Horror Library Volume 6 edited by Eric J. Guignard (Cutting Block Press) is an excellent, un-themed anthology of twenty-seven stories. More than half the stories are notable, particularly those by Marc E. Fitch, Thomas P. Balázs, and Carole Johnstone. The Fitch and the Johnstone are reprinted herein.
Halloween Carnival Volume 1—5 edited by Brian James Freeman was published by Cemetery Dance’s new e-book imprint Hydra. It’s a series of mini-anthologies to be published for Halloween, with new stories and reprints. There are notable new stories by John R. Little, Lee Thomas, Kealan-Patrick Burke, Lisa Tuttle, and Norman Prentiss.
Dark Screams Volume Seven edited by Brian James Freeman and Richard Chizmar (CD-Hydra) contains six stories, four of them new. The best originals are by Kaaron Warren, Bill Schweigart, James Renner, and a novella by Brian Hodge. The Hodge and the Warren are reprinted herein. Dark Screams Volume Eight had six stories, all new but one. The best was Glen Hirshberg’s oddity “India Blue” about cricket.
Nights of the Living Dead edited by Jonathan Maberry and George A. Romero (St. Martin’s Griffin) is an anthology of twenty new stories taking place on the night that the infamous zombie apocalypse began. Unfortunately, only a few entries bring much new to the table, but there are some notable stories by Mira Grant, Brian Keene, Joe R. Lansdale, Mike Carey, and David Wellington. The Grant is reprinted herein.
In the Footsteps of Dracula edited by Stephen Jones (Pegasus Books) is an all-reprint anthology of stories featuring Count Dracula throughout history.
Terror Tales of Cornwall edited by Paul Finch (Telos) is the first new volume in the series since 2015. Telos has taken over publication from Gary Fry’s Gray Friar Press, which shut down in 2016. This new volume continues with the same editor and same format, with brief historical vignettes breaking up each story. All but two are new. There are notable stories by Ray Cluley, Mark Morris, Reggie Oliver, John Whitbourn, DP Watt, Mark Samuels, Sarah Singleton, and Steve Jordan.
Darker Companions: Celebrating 50 Years of Ramsey Campbell selected and edited by Scott David Aniolowski and Joseph S. Pulver, Sr. (PS Publishing), features twenty new stories honoring the great Ramsey Campbell. The strongest stories are by Cody Goodfellow, Kaaron Warren, Orrin Grey, Adam L. G. Nevill, Jeffrey Thomas, Alison Littlewood, Gary McMahon, Michael Griffin, Marc Laidlaw, and Christopher Slatsky. The Grey is reprinted herein.
Shadows and Tall Trees Volume 7 edited by Michael Kelly (Undertow) epitomizes the idea of, and is the most consistent venue for weird, usually dark fiction. This volume features nineteen varied stories, covering a wide range of themes. Well worth your time. There were notable stories by Brian Evenson, Harmony Neal, Michael Wehunt, V. H. Leslie, Laura Mauro, Charles Wilkinson, Robert Levy, Simon Strantzas, Malcolm Devlin, Robert Shearman, M. Rickert, Conrad Williams, and Manish Melwani.
Hellfire Crossroads 6: Horror with Heart edited by Trevor Denyer (Midnight Street Press) has twenty-two stories, most of them horror, some dark fantasy, and a few mainstream. There were notable stories by Len Dawson, David Penn, Alex Zivko-Clark, Steve D. Hamilton, Andrew Darlington, Neal Privitt, and Tony Fosgate.
The Dark Half of the Year: By the North Bristol Writers edited by Ian Milstead and Peter Sutton (Far Horizons) focuses on the ghostly in these eighteen stories by regional writers. The best are by Madeleine Meyjes and Clare Dornan.
New Fears edited by Mark Morris (Titan Books) is an excellent all-original un-themed anthology with nineteen stories. Most of the stories are really, really good. The Gallagher is reprinted herein.