Creepy collection of short stories. Had never read anything by this author before but thought that these were entertaining and engaging.

“This collection of previously published stories highlights how public facades mask internal despair. Two brothers invite the wrath of seagulls. A young girl befriends a monster during a snowstorm. A liquid entity invades a school and takes no prisoners. A teenager uses witch hysteria against her parents. Tales like these make up the contents of FAKE SOMEBODIES, REAL NOBODIES.”
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Some of my stand outs:
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A Little Jaunt
🩸 Teenager with strict parents can only think about sneaking out to hook up with a boy in the woods but what she doesn’t realize is how far her overbearing parents will go.
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Fast Friends
❄️This one was sad and a little maddening. 😂 A young girl encounters a creature in the snowy woods (big footprints) she allows it to follow her home and tries to befriend it and well you’ll have to read it to find out what happens next. I just couldn’t stop thinking - noooo, girl why are you doing that?
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Gulls
🌊Seagulls at the beach dish out some Karma to some bratty kids. This was a vicious little tale. Makes me hate seagulls even more than before.
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Salem Sightseers
🐺 🧙🏻‍♀️ This was a fun story - a witch and a werewolf team up to hunt for surviving humans in Salem after a pandemic has left the city a ghost town. They quickly realize they may be technically the last “humans” in Salem.
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My only critique was I felt some of the stories felt a little unpolished and could have used a bit more attention. Others just felt like they ended too abruptly. But overall this was a quick read and the author’s familiarity and nod to his town was fun also (if I’m remembering correctly Hanson lives in Salem).

Hanson's short stories are like a velvet-gloved punch to the gut - subtle yet powerful, leaving you breathless and wondering what just hit you. His latest collection is a masterclass in storytelling, each tale a sleight of hand that slips seamlessly into the crevices of your mind. "Salem Sightseers" is a standout, a slow-burning fuse that detonates a depth charge of realization, leaving you to grapple with the unsettling aftermath. Hanson's prose is a spell that weaves itself into the fabric of your thoughts, his words whispering secrets only you can hear. This book is a midnight rendezvous with the unknown, a literary thrill that will leave you questioning the shadows.

This was the first book of short stories that I have read from this author. I really noticed a lot of originality in the storytelling, however lack of complete thought and development throughout a lot of the stories. It just seemed that a lot of these stories were just parts of something. I liked that there was not a lot of graphic description and actual horror throughout and the stories seemed to focus on the macabre and weird. It was hard to really develop any kind of response or feeling with the way these were written. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley,

I really enjoyed these short stories! Some were really, really good and innovative. Most of them were super dark and i loved them; chilling atmosphere and great plot twist. Good resolutions, overall. Some better than others, but mostly all great.

Absolutely nerve shredding! These stories are incredibly horrifying, insanely unique, and at times utterly audacious. Hanson gathers the human condition into a ball, wraps it up in rope, then tosses it against concrete again and again. There's something quite amazing about the way each story seems to unravel you from the inside out. Shocking and disturbing in the best of ways! Everyone in the horror community needs to read this book.

Second book by this author and won’t be the last!! This story had me hooked from page one and it didn’t let go. Definitely give a read if you like horror.

I literally couldn’t put this book down from the moment I picked it up. An amazingly creepy set of short stories. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to Big Swede Publishing and netgalley for the e-arc. I loved this anthology of spooky stories. This definitely got me in the mood for Halloween.

A great anthology! It would easily be enjoyed by both YA in addition to adult horror fans. An absolute page turner and I truly look forward to more work by E.C. Hanson in the future. Bravo!

This is a nice set of stories. My favorites are Salem Sightseers because it was such a fun and entertaining story, Fast Friends because it was so entertaining and Backtrack for it's creepy moments. This was an overall enjoyable read and I will definitely be checking out more books from E.C. Hanson. Special Thank You to E.C. Hanson, Big Swede Publishing, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Here lies twelve unsettling tales of disturbances. They are fascinating with the simplistic way they get under your skin and poke at those nerves that make you crumple up into yourself.
Sometimes a story ends with a grin, but more likely you will be covering your mouth and hoping that the mad gaze of the clown, angry father, or thing hiding in the woods doesn't focus their attention on you next. As Sheila thought in the story, Blood Silence..."Unstable wins the war every time"

I found this book to be okay. Some of the stories were good and some were just okay, like most anthologies.

Fake Somebodies, Real Nobodies is fascinating short story work. Engaging, imaginative, suspenseful at times — a strong collection.

Great collection of horror-ish, Twilight Zone like stories. My absolute favorite has to be ‘Salem Village’. Absolutely fantastic and I will be keeping note of this author because I want to read more. Highly recommend for those who enjoy creepy short stories.

I gave up on this book at around the 20% point. It's just not for me. The stories feel unfinished. The first story was more like flash fiction. None of it is scary. It seems like a children's book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Big Swede Publishing for this opportunity to read rate and review this arc which is available now.

This is just a republishing of the authors short stories. They were good but I was kinda disappointed it wasn’t original or rather new works. I enjoyed them but I felt cheated

Fake Somebodies, Real Nobodies is a collection of creepy short stories. The stories vary in their spooky levels, some were eerie and some were scary. I think this collection was well done and a great read for spooky season. I did however feel like I just wanted more from some of the stories.

(3.5 stars)

I'm never really one to read short stories as they mostly bore me and I find them a bit tedious, however I actually quite enjoyed this book! I'd love if some of them were made into longer stories but I guess the point is that they are short, and short stories can be just as - if not more - terrifying than long ones!

💀𝐅𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐄.𝐂 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫
𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫: 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑

𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝟒 ⭐️
My first read of E.C Hanson and it won’t be the last.

What a fantastic collection of 12 short, dark and disturbing tales.

Each one so totally different to the other, some were over 10 pages and others were less than a page to 5 pages.

I really enjoyed each of these but I did have a couple favourites that stood out like:
- Backtrack, a babysitter and child being stalked on Halloween night.
- The Swing Show - creepy magic clowns!!
- Blood Silence - can’t describe it was eerie as hell!!!!
- AK-47@11- Post Covid Shooter

100% recommend for spooky season and can be read in one sitting!

Thanks so much @netgalley and Big Swede Publishing for this ARC!