Drake’s Quick Picks: Short Story Collections

Written by: Drake Morgan

For me, short story collections are a fantastic way to get to know an author. You have an array of themes, narratives, and styles to explore. An author bares his or her soul in short segments and fragmented chunks. I find a short story can be a harder sell than a novel. The story has to work in a much smaller space than a novel. If it works, it’s brilliant. If it doesn’t, there aren’t five more chapters to save it. Here’s a list of five short story collections I’ve read recently that simply knocked my socks right off. I’m still hunting them down by the way.

1) Iain Rowan: Ice Age

This man is simply brilliant. His stories are haunting, dark, mysterious, and bizarre. You will want to keep the lights on, and look over your shoulder for those shadows creeping in.

2) Laird Barron: The Beautiful Thing That Awaits Us All

One of the godfathers of horror, Barron’s new collection is a wonderful overview his recent works. Macabre, dark, and disturbing.

3) Ramsey Campbell: Holes for Faces

Another powerhouse of horror, Campbell’s new collection is wonderful. English Gothic–atmospheric, intense, and skin-crawling.

4) Tracy Carbone: The Collection and Dark Tales

Carbone is a fantastic writer. She’s not afraid to toss aside the traditional horror tropes to find new ways to disturb and scare. Her latest collection is packed with fear.

5) B.E. Scully: The Knife and The Wound It Deals

Like Carbone, Scully dumps tradition and goes for an entirely different angle on nightmares. Heart-stopping fear in this one.