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Haunted Legends
Darkly thrilling, these twenty new ghost stories have all the chills and power of traditional ghost stories, but each tale is a unique retelling of an urban legend from the world over.
Multiple award-winning editor Ellen Datlow and award-nominated author and editor Nick Mamatas recruited Jeffrey Ford, Ramsey Campbell, Joe R. Lansdale, Caitlin Kiernan, Catherynne M. Valente, Kit Reed, Ekaterina Sedia, and thirteen other fine writers to create stories unlike any they've written before. Tales to make readers shiver with fear, jump at noises in the night, keep the lights on.
These twenty nightmares, brought together by two renowned editors of the dark fantastic, are delightful visions sure to send shivers down the spines of horror readers.
Table of Contents
“Introduction” Nick Mamatas
“Knickerbocker Holiday” Richard Bowes
“That Girl” Kaaron Warren
“Akbar” Kit Reed
“The Spring Heel” Steven Pixie
“As Red as Red” Caitlin R. Kiernan
“Tin Cans” Ekaterina Sedia
“Shoebox Train Wreck” John Mantooth
“Fifteen Panels Depicting the Sadness of the Baku and the Jotai” Catherynne M. Valente
“La Llorona” Carolyn Turgeon
“Face Like a Monkey” Carrie Laben
“Down Atsion Road” Jeffrey Ford
“Return to Mariabronn” Gary A. Braunbeck
“Following Double-Face Woman” Erzebet YellowBoy
“Oaks Park” M. K. Hobson
“For Those in Peril on the Sea” Stephen Dedman
“The Foxes” Lily Hoang
“The Redfield Girls” Laird Barron
“Between Heaven and Hull” Pat Cadigan
“Chucky Comes to Liverpool” Ramsey Campbell
“The Folding Man” Joe R. Lansdale
Multiple award-winning editor Ellen Datlow and award-nominated author and editor Nick Mamatas recruited Jeffrey Ford, Ramsey Campbell, Joe R. Lansdale, Caitlin Kiernan, Catherynne M. Valente, Kit Reed, Ekaterina Sedia, and thirteen other fine writers to create stories unlike any they've written before. Tales to make readers shiver with fear, jump at noises in the night, keep the lights on.
These twenty nightmares, brought together by two renowned editors of the dark fantastic, are delightful visions sure to send shivers down the spines of horror readers.
Table of Contents
“Introduction” Nick Mamatas
“Knickerbocker Holiday” Richard Bowes
“That Girl” Kaaron Warren
“Akbar” Kit Reed
“The Spring Heel” Steven Pixie
“As Red as Red” Caitlin R. Kiernan
“Tin Cans” Ekaterina Sedia
“Shoebox Train Wreck” John Mantooth
“Fifteen Panels Depicting the Sadness of the Baku and the Jotai” Catherynne M. Valente
“La Llorona” Carolyn Turgeon
“Face Like a Monkey” Carrie Laben
“Down Atsion Road” Jeffrey Ford
“Return to Mariabronn” Gary A. Braunbeck
“Following Double-Face Woman” Erzebet YellowBoy
“Oaks Park” M. K. Hobson
“For Those in Peril on the Sea” Stephen Dedman
“The Foxes” Lily Hoang
“The Redfield Girls” Laird Barron
“Between Heaven and Hull” Pat Cadigan
“Chucky Comes to Liverpool” Ramsey Campbell
“The Folding Man” Joe R. Lansdale
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
70 people are currently reading
4118 people want to read
About the author
Ellen Datlow
278 books1,876 followersEllen Datlow has been editing science fiction, fantasy, and horror short fiction for forty years as fiction editor of OMNI Magazine and editor of Event Horizon and SCIFICTION. She currently acquires short stories and novellas for Tor.com. In addition, she has edited about one hundred science fiction, fantasy, and horror anthologies, including the annual The Best Horror of the Year series, The Doll Collection, Mad Hatters and March Hares, The Devil and the Deep: Horror Stories of the Sea, Echoes: The Saga Anthology of Ghost Stories, Edited By, and Final Cuts: New Tales of Hollywood Horror and Other Spectacles.
She's won multiple World Fantasy Awards, Locus Awards, Hugo Awards, Bram Stoker Awards, International Horror Guild Awards, Shirley Jackson Awards, and the 2012 Il Posto Nero Black Spot Award for Excellence as Best Foreign Editor. Datlow was named recipient of the 2007 Karl Edward Wagner Award, given at the British Fantasy Convention for "outstanding contribution to the genre," was honored with the Life Achievement Award by the Horror Writers Association, in acknowledgment of superior achievement over an entire career, and honored with the World Fantasy Life Achievement Award at the 2014 World Fantasy Convention.
She's won multiple World Fantasy Awards, Locus Awards, Hugo Awards, Bram Stoker Awards, International Horror Guild Awards, Shirley Jackson Awards, and the 2012 Il Posto Nero Black Spot Award for Excellence as Best Foreign Editor. Datlow was named recipient of the 2007 Karl Edward Wagner Award, given at the British Fantasy Convention for "outstanding contribution to the genre," was honored with the Life Achievement Award by the Horror Writers Association, in acknowledgment of superior achievement over an entire career, and honored with the World Fantasy Life Achievement Award at the 2014 World Fantasy Convention.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
August 31, 2013
This anthology is a solid 4 stars. Highly recommended. Very varied content with great stories (only a few exceptions).
SPOILER WARNING!
AUGUST 14, 2011:
"Following Double-face Woman" by Erzebet YellowBoy:
This one didn't leave any lasting impression on me. It's based on a figure of Native American myth.
OCTOBER 21, 2011:
"The Folding Man" by Joe R. Lansdale:
This story was a bit silly to me. In part because I found it difficult to take the premise serious: a van full of angry, dead nuns have a folding man chase stupid, young people.
Well in line with many a modern, "hip" horror movie style, though. So if you're in to that approach to horror you're likely to like this story.
There are some well-conceived moments of shuddering horror, though. Lansdale knows how to write such stuff, no matter what.
OCTOBER 26, 2011:
"Tin Cans" by Ekaterina Sedia:
This one blew me away. Truly gripping and horrifying.
The first couple of pages had me thinking this would be a "meh" read -- at best an average story. But suddenly I was captured and it turned out to be one of the best short stories I've read in years. And that's saying a lot!
It's not a comfortable read, though. Not even for horror afficionados. Don't say I didn't warn you. One of the reasons for this is that the tale sits close to the border of reality. The idea is culled from an urban legend, sure, but it's one of those where you're (more or less) willing to accept the reality of things. You can't easily dismiss it as fiction or superstition. And adding to this is the author's highly effective use of psychological insight in her approach to everything (is it real ghosts or is it "only" the narrator's remembrances haunting him? Either way, it's horrible; there's no way out).
The story's central evil is a shadowy creature from Stalin's regime: Beria, who was known as "Stalin's butcher". Add to that naked, young girls and an innocent (?) chauffeur, and you have the outline of what's going on here. 'Nuff said.
OCTOBER 26, 2011:
"Oak Parks" by M. K. Hobson:
A disquieting little ghost tale of, we learn, a woman who at the age of 12 turns herself into a ghost while at the same time living on to become a mother repeating the sad patterns of her mother. A very sad tale. But very good and memorable.
OCTOBER 27, 2011:
"That Girl" by Kaaron Warren:
Another story of a adult woman who experienced something terrible as a child. It was certainly above average but it didn't capture me as strongly as some of the other stories have done. One of the reasons perhaps being that the whole narrator-is-a-painter element didn't come to life for me. Still recommended, though.
OCTOBER 28, 2011:
"As Red as Red" by Caitlín R. Kiernan:
Another well-composed piece by one of the best weird tales writers today. It's a quiet tale, easily as odd as the "odd tale of lycanthropy and vampirism" by H. P. Lovecraft that she briefly aludes to (p. 86). A fine characterization of "As Red as Red" as well.
The tone is wry, with a poetic undercurrent, and very atmospheric, with a dream-like texture. Trademarks of Kiernan's work.
Highly recommended.
OCTOBER 28, 2011:
"The Spring Heel" by Steven Pirie:
A hooker sees a strange figure on the Victorian roofs while "serving" a man. Turns out it's The Spring Heel, a devil-like character... at least according to legend...
An OK read but it didn't really work for me.
NOVEMBER 28, 2011:
"Face Like a Monkey" by Carrie Laben:
I like the idea but not the execution. A large, strange bird is haunting Texas, and we see it through a kid's eyes, and at the same time there are family troubles.
DECEMBER 15, 2011:
"Down Atsion Road" by Jeffrey Ford:
Based on the legend of the Jersey Devil. Normally I appreciate stories with a strong "vagueness" to them, since they, in my opinion, tend to be more genuinely horrific and creepy than the in-your-face gore & horror tales so abundant in the genre nowadays. This story is perhaps, actually, a little too vague, even for my taste.
That said, it was well told and I was intrigued to the end. So it was a good read, all in all
DECEMBER 17, 2011:
"La Llorona" by Carolyn Turgeon:
A woman is on a vacation, alone and sad. Soon she sees another woman on the beach at night, who seem to be even sadder than herself. The local warn her to go to the woman on the beach at night, yet she is drawn...
Quite an effective tale of loss and sorrow.
DECEMBER 26, 2011:
"Knickerbocker Holiday" by Richard Bowes:
Old friends gathered and exchange stories after an old boss of them all has dies.
Loosely evolved around the famous "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving this story could have been interesting. Sadly, to me it wasn't. Th:e exchanged stories too fragmented and unsubstantial, in my opinion.
MARCH 4, 2012:
"The Foxes" by Lily Hoag:
I didn't really "get" this story. Too fragmented... too convoluted for me.
AUGUST 20, 2012:
"Akbar" by Kit Reed:
Good, with a weird ending. Perhaps even too weird?
"Shoebox Train Wreck" by John Mantooth:
A good read, very atmospheric, tinged with a sense of guilt and remorse. I liked it a lot.
"Fifteen Panels Depicting the Sadness of the Baku and the Jota" by Catherynne M. Valente:
This story was too weird for my taste. I couldn't really "get into it". But it's well written.
AUGUST 21, 2012:
"Return to Mariabronn" by Gary A. Braunbeck:
Good story. Sad.
AUGUST 22, 2012:
"For Those in Peril on the Sea" by Stephen Dedman:
A nice idea but unfortunately too unclearly executed, in my opinion. I never "got under the skin" of the main character and the underlying idea remains too muddy to bear the story.
DECEMBER 29, 2012:
"Between Heaven and Hull" by Pat Cadigan:
A surprisingly chilly spin on the good ole "hitchhiker" idea. It was strange, and open ended enough.
Recommended.
AUGUST 31, 2013:
"Chucky Comes to Liverpool" by Ramsey Campbell:
Campbell is one of the few writers who really has a knack for stories about children. This is no exception. Inspired by real-life murders by two ten-year-old kids in Liverpool, it evolves around the urban legend that the murders were inspired by Chicky horror movies. A wonderfully chilling tale, with a different twist than I expected.
SPOILER WARNING!
AUGUST 14, 2011:
"Following Double-face Woman" by Erzebet YellowBoy:
This one didn't leave any lasting impression on me. It's based on a figure of Native American myth.
OCTOBER 21, 2011:
"The Folding Man" by Joe R. Lansdale:
This story was a bit silly to me. In part because I found it difficult to take the premise serious: a van full of angry, dead nuns have a folding man chase stupid, young people.
Well in line with many a modern, "hip" horror movie style, though. So if you're in to that approach to horror you're likely to like this story.
There are some well-conceived moments of shuddering horror, though. Lansdale knows how to write such stuff, no matter what.
OCTOBER 26, 2011:
"Tin Cans" by Ekaterina Sedia:
This one blew me away. Truly gripping and horrifying.
The first couple of pages had me thinking this would be a "meh" read -- at best an average story. But suddenly I was captured and it turned out to be one of the best short stories I've read in years. And that's saying a lot!
It's not a comfortable read, though. Not even for horror afficionados. Don't say I didn't warn you. One of the reasons for this is that the tale sits close to the border of reality. The idea is culled from an urban legend, sure, but it's one of those where you're (more or less) willing to accept the reality of things. You can't easily dismiss it as fiction or superstition. And adding to this is the author's highly effective use of psychological insight in her approach to everything (is it real ghosts or is it "only" the narrator's remembrances haunting him? Either way, it's horrible; there's no way out).
The story's central evil is a shadowy creature from Stalin's regime: Beria, who was known as "Stalin's butcher". Add to that naked, young girls and an innocent (?) chauffeur, and you have the outline of what's going on here. 'Nuff said.
OCTOBER 26, 2011:
"Oak Parks" by M. K. Hobson:
A disquieting little ghost tale of, we learn, a woman who at the age of 12 turns herself into a ghost while at the same time living on to become a mother repeating the sad patterns of her mother. A very sad tale. But very good and memorable.
OCTOBER 27, 2011:
"That Girl" by Kaaron Warren:
Another story of a adult woman who experienced something terrible as a child. It was certainly above average but it didn't capture me as strongly as some of the other stories have done. One of the reasons perhaps being that the whole narrator-is-a-painter element didn't come to life for me. Still recommended, though.
OCTOBER 28, 2011:
"As Red as Red" by Caitlín R. Kiernan:
Another well-composed piece by one of the best weird tales writers today. It's a quiet tale, easily as odd as the "odd tale of lycanthropy and vampirism" by H. P. Lovecraft that she briefly aludes to (p. 86). A fine characterization of "As Red as Red" as well.
The tone is wry, with a poetic undercurrent, and very atmospheric, with a dream-like texture. Trademarks of Kiernan's work.
Highly recommended.
OCTOBER 28, 2011:
"The Spring Heel" by Steven Pirie:
A hooker sees a strange figure on the Victorian roofs while "serving" a man. Turns out it's The Spring Heel, a devil-like character... at least according to legend...
An OK read but it didn't really work for me.
NOVEMBER 28, 2011:
"Face Like a Monkey" by Carrie Laben:
I like the idea but not the execution. A large, strange bird is haunting Texas, and we see it through a kid's eyes, and at the same time there are family troubles.
DECEMBER 15, 2011:
"Down Atsion Road" by Jeffrey Ford:
Based on the legend of the Jersey Devil. Normally I appreciate stories with a strong "vagueness" to them, since they, in my opinion, tend to be more genuinely horrific and creepy than the in-your-face gore & horror tales so abundant in the genre nowadays. This story is perhaps, actually, a little too vague, even for my taste.
That said, it was well told and I was intrigued to the end. So it was a good read, all in all
DECEMBER 17, 2011:
"La Llorona" by Carolyn Turgeon:
A woman is on a vacation, alone and sad. Soon she sees another woman on the beach at night, who seem to be even sadder than herself. The local warn her to go to the woman on the beach at night, yet she is drawn...
Quite an effective tale of loss and sorrow.
DECEMBER 26, 2011:
"Knickerbocker Holiday" by Richard Bowes:
Old friends gathered and exchange stories after an old boss of them all has dies.
Loosely evolved around the famous "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving this story could have been interesting. Sadly, to me it wasn't. Th:e exchanged stories too fragmented and unsubstantial, in my opinion.
MARCH 4, 2012:
"The Foxes" by Lily Hoag:
I didn't really "get" this story. Too fragmented... too convoluted for me.
AUGUST 20, 2012:
"Akbar" by Kit Reed:
Good, with a weird ending. Perhaps even too weird?
"Shoebox Train Wreck" by John Mantooth:
A good read, very atmospheric, tinged with a sense of guilt and remorse. I liked it a lot.
"Fifteen Panels Depicting the Sadness of the Baku and the Jota" by Catherynne M. Valente:
This story was too weird for my taste. I couldn't really "get into it". But it's well written.
AUGUST 21, 2012:
"Return to Mariabronn" by Gary A. Braunbeck:
Good story. Sad.
AUGUST 22, 2012:
"For Those in Peril on the Sea" by Stephen Dedman:
A nice idea but unfortunately too unclearly executed, in my opinion. I never "got under the skin" of the main character and the underlying idea remains too muddy to bear the story.
DECEMBER 29, 2012:
"Between Heaven and Hull" by Pat Cadigan:
A surprisingly chilly spin on the good ole "hitchhiker" idea. It was strange, and open ended enough.
Recommended.
AUGUST 31, 2013:
"Chucky Comes to Liverpool" by Ramsey Campbell:
Campbell is one of the few writers who really has a knack for stories about children. This is no exception. Inspired by real-life murders by two ten-year-old kids in Liverpool, it evolves around the urban legend that the murders were inspired by Chicky horror movies. A wonderfully chilling tale, with a different twist than I expected.
July 21, 2016
Meh. The vast majority of these were meh. Some were okay and some were written badly enough that I skipped altogether. None were remotely good. The stories and the theme just weren't done well in them. Each had an epilogue to explain the urban/haunted legend at the end, and since 95% of these were taken from the English speaking variety of the subject, this is a rather telling clue of the quality of stories found within. Stories are like jokes: if you have to explain why they're stories and how they relate to one urban legend or another than you've failed your endeavor.
An example: 'Between Heaven and Hell' is a short story consisting of a hitchhiker getting a ride with two middle aged ladies. They prattle on about this and that, trying to get him to use the latest tech, talk him into going to "beautiful" bridge, then kick him out of the car and push him over the edge. Where upon he forgets everything that just happened. I'm not certain if forget is the right word though because nothing happened. xP
We get to the epilogue where the author states that he was doing a reverse ghost hitchhiker thing. Well, great. Awesome. This would've been nifty if it had been an actual story with some kind of point. It was just a long, inane car ride with 40 somethings giggling and then he gets kicked out and forgets everything. How is that a story? An interesting concept doesn't make it a story all on its own.
An example: 'Between Heaven and Hell' is a short story consisting of a hitchhiker getting a ride with two middle aged ladies. They prattle on about this and that, trying to get him to use the latest tech, talk him into going to "beautiful" bridge, then kick him out of the car and push him over the edge. Where upon he forgets everything that just happened. I'm not certain if forget is the right word though because nothing happened. xP
We get to the epilogue where the author states that he was doing a reverse ghost hitchhiker thing. Well, great. Awesome. This would've been nifty if it had been an actual story with some kind of point. It was just a long, inane car ride with 40 somethings giggling and then he gets kicked out and forgets everything. How is that a story? An interesting concept doesn't make it a story all on its own.
October 26, 2015
Great anthology of ghost stories. As always, some were better than others.
April 8, 2018
Culturally diverse urban legends retold. There were two standouts:
Red as Red and The Redfield Girls
While I appreciate the effort of finding stories from all over the world these were pretty tame and, worse, often boring.
Knickerbocker Holiday by Richard Bowes ★☆☆☆☆
What a lame start. Old coworkers gather after a funeral and recall a much hated boss that may have been related to the Headless Horseman. Nothing happens.
That Girl by Kaaron Warren ★★★☆☆
A Figian cab drivers urban legend of a girl who disappears on her way to the cemetery. It’s revealed as a cover for rape.
Akbar by Kit Reed ★★★★☆
Man lies to his wife about his true reason for their vacation to India. An abandoned red sand stone city is a good place for a ghost story.
The Spring Heel by Steven Pirie ★★★☆☆
Oppressively sad story about a young prostitute who is offered salvation by Spring Heel Jack. They jump out a window together.
Red as Red by Caitlín R. Kiernan ★★★★★
Alright now that was properly good: smart, unsettling, referential, sexy, and scary. A werewolf tale that makes me want to visit Providence and read more of Kiernans work.
Tin Cans by Ekaterina Sedia ★★★★☆
"For me, this story was an opportunity to talk not only about a great evil, but of regular people complicit in it. How does one live after something like that?"
Shudder. Russian horrors of dictators past.
Shoebox Train Wreck by John Mantooth ★★★★★
"I finally understand. The dead really don’t haunt the living. The living haunt the dead."
I was not expecting a story about the Ghost Children, a local urban legend I grew up with. I enjoyed the perspective.
Fifteen Panels Depicting the Sadness of the Baku and the Jotai by Catherynne M. Valente ★☆☆☆☆
I’m a Valente fan.
But this was an ununderstandable mess.
La Llorona by Carolyn Turgeon ★★★★☆
I enjoyed this version of La Llorona told from the perspective of a grieving mother. It was very Guillermo del Toro.
Face Like a Monkey by Carrie Laben ★☆☆☆☆
I started skimming after a page. Something about a wedding, pregnant ladies who may have seen a pterodactyl. That summation sounds like it could have been interesting but it wasn’t written that way.
Down Atsion Road by Jeffrey Ford ★★★☆☆
Less Jersey Devil more Jersey weirdness.
Return to Mariabronn by Gary A. Braunbeck ★★★☆☆
A ghost story with no ghosts, just the guilt of poor drivers.
Following Double-Face Woman by Erzebet Yellowboy ★★★☆☆
A Native American ghost on meth abusing streets.
Oaks Park by M.K. Hobson ★★★☆☆
A girl leaves a piece of herself behind so she can face life comfortably numb. It’s a story of a disappointing life.
For Those In Peril On The Sea by Stephen Dedman ★★★☆☆
Fear Factor, a haunted wreck, and men who will not quit. The ghost wins.
The Foxes by Lily Hoang ★★★★☆
I enjoyed this oddly constructed tale of Vietnamese fox women and colonialism.
The Redfield Girls by Laird Barron ★★★★★
A genuine ghost is a truly upsetting thing: the voicemail of your loved one calling for help before they died.
Between Heaven and Hull by Pat Cadigan ★★☆☆☆
Lackluster story about a hitchhiker and the strange ladies that pick him up. They all might be ghosts or just boring or both.
Chucky Comes to Liverpool by Ramsey Campbell ★★★★☆
Pretty good story about a boy being warped by the ideas in 80s horror movies. About the evil safely done behind a mask.
The Folding Man by Joe R. Lansdale ★★★★☆
Scary story about vicious creatures, disguised as nuns, hunting along highways in a black car.
Average rating 3.25.
Takeaways: read more Caitlín Kiernan and Laird Barron.
Red as Red and The Redfield Girls
While I appreciate the effort of finding stories from all over the world these were pretty tame and, worse, often boring.
Knickerbocker Holiday by Richard Bowes ★☆☆☆☆
What a lame start. Old coworkers gather after a funeral and recall a much hated boss that may have been related to the Headless Horseman. Nothing happens.
That Girl by Kaaron Warren ★★★☆☆
A Figian cab drivers urban legend of a girl who disappears on her way to the cemetery. It’s revealed as a cover for rape.
Akbar by Kit Reed ★★★★☆
Man lies to his wife about his true reason for their vacation to India. An abandoned red sand stone city is a good place for a ghost story.
The Spring Heel by Steven Pirie ★★★☆☆
Oppressively sad story about a young prostitute who is offered salvation by Spring Heel Jack. They jump out a window together.
Red as Red by Caitlín R. Kiernan ★★★★★
Alright now that was properly good: smart, unsettling, referential, sexy, and scary. A werewolf tale that makes me want to visit Providence and read more of Kiernans work.
Tin Cans by Ekaterina Sedia ★★★★☆
"For me, this story was an opportunity to talk not only about a great evil, but of regular people complicit in it. How does one live after something like that?"
Shudder. Russian horrors of dictators past.
Shoebox Train Wreck by John Mantooth ★★★★★
"I finally understand. The dead really don’t haunt the living. The living haunt the dead."
I was not expecting a story about the Ghost Children, a local urban legend I grew up with. I enjoyed the perspective.
Fifteen Panels Depicting the Sadness of the Baku and the Jotai by Catherynne M. Valente ★☆☆☆☆
I’m a Valente fan.
But this was an ununderstandable mess.
La Llorona by Carolyn Turgeon ★★★★☆
I enjoyed this version of La Llorona told from the perspective of a grieving mother. It was very Guillermo del Toro.
Face Like a Monkey by Carrie Laben ★☆☆☆☆
I started skimming after a page. Something about a wedding, pregnant ladies who may have seen a pterodactyl. That summation sounds like it could have been interesting but it wasn’t written that way.
Down Atsion Road by Jeffrey Ford ★★★☆☆
Less Jersey Devil more Jersey weirdness.
Return to Mariabronn by Gary A. Braunbeck ★★★☆☆
A ghost story with no ghosts, just the guilt of poor drivers.
Following Double-Face Woman by Erzebet Yellowboy ★★★☆☆
A Native American ghost on meth abusing streets.
Oaks Park by M.K. Hobson ★★★☆☆
A girl leaves a piece of herself behind so she can face life comfortably numb. It’s a story of a disappointing life.
For Those In Peril On The Sea by Stephen Dedman ★★★☆☆
Fear Factor, a haunted wreck, and men who will not quit. The ghost wins.
The Foxes by Lily Hoang ★★★★☆
I enjoyed this oddly constructed tale of Vietnamese fox women and colonialism.
The Redfield Girls by Laird Barron ★★★★★
A genuine ghost is a truly upsetting thing: the voicemail of your loved one calling for help before they died.
Between Heaven and Hull by Pat Cadigan ★★☆☆☆
Lackluster story about a hitchhiker and the strange ladies that pick him up. They all might be ghosts or just boring or both.
Chucky Comes to Liverpool by Ramsey Campbell ★★★★☆
Pretty good story about a boy being warped by the ideas in 80s horror movies. About the evil safely done behind a mask.
The Folding Man by Joe R. Lansdale ★★★★☆
Scary story about vicious creatures, disguised as nuns, hunting along highways in a black car.
Average rating 3.25.
Takeaways: read more Caitlín Kiernan and Laird Barron.
October 21, 2016
A handful of really good stories, but largely mediocre. Ekaterina Sedia's Tin Cans is by far the best in the collection.
Read
July 10, 2024DNF after four stories. All of them felt like they were trying too hard to be...edgy? Literary? I don't know, it just wasn't working for me.
February 5, 2024
8 лет гонялся за книгой, и наконец-то догнал. Сборник рассказов о призраках - звучит многообещающе. О фантомах столько всего интересно можно придумать! Имя ��лен Датлоу мне часто встречалось, поэтому было какие-то заочное хорошее отношение к этой составительнице.
После довольно неплохого вступительного слова у меня посыпался шквал одних пятерок или шестерок рассказам. В голову сразу пришла смешная мысль, что прочитаны уже 8 рассказов из сборника, а лучшим пока является предисловие. Наверное, я все же ожидал от рассказов чего-то другого. Более леденящих душу сюжетов, ведь все-таки призраки - это не совсем добрый и милый Каспер из детства. Это чья-то душа, которая почему-то осталась в нашем мире. А призраки из данного сборника не особо пугают и даже как-то и не стараются. Порой даже и не совсем понятно, что именно хотел сказать автор, и только послесловия спасают в конце рассказов, в которых автор описывают идею, заложенную в рассказе. Откуда взят миф или легенда, что натолкнуло на написание и т.д.
В целом я бы сказал, что это сборник странных и не особо цепляющих рассказов. Только рассказа мне показались занимательными. "Плачущая женщина" зацепила Мексикой и трагичной историей женщины, которая убила своих детей. В "Возвращении в Мариабронн" все вроде запутано, но развязка сочная, с кишками на капоте. Но по настоящему порадовал один рассказ, самый последний в книге - "Складной человек". Как раз на ночь его читал перед сном, и было так интересно, что пока не прочитал, не успокоился. Вот тут настоящий классический хоррор про черную-черную машину с черными-черными монашками, показывающими фак. Молодец, Лансдэйл!
А вот Элен Датлоу не молодец. Получился сборник скучных и проходных рассказов. Прочитал и забыл. 6/10
После довольно неплохого вступительного слова у меня посыпался шквал одних пятерок или шестерок рассказам. В голову сразу пришла смешная мысль, что прочитаны уже 8 рассказов из сборника, а лучшим пока является предисловие. Наверное, я все же ожидал от рассказов чего-то другого. Более леденящих душу сюжетов, ведь все-таки призраки - это не совсем добрый и милый Каспер из детства. Это чья-то душа, которая почему-то осталась в нашем мире. А призраки из данного сборника не особо пугают и даже как-то и не стараются. Порой даже и не совсем понятно, что именно хотел сказать автор, и только послесловия спасают в конце рассказов, в которых автор описывают идею, заложенную в рассказе. Откуда взят миф или легенда, что натолкнуло на написание и т.д.
В целом я бы сказал, что это сборник странных и не особо цепляющих рассказов. Только рассказа мне показались занимательными. "Плачущая женщина" зацепила Мексикой и трагичной историей женщины, которая убила своих детей. В "Возвращении в Мариабронн" все вроде запутано, но развязка сочная, с кишками на капоте. Но по настоящему порадовал один рассказ, самый последний в книге - "Складной человек". Как раз на ночь его читал перед сном, и было так интересно, что пока не прочитал, не успокоился. Вот тут настоящий классический хоррор про черную-черную машину с черными-черными монашками, показывающими фак. Молодец, Лансдэйл!
А вот Элен Датлоу не молодец. Получился сборник скучных и проходных рассказов. Прочитал и забыл. 6/10
July 5, 2025
✭✭✭
“Knickerbocker Holiday”, Richard Bowes ✭✭✭½
“That Girl”, Kaaron Warren ✭✭✭½
“Akbar”, Kit Reed ✭✭½
“The Spring Heel”, Steven Pirie ✭✭✭
“As Red as Red”, Caitlín R. Kiernan ✭✭✭✭
“Tin Cans”, Ekaterina Sedia ✭✭✭½
“Shoebox Train Wreck”, John Mantooth ✭✭✭
“Fifteen Panels Depicting the Sadness of the Baku and the Jotai”, Catherynne M. Valente ✭✭½
“La Llorona”, Carolyn Turgeon ✭✭✭
“Face Like a Monkey”, Carrie Laben ✭✭½
“Down Atsion Road”, Jeffrey Ford ✭✭✭✭
“Return to Mariabronn”, Gary A. Braunbeck ✭✭✭½
“Following Double-Face Woman”, Lily Hoang ✭✭
“Oaks Park”, M. K. Hobson ✭✭✭½
“For Those in Peril on the Sea”, Stephen Dedman ✭✭✭½
“The Foxes”, Erzebet YellowBoy ✭✭
“The Redfield Girls”, Laird Barron ✭✭✭✭✭
“Between Heaven and Hull”, Pat Cadigan ✭✭½
“Chucky Comes to Liverpool”, Ramsey Campbell ✭✭
“The Folding Man”, Joe R. Lansdale ✭✭✭✭✭
All stories published 2010.
“Knickerbocker Holiday”, Richard Bowes ✭✭✭½
“That Girl”, Kaaron Warren ✭✭✭½
“Akbar”, Kit Reed ✭✭½
“The Spring Heel”, Steven Pirie ✭✭✭
“As Red as Red”, Caitlín R. Kiernan ✭✭✭✭
“Tin Cans”, Ekaterina Sedia ✭✭✭½
“Shoebox Train Wreck”, John Mantooth ✭✭✭
“Fifteen Panels Depicting the Sadness of the Baku and the Jotai”, Catherynne M. Valente ✭✭½
“La Llorona”, Carolyn Turgeon ✭✭✭
“Face Like a Monkey”, Carrie Laben ✭✭½
“Down Atsion Road”, Jeffrey Ford ✭✭✭✭
“Return to Mariabronn”, Gary A. Braunbeck ✭✭✭½
“Following Double-Face Woman”, Lily Hoang ✭✭
“Oaks Park”, M. K. Hobson ✭✭✭½
“For Those in Peril on the Sea”, Stephen Dedman ✭✭✭½
“The Foxes”, Erzebet YellowBoy ✭✭
“The Redfield Girls”, Laird Barron ✭✭✭✭✭
“Between Heaven and Hull”, Pat Cadigan ✭✭½
“Chucky Comes to Liverpool”, Ramsey Campbell ✭✭
“The Folding Man”, Joe R. Lansdale ✭✭✭✭✭
All stories published 2010.
November 6, 2012
This one really underwhelmed me, with the concept of an anthology about local, spooky legends I thought I was heading for an atmospheric and entertaining October read. What I got was mostly a variation of the same dull running concept of a sad and/or melancholic ghost tale, only a tiny number of the 20 stories didn't follow this path. Don't get me wrong, this approach to the idea of "Haunted Legends" has a fair spot in the entirety of the book, meaning 3-4 stories. This collection desperately needed variety, there were hardly any scares, spooks or thrills, melancholia was wrestling it to a slow death.
If the stories had some killer writing to soar over the unimaginative monotony I might be more pardoning but most of them hover on an average level, not bad but for sure not exciting, all somewhere between 2 and 3 if you want to talk stars, and then there are quite a few real stinkers, too.
Catherynne M. Valente's "Fifteen Panels Depicting the Sadness of the Baku and the Jotai" being the exception but her unique style usually makes her an exception, to me she was the shining light in here. The two other remarkable additions were M.K. Hobson's "Oaks Park" (this one really nailed the melancholic atmosphere and managed to slip a small dose of creepiness in) and Joe R. Lansdale's "The Folding Man" (the only where something finally happens!). Honorary praises I want to give to Lily Hoang's "The Foxes" (not a favorite but unusual enough to stand a bit above this mix) and Ramsey Cambell's "Chucky comes to Liverpool" (I remembered being fascinated by the true events behind this story myself back then, it was not great but decent and had a rather different topic than rest).
My average rating came up to 2,5 stars and I wouldn't give any of them a 5 star rating. So, to be fair an overall 2 stars is a bit harsh but compared to other Datlow compilations I found this one weak, the lacking variety was a big deal breaker for me. One really nice aspect, though, was the inclusion of entries from many countries aside the USA, as a setting we get the UK, India, Russia, Mexico, Japan, Australia, Vietnam and even Fiji, that was a really a plus, I just wished I had found more stories to like. So keep in mind, I give it 2 stars but it is strongly reaching out for the 3rd one, if you like your ghost stories not so ghostly you could easily like it more than I did.
If the stories had some killer writing to soar over the unimaginative monotony I might be more pardoning but most of them hover on an average level, not bad but for sure not exciting, all somewhere between 2 and 3 if you want to talk stars, and then there are quite a few real stinkers, too.
Catherynne M. Valente's "Fifteen Panels Depicting the Sadness of the Baku and the Jotai" being the exception but her unique style usually makes her an exception, to me she was the shining light in here. The two other remarkable additions were M.K. Hobson's "Oaks Park" (this one really nailed the melancholic atmosphere and managed to slip a small dose of creepiness in) and Joe R. Lansdale's "The Folding Man" (the only where something finally happens!). Honorary praises I want to give to Lily Hoang's "The Foxes" (not a favorite but unusual enough to stand a bit above this mix) and Ramsey Cambell's "Chucky comes to Liverpool" (I remembered being fascinated by the true events behind this story myself back then, it was not great but decent and had a rather different topic than rest).
My average rating came up to 2,5 stars and I wouldn't give any of them a 5 star rating. So, to be fair an overall 2 stars is a bit harsh but compared to other Datlow compilations I found this one weak, the lacking variety was a big deal breaker for me. One really nice aspect, though, was the inclusion of entries from many countries aside the USA, as a setting we get the UK, India, Russia, Mexico, Japan, Australia, Vietnam and even Fiji, that was a really a plus, I just wished I had found more stories to like. So keep in mind, I give it 2 stars but it is strongly reaching out for the 3rd one, if you like your ghost stories not so ghostly you could easily like it more than I did.
perpetual-read
June 12, 20193/20
Кейтлин Кирнан. Красный как сурик / Caitlin R. Kiernan. As Red as Red (☆☆☆)
Рассказ, от которого должно стать как минимум неуютно. Недосказанности, намеки, сны, совпадения. Тот случай, когда наплевать что физически случится в финале (а намеки на трагедию проглядеть сложно), главное чтобы раскрыли истоки жути, что не дает покоя главгерою.
Мне довелось читать рассказ в холодном да туманном утреннем Питере - чудная промозглая погода только усилила впечатление от рассказа. Стоит добавить, что я очень люблю наблюдать за тем, как ярые журналисты/историки/прочие заинтересованные люди копаются в пыльных архивах и находят ответы на вопросы, о которых сегодня помнят только старые мельницы.
Лэрд Баррон. Рэдфилдские девчонки / Laird Barron. The Redfield Girls (☆☆☆)
Отличное сочетание мистики и драмы. Вроде видения о будущем, а вроде просто показалось. Вроде плохое предчувствие, а вроде просто прохладно стало. Вроде совпадение - а на деле история с пожирающим души озером и необъяснимыми событиями. И какими же маленькими и глупыми кажутся ритуалы по призыву духов рядом с этим котлом мистики.
У меня побежали натуральные мурашки по коже, хотя монстры и прочие атрибуты не выставляются напоказ. И драма, какая же тут жуткая и выматывающая драма - кажется, вот она-то и будет пострашнее любых монстров.
Стивен Дэдмен. За тех, кто в опасности в море / Stephen Dedman. For Those in Peril on the Sea (☆☆)
Начинается все очень живенько: реалити-шоу, байкеры, бывшие спецназовцы, проклятые корабли, легенды о призраках. Основная линия перемежается вставками информации касательно одного такого неблагополучного корабля – вот от них могут пойти мурашки по коже, если читать в подходящем антураже (дождь, шторм, завывающий ветер, хлопающие ставни и т.д.). Мне было очень тяжело вникнуть в этот саспенс в переполненном метро при +25, но это мои проблемы :D
Все очень даже неплохо, если бы не финал. Обстановка предсказуемо, но все же накаляется – однако у этой стадии отсутствует кульминация. Все переходит в хронику событий, что отрезвляет и оставляет в состоянии неудовлетворенности. Но с другой стороны, некоторые тайны остаются тайнами навсегда, что должно хоть чуть, но сглаживать разочарование.
Скорее нет, чем да.
Кейтлин Кирнан. Красный как сурик / Caitlin R. Kiernan. As Red as Red (☆☆☆)
Рассказ, от которого должно стать как минимум неуютно. Недосказанности, намеки, сны, совпадения. Тот случай, когда наплевать что физически случится в финале (а намеки на трагедию проглядеть сложно), главное чтобы раскрыли истоки жути, что не дает покоя главгерою.
Мне довелось читать рассказ в холодном да туманном утреннем Питере - чудная промозглая погода только усилила впечатление от рассказа. Стоит добавить, что я очень люблю наблюдать за тем, как ярые журналисты/историки/прочие заинтересованные люди копаются в пыльных архивах и находят ответы на вопросы, о которых сегодня помнят только старые мельницы.
Лэрд Баррон. Рэдфилдские девчонки / Laird Barron. The Redfield Girls (☆☆☆)
Отличное сочетание мистики и драмы. Вроде видения о будущем, а вроде просто показалось. Вроде плохое предчувствие, а вроде просто прохладно стало. Вроде совпадение - а на деле история с пожирающим души озером и необъяснимыми событиями. И какими же маленькими и глупыми кажутся ритуалы по призыву духов рядом с этим котлом мистики.
У меня побежали натуральные мурашки по коже, хотя монстры и прочие атрибуты не выставляются напоказ. И драма, какая же тут жуткая и выматывающая драма - кажется, вот она-то и будет пострашнее любых монстров.
Стивен Дэдмен. За тех, кто в опасности в море / Stephen Dedman. For Those in Peril on the Sea (☆☆)
Начинается все очень живенько: реалити-шоу, байкеры, бывшие спецназовцы, проклятые корабли, легенды о призраках. Основная линия перемежается вставками информации касательно одного такого неблагополучного корабля – вот от них могут пойти мурашки по коже, если читать в подходящем антураже (дождь, шторм, завывающий ветер, хлопающие ставни и т.д.). Мне было очень тяжело вникнуть в этот саспенс в переполненном метро при +25, но это мои проблемы :D
Все очень даже неплохо, если бы не финал. Обстановка предсказуемо, но все же накаляется – однако у этой стадии отсутствует кульминация. Все переходит в хронику событий, что отрезвляет и оставляет в состоянии неудовлетворенности. Но с другой стороны, некоторые тайны остаются тайнами навсегда, что должно хоть чуть, но сглаживать разочарование.
Скорее нет, чем да.
August 30, 2016
As with most anthologies, this book is a mix of hits and misses in the genre of retelling urban legends and ghost stories. Probably about a third that are really awesome, a third that are good, and a third that are "meh." The particularly good ones were Catherynne Valente's Japanese-based offering, Kaaron Warren's ghost girl hitch-hiker, Carolyn Turgeon's take on the Woman in White, and Stephen Dedman's spin on reality shows mixed with spooks. One or two of the other tales... Eh, they were overly concerned with their own cleverness to the point of losing all sense of flow and narrative.
October 29, 2011
I read 5 of these and they were all kind of boring and did not deliver the punch you want in scary/creepy story. I am surprised as I usually love the collections she edits.
November 15, 2011
Delicious. perfect for Fall. All those half remembered childhood stories whispered at sleep-overs? All here, all grown up and chilling. God, Ellen Datlow is a great editor.
May 17, 2018
Most of these were really exceptional. I really enjoyed it for the most part.
4 stars.
4 stars.
October 29, 2010
Original review posted on Layers of Thought. Linked on the blog is an audio version of one of the stories read with an eerie deep voice. It is perfect for a fall evening!
A diverse collection of ghost stories based on actual legends, making it all the more interesting, fun, and just plain scary.
This book was a complete pleasure to read, and what a perfect time of year to do so. Part of the reason that I got so excited about this collection is that each of the stories is prefaced with a bit about each of the authors, and then concluded with a little snippet by the author about how he/she has come to write the story and the legend it was based upon. I clamor over stuff like this.
The fact that these stories have a foot in reality and are set currently is even more appealing to me. I do like horror which I can personally relate to. Better yet is that it is a fairly diverse collection, taking legends from South America and Mexico, the UK, US/Native American, Japan, the Caribbean, the Ukraine, Vietnam, and India. Its diversity is an aspect which has an immense appeal for me.
Now onto the good bits! Here are a few sentences (with no spoilers) on each of the stories based on ghost legends from around the world, with my personal favorites designated with asterisks.
"Knickerbocker Holiday" ~ by Richard Bowes. This story is based upon the headless horseman. It is set currently and feels like it may be a chapter from a book which the author may be publishing. It is GLBT.
*** "That Girl" ~ by Kaaron Warren. *** Based around a local urban legend of a young woman who appears in local taxi cabs. Eerily it has links to an insane asylum making it all the more disconcerting.
"Akbar" ~ by Kit Reed. Based on a legend from India, it is set in an ancient abandoned settlement built into the desert walls of a canyon. It has a haunting of sorts.
“The Spring Heel” ~ by Steve Pirie. This is a very dark tale about a homeless woman set in the locale of England and based upon the legend of a “Spring Heel”.
“As Red as Red" ~ by Caitlin R. Kiernan. This story is a bit more atmospheric than horrific and yet is very good. It is also GLBT.
*** "Tin Cans" ~ by Ekaterina Sedia. **** Based on an actual horrific character from Russian history which has some very interesting social ramifications, specifically on those whom assisted this “monster” with his base behaviors.
“Shoebox Train Wreck” ~ by John Mantooth A psychologically horrific tale about guilt and its connection to a train wreck. This is a heart wrenching story.
"15 Panels Depicting the Sadness of the Baku and the Jotai," ~ by Catherynne M. Valente. An unusual story with an amazing premise, which is around a bizarre and interesting myth from Japan. Valente has a writing style which is akin to poetry, and considering the subject this writing style is perfect for the story.
“La Llorona” ~ by Carolyn Turgeon. The legend of the weeping woman from Mexico and South American is a prevalent one and forms the basis for this story. It is very sad.
“Face Like a Monkey” ~ by Carrie Laben. Based upon an urban legend set in the border towns of the US of a bird/bat/monkey-like creature that is said to haunt the area and Mexico.
*** "Down Atsion Road" ~ by Jeffery Ford. *** A story the author created from his own experiences in the area where he lives. So it’s based upon a truth of sorts, and on local Native American legend which has fused into the local history.
"Return to Mariabronn" ~ by Gary A. Braunbeck. There are urban legends of ghosts roaming rural US highway all around the country. This is one, and is read below via podcast link. The reader has an incredible voice and is perfect for the season.
*** “Following Double-Faced Woman” ~ by Erzbet YellowBoy. *** A very sad and powerful tale which links a local Native American legend with drug addiction.
“Oaks Park” ~ by M.K. Hobson A personal tale set around a girl whose ghost haunts an old amusement park.
“For Those in Peril on the Sea” ~ by Stephen Dedman The author has taken reality shows to a new high in this story set on a cursed boat.
“The Foxes” ~ by Lily Hoang. Based upon a personal family legend which the author turns into a story. This is a very unusual telling and set in Vietnam.
*** "The Redfield Girls" ~ by Laird Barron. *** A group of middle aged women visit a lake cabin on their yearly summer get together. The legends attest that it is haunted or has demons in its murks. I had heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and goose pimples while reading this story. I would have to say that this was my favorite of the collection.
“Between Heaven and Hull” ~ by Pat Cadigan. This short story is set in England and is at once creepy and funny. It has a link to one of the editors. Having driven in the UK “on the wrong side of the road” and thinking about Americans attempting it makes this story particularly terrifying.
“Chucky Comes to Liverpool” ~ by Ramsey Campbell. This was not my favorite of the bunch, since Chucky creeps me out beyond annoyance. This is nothing to do with the author’s abilities and creativity, and the fact that the author connects the story to actual incidents occurring in Liverpool regarding censorship makes this story very poignant.
"The Folding Man" ~ by Joe Lansdale. I do have to say this is probably the most graphic/gory of the tales. It is also mind bending, the stuff of childhood nightmares, and very American.
All in all this is a wonderful collection. It is on the top of my list of favorite read this year at 4.5 stars. The best part is now I have 20 more authors to include in my list of books to search out and read. As I have mentioned, I have become a fan of Ellen Datlow since Spring of this year, and now have Nick Mamatas on my list as well.
A diverse collection of ghost stories based on actual legends, making it all the more interesting, fun, and just plain scary.
This book was a complete pleasure to read, and what a perfect time of year to do so. Part of the reason that I got so excited about this collection is that each of the stories is prefaced with a bit about each of the authors, and then concluded with a little snippet by the author about how he/she has come to write the story and the legend it was based upon. I clamor over stuff like this.
The fact that these stories have a foot in reality and are set currently is even more appealing to me. I do like horror which I can personally relate to. Better yet is that it is a fairly diverse collection, taking legends from South America and Mexico, the UK, US/Native American, Japan, the Caribbean, the Ukraine, Vietnam, and India. Its diversity is an aspect which has an immense appeal for me.
Now onto the good bits! Here are a few sentences (with no spoilers) on each of the stories based on ghost legends from around the world, with my personal favorites designated with asterisks.
"Knickerbocker Holiday" ~ by Richard Bowes. This story is based upon the headless horseman. It is set currently and feels like it may be a chapter from a book which the author may be publishing. It is GLBT.
*** "That Girl" ~ by Kaaron Warren. *** Based around a local urban legend of a young woman who appears in local taxi cabs. Eerily it has links to an insane asylum making it all the more disconcerting.
"Akbar" ~ by Kit Reed. Based on a legend from India, it is set in an ancient abandoned settlement built into the desert walls of a canyon. It has a haunting of sorts.
“The Spring Heel” ~ by Steve Pirie. This is a very dark tale about a homeless woman set in the locale of England and based upon the legend of a “Spring Heel”.
“As Red as Red" ~ by Caitlin R. Kiernan. This story is a bit more atmospheric than horrific and yet is very good. It is also GLBT.
*** "Tin Cans" ~ by Ekaterina Sedia. **** Based on an actual horrific character from Russian history which has some very interesting social ramifications, specifically on those whom assisted this “monster” with his base behaviors.
“Shoebox Train Wreck” ~ by John Mantooth A psychologically horrific tale about guilt and its connection to a train wreck. This is a heart wrenching story.
"15 Panels Depicting the Sadness of the Baku and the Jotai," ~ by Catherynne M. Valente. An unusual story with an amazing premise, which is around a bizarre and interesting myth from Japan. Valente has a writing style which is akin to poetry, and considering the subject this writing style is perfect for the story.
“La Llorona” ~ by Carolyn Turgeon. The legend of the weeping woman from Mexico and South American is a prevalent one and forms the basis for this story. It is very sad.
“Face Like a Monkey” ~ by Carrie Laben. Based upon an urban legend set in the border towns of the US of a bird/bat/monkey-like creature that is said to haunt the area and Mexico.
*** "Down Atsion Road" ~ by Jeffery Ford. *** A story the author created from his own experiences in the area where he lives. So it’s based upon a truth of sorts, and on local Native American legend which has fused into the local history.
"Return to Mariabronn" ~ by Gary A. Braunbeck. There are urban legends of ghosts roaming rural US highway all around the country. This is one, and is read below via podcast link. The reader has an incredible voice and is perfect for the season.
*** “Following Double-Faced Woman” ~ by Erzbet YellowBoy. *** A very sad and powerful tale which links a local Native American legend with drug addiction.
“Oaks Park” ~ by M.K. Hobson A personal tale set around a girl whose ghost haunts an old amusement park.
“For Those in Peril on the Sea” ~ by Stephen Dedman The author has taken reality shows to a new high in this story set on a cursed boat.
“The Foxes” ~ by Lily Hoang. Based upon a personal family legend which the author turns into a story. This is a very unusual telling and set in Vietnam.
*** "The Redfield Girls" ~ by Laird Barron. *** A group of middle aged women visit a lake cabin on their yearly summer get together. The legends attest that it is haunted or has demons in its murks. I had heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and goose pimples while reading this story. I would have to say that this was my favorite of the collection.
“Between Heaven and Hull” ~ by Pat Cadigan. This short story is set in England and is at once creepy and funny. It has a link to one of the editors. Having driven in the UK “on the wrong side of the road” and thinking about Americans attempting it makes this story particularly terrifying.
“Chucky Comes to Liverpool” ~ by Ramsey Campbell. This was not my favorite of the bunch, since Chucky creeps me out beyond annoyance. This is nothing to do with the author’s abilities and creativity, and the fact that the author connects the story to actual incidents occurring in Liverpool regarding censorship makes this story very poignant.
"The Folding Man" ~ by Joe Lansdale. I do have to say this is probably the most graphic/gory of the tales. It is also mind bending, the stuff of childhood nightmares, and very American.
All in all this is a wonderful collection. It is on the top of my list of favorite read this year at 4.5 stars. The best part is now I have 20 more authors to include in my list of books to search out and read. As I have mentioned, I have become a fan of Ellen Datlow since Spring of this year, and now have Nick Mamatas on my list as well.
September 23, 2015
So this was my effort to try something a little different this year. I found Haunted Legends in the same search that lead me to Bleeding Violet, and the theme intrigued me. An anthology of spooky legends from around the world re-told by a group of diverse, critically acclaimed authors? I will take that now plz.
The actual reading experience turned out to be a mixed bag. I grabbed this hoping for a genuinely spooky read for the Halloween season, and while there were stories in here that I liked, and found interesting or unique, none of them ever managed to conjure any sort of actual creepiness for me. There were horrifying things, gross things, things that made me as uncomfortable as I’m sure they were intended to, but if you’re looking for an anthology to send a shiver down your spine in the midnight hour, I don’t think this one’ll quite do the trick.
Granted, creepy shivers may not have been the goal for some of these stories. Many used the set-up to examine/illustrate different kinds of more everyday horror – loss, life, loneliness, guilt, that sort of thing. There are a few straight-up monster stories/campfire tales, but the majority read more like moody vignettes. Lots of examinations of weighty concepts that were sometimes interesting, but not usually action-packed.
Basically, it can get a little boring.
STANDOUT STORIES
Tin Cans – Old man encounters ghostly apparitions in the former home of a notorious Russian government official. By far one of my favorites. Dark, moody, with an unexpected backstory that unfolds well, though I wish the narrator had had more impact on the resolution.
You can actually read this for free at Weird Fiction Review. TW: pedophilia, rape
Fifteen Panels Depicting the Sadness of the Baku and the Jotai – A tapir demon falls in love with a folding screen. Just as strange and wonderful as it sounds. Lovely writing.
Return to Mariabronn – A variation on the haunted hitchhiker story, told in a fractured narrative split over a couple of different time periods. The story is familiar, but the Memento-esque telling and the emotion behind the titular “return” makes it one of the more compelling reads.
Following Double-Face Woman – The Lakota legend of the double-face woman as metaphor for meth addiction. Affective and memorable.
Oaks Park – The tale of a child who haunts the local amusement park reaches a suburban house wife. Another favorite. Strange and surreal and melancholic, telling this story in the second-person was a good hook. It makes the narrative urgent and engaging and as intimate as it needs to be.
The Foxes – A group of foxes bring destruction to a Vietnamese village. This was by far the hardest thing in the book to read, for the descriptions of gore, violence, and the impact of colonization. This story seared my brain like a white-hot brand.
The Redfield Girls – A group of weekenders run into trouble at a cursed lake. The most traditionally story-ish of all the entries, with the most likable characters.
Between Heaven and Hull – An unusual but interesting reversal of the ghostly hitchhiker.
TOTAL MISSES
Knickerbocker Holiday – Slice-of-life story about a group of old co-workers coming together for an associate’s funeral. Supposedly a take on The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, if by “take” you mean they randomly mention it once or twice and nothing even remotely similar happens. Boring af, would skip again.
Akbar – Racist tourists visit Fatehpur Sikri – an ancient ghost town in India – where the spirit of its founding emperor helps the husband pressure his wife to get pregnant again after a series of painful miscarriages. Appreciated the emotional turmoil, but it was a whole lot of build-up to a whole lot of nothing, and the ending left me completely baffled.
La Llorona – A grieving woman encounters La Llorona. The story itself wasn’t awful, but seriously, this thing took place entirely in Mexico and the only featured Mexican characters were service staff. UGHHHH.
For Those in Peril on the Sea – A group of reality-tv contestants spend the night on a ghost ship. The biggest let-down by far. This had the potential to be a really interesting story, and for 3/4 of it, it was, despite the increasingly improbable actions of the entire cast. But it builds to a climax that happens entirely off-screen, and then just ends. Wut.
Chucky Comes to Liverpool – A pre-teen’s experience with Child’s Play sets off a violent chain of events. A total slog to get through, with incomprehensible writing and an obnoxious cast of characters. Worst story in the anthology, imo.
Though most of the stories weren’t terrible, aside from one or two standouts, there isn’t anything I’d go out of my way for in retrospect. It’s entirely possible that this is all just too highbrow for me, but from the perspective of someone just looking for something to creep them out, I can’t recommend it, and as a sampler platter, given the meh-ness of the stories, you’d probably be better served finding something else.
The actual reading experience turned out to be a mixed bag. I grabbed this hoping for a genuinely spooky read for the Halloween season, and while there were stories in here that I liked, and found interesting or unique, none of them ever managed to conjure any sort of actual creepiness for me. There were horrifying things, gross things, things that made me as uncomfortable as I’m sure they were intended to, but if you’re looking for an anthology to send a shiver down your spine in the midnight hour, I don’t think this one’ll quite do the trick.
Granted, creepy shivers may not have been the goal for some of these stories. Many used the set-up to examine/illustrate different kinds of more everyday horror – loss, life, loneliness, guilt, that sort of thing. There are a few straight-up monster stories/campfire tales, but the majority read more like moody vignettes. Lots of examinations of weighty concepts that were sometimes interesting, but not usually action-packed.
Basically, it can get a little boring.
STANDOUT STORIES
Tin Cans – Old man encounters ghostly apparitions in the former home of a notorious Russian government official. By far one of my favorites. Dark, moody, with an unexpected backstory that unfolds well, though I wish the narrator had had more impact on the resolution.
You can actually read this for free at Weird Fiction Review. TW: pedophilia, rape
Fifteen Panels Depicting the Sadness of the Baku and the Jotai – A tapir demon falls in love with a folding screen. Just as strange and wonderful as it sounds. Lovely writing.
Return to Mariabronn – A variation on the haunted hitchhiker story, told in a fractured narrative split over a couple of different time periods. The story is familiar, but the Memento-esque telling and the emotion behind the titular “return” makes it one of the more compelling reads.
Following Double-Face Woman – The Lakota legend of the double-face woman as metaphor for meth addiction. Affective and memorable.
Oaks Park – The tale of a child who haunts the local amusement park reaches a suburban house wife. Another favorite. Strange and surreal and melancholic, telling this story in the second-person was a good hook. It makes the narrative urgent and engaging and as intimate as it needs to be.
The Foxes – A group of foxes bring destruction to a Vietnamese village. This was by far the hardest thing in the book to read, for the descriptions of gore, violence, and the impact of colonization. This story seared my brain like a white-hot brand.
The Redfield Girls – A group of weekenders run into trouble at a cursed lake. The most traditionally story-ish of all the entries, with the most likable characters.
Between Heaven and Hull – An unusual but interesting reversal of the ghostly hitchhiker.
TOTAL MISSES
Knickerbocker Holiday – Slice-of-life story about a group of old co-workers coming together for an associate’s funeral. Supposedly a take on The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, if by “take” you mean they randomly mention it once or twice and nothing even remotely similar happens. Boring af, would skip again.
Akbar – Racist tourists visit Fatehpur Sikri – an ancient ghost town in India – where the spirit of its founding emperor helps the husband pressure his wife to get pregnant again after a series of painful miscarriages. Appreciated the emotional turmoil, but it was a whole lot of build-up to a whole lot of nothing, and the ending left me completely baffled.
La Llorona – A grieving woman encounters La Llorona. The story itself wasn’t awful, but seriously, this thing took place entirely in Mexico and the only featured Mexican characters were service staff. UGHHHH.
For Those in Peril on the Sea – A group of reality-tv contestants spend the night on a ghost ship. The biggest let-down by far. This had the potential to be a really interesting story, and for 3/4 of it, it was, despite the increasingly improbable actions of the entire cast. But it builds to a climax that happens entirely off-screen, and then just ends. Wut.
Chucky Comes to Liverpool – A pre-teen’s experience with Child’s Play sets off a violent chain of events. A total slog to get through, with incomprehensible writing and an obnoxious cast of characters. Worst story in the anthology, imo.
Though most of the stories weren’t terrible, aside from one or two standouts, there isn’t anything I’d go out of my way for in retrospect. It’s entirely possible that this is all just too highbrow for me, but from the perspective of someone just looking for something to creep them out, I can’t recommend it, and as a sampler platter, given the meh-ness of the stories, you’d probably be better served finding something else.
June 5, 2017
The premise behind this anthology is that each author took a local tale of a ghost or an urban legend and rewrote it, transforming it from something a little twee into something very different.
As per any anthology, the quality of the stories differs wildly. In this case from the mildly odd, to the what is this shit?, to do not read after dark.
A bit too patchy in quality to rate 4 stars.
As per any anthology, the quality of the stories differs wildly. In this case from the mildly odd, to the what is this shit?, to do not read after dark.
A bit too patchy in quality to rate 4 stars.
April 17, 2017
An interesting approach to an anthology that contained some really great and spooky stories.
May 5, 2022
It was okay
April 18, 2015
The idea in this collection was to ask modern day horror writers to take a legend well-known in their area and write a modern day story incorporating it. It might be something that's known in a wide area (such as New England vampire legends - which I'm not familiar with, probably because I'm not from New England) to very local (a haunted fairground just south of Portland). For me, it just didn't work.
Except in two cases. One was a Russian story concerning Beria, Stalin's right-hand man and torturer/murder and the other a Vietnamese story about the foxes. Both had, for me, the wonderful understated writing of a really good horror story (or legend).
Otherwise, I felt the stories fell flat. Either they tried to make too much of the legend or they made it modern by doing stupid adaptations. I didn't find the writing that good, either. Maybe if I had read the "regular" works of those authors I'd appreciate them more.
If you know (and/or like the writing of) authors in this collection, you might like it. Others coming to it cold like I did may not.
Except in two cases. One was a Russian story concerning Beria, Stalin's right-hand man and torturer/murder and the other a Vietnamese story about the foxes. Both had, for me, the wonderful understated writing of a really good horror story (or legend).
Otherwise, I felt the stories fell flat. Either they tried to make too much of the legend or they made it modern by doing stupid adaptations. I didn't find the writing that good, either. Maybe if I had read the "regular" works of those authors I'd appreciate them more.
If you know (and/or like the writing of) authors in this collection, you might like it. Others coming to it cold like I did may not.
August 11, 2013
I was very excited about this anthology when I discovered it, since I love urban legends - particularly the more paranormal ones. However, whether due to my high expectations or not, it just didn't thrill me like previous Datlow edited ones have. There were stories I liked; for example Down Atsion Road, Return to Mariabronn and The Redfield Girls, and stories I wasn't sure if I liked (Oaks Park has great ideas but is written entirely in the 2nd person which is jarring, For Those In Peril On the Sea similarly has great potential but ends abruptly and could've stood to have been more fleshed out towards the end), but overall they weren't enough to counter the ones I didn't like or could care less about.
May 17, 2015
An odd collection of short stories based on dark urban legends and folktales by an impressive list of authors, including Joe R. Lansdale, Ramsey Campbell, Pat Cadigan, Caitlin R. Kiernan and many others. The stories here are very hit-or-miss. Several didn't connect with me at all. By far, my favorite was "Shoebox Train Wreck" by John Mantooth. Of course, the Ramsey Campbell and Joe R. Lansdale stories were very good, too.
January 29, 2017
Мені сподобалася ідея збірки: взяти справжні легенди, і... зробити з ними щось на свій смак. Багато з оповідань збірки - це продовження життя старих історій у сьогоднішньому дні. І саме тому вона мені сподобалася: ось умовний Вершник Без Голови перестав бути страшним - бо ми виросли, усвідомили різницю в часі і т.ін, і ось він знову тут, так само моторошний і зловісний.
October 13, 2010
So far, my favorite story is "Astion Road". It is challenging to review the book as a whole, because some of the stories were great and some I couldn't even get through. Most were somewhere in the middle of that. Best stories- "Redfield Girls", "Astion Road", "La Llorana" and "The Folding Man".
March 24, 2016
An amazing collection of authors writing short stories related to real life legends from around the world. Full of strong offerings, and not a clunker in the bunch! No truly terrifying or earth shaking material. Very solid, and a good creepy read.
March 19, 2018
Pretty solid collection, as a whole, including a few that I really liked.
Favorites: Down Atsion Road, For Those in Peril on the Sea, The Redfield Girls
Least Favorites: Akbar, Fifteen Panels..., Chucky Comes to Liverpool
Favorites: Down Atsion Road, For Those in Peril on the Sea, The Redfield Girls
Least Favorites: Akbar, Fifteen Panels..., Chucky Comes to Liverpool
May 20, 2021
review to follow.
May 10, 2012
did not enjoy. booo
December 9, 2023
On the low side of three stars. This is just not a very strong collection -- for ghost stories, almost none of them are even scary. Very disappointing.
Knickerbocker Holiday by Richard Bowes: A group of friends gets together after a death to reminisce about their terrible boss, who may have been the Headless Horseman? The headless horseman connection to their boss is very shaky and seems out of place in the rest of the story. Not particularly scary at all: 3/5.
That Girl by Kaaron Warren: Pretty standard ghost-hitchhiker story. 2/5
Akbar by Kit Reed: A couple goes to a spooky ghost city in India to try and heal their failing marriage. There are some good spooky bits in here and I liked the tension and uncertainty. 4/5
The Spring Heel by Steven Pirie: A Liverpool prostitute who leaves her friends to live with Spring-Heel Jack, or alternatively maybe just commits suicide. Dismally sad. 2/5
As Red as Red by Catline R Kiernan: Vampires in Rhode Island. This one is pretty good I think, atmospheric and spooky. 4/5
Tin Cans by Ekaterina Sedia: A guy who used to work as the driver for Stalin's butcher now sees his ghosts. This one may be a little over the top but in general I think it makes for a solid ghost story. 4/5
Shoebox Train Wreck by John Mantooth: The driver of a train that killed kids stuck on the track now sees their ghosts. Nothing particularly interesting going on here. 2/5
Fifteen Panels Depicting the Sadness of the Baku and the Jotai by Catherynne M Valente: The spirits of household items visit their owners in their dreams, or something like that? I appreciate Valente's prose but this was just a bit much for me. It's a cool concept but I didn't really understand what was happening for a lot of it. It's more ambitious and creative than most of the rest of the collection though. 3/5
La Llorana by Carolyn Turgeon: A grieving woman encounters a ghost of grief at a resort in Mexico. I actually liked this one, the juxtaposition between the beautiful resort and the terribly sad ghost works well and I thought the slow unravelling of the truth is done well. 4/5
Face Like a Monkey by Carrie Laben: A family has to face their disagreements when they get attacked by a devil bird thing. Actually this one has almost no plot so it's hard to describe. It's like a mothman-type evil thing that attacks this kid in a cornfield for no reason. 1/5
Down Atsion Road by Jeffrey Ford: I'm not quite sure what the plot of this one was either. This weird guy down the road claims there's a band of Immortal Lenape who live in the woods and then he eventually dies? 2/5
Return to Mariabronn by Gary A Braunbeck: A story about a woman who's hit and killed while walking down the road. It's kind of hard to tell what happens because it's told out of order but the sense of grief/guilt is pretty decently well done. 3/5
Following Double Face Woman by Erzebet Yellowboy: Meth sucks. There's no plot here and the message is extremely heavy-handed. 2/5
Oaks Park by MK Hobson: A local amusement park is haunted by the ghost of a little girl. This is one of the stronger pieces in the collection and I thought the main character is really well drawn. 4/5
For Those in Peril on the Sea by Stephen Dedman: The producer of a Fear-Factor knock off show makes the contestants spend the night on a haunted shipwreck. This one should have been scary and it isn't. I don't get it!! The setup is all there and then it's like the plot flinches at the last second and we don't even see anything scary? Disappointing and lame. 3/5
The Foxes by Lily Hoang: Fox ghosts in Vietnam who are actually the specters of women killed under colonialism. This one is alright but I felt it was also a bit heavy-handed. 3/5
The Redfield Girls by Laird Barron: This is the best story in the collection. Genuinely creepy, a good set of characters and highly atmospheric. Barron actually makes you feel sad for the people who die even though you just met them like 10 pages ago. Really well done and genuinely upsetting. 5/5
Between Heaven and Hill by Pat Cadigan: Another phantom rider story, which also goes nowhere. I get the concept but the ending is underwhelming. 2/5
Chucky Comes to Liverpool by Ramsey Campbell: This one is just silly. Over-the-top story about this kid living with his overbearing "protect the children"-type mom who thinks he's being haunted or controlled by the character of Chucky. Yeah the haunted doll from that movie series. Is it done well? No. 1/5
The Folding Man by Joe R Lansdale: A car full of evil nuns (??) chases a car of kids off the road and then sends a metal monster after them that kills them all. This is impressively gory but the actual plot is kind of underwhelming. 3/5
Knickerbocker Holiday by Richard Bowes: A group of friends gets together after a death to reminisce about their terrible boss, who may have been the Headless Horseman? The headless horseman connection to their boss is very shaky and seems out of place in the rest of the story. Not particularly scary at all: 3/5.
That Girl by Kaaron Warren: Pretty standard ghost-hitchhiker story. 2/5
Akbar by Kit Reed: A couple goes to a spooky ghost city in India to try and heal their failing marriage. There are some good spooky bits in here and I liked the tension and uncertainty. 4/5
The Spring Heel by Steven Pirie: A Liverpool prostitute who leaves her friends to live with Spring-Heel Jack, or alternatively maybe just commits suicide. Dismally sad. 2/5
As Red as Red by Catline R Kiernan: Vampires in Rhode Island. This one is pretty good I think, atmospheric and spooky. 4/5
Tin Cans by Ekaterina Sedia: A guy who used to work as the driver for Stalin's butcher now sees his ghosts. This one may be a little over the top but in general I think it makes for a solid ghost story. 4/5
Shoebox Train Wreck by John Mantooth: The driver of a train that killed kids stuck on the track now sees their ghosts. Nothing particularly interesting going on here. 2/5
Fifteen Panels Depicting the Sadness of the Baku and the Jotai by Catherynne M Valente: The spirits of household items visit their owners in their dreams, or something like that? I appreciate Valente's prose but this was just a bit much for me. It's a cool concept but I didn't really understand what was happening for a lot of it. It's more ambitious and creative than most of the rest of the collection though. 3/5
La Llorana by Carolyn Turgeon: A grieving woman encounters a ghost of grief at a resort in Mexico. I actually liked this one, the juxtaposition between the beautiful resort and the terribly sad ghost works well and I thought the slow unravelling of the truth is done well. 4/5
Face Like a Monkey by Carrie Laben: A family has to face their disagreements when they get attacked by a devil bird thing. Actually this one has almost no plot so it's hard to describe. It's like a mothman-type evil thing that attacks this kid in a cornfield for no reason. 1/5
Down Atsion Road by Jeffrey Ford: I'm not quite sure what the plot of this one was either. This weird guy down the road claims there's a band of Immortal Lenape who live in the woods and then he eventually dies? 2/5
Return to Mariabronn by Gary A Braunbeck: A story about a woman who's hit and killed while walking down the road. It's kind of hard to tell what happens because it's told out of order but the sense of grief/guilt is pretty decently well done. 3/5
Following Double Face Woman by Erzebet Yellowboy: Meth sucks. There's no plot here and the message is extremely heavy-handed. 2/5
Oaks Park by MK Hobson: A local amusement park is haunted by the ghost of a little girl. This is one of the stronger pieces in the collection and I thought the main character is really well drawn. 4/5
For Those in Peril on the Sea by Stephen Dedman: The producer of a Fear-Factor knock off show makes the contestants spend the night on a haunted shipwreck. This one should have been scary and it isn't. I don't get it!! The setup is all there and then it's like the plot flinches at the last second and we don't even see anything scary? Disappointing and lame. 3/5
The Foxes by Lily Hoang: Fox ghosts in Vietnam who are actually the specters of women killed under colonialism. This one is alright but I felt it was also a bit heavy-handed. 3/5
The Redfield Girls by Laird Barron: This is the best story in the collection. Genuinely creepy, a good set of characters and highly atmospheric. Barron actually makes you feel sad for the people who die even though you just met them like 10 pages ago. Really well done and genuinely upsetting. 5/5
Between Heaven and Hill by Pat Cadigan: Another phantom rider story, which also goes nowhere. I get the concept but the ending is underwhelming. 2/5
Chucky Comes to Liverpool by Ramsey Campbell: This one is just silly. Over-the-top story about this kid living with his overbearing "protect the children"-type mom who thinks he's being haunted or controlled by the character of Chucky. Yeah the haunted doll from that movie series. Is it done well? No. 1/5
The Folding Man by Joe R Lansdale: A car full of evil nuns (??) chases a car of kids off the road and then sends a metal monster after them that kills them all. This is impressively gory but the actual plot is kind of underwhelming. 3/5
November 14, 2012
This past Halloween, I participated in a lot of chatter about that scariest of spooky story collections - actually, it’s a trilogy - compiled by Alvin Schwartz and terrifyingly illustrated by Stephen Gammel: Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark. Recently, the publishers re-released it, but with tamer illustrations - a complete travesty to the horror genre. All this talk of frightening stories put me in the mood for a new collection, and the fact that some of my favorite authors have contributed to this collection made this seem like a perfect fit. Admittedly, Schwartz’s collection set the bar high, but I felt sure that this talented bunch of authors could meet those expectations...
“Knickerbocker Holiday” - Richard Bowes: Unfortunately, this opening story lacks the chills and thrills that I had hoped for when cracking open the book’s spine. While the Legend of Sleepy Hollow is one that I recall being mildly frightened of as a child, this new rendition that revolves primarily around late middle-aged New Yorkers gabbing in a bar simply fails to frighten. The characters aren’t even likable here with the narrator’s pointless recreational drug use to the resulting visions, nothing intrigued me about this story at all. A lackluster beginning all around.
“That Girl” - Kaaron Warren: This is a more appropriate story for the opening of the collection. Warren reworks the myth of the hitchhiking woman in white, giving the tale a whole new perspective. It is not a terrifying revamping, but it is a fascinating one. It’s well done and even manages to cram in a sympathetic main character in only a handful of pages.
“Akbar” - Kit Reed: This next story is well-written, but more confusing than scary. Sara spends the novel in a daze, and that daze is quite contagious. Staying awake through this story is something of an accomplishment, though the legend of Akbar itself is interesting. Perhaps those more familiar with the legend will enjoy this one more.
“The Spring Heel” - Steven Pirie: Pirie’s addition to the collection also pulls from an original legend that I am completely unfamiliar with - that of the Spring Heel Jack. There’s some gory/graphic description here, more in line with a traditional scary story, but otherwise, the story is pretty tame. It is lushly written, with easy dialogue, but the characters never truly come to life, and the setting itself is vague and sort of timeless which makes it hard to connect to.
“Red As Red” - Caitlin R. Kiernan: So far, this is the strongest entry in the collection. I am a bit biased however, after having already read some of Kiernan’s previous work. I know she is a talented writer, and while this isn’t my favorite piece of her work, it maintains the eeriest atmosphere yet in the book. It works as an homage to Bram Stoker’s Dracula while also incorporating both the Black Dog myths as well as some werewolf legend. The storyline is clear, with a real sense of immediacy and tension. It is one of the longer stories presented, but it flies by altogether too fast, leaving me thirsty for another one of her novels!
“Tin Cans” - Ekaterina Sedia: This story isn’t spooky exactly, but definitely has a very real horror-genre vibe to it. From a legend angle, this one fascinates as well as introduces to the factual story of Lavrentiy Pavlovich Beria, a villain in the USSR under Stalin’s regime. Sedia writes with clear imagery and completely brings this story to a full and complete life. It is very intriguing - whetting curiosity for both her works and more facts on Beria’s life.
“Shoebox Train Wreck” - John Mantooth: Mantooth’s story returns to more familiar ground as he explores the legend that haunts train tracks in so many towns - if you put flour on the bumper and along the car’s sides, small ghost handprints will be revealed as ghost children (typically killed in a bus-train collision as Mantooth depicts here) push the car to safety. Mantooth’s twist on the traditional perspective breathes fresh life into the story, but there aren’t any really scary moments to it. The story really comes to life, though.
“Fifteen Panels Depicting The Sadness of the Baku and the Jotai” - Catherynne M. Valente: This story alone is the main reason why I purchased this collection. I love Valente’s lush and complex writing. The way she structures her stories (and novels), and her unique turn of phrasing always leaves me breathless. This Japanese-based legend is completely engrossing, a little strange and completely wonderful. It may not have had the chills that I originally expected, but it is my favorite in the entire collection.
“La Llorna” - Carolyn Turgeon: Turgeon takes a myth from Mexico and brings it to life in a very entertaining way. The Crying Lady who stalks the beach has fresh life here, in a tightly written, very full-circle version. After not enjoying Turgeon’s Cinderella-based novel, I am truly shocked at how much I liked this story.
“Face Like A Monkey” - Carrie Laben: After encountering the “Big Bird of Texas” myth on MonsterQuest for the first time, this (to me at least) fictional debut, is quite a delight. It is interesting and surprisingly suspenseful, with likable characters, too. Very well done!
“Down Atsion Road” - Jeffrey Ford: Here, Ford sets up a more genuinely creepy vibe by giving his story a very autobiographical feel. This personal level, added to the note at the end of the story, offers the first of the bunch that feels like a natural addition to the campfire ghost story.
“Return to Mariabronn” - Gary A. Braunbeck: I have enjoyed about half of the other things that I have read of Braunbeck’s - and this story definitely falls under his more enjoyable work. Braunbeck’s interpretation of the haunted road works here and he packs a surprising amount of layers into it. It is definitely one of the stronger stories in the collection, once the initial confusion has passed.
“Following Double-Face Woman” - Erzebeth Yellowboy: This feels like the first genuine modernization of myth in the collection - or at least the most well done. Yellowboy updates the legend of the Deer Woman or Double-Face Woman of Native American tales. Instead of lost travelers, this woman leads youth astray (typically with meth). It is definitely the most moralistic of the stories, which lends it a more traditional feel and makes it more of an authentic modernization than some of the others presented here.
“Oaks Park” - M. K. Hobson: This one may just be the most unsettling of all the stories here. This may be partially attributed to the carnival-esque setting, but the actual premise of being haunted by your own ghost is shockingly spooky in a very simple and unique way. Very well done!
An Aside: I am not quite sure if the stories are actually improving the further I get into the collection, or if I am just becoming more accustomed to the short story format and the general themes of the collection as a whole. Or maybe it’s that this far in, my original expectations are long passed by. And though none of these stories is nightmare-inducing, they are, on the whole, quite fascinating.
“For Those Who Peril On The Sea” - Stephen Dedman: Though set in Australia - the land that houses all of the world’s deadliest natural creations - the ocean setting and the story itself falls a bit flat and quite short of my expectations from the scary-front. I think Dedman missed an opportunity here with the natural terrors of his setting, but otherwise, the characters are all really fleshed out and this is one of the first ones that really feels like it could have been an entire novel. The reality tv spin adds a comedic sort of twist.
“The Foxes” - Lily Hoang: This interesting and thought-provoking story contains some graphic disease-related imagery that comes the closest yet to nightmare-causing, but the uncertain origin story for this legend detracts from its overall strength.
“The Redfield Girls” - Laird Barron: This creepy addition features some very realistic and sympathetic characters. This Crescent Lake area would make the perfect backdrop to a full-length novel, as well. It has some chilling moments, too. A very strong entry!
“Between Heaven & Hull” - Pat Cadigan: This brief story feels more like reading someone else’s inside-joke. It isn’t remotely creepy, or even entertaining.
“Chucky Comes To Liverpool” - Ramsey Campbell: At first this one feels like a bit of joke. The characters are strong, though, so despite the urban-legend-based-on-a-film-premise, this quickly adds the ranks of the stronger stories in the collection. I have actually never seen any of the Chucky films, nor was I aware of the hubbub they caused. The note at the end of the story certainly causes some real spine-chills.
“The Folding Man” - Joe R. Lansdale: Loving Lansdale’s writing style the way I do, I really have set the bar high for this story, and though it opens so well, ultimately, I think this is a rather disappointing way to end the book. The bursting eyeballs, overly cartoonish villain and the murdered dog all combine to create an overly gory and silly (but not in a good way) finale.
So while the book had its ups and downs, on the whole, this was a pretty solid collection of short stories. Some definitely appealed more than others, but it was entertaining and certainly engrossing.
“Knickerbocker Holiday” - Richard Bowes: Unfortunately, this opening story lacks the chills and thrills that I had hoped for when cracking open the book’s spine. While the Legend of Sleepy Hollow is one that I recall being mildly frightened of as a child, this new rendition that revolves primarily around late middle-aged New Yorkers gabbing in a bar simply fails to frighten. The characters aren’t even likable here with the narrator’s pointless recreational drug use to the resulting visions, nothing intrigued me about this story at all. A lackluster beginning all around.
“That Girl” - Kaaron Warren: This is a more appropriate story for the opening of the collection. Warren reworks the myth of the hitchhiking woman in white, giving the tale a whole new perspective. It is not a terrifying revamping, but it is a fascinating one. It’s well done and even manages to cram in a sympathetic main character in only a handful of pages.
“Akbar” - Kit Reed: This next story is well-written, but more confusing than scary. Sara spends the novel in a daze, and that daze is quite contagious. Staying awake through this story is something of an accomplishment, though the legend of Akbar itself is interesting. Perhaps those more familiar with the legend will enjoy this one more.
“The Spring Heel” - Steven Pirie: Pirie’s addition to the collection also pulls from an original legend that I am completely unfamiliar with - that of the Spring Heel Jack. There’s some gory/graphic description here, more in line with a traditional scary story, but otherwise, the story is pretty tame. It is lushly written, with easy dialogue, but the characters never truly come to life, and the setting itself is vague and sort of timeless which makes it hard to connect to.
“Red As Red” - Caitlin R. Kiernan: So far, this is the strongest entry in the collection. I am a bit biased however, after having already read some of Kiernan’s previous work. I know she is a talented writer, and while this isn’t my favorite piece of her work, it maintains the eeriest atmosphere yet in the book. It works as an homage to Bram Stoker’s Dracula while also incorporating both the Black Dog myths as well as some werewolf legend. The storyline is clear, with a real sense of immediacy and tension. It is one of the longer stories presented, but it flies by altogether too fast, leaving me thirsty for another one of her novels!
“Tin Cans” - Ekaterina Sedia: This story isn’t spooky exactly, but definitely has a very real horror-genre vibe to it. From a legend angle, this one fascinates as well as introduces to the factual story of Lavrentiy Pavlovich Beria, a villain in the USSR under Stalin’s regime. Sedia writes with clear imagery and completely brings this story to a full and complete life. It is very intriguing - whetting curiosity for both her works and more facts on Beria’s life.
“Shoebox Train Wreck” - John Mantooth: Mantooth’s story returns to more familiar ground as he explores the legend that haunts train tracks in so many towns - if you put flour on the bumper and along the car’s sides, small ghost handprints will be revealed as ghost children (typically killed in a bus-train collision as Mantooth depicts here) push the car to safety. Mantooth’s twist on the traditional perspective breathes fresh life into the story, but there aren’t any really scary moments to it. The story really comes to life, though.
“Fifteen Panels Depicting The Sadness of the Baku and the Jotai” - Catherynne M. Valente: This story alone is the main reason why I purchased this collection. I love Valente’s lush and complex writing. The way she structures her stories (and novels), and her unique turn of phrasing always leaves me breathless. This Japanese-based legend is completely engrossing, a little strange and completely wonderful. It may not have had the chills that I originally expected, but it is my favorite in the entire collection.
“La Llorna” - Carolyn Turgeon: Turgeon takes a myth from Mexico and brings it to life in a very entertaining way. The Crying Lady who stalks the beach has fresh life here, in a tightly written, very full-circle version. After not enjoying Turgeon’s Cinderella-based novel, I am truly shocked at how much I liked this story.
“Face Like A Monkey” - Carrie Laben: After encountering the “Big Bird of Texas” myth on MonsterQuest for the first time, this (to me at least) fictional debut, is quite a delight. It is interesting and surprisingly suspenseful, with likable characters, too. Very well done!
“Down Atsion Road” - Jeffrey Ford: Here, Ford sets up a more genuinely creepy vibe by giving his story a very autobiographical feel. This personal level, added to the note at the end of the story, offers the first of the bunch that feels like a natural addition to the campfire ghost story.
“Return to Mariabronn” - Gary A. Braunbeck: I have enjoyed about half of the other things that I have read of Braunbeck’s - and this story definitely falls under his more enjoyable work. Braunbeck’s interpretation of the haunted road works here and he packs a surprising amount of layers into it. It is definitely one of the stronger stories in the collection, once the initial confusion has passed.
“Following Double-Face Woman” - Erzebeth Yellowboy: This feels like the first genuine modernization of myth in the collection - or at least the most well done. Yellowboy updates the legend of the Deer Woman or Double-Face Woman of Native American tales. Instead of lost travelers, this woman leads youth astray (typically with meth). It is definitely the most moralistic of the stories, which lends it a more traditional feel and makes it more of an authentic modernization than some of the others presented here.
“Oaks Park” - M. K. Hobson: This one may just be the most unsettling of all the stories here. This may be partially attributed to the carnival-esque setting, but the actual premise of being haunted by your own ghost is shockingly spooky in a very simple and unique way. Very well done!
An Aside: I am not quite sure if the stories are actually improving the further I get into the collection, or if I am just becoming more accustomed to the short story format and the general themes of the collection as a whole. Or maybe it’s that this far in, my original expectations are long passed by. And though none of these stories is nightmare-inducing, they are, on the whole, quite fascinating.
“For Those Who Peril On The Sea” - Stephen Dedman: Though set in Australia - the land that houses all of the world’s deadliest natural creations - the ocean setting and the story itself falls a bit flat and quite short of my expectations from the scary-front. I think Dedman missed an opportunity here with the natural terrors of his setting, but otherwise, the characters are all really fleshed out and this is one of the first ones that really feels like it could have been an entire novel. The reality tv spin adds a comedic sort of twist.
“The Foxes” - Lily Hoang: This interesting and thought-provoking story contains some graphic disease-related imagery that comes the closest yet to nightmare-causing, but the uncertain origin story for this legend detracts from its overall strength.
“The Redfield Girls” - Laird Barron: This creepy addition features some very realistic and sympathetic characters. This Crescent Lake area would make the perfect backdrop to a full-length novel, as well. It has some chilling moments, too. A very strong entry!
“Between Heaven & Hull” - Pat Cadigan: This brief story feels more like reading someone else’s inside-joke. It isn’t remotely creepy, or even entertaining.
“Chucky Comes To Liverpool” - Ramsey Campbell: At first this one feels like a bit of joke. The characters are strong, though, so despite the urban-legend-based-on-a-film-premise, this quickly adds the ranks of the stronger stories in the collection. I have actually never seen any of the Chucky films, nor was I aware of the hubbub they caused. The note at the end of the story certainly causes some real spine-chills.
“The Folding Man” - Joe R. Lansdale: Loving Lansdale’s writing style the way I do, I really have set the bar high for this story, and though it opens so well, ultimately, I think this is a rather disappointing way to end the book. The bursting eyeballs, overly cartoonish villain and the murdered dog all combine to create an overly gory and silly (but not in a good way) finale.
So while the book had its ups and downs, on the whole, this was a pretty solid collection of short stories. Some definitely appealed more than others, but it was entertaining and certainly engrossing.
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