After Sundown edited by Mark Morris
I would like to thank Flame Tree Press for an advance version of this collection in exchange for a fair and honest review
Publisher – Flame Tree Press
Published – Out Now
Price - £20.00 Hardcover £6.95 Kindle eBook
This new anthology contains 20 original horror stories, 16 of which have been commissioned from some of the top names in the genre, and 4 of which have been selected from the 100s of stories sent to Flame Tree during a 2-week open submissions window. It is the first of what will hopefully become an annual, non-themed horror anthology of entirely original stories, showcasing the very best short fiction that the genre has to offer.
For me one of the joys of horror and something I’ve enjoyed more and more on the blog is the variety of tales we now have designed to scare and unsettle us. The horror anthology is a brilliant way to demonstrate the range of the genre and introduce us to tales from authors old and new to me. In the new collection After Sundown edited by Mark Morris, we get a wonderful variety of new tales.
Amongst the stories I enjoyed were
Butterfly Island by CJ Tudor – despite the charming title a grim tale where the human race faces extinction. A small group of survivors try to flee to safety and nothing sale is left. Very much a tale where whatever can go wrong will go wrong. Dark humour and grimness combined!
Research by Tim Lebbon – An author finds himself kidnapped by neighbours who want to test his reactions. A cold tale of revenge/madness which the reader is forced to watch but its grippign to see if escape is an option.
Swanskin by Alison Littlewood – This is a wonderful folk horror tale focusing on a woman who may have once been a swan living in a cruel village. The tale is both tragic and vengeful and its been really well told.
That’s The Spirit by Sarah Lotz – A tale of a fake psychic and his elderly accomplice who suddenly find themselves actually getting messages that appear to be from the spirit world. It feels light and funny but there a darker tale lurking underneath. Very smart horror and one of my favourites.
Gave by Michael Bailey - An elderly man giving blood doesn’t feel horrific but this slice of SF horror shows us a world where the human race is over a few decades dying out. We watch a man’s life in reverse and all the tragedies and triumphs in his life. Devastatingly good
Wherever You Look by Ramsay Campbell – An author gets asked about a character in his book he has no memory of. This sends him down a rabbit hole of research and revelations that Campbell slowly sets to ensnare both the character and also the reader. A fascinating conclusion!
Same Time Next Year by Angela Slatter – One of my favourites in the collection is this tale of Cindy sitting in a graveyard as she does once a year. But we soon find she’s dead – it’s a dark tale of violence and a cycle that never ends. Manages to be both sad and horrific at the same time.
Mine Seven by Elana Gomel - A really unique tale of a town in the Arctic circle where the lights go out. Mixes the horror of climate change with ancient folk tales. Open-ended and full of a few surprises with lots of bad things happening.
Creeping Ivy by Laura Purcell – A relived widower in a stately home celebrates his wife’s demise but her garden has other ideas. A tale putting us in the main character’s head to see his hopes and then growing revelation that his nightmare is very real.
Last Rites for the Fourth World by Rick Cross – This is probably my absolute pick of the stories. We go across the globe and see a variety of famous myths meet their doom in strange circumstances. This feel a fin de circle tale and we both feel loos of our old favourites of horror and the supernatural but a growing dread of what is around the corner. The future is scary. Totally unique and well worth a look.
We All Come Home by Simon Bestwick – A man returns to a strange ground that he can’t quite remember why he is afraid of it. A touch of childhood nostalgia and a dash of Stranger Things. Beware what works in the shadows.
The Naughty Step by Stephen Volk – one of the darkest stories, as a child is found at a crime scene and needs a support worker to assist. The child refuses to leave the step and this story goes darker and darker – a touch of Henry James awaits the reader.
A Hotel in Germany by Catriona Ward – A story of a demanding film star and their assistant changes into something weirder and nastier where we see an entire horrible world that uses people. Surprising and unsettling.
It’s a very smart collection and I think lots of horror fans will find across the wider collection something that appeals but I look forward to this becoming an annual trick or treat.
