Kaleidoscopes in the Dark: Dark short stories in technicolour

by B.G. Rogers

Short. Readable. Disturbing. The stories in Kaleidoscopes in the Dark paint the more sinister elements of the psyche in technicolour. The collection writhes with black humour, remnants of fairytales and gothic themes.
A child carefully crawls through a world of plastic waste in search of water but knows she won't make it if the blood-drinking gulls catch a glimpse of her.
A young woman plots her way onto the latest reality TV programme, where murderers are publicly executed in a manner that mirrors their crimes.
Mice conspire with a seamstress to bring her dead fiancé back to life using an old English tradition.
Dip your toes into new dark fantasy worlds with these eleven short stories.

112 pages, Paperback

Published October 31, 2022

Reviews

[Franciska Soares]

I am not a fan of short stories or of things that go bump in the night. Honestly, I do not get off from being scared witless. It was the clever title that drew me in. And I’m so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone and bought the smart little book. And read it. Wonderfully conceived, and beautifully written, the collection presents as being shot in rich technicolour. It will enchant the bejesus out of you.

[Jane Shearer · Rating 5 out of 5]

These short stories pull you in, both through their plot and the excellent writing. If you like Roald Dahl's 'Tales of the Unexpected', try these. I'm not generally a short story reader but once I started on this book I found it hard to put down.

[Rick Yeowart · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy read, the stories fly by and often leave you wanting more.
In particular the story about seagulls with a blood lust, the story about a family and their new puppy and the story about a TV show, and the story about a photographic artist.

Good stuff that conjures images to dwell upon.