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The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror #27
Best New Horror 27
In this latest edition of THE WORLD’S LONGEST-RUNNING ANNUAL SHOWCASE OF HORROR AND DARK FANTASY you will find CUTTING-EDGE stories by such authors as ROBERT AICKMAN, STORM CONSTANTINE, GEMMA FILES, NEIL GAIMAN, JOHN LANGAN, HELEN MARSHALL and STEVE RASNIC TEM, amongst many others, along with the usual OVERVIEW OF THE YEAR IN HORROR and NECROLOGY of those who have left us.
500 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2017
37 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Jones
277 books344 followersStephen Jones is an eighteen-time winner of the British Fantasy Award.
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October 4, 2018This slip cased hardcover is numbered 84 of 100 produced and is signed by:
Stephen Jones
Robert Aickman (Facsimile)
Storm Constantine
Kate Farrell
Kurt Fawver
Gemma Files
Neil Gaiman
Richard Gavin
John Langan
L. P. Lee
Helen Marshall
Daniel Mills
Kim Newman
Loren Rhodes
Nicholas Royle
Lynda E. Rucker
Steve Rasnic Tem
Ron Weighell
Conrad Williams
Contents:
vii -Acknowledgments
003 - Introduction: Horror in 2015 - The Editor
083 - "The Coffin House" - Robert Aickman
091 - "The Lake" - Daniel Mills
105 - "The Barnacle Daughter" - Richard Gavin
115 - "Exposure" - Helen Marshall
125 - "The Larder" - Nicholas Royle
135 - "The Seventh Wave" — Lynda E. Rucker
153 - "Underground Economy" - John Langan
165 - "The Drowning City" - Loren Rhodes
179 - "The Chapel of Infernal Devotion" - Ron Weighell
219 - "Alma Mater" - Kate Farrell
231 - "Hibakusha" - L. P. Lee
245 - "The Offing" - Conrad Williams
263 - "Marrowvale" - Kurt Fawver
277 - "Hairwork" - Gemma Files
289 - "Black Dog" - Neil Gaiman
325 - "In the Earth" - Storm Constantine
337 - "In the Lovecraft Museum" - Steve Rasnic Tem
401 - Necrology: 2015 — Stephen Jones & Kim Newman
473 - Useful Addresses
Stephen Jones
Robert Aickman (Facsimile)
Storm Constantine
Kate Farrell
Kurt Fawver
Gemma Files
Neil Gaiman
Richard Gavin
John Langan
L. P. Lee
Helen Marshall
Daniel Mills
Kim Newman
Loren Rhodes
Nicholas Royle
Lynda E. Rucker
Steve Rasnic Tem
Ron Weighell
Conrad Williams
Contents:
vii -Acknowledgments
003 - Introduction: Horror in 2015 - The Editor
083 - "The Coffin House" - Robert Aickman
091 - "The Lake" - Daniel Mills
105 - "The Barnacle Daughter" - Richard Gavin
115 - "Exposure" - Helen Marshall
125 - "The Larder" - Nicholas Royle
135 - "The Seventh Wave" — Lynda E. Rucker
153 - "Underground Economy" - John Langan
165 - "The Drowning City" - Loren Rhodes
179 - "The Chapel of Infernal Devotion" - Ron Weighell
219 - "Alma Mater" - Kate Farrell
231 - "Hibakusha" - L. P. Lee
245 - "The Offing" - Conrad Williams
263 - "Marrowvale" - Kurt Fawver
277 - "Hairwork" - Gemma Files
289 - "Black Dog" - Neil Gaiman
325 - "In the Earth" - Storm Constantine
337 - "In the Lovecraft Museum" - Steve Rasnic Tem
401 - Necrology: 2015 — Stephen Jones & Kim Newman
473 - Useful Addresses
January 1, 2018
A number of these stories were about how dangerous water is, mine among them. Half of the stories are about tourists who stumble into danger because they think too highly of themselves or they're pursuing unwise curiosity. Some stories stop just as the horror is about to happen -- or else the horror happens in the interstices. On a couple of occasions, I couldn't figure out what had happened.
My favorite story in the book was "The Chapel of Infernal Devotion" by Ron Weighell. He cites Diamanda Galas and Lisa Gerard as inspirations for the mystic rock diva living alone in her crumbling mansion. The blend of Machen and experimental music was perfect.
I also loved Kurt Fawver's "Marrowvale." I've visited the eerie Pennsylvania hollows, so the tiny dying town fascinated me. The museum of "treats" was truly spooky.
L.P. Lee's "Hibakusha" blends butoh dancing with Japanese ghost stories and the attack on Hiroshima to chilling effect.
Gemma File's "Hairwork" spins revenge and survival out of Lovecraft's "Medusa's Coil." In fact, the influence of Lovecraft (and Poe and Aiken) flows through a number of these stories.
The first one I read, even though it appears more than halfway through the book, was Neil Gaiman's "Black Dog." Shadow Moon, hero of American Gods, wanders Derbyshire's Peak District, disrupting old love stories and setting things right. I'm not sure it's necessary to read American Gods first. I think this one stands on its own. It would've been worth the price of the book to me.
My favorite story in the book was "The Chapel of Infernal Devotion" by Ron Weighell. He cites Diamanda Galas and Lisa Gerard as inspirations for the mystic rock diva living alone in her crumbling mansion. The blend of Machen and experimental music was perfect.
I also loved Kurt Fawver's "Marrowvale." I've visited the eerie Pennsylvania hollows, so the tiny dying town fascinated me. The museum of "treats" was truly spooky.
L.P. Lee's "Hibakusha" blends butoh dancing with Japanese ghost stories and the attack on Hiroshima to chilling effect.
Gemma File's "Hairwork" spins revenge and survival out of Lovecraft's "Medusa's Coil." In fact, the influence of Lovecraft (and Poe and Aiken) flows through a number of these stories.
The first one I read, even though it appears more than halfway through the book, was Neil Gaiman's "Black Dog." Shadow Moon, hero of American Gods, wanders Derbyshire's Peak District, disrupting old love stories and setting things right. I'm not sure it's necessary to read American Gods first. I think this one stands on its own. It would've been worth the price of the book to me.
September 16, 2017
A very scant selection this year. Again, the Introduction: Horror in 2015 and Necrology are of no interest, so that's 180 wasted pages out of 530. This has always been a bugbear of mine, even when these volumes were mass market paperbacks; no less so, now they are more expensive small press editions.
Hard pressed, even with the volume in front of me, to remember which stories impressed, though Nicholas Royle's The Larder, Storm Constantine's In The Earth and Neil Gaiman's American Gods addendum Black Dog do come to mind. Maybe also Daniel Mills's The Lake and Kurt Fawver's Marrowvale.
Abandoned stories include Steve Rasnic Tem's possibly well-intentioned but interminable In The Lovecraft Museum and The Chapel of Infernal Devotion, another Ron Weighall offering so front-loaded with dry research as to be unreadable.
Hard pressed, even with the volume in front of me, to remember which stories impressed, though Nicholas Royle's The Larder, Storm Constantine's In The Earth and Neil Gaiman's American Gods addendum Black Dog do come to mind. Maybe also Daniel Mills's The Lake and Kurt Fawver's Marrowvale.
Abandoned stories include Steve Rasnic Tem's possibly well-intentioned but interminable In The Lovecraft Museum and The Chapel of Infernal Devotion, another Ron Weighall offering so front-loaded with dry research as to be unreadable.
August 29, 2018
Such a big disappointment this Anthology was. I think that I liked only one or two stories...
August 29, 2018
Best of New Horror 27
An almost life long fan of Stephen Jone’s yearly collections, I was yet again disappointed by a mediocre and somewhat poor collection of middling short stories. With only 2 or 3 stand out contributions in the collection.
A vast majority of this collection have a Lovecraft inspired scenario situated at the waters edge. I am however a great Lovecraft fan but it would perhaps appear as if some of the lesser omitted stories from his Lovecraft collections have been dumped onto us here.
Lets hope that collection 28 has some more carefully selected stories for us fans.
Below are my thoughts and ratings on the collection:
The Coffin House - ROBERT FORDYCE AICKMAN
Two young girls stuck in bad weather take shelter in a shack occupied by a strange and dangerous duo. I personally was not very impressed with the story and find it strange that this is included in “The Best New Horror” when the author passed in 1981.
4/10
The Lake – Daniel Mills
Another Lovecraftian homage centering around water and a possible alternate reality, I found the story very well written and most certainly unsettling. Leaving the reader with no real explanation or even an idea as to what happened. Still worth the read.
6/10
The Barnacle Daughter – Richard Gavin
Yet another Lovecraftian homage centering around water. A young girl desperate to see her drowned father gets guidance on his resurrection from the local witch. A dark and horrific short story.
6/10
Exposure – Helen Marshall
Yet another Lovecraftian homage centering around water. A mother and her teenage daughter visit a strange island of the Greece coast. Another disturbing story, well written and worth the time.
6/10
The Larder – Nicholas Royle
A unsettling little short story revolving around a friendship/relationship between two amateur ornotholgists. Story revolves more around atmosphere build up with nothing actually happening, but it certainly has its merits.
6/10
The Seventh Wave – Lynda E.Rucker
Story based around the sea. A mother recounts events leading up to a horrific occurrence. Not horror per se, but very disturbing, especially a particular encounter between the mother and her husband.
6/10
The Underground Economy – John Langan
A short story about a girl and strip club. Not sure what the meaning or intention of the story is. Didn’t much enjoy it.
4/10
The Drowning City – Loren Rhoads
Story about a “witch: Alondra who encounters a murderous supernatural vendetta in Venice which occurs every few centuries. I have the feeling the Alondra character is drawn from the writers other novels. I can’ say I enjoyed the story or writing very much.
5/10
The Chapel of Infernal Devotion – Ron Weighell
Story follows an esoteric collector of artwork, books and items who fixates on one particular piece of disturbing art and its elusive creator. A large portion of the story makes mention of art, books and characters which could perhaps be based on actual persons and works, I however was too lazy to research this and not really that interested in doing so. I think it helped paint the story into life however. It had its interesting moments. I find it hard to classify as either horror or fantasy. It was an interesting read.
6/10
Alma Mater – Kate Farrell
Brilliant, the first real out and out horror/ghost story. Revolves around a small group of young girls residing at a boarding school run by a group of nuns. Dark atmosphere and frightening ending. The best short story yet in this collection.
8/10
Hibakusha – L.P.Lee
Dancers, bombing of Hiroshima, ghosts, “cults”. A reporter who gets scared for no reason when investigating an small island on which said “cult” resided. I found the story quite the mess, no real scares and the scenes written for frights are so forced as to appear unbelievable.
4/10
The Offing – Conrad Williams
Another slightly Lovecraftian short story, based on the sea. Seems to take place sometime in the near future, with global warning, receding coast lines, a daughter and her search for her father on the sea coast. Not badly written and makes one interested in the outcome. I however didn’t care much for the story or setting.
4/10
Marrowvale – Kurt Fawver
A town who practice a strange Halloween ritual each year and the reporter who arrives to relate the story. I didn’t enjoy the writing much, it lacked tension and atmosphere.
4/10
Hairwork – Gemma Files
Something to do with murdered slaves, “voodoo”revenge curse? in 1909. I found the story extremely confusing, I couldn’t quite grasp the story line or who was actually the narrator or how she was fitting into the narrative. Was glad to get to the conclusion.
4/10
Black Dog – Neil Gaiman
A side story of the main character from American Gods. A large black dog haunts the roads in a small rural village. A nice short story. Although this is far from new, it was also included in Neil Gaimans collection “Trigger warnings” and I have also read it elsewhere in another collection of horror stories. Although I did enjoy the story and love quite a lot of Neil Gaimans work I cannot classify this as Best New Horror since it has appeared elsewhere and takes up quite a large portion of an already reduced collection. 7/10 to Neil Gaiman and a 5/10 for the collection.
5/10
In the earth – Storm Constantine
Strange, disturbing and mysterious little short story about a young girl and her discomforting cousin. I loved this a gem of a tale, it left one aching for more insight yet grateful that you don’t quite know the true depth of the horror.
8/10
In the Lovecraft Museum – Steve Rasnic Tem
A further Lovecraft inspired tale. I have loved many of Mr Tem’s other contributions to the Best of New Horror editions in the past. This however was not for me one of his best. It however is still an interesting story. A father travels back to England to visit with a penpal, to see a Lovecraft Museum and possibly discover the secret to the disappearance of his son many years prior. It appears to take place in an alternate universe. I was initially hoping the story was to follow the side snippet concerning a local play park in America, this however seemed to be of no importance in the story? An interesting story about an alternate England and a disturbed father.
6/10
An almost life long fan of Stephen Jone’s yearly collections, I was yet again disappointed by a mediocre and somewhat poor collection of middling short stories. With only 2 or 3 stand out contributions in the collection.
A vast majority of this collection have a Lovecraft inspired scenario situated at the waters edge. I am however a great Lovecraft fan but it would perhaps appear as if some of the lesser omitted stories from his Lovecraft collections have been dumped onto us here.
Lets hope that collection 28 has some more carefully selected stories for us fans.
Below are my thoughts and ratings on the collection:
The Coffin House - ROBERT FORDYCE AICKMAN
Two young girls stuck in bad weather take shelter in a shack occupied by a strange and dangerous duo. I personally was not very impressed with the story and find it strange that this is included in “The Best New Horror” when the author passed in 1981.
4/10
The Lake – Daniel Mills
Another Lovecraftian homage centering around water and a possible alternate reality, I found the story very well written and most certainly unsettling. Leaving the reader with no real explanation or even an idea as to what happened. Still worth the read.
6/10
The Barnacle Daughter – Richard Gavin
Yet another Lovecraftian homage centering around water. A young girl desperate to see her drowned father gets guidance on his resurrection from the local witch. A dark and horrific short story.
6/10
Exposure – Helen Marshall
Yet another Lovecraftian homage centering around water. A mother and her teenage daughter visit a strange island of the Greece coast. Another disturbing story, well written and worth the time.
6/10
The Larder – Nicholas Royle
A unsettling little short story revolving around a friendship/relationship between two amateur ornotholgists. Story revolves more around atmosphere build up with nothing actually happening, but it certainly has its merits.
6/10
The Seventh Wave – Lynda E.Rucker
Story based around the sea. A mother recounts events leading up to a horrific occurrence. Not horror per se, but very disturbing, especially a particular encounter between the mother and her husband.
6/10
The Underground Economy – John Langan
A short story about a girl and strip club. Not sure what the meaning or intention of the story is. Didn’t much enjoy it.
4/10
The Drowning City – Loren Rhoads
Story about a “witch: Alondra who encounters a murderous supernatural vendetta in Venice which occurs every few centuries. I have the feeling the Alondra character is drawn from the writers other novels. I can’ say I enjoyed the story or writing very much.
5/10
The Chapel of Infernal Devotion – Ron Weighell
Story follows an esoteric collector of artwork, books and items who fixates on one particular piece of disturbing art and its elusive creator. A large portion of the story makes mention of art, books and characters which could perhaps be based on actual persons and works, I however was too lazy to research this and not really that interested in doing so. I think it helped paint the story into life however. It had its interesting moments. I find it hard to classify as either horror or fantasy. It was an interesting read.
6/10
Alma Mater – Kate Farrell
Brilliant, the first real out and out horror/ghost story. Revolves around a small group of young girls residing at a boarding school run by a group of nuns. Dark atmosphere and frightening ending. The best short story yet in this collection.
8/10
Hibakusha – L.P.Lee
Dancers, bombing of Hiroshima, ghosts, “cults”. A reporter who gets scared for no reason when investigating an small island on which said “cult” resided. I found the story quite the mess, no real scares and the scenes written for frights are so forced as to appear unbelievable.
4/10
The Offing – Conrad Williams
Another slightly Lovecraftian short story, based on the sea. Seems to take place sometime in the near future, with global warning, receding coast lines, a daughter and her search for her father on the sea coast. Not badly written and makes one interested in the outcome. I however didn’t care much for the story or setting.
4/10
Marrowvale – Kurt Fawver
A town who practice a strange Halloween ritual each year and the reporter who arrives to relate the story. I didn’t enjoy the writing much, it lacked tension and atmosphere.
4/10
Hairwork – Gemma Files
Something to do with murdered slaves, “voodoo”revenge curse? in 1909. I found the story extremely confusing, I couldn’t quite grasp the story line or who was actually the narrator or how she was fitting into the narrative. Was glad to get to the conclusion.
4/10
Black Dog – Neil Gaiman
A side story of the main character from American Gods. A large black dog haunts the roads in a small rural village. A nice short story. Although this is far from new, it was also included in Neil Gaimans collection “Trigger warnings” and I have also read it elsewhere in another collection of horror stories. Although I did enjoy the story and love quite a lot of Neil Gaimans work I cannot classify this as Best New Horror since it has appeared elsewhere and takes up quite a large portion of an already reduced collection. 7/10 to Neil Gaiman and a 5/10 for the collection.
5/10
In the earth – Storm Constantine
Strange, disturbing and mysterious little short story about a young girl and her discomforting cousin. I loved this a gem of a tale, it left one aching for more insight yet grateful that you don’t quite know the true depth of the horror.
8/10
In the Lovecraft Museum – Steve Rasnic Tem
A further Lovecraft inspired tale. I have loved many of Mr Tem’s other contributions to the Best of New Horror editions in the past. This however was not for me one of his best. It however is still an interesting story. A father travels back to England to visit with a penpal, to see a Lovecraft Museum and possibly discover the secret to the disappearance of his son many years prior. It appears to take place in an alternate universe. I was initially hoping the story was to follow the side snippet concerning a local play park in America, this however seemed to be of no importance in the story? An interesting story about an alternate England and a disturbed father.
6/10
September 15, 2021
A rather weak entry in the series, largely because I couldn't get involved with the two longest stories in this anthology.
There were some terrific stories here. "The Coffin House" by Robert Aickman was not as polished as his later stories would be, but there was an undeniable energy in this one. "The Barnacle Daughter" by Richard Gavin did something new with Innsmouth. Perhaps "The Seventh Wave" by Lynda E. Rucker was the most powerful tale in the anthology, with a terrific (and terrifying) narrator. "Alma Mater" by Kate Farrell had fine characterization and tremendous imagination as well. "The Chapel of Infernal Devotion" by Ron Weighell also showed unflagging inventiveness.
I also liked the stories by Marshall, Royle, Fawver, and Constantine.
So there was good stuff here, but a lot that missed.
There were some terrific stories here. "The Coffin House" by Robert Aickman was not as polished as his later stories would be, but there was an undeniable energy in this one. "The Barnacle Daughter" by Richard Gavin did something new with Innsmouth. Perhaps "The Seventh Wave" by Lynda E. Rucker was the most powerful tale in the anthology, with a terrific (and terrifying) narrator. "Alma Mater" by Kate Farrell had fine characterization and tremendous imagination as well. "The Chapel of Infernal Devotion" by Ron Weighell also showed unflagging inventiveness.
I also liked the stories by Marshall, Royle, Fawver, and Constantine.
So there was good stuff here, but a lot that missed.
September 11, 2024
The entire run of Stephen Jone's annual 'Best New Horror' anthologies (early volumes entitled 'The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror') offers great reading, with each of the 31 individual volumes giving a great snapshot of the state of horror fiction Internationally for that particular year. Any fan of modern horror fiction will find it well worth the effort to track down copies of these books.
July 28, 2025
Take special care to read the Lynda Rucker, Ron Weighell, John Langan, and Steve Tem stories.
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May 21, 2024"In the Earth" by Storm Constantine - Mawde suspects her cousin of ordering bugs to attack a neighbor.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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