Anthologies are a perfect choice when the weather outside is frightful and holidays are looming. Yule, an ancient winter festival, has commenced. This celebration will carry us through the week of Christmas into the 1st of the New Year. In a season that is too often marked by hectic and stressful days, anthologies can offer us a temporary escape and distraction from our daunting list of holiday tasks.
So, what are anthologies and why read them? Let’s talk about it. First, what is an anthology? It’s a collection of short stories from different authors that is then edited by a person, or persons, before they publish a final, curated collection. For those of us who are familiar with anthologies, or may be interested in delving into them, let’s discuss a little further as to what their appeal could be to readers.
Now, I read a lot of books, a whole lot. Anthologies are one of my favorite types of books to read because I can experience so many things in the span of one book. Read different writing styles. Maybe discover a new-to-me author. It also is great when you may be short on time or attention span because your house is in pure holiday chaos. And there is no better time than the holidays to have a much-needed respite from the madness going on outside.
All the books on this list may not be holiday inspired, but they will definitely offer some bone chilling fun to your winter solstice. Now let’s get into it, the top 5 anthologies you need to get your hands on this Yule:
The Rack: Stories Inspired By Vintage Horror Paperbacks
Publisher: Greymore Publishing
A collection that pays homage to the supermarket paperback racks of the 80s. So many possibilities … creepy dolls, parasitic insects, werewolves, vampires. That rack had it all. Edited by Tom Deady, this book has 20 stories from authors like Stephen King, Clay McLeod Chapman, Philip Fracassi, and Laurel Hightower, to name just a few. You can order a copy directly from Tom Deady’s site.
Long Division: Stories of Social Decay, Societal Collapse, and Bad Manners
Publisher: Bad Hand Books
work from some of the darkest minds in horror. Tales from Chuck Palahniuk, Zoje Stage, Ai Jiang, and more, give us a glimpse into a world that has lost sight of the ties that bind us together, and discusses the things that subsequently divide us. This collection is edited by Doug Murano and Michael Bailey. You can order it directly from Bad Hand Books site. This press was also featured in Eight Indie Horror Publishers to Shop This Holiday Season by our very own Cat.
Christmas and Other Horrors: A Winter Solstice Anthology
Publisher: Titan Books
From Titan Books comes this anthology full of chilling stories, edited by horror legend Ellen Datlow. This book features new stories from powerhouses such as Stephen Graham Jones, Tananarive Due, Cassandra Khaw, Josh Malerman … this list just goes on and on. You can order this book from Titan Books directly from the link above.
American Cannibal
Publisher: Rowland Books
Focuses on stories from American history reimagined with a cannibalistic twist. Edited by Rebecca Rowland, this collection features 20 stories from some of the biggest names writing horror fiction in modern day. We have Gwendolyn Kiste, V. Castro, Ronald Malfi, Wrath James Wright, Jeff Strand … the list just goes on with some stellar contributors. You can order it through Rebecca Rowland’s site.
Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology
Publisher: Penguin
A sinister collection that is not to be missed. Many Indigenous People believe that you should never ever whistle at night … because legends tell us that whistling at night can cause evil spirits to appear and follow a person home. This collection, edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. includes an introduction by the iconic Stephen Graham Jones and stories from Indigenous authors such as Tommy Orange, Rebecca Roanhorse and Nick Medina, along with many more. Both editors also have pieces in this book, and it has an upcoming sequel in the works! You can order this collection via Shane Hawk’s site.
Found: An Anthology of Found Footage Horror Stories
Publisher: Vermillion 2 One Press
This collection features 18 stories from horror writers who disappeared between April and August 2021, at the time they were writing their stories. Epistolary and found footage style stories are so effective because they make the audience an intimate accomplice to the horrors unfolding on the page. We have stories from Tim McGregor, Angela Sylvaine, Alan Baxter and many more. This collection is edited by Andrew Cull & Gabino Iglesias and can be ordered via Andrew Cull’s website. Found also has a sequel, Found 2, that is available from the same website.
There we have it, our list. A list Krampus himself would be proud of. Please, if you give yourself any gift this season, let it be one of these anthologies. They are all full of so many different horrors that they remind me of the snowflakes unique to the Yule season. Each so similar, yet so unique and worth a close look.
Images courtesy of each individual publisher
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