🩸 Horror Fiction

Myths & Monsters

✍️ Emma Steel
Reader Score
4.5
(1 review)
$16.99
In stock — ready to ship Ships in 1–2 business days
📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A debut collection reimagining folklore through psychological horror and grotesque twists.

Steel organizes this volume into two parts, Myths and Monsters. She explores the cost of unchecked ambition and the weight of legacy. Characters range from gods adrift in modern settings to creatures navigating workplace politics. The text examines the boundary between legend and monstrosity. Steel uses precise prose to conjure worlds that feel ancient yet contemporary. Her approach dismantles familiar scaffolding from the inside out. The stories reveal how whimsical tales can curdle into something grotesque. This collection highlights the human desires driving mythical beings. It challenges readers to question the narratives they accept without scrutiny. The work stands as an original voice in speculative fiction.

Key Themes
dark fairy tales workplace politics unchecked ambition
Literary Context

Published by Write Angle Publishing in August 2026, this debut collection sits within the tradition of Gothic and supernatural fiction. It draws on established folklore and myth to create contemporary horror narratives that reflect modern anxieties about legacy and recognition.

Difficulty
●● Medium
Recommended For Fans Of
Shelley Jackson · Angela Carter · Silvia Moreno-Garcia
🩸
Horror Fiction
🏛 Write Angle Publishing 📅 2026 🌐 English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9781971249070

📝 Description: Myths & Monsters

Emma Steel’s debut collection, Myths & Monsters, reimagines familiar folklore through a lens of psychological horror. The book is divided into two distinct sections: Myths and Monsters. Steel dismantles traditional narratives to reveal the grotesque truths hidden beneath whimsical surfaces. Readers encounter a dark Pinocchio haunting the Black Forest and a tooth fairy whose ambition turns monstrous. These stories inhabit the space where the familiar collides with the deeply unsettling. Steel’s prose is precise and atmospheric, creating worlds that feel both ancient and contemporary. Her characters include mythological creatures dealing with workplace politics and gods adrift in modern society. They are driven by human desires such as the hunger for recognition and the weight of legacy. The collection asks what separates the legendary from the monstrous. It examines the story we tell ourselves against the truth lurking beneath. This book suits readers who enjoy deconstructed fairy tales and supernatural fiction with a dark edge. It may not appeal to those seeking traditional, comforting folklore or light-hearted fantasy. Steel offers a bold voice that finds new darkness in old stories. The work invites examination of shadows we have always feared to look at closely.

💎 Our verdict on Myths & Monsters

“
🩸
Horror Reads editorial team
Horror desk
Emma Steel’s debut collection excels at transforming well-known folklore into unsettling psychological horror. By placing mythological creatures in modern contexts, such as dealing with workplace politics or navigating legacy, Steel creates worlds that feel both ancient and contemporary. The prose is precise and atmospheric, effectively conjuring a sense of the grotesque within the familiar. This approach dismantles traditional narratives to reveal dark truths about ambition and desire. The collection is best suited for readers who enjoy deconstructed fairy tales and supernatural fiction with a serious edge. It challenges the reader to scrutinize accepted stories, offering an original voice in speculative fiction. While not for those seeking light-hearted fantasy, it provides a rich exploration of monstrosity.
✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers who appreciate the subversion of classic narratives will find this collection compelling. Emma Steel offers a fresh perspective on familiar tales, revealing the grotesque truths hidden beneath whimsical surfaces. Those interested in the intersection of mythology and modern society will engage with characters navigating workplace politics or gods adrift in contemporary settings. The book suits individuals seeking psychological depth over traditional comfort. It challenges accepted narratives by examining human desires driving mythical beings. Readers who enjoy precise, atmospheric prose that dismantles familiar scaffolding from the inside out will appreciate Steel’s bold voice. This collection invites an examination of shadows we have always feared to look at closely, making it ideal for those wanting to question the boundaries between legend and monstrosity.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

Reader rating

4.5
Based on 1 reviews
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Horror Reads editorial team

Emma Steel’s debut collection excels at transforming well-known folklore into unsettling psychological horror. By placing mythological creatures in modern contexts, such as dealing with workplace politics or navigating legacy, Steel creates worlds that feel both ancient and contemporary. The prose is precise and atmospheric, effectively conjuring a sense of the grotesque within the familiar. This approach dismantles traditional narratives to reveal dark truths about ambition and desire. The collection is best suited for readers who enjoy deconstructed fairy tales and supernatural fiction with a serious edge. It challenges the reader to scrutinize accepted stories, offering an original voice in speculative fiction. While not for those seeking light-hearted fantasy, it provides a rich exploration of monstrosity.

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