Title: Dead Husband EnergyAuthor: Stacie Herrington
First Published: March 2, 2026
Publisher: Self-Published
Pages: 44
Genre: Comedy, Dark Comedy, Horror, Short Stories
Format: Ebook
Source: Review Request
Rating:
Synopsis:
Budding self-help author Natalie is the world’s worst therapist, with the possible exception of her husband Greg. When Natalie’s least favorite client goes missing, she gets blackmailed into performing a dark ritual to find out what happened to her—and soon finds herself dragged into a supernatural power struggle more personal and more dangerous than she could ever imagine.
If only she had paid more attention in grad school, maybe she could therapy-talk her way out of this.
Dead Husband Energy is a darkly funny tale about terrible people who will do anything to get what they want, even from beyond the grave. As long as it's, you know, not too much work.
Get the Book: AmazonReview
Dead Husband Energy is a fast paced and fun short that was the good palette cleanser between heavier books. It follows “the world’s worst therapist” as she’s drawn into the mystery of a missing client with supernatural implications. The story went in zany directions that I found unexpected which kept it fresh.
The narration to me was very millennial coded, full of sarcasm and a little cringe (and I say this affectionately as an 80s millennial). I could imagine this story playing out on a television episode of a mid-2000s comedy sitcom in the style of Parks and Recreation and The Office, with the characters talking separately to the camera. This book will tickle the right reader, and it’s a solid debut novella by the author.
Quote
“So much effort, and for what? Pedestrian soap opera dialogue?”
Content Warnings
View Spoiler »About the Author
About Stacie Herrington
Stacie Herrington is an American author, screenwriter, and film journalist. As a child, she frequently got in trouble for sneaking horror books into the house; once, she was grounded for trying to buy a how-to book on witchcraft. She survived into adulthood despite those difficulties, and now enjoys writing feminist/intersectional horror for the page and screen, as well as a quarterly film review column. She spends most of her time brooding and getting the absolute worst songs stuck in her head for weeks on end. She received her MFA but then woke up and it was all a dream. Stacie is a member of the Horror Writers Association and, as of the date of this publication, has not yet proven that she isn’t immortal.
Discover more from Radical Dreamer
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
