Dark Fantasy Short Stories

Come one, come all! The Carniepunk Midway promises you every thrill and chill a traveling carnival can provide. But fear not! Urban fantasy's biggest stars are here to guide you through this strange and dangerous world....

An attack in the dark. The loss of a love. Waking up hung over in a ditch. These are the things that make a hero, especially if that hero is Quincy Harker, immortal wizard, snarky bastard, and general badass. Histories collects two short stories and one short novella giving a peek behind the curtain at the man, the myth, the legend that is Quincy Harker, as well as the origin story of one of his most popular cohorts, Jo Henry.

For almost thirty years, Shirley Jackson Award–winning horror author Gemma Files has consistently served up tale after tale celebrating monstrosity in all its forms: the imperfect, the broken, the beautifully alien, and the sadly familiar. Her characters make their own choices and take their own chances, slipping from darkness into deeper darkness yet never losing their humanity—not even when they’re anything but.

In a world of criminals, thugs, con artists, cheats, and swindlers, there must be a man to stand against the powers of darkness and corruption. A man not afraid to walk the mean streets—whether they be those of 1930s Los Angeles, an ancient fantasy realm, or some far-flung planet of a future star empire. He is a man who knows that a “good man” is not always a “nice guy”. But when the chips are down, he understands that a hero does the right thing, even if it means losing everything.

One of the best ways to turn an average camping trip or sleepover with friends into an all-out adventure is to spark your kid’s curiosity with a nail-biting and edge-of-your-seat tale of terror. Whatever the case may be, these captivating and mind-bending stories are sure to capture their attention and leave them begging for more. On top of that, all of the characters are easily relatable and will even empower your children toward a deeper understanding of some powerful moral life lessons.

Predatory kraken that sing with - and for - their kin; band members and betrayed friends who happen to be demonic; harpies as likely to attract as to repel. Welcome to a world where humans live side-by-side with monsters, from vampires both nostalgic and bumbling, to an eight-legged alien who makes tea. Here you'll find mercurial forms that burrow into warm fat, spectral boy toys, a Maori force of nature, a landform that claims lives, and an architect of hell on earth.

Werewolves, vampires, and gargoyles... these are just a few of the creatures that you will encounter in this collection of short terror stories. From the chilling tale of a man who transforms into a werewolf on the night of the full moon to the terrifying story of a vampire who hunts down its victims in the dead of night, these stories will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Stephen King meets Neil Gaiman in this story of ancient gods and tortured spirits, of temptation and manipulation, and of mankind’s quest to seek justice over revenge. When a forgotten god arrives in a town haunted by the ghosts of dead slaves, will they accept its offer to guide them to the afterlife, or will they heed their priestess’s warnings about the mysterious deity? Gripping and provocative, this story will leave you pondering its ending, and your presumptions, deep into the night.

Spiders. Magic. Horror. Guts. Sisters Skylar and Mia drive deep into the countryside to clean up their dead father's house. Little do they know that they've been followed. Listen to this story for the spider shaman magic. Remember this story in flashes during the night. Better buy some bug spray.

How does a con man survive with no one around to fool but himself? Who does a knight battle when the demons in the dark begin to pale next to his own? And what, exactly, does a minotaur do when he finally gets a vacation day? Here you’ll find scenes that didn’t have a place in the main series, with new events that fall between the first three books to expand the lore and give fresh insight into some of your favorite characters - all with the same snarky and sinister mix you know and love. And maybe a few secrets too, if that’s your kind of thing.

This volume brings together 17 masterful tales of cosmic horror inspired by Lovecraft's work. In his fiction, humanity is a tiny, accidental drop of light and life in the endless darkness of an uncaring universe a darkness populated by vast, utterly alien horrors. Our continued survival relies upon our utter obscurity, something that every fresh scientific wonder threatens to shatter.

In a military kingdom where the king is selected through a series of challenges and through combat, with 600 competitors in the mix, a human warrior struggles to reach the top of an alien society and claim the throne. With his inclusion in the tournament, the first human in centuries to participate, Marcus comes to uncover a deeper and more sinister plot by the king that could see an end to tradition.

A medieval swindler gets caught with his proverbial pants down; a foolproof plan is put into place to pick up some cash via AI, until things take an unexpected and deadly turn; a legendary bodyguard is hired to protect precious cargo, but who will protect the cargo from him? The 14 brand-new stories deal with the complex idea of morality and will make listeners wonder what side is the right side.

There has never been a hunt that Dorian has lost. With his sights sent on a relic the Dragon Kings need to battle an ancient foe, he won’t let anything stand in his way - especially not the beautiful owner. Alexandra is smart and cautious. Yet the attraction between them is impossible to deny - or ignore. In his arms, Alexandra finds passion like no other - and a love that will transcend time. But can she give her heart to a dragon?

In his Locus review of Two Worlds and in Between - the first volume of The Best of Caitlín R. Kiernan - Gary K. Wolfe wrote, “...it makes you wish the second volume were here now.” Well, the long wait is over. This second volume completes this ambitious undertaking, collecting the finest of Kiernan’s stories from 2004 to 2012, selected by the author herself. The book includes 25 short stories and one poem, plus the short novel Black Helicopters - more than 200,000 words of fiction, including the World Fantasy Award-winning “The Prayer of 90 Cats”.

Sin’s Doorway and Other Ominous Entrances is the 4th volume of Night Shade Books’ five volume Selected Stories of Manly Wade Wellman....

If the vampire is both scary and seductive, the lesbian vampire, who lives at the farthest fringes of society, is doubly so. The appeal of this quintessential bad girl is unmistakable and irresistible: the hypnotic eyes, fetishy garb and make-up, lips that can kiss or open to reveal gleaming fangs that lovingly pierce flesh. These are some of the weapons she employs to lure and enslave her victims, willing and otherwise. Edited by noted vampire aficionado Pam Keesey, Dark Angels showcases the lesbian vampire in all her glory.

In this modern day fantasy short story, Shojosh paints a world of seers, sprinters and normals, humans with different or no abilities, who live alongside a world of bountiful creatures, on several of earth’s dimensions. Beneath the façade of your typical coming of age story is an atypical coming together of several mystical forces. Lana and her family are secluded from the rest of Pink Coral, a tiny town that now assumes the worst of the seldom seen and rather odd characters within the Mackenzie compound. But how groundless is the townsfolk’s fear? What evil approaches Pink Coral?

Valentean Burai, White Dragon of the Rosinanti, suffered a stunning defeat within the shadow of a desolate ancient city. Beaten and burned to the point of near-death, he recovers among his closest friends and allies, while harboring a dark secret. A world away, Princess Seraphina Kackritta, The Ice Queen, continues to fight against the forces of chaos that have claimed her homeland. Far from the man she loves, Seraphina must focus her magical abilities and lead an armed resistance to reclaim her kingdom from the shadowy evil that has enveloped her people.

Soar among the redwoods in this bite-sized adventure with Chloe, the recently divorced fairy inventor. She's the one who'll discover the encroaching zombie horde, but what will she do when she does? Come for the campy creature face-off. Stay for the inventiveness, adventure, romance, and intrigue. Torn between her handsome ex-husband and the brave and beautiful captain of the fairy guard, Chloe must fight to save her unborn young and the rest of the fairies.