Ho! Ho! Ho!

Sadly I’ve been ratehr unwell with a bad bout of flu so I’m playing catch up on the blog and its time to don my red robe (no not the devil suit) but as that mysterious traveller in time and space know as Santa Womble. Looking for last minute gift ideas or what to do with those book token syou’ve been given. I am as always here to help. This condensed run through of books that caught my eye may help and lets start with a look at some interesting collections and anthologies that caught my eye.

As its Christmas horror jumps to mind and I loved Out There Screaming - An Anthology of New Black Horror edited by Jordan Peele — a feast of Black author delivering brilliant horror. Now in paperback and carrying a shed load of awards its a great spooky read.

For those who enjoy their tales trying different forms of storytelling then come closer and get hold of Dead Letters: Episodes of Epistolatory Horror Edited by Jacob Steven Mohr — Dead Letters: Episodes of Epistolatory Horror Edited by Jacob Steven Mohr — The Shelves where we have letters, diaries, podcasts and more creating a very unusual set of tales.

Not only brining me back to the 1990s but also a fantastic modern folk horror idea used brilliantly by its authors with For Tomorrow edited by Dan Coxon we have a story that explores the aftermath for the survivors and for me delivered wonderfully chilling horror too!

I love a themed collection and the way cities become something dark and dangerous in Hunting By The River by Daniel Carpenter really worked for me and also underlined carpenter is a great new voice in weird fiction.

There are authors I must read and when Alison Littlewood released A Curious Cartography by Alison Littlewood — I needed it in my veins and excellent horror tales ensued!

A new author for me who cleverly combines horror with archaeology awaited in Dirt Upon My Skin by Steve Toase which really does make a powerful impact and a fine collection for a winter night!

Also in horror Bound In Blood edited by Johnny Mains was a fine treat to the idea of books being dangerous cursed things - as anyone whose TBR pile has fallen on their toes can attest!

Another very strong collection out this year is Preaching to the Perverted by James Bennett and Bennett delivers a mature and strong set of tales that feel reflective and also memorable!

One of the best anthologies this year is Sinophagia - A Celebration of Chinese Horror edited by Xueting C Ni — Runalong The Shelves which really helps demonstrate the growing strength of Chinese horror this century

Always a delight to read dan Coxon’s short fiction too and I think Come Sing For The Harrowing: Stories by Dan Coxon — is their strongest collection to date and I strongly urge you to get hold of a copy! Weird fiction meets folk horror who needs more than that?

I do enjoy themed collections and the sense of place is used very well in The Hotel by Daisy Johnson this is a very eerie read indeed!

Missing worldcon then how about a reminder of Glasgow in the form of Gallus: A Glasgow SF Writer’ Circle Anthology edited by Neil Williamson, Brian M Milton and EM Faulds — or runalongtheshelves.net/blog/2024/8/10/nova-scotia-vol-2-edited-by-neil-williamson-and-andrew-j-wilson where a feast of Scottish genre talent is awaiting you and they’re equally good collections!

For science fiction I was entranced by Elephants in Bloom by Cecile Cristofari a really strong set of SF tales and I very much plan to read more polestars in 2025 from my TBR shelves. Another author I will be watching out for in the future! Another great collection in this space was Human Resources by Fiona Moore — Runalong The Shelves which also delivers an excellent section of SF tales exploring our relationship with technology.

Wole Talabi has had a very good year but away from a certain novel lets also praise Convergence Problems by Wole Talabi — another excellent collection of SF tales with a lot of range, skill and storytelling to savour. I love reading this author’s work!

I love collections trying new things and it was a pleasure to read Biopeculiar - Stories of An Uncertain World by Gigi Ganguly — Runalong The Shelves where a great assortment of unusual tales explore our relationship with technology (and also some myths) come together beautifully. Another author to watch.

A fine tribute awaits in To The Stars and Back - Stories in Honour of Eric Brown edited by Ian Whates —which delivers a heartfelt and imaginative tribute t to Eric Brown’s work and those who knew him.

I do love an exploration of utopia versus dystopia and this powerful anthology The Utopia of Us: An Anthology Inspired by Yevgeny Zamyatin's We edited by Teika Marijia Smits is filled with gems

I was pleased to read The Vega Incident and Other Stories by Joseph Elliott-Coleman and it reminds me Elliot-Coleman is another author I enjoy looking out for with interesting ideas.

The idea of what is fighting like a girl is remarkably revisited in Fight Like Girl Vol 2 edited by Joanne Hall and Roz Clarke which really really brings the concept up to date. Very well delivered!

In the borderlands of genre I really loved Animals at Night by Naomi Booth — Animals at Night by Naomi Booth The Shelves where night is the linked theme as we have tales of grief, monsters and horror to unpeel with Booth’s gorgeous writing.

Also awaiting you there is the excellent Out of the Window, Into The Dark by Marian Womack which has something new for everyone and reminds us all Womack is a pleasure to read!

Moving to non fiction but very genre focused is this beautiful collection A Traveller in Time - The Critical Practice of Maureen Kincaid Speller edited by Nina Allan — where a great collection of reviews and articles give us a reminder why Kincaid-Speller was so well respected in our community.

A really interesting collection is a set of interviews with prominent women in horror Women of Horror and Speculative Fiction In Their Own Words - Conversations with Authors, Editors and Publishers edited by Sebastien Doubinsky and Christina Kkona — while the questions are the same the responses are definitely not and it gives an insight into how the genre has changed across decades.

Another piece of non-fiction looks at what makes science fiction tick and I definitely think Writing The Future - Essays on Crafting Science Fiction edited by Dan Coxon and Richard V Hirst offers something for readers, writers and reviewers as authors get to show us a little behind the curtain as to how they think SF works.

And for something different and more genre-adjacent is this true history of those who claimed they had magical powers Cunning Folk: Life In The Era of Practical Magic by Tabitha Stanmore