A New Batch of Mini-Short Stories: Or, More Creepy Tales for Nighttime Reading

By Leif E. Trondsen

In "A New Batch of Mini-Short Stories," author Leif E. Trondsen returns to offer up a compilation of ten new "creepy tales for nighttime reading." Three of these mini-short stories, those bite-sized tales comprising some 500-2,500 words, are draw from Trondsen's prior fictional works. Additionally, the author includes seven new and never published ones, including "The New Neighbors," which some critics regard as the best of his newest works. All ten creepy tales, however, should provide many a sleepless night to their readers. Part One of the book features seven stories that Trondsen refers to as "Victorian Gothic Tales." Most of these mini-short stories, therefore, take place against the backdrop of Victorian England (1837-1901), one contemporaneous with the writings of Charles Dickens as well as the height of the Industrial Revolution and British imperial glory. Others occur within Victorian America, which shared many values, mores, and ideals with their cousins across the Atlantic. All, however, are Gothic in genre. This literary term denotes an air of "gloom, grotesqueness, mystery, and decadence." There also exists an atmosphere of repressed or even overt sensuality, especially in the Gothic tales of the Victorian fin de si?cle. Decay, as exhibited in both the physical surroundings (old castles, manor homes, graveyards) and the moral character of the protagonists, is another salient feature of this unique form of literature. The supernatural, however, need not be present at all, although ghosts and vampires do make their appearance in some of these spook stories. In Part Two, Trondsen includes three traditional horror stories, set in a variety of venues in both time and place, which all contain supernatural visitations from the dark realm. The ten mini-short stories included in this volume thus have a Gothic atmosphere or feel as a common central element. All, moreover, conclude with Trondsen's tell-tale "twist" endings, in the style of his favorite short story writers Edgar Allen Poe, Ambrose Bierce, Saki, and O. Henry. A sampling of these new mini-short stories includes: "The New Neighbors," a harrowing Victorian Gothic tale of a woman who becomes suspicious concerning the nature and identity of her new neighbor; "The Telephone," another haunting Victorian Gothic tale involving an old woman who receives phone calls from the great beyond; "The Confession," a terrifying tale of an old Irish priest who hears the confession of a most unusual penitent; and "The Test," a frightening story about a young man whose faith is tested by nightly supernatural visitations. These mini-short stories are intended to "entertain, inspire, enlighten, challenge, and, yes, even shock their readers." Beautifully set in Perpetua type and illustrated with color photographs, "A New Offering of Mini-Short Stories" is a welcome literary departure from the traditional Gothic or horror story. Read these "creepy tales" alone at night - if you dare!

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 179061824X
• ISBN13: 9781790618248
• Release Date: January 2019
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 103 Pages
• Weight: 0.47 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.3" x 6.0"