Collected for the first time in one volume! Over 20 years in the making! Matthew Barron's thought-provoking sci-fi, horror and fantasy tales will live with you long after you've closed this book! Rare & unpublished short stories by Matthew Barron along with stories previously appearing in Generation X-ed, Sci Phi Journal, Ill-Considered Expeditions, The Dread Machine, And the Dead Shall Sleep No More, Outpost of Beyond, House of Horror and more! A man believes he's created a universe in his basement, but his wife insists it's just a simulation. Annie and Ted become hopelessly lost in a seemingly abandoned subdivision, but they are not alone. A student's young friends are dying of apparent natural causes, but the apparition now hunting her is anything but natural. Joanie finally escaped, but freedom is scary too. The missionaries say beware the monster who stalks the longest night of the year. The specter terrorizes her every night, but she doesn't want to let it go. The handsome count in the ruined castle looks too good to be true. A mysterious box gives a divorcee new power. The psyche ward is no refuge when the monster is locked inside with you. Jigoku Island was never explored for a reason... A marshmallow wages war with tyranny. A veteran seeks a cure for his illness but finds a fantastic adventure. John confronts his midlife crisis by gambling with his past. THESE STORIES AND MANY MORE AWAIT YOU WITHIN!