A.S. King's intro sets the stage for the story: nine authors, each given a prompt to write a story about a person and their unique collection (and make it weird). But the magic of The Collectors lies in how each author twists this concept into something more than just an accumulation of things. In these stories, collecting becomes a reflection of memory, identity, loss, and even trauma. And it's all dark AF. I loved it. 

The strength of The Collectors lies in the diversity of voices and experiences. While the concept of collecting is universal, the stories in this anthology feel incredibly personal, each author bringing their own perspective and themes we know them for to the idea. What makes this collection truly stand out is the way these stories ask big questions: What do we collect and why? What does a collection say about us, about our hopes, our fears, and the ways we cope with the world around us? It made me think about my own collections - both physical and metaphorical. I always say I am not sentimental and that if my house burned to the ground, there's little I would miss. But what if my mind, my memories, burned to the ground? Dementia is one of my biggest fears in growing older. 

The audiobook adds a special layer, particularly since one of the stories is illustrated (listen to a sample here). The different narrators for each story add a sense of variety and freshness, while still allowing the collection to feel cohesive as a whole. My favorite stories were by Cory McCarthy, M.T. Anderson (absolutely horrifying - give me more), and Randy Ribay. In a world that often tells us to let go of the past and focus on the future, The Collectors is a reminder that sometimes the things we gather, whether physical or emotional, are what make us who we are. This collection is a treasure in itself, a mosaic of voices that will stay with you long after you finish reading. When you read other reviews, you'll see that everyone took a different piece of it for their own collection. And that's why I am here writing a review. I hope you'll give it a try.