Fucked Up Stories to Read in the Daytime (Stories to Definitely Damage the Youth)

 

After a reading hiatus brought on by stressful circumstances, I craved something short and engaging. A compilation of short stories that grips you, leave you wanting more, and which lingers in your mind; the perfect remedy for a reading slump. Often in short story collections a few tales truly stand out, carrying the book and making you hope the others will be just as good. In this collection, while some definitely shone brighter, every single one maintained a high quality. They were all concise enough to hold my attention and were consistently horrifying. “Jillysticks,” the first story, was a firm favorite. It’s a strange and unique tale about a fairy who progressively traps their neighbor into round-the-clock care. Though not overtly frightening, it’s extremely eerie, and while it’s the most tame of the collection, it progressively gets more sinister, culminating in a brilliant ending. Another notable favorite, “A Subservient Breed,” hooked me from the start.

 

“Dot screamed again. This time Angela did too. Atop all of their sloping heads they wore the bloody remnants of human skulls. While some still had the eyes and nose cavities intact, others were just fragments of shattered craniums, all shared one horrifying thing in common — the victims’ scalps remained. Because of this, the baboons appeared to sport human hairpieces, those with female crowns being the most ghastly, the tangled womanly locks hanging over their muscular shoulders like obscene tribal headdresses. Several at the forefront lumbered slightly more upright than the rest, supporting their heavy gaits with staffs made of glistening spinal columns… one of the creatures, Michael noticed as it approached, had a pair of torn off human breasts sitting astride its barrel chest, held in place by threads of ligament like sinewy bra straps.”

 

Initially, it felt like a zombie breakout, but the story quickly reveals a different, more sinister and gory direction with a sci-fi/conspiracy vibe. By its conclusion, I craved further details — explanations that couldn’t possibly be provided within such a short story. It evoked that bittersweet feeling of a perfect, mini-tale: you know it must end, yet you desperately want more. Still, enough information is given to establish the basics, maintaining its mysterious and evil essence. I couldn’t resist sharing that extensive quote above, either. It perfectly encapsulates the story’s unique, gory vibe. Fucked Up Stories to Read in the Daytime was a truly welcome return to reading. It’s rare to find a collection where I didn’t dislike a single story. Each tale was concise, captivating, and provided ample description without being vague.

 

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Written by Arianne, Sovereign Deity of the Damned

Fucked Up Stories to Read in the Daytime (2024)
Ira Rat (editor)
Filthy Loot
Cover Art: Unknown
5 / 5