Zone Rouge by Alphonse Schaller is a collection of eighteen horror stories that delve into the dark and uncanny. Each tale explores the moment when the familiar twists into something horrifying, whether it’s a woman discovering a dreadful truth about her roommate, a man running from an unrelenting beast, or a family sworn to guard a monstrous secret. From eldritch horrors to the sins of humanity itself, Schaller masterfully blurs the boundary between reality and nightmare. The stories are as varied as they are disturbing, pulling readers into eerie encounters that linger in the mind long after the last page is turned.

Author Alphonse Schaller has a knack for suspense and atmospheric detail that hits your psyche hard, and this makes for a bone-chilling collection that will leave even the most stalwart horror fans sleeping with the lights on. There’s a charm and confidence to the narrative style that lulls you into a false sense of security. Then Schaller hits you with his remarkable ability to mix psychological terror with supernatural horror in ways that surprised me at every turn. Whilst each story is its own perfectly crafted nightmare, I found ‘The Scarlet Want’ came out as my ultimate favorite for the sheer style in the historical storytelling and the up-close perspective it offered. The pacing of each story is short, sharp, and deeply unsettling, yet they all feel complete in their own right and never leave you wanting answers. Overall, I highly recommend Zone Rouge as a must-read for fans of Lovecraftian horror and modern-day ghost stories alike: don’t miss it.

Zone Rouge: A Bone-Chilling Collection of 18 Short Horror Stories by Alphonse Schaller presents a series of unsettling tales that creep into the realms of the paranormal, supernatural, and disturbingly unexplainable. In the story David, a giant human-like skeleton is discovered in the desert, leading to revelations about its preservation and the violent behavior of those who encounter it. Parasite follows Ryan, who encounters a creature that inhabits human hosts, resembling a vampire but with parasitic, worm-like qualities. Hatching Moon is about a growing dread among a group who believe a dormant creature inside the moon may one day destroy Earth. In Lure, Dr. Dubois joins a secretive government project investigating a mysterious, time-defying object, only to realize that a childhood mentor may have been more than Dubois believed.

Zone Rouge by Alphonse Schaller is a wonderful collection that thrives on terror, mystery, and the inevitable confrontations with forces beyond our understanding. Schaller’s writing style is both crisp and tight, packing a huge punch in his bite-sized, stand-alone tales. I love the titular story, which brings us into the toxic Zone Rouge, and the almost textured atmosphere is pitch perfect alongside its haunting and surreal setting quality. My favorite story from the bunch is Fine Print, which takes a completely unexpected turn into the sinister, where a cartel enforcer unknowingly bargains away more than he could imagine. Schaller’s skillful pacing and his ability to subvert expectations are excellent, making this a solid collection for those who enjoy stories that unnerve in fresh and unique ways, leaving us to ponder their implications long after we've finished. Very highly recommended..