The Valancourt Book of World Horror Stories: Volume 2

Valancourt Books of World Horror Stories

by James D. Jenkins (Editor), Ryan Cagle (Editor)

Critics called the first Valancourt Book of World Horror Stories "groundbreaking" (Publishers Weekly), "stellar from top to bottom" (Library Journal), "pioneering" (Washington Post), "a veritable feast for horror lovers" (British Fantasy Society). Now for this exciting follow-up volume the editors have expanded their search to even more countries, finding more of the world's best horror fiction and making it available to American readers for the first time.

Featuring a wide variety of tales from Brazil to Malta to Nigeria to Japan, and all points in between, this new anthology is a must-have for any horror fan or anyone interested in contemporary world literature.

Included in this volume are some of the world's best horror writers, many of them unknown in the English-speaking world:

Roberto Causo (Brazil)
Yavor Tsanev (Bulgaria)
Yueran Zhang (China)
Mélanie Fazi (France)
Konstantinos Kellis (Greece)
Gary Victor (Haiti)
Steinar Bragi (Iceland)
Stephan Friedman (Israel)
Yasumi Tsuhara (Japan)
Anton Grasso (Malta)
Dare Segun Falowo (Nigeria)
Wojciech Gunia (Poland)
Val Votrin (Russia)

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Anthologies, Fiction, Horror Thriller, Translated Fiction

328 pages, Paperback

First published February 15, 2022

Reviews

[Alan (the Lone Librarian rides again) Teder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worldwide Horror
Review of the Valancourt paperback edition (February 2022) of the original Valancourt hardcover (December 2021)
[May 16, 2024 Update Edited with a minor fix to the link for Volume 1.]

[3.2 average rating of stores, but bumped up to 4 for the wide range of languages and countries and for the excellence of several of the stories]

Due to my Estonian heritage, I am always curious to discover books with Estonian in translation and that was how I came across this anthology of world horror collected by Valancourt Books. It includes a translation of popular crime and fantasy author Indrek Hargla's Tammõküla viljakuivati, originally available in the Estonian language anthologies Kolmevaimukivi [Estonian: Three Spirit Stone] (2018) and Pikad varjud [Estonian: Long Shadows} (2015). Hargla is one of the most popular current authors in Estonia today, especially with his Apothecary Melchior (2010 - ongoing) series of medieval crime mysteries. The first two books have been translated into English and also turned into feature films. He started off as more of a fantasy author and even now continues to write a considerable number of alternative history and ethno-horror stories.

So I came for the Estonian, but I was very impressed with the variety which this collection contained. I noticed that one of the editors, James D. Jenkins, did a huge amount of the translation work as well. This was in several languages, from Danish, French, Portuguese, Spanish and even Romansh, an endangered language now mostly spoken in Switzerland.

Individual story listings and ratings are below, with brief plot set-ups which I don't think need to be spoiler blocked. The overall quality and storytelling and translation was very high. I may not have cared for the subject matter in some cases and rated accordingly, but anyone with a curiosity about the worldwide level of writing in horror and speculative fiction will be sure to find something of interest here. This collection is a follow-up to the publisher's first anthology The Valancourt Book of World Horror Stories, Volume 1 (2020) and intentionally sought to collect stories from countries not selected for the first book (a rule which they had to bend a little).

1. The Recording of the Will (2016) *** by [author:Yavor Tsanev|14031525], translated from Bulgarian by Roberta Basarbolieva. A curse can be passed along to others via a Last Will.
2. Lucky Night (2013) *** by Gary Victor, translated from French (Haiti) by James D. Jenkins. A candidate for a Haitian Senate seat is willing to do anything that his voodoo priest commands in order to achieve his goal.
3. Whitebone Harp (2013) ** by Zhang Yueran, translated from Chinese by Jeremy Tiang. A bit too bizarre for me.
4. The War (2014) ***** by Wojciech Gunia, translated from Polish by Anthony Sciscione. Felt very "1984" inspired with a touch of "Wag the Dog". A town's population is manipulated by propaganda about a war with an invading nation.
5. Screamer (2014) *** by Braulio Tavares, translated from Portuguese (Brazil) by James D. Jenkins. Business traveller to a small town is haunted by screams in the night.
6. The Old Wound and the Sun (2008) *** by Yasumi Tsuhara, translated from Japanese by Toshiya Kamei. A woman discovers a mysterious wound in the body of her lover which seems to lead to another world.
7. The Ant (1986) *** by Anton Grasso, translated from Maltese by Joseph Camilleri. An estranged husband sends his wife a cake at the house where she is now living with another man.
8. The Regensburg Festival **** (2013) by Val Votrin, translated from Russian by Maya Vinokour. A choir conductor is banned from a town's music festival but insists on attending anyway. I liked the music tie-in of this one.
9. Mask (2012) ** by Bora Chung, translated from Korean by Anton Hur. A family is haunted by a stain on the wall, which turns into a succubus that ensnares the husband in an addiction. Goes on too long for the material and the resolution (with the 'mask') just comes out of nowhere.
10. The Bell (2009) ** by Steinar Bragi, translated from Icelandic by Larissa Kyzer. A manifestation on a village's church bell is an omen for a plague that descends on its inhabitants. This was very creepy but didn't make any attempt to rationalize what was going on. Extra gross-out factors with the baby manifestations.
11. Shelter from the Storm (2022) ** by Jayaprakash Satyamurthy (India). Original in English. A worker has a drunken night out with friends. This did not seem like a horror story at all.
12. Train of Consequences (1999) *** by Roberto Causo, translated from Portuguese (Brazil) by James D. Jenkins. A former torturer with the military police is forced to face his past while riding on a train.
13. Dreams of Ash (2008) **** by Mélanie Fazi, translated from French by James D. Jenkins. A girl develops an obsession with fire at a young age which turns into self-harm as she becomes a teenager. Very disturbing story, but well done.
14. The Nature of Love (2022) ** by Luciano Lamberti, translated from Spanish (Argentina) by James D. Jenkins. An online erotic performance turns fatal. Disturbing and repulsive.
15. The Grain Dryer of Tammõküla (2015/2018) ***** by Indrek Hargla, translated from Estonian by Kati Metsaots and Dan O'Connell. The grain drying barn on a farm becomes cursed and a spirit begins to attack those who try to tend the fire in the kiln. A soothsayer from a neighbouring farm is brought in to solve the mystery. I'm biased here due to my heritage and my previous enjoyment of Hargla's novels and stories, but I thought this was both well written and translated.
16. The Runner (2020) *** by Viola Cadruvi, translated from Romansh (Switzerland) by James D. Jenkins. Very short story (4 pages) about a jogger who ignores signs from nature while running on her regular trail.
17. Firstborn (2018) **** by Konstantinos Kellis, translated from Greek by Dimitra Nikolaidou and Victor Pseftakis. A mother tries to protect her newborn from her family, which is a cult that relies on the magically enhanced firstborn of each generation for its wealth and power.
18. Owolabi Olowolagba (2022) *** by Dare Segun Falowo, in English from Nigeria. A desperate man is willing to do anything for money, including fulfilling the commands of a shaman.
19. The Pallid Eidolon (2019) *** by Stephan Friedman, in English from Israel. In post World War II Poland, a Red Cross worker follows a mysterious orphan who appears to be under a compelling bewitchment.
20. The Footsteps of Hunger (2021) **** by Ana Maria Fuster Lavin, translated from Spanish (Puerto Rico) by James D. Jenkins. In the aftermath of the devastating Hurricane Maria in 2017, a non-aging vampiric demon child hunts animals and people in the chaos.
21. The Wonders of the Invisible World (2014) ***** by Teddy Vork, translated from Danish by James D. Jenkins. While perusing a hand-notated copy of American witch hunter Cotton Mather's (1663-1728) Wonders Of The Invisible World (1693), a rare book dealer recites an invisibility spell which allows him to secretly follow his obsessions but opens a pathway to a secret world which coexists with our own.

Trivia and Links
Valancourt Books is an American independent publisher which specializes in reprints of classic gothic, supernatural and horror literature as well as new works in those genres. It also specializes in reprints of classic gay literature. The name Valancourt is taken from a character in Ann Radcliffe's (1764-1823) gothic novel The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794).

[Nancy Oakes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing like taking two months to post about a book I really loved, but as they say, better late than never.

full post is here: http://www.oddlyweirdfiction.com/2022...

There is a review of this book by Sean Guynes in the March 2022 issue of World Literature Today where he writes that this

"... anticipated second volume is the after-party everyone wanted and more ..."

I'm including myself in that "everyone" because I hadn't even finished Volume One before hoping that Valancourt would do a second book, just like now I'm hoping that they will do a third. If that's not a recommendation, well, I don't know what is.

With something for every horror reader, because after all, mileage does vary, Volume 2 showcases the work of twenty-one authors from twenty countries (Brazil is represented twice) which, according to the Editors' Foreword, were originally published in sixteen different languages. And M.S. Corley's illustrations are great, capturing in drawings some of the horrors found in this book. As much as I loved reading this anthology and its predecessor, in the bigger picture, the best thing is that these two volumes of horror fiction in translation even exist. I am a huge, huge advocate of works in translation, especially in the horror/weird genres which, unlike the books that make their way each year onto longlists for awards honoring translated literary fiction, seem to be extremely underrepresented. I would like to think things are slowly changing in this arena: last year I was over the moon happy when Tartarus published Nicola Lombardi's excellent The Gypsy Spiders and Other Tales, then came Bora Chung's positively mind-blowing Cursed Bunny published by Honford Star, which ended up on not only the longlist for this year's International Booker Prize, but the shortlist as well. And Valancourt's been busy aside from this book; check out their page of international offerings at their website.

So once again my grateful thanks to Valancourt for both volumes of World Horror Stories. Anyone who has read Volume 1 will definitely want to make this after-party; as I said on my initial reaction at goodreads, Valancourt has once again knocked it out of the park.

Very highly recommended -- and I will be among the first to order Volume 3. Hint hint.

[Nina The Wandering Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Valancourt’s first volume of world horror stories and greatly appreciated the editors’ mission to solely focus on horror from non-English speaking countries. And this new volume delivers even more chills and thrills crafted from the minds of award-winning authors hailing from all over the globe. Twenty-one short stories from twenty countries and translated from sixteen languages! It doesn’t get better than that!

What I loved most about this anthology was the opportunity to experience fear outside of my usual expectations for horror fiction. My recommendation as you dive into this book is to ask yourself not how each story “scared” you, but how they unnerved you, disturbed you, how each story upset you, made you uncomfortable. Because horror has the ability to provoke all of those feelings and there lies the beauty in diversifying your reading of the genre.
•
Some of my favorites in this anthology were:

-The Recording of the Will (Bulgaria)
-Lucky Night (Haiti)
-The Bell (Iceland)
-The War (Poland)
-The Ant (Malta)
-Mask (South Korea)
-The Old Wound and the Sun (Japan)

Readers who enjoy translated fiction and horror anthologies should probably add this to their Christmas wish list and it’s available for purchase on the Valancourt website next month!

(Thanks so much to Valancourt Books for this beautiful review copy)

[Elizabeth Engstrom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a worthy sequel to the original volume of World Horror Stories, by Valancourt Books, arguably one of the most interesting publishers around. The good thing about these stories is that each one is mired in a completely different culture than my own. These are not the type of horror stories I grew up reading, and therefore are uniquely mind bending and thought-provoking. Recommend!

[Becky Spratford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Star review in the 12/1/21 issue of Booklist and on the blog: https://raforall.blogspot.com/2021/12... [link lie 12/3]

Even better than the first volume and I loved that one.

Three Words That Describe This Book: full range of scares, engrossing, translation

I wish I could have highlighted every story, but alas, I get around 2o0 words.

My favorite was The War by Wojeiech Gunia from Poland. This story was stunning, intensely unsettling, and uncomfortably topical. I read it twice even though I had more than half the book still to go.

Also Chinese author Zhang Yueran's lyrical and terrifying, gross and beautiful-- Whalebone Spirit. It is a perfect read for fans of The Memory Police by Ogawa or Tender is the Flesh by Bazterrica

Haitian author Gary Victor is one I could not fit in my review. "Lucky Night" was based on well known Hatian folklore that would be tangential to our "selling your soul to the devil." It was also very political which I loved.

The most heartbreaking thing about this book is not only that these amazing voices have been silenced because they have not been translated into English before this but also that many of them [it is revealed] had commissioned, at their own cost, English translations of their work in the hopes that someday someone would ask for them. Kudos to Jenkins and Cagle for diligently seeking them out and commissioning quality translations.

What I learned from reading this-- Clearly Horror is thriving across the globe, and there is no longer an excuse to not carry these authors in your collections. This volume is a place to start fixing that problem.

[Magdalena Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just loooove Valancourt Books and everything they do for the horror genre. The second volume of their World Horror Stories has 21 stories from twenty countries and my absolute favourites were:

- The Bell by Steinar Bragi (Iceland) - an absolute winner! This is a crazy, imaginative, creepy tale. The sentences are both shocking and beautiful and I was both disturbed and amazed - it's BRILLIANT. I can totally see it as a film by David Cronenberg.
- The Old Wound and the Sun by Yasumi Tsuhara (Japan) - I loved the way this was written. So realistic and bizarre with an excellent ending.
- Whitebone Harp by Zhang Yueran (China) - a lyrical, beautiful horror story. I loved it from start to finish.
- Mask by Bora Chung (South Korea) - an unsettling ghost story, brilliantly written and now I need to get Chung's collection Cursed Bunny ASAP
- The Ant by Anton Grasso (Malta) - a fun and creepy story with elements of body horror. Proceed with caution if you don't like bugs...
- Firstborn by Konstantinos Kellis (Greece) - a dark folk horror story that made me think of Rosemary's Baby. Fast paced and very eerie.

[Kata · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first collection was much stronger in my opinion.

[Tim Patton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book (same with volume 1) that I never knew I needed. It is without a doubt one of the most fascinating examinations of horror I’ve found. Each story is unique and special to the language and culture it comes from. The introduction to each story are delightful and illuminating. Just wow, wow, wow.

[Big Red · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fantastic collection of horror from around the world from Valancourt. I think the wide range of different styles of storytelling and plots was perfect, as was the various countries they came from. It's so nice to hear about and read horror from authors all over the world - there are some seriously talented folks out there, and without translations such as this one, us English speakers wouldn't otherwise know about them! I'm grateful there is work being done to translate more broadly.

Here are a few of my favorite stories from the collection, in order of appearance:
- "The War" by Wojciech Gunia (Poland)
- "The Old Wound and the Sun" by Yasumi Tsuhara (Japan)
- "The Bell" by Steinar Bragi (seriously wtf) (Iceland)
- "Dreams of Ash" by Mélanie Fazi (France)
- "Firstborn" by Konstantinos Kellis (Greece)

Highly recommend this to all fans of horror looking to break out of the English-only world!

[Andy Weston · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second collection of horror stories from around the world from Valancourt, and as with the first, has a wide-ranging content from within the genre, and a good scattering around the globe.
By this nature they are bound to be a bit uneven in quality, and there is the question of taste.
Though I found there to be more to my liking in the first anthology, I really enjoyed reading all 21 here.
The editors, Jenkins and Cagle, (Jennings translates stories not previosuly available in English from 5 languages ain this book alone) compliment each other well in their research for stories. They have a healthy, or unhealthy some may see it, interest in the weird. The result is a collection eccentricities from around the planet, some completely off-the-wall, some based around classic themes, and just a few that may result in the book being hastily put down in shock.
Just a few of my own favourites,
Hargla’s “The Grain Dryer of Tammõküla” from Estonia, a folk horror tale about the destruction of traditional pagan beliefs and their detrimental incorporation into modern life, putting me in mind of the film, November.
Steinar Bragi’s “The Bell” from Iceland, with a strong sense of place,
and the highly unconventional Jayaprakash Satyamurthy’s “Shelter from the Storm” from India,

Interestingly Valancourt have announced that their third volume will include more work translated from endangered languages such as Viola Cadruvi’s “The Runner,” a short fable of eco-horror originally published in the endangered Swiss Romansh language.

[Nicole Amburgey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Volume Two features twenty contemporary stories published in sixteen different languages. Valancourt tried not to repeat stories from any of the countries previously published in Volume One and succeeded with the exception of Denmark. While I thoroughly enjoyed Volume One in this new series, Volume Two was my favorite. I felt Valancourt extended their reach a bit further and pulled in some extremely varied and different stories. Where the stories in Volume One felt safe and relatable for foreign readers, Volume Two felt edgier and not afraid to take risks.

It’s incredibly difficult to narrow down my favorites from Volume Two, as I flagged nearly every story for one reason or another. However, a few standouts for me were Whitebone Harp, from China, about a woman who gives herself entirely to her husband; The War, from Poland, about the truth of never-ending war; The Old Wound and the Sun, from Japan, about an interesting portal; The Bell, from Iceland, about a plague in a small town; The Grain Dryer of Tammõküla, from Estonia, about a ghost and family secrets; and Firstborn, from Greece, about the truth behind a family’s wealth.

Full Review: https://tatteredandbroken.com/2022/06...

[Barry Welsh]

KBS Korea 24 @KBSKorea24

“In light of #CursedBunny making the longlist for the #2022InternationalBooker prize, @barrypwelsh brings us another short story by #BoraChung for #KoreaBookClub called ‘Mask’ found in 'The alancourt Book of World Horror Stories Vol. 2.' #정보라 #가면 @Valancourt_B. Like #CursedBunny, this work was also translated by #KoreaBookClub contributor @AntonHur. Another work that he translated, #ParkSangyoung's #LoveInTheBigCity also made the #2022InternationalBooker prize longlist. The shortlist will be announced tomorrow (April 7). #부커상”
#KBSWORLDRadio #KBS월드라디오 #Korea24 #코리아24 #책추천 #책스타그램 #북스타그램 #bookstagram #book #reading #KoreanLiterature

19:10-20:00 KST, Mon-Fri on KBS WORLD Radio.
Download the KBS Kong / KBS WORLD Radio Mobile apps or subscribe to the Korea 24 podcast for your daily updates!
http://world.kbs.co.kr/service/progra...

[Qonita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Collection of mind-boggling horror tales collected from various countries, well curated. Perfect to be read in Halloween time, or whenever you want a short distraction from everyday ennui. Haven't read the first edition, but if I were to rate my top three, the pick will be :

1. The Grain Dryer of Tammokula : perfect pacing, climax build, and gut wrenching final sentence.
2. The War : psychological thriller that makes me reflect on human nature for manipulation
3. Footsteps of Hunger : this one has supernatural fantasy element in it, depicted in the heartbreaking perspective of the creature itself, depicting loneliness and desperation for survival

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5-

Minor spoilers

Another spectacular collection from Valancourt! I’ve been anticipating this follow up ever since the publisher first announced its initial release. There’s just so much absorbing material here that once again showcases the international talents from across the globe. As mentioned in the introduction, readers can expect a vast array of new themes and ideas from counties not found in Vol. 1 (Denmark is the exception). The translated content explores a wide range of topics; Mother Nature gets deadly, pyromaniac tendencies can really mess things up, and an anorectic woman visited by an invisible man in her apartment…what! There’s even a Brazilian take on Faust!

Favorites:

“Whitebone Harp”(China)-Zhang Yueran

“The War”(Poland)-Wojciech Gunia

“The Regensburg Festival”(Russia)-Val Votrin

“The Bell”(Iceland)-Steinar Bragi

“The Wonders of the Invisible World”-Teddy Vork

[em sky-walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was reading this on the plane, the girl next to me asked what I was reading. She was trying to draw me into conversation with her and our third seat mate. When I told her, her face fell as she realized she had nothing to possibly talk about. For that interaction, I give this book an extra 6th star 😂😂 #1 extrovert repellent god bless

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

These were fine, but some of them felt too edgy. The way that men gleefully use sexual violence against women is infuriating. A couple of the stories were not even what I would consider horror at all. Also, I think it's pretty noteworthy that out of the 21 authors featured in this book, only 5 are female.

I do still like the idea of translating horror stories from other countries - I do enjoy getting to read stories from perspectives I am unfamiliar with. (But men are the same everywhere.)

[Lindsey R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great collection! Maybe one day there will be a Vol 3!
Favorites:
"The War" by Wojciech Gunia
"Mask" by Bora Chung
"The Bell" by Steinar Bragi
"The Nature of Love" by Luciano Lamberti
"Firstborn" by Konstantinos Kellis
"The Wonders of the Invisible World" by Teddy Vork

[Ariadne Tzounakou · Rating 5 out of 5]

A strong second entry in the series, definitely a must-have

Rating: 8.5/10

The first volume of The Valancourt Book of World Horror Stories is one of the best horror anthologies one can find, filled with numerous gems that will surely become future classics. This second volume delivers high quality horror, with multiple perspectives and approaches to horror.

My two favorite entries were -Firstborn by Konstantinos Kellis (Greece), an incredible folk horror story rooted in motherhood and politics, and -Owalabi Olowolagba by Dar Segun (Nigeria), a tale that delivers a frightening perspective into both the despair of poverty and cosmic terror beyond our understanding.

Other excellent stories that deserve mention are:

Train of Consequences by Roberto Causo (Brazil)
The Wonders of the Invisible World by Teddy Vork (Denmark)
The Grain Dryer of Tammõküla by Indrek Hargla (Estonia)
Dreams of Ash by Mélanie Fazi (France)
The Regensburg Festival by Val Votrin (Russia)
Mask by Bora Chung (South Korea)
Footsteps of Hunger by Ana María Fuster Lavín (Puerto Rico)
The Bell by Steinar Bragi (Iceland)

Two stories, The War by Wojciech Gunia (Poland) and Shelter from the Storm by Jayaprakash Satyamurthy (India), were interesting but out of place in a horror anthology.

Overall I prefer the first volume, but the highs in this book are still many and very high indeed, making it a worthy sucessor and a must read for all fans of the genre.

[Foxy Lost in Fairy tales · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a fantastic initiative that allows readers to explore horror stories from different countries. It’s the second volume in the series, but since it's made up of completely independent short stories, you can read them in any order. It mainly introduces tales from non-English-speaking countries, featuring 21 short stories translated from 16 different languages.

The first few stories aren’t necessarily scary in the traditional sense, but they are thought-provoking, unsettling, and stir up discomfort in the reader. That’s the power of horror—it evokes a wide range of emotions, which is exactly what makes the genre so diverse.

As you delve deeper into the book, the stories become more intense. It’s surprising how some tales, even though they’re only five pages long at most, can still have such a strong impact—and that’s exactly what made them perfect. That said, there were definitely a few I wished were longer simply because I loved them so much.

Honestly, it's been a long time since I read horror that genuinely scared me, but several of the stories in this collection managed to do just that.

It’s hard to pick a favorite, because every single story had something special that made it stand out. So rather than highlighting just one, I’d probably end up copying the entire table of contents.

This book is a brilliant opportunity to get a glimpse into international horror literature.
I highly recommend it to all fans of the genre.

[Joseph Lerner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read volume 1 yet, but volume 2 is excellent. It's so gratifying to read first-rate work by authors I've (mostly) never heard of, published in English for the first time. The one author I recognized was Bora Chung (South Korea), whose new collection, Cursed Bunny, was also published in English last year to much acclaim. I'll be reading that one soon, and look forward to reading more work by the other authors in this admirable collection. And hope that each year brings a new volume.

[Scott Breslove · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice little compilation of stories that were previously unpublished in English from a variety of different countries. Most of the stories were good reads, interesting and well done. I just don’t know, there is something about reading horror that just doesn’t frighten me. I find it interesting and fun, but never scary or repulsive or horrific, or whatever other adjectives the authors are going for. I assume that’s a me thing tho. All in all, an enjoyable little read with fun, quick stories.

[tara bomp · Rating 2 out of 5]

a few good stories here but none are amazing and too many stories which just don't work. some are written strangely so they don't really have a climax or seem to be leading somewhere then just end. some are confusingly written in basic language terms, possibly a translation issue, so you don't really understand what's going on. it's such a cool concept but yeah a bit disappointed

[Brian Cohen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much like the first volume, a few haunting stories stand out from the rest but all are good. I just love the concept of searching the world for great authors and publishing them in English for the first time so much that I’ll go 5 stars instead of 4.

[Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much more gruesome than the first volume, but if you pull through there are some excellent stories in the mix; especially "Screamer," "Whitebone Spirit," and "Footsteps of Hunger." I found "The Bell" the most difficult story to get through, which, if not for the ending, I would have considered it not very palatable.

[Tamás Fábián · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bit different collection than Vol. 1, although some realy good ones, especially towards the end.

[Steve Chisnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Volumes 1 & 2 together, and so I will leave the same review for both.

This, foremostly, is an excellent and worthwhile project, not only for the need to move more works of horror into English translation but for the awesome global view of what makes horror fiction (mal)appealing. Working transparently and deliberately in selecting works for each anthology, any reader might challenge a choice or two along the way, but what is here is a wonderful introduction to so many new writers and expansions of the genre that English-speakers/readers can't help but recast their thinking, even finding something new (menopause?) to belong. In short, while demons and spooks abound, they are not the primary pathway to trigger us.

That said, short fiction horror is incredibly difficult to pull off beyond a momentary discomfort or unsettling idea, and not every story is crafted carefully enough to make even these consistently effective. That is a given for any anthology and the multiple tastes of its many readers. Here I found only several of the 40+ that really stood out as writers to watch for, and of these perhaps three or four that will stay with me (I'm looking at you, Hautala's "Pale Toes").

As an introduction to international horror literature, however, I know of no project like this one.