A review by ericarobyn
Spectrum: An Autistic Horror Anthology by Lor Gislason, Freydís Moon, Aquino Loayza

adventurous challenging dark emotional lighthearted mysterious sad tense medium-paced

5.0

Spectrum: An Autistic Horror Anthology is a collection of chilling horror tales crafted to sink deep into your psyche, allowing the terror to linger while also offering varied perspectives on the human experience.

The authenticity of each tale and the things that the authors each bring to the page is astonishing. Readers will never know what to expect with any turn of the page! The tales cover such an awesome range, with very real-world horrors that each one centers around.

While I enjoyed each and every story here, my favorites from this collection include: 

• Survive Lot 666 by Caroline Hung
• Curse The Darkness by Die Booth
• But The Wi-Fi Is Great by John Wiswell
• The Mask It Wears by Sarah Musnicky
• Neighborly by Aquino Loayza
• The Silence Of Broken Things by Xan Van Rooyen

Per usual, here are my thoughts on each tale!

Worry Your Head by Rain Corbyn –

The severed head of their husband sits in a box next to them, talking and still very much alive after some magic was done. Even though they’re together, they’re not free from danger just yet.

The opening of this tale made me do a double-read! I chuckled but that laugh died fast when we got to the meat of the tale. Ugh, my heart hurts for these two! 

Like No Blood by Adrian Speth – 

Arriving home one day to find his partner dead after an accident in the bathroom, this man is determined to set things right using a gift he learned about as a kid.

Ah, a killer take on the “sometimes dead is better” focus. Seeing this through only the eyes of one character made it extra terrifying! I can’t imagine being in either of their shoes. 

These Thirteen Simple Tricks Will End Your Sleep Hallucinations For Good by Catherine Forrest – 

Oh my gosh, I don’t even have the right words for this one. This reminded me a bit of the thing I used to do as a kid where I’d say like, “the monster is here but it won’t grab me if I…” and then list off every single thing I did until I got settled. For example, “the monster is here, but it won’t grab me if I adjust my sheet, reach up and scratch my forehead, fix my hair, get back under the sheet…” In the end, did it help or just add to the night terror? 

A Dream So Sweet by Chris Nelson – 

Determined to solve a riddle he comes across, this being will stop at nothing to find the answer.  

Oh, this one reads like a fever dream! What fun! The determination to get answers had me so anxious! 

Survive Lot 666 by Caroline Hung – 

A reality TV host goes into a world where danger lurks around every corner, but lack of supplies is one of the biggest threats. 

Oh, this was fun! I love the setup and how everything was narrated to us. 

Discourses On The Seven-Headed Monkey by Tim Lieder – 

Nigel Thorne meets Lord Ridgely and they become fast friends. Soon, Lord Ridgely tells Nigel about the seven-headed monkey. 

What a wild tale of two eccentric friends! Mixed in with descriptions of the monkey heads, this tale keeps you on your toes! And Nigel Thorne… I couldn’t help but picture Nigel Thornberry during this read! 

Curse The Darkness by Die Booth – 

Having trouble with the dark, this character goes to a witch to find a way to make it light all the time just for them. It works, but is it really what they want? 

Oh my gosh, the dread over the darkness in the beginning hit me like a punch! The line about the day taking a step toward night was exactly the dread I felt early on in postpartum. My heart hurts for this character! 

The Sun Approaches Every Summer by Akis Linardos – 

As time goes by, the sun appears to get closer and closer, and people start to die. When one man is left, he questions why. 

Oh my gosh, I definitely would have been one of the first to go. I get heat exhaustion all the time and I’ve gotten heat stroke a few times. What a terrifying premise presented in such a quiet day-to-day tale. 

But The Wi-Fi Is Great by John Wiswell – 

Going to a remote town to stay in a motel that her college friend owned after a break-up, she’s looking for some quiet. Planning to get work done, her schedule is thrown off by a gnarly migraine. But that’s not the worst of it… 

Oh, this one made my head ache in sympathy. Migraines are horrible. 

Given Names by Lucas Shipwright –

Going back home to introduce his lady to his folks, it seems like they’re going to have a nice getaway. But the element of the creepy man at the gas station starts to hint otherwise.

This was such a beautiful tale of grief horror mixed with curiosity.

Safe Food by Xochilt Avila – 

In a terrible situation with their father, this character doesn’t know how to go on. One day, they find something left behind by their mother that may just change everything. 

This one had my blood boiling so badly! Ugh, what an abusive and toxic father. 

The Thing That Lives In The House by Nexus Hope – 

Cursed to hear everything this house has to say, this character is about to go mad. But before losing themselves, they try to warn off their love to prevent them from visiting and getting stuck there. 

While terribly sad to think about being haunted by all of these voices, seeing what came next at each description of the house and what the elements were up to was so much fun! 

So, This Is Freedom? by Steve Neal – 

While at work at a gas station, this man repeats a mantra from therapy that soon becomes more real than he anticipated. 

Oh, the body horror here is so creepy! 

The Mask It Wears by Sarah Musnicky – 

One night while working in a jump scare attraction, things don’t go as the routine dictated. This time, things have taken a deadly turn. 

Oh my gosh, that ending!! I love tales set in theme parks and attractions, so this one was right up my alley!

Freedom Was A Flaying by Onyx Osiris –

After a vicious attack, this character is left for dead. But an old god appears to him and makes a deal.

Oh my gosh, the body horror and gore here is brutal! That ending!! 

Bitemark Bitch by Olive J. Kelley – 

Walking free from a trial in which she was seen as the victim who fought back, this woman’s troubles aren’t over yet. 

WOW, this took such a turn! 

Neighborly by Aquino Loayza –

In a city of chaos, this character just wants peace and quiet. When he meets someone who just wants to help others relax, he’s smitten. But there’s something else going on here… 

Oh my gosh, the tension! I was so nervous to see what would happen next! 

The Silence Of Broken Things by Xan Van Rooyen – 

A grief horror tale broken up by a review of an album, this story will make your heart ache for the main character.  

I loved the format of this one and how we learned more and more about the character slowly. 

Shabbat Dinner by Zachary Rosenburg –

Stuck in a wood where Fascism is the norm, this character does everything in their power to mask and keep who they are private to survive. 

Far too close to current times, this one has a tension that gets more and more intense with every step the character takes. That ending!! 

Different by Ashley Lezak – 

Waking up in a hospital, this little kid knows something is different but they aren’t quite sure what. They are sure that their parents are acting strangely. 

Oh, what a heartbreaking one to end on! This poor kid. With such a quick snapshot into their lives, the grief horror and confusion are potent.

My Favorite Passages from Spectrum –

“Dying and surviving are on the same side of the great river, dear heart. Living, really living, is on the other side,” he says.
— Worry Your Head by Rain Corbyn

Blood outside a living body is a life gone slightly wrong.
— Like No Blood by Adrian Speth

Every step towards daylight is ultimately just a step closer to night again.
— Curse The Darkness by Die Booth

Lowering his backpack over the gate, he climbs over after it, a jagged creep of unease spidering up his spine at the night and the quiet and the woods crouched beside him. It’s darker among the trees. Twigs crack beneath his step, and things rustle in the bushes.
— Curse The Darkness by Die Booth

The most interesting sight was a pond at the bottom of a deep depression, jagged and dramatic. The land was creased and folded for yards around it, like wrinkles in the corner of a wincing eye. Char wondered what had happened to make such an impression on the earth. Tiny toads chirped along the pond’s otherwise barren banks.
— But The Wi-Fi Is Great by John Wiswell

None of this needed to happen. Then again, it never does.
— The Mask It Wears by Sarah Musnicky

Still, he recognized the trail his torn skin had left, leading all the way back to the tree in the park. The scarlet stains were so vibrant against the dingy ground… It might have been beautiful if it didn’t end in a crime scene.
— Freedom Was A Flaying by Onyx Osiris

The staircase served as the spine of a decaying warehouse-turned-dwelling. Humans latched on to each landing as though they were scavengers, and the last pieces of the carcass had yet to be consumed.
— Neighborly by Aquino Loayza

Their arms are mottled with homemade tattoos, snatches of Dad’s favorite songs, lyrics they never wanted to forget, interesting chord progressions, moments etched into flesh to be recalled even when their brain decides to forget.
— The Silence Of Broken Things by Xan Van Rooyen

Sometimes you wish you didn’t know. But ignorance is a luxury afforded only to the complacent.
— Shabbat Dinner by Zachary Rosenburg

Her mother turned around in her seat. Only her nose was in focus; the rest of her face was blurry, like a watercolor painting ruined by a tipped rinsing cup.
— Different by Ashley Lezak

My Final Thoughts on Spectrum –

In the final pages of the book, Aquino writes that while this was Third Estate’s first release, it’s just “the first paint stroke in a much broader canvas we hope to paint.” I cannot wait to read more from this press!

This anthology is the kind of collection that makes me want to shout from the rooftops, urging everyone to grab a copy! So what are you waiting for? Grab yours today!