Generation X-Ed

by Rebecca Rowland

In a unique anthology of monster, folk, paranormal, and psychological horror as glimpsed through the lens of the latchkey generation, twenty-two voices shine a strobe light on the cultural demons that lurked in the background while they came of age in the heyday of Satanic panic and slasher flicks, milk carton missing and music television, video rentals and riot grrrls. These Gen-X storytellers once stayed out unsupervised until the streetlights came on, and what they brought home with them will terrify you.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories

374 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 26, 2022

About the author

Rebecca Rowland is a Bram Stoker and Shirley Jackson Award finalist. She grew up in Western Massachusetts but spent her early adult life in the Boston area, and most of her fiction is set in those locations. She is the author of three fiction collections and a handful of novels and novellas, one of which, OPTIC NERVE, earned her a Godless 666 Award. Her speculative fiction and essays regularly appear in a variety of publications by progressive, independent presses.

An Active/voting member of the Horror Writers Association, Rebecca is the curator of seven anthologies and a horror cocktail book. UNBURIED: A COLLECTION OF QUEER DARK FICTION became an Amazon best-seller on its first day of release and features short stories by sixteen established voices in genre fiction, including queer fiction icons Felice Picano, Greg Herren, and Daniel M. Jaffe. 100% proceeds of DANCING IN THE SHADOWS: A TRIBUTE TO ANNE RICE, benefit ARNO, the Animal Rescue New Orleans. Her most recent anthology, AMERICAN CANNIBAL, hit #1 in Historical Fiction on Amazon in its first week of release.

Having accrued graduate degrees in English, Education, and Information Science, she happily works in the education field (and marvels at her accomplishment of having paid off her student loans before death) but vacations as a dark fiction author and editor. Despite her infatuation with the ocean and unwavering distaste for icy weather, she has made a home in a chilly, land-locked city of New England. She is represented by Becky LeJeune of Bond Literary Agency.

Reviews

[Geneve Flynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Generation X-ed is a cool—oh my god, whatever—visceral love letter to the latchkey kids; to the teens who grew up bathed in the glow of music videos and slasher flicks; to the adults who lived through nuclear disasters, serial killers, economic downturns, and the Cold War.

Steeped in the cynicism, humour, and angst of the ’80s and ’90s, the twenty-two stories in the anthology are in turns skin-crawlingly eerie, intense, ominous, and totally gnarly. All the stories are entertaining and delightfully dark. Each story has strengths, whether in the writing style, the premise, or the level of gleeful gore.

I don’t mean to play favourites, but true to Gen-X parenting, here are the stories that stood out for me:

I’m onboard for any tale about a girl with a secret that makes her the most powerful person in the story. Thomas Vaughn has such an appealing narration in “A Genealogy of Hunger” that I would read a grocery list written in his voice. “Regulators” by Holly Rae Garcia also delivers with a splash of blood and bone.

“Subdivision” by Matthew Barron is a weird and disconcerting take on the sameness of suburban developments.

The mystery at the heart of “Maya” by Matthew Chabin is chilling in its uncanniness and the story is uncomfortable in the best way possible.

“Birnam Hall” by L. E. Daniels explores the horror of how women dealt with sexual assault in the ’90s: numbly and in heart-breaking silence. I love that the story foretells the reckoning that will come.

“Prey Heed to the Preacher Man” by Eldon Litchfield pings every alarm tied to the dread of being out of your comfort zone, isolated, and in a strange, strange place.

Check out Generation X-ed—like a great video rental store, the anthology has something for everyone, and quite a few rabbit holes you’ll wish you hadn’t gone down.

[Pan | Book Reviews and Recommendations · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was born in the very late 70s and raised in the lovely 80s and 90s. My generation, Generation X, has seen some pretty f**ked up things happening in the world and at the same time had the opportunity to experience some of the greatest things happening in music, film, literature and technology. Don't you think this has left an impact on us?

Well it definitely had an impact on these 22 lovely Gen-Xers who have artfully put together, with editor Rebecca Rowland, what appears to be all my fears and nightmares while growing up, in a book.

And ooooooh my God this collection has a bit of everything to satisfy your horror needs as every author approaches the story in a unique way with supreme craftsmanship.

If folk horror is your cup of tea, then you will be veeeeeery satisfied. On the other hand if you want your horror Sci-fi infused or featuring a otherworldly creature then you are in for a treat. But, there are also lovely cosmic horror themed stories, chilling paranormal tales, nightmarish psychological horror ones and yes even horror comedy.

I literally cannot pick a favorite story as this anthology is like walking in my local video store which is filled with all my favorite movies...
Buuuuuut if I had to choose 3 in order to save my life :

*L.E. Daniels rocked my world in 'Birnam Hall'. Fantastic writing skills, exploring the subject of sexual assault in the most unique way. Still gives me the creeps.

*Eldon Litchfield's 'Pay Heed to the Preacher Man' is brilliant. Small towns-great lurking terror - weird townsfolk gets me every time and the author delivers a punch in the most glorious way.

*'The Crimson Church' by Thomas K.S. Wake, is folk horror extravaganza and I loved every sentence of it. This is what happens when urban legends should remain legends and not meddled with...

*Yes I said 3 but I cannot ignore Mark Towse's haunting offering, 'Tough Break'. It is one wild horror trip folks.

There are slow burners and fast burners, straight up gory horror pouring out of VHS tapes, Satanic Panic situations getting out of hand, printed maps leading to the wrong place and especially at the wrong time, human predators and a bunch of references to all the horrors that haunted our dreams back in the day and are now the backbone of all tropes in horror arts.

One thing is for sure; this amazing love letter to the horror genre demands that you grab a huge bucket of popcorn, lock yourself for a couple of days at home and read like your life depended on it.
It is one great thrill-ride and you need this in your life.


Authors in this anthology :Kevin David Anderson, Glynn Owen Barrass, Matthew Barron, C.D. Brown, Matthew Chabin, L.E. Daniels, C.O. Davidson, Douglas Ford, Phil Ford, Holly Rae Garcia, Dale W. Glaser, Tim Jeffreys, Derek Austin Johnson, Eldon Litchfield, Adrian Ludens, Elaine Pascale, Erica Ruppert, Kristi Petersen Schoonover, Rob Smales, Mark Towse, Thomas Vaughn, and Thomas K.S. Wake.

[Renata · Rating 5 out of 5]

A unique collection of horror stories that pays tribute to the seventies and eighties. Generation X-ed turns back time with twenty-two writers who offer a glimpse into the horrors of the past. Video cassette players, slasher flicks, satanic cults, paper maps, cable repairs, alien invasions, summer vacations, creature features, rock and grunge music – the reader is transported into an era filled with cultural references that range from books to movies and music.

A challenge for the editor in not only collecting well-written horror stories adhering to the theme, but also finding writers from generation X, who have mined their memories for an eerie array of tales for the reader. From VHS tapes to MTV, hairstyles and clothes, movie theatres and film stars, political events and manmade disasters, the writers take us through time and place with very different stories, but all bound by their connection to the 70s and 80s.

My most favorite story was How I Met Kurt Russell by Rob Smales, which takes us through the movies and characters played by Kurt Russell. In a narrative hilarious and unnerving in equal parts, Smales addresses the horrors of identity, fandom and superstardom. I just loved his horror comedy, the subject of his story, and the route of exploring serious themes through humor. Some of my other favorites were In From The Cold by Adrian Wayne Ludens (the nostalgia of old photographs), A Genealogy of Hunger by Thomas Vaughn (a stellar piece of speculative fiction), Pay Heed to the Preacher Man by Eldon Litchfield (about small towns and creepy residents), Naming The Band by Elaine Pascale (hierarchies and dynamics between band members), Birnam Hall by L. E. Daniels (sheer brilliance in writing about sexual assault without actually writing about it, as a mirror to unreported cases), Stand Beside Me Now by Tim Jeffreys (for his take on haunted houses), Parker Third West by Dale W. Glaser (for his deep dive into dorm life), The Shade by C.O. Davidson (dealing with death and grief).

The stories are a mixed bunch, but they’re all entertaining in the way each of us interprets horror – as children, teenagers and adults. Although the cover depicts a slasher anthology, the collection covers sub-genres of horror from cosmic to sci-fi, psychological and paranormal, folk horror and horror comedy. Highly recommended for readers from the latchkey generation, who have lived through the era and will identify with the references. But it’s really just for everyone, to enjoy the coming-together of an exceptional bunch of writers. Kudos to editor Rebecca Rowland for accomplishing this task.

https://tomesandtales365.wordpress.co...

[Maddux · Rating 4 out of 5]

Video Review:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNhMU...

Generation X-Ed is the latest anthology from Dark Ink Books, edited by Rebecca Rowland. I’ve talked to Rebecca a few times and I can tell she works really hard and long when putting together these anthologies. And this one is no exception. We have another interesting theme.

All of the writers who took part in creating this anthology are from the Generation X Era. Being part of this Era, I was eager to see how this group of writers would use the history and events of Gen X combined with various horrors. It was fun and interesting to see how these writers in this collection have become a product of their Era.

Twenty-Two different writers gave their spin on the assignment by providing 22 different stories, hitting on many of the horror genres we’ve come to love. Paranormal to Psychological to Cosmic and even Folk horror mixed in.

If you were to decide to take away the theme, you still have a great collection of interesting, unique, hair raising stories. Some having the shock and awe moments while others make you think a little deeper.

Bringing the theme of Generation X back into play, it puts a whole new spin on most of these stories. I started making more of a connection as references popped up causing me to reminisce about when I experienced the same thing.

Making sure there is enough room on a recordable VHS to record a new video off MTV, watching a Friday night double horror feature, or stopping at Blockbuster. These events felt a part of me.

I do want to point as well written and interesting each story is, the references to the history and events of Generation X are very subtle at times. That may be by design, in order for the references not to get out of control and over the top, and become too cheesy.

I point this out because this is really the one major negative I have with this collection. I’m in no way wanting it to be over the top and become cheesy. But I do feel the references to Gen X are a bit too subtle at times.

The cover alone makes me think this collection is going to be jammed pack with nostalgic moments from my youth, and although it does deliver as a whole, the references are very subtle. Some are easily missed depending on how fast you read. I definitely would have liked to have seen more of a connection.

Kristi Petersen Schoonover made a strong connection with her story “Nothing To See Here,” by mentioning the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion from 1986. That one brought back memories as I sat in my 2nd grade class witnessing the devastation live. We, like a lot of schools, were tuned in to get a lesson from Space. And then we witnessed unfortunate history.

Those kind of references are what I expected, and don’t get me wrong, there are quite a few references, but a lot end up being about VCR’s and VHS tapes. I realize that was a big technology change, and a lot of our kids today won’t have a clue what a VCR is, I just think there are so many other things that could have been added: The Fall of the Berlin Wall, the Rise of Personal Computers, Watergate, the many different music genres, the crazy fashions. Without it becoming a history lesson of course.

None the less, we do have a nice selection of well written interesting stories focusing on many horror aspects. Even though the references are subtle, you do get a feeling that the writers styles are shaped by their Era.

A few that stuck out to me, in no particular order:
“Pay Heed to the Preacher Man” by Eldon Litchfield, a wonderful piece that brings the fear of being lost in the wrong place at the wrong time, along with a bit of humor when the question is asked, “Paw, what’s a google?

“The Walk In” by C.D. Brown felt like a Stephen King story. It could have been the rats.
“Naming The Band” by Elaine Pascale was pretty fun. Becoming a famous rock star, but at what cost?

And Holly Rae Garcia ends the collection with “Regulators.” This one had a nice twist to it, and I can actually see it becoming something bigger. A bigger story.

Overall, I’m at a 4/5 with this one. Very enjoyable, whether you’re a Gen X-Er or not. There is something for everyone. Go ahead and add it to your to be read pile. The cover just screams “Someone is going to lose a hand, or more.”

[Gab · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rebecca Rowland to me has become synonymous with a professional product as every collection I read that was edited by her is both great quality and is put together to very high standard.

Being born in '89 myself, I guess was just outside the Generation X, but I was raised with a Gen-X sister, so my childhood had a Gen-X shade by reflex, which I maybe why I felt a pang of nostalgia while reading some of these stories.

With an excellent cast of contributor writers, 'Generation X-ed' will transport you back to that period, if you were around, as I personally went more than once "Oh yes, that song!" or "Oh yes! That was fashion back then, wasn't it?" and so on.
I definitely appreciate that the collection isn't heavily based on slasher, as the results blends a lot of interesting premises as well as a lot of good and different writing styles.

You don't have to be from the Generation X to enjoy this, it's enough to be a fan of horror, professionally edited good collections and be ready to discover some quality voices from the indie horror scene.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Generation X-ed was a labor of love. I pitched the theme to Dark Ink Books in 2019 after realizing that most of the independent horror authors I'd read work by over the previous year were fellow members of Generation X, born between the mid-1960s and the early 1980s. Originally conceived as a slasher-centered anthology, the concept was expanded to instead reflect the touchstones of the generation, from the satanic panic and latchkey lack of supervision to the rapid transformation in music and movie consumption and the pinnacle of third-wave feminism.

It is said we are a product of our environments. The decades of 70s, 80s, and 90s were some tumultuous and terrifying times, but damn, did they help shape some exceptionally gifted writers: read the collection for yourself and you'll see.

[P.J. Blakey-Novis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Generation X-ed packs a punch from the very beginning and doesn't let up. The first story, In From the Cold by Adrian Ludens had me hooked immediately, though to the excellent ending. Moving through the collection, I can honestly say there were no weak stories. Each author has produced something unique, yet fitting perfectly with the underlying theme. It would be hard to pick a favourite but Sacrifices by Douglas Ford, In From the Cold by Adrian Ludens, and Tough Break by Mark Towse are certainly standouts.

[Holley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review at Horror Tree: https://horrortree.com/epeolatry-book...

[L. Stephenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like an eclectic collection when it comes to horror anthologies, which is why my favourites, and what I believe to be the standouts of Generation X-ed, all hail from different branches of the horror tree.

In no particular order, these are: the wonderful insanity of Wake's 'The Crimson Church', the bloody fun of Pascale's 'Naming The Band', the downright creepiness of Ludens' 'In From The Cold, the cheeky humour of Brown's 'The Walk-In' and the beautifully written 'Birnam Hall' by Daniels.

Don't miss X-ed, or you'll miss some great storytelling.

Hats off to the editor!

[Selena | Beauty's Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy from the editor, Rebecca Rowland. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this anthology!

Generation X-ed is an anthology featuring 22 different authors, all with short stories of varying lengths. Each of these shorts touches on horror and showcase their own version of darkness.

Each of these stories is so unique from each other. None of them involved the same monster or darkness. They all had their own atmosphere and I truly didn’t know what to expect when I started each one. Several left me saying “WTF did I just read.”

We see stories around eerie cults, monsters that roam in the night, and just a wide range of creepy shit. Some of my favorites were A Geneology of Hunger, The Crimson Church - this one gave me AHS: Roanoke vibes, and Regulators!

And while I didn’t necessarily enjoy all of these horrors, I’m sure there are others who would. With this collection, there’s something in here for every type of horror lover. I think if you’re not afraid of the dark, or at least sleep with a light on, you might enjoy this collection too! There are some great gems in here!

[Elin Olausson · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the authors in this anthology are from Generation X, and the book is filled with 80's and early 90's nostalgia. I'm a millennial and non-American, but even so I could recognize and enjoy a lot of the references to popular culture, technology and so on. I think fans of Stephen King would like this book, because there were several stories that felt very King-esque, in the best of ways. Overall I thought this was a superbly edited anthology, since all the stories fit really well together and made for an amazing read. My two favorite stories were Maya by Matthew Chabin and Nothing to See Here by Kristi Petersen Schoonover, but the book was packed with great stories and all the authors should be very proud of their work.

[Rob Mensch · Rating 3 out of 5]

When it comes to short story collections, I feel like I could copy and paste my review as they are all pretty similar. you've got a few klunkers, a few good ones and a couple that were great enough that I would love to see them fleshed out into full novels.
Twenty two stories here all with a Gen X them which was a nice trip down memory lane. For the most part it was a pretty good read, not overly scary but interesting.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of horror stories written by Gen X writers, many of them set in the 1980s. There were some stories I loved, some I liked, and some that really scared me. There were some funny stories as well.

However, I did feel that the writing was uneven, and that the book could have benefitted from a good copy edit. I kept on getting distracted by typos and mistakes in the text. :(

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be fair, the 4 stars are for one story, the one for which I purchased the book. LE Daniels. I have read a couple of the others, but really that one holds a special place for me.

[Amy Todorsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frighteningly nostalgic.

[Eric Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent Anthology of Horror based around the 80's and early 90's