Ghost Games

by Brooke MacKenzie

Genres: Horror, General

Published: 3 / 2022

Available Formats to Download: MOBI EPUB PDF 

STORY DESCRIPTION

Do not play this game. This is the standard disclaimer given to anyone who wishes to encounter the supernatural through a potentially dangerous ritual, or "game." It sounds innocent enough, as each one is named after an everyday object: the closet game, the elevator game, the telephone game?how scary can it really be?

As it turns out, games can be terrifying. And even deadly. Ghost Games is a collection of short horror fiction stories in which each of the main characters decides to throw caution to the wind and play a game in which she summons the paranormal: ghosts, demons, and even other dimensions. What happens next will make you think twice before riding in an elevator, playing with a doll, looking in a mirror, or soaking in a bathtub. There are seven spine-tingling fictional stories ??" with each one devoted to a specific game ??" and one non-fiction story, which recounts a real-life experience with a Ouija Board.

For the brave and curious, there is an appendix section which outlines the instructions for playing each of the games featured in the book. If you decide to try them, remember: you play at your peril.

For more information about the games, visit the author's website: www.bamackenzie.com

Here's what they are saying about Ghost Games...

"Playing games to conjure spirits and demons leads to horrifying consequences in MacKenzie's debut short story collection? MacKenzie also ties her stories together with profound themes; many of the women characters, for example, suffer from loneliness even when surrounded by friends or family members? Throughout, MacKenzie's concise prose style generates sharp images? An indelible batch of nightmarish tales."
--Kirkus Reviews


"If you were (or are) that kid who set up a seance at every slumber party, you'll love this collection of spooky and playful tales about urban legends. Ghost Games is a solid win."
??"Lisa Morton, six-time Bram Stoker Award winner


"Ghost Games both brought me back to the delicious terror of childhood slumber parties, when friends pulled out Ouija Boards or convinced everyone to chant "Bloody Mary" in front of bathroom mirrors and anything felt possible, and also took me someplace brand new. Brooke MacKenzie has gifted us with a spine-tingling, energizing collection."
??"Gayle Brandeis, author of Many Restless Concerns, nominated for the 2020 Shirley Jackson Award


"The riveting stories that comprise Brooke MacKenzie's Ghost Games explore the dark side of the Internet, where the 'games' that are played are anything but. The narratives derive their power from the juxtaposition of the visible world and the one that exists unseen beside it. Whether inadvertently releasing demons or getting caught in an alternate dimension, the women in these stories suddenly find themselves in a kind of jeopardy they never imagined. Absorbing and genuinely terrifying, the stories of Ghost Games will stay with you long after you close the book."
??"Kathleen Donohoe, author of Ghosts of the Missing and Ashes of Fiery Weather