The Collection

by Sam West

Q. When is a short story collection not a short story collection?
A. When it is an exercise in extreme horror metafiction…

Helen Clarke finds a book on her bookshelf that she has never seen before, simply entitled, ‘The Collection’. Intrigued, she begins to read. At first, the slim book appears to be nothing more than just a collection of short horror stories. But as the secrets that lie within the pages of the book are slowly revealed, her life turns into a waking nightmare.

From Gypsy curses, to flesh-eating maniacs and creatures from the depths of Hell, Sam West invites you to take a road-trip through his messed-up head. But please be warned, there is strong sex, blood and innards.

Genres: Horror

125 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 18, 2017

About the author

Sam West is a British, extreme horror author with more than forty books to her name. If you like your fiction dark, gritty, gory, perverse and truly terrifying, then you're in the right place.

Reviews

[Hail Hydra! ~Dave Anderson~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shocked to his core, Roger sank to his knees and stared in disbelief at the book in his trembling hands.

“Helen?” he called out. “Are you here? Is this a joke?”

There was no answer except for a clap of thunder, and the worst feeling in the world churned in his guts.

On his knees with tears blurring his vision, he began to read...

[JESSICA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Omg! You don't understand how frickin' BAD-ASS this book is. And I've totally have fallen in love with another kick ass author, Sam West! So, the story starts with Helen, home alone on a stormy night, while her dear boyfriend is out at the pub with the guys. She decides to cuddle on the couch with a book, a book that's cover looks a lot like human skin... And as soon as she opens book, she is greeted with these short stories that are sinister and creepy!

I loved all the stories! But my absolute favorite was 1st.

#1 {STICKY TAPE} - fun at the fair turns nasty, when a beautiful gypsy woman curses, Charlotte. And someone gets the ultimate revenge. {LOVED THIS ONE} would love if this was turned into a longer story.

#2 {NIGHT OF THE DJ} - Esther Blake is a popular DJ. She's working the night spot... And she wants to know from her callers; “Do you believe in the afterlife? Do you believe in ghosties and ghoulies and things that go bump in the night? Do you have any stories to share? Because I’m in the mood for a good scare.” She receives a call from Greg (total psycho) and man, does he have one crazy story to tell... {This one gave me the Heebie-jeebies}

#3 {DINNER PARTY} - I have no words. *gasp* Nope!

[Sea Caummisar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes!!! This book totally rocks. Not only does it have a few extreme short stories in it, it has a larger story happening as the character keeps reading the book.
The first story, Sticky Tape, is laugh out loud funny. Hilarious!!! But still kinda gross..maybe I 'm not supposed to laugh at that kind of stuff. Maybe I'm morbid. Neither here or there.
This may be one of my favorite Sam West books ever

[aeri · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book did not deliver what it promised (Extreme Horror).

[Mylene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m enamoured with Sam West stories, whether they be short or long. I have just one complaint. There seems to be a little bit of inconsistency to some of the various tales BUT Sam sure has a great imagination. The stories are always wild and intriguing, and have a tendency to be very unpredictable.
I absolutely loved the anthology vibe to the novel, and could see this “Collection” on film. My favorite segue was “Sticky Tape”.
Let’s put it this way.... if we put aside some of the editing and grammatical errors in the book... the ideas were so creative that I recounted it verbally to my husband, as he is not a reader. He loved it. At the time I narrated what I was reading, I was only 3/4 of the way through, and he couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next. That’s the mark of a great storyteller.

[Lauren Coleman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay. So. I went into this expecting what was advertised on the cover: extreme horror. The book did not deliver on that front. Granted, I am just coming down off the the high that was Full Brutal by Triana (if you want extreme horror, HIGHLY recommend). But this book just wasn’t… extreme. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a really fun collection of stories! But it really comes across like a horror-themed Twilight Zone episode, or a Goosebumps for adults type of situation. I did love the ending, sort of Mouth of Madness. So, I recommend if you want some solid creative horror stories, with an interesting wrap-around story. But don’t be fooled, it’s no Tender Is The Flesh.

[Jim Glover · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just got this book for Christmas (yes I did ask for it) and from when I first opened it I was sucked in. Such a fantastic quick read. It really reminded me of an anthology horror movie. I loved the concept. Helen finds a book on the book shelf, while waiting for her husband to come home. She has never seen this book before so she starts to read it. Three frightening tales are included in the book, and why do they seem familiar to her. I loved the ending also. Everything about this book was fantastic. I will have to check out his other ones also. A warning it can get pretty graphic so these books are not for the faint at heart. But god what a fun read!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Thomas Hobbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helen

Helen picks up a book that's in her house that doesn't belong to her. She reads it while waiting for her boyfriend to come home and his realizes the book is alive. Great book with awesome short stories!

[Rayne Havok · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this. Each story was fun to read but what kept me coming back was Helen, I needed to see what was going to happen. Thoroughly enjoyed. Would recommend for sure

[JWo1855 · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I get to the end of a book, I usually don’t read the sample chapter from another title by the author. But for some reason I read the first chapter of The Collection by Sam West and it made me want to read more. And I’m glad I did!!

The Collection is several smaller stories from a book found on Helen’s bookcase. Not only is the book not anything she remembers from her collection, but as she reads them she starts noticing odd things happening. Words appear before disappearing and she feels like she’s going crazy.

In one of the stories a female is on The Tube and the lights flicker on and off. I had just finished that story and was brushing my teeth before bed when our house lights flickered. My eyes went wide as I stood up holding the toothbrush just outside my mouth. I looked at my wife “Did the lights just flicker?”

Thankfully I did NOT find any odd books on my shelves.

[Elusive · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 'The Collection: Extreme Horror', Helen is home alone and bored, waiting for her boyfriend's return. Upon spotting a strange-looking book on her bookshelf, she decides to read it. The three short stories within leave her feeling creeped out and discomfited but the horror of it all is only just on the way..

The premise of 'Sticky Tape' was creative and unpredictable, starting off with a couple at a fair. This innocuous outing gradually turned into a nightmare. The sticky tape bit didn't disappoint though I was expecting something completely different. 'Night of the DJ' had some dark, disturbing scenes while the terror of 'Dinner Party' was overshadowed by graphic sexual content.

Overall, 'The Collection: Extreme Horror' didn't fit my bill of extreme horror, nonetheless it was a quick and mildly enjoyable read.

[Harmony · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this from start to finish today and holy hell this was a delight to read! The stories were disturbing, erotic, obscene, creative. It made it all the better how the book was an anthology within a novella.

I've only taken 1 star off because there are typos that werent easy to ignore once they appeared. I kind of had to stop for a moment and ask myself "eh?". Still, it didn't stop me from thoroughly enjoying this book and recommending it to another horror fan I know.

[Madelene Antrim · Rating 1 out of 5]

Misogynistic Crap

If I could give this less than one star, I would. This guy clearly hates women, it wouldn't surprise me if he was a men's rights activist. Aside from his loathsome rape fantasies, he can't write for sh*t. Fortunately I didn't actually pay for it, but picked it from Kindle unlimited. I barely got through the first story. No more for me, thanks.

[Carolyne Lain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helen is home alone while a storm rages outside. She is waiting for her sweetheart who has gone out for an evening with the boys. She is looking for a way to pass the time while waiting for him to return home, and finds a book she has never noticed before, on her bookshelf. Right from the start, the book doesn't 'feel' right. She has no idea.....

Another excellent offering by Sam. West.

[Carrie Silvester · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting

I think the book was different as the whole book was like reading several short stories but they were all from a book the main character had found and we are reading with them , I thought it was a nice short read and I read it quickly. The sample at the end has me intrigued so think it will be my next book

[Jake Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great collection!

Sam West has easily become one of my favorite authors in the genre of extreme horror. She can touch the dark parts of my imagination with ease. Haven't read all her content but I don't think it'll be much longer before I do. Thanks a bunch and well done.

[Shelay Brice · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real page turner!

I enjoyed this book very much, the stories were engaging and scary, the writing was executed perfectly and I couldn't put it down. Now on to Snuff Club!

[Peachy Chipmunk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Literally couldn’t put this book down. Love, love, love. Must read from Sam West.

[Deborah Gallatin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fear awaits!

As usual, Sam West manages to psychologically terrorize his readers from page one till the end. But because he does it with such finesse & incredibly talented writing, his work isn't just a piece of gore-soaked bloodfest.
The writing keeps you engaged, keeps you wanting more. For those readers who may be fans of authors such as Edward Lee, Richard Laymon, or perhaps Wrath James White...this is the type of author who can run alongside these greats & terrify with the best of them.