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.

These short features were such a fun, October set that I definitely needed. Some of them were better than others, but that's always to be expected with short stories from various authors. Regardless, I had a great time with these!

The Creature Feature stories from Amazon are a very solid and overall fun group of horror stories. They live up to the name of the series in very interesting ways.

The Pram by Joe Hill is my favorite of the bunch. This one gave me folk horror vibes and I absolutely loved it. It’s a sad and very creepy short.

Ankle Snatcher by Grady Hendrix is another very good story. This one tapped into some of my childhood fears (I hate the thought of letting my feet dangle over the edge of the bed in the dark even today). This story has some gnarly body horror and while the end wasn’t what I expected, I still really enjoyed it.

It Waits in the Woods by Josh Malerman This was my least favorite of the stories. Great concept and some creepy moments but it felt like a rough draft with too much repetition and not enough tension.

In Bloom by Paul Tremblay - I loved it. Tremblay’s signature “ambiguous horror” and interesting use of story structure is on display here and I love the cosmic horror-ness of it.

Best of Luck by Jason Mott was excellent! Body horror! Strong recommend. Go in blind.

Big Bad by Chandler Baker - This story had a lot of heart (and heartbreak). Characters are fleshed out and an interesting take on a particular monster.

An excellent selection of six short stories written by some well known writers of suspense and horror.

1. Joe Hill. The Pram. A simple matter of an old pram creates horror you cannot even imagine. I loved this one!
2. Grady Hendrix. Ankle Snatcher. If you have ever been afraid of what might be under the bed then this one will give you nightmares.
3. Josh Malerman. It Waits in the Woods. A faceless imp, a spooky forest, and a brave girl - tense and creepy but it left me with unanswered questions.
4. Paul Tremblay. In Bloom. Environmental horror. Toxic bloom on a lake brings forth the unknown. Scary,
5. Jason Mott. Best of Luck. A story about good and bad luck with a horrific character called Henry. An excellent ending.
6. Chandler Baker. Big Bad. The setting is a family home where Sam, his wife Rachel, and two daughters, June and Odie, live what seems at first a perfectly normal life. But things start to happen which give a hint of the horror to come.

With these authors, you can't go wrong! Horror is the perfect genre for short stories and all of these nailed it. I haven't read anything by Chandler Baker before but I will definitely be checking out more of her work.

Some well known authors offer up some of their darkest imaginings in these spooky tales offered from Amazon. Each tale is wildly inventive, and completely immersive. I reviewed each story individually on Goodreads.

This collection of short stories from some of today's most popular horror writers was a good way to sample the work of authors I haven't read from before. If you're looking for something quick to read in one sitting, then these stories are perfect.

My favorite stories were definitely "It Waits in the Woods" and "Big Bad", while I would say that "In Bloom" was the weak link and one I would probably recommend to skip. Overall though, a good collection that I would recommend as a whole.

One of the best series of short stories for Spooky Season. Each one is creepy, unnerving, and an absolute blast in their own way. From the heartbreaking, terrifying The Pram to the Swamp Thing like creature with toxic gas to boot. Each one brings a certain kind of innate fear to life, you can't wait to read the next one! The Ankle Snatcher and Best of Luck are my favorites, simply because they kept me reading until the end without catching my breath, I had to get to the end. This is the perfect compilation of reads for Halloween!

I did not find these books to be overly creepy, but they were fun quick reads. I appreciate these sets that Amazon puts out as they are a fun way to break up longer books. Was really happy to get a sneak peek at these!

This collection of short stories was a lot of fun and perfect for the Halloween season! Some were scarier than others, but I thought all of them were a lot of fun (and did a good job of introducing me to some new authors).

The Ankle Snatcher Gary Hendrix
Oh this was fun! Remember those 8ld tales your folks always told you to keep you in bed at night? The old Boogyman. Waiting in the closet, the dark hall, or under the bed. Maybe they weren't just stories to scare us....
I swear it even made me a little nervous as I read it at night, lying in my bed, wondering about that monster that lived there when I was a kid.
Well done, sir. Well done.

Josh Malerman
It waits in the woods.

Pretty good tale of a missing girl, stolen by a legend, a myt,lh, and the sister who never forgave herself the brief moment she looked away.
I wasn't expecting to like this much. I'm not much for trolls hiding under bridges but Malerman again surprised me by telling me a heck of a story.

Paul Trembly
In Bloom

Interesting take on the classic monster from the deep tale. A theory on how one day, one day soon, nature will morph into a lifeform all its own we will pay for our carelessness.
Not a bad story at all.

Big Bad
Chandler Baker

After soany years and tired tropes, I no longer like werewolf stories. Sombere I find myself with am author I was not familiar with in a series of monster stories I'm reading for the holiday.  Oh well....so I read expecting the same old, same old.
Oh but what a pleasant surprise!
This is not o ly different but down right original and amazing!

Odie loves her mom more than she does her dad. She doesn't know why, but she fears him and thinks he doesn't love her or worse...will one day kill them all.
But he's not who carries a secret. Her father likes order, things to go as planned and this night nothing does.

I can't recommend this enough. Chandler Baker is amazing and as soon as I'm done this review I'm looking for her other works.
I think I'll never prejudge an old horror trope again. You never know what precious gem is hidden in the murky darkness.

The Pram
Joe Hill

No one really talks about how a father handles a miscarriage. Usually we focus on the mother, as is natural. But what is he feeling? Anger at God, his wife, the universe?
In this creepy tale, that anger and resentment is nutrition for something ungodly, something that wants to be born and set free.
Joe Hill didna great job with this. Not your conventional monster story, but then I always thought he wrote a heck of a good short story. Sometimes they are much better than his full novels, but that's just my opinion.
Recommended for a nice pre- Halloween read.

Best of luck
Jason Mott

Did not see any of this coming! Never read this author before, but if this is a sample of his talent then I will be fixing that oversight quickly.

Think good luck and bad luck are just random? The universe dealing what it will, to who it will? You may change your mind after reading this grisly little tale.

Another recommendation for this spooky season and I suhgest you just get all 6 in the Creature Feature series and go scare yourself.
Thanks to @netgalley for the opportunity to read these earcs in exchange fory honest and unbiased opinion