The theme of Dread Mondays will hit home for nearly everyone: what’s more terrible and dreadful than another day at the office or a shift at your after-school job? Work, something most people will experience in multiple ways, takes center stage in this anthology from Whisper House Press. I was given an early copy to review by the editor, Steve Capone, Jr. 

What immediately hooked me in this collection was how broadly work was interpreted throughout the collection. Sure, you’ll find a lot of stories set in the corporate world, which, honestly, was what I’d envisioned when I asked for an early copy. 

But a quick glance at the table of contents showed it was much more than that. You’ll also find sections on work in the future, institutional terrors, and retail hell. Within these different sections are several types of horror: body horror, psychological horror, supernatural horror, and more. So, there’s something for everyone, with differing levels of gore. (The back of the book contains content warnings for each story.)

You can find Dread Mondays on Amazon, out October 25, 2025.  

I enjoyed all the stories in this collection, but a few stand out to me. 

“In the Style of Meg Lift,” by Madeline Daniel

Maybe it’s because I’ve been a content writer in a corporate role, but this story perfectly encapsulates the fear of becoming obsolete due to AI. A writer is asked to use AI to draft her copy, which she’s quite opposed to, and she asks the AI to write in the style of Meg Lift, a pseudonym of hers. However, Meg Lift turns out to be much more…

“Ooh That Smell,” by Adam Rotstein

This is another story in the corporate terror section, and it’s a very fun read. Humorous horror is one of my favorite subtypes of the genre, so it immediately drew me in. A strange, putrid odor overtakes the office, and employees seem not to notice as they wander into the kitchen. 

“The Dead are Always Such Trouble,” by Ruth E. Walker

Pensions aren’t terribly common anymore, but who wouldn’t want to collect one? Getting paid after retirement after donating years of your life to an employer only seems fair. The problem in this story is that the dead would like their pensions to continue… all due to a strange clause in the pension agreement. 

“Second Amendment,” by Robert Bagnall

This story of an app developer is in the “Meet Work in the Future” section of the book, and unfortunately, it’s something that I could envision. What starts off as a new mobile game becomes something else entirely. 

“When Darkness Comes,” by Lisa Morton

This post-apocalyptic horror sees the owner of a bookstore struggle to survive in a world threatened by creatures known as The Voiders. George still runs his store, although customers dwindle as the attacks progress. It will make you consider when it’s worth leaving what we know to start over. 

“Become the New You,” by Allan Dyen-Shapiro

If you’ve ever worked in a clothing store, you may have experienced the subtle pressure to dress in the clothes sold by the store, which of course you’ll have to pay for yourself. Well, let’s just say that in “Become the New You,” the pressure isn’t so subtle.