Tiny Nightmares: Very Short Stories of Horror

The contributors to this anthology were asked to write a very short story (less than 1,500 words) about something that scares them. Like all anthologies, this one is uneven, but there aren't any real clunkers, and there are quite a few standouts: stories that were especially creepy or funny or chilling. The authors are a mix of horror and literary writers, some of them well-known to me, and also seem to reflect a mix of backgrounds and perspectives. All this makes the stories nicely varied, with commentaries on everything from police shootings to illegal immigration to drug addiction to motherhood. I was particularly delighted by the index at the end to all the weird and scary subjects; I read it straight through--it was like a found show more poem. I also enjoyed the unsettling art that introduced each section of the book. show less

3.5/5

Very uneven collection: The entire first section and some other stories scattered throughout were good. But there were lots of stories that fell flat.

Most of these short stories are really hit or miss but overall it's a fun short collection of mini scares.

I would give this 2.5 stars. I just wasn’t really into it. I’m not super into flash fiction and I didn’t find many of these actually scary. I think it’s a good collection and interesting, just not my thing. If you are looking for quick reads this is for you - I’m just one that wants to keep reading so having little bits isn’t super satisfying.

Some truly wonderful, very short stories. Sometimes I have trouble concentrating on full length books - tiny stories like this are a great balm!