APRIL
Photo credit Dr. Laura Varnam
We start off this month with anthology news, and congratulations are in order. Firstly, to Juliet Marillier, whose story ‘The Reeds Remember’ from Marie and Paul’s book The Other Side of Never, released by Titan Books last year, has been shortlisted for the Aurealis Award in the ‘Best Fantasy Short Story’ category!
The #1 bestselling anthology was also reviewed by Ksenia Shcherbino at the BSFA who said, ‘A good story is always like an onion – it opens new layers of meaning each time you approach it. Even more so, if the book in question is Peter Pan – less than a book and more a mythology, a way of seeing the world, an identity. The protean nature of the original has its impact on its literary progeny: The Other Side of Never is a collection of short stories engaging with Peter Pan, spin-offs and palimpsests, sidequels and crossovers, re-tellings and re-imaginings…Barrie’s own text is highly intertextual as it has multiple genre versions (novel, play, story that refers to other stories). Moreover, many people nowadays know Peter Pan through the lens of interpretative media (animated Disney film or live action movies, Spielberg’s Hook (1991) with a star cast of Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, and Maggie Smith or even this year’s Peter Pan & Wendy which I haven’t seen yet). In a similar way, The Other Side of Never brings together different ways of reading Peter Pan, you just have to find yours!’
You can read the full thing here.
But that’s not all, Angela Slatter’s tale ‘The Tissot Family Circus’, which first appeared in Twice Cursed, has been picked up for inclusion in The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror V, edited by Paula Guran.
At the same time, Marie was sent a photo of that anthology spotted in a bookstore in Barcelona (below, thank you to DK Sellers).
You can grab your copy of The Other Side of Never here.
And Twice Cursed here.
Also from last year, Marie and Paul’s hardback anthology In These Hallowed Halls – again from Titan Books – was included in the list of ‘25 Best Dark Academia Books’ by the prestigious Town & Country magazine (above). You can find the article here.
The book received a couple more shoutouts on Istagram last month as well, the first from @blackcoffeegreycharacters (above) who said: ‘Four and a half stars seems a pretty solid average to reflect this one – since it’s an anthology of unconnected stories, there were some I liked more than others. Personal favorites included “1000 Ships,” “The Hare and the Hound,” “The Ravages,” and “Phobos.” This collection does a wonderful job of pulling together the pieces that make #darkacademia what it is and I had a grand old time with it – it’s also a very digestible book given that you can read just 20-page stories at a time.’
And @kat.with.a.book (above) had this to say: ‘If you love a good #darkacademia story, then this collection is full of them. Flowed well and kept you turning pages. Definitely give this one a go.’
An earlier anthology now, and the Shirley Jackson Award-nominated Wonderland was included as a ‘Staff Pick’ by Smokey over at ShelfLife Books.
You can order In These Hallowed Halls here.
And your copy of Wonderland here
Editor Trevor Kennedy reviewed the anthology Marie and Paul edited, Hellbound Hearts, in the recent Phantasmagoria Hellraiser Special (both above). Here’s what he had to say, ‘Since the release of the original film in 1987, the mythology of the Hellraiser universe has shot its blood-stained hooks, chains and more into several other forms of popular culture and media, including video games, comic books, jigsaws, Funko Pop! dolls and, as you would naturally expect, prose. In fact, Clive Barker himself discusses the whole concept of “mythos” in his Foreword (Doug Bradley also provides an afterword) to this spin-off anthology edited by Paul Kane and Marie O’ Regan. With regards to the Cenobites of this imagined world, surely the most fascinating aspect of them would have to be their backstories – indeed their personal mythos – something that we as viewers began to taste properly with the first three sequel films. Added to this, to set the (mis)adventures of these sadomasochists from Hell to historical – or even future (1996’s Bloodline) – backdrops is so utterly enthralling and adds so much weight, context, timelessness and presence to the monastic demons in question. This is handled expertly in some of the tales selected for Hellbound Hearts, namely Sarah Pinborough’s dark fairy story “The Confessor’s Tale”, set, it appears, in the old Russian Empire still under Tsarist rule, while Simon Clark’s sublime “Our Lord of Quarters” sees the unholy action take place in Constantinople in the early fifteenth century.
Of the other highlights in this very strong anthology, which also consists of short pieces by Neil Gaiman and Richard Christian Matheson, there are many, including Peter Atkins’ excellent opener, “Prisoners of the Inferno”, concerning a lost and apparently cursed old film, “Hellbound Hollywood” by Mick Garris, about a washed-up movie director who winds up in a house in London fans of the Hellraiser series will know very well, and Sarah Langan’s brilliantly bleak apocalyptic parable “The Dark Materials Project”. Also worthy of note are Tim Lebbon’s “Every Wrong Turn”, “Orfeo the Damned” by Nancy Holder, “Mother’s Ruin” by Mark Morris, Nancy Kilpatrick’s “The Promise” and “Tis a Pity He’s Ashore” by Chaz Brenchley, along with appropriately dark offerings by Cenobite actors Nicholas Vince and Barbie Wilde, “Demon’s Design” and “Sister Cilice”, respectively.
Truth is, there are no bad stories included here – certainly not from a technical point of view – although each individual reader will obviously have their own personal favourites, and, as you would expect from an anthology based around Clive Barker’s The Hellbound Heart and its screen incarnations, there’s some brutal, twisted stuff on display, but if you’re a fan of the series you wouldn’t really have it any other way, of course...’
Pick up a copy of that anthology here.
And you’ll find more details about Phantasmagoria magazine and this special on its website here.
Absinthe Books novella Despatches, by Lee Murray (below), has received a glowing review over on Uncomfortably Dark, in Christina's Critiques: "I’m not good with historic novels or stories, typically. But every once in a blue moon, one sucks me right in and I hold on for dear life until the end. DESPATCHES is one of those very lucky few."
To read the full review, click here.
Circling back to the Aurealis Awards, and the Absinthe Books novella Marie commissioned and edited, The Leaves Forget by Alan Baxter (above), has also been shortlisted – in not only the ‘Best Horror Novella’ category, but ‘Best Fantasy Novella’ as well! A huge congratulations to Alan and all the other nominees – full list here. While we wait for the results, you can get that book and any other Absinthe Books titles here, or buy the lot in the PS Spring sale here.
march
The full Table of Contents for Beyond and Within: Folk Horror, Marie and Paul’s anthology for Flame Tree releasing over the summer, has been released. They are:
‘The White Road’ by Neil Gaiman; ‘The Well’ by John Connolly; ‘Rabbitheart’ by Jen Williams; ‘The Original Occupant’ by Adam L.G. Nevill; ‘Summer Bonus’ by Lee Murray; ‘The Druid Stone’ by Katie Young; ‘Blessed Mary’ by Stephen Volk; ‘The Great White’ by Benjamin Spada; ‘The Marsh-Widow’s Bargain’ by H.R. Laurence; ‘Good Boy’ by Alison Littlewood; ‘The Finest Creation of an Artful God’ by B. Zelkovich; ‘The Third Curse’ by Helen Grant; ‘The Lights Under Rachel’ by Kathryn Healy; ‘Pilgrimage of the Hummingbird’ by V. Castro; ‘The Grim’ by Cavan Scott; ‘Pontianak: An Origin Story’ by Christina Sng; ‘Ghost Land of Giants’ by Linda D. Addison.
You can see more about the book and read an exclusive extract from the introduction here.
A new review of Marie and Paul’s anthology for Titan In These Hallowed Halls has appeared from @thebalancedbookshelf over on Instagram (above). Here’s what they had to say: ‘As a lover of Dark Academia I was so excited when this was published last fall. I’m happy that some of my favorite Dark Academia authors were featured and that is definitely reflected in my rating. While some, of course, are always better than others I liked the mix of concepts and storytelling ability. Overall, I gave this collection of stories 4 stars but my individual story rating is: “1000 ships” – 4 Stars; “Pythia” – 4.5 stars; “Sabbatical” – 3 stars; “The Hare and the Hound” – 5 stars; “X House” – 3.5 stars; “The Ravages” – 3 stars; “Four Funerals” – 4 Stars; “The Unknowable Pleasures” – 5 Stars; “Weekend at Bertie’s” – 4 stars; “The Professor of Ontography” – 4.5 stars; “Phobos” – 5 stars; “Playing” – 3 stars.’
To buy the hardback click here.
The brand-new trio of Absinthe Books novellas coming next were revealed last month in a PS Newsletter dedicated to the imprint (above). The new novellas are: Spiderglass: A Tale of Durstan by George Mann, Grackle by AC Wise and The Rider, The Ride, The Rich Man’s Wife by Premee Mohamed. Find out more about the award-winning line here.
Lastly, following on from last month’s news, Lee Murray has made it to the Bram Stoker Awards® Superior shortlist for ‘Achievement in Long Fiction’ with her Absinthe Books release Despatches, edited by Marie. Good luck to Lee and you can buy your copy here.
february
As promised, more Death Comes at Christmas news – with the release of this gorgeous ad featuring the equally gorgeous cover for Paul and Marie’s anthology. Coming in October from Titan Books, it features contributions from the likes of CL Taylor, Vaseem Khan, Alexandra Benedict, Angela Clarke, David Bell, Helen Fields, Tina Baker and others. Paul’s been hard at work on this throughout January and will continue working on it in the coming month.
In the meantime you can pre-order the hardback here or here.
More shoutouts and reviews for Marie and Paul’s In These Hallowed Halls have appeared, including @skelebooks on Instagram (above) who said: ‘I just finished reading In These Hallowed Halls, a collection of academia themed tales. It was a Christmas gift from my fiancé and I loved it. I find short story collections difficult to review, especially when the stories are by different authors and written in different styles, but overall this was a great collection. I have also read Vampires Never Get Old by the same publisher. I think I might end up picking up more of their themed short story collections.’
Credit: @valenarrigunaga
On Netgalley, Nicole L wrote in her 4* review: ‘I always love collections of short stories, there’s just something so fun about jumping into different tales all within one publication! The authors of this one truly peaked my interest, Olivie Blake was my main reason for picking this up as well as my love of dark academia. I think this definitely bridges into themes of horror, lgbtq+, mystery, thriller and so much more! I think there’s definitely something for everyone and this would be the perfect start to someone’s dark academia reading journey. My favourite stories were: “Pythia” by Olivie Blake (I don’t think I was surprised by this as Olivie’s writing wows me every time); “1000 Ships” by Kate Weinberg – what a way to make me feel a strong NEED to pick up The Truants to see more of this character; “The Ravages” by Layne Fargo – tapping into that horror/revenge element that I LOVE… That’s just the top three, there were only a select few I didn’t really enjoy which is amazing out of a book containing so many new authors for myself. I will definitely be looking into many of these authors now.’
Then Sophie L said: ‘This was a wonderful dark academia anthology, with some fantastic authors on board! A great starting point for anyone who's new to Dark Academia and wants to get a feel of what it entails and the kind of vibe to expect. I particularly enjoyed 1000 ships – felt familiar, a little like My Dark Vanessa.’ And Allison V added: ‘I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed some of these stories as much as I did! The Layne Fargo story blew me away. I really liked Susie Yang’s as well. There were a few others that were excellent.’ Both were 4* reviews…
Credit: @MyBookFix
In her 4* review, Erin M said: ‘A brilliant collection of perfectly gothic short stories that not only introduced me to some new authors but also made for great reading throughout the week. A great starting point into the world of dark academia. “The Ravages” and “Pythia” were particular favourites of mine from this collection. I highly recommend picking this up!’
While Livia C’s 5* review said: ‘In These Hallowed Halls: A Dark Academia Anthology is everything I could have hoped for from a short story collection and more. I was absolutely drawn by names like Olivie Blake and Tori Bovalino, who I love with all my heart and this anthology let me discover more and more magnificent new authors and I’m gonna be forever grateful. I love Dark Academia and everything surrounding it and this anthology is absolutely perfect. In these 12 short stories the reader will be able to follow these complex and magnificent, often morally gray, characters in their adventures and stories. From revealing sinister truths about missing professors, deadly rituals, seances for revenge, obsessions, lies, secrets and death… I loved every single story. Deliciously sinister and creepy, intense and beguiling. 10/10’
Credit: @tralovesbooks
One final 4* Netgalley review, with Patridge P offering: ‘This is an absolutely wonderful collection. I am a huge dark academia fan, so it is no surprise that I loved reading this. I read one short story a week because I didn’t want to fly through the book. There are a range of authors here that I have read, and some that I had not had the pleasure of reading yet. That is what I love about collections – they introduce you to new authors but with a short burst so you can get a taste of what they are writing. Sometimes with short stories, I struggle to connect to the story and characters but this was not the case here. Every story was written with such great care and love that I was able to really get into the writing.’
To pick the anthology up, simply click here.
Czech copies of Marie and Paul’s earlier anthology, Cursed, arrived last month courtesy of Titan Books and publisher Vydala EuroMedia Group and were also sent out to authors. A stunning publication, you can see photos above and below.
There’s also a Cursed audio sample up on YouTube (below) which you can listen to by clicking here.
Finally, the news that Lee Murray has made the Preliminary Ballot for the Bram Stoker Awards with her Absinthe Books release Despatches, edited by Marie. You can order your copy here.
january
A very Happy New Year to you! The Festive Season may well be over, but we kick off 2024’s news with the announcement of a related mass market hardback anthology coming out from Marie and Paul: Death Comes at Christmas (above), published by Titan Books, releasing in October, and featuring the likes of CL Taylor, Vaseem Khan, Alexandra Benedict, Angela Clarke, David Bell, Helen Fields, Tina Baker and other stars of the genre. Look out for more about this as the year goes on.
But before that, we have the anthology Beyond & Within: Folk Horror from Flame Tree, coming out over the summer and featuring the likes of Neil Gaiman, John Connolly, Jen Williams, Adam LG Nevill and Alison Littlewood. The cover for this hardback has now been released (above) and it’s available to pre-order here and here.
More shoutouts on Instagram for Marie and Paul’s Dark Academia anthology In These Hallowed Halls appeared in December like these from @one.cosy.girl, @jessicamap and @aimlessmel (all above).
And @up.too.late.reading (above) did a little write-up, saying: ‘Dark Academia is defined by a darkness that overshadows the students, creating a solemn tone and aesthetic. It is often a murder, over-powered professors or a difficult student life. Not long after joining Bookstagram I discovered dark academia was a thing and that I loved it! Give me a dark school or college setting and I’m there! So I was delighted to receive this gorgeous anthology for my birthday. In these Hallowed Halls is a collection of short stories by writers known for their dark academia. I am not really a fan of short stories but I was intrigued by this as there are authors included that I haven’t read before. I picked this as my last read of 2023 as thought it would be a good one to end the year on. My stand out favourite stories were from David Bell, Layne Fargo and JT Ellison…Whether you are a lover of dark academia or are intrigued and want to see what it all entails this is a good book to try.’
Plus @bubblegum_or_books are doing an interactive readalong, the dates of which you can find above. So head on over there if you want to take part!
There were also more glowing reviews, starting with Geek Girl Authority (above), who had this to say: ‘Overall, In These Hallowed Halls is an excellent addition to any dark academia collection. Every story is worth a read, and a handful are exceptional standouts. The imagery describing the schools in every story is beautifully done. Each writer has a unique way of transporting the reader to these various Universities. The descriptions of the campuses almost made me miss walking the halls of my alma mater (almost). I certainly miss perusing the dead, silent stacks of the always-empty library… The more disturbing stories are the ones that clung to me the most. The macabre tone resounds in every entry and carries the reader from one dark atmosphere to another. After reading these twisted tales, my dreams were dark, disturbing and, of course, took place in a library. This anthology is satisfying for fans of dark academia, horror or mystery genres. Make sure you have a warm blanket when you read because some of these stories will chill you to the bone.’
You can read the full thing here.
Credit: @PrisandherBooks
It appeared in SFF World’s Yearly Review where Mark Yon reiterated what he’d said previously: ‘This one is an anthology of all-new stories that deals with the current trend known as “dark academia”. I said that “In These Hallowed Halls delivers an eclectic range of stories from many of the newest and brightest genre writers. It is a book ideal for settling down with on a colder Autumnal night, or indeed dipping into as you start that new educational journey. (Cup of tea optional!) If you are a fan already, I think you’ll love it, or if you’re looking for somewhere to start, to try the subgenre, I can think of nowhere better at the moment.”’
To read the list click here.
And it also made @zubscovered’s list of the best Dark Academia of 2023 (above).
To pick the book up, just click here.
New reviews have cropped up of Marie’s other anthologies. Firstly, AU Review gave their opinion on Twice Cursed: ‘Twice Cursed is the second anthology from editors Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane on the theme of the curse. Authors such as Neil Gaiman, Angela Slatter, Laura Purcell, and A. C. Wise have each contributed short stories of dark and urban fantasy and fairy tale to explore the concept of a curse: of being cursed, of cursing another, of exacting a curse, of breaking a curse. The authors take the concept in numerous creative directions, and each story captures a different aspect of the idea. Snow White must come to terms with living a half-life after she is awoken from the dead, her beauty and her mother’s wickedness haunting her in a cursed mimicry of being alive. A support group for people living with a variety of curses is penetrated by an immortal with an unlikely story. And an archaeological dig slowly gets out of hand as petty academics seek vengeance against a woman succeeding, and she is succumbed by a witch’s buried curses. These stories are dark but imaginative, gory but redemptive. What drives someone to cast a curse? How does one live a life while cursed? And if you have the opportunity, would you pass your curse on to others to save yourself? These questions and others are explored by the authors in this collection, which is an excellent follow-up to the first collection. I’d recommend this anthology to lovers of dark fantasy and fairy tales, and short stories that take a concept to many different conclusions. Some stories are not for the faint of heart… but then neither is a curse!’
You can read the full thing here.
Over on Goodreads, David Niall Wilson of Crossroad Press gave Phantoms 4*, saying: ‘Phantoms and Ghosts have fascinated us for centuries. Everyone, it seems, has a story to tell, something they have been involved in, something they have felt, or seen. This anthology covers a wide spectrum of such stories, many of them memorable. It's a solid anthology with some recognizable names and titles. The first that stuck with me was an old friend, “20th Century Ghost” by Joe Hill. The sense of nostalgia, love of films, and the melancholy presentation are unforgettable. Very much enjoyed revisiting this. “CAMEO” by Laura Purcell, is a slow burn... a story of caste and family, long rejection and the hope of redemption... and tragedy. This is a wonderful example of a traditional ghost story. “The Adjoining Room” by A. K. Benedict was an intriguing twist on a traditional horror theme. Again, that feel of melancholy and desire. Very traditional ghost story, and I find that this type of tale is the strength of the anthology. It will stick with me. “The Restoration” by George Mann is a sort of homage to Dorian Grey and very intriguing... again, not a new concept for a ghost story, but a new twist on an older one, familiar... and yet... memorable. “One New Follower” by Mark A. Latham has the feel of an indie horror movie. It scrolls like that kind of plot, images that flicker through your mind, vivid descriptions... strange places... probably the least traditional phantom story in the anthology. This is an overall strong collection with work by a lot of familiar names, and a theme that remains constant without becoming predictable. Highly recommended.’
And you can buy the books here, here, here, and here.
Finally, the Absinthe book They Shut Me Up by Tracy Fahey was reviewed by Georgina Bruce last month for Interzone. She said: ‘The world would be a better place if we understood that the menopause is to a woman what a full moon is to a werewolf. It torments and transforms her until she breaks free from the cages she’s built around herself and rampages into the night-time forest of her years. (And it also gives her a lot more unwanted hair to deal with.) Fahey’s stunning novella goes a long way towards producing, if not that precise understanding, at least a better understanding of this revolutionary time in a woman’s life…Fahey’s engagement with the feminist project of retelling women’s history feels significantly new and important. This is not diving into history and projecting our modern identity concerns onto past figures. This feels more like an excavation; as the title suggests, it’s an opening up of what’s been buried, a telling of what’s been silenced. And it’s notable that Fahey consistently puts the reader’s experience first, serving the story before any ideology or philosophy.
Another of the joys of this novella is the precise, contemporary language. Fahey writes beautiful, economical sentences that pull you through the story without ever drawing unnecessary attention to themselves. Her writing is transparent, catchy and full of humour.’
Read the full thing here.
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