American Monsters Part 2 edited by Margret Helgadottir

Publisher - Fox Spirit

Published - Out Now

Price - £10 paperback

Here be monsters! They lurk and crawl and fly in the shadows of our mind. We know them from ancient legends and tales whispered in the campfire. They hide under the dark bridge, in the deep woods or out on the great plains….We adore them still. We want to give them a renaissance, to re-establish their dark reputation, to give them a comeback, let the world know of their real terror.

One of my favourite annual collections is Magret Helgadottir’s latest instalment of the Monsters project - Now up to it’s sixth instalment. The premise of the collection is frankly brilliant. A collection of tales built around the monsters of each continent but importantly written by authors either from or with connections to the area. Its a chance to understand stories and myths as a UK reader I’m woefully unaware of; find new authors to follow and also explore how horror works differently and similarly in other lands and cultures. Each book has a slightly different approach when looked at how monsters evolve in our world - and of course that reflects what in our culture makes us afraid. We now reach North and Central America from Mexico to Canada and including the Carribean islands. As always a wonderful collection

In this anthology amongst the stories that I enjoyed are

Return to Pleasure Island by Cory Doctorow - A tale that combines the eerie funland from Pinochio; theme park’s disregard for their employers and golems. Its a wonderful bit of worldbuilding and because of its premise you’re not sure what horror is actually going on and who is the real monster - I suspect capitalism.

It’ll Be Fine by Kelly Sandoval - this tale in Nevada explores the role of the crow in culture. A woman and her disaster of a husband are trying to survive yet another financial crisis he has caused on her. A kindly crow though seems to take pity. I loved how the story gives us a magical sense of wonder as someone is helped and a reminder that crows can also be seen as representing something a lot darker and more menacing - the duality of the monster and which side we may take depending on circumstances.

Douen Mother - An unsettling story of grief that explores the carribean myth of the douen spirits of children who die in childbirth and are in purgatory but then lead other children to their death. A mother who has lost her baby is in a sea of grief and is being haunted by a young child. You really feel for our lead and yet this story is leading to yet more tragedy.

Cuca by Ernest Hogan - a tale of a female wrestler, an aspiring movie maker and a hotel in the land known as the Aztlan that appears to hold many monsters and myths. Its a weird frenetic ride in the culture of pre-Columbian people and is just full of dark wonders. Loved the respect for the old world that was shown here despite the premise.

The River Song by Anne Michaud - this tale is of a French Canadian myth and quite a recent one Bonhomme Sep Heures was a bogeyman children were told to avoid by staying at home when it gets dark. I loved how the wilderness being encroached on by human settlers is being combined with a simple myth from Europe. A young man that Sept Heures has been caring for has to decide if he really wants to still be a monster. It feels fitting that in the New World we learn to adapt our horrors accordingly for new purposes.

Trinkets by Tobias S. Buckall this tale of the undead explores Haitian culture and history where a man has a mission to meet a slaver in a tavern. Its s a tale that reminds us of the horrors the colonists inflicted in the name of profit and a reminder that Haiti rebelled and took action against its rulers. Very satisfying!

Hunger by Catherine Lundoff - an extremely arrogant hunter and his friend ignore warnings and go into the woods at night. This story tackles the wendigo and is another story where the reader may find they are not entirely against the concept of monsters.

What Happened to Mrs Eleonora Valdemar by Carmelo Rafala - this feels a huge american gothic story based around the Rawhead (the less you know about this one the better) told in a series on one sided letters from a woman despairing of her arrogant husband while her pregnant sister is getting unwanted attention by something in the night.

Not for Amateurs by Krista Walsh - a online video channel that explores monster myths decides for its last episode with the original crew to go into the Quebec wilderness in search of the werewolf. Its a modern day adventure but from the reader’s perspective the horror is knowing they’ve really made a huge mistake. Loved the build up the confrontation you just know is going to happen.

Mimosa Versus The Soucouyant by Tonya Liburd - I loved this story in particular as it explores different interpretations of the vampire myth. We have Mimosa a black vampire (originally a slave in North America) exploring her ancient history but finds a carribean variation on the same myth (yet a very different one) has decided she will be prey. This is about a game of cat and mouse but between two cats and there is a glorious fight scene to enjoy too.

The Fifth Hand of The Ahuizotl by Federico Schaffler - this story is almost SF! Its set in near future Mexico after a recent war with the US. The new President of Mexico is about to get schooled in the true history of the country. It reminds us of how Mexico was colonised and also sets up an alterative mythology for the country to now follow. Fascinating worldbuilding to enjoy.

The Whalebone Parrot by Darcie Little Badger - another of my favourites in the collection. A Lipan Apache orphan whose parents were victims of the 19th century US govt genocide. She has been hired to attend a relative in the guise of a future nursemaid on a lighthouse. There a mysterious parrot becomes a friend but the bird is killed by a cat. Emily watches as her sister gets stranger and stranger in the aftermath - a wonderfully creepy tale that I found extremely unsettling.

As always this was a brilliant collection helping me to understand the myths and legends of a continent but also see what scares a culture. In this edition not only was there land but also an exploration of the horror colonisation but also the melding of legends as well. It was fascinating and I urge everyone to start reading these books!