Gripped by Fright, Once Again: A Review of The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror, 18^th Edition¹ 

by Ian Primm

02/04/2006

The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror, 18th Edition. Ellen Datlow, Kelly Link and Gavin Grant, editors. New York: St. Martin's 2005. 480 p.

Those who have previous experience reading The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror, an annual collection, hardly need a review to entice them to purchase a copy; yet this writer has hopes that his review at least teases neophytes, if not into going to the bookstore to acquire this year's collection, at least into making them count the days in their public library queue until a the book becomes available.  

For those who have not had the privilege of being exposed to this yearly mass congregation of excellent literature, a couple of gems that the editors of its 17 previous manifestations (until very recently, Datlow and Windling) have encrusted into the usual golden content deserve to be mentioned here. For starters, before they bring on the chosen few—the stories themselves—the editors delight their readership with an extensive list of current events within the publishing world of the two genres, as well as lists of both printed and electronic short stories and novels. The editors leave no stone unturned, including obituaries, complete with  glimpses into the artists' personal and professional worlds. Then there are the informative half page vitas of the authors with brief bibliographies that preceding  individual stories. Each vita includes a history of previous publications and current works, so as to reduce the frustration and trouble of locating more literature by the author.

But before anyone plucks from the shelf any edition of the Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror, it should be known a great amount of effort is dedicated by Ellen Datlow, Kelly Link, Gavin J. Grant, and before them Terri Windling, the collective parents of the book. Because of the care each brings to selecting and introducing the genres, reading  any edition of the Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror is absolutely guarantied to impress. But what’s so special about the 18^th edition?  

If the 18^th edition must be summed up in just one word, that word is “suspense.” Most of the stories in this year’s anthology will keep the reader on the edge of his or her favorite chair. Muscles will tense and throats will dry up. Each and every reader is likely to lose him or herself for much more than a moment. It is important to note, however, that the collection is inherently misleading. A reader may pick up this book under the false pretense that it can picked up for a few free moments and enjoyed as a quick fluff read. Be there no mistake, this book cannot be taken lightly; it demands the reader’s highest attention. 

One of the many beauties of this anthology is its wealth of style. Many of the stories are ethereal, with incredible imagery, as in John Kessel’s "The Baum Plan for Financial Independence," while stories like Elizabeth Hand's "Wonderfall" gracefully touch a real part of our human id that is usually brushed under the carpet. On the other hand, Chuck Palahniuk’s "Guts" will leave a searing image in your mind, fodder for nightmares to come, while China Miéville’s "Reports of Certain Events in London" will force your brain to fabricate fantastic images, just to explain impossible reports.  

Best of all, the quality of the selections does not vary from story to story. I noticed no large lacuna in this regard. And neither will you. You may, however, occasionally find yourself gripped by fright, but that is—or at least should be—the desired effect of good horror. 

¹This year’s edition contains a review of our humble zine.