“Demon in Aisle 6”
Nightmare Magazine 38
Ed. John Joseph Adams
November 18, 2015
Honorable Mention, The Best Horror of the Year Vol. 8

“One of my very favorite stories out this year has been the very recent ‘Demon in Aisle 6’ by Matthew Kressel” (in the November 2015 issue of Nightmare Magazine), which combines a deeply tragic story about loss and guilt and also examines insular communities and the vulnerability of people without support. I will admit that this story had me in tears reading it and did so with a strong tension and a mastery of pathos. More than that, the story made me think about how far the world has come in recognizing certain kinds of people and just how little that can mean to those living under a constant threat of violence.” – SFSignal

“Stories like this wreck me. Just absolutely wreck me. There is an aching beauty and tragedy to this story that just sits like a weight on my chest. In short, it is an amazing story, amazingly sad and moving and okay it’s been a while since I’ve cried like that but hurrah, my eyes still work for that…But my glob is this a beautiful story. A haunting story that looks at fear and guilt, a story that shows us that we are all made of stars, but we are not all free. Fuck. Seriously go and check out this story. It is amazing and all the yes.” — Charles Payseur at Quick Sip Reviews

“With a loss and tragedy at its heart, “Demon in Aisle 6″ by Matthew Kressel is an oatmeal IPA, brash and confident and raw and conflicted all at once, with a dark finish that makes it a drink (and a story) that sticks with you long after the glass is empty… the story makes excellent use of the horror and trauma of the situation, and also takes care to leave some room for hope, for life, for love.” — Nerds of a Feather, Flock Together

“Suicide and tragic queer love are perhaps easy triggers for getting people to feel deeply. But this story isn’t cheap or obvious, treats the subject matter with the respect and weight it deserves and delivers a devastating look at guilt and privilege and community and how all these things can shape a person, can shape shame and shape violence and shape hatred. It is the most outwardly violent and tragic of the stories on this list (perhaps because it appeared in a spec horror pub), but it is also a story that lodges in the brain and brought a great many tears to my eyes.” — Sippy Awards

Storyological discusses and praises “Demon in Aisle 6” in their fourth podcast.

“Pretty good.” — Sam Tomaino at SFRevu