Folks Horror
Paul Kane & Marie O’Regan, eds.
Flame Tree Publishing (August 27, 2024), 401 pgs.
Reviewed by Carson Buckingham
Folks Horror is a wonderful anthology based mostly round, you guessed it, folklore. The primary contributors are our associates throughout the pond, and because of that, a lot of the folklore was unfamiliar to me…which was nice. I simply love studying about horrifying new (to me) legends.
Right here’s what you get:
“The White Highway” by Neil Gaiman. A horrific occasion is disguised and recounted as a dream, with an appalling ending.
“The Properly” by John Connolly. The story of an archaeological dig to unearth relics of the Familists—an previous sect that worshipped the Inexperienced Man. The realm townspeople had been so against the disturbance of the positioning that the archaeologists had been refused lodging on the town and so had been compelled to camp on the website, at which they unearthed an historic, lined effectively…together with one thing else. Properly, the townspeople did attempt to warn them…
“Rabbitheart” by Jen Williams. A poor younger farm woman goes out to verify her rabbit snare, and there’s one thing in it…one thing different masquerading and one thing acquainted, however very, very harmful.
“The Authentic Occupant” by Adam L. G. Nevill. One in every of three associates decides to spend a yr in sub-arctic Sweden to get away from the whole lot to get in contact with himself. However when autumn rolls round, he discovers that there’s a compelling cause why everybody else within the space leaves earlier than September arrives.
“Summer time Bonus” by Lee Murray. Katie, a dilettante younger lady, travels to New Zealand with one other woman to work for 3 months on a farm there. Her pal was presupposed to go, however couldn’t, so she requested Katie to step in, which she was solely too glad to do—a brand new journey—why not? She meets one other woman on the airplane, touring to the identical place for a similar cause. Once they arrive, the whole lot initially appears idyllic. Solely ½ day of labor is predicted from them, and a fantastic seashore to hang around at of their downtime. Solely as the times go on, issues turn into darker and focus on a blowhole in a close-by rock outcropping. It appears that there have been a number of issues her pal uncared for to inform her about this summer season job.
“The Druid Stone” by Katie Younger. A younger lady revisits a forest of her youth and discovers that you just actually can go residence once more…however at fairly a price.
“Blessed Mary” by Stephen Volk. A pregnant couple inherits a home in a Welsh city after the spouse’s mom dies. Native legend has it {that a} Gray Mare was compelled out of the steady to make room for Jesus, and so wandered and at last had its foal on their lonesome within the desert. And that Gray Mare has a really lengthy reminiscence with regards to pregnant Christians…
“The Nice White” by Benjamin Spada. There’s something within the woods that kills each 10 years, and has been doing so since 1847. Two associates go in search. A quick-paced, wild trip of a narrative, and it options considered one of my favourite legends.
“The Marsh Widow’s Discount” by H. R. Laurence. A widow takes on a Corpse-Witch and the Leopard of the Water to guard the physique of her useless son.
“Good Boy” by Alison Littlewood. This story offers with the Black Canine or Padfoot legend and the person who adopts it as a pet.
“The Best Creation of an Clever God” by B. Zelkovich. A forest spirit visits a lonely rancher for one unforgettable night time.
“The Third Curse” by Helen Grant. The MacNeill household males have interactions with the wee folks with horrible outcomes.
“The Lights Below Rachel” by Kathryn Healy. An odd wedding ceremony on a good odder island. Members of a cult marry off considered one of their very own to one thing within the water.
“Pilgrimage of the Hummingbird” by V. Castro. A dystopian story of a peaceable settlement, a blue hummingbird god, and an unorthodox Solstice feast with outsiders.
“The Grim” by Cavan Scott. A newly dry alcoholic, his two youngsters, and his sister get rained out of a tenting journey and search shelter in an previous church. When ‘The Watchman’ exhibits up, they need they had been nonetheless misplaced within the woods.
“Pontianak: An Origin Story” by Christine Sng. Right here we now have a Malay/Indonesian piece of folklore that has turn into a brand new favourite of mine. An entire new tackle a really previous trope—you’ll like it. A narrative of a rich previous man who created the Pontianak by means of his cruelty, and paid the worth.
“Ghost Land of Giants” by Linda D. Addison. A poem that put me in thoughts of the Morlocks and the Eloi from H. G. Wells’ Time Machine.
My favorites had been “Summer time Bonus”, “Blessed Mary”, “The Nice White”, The Best Creation of an Clever God”, “The Grim”, and “Pontianak: An Origin Story.” I additionally preferred “Good Boy”, “Rabbitheart”, and “The Authentic Occupant”.
In brief, this was a superb anthology stuffed with wonders and horrors that you’ll take pleasure in studying. The ebook is attractive, with a foil cowl and fore-edge portray to match. A cultured Christmas reward that you should purchase for these folklore aficionados in your record—and for your self, too!
5 out of 5 stars!
About Carson Buckingham
Professionally, Carson Buckingham has made her approach in life doing all method of issues, most of which contain arson. She is at the moment employed as a contract author on a piece launch program. In her spare time, she research forensics, in hopes of making use of her new data to eluding the authorities extra successfully the following time.
She is initially from Connecticut, however now resides in Kentucky—and Connecticut is glad to be rid of her.
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