An Unsettling Collection of Alien Horror

A is for Aliens

This is the first of Red Cape Publishing’s A-Z of Horror series. I received a copy of the audiobook through their newsletter to write a review. I admit upfront that aliens aren’t my favourite horror topic (I really want to get my hands on D is for Demons and E is for Exorcism next). Despite that, I enjoyed this collection overall.

Audio Narration:

The book is narrated by Andy Whitfield, who does a good job of portraying the different characters throughout and adding depth and nuance to the stories.

Overall impression:

I admit, I found the stories in this collection more unsettling than traditionally scary. There is a lot of body horror in the descriptions of all the different aliens and no two aliens in this volume are alike. Despite the stories all being about aliens, there was a wide variety in setting, character and plot which kept the premise fresh throughout the book.

My personal favourites are:

“The Pioneer” by P.J. Blakey-Novis: about a spaceship searching for evidence of alien life. This story offered some excellent horror that reflected well the loneliness and uncertainty of deep space.

“Even in Darkness, We See Them” by Megan Neumann: This story is about seeing creatures in the darkness and facing the buried truths in our lives.