You might think that a horror collection about Christmas–a time of Comfort and Joy–might be a non-starter. But Ellen Datlow’s Christmas and Other Horrors features some creepy Christmas stories. Take Garth Nix’s “Last Drinks at Bondi Beach” for example. There’s a monstrous creature about to be unleashed…but there are complications. Richard Kadrey–of Sandman Slim fame–delivers a gruesome tale: “The Ghost of Christmases Past.” A woman wields a nail gun to secure her windows in the days leading up to Christmas to protect herself from the Ghost that murdered her young brother and now seeks to kill her. Once again, everything isn’t quite what it seems.
My favorite story in Christmas and Other Horrors is Jeffrey Ford’s “The Visitation.” In his Afterward to his story, Ford writes about finding a book in Ohio that listed various Christmas holiday rituals. One of these rituals concerned helping strangers at Christmastime because they might be Angels of Accord who test humans. “If you act with generosity toward them in their indigent disguise, they will shower you and your family with grace and wealth.” (p. 323) Of course, if you don’t extend help to the disguised Angel, the consequences will be dire. Which is pretty much Jeffrey Ford’s story.
Call me Old Fashioned, but I prefer more uplifting and inspiring stories this time of year. But, different strokes for different folks… GRADE: C+
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction by Ellen Datlow — 7
The Importance of a Tidy Home/Christopher Golden — 9
The Ones He Takes/Benjamin Percy — 31
His Castle/Alma Katsu — 41
The Mawkin Field/Terry Dowling — 59
The Blessing of the Waters/Nick Mamatas — 83
Dry and Ready/Glen Hirshberg — 97
Last Drinks at Bondi Beach/Garth Nix — 131
Return to Bear Creek Lodge/Tananarive Due — 139
The Ghost of Christmases Past/Richard Kadrey — 169
Our Recent Unpleasantness/Stephen GrahamJones — 189
All the Pretty People/Nadia Bulkin — 225
Löyly Sow-na/Josh Malerman — 243
Cold/Cassandra Khaw — 271
Gravé of Small Birds/Kaaron Warren — 283
The Visitation/Jeffrey Ford — 323
The Lord of Misrule/M. Rickert — 337
No Light, No Light/Gemma Files — 367
After Words/John Langan — 389
Acknowledgements — 429
About the Authors — 431
About the Editor — 439
Well, there are some partially-uplifting horror stories…but I think that’s a heavy expectation to lay on a horror anthology!
Meanwhile, this:
CBS MORNING NEWS just ran a “bed” of “Nights in White Satin” under their announcement of the death of Denny Laine…who had quit the Moody Blues before the song was recorded, and had no hand in it. They’re even now planning to run “With a Little Help from My Friends” under their Pete Best obit.
(I do expect better from even the MORNING NEWS staff.)
Todd, things get sloppy around the Hollidays.
Todd, exactly! Christmas horror stories strikes me as an oxymoron.
I’ve never understand the English penchant for Christmas ghost stories and Christmas horror seems like an even odder notion but there are a fair amount of people who actively dislike the holiday so perhaps this is their cup of tea. Christmas to me is pretty much childhood nostalgia and old Christmad movie and music sbut to each his own.
Byron, good point! The British do love Christmas ghost stories–I have several collections of those–and now a horror Christmas collection that could becomes an annual event if the sales are good.
The stores putting up their early Christmas displays marks the beginning of my season to rale against the Hallmark and Lifetime Christmas movies. Thus, this book is the perfect holiday treat for me! Authors like Christopher Golden and Stephen Graham Jones make it even better.
Jerry, I’ll keep that in mind. This anthology definitely has a British flavor.
I’m with you. Skip the Christmas horror stuff, as a general rule.
Jeff, I have to be in the mood for Horror. And, I’m not in that mood around Christmastime.
Christmas can be enough of a horror without adding to the stew! I say Bah! Humbug! to this collection!
Bob, maybe you should ask Santa for a heated humidifier!
George, I have not been able to convince myself to read horror stories, although I am aware that there is a wide range of how much actual horror a story has. This one looks attractive.
I do have two books of Christmas ghost stories (hand me downs from my husband) that I hope to dip into this month.
Tracy, it seems that the British like ghost stories and horror stories about Christmas. I’ll be eager to read your book reviews on those ghost books!