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Bodies Full of Burning
Menopause can be hell.
With Bodies Full of Burning, Nicole M. Wolverton has selected 16 stories which show how deadly the change of life can be. From state-sanctioned surgeries to transformative encounters with mythical creatures; strained relationships to fiery vengeance, these tales offer thoughtful insights into a topic rarely viewed through the lens of horror.
Featuring all-new fiction from: Joanna Koch, Marsheila Rockwell, Monique Quintana, Megan M. Davies-Ostrom, Carman Webb, D.A. Jobe, Dr Bunny McFadden, Julie Ann Rees, Victory Witherkeigh, B.J. Thrower and Karen Thrower, E.F. Schraeder, Jennifer D. Adams, Ali Seay, Jude Reid, Shelby Dollar and Max Turner.
With Bodies Full of Burning, Nicole M. Wolverton has selected 16 stories which show how deadly the change of life can be. From state-sanctioned surgeries to transformative encounters with mythical creatures; strained relationships to fiery vengeance, these tales offer thoughtful insights into a topic rarely viewed through the lens of horror.
Featuring all-new fiction from: Joanna Koch, Marsheila Rockwell, Monique Quintana, Megan M. Davies-Ostrom, Carman Webb, D.A. Jobe, Dr Bunny McFadden, Julie Ann Rees, Victory Witherkeigh, B.J. Thrower and Karen Thrower, E.F. Schraeder, Jennifer D. Adams, Ali Seay, Jude Reid, Shelby Dollar and Max Turner.
- GenresHorror
150 pages, ebook
Published September 1, 2021
4 people are currently reading
146 people want to read
About the author
Nicole M. Wolverton
28 books107 followersNicole M. Wolverton is a fear enthusiast and mostly writes horror and thrillers. Her new young adult vegetarian-turned-accidental-cannibal horror novel, MEAT SWEATS, is due out from Horrorsmith Publishing in August 2026. It is described as Dexter meets Yellowjackets, with animal rights advocacy thrown in for good measure.
She is the author of two additional novels: A MISFORTUNE OF LAKE MONSTERS (YA horror, CamCat Books, July 2024) and THE TRAJECTORY OF DREAMS (adult psychological thriller, Bitingduck Press, 2013). Nicole also served as Editor/Curator of BODIES FULL OF BURNING, an anthology of short stories that explores horror through the lens of menopause (Sliced Up Press, 2021). Additionally, she is a Pushcart-nominated writer of 50-plus works of short fiction, creative nonfiction, and essays.
Nicole holds a B.A. in English from Temple University and a Masters of Liberal Arts in horror and storytelling from the University of Pennsylvania. She is currently pursuing a Masters of Philosophy in gastrohorror. She lives in the Philadelphia area.
She is the author of two additional novels: A MISFORTUNE OF LAKE MONSTERS (YA horror, CamCat Books, July 2024) and THE TRAJECTORY OF DREAMS (adult psychological thriller, Bitingduck Press, 2013). Nicole also served as Editor/Curator of BODIES FULL OF BURNING, an anthology of short stories that explores horror through the lens of menopause (Sliced Up Press, 2021). Additionally, she is a Pushcart-nominated writer of 50-plus works of short fiction, creative nonfiction, and essays.
Nicole holds a B.A. in English from Temple University and a Masters of Liberal Arts in horror and storytelling from the University of Pennsylvania. She is currently pursuing a Masters of Philosophy in gastrohorror. She lives in the Philadelphia area.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 30, 2021
*disclaimer* I received an ARC of this anthology in exchange for an honest review. Also, this is a spoiler free review.
In her introduction, editor Nicole M. Wolverton makes an astute observation: There is much horror that deals with the onset of a woman's menstruation, and puberty in general, and precious little - if any - that deals with the end of our menses. So much of the horror canon revolves around periods and pubescent changes and then desire/sexuality, followed by motherhood. Then literature and pop culture seem to skip over our middling years and jump right into cronehood. To be sure, it's not a sexy time in a woman's life. It's fraught with physical and emotional demands the likes of which can only be understood through experience. But it's also a time when many women - myself included - come into their own.
So when I first heard of this anthology I was immediately excited. I knew it would pose a unique challenge to writers and I was keen to see what they would come up with. I did have some concerns early on about the breadth of experience that may, or may not, be included in such a particular anthology. Would there be trans inclusive stories? And what about stories from non-white people? I am pleased to report that this anthology comes with an array of experiences and I applaud both Nicole and Sliced Up Press on their efforts.
As with every anthology there were hits and misses. I won't specifically call out the misses but I will say there were a couple of stories I did not finish reading. That does not mean that they were bad stories. Every reading experience is subjective. Something I find lacking might be exactly your cup of tea.
My absolute favorites were as follows:
Here There Are Dragons by Megan M. Davies-Ostrom:
This was one of the few stories in the anthology that treated menopause as something empowering and that also had absolutely nothing to do with men. I will touch more on this later. For now I just want to say that I really appreciated the atmosphere in this story, the build up, and the final positive message that there is a freedom and strength in becoming something new.
Four Acres and a Shovel by Carman Webb:
This story really brings the horror. I could easily see this piece listed in any of the more prominent Year's Best Of horror collections. It takes a common trope - a husband no longer interested in his aging wife - and subverts it through the lens of monstrosity. I felt the terror the woman in the story felt and I thought her creature was an intriguing invention. I thought back to this story frequently after reading it.
Nobody Warns You by D.A. Jobe:
This one is easily my favorite in the bunch. I felt like this was the most unique interpretation of menopause throughout the anthology. Instead of focusing on one woman's experience with menopause it presented the idea of menopause from a societal perspective and the tragedy that followed because of the pressure on women to transition peacefully and quietly. Again, I felt real terror reading this and eagerly flipped each page wanting more. This is another I could see collected in a Best Of anthology. The only nitpick I have is that I wish it had ended a page earlier. Again, this is all so subjective but I personally prefer a bit of mystery. The explanatory last page dulled the magic of the story. But overall it was an A+ piece.
In Bloom by Dr. Bunny McFadden:
This is another unique entry. I was not expecting a story that utilized the ocean and sea creatures for something about menopause. But it worked and was an interesting read.
Trouble in Room Eight by E.F. Schraeder:
Wolf metaphors aren't exactly unique in female centric horror but I appreciated the bucolic setting of the story and the mystery that played out. The characters were interesting and the plot was engaging and the author never fell back on any of the more cliché tropes you typically see in wolf/girl stories. All around a good read.
As for the drawbacks, they are as follows:
A fair number of the stories were about women losing the interest of their husbands, or of men in general, because of going through the change. While I do understand that this is a deep seated fear for many women it mostly made me feel pity. There is such strength and independence to be found during this stage in our life and I wish more of the pieces had reflected that.
Also, a number of the stories really took the "Bodies Full of Burning" to heart. Many of the pieces focused on hot flashes and I wish there had been more variety in regards to the myriad of symptoms that can plague a woman during this time of life. At certain points things felt a bit repetitive.
That being said, this was a worthy collection and I do not feel my time was wasted at all. I highly recommend this anthology to anyone that loves horror and I truly hope we see more collections like this in the future.
In her introduction, editor Nicole M. Wolverton makes an astute observation: There is much horror that deals with the onset of a woman's menstruation, and puberty in general, and precious little - if any - that deals with the end of our menses. So much of the horror canon revolves around periods and pubescent changes and then desire/sexuality, followed by motherhood. Then literature and pop culture seem to skip over our middling years and jump right into cronehood. To be sure, it's not a sexy time in a woman's life. It's fraught with physical and emotional demands the likes of which can only be understood through experience. But it's also a time when many women - myself included - come into their own.
So when I first heard of this anthology I was immediately excited. I knew it would pose a unique challenge to writers and I was keen to see what they would come up with. I did have some concerns early on about the breadth of experience that may, or may not, be included in such a particular anthology. Would there be trans inclusive stories? And what about stories from non-white people? I am pleased to report that this anthology comes with an array of experiences and I applaud both Nicole and Sliced Up Press on their efforts.
As with every anthology there were hits and misses. I won't specifically call out the misses but I will say there were a couple of stories I did not finish reading. That does not mean that they were bad stories. Every reading experience is subjective. Something I find lacking might be exactly your cup of tea.
My absolute favorites were as follows:
Here There Are Dragons by Megan M. Davies-Ostrom:
This was one of the few stories in the anthology that treated menopause as something empowering and that also had absolutely nothing to do with men. I will touch more on this later. For now I just want to say that I really appreciated the atmosphere in this story, the build up, and the final positive message that there is a freedom and strength in becoming something new.
Four Acres and a Shovel by Carman Webb:
This story really brings the horror. I could easily see this piece listed in any of the more prominent Year's Best Of horror collections. It takes a common trope - a husband no longer interested in his aging wife - and subverts it through the lens of monstrosity. I felt the terror the woman in the story felt and I thought her creature was an intriguing invention. I thought back to this story frequently after reading it.
Nobody Warns You by D.A. Jobe:
This one is easily my favorite in the bunch. I felt like this was the most unique interpretation of menopause throughout the anthology. Instead of focusing on one woman's experience with menopause it presented the idea of menopause from a societal perspective and the tragedy that followed because of the pressure on women to transition peacefully and quietly. Again, I felt real terror reading this and eagerly flipped each page wanting more. This is another I could see collected in a Best Of anthology. The only nitpick I have is that I wish it had ended a page earlier. Again, this is all so subjective but I personally prefer a bit of mystery. The explanatory last page dulled the magic of the story. But overall it was an A+ piece.
In Bloom by Dr. Bunny McFadden:
This is another unique entry. I was not expecting a story that utilized the ocean and sea creatures for something about menopause. But it worked and was an interesting read.
Trouble in Room Eight by E.F. Schraeder:
Wolf metaphors aren't exactly unique in female centric horror but I appreciated the bucolic setting of the story and the mystery that played out. The characters were interesting and the plot was engaging and the author never fell back on any of the more cliché tropes you typically see in wolf/girl stories. All around a good read.
As for the drawbacks, they are as follows:
A fair number of the stories were about women losing the interest of their husbands, or of men in general, because of going through the change. While I do understand that this is a deep seated fear for many women it mostly made me feel pity. There is such strength and independence to be found during this stage in our life and I wish more of the pieces had reflected that.
Also, a number of the stories really took the "Bodies Full of Burning" to heart. Many of the pieces focused on hot flashes and I wish there had been more variety in regards to the myriad of symptoms that can plague a woman during this time of life. At certain points things felt a bit repetitive.
That being said, this was a worthy collection and I do not feel my time was wasted at all. I highly recommend this anthology to anyone that loves horror and I truly hope we see more collections like this in the future.
September 1, 2021
Happy Pub Day! Full review to come!
July 17, 2021
This enthralling menopause-themed anthology—collated and edited by Nicole M. Wolverton and published via Sliced Up Press—contains sixteen thought-provoking (and gruesome) short horror stories.
It’s an even line up of quick shockers and dark literary nuggets from around the world. I had intended on reading a story a night, eking it out between the other books I’ve currently got on the go, but ended up devouring the whole anthology in under two days. It was just too good to put down (had to sleep with the little light on though).
Hi-lights for me included: Joanne Koch’s opener, ‘Blood Calumny’ (a murderous womb seeks a new home), Megan M Davies-Ostrom’s empowering ‘Here There are Dragons’ (a fantasy with a dash of horror) and Shelby Dollar’s medicated cult themed ‘Fifty-Four Year Itch’.
It is a well-selected set of stories and features plenty of husband torching moments, meddling witches, wolves, bots, an interesting historical recipe for lube, a survival camp out in the sticks for women of a certain age, jellyfish, and wombs which come out and go back in again, much to their host’s disapproval.
There is something in this book for everyone who enjoys a little bit of the macabre—it’s an outright smasher, but equally importantly (even horror fans have morals, right?), it’s brilliant to see women’s health being discussed (albeit fictionally-I hope!) and celebrated artistically like this.
If you are currently going through menopause (I have yet that bridge to cross), this book contains plenty of chills to counter any hot flashes you may be experiencing. If you are not, read it anyway-it’s disgustingly good!
Highly recommended.
It’s an even line up of quick shockers and dark literary nuggets from around the world. I had intended on reading a story a night, eking it out between the other books I’ve currently got on the go, but ended up devouring the whole anthology in under two days. It was just too good to put down (had to sleep with the little light on though).
Hi-lights for me included: Joanne Koch’s opener, ‘Blood Calumny’ (a murderous womb seeks a new home), Megan M Davies-Ostrom’s empowering ‘Here There are Dragons’ (a fantasy with a dash of horror) and Shelby Dollar’s medicated cult themed ‘Fifty-Four Year Itch’.
It is a well-selected set of stories and features plenty of husband torching moments, meddling witches, wolves, bots, an interesting historical recipe for lube, a survival camp out in the sticks for women of a certain age, jellyfish, and wombs which come out and go back in again, much to their host’s disapproval.
There is something in this book for everyone who enjoys a little bit of the macabre—it’s an outright smasher, but equally importantly (even horror fans have morals, right?), it’s brilliant to see women’s health being discussed (albeit fictionally-I hope!) and celebrated artistically like this.
If you are currently going through menopause (I have yet that bridge to cross), this book contains plenty of chills to counter any hot flashes you may be experiencing. If you are not, read it anyway-it’s disgustingly good!
Highly recommended.
September 1, 2021
Shame on me, whose first thought upon hearing that this menopause-themed horror anthology was, “I wonder why they didn’t release this during Women in Horror Month?” First, September is National Menopause Awareness Month, but second, Bodies quickly proves that one need not possess a uterus or be in the throes of an urgently declining hormone level to appreciate the varying degrees of body horror its tales offer. Editor Nicole M. Wolverton notes in her Foreword, “Everything to do with ovaries and uteruses (and their by-products) is fraught in some way, whether you own them or used to own them or are supposed to own them or perhaps were never really meant to own them,” and she’s spot on, but even if your experience with female reproductive organs has been limited to cheerleading from the sidelines, you’re certain to find a gem or two in Bodies to appreciate...
Continue reading review on Ginger Nuts of Horror
Continue reading review on Ginger Nuts of Horror
October 16, 2021
Upfront I want to say that Nicole Wolverton is a close friend, so that may bias my review. I don't think so, but I want to be honest. Anyway... Most short story collections have some hits and some misses. The only difference between these stories was whether they were good or great.
August 9, 2021
Full disclosure: I'm the editor of the anthology, so of course I'm biased and think every story in the collection is fire!
June 7, 2023
such a unique take on a topic not discussed through a horror lens often!
September 7, 2021
Published in paperback and e-book formats by Sliced Up Press, 'Bodies Full Of Burning' is a bold take on the process of the peri-menopause, and menopause, and how it affects women. It is an interesting look at how the way women are disregarded, relegated to the effects of their hormones and so on, and packs a lot into its relatively short length of 150 pages.
The symptoms of the menopause are varied and often feel like you are losing your mind. The out of control effects that it can have on your body, and mind, make it a ripe and, as yet, unmined , topic for horror writers. The notion of transformation, change, becoming, are all standard issues for a genre which dwells in the 'other'.
As with many anthologies, there are hits and misses, stories which just seemed to not quite get to that point, where you would look up their other works. This made those that stood out much more enjoyable, but, as every reading experience is individual to the reader, I am only going to focus on the stories which really spoke to me.
Favourites included- the fantasy story, where the change is seen as a boon, 'Here There Are Dragons' by Megan M.Davies-Ostrom
'Four Acres And A Shovel' by Carmen Webb, a rallying cry to resourceful nature of women in the face of misogyny.
'Nobody Warns You' by D.A Jobe which I found equal parts tragic and darkly funny, but overall terrifying.
Clive Barker-esque body horror, 'Fifty Four Year Itch' by Shelby Dollar which takes the word 'change' to a terrifying transformation.
'In Bloom' by Dr Bunny McFadden , takes the notion of burning and uses it to make an aquatic horror story which flips the narrative of change, consumption, and more than human apetites.
I think, on the balance of things, the stories which spoke most to me were the ones that didn't centre men. They were ones which viewed the change of life as an opportunity to take control, to see it as freeing, a process which will lead to the third age of womanhood, burning down the body of the younger woman whose value is all about how fertile they are.
They were unapologetically woman cantered, powerful and dynamic-so many women feel the hand of mortality on their shoulder and become, in essence, invisible after the age of 40, their voices and experience less valued than the words of men. Laying blame on everything at the feet of hormones, from tempers to murder, is an easy get out, no one addresses the fundamental underlying differentiation that this is normal, yet it is not talked about.
There is little to no public recognition about how women feel at this time, no infrastructure to support menopausal women in the workplace, or talked about signs of the peri-menopause. And this anthology, published with an international cast of writers, being visible through the US National Menopausal Month of September and World Menopause Month in October, can only be a good thing. As women's reproductive rights and self determination over their bodily processes continues to be attacked from all sides, recognition, research and investigations into health inequalities between the sexes needs to be a clarion cry to women and men alike.
The symptoms of the menopause are varied and often feel like you are losing your mind. The out of control effects that it can have on your body, and mind, make it a ripe and, as yet, unmined , topic for horror writers. The notion of transformation, change, becoming, are all standard issues for a genre which dwells in the 'other'.
As with many anthologies, there are hits and misses, stories which just seemed to not quite get to that point, where you would look up their other works. This made those that stood out much more enjoyable, but, as every reading experience is individual to the reader, I am only going to focus on the stories which really spoke to me.
Favourites included- the fantasy story, where the change is seen as a boon, 'Here There Are Dragons' by Megan M.Davies-Ostrom
'Four Acres And A Shovel' by Carmen Webb, a rallying cry to resourceful nature of women in the face of misogyny.
'Nobody Warns You' by D.A Jobe which I found equal parts tragic and darkly funny, but overall terrifying.
Clive Barker-esque body horror, 'Fifty Four Year Itch' by Shelby Dollar which takes the word 'change' to a terrifying transformation.
'In Bloom' by Dr Bunny McFadden , takes the notion of burning and uses it to make an aquatic horror story which flips the narrative of change, consumption, and more than human apetites.
I think, on the balance of things, the stories which spoke most to me were the ones that didn't centre men. They were ones which viewed the change of life as an opportunity to take control, to see it as freeing, a process which will lead to the third age of womanhood, burning down the body of the younger woman whose value is all about how fertile they are.
They were unapologetically woman cantered, powerful and dynamic-so many women feel the hand of mortality on their shoulder and become, in essence, invisible after the age of 40, their voices and experience less valued than the words of men. Laying blame on everything at the feet of hormones, from tempers to murder, is an easy get out, no one addresses the fundamental underlying differentiation that this is normal, yet it is not talked about.
There is little to no public recognition about how women feel at this time, no infrastructure to support menopausal women in the workplace, or talked about signs of the peri-menopause. And this anthology, published with an international cast of writers, being visible through the US National Menopausal Month of September and World Menopause Month in October, can only be a good thing. As women's reproductive rights and self determination over their bodily processes continues to be attacked from all sides, recognition, research and investigations into health inequalities between the sexes needs to be a clarion cry to women and men alike.
November 29, 2021
Menopause horror – a great theme for an anthology.
The menses may be paused (or on the way to pausing) but that doesn’t mean there’s no more blood, just a different source in some of these stories. There is much more going on in these pages than bloodshed, however. Editor Nicole M. Wolverton selected tales that express a wide range of voices, experiences, and imagination that all hit on the theme of menopause.
“Transcending” by Julie Ann Rees, “Here There Are Dragons” by Megan M. Davies-Ostrom, and “Four Acres and a Shovel” by Carman Webb are standouts for me. There are solid stories in this anthology. Recommended for an engrossing horror read.
The menses may be paused (or on the way to pausing) but that doesn’t mean there’s no more blood, just a different source in some of these stories. There is much more going on in these pages than bloodshed, however. Editor Nicole M. Wolverton selected tales that express a wide range of voices, experiences, and imagination that all hit on the theme of menopause.
“Transcending” by Julie Ann Rees, “Here There Are Dragons” by Megan M. Davies-Ostrom, and “Four Acres and a Shovel” by Carman Webb are standouts for me. There are solid stories in this anthology. Recommended for an engrossing horror read.
Read
September 5, 2021Review to come.
February 13, 2024
Transcending and Becoming really stood out as my favourite in the anthology.
December 17, 2021
Disclaimer: I have a story published in this anthology, however I am reviewing based on the other stories only.
This is a wonderful collection of horror stories themed around the experience of menopause. There is a great variety of both stories and writers, which includes more than just cis-women - acknowledging that they are not the only people in possession of a uterus and facing the horrors of menopause.
My favourites were Becoming by Ali Seay, a chilling tale of heat! The rage inducing Some Say The World Will End in Fire by Jude Reid. And most especially the fantastic Blood Calumny by Joe Koch which is a great opening story to the volume.
This is a wonderful collection of horror stories themed around the experience of menopause. There is a great variety of both stories and writers, which includes more than just cis-women - acknowledging that they are not the only people in possession of a uterus and facing the horrors of menopause.
My favourites were Becoming by Ali Seay, a chilling tale of heat! The rage inducing Some Say The World Will End in Fire by Jude Reid. And most especially the fantastic Blood Calumny by Joe Koch which is a great opening story to the volume.
January 22, 2026
** 3.8 rounded up! **
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews