Каарон Уоррен - The Best Horror of the Year Volume Ten

Horror Library Volume 6 edited by Eric J. Guignard (Cutting Block Press) is an excellent, un-themed anthology of twenty-seven stories. More than half the stories are notable, particularly those by Marc E. Fitch, Thomas P. Balázs, and Carole Johnstone. The Fitch and the Johnstone are reprinted herein.

Halloween Carnival Volume 1—5 edited by Brian James Freeman was published by Cemetery Dance’s new e-book imprint Hydra. It’s a series of mini-anthologies to be published for Halloween, with new stories and reprints. There are notable new stories by John R. Little, Lee Thomas, Kealan-Patrick Burke, Lisa Tuttle, and Norman Prentiss.

Dark Screams Volume Seven edited by Brian James Freeman and Richard Chizmar (CD-Hydra) contains six stories, four of them new. The best originals are by Kaaron Warren, Bill Schweigart, James Renner, and a novella by Brian Hodge. The Hodge and the Warren are reprinted herein. Dark Screams Volume Eight had six stories, all new but one. The best was Glen Hirshberg’s oddity “India Blue” about cricket.

Nights of the Living Dead edited by Jonathan Maberry and George A. Romero (St. Martin’s Griffin) is an anthology of twenty new stories taking place on the night that the infamous zombie apocalypse began. Unfortunately, only a few entries bring much new to the table, but there are some notable stories by Mira Grant, Brian Keene, Joe R. Lansdale, Mike Carey, and David Wellington. The Grant is reprinted herein.

In the Footsteps of Dracula edited by Stephen Jones (Pegasus Books) is an all-reprint anthology of stories featuring Count Dracula throughout history.

Terror Tales of Cornwall edited by Paul Finch (Telos) is the first new volume in the series since 2015. Telos has taken over publication from Gary Fry’s Gray Friar Press, which shut down in 2016. This new volume continues with the same editor and same format, with brief historical vignettes breaking up each story. All but two are new. There are notable stories by Ray Cluley, Mark Morris, Reggie Oliver, John Whitbourn, DP Watt, Mark Samuels, Sarah Singleton, and Steve Jordan.

Darker Companions: Celebrating 50 Years of Ramsey Campbell selected and edited by Scott David Aniolowski and Joseph S. Pulver, Sr. (PS Publishing), features twenty new stories honoring the great Ramsey Campbell. The strongest stories are by Cody Goodfellow, Kaaron Warren, Orrin Grey, Adam L. G. Nevill, Jeffrey Thomas, Alison Littlewood, Gary McMahon, Michael Griffin, Marc Laidlaw, and Christopher Slatsky. The Grey is reprinted herein.

Shadows and Tall Trees Volume 7 edited by Michael Kelly (Undertow) epitomizes the idea of, and is the most consistent venue for weird, usually dark fiction. This volume features nineteen varied stories, covering a wide range of themes. Well worth your time. There were notable stories by Brian Evenson, Harmony Neal, Michael Wehunt, V. H. Leslie, Laura Mauro, Charles Wilkinson, Robert Levy, Simon Strantzas, Malcolm Devlin, Robert Shearman, M. Rickert, Conrad Williams, and Manish Melwani.

Hellfire Crossroads 6: Horror with Heart edited by Trevor Denyer (Midnight Street Press) has twenty-two stories, most of them horror, some dark fantasy, and a few mainstream. There were notable stories by Len Dawson, David Penn, Alex Zivko-Clark, Steve D. Hamilton, Andrew Darlington, Neal Privitt, and Tony Fosgate.

The Dark Half of the Year: By the North Bristol Writers edited by Ian Milstead and Peter Sutton (Far Horizons) focuses on the ghostly in these eighteen stories by regional writers. The best are by Madeleine Meyjes and Clare Dornan.

New Fears edited by Mark Morris (Titan Books) is an excellent all-original un-themed anthology with nineteen stories. Most of the stories are really, really good. The Gallagher is reprinted herein.

Black Feathers: Dark Avian Tales edited by Ellen Datlow (Pegasus Books) is an anthology of fifteen dark stories and one poem about various kinds of birds, all but two published for the first time.

Haunted Nights edited by Ellen Datlow and Lisa Morton (A Blumhouse Book/Anchor Books Original) is the most recent Horror Writers Association anthology and features sixteen new stories about horror’s favorite holiday, Halloween, and others’ cultures celebrations held around the same time. John Langan’s novella is reprinted herein.

Wicked Haunted: An Anthology by the New England Horror Writers edited by Scott T. Goudsward, Daniel G. Keohane, and David Price (NEHW Press) is an all-original anthology of twenty-four stories and poems about hauntings, with interior art by Ogmios, Judi Calhoun, and Kali Moulton. There are notable stories by James A. Moore, Trisha J. Wooldridge, and KH Vaughn.

Witches: Weirdbook Annual #1 edited by Douglas Draa (Wildside) is the first in a project annual series. It has twenty-one stories and twelve poems. The best was by Matt Neil Hill.

California Screaming edited by Danielle Kaheaku (Barking Deer Press) has fourteen new stories that take place in California. The strongest are by Sarah Read, E. S. Magill, and Aaron C. Smith.

A Breath from the Sky: Unusual Stories of Possession edited by Scott R. Jones (Martian Migraine Press) is an anthology of twenty-one stories, five reprints. There were notable stories by Jonathan Raab, Megan Arkenberg, Gordon B. White, Cody Goodfellow, Premee Mohamed, and Aaron Vlek.

The Beauty of Death II: Death by Water edited by Alessandro Manzetti and Jodi Renee Lester (Independent Legions Publishing) is a big anthology of thirty-nine stories. Eleven are reprints. There are notable original stories by John Langan, Nicola Lombardi, Lisa Morton, Michael Arnzen, Michael Bailey, Simon Bestwick, Daniele Bonfanti, Daniel Braum, Marge Simon, and Lucy A. Snyder.

A Suggestion of Ghosts: Supernatural Fiction by Women 1854—1900 edited by J. A. Mains (Black Shuck Books) features fifteen ghost stories never reprinted after their initial publication. Cover art by Les Edwards. Interiors by Mike Mignola.

Great British Horror 2: Dark Satanic Mills edited by Steve J. Shaw (Black Shuck Books) is a solid annual anthology showcasing modern British horror (with one international author). This volume of eleven stories and novelettes has notable work by Charlotte Bond, Carole Johnstone, Andrew Freudenberg, Cate Gardner, Marie O’Regan, and Angela Slatter.

Unspeakable Horror 2: Abominations of Desire edited by Vince A. Liaguno (Evil Jester Press) features twenty LGBT horror stories, all but three new. There are notable new stories by Gemma Files, Stephen Graham Jones, and Marshall Moore.

Imposter Syndrome edited by James Everington and Dan Howarth (Dark Minds Press) is an all-original anthology of ten stories about doppelgängers, changelings, and other types of duplicates—real or not. There are notable stories by Georgina Bruce, Ralph Robert Moore, and Timothy J. Jarvis.

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep edited by P. D. Cacek and Laura J. Hickman (Necon Books) is a charity anthology with all proceeds going to the Jimmy Fund/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The book is in tribute to the late Bob Booth, known as Papa Necon. Included are thirty-four short stories, poems, and a comic. Nine are reprints. The best of the originals are by Doungjai Gam, Tony Tremblay, and Marianne Halbert.

Tales from Miskatonic University Library edited by Darrell Schweitzer and John Ashmead (PS Publishing) has terrific cover art and end papers by J. K. Potter. Most of the thirteen stories are a bit too close to mythos pastiche for my taste, but there are two notable contributions by P. D. Cacek and A. C. Wise.

Black Wings VI: New Tales of Lovecraftian Horror edited by S. T. Joshi (PS Publishing) features twenty-two stories and poems (all but one new). The best are by Ann K. Schwader, Donald Tyson, Steve Rasnic Tem, Jonathan Thomas, and David Hambling.