I absolutely loved this anthology with all the Queer spooky in it.
I was very impressed with each work, the short stories & the Poetry. Some were cute, some weird disgusting & some were just weird (but in the best way. )

I don't know how well this translated audiobook If only because there's a mix of poetry and short stories and if you're not paying attention you totally miss the poetry cuz it's there and gone. This isn't a bad book but I don't think it was for me. If you're into kind of semi speculative fiction alongside twisty horror vibe stories, you're probably going to like it. It was just a bit too weird for me.

Narrator was adequate. Read well enough but did not give none of the characters in the short stories nuance or difference. Although that might have been as much the material as anything else. It was noticeable that she did better with the first short story which did have some characterisation.

Honestly this was a pretty mediocre collection. When you have an anthology that contains stories by multiple authors, you're always going to find a couple of lemons, or at least ones you don't care for. In this collection there were two I quite liked (in comparison to the others), a couple that were gratuitously gross and full of body horror without any real supporting story, and the rest were meh. None of them even seemed to flirt with the idea of having a beginning, a middle and an end, and all too often the characters were paper dolls for the authors to shout polemic through. Which was tedious.



I'm also weary of queer short stories always seeming to have to focus exclusively on queer issues - coming out, homophobia, oppression - as the main thrust of the story. It's not that those issues are not worth discussing, but when I pick up an anthology of queer horror, I want the horror to be predominant, I want great characters and I want the politics to be window dressing OR - an here's a thought - entirely absent. Not because it's not important but because LGBTQIAP+ people deserve stories that depict them as the MCs without the story having to import homophobia. Are we seriously saying that stories featuring queer oppression are the only ones we're allowed to tell? Because that seems weirdly homophobic in its own right.



And the poetry... The poetry was not great. The best poem was The Creation of Eve, but there were others like Godzilla and Creature from Another Lagoon that did mostly work. The rest seemed to be written by people who don't know what poetry structure is before they attempted to break it. I'm not a fan of tumblr meme style verse where hitting the return bar excessively equals a poem.

I quite liked the first short story. Also, props to Glamour Us for having the balls to tackle inter community prejudice and absolutism within trans ideology.

Overall though this was a bit lacklustre. Do not recommend.

The audiobook of "Queer Little Nightmares" edited by David Ly and Daniel Zomparelli was quite a weird book poems and short stories. Each story has a monster or creature in it and many come from cultures around the world. Some of the stories are gross, but all are interesting. The stories often leave the reader thinking since they are open ended. I love that they were all lgbtqia friendly as that made them even more interesting.

I love a good spooky read, and this audiobook version is wonderful.
Incredibly gripping short stories that grab your attention from the start!
My fave is the one about the bird creature at the amusement park. I am still thinking about that one.
Every story has a different feel, but the monster theme prevails, as it should.
Most of the stories are a little scary, but there are a few that are actually very scary. I liked the mix : )

"Queer Little Nightmare: An Anthology of Monstrous Fiction and Poetry" is a thought-provoking and captivating collection that delves deep into the intersection of queerness and the monstrous. Edited by a team of talented writers and artists, this anthology offers a diverse range of stories and poems that challenge societal norms and reimagine the concept of monsters through a queer lens.

One of the standout features of this anthology is its ability to celebrate the diversity within the LGBTQ+ community. The stories and poems within "Queer Little Nightmare" showcase a wide spectrum of queer identities and experiences, exploring themes of self-discovery, acceptance, and the struggle against societal expectations. From monstrous creatures embodying the internalized fears of queer individuals to stories that redefine what it means to be a monster, each piece is a unique and powerful exploration of queerness in all its forms.

The writing and poetry featured in this anthology are beautifully crafted, displaying a range of styles and voices that draw readers into their haunting and evocative worlds. The contributors skillfully blend horror, fantasy, and speculative fiction elements with queer narratives, resulting in tales that are both unsettling and deeply moving. The authors' ability to convey complex emotions and create vivid imagery is commendable, leaving a lasting impact on readers long after the book is closed.

"Queer Little Nightmare" is an important addition to the world of LGBTQ+ literature, offering a platform for queer voices and stories that challenge societal norms. It is a celebration of queerness and the power of storytelling, inviting readers to explore the depths of their own fears and desires through the monstrous. This anthology is a must-read for anyone seeking a fresh and thought-provoking perspective on queer literature, and it stands as a testament to the resilience and creativity of the queer community.

Queen Little Nightmares is a fun exploration of the "horror" genre with a queer lens. One of my favorite parts of queer horror is that it often isn't classic scary horror, but the horror of being the other not the horror of the other. It's often a lot more exploratory and these stories capture this section of horror perfectly.
As much as I loved most of the short stories and poems, they can get very "WTF is happening", and do often use a voice that speaks more to the younger generations. So it is not everyone's cup of tea, but it was mine.
I do recommend either reading or listening to one story at a time, it is ALOT to go through in one sitting, and too many stories in a row and they start to blur together. The Narrator Danielle Verayo does a fantastic job bringing the stories to life and captures the essence of the anthology.
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a free ARC copy of the audiobook through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Thank you NetGalley and ECW Press Audio for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I found the collection of fiction and poetry very diverse and unique. I love hearing new voices, which was what this was. There was a range of stories, all full of emotion and suspense. For me, this wasn’t scary at all, so I am not sure I would class it in the horror genre. Overall it was enjoyable.

With thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this wonderful book.
I adored this creepy weird and beautiful book. Taking the image that queer people are monsters and turning that on its head was fantastic, i was grossed out, enthralled, spooked and full of joy listening to this and its certainly something I will be reccomending!

“These poems beautifully dissect the heart of what it means for queer people to be and to love a monster.”

An interesting blend of myth and reality told through the lens of familiar monsters. A concept that not only piqued my interest, but was well executed.

I think when reading an anthology, it isn’t unusual to love some stories more than others. That was my experience when listening to this audiobook, but the ones I loved, I LOVED. Werewolves, vampires, zombies and many other monsters made an appearance. Two of my favorites stories in the anthology were Wooly Bully and The Vetala’s Song. And anyone who has also read or listened to this book will probably agree that And the Moon Spun will haunt them forever (I was not prepared for the turn it took and god was it gross).

I enjoyed listening to this audiobook and Danielle Verayo did an excellent job with the narration. There were a few moments where it was a bit confusing as we jumped back and forth between poems and short stories. As much as I enjoyed the poems, they unfortunately didn’t stick with me the same way the short stories did. I believe this was due to the audiobook format.

Another challenge with using this format for a collection like this is that I would occasionally be confused who the narrator was supposed to be. As a reader/ listener, you were sometimes thrown right into the story without any background on the main character. I would get pulled out of the story because I was curious about how the main character identified and how their identity played a role in the story.

Overall, I really liked this book and will definitely be recommending it to readers looking for a spooky, diverse, and queer read.

“I was hunted in the daylight for my true nature in life. Why not in death too.” (The Vetala’s Song)

Thank you NetGalley and ECW Press Audio for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!

Short story and poetry collection featuring all horror and queer stories!

I definitely enjoyed the narration for this, but didn't love how the unbalanced each story was. The short stories were in depth, super interesting or creepy, and the poetry would be a couple sentences/a minute of speaking and back to stories. I think for audio format, the short stories were excellent and the poetry was a bit distracting.

My favorites:
-Wooly Bully
-The Vetalas Song
-Insert Coin
-Gruesome My Love
-Glamour Us

Most wtf is going on story:
- And the Moon Spun

I loved this!!! This fantastic horror anthology was often scary, sometimes hilarious, and a few times ew ew ew, gross. I am a big fan of Queer creators getting their gorgeous marginalized voices heard.
This was a great deal of spooky fun. I loved all the stories. Yes, all of them. How often can you say that about an anthology? The audiobook is fantastic, and Danielle Verayo did an excellent job.

This is a great way to get your monster on (literally in some cases) in or out of the spooky season.

Thank you to David Ly and all of the contributors, ECW Press Audio, and NetGalley, for a chance to listen to this anthology.

I really wanted to like this anthology because the concept that unites it is intriguing. Unfortunately, most of the writing just didn't do it for me. Many of the pieces felt more like drafts than tight, finished work.

I really tried so hard to get through this book. I had the audio from NetGalley, but I felt like I was confused for every story. I ended up getting the physical book from my library thinking I'd better understand these stoties, but I still spent half the time wondering what in the world I was reading. Chalking it up to it being a "me" thing.

The narrator was fantastic though! She even sang a couple of times. It definitely added to my overall enjoyment, and I ended up preferring the audio.

What an interesting and beautiful listen this was. I enjoyed jumping from a different author’s voice to another. My favorite stories were The Vetala’s Song, Godzilla, and Floral Arrangement. I love this queer monster anthology and I think I’ll especially enjoy it in the fall.

Loved the concept of this book. Queer horror, what's not to love? Unfortunately, I had a hard time connecting to most of these stories. As with all anthologies there were hits and misses. The only one that really stood out to me was "Gruesome My Love." This was a fun listen on audiobook but overall, not my favorite.

Thank you NetGalley!!
This short story collection has something for everyone. I wasn’t in love with the audio book narrative but I really enjoyed this short story collection. I liked the poems even know I usually don’t enjoy poetry.

I absolutely adored this book. So cute. Tiny tales by multiple authors. Written by queer authors. I'm so happy to see more queer representation both in literature and here on netgalley.

This was a super fun and diverse collection of stories from authors from so many backgrounds, and I really enjoyed how it showed throughout all the stories. All the stories had a general overarching theme of "what if a queer monster exsisted in our world?" and it tied all the stories together beautifully. Some stories were straight up "I'm a monster!" and some were more vague about what was actually going on, but all of them had some queer representation in some way. I definitely enjoyed some stories more than others, but that is solely because of what I look for in stories - Horror, SciFi, Queer happiness, and discovering who you are. But none of the stories disappointed me. I'm very interested in going through other things the authors of my favorite stories have written to see if I can find some new favorites! I enjoyed the audiobook too, but there were times that I was confused at the start of new stories because it's all the same narrator and I was so engrossed in the stories that I didn't want them to end.

I adored this anthology. It had everything from suspenseful coming of age stories, to heartbreakingly sinister poems all centering the queer community. I truly enjoyed reading the variety of poems and prose included in this anthology, and as a lover of horror, this really hit boxes I didn’t even know I had.

If you’re looking for some quick, queer, and spooky reads, this is the book for you. An introduction to several queer authors and a variety of styles of writing.