After Effects is a collection of twenty-seven short stories that dig into the downfall of a person, community, or society as a whole; and what the after effects of that ruin entail.Some are humorous, some are touching, but all make us pause and reflect.

Magic has been slowly fading from the enchanted forest ever since the greedy humans invaded. The native feathered-folk were kind in sharing their homeland, but peace couldn’t last forever. Conflict stirs while Barne, half human/half native, is stuck in the middle. Trapped between two worlds he must try and find himself before choosing a side. In a world where he never really belongs, Barne searches to find his smile through all means necessary. But there’s a dark secret that holds his happ...

A unique collection of eclectic stories and poetry designed to entertain, delight and make you ponder everything. It has been compared to Alfred Hitchcock and The Twilight Zone for its creepy tone and themes.This single-author anthology contains the following subject matter:Magical libraries, ego-eccentric gravity experts, O.C.D. people, scary stage shows, dirt-poor romance, spirit guides, calming yourself down, moment stealing harpies, corrupt elections, gluttonous cake ea...

Nightmares come in many forms. Some rend the veil of sleep with heart-stopping madness. Others defy sanity to leave a helpless corner of your mind twitching for release. Sometimes, hours after waking, a nightmare drifts across your memory, tainting your day with wisps of discomfort. NIGHTMARES UNHINGED reveals horror in all its mutable forms—abject to absurd—through twenty tales of terror.Contributors include Mario Acevedo, Edward Bryant, Dustin Carpenter, Sean Eads, Keith Ferrell,...

Whether featuring tattooed demon hunters, angst-y vampires, supernatural gumshoes, or pixelated pixies, Urban Fantasy mashes up old-school tales with pop culture, creating iconic characters, diverging moralities, and complex settings. Urban fantasy is finally showcased in this star-studded collection, representing all three of its distinct styles, including the playful new mythologies of Charles de Lint, the sexy paranormal romances of Patricia Briggs, and the gritty urban noir of...

Unlucky thieves invade a house where Home Alone seems like a playground romp. An antique bookseller and a mob enforcer join forces to retrieve the Atlas of Hell. Postapocalyptic survivors cannot decide which is worse: demon women haunting the skies or maddened extremists patrolling the earth.In this chilling twenty-first-century companion to the cult classic Darkness: Two Decades of Modern Horror, Ellen Datlow again proves herself the most masterful editor of the ...

Everyone loves their grandma but these three are just a little...different. They have certain skills in war and strategy developed over forty years through military training and discipline. They are the definition of "never judge a book by its cover." They now work as contractors for the extra money. Follow the hapless Clem as he is hired to drive the three on their latest mission of destruction.

Married to an uncaring, workaholic husband, Shylia Allred walks to alleviate stress and to consider her divorce. Typical of many abused spouses, she dreams of escape but always comes up with a reason to thwart her own plans. Then, as she's walking past the local parish hall just as an AA meeting is letting out, she literally bumps into Randall Sly. As they get to know each other, she comes to trust him completely. He's the one man who can bring a huge change to her life. But change isn't a...

Archers Beach is a more-than-slightly battered resort town on the coast of Maine, but there's something a little bit special about it. Magic works there, sort-of, and the trenvay--the beings that guard the land and the people--work their own kind of enchantment. Includes two short stories, "The Gift of Music," and "The night don't seem so lonely." Both stories were previously published at Baen.com

This fiendish anthology, complied by the horror genre's most acclaimed editor, drags you into the twisted minds of modern literary masters at their fiendish best. Visionary storytellers fill this collection of tales lyrical and strange, monstrous and exhilarating, horrific and transformative.*A sweetly vengeful voice on the radio calls a young soldier out to join a phantom patrol.*A hotel maid who threw her newborn child from a fourth-story window lingers in an interminable...

"It would be our duty, as citizens on this earthto document its end the best way we knowand if that means a second by second updateof the world going up in flames, or down in rain, or crushed under the feet of invading monstersso be it."-- Shivangi NarainNo one understands an apocalypse like the people who have experienced it. Mad Scientist Journal has brought together twenty-three tales of people who have seen the world end. These accounts range ...

The farther we’ve gotten from the magic and mystery of the past, the more we've come to love Halloween—the one time each year when the mundane is overturned in favor of the bizarre, the “other side” is closest, and everyone can become anyone (or anything) they wish . . . and sometimes what they don’t. Introducing nineteen original stories from mistresses and masters of the dark celebrate the most fantastic, enchanting, spooky, and supernatural of holidays.