Actual rating 3.5 ⭐️

I enjoyed this anthology of cosmic horror, I wanted to give it a try even if it's not my favourite sub-genre.

I definitely recommend it if you like speculative fiction and tend to a more lyrical form of horror, just be sure to check TW before jumping into it, since there are different sensitive topics.

Thank you Net Galley and the Publisher for letting me read it in advance 🙏

While it’s always a treat to read a collection of horror stories, it’s a particular pleasure to read an anthology of “weird fiction” or cosmic horror. I’m surprised more collections like this don’t exist given the increase in interest in cosmic horror recently but hopefully this delightful assortment is a sign of things to come.

This offering was as chilling in its delivery as it was broad in scope; from unknowable entities that live in radio static, to cursed linguistics, to massive eldritch deer guardians, this collection has it all. While there were no slouches in this anthology by any means, a few titles stood out to me as exceptionally good and I’ll briefly mention them here.

In “You Have Joined the Livestream” some unscrupulous ghost hunters go up against forces far beyond their understanding, all while their online audience watches on. This story had a fascinating conceit and a gratifying, spine-chilling pay off. The characterization was spot on and in a brief span of time the story manages to pack quite a punch. Easily one of my favorites in this book, this story reminded me of what it felt like to be a kid and read a new Goosebumps book. I mean that in the best possible way.

The story “24 Points” had my attention even before I started since it was written by S.A. Cosby, a phenomenal author whose book “Razorblade Tears” was as close to perfect as any novel is likely to get. Cosby’s foray into short fiction did not disappoint either. The tale follows a young boy with his father and uncle as they hunt bucks in the Virginia woods only to have the tables turned on them and become prey themselves. This story was a masterclass in brevity and how to artfully dole out exposition when dealing with cosmic horrors that are, by definition, beyond human comprehension. Despite its relative simplicity, this story was profoundly upsetting in the best possible way.
Finally, the last story in this anthology “Beggars Can’t Be Choosers” was one of my favorites for the sheer brilliance of its basic plot. I won’t spoil the tale by giving away that set up here but suffice to say it’s one of the most original, most terrifying ideas I’ve come across in recent memory. I didn’t realize what was happening until the end but when I did I was shocked and oddly satisfied. It was a brilliant story and a great choice to end on.

“Beyond the Bounds of Infinity” offered a great selection of new and refreshing takes on the cosmic horror genre. The stories in this collection show why this specific type of horror is so enduring and powerful. I’d recommend this title to anyone who likes horror in general by especially fans of Lovecraftian horror and weird fiction. A book like this is necessary, both to reinvent the genre for a new generation of readers and to show that cosmic horror can and is moving on from the more unsavory aspects of some of its founding authors (looking at you H.P.).

Cosmic horror is just so fascinating but so many of us struggle with the origin of cosmic horror as Lovecraft's creative channel for his fears rooted in blatant bigotry. We are so lucky to live in the 21st century where books are becoming increasingly diverse and writers are reclaiming genres which traditionally spurn minorities and little understood cultures. This anthology is a gem of a book collecting diverse cosmic horror, showing us that Lovecraftian can still mean fear of the unknown and incomprehensible without othering whole communities.

I enjoyed most of the stories collected, with some special mentions:

Fractures of Her Reflection by Amanda Headlee
An exploration of OCD that meant a lot to me. It explores how it feels to be constantly hounded by a crippling conviction that past and future ill fortunes befalling loved ones are cosmically your fault. Your fault simply for not performing some illogical ritual like tapping the doorknob three times. What if the seemingly irrelevant ritual is what keeps devastating horror at bay? No... that's silly, right?

Live Free or Die by Danny Brzozowski
Small town bigotry tied up with the occult that I desperately want to see made into a movie.

Effigies of Monstrous Things by Pedro Iniguez
Hansel and Gretel but make it ✨ cosmic horror ✨

Cracks by Mary SanGiovanni and The Things We Did in the Dark by Julia Darcey
I didn't want these two to end! The former featured some truly creepy kids which genuinely frightened me, and the latter was a small town occult story festering with bad blood and themes of misogyny. I wish these were novels with fully built worlds and fleshed out characters.

Like Ants We March by Jorja Osha
Themes of cosmic horror are a given in a story belonging in this anthology, but this one is brutal with its exploration of the violent racism rife in the USA.

Thank you Raw Dog Screaming Press, the author and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I leave this review voluntarily.

'Beyond the Bounds of Infinity' deals with cosmic horror's origins, offering stories that aim to surpass Lovecraft's bigotry and promote diversity (per Vaughn A. Jackson's, one of the two editors, foreword). Though all the stories succeed wonderfully in this, ranging over so many different kinds of horror, the results in the first half of the anthology, as far as cosmic horror specifically is concerned, are mixed, Ultimately, in that half, the only story I found impressive enough to mention is the opening story, "The Birth of Sound" by Timaeus Bloom: a story hard to understand, insane enough to stay in memory, the writing distinctive, original, intriguing. Definitely not a story that can be summarized easily, so I limit myself to pointing to the title itself. The second half, however, starting with Christopher Hann's "A Dampened Embrace," is an absolutely brilliant collection of awesome stories: both the writing and the premises are brimming with creativity and imagination. Indicative of the quality is, perhaps, the beginning of "A Dampened Embrace", which I'll quote in its entirety:

"It was the first week of summer and the events that transpired
were thus:

"Mother passed away on Sunday

"She was buried on Wednesday

"Her grave was reported to have been robbed on Friday

"And on Saturday, at the first light of a dreadfully humid morning, my mentally unstable father called me over landline, informing me that he had come into possession of a mermaid."

I was instantly hooked. There follows S. A. Cosby's "24 Points," a truly engrossing Lovecraftian story about hunting and family. Those two stories (Hann's and Cosby's) were my favorites. But all the stories after them are highly recommended and are worth the price of the book alone. They deal with loneliness, marginalization, transphobia, mental issues, all though a supernatural prism.

OVerall, this is the kind of horror anthologies that make you feel very hopeful for the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and RDS Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Like with any anthology there were some stories I liked more than others. While all of the stories were part of the horror genre, quite some of them weren't as heavy on those elements as I'd hoped though.
My personal favourites were

- The Things We Did In The Dark
- In The House There Were Teeth and There Were Eyes
- Passage

Also this quote from Passage!
"We're all devoured by something, darling. Shouldn't it at least be something that loves you back?"

As with many anthologies, ratings are so subjective. Some stories I may like, others may dislike (and vice versa).

This collection was certainly interesting in its themes, and a great introduction to many new-to-me authors. The stories themselves were a little hit and miss. Some I didn’t completely understand, or wasn’t a fan of the formatting. A few really stood out to me however, with my favourite being “Cracks” by Mary SanGiovanni.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the authors, RDS Publishing, and the editors for a copy.

Diverse, creepy, weird - in a good way!! No seriously, I’ve been thinking about this collection for days.

I feel like I went on a JOURNEY here. All of the writing was great. Obviously, some stories stood out more than others, but I did truly enjoy them all.

Some worth note:
- Effigies of Monstrous Things
- Live Free or Die (!!!!)
- Cracks

I also think that the origins of this anthology are really freaking cool. This started with a kickstarter?! I mean… that alone was enough to justify the read to me. I will definitely be recommending this to some friends!


A big thanks to the publisher, NetGalley, and these fantastic authors for this ARC!

Well, that was quite a journey. It was my first time diving into the horror genre and I did not disappoint.

I figured that an anthology was the best place to start and I was right, I loved so many of these stories! Some of them definitely kept me up at night... I'm looking at you 'Effigies of Monstrous Things' and 'You Have Joined the Livestream' 🫠

Thank you to RDS Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

Beyond the Bounds of Infinity subverts cosmic horror's historic bigotry and uplifts diverse voices.

I really enjoyed the variety in this anthology. There's existential horror, body horror, eco horror, and more.
In my opinion, the most disturbing tales combine very real horrors marginalized people face with otherworldly elements.

As with most anthologies, some stories resonated with me more than others. Live Free or Die by Danny Brzozowski hit me especially hard as an openly queer trans man.

Thank you to RDS Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to read this book for free. I'm leaving this review of my own accord.

I have a weird relationship with anthologies. I usually find my way to them because they include a story by an author I love that I can’t find anywhere else. If I’m lucky, I find another couple of stories to enjoy, then drag myself through the rest. By the end, I decide it wasn’t worth the effort. Until the next time a favourite author is included in one.

It’s Mary SanGiovanni’s fault that I’m here. I’ve loved everything I’ve ever read of hers and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to read something new. It didn’t surprise me that I loved her contribution to this anthology. What did surprise me was that I didn’t find a bad one in the bunch!

Sure, I enjoyed some more than others but I didn’t dislike any! I don’t know if that’s ever happened before. It was actually difficult to pick my favourites. In the order you’ll find them in the book because they’re all so different and I can’t rank them…

Fractures of Her Reflection by Amanda Headlee

If Dava doesn’t tap her bedroom door three times, bad things will happen. Her therapist doesn’t understand this.

The horror when people with preconceived ideas don’t trust your judgement about what your reality looks like. When professionals believe that their expert opinion trumps your lived experience. When validation comes at a cost.

“Does this have something to do with awakening?”

Effigies of Monstrous Things by Pedro Iniguez

Mario just wants his kids to be able to live in a home without mould. It’s clear his landlord isn’t going to fix the problem so Mario has decided to investigate for himself.

The horror when, no matter how hard you try, you’re stuck in a loop. Of being a single parent and doing your very best but not being able to get ahead. The illusion of safety. The injustice when people in authority abuse their power.

“The sculpture is nigh complete…”

Cracks by Mary SanGiovanni

Billy shows his classmates the rock he found in the woods. It’s a pretty rock. His classmates also like looking at the rock.

The horror of being the only one who can truly see what’s going on, understanding the gravity of it and knowing that the someone who needs to do something about it is you.

“Don’t make it harder to play the games.”

I am so glad I read this anthology. I have renewed hope for the ones my favourite authors will make me read in the future.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Raw Dog Screaming Press for the opportunity to read this anthology.

Beyond the Bounds of Infinity is a decent anthology, with more good stories than bad ones, although I'd say it's about a 70/30 split between good and bad. Good writing all around, but some stories were just clearly better than others.

My favorites in the bunch:

The Eye of God by Rachel Searcey
24 Points by S.A. Cosby
Cracks by Mary Sangiovanni
Gyges by Vaughan Jackson

Overall I enjoyed reading this and would recommend it.

Thank you so much for the chance to read this!

This is my first time reviewing a short story collection, so i was kinda lost on how to do it. I've decided to give my overall thoughts!
This collection was very entertaining, packed with errieness and mystery. Unfortunatly many of the stories fell a bit short, they were still entertaining enough, but not incredible. Every now and again something interesting would come though!
My favorite was by far The Things We Did in the Dark by Julia Darcy. SO interesting and well written, really loved it.