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Blurring the Line
Fiction and non-fiction. Reality and make-believe. Can you draw the line between the two? Do you know where real horror starts? Blurring the Line is a collection of 20 horror short stories by some of the best writers around, plus 10 non-fiction articles to make you think twice about the world we live in - but then again, maybe some of the stories are real, and some of the non-fiction made up... With tales from Tim Lebbon, Lisa Morton, James A. Moore, Kaaron Warren, Tom Piccirilli, Lisa Hannett, and more, plus frightening artwork by Alex Mcvey, Blurring the Line will make you doubt what you thought you knew, and open you up to possibilities you didn't want to consider. But how much of it all is real?
- GenresHorrorAnthologies
322 pages, Paperback
First published November 26, 2015
13 people are currently reading
99 people want to read
About the author
Marty Young
30 books44 followersMarty Young (www.martyyoung.com) is a Bram Stoker-nominated and Australian Shadows Award-winning writer and editor, and sometimes ghost hunter. He was the founding President of the Australian Horror Writers Association from 2005-2010, and one of the creative minds behind the internationally acclaimed Midnight Echo magazine, for which he also served as Executive Editor until mid-2013.
Marty’s first novel, 809 Jacob Street, was published in 2013 by Black Beacon Books, and won the Australian Shadows Award for Best Horror Novel. His novel was also given an Honorable Mention in Shelf Unbound's Page Turner competition.
His short horror fiction has been nominated for both the Australian Shadows and Ditmar awards, reprinted in Australian Dark Fantasy and Horror (‘the best of 2008’), and repeatedly included in year’s best recommended reading lists. Marty’s essays on horror literature have been published in journals and university textbooks in Australia and India, and he was also co-editor of the award winning Macabre; A Journey through Australia’s Darkest Fears, a landmark anthology showcasing the best Australian horror stories from 1836 to the present.
When not writing, he spends his time in the deep dark jungles of Papua New Guinea as a palynologist, whatever the heck that is.
Marty’s first novel, 809 Jacob Street, was published in 2013 by Black Beacon Books, and won the Australian Shadows Award for Best Horror Novel. His novel was also given an Honorable Mention in Shelf Unbound's Page Turner competition.
His short horror fiction has been nominated for both the Australian Shadows and Ditmar awards, reprinted in Australian Dark Fantasy and Horror (‘the best of 2008’), and repeatedly included in year’s best recommended reading lists. Marty’s essays on horror literature have been published in journals and university textbooks in Australia and India, and he was also co-editor of the award winning Macabre; A Journey through Australia’s Darkest Fears, a landmark anthology showcasing the best Australian horror stories from 1836 to the present.
When not writing, he spends his time in the deep dark jungles of Papua New Guinea as a palynologist, whatever the heck that is.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 22, 2016
For awhile now I've been trying to push myself outside of my reading comfort zone. Whilst I generally love all things fantasy, lately I've found myself drawn to things that, in the past, I wouldn't have even taken a look at whilst browsing the bookstore. And that's a good thing... because it has opened up my eyes to a whole raft of new genres, authors, and experiences. So when Blurring the Line popped up on my radar I jumped at the chance to read it. An anthology that explores the grey areas between what is real and what isn't... hell yes!
From its opening pages Blurring the Line blew me away. From Piccirilli's insightful and poignant Our Doom is Nigh through to the dark and horrific Nita Klune by Rena Mason, Blurring the Line is a wonderful and gripping exploration of the horror (both real and imagined) of our world. Each and every story enthralled me in different ways, from the insanely freaky How Father Bryant Saw the Light by Alan Baxter through to the fascinating and dark take on the riddle of Schrodinger's Cat by Steven Lloyd Wilson (Miskatonic Schrodinger). There are no weak stories in this book, which is a credit to both the editor (Marty Young) and the authors themselves. The non-fiction pieces scattered throughout the anthology are also interesting and creepy (and never detracted from the pacing of the book for me, unlike some others who have read it). I loved reading about the real life inspirations behind so many of our legends and monsters, and it served as a sobering reminder that the fiction we read, and the stories we tell to each other, had to come from somewhere. Those monsters that terrified us as kids (and as adults!) and the urban legends we told around a camp fire, spawned from that grey area between the real and imaginary that Blurring the Line lovingly basks in. This book is not for the faint of heart. It challenges you to think about the potential darkness within yourself and around the world, whilst also shining a light on that darkness where it has been fulfilled.
Blurring the Line made me uncomfortable (in a good way), and it pushed me through a range of different emotions as I read it. To me that is the litmus test of all good storytelling, where a book can consume you to a point whereby it echoes in your thinking and emotions weeks and months later. Even today, as I write this review, I'm still pondering the questions posed by the book and sorting through the feelings it evoked.
Blurring the Line is one of the best anthologies I've read in years. It is a fascinating and gritty melting pot of ghost stories, witchcraft, human oddities and monsters. It will challenge you to not only examine the world around you in a different light, but also to examine yourself. Even if you aren't a fan of horror you will still find something wonderful in this book. Blurring the Line is an incredible tome that works its tendrils into your soul.
4 stars out of 5.
From its opening pages Blurring the Line blew me away. From Piccirilli's insightful and poignant Our Doom is Nigh through to the dark and horrific Nita Klune by Rena Mason, Blurring the Line is a wonderful and gripping exploration of the horror (both real and imagined) of our world. Each and every story enthralled me in different ways, from the insanely freaky How Father Bryant Saw the Light by Alan Baxter through to the fascinating and dark take on the riddle of Schrodinger's Cat by Steven Lloyd Wilson (Miskatonic Schrodinger). There are no weak stories in this book, which is a credit to both the editor (Marty Young) and the authors themselves. The non-fiction pieces scattered throughout the anthology are also interesting and creepy (and never detracted from the pacing of the book for me, unlike some others who have read it). I loved reading about the real life inspirations behind so many of our legends and monsters, and it served as a sobering reminder that the fiction we read, and the stories we tell to each other, had to come from somewhere. Those monsters that terrified us as kids (and as adults!) and the urban legends we told around a camp fire, spawned from that grey area between the real and imaginary that Blurring the Line lovingly basks in. This book is not for the faint of heart. It challenges you to think about the potential darkness within yourself and around the world, whilst also shining a light on that darkness where it has been fulfilled.
Blurring the Line made me uncomfortable (in a good way), and it pushed me through a range of different emotions as I read it. To me that is the litmus test of all good storytelling, where a book can consume you to a point whereby it echoes in your thinking and emotions weeks and months later. Even today, as I write this review, I'm still pondering the questions posed by the book and sorting through the feelings it evoked.
Blurring the Line is one of the best anthologies I've read in years. It is a fascinating and gritty melting pot of ghost stories, witchcraft, human oddities and monsters. It will challenge you to not only examine the world around you in a different light, but also to examine yourself. Even if you aren't a fan of horror you will still find something wonderful in this book. Blurring the Line is an incredible tome that works its tendrils into your soul.
4 stars out of 5.
December 1, 2015
Review copy
I can't help but like the concept for this anthology. From editor Marty Young's introduction..."Blurring the Line is a mixture of fact and fiction – but perhaps some of the fact is really fiction, and some of the fiction is fact. The lines have been blurred between the two, the division lost, and that was the whole point of this adventure."
Most of the stories do a good job of delivering on the anthology's theme, but there are a couple that just didn't seem to hit the mark in that respect, or at least they didn't for me. Of course, your mileage may vary.
Introduction – Marty Young – Marty Young is a Bram Stoker-nominated and Australian Shadows Award-winning writer and editor, and sometimes ghost hunter. He was the founding President of the Australian Horror Writers Association from and one of the creative minds behind the internationally acclaimed Midnight Echo magazine, for which he also served as Executive Editor until mid-2013. In addition to the introduction, he is responsible for the various (non-fiction) pieces throughout this book that help tie all the the various stories together.
Our Doom is Nigh – Tom Piccirilli – In addition to having the opening story in this collection, Blurring the Line is dedicated to Tom who left us earlier this year. "Our Doom is Nigh" is a very personal piece. Whether you knew his work intimately or in passing, it's a poignant and powerful telling of the last days of a writer.
Blurring the Line (non-fiction)
Woolen Shirts and Gum Boots – Lisa Morton – Set in the early 1900s, friends Annie and Florence plan a great escape to get away from Florence's abusive mother.
Clown’s Kiss – Tim Lebbon – Clown's should say all you need to know. A beautifully written story of an aging widower living in Wellington Pond. One day he see's clowns living next door and an increasing number of abandoned homes, but what is the reality. Effective use of the anthology's theme.
Seeing is Believing (non-fiction)
Empty Cars – Lia Swope Mitchell – In the author's on words. "An absurd, methodical. and hopeless search for meaning by someone who's having trouble seeing any."
How Father Bryant Saw the Light – Alan Baxter – A somewhat disturbing story of a young priest doing what he can to help a young girl frightened by the Gangle Man.
Candlelight and Circles (non-fiction)
The Good Work – James Dorr – Are witches real? You know, the scary kind in books and stories. The young witch hunters in James Dorr's story seem to think so.
Fearful Asymmetries – Peter Hagelslag – I absolutely loved this story. A tale that seems all to possible in today's world where there is apparent danger lurking around every corner. At what length will our governments and big business go to keep us safe.
Big Brother is Watching (and Predicting) You (non-fiction)
1-2-3 Red Light – Gregory L. Norris – I got a kick out of how the author took a simple game we played when I was a kid and created a terrifying short story of a traffic light with a murderous disposition. Another story that was very successful within the parameters of the anthology.
Miskatonic Schrödinger – Steven Lloyd Wilson – "What if all of the things our unenlightened ancestors insisted dwelled in the darkness really did, and that it was shining lights into the darkness that we dispelled them?" An interesting twist on Schrödinger's cat.
Monsters Don’t Exist (non-fiction)
Old Green Eyes – James A Moore – Looking for proof of the existence of a swamp monster. A well told tale that successfully blurs the line between truth and fiction.
A Peripheral Vision Sort of Friend – Alex C. Renwick – A story of the Suscon Screamer. An actual urban legend I've heard of before. Interesting how such legends differ, depending on who's telling the story. True to the anthology's theme and a solid story from a new writer for me.
The Undiscovered Supernatural (non-fiction)
Consorting with Filth – Lisa Hannett – Ghosts blur the line for me more than any other type of entity or monster. I want to believe, but all of the evidence I've seen can easily be misinterpreted or even faked.
Hoarder – Kealan Patrick Burke – A nice, disturbing little story. You don't see many door to sales reps nowadays. This story may help explain why.
Human Monsters (non-fiction)
With These Hands – Brett McBean – A story of ventriloquist who wanted to love children and be loved in return.
The Body Finder – Kaaron Warren – Frank has a gift...a gift for finding ghosts. He's found and helped many over the years, just not the one he's looking for. A very well told story.
Building Frankenstein’s Monster (non-fiction)
What’s A Monster without Resurrection? (non-fiction)
Salt on the Tongue – Paul Mannering – Story of a young boy whose mother finds him work with another family and forbids them to feed him. Believe me, she has her reasons.
Every Time You Say I Love You – Charles L Grant – Another story of bringing back the dead from a true master of the genre.
Honey – Annie Neugebauer – Probably the most unusual story in the anthology, yet truly enjoyable.
The Voices Told Me To Do It (non-fiction)
Distorted and Holy Desire – Patricia J. Esposito – Is the guy who performs at the club an angel, a vampire, or just a man?
Nita Kula – Rena Mason – A dark and gruesome ending to the anthology. A solid story from Rena.
The anthology opens and closes with passages from the New International Version of the Bible. From Deuteronomy and Leviticus respectively. Got me thinking, having read the Bible from cover to cover, it could just be one of the best horror books I've ever read.
Overall, Blurring the Lines was a book I enjoyed reading. Some stories were much better than others, but reading this was definitely time well spent.
BTW, very nice cover art from Dean Samed.
Blurring the Line is available as an e-book now, with a print version to follow, from Cohesion Press. If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited, you can read this one for no additional charge and if you are an Amazon Prime member you can borrow it for FREE from the Kindle Owners Lending Library.
Recommended.
I can't help but like the concept for this anthology. From editor Marty Young's introduction..."Blurring the Line is a mixture of fact and fiction – but perhaps some of the fact is really fiction, and some of the fiction is fact. The lines have been blurred between the two, the division lost, and that was the whole point of this adventure."
Most of the stories do a good job of delivering on the anthology's theme, but there are a couple that just didn't seem to hit the mark in that respect, or at least they didn't for me. Of course, your mileage may vary.
Introduction – Marty Young – Marty Young is a Bram Stoker-nominated and Australian Shadows Award-winning writer and editor, and sometimes ghost hunter. He was the founding President of the Australian Horror Writers Association from and one of the creative minds behind the internationally acclaimed Midnight Echo magazine, for which he also served as Executive Editor until mid-2013. In addition to the introduction, he is responsible for the various (non-fiction) pieces throughout this book that help tie all the the various stories together.
Our Doom is Nigh – Tom Piccirilli – In addition to having the opening story in this collection, Blurring the Line is dedicated to Tom who left us earlier this year. "Our Doom is Nigh" is a very personal piece. Whether you knew his work intimately or in passing, it's a poignant and powerful telling of the last days of a writer.
Blurring the Line (non-fiction)
Woolen Shirts and Gum Boots – Lisa Morton – Set in the early 1900s, friends Annie and Florence plan a great escape to get away from Florence's abusive mother.
Clown’s Kiss – Tim Lebbon – Clown's should say all you need to know. A beautifully written story of an aging widower living in Wellington Pond. One day he see's clowns living next door and an increasing number of abandoned homes, but what is the reality. Effective use of the anthology's theme.
Seeing is Believing (non-fiction)
Empty Cars – Lia Swope Mitchell – In the author's on words. "An absurd, methodical. and hopeless search for meaning by someone who's having trouble seeing any."
How Father Bryant Saw the Light – Alan Baxter – A somewhat disturbing story of a young priest doing what he can to help a young girl frightened by the Gangle Man.
Candlelight and Circles (non-fiction)
The Good Work – James Dorr – Are witches real? You know, the scary kind in books and stories. The young witch hunters in James Dorr's story seem to think so.
Fearful Asymmetries – Peter Hagelslag – I absolutely loved this story. A tale that seems all to possible in today's world where there is apparent danger lurking around every corner. At what length will our governments and big business go to keep us safe.
Big Brother is Watching (and Predicting) You (non-fiction)
1-2-3 Red Light – Gregory L. Norris – I got a kick out of how the author took a simple game we played when I was a kid and created a terrifying short story of a traffic light with a murderous disposition. Another story that was very successful within the parameters of the anthology.
Miskatonic Schrödinger – Steven Lloyd Wilson – "What if all of the things our unenlightened ancestors insisted dwelled in the darkness really did, and that it was shining lights into the darkness that we dispelled them?" An interesting twist on Schrödinger's cat.
Monsters Don’t Exist (non-fiction)
Old Green Eyes – James A Moore – Looking for proof of the existence of a swamp monster. A well told tale that successfully blurs the line between truth and fiction.
A Peripheral Vision Sort of Friend – Alex C. Renwick – A story of the Suscon Screamer. An actual urban legend I've heard of before. Interesting how such legends differ, depending on who's telling the story. True to the anthology's theme and a solid story from a new writer for me.
The Undiscovered Supernatural (non-fiction)
Consorting with Filth – Lisa Hannett – Ghosts blur the line for me more than any other type of entity or monster. I want to believe, but all of the evidence I've seen can easily be misinterpreted or even faked.
Hoarder – Kealan Patrick Burke – A nice, disturbing little story. You don't see many door to sales reps nowadays. This story may help explain why.
Human Monsters (non-fiction)
With These Hands – Brett McBean – A story of ventriloquist who wanted to love children and be loved in return.
The Body Finder – Kaaron Warren – Frank has a gift...a gift for finding ghosts. He's found and helped many over the years, just not the one he's looking for. A very well told story.
Building Frankenstein’s Monster (non-fiction)
What’s A Monster without Resurrection? (non-fiction)
Salt on the Tongue – Paul Mannering – Story of a young boy whose mother finds him work with another family and forbids them to feed him. Believe me, she has her reasons.
Every Time You Say I Love You – Charles L Grant – Another story of bringing back the dead from a true master of the genre.
Honey – Annie Neugebauer – Probably the most unusual story in the anthology, yet truly enjoyable.
The Voices Told Me To Do It (non-fiction)
Distorted and Holy Desire – Patricia J. Esposito – Is the guy who performs at the club an angel, a vampire, or just a man?
Nita Kula – Rena Mason – A dark and gruesome ending to the anthology. A solid story from Rena.
The anthology opens and closes with passages from the New International Version of the Bible. From Deuteronomy and Leviticus respectively. Got me thinking, having read the Bible from cover to cover, it could just be one of the best horror books I've ever read.
Overall, Blurring the Lines was a book I enjoyed reading. Some stories were much better than others, but reading this was definitely time well spent.
BTW, very nice cover art from Dean Samed.
Blurring the Line is available as an e-book now, with a print version to follow, from Cohesion Press. If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited, you can read this one for no additional charge and if you are an Amazon Prime member you can borrow it for FREE from the Kindle Owners Lending Library.
Recommended.
February 19, 2016
Blurring the Line was definitely not the anthology I expected.
But, in this case, that’s a very good thing.
Described as a collection of fiction/non-fiction, Blurring the Line delivers on its intent of exploring the grey area between real and inventive horror, and in doing so, revealing just how diverse – and satisfying – horror fiction can be.
Commencing with probably the most definitive non-fiction piece, Tom Piccirilli’s Our Doom is Nigh, is a poignant and revelatory insight into his battle with cancer. From there though, the lines do indeed begin to blur. What follows are stories that delve into paranoia, witchcraft, cryptids, human anomalies, conspiracies and several cracking ghost stories.
Some of the stand-out tales included Lisa Morton’s Woollen Shirts and Gumboots, Tim Lebbon’s Clown’s Kiss, Miskatonic Schrödinger by Steven Lloyd Wilson, Consorting With Filth by Lisa L. Hannett, Hoarder by Kealan Patrick Burke, With These Hands by Brett McBean, The Body Finder by Kaaron Warren, Paul Mannering’s Salt on the Tongue and Annie Neugebauer’s Honey.
All in all, the selections by editor Marty Young, are inspired and several of the stories even managed to have me scanning Google to see if there was any truth to them.
The only negative – if there is one – was the inclusion of the “non-fiction” articles interspersed between the stories. Although I believe they were designed to give the reader a taste of the proceeding stories, I found the articles occasionally inhibited the flow of the stories. But this is just the reviewer’s personal opinion.
Blurring the Line is a very solid anthology of horror stories that certainly kept me enthralled and entertained and wondering what is truth and what is fiction.
Recommended.
But, in this case, that’s a very good thing.
Described as a collection of fiction/non-fiction, Blurring the Line delivers on its intent of exploring the grey area between real and inventive horror, and in doing so, revealing just how diverse – and satisfying – horror fiction can be.
Commencing with probably the most definitive non-fiction piece, Tom Piccirilli’s Our Doom is Nigh, is a poignant and revelatory insight into his battle with cancer. From there though, the lines do indeed begin to blur. What follows are stories that delve into paranoia, witchcraft, cryptids, human anomalies, conspiracies and several cracking ghost stories.
Some of the stand-out tales included Lisa Morton’s Woollen Shirts and Gumboots, Tim Lebbon’s Clown’s Kiss, Miskatonic Schrödinger by Steven Lloyd Wilson, Consorting With Filth by Lisa L. Hannett, Hoarder by Kealan Patrick Burke, With These Hands by Brett McBean, The Body Finder by Kaaron Warren, Paul Mannering’s Salt on the Tongue and Annie Neugebauer’s Honey.
All in all, the selections by editor Marty Young, are inspired and several of the stories even managed to have me scanning Google to see if there was any truth to them.
The only negative – if there is one – was the inclusion of the “non-fiction” articles interspersed between the stories. Although I believe they were designed to give the reader a taste of the proceeding stories, I found the articles occasionally inhibited the flow of the stories. But this is just the reviewer’s personal opinion.
Blurring the Line is a very solid anthology of horror stories that certainly kept me enthralled and entertained and wondering what is truth and what is fiction.
Recommended.
November 23, 2017
Nice mix of fiction and non fiction - hence the title, with some of my favorite authors as contributors. A very nice way to spend your time.
4.5 stars
4.5 stars
March 4, 2018
The stories I read weren’t all that enthralling (read: wanky), intermediate bits were boring as bat-shit.
February 25, 2016
One of the best things I've read so far this year.
BLURRING THE LINE is satisfying in any number of ways--the illustrations are excellent, and the interjections of nonfiction alongside the stories had (and still have) me doing my own research on the side.
The stories are so varied, yet so well-rendered, that it's difficult to attempt giving attention to all of them (though I will say my personal favorites are Tim Lebbon's CLOWN'S KISS; Kealan Patrick Burke's HOARDER; Paul Mannering's SALT ON THE TONGUE; and Rena Mason's NITA KULA). This is not a book of generic "scary" stories--these tales inspire dread. You'll look twice at your neighbors, your kids, your coworkers, your reflection. This is the stuff of which nightmares are made, stories which cut close to the bone and get under your skin and stay with you well after you finish.
BLURRING THE LINE is satisfying in any number of ways--the illustrations are excellent, and the interjections of nonfiction alongside the stories had (and still have) me doing my own research on the side.
The stories are so varied, yet so well-rendered, that it's difficult to attempt giving attention to all of them (though I will say my personal favorites are Tim Lebbon's CLOWN'S KISS; Kealan Patrick Burke's HOARDER; Paul Mannering's SALT ON THE TONGUE; and Rena Mason's NITA KULA). This is not a book of generic "scary" stories--these tales inspire dread. You'll look twice at your neighbors, your kids, your coworkers, your reflection. This is the stuff of which nightmares are made, stories which cut close to the bone and get under your skin and stay with you well after you finish.
May 18, 2016
Read for judging
May 21, 2016
Some of the stories were good, some just too bizarre. I found the introductions to each section about the real world unsettling and interesting.
July 21, 2016
Excellent collection
The stories in this collection offer the perfect combination of horror, murder, mystery, the occult, the fantastic and the all too possible.
The stories in this collection offer the perfect combination of horror, murder, mystery, the occult, the fantastic and the all too possible.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews