For as long as men have lived, myths and legends have permeated cultures across the globe. But for every known monster, are there creatures of lore, gods of fable, and rituals of old that have been forgotten by time? Delve into the darkness that came before and witness over 100 short drabbles resurrect the ancient world in 100 words or less.Featuring award-winning horror and fiction authors from … fiction authors from around the world, we dare you to remember the fear of the unknown and to dive headfirst into the beyond.
Within these pages, the old gods have awoken and with them, chaos will reign again.
Featuring Authors:
Joel Hunt
N.M. Brown
Kimberly Rei
Hunter LaCross
Jen Chichester
Kim Plasket
Emma K. Leadley
Elin Olausson
Fred Williamson
Drew Starling
Henry Herz
Derek Dunn
Sarah Matthews
Mark Anthony Smith
Sheldon Woodbury
Zoey Xolton
Andrew Anderson
Nerisha Kemraj
Kevin J. Kennedy
Matt Lucas
Heidi Ann Willits
Charles Reis
Willem V Much
Galina Trefil
David A.F. Brown
Amber M. Simpson
Charlotte O’Farrell
Josh Herz
Stacey Jaine McIntosh
Paul Benkendorfer
Chris Bannor
K.R. Nox
Tor-Anders Ulven
Matthew A Clarke
Nick Moore
Heidi Ann Willits
more
As an avid reader, I am fortunate to belong to several Advanced Reader Groups allowing me to indulge in upcoming book releases in exchange for honest reviews. Here is my opinion of Eerie River Publishing’s upcoming publication, “Forgotten Ones: Drabbles of Myth and Legend”.
Ninety-five best-selling and upcoming authors from around the world feature in this collection of over two hundred horrifying drabbles – 100-word stories.
Of all the drabble anthologies I have read, this is the absolute best. Every story is unique, thought-provoking, and complete. The authors who write these stories have honed their skills to exacting perfection. Every single word carries tremendous weight to weave an engaging, twisted tale with unexpected endings.
Some legendary characters you’ll run across in these never-before-told stories include but are not limited to Minotaur, Shiva, Hades, Cerberus, Poseidon, Amphitrite, Prometheus, Loqi, and Amarok.
You will discover monsters aren’t always under-the-bed, imaginary friends can be dangerous, blood sacrifices require blood, contracts for the exchange of souls should be read thoroughly, doppelgangers are unwanted, never trust a skinless man and horse, beware of cucumber-lovers with large appetites…
If you are a fan of all things dark and terrifying, especially when they pertain to old myths and legends, you will thoroughly enjoy this book. I did! I loved it so much, I started and finished it in bed.
Be warned! It took me three hours to fall asleep after reading! Enjoy!
In “Forgotten Ones: Drabbles of Myth and Legend,” Eerie River Publishing brings together over 90 authors from around the world to present their 100 word takes on myths, ancient beliefs, and modern legends.
In the interest of full disclosure, I am one of the 90 authors, and I added two pieces to this fine anthology. However, since that amounts to only two pages from the 271, I didn’t think my participation should exclude my review of the other fine works in this interesting book. Of course, if you disagree, I quite understand.
This anthology invites quick bites of world-wide lore. In it, readers find ancient gods and grisly rituals. Some stories are light-hearted, while others offer a shudder. Many of these tales remind readers not to forget the old knowledge, lest they fall afoul of Forgotten Ones. With over two hundred drabbles in this collection, there are too many to discuss individually. However, I wanted to mention some that stood out to me.
“Hunger” by Regina Kenney, “Chosen” by Joshua E. Borgmann, “The Warning” by Callum Pearce, and “Mary had a Little Lamb” by Joel R. Hunt had much to say in their chilling voices. You’ve got to love the good dog in “Not Tonight” by Kimberly Rei. Drew Starling , Callum Pearce, and Tor-Anders Ulven had multiple good entries, and K.T. Tate presented an obvious admiration for H.P. Lovecraft’s Cosmic Horror. The holidays were represented, too, with a visit from The Yule Cat, Gryla and her Lads, and of course Krampus. I appreciated Galina Trefoil’s feminist “Not to be Underestimated.” “Demeter’s Anguish” by DeBickel was my favorite reimagining of a Greek myth, and Sarah Matthew’s “Sleep Tight” and Joel R. Hunt’s “Lucy’s Friend” turned childhood upside down, Melody Grace’s “Beaten to the Punch” delivered a chuckle.
In all, there’s much to admire when a writer can encapsulate a story using so few words. The joy of reading such a collection is admiring the writers who deliver so much using so little. It’s a great way to learn some new writers’ names and perhaps become acquainted with different myths and legends. Although the paperback is sizeable (271 pages), reading goes fast.
I do hope you’ll give “The Forgotten Ones” a read and enjoy some endangered knowledge – before it’s too late!
The concept of this collection is interesting. I’ve never read drabbles (100 word stories) before. While many of these felt like a complete story, others felt like opening paragraphs. Several left me wanting more as a result of just feeling like an opening. For me, I prefer full stories or at least far more than 100 words. However, it was a good way to get be exposed to a number of different authors and their writing styles.
Many of these that were written with complete endings, but there were also some that just left me wondering what it was about. I’ve read full stories that meet the same result of feeling complete or still lacking. Several of the stories were really captivating.