A fear of the dark is one of the most natural and primal instincts ingrained into the psyche of humankind. But a child’s fear of the dark goes beyond that, into the realm of near hysteria. As such, bedtime is a rather traumatic time for some youngsters. I personally believe this is the reason the “bedtime story” was introduced; it helped take the child’s mind of off their unnatural fears.

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Author Nic Kristofer Black has put together a collection of flash-fiction (with each story measuring in at only 1,000 words) that pays homage to bedtime stories…in a weird and horrific sort of way. I say this as a compliment, rather than a slur; Bedtime Horrors, Volume 1 is an excellent group of tales, and I can’t wait to see what Volume 2 has in store for us.

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The illustration that accompanies each story is a very nice accent to the terror contained within. Artist Jorge Gonzalez does an excellent job of bringing to life some of the blood-stopping horrors mentioned in the author’s works.

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Each story in Bedtime Horrors, Volume 1 is written well and flows nicely. The topic offers a nice diversity of horror, from monsters to zombies to…other things. I like this mixture, as it doesn’t tie down the reader to a specific sub-genre; it’s like a grab bag of terror…you never know what you’re going to get when you turn the page!

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My favorite story in this collection is the first one, “A Claw at the Closet Door.” This tale is very intense from the start, but the ending has a nice twist I didn’t see coming. I found myself smiling as the story concluded.

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Bedtime Horrors, Volume 1 is an epic win, and I highly recommend it. The stories within are “short” shorts, so you won’t have to spend a lot of time with them. Still, they pack a lot of punch for such small packaging. Add this to your library soon…just don’t read the stories at bedtime…