If you're into binge-reading short stories and horror, then this is the perfect collection for you. Each story is delicately crafted to ensure top grades for the "jumping-at-the-slightest-sound" factor. There is some truly brilliant writing going on here. There are a few new names to add to my list of authors that I want to read more of. A fine collection of 20 spine-tingling shivers!

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

This is an anthology of 20 horror shorts, including some famous names too. I’m a sucker for short stories and this one lived quite up to the expectations. What I really liked was how out of the box some of these ideas were, very original and a treat to read, but most of them dealing with the ideas of the end of the world and apocalypse, making it a perfect read for this year, lol.

Some of these were really great, others not so much and I kinda struggled with them, but that said, every story tops the crazy, out of the box ideas. Among others, my absolute favourites were Swanskin by Allison Littlewood, It doesn’t feel right by Michael Marshall Smith, Gave by Michael Bailey, Research by Tim Lebbon, and Branch line by Paul Finch. Totally recommended if you like crazy, and mind-bending horror short stories.

I received an eARC of its book via Netgalley, authors, and publishers. All opinions are my own.

I have to start out by saying that I usually have no problem with anthologies. I know that the point of them is that all stories are unique and have nothing in common with each other. And I’m usually fine with that, but in this case it just didn’t work for me.

I did like some of the stories and I will point them out in a minute, but I felt myself skimming through a lot of the shorts and just couldn’t stay interested. My favorite story out of them all was Swanskin (Alison Littlewood), closely followed by Butterfly Island (CJ Tudor), and finally The Importance of Oral Hygiene (Robert Shearman). The rest of them just didn’t impress me very much to be honest.

She is the weed that is plucked and returns each year; she is the root too deep to pull out.
I cut her down. I did.
Yet her hate springs, evergreen.

-Creeping Ivy by Laura Purcell

For me anthologies are always hit or miss.
There are few in between that I have enjoyed every single story and that's fine. Different authors for different tastes.

What I didn't expect from After Sundown however was how the stories would stick to my mind long after I had finished reading. That is the sign of a great horror anthology. From murderous kids to a giant blizzard entity wreaking havoc to an aging's rock star maybe not so fortuitous Ouija Board, the scenes are playing in my head over and over. I can't stop it.

Dude, I have to SLEEP tonight.

Some of the authors I've heard about and their amazing work speaks for itself and others were an introduction and damn, what a intro it was.

I can't stop thinking of Creeping Ivy by Laura Purcell. The last lines of the story reverberates throughout my mind and I knew as soon as I finished I would be looking up more of her work.

This is exactly why I love collections of short stories. It introduces you to a host of authors you probably wouldn't have chanced on otherwise.

After Sundown is a book essential for this year's terrifying month of October and boasts the short works of authors such as Grady Hendrix, John Langan, Catriona Ward, and Ramsay Campbell. The stories are rich, the writing intriguing and haunting. Ghost like and bloody.

I love horror year round but horror in October? It's a special kind of happiness.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for this copy of my ARC. All opinions are my own.

20 short stories that are supposed to be horror from well known and arising literary stars. It appears this is going to be a yearly collection, I would look forward to it if they put true horror stories in it. These were mostly sci-fi and dystopian style stories. Mediocre stories...

After Sundown by Mark MorrisAfter Sundown
by Mark Morris
Read
My rating:
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars[ 3 of 5 stars ]4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
A collection of 20 short horror stories - After Sundown, is written by some of the great names in the horror genres! As is the case with most of anthologies, it was all over the place for me. None of the story was mind blowing, but I did like few of them. Few of my favourites were Creeping Ivy, It doesn't feel right, The Importance of Oral Hygiene & Murder Box. The rest were ether underdeveloped or not good at all.

Overall, It was underwhelming but there were few hidden gems and few I would prefer to be written as full book rather than a short story.
2.75 (round off 3 Stars)

As a long time lover of short horror stories I'm smiling like a crazed Jack O'lantern at the thought of Flame Tree Press putting out an annual anthology. I would have been happier if it was Halloween themed but that did not stop me from enjoying what will hopefully become a yearly tradition.

The first story to totally blow me away was IT DOESN’T FEEL RIGHT by Michael Marshall Smith. Everyone has something that particularly creeps them out. For me it's always been stories about children. You just never know what a child will do. They're inconsistent and undependable and therefore terrifying.. One minute they tell you that you're the best mommy in the world and the next minute they hate you because their toothbrush is the wrong color. In this story, the every day chore of trying to get a child appropriately dressed and out the door in time for school was something I could commiserate with until it took a horrifying turn.

BOKEH by Thana Niveau also featured a terrifying child who sees and knows more than her unsuspecting mother gives her credit for until it's far too late. This one inspired such a deliciously dreadful feeling because I could just tell this child was up to no good from the start.

THE NAUGHTY STEP by Stephen Volk finds child services attempting to collect a small boy from his home after he survived a traumatic event. This story was as heartbreaking as it was shocking.

RESEARCH by Tim Lebbon had a Misery vibe to it as an author finds himself held hostage although not by his greatest fan, there is nothing personal in the confinement, just a twisted desire to observe what happens when a writer can not write.

THE IMPORTANCE OF ORAL HYGIENE by Robert Shearman is a dental horror story of epic proportions that at first glimpse seems to be merely the tale of a woman who fears losing her husband before it explodes into supernatural terror well beyond my expectations.

MURDER BOARD by Grady Hendrix should be a caution to anyone considering playing with a Ouija board, especially on a perfectly dark and stormy night in your secluded mansion with your embittered aging, has been, of a husband.

THE MIRROR HOUSE by Jonathan Robbins Leon makes me want to spout some overused cliché like there but for the grace of God go I.... But wait, in the mirror house which one is really me? This was a very clever and fear inspiring tale.

These were my favorites but every story is well worth a read.

This is an excellent collection of short stories. All the more impressive being a mix of prolific authors and some unknown, as of yet!
There’s such a variety of horror and I enjoyed all. It’s an easy read, but, with some genuinely scary and thought provoking stories and it’s perfect for this time of the year.

Congratulations to Mark Morris who edited this treat of a read and many thanks to NetGalley and Flame Tree Publishers for the opportunity to preview.

*I was sent a free ARC of this book by Flame Tree Press in exchange for an honest review*

This is the inaugural issue of what is expected to be a yearly horror anthology. It contains 20 original stories by a variety of well-known and emerging writers.

My copy didn’t have a table of contents which makes it difficult to point to too many particulars. As expected of a collection of this length and breadth, some of it worked great, most was middle-of-the-road, a couple were total flops that I skipped without finishing. I was surprised by just how much the genre of “horror” was stretched, as a few felt clearly more aligned with dystopian, apocalyptic, or sci-fi genres moreso than “true” horror. Many of them crafted a somewhat creepy atmosphere but lacked real tension or horror in their execution. It was really great to get to read from such a variety of authors, and quite a good number of women, who despite creating and making the horror genre what it is, often get overlooked.

The standout stories that I enjoyed most were “Swanskin” by Alison Littlewood, about a curse on the women of a sleepy town and the men that try to get in their way, “It Doesn’t Feel Right” by Michael Marshall Smith, about a neighborhood of kids with a peculiar complaint, and “The Importance of Oral Hygiene” by Robert Shearman, about one dentist and his many wives.

While I’m glad I read this, I’m not certain I’ll be seeking out further editions unless they feature some authors that I really love.

Solid anthology of 20 horror stories. All kinds of subgenres are represented, so there's something for everyone. The average of all my individual ratings is 3.05 stars, but I'm adding half a bonus star because some of the stories in this collection will really stick with me. I love discovering new authors through anthologies. Catriona Ward and Elana Gomel are now high on my list of authors to try out.

My individual ratings and scribblings:

Butterfly Island by C.J. Tudor

3.5 stars. Good atmosphere/suspense. Curious about the rest of the story. Abrupt ending, but fitting. Genuine horror elements.

Research by Tim Lebbon

3 stars
Psychological horror. Weird and creepy people. Never fully trust your neighbours/aquantainces.

Swanskin by Alison Littlewood

3 stars. Like a creepy fairytale. Trigger warning: animal cruelty.

That's The Spirit by Sarah Lotz

2 stars. Wtf is up with the open ending? Could've just been a regular and boring story. Makes you guess but i don't like having to guess.

Gave by Michael Bailey

2 stars. An idea and something with counting things like an autistic rapstar. The concept of depopulation was interesting but not enough to make this one shine for me

Wherever you look by Ramsey Campbell

2 stars. Thought this was going to be a 1 Star rating. I couldn't get into the story due to the writing style of which the use of present tense was my main annoyance.. One bonus star for the ending.

Same Time Next Year by Angela Slatter

2.5 stars. Ghost story. Ended too quick to really leave an impression.

Mine Seven by Elana Gomel

4 stars. Nordic darkness combined with supernatural gore. Reminded me of 30 days Of Night, a movie I thoroughly enjoyed back in the day. This story makes me want to watch it again.

It Doesn't Feel Right by Michael Marshall Smith

3 stars. Kids from hell. Being a mother of a 3-year old with regular temper tantrums, I GET the horror of this story.

Creeping Ivy by Laura Purcell

3.5 stars. Madman or haunted? Loving the gothic atmosphere the manor brings. The first couple of pages were hard for me to get into, but it paid off nicely in the end.

Last Rights For The Fourth World by Rick Cross

1 star. I really could not connect with this story. The writing style, with all its technical and military terms, was a chore to get through. The use of 'foreign' language overdone. I didn't even understand the plot due to this white noise.

We All Come Home by Simon Bestwick

4 stars. Even though it's nothing new/lacks originality, I enjoyed this one. Creeptastic.

The Importance Of Oral Hygene by Robert Shearman

4 stars. The first 2 pages started out crappy with me thinking where the hell the editor had been at that point. After that, shit got awesome and wtf just happened?!

Bokeh by Thana Niveau

3 stars. Creepy girl story. Entertaining enough and will definitely make me look differently at Bokeh filters from now on.

Murder Board by Grady Hendrix

4 stars. At first, I got distracted by some typos. But this is an ARC, so I shouldn't complain too much. The story unfolded from a sigh to a whirlwind. Awesome.

Alice's Rebellion by John Langan

1.5/2 stars. The umpteenth reimagining of Alice in Wonderland. There's 'inspired by' and just copying shit and calling it your own. This was too much copying for me. Not a nice and fresh story. 0.5 bonus stars for the bloody parts.

The Mirror House by Jonathan Robbins Leon

3.5 stars. In the beginning, it gave me flashbacks to the first season of Stranger things and the Silent Hill movie. Rich storytelling that could've gone anywhere. But I meh-ed at how the ending turned out.

The Naughty Step by Stephen Volk

2.5 stars. Im not even entirely sure what happened here. The end made me feel like shit.

A Hotel In Germany by Catriona Ward

5 stars. I want more of this world. Totally unexpected pleasure treasure.

Branch Line by Paul Finch

3 stars. Good suspense. Open mystery which isnt bad but doesn't work well for me personally. There's already too much in life we dont know shit about. I like it when my stories are clean cut, leaving no guessing around. Still enjoyed it, though.

After Sundown is an entertaining collection of short stories that frighten and entertain. There are familiar elements of horror, throughout, but the originality is what makes most of these stories entertaining. There are many standouts.

My favorite stories In After Sundown are: Swanskin, Mine Seven, Last Rites for the Fourth World, Murder Board, and Branch Line. The most beautiful story is Swanskin. Alison Littlewood’s story about witchcraft is very melodic and haunting. Murder Board is Grady Hendrix’s offering, and as with most of his novels, it has the perfect blend of hilarity and gore. Of all the stories, the one that scared me the most is Branch Line. It is a ghost story with a twist.

There were two stories that felt uninspired. The most disappointing story is Butterfly Island. It is by CJ Tudor, and being a fan of her novels, I was expecting to enjoy this story. It ended up being too open ended. The other story that fell flat is Gave. Michael Bailey crafts an interesting tale about Earth’s population dying off, but it is clouded by all the science of genetics and donating blood.

After Sundown is an anthology that covers a spectrum ranging from horror, sci fi, and fantasy. As with most anthologies, there are some lackluster stories, but for the most part, these stories are unique and entertaining.

This is a really nice little anthology with a good variety of stories. As with all collections, there were some stories that I preferred over others (the C.J. Tudor one being my personal favourite) but I can honestly say there aren't any 'bad' ones here and I enjoyed reading all of them for one reason or another. This would be perfect Halloween reading!

October is the perfect time to publish an anthology of horror stories! I decided to read this one for review for several reasons: I have enjoyed many horror novels published by Flame Tree Press; I love horror short story collections; and, 16 of these stories are by published authors I am familiar with and four of them were chosen from submissions sent to FTP. I'm always up for reading something by new-to-me authors!

Any time a reader delves into a collection of 20 stories there will be tales they love and ones that just missed the mark. That's the joy of a short story anthology -- what one reader doesn't like, another one will. So there is something for everyone! There weren't any stories in this collection that I didn't finish or that I completely disliked. Some were awesome....others were just ok....and there were a couple that just didn't hit the mark for me. But, not every story is for every reader. For the most part, I enjoyed the offerings in this demented little horror collection!

This book definitely primed my desire to start reading horror stories. I get into Halloween mode once September starts every year. I love autumn....and I love horror stories! So I enjoy making the season last as long as possible!

I believe this horror anthology is going to be an annual thing for FTP. I'm definitely in line to buy a copy each year! The stories in this first anthology are varied, interesting and definitely creepy fun to read!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Flame Tree Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

3.475 out of 5 stars

This anthology definitely offers a wide variety of stories, something that I always appreciate.  There were some strong showings, including my personal favorites Butterfly Island by C.J. Tudor and Swanskin by Alison Littlewood.  But many of the stories fell in the 3 star range for me, good but not something that stayed with me after I finished.  I'd still recommend this though, it's a great introduction to a wide variety of authors and styles.

Thanks to Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for the ecopy for review (unedited first proof).

Firstly, I'd like to thank the publishers and NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

Anthologies and I get along usually, however there are always some stories that I just don't vibe with. What I love most about anthologies is that you get a taste for multiple authors (and in this collection I have read none of the authors previous works, but have heard of a few of them). It is a good way to give you a taste of what their writing style is like and how they tell stories before you pick up a full-length novel by them.

This anthology, like all I've read from has hits and misses for me. I particularly enjoyed 'The Naughty Step' by Stephen Volk, 'Bokeh' by Thana Niveau, 'The Importance of Oral Hygiene' by Robert Shearman, and 'It Doesn't Feel Right' by Michael Marshall Smith. There were a few more I enjoyed, and a few I hated. I did also find that a few of the stories hit too close to home during the current pandemic, and one story in particular wasn't great for my fear of butterflies, so I was definitely uncomfortable reading some of these stories, but that is what I expect from horror stories.

For full disclosure I did read this anthology during a reading slump and so my review might not be as robust as usual.

I would recommend this to anyone who wants a little taste of different horror writers and different kinds of horror sub-genres. It has something for everyone I feel.

Flame Tree Press has raised their game with an anthology that hits all its points and more with this interesting and haunting collection of short stories. Flame Tree is proven to be one of the best dark fiction publishing companies around.

The book starts out with an introduction from Mark Morris and states how he has put the collection together and the planning that took place which he has set the stage of what to come. Before the reader knows it, BAM!; they are in the midst of it with some excellent stories collected together. As this is an anthology, some stories may suffer due to their placement in the book but I think Morris has done an excellent job placing the stories together in the right order.

When it comes to anthologies, they always take me a little longer as I personally like to space them out. Read a short, read a novel, read another short and carry on so it gives me a chance to look at each story as its own entity than find myself comparing the previous story that I have read. I could not find a weak story in this collection as each one stands on its own and haunts the mind long after the initial read of the short. Of course, there will always be the marginally stronger story that may resonate with each reader than the other but when looking at the merit of each one, you find there is not a lesser story to be found.

There may be some problems with some of the endings which may make some readers a bit cold to the reaction. Some of the stories do end abruptly and although this works well within the story frame complex, one would like to read more and you can see how some of these would make great novels in the future. Some of these do not tie things up in a lovely little bow and there is some horrendous endings that come at you unexpected. Horrendous in this context is more about the down beat ending and not horrendously written; more with the emotional impact.

Overall, this is a must read and although I do have my favourites which I will not mention here because I think each story is strong and every reader will have their own favourite. It is very rare when you will get an anthology that is as strong as this and Flame Tree proves that it can deliver time and time again. This is a must read and the strongest anthology that has been put together in a long time. Highly recommended.

Reading is a subjective thing. There will be stories and genres I love that you don't, and vice versa and our difference in opinions allows for conversation. Whenever I begin a short story collection, I always bear that in mind. The editor might love a story, but that doesn’t mean I will, if I enjoy more than 50% of the stories included, then it was a successful read. So, for me to say that I enjoyed every story is a big thing and speaks to the high standard needed for a work to be included.
The quality of story-telling is set from the beginning and maintained with each successive one. Each story also felt fresh, so rather than me starting a short story and comparing it to one in the collection I had already read, they were different and keeping me engaged.
This is because none of them was the same. There were stories from the point of view of ghosts as well as people being haunted. First-person perspectives are used as well as omniscient and close third person. We have sinister fairy tales, stories from other culture set all over the world, found-diaries and interviews.
While the quality of each story was high, some really stood out for me. Tim Lebbon’s Research explores what happens to a horror writer when they are incapable of writing. Michael Marshall Smith’s It Doesn’t Feel Right takes the age-old battle parents face everywhere of getting their kids dressed in the morning and gives it a very sinister twist. Laura Purcell’s Creeping Ivy is a familiar story told in a found-diary format, yet it is fresh and creepy.
This is a short story collection that does exactly what it sets out to, delight and scare. With stories from well-known authors in the genre as well as a few from emerging voices, After Sundown has something for everyone. Highly recommended.

I always like picking up an anthology knowing all the stories will be new to me. There are some great authors in here, with a very nice variety of stories. There is something in here for every horror lover. As always, I enjoyed some more than others, but this is a solid collection of tales.

Excellent short stories. This will be a good book for the upcoming Spooky Season. I hope there's a second book.

I want to preface this review by saying I love Flame Tree and the way they do things. I have a large stack of their books on my shelf, and I don’t see my love for those red spines fading any time soon. This opinion is my own and has not been influenced by the publisher doing anything for me.

My love in Flame Tree being noted, I was very disappointed with After Sundown, the first volume in a new (hopeful) annual anthology of horror. Featuring twenty stories, sixteen of the featured authors are said to be some of the top in the genre; the other four were chosen during an extensive open submissions period. Despite there being sixteen supposedly big name authors included, I only recognized four of the names: CJ Tudor, Tim Lebbon, Grady Hendrix, and Ramsey Campbell. Everybody else was new to me.

These were also the writers that actually impressed me - their stories were the most enjoyable (with the exception of Lebbon’s “Research,” which felt underwhelming) of the collection. “Butterfly Island” (by CJ Tudor) was probably my favorite, right up there with Hendrix’s “Murder Board” (which was a story that stood on crime/drama above horror). Both of these entries were exciting and well-written. “Butterfly Island” felt like the explosive opening to an awesomely horrific novel, and “Murder Board” proposed an idea that surely deserves a prequel. Campbell’s “Wherever You Look” also featured some wonderful prose that flowed with ease, while holding my attention throughout.

Sadly, beyond these stories, I felt bored with this collection more often than I’d like to admit. There were entries that were fine, but lacking; and then there were stories that I actually daydreamed throughout. Unfortunately, that makes this collection more of a fail than anything for me. Hopefully, the next time they will get some more exciting stories in the mix.