Modern Mummies: A Horror Anthology edited by A.C. Bauer features various short stories on mummies in modern society.

Bound by Love by Stewart Moore explores a relationship between a landlord with abandonment issues and their boarder.
Going Home by Ute Orgassa reminds us that there’s no place like home.
Our Hearts a Hectacomb by J.R. Santos shows us that mummies do have a "hard no."
Dead Kings, No Crowns by Christopher La Vigna shows us that mummies can keep the beat.
#Rich-Tok by B.F. Vega takes us to a gore-filled party where we may not escape.
One Hundred Dead Cats by Kristin Dearborn shows us that two out of two live cats agree that dead should stay dead.
Reanimation by Carter Lappin takes us on a journey through the ages.
Painted As a Villain by Morgan West-Burnham shows that cats may not be all that forgiving after all.
In my Little Dead Way by Jennifer Lesh Fleck explores life after death of an influencer.
Rot by Ray DeChant explores better living through mummia.
The Telltale LVAD by Meg Candelaria is a wonderful take on Edgar Allen Poe’s famous work.
Servants of Frost and Madness by Zach Shepard shows that climate change can be deadly.
By The World Forgot by Mia Dalia has a tinge of the Gift of the Magi.

This is only the second book I’ve read featuring mummies and it was delightful! As a mom of cats, the stories about cat mummies were especially fun. I was not expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. This was a wonderful way to experience new writers and make decisions on my future reads. I appreciate the craft and thought that was put into this book and would recommend it if you’re a horror fan.

My thanks to Cat Eye Press for allowing me to read this ARC.

4 stars

This was a rather fun and interesting set of short stories, most of them loosely based on the curse of the ancient mummy trope, but with a more contemporary spin on things. Each story was a different take on some sort of mummy-type horror, from bog bodies to mummified cats to modern DJ worship cults, and they were each pretty cool. I particularly enjoyed "Going Home", "One Hundred Dead Cats", and "Servants of Frost and Madness". Most of the stories are simply written; the prose would be suitable for young adults and up, although a lot of the subject matter might be pretty gory/frightening for a younger audience, so be warned.

Thanks to NetGalley and Cat Eye Press LLC for granting me access to a free digital ARC for this book to read and review. All opinions are my own and are provided here voluntarily.

Great selection of modern mummy tales! Baur didn't bring us tales that we can tell our children. These are dark and creepy stories that stick with you for a long time. This anthology still uses some of the tropes of mummies, but is able to put a more modern spin on it. In a world where werewolves, vampires, and ghosts seem to take precedence, it is very refreshing to have an anthology that focuses on the mummy.

They say you can't judge a book by its cover and boy does Modern Mummies prove it true! Looking at the cover, I expected mildly scary stories that would be perfect for a light horror fan such as myself. I mean, in my defense, there is a cartoon cat on the front after all. Nope. These stories were quite hair-raising to me. While each story varies in both its modernity and chilling factors, each undoubtedly qualifies as horror.

Of all the short stories presented in Modern Mummies, my favorite is Dead Kings, No Crowns because in my mind it blends ancient mummy lore with the present day. Plus, I could totally envision the story in my head as it unfolded due to the fantastic writing.

If you're a mummy fan who is tired of the same old mummy tropes or someone who has stayed away from mummy stories because you think they all happen in a museum, you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy of Modern Mummies today!

MODERN MUMMIES: A HORROR ANTHOLOGY edited by A.C. Bauer

Pub date: August 26th, 2025
Publisher: Cat Eye Press
Rating: 4 / 5


"So, we thought, why not give it a shot? Why not breathe some new life into the mummy genre?"
[Frankie the Cat, "brains of Cat Eye Press"]

Cat Eye Press's sophomore anthology takes on an iconic monster in horror: mummies. But these mummies are not the same ones we've seen on screen and page. No, these mummies are reimagined for the modern day. With 13 authors penning their take on a modern mummy, readers are in for an enthralling collection of stories, wrapped up ever so nicely with a (very likely bloody) bow.

MODERN MUMMIES is a quick read that will satisfy your undead cravings for classic mummy tales with a twist. As each short story unravels, readers are guaranteed to re-evaluate ideas of the afterlife, preservation, and what curses may wake with the mummified dead. The stories move at a good pace, with a nice variety of storytelling tones that range from campy to deeply reflective. The more unsettling stories live in the body horror and impending doom realms of the genre. Each take on the modern mummy felt unique, too. The anthology also includes content warnings. A charming highlight of the warnings includes "Whimsical cat on undead cat violence"—which is the most violence against animals featured on page. MODERN MUMMIES is sure to please horror fans across the gamut, whether you max out at Goosebumps, religiously watch Boris Karloff's films, or yearn for Brendan Fraser's Mummy era!

Exceptionally thrilling stories in the anthology include:

"Dead Kings, No Crowns" by Christopher La Vigna; mummy rave anyone??

"One Hundred Dead Cats" by Kristin Dearborn; + 2 not dead cats

"Reanimation" by Carter Lappin; similar vibes to Viola's "sleep, wake, walk" episode from The Haunting of Bly Manor

"Servants of Frost and Madness" by Zach Shepard; ft. arctic mummies & the paranormal effects of climate change


(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!)

As with their previous anthology, Cursed Cooking, I ADORE the cover art, formatting, and inclusion of Frankie the Cat. It makes these books so much fun, and honestly, earns them an extra star.

As for the stories, they were a bit of a mixed bag this time around. With such a specific topic it's challenging to get an abundance of great, unique takes, although they did a good job mixing the traditional mummy tales with newer ones. And, admittedly, there were a few that could have used a bit more polishing, and a couple that weren't bad, but also didn't really add anything new to the mummy concept. However, there were several that were fantastic and fun! Oddly, among my favorites were the two cat mummy stories (One Hundred Dead Cats - Kristin Dearborn, and Painted As a Villain - Morgan West-Burnham) with honorable mentions to Rot - Ray DeChant, and In My Little, Dead Way - Jennifer Lesh Fleck.

Modern Mummies is a fun little read, great for lovers of creature features and supernatural horror!

A fascinating anthology that examines mummies and the stories about them from a modern lens. At times predictable but enjoyable and entertaining as you read stories of not only mummies in the traditional sense like the universal movies, but other types as well.

Very entertaining collection presented by the publisher and their cat. Accordingly, some of the stories are rather cat-centric. Personally, I would have preferred dogs, but for theme of mummies and its undeniably Egyptian connotations, cats are definitely a better fit. Anyway, this slender volume proved to be perfectly entertaining. And the final story in it will joust about break your heart.
Recommended.
Thanks Netgalley.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Cat Eye Press LLC for the ARC*

This anthology is very well curated. Each story feels entirely unique, and every author put their own spin on what a "modern mummy" would be. Many stories took directions that were unexpected but completely fit the mummy in the modern world idea. Tropes that are shared between various stories, such as a mummified body retaining consciousness, are still utilized in different ways that in no way felt repetitive. I enjoyed the various nods to cats in the stories whether background characters or the narrator. I am not normally a fan of anthologies, but I enjoyed every story in this collection. I am hopeful that some of the authors have novel-length stories. If they can write such enrapturing stories in a few pages, what can they do with 100+ pages?!

Overall, I would highly recommend this anthology for horror readers that are looking for well-written mummy stories in a world that is saturated with vampires and zombies but doesn't put much love on our bandaged-wrapped baddies.

The premise of the book was intriguing, but the execution of the stories was not. One or two of the stories were well-written and attention grabbing, however the most were similar in storylines and poorly done in my opinion. The stories were disjointed and sometimes hard to follow. Overall, this was a quick read, but not one I would recommend to anyone.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.