Great British Horror 7: Major Arcana

by Steve J. Shaw (Editor), Gary Budden, Dan Coxon

GREAT BRITISH HORROR 7 continues the annual series showcasing the best in modern British horror. Every year, the series will feature ten British authors, plus one international guest contributor, telling tales of this sceptred isle.

The 2022 edition, MAJOR ARCANA, features eleven more previously unpublished stories from authors at the very top of their game.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Anthologies, Contemporary

224 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2022

Reviews

[Blair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of the eleven stories in this book, six range from good to fantastic, three are fine, and only two are bad bad. I think that’s a pretty good hit rate for an anthology! I won’t say exactly which is which – these things are subjective, after all – but my personal favourite was ‘The Lovers’ by Lynda E. Rucker, in which Kristen finds herself haunted by a strange journal she finds in a bookshop. It’s a great combination of a character-driven story and authentic creepy details. Elsewhere there are excellent stories from Malcolm Devlin (‘The Chariot’, a slice of sheer unease set in that quintessential liminal space, a hotel); Dan Coxon (‘The High Priestess’, a dark domestic tale which shades into religious folk horror); and Gary Budden (‘Temperance’, about a man at a crossroads in his life who glimpses what he comes to call ‘the Enfield angel’). I also enjoyed Jonathan Sims’ ‘The Hierophant’, about education, privilege, ambition, yearning and what it all takes from you, and the urban dread of Alison Moore’s ‘The Tower’.

TinyLetter | Linktree

[Kayleigh Marie Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another outstanding collection of short stories from Black Shuck Books. Brilliant author line-up and wonderful tales. I usually dip in and out of anthologies but I just went ahead and read this from cover to cover in one sitting. Love the theme. The opening story is my favourite.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are three excellent short stories in this anthology of tales whose titles are based on Tarot cards (if there are deeper meanings than the titles then this is unknown to me as I don't know much about the deck). In order of preference: 1. Malcolm Devlin - "The Chariot"; 2. Alison Moore - "The Tower"; 3. Conrad Williams - "The Hanged Man".

The other stories were either ok, or meh, or - on one occasion - skipped through. But I won't be a meany and discuss those, because the top three stories I've mentioned are easily worth the cover price alone. Seek them out.

[Runalong · Rating 4 out of 5]

A highly enjoyable horror collection with tales exploring mental health; danger in space, at home or just behind you. Very impressive

Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...

[Happy Goat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review on Happy Goat Horror:
https://happygoathorror.com/2022/12/1...

The stories are varied and there are some I prefer over others, but the quality of the writing is high and consistent throughout. I'd recommend this anthology to readers who enjoy strange, dark, creepy fiction.