The Empire of the Moon and Stars and Other Stories by Simon Bleaken
Independently published, 2025
ISBN 979-8343998535
Available: Paperback, Kindle edition
Buy:  Bookshop.org | Amazon.com

The Empire of the Moon and Stars is an interesting mix between horror and science fiction, independently published by a writer who is definitely worth watching – and reading.

The title story “The Empire of the Moon” is a fine example of what I mentioned above, namely an extremely disquieting mix of horror and science fiction. Another standout is “Anarred Asylum”, a very dark story where madness and supernatural merge. Admittedly, suspension of disbelief is hard to maintain throughout the whole tale: however, it remains a powerful journey into horror. “Ocean Song” is yet another strong, quite horrific piece, revolving around the invasion of deadly parasites coming from the sea.

I won’t even try to describe what happens in “A World Behind Glass”. It will suffice to say that it has all the features of a nightmare, where anything bad can happen and no explanations are required.

“Final Words” is an atmospheric piece, revisiting the secrets surrounding the elusive Robert Chambers book, The King in Yellow, while “The Breath of the God” is a claustrophobic example of “archaeological” horror.

The final section of the volume, called “Echoes of the Future”, is extremely oriented toward science fiction. Readers looking for an author who can write both horror and science fiction will want to check this collection of stories out.

Reviewed by Mario Guslandi