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Found: An Anthology of Found Footage Horror Stories
Between April and August 2021 eighteen horror writers disappeared. Gathered together for the first time, these are the stories they were writing at the time of their disappearances.
Reader caution is advised. Advance readers of this anthology have reported nausea, feelings of anxiety, paranoia and hallucinations after reading the texts included.
Stories by: Holly Rae Garcia, Jeremy Hepler, Bev Vincent, Ally Wilkes, Clay McLoed Chapman, Nick Kolakowski, Tim McGregor, Alan Baxter, Angela Sylvaine, Josh Rountree, Georgia Cook, Ali Seay, Donna Lynch, Kurt Fawver, Robert Levy, Joe Butler, Fred Fischer IV, Aristo Couvaras.
Reader caution is advised. Advance readers of this anthology have reported nausea, feelings of anxiety, paranoia and hallucinations after reading the texts included.
Stories by: Holly Rae Garcia, Jeremy Hepler, Bev Vincent, Ally Wilkes, Clay McLoed Chapman, Nick Kolakowski, Tim McGregor, Alan Baxter, Angela Sylvaine, Josh Rountree, Georgia Cook, Ali Seay, Donna Lynch, Kurt Fawver, Robert Levy, Joe Butler, Fred Fischer IV, Aristo Couvaras.
296 pages, Paperback
First published October 8, 2022
270 people are currently reading
5905 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 364 reviews
December 9, 2022
If done right, found footage can be one of the most chilling, dread inducing subgenres in horror cinema. Unfortunately, it became a venue for filmmakers too lazy or inept to carry out proper camera works trying to conceal their shoddiness behind this once revolutionary and exciting, but now simply exhausted category. So I was interested how the translation into literature would work when I heard about Found: An Anthology of Found Footage Horror Stories, but was admittedly not very hopeful. What I found didn’t exceed my expectations by very far, yet I still was able to enjoy quite a few good stories.
Found footage in writing is expectedly not exactly the kind of genre that will give you space and opportunities to display flowery writing, word plays or literary skill. It’s important then to be able to compensate that with originality, inventiveness and more intense chills and thrills. So the contributing authors had an extra difficult task ahead of them and not surprisingly, the total of the anthology is a mixed bag. Still, there was quite a number of short stories which were really fine and even outstanding. Let’s take a look at them, here are my highlights;
“Junk Pickup” by Fred Fischer, IV
Perfect example of how effective a simple concept can be. Found footage tapes of a boy and the monster underneath his bed, one of the most basic fears of your childhood. Nothing spectacular, still better than most, more elaborate stories here. I was surprised to read it is the author’s first published story, it was that good.
“The Spew of News” by Clay McLeod Chapman
A tongue-in-cheek-but-deadly-serious story of a news channel which turns people into literal zombies (but in the first step they become conservative) and is as fun as it is bitter reality. This concept of a horror that “spreads”, reminds me of early King stories such as “Gray Matter” or “The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill” and I really like that style.
“Regular Saint” by Donna Lynch
For me, this story of witness reports written in the verse form is the absolute winner of this anthology. A poem about a girl admitted to a Catholic School, who gradually indulges more intensely in a self-invented saint and finally commits a gruesome crime is retrospectively told (probably sung) from the perspective of three of her once friends. A kind of crooked threnody and probably the single most original interpretation of found footage I have ever come across. Awesome.
On a side note; the way the girls talk reminded me of the short film Possibly in Michigan (https://www.youtube.com/results?searc...) by Cecelia Condit – a similar mixture of annoying, excellent and creepy sing-sang.
“A Grave Issue” by Bev Vincent
After the 2019 earthquake in Izmir, Turkey, which saw many dead and many injured, a video went viral where a young gamer casually streams and chats on twitch and first low and then high-key panics as the earthquake gets gradually stronger. At the end of the video he shouts “it’s an earthquake, it’s an earthquake!!!!” and runs out of the room, while the building keeps shaking violently. The real fun, though, starts after his departure, when his mates start quickly commenting and their comments appear in super quick succession on screen - telling him to get the fuck out, some swearing, some just exclaiming their horror in incomprehensible babble. Nothing happened to the boy and after the video went viral I often went back to it to read the reactions of those horrified people, it had a weird kind of post-catastrophe-fascination for me.
“A Grave Issue” has nothing to do with earthquakes or gamers. It’s about a deadly book. Still, it reminded me of that video. You will know what I mean when you read it.
“The Novak Roadhouse Massacre” by Alan Baxter
Baxter is a top writer who really deserves more attention and acknowledgement than he actually gets. Despite this being found footage, this story has some seriously good writing, the topic as well as the execution were just superior. Read more Alan Baxter, you won’t regret!
Found footage in writing is expectedly not exactly the kind of genre that will give you space and opportunities to display flowery writing, word plays or literary skill. It’s important then to be able to compensate that with originality, inventiveness and more intense chills and thrills. So the contributing authors had an extra difficult task ahead of them and not surprisingly, the total of the anthology is a mixed bag. Still, there was quite a number of short stories which were really fine and even outstanding. Let’s take a look at them, here are my highlights;
“Junk Pickup” by Fred Fischer, IV
Perfect example of how effective a simple concept can be. Found footage tapes of a boy and the monster underneath his bed, one of the most basic fears of your childhood. Nothing spectacular, still better than most, more elaborate stories here. I was surprised to read it is the author’s first published story, it was that good.
“The Spew of News” by Clay McLeod Chapman
A tongue-in-cheek-but-deadly-serious story of a news channel which turns people into literal zombies (but in the first step they become conservative) and is as fun as it is bitter reality. This concept of a horror that “spreads”, reminds me of early King stories such as “Gray Matter” or “The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill” and I really like that style.
“Regular Saint” by Donna Lynch
For me, this story of witness reports written in the verse form is the absolute winner of this anthology. A poem about a girl admitted to a Catholic School, who gradually indulges more intensely in a self-invented saint and finally commits a gruesome crime is retrospectively told (probably sung) from the perspective of three of her once friends. A kind of crooked threnody and probably the single most original interpretation of found footage I have ever come across. Awesome.
On a side note; the way the girls talk reminded me of the short film Possibly in Michigan (https://www.youtube.com/results?searc...) by Cecelia Condit – a similar mixture of annoying, excellent and creepy sing-sang.
“A Grave Issue” by Bev Vincent
After the 2019 earthquake in Izmir, Turkey, which saw many dead and many injured, a video went viral where a young gamer casually streams and chats on twitch and first low and then high-key panics as the earthquake gets gradually stronger. At the end of the video he shouts “it’s an earthquake, it’s an earthquake!!!!” and runs out of the room, while the building keeps shaking violently. The real fun, though, starts after his departure, when his mates start quickly commenting and their comments appear in super quick succession on screen - telling him to get the fuck out, some swearing, some just exclaiming their horror in incomprehensible babble. Nothing happened to the boy and after the video went viral I often went back to it to read the reactions of those horrified people, it had a weird kind of post-catastrophe-fascination for me.
“A Grave Issue” has nothing to do with earthquakes or gamers. It’s about a deadly book. Still, it reminded me of that video. You will know what I mean when you read it.
“The Novak Roadhouse Massacre” by Alan Baxter
Baxter is a top writer who really deserves more attention and acknowledgement than he actually gets. Despite this being found footage, this story has some seriously good writing, the topic as well as the execution were just superior. Read more Alan Baxter, you won’t regret!
November 21, 2022
This was an absolutely FANTASTIC anthology! I love found footage horror so much and there were a ton of incredible stories in here from authors who definitely understood the assignment. Full review coming soon!
Thank you to the editors for the review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.
Thank you to the editors for the review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.
March 1, 2023
An anthology of found footage horror stories is a fantastic idea – a dream concept for me, really. But an anthology lives and dies by its curation, and unfortunately, the quality of stories here varies wildly. Pick of the bunch is Ally Wilkes’ wonderfully atmospheric and sinister ‘Summons’, a masterclass in building tension. It’s closely followed by Robert Levy’s ‘This Video is Unavailable’, an oral history of a maybe-haunted YouTuber and fandom gone sour, which is smart, entertaining and made me want to read more of the author’s work. The best stories in Found make use of ‘found footage’ as a format as well as a theme: the plausible forum discussions in ‘A Grave Issue’ by Bev Vincent; the effective video descriptions in ‘Ghost Town Adventures’ by Joe Butler; the mixed-media approach of ‘Disappearances at Coal Hill’ by Nick Kolakowski; co-editor Andrew Cull’s clever faux-intro ‘11/7/19’. I enjoyed some of the unsettling details in ‘The Novak Roadhouse Massacre’ by Alan Baxter and ‘Face Down Death Volume VIII’ by Josh Rountree, too. It’s just a shame that the genuinely good entries have to sit side by side with stories that feel like a teenager’s first attempt to write a creepypasta.
January 11, 2025
Like most anthologies, it’s always a pain in the ass trying to write a review that’s worth its salt when you have multiple takes on the theme and styles of different authors. But there's not much I can say negatively about this book. I love found footage, or why else would I be reading this? I check the r/foundfootage subreddit daily. I have more than a few favorites, and this book inspired me to go back and watch found footage movies on repeat this week. I rewatched creep 1 last night, which is always fun screaming at the TV at how idiotically DUMB Aaron is.
I tend to put found footage into two categories. My favorite found footage movies take place on a camcorder, but when it comes to books, trying to read through the viewpoint of looking through a camera feels a little disjointed. It’s almost like I’m reading someone describing a movie to me. I prefer feeling like I’m reading actual texts about a case through news reports, blogs, texts, comments, etc. Found Anthology was the perfect mash-up of it all.
Here are my top faves:
Two Months Too Long by Holly Garcia: Ever watched the TV series Obsessed about psycho stalkers? This is like reading the transcripts of texts and reports as things escalate.
Disappearances at Coal Hill by Nick Kolkowksi: Strange disappearances in the woods of a remote little town as a journalist heads down there to scope it out, followed by the subsequent online chatter about the case and internet sleuths getting involved. I wouldn’t say it was overtly terrifying, but I loved how it shifted through different formats to tell the story from beginning to end.
Summons by Ally Wilkes: A social worker is summoned to a “fitness to practice” panel of the Conduct and Competence Committee to discuss the case of a teen girl she mentored. And answering questions about the relationship she formed with the good Christian family, especially since their daughter is seemingly straying from her faith. I’m a sucker for anything involving exorcisms.
**Ahh I FORGOT TO ADD IN, possibly my favorite of the bunch --
which is A small hand-built house -- Ali Seay
A grieving widow finds some old tapes from her late husband in his tiny man shed behind the house. He brings her on a scavenger hunt; each tape reveals another clue of the horrible things he's been up to in the backyard while she sat and watched TV in the living room. This is a true nightmare of found footage.
The finale, and one of the most unsettling stories for me, is Dear Penny. A mom finds her daughter’s diary and is first shocked by the vulgar language her daughter uses. it's nothing like Penny at all. Then she reads the harsh words she has about the family, especially pointed at her mother. Each entry brings shock, followed by horror and fear of everything Penny has been up to. Ahhh such a page turner!
I tend to put found footage into two categories. My favorite found footage movies take place on a camcorder, but when it comes to books, trying to read through the viewpoint of looking through a camera feels a little disjointed. It’s almost like I’m reading someone describing a movie to me. I prefer feeling like I’m reading actual texts about a case through news reports, blogs, texts, comments, etc. Found Anthology was the perfect mash-up of it all.
Here are my top faves:
Two Months Too Long by Holly Garcia: Ever watched the TV series Obsessed about psycho stalkers? This is like reading the transcripts of texts and reports as things escalate.
Disappearances at Coal Hill by Nick Kolkowksi: Strange disappearances in the woods of a remote little town as a journalist heads down there to scope it out, followed by the subsequent online chatter about the case and internet sleuths getting involved. I wouldn’t say it was overtly terrifying, but I loved how it shifted through different formats to tell the story from beginning to end.
Summons by Ally Wilkes: A social worker is summoned to a “fitness to practice” panel of the Conduct and Competence Committee to discuss the case of a teen girl she mentored. And answering questions about the relationship she formed with the good Christian family, especially since their daughter is seemingly straying from her faith. I’m a sucker for anything involving exorcisms.
**Ahh I FORGOT TO ADD IN, possibly my favorite of the bunch --
which is A small hand-built house -- Ali Seay
A grieving widow finds some old tapes from her late husband in his tiny man shed behind the house. He brings her on a scavenger hunt; each tape reveals another clue of the horrible things he's been up to in the backyard while she sat and watched TV in the living room. This is a true nightmare of found footage.
The finale, and one of the most unsettling stories for me, is Dear Penny. A mom finds her daughter’s diary and is first shocked by the vulgar language her daughter uses. it's nothing like Penny at all. Then she reads the harsh words she has about the family, especially pointed at her mother. Each entry brings shock, followed by horror and fear of everything Penny has been up to. Ahhh such a page turner!
November 8, 2025
Found: An Anthology of Found Footage Horror Stories is a great collection of short horror stories written by numerous authors, all being based on found footage.
Each story packs a punch in its own way, and I read this one story a day/night over Halloween, which was really fun to do considering the creepiness of the content.
There's different formats such as interviews, videos, diary entries, incident records, and more within the book.
As an 80s and 90s kid, I was very drawn to this book by the cover alone, and I am so glad I picked it up when I did. Just be warned about reading it before bed as some may give you the heebejeebies.
My personal favourites were:
11/17/19 by Andrew Cull
Two Months too Long by Holly Rae Garcia
Junk Pickup by Fred Fischer IV
The Spew of News by Clay Mcleod Chapman
Summons by Ally Wilkes
Each story packs a punch in its own way, and I read this one story a day/night over Halloween, which was really fun to do considering the creepiness of the content.
There's different formats such as interviews, videos, diary entries, incident records, and more within the book.
As an 80s and 90s kid, I was very drawn to this book by the cover alone, and I am so glad I picked it up when I did. Just be warned about reading it before bed as some may give you the heebejeebies.
My personal favourites were:
11/17/19 by Andrew Cull
Two Months too Long by Holly Rae Garcia
Junk Pickup by Fred Fischer IV
The Spew of News by Clay Mcleod Chapman
Summons by Ally Wilkes
December 1, 2022
I read slush early on to give some feedback on which stories rocked. So many awesome and fantastic pieces here and the one's ultimately chosen were phenomenal. Well done to everyone.
January 21, 2023
Wow, what a fantastic anthology! The stories were unsettling and so creepy, I couldn't put this anthology down. If done correctly, found footage horror gives the reader an intense sense of dread and sticks with you long after you've finished reading. Crossing my fingers for a number two!
December 10, 2023
Monthly read with Spells, Space & Screams.
As with all collections, there's a great mix of stories and approaches here - with this kind of variety, you're almost guaranteed to find something here that appeals. I definitely thought some could have used another pass, but there were also some standouts:
A Small Hand-Built House - Ali Seay closed out the collection with a bang; I loved this, even if saying much about it would ruin it. Suffice to say it was satisfying and really well-written.
The Veiled Lady - possibly I was cheering for the wrong side here, but Angela Sylvaine was just that persuasive. Short, not at all sweet, and great.
Summons - Ally Wilkes absolutely nailed this from start to end. Gently humourous and still horrifying, I thought this was fantastic.
Definitely worthwhile, particularly if you enjoy found footage.
As with all collections, there's a great mix of stories and approaches here - with this kind of variety, you're almost guaranteed to find something here that appeals. I definitely thought some could have used another pass, but there were also some standouts:
A Small Hand-Built House - Ali Seay closed out the collection with a bang; I loved this, even if saying much about it would ruin it. Suffice to say it was satisfying and really well-written.
The Veiled Lady - possibly I was cheering for the wrong side here, but Angela Sylvaine was just that persuasive. Short, not at all sweet, and great.
Summons - Ally Wilkes absolutely nailed this from start to end. Gently humourous and still horrifying, I thought this was fantastic.
Definitely worthwhile, particularly if you enjoy found footage.
October 13, 2022
Sometimes, a great-sounding book comes out and everyone's talking about it, so I end up buying a copy, and get all excited to read it, have high hopes, etc, but, after a few minutes of starting, I realise I'd rather poke my own eyes out than continue. It's happened more times than I like to admit, especially with the more popular books.
When I saw this anthology being advertised, I loved the sound of it. I adore found footage movies and I've seen them all too many times. I had high expectations and pounced on release day.
I was worried I was going to be disappointed all over again, and I was not. The fact a couple of authors I've read before are in it was reassuring too.
You don't need to take a chance on this book, you just NEED this book.
After the first story, I simply said 'wow' and took a break.
Could the second story and the third be as strong? Yes, and the rest were too, right until the brilliant end.
There is not one bad story in this collection. A few I loved, but the ones I didn't love, I liked a whole lot.
Every single one would make a great and popular horror movie too. Hollywood/ Movie people need to quit playing at making remakes and instead, discover this book.
There is also a lot of variety, from stalkers to serial killers, brand new takes on old urban legend tales, missing 411 vibes, to the realms of the supernatural. No one story is similar and you can tell they've been chosen carefully.
Each tale is very chilling because they might well be true, could be, probably, somewhere.....and that is what brings the fear and there is plenty to be had.
Absolutely loved this. The best anthology I've read in a long long time. I can't pick a favourite tale at all, the stories really are that good.
When I saw this anthology being advertised, I loved the sound of it. I adore found footage movies and I've seen them all too many times. I had high expectations and pounced on release day.
I was worried I was going to be disappointed all over again, and I was not. The fact a couple of authors I've read before are in it was reassuring too.
You don't need to take a chance on this book, you just NEED this book.
After the first story, I simply said 'wow' and took a break.
Could the second story and the third be as strong? Yes, and the rest were too, right until the brilliant end.
There is not one bad story in this collection. A few I loved, but the ones I didn't love, I liked a whole lot.
Every single one would make a great and popular horror movie too. Hollywood/ Movie people need to quit playing at making remakes and instead, discover this book.
There is also a lot of variety, from stalkers to serial killers, brand new takes on old urban legend tales, missing 411 vibes, to the realms of the supernatural. No one story is similar and you can tell they've been chosen carefully.
Each tale is very chilling because they might well be true, could be, probably, somewhere.....and that is what brings the fear and there is plenty to be had.
Absolutely loved this. The best anthology I've read in a long long time. I can't pick a favourite tale at all, the stories really are that good.
May 25, 2023
Found: An Anthology of Found Footage Horror Stories is a great collection for lovers of found footage horror such as myself.
Found footage is my favorite subgenre of horror movies so I’m always excited to see such a concept implemented in books as well.
This was a very entertaining read and it certainly doesn’t hold back on the found footage elements. It includes a lot of different media such as screenshots, transcripts, diary entries, reports, online posts, etc.
The stories themselves are also quite interesting. They feature murder, strange disappearances, weird events and paranormal occurrences. They were all quite unique but some are creepier and more memorable than others.
For me personally, some of the stories didn’t quite capture the unsettling and realistic feeling of found footage horror and there were a few that I didn't really like.
That said, even if I wasn’t a fan of certain stories, they were all fun to read and I would definitely recommend this collection.
Found footage is my favorite subgenre of horror movies so I’m always excited to see such a concept implemented in books as well.
This was a very entertaining read and it certainly doesn’t hold back on the found footage elements. It includes a lot of different media such as screenshots, transcripts, diary entries, reports, online posts, etc.
The stories themselves are also quite interesting. They feature murder, strange disappearances, weird events and paranormal occurrences. They were all quite unique but some are creepier and more memorable than others.
For me personally, some of the stories didn’t quite capture the unsettling and realistic feeling of found footage horror and there were a few that I didn't really like.
That said, even if I wasn’t a fan of certain stories, they were all fun to read and I would definitely recommend this collection.
April 1, 2023
4.5 stars
I read this cover to cover in like 5 hours....at night, during a thunderstorm, home alone...and it was fantastic! It was like the universe set the scene for for curling up with this particular read. I'm a sucker for found footage horror movies so a book filled with stories about it was a no-brainer for me. There wasn't really a story in this that I didn't enjoy and of course some standouts. I will be exploring more by many of these authors.
I read this cover to cover in like 5 hours....at night, during a thunderstorm, home alone...and it was fantastic! It was like the universe set the scene for for curling up with this particular read. I'm a sucker for found footage horror movies so a book filled with stories about it was a no-brainer for me. There wasn't really a story in this that I didn't enjoy and of course some standouts. I will be exploring more by many of these authors.
October 9, 2022
I adored that book from the very first page since the last one. As I said before it made me shiver since the intro of the authors and the vibe grown up while I devoured each single story. I love found footage subgenre and I never imagined that I would have liked it more in written form!
March 4, 2023
I bought this right after I finished ‘episode thirteen’ by Craig DiLouie because I wanted to experience something like that again, and found footage in book format was something I didn’t know I was missing in my life! I didn’t have the same experience with this as I did that, but that’s to be expected since each story is written by a different author and they’re a lot shorter. Basically…. I was not disappointed with this at all despite it not being the exact vibe I wanted.
There are 18 stories in this, all being found footage. It for the most part, made my found footage heart pretty happy! We have diary entries, actual found video, incident records, interviews, and even a court transcript in here! It was so fun to read all the different and unique takes on these things. I think all of these authors deserve a round of applause!
There were a few misses in here, but not many at all! For some reason a few of the stories in here take on a current day/political/covid tone and I found I really didn’t like those. But that’s only like 2 or 3 out of 18!
Here are the ones I considered my favorite, with small descriptions! These are some of the 5 Star stories for me personally:
‘Junk pickup” by Fred Fischer, IV: a kid and his dad hunting for second hand goods, find a locker full of home movies, super creepy antics follow. I really liked this one and if I had been reading it at night and in bed… it may have actually given me nightmares!
‘Summons’ by Ally Wilkes: a social worker talks to a court room about a strange religious family she encountered right before they disappeared. Told in court transcripts. I REALLY loved this story and found it super eerie.
‘Accidents, of a sort’ by Kurt Fawver: a man reviewing accident footage is shown unexplained and sinister dashcam footage by a coworker, and slowly becomes obsessed. This one was pretty bleak and disturbing. I really loved it. Not to mention it was super unique.
‘A grave issue’ by Bev Vincent: people on a book forum for a famous author start seeing posts about a book never published by said author. Creepiness follows. This one had a really eerie vibe and the stuff revealed in the book gave me chills. One of the more solid endings in this whole collection.
‘This video is unavailable’ by Robert Levy : a YouTuber starts to act in a concerning way, so fans come together to help him. This story is their interview and recollection of that night. A Simple but effective story and super messed up! I did not see it taking that turn until we were right up on it!
—
BUT those are not the only ones I liked. There are other good ones! That’s just to highlight the ones I liked the most. I truly think there’s something in here for everyone though.
Overall, this was a really solid collection and if you enjoy found footage or have found a new found love for it in book format, then I highly recommend this collection!
There are 18 stories in this, all being found footage. It for the most part, made my found footage heart pretty happy! We have diary entries, actual found video, incident records, interviews, and even a court transcript in here! It was so fun to read all the different and unique takes on these things. I think all of these authors deserve a round of applause!
There were a few misses in here, but not many at all! For some reason a few of the stories in here take on a current day/political/covid tone and I found I really didn’t like those. But that’s only like 2 or 3 out of 18!
Here are the ones I considered my favorite, with small descriptions! These are some of the 5 Star stories for me personally:
‘Junk pickup” by Fred Fischer, IV: a kid and his dad hunting for second hand goods, find a locker full of home movies, super creepy antics follow. I really liked this one and if I had been reading it at night and in bed… it may have actually given me nightmares!
‘Summons’ by Ally Wilkes: a social worker talks to a court room about a strange religious family she encountered right before they disappeared. Told in court transcripts. I REALLY loved this story and found it super eerie.
‘Accidents, of a sort’ by Kurt Fawver: a man reviewing accident footage is shown unexplained and sinister dashcam footage by a coworker, and slowly becomes obsessed. This one was pretty bleak and disturbing. I really loved it. Not to mention it was super unique.
‘A grave issue’ by Bev Vincent: people on a book forum for a famous author start seeing posts about a book never published by said author. Creepiness follows. This one had a really eerie vibe and the stuff revealed in the book gave me chills. One of the more solid endings in this whole collection.
‘This video is unavailable’ by Robert Levy : a YouTuber starts to act in a concerning way, so fans come together to help him. This story is their interview and recollection of that night. A Simple but effective story and super messed up! I did not see it taking that turn until we were right up on it!
—
BUT those are not the only ones I liked. There are other good ones! That’s just to highlight the ones I liked the most. I truly think there’s something in here for everyone though.
Overall, this was a really solid collection and if you enjoy found footage or have found a new found love for it in book format, then I highly recommend this collection!
October 19, 2022
Too many anthologies feature the same bunch of authors and Found: An Anthology of Found Footage Horror Stories totally bucks that trend with a beautiful mix of successful novelists, up-and-coming names, short story specials and excitingly, a few I was unfamiliar with. Of the eighteen stories, there really are no duds. Sure, I prefer some more than others, but what I love most is the manner in which the authors stay on point. There is no vague connection to a found theme, instead, the majority of the stories totally knock it out of the park and as I read the stories in sequence, I found myself looking forward to what was coming up next and how it would be worked into the ultra-cool theme.
You can read Tony's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
You can read Tony's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
November 6, 2022
4.5⭐
I loved this anthology. There were a couple of stories I didn't love, so I settled on a 4.5. This is an anthology of Found Footage Horror Stories. I have fallen in love with Found Footage as a subgenre. These were some of the most interesting, unsettling, and creepy stories I have read in a long time.
My absolute favorites were:
1. Disappearances at Coal Hill by Nick Kolakowski: I loved this one. I want a full length novel on this story. This was a story about people going missing at this specific place told through recordings, emails, and articles. So good.
2. Ghost Town Adventures by Joe Butler: This one is about the footage of YouTuber investigating a ghost town. Very creepy, and left me wanting more.
3. The Novak Roadhouse Massacre by Alan Baxter: This is mixed footage of a massacre that makes no sense, and is scary as all get out.
All of these stories are worth the read. I am looking for more in this subgenre.
I loved this anthology. There were a couple of stories I didn't love, so I settled on a 4.5. This is an anthology of Found Footage Horror Stories. I have fallen in love with Found Footage as a subgenre. These were some of the most interesting, unsettling, and creepy stories I have read in a long time.
My absolute favorites were:
1. Disappearances at Coal Hill by Nick Kolakowski: I loved this one. I want a full length novel on this story. This was a story about people going missing at this specific place told through recordings, emails, and articles. So good.
2. Ghost Town Adventures by Joe Butler: This one is about the footage of YouTuber investigating a ghost town. Very creepy, and left me wanting more.
3. The Novak Roadhouse Massacre by Alan Baxter: This is mixed footage of a massacre that makes no sense, and is scary as all get out.
All of these stories are worth the read. I am looking for more in this subgenre.
April 14, 2024
3.5 stars
My favourites were Andrew Cull's introduction and the stories by Ally Wilkes and Bev Vincent.
My favourites were Andrew Cull's introduction and the stories by Ally Wilkes and Bev Vincent.
September 27, 2024
The concept of this anthology excited me as soon as I saw it. When done well, found footage films and epistolary and/or “found” stories can be remarkably effective, making the audience a more intimate accomplice than other narrative approaches. However, when done poorly it feels like a cheesy narrative device stretched thin to try and cover mediocre storytelling. If something is going to be presented in a “found” manner, that presentation needs to add something to the story, and I am so happy to say that many of the short stories in this collection employed various “found” techniques in ways that did just that! Some of the stories have a more traditional narrative structure but are about found footage, others are entirely epistolary or a similar “found” technique, and some are a blend. After opening strong I hit a few stories in a row that didn’t do a lot for me—none were bad but they also weren’t particularly exciting. But then the back half of the collection gained a new momentum, for me, and ended with a number of really fun stories that really worked for me. There is an intimacy in these narrative devices, and sometimes the artifice actually gives the reader a chance to get closer to the story otherwise. There are stories that touch on everything from toxic relationships and imagined/parasocial relationships to cursed objects to haunted places, cryptids, and other nightmares from the unknown. It was fun to see a variety of themes and ideas explored through various approaches to “found” stories, and I had a blast with the collection overall.
April 21, 2025
Thought this was a lot of fun. Definitely represents the found footage genre incredibly well, including its more frustrating aspects. There were some stories here that legitimately creeped me out (most of them in the first half) and a few other ones that felt a little too stereotypical for my liking. Still, I enjoyed reading these stories from some very talented authors who all clearly love the horror genre. Definitely check this out if you love found footage movies and internet horror.
October 21, 2024
This is a fantastic and extremely creepy anthology of found footage horror. Some are written from websites, forums, and even through texts and emails while others are presented in a more traditional narrative. But they all work for this genre and gave me all kinds of chills.
Stories of serial killers, monsters, extraordinary creatures, and humans at their absolute most horrific.
Looking at the lineup of authors it's no wonder how this book turned out so well. Some of my favorites have contributed and I knew I was in good horror hands. And along the way I discovered some authors I've never read and that's always a pleasant surprise.
I absolutely loved this one and highly recommend it.
Stories of serial killers, monsters, extraordinary creatures, and humans at their absolute most horrific.
Looking at the lineup of authors it's no wonder how this book turned out so well. Some of my favorites have contributed and I knew I was in good horror hands. And along the way I discovered some authors I've never read and that's always a pleasant surprise.
I absolutely loved this one and highly recommend it.
![Profile Image for julia ☆ [owls reads].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1636739475i%2F5520447._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
July 9, 2023
A pretty good read overall. Some stories got me waaaaay more than others (This Video is Unavailable and A Small Hand-Built House), though.
February 27, 2025
the absolute best horror anthology i have ever read
April 11, 2024
Basing this review solely off of Robert Levy’s story. absolutely brilliant take on influencer and SWAT culture from a gay man’s perspective. Heard him read it live at KGB here in NYC last night
March 13, 2023
3.5
Some stories were absolutely amazing, but some were not for me.
I feel like lots of people would enjoy this collection though.
Two Months Too Long 4⭐️
Fave Down Death Volume VII 3⭐️
Junk Pickup 4 ⭐️
Disappearances at Coal Hill 3⭐️
The Veiled Lady 4⭐️
Spew of News 2.5⭐️
Ghost Town Adventures 3⭐️
Regular Saint 2⭐️
Walls and Floors and Bricks and Stone 3⭐️
Summons 4⭐️
Green Magnetic Tape 3.5⭐️
Accidents, Of a Sort 3⭐️
A Grave Issue 3.5⭐️
The Novak Roadhouse Massacre 2.5⭐️
This Video is Unavailable 4⭐️
Dear Penny 4⭐️
The Pall 2.5⭐️
A Small Hand-Built House 5⭐️
Some stories were absolutely amazing, but some were not for me.
I feel like lots of people would enjoy this collection though.
Two Months Too Long 4⭐️
Fave Down Death Volume VII 3⭐️
Junk Pickup 4 ⭐️
Disappearances at Coal Hill 3⭐️
The Veiled Lady 4⭐️
Spew of News 2.5⭐️
Ghost Town Adventures 3⭐️
Regular Saint 2⭐️
Walls and Floors and Bricks and Stone 3⭐️
Summons 4⭐️
Green Magnetic Tape 3.5⭐️
Accidents, Of a Sort 3⭐️
A Grave Issue 3.5⭐️
The Novak Roadhouse Massacre 2.5⭐️
This Video is Unavailable 4⭐️
Dear Penny 4⭐️
The Pall 2.5⭐️
A Small Hand-Built House 5⭐️
August 30, 2024
Good collection of short stories all based around found footage film. As with all anthologies I liked some stories more than others, but overall an excellent read.
Standouts in my opinion
Alan Baxter's "The Novak Roadhouse Massacre"
Jeremy Hepler's "Dear Penny"
Tim McGregor's "Green Magnetic Tape"
Georgia Cook's "Walls and Floors and Bricks and Stone"
I'll definitely be checking out these authors as they were all 5-star reads for me.
Overall 4 stars!
Standouts in my opinion
Alan Baxter's "The Novak Roadhouse Massacre"
Jeremy Hepler's "Dear Penny"
Tim McGregor's "Green Magnetic Tape"
Georgia Cook's "Walls and Floors and Bricks and Stone"
I'll definitely be checking out these authors as they were all 5-star reads for me.
Overall 4 stars!
September 25, 2023
To all people who rated this a 5:
I feel so bad for you. Go to therapy and get off reddit.
This is like creepypasta but worse. It's like those god-awful r/TwoSentenceHorror that children write.
I feel so bad for you. Go to therapy and get off reddit.
This is like creepypasta but worse. It's like those god-awful r/TwoSentenceHorror that children write.
November 4, 2025
Found Footage is one of my favorite horror tropes, so this was on my radar.
I had tons of fun reading this book.
I felt like I was on a journey and found footage that I wasn't supposed to see/find.
That being said, the stories were forgettable.
I only really liked maybe one or two stories.
I still want to purchase book 2 because I had so much fun with this one.
April 26, 2023
Detailed review coming soon!!!
December 3, 2023
There's some pretty solid stories in this collection. I'd highly recommend it
August 23, 2025
It was a mixed bag, some good, some not. Individual reviews below. 🍿
Two Months Too Long: 4.5/5. Edgy domestic horror.🍿
Face Down Death Volume VIII: 4/5. OMG! 😱🍿
Junk Pickup: 3.5/5. Ending was kinda odd.🍿
Disappearances at Coal Hill: 4/5. Decent, but too much slang and obscure pop culture references.🍿
The Veiled Lady: 2/5. I do not understand the story, or the Gen Z slang used. 🍅
The Spew of News: 1/5. I don’t get the story, TOO MUCH SLANG. 🍅
Ghost Town Adventures: 3/5. Meh. 🍅
Regular Saint: 1/5. LOW EFFORT STORY!!! 🍅
Walls and Floors and Bricks and Stone: 3/5. Meh. 🍅
Summons: 1/5. NOT FOUND FOOTAGE!!! 🍅
Green Magnetic Tape: 4/5. LOL 🍿
Accidents, of a Sort: 3.5. Um…. ok. 🤷
A Grave Issue: 1/5. TOO MUCH CRINGY GEN Z SLANG!!! 🍅
The Novak Roadhouse Massacre: 2.5. Meh… don’t care 🥱🍅
This Video is Unavailable: 1/5. TOO MUCH GEN Z SLANG… 🍅
Dear Penny: 3.5/5. Not bad, but lackluster ending.🤷
The Pall: 2/5. Flat out boring. 🍅
A Small Hand-Built House: 5/5! Best one on here! 🍿🥳
It’s a unique book in terms of the reading experience… many feel like you’re reading scripts for potential films. 🎥
The editor is quick to point out there are really only a handful of found footage films of decent quality… but I think fans of the genre are used to sifting through bad ones to find a good one!
I didn’t find that every story fit the description of the genre, or were all that good, but there was some creepy factor in most of them, and the editor name dropped some found footage films I haven’t watched yet, like Trollhunter, REC, and Afflicted.
This was a long review. Now, enjoy some emojis of 4 legged mammals:
🐅🦛🐪🦒🐄🐐🐈🦙🐎🐇🦝🦔
Two Months Too Long: 4.5/5. Edgy domestic horror.🍿
Face Down Death Volume VIII: 4/5. OMG! 😱🍿
Junk Pickup: 3.5/5. Ending was kinda odd.🍿
Disappearances at Coal Hill: 4/5. Decent, but too much slang and obscure pop culture references.🍿
The Veiled Lady: 2/5. I do not understand the story, or the Gen Z slang used. 🍅
The Spew of News: 1/5. I don’t get the story, TOO MUCH SLANG. 🍅
Ghost Town Adventures: 3/5. Meh. 🍅
Regular Saint: 1/5. LOW EFFORT STORY!!! 🍅
Walls and Floors and Bricks and Stone: 3/5. Meh. 🍅
Summons: 1/5. NOT FOUND FOOTAGE!!! 🍅
Green Magnetic Tape: 4/5. LOL 🍿
Accidents, of a Sort: 3.5. Um…. ok. 🤷
A Grave Issue: 1/5. TOO MUCH CRINGY GEN Z SLANG!!! 🍅
The Novak Roadhouse Massacre: 2.5. Meh… don’t care 🥱🍅
This Video is Unavailable: 1/5. TOO MUCH GEN Z SLANG… 🍅
Dear Penny: 3.5/5. Not bad, but lackluster ending.🤷
The Pall: 2/5. Flat out boring. 🍅
A Small Hand-Built House: 5/5! Best one on here! 🍿🥳
It’s a unique book in terms of the reading experience… many feel like you’re reading scripts for potential films. 🎥
The editor is quick to point out there are really only a handful of found footage films of decent quality… but I think fans of the genre are used to sifting through bad ones to find a good one!
I didn’t find that every story fit the description of the genre, or were all that good, but there was some creepy factor in most of them, and the editor name dropped some found footage films I haven’t watched yet, like Trollhunter, REC, and Afflicted.
This was a long review. Now, enjoy some emojis of 4 legged mammals:
🐅🦛🐪🦒🐄🐐🐈🦙🐎🐇🦝🦔
May 8, 2023
So I would have liked to rate this lower, but I’m trying to be fair. This was my first anthology that I’ve read, and I wasn’t sure how well I would like all the short stories - I’m thinking this just isn’t the style of book for me. So since I don’t enjoy the short stories as much, I’ll stick with a “middle of the road” rating because I think the book accomplished what it was meant to.
Some of the stories were very creepy. But I constantly felt like I was just reading an exceptionally long, detailed synopsis of a longer book when it came to the short stories I enjoyed. And that left me quite dissatisfied. I do know now that I strongly prefer character investment, and you don’t always have time for that in a short story. Without the attachment, or fondness, or even hatred towards a character.. it just ends flat for me.
Some of the short stories were no good in my opinion. You just didn’t have enough substance to read to make the story make sense. And I suppose the point to some of them was that, there is no closure or way to make sense of what was just read - but that doesn’t always make it horror for me. It was just disappointing. I really thought that it could be fun to have all those short stories in a book. But it just made me read really fast once the end was near so I could get it over with and move on to the next.
Some of the stories were very creepy. But I constantly felt like I was just reading an exceptionally long, detailed synopsis of a longer book when it came to the short stories I enjoyed. And that left me quite dissatisfied. I do know now that I strongly prefer character investment, and you don’t always have time for that in a short story. Without the attachment, or fondness, or even hatred towards a character.. it just ends flat for me.
Some of the short stories were no good in my opinion. You just didn’t have enough substance to read to make the story make sense. And I suppose the point to some of them was that, there is no closure or way to make sense of what was just read - but that doesn’t always make it horror for me. It was just disappointing. I really thought that it could be fun to have all those short stories in a book. But it just made me read really fast once the end was near so I could get it over with and move on to the next.
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