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With Dust Shall Cover
Thirteen horrifying tales from the award-winning author of The Nightmare Tree.
‘Disgustingly beautiful�
A board game from hell. A cursed heavy metal band. Beings that live in the ceiling. A magical forest that refuses to let go. An artifact that delivers the stuff of dreams. A burden that must be taken.
Dare you roll the dice?
‘You don’t want to miss this�
‘Wonderful writing�
Contains the chilling stories:
The Shatter Box
Station Master
Midnight Machine
The Swirly People
Green World
Time’s Shadowy Tide
The Competition
The Fresh Blood of Birds
Mister Sleep
Keep Your Head Down
For Always
On Dream-Wings Float
With Dust Shall Cover (novella)
‘Disgustingly beautiful�
A board game from hell. A cursed heavy metal band. Beings that live in the ceiling. A magical forest that refuses to let go. An artifact that delivers the stuff of dreams. A burden that must be taken.
Dare you roll the dice?
‘You don’t want to miss this�
‘Wonderful writing�
Contains the chilling stories:
The Shatter Box
Station Master
Midnight Machine
The Swirly People
Green World
Time’s Shadowy Tide
The Competition
The Fresh Blood of Birds
Mister Sleep
Keep Your Head Down
For Always
On Dream-Wings Float
With Dust Shall Cover (novella)
- GenresHorror
316 pages, Paperback
Published September 1, 2022
7 people want to read
About the author
Paul O’Neill
9books213followersPaul O’Neill is a short fiction writer from Fife, Scotland. He is an Internal Communications professional who battles the demon of corporate speak on a daily basis.
His stories have appeared in Eerie River’s It Calls from the Doors anthology, Scare Street’s Night Terrors series, Purple Wall stories and many more. He placed second in Teleport Magazine’s short story competition, and was shortlisted by Writers� Forum Magazine in one of their regular contests.
His debut short story collection, The Nightmare Tree is available now!
Outside of reading and writing, his favourite pastimes include laughing with his family, the Green Bay Packers, and repeating how to pronounce his sons� names over and over until people actually get it.
You can find him at pauloneillwriter.com or on Twitter @PaulOn1984.
His stories have appeared in Eerie River’s It Calls from the Doors anthology, Scare Street’s Night Terrors series, Purple Wall stories and many more. He placed second in Teleport Magazine’s short story competition, and was shortlisted by Writers� Forum Magazine in one of their regular contests.
His debut short story collection, The Nightmare Tree is available now!
Outside of reading and writing, his favourite pastimes include laughing with his family, the Green Bay Packers, and repeating how to pronounce his sons� names over and over until people actually get it.
You can find him at pauloneillwriter.com or on Twitter @PaulOn1984.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 11, 2023
Looking for some chilling short stories but don't know where to start? I've got you!
My latest collection of thirteen spooky tales is on Kindle right now. Grab your copy before the price goes back on it after Christmas Day.
Merry Christmas all :-)
My latest collection of thirteen spooky tales is on Kindle right now. Grab your copy before the price goes back on it after Christmas Day.
Merry Christmas all :-)
October 25, 2022
Firstly - how cool is this cover?!
I love short stories, they’re perfect when you don’t have the time or mental inclination to commit to a long novel. This collection of horror stories is a perfect example, I’ve been dipping in and out for the last couple of weeks whenever I have a spare half hour.
It reminded me a lot of Kiss Kiss by Roald Dahl; some of the tales are completely effed up but I LOVED them! The very first story - The Shatter Box - drew me in, it’s like a warped, cruel, 18+ version of Jumanji 🤣
In all honesty there were a couple of stories in here I just didn’t get (I’m looking at you Station Master) but I think that’s part of the beauty of short stories, if you don’t like one you can just move on to the next!
I’m not giving away any spoilers, you’ll have to read the book yourselves to find out what happens when two friends go off trail on a hike…or when an up-and-coming band channel evil through their music�
If you like horror and you like mini tales, defo give this a go!
Thank you so much @paul.on1984 and @randomthingstours for my #gifted copy 😊
⭐️4/5⭐️
I love short stories, they’re perfect when you don’t have the time or mental inclination to commit to a long novel. This collection of horror stories is a perfect example, I’ve been dipping in and out for the last couple of weeks whenever I have a spare half hour.
It reminded me a lot of Kiss Kiss by Roald Dahl; some of the tales are completely effed up but I LOVED them! The very first story - The Shatter Box - drew me in, it’s like a warped, cruel, 18+ version of Jumanji 🤣
In all honesty there were a couple of stories in here I just didn’t get (I’m looking at you Station Master) but I think that’s part of the beauty of short stories, if you don’t like one you can just move on to the next!
I’m not giving away any spoilers, you’ll have to read the book yourselves to find out what happens when two friends go off trail on a hike…or when an up-and-coming band channel evil through their music�
If you like horror and you like mini tales, defo give this a go!
Thank you so much @paul.on1984 and @randomthingstours for my #gifted copy 😊
⭐️4/5⭐️
October 21, 2022
It’s not often I read short story books. But I enjoyed this one, there are thirteen short horror stories. They were freaky and more psychological thrillers than your typical ‘horror� story.
I found I got this book read quickly as I was keen to read the next story. I particularly enjoyed The Shatter Box and also With Dust Shall Cover.
I love the front cover of the book too, it even looks frightening!
I will certainly be reading other books by this author.
Thank you to Random Things Tours and the author for having me on the tour and for my signed, gifted copy of the book.
I found I got this book read quickly as I was keen to read the next story. I particularly enjoyed The Shatter Box and also With Dust Shall Cover.
I love the front cover of the book too, it even looks frightening!
I will certainly be reading other books by this author.
Thank you to Random Things Tours and the author for having me on the tour and for my signed, gifted copy of the book.
November 3, 2022
Very quick read and a very strong collection of shorts. Sometimes whimsical, other times gruesome, other times flat out scary, the author has a playful style of writing that I rather enjoyed. I'd definitely be interested to see what he'd do with a full novel.
October 30, 2022
With Dust Shall Cover, by Paul O’Neill, contains 13 horror stories which differ in terms of length and subject matter, but all take place in fictional places in Scotland.
Featuring characters of various ages, relationships between partners, parents and children, siblings, and friends, and evils both corporeal and inanimate, I found it highly imaginative, multifarious, and full of hidden depths.
This collection isn’t for the faint of heart, with two of the first three stories, in which a group of adult friends get ensnared in a violent, even deadly board game, and a teenage girl composes a metal song so riff-tastic it induces bleeding and causes people to lose their minds, giving you a good idea what to expect from the later stories in terms of body horror.
There are also several varieties of evil supernatural entity, many of them favouring neon green accents or colour schemes.
But beyond the shock factor of these more obvious horrors lie real things people are understandably afraid of. In many of the stories, the characters go after things they really desire - to rock the school talent show, to rise through the ranks at work, to fly a plane - only to find that getting what they want comes with a terrible price.
In the title story - my personal favourite - desperate, vulnerable people are offered the things they want most in the world, only to literally turn to dust when they reach out to claim them.
O’Neill’s stories also feature various types of relationship, and the fears that are part and parcel of them. Pre-teen and teenage boys battle to save fathers and brothers from illnesses that have recognisable symptoms, but are supernatural in origin.
Secrets closely guarded from partners come out under unusual duress. Fears of being replaced in romantic relationships by someone better come true in the least mundane of ways.
Characters commit heinous acts against their spouses or children and wreck their own lives in moments of weakness, when they’re “not themselves�. People sacrifice themselves to ensure the future of those they love, with varying results.
In With Dust Shall Cover, gruesome entities and body horror belie universal truths about human relationships and desires, and what we really have to fear.
Featuring characters of various ages, relationships between partners, parents and children, siblings, and friends, and evils both corporeal and inanimate, I found it highly imaginative, multifarious, and full of hidden depths.
This collection isn’t for the faint of heart, with two of the first three stories, in which a group of adult friends get ensnared in a violent, even deadly board game, and a teenage girl composes a metal song so riff-tastic it induces bleeding and causes people to lose their minds, giving you a good idea what to expect from the later stories in terms of body horror.
There are also several varieties of evil supernatural entity, many of them favouring neon green accents or colour schemes.
But beyond the shock factor of these more obvious horrors lie real things people are understandably afraid of. In many of the stories, the characters go after things they really desire - to rock the school talent show, to rise through the ranks at work, to fly a plane - only to find that getting what they want comes with a terrible price.
In the title story - my personal favourite - desperate, vulnerable people are offered the things they want most in the world, only to literally turn to dust when they reach out to claim them.
O’Neill’s stories also feature various types of relationship, and the fears that are part and parcel of them. Pre-teen and teenage boys battle to save fathers and brothers from illnesses that have recognisable symptoms, but are supernatural in origin.
Secrets closely guarded from partners come out under unusual duress. Fears of being replaced in romantic relationships by someone better come true in the least mundane of ways.
Characters commit heinous acts against their spouses or children and wreck their own lives in moments of weakness, when they’re “not themselves�. People sacrifice themselves to ensure the future of those they love, with varying results.
In With Dust Shall Cover, gruesome entities and body horror belie universal truths about human relationships and desires, and what we really have to fear.
November 2, 2022
4.5 rounded to 4 stars for ŷ.
This had such a great range of creepy stories - and I love the cover (On Dream-Wings Float I'm presuming), such vibrant colours.
As always I have to highlight my favourites:
'The Shatter Box' - a brilliant opener full of gore and terror with a twist. I have no idea why people still play old board games from dodgy places, you think we'd learn!
'The Competition' - very clever dangling hope like that, though I'm still intrigued by the recording...
'With Dust Shall Cover' - the title story really finishes the book off perfectly. It's so twisted and emotional. I do want more from the "woman's" history though.
I have no idea if this is the first anthology from Paul, but I hope there's more out there to read. I think the quote on the cover sums it up perfectly, disgustingly beautiful.
*I received a complimentary copy of the book from RandomThingsTours and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
This had such a great range of creepy stories - and I love the cover (On Dream-Wings Float I'm presuming), such vibrant colours.
As always I have to highlight my favourites:
'The Shatter Box' - a brilliant opener full of gore and terror with a twist. I have no idea why people still play old board games from dodgy places, you think we'd learn!
'The Competition' - very clever dangling hope like that, though I'm still intrigued by the recording...
'With Dust Shall Cover' - the title story really finishes the book off perfectly. It's so twisted and emotional. I do want more from the "woman's" history though.
I have no idea if this is the first anthology from Paul, but I hope there's more out there to read. I think the quote on the cover sums it up perfectly, disgustingly beautiful.
*I received a complimentary copy of the book from RandomThingsTours and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
October 30, 2022
Short horror stories are perfect for Spooky season so in that sense this book find the Bill. The first story, The Shatter Box opens the book with brutal horror! Oh my goodness, it's a shocker and I can see it being part of a film. The Swirly people is the stuff of nightmares and if I had read it when I was younger I would not have been able to sleep. It gets you thinking at the end! Midnight machine is pretty horrific - watch out metal fans! I haven't quite read all of them yet but if you like short stories that shock and scare you then this is the book for you. The stories vary in length and some of them seem to end rather abruptly, but there's a good range and I am sure there's something for everyone.
October 26, 2022
A book for the spooky season or a person who enjoys a spooky story. My particular favourite from this selection of short stories was The Swirly People, I don’t think I will ever look at artex ceilings again.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
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