sheila m merritt Archives - Tachyon Publications

sheila m merritt

November 16, 2016

NIGHTMARES is the perfect tool for discovering the very best of modern horror

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized Ann Monn, anthology, becky spratford, booklist, darkness, darkness: two decades of modern horror, diabolique, elizabeth story, Ellen Datlow, horror, nightmares, nightmares: a new decade of modern horror, nihil, review, risingshadow, seregil of rhiminee, sheila m merritt

A trio of fresh reviews for Ellen Datlow’s NIGHTMARES: A NEW DECADE OF MODERN HORROR.

For BOOKLIST, Becky Spratford praises the anthology with a starred review.

Building off her indispensable DARKNESS: TWO DECADES OF MODERN HORROR (2010), which covered the years 1985–2005, Datlow has here collected the 24 stories that she has most enjoyed from 2005–15. Her task is aided greatly by the fact that the last decade has been a fertile one for the genre, with the emergence of incredible new voices and the decision by nongenre writers to give horror a try.

This volume is not only the perfect discovery tool for readers looking for the very best of modern horror, it should also be used as a collection-development tool by library staff.

Sheila M. Merritt at DIABOLIQUE is impressed by the collection.

NIGHTMARES: A NEW DECADE OF MODERN HORROR is a follow-up of sorts to editor Ellen Datlow’s DARKNESS: TWO DECADES OF MODERN HORROR. Released in 2010, DARKNESS covered select short stories published between 1985-2005. NIGHTMARES deals with the period from 2005-2015, and largely contains tales by authors not included in the previous volume. Datlow stresses that the works chosen for NIGHTMARES are stories she loves. Indeed, there’s a subjectivity inherent in picking a story for publication. Subjectivity also comes into play when a reviewer singles out certain tales to praise from a collection.

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Editor Ellen Datlow has compiled works that display her ability to cull quality horror fiction, as well as her enthusiasm and esteem for the genre. Published by Tachyon, NIGHTMARES: A NEW DECADE OF MODERN HORROR is a pleasant reminder that horror’s short fiction “golden age” is ongoing.

At RISINGSHADOW, Seregil of Rhiminee reviews the book.

NIGHTMARES: A NEW DECADE OF MODERN HORROR (edited by Ellen Datlow) is a diverse and well-edited horror anthology that demonstrates what kind of terrors and mesmerising strangeness modern horror has to offer for readers who are looking for something dark, terrifying and unsettling to read. It doesn’t disappoint its readers, because the editor has done her best to gather as many different kind of stories as possible and has paid attention to quality.

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As many of us are aware of, horror fiction – and especially weird fiction – has become increasingly popular during the last decade. I think it’s great that several new and talented authors have emerged during the recent years and have taken their place alongside the old masters. This anthology allows readers to explore what kind of unsettling stories various authors have written.

For more info about NIGHTMARES: A NEW DECADE OF MODERN HORROR, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Nihil

Design by Elizabeth Story

For more info about DARKNESS: TWO DECADES OF MODERN HORROR, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Ann Monn

October 16, 2014

THE CUTTING ROOM gives horror cinephiles and bibliophiles extra cause to rejoice this Halloween

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized anthology, diabolique, Ellen Datlow, horror, josh beatman, review, sheila m merritt, the cutting room, the cutting room: dark reflections of the silver screen

For Diabolique Magazine, Sheila M. Merritt reviews The Cutting Room: Dark Reflections of the Silver Screen, the new anthology from the award-winning, superstar editor Ellen Datlow.

Horror cinephiles and bibliophiles will have extra cause to rejoice this Halloween: The Cutting Room, a literary anthology, is an October treat. The theme of this compilation by editor extraordinaire Ellen Datlow, is laid out in its subtitle: Dark Reflections of the Silver Screen. Legendary performers have roles in some of the tales. Many of the stories (and both poems) embrace the sometimes sinister and often magical relationship between viewer and film; “Just us, the cameras, and those wonderful people out there in the dark!” The quote from Sunset Boulevard is apt when reviewing a book that addresses the allure of movies. And, in the case of our favorite genre, the attraction is deliciously dangerous and potentially deadly.

Read the rest of Merritt’s review at Diabolique Magazine.

For information on The Cutting Room: Dark Reflections of the Silver Screen, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Josh Beatman.