The Best Horror of the Year, Volume Sixteen

by Ellen Datlow (Editor), Charlie Hughes (Contributor)

For more than four decades, Ellen Datlow has been at the center of horror. Bringing you the most frightening and terrifying stories, Datlow always has her finger on the pulse of what horror readers crave. Now, with the sixteenth volume of the series, Datlow is back again to bring you the stories that will keep you up at night. Encompassed in the pages of The Best Horror of the Year have been such illustrious writers as: Neil Gaiman, Stephen King, Stephen Graham Jones, Joyce Carol Oates, Laird Barron, Mira Grant, and many others.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Anthologies, Horror Thriller

384 pages, Paperback

Published November 26, 2024

About the author

Ellen Datlow has been editing science fiction, fantasy, and horror short fiction for forty years as fiction editor of OMNI Magazine and editor of Event Horizon and SCIFICTION. She currently acquires short stories and novellas for Tor.com. In addition, she has edited about one hundred science fiction, fantasy, and horror anthologies, including the annual The Best Horror of the Year series, The Doll Collection, Mad Hatters and March Hares, The Devil and the Deep: Horror Stories of the Sea, Echoes: The Saga Anthology of Ghost Stories, Edited By, and Final Cuts: New Tales of Hollywood Horror and Other Spectacles.
She's won multiple World Fantasy Awards, Locus Awards, Hugo Awards, Bram Stoker Awards, International Horror Guild Awards, Shirley Jackson Awards, and the 2012 Il Posto Nero Black Spot Award for Excellence as Best Foreign Editor. Datlow was named recipient of the 2007 Karl Edward Wagner Award, given at the British Fantasy Convention for "outstanding contribution to the genre," was honored with the Life Achievement Award by the Horror Writers Association, in acknowledgment of superior achievement over an entire career, and honored with the World Fantasy Life Achievement Award at the 2014 World Fantasy Convention.

Reviews

[H.V.]

Datlow's anthologies are always fantastic!

I was honored to have a story in this collection.

[Johan Haneveld · Rating 4 out of 5]

8+ A very entertaining anthology of horror stories, showing the wide scope of the genre with very diverse approaches and tones. Fascinatingly there seemed to be a theme of folk horror here (maybe due to the success of the movie 'Midsommar'?) with two stories concerning religious ceremonies in small town communities, one concerning a small town with another strange ritual having to do with governance, a story about the roots of an urban legend and a story about twins from a small English coastal village far from the beaten path.
There were several stories that made me feel genuinely uncomfortable and disturbed, while others were more classically entertaining. There were only a couple that I thought disappointing - they were well written, but didn't feel very scary to me. I thought the desert environment of 'Tell Me When I Disappear' vividly described, and the characters well realised, but the horror aspect could have been foreshadowed more (the theme is there, but the story seems to work to a more human kind of horror). And the twist in 'Jack O'Dander' didn't really work for me (I was more concerned with working out how this was possible, instead of feeling the horror of the situation). Likewise I found 'R is for Remains' pretty forgettable.
That being said I at least enjoyed all the other stories, and some I found really memorable.
Highlights to me included:
- 'Dodger' by Carly Holmes. An example of psychological horror (in the vein of Shirley Jackson) that has no supernatural elements, but is excruciatingly tense from the first moment on, as a mother feels smothered by having a child, losing herself in the role of 'mother'. The despair of the main character was very well realised with prose that brought me flawlessly into her perspective.
- 'That Maddening Heat' by Ray Cluley had a man haunted by a memory from his past. Loneliness seems to take on physical form.
- 'Return to Bear Creek Lodge' by Tananarive Due once again featured a young protagonist and tense family relations. The famly dynamic was well described even though I didn't find it all that scary, the underlying tension stemming from personal relationships was great.
- 'The Enfilade' by Andrew Hook was weird fiction that I really like - not so much scary as well as bewildering, disturbing in opening up metaphysical possibilities. The imagery at the end was haunting ...
- 'Lover's Lane' by Stephen Graham Jones has an amateur folklorist researching the root of a well known urban legend and finding out there's something weird going on ... I liked the build up of this and the revelations at the end ...
- 'Build Your Houses With Their Backs at the Sea' by Caitlin R. Kiernan was atmospheric Lovecraftian fiction (it takes place in New England) that had strange imagery (masks looking like deep sea fish) and an ambiguous conclusion. Great work.
- 'The Scare Groom' by Patrick Barb had strange religious ceremonies in an isolated community - here the young woman caught up in it takes matters in her own hands ...
- 'The Salted Bones' by Neil Williamson had a horrific conceit but what's really scary is not the supernatural element, but what we as human beings are doing to our planet ... and our indifference to it. A great way to incorporate climate anxiety into horror fiction.
- Closing story 'The Motley' by Charlie Hughes had a great central monster, very disturbing, but the human monsters were maybe even more disturbing (and isn't that the theme of the best horror stories?).

All in all I really enjoyed this collection and I will read more of Ellen Datlows 'Best Horror of the Year'-anthologies in the future!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved every single story in the first half, but then the second half was more of a mixed bag. Some of the stories were too vague and open ended for me.

Interestingly, there were quite a few British authors with stories set in England specifically. There was a handful of stories featuring an obviously BIPOC character. There were a few stories that would also be considered folk horror, which surprised me.

I will say that I enjoyed this volume much more than the last few collections. It seemed like after volume 10 that something had changed, but volume 16 gets it back on track.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ellen Datlow's Best Horror of the Year books are always treats, but this year's collection is simply outstanding. If you want to dip your toe into horror short fiction, this book will reward you. If you love short horror, this book will remind you why. Not a bad title in the bunch. Especially worth noting are "The Importance of a Tiny House," "Dodger," "That Maddening Heat," "Jack O'Dander," "The Assembled," "R is for Remains," "The Enfilade," "Lover's Lane," "The Scare Groom," "Tell Me When I Disappear," and "The Motley."

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely the best horror short story collection I’ve read in years. I was utterly rapt throughout this, the only exception being the 3rd to last and 2nd to last stories. But “The Motley” was a great last story.

I got to read a lot of darlings of r/horrorlit, and I don’t think a single of the big names featured here disappointed me; what’s more, I feel like I discovered so many other writers I’d never encountered before who I now want to check out more from. Looking forward to reading more horror anthologies curated by Ellen Datlow.

My favorites:
Rock Hopping
That Maddening Heat
Jack O’Dander
The Assembled
Return to Bear Creek Lodge
The Enfilade
Lover’s Lane
Build Your Houses with Their Backs to the Sea

[Christian Orton · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t like to give one star reviews. Ever.

I’ve read thousands of horror short stories since the early eighties. It’s possibly my favorite type of reading. I started early with an adult library card checking out each volume of Shadows.

All to say, I’m no noob.

But this collection is hands down the absolute worst I’ve ever experienced. Save for the Andrew Hook story (which is a three star at best), no other story is memorable. Heck, not just not memorable, not even decent.

These stories, out of the thousands I’ve read, easily rank at the bottom. It’s really remarkable how an editor could pick these out of the bunch.

I’m actually a bit emotional because I love and defend horror. But I don’t want anyone picking this anthology up in an attempt to try horror.

A new editor is badly needed for a “Best of” yearly collection. This effort is without excuse and wholly embarrassing.

[سیما تقوی · Rating 4 out of 5]

مجموعه داستان‌های کوتاه ژانر وحشت از نویسنده‌های مختلف، شناخته شده و نه چندان شناخته شده که معمولا هرسال چاپ می‌شود و شامل داستان‌های کوتاه و بلند ژانر وحشت است هرچند که در این بین، بعضا داستان‌های کوتاه ژانرهای دیگر هم یواشکی خودشان را قاطی ژانر وحشت می‌کنند و داخل کتاب به چاپ می‌رسند!
این نسخه، شامل چند اثر لاوکرفتی بسیار دلپذیر بود هرچند به نسبت سایر مجموعه‌ها قدری ضعیف‌تر بود و داستان‌های ضعیف‌تر و طولانی‌تری داشت اما داستان‌های ژانر لاوکرفتی‌اش بسیار لذت‌بخش بود. بخصوص داستان‌هایی که از دعجون و اینسموث ایده گرفته بودند و داستان آخر که بسیار دوستش داشتم!

[Richard Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ellen always does a great job and this year is no exception. Here are my favorite stories, the ones I taught in my workshops this year:

Dodger by Carly Holmes
Rock Hopping by Adam C. G. Nevill
The Enfilade by Andrew Hook
The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs by E. Catherine Tobler
Return to Bear Creek Lodge by Tananarive Due
The Scare Groom by Patrick Barb
Lover’s Lane by Stephen Graham Jones
That Maddening Heat by Ray Cluley
Tell Me When I Disappear by Glen Hirshberg
The Motley by Charlie Hughes
Jack O’Dander by Priya Sharma

[Eloise · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Importance of a Tidy Home 3.5
Dodger 5
Rock Hopping 3.5
That Maddening Heat 5
Jack O'Dander 5
The Assembled 4
R is for Remains 3
The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs 3.5
Return to Bear Creek Lodge 3
The Enfilade 3.5
Lover's Lane 3
Hare Moon 2
Build Your Houses With Their Backs to the Sea 3
The Scare Groom 3
The Teeth 3.5
Nabrok 4
The Salted Bones 4
Tell Me When I Disappear 3
The Motley 5

[Kate L · Rating 4 out of 5]

16 for 16; Ellen Datlow giving the horror fans what they want year after year. Whenever I read these anthologies, I feel I have to ration the stories because I don’t want them to end so soon. Something for everyone in this volume though there was a more folk horror bent than anything else, which ratcheted up the weirdness (shoutout to The Scare Groom). Can’t wait for #17.

[Christopher Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read every year. Between Ellen Datlow’s thorough summation of the year’s highlights in the horror genre and a rich sampling of outstanding tales by great authors, this series is a must read for fans of the genre and writers who want to improve their horror writing craft.
Highly recommended.

[Cory Brock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent collection of horror shorts. Some highlights from this volume were "That Maddening Heat", "Return to Bear Creek Lodge", and "The Enfilade." I'm definitely planning to check out more by the authors of those stories.

[Aaron Abrams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stand-outs (in no particular order):

The Importance of a Tidy Home
That Maddening Heat
Jack O’Dander
The Assembled
R Is For Remains
Return to Bear Creek Lodge
The Enfilade
Lover’s Lane
Build Your Houses with Their Backs to the Sea
Nábrók
The Motley

[Emily Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5, rounded up. Some were much stronger than others, but I think I expected a bit more from what calls itself the *best* of the year. Would love to be a judge.

[Aimee Good · Rating 2 out of 5]

My first DNF really. Couldn’t get into it. Maybe short stories aren’t my thing, I didn’t find them to be “horror”.

[Gary Siebert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I own every volume in the series and always find it very entertaining! It is my favorite horror anthology, and I look forward to it every year! Not perfect, but always worth the price of admission.

[Dan Howarth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good installment in this series. As ever, some stories not necessarily to my taste, but the very best are truly awesome.

[Bill Borre]

"R is for Remains" by Steve Rasnic Tem - Gene's work of cleaning of the remains of murders and suicides is interrupted by the visions he sees of dead people.

[Ben - the Amateur Exegete · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved Charlie Hughes’ “The Motley” and Patrick Barb’s “The Scare Groom.”

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

No idea what I expected from thus book. what I got was some pretty good horror. Each story was in itself weird, wonderful and scarey.

[Maggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was about 50/50 duds vs greats for me. Highlights include the final story, "The Motley", and "Return to Bear Creek Lodge" which was a sequel to a story from a previous anthology in the series.

[Vladimir Ghinculov · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is volume sixteen of the Best Horror of the Year series of anthologies. It covers the year 2023. First of all I have to praise the summation of the year in horror, a titanesque work. The short stories, the best in the year, are at leadt very good.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read

You can never go wrong with Ellen Datlow! I have read every year in the series and am never disappointed!