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Abyss of Nightmares: Poetry Illuminating Phobias
A chilling and haunting poetry book that delves deep into the twisted realm of human phobias. Through evocative verses, the poet weaves a tapestry of horror that explores the darkest corners of the human mind, where fears take on their own life. Structured around a variety of phobias, each poem in the book serves as a portal into a different nightmare. From Agoraphobia's suffocating confinement to Zemmiphobia's primal terror the poet captures the essence of each fear with visceral and macabre imagery, plunging readers into a world of creeping shadows and heart-pounding suspense. As readers journey through the book, they encounter the raw psychological torment of those trapped in the throes of their phobias. The verses vividly depict the internal battles between reason and irrationality, often leading to gruesome and unexpected outcomes. The dark narratives reveal the fragility of the human psyche when faced with paralyzing fear.
- GenresPoetry
41 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 14, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
March 7, 2025
5
If you follow my reviews, then you know poetry always gets 5 stars. It's art, and I'm not one to judge art.
This is a quick read of poems, and I think I learned some new words. With that author's note at the end, I'm not sure which words were made up and which ones weren't, but that won't stop me from trying to toss a few into a conversation if there s a dull lull that needs some thing to liven things up.
These poems are full of anxiety. I maybe even learned to fear some new things that I never did fear. Kidding, not kidding. Anyway, I had my phone in my hand, had a few minutes of downtime, downloaded this book, and that's that. Glad I read it
If you follow my reviews, then you know poetry always gets 5 stars. It's art, and I'm not one to judge art.
This is a quick read of poems, and I think I learned some new words. With that author's note at the end, I'm not sure which words were made up and which ones weren't, but that won't stop me from trying to toss a few into a conversation if there s a dull lull that needs some thing to liven things up.
These poems are full of anxiety. I maybe even learned to fear some new things that I never did fear. Kidding, not kidding. Anyway, I had my phone in my hand, had a few minutes of downtime, downloaded this book, and that's that. Glad I read it
July 29, 2024
Creepy Horror Poetry!
August 26, 2024
I'm not a huge poetry reader, but I like to delve into horror poetry every so often because I think it's more of a challenging medium to invoke fear and anxiety than a novella or a full novel and there's so many different things you can do when writing horror poems.
Stevie has put together a collection of poems featuring the ABCs of phobias. It's a unique subject as each poem is written from the point-of-view of the various phobias. I really enjoyed the learning aspect of this as there were quite a few that I didn't know the actual names for, and some fun fictional ones also!
Where I think this fell short is in its descriptors. A lot of the depictions of anxiety felt repetitive and over-used. I think some of the poems would've brought up more of those feelings if the author had dived deeper into those phobias and really explored what makes them tick.
I'd read more from this author. I think there's a second book in this series, I'll definitely have to check it out sometime!
Stevie has put together a collection of poems featuring the ABCs of phobias. It's a unique subject as each poem is written from the point-of-view of the various phobias. I really enjoyed the learning aspect of this as there were quite a few that I didn't know the actual names for, and some fun fictional ones also!
Where I think this fell short is in its descriptors. A lot of the depictions of anxiety felt repetitive and over-used. I think some of the poems would've brought up more of those feelings if the author had dived deeper into those phobias and really explored what makes them tick.
I'd read more from this author. I think there's a second book in this series, I'll definitely have to check it out sometime!
December 2, 2023
I liked this one! Super short quick read.
You could feel the tension and anxiety in each story. Some stood out more than others for me. Some I really FELT. The phobia of being touched hit home. While I don’t have the irrational fear itself I do struggle with aspects of it so the anxiety written into that poem really resonated with me.
You could feel the tension and anxiety in each story. Some stood out more than others for me. Some I really FELT. The phobia of being touched hit home. While I don’t have the irrational fear itself I do struggle with aspects of it so the anxiety written into that poem really resonated with me.
July 22, 2024
Who doesn’t love scary phobias? This is a great short book of poetry, dealing with human phobias. It’s creepy, deep and fantastic! The poetry is excellent and very well written! You can feel the fears and terrors!
Samhainophobia- Fear of Halloween & Xenodochiophobia- Fear of Hotels, were my favorite!
This is a really fun quick read and a must read!
Thank you to Stevie Hostetter for an ecopy of this great book of scary poetry!
Samhainophobia- Fear of Halloween & Xenodochiophobia- Fear of Hotels, were my favorite!
This is a really fun quick read and a must read!
Thank you to Stevie Hostetter for an ecopy of this great book of scary poetry!
July 25, 2024
a cool and unique concept
I’m always intrigued by horror poetry and give props to any author who writes it! Exploring phobias - one for each letter of the alphabet - was a neat framework. The majority of the poems had physical descriptions of anxiety that felt repetitive and surface-level. I would have loved to see more of the author’s interpretation of phobias. The ones I enjoyed most were the fictional ones for that reason. I look forward to reading more by Stevie!
I’m always intrigued by horror poetry and give props to any author who writes it! Exploring phobias - one for each letter of the alphabet - was a neat framework. The majority of the poems had physical descriptions of anxiety that felt repetitive and surface-level. I would have loved to see more of the author’s interpretation of phobias. The ones I enjoyed most were the fictional ones for that reason. I look forward to reading more by Stevie!
April 14, 2026
What a clever and brilliantly portrayed concept. The mere fact that the author found a phobia for all 26 letters of the alphabet is inspiring, never mind being able to write a very accomplished piece of poetry for each of them.
I was hoping that E- would be my pet phobia, Emetophobia—the fear of vomit and vomiting, it wasn’t, but I have a whole new E-phobia to take up and be terrified by.
Reading this, I was confused. I was convinced that I’d already read it and couldn’t understand why I didn’t have a review for it. I realised that the reason for this is that I’ve read Inside the Chaos by Stevie Hostetter. It deals with mental illness, giving each illness its own poem. What this highlighted for me is that this author’s voice is so strong that her poetry sings to you and stays with you. There is the old trope-line (often used in AI) “This book stayed with me long after I turned the last page,” … you know what? Clichés are clichés for a reason, and these do books really do. The writing and understanding of the human condition are outstanding.
Very, very clever poetry, beautifully portrayed and elegantly presented. A must for poetry lovers. *Author.* Just remember for Book 2 … E-is for emetophobia. It’s terrifying.😊
Great writing.
I was hoping that E- would be my pet phobia, Emetophobia—the fear of vomit and vomiting, it wasn’t, but I have a whole new E-phobia to take up and be terrified by.
Reading this, I was confused. I was convinced that I’d already read it and couldn’t understand why I didn’t have a review for it. I realised that the reason for this is that I’ve read Inside the Chaos by Stevie Hostetter. It deals with mental illness, giving each illness its own poem. What this highlighted for me is that this author’s voice is so strong that her poetry sings to you and stays with you. There is the old trope-line (often used in AI) “This book stayed with me long after I turned the last page,” … you know what? Clichés are clichés for a reason, and these do books really do. The writing and understanding of the human condition are outstanding.
Very, very clever poetry, beautifully portrayed and elegantly presented. A must for poetry lovers. *Author.* Just remember for Book 2 … E-is for emetophobia. It’s terrifying.😊
Great writing.
September 8, 2024
Preface, I am not nornally a poetry person but I thought this was really well written.
I have this thing about odd facts, and the different fears really ignited that for me, fear of hotels?? Interested but horrifying to think of and I love weird stories like that and tapping into my obsession with fact or fiction you decide type scenario, Jonathon Frakes is that you??
Phobias are wild, they don't have to make sense to be terrifying to the person, and that's the scary part.
I have an, odd one, that I have thankfully always managed to not have to fight in a life or death situation but I cannot imagine if I did.
This was a good one and 100% entertaining to read.
Solid 3/5 Stars
Abyss of Nightmares : Poetry Illuminating Phobias
I have this thing about odd facts, and the different fears really ignited that for me, fear of hotels?? Interested but horrifying to think of and I love weird stories like that and tapping into my obsession with fact or fiction you decide type scenario, Jonathon Frakes is that you??
Phobias are wild, they don't have to make sense to be terrifying to the person, and that's the scary part.
I have an, odd one, that I have thankfully always managed to not have to fight in a life or death situation but I cannot imagine if I did.
This was a good one and 100% entertaining to read.
Solid 3/5 Stars
Abyss of Nightmares : Poetry Illuminating Phobias
May 15, 2024
A poetic invitation to confront the deepest fears
Abyss of Nightmares by Stevie Hostetter is a captivating collection of poetry that illuminates the darkest corners of the human psyche.
Descending into the rarely explored kingdom of phobias, Hostetter weaves a tapestry of haunting imagery and visceral emotion, inviting readers to confront their deepest fears. From the terror of "Globophobia" to "Taphophobia," each poem is an exploration of the irrational experiences that haunt us.
Abyss of Nightmares is a must-read for poetry enthusiasts and anyone seeking an unforgettable literary experience.
Abyss of Nightmares by Stevie Hostetter is a captivating collection of poetry that illuminates the darkest corners of the human psyche.
Descending into the rarely explored kingdom of phobias, Hostetter weaves a tapestry of haunting imagery and visceral emotion, inviting readers to confront their deepest fears. From the terror of "Globophobia" to "Taphophobia," each poem is an exploration of the irrational experiences that haunt us.
Abyss of Nightmares is a must-read for poetry enthusiasts and anyone seeking an unforgettable literary experience.
January 3, 2025
I don’t even like poetry or pick it up much but this did it for me.
The good :
The depths of the poems really spoke to the authors connectivity with these individually or very very thought out research and crafting. I resonated with much of the book.
The bad :
I think just formatting a little smaller text. This is so personal it almost doesn’t need a mention because I’m sure everyone likes bigger text.
Overall Stevie is a great aspiring author and I will look into more of her books this year because I’m excited to see how she develops more work and if the theme is going to remain centered in mental illness. Thank you.
The good :
The depths of the poems really spoke to the authors connectivity with these individually or very very thought out research and crafting. I resonated with much of the book.
The bad :
I think just formatting a little smaller text. This is so personal it almost doesn’t need a mention because I’m sure everyone likes bigger text.
Overall Stevie is a great aspiring author and I will look into more of her books this year because I’m excited to see how she develops more work and if the theme is going to remain centered in mental illness. Thank you.
January 3, 2025
This is something a bit different from what I normally read. I'm not big on poetry, but I enjoyed the way Stevie made this a creepy set of poems talking about different phobias. Each poem breaks down the different lesser known phobias out there into detail as if someone was suffering from those irrational fears.
It's enough to make one wonder how people with these phobias are able to live life. My favorite ones were.
- Xenodochiophobia
- Vermiphobia
- Taphophobia
- Nostrophobia
Granted some of these are made up by the author, it doesn't make them any less scary. I loved these set of poems, it was a refreshing read from the normal books I read.
It's enough to make one wonder how people with these phobias are able to live life. My favorite ones were.
- Xenodochiophobia
- Vermiphobia
- Taphophobia
- Nostrophobia
Granted some of these are made up by the author, it doesn't make them any less scary. I loved these set of poems, it was a refreshing read from the normal books I read.
November 9, 2023
An insightful set of poems!
Even though I know some of these phobias are not real, I could see myself in a lot of them and I don't tend to see myself as a fearful person. Each poem is well written but I do wish they were a little longer so that I could get the full impact of some. However, that doesn't take anything away from the author's writing and definitely a worthwhile quick read.
Even though I know some of these phobias are not real, I could see myself in a lot of them and I don't tend to see myself as a fearful person. Each poem is well written but I do wish they were a little longer so that I could get the full impact of some. However, that doesn't take anything away from the author's writing and definitely a worthwhile quick read.
July 24, 2024
Stevie Hostetter’s Abyss of Nightmares: Poetry Illuminating Phobias Is a written collection of disturbing yet beautiful poems about irrational fears. There really is no rhyme or reason to these fears which could vex anyone at anytime. Which is fascinating and very enlightening to say the least. These afflictions are not only irrational but debilitating physically and or mentally. The reality of this is absolutely horrifying.
July 30, 2025
This book of poetry is unique in a way each poem is related to a different phobia. You have your well known phobias like Agorophobia or there is the less known ones like Leukophobia the fear of the colour white or even Xenodochiophobia, the fear of hotels which was one of my favourite poems. How the author managed to write a poem about each phobia is admirable and I enjoyed each one. I look forward to seeing more from this author.
October 29, 2023
Abyss of Nightmares is indeed a wonderful collection put together from the author. The book was informative and in some ways relatable. Learning of the various phobias in this way is rather creative. The poetic writings are thought-provoking and sensitive. Very nice and enjoyable read. Would recommend everyone take a read at this book and learn something.
November 16, 2024
Overall, the idea is interesting. The poetry itself is well written and the mix of real and made up phobias is fun. However, each poem ending with what the phobia was did get repetitive especially with the title also being what the phobia was. I'm not a huge poetry reader, however, so this stylistic choice could be common in the poetry world.
***3.5 stars rounded up***
***3.5 stars rounded up***
December 28, 2025
Very educational.
As a therapist I recommend this collection of poetry about phobias. The author does an excellent job explaining each phobias as it relates to individuals struggling with the debilitating disease. OAN: I learned a lot from this book. Who knew people have werewolf phobia 😳
As a therapist I recommend this collection of poetry about phobias. The author does an excellent job explaining each phobias as it relates to individuals struggling with the debilitating disease. OAN: I learned a lot from this book. Who knew people have werewolf phobia 😳
October 25, 2023
Another great read.
Personally, I found Abyss of Nightmares: Poetry Illuminating Phobias by Stevie Hostetter to be an excellent read. It was informative, relatable in parts, and well-written. Stevie has done an excellent job in giving me goosebumps with her way of writing.
Personally, I found Abyss of Nightmares: Poetry Illuminating Phobias by Stevie Hostetter to be an excellent read. It was informative, relatable in parts, and well-written. Stevie has done an excellent job in giving me goosebumps with her way of writing.
November 3, 2023
WOW!
Poems about phobias, what a clever idea. If you, like me, live with a phobia, you will understand these poems.
As irrational as a phobia is it's affect can be debilitating, to say the least.
Thank you Stevie for this book. Highly recommended!!
Poems about phobias, what a clever idea. If you, like me, live with a phobia, you will understand these poems.
As irrational as a phobia is it's affect can be debilitating, to say the least.
Thank you Stevie for this book. Highly recommended!!
November 22, 2023
A fascinating collection of poetry
Stevie Hostetter has given us a fascinating collection of poetry. I was taken into the world of fear in a wholly unique way. It hit all the senses. Well written easily relatable. I highly recommend.
Stevie Hostetter has given us a fascinating collection of poetry. I was taken into the world of fear in a wholly unique way. It hit all the senses. Well written easily relatable. I highly recommend.
August 19, 2024
relatable
Being a sufferer of GAD I strangely found myself smiling and nodding at some of the descriptions in this book. Glad it was a short read as not to induce my own anxieties. Really enjoyed
Being a sufferer of GAD I strangely found myself smiling and nodding at some of the descriptions in this book. Glad it was a short read as not to induce my own anxieties. Really enjoyed
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May 13, 2025Human phobias
A collection of short poems about different human phobias. The author uses strong and emotional words to describe how these fears feel. Each poem helps you understand how it feels to live with that fear. I enjoyed reading this poetry book.
A collection of short poems about different human phobias. The author uses strong and emotional words to describe how these fears feel. Each poem helps you understand how it feels to live with that fear. I enjoyed reading this poetry book.
July 5, 2025
A quick read about phobias, some real, some imagined. I don't usually read poetry but I found these short poems about phobias unique and at times horrifying, yet fascinating. If you enjoy poetry and need a fresh look, then you'll enjoy these poems.
December 4, 2025
phobia themed poetry
An interesting collection of phobia themed poetry. The book of poems has a different phobia for each letter of the alphabet.
A fun short read and you might learn some new phobias too.
An interesting collection of phobia themed poetry. The book of poems has a different phobia for each letter of the alphabet.
A fun short read and you might learn some new phobias too.
January 16, 2026
Abyss of Nightmares, Stevie Lynn Hostetter
I thought this book of poems was ok. It has a unique theme, but the poetry is quite basic. There isn’t a great deal of symbolism or much use of metaphors, so it didn’t feel that ‘deep’ to me, but I did enjoy some of them.
November 17, 2023
Stevie’s poetry evokes powerful imagery. Anyone who suffers from phobias deserves empathy.
Well done. Recommend.
Well done. Recommend.
April 20, 2024
Beautiful
I loved the mix of real and made up. The darkness the phobias can take us. Really appreciated the beauty in this writing.
I loved the mix of real and made up. The darkness the phobias can take us. Really appreciated the beauty in this writing.
November 9, 2024
Great imagery of phobias
November 17, 2024
interesting concept, nothing profound for me
December 25, 2024
Each of the poems in this collection was a thought-provoking insight into the minds of people who suffer from phobias. Beautifully written and dread-inducing!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews