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WELL, THIS IS TENSE: An anthology of second person present horror. Paperback – July 8, 2022

by SJ Townend (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars 5 ratings
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An anthology of second person present dark fiction published by Bag of Bones Press.

Fresh indie horror from authors across the globe. Collated and edited by SJ Townend.

This book contains 30 original, unnerving short stories, all written in the second person present point of view.

Are YOU brave enough to read this book?

For adults only.

Volume one of two.
Volume one - WELL, THIS IS TENSE
Volume two - THIS IS TOO TENSE
Read more
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  1. Print length
    230 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    July 8, 2022
  4. Dimensions
    5.06 x 0.52 x 7.81 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1739741943
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1739741945
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"All the Little Raindrops: A Novel" by Mia Sheridan for $10.39
The chilling story of the abduction of two teenagers, their escape, and the dark secrets that, years later, bring them back to the scene of the crime. | Learn more

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bag of Bones Press (July 8, 2022)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 230 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1739741943
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1739741945
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.1 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.06 x 0.52 x 7.81 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 5 ratings

About the authors

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  1. SJ Townend

    SJ Townend

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    SJ Townend writes contemporary romance, horror, sci-fi, speculative and dark fiction. Her first romance novel, PICK-UP LINES, will be published via Champagne Book Group early 2023 and her debut horror collection, SICK GIRL SCREAMS, will be published by Brigids Gate Press end of 2023. She has short stories published with Ghost Orchid Press, Dark Matter Magazine, and Brigids Gate Press and a handful of other awesome indie presses.

    She won the Secret Attic short story contest (2020) for her story, 'We Still Don't Use the Garage' and the Tortive Literature story contest (2021) for her short story, 'Joy'.

    She was long-listed for a non-fiction contest run by Women On Writing in 2020 for a piece about losing her mother to cancer, entitled 'Blood Moon'.

    SJ was also shortlisted for the HG Wells Story Contest (2021) for her short piece of post-apocalyptic eco-horror, 'The Beauty Parlour'.

    Twitter: @SJTownend

    See more on the author's page
  2. Phil Ford

    Phil Ford

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Phil Ford co-edited and was a contributing writer of the Richmond Macabre : Nightmares from the River City book series. He also contributed to artist Chuck Scalin’s Body of Evidence Book Art project as well as the performance piece of The Memorial Library of Kenton J. Stanfield at Chop Suey Books with artists Thea Duskin and Noah Scalin. He recently has had stories appear in several anthologies such as Generation X-ed (Dark Ink Press, 2022) and The Nightmare Never Ends (Exploding Head Fiction, 2023). His last band, Get in the Car, kicked ass, but he is also currently in a trash-punk band called Crack Fox. From 2018-2020, he was the co-creator, producer and director of the Death Club Radio Live! series at the Firehouse Theatre. A writer, columnist, and musician, his work has appeared in ThroTTle Magazine, Carbon 14 Magazine, and Makeout Creek Magazine. He currently DJs the Friday Clock Out 5-7PM on WRIR 97.3, Richmond Independent Radio.

    See more on the author's page
  3. J.R. Santos

    J.R. Santos

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    José Raposo Santos is an author of strange stories. Hailing from Portugal his work has been feature don multiple anthologies such as Archive of the Odd, Boreal: A Taiga Biome Anthology, and many others.

    See more on the author's page
  4. Rachel L. Tilley

    Rachel L. Tilley

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    UK-based writer of fantasy novels and short stories Rachel L. Tilley likes the same things lots of writers do – copious amounts of coffee and sitting on the sofa watching a movie while it pours down outside. Luckily in Britain, we have lots of rain.

    Her reading taste leans heavily towards speculative fiction – epic / feel-good fantasy, LitRPG, and otherworldly horror being some of her favourites – and a sense of adventure and excitement are key things she looks for in a story.

    See more on the author's page
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4.5 out of 5 stars
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Chris Stoneley
    5.0 out of 5 stars Once you get past the cover (#creepydoll #triggerwarning)…
    Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Genuinely scared me.

    I had to put the book face down in the bottom of my travel bag in the far corner of the room just to fall asleep.

    I hate reading horror.

    Thanks @tanyacarinae. You owe me one.
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  • Kristin L. English
    5.0 out of 5 stars Mother of Worms- Rae Knowles
    Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Wow! Grabbed me by the neck from the first sentence! Intense and thought provoking…I have so many questions! Brava!🥀
    One person found this helpful
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  • Horror Nerd
    3.0 out of 5 stars "Well, This Is Tense" - a little uneven, but a very uniquely themed anthology
    Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Crawling Back (by Allison Wall) - 3/5
    Connections between parents and children. What would someone do in order to start over? How far back would you be willing to go?
    This was a quietly creepy story. It becomes darker when you start to wonder just how many times the main character has 'gone back' to try and be better.

    Neon Monkey (by Oli Jacobs) - 5/5
    A meaningless job. An endless and confusing set of routines. Waking up to strange situations over and over, each time where something doesn't quite make sense.
    I love stories that manage to be unsettling. It's easy to scare a reader, but it's much harder to create a 'nightmare fuel' type of story.

    Now You See It Clear (by Mathew Gostelow) - 2/5
    There's some beautiful and grotesque imagery here, but I just didn't connect with the whole 'addiction as a literal monster' analogy. If the source of the son's sickness was kept more ambiguous, it would have worked better.

    Rebirth (by Chrissie Rohrman) - 2/5
    This story reminded me of Mike Flanagan's Oculus, where a mysterious mirror affects everyone around it. This story about an entity trapped behind a suburban woman's newly purchased mirror, felt similar. I thought this started off strong, but the ending was a little cliche. I also didn't like that this story didn't stick to the theme of the anthology, and was a mix of first and second person narration.

    The Sixth Floor (by Stephanie Kvellestad) - 5/5
    Starting a new job can be stressful. People's names and faces to remember, layout of the new office,etc. A simple trip to the sixth floor of a new office building shouldn't be too hard of a task, right?
    I loved how well the narrative showed the quiet desperation of the main character, who tries to remain calm and use logic despite things obviously being very very wrong around her.

    Electric Piano (by Lisha Goldberg) - 5/5
    There was SO MUCH tension in this short little story! It takes real talent to make a piano performance feel so dramatic and full of action. Plus, I loved the little bits of dark humor sprinkled throughout.

    Mirror Image (by Priscilla Kint) - 3/5
    A winding down party. A fellow party goer offering a ride back home. The driver keeps glancing back, but the main character can't quite see what it is.
    This story builds up a sense of dread well, and I was hoping for a suitably creepy ending to match the mood set up in the beginning. Not going to spoil it, but the revelation and the end was too cliche for me.

    Hunger (by Shelby Catalano) - 2/5
    It's a little hard to grasp what this was about. The prose had too much overwriting for me, and other than some darkly poetic imagery, nothing really happens in this. Hunger and internal emptiness are central themes, but there's no character growth/development, and that diminished some of the impact for me.

    Mother Of Worms (by Rae Knowles) - 2/5
    A woman trapped in a locked shed by someone (a boyfriend, a husband?). She's unable to escape, she's growing hungry, and has resorted to trying to eat dirt.
    Once again, the writing was a little clunky and I couldn't fully be immersed in the story. I give it points for some truly dark/poetic imagery, but the ending felt unsatisfying.

    Gryllidae (by Phil Ford) - 2/5
    This begins with some promise, as the author builds a quickly growing sense of unease amid a seemingly idyllic life of an elderly couple. The story's main focus on grief and loss of a spouse held promise, but the ending with its dark figure in a cloak was too cliche for me.

    The Well (by N. Miller) - 3/5
    A rumor of possible ghosts at a local well. One girl agrees to come along with her friend, even though she's uneasy. Something is off about the well, and about the way it reflects people.
    This started off as a good urban legend-inspired story, but had a pretty weak ending.

    Love Bites (by Marissa Snyder) - 3/5
    A happy bride, a charming wedding. Then, mysterious bites on her body start to appear. They keep coming back no matter what remedy is suggested. Nothing seems to work to make them go away.
    This was written in a very lyrical, fairy tale-like way, and I loved it. I felt there was no real end though. At the most interesting and exciting part of the story, the narrative just abruptly ended. Ultimately not very satisfying.

    Each Minute Closer (by Brianne Battye) - 2/5
    A set of routines in a person's life repeats. Each day it happens over and over again with no variation. Until the day that little glitches, little creepy changes start trickling in.
    Once again, a story had a very strong start, and it made me want to keep reading. The ending could have been much stronger.

    Do Not Open Under Any Circumstances (by Tiffany Michelle Brown) - 3/5
    A mysterious box is delivered to an office, seeming by no one. A warning is written on the box, never to open it. What will happen when the main character gives in to that sense of curiosity?
    This had a good start and a terrifying moment (the whole bathroom encounter is amazing), but the ending was very typically cliche, with the whole message of 'one bad decision equals horrible torment for the protagonist'.

    Teeth (by Tanya Pell) - 5/5
    A house with an unending amount of rooms. They seem to go on and on. Not enough windows or doors, so easy to get lost forever. A lost girl full of fear and nightmares tries to escape, but is lost in the maze of the house.
    This read like a very dark fairytale, and I absolutely loved it. Ever think about those missing women from old fairy tales, those former wives of princes or kings? This story is like a glimpse of what happened to some of those women.

    Sinkhole (by Paul Lonardo) - 2/5
    A man wakes up in what looks like a typical sinkhole. It should be relatively easy to climb out, and go back to his normal life. What if the sinkhole is something more, and he's very very far from home?
    This was a boring story for me. There was an opportunity to better describe the strange landscape the man finds himself in, but it wasn't done. The story ended at a seemingly random point, and felt overall unsatisfying.

    Doppelganger (by Stuart Hardy) - 3/5
    The most body horror like story of the collection so far! Starts off really good, and you're never 100% sure of what's happening to the main character. Is it all just a very intense heart attack, or the cause something more sinister? The ending is kind of a letdown, since it's cheesiness doesn't match the dark tone of most of the story.

    Itch (by Deborah Tapper) - 5/5
    What starts off as a mere itch, turns into something more. Much,much more. This was an uncomfortable but amazing read. So many ways to interpret what was happening. Was it a delusion, or was the cause more grounded in reality? Ending is pretty dark, and the story ends strong.

    Seeds (by Dorian J. Sinnott) - 5/5
    Set in a world where monsters are very much real, and what might pass of as superstition is very much a tool to ward off evil. This felt like another dark fairy tale-inspired story, and I loved the strong familial bond between our main characters.

    Your Veins Full Of Water (by J.R. Santos) - 5/5
    At the beginning, I thought this would be a story mostly focused on hauntings, but nope. This turned weird fast, and it was simply amazing. Without revealing too much, the scope is a little cosmic, if you know what I mean.

    Conviction (by Justin Oldham) - 2/5
    A prisoner goes through the motions of his day, knowing that his execution date is fast approaching. He reiterates and reassures himself that what he did was right and necessary.
    This was so frustrating to read. Written well, but not a single bit of info is given about what the prisoner did. He says multiple times his convictions were true, but we never find out what they are.

    Cross Your Heart (by Die Booth) - 3/5
    One fake online listing after another. Until something real comes up. A box that just might be really cursed.
    This story ended too abruptly for me (probably could have used another page or so to develop more), but I'll give it points for surprising me at the end.

    Escape Path (by Rachel L. Tilley) - 2/5
    Similar to the "Conviction" story a few pages back, this one's focus is also very narrow. It involves a woman trying to survive a treacherous trip in horrible weather. There are zero hents as to what she's trying to escape. I don't think that readers need to be spoon-fed explanations, but there's zero hints as to what's going on.

    You Want To Be Buried (by Taylor Grothe) - 5/5
    A passionate dance at a party. A request made half-heartedly. What does it mean to not fully understand a promise?
    This was such a darkly romantic and melancholy little story. I could tell the ending coming from the beginning, but it didn't matter since this was so well written. So good.

    We Are All Monsters To Our Mothers Someday (by Emmy Teague) - 2/5
    The writing was fine, but I didn't connect with this story at all. Like the "Now You See It Clear" story earlier in the anthology, the metaphor used (grown up children seeming alien and incomprehensible to their parents) was clunky. If it was more subtle, I think the story would have been more scary/creepy/etc.

    Dreams Of Trees (by Patricia Miller) - 3/5
    A man becomes newly rich due to an inheritance, and immediately starts thinking of how to use the family land to his financial advantage. He's so focused on progress and profit that he ignores the warnings given to him. Don't go into the woods, it is dangerous,etc,etc.
    The main character was too much of a 'rich, spoiled guy' cliche to connect to. The ending has some good moments, but not enough to rate this higher.

    You Have No Internet At Home (by Zary Fekete) - 2/5
    This starts off as a story of a man waiting to hear back (through e-mail) from his girlfriend. He has proposed to his girlfriend, but there hasn't been a reply from her for days.
    Don't want to spoil this any further, but the story feels incomplete. The ending is abrupt, feels like it belongs from a different story. Not a satisfying read.

    Roxie and Ericka (by Ann Wuehler) - 2/5
    This was written as a constantly shifting mix of first- and second-person narration. The structure of the story (a girl experiencing the drowning of her twin sister) was very jumbled as a result, and so confusing. It was lyrical at times and had some cool imagery, but overall was just muddled.

    Check This Out! (by Gully Novaro) - 5/5
    What starts off as a camping story (making a fire, enduring goofy dad questions,etc), quickly goes very wrong. The creature in the woods that is after the main character (and her father) is truly unnerving. The mystery around it works to build up constant fear. I thought this would be a typical 'monster kills everyone in the woods' narrative, but...nope. This is strange, and sad, and very dark.

    Komodo My Desk (by bdyer) - 3/5
    A graphic online video. A compulsion to watch it over and over again. Office politics, with its constant mix of personalities fighting each other. There's a little bit of the creepiness of the haunted video from the Ringu film franchise, but this is much more bizarre in tone. I honestly couldn't tell what was real or a hallucination of the main character (a typical office drone). If you love snark infused horror, you'll love this one.
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