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McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern #71
McSweeney's Issue 71 (McSweeney's Quarterly Concern): The Monstrous and the Terrible
Our first-ever issue-length foray into horror, and featuring one of our biggest lineups in some time, our seventy-first issue is one for the ages. Guest edited by Brian Evenson , McSweeney's 71: The Monstrous and the Terribl e is a hair-raising collection of fiction that will challenge the notion of what horror has been, and suggest what twenty-first-century horror is and can be. And it's all packaged in a mind-bending, nesting-doll-like series of interlocking slipcases that must be seen to be believed.
There's Stephen Graham Jones 's eerie take on the alien abduction story, Mariana Enríquez 's haunting tale of childhood hijinks gone awry, and Jeffrey Ford on a writer who loses control of his characters. Nick Antosca (cocreator of the award-winning TV series The Act ) spins out a novelette about the hidden horrors of wine country. There's Kristine Ong Muslim exploring environmental horror in the Philippines; a sharp-edged folk tale by Gabino Iglesias , and Diné writer Natanya Ann Pulley reimagining sci-fi horror from an indigenous perspective. Hungarian writer Attila Veres proffers a dark take on the not-so-hidden sociopathy of multi-level marketing. And Erika T. Wurth explores the dark gaps leading to other worlds. If that weren't an excerpt from a new novel by Brandon Hobson ; a chilling allegorical horror story by Senaa Ahmad ; a Lovecraftian bildungsroman by Lincoln Michel ; unsettling dream cities from Nick Mamatas ; M. T. Anderson 's exceptionally weird take on babysitting; and, improbably, much more.
There's Stephen Graham Jones 's eerie take on the alien abduction story, Mariana Enríquez 's haunting tale of childhood hijinks gone awry, and Jeffrey Ford on a writer who loses control of his characters. Nick Antosca (cocreator of the award-winning TV series The Act ) spins out a novelette about the hidden horrors of wine country. There's Kristine Ong Muslim exploring environmental horror in the Philippines; a sharp-edged folk tale by Gabino Iglesias , and Diné writer Natanya Ann Pulley reimagining sci-fi horror from an indigenous perspective. Hungarian writer Attila Veres proffers a dark take on the not-so-hidden sociopathy of multi-level marketing. And Erika T. Wurth explores the dark gaps leading to other worlds. If that weren't an excerpt from a new novel by Brandon Hobson ; a chilling allegorical horror story by Senaa Ahmad ; a Lovecraftian bildungsroman by Lincoln Michel ; unsettling dream cities from Nick Mamatas ; M. T. Anderson 's exceptionally weird take on babysitting; and, improbably, much more.
329 pages, Hardcover
First published October 17, 2023
19 people are currently reading
146 people want to read
About the author
Brian Evenson
265 books1,504 followersBrian Evenson is an American academic and writer of both literary fiction and popular fiction, some of the latter being published under B. K. Evenson.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
August 11, 2024
“Rather, it’ll be yet more publicly posted ravings from another madwoman locked in the attic of her life.”
I had to share the above quote because it is exactly what I am doing with these damn book reviews that mean the world to me and nobody else.
On to the review…
What went right:
Everything about the packaging of this one was perfection. It had multiple slipcases, each one covered in vivid artwork, all of which was encapsulating a plain black book with “Horror Stories” printed on the cover in gold. A gorgeous sensory pleasing presentation.
What went wrong:
The lack of real horror and it not having a single story that was memorable. The journey through it was not tedious or terrible, but it wasn’t great either. Just an average read on an average Tuesday.
Three stars to a book that was stunning on the outside and room temp on the inside.
I had to share the above quote because it is exactly what I am doing with these damn book reviews that mean the world to me and nobody else.
On to the review…
What went right:
Everything about the packaging of this one was perfection. It had multiple slipcases, each one covered in vivid artwork, all of which was encapsulating a plain black book with “Horror Stories” printed on the cover in gold. A gorgeous sensory pleasing presentation.
What went wrong:
The lack of real horror and it not having a single story that was memorable. The journey through it was not tedious or terrible, but it wasn’t great either. Just an average read on an average Tuesday.
Three stars to a book that was stunning on the outside and room temp on the inside.
August 23, 2025
Look at how gorgeous this Issue is.
Triple slipcase, leatherette binding that looks and feels like an NIV New Testament, and packed with all-new horror fiction; curated and guest-edited by the incomparable Brian Evenson.
Even if you aren't a fan of horror, Evenson has proved time and time again that there is amazing writing to be found in the genre. Spread your lit-wings and give it a go - you are in great hands with a master!
https://store.mcsweeneys.net/products...
Triple slipcase, leatherette binding that looks and feels like an NIV New Testament, and packed with all-new horror fiction; curated and guest-edited by the incomparable Brian Evenson.
Even if you aren't a fan of horror, Evenson has proved time and time again that there is amazing writing to be found in the genre. Spread your lit-wings and give it a go - you are in great hands with a master!
https://store.mcsweeneys.net/products...
November 15, 2023
Eh, it was alright. Some good writers and some good writing here but this wasn't much of a horror collection. I don't recall anything that was particularly scary
*On the plus side, there wasn't any obvious politicking which has otherwise infected fiction these days
*On the plus side, there wasn't any obvious politicking which has otherwise infected fiction these days
December 31, 2023
The old cliche about judging books by their covers seems to be proved especially true here. I picked this up entirely because of the cover gimmick, in which a trio of slipcases allow you to peel back the layers of a monstrous figure until getting to the collection of horror stories inside. As a novel experience of what a physical book can be, five stars.
Sadly, the contents of this book largely let me down. I don’t know exactly why this happened - does the attempt to find horror fiction that appeals to literary tastes mean that I’m not the target audience? Or am I out of touch with modern horror short stories? I lean towards the former, but either way I found the majority of these stories to be disappointing. It is interesting how the volume presents a variety of tropes and concepts, and including translated work was neat - this clearly wasn’t restricted to American writing. But generally speaking the stories never frightened me or even made me feel uneasy. Most of them simply fell flat.
There are a few that were somewhat interesting, but most aren’t really what I’d classify as horror. A Hundred Nights of nothing is an interesting story where an author is able to interact with his characters in a sort of mental world, and it shows what happens when your characters get fed up with you, but while it was a pretty interesting concept, I don’t think it was all that scary.
The Sacred Return was kinda neat as a sci-fi story, once I adjusted to all the unfamiliar terminology being thrown at me (which I hesitate to call made up as I usually would, as the author is Native American and I suspect at least some of it is drawn from her culture). I can definitely see the horror aspects to it, but to me the speculative elements predominated and it’s at most action horror regardless.
The final story, Lover’s Lane, was probably the one I most enjoyed. It was a neat story about an amateur folklorist investigating the origins of the man door hand hook car door story and finding a very different and much more supernatural answer than she expected. Given that it’s by Stephen Graham Jones, who was also one of the highlights of this year’s Best American Fantasy and Science Fiction anthology, it’s reinforced my feeling that I need to read more of his work.
I don’t think I regret the money I spent on this book, because the effect of the slipcovers is still pretty cool. But I do kinda regret the time spent, because I’m sure there are other recent collections of horror stories I would have enjoyed more. I suspect I’m the outlier as most of the other reviews here are positive, and that makes me sure I need to read the two other back issues of this magazine I have before committing to a subscription.
Sadly, the contents of this book largely let me down. I don’t know exactly why this happened - does the attempt to find horror fiction that appeals to literary tastes mean that I’m not the target audience? Or am I out of touch with modern horror short stories? I lean towards the former, but either way I found the majority of these stories to be disappointing. It is interesting how the volume presents a variety of tropes and concepts, and including translated work was neat - this clearly wasn’t restricted to American writing. But generally speaking the stories never frightened me or even made me feel uneasy. Most of them simply fell flat.
There are a few that were somewhat interesting, but most aren’t really what I’d classify as horror. A Hundred Nights of nothing is an interesting story where an author is able to interact with his characters in a sort of mental world, and it shows what happens when your characters get fed up with you, but while it was a pretty interesting concept, I don’t think it was all that scary.
The Sacred Return was kinda neat as a sci-fi story, once I adjusted to all the unfamiliar terminology being thrown at me (which I hesitate to call made up as I usually would, as the author is Native American and I suspect at least some of it is drawn from her culture). I can definitely see the horror aspects to it, but to me the speculative elements predominated and it’s at most action horror regardless.
The final story, Lover’s Lane, was probably the one I most enjoyed. It was a neat story about an amateur folklorist investigating the origins of the man door hand hook car door story and finding a very different and much more supernatural answer than she expected. Given that it’s by Stephen Graham Jones, who was also one of the highlights of this year’s Best American Fantasy and Science Fiction anthology, it’s reinforced my feeling that I need to read more of his work.
I don’t think I regret the money I spent on this book, because the effect of the slipcovers is still pretty cool. But I do kinda regret the time spent, because I’m sure there are other recent collections of horror stories I would have enjoyed more. I suspect I’m the outlier as most of the other reviews here are positive, and that makes me sure I need to read the two other back issues of this magazine I have before committing to a subscription.
December 31, 2023
My shameful secret is that even as we witness the horrific ravages of late-state capitalism in real time, I would still subscribe to McSweeney's even if I didn't love the writing, because it gives me the smallest, most vital glimmer of hope that anyone out there is still lavishing fiction hardbacks with a budget this generous and a design aesthetic this ambitious. As with every collection in the world, some of these stories struck a nerve more profoundly than others. McSweeney's reliably introduces me to new writers who blow me away—this time including the Hungarian writer Attila Veres (here in translation), Mariana Enríquez (who isn't exactly new to me, but new in the last year), and Senaa Ahmad (who wins my personal award for most haunting/timely new deployment of familiar tropes_. Among the greatest pleasures of the collection was being rewarded for my persistence by the final story by Stephen Graham Jones, whose brilliance is no surprise but who sparkled in a new way in this company of writers (almost all of whom must, if they're not insane, also be admirers of his). Almost like listening to a perfectly pleasant afternoon concert of piano students, and then getting to hear the virtuoso teacher come out and play what sounds like a whole new instrument. He's so deft with the language and tropes of horror that he can twist them upside down, around, backward, and back into themselves, like some ourobouros-mobius-geometric impossibility, make me laugh about it, and still scare the bejesus out of me. He is—to steal my eight-year-old son's favorite compliment—absolutely savage.
February 20, 2025
By leaps and bounds, this was the best anthology of short stories by multiple authors I have ever read. Consistently interesting and innovative. Even the one or two stories I didn’t necessarily like, I could see myself rereading at some point because every single story collected here leaves unsettling depths to explore.
And the amazing packaging from McSweeney’s almost goes without saying. It’s an experience in itself to unsheathe the tome from its fleshy slip cases.
And the amazing packaging from McSweeney’s almost goes without saying. It’s an experience in itself to unsheathe the tome from its fleshy slip cases.
December 25, 2023
The Refrigerator Cemetery (by Mariana Enriquez) - 1/5
This was very evocative, very tonally dark. The story of a childhood game gone very wrong seemed promising, but that ending didn't work for me.
The Noble Rot (by Nick Antosca) - 5/5
This is the longest, and probably the best, story in this anthology. The creepy remote setting, the various descriptions of unease, and excellent character development, all are so good. There is a buildup, and the reader is definitely rewarded with THAT ending.
Heartwood (by Kristine Ong Muslim) - 1/5
The concept of trees as alien invaders is creepy. This story does a lot of 'info dumping' of what catastrophes had happened, but neither of the main characters are developed at all. They react to what happens around them, but it's hard to care about them at all.
Here and Now and Then and Forever (by Attila Veres) -- 1/5
An intriguing setting (there are vague hints of something apocalyptic just on the horizon, talk of a societal collapse that may or may not be coming), but bad character development and awkward dialogue. The ending also read as very cliche.
The Wolves (by Senaa Ahmad) - 2/5
The author definitely gets bonus points for atmospheric descriptions & an ability to flesh out characters in just a few sentences. The monsters chasing a small group of escapees in this story may or may not be metaphors. Essentially, werewolves are used as analogies for horrors and inhumanity of war.
Berceuse (by M.T. Anderson) - 2/5
The author utilizes that classic concept that so many horror films use. An isolated house, a scared babysitter, hints of danger lurking around in possible corners. There are even creepy parents. What doesn't work is weak characterization and a disappointing ending. Doesn't feel like you get a complete story here.
Containing Portals to Other Worlds (by Erika T. Worth) - 2/5
Lost memories, mysterious whispers at night, visions of something violent & tragic in the past. This story of a haunted young woman, traumatized by a past she can't quite remember, was great at the beginning. If the ending was better, I would have enjoyed the story more.
A Hundred Nights of Nothing (by Jeffrey Ford) - 1/5
What happens to aa writer's ignored cast of characters, the ones who never get to star in a novel or even a short story? What would they be willing to do to be more real?
This turned out far less exciting that the initial premise. Nothing truly happened until the very end, and ironically, none of the characters were truly developed at all. The concept of fictional characters rebelling against their creator is great, but nothing is really done with that concept.
The Haunting of the Wilsons by Me And That Todd (by Sydney Emerson) - 1/5
A ghost story mixed in with a tale of an unhappy couple, who find themselves still bickering and fighting even as ghosts assigned to haunt their former home. The worldbuilding is very under developed (the whole ghost world, how ghosts are assigned to jobs, etc, is barely sketched out), and characters are not very fleshed out.
Southwestern Gothic (by Nicholas Russell) - 0/5
Don't be fooled by the promising title, there is nothing of the 'gothic' in this story. It was difficult to get through, from start to finish. There is possibly one narrator, maybe more. We learn his name, maybe not even his real name. Nothing concrete, apart from a car stop in the middle of nowhere, happens. This wasn't a horror story at all, with not even basic 'spooky' vibes.
The Pond God (by Lincoln Michel) - 2/5
A remote community, secrets whispered by adults but never divulged to the kids. Something hides in the wild woods, something other and not human at all. What is the hold that the creature has on the population?
The story seemed to be building up to something, something greater that never materialized. The author had a great concept at the heart of this, but seemed uninterested in exploring the actual monster.
A Plague of Frogs (by Brandon Hobson) - 0/5
This was a very awkwardly written story, focusing on a remote facility (a prison perhaps) where one day the worst storm possible happens. None of the characters are given any personality whatsoever, not the prisoners or the guards. The language is awkward & stilted, which makes it very difficult to get through. This had absolutely zero horror elements in it.
That City You Visit in Dreams Sometimes (by Nick Mamatas) - 1/5
This seemed to be going for that dreamlike vibe, where nothing the narrators talks about feels real. The narrator keeps talking (to someone) about dreams he's been having, where he keeps ending up in a strange city where no one and nothing quite makes sense. The story never develops past that, as it abruptly ends.
The Sacred Return (by Natanya Ann Pulley) - 0/5
There is a mission that must be completed, roadblocks must be overcome, so that...something can be achieved. Reading this sci-fi (not horror!) tinged story felt like being dropped in the middle of a larger narrative. There are references to places/people/cultures/etc. & plenty of info dumps, but that doesn't make a satisfying narrative.
Don't Go Into The Woods Alone (by Gabino Iglesias) - 5/5
This starts of as a simple story of a daughter longing to still be connected to a passed away family member. She remembers things told to her, places & things to avoid. But ignoring those old tales can't possibly hurt her, can it?
This really gets that mix of horror & dread right. That ending is dark, very dark (but works so well).
Lover's Lane (by Stephen Graham Jones) - 2/5
The idea of an amateur folklorist stumbling onto something stranger & grander in scope than she expected was SO promising. Urban legends are fertile ground for good movies & stories, and have been for so long. I think what dragged this all down was the writing style, which tried to mix conversational and academic tones, but came off as very dry. The ending is good, and does have that downbeat X-Files vibe to it though.
This was very evocative, very tonally dark. The story of a childhood game gone very wrong seemed promising, but that ending didn't work for me.
The Noble Rot (by Nick Antosca) - 5/5
This is the longest, and probably the best, story in this anthology. The creepy remote setting, the various descriptions of unease, and excellent character development, all are so good. There is a buildup, and the reader is definitely rewarded with THAT ending.
Heartwood (by Kristine Ong Muslim) - 1/5
The concept of trees as alien invaders is creepy. This story does a lot of 'info dumping' of what catastrophes had happened, but neither of the main characters are developed at all. They react to what happens around them, but it's hard to care about them at all.
Here and Now and Then and Forever (by Attila Veres) -- 1/5
An intriguing setting (there are vague hints of something apocalyptic just on the horizon, talk of a societal collapse that may or may not be coming), but bad character development and awkward dialogue. The ending also read as very cliche.
The Wolves (by Senaa Ahmad) - 2/5
The author definitely gets bonus points for atmospheric descriptions & an ability to flesh out characters in just a few sentences. The monsters chasing a small group of escapees in this story may or may not be metaphors. Essentially, werewolves are used as analogies for horrors and inhumanity of war.
Berceuse (by M.T. Anderson) - 2/5
The author utilizes that classic concept that so many horror films use. An isolated house, a scared babysitter, hints of danger lurking around in possible corners. There are even creepy parents. What doesn't work is weak characterization and a disappointing ending. Doesn't feel like you get a complete story here.
Containing Portals to Other Worlds (by Erika T. Worth) - 2/5
Lost memories, mysterious whispers at night, visions of something violent & tragic in the past. This story of a haunted young woman, traumatized by a past she can't quite remember, was great at the beginning. If the ending was better, I would have enjoyed the story more.
A Hundred Nights of Nothing (by Jeffrey Ford) - 1/5
What happens to aa writer's ignored cast of characters, the ones who never get to star in a novel or even a short story? What would they be willing to do to be more real?
This turned out far less exciting that the initial premise. Nothing truly happened until the very end, and ironically, none of the characters were truly developed at all. The concept of fictional characters rebelling against their creator is great, but nothing is really done with that concept.
The Haunting of the Wilsons by Me And That Todd (by Sydney Emerson) - 1/5
A ghost story mixed in with a tale of an unhappy couple, who find themselves still bickering and fighting even as ghosts assigned to haunt their former home. The worldbuilding is very under developed (the whole ghost world, how ghosts are assigned to jobs, etc, is barely sketched out), and characters are not very fleshed out.
Southwestern Gothic (by Nicholas Russell) - 0/5
Don't be fooled by the promising title, there is nothing of the 'gothic' in this story. It was difficult to get through, from start to finish. There is possibly one narrator, maybe more. We learn his name, maybe not even his real name. Nothing concrete, apart from a car stop in the middle of nowhere, happens. This wasn't a horror story at all, with not even basic 'spooky' vibes.
The Pond God (by Lincoln Michel) - 2/5
A remote community, secrets whispered by adults but never divulged to the kids. Something hides in the wild woods, something other and not human at all. What is the hold that the creature has on the population?
The story seemed to be building up to something, something greater that never materialized. The author had a great concept at the heart of this, but seemed uninterested in exploring the actual monster.
A Plague of Frogs (by Brandon Hobson) - 0/5
This was a very awkwardly written story, focusing on a remote facility (a prison perhaps) where one day the worst storm possible happens. None of the characters are given any personality whatsoever, not the prisoners or the guards. The language is awkward & stilted, which makes it very difficult to get through. This had absolutely zero horror elements in it.
That City You Visit in Dreams Sometimes (by Nick Mamatas) - 1/5
This seemed to be going for that dreamlike vibe, where nothing the narrators talks about feels real. The narrator keeps talking (to someone) about dreams he's been having, where he keeps ending up in a strange city where no one and nothing quite makes sense. The story never develops past that, as it abruptly ends.
The Sacred Return (by Natanya Ann Pulley) - 0/5
There is a mission that must be completed, roadblocks must be overcome, so that...something can be achieved. Reading this sci-fi (not horror!) tinged story felt like being dropped in the middle of a larger narrative. There are references to places/people/cultures/etc. & plenty of info dumps, but that doesn't make a satisfying narrative.
Don't Go Into The Woods Alone (by Gabino Iglesias) - 5/5
This starts of as a simple story of a daughter longing to still be connected to a passed away family member. She remembers things told to her, places & things to avoid. But ignoring those old tales can't possibly hurt her, can it?
This really gets that mix of horror & dread right. That ending is dark, very dark (but works so well).
Lover's Lane (by Stephen Graham Jones) - 2/5
The idea of an amateur folklorist stumbling onto something stranger & grander in scope than she expected was SO promising. Urban legends are fertile ground for good movies & stories, and have been for so long. I think what dragged this all down was the writing style, which tried to mix conversational and academic tones, but came off as very dry. The ending is good, and does have that downbeat X-Files vibe to it though.
December 30, 2023
Not a bad selection of horror stories. My favourites were Sydney Emerson's humourous tale of 2 bickering ghosts attempting to haunt their old house and Jeffrey Ford's discontented characters
October 23, 2023
A terrific collection with some creepy stories, some genuinely horrifying, and one quite funny. The humorous story was my favorite: "The Haunting of the Wilsons by Me and That Bitch Todd". I was disappointed to find that the author's bio was a single line (so no books out there waiting by that author, at the moment). There were plenty more I enjoyed and three that I couldn't make sense of; one I ended up only making it halfway through and gave up. But, given the fact that the horror (except for ghost stories) is something I tend to avoid, I was really surprised how much I enjoyed this issue.
October 25, 2023
A superbly packaged and impressive collection - the material feel of the book alone adds to teh experience. Breakign my rating down by story we have:
Mariana Enríquez - The Refrigerator Cemetery - 4
Nick Antosca - The Noble Rot -5
Kristine Ong Muslim - Heartwood - 4
Attila Veres - Here and Now and Then and Forever - 4
Senaa Ahmad - The Wolves - 5
M. T. Anderson - Berceuse - 3
Erika T. Wurth - Containing Portals to Other Worlds - 4
Jeffrey Ford - A Hundred Nights of Nothing - 4
Sydney Emerson - The Haunting of eh Wilsons by Me and that Bitch Todd - 5
Nicholas Russell - Southwestern Gothic - 4
Lincoln Michel - The Pond God - 5
Brandon Hobson - A Plague of Frogs - 3
Nick Mamatas - That City You Visit in Dreams Sometimes - 4
Natanya Ann Pulley - The Sacred Return - 4
Gabino Iglesias - Don’t Go into the Woods Alone - 4
Stephen Graham Jones - Lover’s Lane - 5
Mariana Enríquez - The Refrigerator Cemetery - 4
Nick Antosca - The Noble Rot -5
Kristine Ong Muslim - Heartwood - 4
Attila Veres - Here and Now and Then and Forever - 4
Senaa Ahmad - The Wolves - 5
M. T. Anderson - Berceuse - 3
Erika T. Wurth - Containing Portals to Other Worlds - 4
Jeffrey Ford - A Hundred Nights of Nothing - 4
Sydney Emerson - The Haunting of eh Wilsons by Me and that Bitch Todd - 5
Nicholas Russell - Southwestern Gothic - 4
Lincoln Michel - The Pond God - 5
Brandon Hobson - A Plague of Frogs - 3
Nick Mamatas - That City You Visit in Dreams Sometimes - 4
Natanya Ann Pulley - The Sacred Return - 4
Gabino Iglesias - Don’t Go into the Woods Alone - 4
Stephen Graham Jones - Lover’s Lane - 5
January 28, 2024
This is an excellent collection of modern horror stories. Senaa Ahmad and Gabino Iglesias' stories were the most unsettling horror that I've read in a while. Erika T Wurth and Stephen Graham Jones had standout stories as well. Also I love how weird and creepy the many slipcases were, and the actual book's design was perfect for this collection.
June 24, 2024
If this is an example of authors “elevating” the genre, perhaps they should get back in the dirt.
This collection has only three good stories: the transcendent and exquisitely paced Nick Antosca story THE NOBLE ROT; the genuinely funny, exceptionally well-executed Sydney Emerson story THE HAUNTING OF THE WILSONS BY ME AND THAT BITCH TODD; and Mariana Enriquez’s incredibly engaging, deeply weird and delightfully unique THE REFRIGERATOR CEMETERY.
Everything else in here is some kind of mix of obvious, condescending, cliche, poorly written, or downright vapid. A good handful of these stories read like they’re written for people on Twitter (derogatory), others directly reference filmic techniques to communicate something in this entirely different medium, and still yet more share the same bland, half-warmed-over writing style we’ve all read a hundred times before. Excepting these top three (and another story by Hungarian writer Attila Veres that’s conceptually interesting but hamstrung by incredibly uneven execution), these all do nothing interesting with the genre. Horror has such limitless horizons to play on, and yet this collection is Clive Barker’s criticism of “bourgeois horror” almost to the last. I’d say it suffers from a preponderance of straight people (and it does) but even the queer writers lack any real thematic daring. This is such bland, heteronormative, self-reflexive trash. It lacks the will to say anything because it cannot imagine a world that’s not just This One But Scary.
As a result, this collection showcases a lack of imagination that’s almost depressing. It would make one lament the future of imaginative horror if they weren’t aware of (better, more interesting) writers like Gretchen Felker-Martin still bringing some raw creative verve to the genre.
But if this is supposed to be a sampling of the best the genre has to offer—to showcase the weird and wild possibilities of horror—it’s either done the genre an incredible disservice or we’re absolutely fucking cooked.
This collection has only three good stories: the transcendent and exquisitely paced Nick Antosca story THE NOBLE ROT; the genuinely funny, exceptionally well-executed Sydney Emerson story THE HAUNTING OF THE WILSONS BY ME AND THAT BITCH TODD; and Mariana Enriquez’s incredibly engaging, deeply weird and delightfully unique THE REFRIGERATOR CEMETERY.
Everything else in here is some kind of mix of obvious, condescending, cliche, poorly written, or downright vapid. A good handful of these stories read like they’re written for people on Twitter (derogatory), others directly reference filmic techniques to communicate something in this entirely different medium, and still yet more share the same bland, half-warmed-over writing style we’ve all read a hundred times before. Excepting these top three (and another story by Hungarian writer Attila Veres that’s conceptually interesting but hamstrung by incredibly uneven execution), these all do nothing interesting with the genre. Horror has such limitless horizons to play on, and yet this collection is Clive Barker’s criticism of “bourgeois horror” almost to the last. I’d say it suffers from a preponderance of straight people (and it does) but even the queer writers lack any real thematic daring. This is such bland, heteronormative, self-reflexive trash. It lacks the will to say anything because it cannot imagine a world that’s not just This One But Scary.
As a result, this collection showcases a lack of imagination that’s almost depressing. It would make one lament the future of imaginative horror if they weren’t aware of (better, more interesting) writers like Gretchen Felker-Martin still bringing some raw creative verve to the genre.
But if this is supposed to be a sampling of the best the genre has to offer—to showcase the weird and wild possibilities of horror—it’s either done the genre an incredible disservice or we’re absolutely fucking cooked.
December 7, 2023
I really enjoyed this McSweeney’s installment dedicated to horror, and the creative, untraditional ways its various authors went with this theme. As editor Brian Evenson explained in the introduction, the issue took inspiration from McSweeney’s issue #45, Hitchcock and Bradbury Fistfight in Heaven from 2013, which is among the ones I’ve liked the most over the years.
Favorite stories in this collection:
- The Refrigerator Cemetery, by Mariana Enríquez
- Here and Now and Then and Forever, by Attila Veres
- Berceuse, by M.T. Anderson
- Containing Portals to Other Worlds, by Erika T. Wurth
- A Hundred Nights of Nothing, by Jeffrey Ford
- The Haunting of the Wilsons by Me and That Bitch Todd, by Sydney Emerson
The last four of those are in a remarkable string in the middle of the book, and the last two really set themselves apart with their originality and playfulness. As Jeffrey Ford is 67 and had quite a career writing fantasy/science-fiction tales, and Sydney Emerson just graduated from Allegheny College in 2023, I like how this represents yet another way McSweeney’s presents us with diversity.
Some other good ones:
- The Noble Rot, by Nick Atosca
- The Pond God, by Lincoln Michel
- A Plague of Frogs, by Brandon Hobson, which included some beautiful artwork from the author, though he seemed to want to flaunt his vocabulary
- Lover’s Lane, by Stephen Graham Jones
That’s a total of 10 of the 16 stories, which is a pretty good hit rate. Definitely worth checking out, and well-timed for the season.
Favorite stories in this collection:
- The Refrigerator Cemetery, by Mariana Enríquez
- Here and Now and Then and Forever, by Attila Veres
- Berceuse, by M.T. Anderson
- Containing Portals to Other Worlds, by Erika T. Wurth
- A Hundred Nights of Nothing, by Jeffrey Ford
- The Haunting of the Wilsons by Me and That Bitch Todd, by Sydney Emerson
The last four of those are in a remarkable string in the middle of the book, and the last two really set themselves apart with their originality and playfulness. As Jeffrey Ford is 67 and had quite a career writing fantasy/science-fiction tales, and Sydney Emerson just graduated from Allegheny College in 2023, I like how this represents yet another way McSweeney’s presents us with diversity.
Some other good ones:
- The Noble Rot, by Nick Atosca
- The Pond God, by Lincoln Michel
- A Plague of Frogs, by Brandon Hobson, which included some beautiful artwork from the author, though he seemed to want to flaunt his vocabulary
- Lover’s Lane, by Stephen Graham Jones
That’s a total of 10 of the 16 stories, which is a pretty good hit rate. Definitely worth checking out, and well-timed for the season.
April 30, 2025
First off, the packaging and design was excellent (only complaint in that department was that I couldn't read the title pages for many of the stories). This was a fine collection of stories, up to the typical McSweeney's standards, meaning it was a mixed bag. I mean, that's what I like about them. They take chances, so sometimes you get something transcendent, sometimes you get something that doesn't work, but usually it's interesting. Few of these stories creeped me out, and none scared me, but I was never really bored.
Highlights include:
The Refrigerator Cemetery by Mariana Enriquez was a somewhat believable tale of a childhood prank gone wrong.
The Noble Rot by Nick Antosca was the most standard and cinematic of the bunch, but also one of my favorites in the collection. It tells the story of a mother who moves with her family into her dead father's mansion.
Here and Now and Then and Forever by Atilla Veres about a mysterious company's plan to create a better future for the world.
Bercuese by M. T. Anderson was a surreal story of babysitting.
The Haunting of the Wilsons by me and that bitch Todd by Sydney Emerson. As the title implies, it's more of a comedy about being stuck in the afterlife with somebody you hate.
The Pond God by Lincoln Michel telling of a mysterious force living in the woods. A nice bit of social commentary here.
Highlights include:
The Refrigerator Cemetery by Mariana Enriquez was a somewhat believable tale of a childhood prank gone wrong.
The Noble Rot by Nick Antosca was the most standard and cinematic of the bunch, but also one of my favorites in the collection. It tells the story of a mother who moves with her family into her dead father's mansion.
Here and Now and Then and Forever by Atilla Veres about a mysterious company's plan to create a better future for the world.
Bercuese by M. T. Anderson was a surreal story of babysitting.
The Haunting of the Wilsons by me and that bitch Todd by Sydney Emerson. As the title implies, it's more of a comedy about being stuck in the afterlife with somebody you hate.
The Pond God by Lincoln Michel telling of a mysterious force living in the woods. A nice bit of social commentary here.
January 7, 2024
A solid anthology where literate writers tell the tales the right way. Many of these tales use familiar horror tropes elevated by the author. Favorite stories include "Here and Now and Then and Forever" by Atilla Veres, which is the story of a woman who's really ready to commit to the bit, no matter the cost. Characters inside Jeffrey Ford's head struggle with their lives in "A Hundred Nights of Nothing." M. T. Anderson puts all other babysitter stories to shame with "Berceuse." Sydney Emerson gives us an irresistible ghost with an unstoppable attitude in "The Haunting of the Wilsons by Me and That Bitch Todd." Senaa Ahmad brings us "The Wolves" and all the things they do as beasts and as men.
February 10, 2024
Great issue, with a few particular standouts:
Nick Antosca's The Noble Rot is quite long, and each chapter is thoroughly creepy.
Attila Veres' Here and Now and Then and Forever <\i> is very weird.
M.T. Anderson's curiously named Berceuse <\i> is, pound for pound, one of the eeriest things I've read in a long time.
Sydney Emerson's The Haunting of the Wilsons by Me and that Bitch Todd <\i> is a hilarious take on a ghost story--from the ghost's perspective.
Gabino Iglesias' Don't Go Into the Woods Alone <\i> is a rather fantastical and modern take on a fairy tale.
Stephen Graham Jones' Lover's Lane <\i> manages to take a rather ho-hum urban legend and inject some real horror into it.
Nick Antosca's The Noble Rot is quite long, and each chapter is thoroughly creepy.
Attila Veres' Here and Now and Then and Forever <\i> is very weird.
M.T. Anderson's curiously named Berceuse <\i> is, pound for pound, one of the eeriest things I've read in a long time.
Sydney Emerson's The Haunting of the Wilsons by Me and that Bitch Todd <\i> is a hilarious take on a ghost story--from the ghost's perspective.
Gabino Iglesias' Don't Go Into the Woods Alone <\i> is a rather fantastical and modern take on a fairy tale.
Stephen Graham Jones' Lover's Lane <\i> manages to take a rather ho-hum urban legend and inject some real horror into it.
October 16, 2025
This served its purpose as a fun horror compilation to read in October. There are a lot of mediocre stories here, some bad ones, and a few that start out promising but don’t fully stick the landing; there’s nothing great, though, and nothing that necessarily makes me want to check out any of these authors now that I’m done. Horror is hard to write, so I give everyone in this comp props for working in a difficult genre, and Brian Evenson did a great job at selecting a diverse batch of voices to include.
Side note: the design of the triple slipcover + minimalistic hardcover book is gorgeous and I wouldn’t have regretted this purchase even if the book was awful. I love looking at it on my shelf.
Side note: the design of the triple slipcover + minimalistic hardcover book is gorgeous and I wouldn’t have regretted this purchase even if the book was awful. I love looking at it on my shelf.
March 3, 2024
First of all, this might be the best packaging for a book ever made. Such a gruesome little box that forces you to excavate layers of skin and bone, and then mimicking a bible’s design for a collection of horror stories? Incredible. There’s also a higher-than average collection of great stories in this collection: Nick Antosca’s THE NOBLE ROT, Attila Ceres’ HERE AND NOW AND THEN AND FOREVER, M.T. Anderson’s BERCEUSE, Gabino Iglesias’ DON’T GO INTO THE WOODS ALONE, and Lincoln Michel’s THE POND GOD were all particularly effective for me.
May 11, 2024
The stories were, for the most part, really good. It's not a genre I tend to seek out on my own but I was impressed but the building of suspense and mood. It's more creepy than scary and done in a way that has purpose and meaning. The book itself was gorgeous. The packing that houses it is a neat concept and it works but it's a bummer that it covers up the actual book which I just thought was very cool.
October 17, 2023
An excellent collection! Like any compilation of stories from various authors, there were some I connected with more than others. Perfect read for October!
Personal favorite stories: The Noble Rot, A Hundred Nights of Nothing, The Haunting of the Wilsons by Me and That Bitch Todd, The Pond God, & Lover’s Lane
Personal favorite stories: The Noble Rot, A Hundred Nights of Nothing, The Haunting of the Wilsons by Me and That Bitch Todd, The Pond God, & Lover’s Lane
October 24, 2023
Really fun reading. I agree with other reviewers: my favorite was “The Haunting of the Wilsons by Me and That Bitch Todd”. Watch for Sydney Emerson’s work in the future - she seems special.
Also, the production of this volume is exceptional: nesting slipcases, sewn binding, paper and cover qualities.
Also, the production of this volume is exceptional: nesting slipcases, sewn binding, paper and cover qualities.
October 29, 2023
I wasn't sure how I was going to handle a whole collection of horror stories, but really only two of them (Noble Rot and the MT Anderson baby story) were the type that really were too much for me. "The Haunting of the Wilson's By Me and That Bitch, Todd" is one of my top McSweeney's of all time. Great collection, even if you are on the squeamish side like me.
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November 6, 2023Sydney Emerson (who wrote the hilarious The Haunting of the Wilson's...) is such a spectacular writer and a rising talent! I had the privilege of reading this story before it was published and it instantly became one of my favorite short stories ever. Any agents out there better keep an eye on her...
October 27, 2023
Some of the stories here are truly fantastic, enough so that I've thrust it on my husband in hopes that he can read it before spooky season is over. One I had to skip entirely and another I wish I had. In all, just the right thing for this time of year and I hope they'll do a follow up next year.
October 29, 2023
Fantastic collection aside from two stories that didn’t really hit for me. My favorites were “The Noble Rot,” “The Haunting of the Wilsons…,” “The Pond God,” “Don’t Go Into the Woods Alone,” and “Lover’s Lane.”
December 19, 2023
These were all really good. “Noble Rot,” and “Here and Now…” were fantastic (can’t wait to check out Attila Vere’s collection soon). However, the sleeper standout here is “Berceuse” by M.T. Anderson, a concise, mind altering nightmare.
February 17, 2024
One of these stories was an absolute miss for me (fantasy is not my genre) and tbh most were mildly disturbing at best, but the collection did spark my imagination and the binding and slipcases were perfection!
October 5, 2024
“We hovered anxiously every time Mrs. Zayneb stopped to nurse or adjust the child. Each of us certain that, at this instant, the wolves were lifting their snouts from the dimming well of a corpse to remember us, thinking. They’re still out there, but not for much longer.”
December 30, 2024
A foray into the literary magazine with a theme of high interest. A neat, varied collection, and to paraphrase one of the stories, focusing primarily on being unsettling as fear itself varies so widely from person to person.
November 9, 2025
So enjoyable! A great collection of dark and chilling tales. Some a little hopeful, through escape from the darkness of humanity.
Brian Evanson delivered on his promise that I would discover something in a genre I have neglected.
Brian Evanson delivered on his promise that I would discover something in a genre I have neglected.
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