What do you think?
Rate this book
Stories We Tell After Midnight
Stories We Tell After Midnight
A changeling binds a young girl to a mirror and takes her place.
A salesman pursues closing a deal until it costs him everything.
An ancient Duchess graciously invites you on a tour of her orangerie.
In these pages, the Fae walk as human, the dead burn with their anger at the living, the creatures that live in the dark places of the wrong zip code creep out of the shadows and into the kitchen … Stories We Tell After Midnight is a collection of short horror fiction from established names in the genre as well as a number of debut authors.
A salesman pursues closing a deal until it costs him everything.
An ancient Duchess graciously invites you on a tour of her orangerie.
In these pages, the Fae walk as human, the dead burn with their anger at the living, the creatures that live in the dark places of the wrong zip code creep out of the shadows and into the kitchen … Stories We Tell After Midnight is a collection of short horror fiction from established names in the genre as well as a number of debut authors.
219 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 21, 2019
47 people are currently reading
140 people want to read
About the author
Rachel A. Brune
33 books100 followersRachel A. Brune graduated from the NYU Tisch School of the Arts in May 2000, and was immediately plunged into the low-stakes world of entry-level executive assistant-ship. Her unexpected journey out of that world and into the military is chronicled in her self-published book Echoes and Premonitions.
Rachel served five years as a combat journalist, including two tours in Iraq, and a brief stint as a columnist for her hometown newspaper. After her second tour, she attended graduate school at the University at Albany in NY, where she earned her MA in Political Communication, and her commission as a second lieutenant in the military police corps.
Although her day job has taken in her in many strange, often twisted directions, Rachel continues to write and publish short fiction. She released her first novel, Soft Target, in early 2013. In addition to writing for the online military interest zine "Task & Purpose," she blogs her thoughts about reading and the writing life at The Infamous Scribbler. You can also follow her on Twitter, where she goes by the handle @rachelabrune.
Rachel served five years as a combat journalist, including two tours in Iraq, and a brief stint as a columnist for her hometown newspaper. After her second tour, she attended graduate school at the University at Albany in NY, where she earned her MA in Political Communication, and her commission as a second lieutenant in the military police corps.
Although her day job has taken in her in many strange, often twisted directions, Rachel continues to write and publish short fiction. She released her first novel, Soft Target, in early 2013. In addition to writing for the online military interest zine "Task & Purpose," she blogs her thoughts about reading and the writing life at The Infamous Scribbler. You can also follow her on Twitter, where she goes by the handle @rachelabrune.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 9, 2019
The only reason this isn't 5 stars is because I've had to sleep with the lights on since starting. The stories are wonderfully creepy and stick with you. Think you're going to nod peacefully off to sleep? NOPE. Something will creep in, and snuggle up with you, and it definitely isn't the dog. Each has a distinct voice and will send chills up and down your spine. Absolutely loving it!
April 20, 2020
A solid collection of high quality stories running the gamut of horror sub-genres and tropes. As with most collections I’ve read, not every story moved me or kept my interest but the majority did. It’s hard to pick only three favorites but I’d have to say mine were The Orangery by Jane Hawley, In Memoriam by Elizabeth Donald, and Have You Come to Let Me Out by Tina Riddle. I would have no hesitation recommending this anthology to any horror lover.
January 7, 2020
Stories We Tell After Midnight is the inaugural publication of Crone Girls Press. I received an Advanced Reader Copy for the purpose of review.
“The call of the void,” a quote from Gidding’s story "L’appel du vide" and a single concept which runs through many of the stories in this anthology. This collection contains 14 stories and a poem which have been written using multiple horror elements. There is truly something for everyone (who likes horror) in this anthology. While reading, I found myself drawn to the more contemporary stories (I’m usually a period drama type), which was refreshing. The stories take place in multiple settings and vary in their pacing.
You can clearly tell the different voices of the authors. This does not distract from the overall feel of the anthology. I appreciated the added touch of the biographies of each author listed after their contribution as it makes following a favorite contributor easier. The contributors have a variety of publishing experience from new voices to the more established. Overall, I would recommend these stories and am looking forward to the next anthology. I have also found a couple of contemporary authors to follow.
“The call of the void,” a quote from Gidding’s story "L’appel du vide" and a single concept which runs through many of the stories in this anthology. This collection contains 14 stories and a poem which have been written using multiple horror elements. There is truly something for everyone (who likes horror) in this anthology. While reading, I found myself drawn to the more contemporary stories (I’m usually a period drama type), which was refreshing. The stories take place in multiple settings and vary in their pacing.
You can clearly tell the different voices of the authors. This does not distract from the overall feel of the anthology. I appreciated the added touch of the biographies of each author listed after their contribution as it makes following a favorite contributor easier. The contributors have a variety of publishing experience from new voices to the more established. Overall, I would recommend these stories and am looking forward to the next anthology. I have also found a couple of contemporary authors to follow.
July 21, 2020
The short review is these stories are suitably ghoulish and only two of the lot are bad.
This one seems to run more short and sweet compared to Coppice and Brake, and while the former had a focus on speculative fiction with a fabulist bent, this is more about all types of horror, with strict realism included as long as it's scary and brutal.
"The Orangery" is less than original, and I have some qualms with the take on sensory issues, but ultimately it's more about presentation than novelty, and the style/voice/tone is something delightful to behold.
"L'appel du vide" was when I fell in love with this anthology, even if I was still cautious and didn't want to admit it to myself. I love nautical horror to begin with, which is not that hard to find in film but extremely difficult to locate in the world of fiction, so I might be a little biased. this is where I got the short and sweet tone. This is also just...delightful. Crawlingly, leeringly pleasing to my sensibilities, and an expression of working-class ennui to boot.
"In Memorium", well, who doesn't like a story about a person who sees ghosts? Me, that's who. Or rather, I don't like a great many of the "what if you could see/talk with otherwise invisible ghosts" stories, especially when the protagonist is a plucky detective, but man this one hit the spot. It started out interesting, got some real good shudder moments, and finished off with emotional strength.
"Kitchen Spirits" was creepy enough to get me to finally take a break from the microwaved convenience food and cook some Welsh Rarebit, just in case. I don't even know if the author made up that particular belief for this story or not, but while I read, I believed.
"Mirrors" is everything you could want from a story about the fae, with a suitable number of twists and surprises.
"Gatekeepers" is a decent slice-of-life dark fantasy tale of the Southern Gothic, or maybe Midwestern Gothic (Geography is not my strong point.) It's about people who do necessary things instead of pleasant things, about the unacknowledged labor of women, and about making the Real hard choices while people who make a big deal about their hard choices are watching an episode of 24 and sipping martinis.
"Enter the Wolf" is painfully realistic. Simple, sharp, and merciless. "It happened before, and it WILL happen again." The sad reality of a far-too-heavy burden placed on the shoulders of American teachers.
"The Soul Within" is...ouch. A meditation on human skin. TW for self-harm. Also painfully realistic. Not bad, but definitely hard to get through.
"Gobbl'uns" is a cruel little story about the horror of monsters under the bed. WYSIWYG.
"Have You Come To Let Me Out" is beautiful in its sense of justice and horrifying in its vagueness. It feels a bit more like a Coppice & Brake story than its siblings.
"It Has to Cool First"...well, this is where the collection finally let me down. Despite being very short, it has a first and second half that are pretty much narratively unnecessary to each other. The motives of the rich man from the first half are confusing and unnecessary, and only complicate the way the threat in the second half works. I saw where it was going, I wasn't surprised, and unlike Orangery, there wasn't enough style to make me enjoy the ride.
"Creature From the Blue Lagoon" is...downright sadistic, and I love it. I normally wouldn't be able to enjoy a story with a protagonist like this, but the shortness works in its favor there, and the poetic justice is sickeningly beautiful. Gruesome and elegant.
"Uncle Charlie" had me hooked from the first line. It was nothing special, but it delivered on its promise, flowed well, and didn't wear out its welcome.
"Wrong Turn" was, well, predictable like some other stories, but in a bad way. It was way too long for such a transparent premise and didn't appeal to me personally, nor did it bring enough novelty to the familiar tropes to keep me hooked. This is the only story in the anthology I didn't finish.
This one seems to run more short and sweet compared to Coppice and Brake, and while the former had a focus on speculative fiction with a fabulist bent, this is more about all types of horror, with strict realism included as long as it's scary and brutal.
"The Orangery" is less than original, and I have some qualms with the take on sensory issues, but ultimately it's more about presentation than novelty, and the style/voice/tone is something delightful to behold.
"L'appel du vide" was when I fell in love with this anthology, even if I was still cautious and didn't want to admit it to myself. I love nautical horror to begin with, which is not that hard to find in film but extremely difficult to locate in the world of fiction, so I might be a little biased. this is where I got the short and sweet tone. This is also just...delightful. Crawlingly, leeringly pleasing to my sensibilities, and an expression of working-class ennui to boot.
"In Memorium", well, who doesn't like a story about a person who sees ghosts? Me, that's who. Or rather, I don't like a great many of the "what if you could see/talk with otherwise invisible ghosts" stories, especially when the protagonist is a plucky detective, but man this one hit the spot. It started out interesting, got some real good shudder moments, and finished off with emotional strength.
"Kitchen Spirits" was creepy enough to get me to finally take a break from the microwaved convenience food and cook some Welsh Rarebit, just in case. I don't even know if the author made up that particular belief for this story or not, but while I read, I believed.
"Mirrors" is everything you could want from a story about the fae, with a suitable number of twists and surprises.
"Gatekeepers" is a decent slice-of-life dark fantasy tale of the Southern Gothic, or maybe Midwestern Gothic (Geography is not my strong point.) It's about people who do necessary things instead of pleasant things, about the unacknowledged labor of women, and about making the Real hard choices while people who make a big deal about their hard choices are watching an episode of 24 and sipping martinis.
"Enter the Wolf" is painfully realistic. Simple, sharp, and merciless. "It happened before, and it WILL happen again." The sad reality of a far-too-heavy burden placed on the shoulders of American teachers.
"The Soul Within" is...ouch. A meditation on human skin. TW for self-harm. Also painfully realistic. Not bad, but definitely hard to get through.
"Gobbl'uns" is a cruel little story about the horror of monsters under the bed. WYSIWYG.
"Have You Come To Let Me Out" is beautiful in its sense of justice and horrifying in its vagueness. It feels a bit more like a Coppice & Brake story than its siblings.
"It Has to Cool First"...well, this is where the collection finally let me down. Despite being very short, it has a first and second half that are pretty much narratively unnecessary to each other. The motives of the rich man from the first half are confusing and unnecessary, and only complicate the way the threat in the second half works. I saw where it was going, I wasn't surprised, and unlike Orangery, there wasn't enough style to make me enjoy the ride.
"Creature From the Blue Lagoon" is...downright sadistic, and I love it. I normally wouldn't be able to enjoy a story with a protagonist like this, but the shortness works in its favor there, and the poetic justice is sickeningly beautiful. Gruesome and elegant.
"Uncle Charlie" had me hooked from the first line. It was nothing special, but it delivered on its promise, flowed well, and didn't wear out its welcome.
"Wrong Turn" was, well, predictable like some other stories, but in a bad way. It was way too long for such a transparent premise and didn't appeal to me personally, nor did it bring enough novelty to the familiar tropes to keep me hooked. This is the only story in the anthology I didn't finish.
September 24, 2020
A mix of flash and short fiction, Stories We Tell After Midnight from Crone Girls Press and editor Rachel A. Brune is an uneven mix, with several gems. The shorter pieces worked especially well for me, from the mesmerizing waves of "L'appel du vide" by M. P. Giddings to the coulrophobia-inducing "Uncle Charlie" by Christy Mann.
All the stories were dark and creepy, but sometimes I didn't sense a bigger story or clear themes. I felt like those stories could have dug a little deeper. There were also stories with plot holes or unexplained plot points. These were generally the stories that hit too close to reality for my taste or dwelled on the horror without digging deeper for a larger truth, though maybe the larger truth is that sometimes evil just happens, without explanation or reason.
I really enjoyed "In Memoriam" by Elizabeth Donald and "Mirrors" by J. Summerset, precisely because they are well-written and reach for something deeper. "Gatekeepers" by Cristel Orrand has a lot to say, and does so with matter-of-fact but beautiful, spellbinding language. "Have You Come to Let Me Out?" by Tina Riddle takes a different but still very successful approach: ambiguous, opaquer details that underline the creepiness rather than hide it, even if I'm not quite sure what's in that cabinet. This and other stories have great fairy tale-like techniques on display.
There's a lot to enjoy here. I didn't always have a sense of an overall arc between stories as the anthology progressed like I did in Brune's other anthology, Coppice & Brake, but when a story works or a pairing is more obvious, it really works well. Enough works well that I'm eager to read the second installment of Stories We Tell After Midnight, coming soon!
All the stories were dark and creepy, but sometimes I didn't sense a bigger story or clear themes. I felt like those stories could have dug a little deeper. There were also stories with plot holes or unexplained plot points. These were generally the stories that hit too close to reality for my taste or dwelled on the horror without digging deeper for a larger truth, though maybe the larger truth is that sometimes evil just happens, without explanation or reason.
I really enjoyed "In Memoriam" by Elizabeth Donald and "Mirrors" by J. Summerset, precisely because they are well-written and reach for something deeper. "Gatekeepers" by Cristel Orrand has a lot to say, and does so with matter-of-fact but beautiful, spellbinding language. "Have You Come to Let Me Out?" by Tina Riddle takes a different but still very successful approach: ambiguous, opaquer details that underline the creepiness rather than hide it, even if I'm not quite sure what's in that cabinet. This and other stories have great fairy tale-like techniques on display.
There's a lot to enjoy here. I didn't always have a sense of an overall arc between stories as the anthology progressed like I did in Brune's other anthology, Coppice & Brake, but when a story works or a pairing is more obvious, it really works well. Enough works well that I'm eager to read the second installment of Stories We Tell After Midnight, coming soon!
January 4, 2023
Solid horror anthology
I really liked this anthology. Some stories were forgettable but for the most part they were fantastic. A couple of the stories really affected me in one way or another. Their is something for everyone in this collection. Backwoods horror, ghosts, fae creatures, murderers, real life horror. There is a cw: self harm for one of the best stories in the collection. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because of those aforementioned forgettable stories.
I really liked this anthology. Some stories were forgettable but for the most part they were fantastic. A couple of the stories really affected me in one way or another. Their is something for everyone in this collection. Backwoods horror, ghosts, fae creatures, murderers, real life horror. There is a cw: self harm for one of the best stories in the collection. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because of those aforementioned forgettable stories.
April 5, 2024
The Orangery by Jane Hawley - 3/10
L’Appel Du Vide by M.P. Giddings - 5/10
In Memoriam by Elizabeth Donald - 8/10
Kitchen Spirits by Nicholas Belardes - 3/10
Mirrors by J. Summerset - 6/10
Gatekeepers by Cristel Orrand - 5/10
Enter the Wolf by Adam N. Leonard - 10/10
The Soul Within by Jennifer Nestojko - DNF
Gobbl’uns by Thea Brune - 8/10
Have You Come to Let Me Out? by Tina Riddle - 8/10
It Has to Cool First by Carol Gyzander - 6/10
Creature from the Blue Lagoon by Dexter Rowland - 5/10
Uncle Charlie by Christy Mann - 4/10
Wrong Turn by Adam Messer - 6/10
L’Appel Du Vide by M.P. Giddings - 5/10
In Memoriam by Elizabeth Donald - 8/10
Kitchen Spirits by Nicholas Belardes - 3/10
Mirrors by J. Summerset - 6/10
Gatekeepers by Cristel Orrand - 5/10
Enter the Wolf by Adam N. Leonard - 10/10
The Soul Within by Jennifer Nestojko - DNF
Gobbl’uns by Thea Brune - 8/10
Have You Come to Let Me Out? by Tina Riddle - 8/10
It Has to Cool First by Carol Gyzander - 6/10
Creature from the Blue Lagoon by Dexter Rowland - 5/10
Uncle Charlie by Christy Mann - 4/10
Wrong Turn by Adam Messer - 6/10
November 3, 2024
Some were very creepy and unsettling. Others were less so, they felt like they required my imagination to run wild and provide the scare factor. Like "It Had to Cool First" just felt like Hansel and Gretel. (How does one turn a child into bread????)
I found that the ones most rooted in modern human suffering seemed the most impactful and disturbing. In Memoriam - a trusted and loved partner betrays you. Gatekeepers - an unsafe abortion kills a young woman. Enter the Wolf - our schools aren't safe. The Soul Within - men.
I found that the ones most rooted in modern human suffering seemed the most impactful and disturbing. In Memoriam - a trusted and loved partner betrays you. Gatekeepers - an unsafe abortion kills a young woman. Enter the Wolf - our schools aren't safe. The Soul Within - men.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 14, 2025
14 stories that make you want to leave on the lights. Rachel brings us tales that not only go bump in the night, but involve the dead that resent the living, faes that act as humans, monster under the bed, unsafe schools, and many more. Each story bring us a new author's voice and pace and all match well together to form this great volume. This is the first of three and I look forward to reading the next two.
November 14, 2024
As with any anthology, there were some very good stories and not-so-good ones mixed in. Not many dropped into the middle of that, either. I found myself either loving the story and wishing there was more or not liking the story and hoping to get to the end. Luckily there were a lot more good stories in this collection.
October 7, 2020
Some good some okay
This was an interesting book of tales. Some I had heard before and some new ones tellyou what you keep writing them and ill keep reading than sincerely Christine Dunne Harlingen texas
This was an interesting book of tales. Some I had heard before and some new ones tellyou what you keep writing them and ill keep reading than sincerely Christine Dunne Harlingen texas
April 8, 2020
Great collection of unique horror stories! What a great selection. Really enjoyed this book! I would recommend it to anyone looking for short interesting horror stories!
November 14, 2023
A really solid collection of scary and intriguing stories. Some better than others, of course, but I enjoyed this book from the first page to the last.
December 18, 2019
Full review on my blog: https://annwycoff.com/2019/12/18/book...
I enjoyed this book, thought it was very good. I agree with Eddie that like with pretty much all anthologies, the quality of the stories varied. For my tastes, I'd say they ranged from average to excellent. I also enjoyed the variation of settings, tone, and whatnot. I would certainly consider reading future offerings from Crone Girls Press.
Also, I read a paperback copy and found the physical quality of the book to be good, what I would expect.
I've been reading a lot of older fiction from the library and online fiction, so one thing that was a pleasant surprise to me was that certain themes and treatments came up that I haven't seen in quite awhile, or they were explored in a more explicit or intense manner rather than going off-stage and leaving it all to the reader's imagination. I never thought the treatments crossed the line into bad taste, though that of course is highly subjective. I have to say given the cover art they chose and the title of the book, the stories are suitably dark.
Of the 14 stories presented my top three favorites, in no particular order are:
1. "Kitchen Spirits" by Nicholas Belardes
2. "Gobbl'uns" by Thea Brune
3. "It Has to Cool First" by Carol Gyzander
I enjoyed this book, thought it was very good. I agree with Eddie that like with pretty much all anthologies, the quality of the stories varied. For my tastes, I'd say they ranged from average to excellent. I also enjoyed the variation of settings, tone, and whatnot. I would certainly consider reading future offerings from Crone Girls Press.
Also, I read a paperback copy and found the physical quality of the book to be good, what I would expect.
I've been reading a lot of older fiction from the library and online fiction, so one thing that was a pleasant surprise to me was that certain themes and treatments came up that I haven't seen in quite awhile, or they were explored in a more explicit or intense manner rather than going off-stage and leaving it all to the reader's imagination. I never thought the treatments crossed the line into bad taste, though that of course is highly subjective. I have to say given the cover art they chose and the title of the book, the stories are suitably dark.
Of the 14 stories presented my top three favorites, in no particular order are:
1. "Kitchen Spirits" by Nicholas Belardes
2. "Gobbl'uns" by Thea Brune
3. "It Has to Cool First" by Carol Gyzander
October 29, 2019
From the Civil War to clowns and mirrors
This is a book of short stories, but creative and chilling short stories. All of the stories are horror, but they are all different settings and subgenres.
This is a book of short stories, but creative and chilling short stories. All of the stories are horror, but they are all different settings and subgenres.
January 7, 2020
Horror is such a subjective genre, covering ghosts to psychological terrors to monsters. It's hard to please everyone, but there is something for all in this anthology. My favorites were: L'appel du vide, In Memoriam, and It Has to Cool First, but all were well written.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews