Ellen Datlow and her furry little friend

ERRANT DREAMS delivers the the first review of superstar editor Ellen Datlow’s forthcoming anthology THE MONSTROUS. 

Pros: Excellent tales of monsters of all kinds
Cons: Some still confuse me
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

I rarely rate anthologies above a three–maybe a four at most. The thing is, it’s in the nature of anthologies to have some stories you’ll enjoy and some you won’t (the specific good and bad stories depend upon the individual reader of course). So it’s next to impossible to have a truly great anthology. Editor Ellen Datlow’s The Monstrous is one of the very few exceptions to this rule. There were a few high-concept pieces that confused me a bit (another reader-dependent issue), but by and large I loved these stories and the range of definitions of what comprises a ‘monster’. There are some good stories in which man proves to be the greatest monster of all–but there are plenty of other, more literal monsters to keep them company.

Whether you’re looking for old-fashioned or new-fashioned horror stories, I think you’ll enjoy The Monstrous. Some monsters are more literal than others; some monsters are very, very human. And sometimes, the monster isn’t quite who you think it is.

Read the rest of the review at ERRANT DREAMS.

THE MONSTROUS rises from the depths this October. 

For more on THE MONSTROUS, visit the Tachyon page.

Illustrations by John Coulthart

Cover by Reiko Murakami

Cover design by Elizabeth Story