Learn more
These promotions will be applied to this item:
Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Literally Dead: Tales of Halloween Hauntings Kindle Edition
Do you love All Hallows' Eve? Ghost stories? Tales from beyond that leave you feeling unsettled while walking to the kitchen at night? The orange-and-black vintage Halloween aesthetic? Haunted houses with shuttered windows?
Edited by Gaby Triana with John Palisano, this anthology of 19 short stories by some of the most terrifying names in horror is the perfect collection for a dark and stormy October night. Featuring tales to make you hide under the covers by: Jonathan Maberry, Gwendolyn Kiste, Catherine Cavendish, Tim Waggoner, Jeff Strand, Sara Tantlinger, Lee Murray, Alethea Kontis, Lisa Morton & more.
JONATHAN MABERRY - "When You See Millions of the Mouthless Dead Across Your Dreams in Pale Battalions Go"
LISA MORTON - "Halloween at the Babylon"
TIM WAGGONER - "No One Sings in the City of the Dead"
JEFF STRAND - "Ghosts of Candies Past"
LEE MURRAY - "The Ghost Cricket"
GWENDOLYN KISTE - "A Scavenger Hunt When the Veil is Thin"
SARA TANTLINGER - "How to Unmake a Ghost"
ALETHEA KONTIS - "The Ghost Lake Mermaid"
CATHERINE CAVENDISH - "The Curiosity at the Back of the Fridge"
SCOTT COLE - "Postcards From Evelyn"
DENNIS K. CROSBY - "Bootsy's House"
STEVE RASNIC TEM - "When They Fall"
CATHERINE McCARTHY - "Soul Cakes"
MAUREEN MANCINI AMATURO - "A Bookstore Made of Skulls"
HENRY HERZ - "The Ghosts of Enerhodar"
JEREMY MEGARGEE - "Always October"
DANA HAMMER - "A Halloween Visit"
DAVID SURFACE - "The Crawlers in the Corn"
EVA ROSLIN - "Pink Lace and Death Gods"
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateSeptember 21, 2022
- File size4.8 MB
Shop this series
See full series- Kindle Price:$17.24By placing your order, you're purchasing a license to the content and you agree to the Kindle Store Terms of Use.
Shop this series
This option includes 2 books.
Customers also bought or read
- Twisted Tales of Halloween Horror: 11 Spicy and Gory Tales of Halloween TerrorKindle Edition$3.99$3.99
- Daughters of Darkness: An All-Women Horror Anthology (Anthologies of Terror)Kindle Edition$3.99$3.99
Customers who bought this item also bought
Editorial Reviews
Review
"Editor Gaby Triana has done a fabulous job in curating this anthology. A wonderful collection for the spooky season that keeps the reader wanting to read more. It feels like nineteen stories aren't enough and thirty-one would have been just right - one for each day of the Halloween month. There's a brilliant piece by the cover artist that makes for an equally good read, like the rest of the stories." - Renata Pavrey, Tomes and Tales 365
"One of THE best & most heartfelt anthologies I've read in a LONG time. Left in tears more than once, so emotional readers beware. It is an incredibly wonderful collection of stories! Bravo." - The Romero Theatre
"If you're looking for something Halloween-y to read this Halloween season, I could not come up with a more perfect recommendation for scratching that autumn itch." - Cat Voleur
"This anthology, the first Triana has ever edited, is the gold class of ghost story anthologies. It will stay with me for a very long time." - Theresa Derwin
"An exceptional collection of stories that is sure to become a Halloween classic." - Lenore Sagaskie
"I've read this collection a number of times. It turns out that it took three times through to be able to select a few favorites for this review. They are all just that good." - Matt Gleason
Product details
- ASIN : B09W22J622
- Publisher : Alienhead Press
- Accessibility : Learn more
- Publication date : September 21, 2022
- Language : English
- File size : 4.8 MB
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 280 pages
- Page Flip : Enabled
- Part of series : Literally Dead
- Best Sellers Rank: #411,680 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #167 in Horror Anthologies (Books)
- #257 in Horror Anthologies (Kindle Store)
- #329 in Horror Fiction Classics
- Customer Reviews:
About the authors
Alethea Kontis is a storm chaser, adventurer, and New York Times bestselling author. She has received the Scribe Award, the Garden State Teen Book Award, and is a two-time winner of the Gelett Burgess Children’s Book Award. She was twice nominated for both the Andre Norton Nebula and Dragon Award. Alethea also narrates stories for multiple award-winning online magazines and does freelance work for Writing the Other. Born in Vermont, Alethea currently resides on the Space Coast of Florida where she watches K-dramas with her teddy bear, Charlie. Together they are ARMY, VVS, and Black Roses. 🥀
GABY TRIANA is the Cuban-American author of 25 books for adults and teens, including Moon Child, Island of Bones, River of Ghosts, City of Spells, Wake the Hollow, Cubanita, and Summer of Yesterday. Her short stories have appeared in Classic Monsters Unleashed, A Tribute to Alvin Schwartz's Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, A Conjuring for All Seasons, Novus Monstrum, and Weird Tales Magazine. She has co-authored ghosthunters Sam & Colby’s horror novel, Paradise Island, and edited the ghost anthology series, Literally Dead (Tales of Halloween Hauntings; Tales of Holiday Hauntings).
As a ghostwriter, Gaby has penned 50+ novels for bestselling authors in every genre. Her own books have won the IRA Teen Choice Award, ALA Best Paperback, and Hispanic Magazine's Good Reads Awards, and she writes under several pen names, including Gabrielle Keyes for her paranormal women’s fiction. She lives in Miami with her family and the four-legged creatures they serve.
FB: @GabyTriana.author
IG: @GabyTriana
YT: DreamyScenes.Ambience
Hello, my name's Catherine Cavendish and I write suspense novels, novellas and short stories of the ghostly, haunted, creepy kind that include supernatural, paranormal, Gothic and other, related themes.
THE STONES OF LANDANE is out now from Flame Tree Press - When Jonathan agrees to accompany his girlfriend, Nadia, on a trip to Landane, he imagines a short relaxing break in the countryside, but he quickly discovers that Nadia isn’t just drawn to the ancient Neolithic stone circle, she is obsessed by the megaliths. One in particular holds a fascination for her. Within hours, her personality begins to change, and it isn’t long before Jonathan starts to fear for her sanity. All too soon he realizes, it isn't only Nadia who is in danger
My other novels from Flame Tree Press are:
THOSE WHO DWELL IN MORDENHYRST HALL - Evil runs deep at Mordenhyrst Hall… When Grace first sets eyes on the imposing Gothic house, she is struck with an overwhelming sense that something doesn’t want her there. Her fiancé’s sister heads a coterie of Bright Young Things whose frivolous lives hide a sinister intent. Simon, Grace’s fiancé, is not the man she fell in love with, and the local villagers eye her with suspicion that borders on malevolence.
Her friend, Coralie, possesses the ability to communicate with powerful spirits. She convinces Grace of her own paranormal gifts – gifts Grace will need to draw deeply on as the secrets of Mordenhyrst Hall begin to unravel.
THE AFTER-DEATH OF CAROLINE RAND - Alli is caught between fantasy and reality, past and present, in the life of a famous singer from the 1960s and soon learns that evil infests the once-holy building she called home. Before long, Alli's fate will be sealed, and she will learn about her role in the after-death of Caroline Rand. It begins with a chilling greeting: "Welcome to The Columbine, Miss Sinclair. You are expected."
DARK OBSERVATION - is published by Flame Tree Press. In the dark days of war-torn London, Violet has more to fear than bombs. From deep within the Earth, demonic forces are rising.
IN DARKNESS, SHADOWS BREATHE. Carol and Nessa are strangers with one thing in common, they are in the hands of an entity that knows no boundaries and crosses dimensions - bending and twisting time itself - where danger waits in every shadow
THE GARDEN OF BEWITCHMENT. Historical haunted Gothic horror set in the wilds of the Yorkshire moors - pure Bronte country - with a Bronte theme.
And - THE HAUNTING OF HENDERSON CLOSE. Ghostly horror set in Edinburgh's Old Town.
THE CROW WITCH AND OTHER CONJURINGS is my first short fiction collection and is out now from Weird House Press.
My novellas THE DARKEST VEIL, COLD REVENGE, MISS ABIGAIL'S ROOM, THE DEMONS OF CAMBIAN STREET, DARK AVENGING ANGEL, LINDEN MANOR, THE DEVIL INSIDE HER and THE SECOND WIFE are published by Crossroad Press.
My novels THE DEVIL'S SERENADE and SAVING GRACE DEVINE have also been released in new editions by Crossroad Press, as has my novel of the Lancashire Witches - THE PENDLE CURSE.
I live with a long-suffering husband and a delightful black cat who has never forgotten that her species used to be worshipped in ancient Egypt. She sees no reason why that practice should not continue. Who am I to argue?
When not slaving over a hot computer, I enjoy wandering around Neolithic stone circles and visiting old haunted houses.
Gwendolyn Kiste is the three-time Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Rust Maidens, Reluctant Immortals, Boneset & Feathers, and Pretty Marys All in a Row, among others. Her short fiction and nonfiction have appeared in outlets including Lit Hub, Nightmare, Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy, Vastarien, Tor Nightfire, Titan Books, and The Dark. She's a Lambda Literary Award finalist, and her fiction has also received the This Is Horror award for Novel of the Year as well as nominations for the Premios Kelvin and Ignotus awards. Originally from Ohio, she now resides on an abandoned horse farm outside of Pittsburgh with her husband, their excitable calico cat, and not nearly enough ghosts. Find her online at gwendolynkiste.com
When I was still a child and picked up my very first Goosebumps book by R. L. Stine, I knew I'd fallen head over heels in love with all things horror. It's a love affair that has only grown stronger over the years, a borderline obsession with stories that explore the darkest recesses of the human imagination. I guess you could say I'm like Thorny Rose in that way...always stalking down those special stories that have the ability to invoke a creepy-crawly feeling right down in the marrow of my bones.
As I grew older I discovered the work of some of my biggest inspirations like Stephen King, Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, Clive Barker...and the work of those authors sent me deeper down the path of the macabre. During my teenage years I had the little tradition of reading Stephen King's The Stand each summer to lose myself in the devastation of the superflu and marvel at the sadistic magnetism of Randall Flagg.
I've devoured horror fiction for as long as I can remember and reading the words weaved by the greats of the genre inspired me to begin writing. I wanted the opportunity to tell my own tales with the intent to terrify, to disturb; to capture the morbid curiosity of the reader just as my own was caught so early on in life.
If I've managed to inspire some of those feelings in you, my readers, then I feel that I've accomplished something just a little bit magical. There's still some magic left in this world, and I think it's most powerful when manifested in the form of words scrawled across many blank pages. Granted any magic contained within my work will be of the dark variety...but I wouldn't want it any other way. ;)
I live in Martinsburg, West Virginia with my little old pug Cerberus. When I'm not writing, I enjoy hiking mountain trails, weight training, getting tattooed and being a garden variety introvert in his late 20s. Oh, and reading too (duh).
Connect with me online:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/JMHorrorFiction
Instagram: @xbadmoonrising
Catherine McCarthy weaves dark tales on an ancient loom from her farmhouse in West Wales.
Her published novellas and novels include Immortelle, Mosaic, A Moonlit Path of Madness, The Wolf and the Favour and her most recent, The House at the End of Lacelean Street. Her short fiction has been published in various anthologies and magazines, including those by House of Gamut, Black Spot Books, and Dark Matter Ink.
In 2020 she won the Aberystwyth University Prize for her short fiction.
Time away from the loom is spent hiking the Welsh coast path or huddled in an ancient graveyard reading Dylan Thomas or Poe.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book's stories range from good to great, with one review noting they vary in length and style. Moreover, the artwork on the cover receives positive feedback, and the writing is well-executed. Additionally, customers appreciate the book's warmth, describing it as having just the right amount of chill, and one customer mentions it draws readers in.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Select to learn more
Customers enjoy the storytelling style of the book, with stories ranging from good to great, and one customer notes that they vary in length and style.
"...There is also an eerie and very timely tale of vengeful spirits in the Russian war on Ukraine (spoiler: things do not go well for the aggressors)...." Read more
"...The rest are fun short reads. I loved how I could devour one or two in just half an hour...." Read more
"...But what I can say is that the vast majority of the stories range from good to great...." Read more
"...The stories vary in length and style, which makes it an excellent choice as we head to the busiest part of the year...." Read more
Customers find the book to be a good collection, with one customer noting it contains genuine standouts.
"...the pitch-perfect story "The Collecting" by Cassandra Daucus; worth the entire book!)..." Read more
"There are some genuine standouts in this collection that will stay with you--even haunt you. The rest are fun short reads...." Read more
"...The stories vary in length and style, which makes it an excellent choice as we head to the busiest part of the year...." Read more
"Most were really good. Some I skipped Check it out for yourself. I love a good Halloween story and so will you" Read more
Customers appreciate the artwork on the book's cover, with one noting its beautiful layout.
"...The cover art is even better up close, and well-suited to the haunting tales within...." Read more
"...It’s also beautifully laid out and is honestly on track to become a seasonal favorite of mine...." Read more
"The art work on the cover is awesome. Loved it. The stories were fantastic...." Read more
"Scary, sad, and beautiful..." Read more
Customers praise the writing quality of the book, with one noting it features great writers and another mentioning it is well edited.
"...There is a good variety of nicely written and well edited offerings to put some pumpkin spice in your soul and a pleasant chill in your spine...." Read more
"This anthology is full of some great writers. The table of contents, as a matter of fact, reads like something of a who’s who of modern horror...." Read more
"It’s a good collection of diverse stories. All of them are well written and many of them have good twists." Read more
"Fast read, fun stories. Quality writing. Perfect Halloween treat for yourself or as a gift (yes, I give Halloween gifts.)..." Read more
Customers appreciate the heartfelt story of the book, with one noting how it draws readers in.
"...Some incredibly heartfelt and touching stories right alongside some genuinely haunting tales. Would recommend for cozy autumn reading!" Read more
"...Very gripping and draws you in. I'm looking forward to the next book." Read more
"One of the most creative and heart felt Anthologies in a long time!!!..." Read more
Customers appreciate the warmth of the book, noting it has just the right amount of chill, with one customer describing it as perfect for cozy autumn reading.
"...offerings to put some pumpkin spice in your soul and a pleasant chill in your spine...." Read more
"...Would recommend for cozy autumn reading!" Read more
"A very good collection, with just the right amount of chill. With a few authors that are new to me." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews. Please reload the page.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2023I have read (and re-re-re read!) "October Dreams" and "October Screams", and this little anthology, "Literally Dead: Tales of Halloween Hauntings" is the tastiest treat of the three. Yes, there are some very well known authors in "October Dreams", and yes, there are some real gems in "October Screams" (for example, the pitch-perfect story "The Collecting" by Cassandra Daucus; worth the entire book!) but the quality of writing in "Literally Dead" is exceptional and feels so much more 'polished' than the many of the stories in "October Screams". If you are seeking out just one collection of ghostly atmospheric tales to bring on the holiday (a few are nostalgic, most with a modern twist), then this has the ghosts with the most, or more accurately, it has the most ghosts. This has less of the gore, more of the spooky. The usual "Abused Avenger" and "Avenger of the Abused" is here, as is the "Oh, wait, what? I'm a ghost" trope (reminding me pleasantly of the haunting tales of the venerable recontour: Ambrose Bierce). There is a good variety of nicely written and well edited offerings to put some pumpkin spice in your soul and a pleasant chill in your spine. The cover art is even better up close, and well-suited to the haunting tales within. This would make a lovey gift for any fall-loving bibliophile (I would say a mature well-read 14 year old and up). Yes, there is some swearing (this is horror writing folks, and some horror authors have it in their head that expletive's are the stock-in-trade of the Horror genera, thanks to King, I presume) and yes there are some "adult themes" but where women and children have been terribly wronged, the authors here have exacted delicious revenge against the oppressor. There is also an eerie and very timely tale of vengeful spirits in the Russian war on Ukraine (spoiler: things do not go well for the aggressors). Each vignette feels like it would make a fine spooky movie in and of itself. I like to add little paper book flags to mark the stories I enjoyed most; my copy is now bristling with wee orange flags! There are a few that seem to go nowhere and left me wondering if I missed something or perhaps the author was just rushed? However, the vast majority I will be reading again and again and sharing with friends. Well worth reading any time of year. Pour yourself some hot spiced cider, light a scented candle and put on some ambient spooky Halloween music and settle in for a good read.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2022There are some genuine standouts in this collection that will stay with you--even haunt you. The rest are fun short reads. I loved how I could devour one or two in just half an hour. There isn't a bad story in the bunch, but nothing especially scary, either. This would make a great family read through the spooky season even for the 8 and ups.
- Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2023This anthology is full of some great writers. The table of contents, as a matter of fact, reads like something of a who’s who of modern horror. So my expectations were rather high going in, and I wasn’t disappointed. Were all of the stories knockout successes? Of course not. I’ve yet to find the anthology that’s 100% on point for any given reader. But what I can say is that the vast majority of the stories range from good to great.
And it’s also a perfect seasonal book because the stories manage to evoke a lot of classical or nostalgic senses of what autumn and the Halloween season ought to be about. It’s also beautifully laid out and is honestly on track to become a seasonal favorite of mine.
It’s come to my attention that this is actually part of a series of other holiday-themed horror anthologies, and I for one can’t wait to dive into the rest of them if they’re anything at all like this one!
- Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2023This book has been just what I needed this spooky season. With many genres and storylines, there is something available for everyone and every taste. The stories vary in length and style, which makes it an excellent choice as we head to the busiest part of the year. No matter how much time you have available, you can have the satisfaction of completing a story even if you only have a short moment in which to get some reading done.
For those of you, like me, who really enjoy the feeling of being truly creeped out, there is much in this book that will get you there, while other stories have just enough spookiness to keep the reader on edge, but not enough for a sleepless night.
I could recommend this book for all readers varying from the age of ten and upward, who enjoy a bit of thrill in their books.
Thank you, Alienhead Press for the Advanced Reader Copy of Literally Dead: Tales of Halloween Hauntings – It was just what I needed at this time of year!
- Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2023Most were really good. Some I skipped
Check it out for yourself.
I love a good Halloween story and so will you
- Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2023I read a few stories a night and was so disappointed when I realized I'd finished the last one! Some incredibly heartfelt and touching stories right alongside some genuinely haunting tales. Would recommend for cozy autumn reading!
- Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2024Perfect reading for spooky season, when you want to curl up with a book as Fall has set in! Highly recommend!
- Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2024A very good collection, with just the right amount of chill. With a few authors that are new to me.
Top reviews from other countries
- MMReviewed in Canada on October 30, 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Stories
I knew I would enjoy this book, drawn by the description and gorgeous cover art, I expected spooky Halloween tales. This book delivered on that expectation and beyond. The stories have a traditional feel but provide oh, so much more; stories that stay with you. A great read for Spooky Season or any time.
- Ms. Theresa M. DerwinReviewed in the United Kingdom on September 29, 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars Oustanding Ghostly and Ghastly Gourmet Read
Literally Dead – Tales of Halloween
Editor : Gaby Triana
Publisher: Alienhead Press
Release date: 21st September 22
With an introduction by terrific cover artist Lynn Hansen, an incredibly nostalgic and delightfully spooky piece of cover art, plus whimsical interior design ghosties * dingbats * by Marzy, I am in awe of the book I hold in my metaphorical hands. * reader, this is on Kindle *
Fair warning, this is a long review and I touch on every aspect of the book.
The first story, ‘The Curiosity at the Back if the Fridge’ by Catherine Cavendish is a slightly creepy yet strangely delightful story of a lonely child finally finding a break from poverty in Halloween and an almost Dickensian feast.
The tone of the narrator’s voice – and the denoumant – the imagery and the sheer absurdity reminded me a little of Tales of the Unexpected or The Hammer House of Horror TV series.
‘A Bookstore made of Skulls, Salem, Mass’ by Maureen Mancini Amaturo comes next.
If you love Halloween or anything spooky, odds are you will be aware of the tragedy that struck Salem Massachusetts in 1692. It’s a place I’ve always wanted to visit. To pay my respects and to indulge in a little kitsch.
The imagery and Halloween vibe is strong in this one. I’ve never read a story by Amaturo before. I can appreciate the writing, the pay off was disturbing if a bit low-key compared to the twisted build up yet, I also have an urge to re-read it.
Postcards from Evelyn by Scott Cole follows on.
Again, Cole is a new writer to me but another pleasing discovery.
In this story, Andy has moved into his inherited house and as Halloween approaches, he starts to receive vintage postcards asking if he’s coming to a Halloween party.
The date of these? 1910.
I loved the backstory to this one and it fit the cover to perfection.
The Crawlers in the Corn, by David Surface is next. Every now and again, you come across a writer, or a story, that makes you truly feel.
Occasionally you’ll react viscerally and think “holy sh..”.
This was the one.
When they Fall, by genre luminary Steve Rasnic Tem is a somewhat poignant and abstract story of many Halloweens, and Ralph who lives in an old gabled house avoiding the Trick Or Treaters.
Deftly written it has the kind of ending you want to read a few times just to take it in.
Always October – Jeremy Megargee
Oh god, boo .... Or boo hoo 😭 take your pick. Another new writer for me and one I will definitely seek out, because this story hit all the feels. It is indescribably beautiful.
How To Unmake a Ghost by SARA Tantlinger shares some elements with the Megargee story – and is just as beautiful and poignant as the former.
A Halloween Visit – Dana Hammer
We get some nice, light relief in this one, just a conversation between two people to start with, but I chuckled my way through most of it, and it was a great palate cleanser or intermission.
Bootsy’s House by Dennis K. Crosby is a bit light-hearted but also grim as hell.
Damon and Justus break into the mansion that used to belong to first the Elstons, the epitome of elitism, then Bootsy Robinson. Family man, philanthropist ... serial killer?
So, burglary, in a notorious possibly haunted house on Halloween.
This has all the spills, thrills and wonderful Chicagoan history you’d expect.
It’s a terrific urban legend, haunted house tale, with genuine creepy moments and a lot of smiles. At least if you’re a horror reader.
Soul Cakes by Catherine Mccarthy brings us wweet memories of a young Welsh woman and her Nan making Soul Cakes together. Another lyrical and poignant tale.
Ghosts of Candies Past Jeff Strand seriously had me laughing my particulars off.
To lighten the tone, it’s another palate cleanser, because you know, you may be a bit stuffed by now with stories and chocolate, so we have Jeff Strand, who never fails to amuse.
In this story, we have a debate about which one is better – retro candy or modern candy.
You may well bust a gut laughing at this one.
Halloween at the Babylon LISA Morton is a beautiful story set in an aged theatre where the ghost of a performer sits waiting – and a modern day ghost hunting team and medium are investigating. We get historical flashbacks, female solidarity and slowly a mystery is unravelled.
Ghosts of Enerhodar Henry Herz starts in a nuclear power plant in the Ukraine in the present.
This is a well researched, incredibly – strangely – heart-warming story, which uses facts and Urkranian folklore to create literary karma. I won’t say much, but it is a standout story in the anthology, cinematic in its atmosphere and I bloody loved it.
The Ghost Lake Mermaid ALETHEA Kontis has female ghosts, diverse characters, and is beautiful and funny. This is a stunning story of feminine power and choices. Buckle up buttercup, it’s a good one.
Pink Lace and Death Gods Eva Roslin is set on Halloween in New Orleans and Bianca finds the best costume ever for the party that night.
With mythology, history, and diaspora interwoven, this one had it all. I think this is one of my favourites in this anthology.
The Ghost Cricket by Lee Murray is a delightful, traditional morality tale, that adds a dash of humour amidst the darker aspects of the story. The ending is the proverbial chef’s kiss.
No One Sings in the City of the Dead by Tim Waggoner follows, and in true Waggoner style, is bloody and grim. And original as hell.
Halloween is known as that night that the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest.
In A Scavenger Hunt When the Veil is Thin, Gwendolyn Kiste, tells the tale of a woman who narrates the hunt she’s part of in a haunted house. It’s deftly written in second person present tense and has a very different feel to the other stories. Though it’s themes will be familiar to many female readers.
The final story is When You See Millions of the Mouthless Dead Across Your Dreams in Pale Battalions Go by Jonathan Maberry.
I want to swear. I want to cry. I want to scream for Alex. For his brother Joey and all of the other young men in this story.
Most of all, one day, as a writer, I want to make a reader’s heart drop the way mine just has, near the end of this story.
So, holy cow...
I’ve had to read this book over a few days, to take breaks and absorb the stories.
This anthology, the first Triana has ever edited, is the gold class of ghost story anthologies.
It will stay with me for a very long time.