A small collection of dark science fiction by Bram Stoker Award-winning author Michael Bailey. Includes "Darkroom" and "SAD Face" , and "Fade to Black" .DARKROOM: After living most of her life blindfolded, for fear of what she might see, Grace shifts though time in a series of strange experiments involving old-fashioned black-and-white photography in order to create a flipbook of her father aging in reverse. Near completion of her project, and no longer able to go through with it on her own, she brings along her likewise blindfolded and temporarily deafened sister, for fear of what they might also hear in their travels, and together they take snapshots, wandering their childhood home, hand-in-hand, albeit with added disabilities to protect them from that which doesn’t hide so well in the past. The undeveloped, they soon discover, what they’d forgotten of their troubled youth, is perhaps more frightening than what they later develop in the darkroom.

SAD FACE: Yuliya dons a prosthetic face designed to help her cope with Social Anxiety Disorder, the essential oil infused mask not only disguising her expression, but the wet city stench as it soothes. Time, it can only stop when someone takes a photo, and that’s what they did, whoever made it; they took her picture and made her a mask to hide behind whenever social phobia bullied her. A dead-face: expressionless, eyes only visible through open sockets, mouth slightly parted; the way she imagined she’d look the day she died. And now, whenever someone sees her, or stares at her, wearing her Yuliya mask, they are looking at her past. Yet behind her SAD face, she sometimes finds confidence, until she takes it off to uncover the woman hiding beneath.

FADE TO BLACK: A bonus short story that explores optophobia, the fear of opening one’s eyes.

Reader Reviews

Mindi

(5/5)

Jul 07, 2025

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The book I received is a hardcover, signed by the author and numbered 28/60. This edition also includes the story SAD Face. This small collection is titled Oversight, but it isn't listed on Goodreads yet, so I'm reviewing each story separately. Right from the first sentence I was immediately drawn into this story. As it progressed I was utterly engrossed. This is a bizarre little story with a rather disturbing ending. I he...

Jackie Cowgill (LanternsJourney)

This triad of stories was like great poetry; You may not fully understand it, but you get the feeling and message and it gets under your skin. The overall message here is opening your eyes to the truth. Whether it's the truth of your past, who you truly are, or your greatest fears.I love the sensory themes and stream of consciousness style of writing for the stories, especially in Dark Room, which was extremely haunting. You discover the sister's past with them, first, through only snapshots and...

Linsey Knerl

(4/5)

I don’t know that I’ve read more lovely prose from a modern author. Perfect words on every page. A very enjoyable read.While the endings of the stories had so much resolution that they left me wanting a bit more (sadness, uncertainty?), I loved the journey of getting there. Truly unique premises for both SAD face and Darkroom. Bailey is one to watch.

Maureen Connelly

The title story started out slow for me. Time traveling senior citizens? Taking hundreds of pictures of their past? Huh? I kept reading and it slowly began to dawn on me that this was a story of human horror. The kind that survivors bury deep in their psyches. I began to read faster to find out what happened in the past to keep the two women blind and deaf for so long. I’ll need to go back and reread it again!“SAD Face” was another kick in the teeth. I’d prefer an emotional support animal for so...

Iseult Murphy

To see or not to seeTwo novellas and a short story that each deal with sight and truth in different ways. In the first, two elderly sisters travel back in time to their childhood. In the second, a woman with social anxiety hides behind a mask. In the third, a woman is haunted after nearly drowning as a child. Beautifully written, the emotions of the characters are deeply moving and profound. There is a lot to think about in these tales. I will be looking out for more of this authors work for sur...

Carrie Blythe

4.50 stars

Emily

(3/5)

I thought this story was about one thing, and it turned out to be about something else. I feel like this story went over my head a bit. It got kind of complicated, and I'm still not entirely sure what happened. That being said, it was still an interesting story, and it had my attention.

Valerie

Never read anything quite like these stories. They are unique in the way that they will probably affect each reader differently. Of course every story does that to some extent but for me I needed to reread each one after finishing it. Really enjoyed the second read through, rather like an “ahh ha” moment.

Shane Douglas Douglas

Another fantastic story from Bailey. Review coming soon.

Hannah Selector

A collection of three short stories, "Oversight" is a dark, moving, and at times baffling read that will please most any fans of the strange, dark and haunting. The premise of each tale is strikingly creative and immediately gripping, and it is these novel scenarios combined with strong, attention-grabbing beginnings that represent the strength the book. In the first story, "Darkroom," two elderly sisters conduct a strange camera experiment as they attempt to reconstruct their childhood, piecing...

Tracy Robinson

Full review to come for www.scifiandscary.com soon. Need to process this one a little more - darn good, but my mind is all twisted upFrom Sci Fi and Scary review:First, this story left me with a “what in the heck did I just read” feeling. It is such a head trip. Honestly. In fact, upon finishing, I immediately ran to other bookish friends to talk it out. I am okay with not knowing if interpreted the story correctly; I think it is supposed to leave the reader feeling disjointed and unsure of real...

Subscribe to Read | $0.00

Popular Genres

Subscribe to Read | $0.00

Oversight

Oversight

Oversight

More books from Michael Bailey

Miscreations: Gods, Monstrosities & Other Horrors

The Library of the Dead

Zippered Flesh: Tales of Body Enhancements Gone Bad!

Chiral Mad 3

It's Alive: Bringing Your Nightmares to Life (The Dream Weaver, #2)

100 Doors to Madness

Zippered Flesh 2

Adam's Ladder

Uncommon Assassins

Chiral Mad 4: An Anthology of Collaborations

Chiral Mad 2

Chiral Mad

Something Wicked Anthology, Vol One

Our Children, Our Teachers

You, Human

HWA Poetry Showcase Volume VI

The Shadow of the Unknown

Palindrome Hannah

Phoenix Rose

Here Be Clowns

Reader Reviews