Stitches: A Collection Of Short Stories From Various Horror Anthologies

by Sylvester Barzey

Sylvester Barzey has scoured the darkest reaches of his mind and ripped his favorite twisted tales from five anthologies to create this one collection of genre blended horror. Stitches is one collection that won't only get under your skin it will bury itself in your flesh!

The five tales that make up this collection are:

Blood Note (First Published In Descent Into Darkness)
Lisa (First Published In 7 Sins Of The Apocalypse)
Unfit (First Published In Mad Like Me)
Adam (First Published In Undead Worlds)
Shades Of Blue (First Published In Voices Of Romance)
Go beyond your comfort zone and find out what's really under your skin.

Read "Stitches" today!

Warning

This Collection Contains Subject Matter Such As:

Suicide

Harm To Children

Mental illness

Domestic Violence

Elderly Abuse

Kidnapping

Drugging

Bullying

Cheating

Rape

Genres: Horror

156 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 3, 2021

About the author

Hey Survivor! My name is Sylvester Barzey and I am a best-selling horror and fantasy author. I grew up in the Bronx, NY, lived in the smallest state in the country for a while, and then transplanted to Lawrence, GA.

I’m a military veteran with an addiction to all things horror. My overall goal is to shine a spotlight on BIPOC characters within the horror/fantasy genre. From a young age, I was obsessed with horror movies, mostly Slashers. The mythos of the “Final Girl” trope was always something that appealed to me. The act of taking someone and watching them overcome the greatest odds to be the ultimate survivor has been a strong attraction to the horror for me.

But, what I didn’t realize growing up was all these survivors were White. Seeing only one type of person rise, builds blocks within people’s minds, it causes them to think that surviving is a trait only in one race, which is far from the truth. The Black community (Black Women for sure) has survival built into their DNA. History has shown us that overcoming great odds is something Black people have always done.

Being that I couldn’t find the final girls I was looking for (There are some don’t get me wrong and they are amazing), I set out to create them. I want to produce Black heroes who overcome world-shattering events and rise above them. My goal is for people to say Catherine Briggs’ name in the same breath as they say, Sidney Prescott and Laurie Strode. It’s my mission to change horror so that my children can look at it and see themselves as survivors.

Random Facts:

I love The Golden Girls

I’m married and have one amazing little monster

I hate the snow

My Top Five Movies Are:

Scream, Candyman, Day of The Dead, Train To Busan & Mulan

Reviews

[Felix Dimaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think humour is an underrated and underused aspect of horror. It's something that I appreciated in the short story collection, "Stitches". The author, Sylvester Barzey, has a playful way of writing that makes a chilling and/or creepy story also fun. There isn't a boring tale in this bunch.

My favourites included "Blood Note", because who doesn't like a bit of occultism with their rock 'n' roll? Also, "Shades of Blue", which is about an actor making a comeback while having a past that might come back to haunt him, and "Camp Lanier", which was more of a tease than a full story, but it left me wanting more.

My main criticism of this collection is the editing. These are stories previously published in different collections before being stitched together (see what he did there?) in this one. And some of the stories are better edited than others. While the editing issues didn't ruin the collection for me, it was distracting at points.

That being said, these were imaginative stories from a talented writer. And I will be reading more of his work going forward.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

These stories by Sylvester Barzey were a delight to read. Deep characters, wonderful sometimes dystopian settings and horror, lots of horror.

My favorites by far were two stories titled by first names only; Lisa and Adam.

Lisa follows a seemingly perfect man and his helpful digital assistant. Set in the future, where Alexa shows us what we want to see, the main character finds out what it means when there is a virus and the system shuts down.

Adam follows a family of brothers who are each different and monsters in their own way. Adam seems to be the voice of reason in this family, but is blood thicker than water?

Bonus points for terrifying cover!

[ZombieZone.Ca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm already a fan of Sylvester Barzey, having read a few of his books. As a result, even though I've avoided short story anthologies in any genre for some time, I decided to give this one a try. I'm glad I did.
Part of the reason I've been struggling with shorts lately is a lack of connection. Be it the characters, the esthetic or the plot, most of the short stories I've read lately just didn't bring me in. In Blood Note, I felt brought in to Sylvester's world in a way that let me see what he was creating and feel the characters as they moved through the story.
The ability the author has to quickly build the environment and story is showcased throughout this entire anthology and made this an enjoyable read. Be prepared to switch gears as Barzey showcases his abilities not just in the zombie genre, a personal favorite, but across horror genres.
If you're safely behind the walls of your shelter, not wanting to deal with the hordes of undead outside the gate, then grab a drink, this book and allow yourself an entertaining escape for a few hours!

[Daniel Nobles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great collection of short stories to the point I wished some were full length novels. Definitely worth a read.

[Somer Mojica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this collection of short stories. The editing was spot on, the stories have very different plots and settings but a similar tone of dread and hopelessness. There are ghosts, zombies, serial killers, and even a strange little fantasy. If you like short horror stories, I recommend this collection!

[Elizabeth Gonzalez-Collazo IG - Shereadswithcoffee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whoa! I did not know what to expect when I opened up this book! Actually, I did judging by the awesome cover I knew it would be creepy and it did not disappoint! I say it again, I love short anthologies because they prove that a book need not be lengthy to evoke dread and creepy tingles in its readers!

The writing was evocative and spine-tingling and I devoured it in one sitting! There were five short stories of zombies, serial killers, and ghosts which give you a taste of each horror trope without going overboard. My favorite was Blood Note- Besides, there’s always room for one more fan!

I will not say too much as to not ruin the content so you will just have to pick it up! Sylvester Barzy, I need more stories!!

Definitely recommend for a short and haunting escape! Thank you for the author for the opportunity to receive an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Veronica ☠️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you haven't experienced Sylvesters writing, you really need too! This is a collection of 8 short stories and it was very hard to pick a favourite because they were all so good! I've narrowed it down to 3, in no particular order:

1) Adam: In this town in Georgia, it's either football or God. Greyson Rhodes was the towns football coach. When his wife got cancer things changed. Bills piled up and Greyson found other ways to make money. When being a coach wasn't possible anymore, he turned to God. But do secrets ever really die? Sometimes secrets come back to hunt you.
-This was SO good! It was so action packed I read this in 2x speed! The intense action, along with some gross elements made this story definitely stand out!

2) Unfit: "The Sweet Water Devil" was responsible for several kidnappings and murders. He was deemed mentally insane and was sent to an institution to carry out his sentence. Dr. Alexander and Sarah are in charge of the serial killer. Sarah is heartbroken because one of the killers victims happened to be close to her....but not in the way you think. Be ready for the ninth floor action.
-Ahhh, another story that I ate up fast! The twist in this was great and I loved the setting of a mental institution!

3) Mia wants to be her own boss. She's tired of getting food for her boss. When her boss is out due to an allergy she tells Mia to cancel all her meetings. She takes the opportunity to do just that, except for 1. When she meets Vincent Grant, posing as her boss, she thinks this is her ticket to fame. But what Mia's not ready for, are all the secrets and hauntings that take place!
-Another great story! I loved the latina reference, and the even better twist! A great haunting story for anybody who loves ghosts

I can't suggest Sylvesters work enough!!

[DA · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're a fan of short story collections, add this one to your TBR.
Each of the stories in this collection were great. I honestly couldn't pick a favorite if I had to.

Blood Note
An urban legend type story where the creepiness just keeps getting amped up.

Dark Flesh
Dark fairy tale meets zombies. I could certainly see this story turned into an epic fantasy.

Lisa
At first I had no idea where the story was going or what it would be about. Then it turned into a tech horror story that makes me thankful to never have experienced VR!

Adam
A zompoc story that's not really about the zombies. A dysfunctional family and some revenge horror, this story actually made me a little sad. I felt bad for Adam.

The Hanged Man
Short but extremely disturbing.

Unfit
Mental health horror with an unreliable narrator. I really liked this one because I'm not really sure if what happened really happened to the main character.

Shades of Blue
Starting this one I was like Ehhh I don't think this is going to be for me. Whoa was I wrong! Serial killer story with a supernatural flair.

Camp Lanier
I now need to read the author's novel of the same title.

Very much worth a read!

[The_Macabre_Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Stitches
Author: Sylvester Barzey
Over all Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Summary: A horror collection of well crafted short stories that play with different aspects of horror and conflict; entertaining and grim.

Thoughts: Let me start off by saying I'm truthfully not a huge fan of short stories because they typically feel thrown together or rushed for my liking. However, once in a while a collection of short stories sits in my hands and changes that. This be one of those. I actually enjoy every story but there were a few that I absolutely LOVED and will live rent free in mind.

Another cool thing I liked is the author incorporated some shorter pieces called "quick bites" which honestly would have been fantastic when I was limited on time (in theory) but... I devoured this entire anthology in two sittings 😆.

[Phrique · Rating 4 out of 5]

🦇🦇🦇🦇/5

Often times when you encounter a horror collection, you are introduced to a few good stories that eventually borrow from one another. Then you end up with a Taco Bell of a story collection that are just the combination of the same ingredients in differing sequences. That was NOT the case with Sylvester Barzey’s Stitches. Each story felt like they took on a different POV, theme, and mood. This felt like a journey into the expanses of Barzey’s creepy, but endlessly entertaining mind. His voice expressed within these stories were a breath of fresh air with hints of humor throughout. Stitches showcases stories that range from virtual conveniences of the future going awry, to the victims of a killer seeking revenge, to tales of a legendary band & the things they left behind. The standout story to me was Quick Bite: Dark Flesh. I don’t “do fantasy” but this bloody little tryst might make me change my mind…if it’s written like this. Overall, this was a great collection and a strong offering from Sylvester Barzey. I will definitely look forward to future works from him!

[noelleinomicon (Mia Ballard's version) · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a huge fan of anthologies, this one really holds up. Each story is told at a really great pace, and they all add to the anthology while also standing alone as individual stories. My personal favorites were “Blood Note”, “Dark Flesh” and “Adam”.

I loved the inclusion of the “Quick Bites”, those spooky short burst stories were a great way to break up the book.

Definitely a great read for horror fans, and a good introduction for anyone interested in dipping their toes into gore.

4 stars! ✨✨✨✨

[Lisa Slojewski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read this for an honest review.

Stiches is a collection of 8 short stories pulled together from other books by the same author.
Together they cover everything, zombies, ghosts, AI, serial killers. To name but a few.

I really enjoyed reading this. My favourites being Lisa and Shades of Blue.

If you haven't read anything by this author before, I recommend this to give you an insight into his talent.

[Cane (FeelinNoCane) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short read packs a punch. Each story will either leave your jaw on the floor or have you craving a full novel, every one pulls you in effortlessly. The standouts for me were The Devil’s Note, Lisa, Adam, and Camp Lanier. The author’s writing is smooth, immersive, and masterfully crafted, balancing tension and emotion. His ability to hook you in with a few paragraphs is awesome. I definitely recommend adding this to your TBR.

[Audra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A haunting collection of scary short stories that will definitely make you want to read with the lights on. My favorite one: Blood Note. That one for real made me get out of bed and turn on the closet light before I went to bed.

[Lucille Bransfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book of short stories to chill you. I started this on Halloween night ,which was appropriate. I read one every once in a while when I wanted a chill. Blood Note and Shades of Blue were definitely my favorites! I will have to look for more of Sylvester Barzey’s books for sure.

[Mrsgmamma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a nice little collection of short story’s. There were a few I liked a lot and some that I wasn’t to sure about. I definitely was a good little read. Thank you for letting me be an arc reader for this book.

[Monica M · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 * for this anthologies of (mostly) psycopaths and (a few) ghosts stories.
The writing itself was nice but some of the stories ended abruptly or rather cliffhanger, so it makes an unsatisfying reading experience.

[Nakia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid short story collection. You should read it for Blood Note if nothing else!