At Home with the Horrors (2022) by Sammy Scott
I was recently sent a review copy of At Home with the Horrors by Sammy Scott. I was unfamiliar with the author prior to some communication with him about this review and was excited to dive right in. What we have here are a total of 13 short stories and a novella. For me, all good horror needs a relational point that enables the reader to connect with characters in some way and identify with them—in short, we need to care. A situation instantly becomes more intense and terrifying if it involves someone in whose plight we have become honestly invested. This is Sammy Scott’s real gift as a writer; he can quickly establish characters who feel real and relatable, not just rough sketches that are operating to advance the needs of a plot. All of the characters in every one of these tales is believable and their responses to the supernatural elements when they’re introduced don’t feel forced or manipulative. The title of this collection really fits as each of