The Shell Collection
A sister searching the deep woods for her missing twin...a wandering acolyte with an unusual mission...an old man’s vengeance in a future where bodies are data and souls are merely ghosts in the machine...
This collection of eight speculative short stories contains tales of mystery, magic, and the macabre woven with vivid landscapes, challenging questions, and glimmers of unlikely hope.
Ideal for fans of folk horror, dark fantasy, wry humor, and off-kilter dystopia.
This collection is currently available for purchase here:
⭐ Are you a Talebones Councilmember? You are eligible to purchase a signed paperback directly from me! Simply send an email to ferrisislandwa@gmail.com to claim your copy.
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The Shell ebook may already be available to borrow virtually through your local library! If not, you can submit a request. Request forms vary by library system, but you’ll likely need this info:
Title: The Shell
Author: S.E. Reid
ISBN: 979-8-9921057-5-9
Original Release Date: 10/22/25
All of the tales in this collection were originally shared for free on Substack, but many are now paywalled and are only accessible to members of the Talebones Council.
Paywalled stories are marked with a (P). Upgrade now to read!
The Tales In Order:
Limbs (P) - in this horror/mystery, Olivia Holt hikes out into the backwoods to find any trace of her missing twin sister—an eccentric cryptozoologist—and discovers more than she bargained for on the unmarked trail into the heart of the woods.
The Abbey of One Million Gods - in this dark fantasy/folk horror tale, Fletch seeks a cure for an old wound and discovers that some cures have caveats.
A Thing Must Be Loved (P) - a parking garage attendant is caught up in an otherworldly threat and an unlikely role.
The Last Confession of Penelope Foote - on the morning of her execution, a convicted murderer in a frontier town poised on the edge of change tells the local sheriff an impossible tale.
The Sleeper, The Singer, The Song (P) - in this intimate fantasy tale, Pim travels to a remote island to perform what is supposed to be a routine—but vital—task, and finds that it will not be as easy as she was led to believe. (Plus bonus post-script, Cliffsong.)
At the Foot of the God-Stairs - college student Maggie’s hike in the wild woods around Mt. Si turns sinister and surreal when she’s pursued by a shadowy force.
Winter’s Nell (P) - a folktale-inspired story about a young runaway, a cold night, and an act of kindness
The Shell (P) - in this soft science fiction tale, old man Burgess resurrects a force from his past and must make a decision that affects not just his own future, but that of the people around him.