Midnight From Beyond the Stars edited by by Kenneth W. Cain

There’s life out there… and it’s coming for you! 
It starts as a mild rattling of the windows disturbing your pleasant dreams. Then the trees outside your bedroom rustle from a mysterious celestial wind. When the neighborhood dogs erupt in a cacophony of terrified barking, you’re jerked from your peaceful slumber. Through bleary eyes you look at the display on the nightstand. Midnight. A roar cracks the obsidian night sky as a ball of blinding light streaks out of the heavens, crashing with an earthshaking explosion on the other side of the hill. Racing to the open window, you smell the electric scent of charred ozone in the night air. The pulsing glow in the distance mesmerizes your senses. There’s something pulling you from its rhythmic humming. Something too enticing to resist. Something’s out there, and it has a story to tell. Lots of stories. You slip on your shoes and make your way for the door…

I have enjoyed the previous horror anthologies published by Silver Shamrock, but I had put off reading this one for a while. I do love short horror stories but the title and the cover made me think this one may be just a little too outer spacey and sci fi for me. Well I'm here to say I was wrong. There were some stories that were not my cup of Tang, but most are full of terror and suspense that occur right here on earth. In fact you need not venture further than your local diner or hair salon for some of these spine tinglers.

My many favorites were-  

Abduction Annie by Ronald Kelly in which a meddlesome mother in law finds out whether her daughter in law was truly abducted by aliens.

Unravelling by Stephanie Ellis, about a mother's boundless love.

Snow Blind by Kristopher Triana, in which a woman seeks shelter on the road from a brutal storm.

The Fear of Fallen Leaves by James Newman takes place in my favorite time of year, but Halloween is rough on a single mom who has a phobia of fallen leaves.

The Bulge by Rob E. Boley is a darkly humorous bit of body horror in which a man fears he has caught a "sex disease" but then probably wishes it was that simple.

Skin-Wrapped Gift by Chad Lutzke in which a lonely old man receives a gift that can end the world.

Too Many To Count by Jeremy Hepler in which a quiet evening at home is interrupted by strange creatures.

A Cat Named Sue by Jennifer Soucy begins with a girl who is desperate to keep her cat alive after it tried to defend her from her abusive step father.

 The Sky and Above by Patrick Lacey is about a man who would do whatever it takes to get his missing girlfriend back

Skin Tags by Vivian Kasley is another really fun but gross body horror that begins innocently enough with a hair cut.

Whatever You Want Most by Megan E. Hart is about a lonely widow who drowns her sorrows in alcohol and edibles while raising her kids alone.

So whether you do like tales of life from other planets or whether you just enjoy straight up horror as I do, I think you will find this anthology to be an out of this world read.

My thanks to Silver Shamrock Publishing for the review copy.

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Contents

Introduction by Richard Chizmar
“Attack of the Killer Tumbleweed!” by Antonia Rachel Ward
"Abduction Annie" by Ronald Kelly
“Roadkill” by Samantha Kolesnik
“Embryo” by Tim Curran
“Scan for Life” by Jason Parent
“Unravelling” by Stephanie Ellis

“Snow Blind" by Kristopher Triana
“Death and Decay” by Shelly Campbell“The Fear of Fallen Leaves" by James Newman
“The Bulge” by Rob E. Boley
“Phantom Limb” by Kay Hanifen“Incident on Saddle Road” by Brian Moreland
"Skin-Wrapped Gift” by Chad Lutzke
“We Still Have Time" by Amanda Headlee
“I Will Meet You There” by Brennan LaFaro
“A Monstrous Hunger" by Simon Clark
“To Sing with the Choir Invisible” by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
"Too Many to Count" by Jeremy Hepler
“A Cat Named Sue” by Jennifer Soucy
"The Bluehaul" by Lee Murray
“The Little Voice” by Gabino Iglesias
"The Sky and Above" by Patrick Lacey
“Count Backward From Ten” by Meghan Arcuri
“Midnight Dreary” by Owl Goingback
“Skin Tags” by Vivian Kasley
"Virescent Sky” by Tim Meyer
“Sometimes All of Our Thoughts are Misgiven" by Janine Pipe
“Whatever You Want Most” by Megan E. Hart
"Who Built the Moon?” by Tyler Jones
"Stasis" by John Lynch
“Fourteen Gallons” by Red Lagoe
“Broken Star” by Lucas Milliron
"Chittering" by Bob Pastorella