The Dancing Bears: Queer Fables for the End Times

by Rob Costello

A lost boy under the spell of a seductive killer suffers the sting of betrayal while on the hunt for fresh blood.

A misanthrope obsessed with death carries on a torrid affair with the malevolent spirit haunting the house in his favorite novel.

The dead son of an abusive horror novelist returns from the grave to tell his father what really happened the night he died.

An ex-child star desperate for a comeback meets a sinister stranger who reveals the terrible price of attaining his heart’s desire.

A headstrong girl determined to seduce her ex-boyfriend discovers what being trapped in the closet really means.

THE DANCING BEARS: Queer Fables for the End Times showcases eleven darkly speculative tales of the queer and uncanny. With eight previously published and three brand new stories, this debut collection features young queer characters grappling with love and desire in a heartless world hurtling toward the abyss.

Genres: Short Stories, Horror, LGBT, Queer, Fantasy, Fiction

Unknown Binding

Published March 1, 2024

About the author

Rob Costello (he/him) writes dark and contemporary fiction with a queer bent for and about young people. He’s the contributing editor of WE MOSTLY COME OUT AT NIGHT: 15 QUEER TALES OF MONSTERS, ANGELS & OTHER CREATURES, nominated for a 2024 Bram Stoker Award® and named a 2024 CYBILS Award Finalist as well as a Notable/Recommended/Best Book of 2024 by the New York Public Library, Ginger Nuts of Horror, PseudoPod, Reactor Magazine, and Locus Magazine. He’s also author of the dark fiction story collection THE DANCING BEARS: QUEER FABLES FOR THE END TIMES, named a finalist for The Whirling Prize. His stories have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and have appeared in The Dark, The NoSleep Podcast, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, PseudoPod, Hunger Mountain, Cape Cod Review, and Narrative, among other publications.

AN UGLY WORLD FOR BEAUTIFUL BOYS is his debut novel.

An alumnus of Millay Arts, he holds an MFA in Writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts and has served on the faculty of the Highlights Foundation since 2014. He is co-founder (with Lesa Cline-Ransome, Jo Knowles, and Jennifer Richard Jacobson) of the R(ev)ise and Shine! writing community, and he lives in upstate NY with his husband and their four-legged overlords.

Learn more at: www.cloudbusterpress.com & www.revise-and-shine.com.

Reviews

[Aden Polydoros · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hauntingly moving and evocative, this anthology's got teeth. From a bottomless hole that returns things different but changed, to a former child actor's deadly aspirations to return to the big screen, THE DANCING BEARS: Queer Fables for the End Times will linger with readers long after they reach the final page.

[Erin Entrada Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible storytelling.

[McKenna Deem · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

A great debut collection that centers queer characters in both subtle and shouting ways. I love the way that Costello plays with the innocence of being a queer child in a world that views queerness as inherent guilt or horror or shame. Costello makes you long for that innocence, and rips it away before it is ever realized. And what an honor it is to feel seen in that way.

For me, this collection would have been a 5 if some of the characters and plots were more realized and fleshed out. Overall, a wonderful collection from an author I will be coming back to.

[Meliza · Rating 4 out of 5]

weird and spooky gay stories about everything from selkie boys to girls who think they can turn they’re gay ex boyfriends and also fight a bear at the same time! really fun and genuinely enjoyed how horrific some of these stories were. if you see homegirl fighting with a grizzly bear HELP THE BEAR! he’s gonna need it!
hard to choose a favorite but i think The Hole of Dark Kill Hollow is probably gonna stick with me. I’d probably read an entire book about the weird couple in Only Castles Burning lol. I’d probably also read an entire book with the plot line of Jill cuz cannibalism!

[Christine Thomas Alderman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection made me think of Elizabeth Strout. Nothing is off limits and everyone is completely human, even when that makes people hard to look at. Costello sees into the hearts of characters who may not be easy to love (and some characters who become so dear so quickly your heart will ache for them long after the story is over) and pull you into their world. I look forward to more from Costello and can’t wait to read the collection he just edited, We Mostly Come Out at Night.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haunting and raw. I cannot shake these intricately drawn characters.

[Melissa Killian · Rating 5 out of 5]

These stories are deep, dark, and sometimes downright uncomfortable, but that's what makes them so great. Each one left me pondering a truth, usually an ugly truth, about what it's like to grow up queer in a world that isn't so kind.

Some of my favorites:

I AM THE OTHER ONE: Two brothers, one the golden child and the other not so much, can both communicate with animals. The sibling rivalry and jealousy between the brothers ring oh so true. It's understandable why each of the brothers uses his gift in the way that he does. This story is satisfying and horrifying at the same time.

THE HOLE OF DARK KILL HOLLOW: Be careful what you wish for because there are always catches and consequences when something magical/supernatural is involved. Is the request worth the sacrifice?

WHAT WE LEAVE BEHIND US: Most people can relate to wanting to speak their truth to family members, but also being scared of the reaction and possible rejection. But what if you wait too long and you lose your chance to have that important talk? How do you make peace with that person?

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great collection of short stories with a lien towards the fantastic

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eerie and fascinating. What a great collection!

[Horror DNA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coming in at 180-pages, The Dancing Bears: Queer Fables for the End Times is the perfect length for a collection, short and sweet, and I carefully rationed the eleven stories by reading them two-at-a-time. I could just as easily have devoured them all in one sitting. These are not traditional horror stories and are all the better for it. Instead, Rob Costello slips in and out of genres, love or longing is never far away, neither is small town horror nor the often emotional coming-of-age theme. Bubbling in the background is Costello’s most constant theme; one of acceptance, often with a convincing and perfectly natural LGBTQIA+ slant. Some of the strongest stories stayed with me long after completion, and one could tell that lurking within the weirdness are moving personal anecdotes.

You can read Tony's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.

[Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gorgeous read!! I have five books on my book stand, and this is the one I kept reaching for until I had read every story in the collection. Warning, readers! Costello has a fantastic grip on his characters -- and he'll take hold of you, too, and not let go, even after you've closed the cover.

[Heather Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each story pulls the reader in close and doesn't let go, even after the last page is turned. Gorgeous language, compelling characters, and truly terrifying situations make for a collection I will read over and over again.

[Nicole Valentine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunningly heartwrenchingly beautiful. Rob Costello can make humanity glow in even the darkest of tales. This is a must-own collection.