A quietly devastating collection of horror short stories.
It was a terrible and breathtaking delight to read “You have to Let Them Bleed”, where the fear seeps in slowly, like spilled honey. In this short story collection, sprinkled with vivid and wild poetry, two-time Bram Stoker award winner and award-winning poet, Annie Neugebauer, is at her finest.
Why this Horror Collection is So Scary Good
Each story is carefully crafted to draw the reader into a world of the ordinary and recognizable but something goes terribly wrong. With every turn of the page, Neugebauer reveals how modern horror writing can be as beautiful and lyrical as any piece of great literature.
In “Churn the Unchurning Tide”, a story of quiet mob mentality running through a group of middle-aged women in an outdoor pool, the visceral descriptions of the tarantula that interrupts the women’s class is disquieting. She draws the reader into the women’s demented and unsettling world and sprinkles just enough hope and light to settle your breath.
The tight writing of “Cilantro” conveys a depth of meaning, sorrow and horror. My favourite of the collection, I was absorbed in the telling of Jason’s grotesque metamorphosis. The narrator’s lament of their relationship breakdown is real and terrible, the kind of reflection that takes place when a relationship comes to an end. Neugebauer expertly takes us to unexpected and rather horrifying places, weaving body and insect horror with her marvellous play with words to create a masterpiece of dread.
Who this short story collection is for
Recommended to an audience equipped to handle horror. At first I wrote “mature audience” but really, if you can’t handle some blood, light cannibalism, or clowns, this fine collection of short stories are not for you. There is something about a rite of passage as a reader to start reading horror far too young. We all have a story about a Stephen King or Shirley Jackson story that ruined a little part of our childhood and still unsettles us to this day.
Annie Neugebauer is not a graphically violent writer but she explores some themes that might be tough for some readers. She’s also such an exceptional and talented writer that “You Have to Let Them Bleed” has to be read.
Early editions with signed bookplate are available from Bad Hand Books mid-February, so get in there and pre-order. The full publication date is March 17,2026.
Special thanks to Bad Hand Books for providing me with an advance copy. The team over at Bad Hand is fighting the good fight and they publish stunning horror that ruins my sleep and forces me to read in the daylight hours (in the best possible way).
Check out my review of Things That Go Bump and The Atropine Tree, also published by Bad Hand Books.
