Readers unfamiliar with The Mammoth Book of Halloween Stories may prefer to read these notes only after reading the anthology.
The Mammoth Book of Halloween Stories (2018) edited by Stephen Jones, is a pleasing and densely packed seasonal gift for readers who enjoy the intersection of Halloween and all the varieties of horror media.
A supposed Halloween fact: that the day realizes a thinning between our reality and another. That on the night of 31 October, insights and encounters both weird and uncanny are on the menu for a few. Most of these experiencers will wake on 1 November, and most of them will move on. Only a handful will die or disappear.
It's how the individual writer handles this and other old Halloween shibboleths in their art is what makes stories in The Mammoth Book of Halloween Stories so fascinating. Not all the stories are effective; but often, their failure has more to do with narrative and stylistic choices than with the choice of Halloween as a plot component.
"October in the Chair" (2002) by Neil Gaiman: The year's twelve months hold their tenth meeting of the year in this polished and clever tales-within-tales story. October ultimately tells his peers about a boy who runs away from home, only to face a someone or something somewhere.
Setting: A campfire gathering in a grove, with a sense of timelessness.
Characters: The twelve months of the year, personified.
Halloween seen as: A time for storytelling and reflection, with a hint of the uncanny.
Style: Philosophical, allegorical, with a touch of dark fantasy.
Point of view: Third person, observing the gathering. First person as seasons narrate their anecdotes.
"Reflections in Black" by Steve Rasnic Tem: What happens to a man who wakes up to his life too late, and realizes he made the wrong choice at every turning point? Wouldn't going back to the last good time, with a woman ghosted for decades, set things right? Will it be trick or treat?
Setting: Randall, never a happy car driver, drives cross-country in a day.
Characters: Randall, a lonely man; Paula, a woman from his past; Alice, Paula's mother.
Halloween seen as: A catalyst for introspection and confronting perceived past regrets. Or a life belt?
Style: Psychological, introspective, with a touch of the uncanny.
Point of view: Third person, limited to Randall's perspective.
"The Halloween Monster" by Alison Littlewood:
After such coming-of-age knowledge, what forgiveness? From a dark alley to a witch's house, a boy discovers life's monsters can be unimaginably near.
This Halloween Dad was gone and I knew Mum wouldn't open the door, not for anyone. She had that hollow look about her, her eyes focused too far away. It was only four o'clock but it was getting dark outside, and she'd already started walking past the drinks cupboard, back and forth, running her fingers over the wood. She didn't like to start before five. Not like him, she always said, as if Dad didn't have a name any longer.
Setting: A suburban street and alleyway, likely contemporary.
Characters: Cam, a teenage boy; his mother; Gary Turner and his friends, bullies.
Halloween seen as: A time when cruelty and darkness can emerge.
Style: Coming-of-age, with elements of psychological horror.
Point of view: First person, from Cam's perspective.
"The Phénakisticope of Decay" by James Ebersole:
Elliot receives a mysterious toy on Halloween night that shows disturbing images and predicts deaths.
Setting: Upstate New York, spanning from 1989 to 2018, with a focus on a decaying house and a basement.
Characters: Elliot, a man haunted by his past; Heather, his childhood friend.
Halloween seen as: A gateway to the supernatural, with consequences.
Style: Supernatural horror, with a focus on childhood trauma and fate.
Point of view: Third person, primarily from Elliot's perspective.
"Memories of Día de los Muertos" by Nancy Kilpatrick:
On the Day of the Dead, a man confronts his fear of death and the inevitability of his own mortality as he encounters a supernatural being in a graveyard.
Setting: A cemetery in Mexico during the Day of the Dead celebration.
Characters: An unnamed narrator who is Death; a man visiting his mother's grave.
Halloween seen as: A time when the veil between the living and the dead is thin.
Style: Lyrical, poetic, with a focus on mortality and acceptance.
Point of view: First person, from Death's perspective
"Fragile Masks" by Richard Gavin:
Jon and Paige's romantic getaway takes a dark turn when they encounter Paige's ex-husband. A series of unsettling events forces Jon to confront his vulnerabilities and hidden truths about sugar mama Paige..
Setting: A remote bed-and-breakfast on Halloween night.
Characters: Jon and Paige, a couple; Teddy, Paige's ex-husband; Alicia, Teddy's fiancée; Imogene, the owner of the bed-and-breakfast.
Halloween seen as: A time when the supernatural intrudes on the mundane, revealing hidden truths.
Style: Gothic, atmospheric, with a focus on relationships and secrets.
Point of view: Third person, primarily from Jon's perspective.
"Bone Fire" by Storm Constantine:
Two teen girls participate in the traditional Halloween customs of their village, but their encounter with a mysterious boy leads to a dangerous brush with the folk-supernatural.
Setting: A rural village surrounded by ancient forests, with a focus on a specific field.
Characters: Emlie and Jenna, teenage girls; Tom, a mysterious boy.
Halloween seen as: A time of ancient rituals and encounters with the supernatural.
Style: Folkloric, atmospheric, with a focus on tradition and the power of belief.
Point of view: First person, from Emlie's perspective.
"Queen of the Hunt" by Adrian Cole:
Detective Inspector Craig investigates the brutal killing of a local man, only to find himself entangled in a dark world of ancient rituals and supernatural forces.
Setting: Rural England, with a focus on fields, woods, and a barn.
Characters: Craig, a detective inspector; Phillips, a dog handler; Maud, Craig's wife; Phoebe Poulter-Evans, a widow; Clara, Phoebe's partner; Mavis, a friend.
Halloween seen as: A time when ancient forces are unleashed, blurring the lines between reality and the supernatural.
Style: Dark fantasy, with a focus on the power of the natural world and ancient mythology.
Point of view: Third person, primarily from Craig's perspective.
"The October Widow" (2014) by Angela Slatter: Mirabel Morgan carries out her perceived annual duty of ensuring balance in the world.
Setting: The small town of Ashdown, with a focus on a cottage and its garden.
Characters: Mirabel Morgan, the October Widow; Henry, a young man; Cecil Davis, a grieving father.
Halloween seen as: A time of sacrifice and renewal, with a focus on the cyclical nature of life and death.
Style: A focus on the consequences of disrupting natural cycles.
Point of view: Third person, alternating between Mirabel, Henry, and Cecil's perspectives.
"Before the Parade Passes By" by Marie O'Regan: Hannah and her young daughter Tilly are new in town. They note increasingly disturbed classmate and parent behavior as the upcoming Halloween Parade approaches. Setting: A contemporary town, with a focus on a school, a house, and a haunted house.
Characters: Hannah, a mother; Tilly, her daughter; Annie, Tilly's friend; Mrs. Smythe, a teacher.
Halloween seen as: A time of focus on the vulnerability of prized children and the power of tradition.
Style: Psychological horror, with a focus on the anxieties of motherhood and the darkness lurking beneath the surface of ordinary life.
Point of view: Third person, primarily from Hannah's perspective.
"Her Face" by Ramsey Campbell:
Joe becomes obsessed with masks in the window of his local shop after the owner's death. Joe's troubles intensify when he gets a part-time job there after school
Setting: A corner shop and the surrounding streets, likely contemporary.
Characters: Joe, a teenage boy; June Dillard, the shop owner; Mrs. Dillard, June's deceased mother.
Halloween seen as: A time when the boundary between the living and the dead blurs, with a focus on grief and loss.
Style: Psychological horror, with a focus on the uncanny and the power of suggestion.
Point of view: Third person, limited to Joe's perspective.
"A Man Totally Alone" by Robert Hood:
Detective Salinger investigates the discovery of an ancient corpse in the Australian desert, only to find himself drawn into a world of loneliness, ancient mysteries, and the power of history.
Setting: The Australian outback, with a focus on a mine and a desert landscape.
Characters: Salinger, a police detective; Doogan, a mine manager; Jen, a pathologist; Leslie and Nat, Salinger's deceased wife and daughter.
Halloween seen as: A time when the past resurfaces and the dead walk among us, with a focus on loneliness and grief.
Style: Supernatural horror, with elements of mystery and psychological exploration.
Point of view: Third person, primarily from Salinger's perspective.
"Bleed "(1995) by Richard Christian Matheson:
A young boy confronts the grief of losing his father and the unsettling changes in his mother's new relationship, all while experiencing a disturbing Halloween night filled with blood and visions of his dead father.
Setting: A child's bedroom on Halloween night.
Characters: An unnamed child; his mother; his deceased father.
Halloween seen as: A time of loss and longing, with a focus on the child's perspective on death and the afterlife.
Style: Poetic, dreamlike miniature with a focus on the emotional impact of grief.
Point of view: First person, from the child's perspective.
"The Ultimate Halloween Party App" by Lisa Morton:
In a world where unconventional civil war rages between supporters of hi-tech app culture and it's opposite, Marcus and Olivia attend a Halloween party hosted by Jet, a renowned app designer. Over the evening, they download the ununinstallable "Ultimate Halloween Party App," which will remake a divided world.
Setting: A near-future Halloween party.
Characters: Marcus, an app developer; Olivia, his date; Jet, the party host and app creator.
Halloween seen as: A backdrop for technological horror and social commentary, exploring the dangers of virtual reality and the blurring of lines between reality and illusion.
Style: Science fiction horror, with a focus on the dark side of technology and its impact on human perception.
Point of view: Third person, primarily from Marcus's perspective.
"The Folding Man" (2010) by Joe R. Lansdale:
Jim and his friends encounter a terrifying entity on the lonely country roads of Halloween night. A headlong chase on roads and through woods begins.
In the center of the clearing they stopped and got their breath again, and William said, "My head feels like it's going to explode … hey, I don't hear it now."
"It's there. Whatever it is, I don't think it gives up."
"Oh, Jesus," William said, and gasped deep once. "I don't know how much I got left in me."
"You got plenty. We got to have plenty."
"What can it be, Jimbo? What in the hell can it be?"
Jim shook his head. "You know that old story about the black car?"
William shook his head.
"My grandmother used to tell me about a black car that roams the highways and the back-roads of the South. It isn't in one area all the time, but it's out there somewhere all the time. Halloween is its peak night. It's always after somebody for whatever reason."
"Bullshit."
Jim, hands still on his knees, lifted his head. "You go down there and tell that clatter-clap thing it's all bullshit. See where that gets you."
"It just doesn't make sense."
"Grandma said before it was a black car, it was a black buggy, and before that a figure dressed in black on a black horse, and that before that, it was just a shadow that clicked and clacked and squeaked. There's people go missing, she said, and it's the black car, the black buggy, the thing on the horse, or the walkin' shadow that gets them. But, it's all the same thing, just a different appearance."
"The nuns? What about them?"
Jim shook his head, stood up, tested his ability to breathe. "Those weren't nuns. They were like … I don't know … anti-nuns. This thing, if Grandma was right, can take a lot of different forms. Come on. We can't stay here anymore."
"Just another moment, I'm so tired. And I think we've lost it. I don't hear it anymore."
Setting: Rural backroads and woods on Halloween night.
Characters: Jim, William, and Harold, three friends; the Folding Man, a supernatural entity; junkyard owner Mr. Gordon, an old man; Chomps, his dog; "nuns."
Halloween seen as: A night of terror and the supernatural, with a focus on folk legends and the power of fear.
Style: Horror, with elements of dark humor and action.
Point of view: Third person, primarily from Jim's perspective.
"I Wait for You" by Eygló Karlsdóttir
A woman returns to her childhood home on Halloween, seeking answers about the afterlife. Her grown son has some truths to share with her.
Setting: A house and its surroundings, with a focus on a kitchen and a bedroom.
Characters: An unnamed woman, a ghost; her son, Johnny.
Halloween seen as: A time for the dead to reconnect with the living, with a focus on the complexities of family relationships and the enduring power of love and guilt.
Style: Supernatural, with a focus on emotional impact and the haunting nature of memory.
Point of view: Third person, alternating between the woman's and Johnny's perspectives.
"Dust Upon a Paper Eye" by Cate Gardner:
Hen, a makeup artist working on a macabre theater production, encounters a homeless man and a disturbing truth about the show's creator and his creations.
Setting: A theater and surrounding city streets, likely contemporary.
Characters: Hen, a makeup artist; Dominic, a homeless man; Herr Smithton, the theater owner and director; ruby-red, a mannequin.
Halloween seen as: A time when the boundary between the living and the inanimate blurs, with a focus on exploitation, desperation, and the power of art.
Style: Dark fantasy, with a focus on the macabre and the potential consequences of artistic obsession.
Point of view: Third person, primarily from Hen's perspective.
"Not Our Brother" (1982) by Robert Silverberg: Tom Halperin, an American mask collector, travels to a remote Mexican village. He witnesses a traditional dance, but his obsession with acquiring a mask leads him into a weird encounter.
Setting: San Simón Zuluaga, a remote Mexican mountain town, during the fiesta of the local patron saint.
Characters: Tom Halperin, an American mask collector; Guzmán López, an antiquities dealer; Ellen Chambers, a mysterious American woman; Filiberto, the hotel owner; Don Luis Gutierrez.
Halloween seen as: A time that allows for encounters with dangerous entities.
Style: Anthropological horror, blending folklore and the supernatural with a sense of cultural exploration.
Point of view: Third person, limited to Halperin's perspective.
"The Scariest Thing in the World" by Michael Marshall Smith:
Two old friends, Danny and Greg, reunite at a Halloween art gallery opening, where Greg's art installation will presumably force participants to confront their darknesses.
Setting: Helsinki, Finland, during the Festival of the Fantastique, with a focus on a neoclassical building and its basement.
Characters: The narrator, Danny, a successful artist; Greg, his old friend and a struggling installation artist; the Festival Secretary.
Halloween seen as: A ground-zero for confronting personal doubts, fears, and anxieties, with a focus on isolation and regret.
Style: Philosophical horror, exploring the nature of fear and the consequences of artistic compromise.
Point of view: First person, from the narrator's perspective.
"The Nature of the Beast" by Sharon Gosling:
Detective Cassie investigates a series of disappearances in Cumbria, leading her to a derelict farm and a confrontation with a black-eyed child.
Setting: Rural Cumbria, England, with a focus on a derelict farm and the surrounding fells.
Characters: Cassie Wish, a detective sergeant; DI Eddie Evans, her superior; Nick, Cassie's abusive husband; Liv, Cassie's sister; the girl, a feral child with a dark secret.
Halloween seen as: Boundaries between the human and the monstrous blur, exposing questions of survival, abuse, revenge, and other complexities of human nature.
Style: Dark, atmospheric horror, with a focus on the ferocious realities of rural life and abuse. A potential for violence lurks beneath every surface.
Point of view: Third person, primarily from Cassie's perspective.
"The Beautiful Feast of the Valley" by Stephen Gallagher:
A professor working on an AI project to recreate the personality of Plutarch encounters strange anomalies.
Setting: A modern university library and the ancient world of Egypt, blending the contemporary with the historical.
Characters: The narrator, a classicist working on an AI project; Henrik, a computer scientist; Magdalena, the deceased Plutarch specialist; Fahim, an Egyptian slave.
Halloween seen as: The dead walk among us, exploring themes of mortality, memory, and the potential consequences of resurrecting the past through technology.
Style: Literary horror, blending historical fiction with elements of the uncanny and philosophical exploration.
Point of view: First person, from the narrator's perspective.
"In the Year of Omens" (2014) by Helen Marshall: In a year filled with strange and unsettling events, Leah navigates the complexities of adolescence, loss, and the disturbing transformations happening to those around her.
Setting: A small town, likely in the United States, during a year of strange and unsettling events.
Characters: Leah, a fourteen-year-old girl; her mother; Milo, her baby brother; Yasmine, a former babysitter; Hector Alvarez, a popular boy; Inez, his sister.
Halloween seen as: A time of transformation and revelation, exploring themes of coming-of-age, loss, and the search for meaning in a world filled with omens and the uncanny.
Style: Coming-of-age with elements of magical realism and psychological horror, capturing the anxieties and uncertainties of adolescence.
Point of view: Third person, primarily from Leah's perspective.
"The Millennial's Guide to Death" by Scott Bradfield:
Death, struggling with the challenges of modern life and a demanding boss (Mother Nature), confronts his own mortality and the changing nature of his job as he navigates a series of encounters with the living and the dead.
Setting: Contemporary America, with a focus on Connecticut and California.
Characters: Death, personified as a millennial with financial struggles; Mother Nature, his employer; Norah Littleton, a client; Cherie, Death's ex-girlfriend; Mitch, a party host.
Halloween seen as: A backdrop for rollicking
anti-G. W. Bush social satire and dark humor, exploring themes of mortality, consumerism, and the challenges faced by millennials in a changing world.
Style: A satirical, darkly humorous take on social commentary and the absurdities of modern life and death.
Point of view: Third person, primarily from Death's perspective.
"White Mare" by Thana Niveau:
Naturally from Niveau, a masterpiece. Heather and her father move to a remote English village to settle her aunt's estate, but their encounter with the terrifying local Halloween traditions and the Wight Mare leads to a devastating loss and a dark transformation.
Setting: Thorpe Morag, a small village in Somerset, England, and the surrounding countryside.
Characters: Heather, a fourteen-year-old American girl; Dave Barton, her father; Callisto, a horse; Chester, a local man; Ian, Chloe, and Harry, teenagers from the village.
Halloween seen as: A time of ancient customs and potential danger, contrasting American and British perspectives on the holiday and exploring themes of tradition, sacrifice, and the clash between the modern and the ancient, then contemporary and the local.
Style: Folk horror, blending folklore and the supernatural with a focus on the power of belief and the consequences of cultural misunderstanding.
Point of view: Third person, primarily from Heather's perspective.
"Pumpkin Kids" by Robert Shearman:
A distasteful, compelling sociological mystery: mystery in the pseudo-Christological sense. In a world where Pumpkin Kids are revered as sacred beings, a boy born on the wrong side of midnight struggles with his identity and the expectations placed upon him, ultimately leading to a shocking act of defiance and a chilling revelation.
Setting: An unspecified town, likely in the United States, with a focus on a house, a church, and the surrounding streets.
Characters: The narrator, a teenage boy; his mother; Pastor Lewis; the Pumpkin Kid.
Halloween seen as: A time of religious sacrifice and societal control, exploring themes of faith, conformity, and the potential for darkness lurking beneath the surface of seemingly idyllic communities.
Style: Dystopian, darkly satirical, with a focus on the potential dangers of arbitrary parental – faith and the consequences of challenging societal norms.
Point of view: First person, from the narrator's perspective.
"Lantern Jack" (2010) by Christopher Fowler:
Lantern Jack, a spectral figure haunting a London pub, recounts a series of tragic tales circa 1600 to present, connected to the establishment and its patrons, blurring the lines between the living and the dead on Halloween night.
Setting: The Jack O'Lantern pub in London, England, on Halloween night.
Characters: Lantern Jack, the narrator and pub mascot; an unnamed young woman.
Halloween seen as: A time when the boundaries between the living and the dead blur, and the past intertwines with the present, highlighting the enduring power of stories and the cyclical nature of human experience.
Style: Ghost story with elements of urban fantasy and historical fiction, weaving together tales of love, loss, and the supernatural within the confines of a single location.
Point of view: First person, from Lantern Jack's perspective.
"Halloween Treats" poem by Jane Yolen:
A whimsical sestina celebrating the joy of Halloween and the special bond between a parent and child, even in the midst of spooky creatures and eerie delights.
Setting: Not explicitly stated, but evokes a world inhabited by various Halloween creatures.
Characters: Ghouls, ghosties, gremlins, witches, werewolves, vampires, dragons, zombies, and a child.
Halloween seen as: A time of fun and celebration, focusing on the joy of trick-or-treating and the shared experience between a parent and child.
Style: Lighthearted, whimsical, with a focus on rhyme and rhythm to create a playful atmosphere. Sestina.
Point of view: First person, from the perspective of an adult addressing a child.
Any horror reader building a Halloween alcove for their library collection will not go far wrong if they start with The Mammoth Book of Halloween Stories.
Jay
28 September 2024
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