Dark Fantasy Short Stories

Dreamy fantasy stories have actually been a trend. They’ve inspired millions. As opposed to the lengthy novels, these stories are short but cut to the chase in an instant. They light up the weird and the uncanny, the marvelous as well as the fantastic: All the things we know are going beyond the reasonable and instantly realistic - into looking-glass, beyond the songs of the impossibly haunting violin, with the twisted trees of the ancient timbers.

In April 2020, the world faced imminent lock-down, so a group of filmmakers started a virtual support group. Once a week, these diverse voices would assemble to do what they do best: tell each other stories. Campfire horror tales, emotional cosmic mysteries, and anything else that either made them take their minds off what was happening to the world, or help them understand it. HAUNTED REELS is the best of those stories.

The four previous volumes in Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling's anthology series of fairly-tales retold with a distinctively modern edge have been hailded by reviewers as "brilliant", "provocative", and "disturbing". In this triumphant new collection of original fiction, 21 of today's leading writers spin the cherished fables of childhood into glittering gold - offering magical tales for adults, as seductive as they are sophisticated.

The mind of Roland Yeomans is a wonder-filled carnival of delight and terror that stretches from the mysterious forests found bordering civilization to the coldest reaches of alien dimensions. Yet all his work is united by one common thread: a vivid and profound understanding of the vast sea of emotions that bring strength and mythic resonance to our frail species. Roland Yeomans' characters may find themselves anywhere and anywhen.

A beer run becomes an interdimensional excursion. Two men settle their differences after discovering an extraordinary secret in the wilderness. A woman faces the bureaucracy of a digital afterlife. A grieving man seeks to know where his wife was reincarnated. Strange lights in the sky transform the lives of a small town. God and the devil play billiards for people's souls. A teenage deity's science project sprouts a startling discovery. These and more dream-like detours into the surreal, interstitial, and inexplicable await within. Chock full of gooey, mind-bending goodness.

The book is a rich cocktail of short stories that include macabre murders, fraud, love, self-improvement, hate, and laughter. These tongue-in-cheek tales have been created for enjoyment, entertainment, and pleasure.

Stories of the Silver Tower and of Sir Bryan's youth. With more and more foes placing themselves in Sir Bryan's way, the old knight is more determined than ever to reach the Starlight Monastery.

From the savage steppes of Nagali to the heart of intrigue in Quing Tzu, this anthology is packed with tales of the supernatural, of action and adventure. Set in the same world as the epic fantasy Convent series, beginning with A Dead Wizard’s Dream, this collection of 11 original fantastical short stories explores lands heretofore unseen in the series.

A selection of short fiction by Dusty McGowan; blending magic realism and dark comedy.

O.J. Simpson in an alternate reality and blind ninjas ushering in the apocalypse are just two of the beautifully written tales in this seminal work of art, from the mind of a human being the likes of which God and the devil wholeheartedly agree upon. While drenched in comedy, Laughter's Cold Shadow takes on the darkest of subject matter: murder, rape, racism, the nuclear family, ninjas, Nazis, zombies, police brutality, drug cartels, hedonism, psychopathy, and more.

Stories for a Storm Filled Night, is the first book of short stories sent within the dark fantasy trilogy the Storm Series. It’s a standalone book, hence will be perfect for new listeners to the saga. It will transport them to the land of Talocants, where they will meet, werewolves, heroes, and villains.

Set in the same world as the epic fantasy Convent series, beginning with "A Dead Wizard’s Dream", this collection of 11 fantasy short stories takes a closer look at lands and peoples less explored in the Chronicles series so far. From the barbaric and barren Lama Kulul Desert where dwell sinister lizard-men to the lush and lawless Archipelago where barbaric Goblins roam, this adventure-filled anthology is brimming with action, magic and old lore.

During her lifetime Violet Paget, who wrote as Vernon Lee, was referred to as 'the greatest of modern exponents of the supernatural in fiction', and yet today she remains on the periphery of the genre. This collection of her uniquely weird short stories and dark fantasies proves why she was once considered among the best of the genre, and why she deserves to return to those ranks today.

Listen to the latest issue of Savage Realms Monthly and fill up on stalwart heroes doing battle with the forces of evil in this epic collection of short sword and sorcery fiction. This month brings you an exciting crop of stories; Robert Price brings us a new Thongor tale, the talented Matthew X. Gomez delivers another swashbuckling adventure, and Richard L. Rubin is here with a new mercenary mission. Don't miss the latest issue of Savage Realms!

The prophecy says she is the hope. Her magic will bring prosperity and happiness to her people. But her power makes her the prime target. He WANTS her power. His black magic trap is laid out to seduce her....

The 32nd edition of Writers of the Future may be the best new book yet! Brand-new adventure through space, time, and possibility. Along the way these new authors will introduce you to fascinating characters such as Nate, a very loyal companion - like most werewolves would be. Keanie has a parasite that lets her morph and so transform into anyone. Liz owns a dinosaur maker, but raw ingredients can be a problem. Anna slaves away in a factory but her magic leaves her unfulfilled. These authors take creative writing to a whole new level!

Fifteen dark tales by USA Today best-selling author J.R. Rain. "Vampire Nights": Samantha Moon meets someone unexpected on a late-night trip to Denny's, someone who seems to know all her secrets and has all the answers. "Book Burning": Two brothers find themselves on a late-night mission to burn a legendary book of supposed dark powers. "The Silo": The land is dying and crops are failing. The city of Wheatopia is in the middle of the worst drought in recent memory - that is, until a city slicker and his too-thin wife arrive in town.... Plus 12 more!

EPIC award finalist Howard Odentz has penned 26 disturbingly fascinating horror stories about the youngest predators among us. From Andy and Boris to Yuri and Zina, this eclectic anthology is filled, A to Z, with psychopaths, monsters, and murderers.

A collection of three stories by John Kaniecki: "Heretic", "Johnny Can't Run", and "The Psychology of Lady Jane Perkins". Religion and truth battle for control in a future society underground on Earth. In the not-so-far-off future a group of Nazis have been exiled to a distant planet. An engineering student is swept away in love by one Lady Jane Perkins, but what does the young man see in this homeless psychiatric patient?

Welcome to a mystical age of cruelty, hexes, and treachery, where malicious magic rules, and you are but a single necromancer’s spell away from eternal terror. From malevolent medieval magicians to the Wild West witches, this spellbinding volume by a master of the macabre is packed with frightening fables guaranteed to send a supernatural chill down your spine.