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The Rat King: A Horror Collection
Sadie befriends the shy boy next door who is always hungry, but never eats. Derek and his college friends fulfill a dream to visit a mysterious, remote park known for its natural wonders, and its history of unexplained beheadings.
An unforgettable encounter with the town eccentric, a visit with a grandmother who is not herself lately, a trip through time at the worst possible time and more. The Rat King is fourteen horror and speculative stories, fully illustrated and featuring four stories adapted by The NoSleep Podcast. This book will stay with you long after the final page is turned.
Published in partnership with The NoSleep Podcast's Sleepless Sanctuary Publishing.
"The Rat King is a powerful, haunting, original collection of stories that not only unsettles the reader with the visceral horrors that are revealed, but also with the psychological trauma and emotional journeys that each character takes—towards redemption, or vengeance, or looming terror. This is an author to keep an eye on."—Richard Thomas, author of Disintegration and Breaker (Thriller Award, Bram Stoker, and Shirley Jackson nominee)
An unforgettable encounter with the town eccentric, a visit with a grandmother who is not herself lately, a trip through time at the worst possible time and more. The Rat King is fourteen horror and speculative stories, fully illustrated and featuring four stories adapted by The NoSleep Podcast. This book will stay with you long after the final page is turned.
Published in partnership with The NoSleep Podcast's Sleepless Sanctuary Publishing.
"The Rat King is a powerful, haunting, original collection of stories that not only unsettles the reader with the visceral horrors that are revealed, but also with the psychological trauma and emotional journeys that each character takes—towards redemption, or vengeance, or looming terror. This is an author to keep an eye on."—Richard Thomas, author of Disintegration and Breaker (Thriller Award, Bram Stoker, and Shirley Jackson nominee)
- GenresHorror
318 pages, Paperback
First published November 9, 2021
About the author
L.P. Hernandez
31 books143 followersMy journey to becoming a writer began with a love of books, Goosebumps to start followed quickly by Stephen King and Dean Koontz. I later found and fell in love with Robert McCammon as well as works outside of the genre. I wrote stories about alien abductions and sentient scarecrows. I still have some of these stories and...wow. Awful! I never stopped writing but my life would only allow it to be a hobby until I was around thirty. I submitted my first story to a competition and was given an honorable mention. That gave me the confidence to submit elsewhere, including The NoSleep Podcast. My fist acceptance barely caused a ripple, but it lit a fire in me. I placed stories with homegrown anthologies, cobbled together my own collection, and eventually became a regular on the Podcast. I am writing this in 2022 in what has been my most gratifying writing year to date. I will share a TOC with New York Times Bestsellers this year, and also was privileged to release my first novella, Stargazers, into the world. This is just the beginning, I hope, because the fire is an inferno now.
When I am not writing you can find me front row of a metal show, getting a tattoo, hanging with my wife and kids, wrestling with our dogs, and giving out crisp high fives. I also serve as a medical officer in the Air Force.
When I am not writing you can find me front row of a metal show, getting a tattoo, hanging with my wife and kids, wrestling with our dogs, and giving out crisp high fives. I also serve as a medical officer in the Air Force.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
March 17, 2022
LP Hernandez showcases an impressive ability to write skillfully in a wide variety of horror sub-genres. Even though each story is unique in its tone, they all share the author’s uncanny attention to detail; descriptions of smells, textures, and visuals. Everything works together to create the desired atmosphere of horror and dread.
THE RAT KING boasts fourteen stories with full-page illustrations. It’s remarkable how the accompanying artwork works together with the words on the page to really land a punch. The story, TO GRANDMOTHER’S HOUSE WE GO, is about a brother and sister staying at their elderly grandmother’s house. As soon as their mother leaves them there, they realize something is off about their grandmother. Her nocturnal behaviors are particularly concerning. As the suspense and terror build to a crescendo, the reader turns the page to see grandma exactly as the narrator sees her and it is both terrifying and revolting.
Fans of body horror will appreciate the grotesque manipulations and transformations represented in LACUMBRA, IN THE VALLEY OF THE HEADLESS MEN, and the last story, BEYOND THE VALLEY–JESS. One scene in particular from LACUMBRA triggered my Trypophobia. I gagged a little bit reading the descriptions and then seeing the artwork depicting what I had just experienced. Disgusting and delightful.
The author’s wheelhouse is when he’s writing stories of human monsters. DOWN THE BUNNY TRAIL is about a child predator, THE MAGICIAN is about a harmful, horrible magic trick, THE NIGHTMARE ROOM reveals a man’s horrifying secret, and A SUNDOWN TOWN explores the horrors of racism.
There’s not one story in this collection that lacks and together, they are a striking example of what Hernandez has to offer; an author to watch. Highly recommend this book and whatever else is to come.
THE RAT KING boasts fourteen stories with full-page illustrations. It’s remarkable how the accompanying artwork works together with the words on the page to really land a punch. The story, TO GRANDMOTHER’S HOUSE WE GO, is about a brother and sister staying at their elderly grandmother’s house. As soon as their mother leaves them there, they realize something is off about their grandmother. Her nocturnal behaviors are particularly concerning. As the suspense and terror build to a crescendo, the reader turns the page to see grandma exactly as the narrator sees her and it is both terrifying and revolting.
Fans of body horror will appreciate the grotesque manipulations and transformations represented in LACUMBRA, IN THE VALLEY OF THE HEADLESS MEN, and the last story, BEYOND THE VALLEY–JESS. One scene in particular from LACUMBRA triggered my Trypophobia. I gagged a little bit reading the descriptions and then seeing the artwork depicting what I had just experienced. Disgusting and delightful.
The author’s wheelhouse is when he’s writing stories of human monsters. DOWN THE BUNNY TRAIL is about a child predator, THE MAGICIAN is about a harmful, horrible magic trick, THE NIGHTMARE ROOM reveals a man’s horrifying secret, and A SUNDOWN TOWN explores the horrors of racism.
There’s not one story in this collection that lacks and together, they are a striking example of what Hernandez has to offer; an author to watch. Highly recommend this book and whatever else is to come.
November 28, 2021
I enjoy short story collections so much because they're like a box of doughnuts; I love exploring new and favorite flavors and savoring them. This book was one fantastic bundle of treats. The Rat King has different kinds of horror for everyone — body, psychological, paranormal, etc. The originality, creativity, and imagination in each story blew me away and kept me eager to find out more. I can't even pick a favorite because they're all great. It's definitely a must-read for horror lovers.
December 11, 2021
4.5 Stars out of 5
A magician in a dust bowl era town offers a devil’s bargain with mind-bending implications, a young girl encounters an Easter bunny with tattered fur, a lone traveler feels a pull to a mysterious town in the middle of a desolate field. I was thrilled to experience these tales and more in this creepy and excellent debut horror collection from L.P. Hernandez.
I first encountered the work of L.P. Hernandez by way of The NoSleep Podcast where his story, “They Have Suffered” served as an extended season finale. Apparently, L.P. has had numerous stories appear on this podcast and he is something of a NoSleep regular. Easy to see why, as the story I heard was a captivating listen, a horror story with heart and horrific imagery.
It wasn’t long after the discovery of this story that he released a brand new collection of stories, The Rat King. I jumped on it as soon as I had the chance.
The promises made by that NoSeep episode were fulfilled with this collection. The Rat King is filled to the brim with great prose, attention to detail, and creative subversions of the expected.
LP is a master of the simile. Many of his turns of phrase left me smiling and shaking my head, wondering why I hadn't thought to describe something that way. In The Rat King, a “sickle moon” is the color of “old milk.” Patches of snow are visible amidst a piny forest like "pieces of lint on a green quilt” and passions are as “malleable as warm PlayDoh.” A character is described as becoming little more than “hate wrapped in human skin.” I won’t spoil the details of his more horrific descriptions, just know that he uses this same mastery here and I was left queasy and shocked on more than one occasion.
A lot of times with collections you can get a complete grab-bag of stories, mixtures of styles and genres and qualities. I wouldn’t say that’s the case here. There’s the faintest of threads connecting these stories. For one, most of the stories take place on or around Halloween, really driving home that autumnal Bradbury vibe. Also, there are a few easter eggs scattered throughout this collection, the implications of a shared universe, details which only enhanced my reading experience.
A brief description of a handful of the more memorable stories (and I could have easily picked a handful more):
"Bad Apples"....Steeped in nostalgia, with pitch perfect details. This is an Amblin-esque tale that deals with the classic trope/experience of the new kid that moves on next door.
“The Magician”...a dust-bowl era tale of a carnival that comes to town and a little magic show that is more than it seems. This one features a haunting final line.
“The Nightmare Room”...a sardonic narrator is the owner and proprietor of a horror-themed bar and club. After hours he offers under-the-table services for the utilization of his special room.
“In the Valley of the Headless Men”...a classic set-up of a creature feature: a few semi-annoying college-aged kids decide that after graduation they will explore a remote valley in the northern regions of Canada, a valley that is rumored to be inhabited by Sasquatches. All I can say about this one is that it veered way the hell left and didn’t go where I thought it would.
I look forward to reading more of L.P.’s work in the future. I can only imagine the kind of world he could build with the freedom of a longer form of fiction, particularly a novel. Here’s to hoping that something comes down the pike.
A magician in a dust bowl era town offers a devil’s bargain with mind-bending implications, a young girl encounters an Easter bunny with tattered fur, a lone traveler feels a pull to a mysterious town in the middle of a desolate field. I was thrilled to experience these tales and more in this creepy and excellent debut horror collection from L.P. Hernandez.
I first encountered the work of L.P. Hernandez by way of The NoSleep Podcast where his story, “They Have Suffered” served as an extended season finale. Apparently, L.P. has had numerous stories appear on this podcast and he is something of a NoSleep regular. Easy to see why, as the story I heard was a captivating listen, a horror story with heart and horrific imagery.
It wasn’t long after the discovery of this story that he released a brand new collection of stories, The Rat King. I jumped on it as soon as I had the chance.
The promises made by that NoSeep episode were fulfilled with this collection. The Rat King is filled to the brim with great prose, attention to detail, and creative subversions of the expected.
LP is a master of the simile. Many of his turns of phrase left me smiling and shaking my head, wondering why I hadn't thought to describe something that way. In The Rat King, a “sickle moon” is the color of “old milk.” Patches of snow are visible amidst a piny forest like "pieces of lint on a green quilt” and passions are as “malleable as warm PlayDoh.” A character is described as becoming little more than “hate wrapped in human skin.” I won’t spoil the details of his more horrific descriptions, just know that he uses this same mastery here and I was left queasy and shocked on more than one occasion.
A lot of times with collections you can get a complete grab-bag of stories, mixtures of styles and genres and qualities. I wouldn’t say that’s the case here. There’s the faintest of threads connecting these stories. For one, most of the stories take place on or around Halloween, really driving home that autumnal Bradbury vibe. Also, there are a few easter eggs scattered throughout this collection, the implications of a shared universe, details which only enhanced my reading experience.
A brief description of a handful of the more memorable stories (and I could have easily picked a handful more):
"Bad Apples"....Steeped in nostalgia, with pitch perfect details. This is an Amblin-esque tale that deals with the classic trope/experience of the new kid that moves on next door.
“The Magician”...a dust-bowl era tale of a carnival that comes to town and a little magic show that is more than it seems. This one features a haunting final line.
“The Nightmare Room”...a sardonic narrator is the owner and proprietor of a horror-themed bar and club. After hours he offers under-the-table services for the utilization of his special room.
“In the Valley of the Headless Men”...a classic set-up of a creature feature: a few semi-annoying college-aged kids decide that after graduation they will explore a remote valley in the northern regions of Canada, a valley that is rumored to be inhabited by Sasquatches. All I can say about this one is that it veered way the hell left and didn’t go where I thought it would.
I look forward to reading more of L.P.’s work in the future. I can only imagine the kind of world he could build with the freedom of a longer form of fiction, particularly a novel. Here’s to hoping that something comes down the pike.
December 9, 2021
Transparency - I rec'd a free copy of this book for my review.
I'm funny about what I read....usually its horror, sometimes thrillers/biographies/suspense. And I almost never read authors from indie publishers. Usually I find the quality of the material just isn't that great....
Well..I was pleasantly surprised by L.P. Hernandez' recent collection "The Rat King" (for those who don't know WHAT a rat king is, I'll allow you the pleasure of googling the phrase - you can thank me later...).
"Rat King" is a collection of 14 stories, two of which have been previously published.
"Bad Apples" is the story of Sadie, who suddenly has new neighbors, including a small boy named Bruce who she seldom sees....what would happen if Bruce died....and came back differently? Perhaps with strict appetite requirements?
"Down the Bunny Trail" is the story of a young girl whose younger brother disappears during an Easter Egg hunt....abducted by a threadbare Easter Bunny.....the brother is never found, and the man is never caught.....but, for years afterwards, the girl receives a golden Easter egg contained a surprise....
Try L.P. Hernandez....he might grow on you....
I'm funny about what I read....usually its horror, sometimes thrillers/biographies/suspense. And I almost never read authors from indie publishers. Usually I find the quality of the material just isn't that great....
Well..I was pleasantly surprised by L.P. Hernandez' recent collection "The Rat King" (for those who don't know WHAT a rat king is, I'll allow you the pleasure of googling the phrase - you can thank me later...).
"Rat King" is a collection of 14 stories, two of which have been previously published.
"Bad Apples" is the story of Sadie, who suddenly has new neighbors, including a small boy named Bruce who she seldom sees....what would happen if Bruce died....and came back differently? Perhaps with strict appetite requirements?
"Down the Bunny Trail" is the story of a young girl whose younger brother disappears during an Easter Egg hunt....abducted by a threadbare Easter Bunny.....the brother is never found, and the man is never caught.....but, for years afterwards, the girl receives a golden Easter egg contained a surprise....
Try L.P. Hernandez....he might grow on you....
December 14, 2021
I was lucky enough to be sent a copy of The Rat King by the author. These stories are genuinely creepy and the author has a great, erudite style that lends itself to painting a full, dimensional world for the reader to live in for a couple dozen pages per story.
Hernandez is most successful when creating a sense of dread. he spends most of his stories keeping the source of horror just out of focus enough for the reader to keep moving forward. But tread lightly, the ends of these stories have teeth. Usually those teeth are sharp.
Specifically, the story To Grandmother's House We Go was effective. Most of the story was suspenseful but I, as the reader couldn't quite say what was off about the goings on. I just knew to keep reading. By the time the reveal came along, my gut doubled over. What a great scare.
The rest of the stories follow a similar trajectory - slow burn with big payoff. And there's something here for everyone. Other dimensions. Bloodsuckers. Ghosts. You got it all right here.
Hernandez is most successful when creating a sense of dread. he spends most of his stories keeping the source of horror just out of focus enough for the reader to keep moving forward. But tread lightly, the ends of these stories have teeth. Usually those teeth are sharp.
Specifically, the story To Grandmother's House We Go was effective. Most of the story was suspenseful but I, as the reader couldn't quite say what was off about the goings on. I just knew to keep reading. By the time the reveal came along, my gut doubled over. What a great scare.
The rest of the stories follow a similar trajectory - slow burn with big payoff. And there's something here for everyone. Other dimensions. Bloodsuckers. Ghosts. You got it all right here.
December 17, 2021
I did receive a copy of this book from the author but that has nothing to do with my 4 star rating. I enjoyed this book of short horror stories very much and will definitely seek out other work from this author.
November 30, 2021
Well written creepfest
I received a free copy of this book from the author. My review is my honest opinion.
Overall, this book is well written with a minimal amount of errors. The author obviously has a talent for descriptive writing, but sometimes simply does not write enough. I also really enjoyed the way the stories connect. There is no horrific gore in these stories but there are things that may make you uneasy. Every time I put this book down, I ended up picking it up again within about 15 minutes.
The first half of the book was well written and generated a sense of unease, but were not the best short stories I've read. I would give the first half of the book a 3.5/5. The big problem is a lot of the stories felt unfinished. Some felt like they deserved novellas in order to really get flushed out, but I would rather a story be left to my imagination instead of coming to an obviously forced ending. That being said, some of them could have really benefited from another 3-5 (maybe as many as ten) pages. But don't give up, it gets better.
The second half of the short stories were much better. Iwould give this section a 5/5. The stories were longer and went into more detail, which allowed the stories to progress from uneasy to truly creepy. The extra detail added really made these stories unnerving, and the way the author tied these stories in to earlier ones was very well done.
I received a free copy of this book from the author. My review is my honest opinion.
Overall, this book is well written with a minimal amount of errors. The author obviously has a talent for descriptive writing, but sometimes simply does not write enough. I also really enjoyed the way the stories connect. There is no horrific gore in these stories but there are things that may make you uneasy. Every time I put this book down, I ended up picking it up again within about 15 minutes.
The first half of the book was well written and generated a sense of unease, but were not the best short stories I've read. I would give the first half of the book a 3.5/5. The big problem is a lot of the stories felt unfinished. Some felt like they deserved novellas in order to really get flushed out, but I would rather a story be left to my imagination instead of coming to an obviously forced ending. That being said, some of them could have really benefited from another 3-5 (maybe as many as ten) pages. But don't give up, it gets better.
The second half of the short stories were much better. Iwould give this section a 5/5. The stories were longer and went into more detail, which allowed the stories to progress from uneasy to truly creepy. The extra detail added really made these stories unnerving, and the way the author tied these stories in to earlier ones was very well done.
December 13, 2021
Travel back in time with an interracial couple to experience RACISM in the American South from evil southern white people. Does that sound like a spooky good time?
Then how about we join a vengeful Native American spirit as he murders a white man for the sins of his grandfathers? He kills him in one of the most horrific ways imaginable, supposedly for things that occurred well before his birth, but it’s painted as nothing less than poetic justice. He even goes on to describe murdering and skinning a white child, describing his white skin “like the petals of a dandelion” and his red hair like embers of a fire. Once again painted as justified because of crimes that the boy’s father committed.
Seriously, that one is messed up. And not in a good way like horror fiction is supposed to be messed up. It’s thinly-veiled, racially motivated murder porn with a supernatural twist.
This level of racist anti-white rhetoric has become so ingrained in our popular culture that most people who read this book probably won’t even pick up on it. Like a fish that doesn’t know it’s in water. But that doesn’t excuse it. It doesn’t make it any less dangerous. Painting a group of people as the antagonists of humanity, stirring up racial animosity, or suggesting that violence towards them is acceptable or justified is dangerous. It has real life consequences. People have been hurt and killed over this sort or rhetoric, throughout history and to this day.
But the illustrations are pretty cool.
Then how about we join a vengeful Native American spirit as he murders a white man for the sins of his grandfathers? He kills him in one of the most horrific ways imaginable, supposedly for things that occurred well before his birth, but it’s painted as nothing less than poetic justice. He even goes on to describe murdering and skinning a white child, describing his white skin “like the petals of a dandelion” and his red hair like embers of a fire. Once again painted as justified because of crimes that the boy’s father committed.
Seriously, that one is messed up. And not in a good way like horror fiction is supposed to be messed up. It’s thinly-veiled, racially motivated murder porn with a supernatural twist.
This level of racist anti-white rhetoric has become so ingrained in our popular culture that most people who read this book probably won’t even pick up on it. Like a fish that doesn’t know it’s in water. But that doesn’t excuse it. It doesn’t make it any less dangerous. Painting a group of people as the antagonists of humanity, stirring up racial animosity, or suggesting that violence towards them is acceptable or justified is dangerous. It has real life consequences. People have been hurt and killed over this sort or rhetoric, throughout history and to this day.
But the illustrations are pretty cool.
December 27, 2021
I am not usually one for horror anthologies…. However I did receive a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book was a pleasant surprise, and I have already recommended it to several friends. Going into an anthology, especially over the holidays, I expected to get a few pages in here or there. From the first story however, I was sucked into the tales and ended up bringing the book to all the holiday get together a (despite the disapproval of my non horror reading family). The stories were compelling and creepy, and I loved the little subtle tie ins to each other. I wanted each one to go on and would audibly moan “nooo” when I came to the end too soon!
Thank you so much to the author for this opportunity and I recommend this book for all people who love eerie and creepy stories! Do not read in the dark 👀
This book was a pleasant surprise, and I have already recommended it to several friends. Going into an anthology, especially over the holidays, I expected to get a few pages in here or there. From the first story however, I was sucked into the tales and ended up bringing the book to all the holiday get together a (despite the disapproval of my non horror reading family). The stories were compelling and creepy, and I loved the little subtle tie ins to each other. I wanted each one to go on and would audibly moan “nooo” when I came to the end too soon!
Thank you so much to the author for this opportunity and I recommend this book for all people who love eerie and creepy stories! Do not read in the dark 👀
May 7, 2022
This is a very easy 5 stars for me to give. Every story in here is so good, but my favorites are the ones that have a child's POV, especially "Bad Apples," and "Night Feeding." But they all stay with me. Hernandez has a gift for sprinkling in wonderful visuals or metaphors in very straightforward prose. His words are doing the work without losing site of their purpose, which is tell the story. Some writers get caught up in decorating the page, but Hernandez knows when to add something beautiful and when to hold back. Shirley Jackson and Neil Gaiman do this, and Hernandez has an understanding of the craft in the same way. He builds wonder and dread at a pace I love. Highly recommend.
May 25, 2025
This author - he's profound and funny and morose and brilliant. His stories reflect his attributes. I will own everything he publishes.
June 15, 2022
My usual modus operandi for short story collections is to sample a story between other books and keep coming back. This one got its hooks in me and I read it in almost one sitting. Bravo! Also, my cat, Oy scared the crap out of me during one particular story
March 18, 2022
Really happy to be discovering some great indie reads this year. I loved the little connections in quite a few of these stories. I would have liked just a bit more detail in a few of them, as a couple ended pretty abruptly. But mostly they were incredible, and I will definitely keep an eye out in the future for this author!
March 11, 2024
I've been a fan of L.P. Hernandez since I read Stargazers two years ago. Reading his earlier work has been a lot of fun! Some of the images in these stories will be scarred into your mind. Especially the one from the title story.
Also, seeing the illustrations was a blast! I wish more short story collections had them!
Also, seeing the illustrations was a blast! I wish more short story collections had them!
January 11, 2022
omg when I tell you, I went in blind but came out SATISFIED!
SB
SB
March 22, 2022
3.5 stars: an imperfect but very imaginative and fascinating collection of stories. I liked that they spanned all sorts of subgenres and took place in very different settings. The final story was a fun one to tie everything together, but I'd already noticed the thread of connection between each one in sequence. The illustrations are dynamite. I would submit that this definitely needs a TW for sexual assault; other than that, the grossness, body horror, and psychological terror are all fair game. There were a few typographical errors in the text but nothing crazy. All in all, I liked it and am curious to read more of Hernandez's work.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2022
I see where it was going with the Lovecratian themes and a lot of stories were intertwined. It just didn't hold me with a thick grasp like I expected it to ...
This book is 50-50 on the like to dislike scale. For me it was amends amends.....
This book is 50-50 on the like to dislike scale. For me it was amends amends.....
April 27, 2026
An enticing array of somewhat suspenseful and sometimes gruesome stories, some chills and thrills, and the illustrations are awesome!
October 9, 2022
I love a good collection of horror short stories and this book was just right. I have my own personal favorites but this collection has many different kinds. The book has a wonderful sense of building dread throughout the stories. I loved the book, give it a try and see for yourself how you feel.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews