Bedtime Stories for the Apocalypse

by: Joel Arnold

Published by: Sam's Dot Publishing

Bedtime Stories for the Apocalypse is a collection of short stories by Joel Arnold. The stories themselves range from a trip with a pregnant stranger, a man obsessed with his name on the Internet, to my personal favorite of a man who is digging his way out of the crust of human waste toward freedom. Each tale has its own voice, so reading this slim volume is not like listening to a concert with all the music in the same key.

Author Arnold has a deft touch with horror that will leave a chill in your spine, but without the violence and gore of much modern horror. The stories remind me of Ray Bradbury at his darkest with their ability to play on the difference between what we know might happen and what we want to happen. These are complex tales with layers below the surface enjoyment of a story well written.

As the title suggests, these stories hint at many ways in which the world we know could be broken or ended. Sometimes the character is alone, sometimes with others, but in each case they are faced with the consequences of what it means to be human.

I heartily recommend this book for fans of true horror.

Armchair Interviews agrees.

Author’s Web site: http://JoelArnold.livejournal.com