Poe's Children: The New Horror: An Anthology

*audio

There are some great stories in this collection of modern horror edited by Peter Straub, most of them from the big names you'd expect: Straub, King, Joe Hill, Neil Gaiman. I'm a big fan of Brian Evenson's work, but didn't care for his story here. Many of the stories, especially those in the first half of the collection, felt incomplete, as if they were excerpted from novels or truncated. There is some metafiction (fiction that calls attention to the fact that it is fiction), which surprised me. Overall the stories in the collection have a modern feel and they are similar to one another in tone, if not content. There are many different styles and devices on display in these stories. Some are frightening for what they don't say, such as Ellen Klages's story "The Green Glass Sea," about the sand that has turned to glass near a nuclear testing site. "Black Dust" by Graham Joyce, isn't so much frightening as it is haunting, and is an excellent example of the type of stories Straub seems to have been trying to collect. There are two memorable, if ultimately unsatisfying, stories involving the study of moths and butterflies. Overall, these stories seem to say that modern horror is not about the external (ghosts, werewolves and vampires), but about the internal, the way we haunt ourselves and the ways we are connected to this other, terrifying world. Rather than being another universe outside of ourselves, this realm of horror is a parallel universe to which we are inextricably tied. ( )

Almost a good read. There was enough good stories mixed in with the bad to keep me plodding through this thing. I'm not sure if I would recommend this collection to anyone but I know if I go back through there would definetely be some stories I would read again (only if to try and understand them i.e. butterfly girl) ( )

Peter Straub is one of the greatest horror novelists today, one who prides himself on openness about what literature is and what makes it great. A great many authors attempt to write horror novels, but their works lack distinguishing qualities and the skills that would elevate them from simplistic gore to the level of true literary intrigue and Poe-like personae. In this collection of horror and dark fantasy, Straub unmasks the phenomenal creativity and nightmarish plotting of several literary writers, tales that will leave the weak at heart running from the night, screams howling from their lips.

The horror stories anthologized in Poe‘s Children range in nightmarish quality and length, but are all consistent in terms of creativity, quality writing, and addictive diversity. Some are of a more sci-fi quality and could fall easily into the scary but obviously make-believe category. Others are a little more honed in their realism, still possessed supernatural elements but falling into the ghost story/local legend-type category. Ultimately, the collection of short stories is frightful enough to keep away from children but decadent enough for those adults who enjoy reading a good horror novel on a dark and lonely night.

Because of the book's anthology nature, I will only briefly detail one of my favorite stories from the collection as a preview. Jane is an unusually beautiful young woman whose love of butterflies and disinterest in the larger world are strangely unique characteristics. She hides behind large glasses, attends an all-girl college and, until one fateful night, is unwaveringly focused on the science of butterflies. Taking up residence in England temporarily to house-sit for a family friend, Jane finds herself a volunteer position in the Insect House at the local zoo. Her knowledge is valuable and her skill unquestionable, but there is something different about Jane. Within a few days of Jane’s arrival in England, an large number of young men start going missing. Their belongings are found carelessly flung aside, but their bodies are not recovered. The police don’t know who to look for, but this killer is obviously living around Jane’s area. As the days pass, Jane’s rare butterfly collection continues to grow. Species that are rarely ever found are finding their way into her specimen kits. How can this be? Jane, herself, is as beautiful as the rarest of butterflies and one wonders what her value would be.

Straub as editor and the actual authors of the stories in this collection deserve nothing but praise (Straub contributes one story to the collection himself). Mature plots only highlight the quality of prose here, from seasoned authors including Elizabeth Hand, Brian Evenson, M. Rickert, Stephen King, Graham Joyce, and John Crowley.

Reviewed by Junior Cain- cainbookreviews.blogspot.com ( )

Short stories are great for readers short on time or with shorter attention spans. The collection of scary tales in this book make a great contemporary anthology of some of our greatest horror writers. As an audience we don't give enough credit to the horror genre and how a good spooky story can make us look deep within ourselves to understand our own fears. This collection of tales will give you a pleasant case of the heebie jeebies.

However, if you are expecting to read Poe-esque stories of imaginary beating hearts under the floor, uncertain villains bricked up in the wall or mysterious houses, then be forewarned: These stories may be read in the spirit of Mr. Poe, but by no means do they imitate his style of horror. I am an avid Poe fan and found I had to adjust my expectations of the collection and read the stories for their individual literary value, and not for their relevance to Poe.

This collection is a wonderful read that is, perhaps, best enjoyed late at night, in small doses, with a good cup of tea. ( )