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Queer Little Nightmares
The fiction and poetry of Queer Little Nightmares reimagines monsters old and new through a queer lens, subverting the horror gaze to celebrate ideas and identities canonically feared in monster lit. Throughout history, monsters have appeared in popular culture as stand-ins for the non-conforming, the marginalized of society. Pushed into the shadows as objects of fear, revulsion, and hostility, these characters have long conjured fascination and self-identification in the LGBTQ+ community, and over time, monsters have become queer icons. In Queer Little Nightmares, creatures of myth and folklore seek belonging and intimate connection, cryptids challenge their outcast status, and classic movie monsters explore the experience of coming into queerness. The characters in these stories and poems—the Minotaur camouflaged in a crowd of cosplayers, a pubescent werewolf, a Hindu revenant waiting to reunite with her lover, a tender-hearted kaiju, a lagoon creature aching for the swimmers above him, a ghost of Pride past—relish their new sparkle in the spotlight. Pushing against tropes that have historically been used to demonize, the queer creators of this collection instead ask: What does it mean to be (and to love) a monster? Contributors include Amber Dawn, David Demchuk, Hiromi Goto, jaye simpson, Eddy Boudel Tan, and Kai Cheng Thom.
This publication meets the EPUB Accessibility requirements and it also meets the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG-AA). It is screen-reader friendly and is accessible to persons with disabilities. A Simple book with few images, which is defined with accessible structural markup. This book contains various accessibility features such as alternative text for images, table of contents, page-list, landmark, reading order and semantic structure.
This publication meets the EPUB Accessibility requirements and it also meets the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG-AA). It is screen-reader friendly and is accessible to persons with disabilities. A Simple book with few images, which is defined with accessible structural markup. This book contains various accessibility features such as alternative text for images, table of contents, page-list, landmark, reading order and semantic structure.
234 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 4, 2022
130 people are currently reading
5185 people want to read
About the author
David Ly
14 books41 followersDavid Ly is the author of Mythical Man (Anstruther Books, 2020) and Dream of Me as Water (Anstruther Books, 2022), both short-listed for ReLit Poetry Awards. He is also co-editor (with Daniel Zomparelli) of Queer Little Nightmares: An Anthology of Monstrous Fiction and Poetry (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2022).
David’s poems have appeared in publications such as Pan MacMillan’s He, She, They, Us: Queer Poems anthology (2024), Arc Poetry Magazine, Best Canadian Poetry, PRISM International, and The Ex-Puritan, where he won the inaugural Austin Clarke Prize in Literary Excellence. David is the Poetry Editor at This Magazine.
David’s debut novel, Not All Dragons, is forthcoming with Poplar Press in 2026.
David’s poems have appeared in publications such as Pan MacMillan’s He, She, They, Us: Queer Poems anthology (2024), Arc Poetry Magazine, Best Canadian Poetry, PRISM International, and The Ex-Puritan, where he won the inaugural Austin Clarke Prize in Literary Excellence. David is the Poetry Editor at This Magazine.
David’s debut novel, Not All Dragons, is forthcoming with Poplar Press in 2026.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 362 reviews
October 5, 2022
Queer. Monstrous. What's not to love?
August 29, 2022
I give a lot of things five stars, but this anthology of queer spooks in one of my favorite reads of 22 so far.
From lesbian werewolves and necro vampires I was thrilled with each short story and work of poetry.
I'm looking forward to reading more from many of these authors in the future.
From lesbian werewolves and necro vampires I was thrilled with each short story and work of poetry.
I'm looking forward to reading more from many of these authors in the future.
October 30, 2022
Review to come, but obviously I fucking loved it.
June 13, 2023
As far as anthologies go, Queer Little Nightmares was particularly average. Only a few of the short stories were notable, and the same can be said about the poetry, though I think that the best poems were better than the best short stories. This isn't to say these works aren't good, but more so that they didn't really work for me.
Works that I enjoyed: "Declassified" by Jessica Cho (very strong start to the book honestly!), "Gruesome My Love" by Levi Cain (finally, an ode to monsterfuckers), "Glamour-Us" by Andrew Wilmot (really interesting commentary on diverse journeys of transition and intracommunity conflict; even though I can't quite figure out what happened at the end, I'm still rolling this story around in my brain trying to dissect it), "Naga Mark Ruffalo Dream" by beni xiao (silly, but earnest and well-written), "Ghosts of Pride Past" by Cicely Belle Blain (I think this is the best contribution to the entire anthology), and "The Call" by David Ly (kind of sappy, doesn't really accomplish much in terms of storytelling, but it's a sweet little story about seacreatures and gay love).
Main complaints:
- "Like Me" by Daniel Zomparelli is a poor choice for the last chapter in the book. I think it's a fine piece of flash fiction, definitely amusing, but it's a very weak conclusion to the greater collection. The prose is very, very colloquial, and the story doesn't do very much. Definitely didn't leave a strong impression for the full book after I finished reading.
- I don't think that all that many stories in this anthology really did anything. They were definitely stories about queer monsters! Or queer people being monstrous. But I didn't feel wowed by many of these.
- Disappointing absence of transmasc narratives. "Insert Coin" alludes to the main character being transmasculine, but I'm not entirely certain of what the author was getting at with the story. The character's gender was secondary, regardless.
- The advertised unifying theme of "queer monstrosity" was pretty lacklustre. "And The Moon Spun Round Like A Top" by Hiromi Goto doesn't read as a queer narrative (unless I'm missing some subtext that alluded to it, other than when Bernadette says she was described as "queer, even though she isn't gay" (paraphrasing), but Bernadette also says she doesn't know what that means). In some stories, there was an absence of classic horror-genre monsters, like in [SPOILER]
- "#WWMD?" by jaye simpson is sitting with me strangely, and I don't quite know what to make of it. On the one hand, I found the main character unlikeable and cringe, with her whole "Mr. Instagram", holier-than-thou attitude; on the other hand, I'm not sure if that's the point, and that the main character, as an Indigenous trans woman, is reclaiming her space by being aggressive and self-defensive. Like, I understand that marginalized folks don't owe niceness to our/their oppressors, but this character was just unlikeable and wholly unapproachable, and she weaponized her marginalized identity. I don't know if I'm not interpreting this story correctly, or if I need to think about it harder (especially as a white, transmisogyny-exempt person), but that's my first impression of the story anyway. It was definitely valuable to read and engage with, especially given that it provoked this sort of internal dialogue within myself.
Summary: Queer Little Nightmares isn't a bad anthology by any means, and it does a fairly good job of featuring a wide variety of queer voices, especially narratives by queer BIPOC. It isn't the best I've read, but it isn't bad either. A very solid, amicable 3 stars.
Works that I enjoyed: "Declassified" by Jessica Cho (very strong start to the book honestly!), "Gruesome My Love" by Levi Cain (finally, an ode to monsterfuckers), "Glamour-Us" by Andrew Wilmot (really interesting commentary on diverse journeys of transition and intracommunity conflict; even though I can't quite figure out what happened at the end, I'm still rolling this story around in my brain trying to dissect it), "Naga Mark Ruffalo Dream" by beni xiao (silly, but earnest and well-written), "Ghosts of Pride Past" by Cicely Belle Blain (I think this is the best contribution to the entire anthology), and "The Call" by David Ly (kind of sappy, doesn't really accomplish much in terms of storytelling, but it's a sweet little story about seacreatures and gay love).
Main complaints:
- "Like Me" by Daniel Zomparelli is a poor choice for the last chapter in the book. I think it's a fine piece of flash fiction, definitely amusing, but it's a very weak conclusion to the greater collection. The prose is very, very colloquial, and the story doesn't do very much. Definitely didn't leave a strong impression for the full book after I finished reading.
- I don't think that all that many stories in this anthology really did anything. They were definitely stories about queer monsters! Or queer people being monstrous. But I didn't feel wowed by many of these.
- Disappointing absence of transmasc narratives. "Insert Coin" alludes to the main character being transmasculine, but I'm not entirely certain of what the author was getting at with the story. The character's gender was secondary, regardless.
- The advertised unifying theme of "queer monstrosity" was pretty lacklustre. "And The Moon Spun Round Like A Top" by Hiromi Goto doesn't read as a queer narrative (unless I'm missing some subtext that alluded to it, other than when Bernadette says she was described as "queer, even though she isn't gay" (paraphrasing), but Bernadette also says she doesn't know what that means). In some stories, there was an absence of classic horror-genre monsters, like in [SPOILER]
- "#WWMD?" by jaye simpson is sitting with me strangely, and I don't quite know what to make of it. On the one hand, I found the main character unlikeable and cringe, with her whole "Mr. Instagram", holier-than-thou attitude; on the other hand, I'm not sure if that's the point, and that the main character, as an Indigenous trans woman, is reclaiming her space by being aggressive and self-defensive. Like, I understand that marginalized folks don't owe niceness to our/their oppressors, but this character was just unlikeable and wholly unapproachable, and she weaponized her marginalized identity. I don't know if I'm not interpreting this story correctly, or if I need to think about it harder (especially as a white, transmisogyny-exempt person), but that's my first impression of the story anyway. It was definitely valuable to read and engage with, especially given that it provoked this sort of internal dialogue within myself.
Summary: Queer Little Nightmares isn't a bad anthology by any means, and it does a fairly good job of featuring a wide variety of queer voices, especially narratives by queer BIPOC. It isn't the best I've read, but it isn't bad either. A very solid, amicable 3 stars.
March 29, 2023
the mcdonald's of queer narratives.
October 31, 2022
Two short stories in here will stay with me, and one of them probably for a long, long time. However, the rest of the book was lacking in direction, theme or any form of narrative thread; it felt a little slapdash, rather than curated. It just wasn't for me, but I'm glad I read it for those two great (in my opinion) stories.
March 11, 2023
Most of these stories felt incomplete and they didn't really follow any sort of plot. There were a couple that were ok, but that's it.
March 23, 2025
I was hoping to like this more than I did. I appreciated the concept of queer little nightmares. Rather than the usual monstrification of the disabled and the LGBTQIA+ community (I’m still obsessed with Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space), this is a fun, friendly take with queer monsters. The anthology mixes short stories and poems with lots of diversity ranging from ethnicity, gender identification, and sexual orientation, featuring disabilities as well.
Unfortunately, this was a mixed bagged for me. I typically don’t enjoy short stories, but some were really nice (Glamour-Us, Gruesome My Love, and Twin Soul/Kaladua). Some others like And the Moon Spun Round Like a Top and In Our Image weren’t for me, some were a little too into sex, or parenthood, or coagulated period blood and tampons in dry vaginas.
Overall, they were okay. I love the concept and the diversity, but the writing didn’t wow me and none of the stories blew my mind. Not docking stars for this but no ace rep made me sad.
Unfortunately, this was a mixed bagged for me. I typically don’t enjoy short stories, but some were really nice (Glamour-Us, Gruesome My Love, and Twin Soul/Kaladua). Some others like And the Moon Spun Round Like a Top and In Our Image weren’t for me, some were a little too into sex, or parenthood, or coagulated period blood and tampons in dry vaginas.
Overall, they were okay. I love the concept and the diversity, but the writing didn’t wow me and none of the stories blew my mind. Not docking stars for this but no ace rep made me sad.
March 21, 2023
I enjoyed this audio of shorts.
Some were cute, some were weird and some were down right gross (And The Moon Spun).
My favourite stories were The Call & The Vetala's Song.
Much love to NetGalley & ECW Press Audio for my DRC.
Some were cute, some were weird and some were down right gross (And The Moon Spun).
My favourite stories were The Call & The Vetala's Song.
Much love to NetGalley & ECW Press Audio for my DRC.
June 20, 2023
2.5//
personally, as a bi woman i did not understand a lot of concepts bc i feel like the queer experience is totally different! which is fine, but it took away from my experience knowing that there was something deeper to what i was reading but could not get it.
i wasn’t a big fan either of the mixture of different stories. this is totally my preference but it just made it hard for me to follow along.
although i did see the constant theme about monsters, i’m not really sure if i thought it had any powerful affect of reclaiming the term monster for the queer community.
overall, was an interesting book but just not my cup of tea.
personally, as a bi woman i did not understand a lot of concepts bc i feel like the queer experience is totally different! which is fine, but it took away from my experience knowing that there was something deeper to what i was reading but could not get it.
i wasn’t a big fan either of the mixture of different stories. this is totally my preference but it just made it hard for me to follow along.
although i did see the constant theme about monsters, i’m not really sure if i thought it had any powerful affect of reclaiming the term monster for the queer community.
overall, was an interesting book but just not my cup of tea.
April 6, 2023
full of genuinely sinew-chilling horror tales that gave me continual full body shudders and left me terrified. the creepy dread is next level and so well-actualized. at the same time this collection is so fun and experimental! i absolutely loved getting to live in so many incredible well-fleshed out worlds in one collection! i absolutely loved the audiobook, it felt like having ghost stories told to me in the dark and absolutely unlocked an addititonal layer of terror during the reading experience. I find it hard to believe a time will come when I will no longer get goosebumps from Danielle Verayo's voice. They really nailed the perfect tone for each story and poem. I also LOVED how the collection featured both poetry and prose. It was such a delightful surprise and added a dreamlike quality to the pacing and rhythm of the collection that i really feel complemented the greater journey we readers go through as we move through the collection from start to finish. if you enjoy films like ginger snaps, jennifer's body, bones and all, she dies tomorrow, dual, and enjoy ethel cain's album, preacher's daughter. this collection may be for you. very much looking forward to reading more from all of the contributing authors of this collection.
Great thanks to NetGalley, ECW Press Audio, Arsenal Pulp Press for an early review audiobook in exchange for my honest review; to David Ly and Daniel Zomparelli for editing the collection; and Amber Dawn, David Demchuk, Hiromi Goto, Jaye Simpson, Eddy Boudel Tan, Matthew J. Trafford, and Kai Cheng Thom for contributing stories.
Great thanks to NetGalley, ECW Press Audio, Arsenal Pulp Press for an early review audiobook in exchange for my honest review; to David Ly and Daniel Zomparelli for editing the collection; and Amber Dawn, David Demchuk, Hiromi Goto, Jaye Simpson, Eddy Boudel Tan, Matthew J. Trafford, and Kai Cheng Thom for contributing stories.
November 28, 2022
This book collects short stories and poems written by queer authors and is a shining example of the potential of horror and the weird, scary, truthful, innovative, emotive, phenomenal places that modern horror is going.
It is rare that a short story anthology captures me as much as this one did. After each story I was like, okay, this one is my favorite, only to think the same thing after the next! This is also the first time I've had the pleasure of reading most of these authors, and I am looking forward to seeking more of their work out.
While all the stories share a central theme of contemplating queerness as it relates to horror, all the authors had a different take and a unique perspective to offer. Many of the stories are open-ended, leaving room for further curiosity and consideration. Most of them purport that the definition of "monster" is one that is ever-changing and often defined by those in power. They are interested in this question of monstrousness and what it means to redefine that label—or to embrace and embody it.
One story ("Glamour-Us" by Andrew Wilmot) explores a near-future where people can create "synths" (new bodies with whatever physical characteristics they want with their original consciousness) or use a device that "glamours" them, offering an outward appearance of whatever they design. The story adroitly explores the divide of opinions on what these kinds of alterations mean for the trans community. Another ("And the Moon Spun Round Like a Top" by Hiromi Goto) shares a tale about menstrual blood monsters and how something that society deems gross and indecent can be a source of power once you learn to love—and feed—it.
I don't know much about the publisher, Arsenal Pulp Press, but based on how amazing this book is, I want to look into the other work they are putting out! Highly recommended!
It is rare that a short story anthology captures me as much as this one did. After each story I was like, okay, this one is my favorite, only to think the same thing after the next! This is also the first time I've had the pleasure of reading most of these authors, and I am looking forward to seeking more of their work out.
While all the stories share a central theme of contemplating queerness as it relates to horror, all the authors had a different take and a unique perspective to offer. Many of the stories are open-ended, leaving room for further curiosity and consideration. Most of them purport that the definition of "monster" is one that is ever-changing and often defined by those in power. They are interested in this question of monstrousness and what it means to redefine that label—or to embrace and embody it.
One story ("Glamour-Us" by Andrew Wilmot) explores a near-future where people can create "synths" (new bodies with whatever physical characteristics they want with their original consciousness) or use a device that "glamours" them, offering an outward appearance of whatever they design. The story adroitly explores the divide of opinions on what these kinds of alterations mean for the trans community. Another ("And the Moon Spun Round Like a Top" by Hiromi Goto) shares a tale about menstrual blood monsters and how something that society deems gross and indecent can be a source of power once you learn to love—and feed—it.
I don't know much about the publisher, Arsenal Pulp Press, but based on how amazing this book is, I want to look into the other work they are putting out! Highly recommended!
February 12, 2025
A little bit more of a review now I have more brain:
I've been in a bit of a reading slump, but I finished Queer Little Nightmares last night and really enjoyed it.
It's an anthology of Queer stories and poetry around the theme of monsters and the subjverting and embracing of said monsters.
My own enjoyment and perceived quality of each work vacillated between pretty good to phenomenal with some really interesting discussion about gender and sexualitily, especially around the bias and bigotry we experience within our own alphabet imp communities, as we as straight up analogies to atrocities like the shootings at Pulse.
The embracing of the monsters, both figurative and literal, were really fun and provided levity and some haunting catharsis in equal measure.
I didn't realise just how much I needed to read something like this right now, you know?
***
I thoroughly enjoyed this Queer collection of stories and poetry from a variety of authors and perspectives.
The perceived quality and my enjoyment of each work varied somewhat, but everything was pretty good to phenomenal and it was just an incredibly refreshing and cathartic thing to read right now.
I've been in a bit of a reading slump, but I finished Queer Little Nightmares last night and really enjoyed it.
It's an anthology of Queer stories and poetry around the theme of monsters and the subjverting and embracing of said monsters.
My own enjoyment and perceived quality of each work vacillated between pretty good to phenomenal with some really interesting discussion about gender and sexualitily, especially around the bias and bigotry we experience within our own alphabet imp communities, as we as straight up analogies to atrocities like the shootings at Pulse.
The embracing of the monsters, both figurative and literal, were really fun and provided levity and some haunting catharsis in equal measure.
I didn't realise just how much I needed to read something like this right now, you know?
***
I thoroughly enjoyed this Queer collection of stories and poetry from a variety of authors and perspectives.
The perceived quality and my enjoyment of each work varied somewhat, but everything was pretty good to phenomenal and it was just an incredibly refreshing and cathartic thing to read right now.
February 27, 2025
This was a fun collection of paranormal and monster stories! I definitely enjoyed some more than others.
March 16, 2023
ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed the narrator or this book but it was sometimes hard with this collection to figure out if it was supposed to be from a male or female point of view since the narrator is female and most stories weren’t super specific. The collection itself is all pretty creepy and interesting and I really enjoyed most of them! If you like queer stories and horror in general, you should check this book out!
I really enjoyed the narrator or this book but it was sometimes hard with this collection to figure out if it was supposed to be from a male or female point of view since the narrator is female and most stories weren’t super specific. The collection itself is all pretty creepy and interesting and I really enjoyed most of them! If you like queer stories and horror in general, you should check this book out!
October 15, 2022
'Why does intimacy come more easily when it's anonymous? Are we so far removed from our outward identities that it's painful to reconcile the two? Henry tells me things he claims he's never told anyone else, and I do the same. Despite progress and Technology we're all still wandering down shrouded trails to find someone to touch.'~pg.156, By Eddy Boudel Tan
📖
When you love a book so much you just want to hold it tight. This anthology was everything I hoped it would be and more, it will go down as one of my favorites of the year! It's spooky, thrilling, spirited, evocative and oh so wonderfully queer! From lesbian wearwolves to minotaurs to the invisible man and more, I didn't want this to end!
I loved how this was structured too with poetry breaking up the stories. The poems were some of my favorite parts but I truly loved the whole thing. And I discovered so many new writers too!
This book is truly a celebration, highly reccomend checking it out!
Side note @arsenalpulp is one pf my favorite Indie publishers, check out all the fantastic books they are publishing! They are the leading Indie publisher of LGBTQ2S & BIPOC books.👏🏻
Gifted from the publisher, opinions are my own.
For more of my book content check out instagram.com/bookalong
📖
When you love a book so much you just want to hold it tight. This anthology was everything I hoped it would be and more, it will go down as one of my favorites of the year! It's spooky, thrilling, spirited, evocative and oh so wonderfully queer! From lesbian wearwolves to minotaurs to the invisible man and more, I didn't want this to end!
I loved how this was structured too with poetry breaking up the stories. The poems were some of my favorite parts but I truly loved the whole thing. And I discovered so many new writers too!
This book is truly a celebration, highly reccomend checking it out!
Side note @arsenalpulp is one pf my favorite Indie publishers, check out all the fantastic books they are publishing! They are the leading Indie publisher of LGBTQ2S & BIPOC books.👏🏻
Gifted from the publisher, opinions are my own.
For more of my book content check out instagram.com/bookalong
July 14, 2024
4 bumped up to 5 due to Hiromi Goto's "And The Moon Spun Round Like A Top" being one of the most horrifying things I've ever read, ever, and nearly made me vomit. It will haunt me for the rest of my days. In the best way that only a good horror story can do.
Of the general anthology, while there are a few misses for me, I thought it was fairly solid. The theme of the anthology is "monstrous", as noted in the subtitle. Some stories and poems take it more metaphorically or literally than others, which I think means there's almost guaranteed to be something for everyone in here, even if you don't vibe with the entire collection. Some are dark and gritty, some are sweet and loving, and others are just creepy or off-putting. It was a pretty solid balance of a lot of different ideas of "monsters" coming together.
I almost wish this was marketed as a Vancouver-based anthology, actually, because so many of the stories were set there. Which is fair to see from a Vancouver-based publisher, of course, I suppose I just wish that angle had been more intentional. I think it might have brought a bit more unity to the book.
Of the general anthology, while there are a few misses for me, I thought it was fairly solid. The theme of the anthology is "monstrous", as noted in the subtitle. Some stories and poems take it more metaphorically or literally than others, which I think means there's almost guaranteed to be something for everyone in here, even if you don't vibe with the entire collection. Some are dark and gritty, some are sweet and loving, and others are just creepy or off-putting. It was a pretty solid balance of a lot of different ideas of "monsters" coming together.
I almost wish this was marketed as a Vancouver-based anthology, actually, because so many of the stories were set there. Which is fair to see from a Vancouver-based publisher, of course, I suppose I just wish that angle had been more intentional. I think it might have brought a bit more unity to the book.
August 18, 2025
The two stories I really liked in this collection was Glamour-Us and In Our Own Image.
Other than that, I think this collection lacked direction and the stories and poems often felt incomplete or lackluster. I really wanted to like this, but it just missed the mark for me. I love the idea of it though, and it would be cool to have a second edition and see where that different group of authors can do with a monster theme.
Other than that, I think this collection lacked direction and the stories and poems often felt incomplete or lackluster. I really wanted to like this, but it just missed the mark for me. I love the idea of it though, and it would be cool to have a second edition and see where that different group of authors can do with a monster theme.
Read
March 18, 2025DNF. I listened to about 50% of this and none of it was attention grabbing. Unfortunately the vast majority felt forgettable and I put this book down a few days ago but now don't care to pick it back up.
November 8, 2023
I really enjoyed this collection! A diverse range of powerful, thought compelling stories were presented.
My favourites
Nature's Mistake by David Demchuk
this was shocking. so shocking..... loved it!!!
On the origin of trans femmes by Kai Cheng Thom
WOW
Gruesome my love by Levi Cain
this was such a stand out story, that really broke down stigmas and prejudice in such a creative, unique and fresh way!
Creature not of this lagoon by Anton Pooles
ugh this was just so powerful
And the moon spun round like a top by Hiromi Goto
IDK WHAT THE HECK THIS WAS BUT I BLOODY LOVED EVERY PAGE OF IT. IT WAS WILD
Strange Case by Eddy Boutel Tan
man this one was sad
each story and poem presented something fresh and new that really allowed me to reflect upon the queer experience to a great extent.
there was only one story which I disliked so I would say this collection was quite a hit!
My favourites
Nature's Mistake by David Demchuk
this was shocking. so shocking..... loved it!!!
On the origin of trans femmes by Kai Cheng Thom
WOW
Gruesome my love by Levi Cain
this was such a stand out story, that really broke down stigmas and prejudice in such a creative, unique and fresh way!
Creature not of this lagoon by Anton Pooles
ugh this was just so powerful
And the moon spun round like a top by Hiromi Goto
IDK WHAT THE HECK THIS WAS BUT I BLOODY LOVED EVERY PAGE OF IT. IT WAS WILD
Strange Case by Eddy Boutel Tan
man this one was sad
each story and poem presented something fresh and new that really allowed me to reflect upon the queer experience to a great extent.
there was only one story which I disliked so I would say this collection was quite a hit!
March 19, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook collection! The narrator did an amazing job giving the emotion and tone for the different short stories and poems. I thought the collection did a wonderful job compiling different stories to pay homage to horror classics. I enjoyed the mix of campy stories and stories filled with tension not knowing what will happen next. I also have now found several authors that I will be following! There are several short stories that will definitely be staying with/haunting me.
There were a couple of short stories that included a lot of current pop culture references that took me out of the story a bit. However, if another collection of Queer Little Nightmares were to come out, I would absolutely pick it up.
Than you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this!
There were a couple of short stories that included a lot of current pop culture references that took me out of the story a bit. However, if another collection of Queer Little Nightmares were to come out, I would absolutely pick it up.
Than you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this!
April 15, 2024
Cualquier cosa que mezcle lo queer con lo horror is my cup of tea. No soy una persona que sepa mucho de poesía pero todos los que están aquí me fascinaron/conmovieron de alguna manera. Los cuentos cortos también son buenisimos, me recordó mucho a Cursed Bunny.
June 17, 2023
i read this for a queer book club and loved each story. all different, with different vibes, lengths, and inspirations, i didn’t know what to expect from one to the next. seeing queerness within horror and these two realms converging was magic and healing, and i loved each individual interpretation. would recommend for a halloween bookreads, or any other time of year!
July 2, 2024
Such an amazing collection of queer horror. I loved every single story! Highly recommend this one.
February 18, 2023
If I had to summarize this book with one word, I would have to use "weird". Given the title I was definitely expecting more outright horror. A lot of these stories ended up being more scifi (which matches with the cover, I guess) or just plain weird, using circumstances that are impossible in real life but not to the point of genre fiction, then following characters who have to deal with it. So many of the stories felt like they didn't have a plot, they were just a thing that happened, the end. Many also felt cut off, like they didn't have a real ending. There were poems in here as well, and for once I think I actually understood the poems better than the stories—and enjoyed more of them too. I keep trying to read more short story collections to get a better idea of what publishers are looking for, and this one has just added further to the confusion. I genuinely seem to not like short stories, the % of them I've read and enjoyed compared to novels is significantly smaller. This collection especially felt more like the contents were for art's sake, experimental queer fiction, than for the stories they (may or may not) contain.
June 7, 2023
I appreciate what they were trying to do here, I really do. Maybe it just isn’t my genre, as I’m not well versed in monsters, villains, and fantasy. But I thought the concept of this book was really cool, exploring the villainizing of queer people in the media and turning it on its head. Some poems and stories didn’t really resonate and I never thought about them again. Some that I enjoyed or that left me thinking were:
- Glamour-Us by Andrew Wilmot
- And the Moon Spun Round Like a Top by Hiromi Goto
- Naga Mark Ruffalo Dream by beni xiao
- The Call by David Ly
This was an enjoyable easy read; I just found myself distracted. I had to put it down for a few months and come back because the stories changing so frequently meant I had to get into something new every time I sat down, which can be difficult.
- Glamour-Us by Andrew Wilmot
- And the Moon Spun Round Like a Top by Hiromi Goto
- Naga Mark Ruffalo Dream by beni xiao
- The Call by David Ly
This was an enjoyable easy read; I just found myself distracted. I had to put it down for a few months and come back because the stories changing so frequently meant I had to get into something new every time I sat down, which can be difficult.
March 27, 2024
I loved that this queer horror anthology was local to Vancouver! I didn’t realize that when I picked it up & it made my reading experience that extra little bit more special.
My favourite short stories & poems included:
- Wooly Bully
- Ghost’d
- Nature’s Mistake
- And The Moon Spun Round Like A Top
- 75
- In Our Own Image
- Dad Movie
- On The Origin Of Trans Femmes
& some that I think missed the mark were…😬
- #WWMD?
- Glamour-Us
- Naga Mark Ruffalo Dream
My favourite short stories & poems included:
- Wooly Bully
- Ghost’d
- Nature’s Mistake
- And The Moon Spun Round Like A Top
- 75
- In Our Own Image
- Dad Movie
- On The Origin Of Trans Femmes
& some that I think missed the mark were…😬
- #WWMD?
- Glamour-Us
- Naga Mark Ruffalo Dream
November 29, 2022
I really liked some stories, others will stick with me for not great reasons. The poetry was a nice pacing break, but I didn't understand most of it.
I extra enjoyed any story that was based in Vancouver.
I extra enjoyed any story that was based in Vancouver.
June 19, 2023
Appreciated the short stories better than the poems.
Read
April 17, 2023Queer Little Nightmares is a youthful and fun collection of poetry that closely follows the titular theme: queer and monstrous. It skews quite young, a lot of the language and events were /very modern/ and that’s not personally my favourite kind of horror and affected my enjoyment. I prefer a more timeless feel.
While this collection wasn’t entirely for me, I can absolutely see this being a hit with its intended audience, and I really appreciated the individual authors take on the theme. As with all collections, I liked some more than others. I enjoyed the poems here more than the stories which is unusual for me, and I loved that in this collection we got a combination of both.
The collection is brilliantly narrated by Danielle Verayo. So many different stories from different authors might have benefitted from at least one other narrator but it still worked well, and Verayo did a great job.
Thank you so much to ECW Press Audio for the listening copy via Netgalley 💜💜💜
While this collection wasn’t entirely for me, I can absolutely see this being a hit with its intended audience, and I really appreciated the individual authors take on the theme. As with all collections, I liked some more than others. I enjoyed the poems here more than the stories which is unusual for me, and I loved that in this collection we got a combination of both.
The collection is brilliantly narrated by Danielle Verayo. So many different stories from different authors might have benefitted from at least one other narrator but it still worked well, and Verayo did a great job.
Thank you so much to ECW Press Audio for the listening copy via Netgalley 💜💜💜
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