Lee Murray author, editor
Stories
A list of some of the anthologies and magazines which feature my stories.
For a fuller bibliogrpahy please check the page under my biographical details.
Unknown Superheroes
Edited by Steve Dillon, original illustrations by Will Jacques
With stories from some of the most loved writers of dark fiction, including a generous helping of international folks, we hope we have succeeded in breaking the mold, crossing the streams, and other analogies and cliches that could be inserted here. Above all, we hope you will relish… and remember some of these stories of Unknown Superheroes Against the forces of darkness. For after all, what is the value of a tale if it can’t be recalled a year or so after its telling?
Includes stories by Owl Goingback, Jonathan Maberry, Geneve Flynn, Gary Fry, Angela Yuriko Smith, Sidney Williams, Matthew R. Davis, Chris Mason, Lee Murray, and many more.
Midnight
Edited by Luigi Boccia & Nicola Lombardi
Cover by Alessandro Amoruso
MIDNIGHT is an eulogy to suspense, because as Clive Barker states, horror narrative "shows us that the control we believe we have is purely illusory, and that in every moment we waver in chaos and oblivion."
With stories by Edoardo Rosati, Lee Murray, Danilo Arona, Joe Lansdale, Joe Weintraub, Simone Volponi, Decimo Tagliapietra , Cristian Borghetti, Giada Cecchinelli, Gianfranco Nerozzi and Sergio Altieri.
Shakespeare Unleashed (forthcoming)
Edited by James Aquilone
From the blood of Macbeth and the ghosts of Hamlet, to the dark fantasy of The Tempest and the twisted love of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare Unleashed reimagines the Bard’s greatest works as short horror stories…as well as horror sonnets.
With new stories by Joe R. Lansdale & Kasey Lansdale, Ian Doescher, Jonathan Maberry, Seanan McGuire, Lee Murray, Steve Rasnic Tem, Gemma Files, Tim Waggoner, John Palisano, Lisa Morton, Gene Flynn, Hailey Piper, Philip Fracassi, Gwendolyn Kiste, and others. Dark sonnets by Linda D. Addison, Alessandro Manzetti, Jessica McHugh, Sara Tantlinger, Stephanie M. Wytovich, and Lucy A. Snyder, among others. And an introduction by Weston Ochse.
Forthcoming. Includes my original story "Showtime", based on Shakespeare's play The Winter's Tale.
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Never Wake (forthcoming)
Edited by Kenneth W. Cain & Tim Meyer
Since the beginning of time, people have argued the meaning of dreams. Are they symbolic visions that hold great meaning and personal significance? Are they portals into other worlds? Or are they just a series of random events our mind shows us when we fall asleep? Whatever the case, this much is true - the mind can be a scary place to venture, even for a few hours. NEVER WAKE is an anthology of dream horror, bringing you several mind-bending tales of nightmares, hallucinations, and phantasmagoria from some of the hottest talent in horror fiction. But don’t worry - when you (wake up screaming) flip the last page, just remember to tell yourself, “It was only just a story…”
Unless it wasn’t.
Forthcoming. Includes my original story "The Seven Year War",.
Stories of the Reconvergence (forthcoming)
Edited by Angie Hodapp and Josh Viola
The Unioverse is an epic original science fiction story, videogame series and platform for user-generated creativity launched this year by a team of gaming and entertainment industry veterans behind titles such as Grand Theft Auto, Donkey Kong Country and Crackdown. Set in the near future, the Unioverse story centers around a technology discovered on Mars that allows anyone to instantly transport their consciousness across galaxies. The narrative direction of the Unioverse is led by Brent Friedman, a master storyteller whose previous credits include writing on Star Wars: The Clone Wars, The Walking Dead, Call of Duty, and Star Trek: Enterprise.
Forthcoming. Includes my original story "For Every Season".
Strange Tales of Terror
Edited by Eugene Johnson
Independent Legions
There are strange horrifying events that happen in this world and the next. Situations that can not be defined by reality. In this book you will find such accounts told by some of the most influential authors of today as they pay homage to the horror genre from the 1950 to now which has nurtured their inner darkness!
Anthology edited by Bram Stoker Award Winner Eugene Johnson, including 17 horror stories by: Lucy A. Snyder, Ramsey Campbell, Sherrylin Kenyon & Kevin J. Anderson, Lisa Morton, Christopher Sartin, Chris Mason, Ben Monroe, Elizabeth Massie, Maxwell I. Gold, Rena Mason, Dave Jeffery, F. Paul Wilson, Sara Tantlinger, Peter Straub, John Palisano, Gary A. Braunbeck, & Lee Murray. Introduction by Tim Waggoner. Hardcover Edition, cover art by Alessandro Amoruso, interior illustrations by Luke Spooner and Will Swan.
Figli del Buio
A charity anthology to help the victims of the invasion of Ukraine, this anthology, released by Italian horror publisher, Independent Legions includes my short story, "Heart Music", translated into Italian by the talented Nicola Lombardi.
Dracula Unfanged
Christopher Sequeira, who devised the multiversal Baker Street collection SHERLOCK HOLMES AND DOCTOR WAS NOT invites you to another dazzling exhibition of reality-flipping tales about a literary icon, with contributions to this house of nightmares by some of the best in the field.Enter freely, and of your own will?
Tales by:Leverett Butts & Dacre Stoker, Ramsey Campbell, Julie Ditrich, Ron Fortier. Christopher Fowler, Jason Franks, Nancy Holder, Jim Krueger, Brad Mengel, Lee Murray, Will Murray, Alan Philipson, Andrew Salmon, J. Scherpenhuizen, Christopher Sequeira, Jacqueline Sequeira, Philip Cornell, I. A. Watson. Introduction by Leslie S. Klinger. Interior Illustrations by Vicky Adams. Cover by Dave Elsey.
Includes my story "Hothouse Crush".
Clamour and Mischief
Edited by Narelle Harris
Clan Destine Press
A clamour of rooks. A mischief of magpies. A storytelling of crows.
All the corvids - rooks and ravens, jays and jackdaws, crows and magpies - have the best collective nouns: from tidings and titterings, bands and trains, to a parliament, a party, and an unkindness.
Clamour and Mischief is a veritable storytelling of adventures featuring corvidae, the bird family known for its intelligence, cunning and connection with folklore and urban legends.
Our storytellers come from around the world and include award-winning and shortlisted writers, as well as fledgling authors in their professional debut.
Herein are 16 striking stories imbued with the humour, darkness, wisdom and magic of the birds which inspired them. Take them as a jest, a guide, or a warning - but don't, whatever you do, ignore them!
Raymond Gates, GV Pearce, Eugen Bacon, Geneve Flynn, Alex Marchant, Jack Fennell, Lee Murray, RJK Lee, Dannye Chase, Narrelle M. Harris, R.D. White, Katya de Becerra, Jason Franks, George Ivanoff, Tamara M Bailey, Gabiann Marin.
Damnation Games
Edited by Alan Baxter
Clan Destine Press
A horde of criminally good horror writers took a walk down the mean streets of crime.
Their task: to make your blood run cold, to scare you witless and to make your skin crawl.
The rising dread of a good mystery doesn't need anything supernatural to keep you on the edge of your seat. But put the two together - crime fiction and horror - and all sorts of nasty business can come out of the woodwork. Sometimes literally.
The stories herein include urban monsters, outback ghosts, contemporary lawyers, near-future police, and Victorian era mathematicians.
Stories by Gemma Amor, Joanne Anderton, J. Ashley-Smith, Alan Baxter, Aaron Dries, Gemma Files, Geneve Flynn, Philip Fracassi, Robert Hood, Gabino Iglesias, Rick Kennett, Maria Lewis, Chris Mason, Lee Murray, Cina Pelayo, Dan Rabarts, John F.D. Taff, Kyla Lee Ward, Kaaron Warren.
The Hideous Book of Hidden Horrors
Edited by Doug Murano
"This first volume in award-winning Horror editor Murano’s new independent imprint may claim to be hiding its terrors, but in reality, the horrors are on full, nightmarish display, and satisfied readers will eagerly seek out more titles by the authors included here." ~ Library Journal starred review
Foreword: Josh Ruben
Stories: The Pelt: Annie Neugebauer, Wish Wash: Sarah Read, When I Catch You: Hailey Piper, What’s Missing?: Zoje Stage, Still Life with Bones: Andy Davidson, The Things We Did, We Did, Were All for Real: John F.D. Taff, Mooncake: Lee Murray, Dungeon Punchinello: Josh Malerman, Below the Wildflower Hill: Sara Tantlinger, Don’t Open the Cellar Door: Jo Kaplan, Roses in the Attic: Cynthia Pelayo, Peripheral Vision: Richard Thomas, Haunted Inside: Gabino Iglesias, Counting Tunnels to Berry: Alan Baxter, Annie’s Heart is a Haunted House: Todd Keisling, They Are Still Out There, You Just Can’t See Them Anymore: Jonathan Lees.
Dark Deeds Down Under
Edited by Craig Sisterson
Dark Deeds Down Under features the very best of modern Australian and New Zealand crime and mystery writing. Spend time with some of your favourite Aussie and Kiwi cops, sleuths and accidental heroes, and meet some edgy new investigators. A crew of beloved series characters - Corinna Chapman, Hirsch, Sam Shephard, Rowly Sinclair, Nick Chester, Murray Whelan - will lead you down dark alleys to meet our newer heroes - the Nancys, Penny Yee and Matiu, Alex Clayton, Kate Miles - and the stars of some cracking standalone tales. Travel the criminal trails of two countries. From the dusty Outback to South Island glaciers, from ocean-carved coastlines and craggy mountains to sultry rainforests or Middle Earth valleys, and via sleepy towns to the seething underbellies of our cosmopolitan cities. Stories by Alan Carter - Nikki Crutchley - Aoife Clifford - Garry Disher - Helen Vivienne Fletcher - Lisa Fuller - Sulari Gentill - Kerry Greenwood - Narrelle M. Harris - Katherine Kovacic - Shane Maloney - R.W.R. McDonald - Dinuka McKenzie - Dan Rabarts & Lee Murray - Renee - Stephen Ross - Fiona Sussman - Vanda Symon - David Whish-Wilson.
The King Must Fall
Edited by Adrian Collins
When the mighty and cruel must be brought low, it's the killers and the schemers who emerge from the shadows. As plans twist and change, and our protagonists are foiled and beaten, one thing remains true: no matter the cost, the king must fall. The King Must Fall is a dark fantasy anthology featuring 19 titans of the dark and grimdark fantasy genres writing about rogues, assassins, mages, blackguards, and warriors on quests to kill their kings, rulers, captains, and leaders.
Featuring stories by Devin Madson, Luke Scull, Anna Smith Spark, Anthony Ryan, Michael R Fletcher, Jeremy Szal, Lee Murray, Daniel Polansky, Shawn Speakman, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Trudi Canavan, Alex Marshall, Anna Stephens, Justin Call, Peter Orullian, Kameron Hurley, Matthew Ward, Deborah A. Wolf, and Bradley P. Beaulieu.
The Horror Show
Delighted to have my prize-winning short story, "Selfie", appear in Weird Book's The Horror Show, in Italian translation by the fabulous, Nicola Lombardi. And just look at that incredible cover!
Among the Headstones
Edited by Rayne Hall
This book presents twenty-seven of the finest - and creepiest - graveyard tales with stories by established writers, classic authors and fresh voices.
Here you'll find Gothic ghost stories by Robert Ellis, Lee Murray, Greg Chapman, Morgan Pryce, Rayne Hall, Guy de Maupassant, Myk Pilgrim, Zachary Ashford, Amelia Edwards, Nina Wibowo, Krystal Garrett, Tylluan Penry, Ambrose Bierce, Cinderella Lo, Nikki Tait, Arthur Conan Doyle, Priscilla Bettis, Kyla Ward, Edgar Allan Poe, Paul D Dail, Cameron Trost, Pamela Turner, William Meikle and Lord Dunsany who thrill with their eerie, macabre and sometimes quirky visions.
You'll visit graveyards in Britain, Indonesia, Russia, China, Italy, Bulgaria, Thailand, USA, Australia, South Africa and Japan, and you can marvel at the burial customs of other cultures.
Literally Dead: 13 Tales of Halloween Hauntings
Edited by Gaby Triana
"An exceptional collection of stories that is sure to become a Halloween classic."
Do you love All Hallows' Eve? Ghost stories? Tales from beyond that leave you feeling unsettled while walking to the kitchen at night? The orange-and-black vintage Halloween aesthetic? Haunted houses with shuttered windows?
Edited by Gaby Triana with John Palisano, this anthology of 19 short stories by some of the most terrifying names in horror is the perfect collection for a dark and stormy October night. Featuring tales to make you hide under the covers by: Jonathan Maberry, Gwendolyn Kiste, Catherine Cavendish, Tim Waggoner, Jeff Strand, Sara Tantlinger, Lee Murray, Alethea Kontis, Lisa Morton & more.
Galaxia 42 #33, Dec 2022
Delighted to announce that my Bram Stoker Award-winning short story, "Permanent Damage", appears in Galaxia 42 #33, December 2022 edition in Romanian, with translation by Eliza Filimon.
Grimdark Magazine Issue 19
Grimdark Magazine presents the darker, grittier side of fantasy and science fiction. Each quarterly issue features established and new authors to take you through their hard-bitten worlds alongside articles, reviews and interviews. Our stories are grim, our worlds are dark and our morally grey protagonists and anti-heroes light the way with bloody stories of war, betrayal and action.
FICTION: The Fool Jobs by Joe Abercrombie, Eye of the Beholder by Trudi Canavan, Under Calliope’s Skin by Alan Baxter, Death at the Pass by Michael R. Fletcher, & Lifeblood by Lee Murray
NON-FICTION: An Interview with Geoff Brown, Review: The Monster of Elendhaven by Jennifer Giesbrecht, (Almost) Total Failure: Succeeding in the Short Story Market by T.R. Napper, Review: Blood of an Exile by Brian Naslund & An Interview with Syama Pedersen
Cthulhu Land of the Long White Cloud
Steve Proposch, Christopher Sequeira and Bryce Stevens (eds)
Introduction by Kaaron Warren
New Zealand—Aotearoa—Land of the Long White Cloud: the island remnants of the sunken continent of Zealandia. With its boiling geysers, active volcanoes, earthquakes, deep water fjords and lush forests of fern, these are realms once home to forgotten creatures like the giant Moa bird Dinornis. But there is something else…
In this collection we find an Aotearoa with the proud history, myths, and legends of the Māori, and the impacts of the white settler’s later presence, and the blended society that encompasses both, but we see the shadow of other things.
Herein lies the cosmic horror of the Old Ones of the Cthulhu Mythos in an anthology featuring Lovecraftian tales from some of New Zealand’s finest speculative fiction writers.
Stay brave. Because here there be monsters.
Tales of terror by: Debbie & Matt Cowens, J. C. Hart, David Kuraria, Tracie McBride, Paul Mannering, Lee Murray, Jane Percival, Dan Rabarts, Grant Stone, Lucy Sussex, Marty Young
Cover art and design by Steve Santiago
Cthulhu Land of the Long White Cloud
Steve Proposch, Christopher Sequeira and Bryce Stevens (eds)
Introduction by Kaaron Warren
New Zealand—Aotearoa—Land of the Long White Cloud: the island remnants of the sunken continent of Zealandia. With its boiling geysers, active volcanoes, earthquakes, deep water fjords and lush forests of fern, these are realms once home to forgotten creatures like the giant Moa bird Dinornis. But there is something else…
In this collection we find an Aotearoa with the proud history, myths, and legends of the Māori, and the impacts of the white settler’s later presence, and the blended society that encompasses both, but we see the shadow of other things.
Herein lies the cosmic horror of the Old Ones of the Cthulhu Mythos in an anthology featuring Lovecraftian tales from some of New Zealand’s finest speculative fiction writers.
Stay brave. Because here there be monsters.
Tales of terror by: Debbie & Matt Cowens, J. C. Hart, David Kuraria, Tracie McBride, Paul Mannering, Lee Murray, Jane Percival, Dan Rabarts, Grant Stone, Lucy Sussex, Marty Young
Cover art and design by Steve Santiago
Like Sunshine After Rain
Edited by Heidi Ruby Miller
Raw Dog Screaming Press and international award-winning editor Heidi Ruby Miller are taking pre-orders for the charity anthology LIKE SUNSHINE AFTER RAIN. Proceeds benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The beautiful cover is by Brad Sharp. Interior illustrations by Sharon A. Ruby. This limited edition anthology is available in lettered hardcover and numbered paperback editions. It hosts short stories, poems, and essays from 82 authors, including: New York Times bestsellers Jonathan Maberry and Maria V. Snyder, USA Today bestseller Annette Dashofy, international bestseller Liz Coley, Amazon Charts bestsellers Cary Caffrey, Sasha Dawn, and Jennifer Foehner Wells, Drue Heinz Literature Prize winner Randall Silvis, Bram Stoker Award winners Lee Murray, Christina Sng, Lucy A. Snyder, Sara Tantlinger, and Tim Waggoner, International Horror Guild Award winners Michael A. Arnzen and Gary Braunbeck, Asimov’s Readers Award winner Timons Esaias, Arthur J. Rooney Award winner Jason Jack Miller, Pittsburgh City Paper Best Local Writer winner Brian Butko, American Library Association Notable Book Award winner Lynn Salsi, & Eugene V. Debs Foundation Literature Prize winner Eric Leif Davin.
Fright Train
Edited by the Switch House Gang
Out in the darkness a mournful whistle howls, the ground shakes, and steam hisses as the Fright Train rumbles into the station. From the Victorian Age to contemporary times, fear rides the rails in these tales set on and around trains of all kinds. Climb aboard and let 13 of today’s best and two classic horror writers take you on night journeys to destinations unknown.
Featuring stories by Amanda Dewees, Christopher Golden, Scott Goudsward, Bracken MacLeod, Elizabeth Massie, James A Moore, Lee Murray, Errick Nunnally, Stephen, Mark Rainey, Charles R Rutledge, Jeff Strand, Tony Tremblay, Mercedes M Yardley, and classic stories by Charles Dickens and Arthur Conan Doyle.
There Is No Death, There Are No Dead: Tales of Spiritualism Horror
Edited by Aaron J. French and Jess Landry
There Is No Death, There Are No Dead is a horror anthology that tackles all aspects of the spiritualist movement: from the true believers to the nay-sayers, the hoaxes to hauntings, the real mediums to the scam artists. From ghosts to possessions, from profound loss to insurmountable grief, these short stories explore limitless genres (historical fiction, Gaslamp mystery, modern horror, and everything in between) with a diverse cast of characters challenged at every corner. There Is No Death, There Are No Dead includes new work from some of the most talented and respected authors in the horror and dark fantasy genres, featuring stories from Gemma Files, Helen Marshall, Kathe Koja, Lee Murray, David Demchuk, Lisa Morton, Gwendolyn Kiste, S.P. Miskowski, Seanan McGuire, Catherine Lord, Chesya Burke, Nadia Bulkin, Michelle Belanger, and Laird Barron, and edited by Bram Stoker Award winner Jess Landry and Aaron J. French.
"My absolute favorite in this was “The Bone Eater” by Lee Murray. I found this story to be tragic, heartbreaking, beautiful and chilling to the bone. No pun intended. It is too short to say much, the title says enough and no, it will not be what you think. It will be more." -- Uncomfortably Dark
Attack from the 80s
edited by Eugene Johnson
Modern technology has brought some new twists and turns to horror. Found footage, cell phone-based viruses, literal ghosts in the machines but maybe it's time for a throwback. It's time for some new tales of slumber party horrors, VCR monsters, and problems that can't be solved with a smart phone. We want tales of unstoppable monsters, sewer-dwelling creatures, looming threats of cold-war chaos. Give us fear under the neon lights of an arcade, people fighting for their lives against the backdrop of a hot city night and a cheesy sax solo. Take us back to a time when latchkey kids had to fend for themselves and the only thing left to stop an unspeakable horror was a plucky band of high school kids. Make it bloody. Make it gnarly. Make it 80s!
Featuring over 20 Bram Stoker Award winning and Best Selling Authors such as Joe R. Lansdale, Kasey Lansdale, Weston Ochse, Lisa Morton, Grady Hendrix, Tim Waggoner, Christina Sng, Stephanie M. Wytovich, Jess Landry, Vince Liaguno, F. Paul Wilson, John Skipp, Linda D Addison and many more.
Includes my Bram Stoker Award-winning short story, Permanent Damage.
Professor Charlatan Bardot's Travel Anthology to the Most (Fictional) Haunted Buildings in the Weird, Wild World
For nearly forty years, renowned paranormal investigator Professor Charlatan Bardot has examined, documented, and acquired stories of haunted buildings around the world. Partnered with leading anthologist Eric J. Guignard, and gifted artists Steve Lines and James Gabb, the greatest of Charlatan's discoveries are made available now in this comprehensive travel anthology!
From the Philippines' tragic Ame-Soeur Clothing Factory, to Sweden's reverent Fish Church; from Tanzania's vengeful Unguja Restaurant, to Canada's cursed Crow Island Lighthouse, Charlatan Bardot presents a lifetime of experience and insight into paranormal architecture.
27 feature stories and 36 tiny tales are included of haunted temples, diners, hotels, shops, hospitals, outposts, theaters, and other building types, along with maps, travel notes, illustrations, and more, all designed to provide an immersive experience for veteran travelers and armchair ghost hunters alike! Enter Professor Charlatan Bardot's Travel Anthology to the Most (Fictional) Haunted Buildings in the Weird, Wild World and explore the strange and curious locales of the globe and of your imagination.
Giving the Devil His Due
Edited by Rebecca Brewer
What if a young girl had the power to stop her tyrannical father from battering her mother ever again? What if a student had a secret weapon to end sexual assault by her predatory professor permanently? What if a housewife had unusual means to get back at her controlling husband and walk away from her marriage alive? In Giving the Devil His Due, the Pixel Project's first charity anthology, sixteen acclaimed fantasy, science fiction, and horror authors take readers on an unforgettable journey to alternative worlds where men who abuse and murder women and girls meet their comeuppance in uncanny ways.
Featuring stories from Stephen Graham Jones, Christina Henry, Peter Tieryas, Kelley Armstrong, Linda D. Addison, Hillary Monahan, and more, Giving the Devil His Due presents sixteen stories that will make you think about the importance of justice for the victims of gender-based violence, how rare this justice is in our own world, and why we need to end violence against women once and for all.
Shadow Atlas: Dark Tales of the Americas
Edited by Carina Bissett, Hillary Dodge, and Josh Viola
Ancient peoples knew there were lands given over to shadow and spirit. The world is full of haunted places that exact a terrible toll on trespassers. Our forebears paid a heavy price to earn the wisdom and the warning they bequeathed to future generations. Time transformed their precious knowledge into superstition, but there are those whose hearts beat in rhythm with the past and whose vision is not clouded by modernity. Seeking to reclaim humanity’s early secrets, the Umbra Arca Society was forged. For centuries, this private league of explorers dedicated their lives to uncovering the oldest mysteries of the Americas. Armed with boldness and guile, and equipped with only a compass, a journal, and devotion to truth, these adventurers braved cursed landscapes, dared unnatural adversaries, and exposed hidden civilizations.
Their stories are maps revealing the topography and contours of landscapes unimaginable and dark. The Shadow Atlas collects their adventures.
With Fiction and Poetry by Mario Acevedo • Colleen Anderson • Kay Chronister • Sara Cleto • David Davies • Sean Eads • Anastasia Garcia • Owl Goingback • Maxwell I. Gold • Warren Hammond • Angie Hodapp • Jimena Jurado • Starlene Justice • Gwendolyn Kiste • Gerri Leen • Josh Malerman • Juliana Spink Mills • Tiffany Morris • Lee Murray • Annie Neugebauer • Gerardo Horacio Porcayo • Cameron E. Quinn • Sarah Read • Kathryn Reilly • Julia Rios • Betty Rocksteady • Marge Simon • Angela Yuriko Smith • Christina Sng • Jeanne C. Stein • Tim Waggoner • Brittany Warman • Christa Wojciechowski • Stephanie M. Wytovich • Mercedes M. Yardley • Jane Yolen • E. Lily Yu • Alvaro Zinos-Amaro
An Unholy Thirst: Fifteen Vampire Tales
Edited by Cliff Biggers and Charles Rutledge
Pavanne Press, October 2021
Enter freely, and drink deeply of fifteen vampire tales told by a sanguinary collection of modern horror authors. Here you will find both traditional vampires, and those who stretch genre boundaries. Not all of these Nosferatu drink blood, but they all share an unholy thirst for human lives. So step into the shadows, and listen for the children of the night.
With Stories by Amanda DeWees, Donald F. Glut, John Linwood Grant, Leanna Renee Hieber, Paul McNamee, Chris McAuley, Lee Murray, Josh Reynolds, Cat Scully, Jeff Strand
Plus, a new Sonja Blue story by Nancy A. Collins, a new Bubba the Monster Hunter story by John Hartness, a new Deacon Chalk story by James R. Tuck, a new Jonathan Crowley/Carter Decamp story by James A. Moore and Charles R. Rutledge, and introducing Renard Duvall in a story by Cliff Biggers.
Midnight from Beyond the Stars
Kenneth W. Cain (ed)
Silver Shamrock Publishing
There’s life out there… and it’s coming for you! It starts as a mild rattling of the windows disturbing your pleasant dreams. Then the trees outside your bedroom rustle from a mysterious celestial wind. When the neighborhood dogs erupt in a cacophony of terrified barking, you’re jerked from your peaceful slumber. Through bleary eyes you look at the display on the nightstand. Midnight. A roar cracks the obsidian night sky as a ball of blinding light streaks out of the heavens, crashing with an earthshaking explosion on the other side of the hill. Racing to the open window, you smell the electric scent of charred ozone in the night air. The pulsing glow in the distance mesmerizes your senses. There’s something pulling you from its rhythmic humming. Something too enticing to resist. Something’s out there, and it has a story to tell. Lots of stories. You slip on your shoes and make your way for the door…
Stitched Lips: An Anthology of Horror by Silenced Voices
Ken McGregor (ed) Dragon Roost Press
R.L. Meza, Sarah Hans, Linda Nagle, Lucy A. Snyder, Lee Murray, Z.Z. Claybourne, Joanna Koch, Gabino Iglesias, Hailey Piper, Patty Templeton, Michael Paul Gonzalez bring you some of the most horrifying tales available today.
All profits from this anthology will be donated to the Southern Poverty Law Center, an organization whose goal is the advancement of human rights for all people.
Contact: A Military Horror Anthology
Chris McNally (ed) Screaming Banshee Press
Welcome to military horror at its finest. Inside you will find nine pulse-pounding stories from an A-list of genre stalwarts and newcomers alike, including William Meikle of S-Squad fame, international bestseller, Alister Hodge, and award-winning author, Lee Murray— with an all-new Taine McKenna adventure!
Squaddies, mercs, bodyguards, Roman centurions— we’ve got it all. Big bad beasties included! When fangs are bared, and the blood starts to flow, its time to stand your ground and fight to the bitter end.
Hoo-rah!
One of Us
Kenneth W. Cain (ed) Bloodshot Books
The horror community lost Frank Michaels Errington in May of 2019, and his absence has been thoroughly felt by all who were lucky enough to interact with him. Kind, gracious, inclusive, and just an all-around nice man, Frank made a large impact on the whole industry as a book reviewer, but he also had a positive effect on many individual creators by making sure that everyone felt welcome and acknowledged.
One of Us: A Tribute to Frank Michaels Errington is filled with the stories of writers whose lives Frank touched in one way or another. He challenged them, cheered them on, and he made sure to read the big names and small names alike. Frank needed a new kidney. He was undergoing dialysis treatments and hoping for a compatible donor, but unfortunately, he was not able to get the help in time to save his life. Because of this, proceeds from the sales of this book will be donated in Frank’s name to the American Transplant Foundation. Help us help others in Frank’s situation before another vital person is lost to those who value them. This book represents the camaraderie and love that Frank instilled in the horror community. If you ever feel alone or out of place, just remember the words that Frank himself told many creatives while he was still alive.
“You’re one of us.”
Relics, Wrecks, & Ruins
Aiki Flinthart (ed) Cat Press
Futures and Pasts, Fearless and Frightening.
This is a must-read collection for all fans of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror. A celebration of legacy and endurance.
•Bizarre remains of a lost civilisation emerge from the ice.
•The ghosts of a drowned town wait to be awakened.
•A witch with a dragon problem.
•What Elvis will do to protect his fellow artists from annihilation.
•An ancient spaceship carries the last, fragmented memories of Earth.
•Broken souls of the dead are passed on to the new-born.
•…These and many more tales showcase the hopes, remnants, and fears of humanity.
Having been diagnosed with terminal cancer, Aiki Flinthart reached out for works from as many of her favourite authors as would answer the call. And many did.
Between these pages you’ll find stories by some of the world’s best science fiction, fantasy, and horror writers. Find new favourite authors and re-join old friends.
Their fabulous works are threads woven with a sure hand into a tapestry of the weird, the worrying, and the wonderful that make up mankind.
With stories by Neil Gaiman, Ken Liu, Juliet Marillier, Angela Slatter, Jan-Andrew (JA) Henderson, Garth Nix, Pamela Jeffs, Marianne de Pierres, Jasper Fforde, Mary Robinette Kowal, James (SA) Corey, Lee Murray, Sebastien de Castell, Ian Irvine, Robert Silverberg, Mark Lawrence, Kate Forsyth, Kylie Chan, Cat Sparks, David Farland, Jack Dann, Dirk Flinthart, & Aiki Flinthart
The Best of Indie Horror
Kevin Kennedy (ed) Kevin Kennedy Publishing
After releasing several best-selling anthology series, I wanted to do something new. Having worked with a tremendous number of authors over the years, I decided to gather some of my favourites together and do an unthemed book. This book is the result of that idea. Inside the cover, you will find an array of styles covering a wealth of sub genres. I present you with, the best of indie horror.
Over 100K of new stories by:
Shaun Hutson / Tim Curran / Mark Lukens / Lee Mountford / John R. Little / Andrew Lennon / Calvin Demmer / J.C. Michael / David Owain Hughes / Lee Murray / Christina Bergling / Mark Cassell / Christopher Motz / Mike Duke / Kyle M. Scott / Steven Stacy / Lex Jones / Douglas Hackle / Nicola Lombardi
Weird Tales Vol 364
Jonathan Maberry (ed)
A woman seduces a dragon, evil flowers attack the earth, and Bram Stoker reveals the horrific origins of Dracula, in this 364th edition of the worlds greatest magazine of Dark Fantasy.
“Too Late Now” by Seanan McGuire (Short story)
“Ellende” by Gregory Frost (Short story)
“Lightning Lizzie by Marie Whittaker (Flash Fiction)
The Beguiled Grave” by Marguerite Reed (Short story)
“The Last War” by Linda Addison (Poetry)
“To the Marrow” by Rena Mason (Short story)
“Feathers” by Tim Waggoner (Flash Fiction)
“Last Days” by Dacre Stoker and Leverett Butts (Short story)
“Trailer Park Nightmare” by Gabrielle Faust (Flash Fiction)
“No One Survives the Beach” by Weston Ochse (Short story
“Hats” by Joe R. Lansdale (Flash Fiction)
“The Good Wife” by Lee Murray (Short story)
“The Canal” by Alessandro Manzetti (Poetry)
Cover art by Lynne Hansen
Infected 1 - Tales to Read at Home
Steve Dillon (ed) Things in the Well
It's an infected apocalypse and we're all (alone) in it together!
ALL proceeds go to the Save the Children Coronavirus Response.
Infected authors include:
Lisa Morton | Kevin J. Anderson | Lee Murray | Tabatha Wood | Ben Monroe | Peter Naughton | Dawn DeBraal | Carolyn Geduld | Steve Carr | Ingrid Taylor | Stephen Herczeg | Mark Cassell | Darren Todd | Kurt Newton | Jenean McBrearty | Steve Dillon | Cory Swanson | Marlin Bressi | Paul Moore and Eugene Johnson
Mother Ghost's Grimm
Edited by Melodie Marvin and Natalie Brown
ASIN: B082SF76LS; NBH Publishing
A creepy collection of tales sure to keep you up at night. Grab a flashlight and let your mind wander into the haunted unknown. A place where shadows lurk around every corner and the boogeyman wsaits your arrival. With every turn a new nightmare begins. Are you brave enough to reach the end? An anthology of scary tales for children, Mother Ghost's Grim includes my story The 180 Kickflip.
Blood, Brains & Bullets: A Zombie Apocalypse Anthology
Screaming Banshee Press
Witness the zombie apocalypse in all its bloody, bullet-laden glory! Inside this tome you will find ten original stories from some of today’s best horror and speculative-fiction writers from around the globe.
Join the likes of twelve-time Sir Julius Vogel Award winner and Bram Stoker Award® nominee Lee Murray, not to mention her fellow Bram Stoker Award® nominee Jake Bible, as they, and a host of other dark minds, take you on a journey through this hellish maelstrom of the macabre.
Viral outbreaks, eco-tastrophes and divine judgement await for any of those foolish enough to brave the pages contained within.
Welcome to the apocalypse, b******!
Tales of the Lost Volume 1
We all Lose Something! (Things in the Well Book 42)
Edited by Eugene Johnson and Steve Dillon
We all lose something… We lose many things during our time in this universe. From the moment we are born we start losing time, and loss becomes a part of our life from the beginning. We lose friends (both imaginary and real), loved ones, pets, and family. We gain stuff and lose stuff, from our socks to our money. We can lose our hope, sanity, passions, our mind, and perhaps even our soul! In the end when death finds us, we end up losing everything... Don’t we?
Tales of the Lost takes a dark look at the things we lose and the ghosts we struggle with.Featuring haunting stories from critically acclaimed masters of horror F. Paul Wilson, Tim Waggoner, Lisa Morton, Yvonne Navarro, David Wellington, Lee Murray, Stephen Graham Jones, Jess Landry, John Palisano, Chris Mason, Paul Moore, Eric J. Guignard, Jeff Strand, Ben Monroe, Christina Sng, and Kevin J. Anderson. With an introduction by S.G. Browne and a specially commissioned cover by Francois Vaillancourt. Also featuring interior artwork from horror master Luke Spooner.
Shallow Waters Vol.3: A Flash Fiction Anthology
Edited by Joe Mynhardt
Shallow Waters—where nothing stays buried.
With twenty-one dark tales diving beneath the surface of life, death, and the pain between them.
Shallow Waters is the official monthly flash fiction challenge hosted by the award-winning Crystal Lake Publishing. Every month a new challenge is posted online, with authors submitting via email. The best submissions are then posted on Crystal Lake’s Patreon page, where patrons read daily entries and vote for the winner. What you’ll find in these Shallow Waters anthologies include the most popular of our finalists. Includes a collaboratory, The Other Door, by Dan Rabarts and Lee Murray.
Guilty Pleasures and Other Dark Delights
(Things In The Well Book 7)
Edited by Steve Dillon
An international anthology of dark erotic drabbles (100 words) and double drabbles (200 words). Includes the novella 'Dolls' by the UK's Ramsey Campbell and other 'extras' including a couple of longer stories and some inter-related drabbles, plus some dark erotic illustrations! Definitely adult themed, not suitable for children! With illustrations and other extras including the discussion “On Ramsey Campbell’s ‘Scared Stiff’ by S.T. Joshi”, a discussion "On Sex and Horror". Edited by Steve Dillon, ex-President of the Australian Horror Writers Association and series editor of the Things in the Well series of anthologies, and stories from award-winning and emerging writers!
Includes my stories Selkie Love and Monster Party.
Monarchies of Mau: Tales of Excellent Cats
Edited by Melanie Meadors
"Before we were six. Now we are one. We differ on many points, but on these we agree: Always trust our instincts, always reward loyalty, and always pounce upon minions of the Unseen. Without these tenets, we are no longer worthy of the adoration of Man." – Monarch Trillani Persian von Mau, deceased
Cats have inherited the world, unifying their six fractious monarchies after untold centuries. These cats have been uplifted to use tools and language, and they seek to rediscover the ruins of the Old Ones. Some have learned to use the leftover technology of humanity, but they believe it to be magic given to them by their lost worshippers. Others seek to create a cohesive nation, using Precepts of Mau agreed to after years of political conflict. The world is dangerous and mysterious, but over the course of these 14 stories, the instincts of a good cat will always prove to be true.
Includes my story Out of the Shadows.
100 Word Horrors Part 2:
An Anthology of Horror Drabbles (100 Word Horror Collection)
Kevin Kennedy
Kevin J. Kennedy has once again served up the best of the horror world to bring you an anthology that is packed with creepy tales.
Between these pages you will find over one hundred drabbles, written by a wealth of talented authors. From the best indie horror authors to Bram Stoker award winners and Amazon top sellers. We have monsters, mayhem and madness. Come join us.
Includes Lee's drabbles Preserving Jar, and Maiden Flight.
Cthulhu Land of the Long White Cloud
Steve Proposch, Christopher Sequeira and Bryce Stevens (eds)
Introduction by Kaaron Warren
New Zealand—Aotearoa—Land of the Long White Cloud: the island remnants of the sunken continent of Zealandia. With its boiling geysers, active volcanoes, earthquakes, deep water fjords and lush forests of fern, these are realms once home to forgotten creatures like the giant Moa bird Dinornis. But there is something else…
In this collection we find an Aotearoa with the proud history, myths, and legends of the Māori, and the impacts of the white settler’s later presence, and the blended society that encompasses both, but we see the shadow of other things.
Herein lies the cosmic horror of the Old Ones of the Cthulhu Mythos in an anthology featuring Lovecraftian tales from some of New Zealand’s finest speculative fiction writers.
Stay brave. Because here there be monsters.
Tales of terror by: Debbie & Matt Cowens, J. C. Hart, David Kuraria, Tracie McBride, Paul Mannering, Lee Murray, Jane Percival, Dan Rabarts, Grant Stone, Lucy Sussex, Marty Young
Cover art and design by Steve Santiago
Beneath the Waves: Tales from the Deep
Edited by Steve Dillon
From Things in the Well publications, terrifying tales from under the sea, this collection includes my story Penny Divers. With original fiction by Timothy G. Huguenin, Darren Todd, Dan LeRoy, Darin Hlavaz, Charlie Walls, Brian Craddock, Eric Dimbleby, Marc E. Fitch, Shannon Lawrence, Marie Michaels, Chris Mason, Aristo Couvaras, Rhoads Brazos, Matthew R. Davis, and classic short stories by HP Lovecraft, Clive Barker, HG Wells, Jules Verne, and Alfred Lord Tennyson.
Cover art by Bob Eggleton, and 12 interior illustrations by Will Jacques.
Steve Proposch, Christopher Sequeira and Bryce Stevens (eds)
Cthulhu Deep Down Under Volume 2 takes us back below the equator, into the bizarre and headlong towards horror. From mist-shrouded peaks and canyons of Melanesian islands, through rainforests and scorching deserts of the island continent of Terra Australis, and across the Tasman Sea to the inhospitable hinterlands of New Zealand. Includes my story Dead End Town. With original fiction by Kirstyn McDermott, Robert Hood, Jason Nahrung, Bill Congreve, J Scherpenhuizen, Silvia Brown, T.S.P. Sweeney, Geoff Brown, and David Kuraria, and introduction by Peter Rawlik.
Includes Lee's Bram Stoker Award-nominated story, Dead End Town.
You can listen to presenter-scholars Michele Brittany and Nicholas Diak, as they do an in-depth review of this volume on Episode 36 of their fabulous HP Lovecast Podcast HERE.
Kaiju Rising: Age of Monsters II
Edited by NK Sharps and Alana Joli Abbott
Coming soon from Outland Publications — monstery goryness, including my story Maui's Hook, in this sequel to the successful Kaiju Rising anthology due for release in May 2018. Edited by Nick Sharps and Alana Joli Abbott and featuring work by some absolutely amazing authors (including some of my heroes) namely: Melanie R Meadows, Cullen Bunn, Kane Gilmour, Guadalupe Garcia McCall, Nick Cole, Steven Diamond, Marie Brennan, Mari Murdock, Sabrina Vourvoulias, Zin E Rocklyn, Dann Wells, Jonathan Green, ML Brennan, and Seanan McGuire.
Fantastic cover art by Tan Ho Sim.
Between the Tracks:
Tales from the Ghost Train
From OzHorrorCon come 23 stories by Ramsey Campbell, M.R. James, Christopher Golden, Steve Vernon, Martin Livings, Paul Kane, Alan Baxter, Brian Craddock, Raven McAllister, Matthew R Davis, Dan Rabarts, Mark Allan Gunnells, Amdi Silvestri, Robert Mammone, Pete Sutton, Noel Osualdini, Jonathan Cromack, Charles Dickens, Marty Young, Steve Dillon, and G.M. Hague, and includes an essay about Clive Barker's epic The Midnight Meat Train reprinted in a unique annotated format by Sorcha NI Fhlainn. Including my story Trackers and with an introduction by Mark Alan Miller, this book is ideal for collectors and anyone who enjoys being scared on their daily commute! So, mind the gap and tread carefully as you tread Between the Tracks...
New Orbit Magazine
Inaugural issue, October 2017
This is a place for uncomfortable little futures.
New Orbit Magazine is an upcoming short story publication focused on the future, dystopia, and speculative/science fiction, themed around the concept of "uncomfortable little futures". It follows in the footsteps of the literary magazines that published the early works of Isaac Asimov, H.G. Wells, Roald Dahl and the like, and it runs alongside modern storytelling concepts like Black Mirror. The first issue includes a classic tale by Arthur C Clarke Finalist Phillip Mann, as well as a reprint of my Sir Julius Vogel Award winning story, Hope is the Thing With Feathers and an accompanying essay.
Shades of Santa
Tales from the Bloody North Pole
A Christmas- themed anthology of short, scary stories using six themes from OzHorrorCon with all profits donated to charity. The themes are: Sleigh Bells, All is Calm, The Naughty List, Is That Really an Elf? Carols, Choirs, and Vocal Chords and Snow People. Authors were given just a couple of weeks to write a story for one of the themes, using a maximum 666 words for each story. Includes my story Santa Surprise.
The Refuge Collection
A shared world collection of stories by an international line up, The Refuge Collection was established by publisher-editor Steve Dillon of OzHorrorCon with the aim of raising funds for Santuary charities (achievement successfully unlocked!) Includes stories by Paul Kane, Kaaron Warren, Martin Livings, Tracie McBride, Chris McCorkindale, Noel Osualdini, Brian Craddock, EJ McLaughlin and David Allen.
Includes my story The Thief's Tale, winner of the Sir Julius Vogel Award for Best Short Story, 2016
SNAFU: Unnatural Selection
Cohesion Press
In SNAFU: Unnatural Selection, the monsters are wonderful, slobbering, phantasmas, the result of scientific accident or design, or casualties of the cracks in time. They are stories of soldiers, ordinary men and women pitted against the unimaginable, and the humanity they show in spite of such monstrous odds. Edited by Geoff Brown and A J Spedding, Snafu: Unnautural Selection includes stories by Dave Beynon, Justin Bell, James Moore and Charles R Rutledge, Justin Coates, Tim Lebbon, Christopher Golden, B Michael Radburn, Richrd Lee Byers, David Amendola and Michael McBride.
*Taine McKenna, NZDF, of Into the Mist makes an appearance in a short story titled, Restless.
Gorgeous cover art by Dean Samed.
StarQuake3
SQ Mag's Best of 2014
IFWG Publishing's e-zine SQ Mag offers up the best of 2014 with their second annual anthology. Star Quake pays homage to all the major genres of speculative fiction with work from writers all over the world. Edited by Sophie Yorkston, the book features twenty original stories by Ken Liu, Kaaren Warren, Sean Williams, and many more.
Includes my story Inside Ferndale, winner of SQ Mag's 2013 International StarQuest Story Competition, and winner of the Sir Julius Vogel Award for Best Short Story, 2014. You can read the story for free here in SQ Mag.
The Best Of Twisty Christmas Tales
31 short stories by 27 authors, including Joy Cowley, David Hill, Lyn McConchie & Dave Freer.
What will Santa put under your tree this Christmas? A present that growls? Or one that smiles? The Best of Twisty Christmas Tales – crazy Christmas adventures for the whole family! Christmas in outer space or at the beach, havoc in Santa’s workshop, monsters running amok, and mad scientists who turn Christmas into chaos. Come along for the sleigh ride of your life, as these Twisty Tales weave their festive magic, whipping across New Zealand pastures, scattering fairy dust on the way to a Christmas BBQ! Includes my stories Bells, and The Christmas Pantomime.
Shortcuts
Writing on the theme of strange tales of Aotearoa New Zealand, seven Kiwi authors weave stories of people and creatures displaced in time and space, risky odysseys, and even more dangerous discoveries. Edited by Marie Hodgkinson, Shortcuts features Lee Murray and Piper Mejia's odyssey through a dystopic future: Mika, A.C. Buchanan's story of creatures and people displaced in time and space: Bree’s Dinosaur, Grant Stone's tale of jealous muses and musical prodigy: The Last, a husband with a secret in I.K. Paterson-Harkness' Pocket Wife, Tim Jones' exploration of desperation and betrayal on New Zealand’s shores: Landfall, and Grief, ghosts, and atoms in Octavia Cade's The Ghost of Matter.
Regeneration
New Zealand Speculative Fiction II
Some things are gone forever; but that is not the end. There are new lives to be lived, new discoveries to be made, changes to be fought for, enjoyed, or feared. Experience worlds where existence continues beyond death and much-wanted babies become something else entirely. Where humanity endures in hostile environments, societies adapt to new challenges and inventions, and strange creatures live secretly among us. Random Static presents 22 original works of science fiction and fantasy by Kiwi authors. Featuring Matt Cowens, Tim Jones, Mary Brock Jones, O.J. Cade, Grace Bridges, I.K. Paterson-Harkness, Kylie Thorne, Debbie Cowens, J.C. Hart, Jennifer Compton, Simon Petrie, Anna Smith, Rebecca Harris, Elizabeth Gatens, Jonathan James Todd, A.J. Fitzwater, Fran Atkinson, Anna Caro, Dan Rabarts, Grant Stone, and Toni Wi. Includes my Sir Julius Vogel Award winning novelette, Cave Fever.
A Foreign Country
New Zealand Speculative Fiction I
A Foreign Country brings together established authors and fresh voices to showcaseNew Zealand's growing community of speculative fiction writers. Humorous, disturbing, intriguing, cautionary, and ultimately hopeful, these tales tell of worlds where the boundaries between human and animal are blurred, babies are not what they seem, desperate measures are in place to ward off disaster, and flying standby can be a big mistake. Stories by Philip Armstrong, Richard Barnes, Claire Brunette, Anna Caro, Matt Cowens, Bill Direen, Dale Elvy, J.C. Hart, Paul Haines, Miriam Hurst, Tim Jones, Susan Kornfeld, Juliet Marillier, James Norcliffe, Ripley Patton, Simon Petrie, Brian Priestley, Marama Salsano, Lee Sentes, Janine Sowerby, and Douglas A. Van Belle.
*My story, Consumed was a finalist in the Sir Julius Vogel Awards for Best Short Story. My first nomination!
