Best of the Best Horror of the Year

Ellen Datlow has been editing science fiction, fantasy, and horror short fiction for more than thirty years. She was the fiction editor of Omni magazine and Sci Fiction and has edited almost one hundred anthologies. Datlow has also won lifetime achievement awards from three prominent genre organizations, and currently acquires short fiction for Tor.com.

• TABLE OF CONTENTS:Introduction—Ellen DatlowLowland Sea—Suzy McKee CharnasWingless Beasts—Lucy TaylorThe Nimble Men—Glen HirshbergLittle America—Dan ChaonBlack and White Sky—Tanith LeeThe Monster Makers—Steve Rasnic TemChapter Six—Stephen Graham JonesIn a Cavern, in a Canyon—Laird BarronAllochthon—Livia LlewellynShepherds’ Business—Stephen GallagherDown to a Sunless Sea—Neil GaimanThe Man from the Peak—Adam GolaskiIn Paris, In the Mouth of Kronos—John LanganThe Moraine—Simon BestwickAt the Riding School—Cody GoodfellowCargo—E.Michael LewisTender as Teeth—Stephanie Crawford & Duane SwierczynskiWild Acre—Nathan BallingrudThe Callers—Ramsey CampbellThis Stagnant Breath of Change—Brian HodgeGrave Goods—Gemma FilesThe Ballad of Ballard and Sandrine—Peter StraubMajorlena—Jane JakemanThe Days of Our Lives—Adam L. G. NevillYou Can Stay All Day—Mira GrantNo Matter Which Way We Turned—Brian EvensonNesters—Siobhan CarrollBetter You Believe—Carole JohnstoneAbout the AuthorsAcknowledgment of CopyrightAbout the Editor

Praise for The Best of the Best Horror of the Year:“Edited by the venerable queen of horror anthologies, Ellen Datlow . . . The stories in this collection feel both classic and innovative, while never losing the primary ingredient of great horror writing: fear.”—The New York Times“A survey of some of the best horror writing of the last decade. . . . highly recommended for anyone interested in contemporary horror and dark fantasy, as well as anyone looking for a collection of some of the best and most horrifying short fiction currently available.”—Booklist(starred review)“A stunning and flawless collection that showcases the most terrifyingly beautiful writing of the genre. Datlow’s palate for the fearful and the chilling knows no genre constraint, encompassing the undead, the supernatural, and the cruelty perpetrated by ordinary humans. Exciting, literary, and utterly scary, this anthology is nothing short of exceptional."—Publishers Weekly(starred review)“A decade of celebrating the darkest gems of the genre as selected by Hugo-winning editor Ellen Datlow, whose name, by this point, is almost synonymous with quality frights . . . [and] contributed by a murderer’s row of horror authors. . . . Essential.”—B&N Sci-Fi and Fantasy Blog, “Our Favorite Science Fiction & Fantasy Books of 2018” “With the quality ranging from very good, to fantastic, to sublime, there just isn’t the space to discuss them all.... If I need to make a pronouncement?based on Datlow’s fantastic distillation of the genre?it’s that horror is alive, well, and still getting under people’s skin. If you have even a vague interest in dark fiction, then pick up this book.”—Ian Mond, Locus“Datlow’s survey of the first decade of her Best Horror of the Year series is also an argument about the field’s major talents and trends. Its contents make a compelling case for the robustness of the field, a condition Dat­low herself has done much to nourish.”—Locus, “Horror in 2018” by John LanganPraise for Ellen Datlow and The Best Horror of the Year Series:“Award-winning editor Ellen Datlow has assembled a tasty collection of twenty one terrifying and unsettling treats. In addition to providing excellent fiction to read, this is the perfect book for discovering new authors and enriching your life through short fiction.”—Kirkus Reviews“For more than three decades, Ellen Datlow has been at the center of horror. Bringing you the most frightening and terrifying stories, Datlow always has her finger on the pulse of what horror fans crave. . . . and the anthologies just keep getting better and better. She's an icon in the industry.”—Signal Horizon“Datlow’s The Best Horror of the Year series is one of the best investments you can make in short fiction. The current volume is no exception."—Adventures Fantastic“As usual, Datlow delivers what she promises, ‘the best horror of the year,’ whether it’s written by the famous (Neil Gaiman) or the should-be famous (Laird Barron and many others).”—Washington Post“You just can’t have a list of recommended speculative anthologies without including an Ellen Datlow anthology. It’s. Not. Possible. The line-up in The Best Horror of the Year Volume Eight is absolutely stupendous, featuring the most frighteningly talented authors in horror fiction.”—Tor.com"Once again, [Ellen Datlow supplies] an invaluable book, featuring excellent short fiction and, in addition, providing as always precious information about what happened in the horror field last year.”—Mario Guslandi, British Fantasy Society