The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror 14

This was another enjoyable collection of short horror fiction edited by Stephen Jones, especially reading it after a short break away from the genre.

My top favorites are Neil Gaiman's "October in the Chair" and Joe Hill's "20th Century Ghost," which I found a bit spooky but also quite poignant. I also particularly liked "The Absolute Last of the Ultra-Spooky, Super-Scary Hallowe'en Horror Nights" by David J. Schow, "The Two Sams" by Glen Hirshberg, "Catskin" by Kelly Link, "The Coventry Boy" by Graham Joyce, and "The Cage" by Jeff Vandermeer. I didn't immediately get Don Tumasonis' "The Prospect Cards" and had to go back to the beginning, but once I did, I found it quite disturbing.

All in all, the book was one satisfying read.

There are works from some of the heavyweights of horror in this volume of the anual horror collection. You'll find Neil Gaiman's October in the Chair, Joe Hill's 20th Century Ghost and Kim Newman's Egyptain Avenue inside the not overly scary cover.

There are lesser gems rubbing shoulders with these jeweled greats and they are the ones that are going to creep in under your defences and lurk in the shadows of your mind. Watch out for Kelly Link's Catskin and Jeff Vandermeer's The Cage.