Honestly, I can’t fault this collection of short stories. Some of my favourite authors are in here so I was expecting a good set of stories, with the expected couple of “duds”, surprisingly, there are no “duds” in this book. Every story is excellent- creepy, very creepy, really really creepy and rather frightening…

This has opened my eyes to a few more authors that I need to investigate a bit further too.

Overall, an excellent safe choice for spooky season!

My thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

A great selection of stories from many of the authors I know and love. A real mixed bag of stories from the slightly unsettling to the type that keep you awake at night. I will buy this as a stocking filler for some of my horror loving friends.

Wonderfully gruesome from some wonderful authors. So visceral and disturbing in the best way! Hope to see more of these works in this anthologies

What sets this anthology apart is its ability to transcend traditional horror boundaries. Each story provides a unique perspective, exploring a wide range of themes—from psychological terrors that probe the mind to visceral encounters with the supernatural that send shivers down the spine. The diverse narrative styles challenge readers to confront their deepest fears and unearth the uncomfortable truths that often lie hidden beneath the surface of everyday life.

http://thesecretbookreview.co.uk

While overall I found this to be a decent short story collection, I found a lot of the stories quite triggering for me personally, with themes of child abuse, domestic violence etc. In addition a number of the stories are written by authors I do not, and will not, promote due to their personal views which was immediately apparent until I started the collection. As such I don't think I can fairly review this content. Of those stories I did read and enjoy however, I will say that Apples by Emilia Hart was, in my opinion, the best written and most intriguing.

If you are looking for creepy, unsettling and gruesome horror tales, read this book. I liked all the stories but I loved these stories; Daisies, The Fruiting Body, Shade, Apples and Carcinisation. Sketchy was a bit different but I liked it,

Thanks to Authors and Publisher.

"Of the Flesh" is a gripping exploration of identity, body autonomy, and the complexities of human relationships. Set in a world where physical appearance can be manipulated at will, the story follows a young protagonist grappling with societal pressures and the quest for authenticity.

The writing is sharp and evocative, immersing readers in a vividly imagined world while addressing timely themes. The characters are well-developed, with relatable struggles that resonate deeply, making their journeys both compelling and thought-provoking.

The narrative challenges readers to reflect on the nature of beauty and self-worth, sparking conversations about the impact of societal expectations. Overall, "Of the Flesh" is a thought-provoking read that blends speculative fiction with poignant commentary, leaving a lasting impression.

Oh this collection of stories felt fresh and exciting. Sometimes when there are a collection of horror stories they can come across as trite and formulaic, but all of the stories were engaging and spine tingling!

I'd like to call out some of my favourites - The Fruiting Body - ultra creepy, The Broccoli Eel - Eek, this is not a story I will be telling my daughter! Apples - my worst nightmare and Going Large.

I was gripped and it kept me up at night as I just wanted to read one more story. Of the flesh is perfect for the spooky season.

First, I want to thank the Publishing House and Netgalley for sending me this ARC.

A lot of this short stories dealt with similar topics, mainly feminity, motherhood, hunger, food highlighted by body horror which maked the all really coherent. Some of them kept me invested thanks to evocation of senses linked to womanhood.
The stories written by women (really liked The fruiting body, Apples & fairies) have aroused my empathy because of the pain evoked.
I've got mixed opinion on some ones which seemed ended too quickly.
Unfortunately I am very disappointed by Lionel Shriver's story. It was trash because dealing with ED's embodied by a woman, written by a man. After thinking, he maybe wanted to to represent the maxim' "don't judge a book by its cover" be he drowned into glossophobia in my opinion.

Of the Flesh is a solid collection of horror short stories.

Alongside the classic motifs of creepy kids and vengeful women are some wonderfully unique horror concepts, exploring and challenging ideas of race, vulnerability and power. Standouts include Lionel Shriver’s Going Large and Carcinisation by Lucy Rose.

Many of the stories follow the same rhythm and structure, which does get a bit repetitive and means that together they maybe have less impact than they would standing alone. I’d recommend dipping in and out of this anthology if you can.

Authors include: Susan Barker, J K Chukwu, Bridget Collins, Mariana Enriquez, Michel Faber, Lewis Hancox, Emilia Hart, Ainslie Hogarth, Robert Lautner, Adorah Nworah, Irenosen Okojie, Lucy Rose, Lionel Shriver, James Smythe, Lavie Tidhar, Francine Toon, Evie Wyld and Louisa Young.

There are some authors I have heard of, some I have read, and some I haven't heard of, but that's what I like about books like this as you get to experience some new writers.

I'm going to start this review by saying I am 100% a complete wuss. I hate horror, horror films, horror stories, horror books - anything scary is not for me! So why am I reading this book? Well firstly, the cover grabbed my attention. Then I couldn't stop reading about it online. And then I realised it's got some of my favourite authors in it. And it's made up of short stories, so I only really need to read one before having a break. So I'm hoping it won't be as scary as if I was immersing myself in a 400-page horror movie.

I dipped in and out between work, reading one story and then working, then reading a chapter of something else, and then pop back in, which worked for me.

Some stories are more creepy, some eerie, some gruesome, some a bit more genteel, some thrillers, psychological, some horror and terror, some disgusting, some macabre. Something for everyone, even a horror-wuss like me.

Ideally I'd like to have reviewed each story but we'd be here till Christmas and so I've picked out some of my favourites - well, not favourites, because I don't think I can have a favourite horror story...the most interesting, then.

Fight, Flight, Freeze by Susan Barker: I didn't think this would be horror to begin with, more of a psychological what-if kind of thing, but nope, I was wrong. Definitely creepy and frightening and scary.

The Fruiting Body by Bridget Collins: This is more of a horror inside us, horror of people, of not being in control, of losing control, of emotions. It's that capability we have to become monsters ourselves, and the main male character was absolutely vile.

Apples by Emilia Hart: Not a horror in my view, but suitably thrilling. I love Emilia's writing and so I knew I'd probably find this one interesting. I actually would have liked this one to be longer, maybe made into a novella.

Waffle Thomas by Ainslie Hogarth: Okay so this was the first real horror story for me, and it definitely felt that way. I'm not sure I could have read a longer one to be honest as it really had the hair on the back of my neck standing up.

Carcinisation by Lucy Rose: Oh this one. It made me feel sick. That's not an insult. It is really quite icky, but not in a violent way. It's this feeling that your body isn't all yours anymore, and about the merging of two species. It made me very uncomfortable. This is probably my favourite in the sense that it's the one that gave me the heebie-jeebies the most.

Going Large by Lionel Shriver: This was interesting. Nothing horror about it. I was angry to begin with because it's very...fat-ist, shall we say, and as a bigger woman I instantly get my defences up. But actually it turned out to be quite a nice story in the end. Does that make me weird? Not scary, but thought provoking, exactly what I'm used to with Lionel's work.

BobAJob by James Smythe: This was creepiness in a different way. It's like an amalgamation of the old - work camps - and the new - online dating. It's very unnerving. I mean there is more to it than just work camps and dating. It's very eery and creepy but overall this felt more like the horror of human nature, of debts, catfishing, distrust, too much trust, power, more than anything else.

Reviewing short story collections written by one author is tricky, but there isn’t really an internal conflict. Multiple authors though, is different, because there will be some that are perceived to be better than others. In this particular collection, there are eighteen, purportedly “Modern Horror”, stories. I say ‘purportedly’ because, although they are all Modern, I don’t think any of them are actually Horror; my standard being Clive Barker, James Herbert, Steven King. Happy to call them Macabre, Fantastic, Speculative, but not Chilling, not Hair Raising, not Disquieting, not Nightmarish.
However, as stories they are all quite well written with interesting ideas. Many of them read like opening chapters for longer works, which some might find frustrating. As for star ratings, I don’t think any are a 5, and most are probably 3, averaging 3.3, so a 3 overall, which is a bit unfair on some of the authors.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

This anthology was quite a mixed bag, to the extent that several stories felt out of place. I enjoyed a few stories significantly more than others and intentionally skipped a few. When I requested this ARC, I recognised a few of the authors' names and was intrigued by the overall premise of the anthology. However, I have since learned that Lionel Shriver and Lavie Tidhar are authors whose views and actions do not align with mine, and therefore, I prefer not to consume or promote their work.

As mentioned, many of the stories were enjoyable enough but ultimately forgettable, and not compelling enough to make me want to dive into the authors’ other works.

Three stories, however, stood out significantly and have made me eager to explore these authors' backlists. These were: Adorah Nworah’s ‘The Smiling African Uncle’, Irenosen Okojie’s ‘Rosheen’ and Lucy Rose’s ‘Carcinisation’. For these three stories alone, I’m glad I persisted with the collection rather than DNFing early on. I’m excited to explore more of their writing.

A number of stories in this collection should come with a long list of trigger warnings. I would recommend avoiding this anthology if body horror, physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, and the death of a loved one are triggering for you. While overarching trigger warnings are included in my StoryGraph review, there are a few I'd like to highlight here.

The third story ‘The Fruiting Body’ by y Bridget Collins’, although well-written ond a good horror story overall, contained some very jarring intimate partner violence, which is a recurring theme throughout the piece. Michel Faber’s ‘The Broccoli Eel’ was easily one of my least favourites. It is filled with child abuse, gaslighting, and intimate partner violence. The entire story revolves around a traumatic lie told to a young child, and I would not recommend it to anyone.

Overall, I’m grateful to have read this anthology, if only because I discovered three new-to-me authors whose work I’m excited to explore further.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC. All opinions are my own.

It's difficult to give a rating for anthologies of short stories because each story is so different. This is what I found with "Of The Flesh", 18 short modern horror stories from the likes of Bridget Collins, Emilia Hart, Francine Toon and more. Some good, some not so good. I think my favourite was "Fruiting Bodies" by Bridget Collins. Definitely worth a second read and maybe to dip into as the nights draw in.

A good collection of short stories. Some were a little predictable and others ended too soon and left you wanting more. A good mix and a great way to pass a rainy day! Something for everyone in here and a very good range of topics, themes, regions etc. covered. A good solid read.

Horror is not a genre I read regularly, so I didn't know what to expect when venturing into this collection. I really enjoyed reading through these stories. There is a good mix and something for everyone. Some of them are on the more creepy side, and some are a bit more macabre.
I did prefer some more than others, but that's not to say I didn't enjoy them all.
The stand-out stories for me were;
Apples by Emilia Hart
Carcinisation by Lucy Rose
Fairies by Lavie Tidhar
The Fruiting Body by Bridget Collins.

There were others I also enjoyed, too. It all depends on what type of horror you like. There are a few authors for me to also check out their other books.

Overall. It is a weird and occasionally bizarre collection of compelling and thought-provoking stories.

Thanks to The Borough Press for my advanced copy and Netgalley. My opinions are my own

A fabulously written gripping collection of stories that was a pleasure to read. I would absolutely recommend this book, it was brilliant

A selection of short horror stories bought to you by authors, some I know of and some new to me.

I don't mind a bit of horror, and some of these stories were well written, but others failed to hit the mark.

So, a mixed bag here....read at your own peril!

Given the high quality of writing on show in this horror short story anthology, it could just as easily have been billed as literary fiction. Although there are some gory descriptions, the stories are cerebral not slasher and explore issues such as racism, misogyny, worker exploitation and domestic abuse. Some scenarios popped up more than once: house renovations, airplane flights, strange foods, outsiders entering new communities, and bodily transformations.
Here’s what each story is about:
Fight, Flight, Freeze by Susan Barker
A mistress is haunted by the cancer-ridden ghost of her lover's dead wife.
Flight 2212 by J.K. Chukwu
In a world where no one has fingers and toes but limbs that end in bone, a woman flies abroad for risky surgery to have digits fitted.
The Fruiting Boy by Bridget Collins
A young couple buy a dilapidated doer-upper – with something malignant in the dry rot.
Daisies by Mariana Enriquez, translated by Megan McDowell
In this morbidly humorous tale, Lucas is summoned by his aunts to witness the reburial of his long-dead mother’s bones. But there’s a problem with the remains.
The Broccoli Eel by Michel Faber
Against a backdrop of domestic violence, a child is coaxed into eating his greens with horrific consequences.
Sketchy by Lewis Hancox
A comic strip I sadly couldn’t read on Kindle.
Apples by Emilia Hart
A middle-aged woman moves into a house with a wild garden. The apple tree has startling properties.
Waffle Thomas by Ainslie Hogarth
A woman has ended a long-term relationship and plans to heal herself by hiking in an oak forest. But she isn’t the only one in the woods.
Shade by Robert Lautner
Set in an indigenous community in Bolivia, am 11-year-old miner takes it upon himself to tidy and decorate the carving to El Tío, the devil who rules the mine.
The Smiling African Uncle by Adorah Nworah
The real-life horror of racism is front and centre here. Zikora, newly arrived in the UK, is hounded by repeated encounters with a blonde woman who accuses him of theft, and worse.
Rosheen by Irenosen Okojie
A young Irish/Trinidadian woman arrives in Norfolk in search of her long-lost father and is forced to take work with an abusive, exploitative farmer.
Carcinisation by Lucy Rose
An exquisitely written tale of metamorphosis. An unloved fisherman’s wife keeps one of the crabs in his catch as a companion.
Going Large by Lionel Shriver
A svelte woman, who despises those more amply sized, gets a taste of her own medicine.
BobaJob by James Smythe
A futuristic approach to dealing with debtors.
Fairies by Lavie Tidhar
Maya is a little girl who’s scared of fairies, and of the bullies at school.
Ghost Kitchen by Francine Toon
An islander moves to a mainland city and orders a takeaway.
The Old Lion by Evie Wyld
A woman takes a trip home to visit her widowed father. Meanwhile girls and animals are going missing.
Mouse by Louisa Young
A woman, caring for her sick and ungrateful husband in a high-rise flat, discovers she has an unwelcome house guest.

With thanks to the authors, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.
At publication, I will post my review on my blog, Amazon and GoodReads.

I'm not always a fan of horror, but was drawn to Of the Flesh by several authors in this anthology whose other work I'd enjoyed. I also appreciated the mix of and experimentation with form in this collection - particularly the inclusion of Lewis Hancox's horror comic, Sketchy. Although there were some real gems in here, I found them outnumbered by tales which unfortunately weren't my cup of tea. I appreciate the condensed format of a short story leaves less room for conclusion, but I found several of the stories to be actively dissatisfying. That said, this anthology has also introduced me to some new authors whose further work I'd like to read. An interesting, mostly engaging, but occasionally frustrating read.