The twelve stories comprising In Shadows Written: An Anthology of Modern Horror takes us into the hearts and minds of thirteen award-winning authors. Explore the wide reach of horror fiction of the early 21st century.
“Familiar” by Ken Pelham. Is it research or witchcraft? Science or magic? A young Bostonian discovers the connection between her disintegrating marriage and a mysterious accident on the dark wet highway to Salem.
“The Legend of Johnny Bell” by Elle Andrews Patt. Ah, Johnny Bell. His heart is in the right place, but he’s not the sharpest machete in the zombie apocalypse. Finally, an author has found a good use for Pomeranians.
The Antiquary’s Wife” by William Burton McCormick. Folk legend, prejudice, and suspicion haunt a young American couple traveling the Ukrainian countryside of the 19th century. This novelette was a Finalist for the prestigious Derringer Award.
“Kev” by Michael Sears. Two boys out on a late-night lark, looking for thrills, a little breaking and entering. You take into account the things that could go wrong but forget that the world has real-life flesh and blood monsters among its vast web of living things.
“Insecurity Complex” by Jade Kerrion. What’s a self-respecting ghost to do when everyone is so over-entertained with their gadgets and personal electronics? Short, sweet, and funny. Winner of the Royal Palm Literary Award.
“A Dream Within a Dream” by Bria Burton. Our memories and realities are shaped by that which we need to be true. A young girl struggles through family tragedy in this haunting story inspired by Edgar Allan Poe.
“Texting April” by Parker Francis. Consumer electronics puts a horrifying spin on the traditional ghost story. Text messages will never be the same. Winner of the Royal Palm Literary Award.
“Gabriel” by Melanie Terry Griffey. We’ve all brought home a stray at one time or another, and loved that poor beast as if it were family. Not all strays are what they seem. Winner of the 2010 Flights of Fantasy award.
“The Alexandrite Necklace” by Daco Auffenorde and Robert Rotstein. Vanity, jealousy, and jewelry to die for steer a Hollywood actress on an upward career arc. But every arc must ultimately reach a zenith. A modern retelling of Guy de Maupassant’s “The Necklace.”
“Beating Cats” by John Hope. Addiction preys upon innocence in this dark, disturbing tour of the human psyche, the monsters within us, and the slide into depravity.
“Three Two One, Wake Up” by M.J. Carlson. Science fiction in the tradition of Philip K. Dick meets horror in the tradition of Jack Finney and H.P. Lovecraft. Are your friends and neighbors really who you think? Are you better off not knowing?
“Die Fabrik (The Factory)” by Charles A. Cornell. In a dieselpunk vision of Nazi Germany, weapons research and genocide become one in a nightmarish, secret factory in this novella.