Aphotic Realm is a website that any fan of horror short stories should check out. These guys are fans, and great at publishing and promoting indie authors who strive to create dark and creepy tales that stay with you long after the lights go out.

So here is a best-of anthology with 20 haunting and macabre stories to whet your sadistic appetite. I love my stories to end on a downer, and this collection did not disappoint on that front.

Each story is different and I enjoyed every one (and I’m not just saying that) but these are some of my personal favourites.

Silencing the Bell by Gary Buller is a great way to kick things off. A man who seems to have lost everything is haunted by the past mistake that caused it all. It seems to be all in his head, but is it really?

Rot Brothers by Simon McHardy is a tale of two brothers who really should have listened to their parents. When one tries to lie his way out of a terrible situation things turn a little disturbing. No, very disturbing.

SJ Budd’s The Forgotten House made me think twice about looking out of the window on a train journey ever again. Making plans to buy that sad, lonely house next to the tracks is definitely not a good idea. This was a creepy story.

Things take a little Sci-fi twist in John Crain’s Persistence of Memories. This one had me engrossed from the start and the ending is killer. It’s kind of Dune meets Lovecraft, kinda. This one was probably my favourite.

The Yellow Door by Isha Ro brings small town life to a harrowing end. There’s lots of death in this one, I loved it!

Ashley Libey packs a body-snatchers-type punch in Dinner Party. This story only hinted at the real horrors going on in the town. I wanted more, and I mean that as a big compliment.

Provident Justice by Carrie Connel-Gripp is another story with the small town setting, but this time the residents are not what they seem (when are they ever?). This was another great ending where I found myself screaming ‘Run away’ in my best King Arthur voice.

Number Seventeen by JR Heatherton is a weird one. A son is exasperated, then suddenly fearful of what his parents tell him they heard. Never go against the authorities, people, they know best.

Gene Grantham’s The Shape of Government Center is a delightful little Lovecraftian tale that was truly horrifying. Monsters and an empty underground station… what else do you need?

Black Lung Hay Fever by SE Casey brings proceedings to a very creepy end. Scarecrows don’t just scare crows. The atmosphere here was brought to life so well I could almost smell the place. A great ending to this collection.

My story, The Almost Cannibal, also features. It’s about a man who’s a cannibal, well almost.

So all in all this was a great collection of terrifying tales and one I would definitely recommend. Support a superb website and pick up a copy like, now!

Categories: book review

Tags: anthology, aphotic realm, book review, creepy, death, gore, horror, indie authors, short stories, tales from the realm