I loved Bizarre Tales from Eracsia: Nightmares by Alexander Joem! This is a collection of horror stories inspired by the author’s dreams, and it certainly lives up to its title. One of the things I really enjoyed was the variety and originality of the stories. They begin with ordinary people living ordinary lives, only to find themselves caught up in increasingly extraordinary and unsettling situations. There is a real unpredictability to the collection, and I never quite knew where each story was going to take me. Alexander Joem’s writing is excellent, bringing the characters and situations to life while creating an often eerie and unsettling sense of suspense.

It is difficult to pick a favourite, as they are all excellent, but if pushed, I would have to pick Class 6B of ’98, which had me on the edge of my seat, trying to work out what was going to happen. The eerie transition from an extremely difficult class of students to one of total obedience was incredibly unsettling, particularly alongside their new teacher, who was so polite and seemingly harmless. My other favourite was Confidential: Project Longinus, which is written in the format of a classified report, giving it a completely different feel with a unique and intriguing atmosphere.

Overall, Bizarre Tales from Eracsia: Nightmares is an original and atmospheric collection of horror stories, filled with suspense, unsettling moments and plenty of unexpected situations. The variety of stories and storytelling styles means there is always something new to discover, and Alexander Joem’s excellent writing brings each strange and often disturbing scenario vividly to life.