Keren’s Reviews > Christmas and Other Horrors: A Winter Solstice Anthology > Status Update

"Return to Bear Creek Lodge" by Tananarive Due

There's a reason Ms. Due is one of my favorite horror writers; her suspense pulls at you from the start, dragging you toward the inevitable. You couldn't fight it if you tried. Add to that the cultural and personal significance of her characters and their trauma, and her stories should be required reading. This story of a creature in the snow will linger.

"Dry and Ready" by Glen Hirshberg

This one beautifully illustrates the heaviness of grief, both for the lost and the living who have lost themselves. It contrasts the joy and regret that memory brings and links those contrasts to the gifts and burdens we pass through the generations.

"The Ones He Takes" by Benjamin Percy

Santa brings joy to children on Christmas...at least most children. But someone must build the toys.

"The Importance of a Tidy Home" by Christopher Golden

How tidy is your home? Prepare it for the new year, or the Schnabelperchten of Salzberg will eviscerate you! I've worried about cleaning my home for visitors, but this story takes the horror of an unexpected visit to a new level.