Book Review: Hundred Word Horror: The Deep, edited by A.R. Ward

With the temperatures soaring over 90° (and the scenes at the overcrowded beaches a whole different kind of horror story,) last week seemed like the perfect time to collapse across the sofa in the style of a Victorian lady and read Ghost Orchid Press's Hundred Word Horror: The Deep, edited by A.R. Ward. Nothing like some deep-sea horror to chill the blood, eh?

I’m a huge fan of drabbles, both reading and writing them. Short stories are an art form – drabbles doubly so since creating a world, character, meaning, and plot within the confines of a hundred words is such a challenge. (I won’t tell you the number of flash fiction stories I have in my trunk that started out life as drabbles.) 

Hundred Word Horror: The Deep was just the nautical horror fix I needed to fight the hellish heatwave. It took familiar themes in directions I was not expecting and had plenty of nasty little surprises. Overall, the book had a slow, sombre feel - a bit like a lazy seaside town - that was a perfect counter to the hot summer days. 

My favourite stories (in no particular order) are:

“Captain’s Log,” Abi Marie Palmer

“One of Many,” Sean Reardon

“Fish Food,” J.C. Robinson

“Rescued?” Emerian Rich

“Sirens,” Caytlyn Brooke

“Thalassophobia,” C.A. Chesse

“...And the Muckers Came Out,” by Isaac Menuza 

“One Little Push,” Collin Yeoh

“Nicky the Swimmer,” Gus Wood

“Diver’s Close Call,” K.M. Bennett

My only complaint with Hundred Word Horror: The Deep is a matter of preference. I’d much rather read an anthology that is made up either of poetry or fiction, rather than both. I just don’t like the change in styles. (Maybe it's a neurodivergent focus thing?) Aside from that, Hundred Word Horror: The Deep was everything I could have hoped for.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐