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Howls from Hell

A Horror Anthology

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Howls from Hell

By: HOWL Society, Shane Hawk, Alex Wolfgang, Christopher O'Halloran, J.W. Donley, Solomon Forse, Amanda DeMel, Lindsey Ragsdale, P.L. McMillan
Narrated by: Nathaniel Forse
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About this listen

Spacefaring researchers disturb an ancient horror. An enchanted object curses a grieving widow. A haunted reel torments a film student. A murder trial hinges on a chilling testimony.

In Howls from Hell, 16 emerging horror writers pave the way for the future of the genre. Fans of dark and macabre fiction will savor this exhibition of all-original tales born from one of the fastest-growing horror communities in the world: HOWL Society.

With a foreword by Grady Hendrix, this anthology unveils the horror writers of tomorrow with spine-tingling stories from P.L. McMillan, Shane Hawk, J.W. Donley, Lindsey Ragsdale, Amanda Nevada Demel, and others.

©2021 HOWL Society Press LLC (P)2021 HOWL Society Press LLC Anthologies & Short Stories Fiction Horror Short Stories Scary Horror Anthology
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Howls from Hell is the definition of a mixed bag. Grady Hendrix’s name drew me in, and while his foreword is sweet in its encouragement of new writers, it’s a bit twee and didn’t really set the tone for what follows. The collection swings wildly between inventive, memorable horror and stories that feel unfinished, awkwardly written, or just plain dull.

A few standouts prove what this anthology could have been. “Red Punch Buggy” delivers frantic originality; “Suspended in Light” is genuinely strange in the best way; “Possess and Serve” offers a sharp sci-fi twist I’d happily read more of; “It Gets in Your Eyes” hits close to home with its medical-horror realism; and “Junko Creek” manages depth, and emotional weight in a short space of time.

But the lows are very low. Several stories are poorly written, predictable, or barely developed. Some suffer from stilted dialogue, confusing structure, or concepts executed far below their potential. A few have unclear character motivations, or an overreliance on clichés. The inconsistency becomes the book’s main issue: for every promising idea, there’s another story that feels messy, forgettable, or just plain baffling.

The anthology also leans on familiar horror tropes without always bringing anything new to them. While a handful of authors showcase clear talent, others feel out of their depth, and the overall result is uneven enough that I wouldn’t pick up another Howl Society collection.

Some great ideas, some genuinely gripping moments, and a few stories that will stick with me; but also a lot of filler, misfires, and missed opportunities. The average lands around a 2.5 to 3 out of 5, but the inconsistency drags it down.

I’ve rounded my score up because I feel bad that the good authors are dragged down by the bad ones.

Some decent stories but some awful ones too

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