Miscreations: Gods, Monstrosities & Other Horrors

by Doug Murano (Editor), Michael Bailey (Editor), Josh Malerman

What happens when we make monsters? What happens when we make monsters of ourselves? Grotesque beings lurch from our darkest dreams. Vicious beasts stalk our twisted pasts. Lost souls haunt our deepest regrets. They are the blood on our hands. They are the obsessions in our heads. They are the vengeance in our hearts. They are the chilling shadows in the night. They are Miscreations: Gods, Monstrosities & Other Horrors. Edited by Bram Stoker Award-winning editors Doug Murano and Michael Bailey. Featuring a foreword by Alma Katsu, and illustrations throughout by HagCult.

Contents:
* Foreword (Miscreations: Gods, Monstrosities & Other Horrors) • essay by Alma Katsu
* A Heart Arrythmia Creeping Into a Dark Room / short fiction by Michael Wehunt
* Matryoshka / short fiction by Joanna Parypinski
* Butcher's Blend / short fiction by Brian Hodge
* Operations Other Than War / short fiction by Nadia Bulkin
* One Day of Inside/Out / short fiction by Linda D. Addison
* One Last Transformation / short fiction by Josh Malerman
* Brains / short fiction by Ramsey Campbell
* You Are My Neighbor / short fiction by Max Booth, III
* The Vodyanoy / short fiction by Christina Sng
* Imperfect Clay / short fiction by Lisa Morton
* Spectral Evidence (2017) / short story by Victor LaValle
* Ode to Joad the Toad [Antiquity] / short fiction by Laird Barron
* Only Bruises Are Permanent / short fiction by Scott Edelman
* My Knowing Glance / short fiction by Lucy A. Snyder
* Paper Doll Hyperplane / short fiction by R. B. Payne
* Not Eradicated in You / short fiction by Bracken MacLeod
* Resurrection Points (2014) / novelette by Usman T. Malik
* The Old Gods of Light / short fiction by Christina Sng
* Sounds Caught in Cobwebs / short fiction by M. E. Bronstein
* Umbra Sum / short fiction by Kristi DeMeester
* A Benediction of Corpses / short fiction by Stephanie M. Wytovich
* The Making of Asylum Ophelia / short fiction by Mercedes M. Yardley
* Frankenstein's Daughter / short fiction by Theodora Goss

.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Anthologies, Fiction, Halloween, Monsters, Fantasy

342 pages, Paperback

First published February 18, 2020

Reviews

[Sadie Hartmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published on Cemetery Dance
https://www.cemeterydance.com/extras/...
I clearly remember a debate that transpired last summer on social media about anthologies. An author wondered about the future of anthologies because it seemed to him they don’t make any money. Several industry people weighed in with their strong opinions either in support of anthologies or against them (not really opposed to anthologies in general but speaking more about the profitability, or lack thereof).

Watching from the sidelines, I was beside myself. Anthologies are some of my favorite books to read. I chimed in on the conversation, only to add that I enjoy a well put together, themed anthology and that I am wholeheartedly in support of their continued success. Miscreations, by award-winning editors Doug Murano and Michael Bailey, proves beyond the shadow of a doubt that anthologies are well worth any amount of effort, money, blood, sweat, and tears.

The table of contents boasts an impressive collection of diverse, talented authors bringing original stories to the table. There isn’t a single lackluster tale in the whole lot. Perhaps my favorite reason to share with others why I love anthologies so much is that I get excited to read new short stories from my favorite authors, but even more delicious is the potential to find new favorite authors!

A solid example of this would be the first two stories. I read everything I can get my hands on from Michael Wehunt, and his story “A Heart Arrhythmia Creeping Into A Dark Room” is so perfectly Wehunt, I’d know it was his story without his name following the title. A reader enjoying his unique storytelling for the first time is given the best opportunity here to become a fan and buy more of his work.

The next story, “Matryoshka” by Joanna Parypinski, reads like modern folklore. A woman is in her childhood home, seeing her mother’s doll collection and its purpose for the first time. Halfway through, I made note of Joanna Parypinski: “Buy something from this author!”

Scott Edelman, also new to me, appears with a story about a victim of domestic violence who turns the tables on her aggressor. She decides to commemorate her victory in a startling way. This story stuck around in my mind long after I read it.

I read my first book by Victor LaValle this month, so reading another story so soon afterward was a real treat. “Spectral Evidence” is proof that an author can dig deep in a manner of pages. This one moved me.

I’ve been dying to read something from both Lisa Morton and Lucy A. Snyder; their stories blew me away. Morton’s is this strange story of a woman who sets her mind on creating a man from her own body. The results were both humorous and upsetting. Snyder’s is a brutal account of a sex worker encountering some kind of…monstrosity. It was really quite disarming and disturbing. Of course, I loved it.

I must make mention of the amazing work some of my long-time favorites did for this anthology. Nadia Bulkin captured my imagination and my heart with her mechanical giant. Josh Malerman did the same with his werewolves. I adored “You Are my Neighbor” by Max Booth III, once again confirming Max as one of the most consistently solid writers in the genre right now.

The poetry offerings peppered throughout by Christina Sng, Linda Addison, and Stephanie Wytovich are both impressive representations of their individual talents, but also a nod to Murano and Bailey for knowing that those lyrical reprieves were just what readers needed in between such meaty stories.

I can’t forget to say that Alma Katsu’s foreword and the interior illustrations by M. Fersner (hagcult) assist in making all the moving parts of this anthology feel like one, cohesive…beast. Monster. Miscreation.

Standouts from this collection: It’s no surprise to me that Bracken MacLeod’s dark tale, “Not Eradicated in You,” made a huge impact on me. I’ve read several anthologies featuring a story from MacLeod and they always stand out among the others. He is my favorite short story writer.

“Umbra Sum” by Kristi DeMeester, features her underlying dread and special brand of earthy, atmospheric storytelling. Mercedes M. Yardley’s “Asylum Ophelia” has that dark fairytale quality I have come to love from Mercedes. This story is so lush and beautiful I was dreading the turning of the last page.

“Paper Doll Hyperplane” by R. B. Payne. Who is R. B. Payne?* I don’t know but I assure you that after reading his story about a mathematician turned serial killer, I’ll be on the hunt for more of his work. Truly a standout. Lastly and perhaps the most colorful piece, Laird Barron’s, “Ode to Joad the Toad.” Trust me, you need this story in your life.

Miscreations is like a present stuffed with quality horror. Readers can open the gift slowly; tasting. Or tear through it; devouring. Authors you know and love delivering exactly what you want. New authors showing off and gathering new fans. Anthologies this good are an invaluable resource. Thank goodness for Doug Murano and Michael Bailey.

[Fiona Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Psst, Gentle Reader. Yes, you, the one holding this book, trying to decide whether you'll take it home with you. You're looking for a good, long read, something to crack open as you settle into your favorite chair, a glass at your elbow. But a collection of stories about monsters? Is that likely to help you wind down in the evening, wash away the detritus of another long day at work? You waver: do you like stories about monsters? Not for you, dark scary tales about the boogeymen who haunt our dreams and daylight hours. Life is terrifying enough, you think. You don't need any more monsters in your life.
But that's not true.

So says Alma Katsu in the excellent foreword which precedes this outstanding collection, (deliberately) loosely inspired by Frankenstein's Monster. And she's right; though if you do already know you want a book full of stories about monsters, you're in for an even greater treat.

From the very first story (A Heart Arrhythmia Creeping Into A Dark Room, by Michael Wehunt), I was knocked sideways by just how good the stories in this collection are. Dark, creepy, and original, it wasn't until I read the final words of the final story (Theodora Goss' Frankenstein's Daughter) that I was able to put this book down. While not every story was such a startling discovery to me, the quality of the stories I did like, combined with the fact that it's only two, maybe three, that I wasn't so fond of, meant I couldn't take a single star from my rating.

There's so many good stories here that I was genuinely struggling to pick out just a few favourites, so I've had to stick with the ones that I would buy this collection for if they were the sole story I enjoyed within it. The first and last stories mentioned above; Spectral Evidence by Victor LaValle; My Knowing Glance by the short story magician Lucy A. Snyder; Paper Doll Hyperplane by R. B. Payne; Not Eradicated In You, by Bracken McLeod. They are stand out, make a mark on your soul, memorable and amazing stories. And it's a mark of just how good they are that there are other, excellent stories that I'm leaving out because I just don't have the characters to say everything I want to say about them all.

Possibly one of the strongest anthologies I've read, and definitely one I'll be finding a hard copy of, to be read, and read, and read again.

[Janelle Janson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to come

[Eva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had been looking forward to reading this anthology for a long time. And while "Gutted" is still the best Doug Murano anthology I've read, or rather, my favourite that I've read to do, "Miscreations" comes in at a close second. I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the work of the editors, Doug Murano and Michael Bailey, in seeing this project to fruition. They worked tirelessly and overcame many obstacles to make this happen so that readers could have this in their hands and to be affected by wonderful stories within. They worked with a phenomenal illustrator and made this a visually appealing work as well.

Starting things off is one of my favourite authors, Michael Wehunt. "A Heart Arrhythmia Creeping into a Dark Room" is one the ones I was most looking forward to reading because his work is so stunningly epic, so I was delighted to see his was the opening story. As with another recent short story he wrote for another anthology, he breaks the fourth wall, telling the reader that he is writing a story for the very anthology you're reading right now. He discusses the record he's listening to, the Appalachian region of the United States, his dog, and then it stretches into meditations on the heart (as an organ). He talks about anxiety, medical care, the fear of one's demise, the fear of what might be. He dwells on why we create monsters. Some readers might wonder if this is more of a blog post or a essay rather than a fictional short story--perhaps a better term is meta-fiction. Whatever it is, Wehunt cleverly discusses the ways stories that start like his might go, and how different writers have depicted monsters. It combines fantastical elements that might creep into the author's reality. It's not normally the kind of story I enjoy, but Wehunt is a master and as the old saying goes, I would buy a cereal box if he wrote on it (or something to that effect).

"Matryoshka" by Joanna Parypinski starts off reminding me of the Russian doll within other dolls I used to play with as a girl (which I often had to beg to do because they were considered an important decoration). The cultural nuances of parents instilling their values and being disappointing when their child doesn't embody them to a tee is something that also runs deep within myself. During a difficult time in the protagonist's life, her mother tells her to plant her seed (which will make more sense in the context of the story). I can't reveal more without spoiling the story, but I will say a decision that the protagonist makes in a fit of anger has huge repercussions and causes the reader to question what's real and what the protagonist is imagining. What is flesh and what is ghost. It's a tale of dark creation.

The next standout for me was "One Day of Inside/Out" by Linda D. Addison. It's a searing commentary on how people get more obsessed with capturing the spectacle when something horrible or unthinkable happens rather than trying to help or to feel empathy for what the victim is going through.

"One Last Transformation" by Josh Malerman was a very self-reflexive werewolf story about a werewolf who mentions he has transformed several times but also has said no to transforming several times. He's an older werewolf who life seems to be catching up with. He is debating on if he should do it again at his age, and seems to be pushed and pulled in different directions.

The Vodyanoy by Christina Sng is a challenging poem. It will trigger some readers and definitely packs a punch.

"Imperfect Clay" by Lisa Morton starts off "What I've discovered: we're all born broken."
She's writing from the point of view of a young Latinx woman who identifies herself as a magician but not the kind you think, i.e. she has real powers, not just card tricks and doves in hats. She doesn't like her apprenticeship master. Contrary to popular thinking, the magicians in this world erase the magic they perform so that people won't remember (so they're not trying to draw attention to it in most cases). Not to mention that people have a habit of doing horrible things to them if they do find out they're magicians. Her project is to make a man. She wants to be a healer. She knows that other students have tried and failed. Anything beyond that would spoil the story, but I will say things come together very memorably and it was one of the pieces I enjoyed most in the anthology.

"Spectral Evidence" by Victor LaValle
Our protagonist is a psychic (even though the word doesn't appear in their storefront window). It turns out to be a meditation on grief that unfurls in an interesting way, becomes a ghost story but much more than that. In my experience, it was the most powerful story in the anthology.

"Only Bruises Are Permanent" by Scott Edelman started off memorably with a bang. I can't really say more about this story without giving away the plot completely, so what I will say is that it was one of the more impactful tales of the bunch, and I think it played with the reader's expectations well.

"My Knowing Glance" by Lucy A. Snyder, was a tie for me for favourite story in this anthology.
It starts off with a memorable character who finds herself in a shall we say unique profession. One of the lines I loved: "They were both narcissists cut from the same rotten wood."
The story seems timely as ever with all the fears of coronavirus. But in the end, it turns out to be a wicked combination of action, fallen angels, and just a bunch of cool and amazing elements that I loved.

Another story that stood out for me was "Frankenstein's Daughter" by Theodora Goss. For those who enjoy the epistolary format, they will get a kick out of this story. It is framed as a kind of sequel to Frankenstein, and them some, feminizing the story. I thought it was an impactful way to end the anthology.

Overall, I cannot state enough how much of a quality anthology this is. I sincerely hope that in next year's genre fiction awards, it becomes a strong contender to win Best Anthology, because it really is a magnificent work.

[Angel Hench · Rating 5 out of 5]

My usual rating for a short story collection is ⭐⭐⭐. It seems there are always a few stellar stories, a few clunkers and then the middling rest. An obvious by-product of a work with lots of different authors, really.

But, you guys, THIS COLLECTION. The theme of this horror anthology is the Frankenstein mythos - monsters as our creations, our rescuers, our tormentors and ourselves. I will admit to:
• actually getting the shivers,
• to saying out loud, “oh my god” or “ew” more than once,
• to side-eyeing the uncovered window by my bed a couple of times, and
• to feeling my heart sink into my stomach at least once while reading this.

Inside these pages are:
• Russian nesting dolls hiding a grotesque secret (Joanna Parypinski),
• a blank-faced mummy boy hidden away in a basement (Max Booth III), and
• a demon summoned to replace a bad mother (Bracken MacLeod).

There are viruses, science experiments and internment camps, too.

Theodora Goss gives us a sequel to Frankenstein that both honors and lifts the original. Josh Malerman, a gritty addiction story (ahem, werewolves). And, Laird Barron the weirdest and loveliest story about King Mingy’s bastard son, Larry, and a giant Ur toad, Neck.

I wish that I could give you a rundown of each story, but I think my gushing may have already sickened you. I haven’t enjoyed a collection like this since reading Unclean Jobs for Women and Girls.

This book comes out Feb. 18 but you can pre-order it now. You should. You really really should.

(A review copy was provided by the publisher.)

[Becky Spratford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review is in the June 2020 issue of Library Journal

https://www.libraryjournal.com/?detai...

Three Words That Describe This Book: popular authors, range of "scares," monster-human connection

Draft Review:

Anthology: Miscreations: Gods, Monstrosities, & Other Horrors. Edited by Doug Murano and Michael Bailey Forward by Alma Katsu
Humans have long been fascinated by monsters. As Katsu comments in this stellar antholoy’s introduction about the relationship between monsters and humans, “We are inseparable, twined together like ivy.” And it is from that complicated entanglement, ruled by emotions like curiosity, revenge, and of course, fear, that Murano and Bailey released a talented and diverse list of authors to explore the monsters surrounding us all. These 19 new stories and four poems tread on fertile ground, contemplating the monsters that surround us all, both imagined and real, through compelling, unique, and unsettling stories. For instance, Josh Malerman reframes a werewolf story with an addict’s lens, while Nadia Bulkin considers how “monsters” are a matter of perspective, and Victor LaValle provides a haunting tale of the monsters we hide from each other and ourselves. A multifaceted anthology that not only honors the breadth of possibilities inherent in “a monster story,” but also allows the blinding creativity and skill of its authors to shine.

Verdict: Featuring an award winning team of editors, a cast of well known writers, some need to know voices, while also representing a wide range of horrific emotions from shivers to outright terror, this is a small press anthology that more libraries need to own. For fans of critically acclaimed, themed anthologies, like those edited by Ellen Datlow, or just monster themed horror in general.

[Lena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Image Friendly Version

My Knowing Glance by Lucy Snyder ★★★★½
“It’s just more satisfying to think that he died out of a deep, soul-wrenching despair rather than garden-variety cowardice.”

Type 5 Armageddon Hellspawn, batter up! Gory, violent, and entertaining, Lucy Snyder hits a home run!

One Last Transformation by Josh Malerman ★★★★☆
Shudder. Maybe because I have been binge watching Criminal Minds, but that felt real in an unsightly way.

Only Bruises Are Permanent by Scott Edelman ★★★★☆
Oh my, that was disturbing. It reminded me of Crash (1996), about finding out about yourself in socially unacceptable ways. She enjoys seeing herself damaged, of the world viewing her as a victim. It’s powerful, a twisted secret, a dark desire.

Matryoshka by Joanna Parypinski ★★★★☆
Ooh, that was delightfully creepy. The selfish depressed daughter destroying her mother was not original but that twist ending was worth the investment. Doesn’t everyone expect a monster in the attic?

Paper Doll Hyperplane by R.B. Payne ★★★★☆
“He is a powerless god, living forever, but hardly alive.”

A mad scientist turned serial killer gets a nasty karmic surprise.

The Making of Asylum Ophelia by Mercedes M. Yardley ★★★★☆
A life of enforcement fairytales, solitude, and madness verses a life of Walmart - “Ophelia. Help.”

Frankenstein’s Daughter by Theodora Goss ★★★★☆
She looked at me with astonishment, then burst out laughing. “You take care of me? You cannot even take care of yourself.”

Told mostly by an old friend of Victor Frankenstein, this nonetheless has a feel of The Athena Club about it.

Operations Other Than War by Nadia Bulkin ★★★½☆
“Nothing scares the world more than a little backwater country with a weapon.”

The narrator goes his whole life carrying his father’s nightmare. He aggrandizes the Kursattar robot, personally and academically, actually seeing it should have been cathartic - but it wasn’t. That was disappointing to him and the reader.

Spectral Evidence by Victor LaValle ★★★½☆☆
A psychic is haunted by her dead daughter’s lonely voice.

Butcher’s Blend by Brian Hodge ★★★☆☆
With an awkward combination of blunt appeal and gory allusion Hodge champions individuality over despotic conformity.

You Are My Neighbor by Max Booth III ★★★☆☆
Demon mummy! I wish there had been more parental explanation/ justification but it was spooky if sad.

Imperfect Clay by Lisa Morton ★★★☆☆
College level Hogwart’s magic conjures a gorgeous Golem - she is still not happy. Magic and men can’t make you happy. You make you happy. Thank you self-help books.

No Eradicated in You by Bracken MacLeod ★★★☆☆
A troubled teenager conjures a demon to takeover the role of her mother. I don’t think this will work out for anyone.

Resurrection Points by Usman T. Malik ★★★☆☆
“There are no sides. Only live and hate.”

In a city being torn apart by religious hatred a boy discovers he can create zombies. Not sure where this was going, it ended without a cause.

Umbra Sum by Kristi DeMeester ★★★☆☆
I’m not sure if they were all ghosts or if none of them were ghosts. How remarkably strange!

Ode to Joad the Toad by Laird Barron DNF
I see what Lovecraftian fun they were trying here, and I commend Lovecraftian fun, but they lost the plot early on. Or I did. Or there was none.

A Heart Arrhythmia Creeping into a Dark Room by Michael Wehunt DNF
I was ok an ok meta story about a writer scaring himself that descended into stream-of-consciousness nonsense.

Sounds Caught in Cobwebs by M.E. Bronstein DNF
Lost interest in whatever this was.

Brains by Ramsey Campbell Skip
I lost interest immediately.

I read 15/19 stories that averaged 3.56 which I will round down to 3 due to the four DNFs.

[Kevin L · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great collection! The writing is generally brilliant with wonderful turns of phrase and glimpses into the beauty of horror.

This collection also introduced me to several new writers that I had not read before and will now seek out their work.

Favorites in this collection:

A Heart Arrythmia Creeping into a Dark Room by Michael Wehunt - a very original story told in a fresh way.

Matryoshka by Joanna Parypinsky - Fantastic take on family and how it makes monsters.

Operations Other Than War by Nadia Bulkin - a meditation on war and monsters and cultural entitlement. Filled with wonderful sentences - I can’t wait to read more by Bulkin.

Imperfect Clay by Lisa Morton - “What I’ve discovered: We’re all born broken.”

Spectral Evidence by Victor LaValle - The wrenching consequences of answering questions truthfully.

Ode to Joad the Toad by Laird Barron - irreverent and hilarious.

My Knowing Glance by Lucy A. Snyder - best short form cosmic horror I’ve read in years.

Paper Doll Hyperplane by R. B. Payne - the most chilling academic paper I’ve ever read. Complete with citations!

A Benediction of Corpses by Stephanie M. Wytovich - best poem about the making of a monster I’ve ever read. I am now going to buy all of her poetry.

The Making of Asylum Ophelia by Mercedes M. Yardley- wow. Just, wow.

Frankenstein’s Daughter by Theodora Goss - this should be paired with Wytovich’s poem in this collection, Frankenstein by Shelly, Frankissstein by Jeanette Winterson and The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White. It’s *that* good.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let it be known that 2019 was the year I fell in love with horror anthologies and began hoarding them on my shelves. In 2020, have no plans to slow my roll when it comes to this type of book—each time I open an anthology I’m not quite sure what I’m going to get, and I enjoy the anticipation.  I love not only the fact that it means new stories from some of my favorites, but I also tend to discover new authors in the process. Before I can finish the book, I’m often so enamored with a new-to-me author that I’ve gone down the rabbit hole of looking up all of their work and adding it to my TBR list (or online shopping cart, if I’m honest).

One thing I enjoyed about MISCREATIONS is that it’s unique and unlike other anthologies I’ve read so far. The foreword by Alma Katsu is an excellent introduction, and I love the illustrations featured prior to each story. All of the little touches that might go unnoticed come together to add something special to this one—the layout and title font were other characteristics I enjoyed, and having read two other anthologies co-edited by Doug Murano, when I see his name on the cover, I know I can expect a well-edited and polished book. That brings me to a side-note: the more I grow as a reader and reviewer, the more I notice all of the factors that go into making a great book, and solid editing is one of them. I think Doug Murano and Michael Bailey did an excellent job with this one.
In keeping with my typical trend for anthologies/collections, I narrowed my favorite stories down to a Top 5 (listed here in the order with which they appear in the book):

-MATRYOSHKA by Joanna Parypinski: a haunting tale with a unique concept; I’d love to read more from this author.

-YOU ARE MY NEIGHBOR by Max Booth III: my first and definitely not my last read from this author. This was creeptastic and a bit heartbreaking at times.

-SPECTRAL EVIDENCE by Victor LaValle: Sorry to say this was my first read from this author; this was another haunting tale that pulled on the heartstrings. Adding more of his work to my list.

-MY KNOWING GLANCE by Lucy A. Snyder: I loved this story—the whole concept was great, and I just got a great vibe from Snyder’s writing style. I immediately went to my bookshelf after this, as I realized I have her short fiction collection, SOFT APOCALYPSES. I added it to my TBR cart and will likely read it this month.

-RESURRECTION POINTS by Usman T. Malik: another new-to-me author, and I’ll definitely seek out more of his work. This one was hauntingly heartbreaking as well (notice a trend here? Can’t help what I love).
I’d also like to give some honorable mentions to other favorites. These stories made it tough to narrow down my top 5:

-A HEART ARRYTHMIA CREEPING INTO A DARK ROOM by Michael Wehunt

-OPERATIONS OTHER THAN WAR by Nadia Bulkin

-IMPERFECT CLAY by Lisa Morton

-NOT ERADICATED IN YOU by Bracken MacLeod

-THE MAKING OF ASYLUM OPHELIA by Mercedes M. Yardley

 This was overall a very solid collection of stories, and the only thing keeping me from a full 5-star review was honestly that there were 2 or 3 in the bunch that fell flat for me. I  found myself skimming a couple of the stories, and did not finish one of them. I think it was just my personal lack of interest in the subject matter and style of those particular stories—it does not mean that they were poorly written.
I eagerly anticipate reading more from the new authors I’ve discovered through this anthology. Many of the names were familiar, but had I not picked up this book, it would’ve taken me much longer to get to their work. My shelves and book piles will continue to grow thanks to this mix of stories, and that warms this book lover’s heart.

 
 
 
 
 


[Big Red · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read on my Kindle. 3.5 stars, rounding up.

There were some knockout stories in here, as well as a few I really didn't enjoy. As I read more anthologies, I am coming to realize that this is the norm, and I'm ok with that.

The overarching theme in this anthology was monsters, and the authors featured interpreted this theme in many different ideas. There was everything from actual monsters, such as werewolves and Frankenstein, and abstract concepts of monsters as well, such as heart disease, war, and domestic violence. In nearly all cases, these monsters are man-made - miscreations, if you will.

Along with a variety of monsters, we also have a variety of formats. I counted 4 poems, a story told completely from the perspective of online forum posts, and one a letter to a distant relative.

Here are a few of the stories that stood out to me, in order of appearance:
- Matryoshka, by Joanna Parypinski
- Butcher's Blend by Brian Hodge
- You Are My Neighbor by Max Booth
- Paper Doll Hyperplane by R.B. Payne
- Not Eradicated in You by Bracken MacLeod
- The Making of Asylum Ophelia by Mercedes M. Yardley

[Alan Baxter · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding anthology with great variety and depth. Highly recommended.

[Shane Hawk · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up!

Mr. Doug Murano chose a wide array of perspectives and styles to include in his weird/horror anthology, MISCREATIONS. Loved the overarching theme of monsters. (Anyone remember The X-Files' Monster-of-the-Week episodes?)

Sometimes one can grow tired of themed anthologies after too many duds. To me, this anthology doesn't have a dud. Sure, there were some that didn't agree with my tastes, but none of them totally turned me off at all. I believe this was helped by some format variation. This anthology included standard narratives, poems, a letter, and an internet chat forum type-thing. Different takes on story format can excite the mind into pushing forward due to the freshness of style and creativity.

And to conclude, a list of favorites:

Nadia Bulkin's Operations Other Than War - I love seeing commentary on war as I've been antiwar since childhood.

Victor LaValle's Spectral Evidence - Should one be brutally honest?

Lucy A. Snyder's My Knowing Glance - Whoa, didn't know cosmic horror could be so rad!

Mercedes M. Yardley's The Making of Asylum Ophelia - Holy moly, Mercedes! Why haven't I checked out your stuff sooner?

Max Booth III's You Are My Neighbor - Yup, this solidified my decision to check out way more of Booth's work.

Laird Barron's Ode to Joad the Toad - Who knew Laird was so funny?

[Curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great collection! I picked it up for the Barron, Malerman, and Campbell tales, but stuck around for the rest because they proved well-curated.

First off, Laird Barron is the man. He got me into "weird" horror and sent me down a rabbit hole with no end in sight. And with this new story, Ode To Joad The Toad, he's once again reaching newer, weirder heights. This tale felt like a glorious mix of Robert E. Howard and Jeff Vandermeer, but with the trademark snark only Barron can bring. I know many critics complain that he should go back to writing stuff like his earlier tales, and while I wouldn't complain if that happened, it's hard to fault an artist for growing, experimenting, and having fun. Especially when it achieves such interesting results.

My other favorites:

Spectral Evidence, by Victor LaValle. Loved this! I've seen this author's books recommended all over the place, and now I'll have to actually check them out. Can't believe it took me this long to read one of his tales. And I call myself a horror fan!

Operations Other Than War, by Nadia Bulkin. Great story. Could tell it was a metaphor for something, I'm guessing it was "anime can be used for both good and evil"?

One Last Transformation, by Josh Malerman. Wow! This was great, it's like the polar opposite of Stephen King's Cycle Of The Werewolf, one of the few books of his I disliked. I only know Malerman for his novels, but now I need to track down more of his shorts!

Brains, by Ramsey Campbell. I love Campbell and this didn't disappoint. Had all his trademark vagueness and dry "British" humor.

My Knowing Glance, by Lucy A. Snyder. Maybe the best in the book. I hadn't heard of this author before now, but will definitely be checking out the rest of her offerings down the line. This was everything I like from a weird/horror yarn.

Paper Doll Hyperplane, by R.B. Payne. Did anyone else get Great God Pan vibes from this spooky little "sci-fi"?

Sounds Caught In Cobwebs, by M.E. Bronstein. When I Googled this author's name, I was shocked to learn how new they were at writing. Wouldn't guess it from how good the story was. Spiders, cults, and creepy wind-chimes -- what's not to love? I hope to see more from this author down the line.

Umbra Sum, by Kristi DeMeester. Wow. That was, uh, something else. Beautifully weird. And who doesn't love creepy siblings? Great tale.

[Coral · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic anthology collection. If you know me, you know anthologies and I don't always get along. This one was great though

Favorites include:
Operations Other Than War by Nadia Bulking
One Last Transformation by Josh Malerman
Imperfect Clay by Lisa Morton
Spectral Evidence by Victor LaValle (but can we get a whole book out of this one!?)
My Knowing Glance by Lucy A Snyder
Paper Doll Hyperplane by RB Payne
Resurrection Points by Usman T Malik
The Making of Asylum Ophelia by Mercedes M Yardley

[Keely · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 rounded up for Goodreads

[Hailey Piper · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid anthology with many interesting and unsettling stories that play with the themes of creation and creator. Favorites were "Matryoshka," "Butcher's Blend," "One Last Transformation," "Ode to Joad the Toad," and "Frankenstein's Daughter."

[Bill Hsu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nadia Bulkin's "Operations Other Than War" is definitely worth checking out. The LaValle, DeMeester etc are not their best.

More notes here:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Richard Leis · Rating 5 out of 5]

So this is what today's pro-level horror looks like.

Miscreations: Gods, Monstrosities & Other Horrors is one of the best anthologies I have ever read, made extra special with the inclusion of beautifully crafted dark poems by Linda D. Addison, Christina Sng, and Stephanie M. Wytovich. Of Addison's poem "One Day of Inside/Out," I thought at the end that I kinda want this to happen, even if I for some reason turn out to be one of those "living things with useless hands and feet, / writhing [...]".

An anthology like this might lead one to believe there will be stories related to Frankenstein's monster included, and there most certainly are, including the fantastic poem "A Benediction of Corpses" by Stephanie M. Wytovich and the short story "Frankenstein's Daughter" by Theodora Goss that is so phenomenal, I immediately accept it as a direct sequel to Frankenstein.

But there are also tales about werewolves, Old Gods, aspects of a Toad God, ghosts, robots, and writers trying to meet deadlines, among many other miscreations. Some of my favorites include "Matryoshka" by Joanna Parypinski, "Operations Other Than War" by Nadia Bulkin, "You Are My Neighbor" by Max Booth III, "Imperfect Clay" by Lisa Morton, "My Knowing Glance" by Lucy A. Snyder, "The Making of Asylum Ophelia" by Mercedes M. Yardley... but, honestly, I might as well reproduce the table of contents here, because I love just about everything in this book, including the foreword by Alma Katsu.

I had a feeling about this book when it was first announced, and that feeling was confirmed while reading everything inside. Editors Doug Murano and Michael Bailey are already well known for previous well-received anthologies, but this is the first I have read, and I'm looking forward to reading more of their careful and thoughtful piecing together of master works by master writers.

What an incredible anthology this is! Don't miss it. And thank you to Night Worms and the editors for making it available early. This is my thankful, honest, absolutely delighted review.

[Alex Gray (gray__pages) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 out of 5
So....here’s the thing about my relationship with Anthologies. I always go into them with high expectations, and I really want to like them. I end up falling in love with some of the stories, but the majority of them will fall flat for me. Thus, I have not yet found an Anthology that really “dazzled” me.
Let me begin by saying that the writing in every single story blew me away, regardless of how I felt about the story overall. We have some truly talented, legendary writers in this book. Also, I LOVED the illustrations that accompanied each story, such clever little details. However, there were some stories that were just missing something to me.

The stories that I enjoyed, and believed really stood out were:

-Brains by Ramsey Campbell

-You Are My Neighbor by Max Booth III

-The Vodyanoy by Christina Sng

-Umbra Sum by Kristi DeMeester (this was my first time reading her, and her writing is amazing....I need to read more by her immediately)

-A Benediction of Corpses by Stephanie M. Wytovich

-The Making of Asylum Ophelia by Mercedes M Yardley

Overall, I gave this one 3.5 stars for the wonderful writing, and a dynamite handful of stories.

[Allie Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

What we got here is a posse of talented mvther fvckers guiding you on a skeleton bobsled down an icy race track through realms of evil face down, head first, eyes wide as you white knuckle it to the very end. A gold medal in the horror anthology olympics. 🖤🥇

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent anthology. I didn't skip a single story, and I was amazed by the diversity of the narratives, considering how narrow the theme is. If you like horror, this is the antho for you!

[Lindsey R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many talented voices are featured in this collection, each with their unique interpretation of a "monster." A nice blend of horror and Weird Lit. Would be a good first read for someone who is dipping their toes into either genre.

[Niki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Collections are both risky and exciting. It is a risk to commit to the excitement of not knowing what to expect, and to veer away from the simplistic choice of one author, one voice.
In all honesty, I gave up after Brains. I still read on, but I feel like most of this collection was either too chaotic, or utterly underwhelming.

Primarily, it had too many authors and their work portrayed too much variance in style. I think maybe a lack of consistency in reading demotivated me. Am I too used to reading linear fiction? Maybe it’s not the collection itself. Maybe it’s me. I quite liked the theoretical perspectives in the Foreword. Maybe my research brain is too activated to appreciate creative means. However, where I felt the need to comment (mainly after a particular story), I have done so below:

A Heart Arrhythmia Creeping into a Dark Room

Phenomenal how the writer turned the story not to face you, but to come out from within you. Applicable to every man whose life is determined by inevitable morality. The horror is in its stark reality. I’m now conscious of my heart. Too conscious.

Matryoshka
The notion of ‘filling yourself’ with what you lack, and replacing that emptiness with something you did not expect to be there, proves itself an adhesive for sanity. The Matryoshka doll lacking what it may house offers so much open potential. The excitement of it all. I love this metaphor and I am trying to encapsulate it in my own life. I thought I could represent an idea similar to this with the Japanese act of breaking something and gluing it back together with gold leaf – broken, but not useless. Broken, but with another chance. But that was my initial thought.. until I read on. Instead, it alludes to sacrifice. Why must we sacrifice ourselves for another? Why can’t we address parts of ourselves we work so hard around and ultimately leave behind?

Butcher’s Blend

The notion of being ‘Disinvited – [to] reject your place in a society that wants to hold you in its loving embrace.’ It then results in ‘correction’ – such a dystopic ideal, no? We live in said society in any case. I’ve always questioned the notion of ‘yes’, ‘no’, ‘maybe’, ‘good’, ‘bad’, ‘terrible’. It’s all that you make of it, personally. Accompanied with your personal grievances, circumstances, celebrations, quirks, norms, fetishes, kinks. So how can one person’s ideas, provided on the basis of said experiences, be rightfully placed above another’s? If, for the good of all, who encompasses ‘all’? Does anyone have any rights, morally speaking, or not? And for what end-game? Control? Order? A comforting sense of expectation and familiarity? To nestle safely into the arms of routine and repetition? This is why I have been on the fence for most of my whole life with whether to trust or sympathise for the guard or the prisoner. We are all imprisoned, regardless, by the need to be ‘good’, ‘for the good’. Given this, are we truly ourselves? Maybe it’s good to be ‘Disinvited’. The ‘corrections’ that follow are just constructed societal ideals, anyway. And, as aforementioned, we have them in our own worlds. It’s interesting, also, that they should mention they’re ‘improving God’s work’. Can it ever be improved? To say it needs improvement is to insinuate it is not perfect, however nobody should strive towards perfection because the idea itself is also a construct.
‘That was the trouble when everyone around you was just as scared: lots of hands but no lifelines’. We are so quick to decide against helping someone else, that we forget what we would expect were we in the same or a similar situation. This reminds me a lot of ‘not waving but drowning’ by Stevie Smith; that even after visible signs of distress, someone can still be so insensitive.

My highlight of this story was the analogy of the leaf: “you’re like that experiment with the leaves. […] a series of trials that suggested life, matter, organized itself around energy fields. The researchers had photographed tree leaves via spectrums of light human eyes didn’t normally see, to reveal a glow in the shape of each leaf. When they snipped away a portion of the leaves and took new photos, the glow was still there, as if they could cut away the matter but couldn’t break the field. The leaves still knew what they were meant to be.” Seldom do we recognise, appreciate, and recall who we are beneath the masks we don. The ones we don so proudly and even still, switch out on certain occasions.

The additional notable moments in this story, I have found, are:

“Because people talked, people shared. Over a meal here, three seconds in a corridor there. They talked to make it through another day. They talked to better understand the enemy. You never knew when the softest whisper might land in just the right ear. Someone who needed to hear it; someone who might be in a position to do something more about it.”

“Without thought, he followed nature’s contours, let himself be guided by structure and cavities. Even in the densest joint there were spaces between, and the edge of his knife was honed to nothingness. He had but to slip the nothingness into the gaps, and as he worked it through, it would part the rest aside.”

“He did without having to force. He tried without trying. His hand, and the knife it held, simply followed the Way. In nineteen years, Butcher Ding had never needed to sharpen his blade, yet it remained as keen as it was when it had last left the grindstone.”

“The only easy day was yesterday. ”

“I got hate enough in me for who’s earned it and love enough for the rest.”

“it was important—very important—to know when and what to sacrifice.”

Operations Other than War
Is opportunity a “product of privileged upbringing”?
“But that was the difference between man and machine, wasn’t it: A battery could be recharged. Dead to the world and yet …”. I wonder then of the weakness in either humanity, or morality. Are we weak because we are human? Or are we human because we are weak?

One Day of Inside/Out
I firmly believe I did not quite grasp the concept of this story. But whilst reading it, I had flashbacks of every gory video or movie I have scene. And the most that bothered me about this was that I didn’t feel too bothered at all.

One Last Transformation
‘If you decide to do it, you’re doing it.’ The impulse to want to do something is just as effective as doing the thing itself. Does this relate to the concept of ‘emotional’ as opposed to real life cheating? Or maybe this concept, this story, relates moreso to the transformation we go through when we take drugs. The ‘demon in us’ is perhaps our desire. It is indeed addicted, and indeed unkind. But then I circulate my thoughts back to my classroom, on days where teaching is hard. Such as today. Why do students not listen? Why is refusal so common? Why not sit there and enjoy the ponderings of varying ideations? But then… why enforce it unto others?

‘But haven’t you heard of the man who quit smoking by keeping cigarettes in the breast pocket of his shirt? Way he saw it, that horrid desperation, that feeling of being so far from what he longed for, would never come to pass. Rather, it was right there, at his fingertips if he so desired. And while desire it he did, he could wait, knowing where it was’ - ah, the pull and irrationality of desire.

Brains

I don’t understand the need to separate perverts from monsters; aren’t the two the same? Anyhow, I am not interested in a forum-type posting kind of writing. This book really proves to be a letdown with such mixture of writing types. Yes, I am all for individual approaches to literature expression, but this is just too little of interest to me. I’ll admit it was hard to get into this one, even with the attempts at wit.

You are my Neighbour

What

The Vodyanoy

Very Jim Jones-like. If Jim Jones was a woman. And if the female Jim Jones was scorned by a tedious boyfriend. And if the female Jim Jones then decided to wreak havoc upon their tedious boyfriend and his family.

Imperfect Clay

I too wanted more almond milk when I first chanced upon it. Aside from this, I don’t quite share the hatred this woman has for the male species and their tendencies to dominate relationships. You cannot change someone. Even someone you create. They exist as they are and as they like, just like you too do.

Spectral Evidence

Okay, so maybe I got back into the text again. ‘I thrive on the self-doubt’. This got to me. Perhaps we all do. Isn’t it great, being your own critic? Nobody else can harm you as much as you harm yourself. This is why I make so many fat jokes about myself. Even to this day. Maybe it hurts less if I hurt myself.

Ode to Joad the Toad

The name alone first caught my attention. Then my partner’s willingness for me to read it. And then, the text itself.

‘the kingdoms of men shall endure naught but woe’ - how very Game of Thrones like; is it because I am watching the series at the moment? Possibly. I do enjoy this story. I’ll admit it has lost me over and over, but I read on.

‘Sleep well and dream a red dream of butchery in the name of your old king.’

Other than the many quips in this story, something funny happened in real life - a group of year 12 students were standing outside of the room I was supervising in, saying “bro” this and “bro” that. The class I was supervising had 23 minutes left to complete their practice exam - as you can imagine, bro, this would prove difficult under the circumstance had someone repeated statements containing the word ‘bro’ in it. So I ducked my head out of the room and said, “hey bro, can you keep it down bro? We are doing a practice test in here bro.” He could only muster a “sorry”. I told the year 11s that they “have 23 more minutes, bro.” I hope that helped ease the pressures of examinations. Schools are treacherous.

Only Bruises are Permanent

It’s quite sad how permanent this belief remains amongst many women. Scorned and scorned over and over, time and time again. I mean, it’s partly why I have no trust in the male species. To see the horror that is seeking comfort from what remains from pain, that is terrifying.

My Knowing Glance

The concept of using men’s sexual weaknesses as a financial gain is amusing to me still. This story feels like the personification, or monsterfying of sexual diseases through the concept of PVG. Very interesting.

Paper Doll Hyperplane

I fucking LOVE the theories and references this one contains. What an interesting hybrid short story. ‘To isolate a solution, one must properly define the problem.’ The problem IS that there are not enough writers who write in a chaotic manner such as this. The solution is NOT that we need more, as even if I do love this writing style, I am thrown all over the place mentally. I did however enjoy this ride. And what a trip. Even though the one typo in the story annoyed me, I was more annoyed that there wasn’t much more of it. This should definitely be extended into a novel. I would read the shit out of this. I hope this book finds its way among the lesser books, hehe.

Not Eradicated in You

Oh man, this was a really cool story too. Echoes too deeply within the likes of Gaiman’s Coraline, though. The concept of the other mother. Except this is a mother that Harlow actually wanted, not stumbled upon. That she worked hard for, and saved up for in just as much money as she had in yearning.

Resurrection Points

Interesting to see the feuds my family so often warned and spoke about represented in modern and horror fiction. The irony in this is that despite one’s skill in understanding death, one cannot quite understand the way of life. Certainly not in some cultures. And certainly not in these. It’s something that probably never will be quelled, despite any, if any, efforts to do so.

The Making of Asylum Ophelia

I hope to never be a Firm Brigitte - but in the horrors of everyday society, how can one not be? How much is too much? How little is too little? I am glad I am yet to navigate the horrors of motherhood. I suppose this story also illustrates how frightening it can be to stick too closely, look too into an idea. In this case, the idea of a name. You can bestow meaning upon a name, but can you bestow a name’s meaning upon its owner? Irony, irony, horror in irony.

Frankenstein’s Daughter

Yes yes and yes to sisters in science. The horror of the reclamation of agency, of conquering your creator and for performing utterly autonomous tasks and proclivities.

[Red Lagoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of short fiction. This is a curated collection of stories by authors I look up to.
I took my time with this anthology, reading a story or two a night. There's a lot of original storytelling and a variety of styles. It did not disappoint.

One of my favorites was Last Transformation by Malerman. What a fantastic and fresh take on a werewolf story.

[Marie McWilliams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This horror anthology is absolutely fantastic. Despite being given the same brief, every writer takes it in such a different and fascinating direction. My Highlights are Josh Malerman 'One Last Transformation', Brian Hodge 'Butcher's Blend' and 'The making of Asylum Ophelia' by Mercedes.M.Yardley. Head to my Booktube channel to hear my break down and review of each story!

https://youtu.be/k0rPcDgtBgg

[Jessie (Zombie_likes_cake) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am seriously falling out of love with anthologies. I deeply love short stories but the fact that an anthology always is a mixed bag cannot outweigh its positives anymore for me, the reading experience of trudging from good to bad to okay and all around again is not what I want in a reading experience anymore. In the future I am going to be even more selective if/ when choosing one and I rather stick with single author collections, those I love to pieces. The additional draw-back of "Miscreations" is that while marketed as a Frankenstein inspired collection much of the content is so loosely based around that premise that I was disappointed. Some truly tie into the classic in ambitious ways but many make a connection so far fetched as in "a werewolf story is also a monster story so it counts". For me who is always looking for Frankenstein retellings or interpretations I needed a closer, tighter angle, while I definitely enjoyed some of those unfitting stories I still think the editors should have done a better job in that regard. I have read a different anthology edited by Murano ("Gutted") and I felt the story selection in that one worked very well. Here not so much and this fact is reflected in my rating.

Let's talk about the upside of an anthology, meaning that you get to sample new writers. That really worked out for me, several writers I included were on my radar and now after having had a taste of them I know that for example Max Booth III and Stephanie M. Wytovich blew me away whereas Christina Sng and Kristi DeMeester didn't impress me all that much, so guess who will get prioritized in the future. The question now is how I weigh this value against the up and downs of reading an anthology with its varied styles and entries. It used to be a big bonus point for me but these days I think I want a more of a coherent read when I pick up a book. That's just me, you do you.

To sum, up yes, there are some strong, fascinating stories in here. Yes, there are some fun takes and interesting links to good old "Frankenstein" but as I said: too often it strayed too far from its target for my taste. There were some stories that were not for me and some that I dnf'd (one by Laird Barron who I read and enjoyed in the past, so that was a surprise), some that I really didn't care for. And, arguably worst of all, lots of middle ground. This is an anthology that didn't always deliver what it promised, with stories that averaged out to 2.6* for me which for mentioned reasons I will round down in this case.

My favorites:
5) "Frankenstein's Daughter" by Theodora Goss
4) "A Heart Arrhythmia Creeping into a Dark Room" by Michael Wehunt
3) "The Making of Asylum Ophelia" by Mercedes M. Yardley
2) "You Are My Neighbor" by Max Booth III
1) "A Benediction of Corpses" by Stephanie M. Wytovich

The ones to skip:
Laird Barron's "Ode to Jode the Toad" and "Sounds Caught in Cobwebs" by M. E. Bronstein

2.5*

[Bobby O'Rourke · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's always hard to rate collections by various authors, which are by their very nature of uneven quality. Miscreations gathers a solid pool of talent together, the stories all held together by the broad theme "monsters and outcasts." The authors who contributed to this anthology took their charge broadly, some swinging for the fences and others going a little more mellow.

Notable stories for me include:

"Matryoshka" by Joanna Parypinski (whose stories have also appeared in Nightmare Magazine), a creepy and effective take on motherhood which follows a barren woman whose mother from the old country has a secret for fertility and child-rearing

"Brains" by Ramsey Campbell is an inventive, nasty piece of epistolary fiction about a subreddit on the Frankenstein mythos that goes to some dark places

"Spectral Evidence" by Victor LaValle is a somber piece about a psychic dealing with her grief that has a truly unnerving ending

"Ode to Joad the Toad" is a trippy fantasy/thriller pastiche by Laird Barron, that takes place in a world populated by Toad people, assassins, old swamp gods looking to eat their acolytes, and lots of blood. It's a fascinating, funny, frightening world, even if Barron sometimes privileges building the world over propelling the story forward

Lucy Snyder's "My Knowing Glance" is elevated from a pretty standard horror tale about a legal prostitute being attacked by a supernatural client by her fascinating world-building and an ending that suggests the narrator is not altogether reliable

"Paper Doll Hyperplane" by R.B. Payne follows a mathematics professor who is killing a woman to prove a bizarre mathematical theorem. The story is told in the form of an academic paper from multiple POVs, which is a nice touch

"Frankenstein's Daughter" by Theodora Goss is a stylish continuation of Mary Shelley's characters, even if the story is a little light on plot. It perfectly captures Shelley's style, and watching Walton return to the page, and having him encounter a much stronger character than he is, makes for an entertaining dramedic story

[Thom (T.E.) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm...bewitched, bothered, and bewildered.
Okay, really just a bit confused. Reading through all these stories--including re-reading a couple of underperformers to be sure I'd gotten all I could out of them--I would consider them averaging out to about 3.5 stars.

But the book's a solid four stars.

As they have been selected, presented (the understated, primitive artwork is a plus), and sequenced, this read adds up to quite an engaging experience. The effects of some stories developed an intriguing friction going up against the effects of those that came before and after. And sometimes the effects of consecutive stories built up on each other. I'm not used to such impactful rollercoaster dynamics from an anthology. By the time I'd put it down, this book proved itself to be significantly more than the sum of its parts.

I was initially attracted to the combination of theme and contributors' list. I don't know if I'd consider many of the stories and poems to be among the best work of their creators--but often they're not far off. And then, of course, the editors and publisher (and artist) have taken a hand.

The sequencing and variety speak as if with their own voices: the pieces that are thick with voice and atmosphere balance out the traditional narratives. A subtle cleverness and a light touch bring out shades of empathy in many pieces.

Laird Barron's dark high fantasy is filled with zippy turns as a centerpiece. Victor Lavalle gives us something devastatingly poignant, Josh Malerman gives us something with sophisticated savagery. Brian Hodge (Orwellian) and Lucy Snyder (sexy) gleefully dish up modulated grindhouse. Michael Wehunt pulls us close with semi-autobiographical meta-horror, and Nadia Bulkin and Usman Malik evoke strong universal emotions when their characters must simply get through the friction and catastrophe that peoples visit upon those they designate as "other." Theodora Goss' concluding piece revisits the idea that the monstrous is where you find it--and the notion that such places may also be strange wellsprings of peace and hope.

Needless to say, I recommend you read these stories in their presented sequence.

[Jordan Whitlock · Rating 4 out of 5]

MISCREATIONS jumped up my TBR pile after Josh Malerman's story ONE LAST TRANSFORMATION won (again, I say WON!) a Stoker award for best short story. After reading it, it's a well deserved award for an insanely great story. And worth buying this book for even if that's the only story you read. Also of note, this unique werewolf story won the Stoker on the same day it was announced John Steinbeck has an unpublished werewolf novel out there us readers can't get our hands on. Coincidence?-or should we all be demanding a werewolf novel from Malerman to compensate!?

All in all, I really enjoyed this anthology and the theme behind it. Who doesn't love Frankenstein? And the cover is gorgeous! A few of the stories fell short for me, but the good ones more than made up for them. The standouts to me were MATRYOSHKA (Joanna Parypinski), YOU ARE MY NEIGHBOR (Max Booth III, I've read a novel and novella (soon to be released as a movie) by Booth and while I enjoyed them both, this is easily now my favorite thing he's written), ONLY BRUISES ARE PERMANENT (Scott Edelman), MY KNOWING GLANCE (Lucy A. Snyder), PAPER DOLL HYPERPLANE (R.B. Payne), THE MAKING OF ASYLUM OPHELIA (Mercedes M. Yardley), FRANKENSTEIN"S DAUGHTER (Theodora Goss), and also loved Stephanie M. Wytovich's poem A BENEDICTION OF CORPSES.
This is an anthology well worth your time!

[Rob Saucedo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished reading MISCREATIONS, an anthology of short horror fiction. It's on sale on Kindle for less than $4 so if you're looking for something cheap and fun to read, go forth.

My favorite stories in the book are Joanna Parypinski's MATRYOSHKA, which explores the complicated relationship between an infertile woman and her mother; Nadia Bulki's OPERATIONS OTHER THAN WAR, which looks at the cultural horror that would follow if a non-US country suddenly found themselves with a giant robot to protect them; Victor LaVelle's SPECTRAL EVIDENCE, about a medium who discovers the truth about the afterlife; Scott Edelman's ONLY BRUISES ARE PERMANENT, an unsettling look at one way a woman copes with her her abuse; Mercedes M. Yardley's THE MAKING OF ASYLUM OPHELIA, a story that follows a young girl whose mother is unfortunately obsessed with Shakespeare; and Theodora Goss' FRANKENSTEIN'S DAUGHTER, a speculative sequel to Mary Shelley's original novel.