Dark Fantasy Short Stories

This is a collection of six short stories from the Caverns and Creatures series. It includes the following stories: "Slimes and Misty Wieners", "Great Balls on Fire", "Your Anus Is a Gas Giant", "Clear and Present Ranger", "The Mimic's Chest", and "Styxian Stoners May Break My Boners".

> Berserker is a stand-alone short story, framed as a missing chapter from Paternus, the urban fantasy, mythic fiction novel, by Dyrk Ashton. It tells of the time when one of the characters finally met his father, many centuries ago.

Villains take center stage in this collection of 19 dark and magical stories. Listeners will be cheering for all the wrong heroes as some of the most fearsome, devious, and brutal antagonists perform savage deeds towards wicked ends. And why not? These characters are the champions of their own stories - evil is a matter of perspective. Contributors also include Mark Adler, Bradley P. Beaulieu, E.V. Morrigan, Peter Orullian, Matthew Ward, Kaaron Warren, Deborah A. Wolf, and Janny Wurts.

From the critically acclaimed author of Sea of Rust and Queen of the Dark Things comes a hair-raising collection of short fiction that illuminates the strange, humorous, fantastical, and downright diabolical that tantalize and terrorize us: demons, monsters, zombie dinosaurs, and Death itself.

An anthology of airships and outlaws... Journey deeper into the vibrant world of Endless Frontier in this captivating collection of four thrilling tales. Ranging from short stories to novellas, these chronicles expand the rich tapestry of a realm where magic and technology collide. Follow a young Sariya Vaeliz as she executes an audacious plan to steal a marvelous airship. Witness Kasta Krane's harrowing escape into the unforgiving desert, where she rediscovers her strength. Join Deputy Raelyn Bovien in a race against time to catch a terrifying serial killer.

Discover the stories inspired by some of the greatest songs of all time. Dark fiction that will keep you turning the pages as you read stories influenced by songs like Satisfaction, Angie Baby, She Loves You, Maggie Mae, The Hotel California and more. Dark stories inspired by dark lyrics that tell the tales hidden behind the popular melodies that are so familiar to us all. Ten different authors bring you their literary visions provoked by their favorite song lyrics to create a chilling read you will not soon forget. Experience the insanity of a young woman who seeks refuge from reality in ...

Charlie Bucket and his family are rushing around the Earth at seventeen-thousand miles an hour in a great glass elevator. It belongs to the fantastic Mr Willy Wonka, and the adventure becomes even greater upon discovering they're not the only ones orbiting the Earth at that particular time....

On the lonely planet Satu, where sun sunlight is a precious commodity, and fear is a constant companion, Hana lives a solitary existence. Her world is shattered when a mysterious stranger seeks refuge from the terrifying Rugaru, creatures who stalk the night. They forge an unlikely bond as they navigate a treacherous landscape of secrets and survival. But their fragile alliance is tested when a sinister truth begins to unravel, forcing them to confront a destiny neither could have imagined. The line between hunter and hunted is blurred with each heartbeat, and their survival hinges on a ...

Samantha Moon is used to monsters, magic, and murder cases. But this Thanksgiving, the only thing she wants to hunt is a giant turkey with her family. When her long-lost brother Clayton unexpectedly shows up—looking decades too young, thanks to faerie magic—Sam's happy reunion takes a turn. Clayton’s cursed with insomnia and guilt after failing to stop a faerie abduction. Now it’s up to Sam, her shapeshifting daughter, her empathic youngest, and her psychic witch bestie to travel into the dark faerie realm, face down ogres, and rescue a stolen infant before it’s turned into a ...

Bad-tempered and hot-blooded Callista desperately wants to become leader of the Futa Mermaid Army. The 19-year-old princess thinks she has what it takes for the esteemed and powerful position, but the wise sorcerer disagrees and sends her on a unique mission to prove her worthiness. Callista is willing to face any challenge, and for the mission, she has to enrol in a college on Earth and find a certain person within a fortnight. There in the college, she encounters Courtney, a narcissistic and sex-crazed bully, and Mandi, a beautiful and sweet new girl. Would Callista be able to succeed in ...

Since last Halloween, Kindle and Ebony have experienced the unexpected. Now, more than ever, both women need the men they only get to share their worlds with once a year. One evening, three beautiful, eerie young ladies appear at Kindle's door. They offer a solution to her and Ebony’s problems. Skeptically, Kindle finds it strange the three are already in the loop about what's going on with her and Ebony. As time spent with the love of their lives dwindles, Kindle and Ebony have a hard decision to make. Because this Halloween, neither can fathom another year to recur before seeing LP and ...

In this darkly comic and surreal collection from celebrated author Alissa Nutting, misfit women scramble for agency in a series of uncanny circumstances. Throughout these breathtakingly creative 17 stories spread across time, space, and differing planes of reality, we encounter a host of women and girls in a wide range of unusual jobs. A space cargo deliverywoman enlists the help of her cybersex partner to release her mother from cryogenic prison.

Divining the difference between reality and the fantastic may not be as simple as it seems. Because the world you think you know may not actually exist… STORIES is a collection of six short stories loosely based on legends and folklore. Each is set in a modern context, giving the reader an unusual take that yields interesting insight on these traditional tales. The Snow Woman: a spirit in Japanese folklore who traps people in snowstorms, then uses her icy breath to leave them frost-coated corpses. The Slit-Mouthed Woman: a figure from Japanese urban legends who, mutilated by her husband, ...

This small collection of short stories takes place in a world not unlike our own, but different in so many ways. These six standalone stories are a hint at things to come for this world where hope burns bright. Welcome to Aearth Aearth was once a place of magic and wonder. A world where the gods were said to walk among its people and gift champions with great power. Aearth, once so powerful and grand, fell to the Great War over two-thousand years ago. When the Gods created Aearth, they gave a country to each of their races. The forest of the north to the elves and fawn folk. The mountains ...

Far, far away, a very long way from here, in the Halfling hamlet of Pondaroak, you’ll find an Inn named the Swindle & Swine. Elina Hogsbreath, the inn’s proprietor, comes from a long line of hedge witches — she learned the craft from her mother, who had learned it from her mother, tracing back generations. Stay for a spell. Come wolves, worgs, or worms, Elina will serve you right. This anthology contains five previously published stories: A Thyme of Trouble The Keening Cup The Magnificent Marion Maloney Midnight Tea The Song at Harvest’s End And one story totally unique to this ...

A boy with a dream. A demon with no name. A childhood in suburbia like a lucid dream. It all comes together, in no way predictable. But, in every way true. The truth has emerged about life, and its parallel worlds. Many will never get it. Some, unfortunately, will forever fear it...

An all-new collection of eight "Vampire for Hire" short stories featuring everyone's favorite vampire detective, Samantha Moon! It’s all inside, including: Vampire Requiem - Samantha Moon gets up close and personal with her dead ex-husband’s mistress, Nancy, who might be a woman who knows too much. Moon Love - Sam and Kingsley Fulcrum set their sights on a romantic weekend getaway to Big Bear, California, only to find themselves on the hunt for a runaway boy. Moon Musings - Sam is back and... blogging? Turns out the vampire mama has a lot to say on the subject of life, death, and ...

Welcome to futures profound, dark and unexpected… A businessman in the year 2047 awakens late one morning to discover that everything that has ever been written or entered on the internet has become instantly accessible to him. Then comes the terror of realising that his entire sordid life is now in the public domain. An Arnold Schwarzenegger replica arrives on Planet Strong, a theme-world teeming with Schwarzenegger look-a-likes, to compete in the Mr Arnold bodybuilding contest. Suddenly he finds his existence weirdly paralleling that of the plot of the movie Total Recall – and someone...

The End is Coming. An extinction-level asteroid is cannonballing toward Earth. In humanity’s final hours, a lucky few earn a one-way ticket to the brand-new, ultra-immersive, fantasy-based VRMMORPG, Viridian Gate Online. Making that leap of faith might mean survival, but it comes with a steep price tag: “Travelers” will forever be stranded as digital avatars inside a fantastical world filled with vicious monsters, all-powerful AIs, and cutthroat players. Let the games begin....

A collection of horror/thriller stories with surprise endings to chill you and thrill you to the bone. The creepers include: TOP OF THE WORLD: A dangerous hybrid of several species of animals has escaped from its cage at a remote research facility in the Arctic during a prolonged blizzard. THE ASYLUM: Paranormal investigators are sent to an abandoned mental institution when a teenager disappears after visiting it for a good scare with his buddies on Halloween. THE DEVIL'S DIARY: A horror author rents a creepy cabin to cure a bad case of writer's block and finds a journal written by a serial...