Solid little anthology! I’ve read and enjoyed books by all of these authors previously so I absolutely had high expectations. Every single story was a 4-5 star for me, with Owen King’s “Letter Slot” being my favorite of the collection.

The Shivers collection is aptly named as all five of these short stories are the type to give you goosebumps. “Jackknkife” and “Night and Day in Misery” both explore themes of grief and loss with some really heavy vibes. SGJ’s “The Indigo Room” involves a sort of cosmic darkness that gives its protagonist visions of future chaos. “The Blanks” by Grady Hendrix involves a vacation town with a dark spin. And “Letter Slot” involves a young man just trying to help his single mother escape illness and squalor, but things are never as easy as they appear.

It’s a fantastic collection of stories and while all of these stories felt cohesive, many could easily be expanded into longer novels. “The Blanks” and “Jackknife,” particularly, had some history I could’ve spent another few hundred pages discovering. All in all a really solid collection and one I’d recommend to horror lovers.

I’m sure Joe Hill is tired of being compared to his dad, but it’s hard not to make the comparison when “Jackknife” gives off such strong “old horror” vibes, a la one of Stephen King’s earlier short story collections. In this nasty little tale, a disgraced college professor is walking a path near his Airbnb when he finds an uprooted ancient sycamore, pierced by an old jackknife. When he removes the jackknife from the tree, not realizing its importance there, he unwittingly awakens something evil.

“Jackknife” is the kind of story that starts off strongly rooted (pun intended) in reality, before evolving into something otherworldly and terrifying. Dennis is a man hoping for a new start, after an inappropriate relationship with a student ends both his career and his marriage, and maybe a cursed tree will be just the research project to put him back on track. But the tree isn’t having it, and what comes next is so entertaining. Like his dad (again with the comparisons, sorry Joe!!), Hill has a real knack for making ordinary things horrifying, and that is definitely the case with “Jackknife.” It’s a deliciously dark fable, and the moral of the story is to leave things (students, old rusted jackknives) alone if they aren’t yours to take – or suffer the consequences.

“Jackknife” is part of The Shivers Collection, available today from Amazon Original Stories.

From the very first paragraph, there is something unsettling about “The Indigo Room.” We’re in an impersonal office conference room, where a group of (likely overworked and underpaid) employees are listening to a boring presentation. But this is Stephen Graham Jones, so we know that all is not as ordinary as it appears to be. And that assumption is proven correct a few pages later, when an employee named Jennifer has a frightening vision involving one of her coworkers. And after that, what promised to be a typical, mundane office day goes completely off the rails.

“The Indigo Room” is disorienting and unsettling, all the more so for its modern office setting – where nothing interesting ever happens and everyone is just counting down the hours until it’s quitting time. So when something violent occurs, it’s all the more shocking. There’s some interesting commentary about office politics and double standards and single parenthood. SGJ as a tendency to be a bit verbose, and that is the case in “The Indigo Room.” He definitely piqued my interest with a creepy, original concept, and although I enjoy ambiguity especially in short stories, I still wanted a bit more explanation in the end.

“The Indigo Room” is part of The Shivers Collection, available today from Amazon Original Stories.

Grady Hendrix has been releasing hit after hit lately, and that trend continues with “The Blanks.” Picture it: a beautiful island, accessible only by ferry, making it an exclusive summer haven for wealthy families. There is only one rule, and life on the island is idyllic as long as you follow it. Never mind if someone occasionally disappears…

I’m going to leave it at that, because it’s best to let “The Blanks” surprise you – and it will. What starts as a story about a family’s summer vacation ends as something truly horrifying and almost unbearably sad. Simmering beneath the surface are complex questions about the lies we tell ourselves, the truths we ignore, and the choices and sacrifices we are forced to make. The story’s tone and pacing are pitch-perfect. I’m basically a Grady Hendrix fangirl at this point, but even if I wasn’t, I think I’d still say that “The Blanks” is one of the best short horror stories I’ve ever read.

“The Blanks” is part of The Shivers Collection, available today from Amazon Original Stories.

One thing I didn’t expect from The Shivers Collection is that so many of the stories – four out of five, actually – would explore parenthood themes. And none of those four deals with the complexities of motherhood more overtly than “Night and Day in Misery,” in which a woman named Stella, grieving the loss of her husband and son, finds herself at a tipping point in the same motel room where they stayed before their deaths.

“Night and Day in Misery” is a gutting, suffocating story infused with hopelessness, as Stella finds herself crushed under the weight of her unbearable guilt and grief. There is a supernatural element, but the true horror of the story lies in the darkness and devastation of Stella’s state of mind. It’s a well-composed story, but a bit relentlessly heavy for me. It gave me the same feeling as reading something by Eric LaRocca. Content warnings for suicidal ideation and alcoholism.

“Night and Day in Misery” is part of The Shivers Collection, available today from Amazon Original Stories.

“Letter Slot” gives strong classic horror vibes and features one of my favorite tropes: the Faustian bargain. When done well, it makes for a kickass horror story – and Owen King definitely does it well. The narrator is a teenager named Blake with a sick mother, and on a whim, he pours out all of his worries, hopes, and fears into a letter and drops it through the mail slot of an abandoned show house in his neighborhood. Imagine his surprise when he receives a response, which promises health and good fortune in return for the name of a person he hates.

We as the readers can see where this is going, but Blake doesn’t quite grasp all of the implications, which adds a lot of tension to the story. He is so sympathetic, and this story is both deeply emotional and existentially terrifying. It really got under my skin in the best way and surprised me with its reveals. I need an entire short story collection by Owen King, please and thank you.

“Letter Slot” is part of The Shivers Collection, available today from Amazon Original Stories.

Jackknife: 4⭐️
A very creepy and atmospheric horror story. I added one more star to my rating after letting it simmer for a few days.
I did enjoy the horror aspect of this one, even if it was a bit predictable. The ending was ok but a bit anticlimactic for my taste.
However, the most interesting thing about this story for me was finding myself reading the main character’s thoughts and being disgusted and angry at him. My understanding is that we’re supposed to feel that way, but I liked that the author never explicitly tells us he thinks this is a bad person.

The Indigo Room: 3⭐️
I think I enjoyed the execution more than the premise but overall it’s an entertaining short horror story.
It's funny that the author admitted he never worked a corporate job because he perfectly captured the feeling of a pointless meeting.
The writing was good, I'd never read anything from this author before but I'm intrigued now!

The Blanks: 4⭐️
One of my favorites from this horror story collection.
I really liked that it wasn’t clear what the horror element would be until well into the narration. The author expertly lures us into this character’s world and we forget we were reading a horror story at first. I also loved that very little is explained. The ending was very good too.
I'd read one book from this author before and I enjoyed it, I think I should check his other works.

Night and Day in Misery: 3⭐️
The writing was good and I thought the premise was interesting, but I found this story more sad than scary.
Also, this almost never happens to me but I don’t think I understood the ending 😅 I tried re-reading it but it didn’t click for me.
Despite that, I thought it was a good story. I'll take a look at other works from this author.

Letter Slot: 4⭐️
Another horror story from this collection that is more unsettling than scary.
This one had a classic premise, and it could've been predictable but the ending surprised me.

The Shivers is a solid collection of five short horror stories from some of the well-known horror writers of today, A huge thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the opportunity to preview this title.

Joe Hill's "Jackknife" was a solid entry to start the collection. It has a great "Tales From the Crypt" vibe to it where the protagonist gets his rather deserved comeuppance even if it is not in an exactly ironic manner.

Next, there is "The Indigo Room" by Stephen Graham Jones. While my least favorite of the stories, it was an acceptable piece. Not really sure short stories are the format for Jones' talents, as there just wasn't quite enough to really get me into this story.

Grady Hendrix's "The Blanks" was another rather mediocre entry. It was a little too predictable for me, although quite well written. Again, I don't think Hendrix is a great short story format writer.

The penultimate story of the collection is "Night and Day in Misery" by Catriona Ward. I loved this story. In true Gothic horror ghost story style, Ward captured an excellent tale of emotion with fright that is all too real. I have not read anything by Ward in the past (the only author in this collection that I am completely unfamiliar with), but I will actively be pursuing other titles based on the quality of this story.

Lastly, Owen King brings us "Letter Slot". I am willing to say that I have not been impressed by most of what King has written. Fairly or not, I compare King to both his father and brother all too often. I am glad to say this story has made me rethink my disappointment with much of his work. While the plot was not very original (and so I was waiting to see how the turnaround finally hit), the twist King wrapped this story with was every bit worthy of a story by his father or brother (and there I go again comparing the poor guy). A great story.

Solid collection all around, so do yourself a favor and check it out!

Wow, this is easily the best Amazon Original short story collection yet. There was not one dud in the bunch. I mean, with the authors on this roster I expected magic, and I’m glad they all delivered. The biggest surprise for me was Owen King’s Letter Slot. Of all the authors, I am least familiar with his work so I was pleasantly surprised when his story tied with Kendrix’s The Blanks as my favorite. These were followed by Ward’s Night and Day in Misery, Jones’ The Indigo Room, and then Hill’s Jackknife. But honestly, like I said, all very good.

If you’re a supernatural horror fan, pick these up!

This is a lovely collection of 5 books by 5 well known and well respected authors, all of whom I have read books by before but, if you haven't, then this is quite a good way of testing the water so to speak... So... In this collection, we have...

Jackknife by Joe Hill
5* This was all things creepy. It features a tree with a bit of a mind of its own and that mind is, well, murderous! But be warned, it is really brutal and visceral. Proper what you would know as old school horror. With a main character who basically deserves all he gets!
And I loved it

The Indigo Room by Stephen Graham Jones
3* This one was a bit weird, and I do mean that in a nice way. We start with a meeting which sadly goes a bit strange and our MC sees things that disturb her. Her fears are compounded when her ex drops their son off for her to care for after school. But was what she saw just a trick of the light or...
I do like this author, but I didn't quite get with this as a short story. That said, it did mostly satisfy come the end just lacked something for me that I can't quite put my finger on.

The Blanks by Grady Hendrix
5* Again, another old school horror vibe going on here. An island town with mostly part-time residents and occasional tourists. But they share the space with... well, I'll leave you to discover what. But be warned, if you do glimpse something, then look away quick smart. And then, maybe, just maybe, try and work out if the price to pay for luxury is maybe just too high...

Night and Day by Catriona Ward
4* This was more chilling than horror as we follow Stella who is recreating the final steps of her husband and son who both perished in a car accident. To do this, she books the same motel room they stayed at just prior to what happened. But strange things start to happen for her and, battling reality and fantasy, she slowly starts to figure out what really happened and what she needs to do next...

Letter Slot by Owen King
5* Again an old school horror, creepy, type feel to this one. We follow boy who is caring for his mother who is not well at all. He writes all his anguish in a letter and drops it into the Letter slot belonging to the show home of a housing development, construction of which was long since abandoned. He feels better after doing this but is shocked when he gets a reply. Even more shocked when he reads it and it offers him fortune. But at what price? And it is worth it...
Again loved this one. It had everything I needed from a short. And with a powerful conclusion.

All in all, read them all, you won't regret it! And if you do gel with one or more, do also check out their other work. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I have this collection an average of four stars, although one story received a 5 and one story received a 3. Overall I thought this was a really excellent collection of stories and I would love to have a printed copy rather than just have it available on Amazon for download. While they each had their creepy merits, the Grady Hendrix story “The Blanks” was beyond scary! This collection also introduced me to Catriona Ward, and I’m very interested in discovering more of her work.

Thanks so much to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for providing the complimentary advance copies of these stories!

This was a fantastic collection full of fantastic authors that always manage to creep me out and surprise me.

I really enjoyed this collection of short horror stories. The standout stories for me were Letter Slot by Owen King and The Blanks by Grady Hendrix. All the stories were good and a couple felt like they could have been episodes of The Twilight Zone. Highly recommend checking out this collection of stories.

The Shivers Collection comprises 5 short stories by horror authors Joe Hill, Stephen Graham Jones, Grady Hendrix, Catriona Ward, and Owen King.

Although I didn't find the collection to be particularly spooky or chilling, each of one these stories was devastatingly heartbreaking in their own right. Thematically they process death and grief through depictions of flawed characters and personal tragedy.

These are all solid entries from some of the best modern authors in genre fiction; while some are more absorbing than others, this was an impressive compilation overall.

The Shivers Collection is a spine-tingling anthology that had me hooked from start to finish. It’s a perfect blend of unsettling stories that get under your skin, with each one carrying its own unique brand of horror. Whether you’re into the eerie, the supernatural, or just plain creepy, this collection has something to make your skin crawl.

What I really appreciated about The Shivers Collection is the variety of stories. It’s not just one kind of horror—it’s a mix of different subgenres, from psychological terror to supernatural dread, each one adding a new layer of tension. Each story is short, but there’s enough depth in every one to leave you thinking long after the final page. There’s a certain eerie quality to each tale, as if the terror isn’t just something that happens to the characters, but something that seeps into your own mind.

The writing is tight and suspenseful, and what I loved most was how every story played with my expectations. Just when I thought I had a story figured out, it would take a sharp turn that left me breathless. There’s a slow-burn quality to the fear that builds up, one moment of suspense at a time, and that’s what makes it all the more unsettling.

I also enjoyed how the collection didn’t rely on gore or shock value to create fear. Instead, it’s the atmosphere, the slow-creeping dread, that lingers long after you’ve finished reading. It’s the kind of horror that gets into your head, makes you check over your shoulder, and think twice about the things you can’t quite explain.

If you’re a fan of horror that’s more about atmosphere and psychological tension than pure gore, The Shivers Collection will leave you with chills. It’s a perfect read for those who want to be scared, but in the most thrilling, unnerving way possible.

Another great horror collection from all the best in Horror! I love these collections from Amazon – this one doesn’t disappoint

This book was such a great collection of stories from some of the greatest horror authors in the business. They are quick reads but they keep you hooked and leave you feeling uneasy. The last three stories were probably my absolute favorite.

I really enjoyed this short story collection.

The authors all lived up to expectations. I was previously unfamiliar with Joe Hill, his story Jacknife did turn out to be my least favourite, I found some of his analogies crass. That could be the character or his style in general, I'm unsure but the story worked well and the ending caught me a little off guard.

My favourite stories were:
SGJ the indigo room, which im still thinking about days later. It was eerie in a liminal space kind of way and the ending was tragic. I found this story was completely unpredictable.

And The Blanks by Grady Hendrix, which was unsettling in a very uncanny valley kind of way. Though the ending was semi-predictable it was extremely well done, horrifying in shocking kind of way but also inevitable.

I think each story brings a slightly different kind of horror to the collection. I'd definitely read longer versions of some of these.

Thank you Amazon Original Stories for my free ARC of The Shivers by these top-of-their-class horror authors — available Apr 15!

Personally, I enjoyed all five of these stories about equally. It's hard for me to pick a favorite, but equally hard to pick a least favorite? I think they all were successfully unsettling, and I 'd read extended/novella versions of each one. Definitely worth your time!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Good anthology of creepy stories, nothing too challenging. Most of the stories reminded me of old Twilight Zone episodes (albeit a bit more graphic). Something quick if you need a small bump of spooky.

3.5
This was a fun little short story collection! the last 3 stories were great and provoked some in depth thought.They were of course a quick fast paced read. I did appreciate the open endedness of these ones. There was enough detail to piece it together in your head. However the first 2 fell a little flat for me. They were confusing and I couldn't make them make sense.They also just left sooo many questions. I know they're short stories but they were way too open ended for me and I would've loved just a little more detail. Overall a nice little collection of short stories!

Thank you Amazon Original Stories publishing for providing me an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for my review.

Murderous trees! A truly bad day at the office! A not-so-idyllic beach! Ghosts whispering from beyond the grave! An evil mail slot! Malevolent forces are at work in The Shivers Collection of five short stories from the biggest names in horror.

As with most short story collections, some stories were better than others. My favorite was written by the lesser known son of Stephen King, Owen King, and was the last tale in the collection. Its conclusion truly did send shivers down my spine.

The Shivers Collection is a great choice for the horror fan in your life. 4 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for providing me with an advanced review copy.

Feel the Fear offers a diverse mix of horror styles from five acclaimed authors. The stories are skillfully written, blending psychological tension with supernatural elements. Some stories build suspense through slow-burning atmospheres, while others dive into unsettling scenarios. Joe Hill and Owen King deliver vivid, character-driven tales, while Stephen Graham Jones plays with disorienting narratives. Grady Hendrix adds eerie isolation, and Catriona Ward mixes grief with haunting suspense. This anthology is a solid collection, offering a range of chills for fans of modern horror.

A collection of short stories by Joe Hill, Stephen Graham Jones, Grady Hendrix, Catriona Ward and Owen King, five amazing writers.

Every day life tinged with the unexpected, these authors know their craft and produce some of the best stories. Each very different, but all so good. Though all creepy, the standout in giving me goosebumps was the Grady Hendrix offering, a real gem.

As they are short stories, to go into too much detail spoils the outcome for other readers. Suffice to say a really good read, more short story collections of this calibre, please!

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories.