Black Static #78/#79

Black Static

by Neil Williamson, Tyler Keevil, Zandra Renwick

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Fiction

190 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2021

About the author

Neil Williamson lives in Glasgow, Scotland, and is the author of novels and short stories in genres ranging from science fiction to slipstream.

Several of his books and stories have been shortlisted for awards: Nova Scotia: New Scottish Speculative Fiction (World Fantasy Award), The Ephemera (British Fantasy Award), Arrhythmia (British Science Fiction Association Award), The Moon King (British Fantasy Holdstock Award and British Science Fiction Association Award, runner-up), A Moment of Zugzwang (British Science Fiction Association Award and British Fantasy Award), Nova Scotia vol 2: New Speculative Fiction From Scotland (British Science Fiction Association Award and British Fantasy Award) Charlie Says (British Science Fiction Association Award and British Fantasy Award).

Neil's latest book is: Blood In The Bricks, published by NewCon Press in October 2025.

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been a reader of Black Static (and in it's prior incarnation, The Third Alternative) since 1994 but have never mentioned it on Goodreads because up to now it has been a magazine and I only review books. However, a change in the publishing climate has changed the format: instead of the usual columns and book/film reviews together with the fiction, we now simply have the fiction in a digest/anthology-type format. Whilst I loved and now miss the extras, I actually prefer reading the fiction in this manner, and I think Black Static reads better for it.

This is a double-issue and there are ten stories here. I enjoyed most of them. Stand-outs for me were "Upland Wildlife" by Rhonda Pressley Veit, "A Phantasmagorial Bestiary of the La Brea Tar Pits" by Mike Buckley, and in particular the wondrous "The Great West Gate" by Alexander Glass. I also enjoyed the stories by Neil Williamson and Stephen Bacon (each evocative in different ways). Jess Hyslop's story was more SF than dark fantasy, but equally good. The other stories were either adequate or didn't quite gel with me. Overall, there's much here to reward the reader, and I strongly recommend it's supported in the current format as if it eventually goes it will be sadly missed.

[Des Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another set of remarkable Black Static stories, and good luck in crossing its new watersheds of horror literature to come.

The detailed review of this book under my name is too long or impractical to post here, and the above is one of its observations.

[Shikhar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may yet be the very best volume of Black Static, though I DO miss the insightful articles of Lynda E. Rucker and Ralph Robert Moore. There’s no question, though, that the selection of stories, varied as it is, makes for a captivating read from cover to cover.

[Ross Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really top-notch double issue filled with solid dark fictions. The absolute standouts for me were Upland Wildlife by Rhonda Pressley Veit and The Undulating by Stephen Bacon.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of stories. All unique, haunting and with a message to share.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I had stumbled across this cool horror publication sooner. It's more an anthology of short fiction than a magazine format.
I enjoyed the wide range of spooky tales, especially the cryptid, hitcher, and haunted house tales. Each story with a twist or original concept from the usual tropes. The closing story is equally chilling to its final haunting scene.