"The Sound of Children Screaming" is a 2023 fantasy/horror short story by Rachael K. Jones. It was first published in Nightmare.
Synopsis During a school shooting, fourth-grade teacher Michelle Dalton and eight of her students find themselves in a magical world — which may be more dangerous than the one they just fled.
Reception "The Sound of Children Screaming" was a finalist for the Nebula Award for Best Short Story in 2023,The Sound of Children Screaming, at Science Fiction Writers of America; retrieved March 29, 2024 the 2024 Hugo Award for Best Short Story,2024 Hugo Finalists, by Mike Glyer; at File 770; published March 29, 2024; retrieved March 29, 2024 the 2024 World Fantasy Award—Short Fiction,2024 World Fantasy Awards Winners, in Locus; published October 20, 2024; retrieved August 19, 2025 and the 2023 Bram Stoker Award for Short Fiction.Here Are the Nominees for the 2023 Bram Stoker Awards; by Molly Templeton; in Reactor; published February 22, 2024; retrieved March 29, 2024 It was included on Locuss recommended reading list for 2023.Welcome to the annual Locus Recommended Reading List!, published February 1, 2024; retrieved March 29, 2024
Tangent Online called it "scary and thought-provoking" and "definitely worth reading".Nightmare #133, October 2023, reviewed by László Szegedi; at Tangent Online; published October 20, 2023; retrieved March 29, 2024 A. C. Wise considered it to be one of the top ten stories of 2023.The Year in Review 2023, by A. C. Wise; in Locus; published February 10, 2024; retrieved March 29, 2024
References
External links Text of the story