“It Came Out of the Swamp,” by Ron Collins, takes us deep into the swamp. A young man heads to southern Georgia, determined to write a book about a supposed swamp monster that left a swath of destruction before being burned to a crisp by a flamethrower. Was the monster real, or a legend? Had…
Marcella, the queen of the bargain hunters, is surprised when she’s kicked out of a new thrift store in Rebecca M. Senese’s “Bargain Hunter.” Not only is she annoyed, the store’s prices aren’t really bargains—and shoppers are beginning to disappear. Marcella sneaks back in to the store for their special, after-hours sale, and finds out…
“In the Shade of the Slowboat Man,” by Dean Wesley Smith, is a touching tale about a vampire saying goodbye to her dying human lover. This story, which was first published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, was nominated for a Nebula Award. Find Dawn of the Monsters Amazon • Barnes and Noble…
Ten-year-old Isidora finds a pair of odd-looking eggs on the beach in Sèphera Girón’s “Beach Comber.” She takes them home to her mother, not realizing the creature who laid the eggs will soon come looking for them… Find Dawn of the Monsters Amazon • Barnes and Noble • Kobo • Apple Books • Books2Read •…
Mark Leslie’s “The Ritual of the Drawing” is set in the small town of Birks Falls, where tradition is sacred, and the unwanted dregs of society are not a threat as long as the town has Mr. McNeal and the ritual of the drawing. After all, under the proper circumstances, a vampire is a wonderful…
Lester, a research scientist with an egotistical, micro-managing boss, heads in to the office on a Saturday to look for his lost phone in Jamie Ferguson’s “Transmogrification.” Not only does he find his phone, he also discovers the mysterious door in his laboratory that’s always locked is slightly ajar. Scientists are curious, so of course…
Monsters are very, very real in Steve Vernon’s “Neck Bolt Lynch Pin.” They are, however, often misunderstood. Well-meaning people misinterpret behavior, misunderstand situations, and forget that as long as people believe in monsters, they will continue to exist. Because a story, if told well and often enough, in time can grow a life of its…
“On a Dark Road to Nowhere,” by Marcelle Dubé, takes place on a winter night in the woods in the Yukon. An alien ship landed in a clearing near Maggie’s house, and the creature has begun to explore the area. What the thing wants isn’t clear, but what is clear is that it’s very, very…
Karin’s boyfriend’s ex-lover refuses to go away in P. D. Cacek’s “The Bitch.” And worse, the woman is smart and manipulative, managing to make other people feel sorry for her even though she’s harassing and stalking the couple. Karin has to find a way to get the bitch out of her life, for good. But…
A private detective is surprised when the pair of men he’s tailing begin digging up an old grave in DeAnna Knippling’s “The Grave-Diggers.” They claim they’re after a lucky necklace that was buried with one of their ancestors—a woman rumored to have been a witch. As detectives well know, if you want to know what’s…
