Todd Keisling has rocketed to horror stardom in recent years and the horror community is better for it. Establishing a name for himself with Scanlines, Keisling proceeded to solidify his reputation with the sterling Devil’s Creek. Cold, Black & Infinite: Stories of the Horrific & Strange is his second collection, bringing together numerous published stories across his career and showcasing his talent for the form.

Keisling separates the stories across three sections, from the Cold, to the Black, and ending on the Infinite. His writing style is tight and impactful, strong and subtle. This is an author who knows how to play on the reader’s emotions and build the horror until it becomes inevitable. Opening the collection is “Midnight in the Southland,” where a radio DJ appears to be transmitting from beyond the grave. Keisling expands on the chilling exploration of the mysterious host in a macabre tale that nevertheless maintains a sense of whimsical enjoyment about it, down to the final twist.

“Afterbirth” is another standout, where a mother learns how necromancy might be the best way to raise a child. Keisling showcases his skill for characters and descriptive writing in this story, and does not spare the reader from disgust. What sets this one apart is the emotion it invokes. It’s a diminutive story, but one that packs a lot of meat and emotion into its page count and will haunt the reader long after.

Keisling tackles capitalism as a soul-consuming force in the sterling “The Smile Factory,” concerning how a faceless corporation can become as monstrous as any eldritch deity. The criticism is clear but never overly blunt, and Keisling is clearly enjoying himself with portrayals of office worker drones that service the darkest forces. Never look an HR rep in the eye, they can sense your fear.

One of the final standouts is the brave “Gethsemane,” told from the perspective of none other than Judas Iscariot, who encounters Jesus himself on a night like any other. What Judas learns plunges him into a nightmare from which he cannot escape. Tackling Christianity as a literally cannibalistic force in the cold and infinite void, this is Keisling at his best. This is a story that burrows under the reader’s skin.

The themes in Cold, Black & Infinite: Stories of the Horrific & Strange make for entertaining and engaging reads since Keisling’s terror is all about people and how adrift they are against forces that seek to consume them. In some cases very literally. But while lost in the cold, black, and infinite voids, Keisling’s writing will keep you warm.