Best British Horror 2018

by Johnny Mains (Editor), Colette de Curzon, Reggie Oliver

Editor Johnny Mains has scoured anthologies, magazines, and on-line publications to select the very best horror stories written by British authors. From creepingly insidious tales where the fear gathers slowly to the outright terrifying, from musty abandoned buildings to the wilds of an isolated beach, from yarns of yesterday to contemporary horrors of today: 17 tales showcasing British horror at its best.

Genres: Horror

253 pages, Paperback

First published October 23, 2018

Reviews

[Karl]

This hardcover is numbered 40 of 60 copies signed by the editor Johnny Mains.

Contents:

007 - Introduction – Johnny Mains
009 - "Paymon’s Trio" by Colette De Curzon
019 - "Love and Death" by Reggie Oliver
037 - "In the Light of St. Ives" by Ray Cluley
053 - "The Book of Dreems" by Georgina Bruce
065 - "The Affair" by James Everington
075 - "Fragments of a Broken Doll" by Cate Gardner
081 - "The Lies We Tell" by Charlotte Bond
097 - "Ting-A-Ling-A-Ling" by Daniel McGachey
127 - "Tools of the Trade" by Paul Finch
153 - "Departures" by A.K. Benedict
167 - "The Taste of Her" by Mark West
175 - "Sun Dogs" by Laura Mauro
193 - "Dispossession" by Nicholas Royle
199 - "Shell Baby" by V.H. Leslie
217 - "The Unwish" by Claire Dean
227 - "A Day With the Delusionists" by Reggie Oliver
235 - "We Who Sing Beneath the Ground" by Mark Morris
249 - About the Authors
253 - Editor's Thanks and Acknowledgements

Cover Artist: Daniele Serra
End Papers Artwork by Russell Morgan

[Joelle Egan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Johnny Mains has resurrected his annual collection of short stories for the Best British Horror 2018 edition. This volume contains seventeen tales that are truly eclectic and prioritize classic horror themes of irony and psychological dread over gore. Settings span from gothic 19th century to futuristic science fiction, urban to isolated locales. The collection has something to please all horror fans: haunted houses, cursed objects, Lovecraftian creatures, doppelgangers, ghosts and transfigured humans. As in any collection, there are stronger and weaker entries, but each selection has obviously been curated with care-making Best British Horror 2018 a chilling and worthwhile read from beginning to end.

Thanks to Library Thing and NewCon Press for an ARC of this title in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulous and varied collection of horror stories.
This anthology has something for everyone: monsters, supernatural happenings, eerie circumstances to the just plain weird.
For me, it was a chance to savour what other horror writers in the UK are producing. Loved it and highly recommend.

[Des Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

TING-A-LING-A-LING by Daniel McGachey

“A clock without a key has as little use as a key without a clock.”

Thank goodness I bought this book, despite having read most of the stories already. This novelette is an unmissable horror story, or a ghost story made into clockwork flesh? It is like a clock itself, with layers of workings within it, told stories within told stories in out-permutated Jamesian fashion, a clock with a cursed lock, a clock that is its own community of church, pub, graveyard and houses paradoxically both in miniature and in magnitude, the magnitude of 20th century European wars, and the ambiguity of monsters and of lost soldiers as revenants. The quandary of keeping such an accursed clock despite its monsters. It has even more tantalising power TODAY as I read it, because, tonight, in the UK, we will be adjusting our own version of the “as-yet-unawakened Awakening Clock” by the span of one hour! You will perhaps know what I mean, when you read it. It may save you!

The detailed review of this book posted elsewhere under my name is too long or impractical to post here.
Above is one of my observations at the time of the review.

[Daryl Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best British Horror 2018 is a wonderful horror anthology that is both creepy and well-written. It's an eclectic collection with everything from haunted houses to Lovecraftian horrors. Many of the tales are influenced by the great Victorian tales, such as "Love and Death," which puts a spin on Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray.

I enjoyed all the tales, but if I had to choose a favorite, it would be "Ting-a-ling-a-ling," a story inspired by that master of the ghost story, M. R. James. But really, there isn't a clunker in the bunch. If you're looking for a few chills, this book is for you!

[Dan Coxon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another thoroughly enjoyable round-up of the year's horror from editor Johnny Mains. As with any anthology, some stood out more than others. Personal favourites were the stories by Ray Cluley, James Everington, Laura Mauro, V.H. Leslie and Claire Dean, but there's something here for everyone, whatever your preferred flavour of horror. A great way to find new writers, too. Can't wait for next year's!

[Marcheto Marcheto · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
An interesting and varied bunch of stories, although some of them didn't work for me and a couple of them, in my opinion, don't fit under the "horror" category. Nevertheless, I did enjoy about two thirds of the stories included here and I would recommend this book to any horror lover. The highlights for me personally were the James Everington, Paul Finch, Daniel McGachey, Reggie Oliver (WLove and DeathW) and V. H. Leslie stories.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a solid horror collection, but most of the stories were a bit too predictable for my personal tastes. I haven't read that much British horror, so perhaps my expectations of the book were different than what they should have been going into it. They are very good standard horror stories.

[Gavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review to follow.