Incubate: a horror collection of feminine power

by L.C.W. Allingham, River Eno, Dale Glaser

In a ruthless world, we must become monsters to survive.

A bitter woman terrorizes her husband’s perfect new wife.

A predator stalks a college town, seeking a very specific type of prey.

Found family can be the most unforgiving of all, when a mother, maid and lover fails to care for her boys.

Girls go out alone at night, exhuming the lies their town propagates to keep them in line.

A fussy baby and an ignorant husband leave a new mom feeling not quite herself.

If it is divine to suffer, then revenge might be the sweetest reward.

There are no limits to how far a girl will go to achieve perfection for the man she loves, if that love lasts an eternity.
The hunger to become one’s true self must be fed…

If women must be monsters, what kind of world will they give birth to?

Genres: Short Stories, Horror, Fiction

183 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 3, 2022

About the author

LCW Allingham is a Philadelphia area author, artist, and editor. Her short fiction has appeared in numerous anthologies. She is the co-founder and executive editor of the indie press, Speculation Publications. Her horror novella MUSE is coming out in April 2024, and her debut historical novel, LADY, will be out in September, 2024

Reviews

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Speculation Publications for providing a review copy.

If you're in the mood for some excellent feminist horror, look no further than Incubation. I loved thinking "good for her" after reading every story. Very satisfying. 4 stars

The New Wife by A.R.C. Mitra ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Aggrieved by Hope Madden ⭐⭐⭐
The Dogs by Maureen O’Leary ⭐⭐⭐.5
The Town Bike by LCW Allingham ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Motherhood Changes You by Dale W. Glaser ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A Hole Where Your Back Should Be by Sofia Tantono ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Perfect Immortality by River Eno ⭐⭐⭐.25
Famine by Sydney Hodges ⭐⭐⭐

[William Donahue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read everything in the Speculation Publications catalog, and will continue to pick up everything they put out. In other words, I went into this collection with high expectations. Expectations met and obliterated. Man, this was a crushing, haunting, beautifully written collection. A foreword by the novelist Ef Deal -- well-placed rage and defiance -- set the tone for the horrors ahead. Pick this one up.

[Ef Deal · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was asked to write the foreword for this anthology, I had mixed emotions. I absolutely love the editors of Speculations Publications and I was honored to be asked, but the topic was a PTSD trigger for me. After the SCOTUS decision to deny reproductive health care rights to half the population, I was enraged, having spent a portion of my young life campaigning for the ERA. It brought up in me all the sordid and shameful indignities I had experienced growing up, which I won't detail here. I doubt it's anything other women haven't suffered.

Then I read the anthology. Every single story is a gem. This isn't a "I hate men" collection; it's a beautiful paean to the power of women to endure, in all senses of the word. Imaginative writing, from every angle of oppression our societal systems have wielded, clearly depicts the everyday slams against women, girls, even infants, and raises those victims up--not as heroes, but as morality lessons. While this is a horror anthology, I found myself mostly cheering. I found inspiration. I was deeply moved by these authors' ability to find hope in situations I myself found hopeless as a child and teen, before I heard Alice Paul speak at Douglass College, before a wise professor enlightened me about the relationship between "nice, polite behavior" and "victim behavior"; before I found my voice, my inner strength, and my courage to endure.

Read this book. It's great horror, but it's also important.

[Craig Matthews · Rating 3 out of 5]

To paraphrase the introduction, this collection of short stories isn't about hating men - it's about the power of women. There's a righteous and justified streak of anger running through this collection, and it's inspiring to read the different ways the authors the authors channel it.

Like most anthologies, the quality here does vary. Stories like The New Wife or The Town Bike are truly excellent, with some imagery and some 'good for her' moments that'll stick with me for a long time. But while some stories felt weaker to me, there's none I'd describe as bad. Even in cases where I felt the story or the writing lacked a little, there's enough passion and emotion to make them all feel like worthwhile reads.

With a collection that sets out it's mission statement so clearly, I'm sure most people will know immediately if this is something they will want to read, or not. If you're in the former category then I can assure you that Incubate is well worth your time. Whether a story is focused on pregnancy or abuse, whether supernatural or almost painfully grounded in reality, I didn't feel any outstayed their welcome - in a few cases, I was left wanting even more from them.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is mostly good as a cathartic read for our highly stupid times. It wasn't until the very last story that we finally get a plot that wasn't women getting bloody revenge on misogynistic men. Which is certainly very satisfying, but the stories get same-y after awhile, and you wonder why we can't write about female power without female victimization. "Famine" by Sydney Hodges stands out as the one who finally achieved that.

[Candi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of short stories that took months to finish. Incubate is electrifying, amazing, traumatic, and many other words for AMAZING. I relived emotionally trying times and pushed through old personal wounds in order to finish every chapter. I am glad to have met these authors, read their stories, and will continue to far into the future.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

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