New Worlds

I went into *New Worlds* expecting another anthology of disjointed stories, but Philbrook’s collection surprised me with its cohesion and character. Leone’s narration is a standout—his ability to modulate tone from hushed terror to giddy absurdity kept me hooked, even when the stories themselves veered wildly in tone. My favorite was the Lovecraftian piece; Leone’s whispered delivery of the narrator’s unraveling psyche sent shivers down my spine, and the slow-burn dread was perfectly paced. The zombie story, while competent, felt a bit too familiar, and the hard sci-fi entry lost me in the jargon midway through. Still, these missteps are minor next to the collection’s strengths. The urban fantasy tale with its snappy dialogue and twists was a highlight, and the gothic horror closing the set lingered like a bad dream. Production-wise, the audio is clean and immersive, with no distracting artifacts. If you’re a fan of short fiction that doesn’t waste a word, this is a must-listen—just maybe skip the sci-fi if you’re not into technical detail.