Book Review: The Mammoth Book Of Best New Horror 25th Anniversary Edition, part 1
The Mammoth Book Of Best New Horror 25th Anniversary Edition edited by Stephen Jones, part 1
The 21st sucked as did the 23rd and 24th, the 22nd was good though. After the usual ranting introduction come the stories.
Who Dares Wins: Anno Dracula 1980
By Kim Newman, this is a vampire AU twist on the famous Iranian embassy siege. This was good but we really don’t want a 5th ‘Anno Dracula’ novel.
Best Lines:
“She’s spotted Paxman, drifting incorporeally in mist-form through the crowds.”
“People like you, people like me, get shoved into locked boxes.”
Click-clack the Rattlebag
By Neil Gaiman. A good cheesy little tale about storytelling.
Dead End
A man and his mistress (?) are on holiday. He is distraught and dissociated. This predictable tale lurches toward its ending quickly.
Isaac’s Room
A good tale of loss, revenge fantasies and soul-killing alienation at a college.
The Burning Circus
A wronged woman takes revenge. Okay.
Holes For Faces
A little boy on holiday in Italy with his parents sees something. His unresponsive mother derides everything. Iffy.
By Night He Could Not See
A toe rag criminal realises someone is out to get him like they got his gang. Okay.
Come Into My Parlour
A boy is troubled by his fey aunt who lacks all graciousness. Okay.
The Middle Park
A couple try to find the end of a rainbow. Oops. This was obvious.
Into The Water
Floods herald the rise of something. This mythos tale was excellent.
Best Line:
“Do you have a god? Pray for its mercy.”
The Burned House
An old woman investigates the creepy house near-by and dies of self-neglect. Dull.
What Do We Talk About When We Talk About Z -
A useless zombie story.
Fishfly Season
A woman moves into a Stepford like community and has a nervous breakdown or something. Bad.
Doll Re Mi
By Tanith Lee. A psychopathic musician is determined to dominate a new instrument. This was good, creepy and decadent.
A Night’s Work
By Clive Barker. A very short tale about dreaming. Okay.
The Sixteenth Step
A battered wife finds help in a mysterious B&B. Very good.
Stemming The Tide
Zombies and a decaying relationship. Okay.
The Gist
A man is hired to translate a book but he really should have wondered about what it was he was translating. Very good.