Collage Macabre: Anthology Review
Hello dearest reader!
Before the review, I wanted to remind you that you can still get an amazing merch bundle for the cryptid collection I am a part of, Confirmed Sightings. This collection is all cryptid themed, with my tale — eyeofmoth.exe — being all about Mothman in space! The preorder bundle is only $20 with shipping in the US and you get the book, plus a whole lotta merch! Just click the image below and fill out the form!
In addition, I’m also hosting a free event this Saturday! The event is a launch party for Aseptic and Faintly Sadistic, a lovely anthology of stunning horror. Again, the event is free and will have live readings, giveaways, and games! Don’t miss out, come join me! Grab your tickets here:
ONE MORE THING! I was on the We Bleed Orange and Black podcast, chatting about Murder Slurpees, the joy of unlikable characters, digital art, Sisters of the Crimson Vine, the injustice of the office costume contest, favorite yokai, and more.
Okay now onto the review!
The Authors
This anthology has stories by:
Demi-Louise Blackburn
Ai Jiang
Ryan Marie Ketterer
Timothy Lanz
Nikki R. Leigh
Matthew Maichen
Erik McHatton
Mob
Christi Nogle
Jessica Peter
TJ Price
Mary Rajotte
Rachel Searcey
Julie Sevens
Nina Shepardson
Andrew F. Sullivan
Joseph Andre Thomas
Alex Wolfgang
The Anthology
Your work will betray your secrets. Obsessions, hidden desires, and desperate wishes all woven into the fabric of what we make. A sculpture crafted with longing, a painting of a dream just barely articulated, the craving that cannot speak its name buried in a short film’s score. Old want only spoken aloud through someone else’s voice. Need etched on someone else’s lips for all the world to see. A false self created for the audience to claim as its own, still hiding what it knows.
Through these eighteen stories, dread is the medium of choice, winding its way through each unsettling and terrifying tale about human creation, the artistic follies and triumphs we imbue with so much meaning. You will find artists and audiences alike grappling with confrontations beyond their comprehension, works that require more than careful consideration—sometimes a little bit of blood is necessary. Art is alive if you are. Inside these pages you will be asked to open yourself up like a wound and expose your mind to the darker side of our oeuvre. — Collage Macabre website
Published April 18, 2023, Collage Macabre is a collection of dark fiction themed around art — whether it be painting, sculpting, film, acting, sugar blowing, and more. Each story has its own unique illustration and there’s a foreword by Gemma Amor!
The Review
Collage Macabre is a literary gallery of tales written by talented authors whose brushes drip with the most vivid hues of alizarin weird, cadmium despair, titanium tragedy, and cerulean terror. Horror aesthetes should not hesitate to procure a copy of this beautifully decadent anthology of artistic horror.
Look at the cute lil blurb! Is it egotistical to start a review with a blurb I wrote? Haha, hopefully not.
Needless to say, I did enjoy this anthology. I went into it thinking the stories would be about painting mainly, but then was so surprised to see the breadth of creativity the authors went to, exploring and addressing all kinds of art. Along with the wide array of art used in the fiction, the type of horror showcased was also highly varied — weird horror, body horror, cosmic horror! Along with every story is an illustration too, which I really enjoyed — I think it added a lot to the general vibe of the anthology.
Okay, let’s look at my favourite stories!
“A Study in Umber” by Jessica Peter — some snobby artist friends decide to take an unconventional method to getting a new colour and inspiration: an ancient Egyptian mummy! This story was masterfully done with Tales of the Cryptkeeper vibes: fun, crazy, and chilling!
“The Preparator” by Joseph Andre Thomas — a medical student, stressed by assignments and classes, takes a new drug to relax and finds out more than he bargained for, lurking in the shadows of reality and his mind. At times trippy, terrifying, and tortured, this story gaves me the same vibes as those amazing 80s horror films like Hellraiser.
“The Children’s Ball” by Ryan Marie Ketterer — a man spots an old painting by the side of the road and it takes hold of his reality. This story was like another Tales of the Cryptkeeper — bizarre, tense, and with an end that left me shocked (in the best way).
“Lack” by TJ Price — a man’s partner becomes obsessed with a new paint found in a “weird little art store” and the man begins to suspect the paint is staining more than just canvas. Absolutely haunting, this story ties together a possibly unreliable narrator, intrusive thoughts, and artistic obsession into a creepy little tale.
“Darned If You Do, Damned If You Don’t” by Nikki R. Leigh — desperate to pay her beloved cat’s vet bills, a woman takes on a huge crochet commission which takes quite a twisted turn. The themes of grief, guilt, and the ending were so beautifully woven together (yes I know this is a terrible pun, I won’t stop. In fact, I think Leigh would appreciate it considering their title!) This story will haunt me, I think, it was definitely my favourite of the book!
Overall, the whole anthology was very unique and each story stood strong on its own, so definitely grab a copy if you want to be whisked away to a very strange and sinister art gallery of horrors!
8/10
x PLM
