Kingdom of Flies and Fireflies: The Short Fiction Collection, Volume One

Name: Kingdom of Flies and Fireflies: The Short Fiction Collection, Volume One
Price: 15.49 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9798376895146

✍️ Bd Anklevich

Reader Score

4.5

(1 review)

$15.49

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A collection of short stories blending horror, sci-fi, and fantasy themes.

Anklevich curates a set of narratives that examine the intersection of the mundane and the macabre. The author uses everyday locations like pizza joints and family homes as stages for supernatural intrusion. Each story isolates a specific fear, from parental anxiety in "Fireflies" to regret in "Do Over." The prose avoids grandiose settings, instead grounding the horror in relatable human experiences. This approach creates a sense of immediacy that distinguishes the work from classic gothic tales. Readers will find the stories compact yet impactful, offering quick shifts between reality and nightmare.

Key Themes

nightmares manifesting haunted workplaces time travel paradoxes

Literary Context

Published in 2023 by Independently Published, this volume reflects a modern trend of self-published horror collections. Anklevich draws on contemporary anxieties about parenting and regret rather than historical periods or classic literary traditions.

Difficulty

●● Medium

Recommended For Fans Of

Stephen King · Shirley Jackson · Ray Bradbury · Clive Barker

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Horror Fiction

🏛 Independently Published 📅 2023 🌐 English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9798376895146

📝 Description: Kingdom of Flies and Fireflies: The Short Fiction Collection, Volume One

Bd Anklevich presents a collection of short fiction that blends horror, science fiction, and fantasy elements. The volume opens with "Fireflies," which depicts a couple facing devastation when their infant's nightmares become real. This is followed by "Little Caesars Ghost," where the spirit of a former coworker haunts a pizza restaurant they once shared. The collection continues with "Sepia Tone Prison," exploring a ghost’s struggle against a woman who seeks to trap him in an afterlife no-man's-land. In "Kingdom of Flies," a protagonist loses his soul while fighting an endless swarm of insects. The final story, "Do Over," involves time travel as a man attempts to correct past mistakes, only for time itself to obstruct his efforts. Anklevich structures these tales to challenge the reader’s perception of reality and consequence. This book suits readers who enjoy psychological dread and supernatural twists within familiar settings. It may not appeal to those seeking traditional linear narratives or purely historical horror. The stories rely on modern domestic spaces and temporal paradoxes rather than ancient folklore. Anklevich qualifies his work through this specific focus on contemporary anxieties manifesting as supernatural events.

💎 Our verdict on Kingdom of Flies and Fireflies: The Short Fiction Collection, Volume One

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Horror Reads editorial team

Horror desk

Bd Anklevich crafts a compelling suite of short fiction that successfully roots otherworldly dread in modern domestic spaces. By utilizing familiar backdrops such as family homes and local restaurants, the stories achieve a striking immediacy and psychological depth. Standouts like 'Fireflies' and 'Do Over' explore raw human emotions such as parental anxiety and regret, elevating the supernatural twists. While it may not satisfy those seeking traditional linear narratives or ancient folklore, its compact focus on contemporary anxieties offers a rewarding and unsettling experience. The prose successfully avoids grandiose settings, making the sudden intrusions of the macabre feel sharply intimate and memorable.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

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Why this book is worth reading

This collection suits readers who appreciate compact, impactful narratives that ground dark supernatural themes in relatable human experiences. Those fascinated by the intersection of everyday locations like pizza joints or family homes and macabre occurrences will find much to admire. Readers drawn to psychological dread, parental anxiety, and temporal paradoxes will benefit from the unique focus on contemporary anxieties manifesting as nightmares. It appeals to individuals looking for quick shifts between reality and fantasy rather than traditional linear historical horror.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

Reader rating

4.5

Based on 1 reviews

Horror Reads editorial team

Bd Anklevich crafts a compelling suite of short fiction that successfully roots otherworldly dread in modern domestic spaces. By utilizing familiar backdrops such as family homes and local restaurants, the stories achieve a striking immediacy and psychological depth. Standouts like 'Fireflies' and 'Do Over' explore raw human emotions such as parental anxiety and regret, elevating the supernatural twists. While it may not satisfy those seeking traditional linear narratives or ancient folklore, its compact focus on contemporary anxieties offers a rewarding and unsettling experience. The prose successfully avoids grandiose settings, making the sudden intrusions of the macabre feel sharply intimate and memorable.