No zombies. No vampires. No werewolves. No familiar solutions. No safe havens…. THE SLEEP OF REASON produces MONSTERS. Let us give you something to be afraid of.
![[Image: panels from the comics Sleep of Dreams] Source](https://odorunara.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/sleep-of-dreams.png?w=500)
[Image: panels from the comics Sleep of Dreams] Source
The Sleep of Reason (2014) is an anthology of 26 original short horror comics by 34 creators. The project launched as a Kickstarter, and I received an extra copy from Kathryn at japaneselit.net.
Because the anthology isn’t about monsters but rather about becoming a monster, the stories focus on body horror, infestations, insects, parasites, demons, ghosts, creepy plants, aliens, and supernatural creatures.
In addition to featuring queer characters and POC, 2/3 of the contributors are women. My favorite story was “Growth” by Melanie Gillman, about an adorable interracial carnivore/vegan queer couple, whose date-night meal goes horribly awry.
The comics are all very different in style, but the tone of the unsettling horror within (sometimes attempting to come out) is constant. If the mundane becoming monstrous is your style of horror, check out this anthology from Iron Circus Comics.
Additional content warnings: eating disorders, gore, domestic abuse, parent-child relationships, medical horror, android bodies, PPD, mold/fungus, food horror, nudity, evil taxidermy, animal abuse, natural disasters.
The Lobster Dance 
Thank you so much for writing about this anthology!!!
My favorite piece is “Out of Chaos” (written by Rachel Edidin and drawn by Kel McDonald), which is more or less an accurate depiction of my own relationship to writing. Bloody fingers indeed.
I like the stories about people becoming monsters, especially when this transformation gives them a new identity that is fresh and strange and full of potential (as in “Fairie Ring” by Savannah Horrocks and “It Comes Back” by B. Sabo) I’m also a fan of the stories that give younger girls a chance to avenge themselves on the world (as in “The Child Eater” by Meg Gandy and “The Untimely Death of Smokey II” by Der-Shing Helmer).
Although I’m afraid I’m making these stories seem positive and empowering in these descriptions, when really they’re all exceedingly dark. No joke, every single one of the comics in this anthology is legit scary and unsettling.
I imagine Spike Trotman writing to the contributing artists in her role as editor and being all like, “No, this is not horrifying enough, you need to make it even more terrible…”
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“The Ultimely Death…” was so scary! I mean, they were all so scary in a way I don’t normally seek out–body horror of the characters as psychological horror for the reader. I can’t stop thinking about “Temple,” either.
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