Cabinet of Wrath: A Doll Collection

by Tara Campbell

Deep in the recesses of childhood memory, your old playthings await. Listen: don’t you hear them crying out for you?

Come take a peek inside the Cabinet of Wrath to find out what really happens when toys go missing and the stark decision they must make if they ever want to go home again. Discover what doll heads really think about being separated from their bodies. Follow a skull-and-bones novelty ring as it assembles a full body for itself, bit by grisly bit, and learn how loving your doll too much can lead to grave consequences.

Open the door to these nine fabulist tales of toys and vengeance for a playtime you’ll never forget.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories

118 pages, Paperback

Published May 30, 2021

About the author

Bio: Tara Campbell is an award-winning writer, teacher, Kimbilio Fellow, fiction co-editor at Barrelhouse, and graduate of American University's MFA in Creative Writing. Publication credits include Masters Review, Wigleaf, Electric Literature, CRAFT Literary, Uncharted Magazine, Daily Science Fiction, Strange Horizons, and Escape Pod/Artemis Rising.

She's the author of the eco sci-fi novel TreeVolution, two hybrid collections of poetry and prose, and two short story collections from feminist sci-fi publisher Aqueduct Press. Her sixth book, City of Dancing Gargoyles (SFWP), is a finalist for the 2025 Philip K. Dick Award and is on Reactor Magazine’s “Best Books of 2024” list and Locus Magazine's 2024 Recommended Reading List.

She teaches creative writing at venues such as Johns Hopkins University, Clarion West, The Writer's Center, and Hugo House. Find her at www.taracampbell.com

Reviews

[Caroline Bock]

This short, short story collection -- 9 stories -- all focuses on the lives of dolls. And I'm not using that as a slang term -- though there are many metaphors to real life. These are real dolls. some in boxes, pregnant, others pulled apart by mysterious forces. Overall, this is a surreal, captivating read. Photos/ pictures of real dolls intercut between the stories made this collection a visual treat as well as a literary one. At points, I gasped out loud as I turned the pages (some gasps of delight, some of horror!). My favorite stories were the first "The Box" about dolls 'trapped' in their boxes and lives -- and the last "Pino," -- the latter is a re-telling of the Pinocchio story, told from the story of a wooden boy and his horror at turning human. Kudos to Tara Campbell for a winning, page-turning collection!

--Caroline

[Jadin]

What a surprising find! I'm not a big short story reader and I can count on one hand the number of thriller and horror books I've read. Generally however I'm willing to try Aqueduct Press' Conversation Pieces, as they're short and well written and usually very amusing.

This is one shoots to my top five immediately (of the Conversation Pieces installments). The writing is dynamic and tight--not a word wasted, and every word with substantial impact. The stories are at once terrifying and hopeful, grim and bright. There are dolls who get (violently) pregnant, killer teddy bears, vengeful Barbies, sad Barbies, and the inevitable 'man falls in love with doll' story turned on its head. Pop culture doll jokes are woven throughout (Malibu Lacey being a favorite of mine) and the book ends on a delightfully hopeful fairytale retelling of Pinocchio.

The cover leaves a lot to be desired, and doesn't do this book any favors, unfortunately. I would not have picked it up off a bookstore shelf. However the story contents are a continual delight, and this little short story collection is well worth reading.

[Myna]

Creepy and Inventive
The stories in this volume are creepy and inventive, filled with unexpected characters and sinister creatures. The author brings a strong and entertaining voice to retellings of the familiar, such as Pinnocchio, and the eerily unfamiliar, such as a novelty ring that really wants its own body. There was just enough dark humor to keep me smiling throughout. The book is attractively bound with suitably unsettling artwork throughout. I recommend this for anyone who enjoys speculative short fiction with a sharp edge.

[Serena]

Campbell’s stories are haunting and unsettling. They will leave readers looking for the flashlight to not only provide themselves with a sense of hope, but to also reveal some harsh truths. Cabinet of Wrath: A Doll Collection by Tara Campbell is a delight in horror and twisted storytelling that shouldn’t be missed.

Full review: https://savvyverseandwit.com/2022/01/...

[Regina]

I am a fan of weird fiction and short stories. This is the best collection I've read this year. Tara Campbell's unique voice brings dolls and other things to life. I look forward to reading more of her work.

[Jan Stinchcomb]

Deliciously imaginative, like a box of dark chocolates.

[Claudia Wair]

Great collection of creepy doll stories.