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Ash and Bone: Tales of Terror
“I enjoyed it thoroughly … the style here screamed fresh, new, original.”--Well Read Beard
Follow Elford Alley into the shadows with ten terrifying stories of the evil that watches from the darkness while worming itself deep into your heart.
The dead rise and a small company discovers a disturbing new business model. A family stumbles on a nest of eight-legged terrors beneath their new home. An ancient being torments a fractured family.
“This was an excellent collection of short stories! Some of the imagery creeped me out…”--Joshua Marsella, author of Scratches and Severed
“I absolutely adored this collection and highly recommend it to anyone who loves scary stories.”--Marianne Halbert, author of Cold Comforts
Follow Elford Alley into the shadows with ten terrifying stories of the evil that watches from the darkness while worming itself deep into your heart.
The dead rise and a small company discovers a disturbing new business model. A family stumbles on a nest of eight-legged terrors beneath their new home. An ancient being torments a fractured family.
“This was an excellent collection of short stories! Some of the imagery creeped me out…”--Joshua Marsella, author of Scratches and Severed
“I absolutely adored this collection and highly recommend it to anyone who loves scary stories.”--Marianne Halbert, author of Cold Comforts
137 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 13, 2022
70 people are currently reading
127 people want to read
About the author
Elford Alley
20 books84 followersElford Alley is a horror author and disgraced paranormal investigator. His novels include Apartment 239 and In Search of the Nobility, TX Wildman. He has two short story collections, Ash and Bone and The Last Night in the Damned House.
His short stories have appeared in multiple anthologies, including Paranormal Contact, Beneath, Cosmos, and Campfire Macabre. His work has also been featured in Huffington Post, Cracked, and DoomRocket.
He enjoys folklore, exploring strange places, and spending time with his family. You can also check out his website for updates: elfordalley.com.
His short stories have appeared in multiple anthologies, including Paranormal Contact, Beneath, Cosmos, and Campfire Macabre. His work has also been featured in Huffington Post, Cracked, and DoomRocket.
He enjoys folklore, exploring strange places, and spending time with his family. You can also check out his website for updates: elfordalley.com.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
September 11, 2025
Another banger from Alley!
From business ideas for the zombie apocalypse (don't we just love those stories of the apocalypse being just something that makes things kinda worse?) to sinister recruiting events parental figures are anything but safe in this one and the only horror that's missing is the Meta Business Suite, if you'll excuse my social media manager humor for a moment.
My favorite stories were:
Nature of the Business, for personal reasons I was really keen on this story because at this point in my life I would indeed pay good money for that service (not literally this isn't like when I offer to bribe authors to write what I want ok?).
Junkman had something of the moral myth and was delightfully gruesome.
Lost in the Parallel Forest, loved the locale, loved the ending.
4.5.
From business ideas for the zombie apocalypse (don't we just love those stories of the apocalypse being just something that makes things kinda worse?) to sinister recruiting events parental figures are anything but safe in this one and the only horror that's missing is the Meta Business Suite, if you'll excuse my social media manager humor for a moment.
My favorite stories were:
Nature of the Business, for personal reasons I was really keen on this story because at this point in my life I would indeed pay good money for that service (not literally this isn't like when I offer to bribe authors to write what I want ok?).
Junkman had something of the moral myth and was delightfully gruesome.
Lost in the Parallel Forest, loved the locale, loved the ending.
4.5.
May 3, 2021
Monsters, Lore and Kefends
I truly like horror and this collection filled that gap. I liked the flow of each story and the individuality that each story held. There was a lot of every horror element for everyone. If you are looking for a collection of horror stories and want a fast read, Alley will certainly give you that in Ash and Bone.
I truly like horror and this collection filled that gap. I liked the flow of each story and the individuality that each story held. There was a lot of every horror element for everyone. If you are looking for a collection of horror stories and want a fast read, Alley will certainly give you that in Ash and Bone.
October 8, 2025
Not a bad collection of 'PG' rated horror stories, but I found the very straightforward narratives and flat prose to be bland. There is a running theme of abandonment throughout the book as well as a few mother nature taking revenge and re-animation tales. There is a really effective story in the collection, especially if you have any aversion to spiders whatsoever that got the most visceral response from me as I hate those eight legged bastards.
Far too tame and plain for me, but I could see this having a wide range of appeal if you're casually looking for some chills this October.
Far too tame and plain for me, but I could see this having a wide range of appeal if you're casually looking for some chills this October.
March 30, 2025
This was an entertaining read! I believe it was a free title on Amazon when I picked it up, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much fun and how interesting each story was. It even game me moments when I had to pause to look up stuff on the folklore behind some of the creatures in a few of the stories. I would definitely read more by this author in the future.
November 23, 2021
Another banger of a collection from Elford Alley. There is t a story in here that will leave you feeling “meh”. As is the case with Elford’s collections. I’ve found when I start reading these I want to devour them in one sitting, there’s always an underlying sense of connection from one tale to another. Just enough there to make you start connecting dots, but enough left out to make what you’re reading get under your skin like some weird cosmic folk tale.
October 1, 2023
Horror is not my normal genre, but I wanted to start fall with something spooky! These stories did not disappoint.
January 30, 2025
These stories weren't bad, but they also didn't quite live up to the level of craziness I expected after Apartment 239. I know that book has a sequel so I'll probably make that my next Alley read. Favorite stories were Funny Kittens and Lost In The Parallel Forest.
July 16, 2023
Some good stories that grabbed my attention and had a few shivers. Time well spent on the read.
April 26, 2023
Ash and Bone: Tales of Terror is a collection of horror stories ranging from the undead to the wish they were dead (you'll understand that last part if you read it through to the end).
I love horror. Anthologies, even horror ones, not necessarily my favorite. That being said. I enjoyed this. More than I thought I would. Sometimes the scary part is not getting all the information. Part of the fun is having to fill in some blanks with your own imagination. Each of these stories gives you plenty to go off of without giving you everything and it's done in a way that isn't frustrating to the reader.
My definite favorites are:
Nature of the Business-starts strong with a good balance between comedy and horror. The first paragraph starts off describing what the outside of this building looks like (like shit by the way) only to end with it saying
The Corpse Walker-(semi-spolier?)
Lechuza- I love witches, I love owls....do I need to say more?
Junkman-This one is probably my favorite, favorite. When I read it I could see it. I could literally see the one-hour Guillermo Del Toro, Cabinet of Curiosities adaptation. No joke.
The only one I would say I didn't care for at all was Lost in the Parallel Forest I really found it boring, comparatively. It felt, flat. The characters were uninteresting the story felt rushed (even for a short story). On a re-read, I will probably skip it entirely.
I love horror. Anthologies, even horror ones, not necessarily my favorite. That being said. I enjoyed this. More than I thought I would. Sometimes the scary part is not getting all the information. Part of the fun is having to fill in some blanks with your own imagination. Each of these stories gives you plenty to go off of without giving you everything and it's done in a way that isn't frustrating to the reader.
My definite favorites are:
Nature of the Business-starts strong with a good balance between comedy and horror. The first paragraph starts off describing what the outside of this building looks like (like shit by the way) only to end with it saying
We have an image to uphold, and that image is plausible deniability that we're even open.And now I need to go destroy my front yard to save myself from unwanted guests.
The Corpse Walker-(semi-spolier?)
Lechuza- I love witches, I love owls....do I need to say more?
Junkman-This one is probably my favorite, favorite. When I read it I could see it. I could literally see the one-hour Guillermo Del Toro, Cabinet of Curiosities adaptation. No joke.
The only one I would say I didn't care for at all was Lost in the Parallel Forest I really found it boring, comparatively. It felt, flat. The characters were uninteresting the story felt rushed (even for a short story). On a re-read, I will probably skip it entirely.
November 15, 2021
Having read one of Elford Alley's other collections, The Last Night in the Damned House, and enjoying it I decided to give this short collection/anthology of stories a go.
The stories are not interconnected and all stand alone nicely with a blend of folklore and myth mixed with the dark fiction and horror the author is known for.
I'll hopefully have a little more detailed review up on aicstories.com soon but in the meantime I'd recommend this for any fans of dark fiction and horror with a dark, dusty Texas vibe.
I actually enjoyed this collection better than The Last Night in the Damned House, which was also a fun read.
The stories are not interconnected and all stand alone nicely with a blend of folklore and myth mixed with the dark fiction and horror the author is known for.
I'll hopefully have a little more detailed review up on aicstories.com soon but in the meantime I'd recommend this for any fans of dark fiction and horror with a dark, dusty Texas vibe.
I actually enjoyed this collection better than The Last Night in the Damned House, which was also a fun read.
May 22, 2022
Alley offers up quite a selection in the collection. From zombie-fare to shady pharmaceutical practices to all manner of things that go bump in the night, each tale held something I enjoyed. Some holding a little bit more than others, sure, but hey, that's par for the course in books such as these. Go forth, seek out, purchase and enjoy. Tell 'em another lover of the dark stuff sent you.
October 22, 2023
It is an amazing collection of horror stories, all with different flavors of the genre. Jumping from zombies, Lovecraft, ghosts, mummys, and the end of the world, each story feels unique and engaging.
My top 3:
1.Lechuza
2. Keep them down (this town needs it own novel)
3. Ash and bone
My top 3:
1.Lechuza
2. Keep them down (this town needs it own novel)
3. Ash and bone
November 29, 2019
An engaging read.
Couldn't put it down. Highly recommended. Less tales of horror (in the traditional sense) as they are about the horrors to be found with humanity.
Couldn't put it down. Highly recommended. Less tales of horror (in the traditional sense) as they are about the horrors to be found with humanity.
June 4, 2021
Y'all this book was fabulous!!
The stories were so creepy and I was worried I would be up all night after reading "Funny Kittens"
I dont want to give it away but the kittens were not funny. They are horrifying and deserve to be burned.
The other stories are just as well written and the characters all shine through. I love how the characters are diverse, and they all seem so real.
I really recommend this one guys! It's probably one of my favorites this year!
The stories were so creepy and I was worried I would be up all night after reading "Funny Kittens"
I dont want to give it away but the kittens were not funny. They are horrifying and deserve to be burned.
The other stories are just as well written and the characters all shine through. I love how the characters are diverse, and they all seem so real.
I really recommend this one guys! It's probably one of my favorites this year!
May 17, 2021
I absolutely adored this collection and highly recommend it to anyone who loves scary stories. The stories were so unique and will stay with me a long time. Alley has a great writing style and taps into the human condition, understanding what we feel and what we fear, creating characters we can connect with and root for. All the stories were great but my personal favorites were "The Corpse Walker", "Group 3", and "Funny Kittens". Definitely looking forward to reading more from this author.
November 4, 2024
a great group of horror stories
I enjoyed the writing and the spooky tone Mr.Alley was able to create. It’s hard to find good stories that don’t rely on gore and over the top violence to enable a scare. It was a good read.
I enjoyed the writing and the spooky tone Mr.Alley was able to create. It’s hard to find good stories that don’t rely on gore and over the top violence to enable a scare. It was a good read.
June 28, 2022
A good variety of well written stories
What impressed me most about this collection is that I don't think there were any weak links or outliers. The stories all fit together well, while each providing something different.
The tales range from emotional to unsettling, and a good few have elements of both.
My personal favorite was "funny kittens" which deals with some things I don't normally like reading about, but was executed perfectly to to its utmost chilling effect.
What impressed me most about this collection is that I don't think there were any weak links or outliers. The stories all fit together well, while each providing something different.
The tales range from emotional to unsettling, and a good few have elements of both.
My personal favorite was "funny kittens" which deals with some things I don't normally like reading about, but was executed perfectly to to its utmost chilling effect.
September 22, 2022
I genuinely enjoyed this collection. The stories are an assortment, but some common elements are the humor, the regional writing, and the character development...character development that makes me actually care about the characters--not the easiest feat to accomplish in a short story. At times his writing reminded me of Michael Farris Smith, Nic Pizzolato, and the early seasons of The Walking Dead (remember when that show was awesome?!?...seems like a lifetime ago). But in fairness, he has his own voice that comes through in all of these shorts, even as he distinguishes different narrators and characters.
Really, really good. Oh, and the audiobook is legit. Great narrator and great formatting (which shouldn't be a big deal but it often is in the world of Audible).
Really, really good. Oh, and the audiobook is legit. Great narrator and great formatting (which shouldn't be a big deal but it often is in the world of Audible).
April 28, 2020
I mostly stay away from horror books these days since they are all blood and guts. This was a pleasant surprise, none of the stories were gory and they were all well written.
February 20, 2022
not so scary!
Collection of short stories. A mixture of macabre, dark, depressing and gore. Some stories worthy of publication, others not so much. Personal choice which you enjoy.
Collection of short stories. A mixture of macabre, dark, depressing and gore. Some stories worthy of publication, others not so much. Personal choice which you enjoy.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews