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In Filth It Shall Be Found
“In filth it shall be found” (in sterquiliniis invenitur) is a phrase popularized by psychologist Carl Jung, who wrote extensively on “the shadow side” of the psyche. According to Jung, we are less good, less moral, and less virtuous than we appear to others and even ourselves. He argued that many people operate in a decent manner only because their moral compass hasn’t been tested. However, in exploring the shadow side, realizing man’s capacity for malevolence, and integrating one’s inner monster, people can be actively—rather than passively—moral.
Outcast-Press falls in line with this belief that what you need most often lurks in the recesses you least want to tread: taboo topics, disturbing imagery, and the murky gray area within dichotomies. In this volume, you’ll find 20 stories that explore the shadow side of humanity. These stories might disquiet, upset, or even enrage certain readers. Outcast-Press doesn’t cater to such cries for censorship because we believe the best art isn’t comfortable or comforting. Reading isn’t a spectator sport. And since life doesn’t come with a trigger warning, neither should literature.
In these stories, we hope each author has explored the shadow side of their mind. Perhaps by working through past trauma or delving into a place that frightens them. For each piece, you won’t find easily digestible, stained-glass, or politically correct perspectives. There aren’t many commendable characters, and even fewer happy endings. Here, you’ll find the downtrodden and dirty. Because it’s in the mud, in the dark, in mainlined misery that truth reveals herself in all her filth-caked, blood-crusted glory.
----
1. QP Dollface by Claudia Santino
2. Sap Tap by S.M. Fedor
3. Fixer-Upper by Greg Levin
4. Bricked Up by Stephen J. Golds
5. The Harpy by Lauren Sapala
6. Sugar Baby by CT Marie
7. Still by Sue Petty
8. The Blue Hour by Paige Johnson
9. When Your Parents Are Junkies by T.W. Garland
10. Ten by Gregory J. Wolos
11. Daisy in the Dirt by Amanda Cecelia Lang
12. Je Ne Sais Quoi by G.C. McKay
13. Dollhouse by Simon Broder
14. A Fire Inside by Sebastian Vice
15. The Secret Smile by Emily Woe
16. Sunder by Craig Clevenger
17. Isaac and Me by Don Logan
18. Gunselle by Russell Thayer
19. Palette's Colors by Elyse Russell
20. The Price by Victory Witherkeigh
Outcast-Press falls in line with this belief that what you need most often lurks in the recesses you least want to tread: taboo topics, disturbing imagery, and the murky gray area within dichotomies. In this volume, you’ll find 20 stories that explore the shadow side of humanity. These stories might disquiet, upset, or even enrage certain readers. Outcast-Press doesn’t cater to such cries for censorship because we believe the best art isn’t comfortable or comforting. Reading isn’t a spectator sport. And since life doesn’t come with a trigger warning, neither should literature.
In these stories, we hope each author has explored the shadow side of their mind. Perhaps by working through past trauma or delving into a place that frightens them. For each piece, you won’t find easily digestible, stained-glass, or politically correct perspectives. There aren’t many commendable characters, and even fewer happy endings. Here, you’ll find the downtrodden and dirty. Because it’s in the mud, in the dark, in mainlined misery that truth reveals herself in all her filth-caked, blood-crusted glory.
----
1. QP Dollface by Claudia Santino
2. Sap Tap by S.M. Fedor
3. Fixer-Upper by Greg Levin
4. Bricked Up by Stephen J. Golds
5. The Harpy by Lauren Sapala
6. Sugar Baby by CT Marie
7. Still by Sue Petty
8. The Blue Hour by Paige Johnson
9. When Your Parents Are Junkies by T.W. Garland
10. Ten by Gregory J. Wolos
11. Daisy in the Dirt by Amanda Cecelia Lang
12. Je Ne Sais Quoi by G.C. McKay
13. Dollhouse by Simon Broder
14. A Fire Inside by Sebastian Vice
15. The Secret Smile by Emily Woe
16. Sunder by Craig Clevenger
17. Isaac and Me by Don Logan
18. Gunselle by Russell Thayer
19. Palette's Colors by Elyse Russell
20. The Price by Victory Witherkeigh
271 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 30, 2021
7 people are currently reading
51 people want to read
About the author
Paige Johnson
53 books73 followersEditor in chief of Outcast Press, a transgressive fiction/dirty realism poetry publisher.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
April 18, 2023
Fantastic, I loved this anthology so much, I can't choose between this and Slut Vomit. And I really can't choose a story I preferred in this book. I had goosebumps, I was shocked. Definitely a five stars
November 27, 2021
This. Was. Dark.
Easily one of the best anthologies I’ve read this year. This is the darkest prose you’ll read in one anthology. But, stellar work by all the authors involved. Can’t wait for volume 2.
Easily one of the best anthologies I’ve read this year. This is the darkest prose you’ll read in one anthology. But, stellar work by all the authors involved. Can’t wait for volume 2.
October 27, 2021
In Filth It Shall Be Found is the new short fiction anthology from Outcast Press. This is an impressive collection of transgressive short stories by various new and veteran indie writers. What’s best about it is the varying voices and themes running through the 20 short stories. Regardless of your taste in genres, they’re all covered here. From horror to science-fiction to drama; the surreal, the gross out, the hilarious. There is a current of dark humor running through each story, some even have laugh-out-loud moments. The collection defines transgression on its own terms. There are nods to Edgar Allan Poe (the story from Stephen J. Golds) as well as Chuck Palahniuk (Sebastian Vice’s insane ode to pyromania). It’s good to see a large number of female writers also included, in fact they make up almost half of the stories here. Though it waves its transgressive flag high, the collection is accessible, entertaining and always maintains interest. There are some grim and disturbing moments but there’s a flux of morality to each tale as well. Sort of. Outcast Press is promising to unleash lots of great fiction in the future. Keep an eye out for it!
April 9, 2022
Fantastic!
This is the best anthology I've read in quite some time. I enjoyed all the stories, and discovered several authors I look forward to reading more from. I'm also looking forward to anything Outcast Press releases. Highly recommended!
This is the best anthology I've read in quite some time. I enjoyed all the stories, and discovered several authors I look forward to reading more from. I'm also looking forward to anything Outcast Press releases. Highly recommended!
April 15, 2023
4.5 stars. Great collection of dark fiction.
October 31, 2021
I remember the moment I first sat with someone who was dying. Training to be an ordained Reverend, this was my first experience of being present with a person as life turned to death. I still recall the shallow breaths, fighting to remain in a world where family wept by their bedside. Holding her frail hand, I leaned over and simply whispered, “It’s okay, it’s okay.” A few moments later they let out a long exhale, and died. Being in that room with the family as they wept, I felt like an intruder, present to an experience and story that I had no real right to be part of; I hardly knew the lady. Yet here I was, the room filled with grief, humanity stark in its lucidity.
This story helps capture what it felt like to read the debut anthology by Outcast Press, In Filth It Shall Be Found.
With every turn of the page the reader feels as though they are witnessing events they have no right to be part of, stories that, by chance, favour, or cosmic design, you are now consumed by and involved with. That is why this anthology is such an enthralling read.
Not only that, but In Filth demands that the reader take notice of what it looks like to be human, in all its complexity, brutality, and, at times, brilliance. The reader is thrust into a room filled with human experience and emotion, a room where there is no hiding from reality. Each word feels like the beep of a hospital monitor, or the mechanical suction of a ventilator, telling you to take notice of your surroundings.
In Filth has twenty stories, each “that explore the shadow side of humanity,” as Outcast states in their opening. This anthology doesn’t pull any punches, and pulls back the skin of respectability, forcing the reader to look underneath and examine what lurks in the caves and crevices of society, those people and experiences that no-one likes talking about.
The opening narrative is like a short, sharp, shock, its purpose is to make sure you’re awake and listening. It’s a great start, and things never deteriorate. On we go through loathsome businessmen, a sister looking for vindication, and thieves searching for the next big score. Story after story rolls with unashamed starkness, varying in length, each with their own flashlight into the human condition.
It might be easy for some to reduce this collection to a work of shock value, stories of drug dealers, serial killers, paedophiles, strippers, and incest, designed purely to make you wince. But there is much more going on with In Filth. As we journey through the eyes of poverty, hunger, loneliness, and abuse, the reader is beckoned to see themselves, or at the very least, something of themselves, and society, in these works Each writer pulls it off in their own way.
In Filth also reminds the publishing world (if one were ever needed) that there is an abundance of talent out there. The reader is spoilt for choice as each contributor brings their passion and craft to play, signalling that indie presses, and publishing in general, is in a wonderfully strong place.
Hubert Selby Jr. once said, “Sometimes we have the absolute certainty there's something inside us that's so hideous and monstrous that if we ever search it out we won't be able to stand looking at it. But it's when we're willing to come face to face with that demon that we face the angel.” The angel may not always be clear in the stories that fill In Filth, but that’s where its strength lay; Outcast Press have pulled off something that is difficult to do, namely, let readers make their own minds up.
Mainstream publishing is littered with books that don’t require much from the reader. There are, of course, all manner of wonderful and powerful books from the world of big publishing, but In Filth It Shall Be Found shows that indie presses can do things differently. And it’s a delight.
“So,” the closing line to the book asks, “what did you think of the showcase? Worth the price of admission?”
It certainly was.
This story helps capture what it felt like to read the debut anthology by Outcast Press, In Filth It Shall Be Found.
With every turn of the page the reader feels as though they are witnessing events they have no right to be part of, stories that, by chance, favour, or cosmic design, you are now consumed by and involved with. That is why this anthology is such an enthralling read.
Not only that, but In Filth demands that the reader take notice of what it looks like to be human, in all its complexity, brutality, and, at times, brilliance. The reader is thrust into a room filled with human experience and emotion, a room where there is no hiding from reality. Each word feels like the beep of a hospital monitor, or the mechanical suction of a ventilator, telling you to take notice of your surroundings.
In Filth has twenty stories, each “that explore the shadow side of humanity,” as Outcast states in their opening. This anthology doesn’t pull any punches, and pulls back the skin of respectability, forcing the reader to look underneath and examine what lurks in the caves and crevices of society, those people and experiences that no-one likes talking about.
The opening narrative is like a short, sharp, shock, its purpose is to make sure you’re awake and listening. It’s a great start, and things never deteriorate. On we go through loathsome businessmen, a sister looking for vindication, and thieves searching for the next big score. Story after story rolls with unashamed starkness, varying in length, each with their own flashlight into the human condition.
It might be easy for some to reduce this collection to a work of shock value, stories of drug dealers, serial killers, paedophiles, strippers, and incest, designed purely to make you wince. But there is much more going on with In Filth. As we journey through the eyes of poverty, hunger, loneliness, and abuse, the reader is beckoned to see themselves, or at the very least, something of themselves, and society, in these works Each writer pulls it off in their own way.
In Filth also reminds the publishing world (if one were ever needed) that there is an abundance of talent out there. The reader is spoilt for choice as each contributor brings their passion and craft to play, signalling that indie presses, and publishing in general, is in a wonderfully strong place.
Hubert Selby Jr. once said, “Sometimes we have the absolute certainty there's something inside us that's so hideous and monstrous that if we ever search it out we won't be able to stand looking at it. But it's when we're willing to come face to face with that demon that we face the angel.” The angel may not always be clear in the stories that fill In Filth, but that’s where its strength lay; Outcast Press have pulled off something that is difficult to do, namely, let readers make their own minds up.
Mainstream publishing is littered with books that don’t require much from the reader. There are, of course, all manner of wonderful and powerful books from the world of big publishing, but In Filth It Shall Be Found shows that indie presses can do things differently. And it’s a delight.
“So,” the closing line to the book asks, “what did you think of the showcase? Worth the price of admission?”
It certainly was.
December 8, 2023
Wow this collection rocks. I picked this up on a sale awhile ago and wanted something different and so I went into this blind and this collection definitely didn't disappoint. Every story was solid and I was surprised because I had never read anything from any author in this collection and now let's just say I have a bunch of new authors to check out. If you like dark emotional transgressive stories this collection is definitely for you. This collection is really just solid and all the stories were just awesome.I highly recommend this collection
July 25, 2023
Some stories were better than others.
April 9, 2022
A strong anthology of transgressive fiction. I particularly enjoyed Paige Johnson's sex work story and "The Price" by Victory Witherkeigh, which I found to be an extremely effective and disturbing metaphor for the struggle to be an artist in today's world.
January 1, 2022
It’s been a while since I’ve written a review and this is the first of many I'm about to share. I’ve been undergoing my own personal transformation for the past couple of years and this is the perfect book with which to resume my literary musings. In Filth It Shall Be Found, the first volume of transgressive fiction from Outcast Press (ed. Paige Johnson) is a carnivalesque tour of the of the human spirit's darker side, and in keeping with its Jungian title, invites readers along on a Bahktinian journey through the netherworld of consciousness where the “It” of the title is discovered.
Russian philosopher and theorist Mikhail Bahktin identified and described 4 hallmarks of the carnivalesque world view that can be found in literature, and these pinged around in my mind immediately after I’d finished the book . While this isn’t meant to be an academic analysis or anything other than my own experience reading Filth, the fact that the ping was loud and persistent shows there is order in chaos, sanity in madness, and that this collection exemplifies the transformative power of transgressive fiction.
Using Bahktin's hallmarks of the carnivalesque as guideposts on this tour, the first, “familiar and free interaction between people where barriers are broken,” is the crux of Don Logan’s “Isaac and Me,” where the worlds of a homeless man and a mysterious “kid” collide then separate leaving one of them indelibly marked by betrayal. CT Marie's “Sugarbaby” is a train wreck that begins on a subway and ends in an unexpected place (for this reader anyway). In both of these stories, the urban setting heightens the “random” precision of chance encounters, Hitchcockian intersections where fate lurks behind the scenes, then steps out and knees you in the groin when you least expect it.
The next hallmark is “eccentric behavior,” where society’s norms are broken and/or blithely ignored without consequences. Simon Broder's“Dollhouse" flows in this vein, exposing the lie that grown-ups are wiser than kids, featuring an immature narrator with a most distinctive voice. Another example of eccentric behavior stretched to extremes is Emily Woe's “The Secret Smile,” where the narrator's utter blindness to the consequences of his own actions is nothing short of remarkable.
The hallmark of “carnivalistic” mesalliances” where those normally separated unite, is personified in Paige Johnson's “The Blue Hour.” Set in a strip club where lines are both crossed and laid out on a table, the roles of performer and spectator are blurred as forbidden familiarity portends a special kind of friendship, doom, or both. Another case of forbidden familiarity is examined in G.C. McKay ‘s “Je Ne Sais Quoi,” in a father's tortured observations of his daughter's odd behavior.
The final hallmark of the carnivalesque world view, “profanation,” is on full-frontal display with “The Fire Inside,” by Sebastian Vice, where anarchic take-down of all that is “holy” debases and grinds guardians of corrupt power into the ground. Profanation of the human body, specifically the female body, occurs in Amanda Cecelia Lang's “Daisy in the Dirt,” its dark magical realism sparkling with a crystal-clear awareness gained in the presence of death.
The book’s cover art features a woman removing a mask, an appropriate image to represent this volume. Perhaps I have a particular affinity for the notion of the carnivalesque and what it represents, having lived in New Orleans for nearly twenty years. There, Carnival season is a time when normal rules don’t apply: everyday routes are altered, appetites indulged, and appearances don’t represent reality. Bourbon Street swells into a bacchanalian mass of humanity in all its wonder and debauchery. The success of each Mardi Gras is measured by the amount of trash collected on Ash Wednesday, but for weeks and even months afterward, one finds glitter in the gutters, and beads hanging from the trees. Such is the effect of feasting on the stories herein and coming to the last page: the show is over, parade passed, but the details linger and haunt.
Each of the twenty stories in this anthology makes its unique contribution to the transgressive gestalt of In Filth It Shall Be Found. I look forward to seeing more from all these writers in the future, and more anthologies from Outcast Press.
Laissez le bon temps rouler!
Russian philosopher and theorist Mikhail Bahktin identified and described 4 hallmarks of the carnivalesque world view that can be found in literature, and these pinged around in my mind immediately after I’d finished the book . While this isn’t meant to be an academic analysis or anything other than my own experience reading Filth, the fact that the ping was loud and persistent shows there is order in chaos, sanity in madness, and that this collection exemplifies the transformative power of transgressive fiction.
Using Bahktin's hallmarks of the carnivalesque as guideposts on this tour, the first, “familiar and free interaction between people where barriers are broken,” is the crux of Don Logan’s “Isaac and Me,” where the worlds of a homeless man and a mysterious “kid” collide then separate leaving one of them indelibly marked by betrayal. CT Marie's “Sugarbaby” is a train wreck that begins on a subway and ends in an unexpected place (for this reader anyway). In both of these stories, the urban setting heightens the “random” precision of chance encounters, Hitchcockian intersections where fate lurks behind the scenes, then steps out and knees you in the groin when you least expect it.
The next hallmark is “eccentric behavior,” where society’s norms are broken and/or blithely ignored without consequences. Simon Broder's“Dollhouse" flows in this vein, exposing the lie that grown-ups are wiser than kids, featuring an immature narrator with a most distinctive voice. Another example of eccentric behavior stretched to extremes is Emily Woe's “The Secret Smile,” where the narrator's utter blindness to the consequences of his own actions is nothing short of remarkable.
The hallmark of “carnivalistic” mesalliances” where those normally separated unite, is personified in Paige Johnson's “The Blue Hour.” Set in a strip club where lines are both crossed and laid out on a table, the roles of performer and spectator are blurred as forbidden familiarity portends a special kind of friendship, doom, or both. Another case of forbidden familiarity is examined in G.C. McKay ‘s “Je Ne Sais Quoi,” in a father's tortured observations of his daughter's odd behavior.
The final hallmark of the carnivalesque world view, “profanation,” is on full-frontal display with “The Fire Inside,” by Sebastian Vice, where anarchic take-down of all that is “holy” debases and grinds guardians of corrupt power into the ground. Profanation of the human body, specifically the female body, occurs in Amanda Cecelia Lang's “Daisy in the Dirt,” its dark magical realism sparkling with a crystal-clear awareness gained in the presence of death.
The book’s cover art features a woman removing a mask, an appropriate image to represent this volume. Perhaps I have a particular affinity for the notion of the carnivalesque and what it represents, having lived in New Orleans for nearly twenty years. There, Carnival season is a time when normal rules don’t apply: everyday routes are altered, appetites indulged, and appearances don’t represent reality. Bourbon Street swells into a bacchanalian mass of humanity in all its wonder and debauchery. The success of each Mardi Gras is measured by the amount of trash collected on Ash Wednesday, but for weeks and even months afterward, one finds glitter in the gutters, and beads hanging from the trees. Such is the effect of feasting on the stories herein and coming to the last page: the show is over, parade passed, but the details linger and haunt.
Each of the twenty stories in this anthology makes its unique contribution to the transgressive gestalt of In Filth It Shall Be Found. I look forward to seeing more from all these writers in the future, and more anthologies from Outcast Press.
Laissez le bon temps rouler!
January 20, 2022
I ordered this book on a whim, wanted something interesting to read. It's really cool, half women wrote it and others from the UK, US, and Japan. The dark genre isn't usually my thing, but it had my attention the entire book. The lighter, funny moments kept it a fun read, so it wasn't all gloom.
January 28, 2025
What a fantastic collection from Outcast Press! Dark and provocative stories from an amazing group of authors. Well done—definitely check it out!
June 4, 2024
It’s difficult to review an anthology, especially since all of these stories are unique in their own right, so I’m going to list my favorites in by order of appearance: “Fixer-Upper” by Greg Levin, “The Harpy” by Lauren Sapala, “The Blue Hour” by Paige Johnson, “A Fire Inside” by Sebastian Vice, and “The Secret Smile” by Emily Woe
Honorable mention to “Ten” by Gregory Wolos and “Daisy in the Dirt” by Amanda Cecilia Lang, as I thoroughly appreciated the uniqueness of these stories as well.
Rarely do I find an anthology or short story collection (even when it’s written by one author, let alone a collective) where I find this many stories that I end up loving. So this was a real win for me.
I’m typically (operative word) a “grazer” when it comes poetry and short story collections, so I can take months at a time to finish books like these, but it is still worth every moment I spend reading
Honorable mention to “Ten” by Gregory Wolos and “Daisy in the Dirt” by Amanda Cecilia Lang, as I thoroughly appreciated the uniqueness of these stories as well.
Rarely do I find an anthology or short story collection (even when it’s written by one author, let alone a collective) where I find this many stories that I end up loving. So this was a real win for me.
I’m typically (operative word) a “grazer” when it comes poetry and short story collections, so I can take months at a time to finish books like these, but it is still worth every moment I spend reading
July 4, 2022
A little bit of everything in this but not a bad story amongst them. One of the great things about collections like this is getting an introduction to authors you haven't met yet. I've picked out at least three new authors from this and also had the pleasure of reading some great entries by authors I already knew. This is a dark collection that pulls at you many different ways.
Outcast Press are on the rise and I'll be paying a lot of attention to what comes next from them!
Outcast Press are on the rise and I'll be paying a lot of attention to what comes next from them!
October 9, 2022
Very solid plenty of great fucked up stories some of them went pretty hard and some were a little soft and didn’t do too much for me
Highlights for me were:
When your parents are junkies by T. W. Garland
Je Ne Sais Quoi by G.C. McKay
A Fire Inside by Sebastian Vice
The Blue Hour by Paige Johnson
Sugar Baby by CT Marie
Fixer Upper by Greg Levin
QP Dollface by Claudia Santino
Highlights for me were:
When your parents are junkies by T. W. Garland
Je Ne Sais Quoi by G.C. McKay
A Fire Inside by Sebastian Vice
The Blue Hour by Paige Johnson
Sugar Baby by CT Marie
Fixer Upper by Greg Levin
QP Dollface by Claudia Santino
April 25, 2022
Pulls your shadow strings
December 6, 2021
I was curious when a reference to this anthology of short stories popped up on my Twitter feed. One of the contributors warned me that the collection was gritty, and that intrigued me even more. These stories belong to the literary tradition of Transgressive Fiction, a sub-genre of literary crime writing that is fairly new to me. I've learned that transgressive fiction features protagonists who push the boundaries of socially accepted behaviour and expectations, and who do so in explicit, illegal, illicit or extreme ways. The stories explore in detail taboo topics such as drugs, incest, uncommon sexual activity, pedophilia and unusual violence, subjects which are often skirted over, even in the darker crime novels.
This anthology features a range of stylish, smart tales with protagonists ranging from serial killers to career thieves, drug addicts and gigolos, and twisted or deranged criminal minds. It offers a unique perspective of society's underbelly and of the lives of those who exist on the social fringe. Many of the stories discard the usual crime narrative involving a pursuit of traditional justice, and each one provides a compelling, complex, often brutal, portrait of people who have historically been cast to the periphery. I really enjoyed each of these stories. In many ways there is an honesty and courage that can be absent in writing tailored for a mainstream audience, and the result feels original and daring.
In the unsettling QP Dollface, Claudia Santino writes about an ageing woman who curiously has Times New Roman quotation marks tattooed on either ankle, who fears her husband is cheating on her. There are nods to a famous literary classic, and also a wily, stalkerish undertone that keeps you guessing where the story will go.
In rocket-paced Sap Tap by S.M. Fedor, a private investigator with unconventional techniques delivers shocking news to his client. It's a fast-paced read with a darkly amusing premise.
Greg Levin's clever and increasingly horrifying The Fixer-Upper explores revenge with a character who is as compelling and terrifying as the infamous Annie Wilkes. She has a firm idea of what justice looks like and it's hard to disagree with her.
A professional thief tires of the 'thrill-seekers, maniacs and addicts' he sees infiltrating their otherwise professional team as they break into an ivy-covered chateau, in the excellent Bricked Up by Stephen J. Golds. Written with clear, vigorous prose, it is reminiscent of an Edgar Allan Poe horror story.
In The Harpy, Lauren Sapala's eloquent and ominous story, a couple wonder why the rent of their new San Francisco apartment is so cheap - until they hear gut-wrenching screams and strange bird noises through the walls.
A young woman meets a gorgeous man on the New York subway in C.T. Marie's Sugar Baby. This is a story of contrasts, it's a playful, vulnerable, and heart wrenching portrayal of heroin addiction.
In Still by Sue Petty, a resident of an English public housing tower contemplates the world's harshness and her own existence from her 'cell in the sky'. Poetic and political, it's an incisive study of the lives of those who exist on the societal fringe.
A stripper dreams of leaving the stripping industry in Paige Johnson's vibrant, alarming story The Blue Hour. The protagonist wants to become an online content creator to escape the creepy customers, catfights and financial extortion. The narrative takes a dark, shocking turn... things don't turn out as she hopes.
When Your Parents Are Junkies by T.W. Garland begins as a darkly fascinating, macabre survival story about a child of drug addicts. Ultimately, it is an intelligent, psychological portrait of the devastating, long lasting effects of childhood trauma.
Gregory J. Wolos' excellent contribution, Ten, has a slightly surreal feel, in which a man finds an injured woman near the Mexican border and takes her to his house. This is a mysterious, beautifully detailed, slow burn story.
Daisy in the Dirt by Amanda Cecelia Lang is an evocative, lyrical and frightening story that teeters between sweet romantic fantasy and an unhinged, dangerous liaison when a former foster child goes on a second date with a man she meets in a park.
G.C. McKay's contribution is one of the more disturbing stories about sexual taboo. Je Ne Sais Quoi is a complex story about a man who seems obsessed with his sleepwalking daughter... he thinks she is his beautiful dead wife. It's a brave writer who enters this territory and the result is uncomfortable, gripping and powerful.
Dollhouse by Simon Broder features a down and out gambler who, after a winning streak, finds a golden-haired young girl who is alone. She's the catalyst for him to make a big decision. Perilous and poignant, it's a heartfelt story that lingered with me.
A Fire Inside by Sebastian Vice is a bold, visceral story about Max, a pyromaniac who has been diagnosed with a myriad of mental disorders and who is seeking justice for a historical crime. A sharp critique of the failings of the psychiatric industry, as well as a riveting reckoning with those who hold undeserved power, it is written with a distinctive and robust flair.
Emily Woe's The Secret Smile details the disturbing private conversation between a lawyer and his client who is accused of being a serial rapist on campus. Tightly written with dual timeframes, it's a tense, timely tale, especially creepy because it's told via the accused's point of view.
Sunder by Craig Clevenger is a strange and provocative story about death. Lyrical prose, a complex plot, layers of meaning and a final twist that made me immediately re-read this smart story.
A man shoots his wife and goes on the run, eventually becoming homeless, in Don Logan's gripping Isaac and Me. When the man meets a young male prostitute, the gritty narrative about Chicago's underclass becomes a psychological thriller that culminates with an unexpected, shocking twist.
A runaway transitions from prostitution to murdering a gangster's wife in Gunselle by Russell Thayer. A bout of lively, robust violence kicks off this transfixing, animated story. Well paced, it moves rapidly to a hopeful conclusion.
Elyse Russell's horror story Palette's Colors unfolds with bone-chilling menace. Deliberately bewildering, it appears to be set in a snow-surrounded cabin, where women are mysteriously being held as captives. Utterly engrossing and intense.
The Price by Victory Witherkeigh is set at an eclectic artistic event. Something odd is going on and the clues are expertly scattered like breadcrumbs. It's highly original, well paced and assured writing, with a memorable protagonist.
This collection of stories has been curated thoughtfully, achieving a good balance that leaves you with much to think about. Many of the stories are discomforting and that's the point. They're vulnerable, sometimes funny, often disturbing, and what I liked most was how they break boundaries in a way that left me with a sense of hopefulness about the possibilities that can be achieved with fearless writing such as this.
This anthology features a range of stylish, smart tales with protagonists ranging from serial killers to career thieves, drug addicts and gigolos, and twisted or deranged criminal minds. It offers a unique perspective of society's underbelly and of the lives of those who exist on the social fringe. Many of the stories discard the usual crime narrative involving a pursuit of traditional justice, and each one provides a compelling, complex, often brutal, portrait of people who have historically been cast to the periphery. I really enjoyed each of these stories. In many ways there is an honesty and courage that can be absent in writing tailored for a mainstream audience, and the result feels original and daring.
In the unsettling QP Dollface, Claudia Santino writes about an ageing woman who curiously has Times New Roman quotation marks tattooed on either ankle, who fears her husband is cheating on her. There are nods to a famous literary classic, and also a wily, stalkerish undertone that keeps you guessing where the story will go.
In rocket-paced Sap Tap by S.M. Fedor, a private investigator with unconventional techniques delivers shocking news to his client. It's a fast-paced read with a darkly amusing premise.
Greg Levin's clever and increasingly horrifying The Fixer-Upper explores revenge with a character who is as compelling and terrifying as the infamous Annie Wilkes. She has a firm idea of what justice looks like and it's hard to disagree with her.
A professional thief tires of the 'thrill-seekers, maniacs and addicts' he sees infiltrating their otherwise professional team as they break into an ivy-covered chateau, in the excellent Bricked Up by Stephen J. Golds. Written with clear, vigorous prose, it is reminiscent of an Edgar Allan Poe horror story.
In The Harpy, Lauren Sapala's eloquent and ominous story, a couple wonder why the rent of their new San Francisco apartment is so cheap - until they hear gut-wrenching screams and strange bird noises through the walls.
A young woman meets a gorgeous man on the New York subway in C.T. Marie's Sugar Baby. This is a story of contrasts, it's a playful, vulnerable, and heart wrenching portrayal of heroin addiction.
In Still by Sue Petty, a resident of an English public housing tower contemplates the world's harshness and her own existence from her 'cell in the sky'. Poetic and political, it's an incisive study of the lives of those who exist on the societal fringe.
A stripper dreams of leaving the stripping industry in Paige Johnson's vibrant, alarming story The Blue Hour. The protagonist wants to become an online content creator to escape the creepy customers, catfights and financial extortion. The narrative takes a dark, shocking turn... things don't turn out as she hopes.
When Your Parents Are Junkies by T.W. Garland begins as a darkly fascinating, macabre survival story about a child of drug addicts. Ultimately, it is an intelligent, psychological portrait of the devastating, long lasting effects of childhood trauma.
Gregory J. Wolos' excellent contribution, Ten, has a slightly surreal feel, in which a man finds an injured woman near the Mexican border and takes her to his house. This is a mysterious, beautifully detailed, slow burn story.
Daisy in the Dirt by Amanda Cecelia Lang is an evocative, lyrical and frightening story that teeters between sweet romantic fantasy and an unhinged, dangerous liaison when a former foster child goes on a second date with a man she meets in a park.
G.C. McKay's contribution is one of the more disturbing stories about sexual taboo. Je Ne Sais Quoi is a complex story about a man who seems obsessed with his sleepwalking daughter... he thinks she is his beautiful dead wife. It's a brave writer who enters this territory and the result is uncomfortable, gripping and powerful.
Dollhouse by Simon Broder features a down and out gambler who, after a winning streak, finds a golden-haired young girl who is alone. She's the catalyst for him to make a big decision. Perilous and poignant, it's a heartfelt story that lingered with me.
A Fire Inside by Sebastian Vice is a bold, visceral story about Max, a pyromaniac who has been diagnosed with a myriad of mental disorders and who is seeking justice for a historical crime. A sharp critique of the failings of the psychiatric industry, as well as a riveting reckoning with those who hold undeserved power, it is written with a distinctive and robust flair.
Emily Woe's The Secret Smile details the disturbing private conversation between a lawyer and his client who is accused of being a serial rapist on campus. Tightly written with dual timeframes, it's a tense, timely tale, especially creepy because it's told via the accused's point of view.
Sunder by Craig Clevenger is a strange and provocative story about death. Lyrical prose, a complex plot, layers of meaning and a final twist that made me immediately re-read this smart story.
A man shoots his wife and goes on the run, eventually becoming homeless, in Don Logan's gripping Isaac and Me. When the man meets a young male prostitute, the gritty narrative about Chicago's underclass becomes a psychological thriller that culminates with an unexpected, shocking twist.
A runaway transitions from prostitution to murdering a gangster's wife in Gunselle by Russell Thayer. A bout of lively, robust violence kicks off this transfixing, animated story. Well paced, it moves rapidly to a hopeful conclusion.
Elyse Russell's horror story Palette's Colors unfolds with bone-chilling menace. Deliberately bewildering, it appears to be set in a snow-surrounded cabin, where women are mysteriously being held as captives. Utterly engrossing and intense.
The Price by Victory Witherkeigh is set at an eclectic artistic event. Something odd is going on and the clues are expertly scattered like breadcrumbs. It's highly original, well paced and assured writing, with a memorable protagonist.
This collection of stories has been curated thoughtfully, achieving a good balance that leaves you with much to think about. Many of the stories are discomforting and that's the point. They're vulnerable, sometimes funny, often disturbing, and what I liked most was how they break boundaries in a way that left me with a sense of hopefulness about the possibilities that can be achieved with fearless writing such as this.
November 9, 2022
Transgressive fiction is pretty niche, and this book is no different. That isn't to say that the stories aren't varied, they are. There's a great range of talent from authors that I wasn't familiar with at all.
Each author's contribution did what it was supposed to do, challenging the reader's perspective by presenting people who articulated themselves in ways that are generally not, shall we say, expected. There were people who were down and out, criminals, scumbags, victims, and so on. As I said, there was a great range presented in this collection. There are a couple of authors whose works I'm going to explore further after reading their stories. That's a success as far as short story collections are concerned.
Where I felt the book faltered was that I didn't feel like my expectations of proper conduct in society were challenged enough. Here and there, yes, but more often than not I had the impression that the authors were trying to toe the line of what would be considered "shocking". In a way that's a success because there are a couple of stories that made me feel a bit dirty after enjoying them. The problem was that I expected to have the norms of the world around me challenged by the characters in the story. People needed to break free from the confines of polite society, and that wasn't present enough. A lot of the characters were just varying shades of deplorable. Unfortunately, despite the quality of the stories, I had wanted a bit more in this respect.
As an anthology, this book scratched an itch. It's a strain of storytelling that isn't on most people's lists, but it has its place. Don't be fooled either, this stuff is dark. It isn't for everyone, but for anyone that does enjoy having their limits tested, then this book is for you.
Each author's contribution did what it was supposed to do, challenging the reader's perspective by presenting people who articulated themselves in ways that are generally not, shall we say, expected. There were people who were down and out, criminals, scumbags, victims, and so on. As I said, there was a great range presented in this collection. There are a couple of authors whose works I'm going to explore further after reading their stories. That's a success as far as short story collections are concerned.
Where I felt the book faltered was that I didn't feel like my expectations of proper conduct in society were challenged enough. Here and there, yes, but more often than not I had the impression that the authors were trying to toe the line of what would be considered "shocking". In a way that's a success because there are a couple of stories that made me feel a bit dirty after enjoying them. The problem was that I expected to have the norms of the world around me challenged by the characters in the story. People needed to break free from the confines of polite society, and that wasn't present enough. A lot of the characters were just varying shades of deplorable. Unfortunately, despite the quality of the stories, I had wanted a bit more in this respect.
As an anthology, this book scratched an itch. It's a strain of storytelling that isn't on most people's lists, but it has its place. Don't be fooled either, this stuff is dark. It isn't for everyone, but for anyone that does enjoy having their limits tested, then this book is for you.
January 12, 2025
Lauren Sapala and Emily woe's stories were excellent. Sebastian vice? How did he ever get published. Good lorde
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