The Best Weird Fiction of the Year, Vol. 1

by Kay Chronister, Michael Kelly (Editor), Nicholas Royle

A showcase of some of the finest weird fiction from 2024, the inaugural volume of The Best Weird Fiction of the Year pays homage to, and builds upon, the critical success of its sibling predecessor, The Year's Best Weird Fiction, Vols. 1 - 5 (2014 - 2018).

Contents:
- Natalia Theodoridou "Nocturnal"
- Hiron Ennes "Our Best Selves"
- Richard Gavin "Banquets of Embertide"
- Rachael K. Jones "Five Views of the Planet Tartarus"
- Kristina Ten "Kamchatka"
- Diana Dima "Auspicium"
- Thomas Ha "Alabama Circus Punk"
- Joe Koch "These Are His Memories"
- Uchechukwu Nwaka "An Offering of Algae"
- Charlotte Tierney "A Woman's Place in the Haunted Home"
- Greg van Eekhout "Across the Street"
- Chris Campbell "In the Palace of Science"
- Seán Padraic Birnie "Black Water"
- F.E. Choe "Better Me Is Fun at Parties"
- Jason Baltazar "Local Extinction Hotline"
- Kay Chronister "Ruminants"
- Shaoni C. White "Your Thoughts Are Glass"
- Nicholas Royle "British Wildlife"
- Mia Xuan "Mise En Abyme"
- Dominique Dickey "The Last Lucid Day"
- Elliott Gish "Tour"
- Kaaron Warren "The Ruins With a Spectator"
- Joanne Anderton "He Dances Alone"
- Kelly Robson "Median"
- Zachariah Claypole White "Ghost Story"

Genres: Weird Fiction

349 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 21, 2025

Reviews

[Bill Hsu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Kelly's discussion of weird fiction in the intro, though I'm not sure I'd include some of these stories in a "weird fiction" anthology. But that's not important. I'll only mention the stories that I like, and update this review as I make my way through.

Nice start with Natalia Theodoridou's "Nocturnal"; I like the dream-like 2nd person narrative, with the fraught mother/daughter relationships. Then Hiron Ennes' "Our Best Selves", a relatively straightforward dark fantasy tale with horror elements, not as open-ended as my favorite weird fiction, but nicely done. There are interesting images (those arms!), and some strong writing on the ornate side:

We pull his skin taut over a frame of bones, scape off the pulp of his fat, and dry it in the cold sun. When the snows come, we stretch it over the ceiling, we hang it from the doorways, we throw it over the beds and pillows and curl in its warmth.

A few pieces I don't care for, then Diana Dima's lovely "Auspicium":

There has always been a sparrow inside me. At first it was just an egg, something I felt in my belly before I even had the words for it. I remember asking my mother about it, the way she hugged me and said, it's nothing, trust me, try to ignore it and it'll go away...

Thomas Ha's slippery "Alabama Circus Punk" (love the title!), which originally appeared in Ergot; I've come across interesting work on it and really need to explore more. It begins:

I should have known something was strange because the repairman came after dark. He wore a mask out of respect, but beneath the coated plasticine I could sense the softness of his form. To think, a biological in my home. I would have to be sure to book a scrubbing service to remove the detritus after he was gone.

The unstable world-building just continues, and we're offered a stream of fascinating, mercurial and uncomfortable ideas, no explanations. I plan to check out Ha's collection soon.

Chris Campbell's "In the Palace of Science" recreates vintage (as in early 20th century) sci-fi, down to the writing. The two protagonists are Black, but after the thoughtful social commentary in the setup, little was done with this. I probably wouldn't include this story in a weird fiction anthology (assuming it's not weird in the Weird Tales sense), but it was fun.

Kay Chronister's "Ruminants" is solid weird contemporary science fiction, with nods to our recent anxieties (harsh environmental changes, wholesale population displacements, forced labor and harsh working conditions, mysterious technologies utilized by oligarchs for shady goals, etc). I quite enjoyed it, though it could be a bit tighter, and it's not quite at the level of my favorite pieces in Chronister's Thin Places.

I enjoyed Nicholas Royle's novel Antwerp, and "British Wildlife" did not disappoint. The opening section is beautifully understated, with only one or two slightly odd details. Royle refuses to make explicit statements about what's going on, but by the end the horrific denouement of the project is clear. Nice.

I thought Dominque Dickey's "The Last Lucid Day" was a harrowing account of caring for an abusive parent succumbing to dementia. However, there's little intrigue, and it's not the kind of story I'd include in a weird fiction anthology. Elliot Gish's "Tour" on the other hand is breezy and sly, and hugely enjoyable. I'm planning to check out her novel.

I thought the rest of the stories were fun but less interesting. But overall, this is one of the better dark fiction anthologies I've read recently.

[Tony Ciak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding collection of short stories and authors have made this an enjoyable read. Loved it!!!

[Grant Dowell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm pleased that Michael Kelly is once again curating a best-of-the-year collection. 2024 was a great year for short weird fiction and collected here are 25 of the best! My own favorites include:

"Our Best Selves" by Hiron Ennes
"Five Views of the Planet Tartarus" by Racheal K. Jones
"Alabama Circus Punk" by Thomas Ha
"A Woman's Place is in the Haunted Home" by Charlotte Tierney
"In the Palace of Science" by Chris Campbell
"Ruminants" by Kay Chronister
"The Ruins with a Spectator" by Kaaron Warren
"He Dances Alone" by Joanne Anderton

[Myna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great collection of creepy & weird stories. Each one is unique, showcasing a great range of talented authors. If you enjoy new weird, I think you will enjoy this book.

[Dan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Most of these stories are experimental and oh so uber modern. Half of them are written by gender-challenged authors who like using the plural pronoun for singular people. I know; I'm a troglodyte for not being on board for this fad of fluidity. We have the usual overly clever attempts at second person narration, confused use of present tense for past events, lack of protagonists, meaningful dialogue, or plot, etc. This collection is all trend and no substance, a complete waste of my money, which was not insubstantial since I thought the collection would be better and purchased a print version.

There are probably a few 3-star stories buried in this steaming pile, but I stopped caring and skimmed the second half anyway. Two stars (instead of one) for the fact that most stories are technically well-written with good word choices. The production values are high, with only three or four basic editing mistakes. I concede that my preference for good, traditional story values rather than being challenged with experimental, over-wrought crap could just be my idiosyncrasy. Michael Kelly and I are clearly not on the same page, and this will be my last reading of anything that has his name on it.