Every story is exactly 416 words long. They are all horror. They are all fantastic. Trust but verify. There has never been an anthology like this. A special Halloween treat. Inspired by Authonomy's contest and my genius, "416" is a unique collection of horror short shorts. You could do a lot worse than spend a few hours reading these beauties.Four Hundred Sixteen. That’s all it takes to tell a story. A scary story. At least here. Every tale of horror and suspense in this book is exactly 416 words long (you can spend your time counting or reading, that’s up to you). Every story was written by a member of Authonomy.com.Stephen King takes 1,200 pages to tell a story. We do it in half a page. Sometimes we do it better. From Arachnoids to Zombies, “416” has it all. The first fifty four stories were submitted as part of my weekly Flash Fiction Friday contest. Always a treat for the readers, this particular contest was an outstanding success. We got a lot of “new” writers as well as the old standbys. Many wrote outside their comfort zone and they did it well.So, now we have a collection of horror worthy to be on the shelves of whatever bookstores are still in business (another horror story in itself). Unfortunately, timing is everything and my Ouja board tells me that there is not enough time to get “416” on the shelves. That shouldn’t stop you from putting it on yours, however. 416 words is less than two pages. But you won’t believe what we can fit into those two pages. I know I didn’t, and I still believe in Obama. When I first asked myself to edit this book, I thought “who wants to read a bunch of stories that aren’t even written by me. But after reading the submissions, I can almost see the logic of it. Besides, there are two stories that are by me, so everyone wins.Now, here we sit. You, me, and fifty-something tales, tailor made to be read on a cold October night. Short, intense and eerie. You can take them in small doses or plow through with one eye shut and one open. It’s up to you. Don’t be shy with feedback and comments. After all, a zombie can live on brains but a writer needs attention if he or she wants to thrive and survive.Finally, if you think it’s easy, feel free to give it a try. Send me a 416 word horror story before October 30, 2011, and I may add it to this lovely tome. Thank you to Authonomy and Rachel Authonomy for inspiring all of us to rise to this challenge. Mr. King and Koontz have set the bar. You tell us if we cleared it. And yes, this introduction is exactly 416 words.

Being a zombie is no picnic and it's one hell of a handicap in the romance department when you fall in love with a 'breather': Aleta is a breather with short blonde hair and brown eyes - two of them! - and the whitest smile Fred has ever seen. Every day at a certain time she sits at her window, and every day he stands in the rubble across the street among a crowd of zombies waiting to break through the fence and eat her. 'You are beautiful, like an angel', he thinks, but all he can moan is, “Braaaiiinss." Still, as zombies go, Fred's quite a catch. Underneath all the gangrene and rot, Fred is different. This girl will probably turn out to be yet another dead end, an infatuation, someone whose image he cannot get out of his mind and whose taste he cannot get out of his mouth, but the heart wants what the heart wants. For breathers, it is always only a matter of time, however beautiful they are and whatever the government is assuring people. Which makes Fred sad because he has a beautiful 11 year old son called Timmy, and Timmy may still be alive.ReviewWhat I liked most about this novel was the construction. Rounded, stand-alone chapters that read almost as pieces of flash-fiction are very appropriate for the growing market of modern readers who expect content to be bite-sizedHarper CollinsOne of the best writers on Authonomy -- which is a great writing resource for budding authors -- is Splinker the sock puppet, also known as Adam Sifre. He's one of the wittiest writers I've read, but he has serious writing skills also..."  T. Cross  tedacross.blogspot.com/20120301_archive.htmlOne of the best writers on Authonomy -- which is a great writing resource for budding authors -- is Splinker the sock puppet, also known as Adam Sifre. He's one of the wittiest writers I've read, but he has serious writing skills also.   -Ted Cross  tedacross.blogspot.com/2012/03/ive-been-deader.html From the Inside FlapBeing undead never felt more alive. Fred's just an ordinary zombie until one day he learns a trick.The undead had a good run at the beginning, but once the breathers get organized, it's only a matter of time before zombies go the way of pet rocks and sea monkeys. They need a hero. They need Fred. Fred is a natural dead leader with a flair for poetry and a fierce love for his son, Timmy. Unfortunately, as far as the undead are concerned, the only good Timmy is a dead Timmy. Things look grim for the undead until Fred flies into a rage trying to make popcorn and discovers he has a talent for controlling zombies. Now the undead are organized and, like the unions, in a position to destroy America. Is there no one who can stop them? More importantly, do we want them to?