however it turned out to be an anthology with short stories from very talented writers.
Edited by Nandita De nee Chatterjee, the book is a collection of uncanny tales by multiple authors. The book comes under the fiction genre. Seventeen stories from seventeen writers from different walks of life take us on an eerie ride with varied emotions, drama, mystery and suspense.
Talking about the cover of the book. The ashen face. The placid eyes. The cold look. The spooky cover of the book can leave one appalled.
I opened the book with much trepidation and read through the very first story, And the Fireplace Roared on by Dr. Santosh Bakaya I found myself smiling. How’s it possible? An uncanny story that brings a smile to your face. Well, if it is coming Dr. Bakaya’s pen, the story can leave the readers with a chill and a smile simultaneously. Isn’t that unique!
The Patient by Harshali Singh, is a gripping tale that takes us into the world of medicines and hospitals and brings out some dark and unheard stories related to the medical fraternity.
The story moves forward with more dialogues which makes it more unique in its approach.
Antra Banerjee’s Last of the Pench Tigers takes us on an adventurous ride where the bravehearts abused by society, refuse to give up and stand on their feet to take revenge on their molesters. The daunting tale takes us deep into the jungles and its lores.
Larceny of Identity by Purba Chakraborty brings about the uncanny tale of rivalry where the protagonist is faced with the problems social media can bring. A gripping story of revenge and suspense keeps the readers glued to every word written.
“Each year, on the full moon night, just after the onset of spring, Kurchi would step out of their cottage, wayward, gathering her tattered self. Kurchi: The Wild Flower’s Tale by Lopamudra Banerjee transports us to a mystical world as Kurchi, the Adivasi girl wanders for quenching her quest for her love.
Monalisa Joshi’s The Last Train to Earth, is set up in a refugee camp. The protagonist's deep love for her lover makes her travel between different worlds and the agony she goes through thereafter is heartfelt. A sweet love story that turns into trauma for the soul of the protagonist delivers a deep spiritual message to the readers.
Sreeparna Sen’s The Elixir and the Nemesis is another hair-raising story of a psychopath who finds pleasure in killing. The story is fast-paced, with finger-biting suspense. It keeps the readers on edge as it progresses.
Alipi Das’s The Connoisseur has a very different tale to tell. An uncanny tale that comes up moving to new terrains by the protagonist. It is filled with warmth, love, and expertise that leaves the protagonist flummoxed.
Delusion by Muskan Sharma is another story that gives chills to the readers. A story of disturbed childhood, where the protagonist fights to come out of his self-created fears.
A story told through the pages of the diary of a schizophrenic personality who ends of loneliness and regretfulness.
Dr. Paromita Mukherjee Ojha’s Love with Fire is a dramatic story of love and revenge set up in the contemporary environment. The story takes us on a roller coaster ride of varied emotions. (more)
Ratha Katteri by Varadarajan Ramesh story takes us to the bygone era of kings and queens and the uncanny blood sucking vampire. A story of a chivalrous king who could do anything for his compatriot.
Preeti S.Manaktala’s Being Immortal gives us a sneak-peak into how hallucination can be a curse. A sweet tale of a small loving family Preeti has beautifully kept the readers engaged with her plot. The end is far from what we could have thought of.
In Your Bloody Eyes by Rashmi Agrawal is another eerie story of love and betrayal set up in the world of gizmos and gadgets. The author has very astutely transported the readers to modern times where technology is dominating and brought out the gory elements.
Preethi Warrier Fly With Me Love, is another spellbinding story in the collection that leaves one with a sad heart wishing for changing things before the end could have happened the way it did.
Moushmi Bhattacharjee’s A Complot on the Foothills brings out the nitty-gritty of the administration and politics in a very candid tone. A very down-to-earth story set up in contemporary scenarios but definitely something very unusual about it.
The Fulcher House Mystery by Zainab M.M is another short story that leads us into mysterious terrains. The plot and the language of the author keep the reader hooked till the end.
Last but not least is Forbidden by Nandita De nee Chatterjee, who has diligently edited the anthology. Her story talks about a brave heart who lived to protect others.
The stories from Macabre Tales are not just the fear caused by ghosts or apparitions but the stories play through your head and heart letting trepidations set in. The book is full of drama, romance, suspense, adventure, heartbreaks, and love nevertheless leaving one with a feeling of fear and sympathy. The authors have conscientiously made effort not to exaggerate the fear factor but have brought it out in a very profound and subtle manner with the astute use of words. All the stories have a very distinctive taste. Each story in the book carries up to a different land altogether.
I would wind up saying what the blurb says. “Horror is not the thing this year, macabre tales are!”
Shristee Singh
May 25, 2022
Book review: Macabre Tales, an anthology of uncanny short stories.
Have you ever been in a situation where you know something is wrong but cannot put your finger down on it? The uneasiness escalates. What would your reaction be? To Panic? Fear? Rebellion? Violence? Catastrophe?
This anthology explores tales with an undercurrent of suspense. It is a collection of 17 short stories written by as many authors.
I felt it had an eclectic mix of horror, crime, psychological thriller and suspense.
The stories that I felt were outstanding were:
Last of the Pench Tigers by Antara Banerjee (4.5/5): This tale is the definition of macabre. Set in the backdrop of the dense forests of Pench, Bandhavgarh, this is a tale of women wounded beyond repair, out to seek revenge. Powerful narration, and hair-raising sequences.
The Fulcher House Mystery by Zainab M.M.(4.5/5): This one read like a classic crime thriller. This is a story inspired by a true crime about a beautiful, young woman who disappeared into thin air. The vocabulary, the suspense and the vibe of mystery are top notch.
The Patient by Harshali Singh(4/5): A medical thriller, with a layered plot. What I loved the most was the characterisation. Each character was flawed in a believable yet unique way. The twist at the end was almost metaphorical, and thrilling.
Fly with me by Preethi Warrier(4/5): A mother trapped in a painful marriage. The macabre foreshadowing in this tale keeps the reader guessing the genre till the very end. Heart wrenching and yet relatable, this is a story that raises a pertinent issue.
The other stories were very good as well, garnering ratings between 3/5 and3.5/5. The stories span from mysteriously appearing vintage hats to identity theft. From a mind in delusion to a vampire to a mysterious neighbour The language is beautiful, vocabulary is superlative.. And each one is in absolute sync with the theme of the anthology.
I received this book as a prize for a poetry recital event by Chrysanthemum Chronicles. My review is unbiased. Do I recommend this book? Most certainly yes!
Have you ever been in a situation where you know something is wrong but cannot put your finger down on it? The uneasiness escalates. What would your reaction be? To Panic? Fear? Rebellion? Violence? Catastrophe?
This anthology explores tales with an undercurrent of suspense. It is a collection of 17 short stories written by as many authors.
I felt it had an eclectic mix of horror, crime, psychological thriller and suspense.
The stories that I felt were outstanding were:
Last of the Pench Tigers by Antara Banerjee (4.5/5): This tale is the definition of macabre. Set in the backdrop of the dense forests of Pench, Bandhavgarh, this is a tale of women wounded beyond repair, out to seek revenge. Powerful narration, and hair-raising sequences.
The Fulcher House Mystery by Zainab M.M.(4.5/5): This one read like a classic crime thriller. This is a story inspired by a true crime about a beautiful, young woman who disappeared into thin air. The vocabulary, the suspense and the vibe of mystery are top notch.
The Patient by Harshali Singh(4/5): A medical thriller, with a layered plot. What I loved the most was the characterisation. Each character was flawed in a believable yet unique way. The twist at the end was almost metaphorical, and thrilling.
Fly with me by Preethi Warrier(4/5): A mother trapped in a painful marriage. The macabre foreshadowing in this tale keeps the reader guessing the genre till the very end. Heart wrenching and yet relatable, this is a story that raises a pertinent issue.
The other stories were very good as well, garnering ratings between 3/5 and3.5/5. The stories span from mysteriously appearing vintage hats to identity theft. From a mind in delusion to a vampire to a mysterious neighbour The language is beautiful, vocabulary is superlative.. And each one is in absolute sync with the theme of the anthology.
I received this book as a prize for a poetry recital event by Chrysanthemum Chronicles. My review is unbiased. Do I recommend this book? Most certainly yes!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews