Urban Short Stories

Within this collection of short stories you will find a variety of monsters - a whole consternation of them, to use the collective noun. In these tales, a creature of make-believe proves difficult to disbelieve, a trickster-god takes an unkindly interest in witnesses, eldritch horrors can be summoned with a quilt, frustrated wolves face dangerous prey, the angel of death wears a plaid sport coat, wise old women are to be feared and heeded, and where one of the most powerful and potentially dangerous objects in the world is a fork.

Clint Lukas' kompromissloser Held geht malochen, obwohl er Arbeit scheiße findet, macht Filme, obwohl er Filmleute nicht ertragen kann, hält sich für einen Frauenversteher und hat trotzdem immer Streit mit ihnen. Woran das liegt, dass immer alles so kompliziert sein muss? An ihm wohl kaum. Findet er jedenfalls. Clint Lukas lebt seit seinem zwanzigsten Lebensjahr in Berlin. Er hat nichts studiert und keinen Beruf gelernt.

Bevor Charles Dickens mit "Oliver Twist" berühmt wurde, schrieb er Kurzgeschichten. 1836 veröffentlichte er die "Londoner Skizzen". Es sind Beobachtungen, Fantasien und Fiktionen, in denen Dickens das alltägliche Leben humorvoll beschreibt und gleichzeitig die sozialen Missstände im England des 19. Jahrhunderts kritisiert. Sie alle zeigen das London, das er so gut kannte, im Guten wie im Schlechten – seine Straßen, Theater, Gasthäuser, Pfandhäuser und Gefängnisse. Mit seiner eindringlichen Stimme erweckt Tom Vogt Dickens’ Alltagsszenen zum Leben.

Thirteen hundred years ago, the conquering wizard, Nasoj, cast three great spells on the people of Metamor Keep. Fueled by the power of the dark gods, these spells would irrevocably change the castle's defenders in body and soul, rendering them helpless against his advancing armies. Things did not work out as he hoped. The spells were countered, but only partially. They wove together with the castle's own magic, becoming a curse that blanketed the entire valley.

David Bain brings you five stories from the dark side of town. Horror doesn't just happen in a creaking haunted house; the paranormal and occult can creep into every corner of the United States' urban landscape. These short stories of dark fantasy bring the metaphysical mystery of everything from demons to serial killers to your back door....

There is a haunted house up there that squats like a huge wooden toad behind a thick grove of pine trees on the end of a dead end road. Maybe once it was painted, but now it has a gray cadaver-like complexion, and its siding is sagged and splintered as if the devil had been poking at it with his pitchfork. Its windows are streaked and stained, and trying to see through them from the outside is like trying to look a skull in the eye.

A century and a quarter ago, Bram Stoker unleashed the unbridled horror of Count Dracula upon the world. We can only wonder if he ever imagined the impact his creation would have on not only the horror world, but across the globe. Vampires have become a foremost staple of horror stories and have been represented in both print and film countless times over the decades–and their mythos has grown unchecked, evolved, and taken root in the collective consciousness of old and young, horror fans and non-horror fans alike.

Dan and Brenda Stevens finally planned a night out without the kids, and were able to find a babysitter at the last minute. Brenda's friend Karen's daughter Susan happened to be free for the evening because her boyfriend was sick, so instead of being stuck home all night with nothing to do her mother suggested she babysit her friend Brenda's kids, and make a little extra money. Susan was happy to earn some easy money for a couple hours.

Jay is a typical 12-year-old boy. The story of the Man with the White Face has made the rounds in his neighborhood, and he never buys in to the legend until the day he's abducted. That's when Jay learns the horrifying truth about the Man with the White Face.

This collection of stories spans two decades of work by Bram Stoker Award winning author David Niall Wilson. From the streets of Jerusalem to the historical life of Vlad Tepes, follow this prolific author through 11 tales of vampirism, lycanthropy, and darkness. There's a bit of dark humor, a touch of the erotic, and a little something for everyone who loves creatures of the night. These vampires are guaranteed not to sparkle...

What is pleasure?

Everyone will think about this question only for a few minutes. It is easier to ask than to explain, right? The world is ruled by sex, drugs, and imaginary family values. These are the three main pleasures that people experience in the City of Angels. Amongst this, there is a separate caste of people as well—escorts. Over here they are the best, the largest collection for every taste with over ninety percent coming from far away countries.

Vier Schreibende - eine Mission: Euch das Staunen zu lehren. Auf dem Berliner Stammtisch des "Phantastik Autoren Netzwerks" des Dezember 2019 kam die Frage auf, ob es nicht Möglichkeiten gäbe, Montage phantastisch zu finden. Daraus entstand die Idee, jeden Montag eine phantastische Kurzgeschichte zu veröffentlichen. Vier Schreibende plus vier Montage und ein Thema pro Monat, schon war die Sache perfekt. Daher gibt es seit Januar 2020 jeden Montag eine neue phantastische Geschichte auf der Facebook- bzw. Instagram-Seite "Phantastischermontag" und auf unseren AutorInnen-Seiten.

Bullied at school. Abused at home. Davey McKidd has no other choice but to run. He runs until he has nowhere else to go. When a mysterious figure appears, offering him an escape, Davey follows. Pulled into world he could have only imagined, a place where he is accepted, a place he can call home.

Let Tom Cardamone lead you into his wicked universe of changelings and mysterious creatures, where a boy transforms into lightning and illuminates his emerging sexuality. Where a man accidentally receives a package meant for his neighbor, a situation complicated by the fact that he lives next door to a Sphinx. A nurse finds herself working in a retirement home for vampires, while in the future a man questions his decision to live life as a manatee.

Olivia Locke, formerly the Greek titan Mnemosyne, has built a nice little life for herself. She's bound her ancient powers, has a steady job performing inspections for an insurance company, and even goes to the dentist. But when Olivia is sent to a traveling carnival, she discovers that the claims she's reviewing aren't accidents at all but rather symptoms of a depraved bargain struck to keep the operation afloat. And, at the heart of the carnival is a force intent on capturing her very soul.

From New York Times best-selling author Seanan McGuire, a haunting urban fantasy short story in the Carniepunk anthology - for fans of all things circus, supernatural, and mysterious.... It's been 17 years since the last time Ada's carnival passed through her father's hometown in Alabama.... and no one is expecting the reception she gets.

Having just quit Julliard, disillusioned fiddler Melanie St. James finds herself as part of a group of traveling musicians en route to an OtherFolk carnival. Eager to break the chains of a lifetime of conformity, Melanie throws caution to the wind and enters a reckless bargain, plying her musical skills for the chance to win a violin that can open Doors to the CrossRoads. But the competition turns out to be far more than she expected.

When Kiley learns firsthand what evil lurks in the heart of her boyfriend, he’ll learn about the Cold Girl, and her penchant for retribution.

Author of the Amanda Feral series Mark Henry lends his brilliantly twisted imagination to the gripping Carniepunk anthology in this creepy zombie short story. When the zombie apocalypse overtakes New York City, a trip to Coney Island is the most frightening thing of all. A gruesome tale of transformation, Ferris wheels, and transsexuals.

Marriage counselor Nancy Werlock didn't want to take over the family business. Unfortunately for her fate, and a bunch of conniving but well-meaning spirits, have other plans. Now Nancy finds herself fumbling through exorcisms and sorting applications for a new apprentice. Because for Werlock women, the family business is demonology. And at the Three Wishes Boutique, the customer may not always be right, but he may very well be possessed.