Fears: Tales of Psychological Horror
Simon Bestwick, Annie Neugebauer, Josh Malerman, Dale Bailey, Steve Duffy, Margo Lanagan, Bracken MacLeod, Tim Nickels, Stewart O’Nan, Priya Sharma, John Patrick Higgins, Livia Llewellyn, Laird Barron, Theresa DeLucci, Sharon Gosling, Joyce Carol Oates, Ray Cluley, Carole Johnstone, Hailey Piper, Charles Birkin, Stephen Graham Jones
Bestselling horror editor Ellen Datlow (Body Shocks) returns with twenty-one stories of extreme psychological dread from such horror icons as Stephen Graham Jones, Priya Sharma, Josh Malerman, Margo Lanagan, and more. The unsettling tales explore the nature of fear as it stirs in dysfunctional families, toxic friendships, and mismatched lovers, which culminates in relentless stalkers, remorseless killers, and perpetrators of savage rituals.
Far beneath the mere supernatural lives something worse: the depths of human depravity. Your child is sacrificed in compensation for your social misstep. You compete in a sick game to save your loved ones. Your mom is insane, your dad is dying, your brother is not your brother, and you’re stuck in the same house until one or all of you are dead. In her newest landmark anthology, Ellen Datlow has unearthed twenty-one exemplary tales of what people should fear the most: other people.
Reviews
“Fears is modern horror fiction at its finest.”
"This collection is not for the faint of heart, but there are legions of fans of both psychological suspense and horror, meaning there is a built-in audience that will be eager to get their hands on this book."
"The supernatural is a mainstay of horror fiction. Yet in the reality of the darkest recesses of our hearts, we know that lots of fears stem from the potential of human perpetrated horrors [...] Editor Ellen Datlow explores this in the aptly named Fears: Tales of Psychological Horror."
"Fears: Tales Of Psychological Horror is a great collection of dreadful stories that effectively use fear, guilt, and emotion to disturb the reader."
“For decades, Ellen Datlow has set the bar. One of the most influential editors in the history of genre fiction, the gold standard of anthologists, and the ultimate tastemaker for horror stories. Datlow’s career and reputation are entirely unique―there’s only one Ellen.”Christopher Golden, author of Ararat
“Ellen Datlow has long ago earned her place as the premier anthologist of fantasy and horror. Appearing in one of her unique volumes is recognized as a significant honor, and Fears: Tales of Psychological Horror is no different.”Joe R. Lansdale, author of In the Mad Mountains
“Ellen Datlow has a supernatural talent for assembling fantastic stories into must-read anthologies, and Fears is another extraordinary example of that talent. There are no ghosts here, no monsters. Just some of the most terrifying people you’re likely to meet. Fears is filled with deeply unsettling stories of psychological horror that will continue to haunt you long after the book is closed.”Josh Rountree, author of The Legend of Charlie Fish
“Ellen Datlow has expertly gathered stories that surprise by enticing us down one path and then morph, unexpectedly, into a deeper level of anxiety and dread. Here we discover the most creative creatures of terror are human beings, who wear masks of normality to hide monstrous desires and actions. Each author skillfully finds different ways to lead us one step deeper into their flavor of mental, emotional, psychological horror.”Linda D. Addison, author of How to Recognize a Demon Has Become Your Friend
“Ellen Datlow, literature's mistress of darkness, has an unflinching eye for the glorious and the grotesque and an unerring ear for the voices that define and illuminate our genre. With Fears, the latest addition to her already remarkable bibliography, she proves yet again that she is one of the premier anthologists of her―or any other―generation.”Pete Atkins, author of Hellraiser: Bloodline