Book Review: Dark Matter Presents: Haunted Reels: Stories from the Minds of Professional Filmmakers curated by David Lawson, Jr.

“Horror is catharsis; it is pure, unbridled empathy. This is the distillation of three years of discussing filmmaking, our lives, and what it means to make genre, particularly horror.”

—C. Robert Cargill

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Haunted Reels presents 29 short stories penned by professional creatives from the TV, film, and video game industries. With stories spanning a variety of genres, writing styles, timelines, histories, subjects, emotions, and themes, this collection — borne out of the 2020 Pandemic — contains something for everyone. It’s a fantastic, page-turning compendium in which readers will find many favorites.

Standouts for this reader include:

• “Yeast” by Lola Blanc: A visceral, gruesome, stomach-churning psychological/body horror work that’s as moving and devastating as it is repellant and anxiety-inducing.

• “The Deception of Youth” by Sarah Bolger: A gritty, contemptuous, and insidious tale of neglect, murder, and violence.

• “It Stood Above Me” by C. Robert Cargill: A terrifying journey that plunges the reader into a night terror-laden abyss.

• “Dead No Longer” by Owen Egerton: An innovative, horrific, and gut-wrenching reality surrounding life, death, and something in between.

• “Hologram Store” by Brea Grant: A creative slice of apocalyptic horror that’s bonafide nightmare fuel (as this reader can attest!).

• “The Beginning” by Izzy Lee: An engrossing account that’s as creepy and cinematic as it is horrifying.

• “Vox Canis” by Carl Lucas: A unique and addictive dystopian future where dogs rule the world following humanity's extinction, modeling their societies upon human folly: an insightful exposition with a chilling, prescient close.

• “A Story with a Beginning and No End” by Aaron Moorhead: A distressing chronicle with a chilling opening line, heart-rending premise, and haunting conclusion.

• “The Man Who Saved the World” by Jared Moshe: A gripping piece of religious/sci-fi horror with a shocking and memorable close.

Thank you to Dark Matter INK for sending me a copy of this tremendous anthology; after reading and loving Human Monsters and Haunted Reels, I’m beyond excited to experience Monstrous Futures, Zero Dark Thirty, Monster Lairs, Dark Matter Magazine, and many more!

❤Amanda