Some of my favorite authors here, I really enjoyed these short stories! They were all very creepy but it was nice to have a collection of short stories so you could take a pause and come back for more later.
These are great short stories and I look forward to reading more by these authors.

nicely done collection with a great mixture of horror short stories from different authors and different plots all with their own unique tone and plot line.

it was entertaining and nice to read and a good collection for anyone that’s interesting in a quick horror fix!

Wonderful collection of short stories by some of the genre's best horror authors! Grady Hendrix was a favorite as well as Paul Tremblay. I also had an opportunity to listen to the audio shorts which I highly recommend.

Love this so much! Its the perfect sampler from some of horror biggest names! Whether you love these authors or if your looking to try them out this is a great collection.

I found the books to be very interesting. There was a lot of good stories in here from some great authors. I really like that it was centered on monsters for this collection.

This was such a fun collection for the Halloween season. I love Grady Hendrix so much and it was fun to read his short story. Most of the other authors were new to me, so it was a great way to get to know their style without committing to a whole story. It was also fun to see that it was offered free for Amazon Prime subscribers.
My favorite story for sure was Grady Hendrix, I love his style. The boogieman is one of those timeless stories that span childhood into adulthood.

I enjoyed most of these inventive horror-shorts. It's a great introduction to explore beloved horror/thriller authors as each has a distinct voice that is apparent in their stories.

As an amazon exclusive I can not buy this. I do not buy from amazon and hate their exclusivity contracts.

As an amazon exclusive I can not buy this. I do not buy from amazon and hate their exclusivity contracts.

As an amazon exclusive I can not buy this. I do not buy from amazon and hate their exclusivity contracts.

As an amazon exclusive I can not buy this. I do not buy from amazon and hate their exclusivity contracts.

As an amazon exclusive I can not buy this. I do not buy from amazon and hate their exclusivity contracts.

As an amazon exclusive I can not buy this. I do not buy from amazon and hate their exclusivity contracts.

A wonderfully exciting collection of horror reads by some fantastic authors who know how to give you a good scare. There is a story for everyone who loves to be scared or thrilled when they read. Don't miss out on this wonderful collection. I've read books from most of these authors and will be adding those that I hadn't to my tbr list!

I enjoyed every single one of these short stories, some more so than others. Collections like these are so much fun because they are quick and to the point but also leave you wanting more.

Fun short horror stories by some of my favorite horror authors. Thank you so much for allowing me to read these in advance in exchange for a review.

This was such a fun collaboration that would be attractive to horror readers with varied tastes. The stories were all wonderfully written and a joy to read. My favourite was The Pram by Joe Hill.

Very dissapointed in this collection. Most of the stories were slow paced, not even scary and overall boring. My favorite and the only one that I consider to be actually good was Ankle Snatcher by Grady Hendrix. That story was very well paced for its lenght, it was funny, engaging, a tad gruesome and a good time.

The Pram by Joe Hill ★ ★ ★
A couple moves to an old farmhouse in Maine in the hopes of a fresh start. The husband, Willy is given an antique baby carriage by a grocer so that he can wheel his purchases back home. This carriage speaks to Willy's deep desire to be a parent.

This story was weird and creepy. It takes an interesting point of view in terms of parenthood, or the lack of being a parent, from a man's perspective.

Ankle Snatcher by Grady Hendrix ★ ★
Two people with complicated pasts go on a date. Everything seems to be going well, until the ankle snatcher makes an appearance.

This story was okay. It is unfortunately one of those short stories that would benefit from being longer. There is just a lot going on and I don't think 28 pages was enough time for the author to really hash things out.

It Waits in the Woods by Josh Malerman ★ ★

Amanda gets lost in the woods of the Ucatanani National Forest and her sister, Brenda is blamed for not keeping a better eye on her. Years later, Brenda goes to the forest alone, to explore and catch footage of all that she finds. The legend of the demon Opso who looks into the mirror and has no face stays on the top of her mind. What does Brenda find?

This story had its strange/scary elements but it took me FOREVER to get through. The story was not as intriguing as it could have been as Amanda has already disappeared at its beginning and the author pretty much tells you the end from the beginning...

In Bloom Paul Tremblay ★ ★ ★ 1/2
In Bloom is an ominous story that follows Heidi, a journalist who is back in her hometown, writing a piece about toxic algae blooms in the area. Heidi interviews a local who had a peculiar, and somewhat unbelievable, experience with the blooms in his childhood.

This was an engrossing and menacing story. I really enjoyed how the story flowed and how much the author was able to convey in so few pages.

Best of Luck by Jason Mott ★★★★★
Best of Luck follows Will, a man with very bad luck, and Will's best friend Barry who is lucky. Their friendship comes to a tipping point when Will holds Barry at gunpoint.

Best of Luck is by far the best story in this collection. It's a true horror story. It has its disgusting parts, but it also has social commentary about who is lucky, who is unlucky, and how they may just be connected. The best short stories always make me want to check out what else the author has to offer. I can't wait to pick up a full length from Jason Mott!

Big Bad by Chandler Baker ★
Big Bad is a story of marital strife, parenthood, and wolves??

I found this story to be very confusing and annoyingly convoluted. The author slowly reveals what is actually going on....and that was a choice. There was a lot going on in the story, it focused on the careers of the husband and the wife, their troubled marriage, their children, and then there's wolves and a really creepy guy who won't leave? I did not like how the story unfolded. The ending was unexpected, but it still didn't make me like the story in the end.

Overall Rating: ★ ★ ★
I found most of these stories to be just alright. I was excited to read this collection because I recognized most of the authors. I really love Jason Mott's Best of Luck. I will definitely be checking out more of his work. I'd say read Best of Luck and In Bloom, but the rest of the stories are meh.

Creature Feature Collection
Written by Joe Hill, Grady Hendrix, Josh Mallerman, Paul Tremblay, Jason Mott, and Chandler Baker
Read by: Various
Book 249, 258, 259, 260, 264, 265/200
Genre: Horror
Format: Audio/Digital, Short Story Collection
Pages: 58, 29, 52, 35, 29, 59
Published: 2023
Rating: 8/10
Horror: 👻👻
Narration: 8/10

"Most myths have one foot in a reality so distressing mythic decorations are necessary to hide a greater horror, even as they keep the story alive."

Short Story November #8

Creature Feature is a super fun collection of stories from great creators!

The Pram by Joe Hill - 8.5/10 - Spooky and disturbing. With an ending twist I did not see coming. The stressed-out-dad-trope is one that is always relatable to me.

Ankle Snatcher by Grady Hendrix - 8/10 - Creepy as only Hendrix can deliver. This was devoid of the humor I expect in his books, but was none-the-less enjoyable.

It Waits in the Woods by Josh Mallerman - 8.5/10 - A Blair Witch-y storty chock-full of suspense. I really enjoyed this one!

In Bloom by Paul Tremblay - 7.5/10 - A creepy and interesting Swamp Thing-esque story.

Best of Luck by Jason Mott - 7/10 - This was pretty interesting and I quite enjoyed the ending twist.

Big Bad by Chandler Baker - 9/10 - Loved Baker's take on the Werewolf story! I was hooked throughout!

This series was so fun. I read them over the course of two months and enjoyed almost all of them. My personal favorites were “The Pram” and “In Bloom,” but I also had a lot of fun with “Ankle Snatcher” and “Big Bad.” I found “Best of Luck” too derivative of Stephen King’s “Fair Deal,” and I didn’t like “It Waits in the Woods.” I would recommend skipping that one completely. Otherwise, fun collection. I would use “Ankle Snatcher” in my high school English classes.

Enjoyed six stories a lot.

Enjoyed this short story by Joe Hill. Despite being a short story, the characters were well developed, and the story was great, with great pacing. #CreatureFeature #NetGalley

Read and enjoyed several novels by Grady Hendrix, and it turns out he writes great short stories too. Enjoyed this short story, with tension, and great characters.

Enjoyable short story from Josh Malerman. Read several of his novels, which were all great, and his short stories appear to be great too. Enjoyed the characters, and the journey.

I've enjoyed Paul Tremblay novels, and after reading this sort story, just as good. I enjoyed the characters, well developed. Also enjoyed the story and pacing.

Enjoyed this short story by Jason Mott. First time reading him, and will definitely need to find more by him.

First time reading Chandler Baker, and enjoyed this short story. Enjoyed the characters, plot, and pacing. Will need to read more from Chandler Baker.

Really good collection of short stories.

I much preferred some to others (I’d say The Pram was my favourite), but they each did a good job at setting the scene for the stories despite some being very short.

I do personally feel that some of the books would’ve been better told as a longer novel like the ankle snatcher as I feel it went a bit too quickly.


The eeriness of the collection as a whole though was really good and perfect for a spooky read!

Most these stories didn't truly stand out to me, which was a disappointment since I love so many of the authors.
Best Story was Big Bad. It a short little mystery to unravel and I love the ending. I will be checking more of Chandler Baker's work.

Overall, I gave the collection 4 stars. I had a good time reading all of the stories. Below I've included my individual reviews for each story.

1. The Pram Joe Hill
4 stars

This is a solid short story. It contained familiar tropes but it was well done and entertaining. I'd highly recommend the audiobook on this one.

This is the first thing I've read from Joe Hill. I can definitely say I liked his writing and will obviously be reading more.

2. Ankle Snatcher Grady Hendrix
3 stars

This was an enjoyable read overall but I do think the story should have been longer.

It could be that I'm just not used to reading Hendrix in a shorter format. I definitely prefer his full length novels for sure. This had the typical Hendrix humor and a bit of gore to keep things interesting.

Things just seemed to move too fast and the conclusion felt rushed.

I'd still recommend this quick, creepy read for those who want something to read before bed. Just don't forget to turn on the lights.

3. It Waits in the Woods Josh Malerman
5 stars

So far, this has been my favorite story in the collection. I both listened and read the ebook.

This short story packs a punch in a small amount of time. It's engaging and suspenseful. The writing kept me at the edge of my seat. It's one of those stories where you just want to know what happens next. The story felt complete and I was satisfied with the ending.

I won't say anything about the actual story except that it's well written and perfect for reading by yourself at night. Or listen to it, the narrator does an excellent job.

4. In Bloom Paul Tremblay
3 stars

I liked this story, for the most part. The premise is good, it's well written. I just think the story should have been longer. There was just a bit too much background. Most of the action we get is a flashback and the story ends a bit too abruptly for my taste.

It's not a bad story, I just would have liked more of it. The author spent time on character background and the build up for the creature only to end things very abruptly. I'd love it if the author made this a novella. I just want to know what happens next.

5. Best Of Luck Jason Mott
5 stars

This one was the last story I read in the collection. What a great story to wrap things up. This gave me everything i look for in a short story. Writing that pulls you in, an intriguing premise, a mystery or tension, and an ending that wasn't super predictable.

Both characters in this were interesting. The story was well written and kept me guessing until the end. The ending was the perfect cherry on top of a blood soaked cake.

6. Big Bad Chandler Baker
3.5 stars

This was definitely an entertaining story but it didn't blow me away.

If the big bad was supposed to be a twist, the author didn't really do much to hide it. I think that doing so would have made the story more interesting. Sometimes, the story felt a bit messy because there were different things going on at once. The wolves coming out of forest, weirdness with the mom, the dad being suspicious, and the stranger.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. I'd read from this author again.




Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC.