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Ominous Realities: The Anthology of Dark Speculative Horrors
We don’t know what the future might hold. Until now.
Offering a collection of terrifying stories of science fiction and speculative fiction horrors, OMINOUS REALITIES is a dark thrill ride to explore what might be in store for mankind.
This wicked journey isn’t limited by time or gravity. It takes you on an exploration of futuristic and post-Apocalyptic worlds, to experience societies where dark corporations rule, where humanity must consider terrifying alternatives, and to the dangerous realities that may be in store, dragging you through horrifying speculative scenarios that pose dire consequences for the existence of mankind.
FEATURING:
HOW TO MAKE A HUMAN by Martin Rose
A scientist creates a race of robots giving them the ability to resurrect humanity after the apocalypse. But with dire consequences.
ANGIE by John F.D. Taff
A divorced couple tries to ensure their survival after society collapses. Navigating the treacherous back roads of America, they realize the horror of true devotion.
ON THE THRESHOLD by William Meikle
Just how far is science willing to go to prove we are not alone and possibly find the terrifying dangers that exist beyond the threshold?
DOYOSHOTA by Ken Altabef
One by one the residents of a Nevada town are succumbing to the debilitating effects of a strange hum. Many believe it’s a black ops program others are convinced of its far darker origins.
THIRD OFFENSE by Gregory L. Norris
In an oppressive society where creativity is banned and advertising is all-pervasive, a factory worker attempts to escape enslavement with horrifying results.
METAMORPHOSIS by J. Daniel Stone
Together, a brother and sister discover the unique bond has the ability to affect humanity in the darkest of ways.
WE ARE HALE, WE ARE WHOLE by Eric Del Carlo
Global climate change has reshaped the world, and multi-national corporations control every aspect of life. To what horrifying lengths will they go in the struggle to maintain profit?
PURE BLOOD AND EVERGREEN by Bracken MacLeod
Victims of ethnic cleansing, two boys share a painful struggle for survival. Their actions start events that leave the lives of everyone they know hanging in a dangerous balance.
JOHN, PAUL, XAVIER, IRONSIDE AND GEORGE (BUT NOT VINCENT)
by Hugh A.D. Spencer
Earth is under attack by mysterious biomechanical entities. With the end near, one man spends his last days with an enigmatic client who is of great import to those in charge.
AND THE HUNTER, HOME FROM THE HILL by Edward Morris
Could it be that accounts of superheroes are actually based in reality? It could be that the old man living down the street is hiding his own dark secrets.
BORN BAD by Jonathan Balog
Raised by the church, Lucien harbors a frightening secret that may prove to have dire circumstances for mankind.
THE LAST BASTION OF SPACE by Ewan C. Forbes
Privatization has run amok and simple pleasures come at a premium price. For one young couple there is no choice but to turn their minds over to insidious corporate control.
EVERY SOUL IS A GRIMOIRE by Allen Griffin
Harvey works for a shadowy government and is responsible for a man with dangerous knowledge. Being near him is blurring his reality and opening the door to terrifying evil.
FROM THE EAST by Alice Goldfuss
After global cataclysm, a scientist struggles to determine the cause. Driven by professional convictions, she finds herself in a struggle for the existence of humanity.
Offering a collection of terrifying stories of science fiction and speculative fiction horrors, OMINOUS REALITIES is a dark thrill ride to explore what might be in store for mankind.
This wicked journey isn’t limited by time or gravity. It takes you on an exploration of futuristic and post-Apocalyptic worlds, to experience societies where dark corporations rule, where humanity must consider terrifying alternatives, and to the dangerous realities that may be in store, dragging you through horrifying speculative scenarios that pose dire consequences for the existence of mankind.
FEATURING:
HOW TO MAKE A HUMAN by Martin Rose
A scientist creates a race of robots giving them the ability to resurrect humanity after the apocalypse. But with dire consequences.
ANGIE by John F.D. Taff
A divorced couple tries to ensure their survival after society collapses. Navigating the treacherous back roads of America, they realize the horror of true devotion.
ON THE THRESHOLD by William Meikle
Just how far is science willing to go to prove we are not alone and possibly find the terrifying dangers that exist beyond the threshold?
DOYOSHOTA by Ken Altabef
One by one the residents of a Nevada town are succumbing to the debilitating effects of a strange hum. Many believe it’s a black ops program others are convinced of its far darker origins.
THIRD OFFENSE by Gregory L. Norris
In an oppressive society where creativity is banned and advertising is all-pervasive, a factory worker attempts to escape enslavement with horrifying results.
METAMORPHOSIS by J. Daniel Stone
Together, a brother and sister discover the unique bond has the ability to affect humanity in the darkest of ways.
WE ARE HALE, WE ARE WHOLE by Eric Del Carlo
Global climate change has reshaped the world, and multi-national corporations control every aspect of life. To what horrifying lengths will they go in the struggle to maintain profit?
PURE BLOOD AND EVERGREEN by Bracken MacLeod
Victims of ethnic cleansing, two boys share a painful struggle for survival. Their actions start events that leave the lives of everyone they know hanging in a dangerous balance.
JOHN, PAUL, XAVIER, IRONSIDE AND GEORGE (BUT NOT VINCENT)
by Hugh A.D. Spencer
Earth is under attack by mysterious biomechanical entities. With the end near, one man spends his last days with an enigmatic client who is of great import to those in charge.
AND THE HUNTER, HOME FROM THE HILL by Edward Morris
Could it be that accounts of superheroes are actually based in reality? It could be that the old man living down the street is hiding his own dark secrets.
BORN BAD by Jonathan Balog
Raised by the church, Lucien harbors a frightening secret that may prove to have dire circumstances for mankind.
THE LAST BASTION OF SPACE by Ewan C. Forbes
Privatization has run amok and simple pleasures come at a premium price. For one young couple there is no choice but to turn their minds over to insidious corporate control.
EVERY SOUL IS A GRIMOIRE by Allen Griffin
Harvey works for a shadowy government and is responsible for a man with dangerous knowledge. Being near him is blurring his reality and opening the door to terrifying evil.
FROM THE EAST by Alice Goldfuss
After global cataclysm, a scientist struggles to determine the cause. Driven by professional convictions, she finds herself in a struggle for the existence of humanity.
334 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 7, 2013
14 people are currently reading
381 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 30, 2018
Damn good stuff!
August 16, 2014
http://ensuingchapters.com/2014/08/14...
Once again, Grey Matter Press has delivered the anthology goods. Ominous Realities is the finest indie collection I’ve read in a while. These dystopian tales chill and unsettle, balancing skill, imagination and smarts.
Take “On the Threshold,” an eerie, Lovecraftian tale of science and madness from William Meikle. Last year, I read Meikle’s novel The Hole, and thought it was enjoyable but flawed. Here, Meikle is in control from the creepy opener in the lab to the grim finale. HPL would love this tale of science gone wrong.
Keeping up the intensity is “Doyoshota,” by Ken Altabef, a haunting intersection of conspiracy and cacophony that makes tinnitus sound like a Beethoven sonata.
Eric Del Carlo’s “We Are Hale, We Are Whole” is deserving of any “best-of” anthology, a smart, thoughtful piece of writing that should be a must-read for anyone attempting to world-build within the confines of a short story. It also takes a philosophical bent about quality of life, aging, health care and sacrifice.
An excellent collection from a hot new publisher. Also be sure to check out their Dark Visions II anthology.
Once again, Grey Matter Press has delivered the anthology goods. Ominous Realities is the finest indie collection I’ve read in a while. These dystopian tales chill and unsettle, balancing skill, imagination and smarts.
Take “On the Threshold,” an eerie, Lovecraftian tale of science and madness from William Meikle. Last year, I read Meikle’s novel The Hole, and thought it was enjoyable but flawed. Here, Meikle is in control from the creepy opener in the lab to the grim finale. HPL would love this tale of science gone wrong.
Keeping up the intensity is “Doyoshota,” by Ken Altabef, a haunting intersection of conspiracy and cacophony that makes tinnitus sound like a Beethoven sonata.
Eric Del Carlo’s “We Are Hale, We Are Whole” is deserving of any “best-of” anthology, a smart, thoughtful piece of writing that should be a must-read for anyone attempting to world-build within the confines of a short story. It also takes a philosophical bent about quality of life, aging, health care and sacrifice.
An excellent collection from a hot new publisher. Also be sure to check out their Dark Visions II anthology.
April 14, 2014
This book is filled with a great set of out of the box stories. To start off 'How to Make a Human' by Martin Rose is an excellent story of robots try to resurrect humanity. This is followed by one of my favorite authors John F.D. Taff, his story 'Angie' is a great survival story in the apocalypse. The book just keeps getting better with the contribution of William Meikle and his tale 'On the Threshold'. Its a great science experiment gone wrong, of course it is, what else would it be. There are many more stories that took me places I didn't expect. 'Deciding Identity' by Paul Williams is another favorite of mine in the collection. A great syfy story in a future mixed with a parallel world where only one can remain.
April 25, 2014
Originally posted on my blog The Horror Bookshelf
Ominous Realities is the brand new anthology from the awesome people at Grey Matter Press and serves up 16 extraordinarily written tales that fall within the science fiction, fantasy and horror genres. I must say when I was contacted by Anthony Rivera of Grey Matters with an offer to review the anthology, I jumped at the chance. These stories, despite their variety of styles and genre classifications, all have one thing in common - giving you a glimpse at unique post-apocalyptic scenarios.
While many of these stories may not be horror in the traditional sense, there is no doubt that the futures depicted in each one of these stories is quite horrifying in their own way. What makes these stories just as scary (or scarier) than your traditional horror fare is that in most cases, these scenarios could actually happen.
William Meikle's "On The Threshold" is the first story that details such a possibility. Meikle's story focuses on the trials of two scientists named John and Connon as they attempt to use a high-powered lab, a wealth of resources and their staggering scientific intellect to create their own universe from nothing. Their goal seems relatively harmless - an endeavor to study the origins of a universe and whether the rules of ours would apply - all in the name of science. Do the aims of John and Connor sound familiar? Well they should, as we are currently conducting an experiment with the Large Hadron Collider built by CERN for startlingly similar purposes. After reading the frightening experiences contained within "On The Threshold", it raises the question: Should we be manipulating forces we do not fully understand?
Ken Altabel's story, "Doyoshota", is another story that while not necessarily based in our reality, draws information from a puzzling real life phenomena. I have always been fascinated with unexplained phenomena of all kinds and can honestly admit to spending countless hours trawling Wikipedia pages and falling down the rabbit hole of links contained within each article. UFO's, hauntings , "The Bloop" and countless others. Altabel's story draws inspiration from real-life reports of a phenomena known as "The Hum". This phenomenon is categorized as a low-frequency sound that is often described as a persistent buzzing. What makes The Hum so unique is that it cannot be easily explained away since it is a constant occurrence and has been reported all over the world. Altabel's story explores this mysterious phenomena through the eyes of a University of Rochester audiologist sent to the town of Doyoshota, Nevada to investigate the potential cause of the noise along with other scientists. At first, the noises are not taken seriously and the residents that report them are portrayed as eccentric, to put it mildly. However, as the character begins to hear the hum himself and witnesses the mental degradation of the biggest skeptic - Air Force psychologist Guy Patterson - it becomes clear that "The Hum" is real. The character slowly begins realizing the origins of The Hum, and not only is it absolutely terrifying, it offers a very logical theory for the origins of the phenomena.
Gregory L. Norris' story "Third Offense" is set in a world that seems to have been spawned from the tendency of press outlets to create content more impressed with "clicks" and "reach" than actual substance and eye implants that resemble a supercharged version of Google Glass. Hugh A.D. Spencer's story, "John, Paul, Xavier, Ironside and George (But Not Vincent)" is a surreal take on an apocalyptic scenario in which roving clouds of nanobots lay waste to civilization.
Although most of the stories contained in Ominous Realities fall outside of the traditional horror genre, there are a few tales that come directly from the genre. "Angie" by John F.D. Taff focuses on the lives of Dennis and Angie, a divorced couple who are trying to survive the zombie apocalypse together. I absolutely loved this story and it was a unique take on the zombie genre that offers frightening and grim look at the realities of the walking dead roaming the streets with an emotional dynamic that is every bit as interesting. It is obvious to see they still care about each other and that love is proved in a final twist ending that was both sweet and incredibly horrifying.
My favorite story from the anthology has to be Bracken MacLeod's stellar contribution, "Pure Blood and Evergreen". MacLeod tells the story of Pyotr cel Tinar, a youth who is held in a prison camp after the New Republic rises to power and destroys his village as part of a cleansing process. It is not clear until later in the story that Pytor may not be what he seems, but even then you can't help but feel horrified by the nightmarish conditions he was forced to endure. This was the first story I have read from MacLeod, but I think it is safe to say I am now a fan for life!
Grey Matter Press has done a phenomenal job with Ominous Realities and in my opinion, they are putting out some of the best anthologies in the genre. While you may not be a fan of every story, there is enough variety here to ensure that you will find something to enjoy and may introduce you to some new and extremely talented authors. This is a "must purchase" anthology for any dark fiction fan!
Ominous Realities is the brand new anthology from the awesome people at Grey Matter Press and serves up 16 extraordinarily written tales that fall within the science fiction, fantasy and horror genres. I must say when I was contacted by Anthony Rivera of Grey Matters with an offer to review the anthology, I jumped at the chance. These stories, despite their variety of styles and genre classifications, all have one thing in common - giving you a glimpse at unique post-apocalyptic scenarios.
While many of these stories may not be horror in the traditional sense, there is no doubt that the futures depicted in each one of these stories is quite horrifying in their own way. What makes these stories just as scary (or scarier) than your traditional horror fare is that in most cases, these scenarios could actually happen.
William Meikle's "On The Threshold" is the first story that details such a possibility. Meikle's story focuses on the trials of two scientists named John and Connon as they attempt to use a high-powered lab, a wealth of resources and their staggering scientific intellect to create their own universe from nothing. Their goal seems relatively harmless - an endeavor to study the origins of a universe and whether the rules of ours would apply - all in the name of science. Do the aims of John and Connor sound familiar? Well they should, as we are currently conducting an experiment with the Large Hadron Collider built by CERN for startlingly similar purposes. After reading the frightening experiences contained within "On The Threshold", it raises the question: Should we be manipulating forces we do not fully understand?
Ken Altabel's story, "Doyoshota", is another story that while not necessarily based in our reality, draws information from a puzzling real life phenomena. I have always been fascinated with unexplained phenomena of all kinds and can honestly admit to spending countless hours trawling Wikipedia pages and falling down the rabbit hole of links contained within each article. UFO's, hauntings , "The Bloop" and countless others. Altabel's story draws inspiration from real-life reports of a phenomena known as "The Hum". This phenomenon is categorized as a low-frequency sound that is often described as a persistent buzzing. What makes The Hum so unique is that it cannot be easily explained away since it is a constant occurrence and has been reported all over the world. Altabel's story explores this mysterious phenomena through the eyes of a University of Rochester audiologist sent to the town of Doyoshota, Nevada to investigate the potential cause of the noise along with other scientists. At first, the noises are not taken seriously and the residents that report them are portrayed as eccentric, to put it mildly. However, as the character begins to hear the hum himself and witnesses the mental degradation of the biggest skeptic - Air Force psychologist Guy Patterson - it becomes clear that "The Hum" is real. The character slowly begins realizing the origins of The Hum, and not only is it absolutely terrifying, it offers a very logical theory for the origins of the phenomena.
Gregory L. Norris' story "Third Offense" is set in a world that seems to have been spawned from the tendency of press outlets to create content more impressed with "clicks" and "reach" than actual substance and eye implants that resemble a supercharged version of Google Glass. Hugh A.D. Spencer's story, "John, Paul, Xavier, Ironside and George (But Not Vincent)" is a surreal take on an apocalyptic scenario in which roving clouds of nanobots lay waste to civilization.
Although most of the stories contained in Ominous Realities fall outside of the traditional horror genre, there are a few tales that come directly from the genre. "Angie" by John F.D. Taff focuses on the lives of Dennis and Angie, a divorced couple who are trying to survive the zombie apocalypse together. I absolutely loved this story and it was a unique take on the zombie genre that offers frightening and grim look at the realities of the walking dead roaming the streets with an emotional dynamic that is every bit as interesting. It is obvious to see they still care about each other and that love is proved in a final twist ending that was both sweet and incredibly horrifying.
My favorite story from the anthology has to be Bracken MacLeod's stellar contribution, "Pure Blood and Evergreen". MacLeod tells the story of Pyotr cel Tinar, a youth who is held in a prison camp after the New Republic rises to power and destroys his village as part of a cleansing process. It is not clear until later in the story that Pytor may not be what he seems, but even then you can't help but feel horrified by the nightmarish conditions he was forced to endure. This was the first story I have read from MacLeod, but I think it is safe to say I am now a fan for life!
Grey Matter Press has done a phenomenal job with Ominous Realities and in my opinion, they are putting out some of the best anthologies in the genre. While you may not be a fan of every story, there is enough variety here to ensure that you will find something to enjoy and may introduce you to some new and extremely talented authors. This is a "must purchase" anthology for any dark fiction fan!
January 14, 2018
A decent anthology, though some of the stories aren't as strong. A worthwhile read, nonetheless.
February 28, 2019
Nothing really caught my fancy
April 7, 2014
When I first heard about Ominous Realities, I thought that it would be just another anthology. I was wrong. This title simply shocked me with its originality and unique perspective and the variety of topics it covered. This book is a collection of character-driven stories with strong narrative voices that intrigued me from the very first paragraph and made me read on.
I am shocked that this anthology has not been hailed as one of the most interesting reads of the year. Ominous Realities is a great anthology of dark stories that analyse dark alternative worlds and societies. Rather than focusing on the gory and gritty aspects of horror, its stories are centred on strong character-driven storylines that make the dark elements highlight the characters under different lights. Rather than comic-like situations where brutality is described gratuitously, the stories save those details but give enough information about the world so that the reader can make an image of the rest. Sometimes, not giving too many specifics about violence in a story makes it even more intense, and this collection of stories achieves just that.
I am extremely glad to have read this book, and it proves that an anthology can be interesting and entertaining to read, without giving a few good stories accompanied by a legion of filler. The team at Grey Matter Press has an incredible intuition when it comes to selecting quality and engaging stories. When so many good stories concur in the same place, it is not a coincidence.
Read this review at Jetpack Dragons: http://www.jetpackdragons.com/2014/04...
I am shocked that this anthology has not been hailed as one of the most interesting reads of the year. Ominous Realities is a great anthology of dark stories that analyse dark alternative worlds and societies. Rather than focusing on the gory and gritty aspects of horror, its stories are centred on strong character-driven storylines that make the dark elements highlight the characters under different lights. Rather than comic-like situations where brutality is described gratuitously, the stories save those details but give enough information about the world so that the reader can make an image of the rest. Sometimes, not giving too many specifics about violence in a story makes it even more intense, and this collection of stories achieves just that.
I am extremely glad to have read this book, and it proves that an anthology can be interesting and entertaining to read, without giving a few good stories accompanied by a legion of filler. The team at Grey Matter Press has an incredible intuition when it comes to selecting quality and engaging stories. When so many good stories concur in the same place, it is not a coincidence.
Read this review at Jetpack Dragons: http://www.jetpackdragons.com/2014/04...
August 11, 2014
Table of Contents
"How to Make A Human" by Martin Rose
"Angie" by John F.D. Taff
"On the Threshold" by William Meikle
"Doyoshota" by Ken Altabef
"Third Offense" by Gregory L. Norris
"Metamorphosis" by J. Daniel Stone
"We Are Hale, We Are Whole" by Eric Del Carlo
"Pure Blood and Evergreen" by Bracken MacLeod
"John, Paul, Xavier, Ironside and George (But Not Vincent)" by Hugh A.D. Spencer
"And the Hunter, Home from the Hill" by Edward Morris
"Born Bad" by Jonathan Balog
"The Last Bastion of Space" by Ewan C Forbes
"Every Soul is a Grimoire" by Allen Griffin
"From the East" by Alice Goldfuss
"Deciding Identity" by Paul Williams
"The Last Elf" by T. Fox Dunham
Another late late late attempt to share my thoughts. Received a copy of this book via a Goodreads giveaway. An awesome stroke of luck on my part since this anthology is full of amazing stories written by people I've never heard of. Each story is followed by an "About the Author" blurb. Even these were fun to read at times. There are apocalypses and dystopias of varying flavors. Zombies, alien invaders, evil corporations. Some duds, yes. But all is forgiven when I recall reading stories like "Angie" or "Pure Blood and Evergreen".
"How to Make A Human" by Martin Rose
"Angie" by John F.D. Taff
"On the Threshold" by William Meikle
"Doyoshota" by Ken Altabef
"Third Offense" by Gregory L. Norris
"Metamorphosis" by J. Daniel Stone
"We Are Hale, We Are Whole" by Eric Del Carlo
"Pure Blood and Evergreen" by Bracken MacLeod
"John, Paul, Xavier, Ironside and George (But Not Vincent)" by Hugh A.D. Spencer
"And the Hunter, Home from the Hill" by Edward Morris
"Born Bad" by Jonathan Balog
"The Last Bastion of Space" by Ewan C Forbes
"Every Soul is a Grimoire" by Allen Griffin
"From the East" by Alice Goldfuss
"Deciding Identity" by Paul Williams
"The Last Elf" by T. Fox Dunham
Another late late late attempt to share my thoughts. Received a copy of this book via a Goodreads giveaway. An awesome stroke of luck on my part since this anthology is full of amazing stories written by people I've never heard of. Each story is followed by an "About the Author" blurb. Even these were fun to read at times. There are apocalypses and dystopias of varying flavors. Zombies, alien invaders, evil corporations. Some duds, yes. But all is forgiven when I recall reading stories like "Angie" or "Pure Blood and Evergreen".
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews