Author / Warren Benedetto

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Posts by Warren Benedetto

Warren Benedetto writes dark fiction about horrible people, horrible places, and horrible things. He is an award-winning author and a full member of the SFWA. His stories have appeared in publications such as Dark Matter Magazine, The Dread Machine, and Haven Spec; on podcasts such as The NoSleep Podcast, Tales to Terrify, and The Creepy Podcast; and in anthologies from Apex Magazine, Scare Street, Eerie River Publishing, and more. His hobbies include sleeping, hitting snooze, sleeping some more, and naps. For more information, visit www.warrenbenedetto.com and follow @warrenbenedetto on Twitter.
by Warren Benedetto

“The Man Who Ate the Road” accepted by Haven Spec Magazine

My weird horror story The Man Who Ate the Road has been accepted by Haven Spec Magazine. When a woman tries to return home after visiting her abusive father, she discovers that the road is closed … but just for her.

It wasn’t until I had already steered onto the narrow shoulder and rolled to a stop that I began to realize how risky it was for me to pull over. I was a woman driving by myself down a deserted highway in the middle of the night, in the middle of the woods, in the middle of nowhere. I was completely and utterly alone.

by Warren Benedetto

Listen to “A Piece of the Sky” on The NoSleep Podcast

The audio production of my sci-fi horror story A Piece of the Sky has been released by The NoSleep Podcast. It’s told through the testimony of the surviving member of a two-person asteroid mining crew that picked up an unfortunate souvenir during their expedition. The story starts around 33:00.

The story was originally published by The Dread Machine in October. It’s free to read online now and will appear in their Issue 2.4 print issue soon. The print magazine is gorgeous and copies sell out fast, so you should pre-order one now while you can.

With all due respect, sir, you don’t know what you’re talking about. There was no way Bakely could’ve known what the thing was when he picked it up. It looked like a rock. Hell, it was a rock, just a hunk of the asteroid’s crust that he grabbed as a souvenir for his kid. There’s no way he could’ve known it was a nest.

by Warren Benedetto

“Set For Life” Audio Edition released by Dark Matter Magazine

The Audio Edition of my cyberpunk story Set For Life has been released by Dark Matter Magazine. This is an extraordinary production, with top-notch narration, acting, and sound design. The MP3 can be purchased for $1.99, or you can get it for free as part of your Dark Matter Deluxe membership. You can’t go wrong with either choice.

Andy loaded the body into the back of the van, then slammed the door. “Last one,” he called out, knocking on the rear door with his knuckles.

by Warren Benedetto

“Set For Life” selected for the Zero Dark Thirty anthology

My cyberpunk story Set For Life has been selected by Dark Matter Magazine for their Zero Dark Thirty anthology, a curated collection of the 30 darkest stories that have appeared in the magazine during their first two years. Considering the incredible quality of all the stories in Dark Matter, it’s a huge honor to be included in this anthology.

My cyberpunk thriller Override was also published in Dark Matter as a serial novella in Issues 007, 008, and 009. Override is set in the same world as Set For Life, a dystopian future where desperate people sell themselves to a mega-corporation that turns them into AI-driven automatons in exchange for lifetime payments to their families. You can read Override and Set For Life for free on the Stories page.

by Warren Benedetto

Read the entire “Override” novella for free

The full version of my cyberpunk thriller Override is now available to read for free.

“This conversation will be the last thing you remember.”

Originally published as a three-part serial in Dark Matter Magazine Issues 007, 008, and 009, Override is the story of a man who volunteers to be converted into an AI-driven automaton in exchange for a company taking care of his wife and his sickly son for the rest of their lives. But when the company reneges on its end of the bargain, his wife must navigate an underworld of violent criminals and corrupt corporations to find him, free him, and bring him back home.

by Warren Benedetto

“From Below” published in Parsec #5

My post-apocalyptic eco-horror story From Below has been published in Parsec #5. In the flooded remains of Old Manhattan, the wealthy live in penthouses and dine on fresh meat, while everyone else is left to fend for themselves against the unseen horrors lurking just below the surface.

The boy from the boat—the one who had spoken to him only minutes earlier—was at the window, pounding on the glass. His face was a mask of pure terror. Panicked, the boy looked over his shoulder, then down at Jeremy. He screamed, his lips forming two words that Jeremy easily understood, even through the thick, soundproof glass.

“Help me!”

by Warren Benedetto

“A Sinking Feeling” published in the Emergence anthology

My underwater horror story A Sinking Feeling has been published in the Emergence anthology by The Writer’s Cache. It’s the story of two survivors trapped in an air pocket in a sunken ship at the bottom of the ocean. And they’re not alone.

I didn’t know how long we had been underwater at that point—we had no way to measure time—but for however long it was, we hadn’t heard any noises outside of our own movement and the occasional groan of the ship’s structure as it settled into the ocean floor. But this noise was different.

Something was moving. And it was close.

by Warren Benedetto

“Feed the Worm” published in the Beautiful Darkness anthology

My horror story Feed the Worm has been published in the Beautiful Darkness anthology from Dragon Soul Press. If you like stories about carnivorous cosmic murder worms, this is the one for you!

The girl was on her knees, crouched low behind the rear bumper. Exhaust swirled around her, lit up a hellish red by the glow of the taillights. Her hair hung over her face in damp ropes. Breath steamed from her nose in short, rapid bursts. She looked up at Ben. Her eyes were wide with terror. “Hide,” she whispered.

You can also listen to the audio production of Feed the Worm on the Night’s End Podcast.