7-12-25 — Danielle’s Dark Corners
- Christina Pfeiffer
- 7 days ago
- 5 min read
THE COMPLETE IDIOT’S GUIDE TO SAYING GOODBYE: STORIES
By: Ben Arzate
Okay, I’m going to start this review off by saying that this is my first time reviewing a short story collection that had stories as short as these. I’ll also be super transparent and admit that I’ve never really given these types of shorter stories a chance, by any author, as they didn’t seem like they’d be my jam.
Well… I was wrong. I absolutely LOVED them and I’m glad Ben Arzate was the one to show me how these are done and done well.
Now that we got that out of the way, this collection is around 115 pages and has 33 stories. So, if you math that out, you can see why I emphasized that they truly are short stories.
There would be no way for me to ever review all 33 in a manner someone would actually read, but I would like to highlight some of the stories that were favorites of mine:
This Be the Creation Story
Alex Buys Coffee
The Rent is Due
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Saying Goodbye
-Channel 104 at 2:45 AM
Two Sentence Horror Story
WATER MUSIC
Sharp Tongue
RealDoll Ballet
John Walks into a Bar
Little Jimmy’s Secret
Why You Should Always Tip the Pizza Guy
A Very Young Something With Wings
Love: A Parable
Overall, every story in this collection is so different from one another. Some offer more depravity than others. A couple will make you gag. Some will make you really think. Many will make you say “WTF.” But the one thing they all have in common is how fantastic they’re written. This is yet another collection running for a top spot on my 2025 reads and one I recommend to everyone!
It’s available on Godless and is way too good to pass up! Get your hands on it asap.
REVIVAL ROAD
By: Chris DiLeo
“People only believe what they can see, and even then, they don’t believe it...”
The only guarantee in life is death.
Except when you die on Revival Road.
I honestly have no idea where to start with this one. It could be lengthy. So buckle up.
It’s no secret that I go into almost every book completely blind. When I opened my kindle and saw that this book was 700 pages I was instantly intimidated. I love a really lengthy book, but I don’t see many of them in the indie horror world. I had a feeling this was going to be an investment, and I was right. But I never imagined I would love a book as much as I loved this one.
I have never highlighted and taken so many notes for a book before. I was literally highlighting entire pages, even entire chapters at one point. There’s parts, chapters, and chapters within chapters. Wild. I know that sounds confusing, but believe me when I say, DiLeo mastered the ability to make everything easy to follow and understand. He created an entire universe and continued to build on it from page 1 until the end. Same with the characters. Their development and overall presence were incredible.
The plot?! Freaking phenomenal. SO many different elements. Creepy kids. Zombie like creatures. Demons. Cults. Religious horror. Supernatural. Haunted land. Ghosts. Crows. The unknown. It really has everything.
This is one of those books that I would love to see adapted into a television series. It’s a hell of a page turner and easy to binge a couple hundred pages a day because you NEED to know what’s going to happen next. But on the off chance it takes you a month+ to get through, know that the way it’s set up you can put the book down and come back and feel like you don’t have to reread anything etc.
Once the action really starts, it does not let up. It goes hard in the best ways possible. And plot twist after plot twist just keeps coming at ya. The way the background story is told mixed in with the present times is done beautifully.
There is a REALLY good chance you’re going to see this book on my top 10 reads for 2025. I’m even willing to call this a masterpiece. I couldn’t be more impressed.
This book is available on Godless and I NEED people to run and grab it because I would LOVE to discuss it more in depth.
ALL YOUR FRIENDS ARE HERE
By: M. Shaw
This entire collection is a cerebral ride to hell and who knows where else. I mean that as the highest of compliments. Truly. When I say it’s a WHOLE vibe, I really can’t express it enough. Every single story gets the brain waves going, and I love when authors can pull it off in a way like Shaw did.
The only downside to an author being able to invoke these types of thoughts etc., is that it’s almost impossible to review and giving it the justice it deserves. But I shall try by highlighting some of the standout stories for me:
The Motorist:
“I was fucking myself in the mirror again. That’s weird, I thought, because I couldn’t remember getting out of bed, or dressing up. Something felt off, until I noticed that I was also a horse. Ah, okay, I thought, I’m dreaming.”
Absolutely mind penetration in such a short story. Chaotic and weird but also amazing and makes perfect sense. One of those ones you can’t explain but it’s a *chefs kiss*.
Man Vs Bomb:
“You will have to understand this, too. To survive the race, you have to learn to think like the prey animal that the new world has made of you.”
Takes on a second person POV which is something I crave to see in this genre. Wild story. Deer vs people. With such a hard-hitting plot.
One Long Staircase Just Going Up:
“The aliens throw a party for The 500 Richest Earth Men, where Space Coke flows freely, as a sample of what awaits them.”
Absolutely bonkers. Such a solid story using a super unhinged way to tell it. Obsessed. Aliens and the rich. That should say enough. Perfection.
The Cure for Loneliness
“If the dead cat stuff and the annoying ex stuff distracted you from the fact that I’m supposed to be telling a story about a philodendron cutting that I stuck in a jar of pickle juice, that’s fair. I was distracted too.”
A quarantine story that again, is absolutely bonkers but amazingly relatable at the same time. Isolation can lead to some wild things.
Apartémon:
“Q: None of the apps on my phone are working except this one. Can you help me?
A: Thank you for playing Apartémon, the number one AR (augmented reality) game for making New Friends! Best of luck starting your digital adventure, and feel free to consult our 24-hour chat line anytime you need help by tapping [Plead].”
Okay this story is set up in a question/answer format and is one of the most unique things I’ve ever read. I couldn’t be more obsessed with this one if I tried.
Oh, and this is also one of those books that I REALLY recommend reading the introduction by the author!!
This collection is available on Godless and couldn’t get a better recommendation from me. I can’t imagine a reader not finding more than one story they absolutely obsess over.
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