As a self-described “rising” author in the indie horror scene, reading Ellen Datlow’s BEST OF… volumes at the end of each year has become an important ritual for me. More than anything else, reading these yearly anthologies keeps me abreast of what the horror community is up to: what its moods are, where its obsessions lie, where we’re burying our collective bones and bodies this year.
And while I’ve found Datlow’s specific tastes as to what the best horror of the year comprises to be occasionally inscrutable, her editor’s eye at the very least always serves up a broad variety of horror in all its forms—essential for my aims.
This year, for the first time, I wondered (briefly) if my time might be better invested elsewhere.
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury—I’m not a horror snob. I don’t have some strict definition in my head of what “horror” means. I’m not turned aside by either the transgressive or the torpid: I’ll read quiet horror, body horror, erotic horror, creature-feature horror… although my tastes of late fly solidly towards what some reviewers are calling the “New Weird” these days. That’s what I write, and that’s what I generally seek out. But I’m not picky either.
But: I do believe that the goal of a scary story is to scare. Just as I think a comedy should make you laugh, a thriller should thrill, and a smutty story should… well, you get the picture. And so I’m also of the belief that a volume promising THE BEST HORROR OF THE YEAR (this, of course, being 2021 in this case) should contain at least 50% stories that at least try to be scary—in fact, to be horror at all. Any fewer than that benchmark is false advertising.
This is not to say I didn’t enjoy Volume 14. I did. But time and time again, I was let down by the scare factor—a measuring stick I imagine many a horror fan wagers a spook-story’s worth by.
Whether this is a reflection of changes being felt in the horror scene-at-large or merely Datlow’s own shifting tastes remains to be seen. For now… let’s talk about the individual stories!
1. “Redwater” by Simon Bestwick
Not a bad idea to start this anthology with a creature feature, and “Redwater” is a climate-disaster post-apocalyptic one at that, as well as a bit of a crime story as well. Bestwick acquits himself well here with excellent dialogue and world-building, although his monsters seem derivative—or at least not exceptionally interesting in their designs and abilities.
2. “Caker’s Man” by Matthew Holness
A great childhood-set horror that pits our young heroes against an inscrutable confectionary evil. I think many small children see adults as unstoppable eldritch forces sometimes, and the Caker’s Man plays into this nameless fear well. Killer last line too.
3. “Black Leg” by Glen Hirschberg
Here’s where the wheels start to wobble slightly. I confess I couldn’t really follow this one. Either the prose itself was too muddy or the narrator’s motivations were too obscured—or some combination of the two. I didn’t DNF it, but it did leave me cold. I don’t think I could really describe the premise even, gun-to-my-head.
4. “The Offering” by Michael Marshall Smith
A classic folk horror concept: ignorant travelers in a foreign land upset a local mythological figure who (gasp!) isn’t so mythological after all. Shenanigans ensue. Ignorant travelers pay a Terrible and Karmic Price. What elevates this beyond its premise is the well-rendered family drama that generally takes the front seat, but I don’t think the author wove the two tracks of the story together as well as perhaps he could have.
5. “Fox Girl” by Lee Murray
The second time (that I’ve read) that Datlow has included a poem in one of these volumes, and I still don’t grasp the point. I’ve read horror poetry—in fact, I’ve read horror poetry that’s decently frightening. This is neither, and I’m not sure what it’s doing here. It’s a fine poem… it just sticks out like a chocolate bar stuck in a pot roast.
6. “Shuck” by G.V. Anderson
A spitfire protagonist willing to spit in the face of Death himself makes “Shuck” stand out. I love the characterization of Death as a hound here—very determined, and loyal in a way as well. All good doggy qualities. And the twist at the end is a ripper too.
7. “The Hunt at Rotherdam” by AC Wise
This was a frustrating piece. Excellent worldbuilding and an inventive premise are squandered by a bland, too-saintly protagonist never allowed to really suffer by the narrative, and a plot that just… stops right before the conflict really gets going. This reviewer wonders if the author ran into a wordcount limit, or simply lost interest after a while.
8. “Dancing Sober in the Dust” by Steve Toase
The first true classic in the volume. An excellent example of epistolary fiction sees a researcher reconstituting the costume set once used in a grisly dance recital. My favorite aspect of this story is that the researcher’s motives are never fully voiced—he’s just in this for the macabre joy of it all. Perhaps he’s a fellow horror fan?
9. “The God Bag” by Christopher Golden
Not in style but in substance does this tale resemble Richard Matheson at the height of his powers. Perhaps not a true horror story but something that wouldn’t be ill at ease on an episode of THE TWILIGHT ZONE. Great prose and a great twist.
10. “The Strathantine Imps” by Steve Duffy
DNF. An unfortunate first introduction to Duffy’s fiction, as colleagues have spoken highly of his work in the past. Wasn’t going anywhere, so I stopped and let it meander without me.
11. “The Quizmasters” by Gerard McKeown
Real menace here. Short and sweet—not much else to say.
12. “All Those Lost Days” by Brian Everson
From the OMNIPARK anthology. Great prose but feels hamstrung by being beholden to the theme of the antho and the specific monsters from HG Wells’ TIME MACHINE. But despite this, the unseen horror of what happens to the protagonist’s brother is really fun stuff, and the lingering effects of his experience are well-rendered. The POV does a lot of heavy lifting here.
13. “Anne Gare’s Rare and Import Video Catalogue October 2022” by Jonathan Raab
Another misfire, but almost too short to skip. An interesting idea rendered near-pointless in its execution. No joy here, let’s move on.
14. “Three Sisters Bog” by Eoin Murphy
More folk horror (was it big in 2021?) but this one takes on a more fairy tale-ish bent. Great tension here, but the climax leaves something to be desired. This is a recurring theme in this volume: stories that refuse to reach just a little farther towards a more satisfactory end.
15. “The Steering Wheel Club” by Kaaron Warren
A work of cruelty. Visceral and clamorous. Not my favorite kind of horror, but no argument can be made against its effect. Will rip the groan from your chest.
16. “The King of Stones” by Simon Strantzas
At this point I think folk horror has photographs of the editor in a compromising position, for how frequently it’s represented here. This latest is the least of all, as it pollutes its excellent atmosphere with pointless and unnecessary torture scenes. The King of Stones himself is a great monster to end with, but it can’t save the story from feeling meaningless.
17. “Stolen Property” by Sarah Lamparelli
More folk! But for once, it manages to be genuinely frightening. The faceless Wayne-thing (or is it Ethan-thing?) and the great Bear it worships are half folk-monstrosity, half star-flung horror. If the woods were outer space, they would spit out terrors such as these.
18. “Shards” by Ian Rogers
The only mark against “Shards” is its unremarkable title; everything else is instantly engaging and builds to a shattering climax. I love original premises like this, especially when they end in such fashion that you wonder how such an evil could possibly be vanquished. Shades of OCULUS here in all the best ways.
19. “Chit Chit” by Steve Toase
Toase has two stories in this volume. Fine, as they’re both excellent—but was there truly such a dearth of quality horror in 2021 that two slots needed to go to the same author? At any rate, “Chit Chit” is the lesser of Toase’s two offerings, but does contain one truly startling jump-scare moment, as well as an image of bone-shaping that will haunt my dreams forever.
20. “Poor Butcher-Bird” by Gemma Files
A rare miss for me and Files, who normally I regard as a master of her craft and always a welcome sight in these anthologies. Here, she attempts (and mostly succeeds) at elevating the vampire tale with her unique jagged prose, but the revelry in the last passages loses too much steam for me. Personally I think the author’s powers are wasted on a mere revenge tale.
21. “Trap” by Carly Holmes
Like “The Offering” in that it matches family drama with folk-y horror, but unlike “Offering” the marriage here is without seam. Great example of off-screen horror as well. Chill-inducing.
22. “I’ll Be Gone By Then” by Eric LaRocca
I don’t get the hype around this author. I know THINGS HAVE GOTTEN WORSE SINCE WE LAST SPOKE was a huge surprise hit, but even that failed to whelm me. And here, very little attempt is made at anything a reasonable reader would call horror. It’s more sad than anything—and not necessarily a bad story. Just completely beside the point.
23. “Jack-in-the-Box” by Robin Furth
Amazing storytelling and scenery descriptions, but the buildup seemed to be hinting at a much more interesting story than what we ultimately got. The end relies too heavily on a well-worn pun, and left me cold-fish at the close. A shame, says I.
24. “Tiptoe” by Laird Barron
My introduction to Barron’s work, and the clear winner of best and scariest story in this volume. Almost worth the price of admission by itself. Barron’s mastery of the New Weird is evident here, and his description of an “unslung jaw” at the end is a great stinger on a story that maintains persistent tension and menace throughout. Deeply frightening and deeply sticky. I will be seeking out more of this author’s work.
HITS:
“Tiptoe”
“Shards”
“Dancing Sober in the Dust”
NEAR MISSES:
“Fox Girl”
“Anne Gare’s Rare and Import Video Catalogue October 2022”
“The Strathantine Imps”
Final verdict: 3.5 stars
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