Elemental Forces edited by Mark Morris

Publisher – Flame Tree Press

Published – Out Now

Price - £9.95 paperback £4.95 ebook

Elemental Forces is the fifth volume in the non-themed horror series of original stories, showcasing the very best short fiction that the genre has to offer, and edited by Mark Morris. This new anthology contains 20 original horror stories, 16 of which have been commissioned from some of the top names in horror, and 4 selected from the 100s of stories sent to Flame Tree during a short open submissions window. A delicious feast of the familiar and the new, the established and the emerging.

Previous titles in the series, all still in print, are: After Sundown, Beyond the Veil, Close to Midnight and Darkness Beckons.

Horror is often about being trapped. With monsters isn’t something to happen to anyone (we think) but horror is also a great way of exploring how the world can conspire to make us see no way out. In Mark Morris’ latest anthology of horror stories Elemental Forces where I enjoyed sensing that the feeling of getting trapped felt like a secondary theme with a host of great authors used it to great effect.

Among the many stories I enjoyed were

The Peeler by Poppy Z Brite – This powerful tale follows Barton a tough sailor making his way through a strange city’s backwaters to make a magical deal to save his secret boyfriend’s sight. There is a steady rising feel of darkness and bad things lurking around as he makes his way to his destination and then the horror of what would the ultimate deal mean he has to lose to get his goal and is trapped in a life out of an act of sacrifice. The ending hurts and is very sobering.

The Entity by Nicholas Royle – Something weird awaits in this tale of man being called by an old university friend to mind a house and do some dog walking in France. Our frustrated writer leaps at the opportunity but feels increasingly like he’s being watched. Subtly building the pressure and paranoia is this a prank or something else going on. The final reveal is excellent and leaves the story in a fascinating state of what is about to happen next.

Nobody Wants To Work Here Anymore by Christina Henry – Cosmic horror awaits in a fast food drive in. A dark and nasty tale of a shift from hell where all the workers find something demonic is about to make their days even worse. It’s a brutal cascade effect as we watch people get destroyed. Horrible and tragic with a slight twist o comedy with one overly loyal worker who tries to hold the fort out of their own ego.

The Scarecrow Festival by Tim Major – A tale that explores one of those strange villages that loves to make scarecrows. Throw in Wicker Man references and two friends reuniting after many years with a past and there is an ever growing sense that something nasty is coming and it really really does. The feeling of madness lurking in village civility works so very well.

Mister Reaper by Annie Knox – Horror can tackle difficult subjects such as attempting suicide badly but this story while dark also has a glimpse of hope with the surreal tale of Stephanie waking to find an inhuman reaper a little annoyed she is not quite dead yet. A rude official makes the experience surreal but also, we get to see Stephanie reappraise things and I think it earns a happy ending.

The Call of the Deep by Laurel Hightower – I really enjoyed this tale of a Keeper starting a shift to see that her co-worker is not around. We are thrown in the dep end and discover we are not quite on a lighthouse and instead something stranger. The story shifts and changes but for me the sense of someone trapped by a much bigger power and deciding what the right course of action is for themselves. Claustrophobic, cosmic horror and yet an act of rebellion awaits too – very memorable.

The Only Face You Ever Knew by Gwendolyn Kiste. Our narrator is shopping with her girlfriend when suddenly Veronica vanishes. Everyone assumes they have split up but Vernonica’s past suggests something more evil is at work. A powerful emotional tale of being trapped, escape, love and never giving up. Another of my favourites in the collection.

The Note by Paul Tremblay – An absolutely gorgeous tale of weird unsettling horror. Our narrator a stressed middle-aged man with a penchant for making jokes tells us of when his wife and dog all went for an ice cream. It feels light, very normal and settles us in until a strange note at an abandoned house is read by his wife and then the story careens into disaster after disaster. This is a tale of how life can suddenly pull the rug out from you and cast a huge shadow for years to come. The darkening tones, the sense f huge powerful forces at work and a life in tatters made this a standout tale.

Unmarked by Tim Lebbon – This is a story I also loved, and I don’t want to share much about it as part of its power is the reveals of what is going on. A very old man gets his regular visitor for a catch up. Sounds fairly simple and yet so much more awaits underneath. Eloquent, sad, dramatic and even hopeful it’s a wonderful bit of storytelling. A true treat in the collection.

A review of Slime Tutorial: The Musical by PC Verrone – a review of an off broadway show that turns into a monster caper. Verrone captures the tone of a reviewer really well who perhaps puts art above common sense and this darkly funny tale works as we see the things the reviewer does not. It feels like an authentic article with lots of musical analysis and yet should raise a smile.

Eight Days West of Plethora by Verity Holloway – a wonderfully creepy weird west tale of a bandit who is about o have a very bad week. Sleazy, grim and compelling.

Elemental Forces is a great collection of tales about those moments when the world decides to show you who is boss. Sometimes we can win and sometimes we can lose but for shiveringly good entertainment this is highly recommended!