A fantastic anthology of short stories and poems on the horrors of the night sky. 28 authors have shared common, and not so common, fears of what is in outer space that we are frightened of. Apocalypse, aliens, shadows, and the terrifying bleakness of the galaxy. Along with each story, Lagoe has added a black and white picture that resembles the story.
*I’m breaking down all 28 stories and poems.This review will take a few minutes for you read!
The first story, Stargazer by Tiffany Michelle Brown, is a mesmerizing love story. An unrequited love between a man and woman, ends with an eye opening epiphany. This was the perfect story to start the anthology.
Infinite Focus by Dino Parenti is another elegant story about Artificial Intelligence becoming human. Fantastic writing and gripping.
The third story, Light Echoes by Pauline Barmby is about supernova light waves altering our reality. More sci-fi than horror, but still a truly wonderful story.
The Ravenous Empyrean by Zachary Rosenberg, a phenomenal story of the sky devouring Earth. The writing style is something I enjoyed immensely with this story.
In the Absence Of by Ziggy Schutz, is a poem about space. A good use of strong words, such as, “hunger”, “mankind”, “fear”, “scars”, and “shivers”
The sixth story, By The Hand of Sorayya by Inara Enko is a story about a young girl learning to stand up for herself. There is so much more to this story, I loved every moment getting lost in this one.
Moth to a Flame by Jeremy Megargee feels like a romanticized version of finding comfort in another person. A bleak and dark story of love and devotion. Perfection.
Next, Float by Vann Orcka, a kid reflects on life and the universe, one cannot live without the other. A quick and solid story.
Her Sisters, The Stars by Patrick Barb. This is another favorite story that I will think of often for the rest of my life. The stars, they are more than just bright lights in the sky. They have purpose.
The tenth story, Horoscope of a Toxic Union by Justin Moritz is a poem about domestic abuse. This poem is definitely meaningful, but didn’t quite pull my heartstrings as much as I wanted it to.
The One Who Rides the Comet by Matthew Condello. This story is everything. Supernatural, evil, horror, love, family, pain, sacrifice. Five glorious stars for this story.
Next, Astronomical Choices by M. Richard Eley is a fabulous devil story. The first sentence got my anxiety up real quick! It didn’t let up until the end.
Into the Great Wide Open by Madison McSweeney is a story of a family struggling with loss. The ending is quite poetic. Loved it!
There is so much I want to say about Ya-Ya Makes the Baby Mobiles Spin by Bernard McGhee, but I need to keep this one completely in the dark for you. Parents, be warned.
The Center of Everything by Elizabeth Davis is a delight to see and read. Very cool layout for the one page story!
In The Rite of the Milk of the Stars by Lindsey Ragsdale is a story set in outer space as two women protect humanity's future. Easy to read, I devoured this story, it is so good.
The seventeenth story, The Dear Darling Things by Jacob Steven Mohr is a truly awesome twist on the story of the first people to land on the moon. This had my imagination going crazy after I finished it.
Earth 10 by Tony Logan is the repeated mistakes humans make. Bleak and sad story that is also an eye opener for everyone.
Necronaut Retrieval Failure by Kim Z. Dale is such a cool story!!! Another one about the stars being more that a big ball of light and gas. Freaking awesome story!
On to the twentieth story, A Promise, A Surprise by AI Jiang. A poem about energy. If you haven’t read anything by Jiang, here is a chance to find another author you might like.
Stellanova by C. R. Beideman is a quick story of a man trying desperately to reach the stars. Even though it was a quick story, I enjoyed every part of it.
The story The Child of Misery by Salvador Ayala is a haunting story! So different and very original from the typical haunted stories. Loved it!
Please Don’t Be a Serial Killer by Kata Ota has one of the best story endings in this entire anthology. I really did not expect the story to end like this, but it is definitely perfect.
Star of San Luis by Holly Rae Garcia is about following a guiding star to a place that would hopefully be splendid and divine. I enjoyed this one, but the characters were hard to connect with.
Gazing by Avira Marariti is a quick poem of death. Another fabulous use of words and emotion.
In the Moment by Grace R. Reynolds is an excellent story of the supernatural. Such an unexpected outcome. The writing is fantastic.
Don’t Look Up by Emerson Seipel is by far, one of my favorite stories in this anthology. It is about humanity unable to look up at the night sky forevermore. I would like this in novel form, please.
The last story, Nox Invictus by Rose Stickman has got to be the best, last story of this anthology. Darkness devours all and leaves humanity in turmoil. A truly brilliant and eerie story that lingers well after reading.
After reading these stories, I can understand why this anthology is on the 2022 Stoker Awards Preliminary Ballot for “Superior Achievement in an Anthology”. Red Lagoe has truly found some phenomenal authors who know how to pull you in with such few words of darkness and nightmares.
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