The Nocturnes Fables – Short Story Collection

Genre

Horror, Fantasy, Southern Gothic, Fantastique, Anthology, Short Story, Fables, Fairy Tales, Mystical, Trans voices, Trans experiences

Scaling

Comedic: 2/11

Romantic: 1/11

Scary: 8/11

Suspense: 5/11

Sadness: 6/11

Comfort: 2/11

Cerebral: 4/11

Erotic: 1/11

Dramatic: 6/11

Synopsis

A collection of 13 modern fairy tales, the Nocturne’s Fables is an anthology series weaving between woeful arcane Americana and fearsome English forests.

The Nocturne’s Fables encapsulates some of author Petrichor Moss’ earliest works, and her stories from “The Arsonist of Slate Street” to “I Met The Devil in a Jazz Bar” are sure to entice our more horror centric readers.

Mood Excerpt

“That’s when he sat beside me. I wish I could say he was hideous with horns and fangs, or as handsome as they come with all the false veneer of charm you could muster from the Lord of Lies and Seduction, yet I cannot remember what he looked like. [The Devil] was as plain as they come, wearing a dull green tweed jacket, worn with age.”

Read This If You Liked…

If you liked Angela Basketer’s The Bloody Chamber, Grimm’s Fairy Tales, or Elizabeth Gaskell’s Gothic Tales then this short story collection is for you.

The short story length also makes this an ideal book for commuting, perfect for reading on the train or bus without needing to abandon a story halfway through.

A Word From The Author

Petrichor Moss: “I look back on this collection both fondly and with a slight grimace – it’s one of my earliest works and it represents how far I’ve come as a writer. This collection was so formulative in finding my own author’s ‘voice’ and came from a difficult time in my life. Whilst the stories are all different, they all share one thread in common; every story in this anthology is about identity. Growing up internationally, splitting my time between England and America, weaving influences of both cultures alongside my experiences of being trans. Ultimately, these stories helped me find my own identity, and I hope in reading these, you find something of value to yours too.

Content Guidance

This collection of short stories explores themes of murder, suicide, violence, body horror, and substance abuse. We do not recommend this collection for younger readers.

Reading Time

Word Count: 14,000 words

Average Chapter Read Time: 4 minutes

Average Total Read Time: 1 hour