Before we dive in, here’s the Goodreads summary:

Your nose is to the grindstone, day after day. You spend your work hours overworked and underappreciated, only to return home and deal with bills, landlords, and the ever-oppressive shadow of capitalism consuming you and everything you love.

The horrors of capitalism are the horrors we all face every day, and they are confronted head-on in ProleSCARYet: Tales of Horror and Class Warfare. Contained within are nineteen tales of capitalism gone wrong–from designer children to deadly bosses, predatory lenders to plague-ridden laborers–all revealing the dark underbelly of economic oppression from some of horror’s best independent and emerging writers from around the globe.

In solidarity, there is strength against terror and fear. Let these stories be your guide, because, after all…”What the bourgeoisie therefore produces, above all, are its own grave diggers. Its fall and the victory of the proletariat are equally inevitable.” -Karl Marx

I LOVE when horror provides social commentary in addition to entertainment value. In fact, this is one of my favorite things about being a horror writer and reviewer—viewing society and its values through the lens of fiction. Although this collection has a unifying theme, it was fun to see how all the authors contributed to that theme in a unique way.

I already anticipated loving this book, but it was even better than I expected. In this collection, you’ll find some powerhouse names in modern horror (Hailey Piper, Joanna Koch, Laurel Hightower, to name a few), as well as some new favorites (Brennan LaFaro for me!). As we approach the end of the year, you might be eyeing your reading goal with a sense of dread. I highly recommend short story collections like this one to get you out of a reading slump and help you reach your reading goals.

These stories packed a punch while offering insight into consumerism and capitalist culture. My favorites were “Snap,” “Suffer the Children,” and “Return Policy,” although I found something to like about each of the stories included in the collection. I can’t say enough good things about this book and give it five enthusiastic stars.

If you want to snag your own copy of ProleSCARYet: Tales of Horror and Class Warfare, you can do so on Amazon or via your retailer of choice. I think you can get it almost anywhere online.

What book should I review next?

My own book, an adult vampire novella called Mouth Full of Ashes, was released on October 4. You can order it here! Thanks so much for your support.