Stoker Award-nominated anthology featuring short stories of madness from the mental health perspective: an engaging and entertaining read, and a must-have book for lovers of horror.

In the tradition of Poe’s 'The Tell-tale Heart', This Way Lies Madness presents fictional interpretations of madness from some of the biggest names in the horror genre – an anthology of dark stories featuring monstrous manifestations of trauma and guilt, paranoia and persecution, anxiety, addiction, and crippling terror. With each contributor giving a unique introduction exploring their inspiration for their bone-chilling tale, This Way Lies Madness will provide a creative benchmark for writers, and challenge mental health stigma, awaken understanding, and offer hope to readers through the lens of horror fiction.

A mix of commissioned authors and stories selected from a hugely popular submissions call, the full list of featured authors in this book is: Alan Baxter, Freddie Bonfanti, Georgina Bruce, Ramsey Campbell, Grace Chan, Ryan Cole, L.E. Daniels, Kayleigh Dobbs, Sean Hogan, Alma Katsu, Amanda Cecelia Lang, Sara Larner, Jonathan Maberry, Marie O’Regan, Cynthia Pelayo, Callum Rowland, Sumiko Saulson, Sayan J. Soselisa, C.D. Vázquez, Emily Ruth Verona, Stephen Volk, Tim Waggoner, and Stephanie M. Wytovich.

Cover artwork and frontispiece by Greg Chapman: dark-designs.com

The Flame Tree Beyond and Within short story collections bring together tales of myth and imagination by modern and contemporary writers, carefully selected by anthologists, and sometimes featuring short stories from a single author. Overall, the series presents a wide range of diverse and inclusive voices with myth, folkloric-inflected short fiction, and an emphasis on the supernatural, science fiction, the mysterious and the speculative. The books themselves are gorgeous, with foiled covers, printed edges and published only in hardcover editions, offering a lifetime of reading pleasure.

Product Details

Publisher: Flame Tree Collections (October 14, 2025)
Length: 416 pages
ISBN13: 9781804179062

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Raves and Reviews

"A mesmerizing and remarkably ambitious mosaic of delicate minds possessed, of spoiled and haunted hearts, of gaping wounds both seen and unseen. This Way Lies Madness weaves a beguiling and profoundly revealing tapestry of psychological terror with such nuance and depth in each collected story."

– Eric LaRocca, author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke

"Horror has had a problem with mental illness – but things are changing. This Way Lies Madness challenges the genre’s often lazy reliance on demeaning stereotypes, tired settings, and hackneyed resolutions. Forget psycho killers, creepy asylums, and the ritual expulsion of the monstrous other. [...] This much-needed volume challenges horror to do better. It also reassures. Many of us will experience mental ill-health during our lives. This book says: as a matter of fact – and never mind Halloween – you aren’t the boogeyman."

– Dr Gavin Miller, Reader in Contemporary Literature and Medical Humanities, University of Glasgow

"It’s a crying shame that there isn’t an Academy Award for anthologies, because This Way Lies Madness surely deserves one, but I guess it will have to settle for the Booker Prize, which it abundantly deserves. This is the best, most tightly written anthology that I have read in a long, long time…maybe ever."

– Hellnotes

"A powerhouse of an anthology [...] Every story holds their own and possesses a sagacity that ensures the entire anthology stays brilliant."

– Benjamin Kurt Unsworth, Ginger Nuts of Horror

"Editors Lee Murray and Dave Jeffery have done a brilliant job of selecting voices which feel fresh."

– Estella Rua, Bangle Magazine

"This is an astounding series of stories, bringing forward our fragility that may frighten, but insight that can be light."

– Christopher Gray, Phantasmagoria

“I love that each story in this collection is accompanied by a note from the author, offering a reflection on their experience or what inspires their writing. 23 pieces of different horror sub-genres and styles -- treasure trove!"

– Better With Books Club

"I’ve been a big fan of [Lee Murray and Dave Jeffery] for years, not just because of their fantastic work in the horror and dark fiction genres, but because of their empathetic dedication to better representation across the board."

– Lauren McMenemy, British Fantasy Society

"A masterclass in quiet(er) horror that explores the uncertainties that come with mental illness. There is a wonderful variety of stories in this anthology, from space exploration and deep sea mining gone wrong to vampires, questionable ghosts, monsters in the sink, and many an unsettled reality. [...] In all, this brilliant anthology explores mental health and illness without falling into damaging stereotypes. It reframes what it means to be mentally unwell, reminding us that the mind can be a monstrous place and that anyone can fall prey."

– SpecFic NZ