Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Monsters of Heaven | 2007 | Nathan Ballingrud | Buy |
| 2 | The Crevasse | 2009 | Nathan Ballingrud | Buy |
| 3 | The Visible Filth | 2015 | Nathan Ballingrud | Buy |
| 4 | The Butcher’s Table | 2019 | Nathan Ballingrud | Buy |
Nathan Ballingrud’s standalone short fiction includes several notable works. The Visible Filth (2015) was adapted into the film Wounds (2019), and The Butcher’s Table (2019) is a novella set in the same world as his Wounds collection. The Monsters of Heaven (2007) and The Crevasse (2009) are earlier pieces that helped establish his reputation.
The Visible Filth is a novella about a New Orleans bartender who finds a lost cell phone containing disturbing images. The story builds slowly, letting dread accumulate through ordinary details. Its film adaptation starred Armie Hammer and Dakota Johnson, though reviewers generally preferred Ballingrud’s original.
The Crevasse (2009) is a collaboration with Dale Bailey, set during a polar expedition. The Butcher’s Table expands the mythology Ballingrud developed in his Wounds collection, following characters into a hellish landscape. These standalone pieces are good entry points for readers curious about his work but not ready to commit to a full collection.