A review by atomicbbgum
Fears: Tales of Psychological Horror by Ellen Datlow

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

 

Fears tales of psychological horror is a cornucopia of curated horror short stories, where some of them are straight chilling, others leave you wondering what the hell did I just read? Personally some could’ve been a whole small novel on their own, whereas in others I was lost for words, in a literal sense. It’s a roll the dice kinda book, you might get your lucky number and read a really good one or you might just be left wondering at what time you should take a nap this upcoming weekend. Overall I enjoyed this book, some of the stories that stood out to me the most are as follows:

Bait by Simon Bestwick- A bar onlooker keeps witnessing another pub patron stalk and possibly do unspeakable things to inebriated gals as they’re leaving the bar, he finally decided to take action one night and he’s met with the switcheroo of his life. 

The Pelt by Annie Neugebauer- A young couple living semi off grid in a plentiful land find a pelt of an unknown animal left by an anonymous somebody and things start to not add up.

The Donner Party by Dale Bailey - Mrs. Breen life is elevated to a new level in the higher class society when Lady Donner invites her to partake in a rather unorthodox dinner, but things can go awry if you so much decline an invitation and later she learns there is a high price to pay to enjoy such a tender and succulent meal.

Back Seat by Bracken MacLeod - A little girl and her Dad navigate the harshness of life while being homeless and while trying to score a bit of change, the change is delivered via a back seat find.

Cavity by Theresa DeLucci- How many times have you walked by a killer and not known?

21 Brooklands: next to Old Western, opposite the burnt out Red Lion by Carole Johnstone

Some people have really fucked up families, and family friends, but things change when there is a power outage and there is a stranger in the house. 

There are a few others that are notable and great reads but in the fear of turning this into a complete essay or spoiling some of the fun we will leave it at that. I do recommend this if you enjoy different perspectives of the human mind and what makes us the most terrifying monster in the dark. I received this e-book via NetGalley to read and give an honest review and I do thank them since some of these tales have left a sour taste in my mouth, and with horror, what is better than to be left with an aftertaste?