december
Above are pictures of the Russian edition of the anthology Marie co-edited, Cursed – and they look stunning! You can still buy the original here.
And a reminder that both the recent anthologies Wonderland and the aforementioned Cursed are now available as audios (above). You can pick those up here and here.
And keep an eye on this page (above) for some festive horror from Sinister: an advent calendar with a unique twist! You’ll find that one here.
All that remains is to wish you a very Merry – and of course safe – holiday season, whatever you’re doing and however you celebrate, and a Happy New Year. May 2021 bring better times to us all.
november
The huge news from last month – as reported by places like Locus here – was the announcement of a brand new line from PS Publishing, Absinthe Books (above) which Marie is the Editor in Chief of! The first three hardcover titles are…
Mr. Sandman by SJI Holliday (above):
SYNOPSIS:
Sophie is bored with her perfectly nice but deathly dull boyfriend Matthew. Sensing he’s about to lose her, Matthew takes her on a last-ditch attempt trip to the seaside, hoping to rekindle their dying flames. But things take a dark turn when Sophie visits Mr Sandman, a Haitian priest, who claims that he can change Matthew into the boyfriend that she wants. But does Sophie really know what she wants? Never has the phrase “be careful what you wish for” been more apt. Because Matthew does change...just not in the way that anyone could’ve predicted.
BIO:
SJI (Susi) Holliday is the author of seven crime novels and numerous short stories. By day, she works as a statistician in the pharmaceutical industry, and by night she cooks up murderous plots and writes them down so that others can share her warped mind. Her bestselling books have been described as deliciously dark and twisted and ‘clever, cutting and addictive’ and she loves to blend elements of psycho-logical thriller, mystery, horror and sci-fi. She also works as a writing coach, helping aspiring crime writers to get their words on the page. You can find her on twitter @sjiholliday and on her website www.sjiholliday.com.
You can buy that here.
On the Shoulders of Otava by Laura Mauro (above):
SYNOPSIS:
Siiri Tuokkola takes up arms for the Women’s Guard during Finland’s 1918 Civil War along with her comrades. Stationed in a remote village outpost, rumours of strange things in the woods come to a head when Siiri’s comrade Mirva goes missing in a blizzard. Determined to find her, Siiri braves the deep forest, where mysterious lights weave through the trees, and those who look upon them for too long may find themselves afflicted by a strange madness. But there are worse things in the forest than lights, and Siiri must face them if she is to find Mirva before it’s too late.
BIO:
Laura Mauro was born and raised in London and now lives in Essex under extreme duress. Her short story 'Looking for Laika' won the British Fantasy award for Best Short Fiction in 2018, and 'Sun Dogs' was shortlisted for the Shirley Jackson award in the Novelette category. Her debut collection, Sing Your Sadness Deep is out now from Undertow Books. She likes Japanese wrestling, Finnish folklore and Russian space dogs. She blogs sporadically at lauramauro.com
You can buy that one here.
SYNOPSIS:
The goddess Amaranth, Queen of the Broken, has been reborn for the first time in generations and now resides once more in her distant tower, observing the world through her strange, fractured eyes. Three pilgrims set out on the trail to find her, each for their own reasons: Pallor, the Knight of Perish, who wishes to die by a worthy hand and will challenge the goddess to a fight to the death; Nok, the tribal Wolkin, who carries her brother’s bones to beg Amaranth to restore him to the afterlife; and Ambrose, the monk, charged by his Order to seek the answer to the unanswerable question at the heart of his faith. Each of these pilgrims will be tested on the road to their inevitable convergence—and each will be granted answers, of a sort, from the Broken Queen…
BIO:
George Mann is a Sunday Times bestselling novelist and scriptwriter. He’s the creator of the supernatural crime series Wychwood, as well as the popular Newbury & Hobbes and Tales of the Ghost series, two of which are in development as television shows. He’s written new adventures for landmark properties such as Star Wars, Doctor Who, Sherlock Holmes, Judge Dredd, Warhammer 40,000 and Dark Souls. George lives near Grantham with his wife, family and two noisy dogs. He loves mythology and folklore, Kate Bush and chocolate. He is constantly surrounded by tottering piles of books.
And finally, you can buy that one here.
You can also read an introduction to the line that Marie originally penned for the PS Newsletter by clicking here.
As if all that wasn’t enough, Marie is delighted to report that the mass market anthology he co-edited for Titan Books, Wonderland, has made it to the short-list of the British Fantasy Awards! You might remember that the book was also short-listed for the Shirley Jackson Award earlier this year…
You can find a full listing of the nominees in all the categories by clicking here.
Finally, more anthology love, this time from The Independent who included Marie and Paul’s Cursed as part of their listing of Top Horrors to Read at Halloween and Beyond last month, alongside titles by Stephen King, Oscar Wilde, Neil Gaiman and Ray Bradbury (above and below). They said: ‘Who doesn’t love a story with a good curse in it? Whether it’s a “plague on both your houses” a la Shakespeare or an ancient malediction rearing its ugly head, curses are the bread and butter of horror. This thrilling anthology of short stories, edited by Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane, explores them in all shapes and sizes. Both authors have done a great job curating an eclectic mix of modern writers, including Neil Gaiman, Christina Henry, and Charlie Jane Anders.’
To read the full list, just click here.
Finally, just time to mention that the two stories adapted for the Creepshow Animated Special last month (above): ‘Survivor Type’ by Stephen King and ‘Twittering from the Circus of the Dead’ by Joe Hill were previously published in anthologies edited by Marie and Paul, The Mammoth Book of Body Horror and A Carnivàle of Horror (all below).
october
Marie was over the moon last month to see the Titan anthology he co-edited with Paul, Cursed, in this list from Book Riot of the 5 great speculative fiction anthologies of 2020 (above). They said: ‘Drawing inspiration from the darkness of fairytales, this anthology brings together 20 curses shared in 20 different stories. The result is a collection that puts new spins on old favorite stories and tropes, as well as offers a few completely new takes on the concept. Within its pages you’ll find names including Neil Gaiman, Charlie Jane Anders, M.R. Carey, and more.’
To check the list itself just click here.
september
The big news this month is that half the stories on the short-list for the CWA Daggers (above), as announced in August, were from Marie and Paul’s popular anthology Exit Wounds: ‘The Bully’ by Jeffery Deaver, ‘The New Lad’ by Paul Finch and ‘The Recipe’ by Louise Jensen.
You can see the full list here.
august
Marie and co-editor Paul might not have won the Shirley Jackson Award for their anthology Wonderland last month, but they did receive their commemorative pebbles for being short-listed (above).
And fan Jay S. Kerr posted these amazing pics online featuring another anthology Marie and Paul edited, Hellbound Hearts. He had this to say about the book: ‘Started reading this the other night as I’ve had it sitting for sometime, fantastic collection of writers and work, a must read for any Hellraiser or Horror fan. As Dr Channard said “And to think I hesitated” or the Auditor’s line from Hellraiser Judgment “let’s just dive in shall we?” as you will be glad you did!’
july
Marie took part in an interview for HorrorTree last month, as one of the Trickster’s Treats editors. You can read what she had to say here.
Another recent anthology, this time Cursed from Titan Books, was reviewed last month. Here’s what Publishing ArtsHub had to say: ‘Cursed is an anthology of dark tales by twelve contemporary authors, such as Neil Gaiman, Karen Joy Fowler, Christina Henry, M.R. Carey and Charlie Jane Anders, working in fiction, fantasy, sci-fi, historical fiction, and any other highly imaginative speculative fiction genre one might care to name. These authors are at the height of their careers, working across the writing spectrum from short stories to screenwriting to graphic novels, and they bring their formidable talents to craft tales based on the concept of a curse: what it means to be cursed; what it takes to create a curse; how one lives with a curse; and how a wish can so easily become a curse. Many of the stories are reinterpretations or updates of well-known fairy tales, others are entirely new but still retain that fairy tale energy of reality-but-make-it-shiny.
A contemporary take on Bluebeard sees the story told in a modern setting and from a different point of view, but the gruesome quirks of the title character remain. The tale of Hansel and Gretel is transformed in “Haza and Ghani”, where brother and sister journey to a new world, and ovens, witches and revenge take on new and fantastical meanings. Sleeping Beauty dreams peacefully until she is awoken, but was she cursed by her dream or by her waking? A woman is placed under a powerful curse by a demi-goddess, and after centuries of torment perhaps it is making them both suffer. A woman is cursed to die again and again, reviving in the bodies of others who have passed away, but she always finds her way back to her true love. And a golden boy who grew into a golden man faces his worst fear when his intangible appeal is stripped away; will he have the strength to start his life again without his privilege? These and many more twisted, thought-provoking stories take the reader to unexpected places, across times and dimensions, and into the homes and caves of characters both new and recognised. Through the art of the short story and the fluid, ephemeral magic of the fairy tale, these authors explore with dark and imaginative prose every facet of what it means to be cursed, bookended by two poems by Jane Yolen. I would highly recommend this anthology to anyone who enjoys the compact power of the short story, or the timeless reiteration of the fairy tale, or any kind of dark fiction that explores the limits and capabilities of the human mind and soul. 4 ½ stars out of 5’
You can read the full thing here, and buy the book here here and here.
june extra
Some awards extra announcements for June now. Marie was delighted to see that not only were multiple stories from Exit Wounds on the longlist for the Crime Writers’ Association Dagger Awards – which you can check out here – but also Wonderland was nominated for a Shirley Jackson Award in the ‘Edited by’ category – you can see who else is up for awards here. Both anthologies were of course edited with Paul, and published by Titan Books.
June
The first piece of news this month is that Marie is a finalist in the Australian Shadows Awards (given by the Australian Horror Writers Association) in the ‘edited by’ category, for Trickster’s Treats 3 – which she co-edited with Lee Murray. To read more about it, and see who the other finalists are, click here.
Meanwhile the Cursed anthology (above) received another glowing review, this time from Lotte’s Library: ‘What a deliciously wicked collection of dark and twisty fairy tales. O’Regan and Kane have done it once again, sourcing the most excellent takes on new and re-imagined fairy tales written by renowned authors such as Neil Gaiman and Christina Henry. This anthology contains 20 short stories that are based loosely around the theme of curses. These authors have taken this cue, warping and twisting stories so good that even the re-imagined ones bear hardly any resemblance to their originals.
I think I can honestly say I found each and every one of these stories both enchanting and captivating. They were each written in the individual author’s style and covered a different take on the cursed theme. No two were the same yet I was equally drawn into them all. Some were beautifully written about magical curses turned sweet and others were disturbingly cold and wretched. Even the placement of each story was well laid out, with each varying greatly from the last, meaning they didn’t mash into one. My particular favourites have to be Christina Henry’s “As Red As Blood, As White As Snow”, Neil Gaiman’s “Troll Bridge”, Jen Williams’ “Listen” and Christopher Golden’s “Wendy, Darling”. Using poems my Jane Yolen to bookend this anthology was a lovely touch. I would highly recommend delving into this if twisted tales are your thing!’
You can read the full thing here.
april
This month’s news begins with a mammoth compilation of Cursed reviews, starting with the Instagram Tour (above) – which Paul and Marie also contributed a Q&A to; you can read that here, here, here, here, and here.
First up on the trail was A Hobbits Books, who offered this: ‘I picked this one up yesterday and I TORE through its 20 short stories in no time!... The stories included in this book range from the mythical and fantastical to some set in modern times and each of the different authors managed to give their own unique spin to a) either widely known fairy tales or by b) crafting new ones that were no less magical. I also loved how gritty, dark, deep and disturbing some of them were. This was sooo right up my alley because I've been getting so tired of “fairy tale endings”! This was a brilliant collection of all things dark and mysterious. It's a 4* rating from me!’
Ghoulish Spirit then commented: ‘Here in this book you’ll find unique twists on the fairy tale conceit of the curse, from the more traditional to the modern – giving us brand new mythologies as well as new approaches to well-loved fables. Some might shock you, some might make you laugh, but they will all impress you with their originality. I love this book and was blown away by the cover, but Neil Gaiman is what made me want to be on tour with it.’
Shelf Rate’s 4/5 * review said: ‘There are 20 short stories all together and each one was a uniquely crafted narrative with the authors putting their own spin on curses. I loved seeing each author’s take on a curse and really enjoyed each story! My favorites were probably “As Red As Blood, as White as Snow” by Christina Henry, “Listen” by Jen Williams and “Again” by Tim Lebbon. Cursed is a dark, twisty compilation of curses of varying degrees. I think there is something for everyone in this.’
Contrary Reader came back with: ‘I’ve been luxuriating in Cursed, an anthology of #FolkTales and #darkfairytales (just released by Titan) these past weeks. And let me tell you that you are in for a moody and atmospheric treat, should this be your kind of read. It has the brilliant #TrollBridge from Neil Gaiman. Alison Littlewood weaves her sinister spritely magic in #TheMerrieDancers (she of the brilliant Mistletoe fame). Charlie Jane Anders brings her best monster game in #FairyWerewolfvsVampireZombies. Catriona Ward serves the sleepless nights with #AtThatAge. Whatever you like to get your teeth into, one of your bites is bound to curse you.’
It was Zoe Readsx’s turn next, who commented: ‘Cursed is a short story collection that is definitely not for the faint of heart... It’s so deliciously dark and creepy that you cannot do anything else but keep on reading, IN THE BEST WAY! (Though I have to say, not all of them are REALLY creepy but they’re all definitely mysterious.) Most of the short stories genuinely felt like you’re reading an entire book rather than a story of under 30 pages, which was awesome! Besides that, I had so much fun figuring out which fairy tale was being retold and what the new twist on it was. If you’re in the mood for dark stories (for example during Halloween!!), I’d highly recommend picking this up! And be careful not to walk beside the path... who knows what you’ll find… Overall rating: 4*’
The final stop on the tour was Grimdark Dad: ‘To start with, on the whole, this collection is WAY darker than I had anticipated. I guess I was somewhat anticipating a sort’ve creepy yet whimsical feel to the stories (and there are some that feel that way), but dang…there’s some outright horror in this collection, for sure!! And to be clear, I don’t consider myself any kind of authority on fairy tales and/or stories about curses. Some of the stories in this collection are likely retellings of old fairy tales, or at least contain more than a few nods to those stories. And plenty of those references probably went straight over my head. But anyway! Looking back through this, it’s really the first short story (there is one poem before it) in this collection that stands out the most for me: “As Red as Blood, as White as Snow” by Christina Henry. It’s a diabolically clever take on Snow White, with a sort’ve epic fantasy meets horror vibe, and a Prince Charming that’s the stuff of nightmares. This story really set the tone for the whole rest of the anthology!...
This is now the third Titan anthology in a row that I’ve read that features an awesome story by Angela Slatter. This one is called “New Wine”, and it’s about a rich kid (well, he’s like nineteen or so) and the woman his father hires to be his (the boy’s) tutor/caretaker/friend/etc…there’s a lot of backstory given in a short amount of time, but this is an awesome story. It reminded me very slightly of a particular Stephen King story, but I’m not saying which one! M.R. Carey is one of my favorites, and I’m betting his entry here, “Henry and the Snakewood Box”, was a lot of fun for him to write. It’s sort’ve a play on the genie in a bottle, only the genie is a demon and kind of a manipulative asshole. Ha! All in all, this is a solid collection… overall the vibe of this book is really dark & creepy, and in addition to the stories by authors I love, it was a great introduction to some new-to-me authors!’
You can read the full things here, here, here, here, here, and here.
A blog tour followed, starting with a review from Books, Bones & Buffy: ‘I’m sad that I didn’t have enough time to read more of this collection in time for my blog tour stop, but I’ll definitely be dipping back into it in the future. This small sampling was excellent, and I can’t wait to read the other stories!’
The Book Lovers’ Boudoir said: ‘I love fairytales, dark fairytales, fairytale retellings and short stories. So my enjoyment of this collection was a given. I wouldn’t expect anything less. Some of my favourite writers have stories in Cursed including Neil Gaiman, James Brogden and Tim Lebbon. You know what to expect with such high calibre writers, dark delights. I also enjoy the work of Jane Yolen. What impressed me was the depth and range of stories. They were all very different even though they shared similar tropes and themes. Some of the stories are retellings and some are original. The best stories were “Troll Bridge” by Neil Gaiman, “At That Age” by Catriona Ward, “Henry and the Snakewood Box” by M.R Carey and “Skin” by James Brogden. There’s something to delight every fantasy / fairytale / horror fan. 4*’
Over on Her Campus, they said: ‘Cursed: An Anthology of Dark Fairy Tales, edited by Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane, is a wondrous collection of short stories. Its pages hold words by the likes of Neil Gaiman, Charlie Jane Andrews, M.R. Carey, and Alison Littlewood. The anthology’s premise is a treasure trove of stories about curses and hexes. In one way or another – even if they might not seem like it – they deal with them before, during, and after curses. How are our lives shaped by hexes that ruin lives or small, evil wishes that cause daily inconveniences? How do we remedy the magic of the day-to-day by merely calling it “unusual” when really, larger-than-life forces are at work? The book flowed seamlessly and soundlessly. It was a masterpiece in its editorial storytelling. One story precedes its natural debutant, and it was easy to shift from one story’s tone to the others. The many styles of the various authors found within this anthology complemented each other. It was lovely – and jarring in the best way – to have a story with mostly colloquial language (“Fairy Werewolf vs. Vampire Zombie”) and then change into the reverent prose of (“Haza and Ghani”). The book also cleverly started with a poem and ended with another: this sets the reader’s tone and then slowly, gently released the reader with a curse…’
Howling Libraries came next, saying: ‘Last year, this editing duo released the Wonderland anthology, which I raved about. It was a gorgeous collection and I had so much fun with it that, when I had the opportunity to read and review this new anthology, I jumped at the chance. I’m an absolute sucker for dark fairy tale retellings and many of the authors in this lineup positively excel at the craft. Cursed kicks off, after a quick poem from Jane Yolen, with the story “As Red as Blood, As White as Snow” by Christina Henry, and if you know me, you already know Christina is one of my favorite retelling authors of all time. She has designed a solid portion of her writing career around taking old stories and giving them new life – typically complete with some sort of social commentary that is always so eloquently woven in – and this was no exception. It was easily my favorite story in the anthology and I would honestly urge you to pick this book up even if only for this story’s beautiful prose and ruthless examination of the evils of “Prince Charming” types. Luckily, the good times didn’t stop there; while nothing else in Cursed was quite able to beat out that first story for me, I was so happy to see how many incredible stories this collection contained! A lot of anthologies are severely hit-and-miss, but Marie O’Regan & Paul Kane clearly know how to choose ’em when it comes to short stories. Among others, I loved Catriona Ward’s incredibly unique twist on one of my favorite tropes (but I can’t tell you what it is!) in “At That Age”, the gorgeously melancholy, haunting vibes of Jen Williams’ necromancing “Listen”, and James Brogden’s grotesque, horribly unsettling “Skin”…While these were the stand-out favorites of mine, I genuinely enjoyed almost every single story in this collection… I have so many new authors on my reading list thanks to these short stories, and I know this is the sort of collection I’ll be recommending for a long time – and revisiting time and time again. 4*’
The Misadventures of a Reader had this to say: ‘I am sitting here staring at my screen. We are living through crazy times right now. This book came at the perfect time. Losing yourself in stories that feel familiar but new is helpful during times of stress… If you love stories by amazing story tellers you NEED to pick this up. What I liked: OMG. Reading this anthology was like watching an amazing storyteller tell a story. It was so comforting but very familiar at the same time. Each story felt like a warm blanket. Some old favorites twisted into a modern stories and new stories. All the stories in the anthology fit so well together. There is so, so much to love about this anthology. The beauty in which some of the authors write made my heart soar with happiness. What I didn’t like: There is absolutely nothing that I didn’t like. Star Rating: 5. My Thoughts: Anthologies are hard to review. I don’t want to say too much about one story in particular. They are all fantastic. I know I should be saying more about my thoughts….and normally I would but. I can’t find the adequate wording too describe the comfort that Cursed brought me over the last week. Please pick this up if you need something for your brain or your heart.’
Readers Enjoy Authors’ Dreams: ‘There are so many great authors in this book and it’s hard not to skip to your favourites first. For me this book was perfect, I like all the gory details from the original tales (sorry!). I am also a huge fan of Neil Gaiman, Christina Henry and Tim Lebbon so I completely imploded into a fangirling mess when I got the email. Fairy tales and folk stories are a staple of Fantasy fiction they have a way of dealing with the unexpected price victims have to pay for their misdeeds and have been a staple of the genre. The book is packed with great tales and some amazing authors, some of the stories are retellings while some are original. Whatever style you enjoy, or writers that you like, you are sure to find what you’re looking for in here. The book has something for everyone within its dark delights. Each author fulfils the brief and I enjoyed how diverse the ideas were. Each story is different from the one before it, which means that you go from one story to the next, never quite knowing what to expect. There are a lot of tough topics covered, most of which you would expect to find in an anthology of this type. This book may introduce you to some authors you may not have read before, and also remind you how good some of the better-known authors are. This book is packed with great tales, and some amazing authors. Whatever style that you enjoy, or writers that you like, you will find something to read in this book. Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane provide a useful aide-memoir at the end of the book for you to use and discover more which was a lovely touch.’
Next up was Looking Glass Reads: ‘Another fantastic anthology edited by Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane has been published by Titan Books. Following 2019’s Wonderland: An Anthology comes Cursed: An Anthology of Dark Fairy Tales. Eighteen short stories are within this volume, bookended by two poems by extremely prolific author Jane Yolen. Themes and influences differ from author to author, crossing more into the realm of fairy tales sometimes or straying a bit closer to horror in others. Each author brings something special and magical to their writing (or, perhaps, I’m just a sucker for the dark fairy tales that first built my love of books). All also have a certain readability to them. Stories read quickly, but pack a real punch, landing in that sweet spot of short fiction that is often strived for but can be hard to land. Certain stories take the theme more literally. Curses feature heavily in multiple tales, with authors exploring the nature of curses, their peculiarities, and more. However, plenty of stories lean more into the realm of darker and, at times, more traditional, fairy tales… This is the perfect collection of dark fairy tales for grownups ready to explore the darker side of their childhood favorites and the otherworldly in our modern world. Cursed: An Anthology of Dark Fairy Tales edited by Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane is a fantastic anthology. I look forward to seeing future anthologies this duo curates.’
Then Novel Lives raved: ‘Do you like anthologies? Let me be more specific. Do you like twisted anthologies? Witches, retells of dark fairy tales and new ones that give something dark, this way comes a whole new meaning? Want Alice going down the looking glass look like a walk in the park? Well, dear friends, if you aren’t reading Titan’s anthologies? You have don’t have a reading life. Just go stick yourself in a corner and call it a day. You are reading wrong. You aren’t reading at all. I’m not sure what you are doing with yourself? But you aren’t living. And coming from someone who doesn’t have a life, period? Well. That is saying something. From Hex Life to Wonderland and now Cursed? Just put it on auto buy, kids. You won’t find or do better than Titan. Two of the three are edited by Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane (Wonderland and Cursed). When you can consistently pack a line-up with the likes of M.R. Carey, L.L. McKinney and Neil Gaiman? That speaks to the editors at the helm of a project. First, it tells you that these powerhouse writers and the publisher have an enormity of trust in them. Secondly, you don’t keep bringing editors back to helm anthologies because readers see them on the shelves and run from the work. You bring them back because you know that amazing writers will work with them and that the sum of the work they pull together, will be astounding. And here’s the key. With an anthology? That is a rare thing to find. Anthologies, at their heart, are often inconsistent. At best, a publisher can hope there is just enough of “something for everyone.” Out of x amount of stories, everyone will be able to say they liked the majority. Even if everyone didn’t like every story, there were just enough for everyone to recommend it because there is something for everyone. But I swear that in each of the three anthologies I have had the pleasure of reviewing? Each has been incredibly consistent, in its own way.
Have I absolutely loved every, single story, in every book? That would be lying. Have not liked any story in each of the three anthologies? NO. And that is shocking. I have at the very least liked each story in each book… Every other anthology I have ever read has been, as typical of them, hit or miss. Titan’s consistency, even more specifically, O’Regan and Kane’s consistency as editors? It is unheard of in the industry (to my knowledge, anyhow – I don’t want to sound like a scholarly expert on all things in publishing anthologies). On an overall basis, I felt it very important to bring those two pieces to the forefront of this review. It speaks strongly to both Titan’s anthologies, the editors and then specially leads into how Cursed stands-up against Wonderland and Hex Life. That is, to say, it absolutely does!
One of the things I most like about Cursed is that like Hex Life, it doesn’t just retell familiar fairy tale stories but it often does it in different genres and formats. Additionally it allowed yet another powerhouse line-up of writers trust their instincts with new stories that will not just find you in your nightmares, but disturb your daydreams, if you don’t keep up your guard. One other note that speaks to both the above section and to the variety of Cursed. Like Wonderland and Hex Life, I think O’Regan and Kane should be applauded for not forgetting to utilize not just heavy hitters but including new authors, as well… Also, the cadence of the book is spot on. Much like the track list for a playlist or CD (is that what they call them now??! AYE!), a great compilation of songs can fall flat if they aren’t put in the right order. O’Regan and Kan have a fantastic knack for knowing how to put stories in the right order. Cursed is pulled together in such a way that each story is very different than the one before it. With this approach, you aren’t sure what is coming next. This both keeps you guessing and doesn’t allow for you to feel like the pacing slows down. It is actually, quite the opposite, with a quick clip to it… And with that, I have a feeling that at some point I’m going to have one whole shelf dedicated to Titan’s anthologies. Or at least I hope so because for them to stop would be a scourge on the publishing world.’
An Average Life then stated: ‘Let’s start with that gorgeous cover! Those who follow will know I rarely take photographs of books, I always mean to and never find time, but Cursed had me inspired as soon as I received it from Titan. This particular cover style resembles Christina Henry’s canon which is likely why it immediately caught my eye. As I’ve discussed before, I don’t often have luck with anthologies. Perhaps now the tides are finally changing… Along came Cursed to test my theory. From a favourite publisher Titan Books, and with contributions from several of my auto-buy authors; Christina Henry, Tim Lebbon, James Brogden, M R Carey and Neil Gaiman. A dream line up! I’m going to give a little hint and overall reaction to just some of the twenty short stories in this collection… Of the twenty different curses I adored almost all… All are dark but none too scary or squeamish for those who avoid horror. There are some fantastic interpretations of well-known fairy tales as well as new and unique ideas. I found some authors to keep an eye on in future and thoroughly enjoyed contributions from my favourites. Shout out to editors Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane on an incredible collection. A must have for any fantasy fan.’
Odd Socks and Lollipops followed and said: ‘Cursed has been perfect for short bursts of reading – as it is an anthology of short stories. Some are as dark and enchanting as I’d hoped, some are gritty and perfect for the dystopian adventure we seem to be having right now. I have to say I loved most of them… But all in all I would recommend Cursed for those fans of dark retellings and fantasy in general. Some of the highlights in this collection were “As Red as Blood, As White as Snow” by Christina Henry, “Troll Bridge” by Neil Gaiman, “At That Age” by Catriona Ward, “Henry and the Snakewood Box” by M.R. Carey, “Wendy Darling” by Christopher Golden, and “Little Red” by Jane Yolen & Adam Stemple… I read the stories in order, but the anthology is so easy to dip in and out of, and certain stories did jump out at me just through the titles. I really enjoyed reading Cursed, it was perfect as I like fantasy with a dark twist, though some of the stories are definitely on the darker side, with warnings and cautionary tales being a focus just like in the older, darker, definitely not happily ever after fairy tales. I would definitely recommend Cursed and I am sure there is something in there for everyone.’
Then it was the turn of Angel Wings and Petticoats: ‘This whole book of short stories, are all around a theme of the dark side of fairy tales, and being a lover of fairy tales this just sounded perfect. There was definitely some in this one that I had not heard of before, so it was really refreshing for them to be unpredictable – to be fair even those I had heard of I didn’t even find to be predictable… I really want to make the point that this is a fantastic collection of stories that I have really enjoyed. Even more so than previous short story collections that I have read… All in all, this whole collection is my favourite collection I think I have ever read, I do love short stories! For anyone who loves childhood fairy tales, or even horror stories, this is definitely one to give a try… I gave this a four star rating, as it was so close to perfect… I definitely think you should give this one a try!!
And finally, The Writerly Way: ‘Anthologies are hard, because you sort of always have to expect a mixed lot. I’ve never read an anthology where I’ve just loved every single one of the stories. But this one came pretty darn close, I have to say. Cursed is a masterfully edited book from a list of highly talented authors that delivers on its promise of evil curses, dark fairy tale retellings, and twists that are sure to give you goosebumps. I definitely didn’t find any part of this terrifying per se. I didn’t stay up at night worried that the shadows would get me. This was a more subtle sort of feeling, a pervasive creepiness as you read that you know something’s not quite right. If there’s one thing you should go into this anthology with it’s this: expect the unexpected. I have to say, the editors did a fabulous job curating the stories, and the authors brought some interesting new perspectives to fairy tales we all know and love. I actually didn’t know many of these authors going in, but I’m happy to say that I’ve found some new ones whose other work I’ll be looking. The stories range from straight up horror to some with a more philosophical bent to even some humorous ones. Because what screams horror more than humor, am I right? But it worked perfectly.’
You can read the full versions of these here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
There were also some standalone reviews which appeared last month, beginning with a mighty 10/10 from Starburst: ‘Editors Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane have gathered together eighteen short stories and two poems, all based around the theme of a curse. We may think we know what to expect – modern takes on the folk tales that have been with us for centuries, a new spin on the Brothers Grimm – but even when this is the case, the authors adapt the tropes for their own ends, to produce works of an incredibly high standard. Some of the stories create new monsters, which often prove too human for comfort; others have new styles of hex for the modern world, trouble for even the most mundane of people. There isn’t a rotten apple in this crop, most of which are new to this collection, sitting alongside some old favourites from the likes of Neil Gaiman and Christopher Fowler. The same theme may run throughout, but there’s a wide range on offer that will have readers shocked, sad or even laughing. There isn’t always an obvious moral message, and the reader is often left with food for thought, maybe contemplating “what if?” along with a sense of wonder and entertainment that begins right from the very first page and never fades. The standard is so high that it creates a need to keep reading; just when you think you’ve been able to pick a favourite, another comes along, bringing a feast of ideas. The editors have assembled a fantastic collection here, one that offers an array of talent and is packed with stories that are all worthy of a return visit. Cursed is an anthology that certainly lives up to and surpasses expectations, with each tale creating its own unique atmosphere, treating the reader to unexpected developments and characters that will delight and thrill and ultimately satisfy. There is that sense of wanting more (as with all great fiction), but – as many of the stories will tell you – we have to be careful what we wish for.’
Foreword Magazine had this to offer: ‘A curse is a wish gone sour, twisted sideways, and stuck into the softest spots. Titan’s Cursed collects twenty skin-crawling, tooth-grinding scary and sensuous stories and lyric poems that revive traditional fairy tales and create beautiful new horrors as well. In many entries, magic pervades real life; trolls, fairies, and spirits brush shoulders with unsuspecting people. In Catriona Ward’s “At That Age,” a pair of creepy twins emit “a strange, delicate scent … like the fruit bowl at home when those little flies start hanging over it.” Normalized magic increases the spooky factor of stories like “New Wine,” suggesting that life could go sideways at any moment. The wrong word is enough to invite danger here; Cursed revisits well-loved tales about Snow White, Peter Pan, and Little Red Riding Hood alongside a smattering of modern stories. Many entries pay homage to traditional images, incorporating otherworldly visitors, poison, and unexpected powers. However, these tales’ deliberate amorality suggests that, for modern magic, curses are a matter of chance. Bad luck is equal opportunity and could happen to anyone. Curses are portrayed as natural disasters or a necessary evil, as when heartbroken Jack trades places with a maybe-malevolent beast in Neil Gaiman’s “Troll Bridge.” The troll diagnoses Jack’s innate troll-ness, his selfishness and inadequacy. After a lifetime of failure, Jack chooses the bridge, setting the creature free. Monsters, hexes, and mythology mingle with everyday people, suggesting that the veil between daily life and certain doom is much thinner than presumed. Curses arrive as punishment, but are not linked to any particular misdeed. Jane Yolen’s eerie poems about haunted castles bookend the stories. Cursed is an excellent collection whose unforgettable, spooky images invoke the magic of daily life.’
This from Lisa’s Books, Gems and Tarot: ‘I enjoyed reading this book so much! It was so interesting to read. There were some stories that I was familiar with, such as Snow White, but with a twist. There were other stories that were not so familiar, but amazing. All of the writing was spot on, and each story kept me engaged. My favourite: I had to pick a favourite story from them all and that was “Listen” by Jen Williams. This story was about a girl called Erren who was cursed. She was forced to play music to bring back the dead of those who listened. The truth of their deaths to finally come out. I would definitely recommend this book. It was such a quick read with you able to read a tale here and there. I gave it 4*’
And from Pythia Reads: ‘This collection of twists on folk and fairy tales is an absolute joy to read. I’d intended to read one or two of the stories and save the rest… All I can say is that that didn’t happen. Fairy tales and folktales are some of my favourite things, particularly because of the cultural features and inbuilt messages from the times and societies in which they were written, and I absolutely love reading new interpretations and twists on stories that may be timeless in terms of their entertainment factor, but perhaps not so morally relevant now (for example, a princess waiting around for a prince to save her is no longer a particularly positive message for young girls) and what nuances within the tale can be tweaked to make it an entirely different story with a new message. I was thrilled to see another collection of this sort from Titan, having previously read Hex Life (twists on tales of magic and witchery) and adored it. I’m going to stick to commentary about two of my favourite stories from Cursed, the first being “As Red as Blood, as White as Snow” by Christina Henry. This tale is based on Snow White and subverts the expectation that the Prince is indeed charming and the stepmother is evil. In this instance, Snow’s stepmother does everything that she can to try and protect her and give her a chance to survive her impending marriage to a prince who intends to claim her by whatever means necessary, having manipulated her father by enchantment and played the court into believing his dangerous obsession is devotion. There is a whole realm of terror in the simple sentence, “I see the way he looks at me.”… One of the other stories that I found especially effective is a retelling of Peter Pan, entitled “Wendy, Darling”, by Christopher Golden. In this tale, the features of the Peter Pan story are translated into a “real world” scenario, in which Wendy has what her father and medical professionals have told her are mad delusions; visions of the Lost Boys who accuse her of forgetting them and abandoning them when she should have been their mother. On the eve of her wedding, Wendy sees the Lost Boys again, who prompt her to remember what she has tried to forget and move on from, which is heavily implied to be a childhood rape by a boy named James, nicknamed “Hook” for his work at the butcher’s… Cursed is a brilliant collection.’
While Trans-Scribe stated: ‘Anthology books can be a gamble. The very nature of compiling a book with a dozen or more different authors, with varying styles and takes on a certain subject means that there could very easily be some parts of a book, perhaps even a majority, that won't quite be to your taste. Luckily, readers seemed to have dodged this curse (see what I did there?) with Cursed: An Anthology of Dark Fairy Tales. The brilliant duo of Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane have once again produced a collection of short stories and poems that not just manage to entertain, but make some bold choices. As the name of the book suggests, there are some stories in this collection that have their roots in the world of fairy tales, and are intriguing reinterpretations of classic stories, whilst some others do something completely different and bring the magic and horror of curses into the modern world… The book is packed with great tales, and some amazing authors. Whatever style that you enjoy, or writers that you like, is sure to be met here. The book has something for everyone, and continues the tradition of Titan producing some of the best anthology books around.’
Finally Bloody Flicks rounded everything off with: ‘When it comes to the classics, it never harms to go back and appreciate some stories of yesteryear. In this anthology, edited by authors Paul Kane and Marie O’Regan, we have some twists on fairy tales plus a mix of brand new stories and poetry thrown in for good measure. There really is plenty to admire here, with an array of different authors adding their slants on tales such as trolls under bridges or even sleeping beauty given a sexual predator vibe. With the short story format, even some of the stories that don’t work are over in a flash so you can move on to the next one. Highlights include Charlie Jane Anders’ bombastic “Fairy Werewolf vs Vampire Zombie”, Christina Henry’s “As Red as Blood as White as Snow” and Lilith Saintcrow’s “Haza and Ghani”. The beauty of Cursed is that after finishing it, it gave me incentive to discover authors I had never heard of before; which is probably the best gift of all.’
You can read the full versions of those here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
And you can order the book here and here.
But the promotions didn’t end there. For example, there was a big full-page Cursed advert in SFX (above).
It was also chosen as one of the best books of the month by Den of Geek here.
And of course there was a Cursed Forbidden Planet signing in London, just prior to the lockdown. You can see photos from this and the HWA pub meet afterwards above and below.
Back to one of the anthologies from last year now, and a huge congratulations to Juliet Marillier whose story ‘Good Dog, Alice’ from Wonderland has been shortlisted for an Aurealis Award. You can read the full list of nominees here.
march
Marie was interviewed by Horror.org in February for ‘Women in Horror Month’. You can read what she had to say here.
Contributors to the Cursed anthology were getting their copies last month, and posting pictures online – including Alison Littlewood, James Brogden, Tim Lebbon, Jen Williams, Catriona Ward and Angela Slatter (above and below).
Meanwhile, the first glowing review for the book appeared on Publishers Weekly (above), who said: ‘O’Regan and Kane, who previously collaborated as editors on Wonderland, an anthology of stories inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, bring together 18 new and reimagined fairy tales in this spellbinding anthology, bookended by poems from Jane Yolen… Readers won’t have to be Brothers Grimm fans to appreciate this dark mélange.’
To read the full review click here.
And you can order the book here and here.
february
Marie’s collection from Luna Press, The Last Ghost and Other Stories, received a glowing review last month from none other than Cemetery Dance (above). They said, ‘The writing style of Ms. O’Regan is a combination of classic and modern. If you like Victorian ghost tales, you will certainly be satisfied. If you want modern themes, you will also be sated. Carefully crafted, these stories build to their haunting crescendos with pathos, fear, care, and love. Each is a pleasure to read. So, find that rainy day, build a roaring fire in the fireplace, brew a cup of strong tea, and settle into a comfortable chair. This is a book to be read thus.’ But to read the full review, just click here.
Marie and Paul were in Hornsea visiting PS Towers last month (above you can see the very enjoyable curry on the final evening), and from there went to Scarborough for StokerCon meetings (below).
It’s not long till the convention now and things are getting finalised, including the Ann Radcliffe conference which you can find the page for here. So to book your place, just click here.
Just before that, Marie and Paul will be doing a signing for their new anthology Cursed at the Forbidden Planet Megastore in London on 7th March at 1pm (with James Brogden, Jen Williams, Catriona Ward and Maura McHugh), followed immediately afterwards by a HWA Pub Meet at the Craft Beer Company at 2pm. You can find a link to the signing here and the page for the HWA event here.
january
Announcing Marie’s first publication of the year, and the new decade. The Horror Writer is a Hellbound Books publication addressing all aspects of horror writing. As well as Marie, the book features Ramsey Campbell, John Palisano, Chad Lutzke, Lisa Morton, Kenneth W. Cain, Kevin J. Kennedy, Monique Snyman, Scott Nicholson, Lucy A. Snyder, Richard Thomas, Gene O’Neill, Jess Landry, Luke Walker, Stephanie M. Wytovich, Armand Rosamilia, Kevin Lucia, Ben Eads, Kelli Owen, Jasper Bark, and Bret McCormick, plus interviews with: Steve Rasnic Tem, Stephen Graham Jones, David Owain Hughes, Tim Waggoner, and Mort Castle. You can read more about that one here.
The Book Bag reviewed the forthcoming Titan anthology Marie co-edited with Paul, Cursed (above), last month. And they had this to say: ‘Curses. They’re there throughout tales of faerie and other fantastical folk – people being cursed to do this, or not to be able to do that. Children can be cursed, as can princesses on the verge of marrying, and older people too. It seems in a way there’s no escaping it. Which is why the theme of this book of short stories is such a standout – we may well think we know all there is to know about this accursed character, that demonised place, and that other bewitched person. We’d be very wrong… All told, though, this was definitely a strongly put together compilation, with very solid qualities, and no real stinkers of note. Yes, a few of the choicer pieces had been in other anthologies before now, but not to a huge extent and not well-known ones, meaning to a dabbler in fantasy and faerie a lot of this would remain brand new. The editors have managed to secure such a strong bunch of pieces… This, then, really does achieve exactly what it set out to do. Curse it.’
You can read the full version here.
Finally, above and below you’ll find photos from Marie’s trip to London in December, including spotting her books in Forbidden Planet, attending a Steven Moffat and Sue Vertue signing and the HWA Christmas Pub Meet at the Angel, which was packed.
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