This was a great collection of short stories. Elements of post-apocalyptic, science fiction, and space travel all mixed with horror make this an enjoyable and unique group of tales.

These stories contain robots, space exploration, living in a post-apocalyptic world, and a lot of emotion and grief. As with all such collections, some were more enjoyable than others, but each was well-written and unique. Some of them were truly weird (at least to me), but still immensely readable. A fairly common theme through all of these stories was the profound sense of loss and grief, along with despair. Be sure to have a few tissues close by as you read these.

Andrew Najberg is quickly becoming one of my favorite "new to me" authors when I want a book that mixes genres in a well-written, engaging way. If you enjoy your horror mixed with sci-fi, give this collection a go.

“I wanted to reach out and hold everything that mattered all at once – but that’s just not how we’re really made.”

In Andrew Najberg’s short story collection, In Those Fading Stars, the solemn is made manifest, the weight of existence palpable. Although I’m not generally a short story reader, the format is perfect for these dystopian sci-fi tales. In fact, I think the length furthers the themes; readers are given a glimpse, a concentrated emotional punch, and then it’s gone. As Najberg puts it in “Before You Fade Away”,

“In some ways, I think you are like a shooting star; you’ll be gone by the time I realize what it really means for you to be there.”

Knowing that many of the stories were written during the pandemic, it makes sense that the characters feel isolated and the worlds feel vast and frightening. Grief threads its way through the tales like a heartbeat, and I think for many of us, we innately connect to the premise; how do we be human when the world is ending?

Najberg explores the nature of humanity through an outsider’s lens, focusing on robots looking at the remains of an extinct species, interstellar tourism gone wrong, and a vaguely threatening beam in the sky.

The final piece makes the key theme most obvious. In “A Scenic Place”, a bench and a lamppost watch the death and rebirth of a world. There’s a sense of the inevitable as their visitors grow old and disappear and the world burns away. And yet, there is a tenacious hopefulness—while we can never return to what we were, we will relentlessly begin anew. Humanity in Najberg’s works is persistent, beautiful, and unique. It’s the blinding optimism juxtaposed with impending decay that drove me to tears reading these stories, and I believe readers will be hard-pressed to walk away unchanged.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crystal Lake publishing for letting me read an eARC of this work. You can find it on Amazon or, for Chattanooga locals, at Winder Binder on the Northshore.

A mixed bag of short stories with a collection of horror, sci fi, and reflection. I loved each one. Thank you NetGalley for the copy.

**Book Review: *In Those Fading Stars***

*In Those Fading Stars* is a masterful anthology that seamlessly blends science fiction, horror, and magic to illuminate the fragile and poignant threads of human connection. Each story is a shining testament to the power of speculative fiction to explore our most profound fears and desires while challenging the boundaries of imagination.

The collection opens with the heart-wrenching tale of a father whose son literally fades from existence unless the father sacrifices pieces of his own life to sustain him. This story sets the emotional tone for the anthology, delving into themes of love, sacrifice, and the cost of parenthood. It’s both fantastical and achingly real, forcing the reader to confront the limits of their own resilience.

The diversity of stories in this collection is breathtaking. From three robots conducting a séance to a man grappling with the eerie consequences of an intergalactic portal embedded in his body, each tale is a unique exploration of the intersection between the extraordinary and the deeply personal. These stories aren’t just about the weird—they are about how the weird shapes and reveals our humanity.

One standout is the generational starship narrative, where characters grapple with the enormity of embarking on a journey they will never see the end of. The vastness of space becomes a mirror for their internal struggles, touching on hope, despair, and the meaning of purpose. Another gem is the story of a daughter learning to break dimensional boundaries, an exploration of rebellion and self-discovery that is both intimate and otherworldly.

The prose is evocative and lyrical, painting vivid, sometimes unsettling pictures of alien worlds, eerie phenomena, and the fragile human emotions that anchor the stories. The balance between the macro scale of interstellar travel or dimensional breaches and the micro scale of individual relationships and personal growth is where this collection truly excels.

*In Those Fading Stars* is more than a collection of speculative tales; it’s a meditation on what it means to be human in the face of the unknowable. Whether confronting the terror of a stomach-bound portal or the bittersweet burden of sustaining a fading child, each story offers profound insights wrapped in breathtaking imagination.

For readers who love speculative fiction with heart and depth, this anthology is an absolute must-read. It’s a constellation of stories that will linger in your mind long after the final page, each shining brightly with its own unique brilliance.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5

4 / 5

It's the end of the world as we know it...
(And I'm not referring to those pesky Jersey drones, or round 2 of Trump.)

In Those Fading Stars is a collection of 21 nail biting, nihilistic, science fiction stories - a few with cosmic horror elements.

I enjoyed all the tales, to varying degrees.
Overall, I found it to be a very dark, well written, thoughtful, and disturbingly enjoyable collection.

4 / 5

That was a dope story collection! I’ve been a fan of Najberg’s since I read Gollitok a while back. I also greatly enjoyed The Mobius Door so I was looking forward to In Those Fading Stars. Najberg delivers a great story collection and some of the ideas and concepts discussed were fascinating.

I struggled to connect with the stories at first, but after the first third or so of the collection things went up for me. My absolute favorite was The Shut In Conduit. So simple in its structure and storyline, but left quite an impact. I also loved Quick Rental, The Robots Inside Us, Meeting Quinto, and The Cornflake Ordinary.

As usual, Najberg nails most of these short stories. A few do them felt a bit incomplete, but that’s likely just my brain talking. I tend to like longer stories I can totally immerse myself in and I could absolutely see many of these shorts turned into much longer stories (although, to reiterate, I thought The Shut In Conduit was perfect). The characters are flawed and dimensional. They’re not always likable but neither are most people imo. The dialogue felt appropriate and were treated to tastes of worlds that left me wanting more.

Although I’m slightly offended that of 21 stories not a single one was set in Chattanooga where Najberg and I both live, I’ll give him a pass this time. If short stories are your vibe especially with a strong sci fi influence, then give this collection a try. I can’t wait to read more from Najberg moving forward.

Beautifully written stories with enough variation to keep the reader engaged and wanting more. Andrew is such a talented writer. It was a pleasure to read more from him.

Anthologies are frequently a hit or miss prospect and for me, this time, the majority of this was a miss. The author is highly respected and very talented, so the fault is mine. I don't think I realized the degree to which science fiction would play a part and that is not my genre (generally).

The opening story was fantastic and a great start, especially for me. It revolves around family, loss and a father's love for his son. I don't want to say to much to prevent spoiling the story, but I was surprised at the ending.
The other story I really enjoyed was truly terrifying. It was a discussion of the consequences of making poor choices and social standing, set in a dystopian (?) society in space. Sadly, the only portion of that story that is fictional is the living in space part.

Overall, this collection was not for me, but not due to talent or content. Just personal preference. While I've read some stories classified as science fiction and enjoyed them, this collection just hit too far in that genre for me.

When you read a collection of short stories by one author there is often little diversity and you either like the collection or you don't.

This collection is primarily sci-fi/dystopian fiction. I don't know that I would file this book under dark horror. The stories were dark but many were dark in a sad way. If you are looking for a collection of dark and sometimes depressing short stories that make you think about life this book is for you.

Thank you to Netgalley and Crystal Lake Publishing. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

3.5 stars
I really enjoyed Gollitok and was excited to read a collection of short stories from Andrew Najberg. It is a great collection with a wide range of concepts and themes. Each story is unique and included a combination of Sci-fi, apocalyptic horror, and dark fantasy.

Andrew does a good job of writing about grief and loss, human vs the inhuman, introspection, and emotion. You’ll find a consistent thread of bleakness throughout, taking you across time and space into other worlds. You’ll dive into the depths of the human heart while exploring these bizarre universes (which he does a great job of describing). I really like when authors dissect human nature and bring out emotions, all while creating a feeling of dread.

I liked some stories more than others. My personal favorite is Honeymoon, which is about credits and how much they can get you. It was freaky and concerning and made me think deeply about the current capitalistic world we live in..

Pick up this collection and then go read Gollitok! I will continue to read more from Andrew.

Short story collections tend to be a mixed bag, with some hitting home more than others. Najberg's collection "In Those Fading Stars" offers a solid selection of science fiction horror stories that resound in oddly <i>weird</i> ways. The opening story is a heartbreaking one of family loss, grief, and a transparent child who relies on the father for life. Or maybe it's the other way around? A post-apocalyptic world features a trio of robots who attempt to contact the dead from the human race in an strangely odd and endearing séance. And eco-tourism in space turns deadly when it meets capitalist greed.

And these are just the first three stories.

I enjoyed this collection a lot, and it publication solidifies my opinion that Najberg is a talented author whose work I will continue to follow. Kudos to the author!

I really enjoyed Najberg's novel Gollitok, so I jumped at the chance to read his short fiction for the first time. What I found was a very well-written collection, with what felt like fairly equal weighting towards sci-fi horror and to explorations of grief and loss—sometimes in the same story.

There's a lot here for lovers of high-concept science fiction. The stories frequently feel like they've blossomed from a unique premise: a vanishing child who's parent can keep from fading away by giving them a piece of their own life each day, or a world where humans moult and leave their carapaces behind, or a child who begins their teenage rebellion early by befriending a being from another dimension and starting to turn into a silicone-based lifeform.

One of my favourite ideas is set above a ship called Theseus, which explores the ideas of that name through transhumanism. If your eyes were replaced by superior man-made versions or limbs repurposed to become a part of you, perhaps your consciousness is uploaded to a network—at what point do you stop being you? Can you ever be considered to cease being a human being?

Outside of sci-fi, there are also stories rooted in a sense of loss and heartache, as well as those that could come under the umbrella of weird fiction. A lot of these were a delight to discover as the story unfolded, so I don't want to give potential spoilers here. I did particularly enjoy Quick Rental, one of the more traditionally horror reads in the collection, and one that genuinely made my skin crawl and creep me out in places.

I tend to most enjoy collections with fewer, slightly longer stories. In Those Fading Stars is made up of many much shorter reads, which has its positives and negatives. If a story wasn't connecting for me—which did happen with a few—I knew it wasn't long until I'd be starting the next tale. However, it did also mean the stories I loved felt like they were ending too soon, and I could pinpoint a good number that I would have loved to more fleshed out and to explore these fascinating concepts further.

Overall, I thought this was a very good collection of stories, and one I'd especially recommend to those who enjoy chilling sci-fi, as well as the bizarre and macabre. Even if I didn't find myself loving every story here, I always appreciated the originality and uniqueness of the ideas within.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC!

I really do love a strong collection of science fiction and speculative fiction stories, and this delivered on the brief for me for the most part. There were some really strong concepts in this collection, and they form the basis of my star ratings. There's a lot to be said for the late stage capitalism focus in some of these pieces, and I found them really enjoyable. Without spoiling too much, one particular one about a honeymoon and just how much credits can get you was a charming mixture of the absurd and the concerning. I really did enjoy my time with this collection.

I would say that there were some in here that I didn't connect with quite so well, and I found myself questioning their inclusion. That's not to say that they weren't good - I am sure they would be for the right reader, they were just a little tonally off for me. As a whole though, this was an incredibly strong collection, and I had a delightful time with it.

Wow, what a collection of stories. I love the mix of creepy and weird horror and sci-fi, with a dash of dystopian. The first story? Well, that was the perfect one to start the collection, because it sure does make you feel some kind of way.
And I really, really enjoyed how unique each of these stories were. We didn't get cookie-cutter settings or characters, each story stands out on its own.
These would make incredible campfire stories, just bring along your best narrator and you'll have everyone jaw dropping and spooked by a crackling from beyond the fire light.

I wasn’t sure this one was for me at first, but I was glad I kept going through some technical jargon to found out the robots in the second story were attempting a seance to better understand long gone humans (SOB). I’m also a sucker for creature features and really appreciated molting humans and an agoraphobic man longing for the outside world once small creatures started emerging from his body. Don’t Look There, Moongrave, The Twelfth Seed, and We Have No Spare Parts were also exceptional.

In Those Fading Stars is an anthology that exams the intersection of horror, sci-fi, and fantasy through a wide range of stories that is a joy to read.

What I liked most about this anthology was how unique each story is. As with all anthologies, you will find some stories more entertaining than others, but this entire anthology really held up throughout the whole book.

The stories explore multiverses, environmental disasters, and the devastating consequences of the capitalist world that we are all living in.

If you're a Sci-Fi 'concept person' then this is the book for you. Not concept as in "I have the concept of a plan", but if you love crazy, off-the-wall and original thinking then this it the sort of short story collection you'll want to get amongst.

While highly variable in tone, there is a consistent thread of bleakness in these stories, the very first one perhaps the most heartbreaking. Najberg runs through topics like nuclear war, self-immolation, mental health and what if human beings shed their skin? It's a good read but at times heavy.

My only potential beef is that there is perhaps quantity over quality, I would have sorely liked to stay with some of the better stories and perhaps had some more distinctive progression, even at the cost of not getting every story in this tome. Nonetheless its a good deep dive if the above sounds like it suits you!

4.5 stars. A very enjoyable collection of short (think 8-12 pages each) stories that span all sci fi genres.
I'm generally a fan of longer stories, but the author manages to quickly and effectively pull the reader in, with few exceptions.

One of the best sci-fi related horror collections I've ever read! I'm already a huge fan of this suthor and this fabulous anthology is yet another win for him. Well done!

A collection of wonderfully weird short fiction that answers the question, is this story horror or science fiction? With a resounding "yes!"

Short story collections, especially of the horrific variety, are my bread and butter. I think I’ve read at least one such collection every month this year. This offering from author Andrew Najberg is far and away the most unique collection I’ve read this year. The stories in these pages have premises as varied as robots conducting a séance to contact dead humans, a mother who just can’t understand her teenage daughter’s new fascination with dimension hopping and attempts to transmute herself into a silica based lifeform, and a shut in spontaneously finding himself the unwilling creator of diminutive creatures that see him as a god. The writing itself is obviously skillful, the stories are told deftly and lucidly even when describing the most bizarre material imaginable. There’s an admirable level of pathos packed in as well, the last story in this anthology almost made me cry. But the plots, the ideas themselves is where this book really shines, the stories were all so singular as to make for a memorable reading experience.

My personal favorites in this collection include: Do You Read?, May I Take Care of That For You? And, We Have No Spare Parts. I would gladly read anything else from this writer and hope this collection is just the beginning in an extensive career.