Through a Mythos Darkly edited by Glynn Owen Barrass and Brian M. Sammons (PS Publishing) describes itself as “steampunk” Mythos-inspired anthology, but it’s not steampunk at all. So if you pick it up expecting the trappings of that era, you’ll be disappointed. Nonetheless, of the seventeen new stories, there are some notable ones by John Langan, Damien Angelica Walters, Konstantine Paradias, Tim Waggoner, and Don Webb. Ride the Star Wind edited by Scott Gable and C. Dombrowski (Broken Eye Books) is filled with new stories combining space opera with cosmic weird, and I admit that it’s not my cup of tea. Not much horror in it. The only stories that really got to me were by Brian Evenson and Deserina Boskovich. Each story is illustrated by a different artist, in black and white. Blood Business: Crime Stories from This World and Beyond edited by Mario Acevedo and Joshua Viola (Hex Publishers) is an anthology of twenty-seven crime stories: half supernatural, half not. The best are by Stephen Graham Jones, Patrick Berry, and Jason Heller. Adam’s Ladder edited by Michael Bailey and Darren Speegle (Written Backwards) contains eighteen new stories of dark science fiction exploring the course of evolution. The strongest horror stories are by Laird Barron, John Langan, and Mark Samuels. Mixed Up: Cocktail Recipes (and Flash Fiction) for the Discerning Drinker (and Reader) edited by Nick Mamatas and Molly Tanzer (Skyhorse Publishing) contains more than two dozen recipes and stories by writers including Maurice Broaddus, Jeff VanderMeer, Ben Percy, Elizabeth Hand, Carmen Maria Machado, and many others. There are a few notable darker tales by Hand, Machado, and Percy. The Machado is reprinted herein. Nightscript III edited by C. M. Muller (Chthonic Matter) is an interesting, varied volume of twenty-three new stories. There are notable tales by M. R. Cosby, Charles Wilkinson, Rebecca J. Allred, Adam Golaski, David Surface, Stephen J. Clarke, Clint Smith, Inna Effress, M. K. Anderson, Christi Nogle, and Daniel Braum. The Effress is reprinted herein. Boundaries and Other Horror Stories from Finland edited by Matti Järvinen and translated by Jukka Särkijävi (Nysalor-Kustannus) features ten stories published in English for the first time. They’re more dark fantasy than horror. Darkly Haunting edited by Robert Morgan (Sarob Press) is a mini-anthology of five, all-new, intriguingly weird tales by Rhys Hughes, Peter Holman, James Doig, Colin Insole, and D. P. Watt. Eight Ghosts: The English Heritage Book of New Ghost Stories edited by Rowan Routh (September Publishing) features new stories (some dark) by eight British writers who were given time to explore, after hours, their chosen heritage site and write a ghost story about it. The best of them are by Sarah Perry, Mark Haddon, Andrew Michael Hurley, and Kamila Shamsie. In addition to the stories is a brief overview of how the castles, abbeys, and houses of England inspired ghost stories, plus a gazetteer of English Heritage hauntings. The Scarlet Souclass="underline" Stories for Dorian Gray edited by Mark Valentine (The Swan River Press) is an interesting anthology of ten new weird and dark stories inspired by Oscar Wilde’s novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. There are notable horror stories by John Howard, Timothy J. Jarvis, and Lynda E. Rucker. Mrs Rochester’s Attic: Tales of Madness, Strange Love and Deep, Dark Secrets edited by Matthew Pegg (Mantle Lane Press) feature twenty-two stories inspired by the fate of Mrs Rochester in Jane Eyre. All but seven are new. The stories never really gel around the theme, but there are notable ones by Josh Jones, Grace Haddon, and Douglas Ford. Pacific Monsters edited by Margrét Helgadóttir (Fox Spirit) is the fourth volume in the publisher’s series of monster stories from around the world and features fourteen stories and comics taking place in Antarctica, Hawaii, New Zealand, Guam, and Australia. The strongest were by Michael Grey, Rue Karney, and Bryan Kamaoli Kuwada. Behold! Oddities, Curiosities & Indefinable Wonders edited by Doug Murano (Crystal Lake Publishing) has sixteen stories, two reprints. The best of the darker ones are by John Langan, Lisa Morton, and Patrick Freivald. Murder Ballads edited by Mark Beech (Egaeus Press) is a rich anthology of seventeen weird and/or horrific dense stories and novellas inspired by classic ballads. The best of the dark ones are by Stephen J. Clark, Philip Fracassi, Lisa L. Hannett, Timothy J. Jarvis, Angela Slatter, and Colin Insole. Mad Hatters and March Hares edited by Ellen Datlow (Tor) is an all-original anthology of eighteen stories and poem inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. The stories are mostly fantasy and dark fantasy, with some horror. The darkest stories are by Stephen Graham Jones, Matthew Kressel, Katherine Vaz, and Angela Slatter. Strange California edited by Jaym Gates and J. Daniel Batt (Falstaff) is a mixed bag of twenty-six science fiction, fantasy, dark fantasy, and horror stories about the Golden State. There was notable horror by Patricia Lundy and Melissa Monks. From Ancient Ravens by Mark Valentine, Ron Weighell, and John Howard (Sarob Press) is a mini-anthology with each of the three weird, dark tales dredging up the past to bad end. Hellboy: An Assortment of Horrors edited by Christopher Golden (Dark Horse) features sixteen new stories related to Hellboy and his friends. The balance of the anthology seems weighted toward dark fantasy rather than horror. Each story has an illustration by Mike Mignola. If you’re a Hellboy fan and not expecting horror stories, you’re the audience for this fun anthology.
It, Watching by Elizabeth Massie (Dark House Press) is an overview of Massie’s work over thirty-three years. This seventh collection contains seventeen stories and a poem. Three of the stories are new.
And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe by Gwendolyn Kiste ( JournalStone) is a debut collection of fourteen stories, five previously unpublished, by a promising new writer.
Nights of Blood Wine by Freda Warrington (Telos) is a collection of fifteen stories, ten of them set in the world of her vampire series Blood Wine. Another five are fantasy and horror. Four stories are new.
She Said Destroy by Nadia Bulkin (Word Horde) is a smart, powerful debut collection with thirteen stories of horror and weird fiction, one of them new. Three of them were nominated for the Shirley Jackson Award.
Ornithology by Nicholas Royle (Cōnfingō Publishing) is a fine new collection of sixteen dark, sometimes uncanny stories about birds, two published for the first time.
Cthulhu and Other Monsters by Sam Stone (Telos), the author’s second collection, features sixteen horror stories, six published for the first time.
Made for the Dark by John Llewellyn Probert (Black Shuck Books) is the author’s sixth collection of stories and brings together stories eighteen pieces published since 2010. Three stories appear for the first time.
Behold the Void by Philip Fracassi (JournalStone) is a strong debut collection with nine horror stories, five previously unpublished. Laird Barron provides the introduction. One of the originals is reprinted herein.
13 Views of the Suicide Woods by Bracken Macleod (ChiZine Publications) is another strong debut collection, with twelve stories, three new.
I Will Surround You by Conrad Williams (Undertow Publications) is the author’s powerful third collection and features fourteen dark stories, two of them new.