Marie O'Regan

December

The big StokerCon news for this month is that internationally bestselling author John Connolly – who pens the Charlie Parker thrillers, including Every Dead Thing and A Book of Bones, as well as books such as the Nocturnes collections and The Book of Lost Things (all below) – joins us as our latest Special Guest.

To book your ticket before prices rise in the New Year and for more details, click here.

There were a few more Wonderland reviews last month, beginning with Geekisphere who said: ‘Titan Books has just published a new anthology all about Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Featured in Wonderland: An Anthology are 18 authors who wrote short stories about their take on Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. While some may fill the classic fantasy theme, others delve into historical and darker topics…Reading through Wonderland: An Anthology was very interesting and intriguing. Seeing authors’ different takes on Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is truly wonderful. I didn’t expect some of the stories I read to get so dark in tone, while others were more focused on history and the tales of Wonderland. If you’re any fan of the movies, book, or even American McGee’s Alice games, the anthology is perfect for you. It features all the great aspects from the universe of Alice, but re-imagined and told in different ways.’

Fiction Unbound had this to say: ‘The conceit of this collection, Wonderland, is to ask several authors to send their considerable imaginations down the rabbit hole, visiting Wonderland in their own unique ways. It is fun to read all the different takes, to see the tropes of Wonderland deployed over and over, to uncover new characters and recast old friends. In this collection we get versions of Alice that range from technological-dystopian revolutionary to wild-west detective; from a computer simulation to a biographically informed literary character who explores her past traumas and future capacity to cope. This collection features phenomenal writers whose work we’ve all enjoyed. It is bookended with poems by Jane Yolen, we get a piece from Robert Shearman and Laura Mauro. There is so much to love in this collection, but unfortunately I have room to love on only a few.

“The White Queen’s Spy” by Genevieve Cogman is told from the point of view of a future fascist spy in training. She and her boss have invited an elderly Alice to an interview over the course of which we learn that Alice had been trained as a spy during the XX conflict and was trained to summon “hysterical strength,” at will. Because of this she can perform heroic deeds and then have little memory or trauma associated with her assignments. The point of view character wants this ability so she can better serve the new British fascist government. The hyper-nationalism disguised as patriotism will resonate with readers on both sides of the Pond. There’s so much to love about this story from its villain-in-the-making point of view, to the feminist subversion in the idea of hysterical strength and then the twist that reveals the old woman’s cunning and the source of her powers. This is a fantastic story whose form is as subversive as its hero. “Vanished Summer Glory” by Rio Youers has an alternating point of view, Rosemarie and Before. A mystery unravels as Rosemarie confesses the story of her husband’s decline and disappearance to her therapist. This story is so lovely as a meditation on loss and how we grieve. Sometimes stories find us when we need them, and I needed this story this week after we lost our beloved next door neighbor to cancer. Even losses that can be somewhat anticipated never fail to take us by surprise. Rest in wonder, Larry…

“Black Kitty” by Catriona Ward is a total gem of a story, with spectacular writing. This story is as delightful as taking an actual trip to Wonderland yourself. Here we see the darker side of Wonderland through the perspective of Kitty, one of a pair of twins who are coming of marital age in Wonderland and whose youth and privilege has exempted them from the game… In some of these stories the joy comes from seeing the writer’s imagination working in a way that makes sense to you – the delight comes from recognition. In others, like Cat Rambo’s story, the mystery of how they came to deploy the Wonderland characters and themes and turns of phrase are a true delight… This collection is a must have for the Wonderland lover in your life. It doesn’t give any free passes to the original Wonderland or its creator. Wonderland will complicate your understanding of the original story in a worthwhile way.’

While Brian Bogart at Kendall Reviews said: ‘If there is one thing I love about collections, it is the broad expanse of stories on display. Wonderland gives many authors a chance to put their spin on Alice in Wonderland – some dark, some delightfully odd and some, just try their best to nail the strange, fairy tale quality of Lewis Carroll’s classic stories. Let’s take a peek into the strange looking glass…and see what lies in wait for adventurous readers. There are more than fifteen stories within, alongside some fine poetic pieces. Some are authors you may have heard of, some not so well-known. What is interesting to me, is how going in without any preconceived notions of their author “voice”, it really helps to sell some of these tales. Especially the handful that really nail the vibe of Alice and spin it into their own wacky trip down the rabbit hole. And most of these have an odd, off-kilter quality to them, whether it’s in the narration itself by paying homage to the fantasy elements or really digging through the shadows to find what lurks there… Some of these are best read not knowing anything, and the variety of approaches really works – you never know what angle the next story is going to take. It makes the collection a strange trip itself, especially when you read a few back-to-back, for even fuller effect. A hefty bit of credit to the editors (Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane) for finding a wide range of talent and letting their imaginations run amok. Honestly, job well done. A bit of something for every reader…

So, here are three of my favorites from this collection, in no particular order: “Smoke ‘em If You Got ‘em” by Angela Slatter. This tale was unexpected. It is a down-and-dirty western, wrapped up in all the gritty tropes you would expect from that genre. Alice, moseying into town, in search of Mr. Rabbit. He’s not a nice bunny in this tale. The town has a problem with missing children – and sometimes, much worse. It’s a nice little revenge tale – original despite the familiar trappings. Yeah, Rabbit and his goons are right bastards, to say the least… “Vanished Summer Glory” by Rio Youers… This story is like a polar opposite in many ways to some of the others. This is probably the saddest and most bittersweet thing I have read in a while. There is plenty of honesty on the page, and that in itself, makes it all the more magical. It explores the beauty of shared childhood experiences within a Wonderland, and the distance and longing for a return to that magic and strangeness as time goes on. Which is the greater thief? Time or distance? It’s beautiful and effective. Well done. Damn. So many unique stories here…

“What Makes A Monster?” by L L McKinney… This story felt like a tiny thread in a large tapestry. I always enjoy “monster hunter”-style stories, and also a big fan of 19th century London locales and backdrops. The characters are nicely written and there’s plenty of action in the pages. It’s fun, with a great villain to take down... Plenty of ideas of my own sprung to mind when reading this piece (As a writer myself, I love when that happens.) Okay, so that’s three of my faves – but there is plenty to like in this collection. It was actually hard to pick which ones to write about.

We have end of the world scenarios, with monsters gnawing at your heels. Satirical takes on famous characters with a sly wink and smart writing. Evil lurking under beds, in shadows and some controlling the world below from towering office buildings. AI. Ghosts. Dead babies stuffed in rabbit holes. Nonsensical riddles. Explosions and terrorism. Jabberwocks. It may not be “horror” on its face, but it is there in most of the stories. Plenty of dark fantasy to love here. Fans of Alice in Wonderland are bound to find a fave or two. Even non-fans can enjoy it, I think. (Knowing details of the material does give some of the stories added appeal, though.)

A unique collection, with enough variety to satisfy readers of all types. And that is one of my favorite things about anthologies: you never know what the next story will be. Tick. Tock. You don’t want to be late, do you? Take a trip to Wonderland – but keep an eye on that white rabbit. Fall down that hole, and try your best to ignore the maniacal screams in the distance. “OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!”’

You can read the full review of all these here, here and here.

And don't forget you can order your copy of the book here.

Last month Marie was invited on to the British Fantasy Award-winning podcast Breaking the Glass Slipper, to talk about her work and horror in general. You can listen to that here.

Below you’ll find photos from the UK Ghost Story Festival that Marie was a guest at in late November/early December, including her panels on What Makes a Good Ghost Story and the Best Ghost Story Writers, with the likes of Sue Eaton, James Everington and Alison Littlewood, both moderated by Alex Davis.

And that’s it, not just for another year but another decade. It only remains for Marie to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year. See you all in 2020!!

november

First up in November is another cover reveal for you. This time it’s Cursed (above), the third mass-market anthology of late that Marie has co-edited for Titan books, and her fourth title for them. Gathering together dark fairy tales from the likes of Neil Gaiman, Charlie Jane Anders, MR Carey, Christina Henry and more, you can see pictures of Marie receiving an ARC of this below and pre-order the title here.

Some more of those terrific Wonderland reviews now, starting with Books, Occupation, Magic who said: ‘I think most people are somewhat familiar with the original stories. My first introduction to Alice, I’m fairly sure, was via the Disney animated film, and to be honest I’m not convinced if I’ve even fully read the original stories. I really must rectify that soon (would love a MinaLima to design an edition btw). The genre-bending children’s fantasy has definite horrific aspects and many a joke has been made about what Carroll was on when he wrote these tales. They are true classics, and have been a springboard for many a spin-off or retelling both on film, and on the page. The majority of the works in this anthology are short stories although these are bookended by two poems by Jane Yolen. The second of which I preferred. Some of the tales may be better appreciated by people who are familiar with the originals but despite this most can stand alone. I was only familiar with 3 of the names associated and so I had the pleasure of being introduced to other authors, some of whose other work I am now likely to seek out as a result. There is something for everyone in here… Thank you to Titan for the gifted review copy and to editors Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane for bringing this together.’

Next up Lau Reads commented: ‘Can we just take a moment to appreciate this gorgeous cover?! Okay? Done? Good… The writing in each story is so whimsical and I felt like even the horror stories had a little bit of magic to them. I found myself liking the historical fiction stories more than the others, they were just so beautifully written… Any fan of Alice In Wonderland will want to read this!’

A Dream of Books reported: ‘Wonderland is an anthology of short stories inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. I didn’t need to know anything else about this book to know that I desperately wanted to read it. Although I’m not always a huge fan of short stories and I will always prefer to read a full-length novel, they were fun to dip in and out of and interesting to see the authors’ takes on the original Alice. The anthology blends together stories which fit into a myriad collection of genres, from horror to fantasy to historical. Some were much better than others but I always find with short stories that although you don’t always connect with every single one, there’s usually something for everyone. There are some really great writers included in Wonderland such as M.R. Carey, Mark Chadbourn, Genevieve Cogman, Jane Yolen, Juliet Marillier, Lilith Saintcrow, James Lovegrove and Catriona Ward. Each have given their own unique take on a different aspect of the classic novels.’

While Bookshelf Butterfly had this to say: ‘There is something about Alice and her adventures in Wonderland that have captured people’s imagination since the original book by Lewis Carroll was first published in 1865. With many screen adaptations since and plenty of Wonderland inspired books, it is clear that there are so many possibilities with the Wonderland universe simply because it is so unusual and a fantastical escape from normal humdrum life. I was super excited to be offered the chance to read and review this Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland inspired anthology edited by Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane. It was in May of this year that I got through Exit Wounds, a crime anthology edited by O’Regan and Kane so I was intrigued for a new set of stories with such an open theme. 

There are 19 original offerings from 18 authors: M.R. Carey, Mark Chadbourn, Genevieve Cogman, Jonathan Green, Alison Littlewood, James Lovegrove, L.L. McKinney, George Mann, Juliet Marillier, Laura Munro, Cat Rambo, Lilith Saintcrow, Cavan Scott, Robert Shearman, Angela Slatter, Catriona Ward, Jane Yolen and Rio Youers. There is a wide mix of genres used to explore the Alice theme, from historical and horror, to modern day and magical. There were three stories that stood out for me. I enjoyed the curious “Dream Girl” by Cavan Scott, the intriguing “Good Dog, Alice!” by Juliet Marillier and the quietly captivating “About Time” by George Mann (although I might be slightly biased on that one as I’m a Mann fan!). I enjoyed how each new story had such a fresh and unusual take on either the character of Alice (the sci-fi Alise in “Temp Work” by Lilith Saintcrow was quite memorable on that score) or the madcap world of Wonderland. One thing that most of the stories shared which is particularly evocative of the original books is the jaunty language and nonsense words. There is something quite upbeat and merry about the tone of the prose, as well as the weird and wonderful creature names and phrases that litter the stories that add to the uniqueness of Alice and her adventures.

Some of my favourite elements of Wonderland were featured in most of the stories: the black, white and red colour scheme, the playing cards and the “eat me” “drink me” goodies. Of course Wonderland is also not the same without some major characters which also star in many tales: the mysterious White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter, the irate Queen of Hearts and the mystifying Cheshire Cat. Amazingly imaginative, every story and poem has a unique twist on the iconic Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and is the perfect read to get lost down the rabbit hole with.’

The appropriately titled Alice’s World said: ‘As I was named after the titular character from Wonderland, I’ve always had an affinity to the Alice figure – especially when it comes to her imagination. So when I was sent this collection by Titan, I was eager to read it. Bringing together stories from M.R Carey, George Mann, Lilith Saintcrow and more, I was impressed with the stories that came from the different authors’ imaginations, and how they’ve taken aspects of the Alice novels and adapted them. Blending together short stories and poetry, I found myself having favourites (as I’m sure most readers of short stories do) and some that I wasn’t as keen on. Edited together by Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane, this is a great book for fans of the Alice story, especially if you know the stories as well as I do. Small characters from Carroll’s novels get given main character status, and whilst there is a character of Alice throughout most of the tales, she doesn’t always have to be the main character – something that I found refreshing.’

Sarah’s Book Life offered this in her 4/5 review: ‘Wonderland is a brilliant anthology taking inspiration from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll. These 19 stories range from science fiction, horror, fantasy, poetry, and historical fiction. Written by 18 authors: Jane Yolen, Juliet Marillier, Lilith Saintcrow and M.R. Carey, to name a few. Each of these 18 authors bring a new and creative take on the world, characters and magic of Wonderland in these 19 tales.’

And finally, Run Along the Shelves had this to say: ‘Time for an admission dear reader, I hated Alice’s adventures as a kid. The characters, while memorable, had no depth and the plot is loose and ultimately I found it more disturbing than a wonderous – letting maths and fun be combined is a dangerous place, but I still find it an unsettling world and the whole basis of horror stories is a world where something else that isn’t logical takes hold so perhaps these are the first children’s gentle horror tales? Adding in the dark mystery surrounding Lewis Carroll’s real-world inspiration for Alice and his relationship with the sisters involved, it’s possibly suggestive of something even more menacing. In Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane’s new anthology a whole host of authors take this unsettling premise and combine it into such a stunning set of stories that I did not find a single one I did not enjoy…An absolutely fascinating and high-quality collection I think is going to speak to anyone who likes their fantasy or horror with a sense of weirdness. Please track this down and read it you will enjoy this trip to Wonderland’s many worlds and characters and it makes me appreciate the idea of Wonderland so much more.’

You can check out the full reviews of all these here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Marie and Paul were also interviewed by The Frumious Consortium last month about the book, and you can read that here.

Plus you can order your copy of the book here.

There was also a Wonderland signing at FantasyCon in Glasgow last month, as well as a Harvester launch/signing (including Marie’s Luna collection The Last Ghost and Other Stories), as well as a HWA Panel and lots of chats with other writers – including Muriel Gray, CC Adams, Eric Steele – and the banquet with the PS Publishing team. Photos from all this above and below…

More convention news now, as StokerCon announced not only that reading slots are available, but also their judges for the Final Frame film competition (above). These are, in no particular order: Mick Garris, Jennifer Handorf (below), Adam Nevill (below), Frazer Lee, Kim Newman, Lisa Morton, MR Carey and Sarah Pinborough (also below). For more information on this click here.

Marie was delighted to see that no less than nine stories from last year's anthology of ghost stories, Phantoms, received recommendations from Ellen Datlow in Best New Horror of the Year vol. 11. They were: 'The Adjoining Room', by A.K. Benedict; 'Halloo' by Gemma Files; 'The Chain Walk' by Helen Grant; 'One New Follower' by Mark A. Latham; 'A Man Walking His Dog' by Tim Lebbon; 'The Marvellous Talking Machine' by Alison Littlewood; 'Tom Is In The Attic' by Robert Shearman; 'When We Fall, We Forget' by Angela Slatter, and 'Lula-Belle' by Catriona Ward. And Paula Guran took three stories for her Year's Best Dark Fantasy and Horror 2019: 'A Man Walking His Dog' by Tim Lebbon; 'Tom Is In The Attic' by Robert Shearman, and 'When We Fall, We Forget' by Angela Slatter.

Finally, Marie reviewed both Adam’s latest The Reddening and Alison Littlewood’s novel Mistletoe (both below) for Sci-Fi Bulletin. You can read what she thought of them here and here.

 

October

We start this month with the announcement that, just in time for Halloween, the charity anthology Marie co-edited with Lee Murray – Trickster’s Treats 3, published by Things in the Well – is available as a print edition as well as Kindle (above). You can order your copies here and here.

Marie also read and reviewed Stephen King’s latest novel, The Institute (above) for Mass Movement magazine. You can read what she thought of that here.

And a glowing review of the crime anthology Marie and Paul edited, Exit Wounds, appeared last month, this time from Storgy,who had this to say: ‘It must be difficult to write a short story, especially if you’re used to writing big blockbusters, such as these renowned authors: Jeffery Deaver, Val McDermid and Lee Child to name a few. Keeping the plot tight, but still trying to offer the reader the suspense and thrill of a longer form but tightly woven together in a short story. Well by goodness have these renowned authors smashed it by producing some exquisite crime, in bite-sized and easily digestible chunks!

Is it difficult to die? Killed by suicide, your daughter, friend or an anonymous person…or even a possession?! These short stories are all associated with an end…death/murder in some way (Exit) and the fallout from that, be it pain or the unknown (Wounds) these small insights give themselves to a great title! The editors’ choices and running order is ingenious, all are different, some weird and unusual and some offer a more traditional thriller – but in the end it’s a fabulously curated anthology and the editors should be praised in comprising such a unique collection of the best crime writers about.

The first story by Jeffery Deaver “The Bully” is masterfully written as expected, and the level of minute detail he is able to lace within the tale is astounding. Loved how he turns the story upside down, caused the end product to be an unforgettable and incredibly deft read. There are also more unusual stories, autopsies for example and with some being more dark and realistic than others. I was immersed in “Like a Glass Jaw” by Mark Billingham and “The Pitcher” by Sarah Hilary – both of which enraptured me from start to finish. I also enjoyed the tense thrill-ride of “The Consumers” by Dennis Lehane – hiring a killer to do a job you just cannot fulfil yourself made for an entertaining read.

Val McDermid did not disappoint either with a DCI uncovering a murderer in her usual suspense-filled style, and a detective with a strange unsolved double murder. I think the penultimate short story “The NewLad” by Paul Finch though, was my personal favourite, it was an outstanding piece of short fiction – strange, quirky, thrilling and unpredictable, which in turn is a true reflection of the complete collection of crime stories. This collection of strange short stories is an outstanding read, that you can dip in and out of without worrying about losing the plot. I will certainly be reading more of the less known authors’ other work. Anyone who enjoys crime fiction will, I’m sure, be enthralled and captivated by the talent on show within Exit Wounds – a crime anthology with serious punch!’

You can read the full review here, and buy Exit Wounds here.

The event Marie is co-chairing next year, StokerCon UK, announced its latest Guest of Honour last month, director, producer and writer Mick Garris (above). Responsible for the likes of The Stand, Bag of Bones and Masters of Horror (all below), Mick has also written books such as Development Hell (also below). To find out more and book your ticket and hotel room click on the link to the site here.

Time for a mammoth Wonderland roundup now, which begins with a one page ad in SFX magazine (below), and mentions for the new anthology on both the Publishers Weekly and Locus sites, here and here.

Marie and Paul were also doing quite a bit of publicity for this, including a Q&A at Sci-Fi Bulletin here and a piece about working in other people’s literary universes here. Plus Wonderland contributor LL McKinney wrote a piece for Tor.com which you can read here. And of course there was the signing at Forbidden Planet in London, followed by a HWA Pub Meet at the Craft Beer Company. You can see photos from those below.

The book was also part of a blog tour (above, images below taken from the sites who contributed – with grateful thanks). And it was reviewed… a lot. We kick off here again with Starburst, who said: ‘The 1865 novel Alice in Wonderland has been the source for a great many stories and spin-off ideas (it helps that it’s so old that the work is in the public domain). Titan Books’ latest anthology, Wonderland, is the latest in a long line to use Lewis Carroll’s classic bit of literary nonsense as a source for other more interesting ideas. It’s edited by those masters of horror, Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane, who have been responsible for some cracking scary stories themselves.

Wonderland is thus slanted in the direction of the deliciously dark. O’Regan and Kane have assembled a collection of some of the most interesting creators of spooky tales in the industry, and each of them hang a lovely yet grim fairytale around Alice’s story. Let’s go down the rabbit hole and take a look at some of the tales this collection has to offer. M.R. Carey’s contribution, “There Were No Birds to Fly”, spins a new take on the The Walrus and the Carpenter as a tale of post-apocalyptic survival. This is rather refreshing given how over-analysed that particular poem has become. Genevieve Cogman, who is better known for spinning tales of alternate realities, turns Alice’s story into a post-war spy drama. It’s splendidly played and well-paced, yet appropriately dark. Doctor Who writer Robert Shearman takes a valiant stab at emulating Carroll’s unique style of storytelling to regale us with “Wonders Never Cease”, a story of Alice after her adventure…The way the stories are ordered has clearly been carefully calculated, tempering the reader’s mood as they flit from tale to tale. Juliet Marillier explores Carroll’s style with “Good Dog Alice”, a canine retelling that feels on theme yet strangely out of place with the more shocking stories in the collection. Still it’s grisly enough, and we're a sucker for stories with dogs in them. Angela Slatter gives us a more hard-boiled and American take on the character…it’s still a fun and fascinating read. Lilith Saintcrow, who is best known for her urban fantasy work, surprises us all with a cyberpunk tale. It’s very apt, working perfectly well with Alice’s world, and it’s also rather cheeky.

One of the things that makes this collection fascinating is seeing how various others try to imitate the source material. This never fails to delight, especially if you’re familiar with the author’s work. Overall, Wonderland is a really interesting collection of tales, one that will amuse fans of Alice and genre fiction alike.’

While Her Campus commented: ‘Just as the name suggests, Wonderland: An Anthology consists of a wondrous collection of fantastical short stories inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. They’re all worth the attention but it could take me pages and pages to review each story individually, so I will instead highlight some of my favorites. The book begins with an introduction by Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane that provides a quick look at all the ways in which Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland has been adapted over the years since its original publication in 1865. This classic novel has inspired movies, books, video games, and music, and it’s had a long-lasting and impactful influence in pop culture. The first story I would like to address is Juliet Marillier’s “Good Dog, Alice!” This short story left me speechless but with a satisfied smile flitting about my cheeks. It tells the tale of a young, nameless girl that owns a dog named Alice. The girl is warned about that name since only troublesome folk carry those five letters around. The girl trains her dog to crunch (eat on command!) and, with the help of a “Drink Me” potion, she executes her revenge on a tutor that has placed too many a hand on her young body. There’s something deeply satisfying about someone getting their just desserts.

Next up, in Angela Slatter’s “Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em,” Alice is transported into another time-period entirely. Gone is the sweet, curious girl we all know and love. She’s been replaced by a being who transcends time and space and is stuck in the limbo of agelessness. She is tired and vengeful and hoping to rid the world of Rabbit. The impatient rabbit from the classic has also been replaced by someone who uses bodies as currency and leaves an unnatural transgression of nature in his wake. Out of all the stories in the anthology, I felt that this one jumped out the most. The story struggles against its seams, and it left me begging for a full-length novel that I can drink up, without worries of shrinking or expanding attached.

Through “Black Kitty” by Catriona Ward, we experience a more innocent albeit dark presentation of magic, the looking glass, and Alice. In this story, we see Wonderland through the eyes of Dinah the cat. Despite Alice not being the central character, the recurrent themes of Wonderland are there: a world in organized chaos, longing for escape, and magic. This is a tale I didn’t know I needed in my life. My definitive fave is one written by Laura Mauro. “The Night Parade” is a wonderful retelling of a dive into Wonderland. This time, there is no Mad Hatter, no Red Queen, no White Queen, and no Cheshire Cat. Instead, we have the Kitsune, Kappa, Tanuki, and Yokai. Japanese mythology permeates Wonderland in a way that suits it. The mystical and magical elements of Japanese lore blend in and enhance the disquieting tone of Wonderland, and turn the landscape into a murkier, more dangerous world of magic. If I could have a Japanese retelling of this classic, I’m sure I would favor it over the original. Mauro’s storytelling is captivating and persuades you to keep on reading. She pulls a veil over your eyes, one through which you can only see the smallest glimpse of what is going on… Mark Chadbourn, author of the short story “Six Impossible Things,” writes about the aftermath of a family torn apart by an older man, named Charles Dodgson, taking pictures of Alice Liddell and then wanting to marry her. The story is raw and heart-wrenching, and is written in a simple language riddled with repetition, which only furthers the sense of despair.

This book’s one true hidden gem is one which is called “There Were No Birds to Fly” by M.R. Carey. Where is Alice? I asked myself. We cannot have Wonderland without Alice, but can’t we? M.R. Carey would beg to differ. You’ll find yourself lost in this tale of the Walrus and the Carpenter. Unique and underexplored, you’ll enjoy diving into their chaotic psyche. This anthology does a great job of adapting the characters and the themes behind Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland into many different genres, such as westerns, love stories, mysteries, thrillers, sci-fi, post-apocalyptic, and alien riddled worlds. Even with the continual recycling of characters, at no point do you get tired of it. They are killed off but reborn into a diversity of personas. There’s something about Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland that is so truly timeless, and this book makes a wondrous example of it.’

Sublime Horror’s take was:‘This array of stories is as myriad, mind-bending and magic as Alice’s adventures themselves, but with modern updates including the macabre and the nightmarish. Edited by award-winning writers, Paul Kane and Marie O’Regan, eighteen story-weavers have joined forces to build a new series of adventures. Fans of fantasy and horror will be familiar with the line-up, with a range of established writers, including M.R. Carey, Juliet Marillier & L.L. McKinney. Before beginning Wonderland, I refreshed my fond memories of Caroll’s texts with a re-read, then, feeling excited, I jumped down the rabbit hole. And I wasn’t disappointed. Most of the writers have opted to write about Alice herself. We have various alternate Alices, including Western noir Alice, robot Alice, and world-destroyer Alice, and indeed some of these stories are very strong. In particular, “How I Comes to be the Treacle Queen” by Cat Rambo showcases a socialist Alice, who after being thrown down a treacle mine by the White and Red Queens, befriends the treacle miners and learns about their conditions. Robert Sherman’s “Wonders Never Cease” follows Alice into a modern office, where she becomes a mother who wants to give her daughter a Wonderland of her own. Both Rambo’s and Sherman’s stories capture the heart and whimsical humour that made Caroll’s work a masterpiece and really stand out as the best Alice-orientated stories.

However, the strongest stories are those that are influenced by a detail from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, whether it was a poem, line, or side character, in the story, or even a historical fact about the author. Juliet Marillier’s “Good Dog, Alice!”, about a wee girl who finds size-changing berries and feeds them to her dog, takes a sinister and heart-breaking, yet important, turn. “The White Queen’s Dictum”, by James Lovegrove, shows a ghosthunter who believes in six impossible things before breakfast (while desperately wanting one of them to be ghosts). Mark Chadbourn’s emotional story, “Six Impossible Things” follows the child that Caroll based Alice on, as she finds that being the star of fiction isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

The surprise story, meaning one I wasn’t expecting to enjoy, came from Rio Youers, purely as I wasn’t keen on his latest novel, The Forgotten Girl. However, his story “Vanished Summer Glory” is about Alice’s missing brother, whose grieving wife discovers her husband has been receiving visits from a certain white rabbit… With varying point-of-views and engaging prose, Youers has managed to create an emotionally-charged yet humourous story that looks at grief and identity.

But the most outstanding story was “There Were No Birds to Fly” by M.R. Carey. To discuss it in any depth would be to spoil it, so I will just note that Carey’s input is eerie, layered, and quite frankly brilliant. His inspiration from Wonderland is creative and engaging in a way that differentiates it from the other stories. To top the anthology off, it is bookended with fantastic poems by Jane Yolen. The opening poem prepares us for battle in Wonderland as we charge our way through the woven layers of the stories within, whereas the end poem serves as a fitting closing curtain to the masquerade. Due to the mish-mash of topics and ideas, it’s expected that not every story will resonate and, as with most anthologies, there are highs and lows. However, overall the quality of Wonderland is consistently high, and I suspect lows will come about from personal taste, rather than poor writing… With monsters, mirrors, enough dream-like familiarity to make you feel cosy and enough nightmarish difference to make you feel uneasy, Wonderland is thoroughly entertaining and inspired. So, make yourself a cup of tea (oh, why not make it a mini tea-party?) and lose yourself in the rabbit hole of this delightful anthology.’

Novel Lives had this to say: ‘Edited by Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane, Wonderland encompasses a wide range of genres (fantasy, folklore, horror, contemporary) formats (poetry and prose), and styles which readers can pick and choose. Alice gives plenty of material to work with having first come into creation centuries ago and the authors chosen for the project came back with a wide scope of interpretations.

And while some of my author preferences are going to show on my favorite stories, I can’t help but love what I love. L.L. McKinney and M.R. Carey don’t dare disappoint. Both take readers on quite the fantastical, horrific and unique turn during their time in Wonderland. When evil cretins from Alice’s world terrorize London, Bodie is there to defend it in McKinney’s “What Makes A Monster”. McKinney is a perfect fit to this anthology, currently in the midst of an Urban Fantasy retelling of Alice in Wonderland. Carey’s turnabout in “There Were No Birds to Fly” is a psychological horror with characters from Alice’s canon story, but decidedly no Alice. Instead, the Walrus and the Carpenter take front and center in a story centering around fear and insipid human weakness that fuels nightmares. Wonderland is a stellar addition to the Alice foray. It is also one of three reasons this fall has been served well by anthologies.’

Girl Who Reads said: ‘There are eighteen brand new stories by well-known authors, including M.R. Carey, Genevieve Cogman and Catriona Ward. Poems by the wonderful Jane Yolen also bookend this volume. These are all different approaches to the Alice in Wonderland mythos, including horror renderings. Horror style Wonderland is actually very fascinating because most people think of only Jabberwocky as it’s written. Here, we can have a post-apocalyptic atmosphere, alien and changing constantly every time you look at it. This is a little more like the American McGee Alice games, just off of normal to be eerie and bizarre.

The opening story, “Wonders Never Cease” has as its opening line “It should go without saying, but not all the Alices survived.” It’s a chilling start, bringing to mind some aspects of the Resident Evil movie franchise. Other than that, what we have is a Rashomon-style telling and retelling of a story, spinning down with surreal twists until we’re almost back at the beginning all over again. I particularly like Genevieve Cogman’s “The White Queen’s Pawn,” because I always love stories that shift reality just a bit. This takes a real Charles Dodgson and Alice, years after his book was published, and gives an alternate explanation as to why it had been written in the first place. “Dream Girl” by Cavan Scott starts off as an apocalyptic Wonderland, with characters and part of the land itself disappearing piece by piece. By the end, we have an explanation for the entire story, which inverts the entire genre into a new one. (Telling would be spoiling, and it’s worth the read!) Juliet Marillier’s “Good Dog, Alice!” gives a young girl the chance to save herself from a potentially dire fate, and pulls in Marillier’s expertise with the time period and details of the house. I’m not a fan of Westerns, but Angela Slatter’s “Smoke ’Em If You Got ’Em” is very well done, transporting Alice to Arizona as she chases the Hare and helps the locals. Laura Mauro’s “The Night Parade” brings Alice to Osaka as Airi, searching for a lost child amidst the shrines and torii. The Night Parade refers to the procession of yokai moving between worlds, and any humans looking at them would die. In spite of the dangers, Airi hopes to save the child and bring her back to Osaka, dodging yokai with clues from the bakeneko, a cat demon. These are wonderful and imaginative stories, with a variety of genres to satisfy every fan of Wonderland.’

The Lotus Readers had this to say: ‘When I noticed this new set of short stories inspired by Alice in Wonderland I immediately begged a copy to read… Some stories pick up the psychological elements I find intriguing such as Alison Littlewood’s “Eat Me, Drink Me” where a woman who is getting married has doubts and imagines how much easier it would be to become her pet rabbit. This reminded me of Tim Burton’s film version which opens at a garden party where Alice’s engagement is to be announced. Tiring of being primped and made “acceptable” to the restrictive society gathered in the garden, Alice follows the white rabbit into a maze where she escapes into Wonderland. This underlying theme of what is acceptable female behaviour is echoed elsewhere in the anthology; in Juliet Marillier’s story “Good Dog, Alice” Dorothea’s grandad warns her against calling the dog Alice because creatures with that name can be prone to “wild escapades” and in George Mann’s “About Time” a girl called Lucy has visited Wonderland as a child, but now she’s a grown woman shouldn’t such childish pursuits be set aside?

The underlying creepiness and horror of Wonderland inspires other stories within the collection… LL McKinney’s story is set in a world already created by her novel A Blade So Black and brings an Alice twist to the crimes of Jack the Ripper in a story entitled “What Makes A Monster.” “There Were No Birds To Fly” is M.R. Carey’s take on some of Wonderland’s residents by placing them in the horror genre, whereas Cavan Scott represents some of the gorier elements of the tale with some residents slowly disappearing. Carroll’s book pairs well with the fantasy/supernatural genre and I feel these stories are quite successful. The whole anthology is bookended with two Alice poems by Jane Yolen.

There is something for everyone here and while not every story grabbed my imagination, there were certainly enough to keep me interested… What the anthology tells me as a whole, is that Lewis Carroll’s story is a living entity, ripe for adaptation and inspiring to every new generation and reader. The story is so rich that it really does lend itself to most genres, with this anthology alone ranging across sci-fi, horror, fantasy, cyber-punk and crime fiction. It can also be transported to any location – here it is relocated to the present day, takes in the folklore of Japan and the Wild West. For me, it’s still the psychological aspects that resonate, where Wonderland is a metaphor for freedom, escape, madness and the difficulties of growing up or saying goodbye. Rio Youer’s story “Vanished Summer Glory” explores bereavement and what grief does to the imagination. I’m sure I will dip in and out of this book from time to time, but for now I’m going to make a cup of tea in my “Drink Me” mug, plump up my flamingo cushions and put on my white rabbit slippers. Maybe I’ll have a snooze, or an adventure...’

Author Ronnie Turner over on her blog said: ‘As a huge fan of the originals, I was blown away when a copy of this popped through the letterbox. I absolutely adore the classic stories by Lewis Carroll – they have in so many ways inspired not only my love of reading but of adventures and all things wild and fantastical so it’s lovely to be able to return to Wonderland and glimpse the characters in a new light. M.R. Carey, George Mann, Genevieve Cogman and many more have written such vibrant and daring stories. Some are historical, others sci-fi. Some are dark and chilling and others are moving and poignant. I loved the diversity of the stories and the way the old characters seem to be celebrated and cherished with every word. I really can’t recommend it enough. I spent a weekend utterly absorbed. “Vanished Summer Glory” is about a psychiatrist grieving the loss of his sister and his journey in finding peace. It’s a moving and heart-wrenching tale that was without a doubt one of my favourites.

“Dream Girl” is another favourite. Wonderland is disappearing. The Cheshire Cat has vanished, along with hundreds of other creatures. Nothing is as it was. The Hare and Hatter are sent out to find a way of saving Wonderland and helping their friends. This is a fabulously inventive tale with a modern-day spin and a twist at the end that is pure genius. I won’t go into them too much because I don’t want to ruin them for anyone. These are just a couple of my favourites. This anthology offers a fresh and riveting glimpse into new Wonderlands. I loved it. Brimming with pure imagination and an obvious joy, love and appreciation for Carroll’s creations, just turning the page is an adventure. I didn’t know what was on the other side. And I loved every minute of it. Grab a copy of this as soon as you can.’

Not Another Book Blogger said: ‘Before you dive down the rabbit hole be prepared for the weird and wonderful tales inside this anthology inspired by Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland by CS Lewis. Fans of Alice are sure to enjoy this as a wonderful array of authors take inspiration from her tale and put their own individual twist on it. Some are weirder than others, some creepy and others even sad. Robert Shearman leads the way with weird and sad in “Wonders Never Cease” where Alice has returned from Wonderland and sets about getting a new life, but she seems to struggle with reality. Then Juliet Marillier has the ever so slightly disturbing but highly triumphant “Good Dog, Alice!” which tells the tale of a young girl called Dorathea and her puppy Alice who helps her out of dangerous situation.

“About Time” by George Mann is a tale of growing up and passing the mantle onto someone younger. “Vanished Summer Glory” by Rio Youers is rather sad but I liked how it ended. “Black Kitty” by Catriona Ward had a wicked air about it and it’s one I wished was longer. I would really love to delve more into that world and the story behind it. And I really liked “The White Queen’s Dictum” by James Lovegrove, it’s the one that is furthest from Alice’s tale but really drew me in and when it dawned on me what was happening I thought it was brilliantly done. There are so many more tales enclosed but these are the ones that stood out the most to me. Wonderland really is an intriguing anthology of the weird and wonderful. I think a lot of you will enjoy it too. Wonderland is out now!’

Jaffar Reads Too said: ‘There’s something strangely compelling about Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and no matter when you read the story it still has that strangely dystopian edge which is quite, quite chilling. In this anthology of stories, the idea of Wonderland is explored in detail. The stories, all written by authors at the top of their particular genre, allow a wider interpretation of the story in fantastical fiction which range from poetry, to prose, and back again. The nineteen interpretations all have Wonderland as their theme but the tales are all very different, some are inspired by history, others by poetry, as in the Jabberwocky, another by the wild, wild west and there’s even a story inspired by Japanese folklore.

I’ve really enjoyed dipping into and out of this book, picking a story here and there and finding something which sparks my imagination in all of them. I have a couple of favourites, “Six Impossible Things” by Mark Chadbourn, and “Good Dog, Alice” by Juliet Marillier, but, of course, all the others have something special to offer. Wonderland is a clever anthology which doesn’t seek to rewrite, what is after all, an absolute classic, but which rather gives us an absolute feast of clever stories which reinterpret Wonderland in all of its fantastical glory.’

The Frumious Consortium stated: ‘Wonderland collects 20 brand new short works (18 stories, plus two poems from Jane Yolen) inspired by Lewis Carroll’s classics, that run the gamut from luminous to terrifying, with every shade of wonder in between. Whether looking at Wonderland from a historical perspective or diving into its text as presented by Mr Carroll himself or re-setting the proceedings in different times and places, these 20 inventive gems carve out new space in our collective psyches for Wonderland to inhabit… My favorites of the collection were probably the least traditional, going all out with a sci-fi bent, as M.R. Carey’s “There Were No Birds To Fly” and Cavan Scott’s “Dream Girl” did. The period pieces definitely gave them a run for their money, though. I loved Genevieve Cogman’s “The White Queen’s Pawn”, as well as Juliet Marillier’s “Good Dog, Alice!”, both set in a post-Victorian Britain somewhat askew from the one we inhabited. I also adored the more far-flung adaptations, particularly Angela Slatter’s “Smoke ’Em If You Got ’Em” and L.L. McKinney’s “What Makes A Monster”, the latter so much so that I’ve requested her full-length novel, A Blade So Black (set in the same universe as the story) from my local library. The hallmark of a good short story collection, after all, isn’t just to satisfy, but also to whet the readers’ appetite for more of the writers’ works. Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane have done an amazing job curating this anthology.’

The Trans-Scribe Blogspot offered this: ‘Wonderland from Titan Books collects together nineteen pieces of work that take inspiration from Carroll’s work. Writers that include M.R. Carey, Jonathan Green, Angela Slatter, Rio Youers, and Genevieve Cogman, to name a few, use the original books to craft tales that span multiple genres, including horror, western, and sci-fi. This is what makes Wonderland such a joy to read. The stories within span so many genres and settings that it’s almost impossible to find at least one that won’t leave you entertained. “There Were No Birds To Fly” by M.R. Carey is an incredibly creepy horror tale, set in a world where nightmare creatures stalk the streets, searching for those that they are somehow connected to. Each creature takes on the form of their person’s worst fear, and will keep following them until they can get close enough to kill them. The story follows a group of survivors, trying to make their way to a new hiding place, and sees them slowly picked off one by one by the awful entities. Just over twenty pages long, the story might be short, but Carey manages to craft a very well realised apocalypse within these short pages, and you’ll find yourself dragged deep into the horror.

“The White Queen's Pawn” by Genevieve Cogman also has a horror bent to it, but doesn’t really throw the terror in your face the way Carey’s story does. Instead she turns the story of Alice into that of an aged assassin, one who has some kind of mysterious connection to forces beyond our comprehension. The tale feels like an epilogue to her story, or a prologue to Lucy’s story, and will definitely leave you wanting to read more. Jonathan Green’s story, “The Hunting of the Jabberwock”, has a historical, almost fantasy feel to it, and tells readers a story about the young adventurer Nobody, who travels to a small town to compete in the festival to hunt down and kill the vicious Jabberwock creature. “Smoke ’em if You Got ’em” by Angela Slatter changes Alice into a grizzled bounty hunter, working her way through the wild west looking for Mr Rabbit, who has been leaving a trail of bodies across the country. Some of the stories feel much more like the original source material, and tell tales that have much more to do with mental health and raise questions about whether Wonderland actually exists, or if people are subject to madness. It’s hard to sum up a book that contains so many stories, with such different genres and feels such as Wonderland, it can be hard to go into detail without giving away too much of what happens in the tales, and you often feel like you can’t possibly cover them all. What I can say, however, is that whether you’ve read the original books or not, or have any kind of familiarity with the stories, Wonderland offers such a range and wealth of talent that even if you don't enjoy every story offered here, you will find something to love within its pages.’

In his review, Nine Toes Loves Books said: ‘Alice Liddell lives! Well, in the book Wonderland: An Anthology of Works Inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Alice has come to life several times in many different incarnations and each one made me look at this character in a different way each time. It is not just Alice in these adventures, all of the usual suspects appear and there was even something to think about regarding the Queen of Hearts (you will just have to buy the book and read the story to see what I am talking about).

The list of authors that contributed to this anthology is a veritable who’s who in the fantasy genre. The best part of an anthology where different authors have contributed is I became aware of other authors to check out, and I now have several leads for something different in my reading repertoire. This anthology is perfect for fans of the original work by Lewis Carroll, as well as fans of the movies. If you are not familiar with either of these, read this book and you will want to be! 5 very enthusiastic bookmarks out of 5!’

In their 4/5 review Set the Tape said: ‘Wonderland is a solid 350+ pages of content, comprising 18 stories and two poems from an array of names extremely well-known in the worlds of fantasy and YA literature, comic books and screenwriting. The stories themselves range from whimsical to dark, from historical to futuristic, and whilst some retain only a tenuous connection to the source material others stick very closely to it. There should be something here to please every Alice fan, but don’t venture in expecting merely new adventures for Alice: this is a very different rabbit hole you’ll be jumping down.’

While The Sassy Geek went through and rated each story in detail, concluding: ‘As soon as I read the description for this one I was pretty excited! I’m a big fan of retellings, especially Alice in Wonderland retellings, and horror. So an anthology of horror based Alice re-imaginings sounded fantastic! I was pleased with a good majority of the stories and I had a blast reading this, horror and “Alice” were definitely a great combination.’

The Grimdark Dad commented: ‘Having never read Lewis Carroll’s books, I’m sure there are plenty of references and Easter eggs in this collection that I just missed outright. That said, I enjoyed many of these stories and think they stand up on their own, regardless of your familiarity with the source material. M.R. Carey’s contribution, “There Were No Birds to Fly” was suitably dark & creepy, and had an almost zombie apocalypse vibe to it. I’ve never read any of his short fiction, but he’s such a great storyteller, and I liked what he did here.

“The Hunting of the Jabberwock” by Jonathan Green was an absolute blast, and ended up being one of my favorites in the collection. It’s whimsical without being too cute, and really funny on top of it. It’s basically epic/heroic fantasy, and comes with a killer twist! This was awesome! Rio Youer’s entry, “Vanished Summer Glory” was really unique & bittersweet. It touches on some heavy themes including terminal illness, loss, and mental health. I’m really curious to read some more of his work going forward! I think it was a tie for my most favorite story in the collection. The first one in the book, chronologically, is “Smoke ’Em if You Got ’Em” by Angela Slatter. This one grabbed me straight away and I just ate it up. It’s essentially a Wonderland Western, with Alice slugging whiskey & carrying a six-shooter as she tries to track down Rabbit! This was a goddamn delight!

I think “The Night Parade” by Laura Mauro is easily the most atmospheric & beautifully written tale here. It takes place in Japan, and while the connections to Wonderland weren’t that readily apparent to me, they became clearer as the story went on. This one is dark and weird and dangerous… Mauro’s prose is absolutely gorgeous and I just loved this one! Like any short story collection, there are some I loved way more than others. But there are some serious gems here and I think Wonderland would be a must-read for huge Alice fans! And even if you’re like me and all you can remember is being terrorized by the cheesy 1985 Jabberwocky, this is still an enjoyable collection!!’

Sammy’s Shelf had this to say: ‘Anthologies also make for excellent books to dip in and out of depending on your mood, and with each of the stories only being an average-chapter-length they’re perfect to read for any length of time. In being so short, the pace of each of these individual stories is very high, though mostly this isn’t at the expense of detail. I found most of the stories in this anthology set the scene well enough for me to feel engaged, and provided enough action that the story felt worthwhile… Overall I’m awarding this 3.5/5 – it can be a quick or a long read depending on how many stories you want to read (I read them all in one go), and all of them are well written, well-paced, and well thought out.’

While Tracey Drew Books said: ‘I love a retelling. And Alice has been a story that catches the imagination of so many of us. There’s the fantastic wonderland realm, all the characters and adventures Alice encounters. One of the most fascinating things for me is that everyone finds a different twist, or moment, or character to draw from. Wonderland is a collection of 19 Alice inspired short stories and poems. Ranging from historical to wild west to Japanese folklore to sci-fi, there is an Alice for everyone in this book. It was an absolute delight to experience each new Wonderland, every one becoming my a new favourite. So grab your best teacup and be careful what you eat in Wonderland…’

And Novel Knight had this to say: ‘As a collection, I found Wonderland to mirror the myriad of possibilities one might expect from work inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. I’m a huge Wonderland fan and loved reading each rendition of pieces of the original story… Wonderland covers everything from poetry to snapshots of reinvented Wonderlands to full-blown stories condensed to mere pages. I loved that the genres were varied as much as the interpretations, including a piece inspired by Japanese folklore that I particularly enjoyed for the portrayal of the Cheshire Cat, poetry to begin and end the anthology, and a curious Wild West Wonderland. As a lover of all things Wonderland, I can definitely say I recommend this anthology overall… If you love Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, I can’t think of a reason not to pick up Wonderland!’

Mummy is Reading’s take was: ‘The opening poem “Alice in Armor” by Jane Yolen is empowering and fierce, and is followed by “Wonders Never Cease” from Robert Shearman. There are some excellent narratives and creative interpretations in this collection that make this a must-read for any fan of Alice and her a Wonderland. What is impressive is that with a keen eye a reader can collect clues and trinkets from Lewis Carroll’s original stories throughout this anthology, as though hunting treasure on a map; a place name here, a symbolic reference there. It’s a remarkable feat. To whet your appetite, here is a snippet: “She’d never told anyone about it of course – not even her grandma. Wonderland had been her secret.” No spoilers. Just read it!’

Feeling Fictional said: ‘All of these stories are linked to Alice in different ways, be it through a familiar character: Alice herself, the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter or perhaps even the Cheshire Cat; or a familiar place: falling down a rabbit hole or stepping through a looking glass maybe. Perhaps the link is just a throwaway phrase or a chance to visit a part of Wonderland that you’ve never explored before. I love how different each of the stories are, some are spooky, others are introspective but most of them are as weird as the tales they’re based on. As with any anthology there were some stories I loved and a few that didn’t resonate quite so well but overall I thought the quality of the stories was very high and a few particular highlights were “The White Queen’s Pawn” by Genevieve Cogman, “Dream Girl” by Cavan Scott, “Good Dog, Alice!” by Juliet Marillier (my favourite of the collection), “The Hunting of the Jabberwock” by Jonathan Green and “Smoke ’em if You Got ’em” by Angela Slatter. This is the perfect collection for Alice in Wonderland fans, there really is something for everyone and it’s a great book for dipping in and out of when you want something quick to read.’

While Howling Libraries again went through each tale in detail, but summed up: ‘When I heard an entire anthology was being released of dark fantasy and horror stories themed around Alice and her adventures, I couldn’t get my hands on a copy soon enough! I’m so pleased to say that it was everything I hoped it would be. Many anthologies are full of hit-and-miss pieces, but Wonderland is a genuinely solid collection of stories – I really don’t think the average Wonderland lover will be disappointed by hardly any of these tales.’

Rising Shadow provided yet another in-depth review, but they concluded: ‘Storytelling-wise each of the mentioned stories is a small gem. Some of the stories are clearly stronger than others, but all of them are good and worth reading. Many of these stories tell about Alice, or perhaps I should say that they tell of alternate Alices, because the authors have created their own unique versions of Alice that are quite different from each other. I can guarantee that you’ll be surprised by what the authors have in store for the reader in this regard. The prose in all of these stories is excellent and evocative. I was positively surprised that the authors have managed to capture the magic, wonder and whimsiness of Wonderland with their writing and have done their best to write immersive and memorable stories… One of the things that impressed me about these stories is how insightful and thought-provoking some of them are and how they make the reader think about what is going on. Although these stories are entertainment, they have a surprising amount of depth. I strongly recommend this anthology to readers who want to read something fresh and unsettling, because the stories are intriguing and fascinatingly original. Please, don't hesitate to take a literary plunge into Wonderland, for you’ll be rewarded with marvellous stories that will take you by surprise.’

And finally at time of compiling, Blue Book Balloon did the same, saying: ‘Overall this collection has teeming variety. There are stories inspired by Wonderland, using its look and feel, as it were, stories which expand upon aspects of the original books, prequels, sequels, real-world stories where a “Wonderland” aspect might be taken as objective reality or equally, may reflect a state of mind or be a metaphor for the distance from childhood. There are transpositions of Alice to varied settings – the Wild West, a dystopia future, urban Japan – and all manner of other reimagining (including some which touch on uncomfortable aspects of Dodgson – Lewis Carroll – and his circle. They are all strong stories and it would be invidious to try to rate each one, but I particularly enjoyed Genevieve Cogman’s “The White Queen's Pawn”, “Good Dog, Alice” by Juliet Marillier, “About Time” by George Mann, LL McKinney’s story “What Makes a Monster” and Alison Littlewood’s “Eat Me, Drink Me”… A super anthology showcasing a range of authors doing splendid stuff. Great fun.’

To read the full reviews of all of these, click here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here

You can order your copy of the book here.

 

september

Book Bloggers, reviewers and contributing authors have been sharing their photos of Marie and Paul’s next mass market anthology through Titan, Wonderland (see previous news updates for details). You can see some of these above and below.

The book, which is out this month, has been mentioned in the ‘forthcoming lists’ on both io9 and Tor.com here and here, and was reviewed by The Nerd Daily who had this to say: ‘Titan Books have released Wonderland, an anthology of 18 never before seen stories inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, brought together by award-winning writer and editors Paul Kane and Marie O’Regan, from some of the best names in fantasy and horror. We begin with Robert Shearman’s “Wonders Never Cease”, a story about change, beginning with the idea that “If Alice wouldn’t change, then something else would have to change in her place” before linking Alice’s journey to the journey we all share. “There Were No Birds to Fly” by M.R. Carey portrays a sci-fi/horror tinged look at two of Wonderland’s more famous residents. “The White Queen’s Pawn” by Genevieve Cogman adds elements of the spy genre before revealing a supernatural sting in the tail. Cavan Scott’s occasionally gory “Dream Girl” sees Wonderland and its residents slowly disappearing. The Dream Girl is apparently to blame, but is everything as it seems?

In Juliet Marillier’s tale, “Good Dog, Alice!”, Dorothea’s Great Uncle Bartholomew doesn’t want her to name her new dog Alice as, according to him, all those named Alice are prone to “all manner of wild escapades.” But, for Dorothea, Alice the dog’s curiosity may turn out to be a good thing. Jonathan Green’s “The Hunting of the Jabberwock” sees a knight arrive to hunt the titular beast, only to uncover a nefarious scheme. In George Mann’s “About Time”, Lucy found Wonderland as a child and it became her haven. Now she’s a teenager however, she feels it’s time to put childish things behind her but soon finds that this is not as easy as it seems. In “Smoke ‘em if You Got ‘em”, Angela Slatter transports Alice to the Wild West.

Rio Youers’ “Vanished Summer Glory” is a poignant tale that looks at grief and its effect on the imagination. Catriona Ward’s “Black Kitty” is a wonderfully peculiar, and surprisingly emotional “tail” of a pair of twin sisters, a magic mirror and a certain cat. Laura Mauro’s “Night Parade” takes influence from Japanese folklore. L.L. McKinney has already released a contemporary Alice retelling in the form of her debut novel A Blade So Black, and her story, “What Makes a Monster”, is set within this same world, bringing an even darker twist to mythology surrounding Jack the Ripper. In “The White Queen’s Dictum” by James Lovegrove, two strangers meet in a motorway service station, one of whom is an investigator of the paranormal, only the paranormal may turn out to be closer than he thinks.

“Temp Work” by Lilith Saintcrow adds flavours of science-fiction – particularly cyberpunk – and corporate intrigue. “Eat Me, Drink Me” by Alison Littlewood is an unnervingly woozy tale of a young woman about to be married, who thinks how much easier it would be to be her pet rabbit. “How I Comes to be the Treacle Queen” by Cat Rambo has prose as poetically viscous as the treacle being mined. And “Six Impossible Things” by Mark Chadbourn looks at the creation of imaginary worlds and the effects this can have on those who inspire them. The collection is bookended by Jane Yolen’s two poems, “Alice in Armour” and “Revolution in Wonder”, acting as an opening and closing curtain.

As with any short-story collection, particularly those where the stories are all written by different authors, there is a wide variety of genres and styles, and not all of them will have the same impact (though of course your mileage may vary as to which ones). But these are all written by solid names within the genre and the quality is consistently high. An interesting addition to the canon of Alice-inspired literature as well as an appealing short story collection in its own right.’

You can read the full thing here.

For those wanting a signed copy of the book, some of the authors plus Marie & Paul will be at Forbidden Planet in London on the 14th September – find details here. And this will be followed by a HWA Pub Meet in the downstairs bar of The Craft Beer Company in Covent Garden (168 High Holborn, London WC1V 7AA), starting at 2:30 pm.

Turning to other events, and Marie was a Guest at the Liverpool Horror Festival last month (above). This took place at the Invisible Wind Factory and had a dealers’ room (where copies of her books were on sale) panels (Marie was on one called ‘The Death of Horror’) plus a live link-up interview with the Soska Sisters who have just written and directed the remake of Rabid (photos below, including Marie and Paul with the Hellbound Media guys).  

And there’s more news about the UK Ghost Story Festival which Marie is a guest at later this year (below). A list of other guests has now gone up and a Guest of Honour announcement: author of The Ritual, Adam Nevill. To find out more click here.

A Special Guest announcement for StokerCon 2020 as well. Robert Lloyd Parry (below) of Nunkie Theatre will be at the event performing a reading as M.R. James, and reading stories from Bram Stoker and Arthur Machen.  

For more details about all of this and to book your ticket and hotel room, click on the link to the site here.

AUGUST

Photos to begin with this month of Edge-Lit in Derby, where Marie interviewed both Neil Spring (author of The Ghost Hunters and The Burning House, above) and Sarah Lotz (author of The Three and Day Four, below).   

New adverts for StokerCon were also in the Edge Booklet (below), timed to coincide nicely with the announcement of latest Guest of Honour, none other than Kim Newman (also below)…

A name who should need no introduction to fans of the horror genre, Kim is a broadcaster and the bestselling author of books such as the Anno Dracula series and An English Ghost Story (below).

This comes after announcements about both the Final Frame Film Competition and the Ann Radcliffe Academic Conference, both of which will take place at the convention (below).

For more details about all of this and to book your ticket and hotel room, click on the link to the site here.

Sticking with conventions for a moment, Marie is delighted to announce that she’s going to be a Guest Speaker at the first ever UK Ghost Story Festival in Derby in November/December. For more information at this time, click here.

Marie's story 'Slippery When Wet' appears in the anthology Thread of the Infinite, released by Snow Books on 1 August. Edited by Dean M. Drinkel, the anthology features a foreword by Steven Savile. Buy your copy here.

Finally, Marie’s latest anthology with Paul, Exit Wounds, has been reviewed by Victoria Weisfeld, who said: ‘The cover featuring names of some of today’s best-selling crime fiction authors – Lee Child, Val McDermid, Dean Koontz, Mark Billingham and more – signals good reading ahead. Highlights: From the Department of Clever Twists comes Jeffrey Deaver’s story of the bullying of a suspect in a string of serial killings and Sarah Hilary’s The Pitcher, in which a journalist visits an obscure Spanish taverna and smacks into the unexpected. The opening line of Fiona Cummins’s “Dead Weight” – “You’re not going to eat that, are you?” – says all you need to know about these mother-daughter duelists. There’s an Edgar Allan Poe vibe to “On the Anatomization of an Unknown Man (1637)” by Dublin author John Connolly. “Take My Hand” by A K Benedict involves something Poe would have loved, a Hand of Glory. If you don’t know what that is, Google it. A sure-fire conversation-stopper. Dennis Lehane seems to be channeling Raymond Chandler in this line from “The Consumers”: “When she let (her hair) fall naturally, with its tousled waves and anarchic curls, she looked like a wet dream sent to douse a five-alarm fire.” In Paul Finch’s “The New Lad”, a brand new policeman is assigned to watch a crime scene overnight. Alone. Outside a derelict mental hospital. In the woods. Excruciating tension!’

You can read the full review here and order your copy of Exit Wounds from here, or here.

 

 

JULY

To begin with this month, we have more glowing reviews of Marie and Paul’s latest anthology Exit Wounds appeared last month, beginning with Bookshelf Butterfly who had this to say: ‘I haven’t read a short story anthology in ages and when I saw the line-up for Exit Wounds published by Titan Books, I jumped at the chance to read and review. There are nineteen tales of mystery and crime and the authors are: A.K. Benedict, Mark Billingham, Steph Broadribb, Lee Child, John Connolly, Fiona Cummins, Jeffrey Deaver, Paul Finch, Christopher Fowler, Alex Gray, Sarah Hilary, Louise Jensen, Dean Koontz, Joe R. Lansdale, Dennis Lehane, Val McDermid, James Oswald and Martyn Waites.

There are some crime writing stars who I’ve read before, about half of those listed in fact and there were also some authors I was able to try for the first time as well. Of the editors, I have not yet had the pleasure of reading Marie O’Regan who is British Fantasy Award-nominated writer and editor, with a number of anthologies under her belt. Paul Kane is an award winning author/editor of over 90 books, and I previously reviewed an anthology he edited, Beyond Rue Morgue, back in 2013.

As with any good anthology, although sharing a common theme (in this case “exits” set in a crime/thriller/mystery setting) every story is unique. I often find that short story collections are great for dipping in and out of. However with this book, although every tale is unrelated, I breezed through it in near enough one sitting, I just couldn’t put it down. Some stories are certainly more memorable than others, but all of them had a touch of something that kept me engaged. I couldn’t pick one as my stand out favourite but I have managed to firmly designate my top three. In no particular order, I really enjoyed “Kittens” by Dean Koontz, where a young girl finds out the truth about the death of her pets. Also, “Take My Hand” by A.K. Benedict featuring a spooky museum artefact and its keeper. Last but not least, I must mention “The New Lad” by Paul Finch where a newbie police officer is put in charge of an eerie crime scene on the night shift. I won’t describe every single story; if you are intrigued, you will have to find out for yourself what this book has in store!

What I particularly liked about this collection was the mix of interpretations of the crime genre. Some are classic, hardboiled crime or gritty police procedural stories. Others have a subtle supernatural edge to them. A couple are very quirky and not what you would expect to read if you judged the book on face value. Most, if not all of the tales, are quite disturbing. The authors really play on real life worries and fears that thrill and chill in equal measure. This is a must read for crime fiction fans, but horror readers would get a kick out of this collection too. Dark, twisted and seriously compelling, Exit Wounds is a brilliant short story anthology by some true masters of crime.’  

 

Books of All Kinds said, ‘I will be the first to admit that I don't tend to read many short stories and this is something that I would like to rectify, so when Exit Wounds arrived through my letterbox, I was delighted to try something a little different. From serial killers picking off their prey to those hell-bent on revenge, this collection of crime stories from some of the best in the business grabbed my attention at the very first story and every one thereafter. Dark, twisted, and with characters that got under my skin in just a few pages, Exit Wounds is a must-read for short story and crime fiction fans the world over. 

While each and every story is different and fresh there were a few that I favoured – “The Bully” by Jeffery Deaver, “Happy Holidays” by Val McDermid, and “The Pitcher” by Sarah Hilary. All the stories are excellent and brimming with tension but there was just that extra something about those three that made me take a deep breath while reading them. Compelling characters, sinister plots, and crackling atmosphere can all be found in the short stories nestled among the pages of Exit Wounds and I highly recommend it to all fiction readers, especially those who are unsure about short stories because this collection is sure to change your mind.’

And finally, Crime Fiction Lover said in their 5 star review, ‘Edited by Paul B Kane and Marie O’Regan, when the cover of a new book of short stories is emblazoned with the names of some of the best-selling and award-winning crime fiction authors – Lee Child, Val McDermid, Dean Koontz, John Connolly, Dennis Lehane and Jeffery Deaver, with even more inside – you know you’re in for a treat. Editors Paul B Kane and Marie O’Regan assembled 19 of the English-speaking world’s best mystery writers and asked them for stories that include an exit of some kind – death, abandonment, escape – and of course the damage that sudden departures leave in their wake. The result is the entertaining Exit Wounds. There’s nary a dud in the collection, and just a few of the stories are highlighted below. From the Department of Clever Twists comes Jeffery Deaver’s story of the bullying of a suspect in a string of serial murders. Not only is his life under a microscope, this threatening jerk won’t leave him alone! In “The Pitcher” by Sarah Hilary, a journalist visits an obscure Spanish taverna on England’s west coast only to find the place isn’t what he thinks it is, nor, fair to say, is his visit. You also may be deliciously surprised by James Oswald’s aptly named “Dressed to Kill”. The particular pathology of parent-child relationships is the basis for two stories. The opening line of Fiona Cummins’s “Dead Weight” is “You’re not going to eat that, are you?” which tells you all you need to know about this mother-daughter combat, er, relationship. And Dean Koontz’s “Kittens” takes this trope to a grisly extreme.

There’s an Edgar Allan Poe-ish vibe to “On the Anatomization of an Unknown Man (1637)” about an apocryphal painting of a vivisection lab by Dublin author John Connolly. “Take My Hand” by AK Benedict involves something Poe would have loved, a Hand of Glory. If you don’t know what that is, you might want to Google it. A sure-fire conversation-stopper. Also at the creepy end of the spectrum is Martyn Waites’ “Disciplined”, about a man very good at one thing: following orders. It begins, “It was swallowing the needle that changed everything” and takes off from there. Paul Finch’s “The New Lad” recounts the experiences of a policeman, first day on the job, assigned to watch a crime scene alone overnight outside a derelict mental hospital. In the woods, no less. I thought I’d have to stop reading, the tension got so acute…

The characters in some of the stories have different strategies for taking justice into their own hands – for better or, in the case of Val McDermid’s “Happy Holidays”, for worse. Florida apprentice bounty hunter Lori Anderson is featured in Steph Broadribb’s story, “Fool You Twice”. (In real life, Broadribb trained as a bounty hunter in California.) I really enjoyed Mark Billingham’s coming-of-age story, “Dancing Towards the Blade”, about a young man who’s lived in two totally different worlds – in Africa and England – and who is absolutely not who his London tormentors (those bullies again!) think he is. Crime goes way wrong in Joe R Lansdale’s amusing “Booty and the Beast”. Lansdale lives in the American southwest, so when he talks about fire ants, he knows whereof he speaks. Enough said. Finally, you may feel you’ve encountered the welcome shade of Raymond Chandler in Dennis Lehane’s surprising story “The Consumers”: “When she let (her hair) fall naturally, with its tousled waves and anarchic curls, she looked like a wet dream sent to douse a five-alarm fire.’

You can read the full reviews here, here and here.

And to order your copy of Exit Wounds, just click here or here.

Marie and Paul also received their copies of the ARCs of their next Titan anthology, Wonderland (above and below), which looks absolutely gorgeous!

Marie will be doing the onstage interviews for two of the Guests of Honour at Edge-Lit this year, which takes place at the Quad in Derby – as always – on July 13th. There’ll she’ll be chatting with bestselling authors Neil Spring (The Ghost Hunters, The Watchers, The Burning House – above) and Sarah Lotz (The Three, Day Four, The White Road – below). You can find out more by visiting the event site here.

Lastly this month, photos from the most recent HWA Pub Meet where Stephen Jones marked his 150th publication.

There to help him celebrate were the likes of Tim Dry, Dan Coxon, Peter Mark May, Steve Shaw, Sean Hogan (all above), Kim Newman and Reggie Oliver (immediately below), Phil Sloman, Graham Humphreys and Anna Taborska (below that), Barbie Wilde (with Paul and Marie) and Amanda Foubister (in the group shot).   

 

june

Last month saw the long-awaited release of Exit Wounds, the mass market crime anthology Marie edited with Paul (above and below, including the first pictures of the book on the shelves at Waterstones – courtesy of Simon Kurt Unsworth). 

To celebrate, popular magazine My Weekly had a competition to win a crime bundle, which saw Exit Wounds being given away alongside books by writers such as Ian Rankin, Denise Mina and Mel Sherratt (below). And Crime Time published a piece by Marie and Paul about putting the book together, which you can read here.

Publisher Titan also came up with an online ad campaign which appeared on places like Facebook and Instagram (below).

 

The anthology has so far been reviewed very favourably, including by The Times who said it was an ‘Impressive collection’ with a ‘starry list of contributors’ (below) and newsstand magazine Love It! (also below) who called it ‘An all killer, no filler collection showcasing the very best modern crime fiction has to offer!’ 

Well-known industry magazine Publishers Weekly (below) gave the book a starred and featured review in the Mystery/Thriller section, saying ‘The quality of the 19 entries is top-notch... Every entry is well-written, suspenseful, and peopled with fully developed characters – a tribute to the editors’ judgment.’ You can read their whole review here.

Meanwhile The Dream Cage had this to say, ‘I always find short story collections hit and miss so I don’t write a huge number of notes in case I can’t find something to write about. Instead I score each story out of 10 and hope that one or two tales stand out. That only becomes a problematic system when you review something as utterly glorious as Exit Wounds which is full of top-notch tales. From my rudimentary scoring the 19 stories garnered five set of top marks, four scores of 9, and four of 8 points. The rest, bar one story which had no affect on me at all, scored very solid 7’s which is a remarkable return for such differing stories. A lot of the authors I recognised, like you will, and was already excited to read. The book opens with Jeffery Deaver for goodness sake and, contained within the contents, you’ll read stories by Val McDermid, Lee Child and Dean Koontz, but you will also discover authors you haven’t read yet and end up trashing your credit card ordering books by these writers as you need more than just a few pages from each of them.

Every story took a different look at the “exit” mentioned in the title and you have everything from stories based in real history to the downright horrific and everything between. Each writer brings something new and unexpected to the crime story, and there are twists and thrills aplenty contained within each gripping page turn. As mentioned before, Jeffery Deaver opens the book, and how. It is possibly one of the strongest openings to an anthology I have ever read, but there are other stories in the collection that scored higher than the esteemed Mr Deaver did, which shows you how remarkable this book is. I thoroughly enjoyed every story except one (which my wife read and loved, so apparently there is something wrong with me) and every author deserves any praise that comes their way…

What O’Regan and Kane have managed to put together is a stunning collection of high quality and thrilling stories. There is gripping horror on every page, twists galore, and sheer storytelling class oozing from every word. Exit Wounds is a must read, a must own, and is possibly the best collection of crime related short stories put together.’

Jen Med’s Book Reviews said: ‘Oh I do love me a good crime story and Exit Wounds, a wonderful collection of short stories from some of the top names in Crime Fiction, is absolutely full of them… Here’s what you can expect: If there is one thing in the book world that is misunderstood and completely underrated, for me it has to be the short story, or, in this case the short story anthology. I know that some people feel short stories don’t allow them to get to know the characters, that they aren’t meaty enough, but for me they are the perfect, bite-size way to get your fix of your favourite author or to find an author who may be completely new to you without having to commit to a long term relationship aka “the novel”. They are perfect for a quick shot in your lunch break, on your daily commute or that ten-twenty minute wait you have while you are waiting for your tatties to boil for dinner.

If you are a fan of crime fiction, then Exit Wounds is a perfect way to while away those odd moments of time where you aren’t quite sure what to do with yourself. Featuring some absolutely cracking stories from some of the top writers in the business, you are bound to find something there which is right up your street. This book worked perfectly for me and I actually read it over a couple of weeks, a couple of stories a day over lunch breaks and when I got in from work. A nice way to unwind. With added murder and crime. All good. Now it is hard to talk about short stories as to say too much would pretty well give away the whole plot and negate the need to buy the book, but I will say that there are some real gems in amongst this collection and enough to keep you hooked, shocked, thrilled and blasting through those pages. 

For fans of Val McDermid’s Hill and Jordan series you have a nice catch up with the pair in “Happy Holidays”, a real misnomer for some of the characters and no mistake. And it’s a very welcome howdy to everyone’s favourite Bounty Hunter, Lori Anderson, in Steph Broadribb’s “Fool You Twice”. And I might be biased (I am) but I really enjoyed John Connolly’s “On the Anatomization of an Unknown Man”, and also James Oswald’s “Dressed to Kill”, the latter of which featured none other than dear old Inspector Tony McLean and Grumpy Bob Laird. (I love Grumpy Bob). I learned it’s probably not a good idea to go to Louise Jensen’s for dinner, and not to pick a fight with AK Benedict. She has a very devious mind… As for Paul Finch’s “The New Lad” – loved it!’

This from Mummy is Reading…Books: ‘If you are a fan of mystery, crime or thriller then this collection of tales from the modern masters of crime is for you! Working as a collection, it reminded me of the old mysteries which were often gathered together in print (think Arthur Conan Doyle etc). The cover of this is explosive and eye-catching, whilst the tales within are intriguing and gripping, with clever strokes of plot twists and brushes of tension. One of my favourites was “Dressed to Kill” by James Oswald, about the Scottish detective Inspector McLean!’

Book Reporter said: ‘Featuring both original in-universe stories and rarely seen reprints, this collection of 19 masterful short stories brings together some of the genre’s greatest living authors. Tony Hill and Carol Jordan take on a delightfully twisted killer in Val McDermid’s “Happy Holidays.” In Fiona Cummins’ “Dead Weight,” an overbearing mother resorts to desperate measures to keep control of her teenage daughter. And in Dean Koontz’s “Kittens,” a young girl learns the truth about how her pets have been dying and devises a horrible revenge. Tense, twisted and disturbing, Exit Wound is a visceral and thrilling collection showcasing the very best modern crime fiction has to offer.’

Blue Book Balloon said: ‘I love a good themed anthology, I find an anthology does several things for me, as a reader. First, if well chosen (and the authors in this one are among the best) their perspectives (what’s the right word for a gang of authors? A plot?) can shed more light – or dark – on a subject than any single writer could. Here, that theme is the “exit” from a crime – or a criminal situation. That exit might be a death, or an escape, or more loosely the winding down of events. It’s perceptive, I think, to focus on this aspect when a great deal of crime writing deals with the before – the build-up – and / or the after – the investigation. Here attention is mainly on the cusp after one, and before the other. Although in some of these stories (such as Joe R Lansdale’s “Booty and the Beast”) the exit may have been long ago.

Another valuable service anthologies serve is giving authors space to tackle things a bit differently, to visit aspects of their fiction that might not be enough for a full-blown novel but, nevertheless, fill in details or illustrate ideas that are useful in understanding the whole. So for example here in Steph Broadribb’s “Fool You Twice” we see an early adventure of her hero Lori Anderson… And in John Connolly’s splendidly named “On the Anatomization of an Unknown Man (1637) by Frans Mier” we see a dark world that might, or might not, fit with his Fractured Atlas universe…

The final joy of an anthology like this is that you’re certain to pick up accessible writing both by authors you know and those you don’t – whether the latter are ones you have wanted to try but haven’t got round to, and by those you didn’t know, but can now explore in future. Overall, a triple win, I’d say. So here are nineteen stories, most of them published here for the first time, and all excellent… These are entertaining, varied stories, almost all compulsively readable. Do give them a try.’

Runalong the Shelves said: ‘Crime stories are often staring at us from the shelves and series and stand-alone thrillers are a constant part of life. But we often forget that there is a tradition of the crime short story, just think of the Holmes canon. While you don’t get the thrill of the wider investigation and the slow building tension, a short story can just go for the jugular, the mood or even a simple mystery. In this anthology the editors Paul B Kane and Marie O’Regan have assembled a great collection of stories based around an exit wound – be it actual or metaphorical…

A well put together collection that shows the reader what crime novelists can deliver in just a few pages. Lots of variety, thrills and twists plus well-balanced emotional depth. If you want to find some new authors to read then track down this one, it’s a brilliant place to explore where crime now is.’

And finally Snazzy Books had this to say: ‘I have to admit that I’ve never really been a “short story person”. I always preferred the investment and story development of a full length novel, but the fact these are only short means you’re left wanting much more, especially the stories that really hook you in with great characters and an intriguing premise. This is when I kind of wish they weren’t short stories but “full length”, just so I can read more and more. Saying that, it’s SO satisfying to read multiple, interesting plots – albeit short ones – and experience lots of great ideas within a collection that’s less than 400 pages. This mix of separate narratives truly sparks the imagination in a different way than one long story, and you have absolutely no time to get bored! So this has completely changed my mind about short stories!

I love that each story is markedly different but all on the theme of crime – and all with a decidedly (and delightedly) dark twist! I liked that each had its own spin on “crime”, and featured every kind of character, from serial killers and unhappy, controlled teenagers to beaten, vengeful wives. The way you get to almost sample the writing style of various different authors is a great way to discover a new crime author… though the authors in this anthology are really big names, so you’ve probably already read something by most of them before! The stories are absorbing and intriguing, though some provoked really strong emotions in me…

Overall, I highly recommend this anthology for any crime fan, particularly if you’re a short story fan – but even if you’re not usually, like me. I hugely enjoyed Exit Wounds and will be buying it as a present for various reader friends who I know will also really enjoy it. [RATING: 5/5]’

You can read the full reviews here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Event news now, and yet another Guest of Honour announcement for the convention Marie is co-chairing: StokerCon UK in 2020. This time it’s the turn of Stoker Award-winning author Grady Hendrix (above), best known for books such as Horrorstör, My Best Friend’s Exorcism, We Sold Our Souls (below) and Paperbacks from Hell (also below). To read more about him just click here.

Grady joins Gillian Redfern and Mistress of Ceremonies AK Benedict and all are now on the new flyer for the event below.   

To secure your place at the convention, just click here.

May

We begin this month with news of the next Guest for the convention Marie is co-chairing. StokerCon UK in 2020 is delighted to welcome Editor Guest of Honour, Gillian Redfearn (above), the Hugo Award-nominated Deputy Publisher of Gollancz. To read more about her just click here. Gillian joins Mistress of Ceremonies AK Benedict and both now feature on the new flyer for the event below.   

Scarborough and one of the convention hotels – The Grand – featured on a TV news report over Easter, with record temperatures soaring in the region (below), something that also bodes well for next April. To secure your place at the convention, just click here.

Marie was sent contributor copies of her latest mass market anthology last month, co-edited with Paul: Exit Wounds from Titan (below). 

Exit Wounds is out later this month, but to pre-order your copy click here or here.

Finally, Marie’s story ‘Tap, Tap’ which was published in Sinister Press’ anthology The Black Room Manuscripts Volume Four, was mentioned in a terrific review from Machine Mean last month. Here’s what they had to say: ‘This one had a beautifully creepy atmosphere to it. While dolls aren’t exactly new when it comes to the content of horror fiction, there always exists the possibility of taking something routine and making it great. I think that is what O’Regan has done here, in brilliant form.

The pacing of this was near perfect as I had no desire to put it down at any point while I read it. The tension is real and palpable as the story moves along, which isn’t easy in any kind of story length. I don’t want to give too much away but the experiences of this woman and her mother quickly escalate from curious to simply terrifying. I’m not generally bothered by horror fiction but some of the imagery in my head at the end of this piece definitely had me feeling unsettled. It’s a perfect example of a creative drive that we should all aspire to. It’s a fantastic idea, delivered with tremendously talented writing. This was one of my favorites from the collection.’

To read the whole review, click here.

april

Some very exciting news to start with this month, and that’s the cover reveal and announcement of the contributors for Marie and Paul’s forthcoming anthology Wonderland (above) to be published mass market by Titan in September. Broken by Barnes and Noble here, the full ToC for the book can also now be revealed:

‘Alice in Armor’ by Jane Yolen; ‘Wonders Never Cease’ by Robert Shearman; ‘There Were No Birds to Fly’ by M.R. Carey; ‘The White Queen’s Pawn’ by Genevieve Cogman; ‘Dream Girl’ by Cavan Scott; ‘Good Dog, Alice!’ by Juliet Marillier; ‘The Hunting of the Jabberwock’ by Jonathan Green; ‘About Time’ by George Mann; ‘Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em’ by Angela Slatter; ‘Vanished Summer Glory’ by Rio Youers; ‘Black Kitty’ by Catriona Ward; ‘The Night Parade’ by Laura Mauro; ‘What Makes a Monster’ by L.L. McKinney; ‘The White Queen’s Dictum’ by James Lovegrove; ‘Temp Work’ by Lilith Saintcrow; ‘Eat Me, Drink Me’ by Alison Littlewood; ‘How I Comes To Be the Treacle Queen’ by Cat Rambo; ‘Six Impossible Things’ by Mark Chadbourn; ‘Revolution in Wonder’ by Jane Yolen.

You can pre-order Wonderland by clicking here.

And it’s just been announced that Marie will be co-editing the third volume in the Trickster’s Treats charity series (1 & 2 above) along with Lee Murray. This one will be published by Things in the Well.

As if all that wasn’t enough, Marie’s long-awaited new collection from Luna Press, The Last Ghost and Other Stories, is out on April 9th! To get your copy, just click here.

Finally, Marie’s story in The Alchemy Book of Horrors was singled out in a review in the most recent Phantasmagoria Magazine (above), who said ‘Marie O’Regan’s “Pretty Things” very soon belies its name, where masks play a key, sometimes gut-wrenching part.’

MARCH

Marie and Paul are over the moon to be able to share this month the full table of contents for their forthcoming mass market anthology, Exit Wounds (above), published by Titan and out in May. Without further ado, here it is:

‘The Bully’ by Jeffery Deaver; ‘Dead Weight’ by Fiona Cummins; ‘Like a Glass Jaw’ by Mark Billingham; ‘On the Anatomization of an Unknown Man (1637) by Frans Mier’ by John Connolly; ‘The Pitcher’ by Sarah Hilary; ‘Disciplined’ by Martyn Waites; ‘The Consumers’ by Dennis Lehane; ‘Voices Through the Wall’ by Alex Gray; ‘Wet With Rain’ by Lee Child; ‘Happy Holidays’ by Val McDermid; ‘Fool You Twice’ by Steph Broadribb; ‘Lebensraum’ by Christopher Fowler; ‘Dancing Towards the Blade’ by Mark Billingham; ‘Kittens’ by Dean Koontz; ‘Take My Hand’ by A.K. Benedict; ‘Dressed to Kill’ by James Oswald; ‘Booty and the Beast’ by Joe R. Lansdale; ‘The New Lad’ by Paul Finch; and ‘The Recipe’ by Louise Jensen.

As you can see, it promises to be a very special book indeed. You can pre-order your copy here.

 

Marie’s new collection from Luna Press, The Last Ghost and Other Stories, is now up for pre-order and is out on April 9th. To secure your copy, just click here.

It’s Alive: Bringing Your Nightmares to Life (Crystal Lakes Publishing, above), edited Joe Mynhardt and Eugene Johnson, has reached the nominations stage for Superior Achievement in Non-Fiction in the Bram Stoker Awards®. The book contains Marie’s interview with Sarah Pinborough and you can buy it here.

Photos now from the successful HWA Pub Meet at the Angel in London last month, where attendees included Gareth Powell, who came straight from his signing around the corner at Forbidden Planet, and Lydia Gittins of Titan (above). Also dropping in were the likes of Phil Sloman, Theresa Derwin (both below), author of The Hollow Tree James Brogden (below, with Paul), Anna Taborska, Chris Amies (also below, with Phil) and Robin Furth, who writes Stephen King’s Dark Tower comics. 

 

 

 

February

Congratulations this month to Marie, as her ghost story anthology Phantoms (see previous news sections for details) has made the preliminary ballot list for the Bram Stoker Awards! Well done to all the authors who contributed tales to this one.

Event news now! StokerCon UK, which is being held in Scarborough in 2020 at the Royal and Grand (above) Hotels, and Marie is co-chair of, has announced its Mistress of Ceremonies. None other than AK Benedict, author of The Beauty of Murder and The Evidence of Ghosts, you can find out more about her here, and the event in general or to book your place here.

Finally, Marie's joined the community at Curious Fictions, and you can read two of her stories: 'The Real Me', and 'Listen', by clicking on the links. It's free to join, with fiction from many fine authors, and if you want to tip the author you can - if you don't, no problem, the stories are there to enjoy regardless. Marie will be adding more stories here and there, and hopes you like them.

January

It’s a New Year, and you’ve probably noticed there’s a new look to Marie’s site! But there’s still news from the end of last year to report, starting with photos from the Phantoms signing she did last month at Derby Waterstones with George Mann and Mark Latham, including the book on the shelves (above and below).

L to R: George Mann, Mark A. Latham, Marie O'Regan

 

Marie O'Regan

 

 

 

The book has been garnering some more excellent reviews as well, including a five star one from the Book Lovers Boudoir who said: ‘This is the first time reading some authors and others like Joe Hill and John Connolly are beloved favourite authors. I loved this collection. One of the most enjoyable things is that each story is different and the collection offers a wide range of styles and subject matters. I never knew what the next story would hold. My favourite stories were “When We Fall, We Forget” by Angela Slatter, “20th Century Ghost” by Joe Hill (still amazing after about a dozen reads), “A Man Walking His Dog” by Tim Lebbon and“Lula-Belle” by Catriona Ward. This collection of dark, disturbing reads was sheer pleasure.’

While Always Trust in Books had this to say: ‘I have really missed short story collections. Phantoms has just showed me how much. What a collection! 18 writers of pure talent sharing their latest and greatest ghost stories. After a succinct intro by editor Marie O’Regan we get straight into the good stuff. Marie did a top notch job editing these into a fluid, chilling and harmonious collection. Stories that are connected through reincarnation, replication, replacement and companionship. United by death, grief, illness, memories, fear, identity and love. I do appreciate a good ghost story but these authors are the kind of writers who craft serious depth into their work. Adding extra dimensions into each tale, leaving you unsettled, inspired or shocked to the core…’

You can read the full reviews of both here and here.

 

Meanwhile Marie’s next anthology, edited with Paul – Exit Wounds – was one of the Staff Picks for 2019 on the Titan blog just before Christmas. You can read that here.

 

Also looking ahead, Marie’s new collection The Last Ghost and Other Stories (above) was announced in the latest Luna Press newsletter and on their site here. Part of the Harvester series, it’s out on 9th April, has an introduction by Christopher Fowler and terrific cover art from Daniele Serra.

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