Little Black Spots

John F. D. Taff — 2018

HUMANITY IS TARNISHED.First he gave us Little Deaths: The Definitive Edition. Then he unleashed his unique brand of pain in The End in All Beginnings.Now Bram Stoker Award-nominated John F.D. Taff - modern horror's King of Pain - returns with Little Black Spots. Fifteen stories of dark horror fiction gathered together for the first time, exposing the delicate blemishes and sinister blots that tarnish the human condition.-- A man stumbles on a cult that glorifies spontaneous human combustion...-- A disgraced nature photographer applies his skills for a vile outcome...-- A darkened city parking structure becomes dangerously and malevolently alive...-- An innocent Halloween costume has a husband seeing his wife in a disturbing new light...-- A ruined man sees far too much of himself in his broken family...-- A young boy finds a mysterious bottle of liquid containing a deadly secret...-- And so much more, including a preview of Taff's upcoming apocalyptic novel The Fearing.Little Black Spots is a beacon shining its light into some of life's most shadowy corners, revealing the dark stains that spatter all mankind.Praise for John F.D. Taff: "Of the current breed of authors riding the wave of digital liberation, John Taff is a standout talent. Literary, affecting, chilling, and indicative of that old-school mentality meets new-school daring." - Kealan Patrick Burke, Bram Stoker Award(R)-winning author of The Turtle Boy, Kin and Jack & Jill"John F. D. Taff has rapidly become one of my favorite writers in the horror genre. His horror is grounded in our day-to-day lives, in our families, our work, our most private thoughts. His stories vibrate with emotion and life and his prose is cathartic, deeply satisfying, like popping the bubbles in bubble wrap." - Ray Garton, Grand Master of Horror and author of Live Girls and RavenousProudly presented by Grey Matter Press, the multiple Bram Stoker Award-nominated independent publisher.Grey Matter Press: Where Dark Thoughts Thrive

Reviews

Ethan E. Harris@romeoearwig

Aug 16, 2022

I've found myself enjoying short story collections and anthologies more and more. Anthologies are generally driven by a unifying theme and short stories tend to highlight a range of a given author's talents. This collection of Taff's stories is definitely a broad dabbling in styles and perhaps even genre crossovers. For example, "Lincoln and Booth at the Orpheum," an historical fiction experience, isn't really dread-filled as much as it is an alternate version of history on auto-correct. On the other end of the spectrum is "Bunny Suit" which brings on a feeling of impending terror, exploring the psychological descent of the main character. "Purple Soda Hand" is a bit of an odd duck and requires the biggest suspension of reality, but somehow it is written so that the reader doesn't have to try too hard to suspend belief. The central suggestion is so off-kilter that the story's reality is easily acceptable, concentrating more on the conflict between characters than a concern over the origin of the strange *thing.* Taff's writing is clear and direct. He can certainly lay out a tense environment in a smooth way and he is definitely able to be introspective and subtle in his approach. A few stories felt a little too brief, but none of them felt forced. Overall, I thought this was a satisfying and fast-paced read.