I have not been pleased with Ellen Datlow’s recently published anthologies. You can read my review of Lovecraft’s Brood here.
Of the 19 stories in All Hallows Eve, I really only liked one of them: “Her Mother’s Business” by Garth Nix. A young girl’s mother is a con artist and uses her wiles to cheat wealthy widows out of vast sums of money by staging a seance with her victim’s dead relative.
Garth Nix cleverly sets the seance in “Her Mother’s Business” on Halloween when other Powers decide to intervene. Sadly, none of the other stories in All Hallows Eve come close to the excellence of this story. GRADE: C
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction Ellen Datlow
Foreword Lisa Morton
That Hannie Agnes Josh Malerman
On the Path, Bleeding Lee Murray
Good Kids Rich Larson
Treats Clay McLeod Chapman
The Levels Livia Llewellyn
Forever Again Michael Marshall Smith
The Devil’s New Year Stephen Graham Jones
Merciless Feast Linda D Addison
Or So the Story Goes Christopher Golden
The Kuker Alma Katsu
Ankou’s Night Brian Evenson
The Hungry Grass Siobhan Carroll
Saturday Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ
Give Me Something Good to Eat Theresa DeLucci
Her Mother’s Business Garth Nix
The Thinning of the Veil Jeffrey Ford
Dare Me Richard Kadrey
On the Night of the Welcome Stranger Nathan Ballingrud
The Auld Woman with the Broom John Langan
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
ABOUT THE EDITOR
Good. I mean, not good that it’s not, but good in that I don’t need another mediocre anthology. I have a couple of Otto’s anthologies.
Jeff, Otto seldom disappoints. Lately, Datlow anthologies have been disappointing. I’ve resorted to ordering them from the Library instead of buying them…
I didn’t recognize any of the authors. I guess I’m not the target audience for these stories.
Maggie, I’m with you on unrecognizable writers in these recent anthologies. Apparently Name Writers don’t want to write short stories…
I actually recognized eleven of the authors, but must admit that I have only read stories and novels from three of them — Malerman, Jones, and Golden.
Jerry, I was hoping for some quality stories in ALL HALLOWS EVE, but I only encountered mediocrity…