Dark stars is a horror anthology, packed with a little bit of everything. I love short story anthologies because not all of the stories are the same. Like most anthologies, certain stories will stand out against others but each one is unique and still enjoyable.

That being said my favorite stories were by Stephen Graham Jones, Caroline Kepnes and Josh Malerman. No surprise there considering these authors are amazing at what they do, but that is my personal preference of course.

If you’re a fan of horror, and I’m talking about any type of horror, you will like this anthology.

I will say, the stories at the end slowed me down a bit, so I do wish the order was a bit different.

A worthy successor to Kirby McCauley's 1980 classic (and a person favorite), Dark Forces. Like McCauley, John F.D. Taff has gathered original tales from some of the finest practitioners of his era, including such luminaries as John Langan, Gemma Files, Alma Katsu, and Stephen Graham Jones. Unlike McCauley, Taff also includes an afterword by the legendary Ramsey Campbell that rates amongst the best commentaries in the horror anthology tradition. Packed with thought-provoking scares and a dash of humor, Dark Stars is a must-have for any serious horror library.

DARK STARS -NEW TALES OF DARKEST HORROR edited by John F.D. Taff
As Josh Malerman says in the forward, “Horror is having a moment.” We are living in a time of seeming unlimited options as horror fans. There is no end to the different sub genres that are available. This is great for fans who are always able to keep the stories feeling fresh. This anthology is perfect for mixing it up and keeping it dark. Stalkers, cosmic, historical, dreams, vampires; the settings and plots are nicely varied as are the authors.
A lot of these authors are well known all stars such as Caroline Kepnes, Ramsey Campbell, Stephen Graham Jones, Alma Katsu, Josh Malerman, and John Langan. My favorite story was called Trinity River’s Blues by Chesya Burke because I was just hypnotized by the smooth storytelling. Although all of them are good.
These stories take place all over the world making it feel like you are on a nightmare vacation at times

Twelve burning lights, winking like fireflies across the canvas folds of evening. Twelve lights, some pulsing, some flashing; some flickering on, some blinking out.
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Twelve dark stars, dwarfing everything else way up there, above the sky. Twelve stories of pitch-black horror.
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Anthologies are funny creatures; a heap of individual limbs, each with gnashing teeth & pumping hearts, assembled together to construct an upright body, how hideous, how beautiful. It's a wonder if they can stand, a miracle if they can walk, or even stumble, along.
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DARK STARS takes long, successful strides, by & large, but it never quite bounds, never quite leaps. Despite housing a dozen different authors, each with their own style & voice, this collection still feels of the same brushstroke. It knows what it is, it's distinct.
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The tales in here fit nicely under the larger horror umbrella. They explore different pockets of the genre, from psychological to folklore to cosmic. The diversity is enough to still the feeling of treading the same tracks, excavating the same bones.
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That said, many of these stories, while not bad or forgettable by any means, are just...fine. They're good horror stories, but there's nothing here that I'll carry with me after leaving the final pages.
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It's for that reason that DARK STARS is successful as an anthology, as a whole, but its individual contents are lacking in their memorability.
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Still, I do have some standouts that make this collection worth giving a look:
• "The Attentionist" | Caroline Kepnes
• "A Life in Nightmares" | Ramsey Campbell
• "All the Things He Called Memories" | Stephen Graham Jones
• "Swim in the Blood of a Curious Dream" | John F. D. Taff
• "Mrs. Addison's Nest" | Josh Malerman
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Thank you to Tor Nightfire & NetGalley for sending me an ARC copy of this book! Keep an eye out for this one when it's released on May 10.

I’ve said it before, but I love anthologies for the opportunity to speed date a variety of authors. While I’ve been reading more horror lately, it’s not a genre where I’m familiar with a lot of authors, so I jumped on the chance to read this anthology. In that respect, it was a complete success as I found several new authors!

“In classes, I was often told that, according to Henry James, my taste for the works of Edgar Allan Poe was ‘the mark of a decidedly primitive stage of reflection.’
In all deference to James, suck it.”


There are twelve stories in the collection from a wide variety of styles and authors, from folk horror to more old-school stuff, and from up and coming authors to masters of the genre. While some stories worked better for me than others, I enjoyed all of them. Here’s a rating and quick review for each.

“Attention from boys is the best drug. You get his attention and suddenly, you don’t need a lot of other stuff, you know? You don’t really need him, only his attention.”


“The Attentionist” – Caroline Kepnes – ★★★.

Two boy-crazy teen sisters in the 90s stumble into some coming-of-age horror. Sneakily disquieting, but the ending felt too pat for me.

“A Life in Nightmares” – Ramsey Campbell – ★★★★★.

This story is initially confusing, starting with a child who’s afraid of going to bed by himself, but morphed into one of my favorite stories in this collection. It masterfully evokes that “am I awake or am I dreaming?” feeling, and I especially loved how he played with language. I wasn’t surprised at all to find out that this author is one of the greats of horror writing!

“Isn’t life supposed to be transient?”
“I know but why do I find that so hard to bear?”


“Papa Eye” – Priya Sharma – ★★★★.

This isn’t the gory type of horror story, but more of the quiet contemplative type. A doctor, struggling with ennui and the inevitability of being forgotten, accepts a position at a small clinic on a remote island. Lovely writing style!

“Volcano” – Livia Llewellyn – ★★★.

This story is just plain weird. It’s the sort of very atmospheric cosmic horror where you have no idea of what’s actually happening, but I liked the college student antiheroine who’s just trying to find a job during the summer.

“All the Things He Called Memories” – Stephen Graham Jones – ★★★★★.

Welp, thanks for the nightmares. During the early pandemic, a man is stuck at home quarantining with his scientist wife, who gets bored and decides to run her own experiment. This story is legitimately terrifying and the only one from this anthology to give me nightmares. I’d already had one of this author’s novels on my TBR and I immediately moved it to the top ten after reading this story!

“She escaped to the mental place and endured the pain because she had caused it.”


“Trinity River’s Blues” – Chesya Burke – ★★★★.

This felt a bit closer to urban fantasy than horror to me. I loved the feeling of the story, the whole theme of getting in over your head, of your yearning for something else blinding you to what you already have. Plus, birds.

“The Familiar’s Assistant” – Alma Katsu – ★★★.

A story that directly compares drug addiction with being a vampire’s Renfield, which is an interesting take. Sure it’s creepy and the main character definitely has issues, but it felt like something was missing.

“Swim in the Blood of a Curious Dream” – John F.D. Taff – ★★★.

While I agree that highway rest stop bathrooms are nightmarish, this was another one of those stories that was more “what the heck is going on?” experimental than, well, understandable. Excellent writing, though.

“The Sanguintalist” – Gemma Files – no rating.

I adored this story. The character, her ex-girlfriend, the murder she’s investigating, everything about it. Why no rating then? A lot of the story’s atmosphere relies heavily on the main character’s south Asian background (references to hijra in the family’s history, magic that made them infamous in pre-colonial India) but the author, as far as I can tell, doesn’t share that background.

“Mrs. Addison’s Nest” – Josh Malerman – ★★★★.

Another story that blurs the lines between reality and not, this one follows four men, former high school delinquents, who have reunited with an awful purpose. Creepy, twisty, and a lot of fun.

“Challawa” – Usman T. Malik – ★★★★★.

A woman is researching a ghost story in her native Pakistan. I had a creeping feeling of where this story was going and wow it was so much worse than I expected. 5 horrified wide-eyed stars.

“Enough for Hunger and Enough for Hate” – John Langan – ★★★★.

This slowly paced story, set for the most part on a frozen lake in the middle of the wilderness, is a good end to the collection. It’s got a little bit of gore, a little bit of ancient horror, a little bit of psychological woah.

Overall, this was a very successful read in my eyes as I found several new authors to explore, and I definitely hope that the editor plans more anthologies in the future!

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book.
Disclaimer: I don’t read very much horror. Save for the newest Stephen Graham Jones and Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica. So to experience the genre from so many unique perspectives was an eye opening experience. While some stories stood out from others, the writing for each one was spectacular. The vivid imagery and emotional turmoil from each character kept each story engaging until the end.
Stories that stood out:

A Life in Nightmares by Ramsay Campbell

Volcano by Livia Llewellyn

All the Things He Called Memories by Stephen Graham Jones

Swim in the Blood of a Curious Dream by John F.D Taff

Mrs. Addisons Nest by Josh Malerman

Not to say any of these stories weren’t expertly crafted and sufficiently creepy. This collection has introduced me to many new and seasoned horror authors, and I look forward to delving more into the worlds they each continue to craft.

In the foreword, Josh Malerman states that “horror is having a moment”. I think this statement is very true. Horror is making a come back, in so many new ways with so many new writers. Horror has grown branches of sub genre, stretching its reach to readers who wouldn’t normally read it. It’s been so much fun to read and discover these new dark thoughts, and even more fun when they’re all together in one book.
Dark Stars is a horror anthology that contains short stories written by some of todays greatest writers. Stephen Graham Jones, Josh Malerman, and even Caroline Kepnes, contributed to the book. Each writer brings a different approach at horror, touching those sub genres. Cannibalism, Vampires, stalkers, and unstable reality are a few of the horrors we encounter. Some are gory, some are scary, some just mess with your head. All of them are great.
The one thing I hate about anthologies, is that the stories are too short. By the time I’m invested and wanting more, it’s over. A few of these should definitely be made into longer books.

I was disappointed in this book. The stories didn't seem that horrific, mostly just vaguely unsettling. At the end I really couldn't remember most of the plots. Some very talented writers, but not much going on in this one. Shout out to John Langan for "Enough for Hunger and Enough for Hate." Now that was horror.

This was pretty good for some dark horror shorts! As expected some I liked more than others but there was a good variety and one I recommend for those who are looking for that kind of thing! 3.5 stars overall.

Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

This collection of horror stories probably has the most diverse selection of stories I have ever seen in an anthology. With that, I really enjoyed some stories and didn’t care for as much for some which is perfectly fine because it means that there is probably at least one story in here for any type of horror reader. I would say that if you are not a fan of short fiction, this is definitely not a collection you will enjoy. A lot of the stories have ambiguous endings that some readers may get frustrated with because everything isn’t completely wrapped up.

Not the most consistent collection of short stories, and I don’t know if the Caroline Kepnes work is the best lead in…but there are still some excellent reads that will satisfy less intense horror fans!

Happy Pub Day to Dark Stars!

Thank you NetGalley, Tor, and John F.D. Taff for the advanced copy of Dark Stars in exchange for my honest review.

Reviewing a book with this many authors is somewhat difficult, as I absolutely LOVED some of these stories, and some of them fell a little flat for me. Overall, however, all the stories are incredibly well written.

I think it's extra impressive that so many of these stories packed a punch because of the length limitations. One of my favorite aspects of the horror genre is how well the authors are able to build up to whatever their ultimate "big scare" is. I found the stories I enjoyed the most had this solid build up along with a satisfying conclusion.

If I *had* to choose a favorite, I think the honor goes to "Enough for Hunger and Enough for Hate" by John Langan (which happens to be the final story).

I highly recommend this one to horror fans!

3.75 stars

Dark Stars is a collection of horror stories that branch out in to many different horror subgenres. Taff set out to create an anthology that was reminiscent of older horror anthologies. I believe he did well here. There are a lot of different subgenres represented in Dark Stars.

There are twelve different stories by some authors I've read before, and some I've never heard of before, and some in between. There's psychological horror in the case of Caroline Kepnes's The Attentionist, ghost stories with Chesya Burke's Trinity River's Blues, and monster stories including Alma Katsu's The Familiar's Assistant.

With all anthologies, I didn't love every story. There were some stories that seemed like they needed to be expanded upon, and some that were just boring. Overall, the ratings of this collection came out to 3.8, which I'm rounding around to 4 for Goodreads, and 3.75 for Storygraph.

Some of my favorites out of this collection include:
-Papa Eye by Priya Sharma
-All the Things He Called Memories by Stephen Graham Jones
-Swim in the Blood of a Curious Dream by John F.D. Taff
-The Sanguinalist by Gemma Files

A few authors in this collection I've never read before, but now I'm going to seek out more of their work: Priya Sharma, Livia Llewellyn, Chesya Burke, John F.D. Taff, and Gemma Files.

Some authors I have read before and was glad to read again are Caroline Kepnes, Stephen Graham Jones, and John Langan.

I definitely recommend this collection to both those new to horror and those who have been reading horror for decades. There's something in this collection for everyone.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the chance to read this advanced review copy.

CW: animal death/cruelty, miscarriage, sexual assault, eating disorders, self-harm, and fatphobia

This is an absolutely wonderful collection that genre fans will want to have on their shelves. Standout stories from Stephen Graham Jones, Alma Kastu, and Ramsey Campbell anchor this reinvention of the classic anthology model.

A thoroughly unsettling collection of horror stories from some of the most terrifying voices in the genre.

Each of the stories in this collection is penned by a superb voice in current horror, with selections from Alma Katsu and Stephen Graham Jones, amongst others. The stories are wildly diverse bringing me to a round dozen of terrible places, each as unsettling as the last.

The stories collected here deliver a diverse view of what horror is, and are delivered with sharp pov that grabbed me by the throat and demanded I inhale it as quickly as possible.

If you love horror, want to check out some of the best writers in the genre today, or enjoy anthologies, this collection should absolutely be on your TBR.

Dark Stars is a tribute to 80s horror anthology Dark Forces, containing new tales from the strongest writers in the horror genre. The stories are incredibly varied, but all succeed in reaching into the depths of human fears. These were my highlights:

The Attentionist, by Caroline Kepnes - Incredibly creepy opener, a tale of sisterly war, and terrifying phone calls.

Papa Eye, by Priya Sharma - I will shout from the hills about Sharma’s work; she is an incredible writer. This is a beautiful story about a disillusioned doctor, who moves to a seemingly idyllic island.

Volcano, by Livia Llewellyn - This is a wonderfully messed up story. A young girl with a string of failed jobs behind her finally finds a calling in fixing up furniture. But why is she not allowed beyond that strange door? Lots of clues, but nothing confirmed in this extraordinary story.

Trinity River’s Blues, by Chesya Burke - A gorgeous story of hoodoo, family, and the ghost of Charlie Parker. A beautiful piece of writing; Burke has a real talent for expressing horrific things in a lyrical way.

The Sanguintalist, by Gemma Files - I loved this noir-ish story, of a woman speaking to murder victims through their blood. Absolutely gruesome, but a very enjoyable read.

Mrs. Addison’s Nest, by Josh Malerman - Heavy Stephen King vibes in this tale of four young friends and a traumatic encounter in a library. Completely disorienting in the best way.

Challawa, by Usman T. Malik - I think this was my favorite of the whole collection. So much happens in this story, with historical, folk horror, and cultural elements. Deeply rich storytelling.

Enough for Hunger and Enough for Hate, by John Langan - The final story of the collection is a completely engrossing story of a murder, domestic terror, and the Old Gods. One of the longer stories in the collection, I was completely grabbed by this two-hander. This would make an incredible play.

So, I was kind of expecting to love this one. I mean, the authors that contributed are some seriously talented writers...

However, I found myself wondering a few times when the stories would start to get scary. Maybe it's me, maybe I'm just difficult to spook. 

However, I gave this three stars because of the fact that I did enjoy the stories, even if I didn't find them quite scary enough. The writing is exactly what you'd expect it to be from the caliber of authors this book brought. 

Just don't expect to be haunted by these stories--expect more to be impressed at the minds that came up with some serious weird material.

Dark Stars is a new horror anthology that comes out on May 10th, 2022. John F.D. Taff edited these 12 short stories. Some of them were really creepy and others were not scary but intense. I was a fan of Alma Katsu and Stephan Graham Jones before this and these stories solidified their standings in my head. I also found new authors that I have never read before such as Josh Mallerman and Priya Sharma. Each story was a knockout and I really enjoyed getting to try all these new to me authors.

I liked this anthology. Three stars doesn’t mean I didn’t like it. I would like to reread a couple. I felt a bit confused by them.

My favorite one was Volcano by Libia Llewelyn. I’ll be looking for more books by her. Super creepy and uncomfortable. I also liked The Attentionist by Caroline Kepnes.

I requested this arc because Stephen Graham Jones has a short story in it. It was also really good. I liked how it talked about childhood fears.

It’s a pretty good anthology. It did have a couple of misses for me but that’s what I love about Horror. Something that may not be scary for me, might be terrifying for someone else.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars In the introduction to Dark Stars, editor John F.D. Taff said his goal with this anthology was to show how expansive horror can be. That it can be literary, or as bloody and gory as it can get.

Well, I have to say that he succeeded! The range of types of horror stories is quite impressive. The downside of that is that it will be a tough sell for most readers to enjoy all the stories equally.

While many of the stories in this anthology were ok for me, a few stuck out as favorites. To my surprise they were by authors I haven’t read from before. That’s what I love about reading anthologies; meeting new authors that I can get excited about digging into their longer works.

Here’s a 1-2 sentence critique of each short story and the star rating I gave it.

4.5 stars The Attentionist- Written by the author of You, this story also featured a stalker, only this time the victim was a younger girl. It’s dark and creepy and I could absolutely see this happening in real life which made it even more terrifying.

3 stars A Life in Nightmares- Super disorienting and confusing, it really does leave the reader feeling like they are experiencing a random string of nightmares. But too many threads were left dangling and it needed a stronger narrative.

4.5 stars Papa Eye- This was so close to being 5 stars! I loved the island setting, the eerie vibes and the plot. I felt it ended just a little too abruptly. Still, it’s a great story.

4.5 Volcano- This was a 5 star story for me up until the very end. I loved the writing style, the characterization and the plot. However, I wished the author would have gone a little bit deeper into certain parts of the plot instead of leaving it so vague.

4 All the Things He Called Memories - I really enjoyed the premise and themes of this story. The execution could have focused a little less on the dialogue and amped up the horror of the plot.

2.5 Trinity River’s Blues- Some readers might find the plot of this story more enjoyable than I did, but I was bored by a large part of the middle. If it would have been more tightly edited, it would have worked much better for me.

3.5 The Familiar’s Assistant- The premise of this story was great! It was much darker than I was expecting, and I liked the way the author wrote about the themes of co-dependency, insecurity and manipulation. I think this would have worked better, though, at a novella length.

4 Swim in the Blood of a Curious Dream- The premise of this story was unique and interesting. I liked some of the characterization, but there were some logical problems I had as well as certain story threads not being explained.

2 The Sanguintalist- I really didn’t get on well with the writing style of this story. And I could have cared less about the characters because they were so underdeveloped.

3 Mrs. Addison’s Nest- Really interesting premise and structure, but it needed to be fleshed out more. This would have worked out better as a novella.

5 Challawa- This was my favorite story of the collection. I loved everything from the plot, the wiring style, and the characters. It had the creepiest ending. I had shivers up my arms!

2 Enough for Hunger and Enough for Hate -This was so hard for me to get through! There was so much telling instead of showing. I was bored for much of the story.

*Thank you so much to MacMillian Tor/Forge - Tor Nightfire for the digital arc copy in exchange for an honest review.