Forget slashers and men in masks. The horrors written in this anthology of short stories base themselves on society, magic, history, and reality. These aspects demonstrate terror to another degree.

From drug addiction to racist folks, you will find every real boogeyman known to people.

As with any short story anthology, you will find stories that run the gamut of stars. In this book, there are a few 3s, 4s, and a couple of 5s, which, for me, is a win. I've been introduced to some new writers while expecting some good work from established writers like N.K. Jemisin, Nnedi Okorafor, and P. Djeli Clark.

It's a good and terrifying time if you dare.

4/5

3.75

Short story collections are generally always a mixed bag, but I found myself enjoying more of these stores than not. Though I do wish there had been some stronger central theme than just Black horror because the stories ran the gamut of historical, hauntings, dystopian, and more. There were a mix of new to me authors and authors I’d read from before, and I certainly added some backlist books to my TBR.

Some standouts for me were:
The Rider by Tananarive Due - 1961, two girls are planning on joining the Freedom Riders in Montgomery but their travel gets disrupted
The Norwood Trouble by Maurice Broaddus - in Reconstruction America a young girl narrates her life in a segregated Indiana town
A Bird Sings by the Etching Tree by Nicole D. Sconiers - two girls killed on a back road several years apart haunt the area and compete in a killing competition
An American Fable by Chelsya Burke - A Black WWI vet is traveling North as part of the Great Migration and gets waylaid in Cincinnati

A really well-curated anthology featuring the heavy-hitters of Black SFFH and introducing newer voices all with their own tone and ways of making their readers shiver.

One thing that stuck with me as I read through each story is the familiarity I had with the writing style of the authors whose works I am familiar with, whether it be their shorter or longer works. They didn't disappoint here.

I am not normally a horror reader but I have come to realize that I enjoy the subtleties that can be used to unsettle and terrify.

It is clear that each writer brought their own style and genre-rich crafting power to these stories, mining the many ways in which existing as a Black body within certain and specific spaces can affect and warp us. I loved that these characters were allowed to spread their individualities across the page, be it in a sinister or innocent way. These stories looked into historical biases, contemporary anti-Black racism and violence, mental health struggles, family bonds, magic, hoodoo, identity, love, toxicity, and everything in between, making each story quite the reflection of cultural heritage and history.

I was so incredibly hyped for this collection of black horror edited by the one and only Jordan Peele. Ravenous even. As I started reading I got a little worried, because the first few stories weren’t working for me (with the exception of Rebecca Roanhorse’s Eye & Tooth) . And then once I got to Lasirèn by Erin E. Adams (which rules), it’s only straight bangers until the end. In a typical fashion all the more sci-fi leaning stories I didn’t vibe with as much, but anything that incorporates folklore (Lasirèn and The Most Strongest Obeah Woman especially) were easily my favorite inclusions. It’s a fantastic collection, with a wide range of genres and tones. A lot of these stories really stuck with me, which is all you can really ask for in a short story collection. My ultimate favorites ended up being The Norwood Trouble by Maurice Broaddus, The Rider by Tananarive Due, and Lasirèn by Erin E. Adams. Totally check this out!

My review will be posted on my Instagram- @boozehoundbookclub in October

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

I’m usually not an anthology reader, but I will read anything in the horror genre, so this was a definite must. I had read works from about half the writers in this collection already, which was fun. But I really loved discovering new writers, also. And the best part of an anthology is that if you don’t connect with something, you can just skip it. I admit that there were two stories that I just didn’t connect with, so I skimmed them.

Most of the stories were of a reasonable length, meaning on my Kindle, about 15-20 minutes for my reading speed. The book is described as horror by Black writers. However, most, if not all, of the stories involve racism of some form. Some stories are realistic and could have happened in society. Some involve the supernatural. Some were actually horrifying and will stick with me for a while. Some were more mild and lighthearted. But I definitely recommend this one for horror fans. It’s an easy one to pick up and put down if you are short on time, but each story presented a new scenario of terror.

Out There Screaming was one of my most anticipated approvals this year. Honestly having the name Jordan Peele attached to any book intrigued me the most and I loved the idea of having a collection to highlight the up and coming black voices in the horror community. I do think the last half of the collection was much stronger than the first and left more of a punch. Would definitely recommend this to any horror fan in the future. Thank you to the publisher for the arc.

A Mixed Bag of Creepy Goodness

Hey there, horror fans! If you're looking for a collection that's gonna give you the chills and make you think, "Out There Screaming" is where it's at. Edited by the one and only Jordan Peele, this anthology is like a buffet of horror—some dishes are tastier than others, but overall, it's a feast you don't wanna miss.

So, what's the vibe? Well, it's a mix of all kinds of horror, from the supernatural stuff to the real-world, "this could actually happen" kind of scary. And the best part? It's all from Black writers who know how to spin a tale.

Now, not every story knocked it out of the park for me, which is why I'm giving it 4 stars. But hey, that's anthologies for you, right? Some stories you'll love, some you'll like, and some might not be your cup of tea. But overall, this book is a solid read that'll keep you turning the pages.

So, if you're into horror that's got some depth and variety, you've gotta check this one out. Trust me, it's worth the read.

As I mentioned in my review of Don't Whistle at Night, I don't usually pick up short story collections as I normally find them to be horribly inconsistent... but this one blew me away. Not only does each story have its own unique style, but the quality never drops in a single story, something almost unheard of in anthology books.

Each story was bursting at the seams with creativity and memorability - several ones in particular stood out as some of the most horrific short stories I've read in a while. I would say that you'll know which ones I'm talking about once you read it for yourself but that's exactly the thing - you won't; every story is so unique that none of them are forgettable and all do an amazing job at horrifying and mystifying the audience.

Just like Don't Whistle at Night, I highly recommend this one. There are zero noticeable inconsistencies and the writing style is always at its best in every story. By the time this review is uploaded the book should already be released, meaning none of you have an excuse not to get it.

In my opinion everything that Jordan Peele touches is worth consuming. This collection edited by him is a perfect example. What a brilliant and terrifying collection of stories by some underrated writers in the genre. This is a most read for any horror fan.

This book was really difficult to get into. I was so excited for a book of short horror stories but found that the stories were lacking. There were a couple that did stand out Disappointed as I usually super love this author and everything they put out. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A stellar collection, particularly timely in its release not just during spooky season, but also during Black Speculative Fiction Month!
For me, L.D. Lewis's "Flicker" and Nalo Hopkinson's "The Most Strongest Obeah Woman of the World" were the standout stories, lingering long after I'd finished the volume.

This didn't quite live up to the hype around it, and I do think some of the huge-name authors' stories in this were not among their best. there were highlights (looking at L. D. Lewis's stunning story, which didn't surprise me because that author ALWAYS delivers).

I requested a digital copy in order to sample the prose on my phone (since I don't have a eReader) before requesting a physical copy for review. My review will be based on the physical ARC I read (if I qualify)

This collection was the perfect way to start October. It contains something for everyone in the horror genre. Trying to pick a favorite story is extremely hard, but I truly think the short story format always works for P. Djèlí Clark.

The combination of an anthology curated by Jordan Peele and including a handful of authors I've loved reading from before made picking this up a no-brainer. There's an intro by Peele that explains the premise behind the anthology, which is basically meant to be like the Sunken Place in Get Out, i.e. a manifestation of the authors' personal horrors. I was really intrigued by this, since I felt like I was getting to peek into the authors' brains. I admittedly don't read much horror, but most of the stories felt on the tame side and lean more "vaguely disturbing" rather than outright "oh god what did I just read".

I do want to mention a couple of standouts, though.

Reckless Eyeballing by N.K. Jemisin (5⭐)
This was such a banger of a short story. It was unsettling and disgusting and I loved every second of it.

Flicker by L.D. Lewis (5⭐)
I loved the premise and the execution of this, and thought it was really creepy to boot.

Hide & Seek by P. Djeli Clark (5⭐)
I loved the slow build-up and how gradually we got to the meat of the story in this one.

REVIEW: I’m an unabashed Jordan Peele fan. I love his movies and Key and Peele is a source of endless joy in my house. He’s absolutely brilliant! I do wish he’d have responded to the HWA or given a short statement when he won two Stokers while I was president, but it is what it is. This anthology is terrific. There’s several authors I’ve followed and read over the years and many more I read for the first time. Each story had its merits. Loved it!

This book was featured in my newsletter, DISPATCHES. Here’s the link:
Dispatches #8 October 2023
The campaign URL for this campaign is: https://mailchi.mp/c9a5a7ba7640/dispatches-issue-6148340

Like all short story/anthology collections, I liked some better than others. Some of the stories left me wanting more.

This anthology was a powerhouse. I could not sleep some nights after reading these stories. My favorite was Eye & Tooth. I would love if this turns into a series with the stories becoming novellas or novels.

If each of these stories were a full book, I would read them. This collection of dark/horror fiction is eerie, creepy, intriguing, you name it. There are so many different types of stories in here that it stays engaging and entertaining. Every time I picked this book up, I didn't want to put it down. Loved it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the e-ARC!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House publishing for this advance copy of Out There Screaming - an anthology series showcasing black horror authors and edited by Jordan Peele. This one just came out this week 10/3/23!

It’s really hard to rate a short story collection because some are definitely better than others, but overall as a whole, I really enjoyed a lot of these short stories. These are some really popular authors showcased in this anthology, and I like that you’re able to just read one or two before bed each day. I’ve been enjoying short story collections this year, and I’d recommend checking this one out if you like horror! (Nothing too extreme or gory in my opinion.)

Thank you again NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for this review! Out There Screaming is out today!