Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 8, 2026

Nightmares Unhinged

Nightmares Unhinged is a horror fiction anthology edited by Joshua Viola, published on September 8, 2015. It is the first anthology from Hex Publishers.

Last revised
Jul 8, 2026
Read time
≈ 3 min
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625 w
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Wikipedia ↗
Nightmares Unhinged
AuthorEdited by Josh Viola
Cover artistAaron Lovett
LanguageEnglish
GenreHorror
PublisherHex Publishers
Publication dateSeptember 8, 2015
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (paperback)
Pages280 pp
ISBN978-0-9855590-9-0

Nightmares Unhinged is a horror fiction anthology edited by Joshua Viola, published on September 8, 2015. It is the first anthology from Hex Publishers.1

About

Nightmares Unhinged is a horror anthology with 20 short stories by award-winning and bestselling authors, including writers like Stephen Graham Jones, Jason Heller, Keith Ferrell, Steve Rasnic Tem, Edward Bryant, Jeanne C. Stein, Steve Alten and many others. The book is edited by Josh Viola (author of Blackstar (novel) and The Bane of Yoto). "Nightmares Unhinged" is dedicated to Bram Stoker Award-winning author Melanie Tem. The book was named one of the Best Indie Books of 2016 by Kirkus Reviews, where it also received a starred review.2 34

"Spectrum 22", associated with the Spectrum Awards, is featuring the cover art, which was painted by Aaron Lovett.5

Viola is the sole author of three stories and the coauthor of two.6

Fear the Walking Dead

On December 14, 2016, AMC's The Walking Dead spinoff series, Fear the Walking Dead, announced via social media that Nightmares Unhinged's cover art inspired the show.789

Release details

Reception

Clay Evans of the Daily Camera praised the anthology, writing that Steve Rasnic Tem's story is "a boy-meets-girl tale with a creepy twist", Edward Bryant's "Marginal Ha'nts" is "a darkly funny tale that delves into 'lukewarm hauntings'", and Mario Acevedo offers "a funny-scary story that taps into ancient archetypes". He thought that the stories from the anthology's not as well recognized authors are "just as compelling".11 In a starred review, Kirkus Reviews said the book has "a slew of gloriously disturbing, well-told tales to unnerve readers".4

Jim McWilliams, a professor at Dickinson State University, wrote in American Book Review that the anthology "varies widely in the quality of its narratives: from somewhat trite and predictable to genuinely witty and original, from stylistically pedestrian to very well written". He concluded that "it's likely to appeal to most fans of the genre" and that despite thinking "a few of the traditional sort of horror stories to be a bit of slog, [he] enjoyed reading this collection".12

References

References

  1. "Table of Contents", Hex Publishers. Retrieved on 19 December 2016.
  2. Barkan, Jonathan. "Witness The Unveiling Of Nightmares Unhinged (Exclusive)", Bloody Disgusting, 9 July 2015. Retrieved on 16 July 2015.
  3. Kirkus Reviews. [1], Kirkus Reviews, 19 December 2016. Retrieved on 19 December 2016.
  4. "Nightmares Unhinged: Twenty Tales of Terror". Kirkus Reviews. Vol. 83, no. 24. 2015-11-10. p. 32. EBSCOhost 111642036. NewsBank 1679E91F0FE146F0. Archived from the original on 2026-04-26. Retrieved 2026-04-26.
  5. Doherty, Susan. "Hex Publishers Gets International Art Nod", Hex Publishers, 30 March 2015. Retrieved on 16 July 2015.
  6. Datlow, Ellen (2016). "Summation 2015". In Datlow, Ellen (ed.). The Best Horror of the Year. Vol. 8. New York: Night Shade Books. pp. xx–xxi. ISBN 978-1-59780-853-8. Retrieved 2026-04-26 – via Internet Archive.
  7. "“Nightmares Unhinged,” whose cover art inspired #FearTWD", Fear the Walking Dead Facebook, 14 December 2016. Retrieved on 19 December 2016.
  8. "“Nightmares Unhinged,” whose cover art inspired #FearTWD", Fear the Walking Dead Twitter, 14 December 2016. Retrieved on 19 December 2016.
  9. "“Nightmares Unhinged,” whose cover art inspired #FearTWD", Fear the Walking Dead Instagram, 14 December 2016. Retrieved on 19 December 2016.
  10. [2], Nightmares Unhinged, 11 August 2015. Retrieved on 19 December 2016.
  11. Evans, Clay (2015-09-27). "Boulder Bookshelf: Recent releases dish some 'Dirt,' take us climbing and give us some scares". Daily Camera. NewsBank 1582381045ABB8A0. ProQuest 1716854015. Archived from the original on 2026-04-26. Retrieved 2026-04-26.
  12. McWilliams, Jim (September–October 2015). "Book Reviews: For the Love of Horror. Nightmares Unhinged: Twenty Tales of Horror". American Book Review. Vol. 36, no. 6. p. 17. doi:10.1353/abr.2015.0118. EBSCOhost 111875715.