These stories open an ephemeral portal onto the paranormal where sometimes something supernatural slithers. Some of the creations are awful and evil; others rather more whimsical and wistful. Like the first collection in this series, UM2 presents a dozen short stories by different authors. The majority bring the 21st century into fleeting contact with legends and fables from a variety of cultures and countries. Stories like ’For the Memory of Jane’ almost ache with a yearning to return to the old ways – or at least, not to let them be entirely forgotten by old minds in modern times.

The opening story in the collection is, as you’d expect from Tanith Lee, an accomplished if old-fashioned spooky story, one which brings a touch of the repulsive to an established legend. It starts the anthology at a gentle pace, understated and deliberate in its delivery, leaving other authors to ramp up the tension, the pace and the action as the collection progresses.

‘How To Get Ahead In Avatising’ is an exercise in arch observation and ironic commentary, offering an occult explanation for how the talent-free somehow become celebrities and persons of influence. In this tale a gasping starlet gets her come-uppance. If only it happened in real life…

Creatures of myth and magic feature in every single story, from a lovelorn water nymph to spring-heeled jack. Sometimes the critters are unambiguously evil but – as in 'Trapped In The Web' – their interactions with certain humans are benign or even helpful. Perhaps my favourite is 'The Cupboard Of Winds' which explains those weird draughts you get in old houses. It’s told in a matter-of-fact, entertaining fashion which perfectly blends the gods of ancient tales with a thoroughly modern setting… even down to a no-good boyfriend who only shows up when he’s keen on conjugal entertainment.

(There's more detail about the individual stories over at http://murdermayhemandmore.wordpress.com/2014/12/30/urban-mythic-2-modern-day-fa... )

The writing is well polished and edited throughout, and the stories carefully arranged to provide a change of pace, style and momentum as the anthology unfolds. This collection demonstrates the scope of the short story: it can be an entertaining interlude, little more than froth on your coffee. Or it can touch on deeper sensibilities and subjects – skilfully highlighting an overlooked aspect of the human condition in little more than a few thousand words. Just because it’s ‘make believe’, doesn’t mean it is inconsequential…

Altogether, an extremely entertaining afternoon spent in the company of ‘what if?’
8/10
( )