(Probably more accurate to say “I’m [the author of one of several works counted among] the YEAR’S BEST [stories within the horror genre], [my esteemed] mofos!“, but, whatevs, right?)
I keep forgetting to crow about this: The last story I sold to The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction–“Whatever Comes After Calcutta” (link to my interview about it)–has been selected for Ellen Datlow’s Best Horror of the Year (Vol. 10).
The full table of contents is good company, and the cover art kicks ass! Keep an eye peeled in your local bookstore this summer.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Better You Believe Carole Johnstone
- Liquid Air Inna Effress
- Holiday Romance Mark Morris
- Furtherest Kaaron Warren
- Where’s the Harm? Rebecca Lloyd
- Whatever Comes After Calcutta David Erik Nelson
- A Human Stain Kelly Robson
- The Stories We Tell about Ghosts A. C. Wise
- Endosketal Sarah Read
- West of Matamoros, North of Hell Brian Hodge
- Alligator Point S. P. Miskowski
- Dark Warm Heart Rich Larson
- There and Back Again Carmen Machado
- Shepherd’s Business Stephen Gallagher
- You Can Stay All Day Mira Grant
- Harvest Song, Gathering Song A. C. Wise
- The Granfalloon Orrin Grey
- Fail-Safe Philip Fracassi
- The Starry Crown Marc E. Fitch
- Eqalussuaq Tim Major
- Lost in the Dark John Langan
Incidentally, I immediately spent the money I got for this reprint on a bunch of “folk metal” and “hauntology” music. The former is probably self-explanatory (metal music heavily influenced by folk music of various regions—this article is a good place to start, if you’re curious). The latter is apparently a British thing, where folks make fake soundtracks to non-existent low-budget 1980s horror films and British paranormal TV series. My current heavy rotation faves are:
- Blood of the Black Owl (Pacific Northwest folk metal—big Americana and Native American influences, neat soundscapes)
- Zuriaake (Chinese folk metal)
- Klaus Morlock/The Unseen (pretty straight hauntology—i.e., fake soundtracks for non-existent 1980s horror films/paranormal UK TV shows)
- Thorsten Schmidt (more hauntology)
- Nubiferous (I’m not sure what this is–it’s like folk metal without the metal, or hauntology without the pretense. It’s from Russia)