May’s selection of impressive fiction.

SHORT FICTION

The Drowning Machine and Other Obsessions by Emma E. Murray (pub. Undertaker Books, 2025) is a devastating collection. Quite a few of the stories stood out, however one that’s often present in my mind is Exquisite Hunger, a story that is layered with horrors.

Opening sentence: “I watched Carly move in downstairs, safely hidden behind the blinds.”

Find Us and Other Stories by Elford Alley (pub. Velox Books, 2022), is a solid collection. There isn’t a weak story in the book. One particularly terrifying story is They Never Stop Screaming.

Opening sentence: “They never stop screaming.”

Fever Dreams of a Parasite by Pedro Iniguez (pub. Raw Dog Screaming Press, 2025). This dark collection exploring survival is for fans of the Cosmic and the Fantastic. What I probably love best about it are the few very short stories that are blunt as a hammer and hit hard in the gut. Shantytown: A Mexican Ghost Story, and Skin stood out for me as haunting and desperate tales.

Opening sentence of Shantytown: “Maribel pressed her hands to her ears as the rooftop rattled, the sound like pots and pans crashing to the floor.”

LONG FICTION

My Darling Dreadful Thing by Johanna van Veen (pub. Poisoned Pen Press 2024). A smooth and sensuous unravelling of a deeply Gothic tale.

Opening sentence: “Every séance I conducted with Mama followed a pattern.” 

OTHER MEDIUMS

Fréwaka (2024), dir. Aislinn Clarke. Available on Shudder. One for the Folk Horror canon. Slow first half, then it gets creepy as fuck.

Companion (2025) dir. Drew Hancock. Available on Prime. Intelligent, humorous, and different than other films with the same theme that I’ve seen. Worth a watch.