Fears: Tales of Psychological Horror

by Ellen Datlow (editor), Simon Bestwick (Contributor), Annie Neugebauer (Contributor)

Bestselling horror editor Ellen Datlow (Body Shocks) returns with her most eclectic anthology. Here are twenty-one stories of extreme psychological dread from horror icons such as Joyce Carol Oates, Stephen Graham Jones, Priya Sharma, Simon Bestwick, and more. The unsettling tales explore the nature of fear as it stirs in dysfunctional families, toxic friendships, and mismatched lovers, and culminates in relentless stalkers, remorseless killers, and perpetrators of savage rituals.

Your grandfather confesses his heinous crime to you alone. You try to save a young girl from sexual assault, but she’s not really a victim. Your child is sacrificed in compensation for your social misstep. You compete in a sick game to save your loved ones. Your mom is insane, your dad is dying, your brother is not your brother, and you’re stuck in the same house until one or all of you are dead.

Far below the unlikeliness of the supernatural lives something worse: the depths of human depravity. We live in fear of the cruelties of respected leaders and of the despicable crimes of neighbors who seem normal. We live with anxiety about our innermost desires and the unforgivable things we might do in a moment of passion. Or, if we fail to curb our urges, we live with the terrible secrets of our unfettered resentments.

In this uniquely unsettling anthology, editor Ellen Datlow has unearthed twenty-one exemplary tales of what humanity fears most: People.

“Bait” by Simon Bestwick
“The Pelt” by Annie Neugebauer
“A Sunny Disposition” by Josh Malerman
“The Donner Party” by Dale Bailey
“White Noise in a White Room” by Steve Duffy
“Singing My Sister Down” by Margo Lanagan
“Back Seat” by Bracken MacLeod
“England and Nowhere” by Tim Nickels
“Endless Summer” by Stewart O’Nan
“My Mother’s Ghosts” by Priya Sharma
“The Wink and the Gun” by John Patrick Higgins
“One of These Nights” by Livia Llewellyn
“LD50” by Laird Barron
“Cavity” by Theresa DeLucci
“Souvenirs” by Sharon Gosling
“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates
“The Wrong Shark” by Ray Cluley
“21 Brooklands: next to Old Western, opposite the burnt out Red Lion” by Carole Johnstone
“Unkindly Girls” by Hailey Piper
“A Lovely Bunch of Coconuts” by Charles Birkin
“Teeth” by Stephen Graham Jones

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Anthologies, Fiction, Crime, Psychological Thriller, Adult

336 pages, Paperback

First published September 10, 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

[inciminci · Rating 2 out of 5]

The name list of contributing authors is impressive. The editor iconic. The theme subtle, complex, exciting. The 21 short stories are reprints, means they have been approved already. So, Fears: Tales of Psychological Horror must be a sure-fire winner, right?

The horrors in this anthology are built upon human evil, derangement, trauma, and in order to get there, the stories make use of atmospheric narration, hold in suspense, and sometimes, unfortunately, turn to bathos and sentimentalism. As is the essence of anthologies, Fears too has its ups and downs, but covers a wide range from creepy grandfathers with outrageous secrets, toxic friendships, dysfunctional marriages, serial killers, encounters with murderers, to sharks.

To answer my initial question, the answer is unfortunately no. Despite its advantages, this anthology does never quite make it. There was maybe one short story, Priya Sharma's “My Mother's Ghosts” that impressed me, but the others didn't really do it, I'm very sorry to say.

It happens. I'm happy about every Datlow anthology and I'm already anticipating her next.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains short tales of psychological horror by some of the best horror writers and storytellers out there today - Stephen Graham Jones, Josh Malerman, and Joyce Carol Oates just to name a few. These 21 short tales examine terror, human depravity, psychological terror, and fear.

This collection is made up of previously published short stories for the reading enjoyment of horror fans. With most short story collections, there were ones that I enjoyed more than others, but I found this a worthwhile read. I had not read anything included in this anthology before and I also enjoyed how this book introduced me to some authors whom I have not read before.

My favorites were: A Sunny Disposition by Josh Malerman, The Donner Party by Dale Bailey, and Bait by Simon Bestwick.

3.5 stars

Thank you to Tachyon Publications and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖

[Irene Well Worth A Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of horror anthologies so I was probably holding my breath from the time I requested this book from Edelweiss until the minute the approval came. It's not easy to scare me so I will not hold it against the title for being unable to arouse any fears in me. Still, it conjured up several other emotions and I have always said the stories I enjoy the most are the ones that can make me feel something.

Among my many favorites were The Pelt by Annie Neugebauer about a woman who finds the skin of an unidentified animal mysteriously draped over her fence.

A Sunny Disposition by Josh Malerman about a boy who is left to sit with grandpa while his parents are out. Grandpa has a secret he is dying to share and who would believe an imaginative child if he decided to spill the beans?

The Donner Party by Dale Bailey in which a woman of lower social standing gets a taste for the high class side of life.

Back Seat by Bracken MacLeod about a young girl whose desperate circumstances lead to a traumatic discovery.

Singing My Sister Down by Margo Lanagan is a story that ripped my heart out, about a cruel and unusual punishment that is customary among a particular group of people.

These were my favorites, yours may differ. That's what's great about anthologies, you can take what you like and leave the rest.

3.75 stars rounded up to 4

[Rachel the Page-Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

As most of you (should) know, I love a horror anthology! These are 21 tales of psychological horror; below, my thoughts on each story.

Bait, Simon Bestwick: A man sees a woman kill someone outside of a bar, then asks her if she wants to have a drink. 4/5

The Pelt, Annie Neugebauer: This story of a woman who finds a strange animal pelt started slow, but I liked the ending! 3/5

A Sunny Disposition, Josh Malerman: What would YOU give (or take) to have a sunny disposition? 4/5

The Donner Party, Dale Bailey: This was a dark and interesting historical fiction story about cannibalism - I mean, ensouled flesh consumption. 3.5/5

White Noise in a White Room, Steve Duffy: I’m not big on military/action horror, though the writing was good. 2.5/5

Singing My Sister Down, Margo Lanagan: This tale of a woman being killed in a tarpit needed more back story. 2.5/5

Back Seat, Bracken MacLeod: I wish this story of a homeless girl and her father was longer! 4.5/5

England and Nowhere, Tim Nickels: A mute man watches and listens to his neighbors as death hangs over him. 3.5/5

Endless Summer, Stuart O’Nan: This story was so abstract that I’m clueless; I *think* it’s about a serial killer who kills non-binary people, but I could be way off. 2/5

My Mother’s Ghosts, Priya Sharma: A woman who takes care of her ailing parents gets quite a surprise when her brother comes home. 4.5/5

The Wink and the Gun, John Patrick Higgins: Some bullies cause a real EYE-raising situation! 4/5

One of Those Nights, Livia Llewellyn: Girls can get so nasty, sometimes with fatal results… 3/5

LD50, Laird Barron: A coyote culler is given a taste of his own medicine. 3.5/5

Cavity, Theresa DeLucci: The average person meets 36 murderers in their life…maybe just like this. 5/5

Souvenirs, Sharon Gosling: A man doesn’t want to go to the nursing home his family is sending him to, for good reason. 2.5/5

“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, Joyce Carol Oates: I thought this story about a girl named Connie was great, but it ended too abruptly. 4/5

The Wrong Shark, Ray Cluley: A man who was there for the making of the movie “Jaws” has a newfound sense of sharks. 4/5

“21 Brooklands, next to Old Western, opposite the burnt out Red Lion”, Carole Johnstone: What a neighborhood, what a house, what a story! 4/5

Unkindly Girls, Hailey Piper: Wow. This was sad and horrific, and let’s just say it’s best to be a kindly girl. 4.5/5

A Lovely Bunch of Coconuts, Charles Birkin: A different look at the third Reich; I just don’t care for military stories. 2.5/5

Teeth, Stephen Graham Jones: Dogs like bones. Why not people? 2.5/5

Based on my story ratings, I’m giving this three stars. I only gave one story five stars, because it was fantastic, but some of these stories weren’t really my style.

(Thank you to Tachyon Publications, Ellen Daltow and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.)

[Becky Spratford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review at Booklist Online and on the blog: https://raforall.blogspot.com/2024/08... (link live on 8/20/24 at 7 am central)

Three Words That Describe This Book: wide range of scares, reprints, “fear as precursor to terror”

That last word is a quote from the introduction attributed to Bracken MacLeod that I did not include in my review but I wanted to make sure I kept in my notes.

21 reprint stories-- all but one from this century. Why one from 1964. Not sure.

2 are from books that were nominated for the Bram Stoker Award that lost to another Datlow anthology-- Annie Neugebauer story is from the Hideous Book of Hidden Horrors edited by Doug Murano (I gave that collection a STAR in LJ and it won a Shirley Jackson Award) and Josh Malerman's stoy is from Dark Matter Presents Human Monsters edited by Sadie Hartmann and Ashley Sawyers. That last anthology was all original stories by the way.

The previously out of print Stephen Graham Jones story is at the end.

In my review I called out 3 stories. From my draft review: the intense, atmospheric unease of an overburdened caregiver in Priya Sharma’s “My Mother’s Ghost” or the reality of a young girl’s father terrifyingly unveiled by Hailey Piper in “Unkindly Girls” and the existentially unsettling “Cavity” by Theresa DeLucci which lists the 32 times the main character has met a murderer, including her own.

More when the review goes live. Probably in August to be a part of Booklist's month long Spotlight of SF, Fantasy, and Horror.

[Milt Theo · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded to 4. Many hit and misses here, but overall an interesting anthology, of the very high quality of all Datlow anthologies. The twenty-one stories have been published previously (the earliest from the 1960s, but all the rest from 2000, 2013 and the 2020s), but they’re not easy to find in one place, so Datlow has my gratitude for giving readers like me the opportunity to enjoy them in a single package.

The theme is horror perpetrated by people rather than supernatural entities. The stories rely on atmosphere, diversity, and original twists, though there's some slight repetition. The authors are all well-known names, though the stories have not been selected on that basis.

I especially liked the Malerman story, actually I enjoyed it very much, as well as Bailey's "Donner Party," but I was most impressed by "Singing My Sister Down" by Margo Lanagan. "The Wrong Shark" by Ray Cluley deserves special mention, but it won't be to everyone's liking.

In sum, a solid anthology perfect for the fall!

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fears is a collection of 21 Psychological Horror short stories. Like all collections, there's good stories and not so good stories. Unfortunately, I really only enjoyed eight of them. The rest I would rate between 1 and 3 stars. I'm really disappointed that I didn't like more stories, but I'm thrilled that I found some new to me writers to check out more of their work. I've read other anthology compiled by Ms. Datlow and found them to be far better than this one. Also, I feel many of these stories are more thriller than horror.

My thanks to Tachyon Publications, Ellen Datlow, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

[Brennan LaFaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Fears: Tales of Psychological Horror, you'll find stories that knock your socks off, stories that leave the hair standing on the nape of your neck, stories that leave you with a wicked grin, and stories that don't quite land for you. Such is the nature of anthologies. Thankfully, this anthology contains mostly stories that produced the first three results. Though some readers might be disappointed that this collection is mostly, if not entirely, reprints, they come from a variety of places and most of the stories will be new-to-you.
This collection leans away from the supernatural into human monsters, dread, and amped-up tension. Some of the stronger stories in the bunch include "Unkindly Girls" by Hailey Piper, "My Mother's Ghosts" by Priya Sharma, "LD50" by Laird Barron, "Where Are You Going, Where Did You Come From?" by Joyce Carol Oates (a classic, and one that some readers may already know), and "Teeth" by Stephen Graham Jones. Also worth mentioning, "The Wrong Shark" by Ray Cluley is worth the cover price on its own, a novella-length Jaws-inspired story about holding onto our beliefs and fears.

[Jeff · Rating 2 out of 5]

This collection of previously published shorts is full of big name authors in the horror genre writing bleak stories about killers with no remorse or logical motivation. Highlights include "The Wink and the Gun" by John Patrick Higgins and "My Mother's Ghosts" by Priya Sharma--both fantastic--but the others are pretty consistently disappointing. It's a scattershot approach, including everything from a slightly worn classic originally published in the sixties to forgettable ephemera published in 2022. Even the typically superb editor's introduction seems half-hearted in this collection of mostly mediocre fiction.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Tachyon Publications for the ARC.

[Pooja Peravali · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this anthology of psychological horror, we encounter killers, madmen, and twisted families in this presentation of the many shades of human depravity.

My preferred subgenre of horror is psychological horror. Here there's no ghosts or curses or demons - just the strange and terrifying excesses of human nature. The horror is enhanced by the fact that, bar the occasional tinge of the supernatural, everything that happened in this book could happen in real life. 

All of the stories included in this book were originally published in other places, ranging from the 1960s to 2020s. However, the only one I'd read before is Joyce Carol Oates's unsettling “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” (which I highly recommend), so this was a fresh reading experience for me. I enjoyed so many of the included stories that it's hard to pick a favorite!

A few I liked best were "A Sunny Disposition" by Josh Malerman, where a grandfather reveals an unsettling secret to his young grandson; "Back Seat" by Bracken MacLeod, in which a young homeless girl is confronted with a unexpected find while searching for spare change in an unlocked car; and "My Mother’s Ghosts" by Priya Sharma, in which a woman taking care of her ailing parents is unsure of she can trust her brother - or if he's even her brother at all - when he returns to the home fold.

However, the stories that fell flat generally did so in spectacular fashion. Some stories were too abstract and left me scratching my head about what they were all about - I don't mind reading between the lines, but when it becomes too hard to decipher you're too confused to feel horrified. Others felt a bit cliche, retracing the same ground about serial killers and the like, without adding much new beyond the form.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Book Club of One · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fears: Tales of Psychological Horror gathers 21 stories that explore many different facets of unease, but most of them concern serial killers. Top billing goes to stories by Joyce Carol Oates and Stephen Graham Jones, but also included are Josh Malerman, Priya Sharma and Simon Bestwick.

By its nature, it is a mixed anthology. A few stories are exceptional, while most are good with a few middling or poor. Many unfold quite predictably, with supposed twists guess-able by anyone with a passing interest in the horror genre. Most are from a single perspective, exploring an alternate cannibalistic world, childhood trauma, dysfunctional families, revenge, toxic social situations, stalkers and or killers.

Which in some ways is a shame, it is book ended well with strong, creepy stories. Simon Bestwick's "Bait" manages to defy normal convention with a revenge driven narrative seen at a remove. and Graham Jones' "Teeth" is a typically for him unsettling take on the police procedural with the main character about to retire, but for that one last case. Malerman's "A Sunny Disposition" is also a stand out, as it makes the most out of a child left to be minded by his grandfather. "Cavity" by Theresa DeLucci also stands out for its unique narration through 32 numbered passages.

Recommended for readers of horror, short fiction or creative works that emphasize humans as they true monsters.

I received a free digital version of this book via NetGalley thanks to the publisher.

[Drea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, my. Psychological horror, indeed.

The author list alone is pretty impressive. Josh Malerman, Joyce Carol Oates, Stephen Graham Jones. And some new (to me) authors that I fell in love with- Priya Sharma, Hailey Piper, Livia Llewellyn. If you're looking for horror that leaves you with the unrelenting need to scrub and scrub and scrub your skin because you just can't quite get rid of the stench, this is your book.

4 stars. All the trigger warnings. Seriously.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up
I really enjoyed "Teeth" and "My Mother's ghosts"

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great collection of short stories taking different facets of horror to truly scare you. As with any collection of short stories some are better than others but that is truly up to the reader on author preference and what scares them. All stories were worth reading. Well done. 4.5 ⭐️

[Isaiah · Rating 5 out of 5]

To read a full review check it out here.

https://mibookreviews.wordpress.com/2...

"The Pelt" is now my favorite horror story. Incredible stories in this collection.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Fears: Tales of Psychological Horror.

Anthologies are a mixed bag; it's rare if you enjoy all the stories, much like any of them.

If you're lucky, you'll like one or two.

If you're really lucky, you'll like more.

I've read anthologies edited by Ms. Datlow before so I knew this anthology would feature quality work from talented, quality authors.

Not surprisingly, some stories are better than authors.

My faves were Pelt, Back Seat, LD50, The Donner Party, and Cavity.

The stories feature the horror we should be most afraid of than zombies and ghosts: humans.

I look forward to reading more anthologies by Ms. Datlow.

[Nat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bait by Simon Bestwick - guy interrupts a woman killing predator men and escapes with his life. Kind of cliche but still enjoyable, 3/5

The Pelt by Annie Neugebauer - woman skins her husband. This was the kind of creepy and violent story I was looking for, 4/5.

A Sunny Disposition by Josh Malerman - creepy eye-stealing grandpa. Horrendous. 5/5

The Donner Party by Dale Bailey - rich people in a pseudo-Victorian regency society who eat human flesh. I saw the end coming but it was still very good. 5/5

White Noise in a White Room by Steve Duffy - hunting Irish terrorists. More confusing than frightening, really. 2/5

Singing My Sister Down by Margo Lanagan - woman who sinks into a tar pit. I'd read this before so I didn't get the sense of horror when you realize what's going on, but still very good. 4/5

Back Seat by Bracken MacLeod - baby frozen to death in a car. 3/5

England and Nowhere by Tim Nickels - a father and daughter (?) are making a movie or something and then the guy burns to death in his car and it's told from the POV of a guy with throat cancer watching them? I really struggled to follow this story. 2/5

Endless Summer by Stewart O'Nan - serial killer who pretends car trouble. Nice switcheroo, 3/5

My Mother's Ghosts by Priya Sharma - psychopath brother and sister with face blindness. This one was pretty messed up, which is saying something in this collection. 5/5

The Wink and the Gun by John Patrick Higgins - teenagers poison a guy's contact lens. The violence is very unsettling but it seemed so pointless. 3/5

One of These Nights by Livia Llewellyn - teenage girls drown their friend. Alright, somewhat cliche. 3/5

LD50 by Laird Barron - cowboy killing dogs. The sense of atmosphere is incredible here. 4/5

Cavity by Thersa DeLucci - a list of killers the main character has met, including her own. 3/5

Souvenirs by Sharon Gosling - a serial killer has gotten old and has to move into a nursing home. 4/5

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? by Joyce Carol Oates - evil guy shows up at teenager's house. This kind of made no sense but it was creepy. 4/5

The Wrong Shark by Ray Cluley - guy with shark nightmares goes after a bully's kid. This one felt a bit melodramatic, like it was trying too hard. 2/5

21 Brooklands: next to Old Western, opposite the burnt out Red Lion by Carole Johnstone - people in miserable UK poverty all get murdered in the dark. Miserable but it was well written. 4/5

Unkindly Girls by Hailey Piper - girl's dad is a serial killer. Eh. 3/5

A Lovely Bunch of Coconuts by Charles Birkin - nazi torturers in a concentration camp. This one just kind of felt like misery porn, and the ending was predictable. 2/5

Teeth by Stephen Graham Jones - cop hunting a cannibal. Compelling but I don't know that I understood the ending.

[Jeanette Greaves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tales of psychological horror take their turn in this new anthology from Ellen Datlow, the master of horror collections.

We kick off with 'Bait' by Simon Bestwick, a well constructed and expertly told version of the tale of a woman who has turned the tables on predatory men. Annie Neugebauer's 'The Pelt' is a claustrophobic story set in a wide open space, which struck me as both skillful and memorable. John Malerman's 'A Sunny Disposition' puts a child in an awkward position as his grandfather reminisces about a long marriage and a much missed grandmother. The title of Dale Baileys 'The Donner Party' does somewhat give the game away. I'm sure I've read this story before, or one very much like it, perhaps in another anthology. It's not the only story in this collection to give off strong 1970s Pan Book of Horrors vibes, but it is the first. Steve Duffy's 'White Noise in a White Room' deals with the dehumanisation of those involved in war. Weirdly, it reminded me in some ways of Third and Fourth Doctor era Dr Who stories, maybe it's the settings ... anyway, I got some real Dark U.N.I.T hints from this story. Margo Lanagan's 'Singing My Sister Down' is one of my favourites from this collection, it's a story about an execution, told with love and pity. Bracken MacLeod's sparsely told 'Back Seat' has a plot born of equal parts Cormac McCarthy and Stephen King. Tim Nickel's 'England and Nowhere' is one of the weirder stories in the book, I did struggle with it, perhaps I wasn't in the right frame of mind. Stuart O'Nan's 'Endless Summer' is a story about a serial killer. Priya Sharma's 'My Mother's Ghosts' is another of my favourites in this collection, it's a tense story of family loyalties viewed through an unusual lens. 'The Wink and the Gun' by John Patrick Higgins establishes an atmosphere of brooding menace. Livia Llewellyn's 'One of These Nights' is a creepy little Mean Girls story that I liked a lot. Laird Barron's 'LD50' is the story that this anthology was made for, originally self published on his blog and revived for the delectation and delight of new readers. I would love to read more about the central character in this story. Theresa Delucci's 'Cavity' is another beautifully written study that iterates all the murderers the protagonist has met. I loved it. Sharon Gosling's 'Souvenirs' is a story with an underlying horror that we can all understand, especially as we get towards the end of our lives ... but there's an extra horror, a treat at the end. 'Where are you going? Where have you been' by Joyce Carol Oates is an utterly terrifying story that traps the reader in a spiral of hope and hopelessness. Ray Cluley's 'The Wrong Shark' is based on enough facts about the shooting of 'Jaws' to make the ending hit hard. I loved Carole Johnstone's '21 Brooklands', it's the kind of story I'd love to write. Hailey Piper's 'Unkindly Girls' just made me sad. Charles Birkin's 'A Lovely Bunch of Coconuts' has been dragged out of its timezone, to poor effect. The last story in the book, Stephen Graham Jones' 'Teeth' is a longer story that takes its time but is worth it in the end.

[Sabrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I rated every story, and they all average out to 3.24, so this is rounded to a 3 star.

I discovered this collection when I was shopping at a Barnes and Noble, and a worker overheard me talking to my MIL about how I wanted to read a horror short story collection. She stopped me and gave me this, stating that she is a big fan of the editor Ellen Datlow. I love psychological horror so I was convinced to buy it.

Unfortunately a lot of these stories didn't really work for me. I hated the writing in the "The Donner Party" (1.5/5). "White Noise in a White Room" (2/5) and "England and Nowhere" (2/5) did not make sense to me at all. A lot of the stories I found were just okay - many of them are a bit predictable or flat out not scary to me.

The best stories were "A Sunny Disposition" by Josh Malerman (4.5/5) and The Wink and the Gun by John Patrick Higgins (4.5/5). These two were the most creative, and the creepiest in my opinion. Honorable mentions include "Teeth" by Stephen Graham Jones (4/5) and "Backseat" by Bracken Macleod (4/5).

My absolute favorite thing about this book is the cover. It is so creepy and I wish more of the stories in the book hit that same level of scary for me!

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC for review. To be published September 10, 2024.

Twenty-one tales of how psychological horror….”hell is other people.”

Nice mix of stories. My favorites were “The Donner Party” by Dale Bailey, “Endless Summer” by Stewart O’Nan, “The Wrong Shark” by Ray Cluey and a story I had read before but was just as great on the re-read, “Where Are You Going, Where Did You Come From?” by Joyce Carol Oates.

[Melissa Leitner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Tachyon Press for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. This one took me a lot longer to finish than I expected and I really didn't love many of the stories in this one. I don't think any of the stories were particularly bad, but none of them grabbed me like I wanted them to. I think the most memorable story was the first one (Bait by Simon Bestwick) and I think that was definitely a five-star story for me. I liked the overall theme explored throughout each of these stories but on a story-by-story level, they were mostly forgettable to me. Perhaps I am just not conducive to remembering more psychological and less supernatural horror. The Donner Party by Dale Bailey was another standout story from the rest and I think the beginning and end of the collection were both stronger than the middle. A lot of the authors in the collection were new to me (including the two mentioned above as far as I know) and so I am glad I got to read from a variety of new with some old. I think ending the collection with SGJ was a great choice as I always love his writing style and his story Teeth is definitely another memorable one. All in all, an okay collection but not one I see myself returning to.

[Torrie Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love anthologies in general because they keep my short attention span happy, but Fears is one of my favorites I've come across recently. There is something about psychological horror that scratches an itch deep down in my brain, even moreso when the collection is put together this well. This may be my favorite of Datlow's anthologies from what I've read of them thus far.

[Melanie Graves]

Hard to rate a collection of stories as some were big hits and some were huge misses, but an interesting variety if not feeling heavily weighted by stories featuring predatory, creepy men committing crimes against women - by the end it was getting exhausting. Sunny Disposition was a personal favorite among the bunch.

[Corvus]

DNF as it was not what I am in a place to read right now (mostly note to self)

[Melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 rounded down

The stories i liked i REALLY liked but overall it fell flat for me. i think psychological horror for me needs to be over a longer period of time.

[Jessica Mosse · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF, creepy, but not creepy enough to keep me interested

[David Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a lot of great editors that play in the science fiction, fantasy, and horror sandbox. But are any of them as consistently brilliant at crafting genre anthologies, as consistently brilliant at attracting the very best authors and building drool-worthy tables of contents, as Ellen Datlow? No. She’s the very best, as Fears: Tales of Psychological Horror amply demonstrates.

When it comes to Fears: Tales of Psychological Horror, you should definitely take the word Horror in the title seriously, because these stories are one gut-punch after another. There’s not a supernatural entity to be found here, just human being inflicting violence, terror, and depravity upon each other. Some are over the top in the horrors they display, and some are quiet, subtle shockers—both types of stories are equally disquieting, equally disturbing. When it came to choosing the contents of this book, Datlow did not fuck around.

While every story in the anthology has something to recommend it, here are a few that were standouts to me, and your favorites may be totally different than mine. Most of the stories were new to me, but the two I had read before happened to be two of my favorites, so let’s start with those.

Singing My Sister Down by Margo Lanagan—This brilliant piece of anthropological fantasy was my introduction to the extraordinary Lanagan, and it’s a shattering study of a family caught in a cultural trap they cannot escape. I’ve read this story half a dozen times, and I get something new from it every time.

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? by Joyce Carole Oates—You’ve probably read this at one time or another, it’s one of the most taught, most anthologized stories in history. It still packs as much punch as it did when it was published in the sixties. A chilling study in power dynamics coercion.

Bait by Simon Bestwick—The first story in the collection, about a young woman who’s not what she seems, it lets you know exactly what you’re in for.

A Sunny Disposition by Josh Malerman—Old, frail Grandpa Ray gives his young grandson a peek behind a very dark curtain.

Back Seat by Bracken MacLeod—I said above that every story here is a gut-punch…this one made me put the book down and go for a walk. Crushingly sad and hopeless.

One of These Nights by Livia Llewellyn—Two teenage girls and a public swimming pool in the summer are the ingredients for this twisted little tale.

Cavity by Theresa Delucci—The life of one woman connected, in one way or another, to thirty-six murderers. Told in cold, clinical, matter-of-fact detail that makes it shockingly powerful.

Unkindly Girls by Hailey Piper—What happens when you discover a devastating family secret? What do you do?

Teeth by Stephen Graham Jones—Hard-boiled crime fiction shot through with a queasy kind of horror, proof that Jones should maybe write more crime fiction.

Those are my favorites, but as I said, there’s not a clunker in the bunch. Fears: Tales of Psychological Horror releases September 10th, and is available for pre-order now. Don’t miss this one.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC from netgalley in exchange for a review.

Fears is an interesting horror short story collection that focuses not on supernatural horror, but instead on the all too human darkness that surrounds us. I liked that there was a bigger variety of horror tropes (from one story set in a concentration camp during the holocaust to a modern military torture site to murderous high school girls) and not just your typical (male & "insane") slasher, but in most cases I would have liked some more motivation for the "evil" people in here, since the supernatural cannot provide an answer this time and their human motivations are sometimes not really explored in enough detail for me to be interesting. I did really enjoy the variety in fast-paced gorey horror and the more creeping dread in this anthology though and so I think there will be something for everybody who enjoys horror. Personally I enjoyed quite a few of the stories here, my favorites being: A Sunny Disposition by Josh Malerman, The Donner Party by Dale Bailey, Singing My Sister Down by Margo Lanagan, My Mother's Ghost by Priya Sharma, Cavity by Theresa DeLucci and The Wrong Shark by Ray Cluley. Some of the stories were unfortunately a bit too short or too confusing to me, but I still had a good time reading most of them.
Below a short summary of every short story, including trigger warnings and some thoughts on them:

Bait by Simon Bestwick: A man wants to stop the local creep at the bar he frequents after he follows a young girl outside, but the girl turns the tables on him, I enjoyed the way the story examined and refuted various tropes around women surviving sexual abuse, tw: csa, rape, murder, gore, violence, castration
The Pelt by Annie Neugebauer: A short story about a woman who finds an unusual pelt on her property's fence and realizes that her husband seems... different after, very good at building the atmosphere and showing the disorientation of questioning the foundation you built your life on, tw: gore, violence
*FAV* A Sunny Disposition by Josh Malerman: A grandchild is left to be babysat by his grandfather, who decides he needs to get something off his chest before it's too late, very unsettling and incredibly good at building dread, I enjoyed it a lot, tw: gore, murder
*FAV* The Donner Party by Dale Bailey: A story set in victorian society following a woman climbing the ranks as she first gets to participate in a rare event called a "First Day Feast", both utterly different than the title suggests and yet similar in the most obvious ways, I really enjoyed this story and was (intentionally) reminded of "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift. A pleasure to consume indeed. tw: cannibalism, murder, brutality, anti black racist language
White Noise in a White Room by Steve Duffy: A retired militairy "interrogator" (aka top torturer) is called back from retirement for a weird case, a bit disjointed to me and not that interesting unfortunately, tw: murder, violence, descriptions of torture
*FAV* Singing My Sister Down by Margo Lanagan: A terrifying and heartbreaking justice is done in this story where a young woman is executed for having killed her husband. Really messed up, but fascinating to read. tw: murder
Back Seat by Bracken Mac Leod: A world frozen by record cold temperatures forces a small family of a father and a daughter to steal to survive until the daughter finds something unsettling in the backseat of a car, okay, but I disliked the semi-supernatural (psychic or haunting) aspect in the story here? I think it cheapened the horror a bit to me. tw: child death, child neglect
England and Nowhere by Tim Nickels: A story following an older man as he becomes invested in the lives of the two young people and watches them all the time, told in a rather aprubt way with many scene cuts, I didn't really get it and it didn't really interest me (maybe because I didn't get it). Unfortunately not my style. The prose was interesting though, even though I couldn't follow the story. tw: death
Endless Summer by Stewart O'Nan: A short and sweet slasher. Fun and I enjoyed it, but it is veeery short. tw: murder
*FAV* My Mother's Ghost by Priya Sharma: A daughter taking care of her parents as their health and minds fail them, finally has to deal with the family's past when the brother taken away as a child returns as an adult man and things just keep getting worse and more gothic, really fucked up and full of creeping dread, I really enjoyed reading it! tw: ableism, r-slur, murder, child murder, child abuse, incest, rape
The Wink and the Gun by John Patrick Higgins: A lonely man gets ready for his school reunion, but something weird happens as he is preparing, unsettling and a good use of creepy children (make them cruel schoolboys, that's always accurate). tw: eye trauma, eye gore, graphic injury
One of These Nights by Livia Llewellyn: This story follows a small group of highschool girls and the jealousy surrounding one of the girl's father that threatens to tear them apart until something finally has to change, weird and unsettling, but I do looooove messy sapphics, tw: incest, past child sexual abuse, threatened sexual abuse of a teenager, murder, drowing
LD50 by Laird Barron: A hitchhiker befriends a truck driver just as the report of a string of dog murders spreads throughout the various bars along the highway and the hitchhiker starts to wonder who the truck driver really is, tw: animal cruelty, animal murder, past attempted murder
*FAV* Cavity by Theresa DeLucci: A story told in short summaries of all the murderers the protagonist (unnamed, told in 2nd person) has met throughout their life. Very interesting and progressively more unsettling. I liked it. tw: murder, csa, suicide, misogyny, cat calling, rape, eating disorder mention
Souvenirs by Sharon Gosling: A man who used to travel all across the globe in his youth is now too old to keep living on his own and is brought into a nursing home where he decides to decorate his room with some of his souvenirs, I enjoyed the grisly reveal, tw: fatphobia, murder
Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? by Joyce Carol Oates: A teenage girl stays home from a family party to relax. Then a stranger pulls up to her driveway, wanting her to take a ride with him. Unsettling and very good at character voices. tw: threats of rape, kidnapping, murder, misogyny
*FAV* The Wrong Shark by Ray Cluley: In this story a man returns to his childhood town where the filming of Jaw happened and remembers a traumatic experience during it, really heartbreaking and exploring the cruelty of racism with a very satisfying end, tw: racism, animal murder, violence, bullying
21 Brooklands: next to Old Western, opposite the burnt out red lion by Carole Johnstone: A story set in a mostly abandoned street where a family's evening takes a turn for the worse when their lights are suddenly cut and somebody breaks into their house, quite tense and makes use of darkness as a horrifying experience really well, tw: murder, child abuse, physical violence, cheating, unsafe sex
Unkindly Girls by Hailey Piper: A daughter meets "unkindly girls" at the beach, girls who don't dress modestly enough, which her father disapproves off, but maybe after years of short-lived summer friendships she hopes that something can finally change, interesting and tense, tw: misogyny, murder, violence
A Lovely Bunch of Coconuts by Charles Birkin: A story set during the second world war in a concentration camp, featuring a very cruel contest held by the officers, tw: holocaust, implied sexual abuse, murder
Teeth by Stephen Graham Jones: A strange case featuring human remains being found in various unusual places becomes a cop's new obsession, interesting, but could have done without the ableism, tw: ableism, cannibalism, murder

[Silver Screen Videos · Rating 3 out of 5]

To paraphrase Forrest Gump: “Anthologies are like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get.” The best guide for potential readers is to look at the book’s theme, the authors selected, and, most of all, the editor who selected the individual works. At first glance, it would appear that “Fears,” a horror anthology compiled by acclaimed anthologist Ellen Datlow, would be a surefire winner for genre fans. Unfortunately, while some of the anthology’s 21 stories are excellent, others are confusing or long-winded and, ultimately, not scary on any level. The result is a collection that’s batting about fifty percent.

The problem with “Fears” starts with the book’s theme. It’s easy to compile a collection of vampire or ghost stories. However, Datlow eschewed stories that contained supernatural elements. That still leaves many classic horror tales from “Psycho” to “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” Datlow attempts to narrow her criteria further in the book’s Introduction, where she quotes author Bracken MacLeod (whose story, “Back Seat,” is one of the best in the book): “[F]ear is the precursor to terror—an anticipation of emergent or imminent harm that can start small like an unseen virus until it’s taken over… Fear transforms into terror. Terror leaves us with lingering fear. But one’s germinating while the other is cascading.” So, fear is when you hear the chainsaw; terror is when Leatherface chases you. That makes sense, but that distinction is rarely evident in these stories. Instead, Datlow’s theme seems to be any story that is supposed to make readers feel creepy but doesn’t involve supernatural phenomena. I’d be okay with that, but half the stories in the collection fail this test.

At least, the best stories in “Fears” are terrific. All 21 stories were previously published, most of them first appearing in other anthologies in the last ten years. Genre fans have likely encountered some of them in their previous readings, but the source material includes many obscure anthologies (Datlow loves crediting her competition in this field), so all but the most completist of readers should find enough new material to make the collection worthwhile… if they like the selections.
Two stories in “Fears” date from the 1960s and are two of the best. Joyce Carol Oates contributes an acclaimed genre classic, “Where Are You Going, Where Did You Come From?” A 15-year-old girl left home alone one afternoon is startled by the arrival of two men in a colorful car, asking her to go out with them. She soon realizes that they are considerably older than her and know a lot about her. Their leader gradually coaxes, cajoles, and impliedly threatens the teenager to break down her defenses. What surprised me most in re-reading the story was how a novelette written in 1965 was even more relevant in the social media age, where predators have much greater access to personal information.

The other 1960s story is actually a 1940s story. In “A Lovely Bunch of Coconuts,” Charles Birkin takes readers to a Nazi concentration camp where some inmates are forced to entertain the guards in a rather sadistic fashion. In 1964, readers were more familiar with this type of depravity than they are today, so the story’s ending probably is more shocking now. Another excellent story, Ray Cluley’s “The Wrong Shark,” also has a factual basis. It’s set in Martha’s Vineyard, where Darnell Jackson lived as a boy. In 1975, Steven Spielberg and his production crew arrived to film “Jaws.” Jackson and many other residents showed up frequently to watch the filming and vie for roles as extras. Jackson stood out because he was the only black person in the crowd. Martha’s Vineyard in 1975 wasn’t the most racially tolerant community, a fact that figures in the real-life horror Jackson encounters… and his reaction when he returns some 40 years later as an adult.

Another story worth noting is “One of These Nights” by Livia Llewellyn. In it, two 15-year-old girls commit a shocking crime in full view of dozens of witnesses, but nobody realizes what the girls are doing until long after they’ve left the scene. The story deservedly won the Best Short Story Edgar Award in 2021. By contrast, the horror in Carole Johnstone’s “21 Brooklands: next to Old Western, opposite the burnt out Red Lion” remains in the dark… literally. A family is terrorized by home invaders one night, and their plight becomes much worse when there’s a power failure. The horror in Sharon Gosling’s “Souvenirs” doesn’t reveal itself until the last page, but the understated prose packs a huge emotional wallop. A dutiful daughter finally persuades her 70-something father, who has been a worldwide adventure seeker, to settle in a retirement home near her. The story’s title hints at what he brings with him to the home.

As I mentioned earlier, Bracken MacLeod contributes “Back Seat.” A homeless father and young daughter eke out a “living” by having the girl break into parked cars at night (with her father’s help). She then pilfers any spare change or even leftover food. One night, she discovers a dead baby in the back seat and must spend several terrifying hours in the infant’s company. The author tells the story from the girl’s point of view as she struggles with what she sees and hears during those hours and what she imagines.

At its best, as in these stories, “Fears” is an excellent read for horror fans. Unfortunately, the book falls short of those heights frequently. Several stories were hard to follow or understand, even though I read them several times. They include the last story in the book, “Teeth,” by Stephen Graham Jones. This tale has a great premise, a dying cop on the verge of retirement who tries to solve one last case. Human bones keep turning up all over the city, and the police soon determine that they all come from the same body. The bulk of the story is engaging; the last few pages are a confusing mess.

“The Donner Party” by Dale Bailey is easy to understand, however. It’s also a lame attempt at satire. The story’s title should clue readers in about the principal ingredient in the special dish being served at some Victorian England dinner parties. (Read Stanley Ellin’s “Specialty of the House” for a much better take on the same theme.) I think “The Donner Party” was intended as dark humor instead of straight horror. It fails at both, being neither creepy nor amusing. “A Sunny Disposition” by Josh Malerman also squanders a great set-up. A young boy is alone with his dying, blind grandfather. Before the boy can leave, the grandfather reveals something quite shocking. An edited version of this story might have been one of the best in the anthology. Unfortunately, before the big reveal, the boy has to listen to a nearly interminable monologue by Grandpa. I imagine if I were a young boy in that situation, I’d be scared out of my wits. But as an adult reading the speech, I had a more jaded reaction.

I would recommend about half the selections in “Fears” as stand-alone stories. “A Lovely Bunch of Coconuts” and “Souvenirs,” in particular, will remain with me for a long time. But I struggle to remember three or four others less than a week after I read them, and I doubt I’ll understand them no matter how many times I re-read them. Given an enormous amount of potential source material that would qualify for inclusion based on the somewhat nebulous premise of “Fears,” that’s a disappointment for an anthology from Ellen Datlow. There’s enough good material here for a three-star rating and marginal recommendation. But I’m afraid this anthology is nowhere near Datlow’s best effort.

NOTE: The publisher graciously provided me with a copy of this book through NetGalley. However, the decision to review the book and the contents of this review are entirely my own.

[unstable.books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a good anthology. Psychological horror remains one of my favorites. A few standout stories, for me, were from Josh Malerman, Laird Barron, Hailey Piper and, of course, Stephen Graham Jones. Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the ARC. Check this out when it publishes on September 10, 2024!