Stephen Jones - The Mammoth Book Of Best New Horror 24

[dem bones]

Out Soon!

The official launch date for Best New Horror 24 is Halloween at World Fantasy Con, but thanks to the efforts of the lovely Sam and her colleagues at Robinson, we've been afforded a sneak preview.

Stephen Jones (ed.) - The Mammoth Book Of Best New Horror 24 (Robinson, October 2013)

Vincent Chong

Stephen Jones - Introduction: horror In 2012

Neil Gaiman - Witch Work
Alison Littlewood - The Discord Of Being
Dale Bailey - Necrosis
Joe R. Lansdale - The Hunt: Before, And The Aftermath
Simon Kurt Unsworth - The Cotswold Olympicks
Lynda E. Rucker - Where The Summer Dwells
Ramsey Campbell - The Callers
Thana Niveau - The Curtain
Mark Valentine - The Fall Of The King Of Babylon
Terry Dowling - Nightside Eye
Helen Marshall - the Old and The New
Steve Rasnic Tem - Waiting At The Crossroads Motel
Glenn Hirschberg - His Only Audience
Claire Massey - Marionettes
Reggie Oliver - Between Four Yews
Gemma Files - Slick Black Bones And soft Black Stars
Evangeline Walton - The Other One
Joel Lane - Slow Burn
Stephen Volk - Celebrity Frankenstein
Robert Shearman - Blue Crayon, Yellow Crayon
Michael Kelly - October Dreams
Alison Littlewood - The Eyes Of Water

Stephen Jones & Kim Newman - Necrology: 2012
Useful addresses.

Blurb
The World's Longest-Running Annual Showcase Of Horror & Dark Fantasy

Here is the annual selection of some of the very finest, and most disturbing, short stories of horror and the supernatural published in the past year by both contemporary masters of horror and exciting newcomers, including Terry Dowling, Gemma Files, Joel Lane, Claire Masset, Thana Niveau, Lynda E. Rucker, Simon Kurt Unsworth, Mark Valentine, and a bewitching poem by Niel Gaiman.

The latest volume of the record-breaking and multiple award-winning anthology series also offers an in-depth introduction covering the year in horror, an informative Necrology of notable names who are no longer with us, and a useful contact directory that is an indispensable resource for every dedicated horror fan and writer.

The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror is the world's leading annual anthology dedicated solely to showcasing the very best in contemporary horror fiction in all its many frightening forms.
`Yet another celebration of the diversity of the horror genre.' - Locus
`A top-quality body of short stories.' - Writing Magazine

Congratulations to all who made the cut, and you will excuse me if I am particularly glad for Ramsey Campbell and Thana Niveau, both of whom kindly contributed superb stories to the 2012 Vault Advent Calendar. The Simon K. Unsworth and Mark Valentine stories are familiar from the mighty Terror Tales Of The Cotswolds and Terror Tales Of East Anglia, while Lady Probert's The Curtain opens her highly recommended debut collection, From Hell To Eternity, but for this finger-on-the-pulse reader, everything else is new. Am especially pleased that Mr. Jones has included works by Evangeline Walton, Robert Shearsmith, Reggie Oliver, Alison Littlewood (twice), Steve Rasnic Tem (is Waiting At The Crossroads Motel about what i think it's about?) and the man doomed to be forever reminded of Ghostwatch, Stephen Volk.

Mr. Jones' introduction runs to ninety pages - I'll bet he could fill twice that without breaking sweat. Those who've been following the 'Vault are not big fans of this series' saga over past four volumes will surely appreciate the latest gripping instalment. Usual staggered 'review' to follow over coming days/ weeks/ months ....

[dem bones]

Dear God! I just read the introduction to a certain story in which the author admits to drawing inspiration from The Jeremy Kyle Show! Best get some notes down before tackling that one ...

Stephen Volk - Celebrity Frankenstein: Global super-stardom can do strange things to a body. In the case of our modern day Frankenstein's monster, he's a composite of at least five of them so little surprise his behaviour sometimes errs toward the erratic. And yet it was all going so well until the incident. His every movie appearance set new box office records; his music sales outstripped those of Madonna at her all-conquering, conical bra peak, with début release Idolised, claiming the Christmas number one slot; the corporates fell over themselves to have him endorse their product. And then - catastrophe in the click of a camera - he has to blow it by playfully dangling a four year old girl over a lake.

Whoever captured the moment for posterity - he suspects the child's oh-so traumatised parents - duly auctioned their handiwork to the highest bidder. During the ensuing media witch trial, his relationship with Dr. Bob - creator, mentor, manager, friend - deteriorates to the point of no return. The monster throws a diva strop, reminds Bob of just who needs who around here, storms off to embark on a solo career.

The decline is as painful and public as those of any Michael Jackson, O. J. Simpson, Brittany Spears, Whitney Housten or 'Gorgeous' George Galloway you care to mention - in fact, it's each of their collective meltdowns rolled into one. But who expects originally of the ultimate manufactured celebrity?

Michael Kelly - Halloween Dream: A short-short in the syle of Ray Bradbury whose The October Country provided the inspiration. The children who go trick or treating at the very, very old woman's house are in for a nasty surprise.

Dale Bailey - Necrosis: Despite his obvious social inferiority, Condon is the source of much curiosity among the younger members of a Gentleman's club who wonder at the malodorous reek of the man, his rapidly declining health, and woefully impoverished circumstances. What could possibly be the matter with him? Everything you'd expect of a story by that title and more. Proper horror! Bloody love it!

[andydecker]

God, is it this time of the year already? I havn't even read all the stories in last years volume. Sigh.

As I already pre-ordered this I guess it will arrive soon. And I guess there will be lots of novels in the round-up I never heard about and will be tempted to order. Double sigh.

But I am excited for the Story by Volk. Read some very good stories by him, and I liked The Awakening a lot.

[dem bones]

Sept 26, 2013 17:17:51 GMT andydecker said:

And I guess there will be lots of novels in the round-up I never heard about and will be tempted to order. Double sigh.

.... And, of course, BNH 24 is among the the approximately 2 million new titles scheduled for publication to coincide with this year's World Fantasy Con (Brghton, Oct.31-Nov 3). All quality stuff no doubt, some of it even of Vault interest, but elsewhere things are less healthy. Mr. Jones' annual state of the art address laments the proliferation of vanity published dreck by the self-deluded, and the decline of the publishing industry when we need it like never before. I fear the author's wise words are doomed to fall on deaf ears because, obviously, "he's talking about everybody else!"

On with the show, and two safe pairs of hands. Neither Robert Shearsmith nor scuba-diving Gothic princess Lady Probert have let me down yet, and they're not about to start now.

Robert Shearman - Blue Crayon, Yellow Crayon: Christmas Eve. Already stressed and jet-lagged from his flight across the Atlantic, Andrew Kaplan arrives in London to find the Edinburgh flight cancelled. The demands of his job are such that he's not seen his wife or his beautiful little daughter in months - to miss Christmas Day would be unforgivable! Nothing for it but to take the overnight express train.

Andrew is relieved to get a seat and really, it wouldn't be so bad were it not for that blasted little girl running up and down the carriage, making a thorough nuisance of herself. Why can't the girl's mother take some responsibility instead of just sitting there, gazing out the window, like there was anything to see? A box of crayons and a colouring book offer only temporary reprieve. Eventually, even mum has had enough, drags the noise-some brat along to the next carriage. She returns alone.
As the night wears on, Andrew grows increasingly concerned. Where is the wee perisher? OK, so she was a pain, but he wouldn't want anything bad to happen to her.Did her mother throw her from the train?

Thana Niveau - The Curtain: A storm hits Laberinto Island. Knowing they'll have the coast to themselves, Martin and Carlos embark on a treasure hunt. Exploring the ocean floor, Martin chances upon a shoal of silver fish deliberately obscuring what, when he finally gets past them, he discovers to be a sunken wreck. Martin is initially disappointed at his prize of several bottles of cheap wine and an abundance of cutlery among the debris. Then he spots a dead woman. A dead man. A dead child. A dozen corpses, all of them lying on their backs, arms outstretched zombie-fashion before them, tethered by thick coils of seaweed.

Maybe it's time he returned to the surface ...

[dem bones]

Ramsey Campbell - The Callers: Wahey! It's not a Jeremy Kyle induced bad trip after all, but a Foxy Bingo nightmare. You'd think the grotesque TV adverts would be unsettling enough for most of us.

A small Lancashire town on the night of May Day Eve. Mark, thirteen has been marooned at his grandparents after a family domestic. With Grandma Lottie at the Bingo, her husband Len creeps out to the pub, leaving the boy to find his own amusement. He decides on the local Frugoplex, which is showing playground favourite Face Cream, that one where the girl gets cream squirted all over her face. Unfortunately, it's a 15 certificate, and the manager doesn't take kindly to kids who lie about their age. Not only does he ban Mark from his cinema, the girl gang who arrived with him are given their marching orders. When the latter catch up with Mark in the car park and threaten violence, he takes refuge in the Bingo Hall, where the Foxy witch cult Grannies prove a far more frightening and deadly prospect than the angry teeny-boppers.

Have read three of Mr. Campbell's creepy classics over past week (The Decorations and The Winner being the others), but strikes me The Callers - which plays out like some hideous urban inversion of Night of the Stag, one of the more twisted Midsomer Murders episodes of the post-Nettles era - has the most unpleasant implications of all.

[dem bones]

Joe R. Lansdale - The Hunt: Before, And The Aftermath: Sooner rather than later, the post-Romero Zombie sub-genre will go the way of vampires in the 'nineties - too much of a good thing - but, amazingly, there's life in our dead friends yet.

The narrator betrayed wife Livia by sleeping with (i.e., raping) a fresh, very attractive zombie at the dead brothel on 41st Street, and she can't forgive him. In a desperate effort to get their marriage back on track, he pays for them both to participate in a zombie hunt, even buys his dead bit on the side to include among the targets so Livia can have the pleasure of shooting her brains out .... after she's messed up the rest of her body. Will it be enough to get him back into her good books and, crucially her bed? One for our deeply unpopular - If It Ain't Stiff: Sex with dead people thread.

[dem bones]

Claire Massey - Marionettes: Prague. Our anonymous heroine is understandably fascinated by a backstreet doll shop she can only ever find when she's not looking fior it. The marionettes are extraordinarily detailed down to the last wrinkle, and several verge on the terrifying. With husband Karl determined to spend the holiday drunk, she takes to wandering the streets alone on the pretext of hunting souvenirs for the children. When next she arrives at the shop, the window display has been emptied of its witches and devils, leaving only two puppets - exact replicas of herself and Karl, with him pulling her strings ....

One of the shorter pieces and, as with Dave Bailey's miniature Necrosis, it's deliciously creepy and very effective. Liked it a lot.

Evangeline Walton - The Other One: A damaged wrist obliges Frank Carter to hire a typist if he's going to meet his deadline. Anne MacNair, a strikingly pretty twenty-two year old, takes the job on condition she work from home. When Frank calls around to her shabby 42nd Street apartment, he realises why. Anne has an identical twin, a mute lunatic who mimics her sister's every movement. Anne explains that Mary has been like this since their mother burned to death in a road accident, but this is nowhere near the full story.

Frank falls in love with Anne and proposes marriage, insisting he has enough money to pay for Mary to be looked after in a private hospital, but, despite her feelings toward him, Anne refuses and tells him to leave for good. Mary, who suddenly doesn't look stupid but conniving, obviously approves of this development.

Frank travels to Charlottesville to bawl out the girls' estranged father over his dereliction of duty, but soon learns that things are way more complex than he could possibly have imagined ....

To give away more would be to ruin your enjoyment, but how The Other One remained unpublished during Walton's lifetime is beyond me. I liked it even more than I liked Marionettes!

[dem bones]

So it's not all plain sailing

Steve Rasnic Tem - Waiting At The Crossroads Motel: Meg Richardson has risen from the grave. The headless phantom of Sandy performs wheelies in the blazing ruin of the lobby. Amy Turtle, succubus .... except Mr. Tem's story doesn't centre around that Crossroads Motel after all, it's a prose poem about .... um. How a father's lack of empathy is passed down through the generations? Mass indifference to the plight of others breeds a plague of locusts? I like SRT's traditional ghost and full on horror stories a great deal, but this, unless i'm very much mistaken, is 'Dark Fantasy' and therefore best left to greater minds to evaluate.

Helen Marshall - the Old and The New: At his insistence, American couple John and Becca explore the Paris catacombs, him seemingly determined on photographing the bones of the six million dead Frenchmen on display, her growing increasingly agitated and finally, angry with him. And Becca can never be angry with John. She's loved him since the day he arrived at the office, but John was married then, to the disgustingly beautiful Laura, and Becca had to bide her time. Then Laura vanished - literally, a piece at a time, according to John - and now here they are, together. She has him to herself forever! Except John is insistent that he's found Laura's skull. The bitch just won't let him go!

An engrossing read, even if the ending seemed unnecessarily enigmatic, but that's most likely a case of me being too thick to fully understand it.

Alison Littlewood - The Discord Of Being: When her estranged father telephones from Morocco to inform Emma that her mother's grave has been desecrated, she catches the first flight out, determined to bring the graveyard ghouls to justice. Dad is an archaeologist, fearful his ceaseless foraging has disturbed a powerful Djinn. What nonsense! thinks his daughter, who now realises she detests him.

But soon Emma is catching fleeting glimpses of her mother in the Marrakesh market place ...

[mattofthespurs]

Just started this and I'm only a few stories in but I'll post my thoughts, for what they are worth.

Stephen Jones - Introduction: horror In 2012. Mr Jones's particular bee in his bonnet this year seems to be print on demand/ vanity press section of the field and I think he has a point. I've dipped my toe into the field (as a buyer) and have found the level of writing to be almost universally poor. I always enjoy reading these introductions and they usually steer me in directions I had previously missed and this years was no different.

Neil Gaiman - Witch Work. To be honest I would not know a good poem if it came up to me on the street and bit my face off. I've read this three times now. It rhymes so, to me at least, it's a poem. Is it a good one? Fuck knows.

Alison Littlewood - The Discord Of Being. I enjoyed this. Some very evocative writing. Fair to say that I enjoyed the way it was written more than what was written.

Dale Bailey - Necrosis. I'm afraid this sits far too close to Stephen King's "Grey Matter", which was collected in 'Night Shift', for my liking. Again, I enjoyed the way it was written but thought they actual story was just above a re-hash of King's story from the 1970's. I maybe being unfair but after reading two pages of this story I knew where it was going.

Joe R. Lansdale - The Hunt: Before, And The Aftermath. This is more like it. Very nasty in tone and nice to see a slice of 'normal' life after a zombie plague.

I'll post more as I read it. So far it's been a mixed bag but such is the life of the anthology. Looking forward to reading more.

[dem bones]

Nov 4, 2013 9:25:47 GMT mattofthespurs said:

Neil Gaiman - Witch Work. To be honest I would not know a good poem if it came up to me on the street and bit my face off. I've read this three times now. It rhymes so, to me at least, it's a poem. Is it a good one? Fuck knows.

Can only agree with you there, matt. Recently came to the embarrassing conclusion that I can appreciate poetry if it's sympathetically sung or narrated against a backdrop of powerchords, a pulsating bassline and minimalist drumming. Without them, it might just as well be a book of logarithms in dem world.

Am with you on the Lansdale and first Alison Littlewood story, too, but I love Necrosis, no matter how familiar the storyline. The gentleman's club vibe works in its favour.

[mattofthespurs]

Oh, I'm a sucker for a Gentleman's Club story, and I thought that part of it was handled really well.
Just a shame that the actual story seemed so familiar.

Simon Kurt Unsworth - The Cotswold Olympicks. Sadly, not my cup of tea. That's not to disparage the actual writing just did not like the story much. Mea culpa, not the author's I suspect.

[mattofthespurs]

Lynda E. Rucker - Where The Summer Dwells. Evocative writing but not very scary.



Ramsey Campbell - The Callers. I grew up in the 1970's when lots of cinemas were converted into bingo halls. I remember going with my nan a few times; They were always boring and smelt funny. I did imagine this story as set in the 1970's and set 'oop north'. A grim tale with echoes of The Wicker Man. Flabby arms and saggy jowls...Shudder.

Thana Niveau - The Curtain. I really liked this one. I'm a big fan of the sea and Niveau's descriptions were excellent. The best of the volume so far in my opinion.