A Quaint and Curious Volume of Gothic Tales

Q: Do I have to buy the ebook to participate in a book club?

No, you don’t have to buy the ebook to participate, but we do recommend it to get the most out of your club. There are several premium social reading features that are only available when you buy the ebook, like annotations, reactions, comment threads, resources, discussion prompts, and more, all embedded right in the text. It’s a unique and immersive way to read.

Q: Why can’t I buy the ebook on the app?

It’s annoying, we know. App store rules prevent us from selling directly in the app, so for now you can only purchase ebooks on our website. Don’t worry: when you purchase an ebook on the web, it’s automatically added to your bookshelf in the app.

Q: How is Fable’s reader different from Kindle?

Kindle is a straightforward e-reader; Fable is an interactive e-reader that includes social features inside the ebooks. When you read an ebook on Fable, you can see and react to the text with others in real time. Start a discussion, share highlights and quotes, add emoji reactions—all of it lives right inside the book. It’s hard to explain and easy to see, so we recommend reading the free sample in one of our most active clubs to get a feel for it.

Q: Do you sell physical books too?

We do not sell physical books at this time. Wish we did? Let us know why here!

Q: Are book clubs free to join on Fable?

Most of our clubs are completely free to join. The only exceptions are clubs marked as “Premium” or “Career Development,” which do require a fee. You can find out more on each club’s detail page.

Q: How do I start a book club with this book on Fable?

The first step is to download the Fable app. From there, you’ll be able to create your own private or public book club and invite others to read with you. Once your club is created, click on the plus sign under “Currently reading” and search for this book to add it to your club.

By Alex Woodroe & Stephanie Ellis &

Why read on Fable?

Discover social reading

Chat inside the ebook with emojis, comments and more

Annotate with notes, tabs, and highlights

Share or keep your notes private with our annotation features

Support the World Literacy Foundation

We donate 20% of every book sale to help children learn to read

Publisher Description

A Quaint and Curious Volume of Gothic Tales edited by Alex Woodroe.

"Deliciously creepy and haunting! These tales had me enraptured and gave me chills. Each story has its own distinct voice, but a common thread of eeriness seamlessly weaves them together in a wonderfully curated collection. Don't read it alone in the dark!"

-Kathleen Fox, founder/host of badasswriters podcast

This eerie and haunting anthology of stories about ghosts, curses, pain, madness, murder, and unspoken secrets will thrill fans of dark fiction...and send a cold shiver or two down their spine.

Alex Woodroe has passionately collected a powerful volume of stories, written by an amazing and diverse group of contemporary women writers.

4 Reviews

4.0

Malin_b

Created almost 2 years ago

Austrian SPENCER

Created almost 2 years ago

“I received an ARC of this Anthology, with thanks, from the publishers and Alex Woodroe, in return for an honest review. Like with most anthologies, the range and scope of the shorts on offer was wide, and the quality of the stories high – I was impressed with the editing, the polishing, the packaging. This is an anthology that is, very rightly, going to receive a lot of love. Let’s break it down. The title “Gothic” didn’t (in my eyes) apply to all of the stories, but the umbrella was there, and I am by no means an expert on all things Gothic, quite the contrary, white and blue are my favorite colors, I am not a person to be obsessed by churches and graveyards, death fascinates me – true – but only in the abstract – the breaking apart of it for want of a story. Taking my confession of Un-gothicness to heart, how did the anthology rate overall for storytelling? Well, pretty well done, in my opinion. The opening piece, Penance , by Lindsay King Miller, is a strong starter. Excellent writing, a well-constructed plot, and a fantastic premise. Likewise, What the dead whisper to the living by Mary Rajotte, is a wonderful short, something almost reminiscent of Gaiman in its concept. Mercy by Catherine McCarthy followed directly afterward, and was for me, the highlight of the anthology, and over far, far too quickly. Like-minded from Cindy O’Quinn nearer the end of the book, was a great piece on madness. The bonus short The Sweetlings by S.H.Cooper left us with that sour taste you really want to leave a horror anthology on. Good work. This is one of those anthologies that managed to maintain my interest. I can’t say that there were constant flashes of genius, but the quality of the writing was consistent and engaging. A women’s anthology (authors) that showed a lot of heart and passion in its execution. This gets a 4 ⭐ ‘s out of 5 from me. Excellent work, Ladies, and the cover is pure eye candy, there’s something almost Egon Schiele – esque about it – and you’ve gotta love Schiele.”

Philippa

Created almost 2 years ago

“(ARC received; what follows is my honest review.) This collection of Gothic tales gave me a reading experience that was simultaneously cosy and spooky (not unlike a brooding mansion that is possiblymaybedefinitely haunted). I think that Alex Woodroe did an incredible job of editing this collection, organising the stories in such a way as to ensure that each story felt fresh and new, without any repetition of theme or subject matter. I very much enjoyed the contrast between the modern and historical stories, and the diversity of geographical settings as well. As with all anthologies, not every story landed perfectly. However, in this instance, I feel that it's more a matter of personal taste than quality. Considering the single Gothic theme, the stories published cover a wide ground and I think that most readers will find a number of stories that will haunt them long after the book is finished. Three of the stories that stood out for me, personally, were: PENANCE by Lindsay King-Miller. I thought I knew where the story was going, only to find out how wrong I was and also that I was crying. A powerful opening story that beautifully sets the tone for the stories to come. OLD LADY NAME by Jolie Toomajan. I'm already a fan of Jolie's writing, and this gorgeously written story does not disappoint. It's a story that makes me thrill with horror - not just because of its ghostly manifestations (although there are moments that made me want to keep my night light on forever) but also because it is grounded in an authentic friendship and a situation that I could relate to more than I would ever wish to. HELLO, MY NAME IS GOYA WYETH by Evelyn Maguire. This was absolutely charming: I loved the way that the story was set up as a detective narrative, with the narrator revealing more and more until you reach a conclusion that just makes you sigh "of course". The writing was simultaneously precise and poetic; I'm going to look out for more of this authors work in future.”

Doug Weaver

Created almost 2 years ago

“A haunting anthology of horror that will leave your heart broken and longing for more. I found this to be an unexpectedly powerful group of short stories that were filled with traditional elements of horror, but which seemed to probe deeper into the mind and heart of the reader. This was done, as I explain below, through the use of emotionally charged story telling, all built around gothic themes of horror, death, and love, which were ordered in such a way that the reader is repeatedly pushed into the depths of despair, with just enough light given to catch your breath. This reading is an emotional roller coaster that explores natural, as well as supernatural, horrors. The lead story PENANCE by Lindsay King-Miller is devastating as it investigates our perceptions of ourselves and those we love. THE LAKE IN WINTER by Emily Cohen, ARBOR HILLS by Deana Lisenby, and LIKE MINDED by Cindy O’Quinn all explore mostly natural events with tragic consequences for the characters and the reader. Much like The Twilight Zone series often did, these authors take the elements of gothic literature (horror, death, love, romance) and place them in (mostly) un-Gothic settings. These are not necessarily stories set in 1800’s cathedrals filled with priests and vampires. These are stories filled with gloom and mystery and perfect unhappily-ever-after endings. MERCY by Catherine McCarthy, A KINDNESS OF RAVENS by April Yates, AN ENDLESS KIND OF NOTHING by Alexis DuBon, and HENRY by Mo Moshaty are prime examples of story telling that fills the reader with dread and then reveals the depths into which the characters have tumbled, sometimes completely unaware until it is too late to change course. The last piece of the puzzle that makes this such an excellent anthology is the quality and ordering of the stories. This anthology is truly a greatest hits album of gothic short stories. There were things that I loved about every story. Naturally some impacted me more than others, but this is a quality collection. Given that Alex Woodroe had a great foundation, she went further in arranging the stories in a way that leaves the reader breathless. As I made my way through the tales, I felt as if someone was holding my head under water and then briefly letting me catch my breath before plunging me into the depths again. And this group finishes strong. There is no filler to be found. In short, if you are looking for horror that will break your heart and then hastily put you back together so that it can break your heart again (maybe suffocating you as well this time), look no further. If you’ve ever thought about giving short fiction horror a try, this would be a great place to start.”