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The Fiends in the Furrows #3
The Fiends in the Furrows III: Final Harvest
This book is a collection of nineteen stories embodying the menacing essence of Folk Horror. Folk Horror fans will uncover in these short stories tales of rampant rural monstrosity and agrarian horror within rustic settings, where dread sinks its roots deep into the earth to bring forth a bountiful crop of unforgettable terrors. Nosetouch Press is proud to present THE FIENDS IN THE FURROWS FINAL HARVEST to horror readers everywhere.
FEATURING:
Die Booth, “Paper Coins”
Ryan Cassavaugh, “The Last Honeyboy”
Dan Coxon, “Come Sing for the Harrowing”
Matt Elphick, “Cooper’s Hill”
Tracy Fahey, “Witchwalking”
J.M. Faulkner, “Radegast”
Timothy Granville, “Sarsen Wood”
Coy Hall, “Herald of the Red Hen”
Fox Claret Hill, “Mrs. Badger’s Bones”
Charlie Hughes, “The Motley”
Rae Knowles, “Mulberry Silk”
Thersa Matsuura, “Child of the Gods”
Catherine McCarthy, “The Sickle and the Tithe”
Damien B. Raphael, “As the Thing is Needed”
Zachary Rosenberg, “The Gods That Drift With Us”
Melissa A. Szydlek, “Back Yonder”
Steve Rasnic Tem, “F is for the Farm”
Richard Thomas, “The Keeper of the Light”
Alex Wolfgang, “Malleability”
FEATURING:
Die Booth, “Paper Coins”
Ryan Cassavaugh, “The Last Honeyboy”
Dan Coxon, “Come Sing for the Harrowing”
Matt Elphick, “Cooper’s Hill”
Tracy Fahey, “Witchwalking”
J.M. Faulkner, “Radegast”
Timothy Granville, “Sarsen Wood”
Coy Hall, “Herald of the Red Hen”
Fox Claret Hill, “Mrs. Badger’s Bones”
Charlie Hughes, “The Motley”
Rae Knowles, “Mulberry Silk”
Thersa Matsuura, “Child of the Gods”
Catherine McCarthy, “The Sickle and the Tithe”
Damien B. Raphael, “As the Thing is Needed”
Zachary Rosenberg, “The Gods That Drift With Us”
Melissa A. Szydlek, “Back Yonder”
Steve Rasnic Tem, “F is for the Farm”
Richard Thomas, “The Keeper of the Light”
Alex Wolfgang, “Malleability”
373 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 1, 2023
35 people are currently reading
224 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 13, 2023
'The Fiends In The Furrows III: Final Harvest" edited by David T. Neal and Christine M. Scott is the third installment of what I now consider an incredible folk horror trilogy is just that: an incredible third installment. A brand new collection of nineteen folk horror stories, expertly curated by Neal and Scott, give readers exactly what they want: classic horror themes explored via the terrifyingly real effects of nature. From misunderstood pagan rituals to the power of women through history, 'Final Harvest' is an excellent addition to the folk horror canon and a fantastic (possible) completion of the Fiends in The Furrows trilogy. With all that being said, I find it hard to properly rate a story collection. I would consider this a five star read; however I am biased, as I loved the first two collections and this is my favorite sub genre of horror. Regardleas of that, I have included my favorite stories (and the feelings I felt for a couple of them🤪) and will forever recommend this collection and it's counterparts to those who love horror and especially folk horror.
🦇
The Motley
Mrs. Badger's Bones
Cooper's Hill (!!!!)
Come Sing For The Harrowing
Herald of The Red Hen
The Gods That Drift With Us
The Sickle and The Tithe
Sarsen Wood
Witchwalking (BITCH)
🦇
The Motley
Mrs. Badger's Bones
Cooper's Hill (!!!!)
Come Sing For The Harrowing
Herald of The Red Hen
The Gods That Drift With Us
The Sickle and The Tithe
Sarsen Wood
Witchwalking (BITCH)
August 11, 2024
Another stunning collection of folk horror. The third and final anthology in this series didn't disappoint, so many spine tingling moments that had my imagination ablaze with ideas and fears! Its a wonderful series and I definitely reccomend all three to fans of folk horror.
August 3, 2024
This series has become my go to for introductions to writers of folk horror. 'Final Harvest' is the final book in the trilogy, and the last story of the last book is, fittingly, by Tracy Fahey, the queen of body horror and folk horror. At this point, I reckon it should be compulsory to end any horror anthology with a Fahey story. 'Witchwalking' doesn't present anything new or groundbreaking, but it does what it does with breathtaking skill and verve.
OK, now I've got over the final story in the book, what of the rest? We kick off with 'F is for the Farm' by veteran spec fic writer Steve Rasnic Tem. This story takes folk horror into the city, and is an enjoyable account of a young man getting into all kinds of trouble for the love of a pretty girl. I LOVED Charlie Hughes' 'The Motley' for the whole 'town council gone bad' idea and also for the genuinely creepy monster. Thersa Matsura's 'Child of the Gods' is a sad and horrifying story about mother love and sacrifice. Richard Thomas' 'The Keeper of the Light' is a beautifully told story that creeps up on you. A folk horror anthology wouldn't be the same without a contribution about Appalachia, and Ryan Cassavaugh's 'The Last Honeyboy' serves up a sweet treat set in North Carolina. Fox Claret Hill's 'Mrs Badger's Bones' is a genuinely nasty piece that I really enjoyed. Matt Elphick takes us to Southern England with 'Cooper's Hill' and a protagonist who clearly has no idea that he's in a horror story. 'As the Thing is Needed' by Damien B Raphael takes us into the past with a story about a refugee child trying to hold on to her history in a hostile world. Dan Coxon's 'Come Sing for the Harrowing' is another story about a clueless protagonist who hasn't watched enough horror films. 'Back Yonder', beautifully written by Melissa A Szydiek, instantly brought to mind 'Mrs Todd's Shortcut' by Stephen King, but that ain't a bad thing. Rae Knowles follows up with one of my favourite stories in the book, 'Mulberry Silk' is a merry tale of a cult with an unusual and very genuine leader. It's not often that high fashion and folk horror meet, but Knowles has nailed it. Coy Hall's 'Herald of the Red Hen' feels like it's part of a bigger story, and has strong fantasy elements. 'The Gods that Drift with Us' by Zachary Rosenberg is a delicious tale of revenge, and one of my stand out stories of the anthology. J.M Faulkner's 'Radegast' has nothing to do with Radagast the Brown, but is a story about a Slavic god and a return to the homeland by two brothers. Die Booth's 'Paper Coins' take us to Wales, and a rugged landscape that hides its own secrets. I have a bit of a soft spot for all things Welsh, so this story leapt out at me. Catherine McCarthy's 'The Sickle and the Tithe' keeps us in Wales with a traditional folk horror tale of sacrifice and good harvests. I loved it for the gradual change of the protagonist's emotions over the course of the story and her life. Timothy Granville's 'Sarsen Wood' makes no bones about the morality of the group of kids at the heart of his story, and there is no merciful bliss here for the sacrifice. Alex Wolfgang's 'Malleability' has a sf feel to it, it's certainly not set on this planet, but it still has strong and dreamlike folk horror vibes, I loved it. And here we are, end of the book, with a Tracy Fahey story to finish off with. Did I say that you should always save the best until last?
OK, now I've got over the final story in the book, what of the rest? We kick off with 'F is for the Farm' by veteran spec fic writer Steve Rasnic Tem. This story takes folk horror into the city, and is an enjoyable account of a young man getting into all kinds of trouble for the love of a pretty girl. I LOVED Charlie Hughes' 'The Motley' for the whole 'town council gone bad' idea and also for the genuinely creepy monster. Thersa Matsura's 'Child of the Gods' is a sad and horrifying story about mother love and sacrifice. Richard Thomas' 'The Keeper of the Light' is a beautifully told story that creeps up on you. A folk horror anthology wouldn't be the same without a contribution about Appalachia, and Ryan Cassavaugh's 'The Last Honeyboy' serves up a sweet treat set in North Carolina. Fox Claret Hill's 'Mrs Badger's Bones' is a genuinely nasty piece that I really enjoyed. Matt Elphick takes us to Southern England with 'Cooper's Hill' and a protagonist who clearly has no idea that he's in a horror story. 'As the Thing is Needed' by Damien B Raphael takes us into the past with a story about a refugee child trying to hold on to her history in a hostile world. Dan Coxon's 'Come Sing for the Harrowing' is another story about a clueless protagonist who hasn't watched enough horror films. 'Back Yonder', beautifully written by Melissa A Szydiek, instantly brought to mind 'Mrs Todd's Shortcut' by Stephen King, but that ain't a bad thing. Rae Knowles follows up with one of my favourite stories in the book, 'Mulberry Silk' is a merry tale of a cult with an unusual and very genuine leader. It's not often that high fashion and folk horror meet, but Knowles has nailed it. Coy Hall's 'Herald of the Red Hen' feels like it's part of a bigger story, and has strong fantasy elements. 'The Gods that Drift with Us' by Zachary Rosenberg is a delicious tale of revenge, and one of my stand out stories of the anthology. J.M Faulkner's 'Radegast' has nothing to do with Radagast the Brown, but is a story about a Slavic god and a return to the homeland by two brothers. Die Booth's 'Paper Coins' take us to Wales, and a rugged landscape that hides its own secrets. I have a bit of a soft spot for all things Welsh, so this story leapt out at me. Catherine McCarthy's 'The Sickle and the Tithe' keeps us in Wales with a traditional folk horror tale of sacrifice and good harvests. I loved it for the gradual change of the protagonist's emotions over the course of the story and her life. Timothy Granville's 'Sarsen Wood' makes no bones about the morality of the group of kids at the heart of his story, and there is no merciful bliss here for the sacrifice. Alex Wolfgang's 'Malleability' has a sf feel to it, it's certainly not set on this planet, but it still has strong and dreamlike folk horror vibes, I loved it. And here we are, end of the book, with a Tracy Fahey story to finish off with. Did I say that you should always save the best until last?
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August 18, 2023I don't feel right giving this anthology a numerical rating as it contains one of my own stories, but I was a huge fan of the first two volumes of this series and this one felt like an excellent capstone for the project. Lots of excellent stories with a wide variety of takes on folk horror. If you dug the first two books, or if you just enjoy folk horror in general, you can't go wrong with this book.
February 5, 2024
One feature of folk horror is that the subject matter tends to be defined, and this means that in a collection like this one the tropes stand out. Many of these stories, for example, involve a community that lives apart from the modern world and in accordance to values that depart sharply from those of normative society, and what happens when a stranger unwittingly wanders into it. There isn’t anything wrong with this story, but reading multiple examples in a row can make it seem formulaic.
That said, I do want to call out “The Last Honeyboy” as being very, very good. While the setting is much like that of the other stories in the collection, the narrator’s voice expresses the tension between modernity and tradition that is at the heart of genre, the resolution is ambiguous in a way that adds to the complexity of the story and it deals with the relationship between what you might call a marginal and regionally defined faith community and the dominant society in an interesting way.
That said, I do want to call out “The Last Honeyboy” as being very, very good. While the setting is much like that of the other stories in the collection, the narrator’s voice expresses the tension between modernity and tradition that is at the heart of genre, the resolution is ambiguous in a way that adds to the complexity of the story and it deals with the relationship between what you might call a marginal and regionally defined faith community and the dominant society in an interesting way.
Want to read
July 25, 2024"F is for the Farm" by Steve Rasnic Tem
rating: tbd/5
"The Motley" by Charlie Hughes
rating: tbd/5
"Child of the Gods" by Thersa Matsuura
rating: tbd/5
"The Keeper of the Light" by Richard Thomas
rating: tbd/5
"The Last Honeyboy" by Ryan Cassavaugh
rating: tbd/5
"Mrs. Badger's Bones" by Fox Claret Hill
rating: tbd/5
"Cooper's Hill" by Matt Elphick
rating: tbd/5
"As the Thing is Needed" by Damien B. Raphael
rating: tbd/5
"Come Sing for the Harrowing" by Dan Coxon
rating: tbd/5
"Back Yonder" by Melissa A. Szydlek
rating: tbd/5
"Mulberry Silk" by Rae Knowles
rating: tbd/5
"Herald of the Red Hen" by Coy Hall
rating: tbd/5
"The Gods that Drift with Us" by Zachary Rosenberg
rating: tbd/5
"Radegast" by J.M. Faulkner
rating: tbd/5
"Paper Coins" by Die Booth
rating: tbd/5
"The Sickle and the Tithe" by Catherine McCarthy
rating: tbd/5
"Sarsen Wood" by Timothy Granville
rating: tbd/5
"Malleability" by Alex Wolfgang
rating: tbd/5
"Witchwalking" by Tracy Fahey
rating: tbd/5
rating: tbd/5
"The Motley" by Charlie Hughes
rating: tbd/5
"Child of the Gods" by Thersa Matsuura
rating: tbd/5
"The Keeper of the Light" by Richard Thomas
rating: tbd/5
"The Last Honeyboy" by Ryan Cassavaugh
rating: tbd/5
"Mrs. Badger's Bones" by Fox Claret Hill
rating: tbd/5
"Cooper's Hill" by Matt Elphick
rating: tbd/5
"As the Thing is Needed" by Damien B. Raphael
rating: tbd/5
"Come Sing for the Harrowing" by Dan Coxon
rating: tbd/5
"Back Yonder" by Melissa A. Szydlek
rating: tbd/5
"Mulberry Silk" by Rae Knowles
rating: tbd/5
"Herald of the Red Hen" by Coy Hall
rating: tbd/5
"The Gods that Drift with Us" by Zachary Rosenberg
rating: tbd/5
"Radegast" by J.M. Faulkner
rating: tbd/5
"Paper Coins" by Die Booth
rating: tbd/5
"The Sickle and the Tithe" by Catherine McCarthy
rating: tbd/5
"Sarsen Wood" by Timothy Granville
rating: tbd/5
"Malleability" by Alex Wolfgang
rating: tbd/5
"Witchwalking" by Tracy Fahey
rating: tbd/5
March 25, 2025
A great end to an enjoyable trilogy, some stories took me more than others but there is something for everyone here if you enjoy this particular genre of horror.
April 4, 2025
The last few stories were not good
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews