Love love love these lists! I love know what to look for ahead of time. Thanks NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

Datlow's latest collection features, as expected, excellent writing and compelling narratives. I didn't note a particular theme throughout the stories other than the atypical horror stories. By that, I mean that these are not slasher stories for the sake of gore. For me at least, these are not over-the-top but firmly rooted in more of a classic horror style.

I would like to briefly focus on one story that struck me as classic yet contemporary. "The Donner Party" by Dale Bailey feels like it is written in the period in which the story takes place. It is simultaneously what you might expect and not. But the feel of the settings...much love for the style. It is fluid and descriptive. Despite being a short story, the characters are nicely presented. Stressing again, I love the period setting. It is isn't gratuitous with exaggerated dialogue. It's just, well, pleasantly disruptive.

I have no problem recommending this to readers of Datlow, of course, but also to those who may only have brief moments throughout the day. It is the perfect companion for public transportation or coffee breaks. I would guess that the overwhelming majority of genre readers will find something or a few somethings in which to immerse themselves.

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 readers crave. Now, with the tenth volume of the series, Datlow is back again to bring you the stories that will keep you up at night.


Encompassed in the pages of The Best Horror of the Year have been such illustrious writers as:

Neil Gaiman

Kim Stanley Robinson

Stephen King

Linda Nagata

Laird Barron

Margo Lanagan

And many others


With each passing year, science, technology, and the march of time shine light into the craggy corners of the universe, making the fears of an earlier generation seem quaint. But this light creates its own shadows. The Best Horror of the Year chronicles these shifting shadows. It is a catalog of terror, fear, and unpleasantness as articulated by today's most challenging and exciting writers.

I wonder if I have the audacity to review a volume edited by Ellen Datlow? Apparently I do.

I have been reading Datlow's anthologies since the first volume of Year's Best Fantasy and Horror (co-edited with Terri Windling. Was it really THAT long ago?). She, along with Charles L. Grant, contributed to my first understanding of just what a good editor can do for a book, and is still one of the few editorial names I will look for on a book, when the author names are usually enough to draw me in.
I open each Datlow anthology with the same feeling of anticipation that is always richly rewarded, and this latest volume is no exception. I'm not going to go through each selection individually, but just rest assured that when an editor who's had her finger on the pulse of the genre for as long as Datlow says that this is the best of the year, you can be damn sure she knows what she's talking about.
Not that I agree with every choice. There's some stories in here that I would not have chosen, and some stories left out that I would have liked to see included. Yet, I say that with some understanding of the practical realities of compiling an anthology like this, and with the knowledge that when it comes to horror, Datlow is an excellent weather vane for not just what's popular, but what is really, truly GOOD. While every story in the volume night not be to my individual tastes, there's not a clunker in the lot, and there's some in there that are definitely going to leave their mark and become lasting favorites.
It's a tired cliche to say that "if you only read one book this year, read this one", but I can honestly say that if I was only able to read one book a year, I would want Datlow's editorial hand behind it.

Sort of a P.S.: Nearly as enjoyable for me as the story selections have always been the annual summaries Datlow provides (Ellen, fix the structure on that sentence for me, would you please? Thanks.). I don't know how she finds the time to pull these together each year, but I'm glad she does and I greedily devour each one as a way of keeping abreast of all the material I will never get a chance to read. The important thing is that they make me want to spend more time reading, and always provide good inspirations for my wish list. As a lifelong and committed fan of the genre, these are an invaluable and unmatched resource, and would be worth the price of admission even if the rest of the book were filled with blank pages or recipes for chicken pot pie.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Not only does this volume contain 26* horror stories that do a great job of covering various aspects of the genre and a list of honorable mentions, a look at the year in horror and dark fiction is included. The winners of the Bram Stoker, Shirley Jackson, and World Fantasy awards are listed. Also included are lists of notable novels, novellas, chapbooks, magazines, webzines, anthologies, collections, nonfiction, and odd and ends. This includes mixed genre and poetry magazines/webzines, anthologies, and collections and a shout out to artists.

My favorite stories in the collection include the following:

In “I Remember Nothing” by Anne Billson, which kicked off the collection, the narrator wakes up in a strange place and must piece together a series of grisly clues in order to escape from her living nightmare.

Michael Marshall Smith adds a stinky twist to a familiar trope in his contribution.

Bill Davidson’s “A Brief Moment of Rage” forces a woman to commit unthinkable acts of violence.

“Golden Sun” tells of a missing girl from the points of view of her father, mother, brother, and sister. Each perspective, written by a different author, adds another slice of horror. This is a collaboration by Kristi DeMeester, Richard Thomas, Damien Angelica Walters, and Michael Wehunt.

“White Mare” by Thana Niveau focuses on consequences and loss.

“No Exit” by Orrin Grey includes a doomsday cult and a woman’s need for answers pertaining to her sister’s murder.

Not every story resonated with me, but most did. This comprehensive collection nicely showcases the genre well.

Ellen Datlow’s best of collections are a must for horror lovers who want to stay current in the genre. I plan to check out the previous volumes.

Thanks to NetGalley and Night Shade Books for providing an Advance Reader Copy.

*Please note: the ARC did not include two stories that were listed on the table of contents: “Split Chain Stitch” by Steve Toase and “Sleep” by Carly Holmes.

In my eyes, excellent horror relies on imagination, the strange, the "what if" and the mood. This IS excellent horror. Excellent horror requires a reader to read between the lines and pick up on the little things, to have a vivid imagination, an open mind and the ability to see the horror in the common places, people and things of this world. If you're expecting stories loaded with cheap scares and gore, you will not find that here. Thank you for that.
When I first start this collection I thought I could skip over the stories I didn’t like. That didn’t happen because I liked them all.
Then I thought I could give detailed reviews of a couple of my favorite. That’s going to be difficult because every time I’d read one I’d think…..”oh, another favorite”.
I highly recommend this readers of short horror.
#netgalley #TheBestHorrorOfTheYearVolumeEleven

3.5 stars--somewhere between liked and really liked. However, I'm bumping this up to 4 stars due to the strength of the historical shipwreck story "Haunt." This story, about the slave trade, guilt, and personal responsibility, blew me away. (And so timely.) It was absolutely stunning; it made me tear up.

Another standout for me was "The Donner Party." Yes, it's about eating people, but not how you think--this is an English Regency romance (really!) with added cannibalism. The slow creeping dread was really well done.

The remaining two stories I especially enjoyed were "No Exit," about cults and cosmic horror, and "Back Along the Old Track," which reminded me of the notorious X-Files episode called "Home."

Following are (very) short reviews for each story.

I Remember Nothing – Anne Billson: 3 stars. Some trippy imagery and good descriptions of violence.
Monkeys on the Beach – Ralph Robert Moore: 2 stars. Meh. Depressing. Not really horror, but more about the awful things that happen in life and a sort of nihilism about them. (At least, that was my reading!)
Painted Wolves – Ray Cluley: 2 stars. Also depressing. About being unable (unwilling?) to stop terrible things from happening. Lots of animal and sexual violence.
Shit Happens – Michael Marshall Smith: 3 stars. Scary monsters combined with gross humor is probably not everyone's thing, but I enjoyed it.
You Know How the Story Goes – Thomas Olde Heuvelt: 3 stars. Good urban legend story.
Back Along the Old Track – Sam Hicks: 4 stars. I adore folk horror, and this is a creepy example.
Masks – Peter Sutton: 3 stars. A retelling of "The Lottery." I really liked it, but felt it was nothing new.
The Donner Party – Dale Bailey: 5 stars. Love the twist in this story and the slow creeping dread as you realize just what kind of person the protagonist is.
Milkteeth – Kristi DeMeester: 3 stars. Brief but intriguing.
Haak – John Langan: 3 stars. Almost 4 stars but it verges on being a bit cheesy for me. However, I loved the literary references.
Thin Cold Hands – Gemma Files: 4 stars. I'm a sucker for these "fairy" narratives. I thought the writing was a bit awkward, though, which is strange since I usually like Files.
A Tiny Mirror by Eloise – C. C. Shepherd: 2 stars. This is spooky, but barely a story.
I Love You Mary-Grace – Amelia Mangan: 4 stars. Loved the weird imagery (the dog head) and the conclusion.
The Jaws of Ouroboros – Steve Toase: 3 stars. I'm not huge into stories about cartel/gang violence, but standing stones that become teeth and chew up the landscape? Hell yeah!
A Brief Moment of Rage – Bill Davidson: 3 stars. Sad, violent, and timely.
Golden Sun – Kristi DeMeester, Richard Thomas, Damien Angelica Walters, and Michael Wehunt: 3 stars. I liked the varying viewpoints, but they also made things vague.
White Mare – Thana Niveau: 3 stars. This should have been great (again, I adore folk horror), but the writing seemed too simplistic and there were some unanswered questions.
Girls Without Their Faces On – Laird Barron: 4 stars. I always enjoy Barron. Here he combines two of his loves: Alaska and cosmic horror.
Thumbsucker – Robert Shearman: I don't know--3 stars? This is a very uncomfortable story, one that functions on a symbolic level. On the literal level it's super gross, lol.
You Are Released – Joe Hill: 4 stars. I disliked reading this story, about being on a commercial flight when WW3 breaks out--I found it upsetting. But isn't that what horror is supposed to do? Thus the high rating.
Red Rain – Adam-Troy Castro: 3 stars. Ahhh so gory!
Split Chain Stitch – Steve Toase: My galley is missing this story. Not sure if it's been cut or just an error with the proof. (Likely the latter.)
No Exit – by Orrin Grey: 4 stars. Cults and cosmic horror--two of my favorite things in horror stories.
Haunt – Siobhan Carroll: 5 enormous stars. Wow. This story alone is worth the price of the book. About guilt and personal culpability. Not for the faint hearted.
Sleep – Carly Holmes:My galley is missing this story. Not sure if it's been cut or just an error with the proof. (Likely the latter.)

The thing I like about these anthologies of short stories is it get me out of my comfort zone and introduces me to a lot different authors and types of stories be it horror, fantasy, sci fi, thriller or as is shown here horror in one of the above categories. This was a good selection and there was a couple of disturbing stories one I will touch on briefly in style because that is what it is: the ending part Painted Wolves was meant to be as nightmarey ambiguous but definite as possible, of course everyone knows what happened by the wording and it elicits more terror over it. If someone is expected to appear with done animals that is it. I am not going to go through detail and titles because they don't matter to someone picking up this book since they probably wouldn't know the authors. I did laugh myself sick through Shit Happens because it is so corporate comedy I would recommend this latest collection and am sure your taste is different than mine. The most disjointed fr me with the vacation one because it was never pulled together imo.

disclaimer: i received a copy of this book via skyhorse publishing in return for an honest review.

i am addicted to horror - movies, tv shows, podcasts, novels, and short stories. i am addicted to short stories. sometimes, i'll read one or two stories and go back later. that simply doesn't happen when it's an ellen datlow horror anthology. in that case, i generally read until my eyes plead for rest and then read one or two more.

datlow's "the best horror of the year volume 11" is definitely not an exception. year after year, she finds an incredible number of stories to anthologize and also includes a list of honorable mentions for you to find and read.

this volume of the series stands out to me for two reasons. first, there wasn't a single story in the collection that wasn't fantastic (that occasionally happens, we all like different things) and second, one of the stories stayed with me for days after reading it - i dreamt about it and that's incredibly rare. 'no exit' by orrin grey presents as a fairly typical "girl revisits what happened to her sister to try and figure some things out". it is so much more, though. it's heartbreaking and shocking and horrifying and stunning and leaves you realizing that you were a lot more invested than you thought you were.

every story in this anthology is remarkable and reminds me why i go back to the series every year.

five out of five stars

I received an ARC of this book thanks to Net Galley and publisher Skyhorse Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

An anthology calling itself 'The Best Horror of the Year' certainly has a lot to live up to. How did it fare?

Total number of stories: 22 (my Kindle ARC missed two for some reason)
Great stories: 7
Good/Okay stories: 4

I Remember Nothing by Anne Billson-A woman wakes up next to a strange man in a creepy room and neither of them remember what has happened. This started well and did some cool stuff but it quickly went downhill. It's not a bad concept for a story but as is my usual complaint with horror short stories, it could have done what it did a lot simpler and it would have been stronger for it.

Monkeys on the Beach by Ralph Robert Moore-A family goes on holiday and terrible things happen. I don't get the point of this story? The events didn't seem linked to me and it feels like I missed something important. Very lackluster.

Painted Wolves by Ray Cluley-A crew of people are filming a nature documentary about painted dogs. This was great right until the very last section when it became weirdly vague. I'm pretty sure I know what happened and I liked it but it was executed so well until that point that it left a bad taste.

Shit Happens by Michael Marshall Smith-I have read and reviewed this story previously so here is my original review: This story has the weirdest premise and it shouldn't work but it does? While on a business trip taking place on a cruise ship, a mysterious affliction strikes people who are close to the sea. This is one of those short stories I could see being expanded into a whole book and it would make a great comedy horror one. It worked extremely well as a short story in my eyes but I did kinda want more from the world and the characters. One of the strongest in the (original) anthology.

You Know How the Story Goes by Thomas Olde Heuvelt-SO GOOD. This story gripped me right from the start and is a perfect example of a simple concept done well. A man recounts of a time when he hitchhiked and something terrifying happened to him. It builds tension fantastically and holds it from start to finish. One of my favourites.

Masks by Peter Sutton-This was so short and tbh, I don't really know what it was about. It didn't hold my attention very well.

The Donner Party by Dale Bailey-Another brilliant one. Set in the past in a society where the rich dine upon the poor at annual feasts, our main character is invited to such a feast but then problems arise. This one doesn't contain many surprises but it doesn't need them. The horror is woven into the world of the story so well that you feel dread and disgust without as opposed to it having punchy moments. Definitely one of the best.

Milkteeth by Kristi DeMeester-This one was so short that it was over before I had the chance to really process what it was about. There's something about a dead mother and teeth and hunting but I wasn't a huge fan.

Haak by John Langan-A teacher tells his class a historical story that is linked to Peter Pan I think? I switched off really early in this due to the historical element so I can't really say much more about it sadly.

Thin Cold Hands by Gemma Files-A pretty creepy story about a changeling child. The writing wasn't the best for this but it had a strong concept and was genuinely quite disturbing.

A Tiny Mirror by Eloise by C. C. Shepherd-This is about a woman telling a man a creepy story from her childhood whilst they're on a plane together. It was enjoyable but incredibly short and over way too soon. Pretty average on the whole.

I Love You Mary-Grace by Amelia Mangan-This story came from a horror anthology entirely about dogs and you can definitely tell! It's very weird and about a guy who idolises a girl, which is all I can pretty much say about it. Not for me unfortunately.

The Jaws of Ouroboros by Steve Toase-I think this is set in the future and two people are collecting a resource from giant mouths which have appeared around the world. Another incredibly weird one and this was also hard to follow. I got the jist but it could have been done a lot better.

A Brief Moment of Rage by Bill Davidson-People are afflicted with a condition that makes them incredibly violent for short periods of time at random. It was fine.

Golden Sun by Kristi DeMeester, Richard Thomas, Damien Angelica Walters, & Michael Wehunt-So this story started off really well. It's about a family on holiday and their daughter keeps singing a specific song and then a weird event happens. This event is told from four characters' perspectives and each author writes one segment of it. The problem is that the segments weren't different enough in my opinion. The only one which adds any new details after the first one is the final one, so it becomes a repetitive reading experience. I understand what they were trying to do here and they almost accomplished it but that stopped this story being great.

White Mare by Thana Niveau-An American family visit England around Halloween and discover a creepy local tradition. This was so good! It was really well-written and pretty creepy. I didn't 100% understand the ending but the rest of it was strong enough for me not to care. Maybe my absolute favourite?

Girls Without Their Faces On by Laird Barron-A girl has been dating this guy and at a party, she realises she doesn't really know him. Creepy stuff follows. This one was almost really great but it fell short at a few hurdles. The guy 'J' became weird in a way which was hard to follow and the ending suffered from that stock confusion. There were some strong moments in this, it just wasn't consistent.

Thumbsucker by Robert Shearman-I did not like this story one bit. It's about a world where thumbsucking is stigmatised and the main character's dad becomes a thumbsucker. It was really weird and uncomfortable to read. I kept waiting for a line at the end to explain the metaphor but it never came, so the whole thing fell a bit flat.

You Are Released by Joe Hill-A very powerful story about a plane that runs into trouble, framed by swapping the focus to a different passenger every few paragraphs or so. This wasn't really horror in my opinion but I am so so glad I read it. It has a lot of really thought-provoking moments and was just excellently done.

Red Rain by Adam-Troy Castro-A story about a horrific incident that starts with a man jumping from a roof, uniquely told entirely in questions posed to the reader. I did really like this one on the whole but the gimmick wore a bit thin near the middle. It's a nice idea but it became incredibly repetitive and moreso than I felt it needed to be. The story itself was so strong though.

No Exit by Orrin Grey-A woman tells the story of her sister who was involved in an accident. This was a good story but it felt like it almost could have been a great one from the concept and it just fell a bit short.

Haunt by Siobhan Carroll-I have read and reviewed this story previously so here is my original review: I possibly didn't give this story the chance it deserved because I was sort of done with the anthology by the time I reached it. It has the strong general premise of a ghost ship relating to slaves being drowned but the execution just wasn't there. It had some good moments but overall it wasn't enough to keep my attention or leave a lasting impact.


Overall Rating: 3.5/5

My thanks to Skyhorse publishing and Netgalley.
Truth is, Ellen Datlow almost always does a great job of picking stories and author's. Now, if that's not what she does, then I take it back! Somebody does a great job!
I liked a good 70% of these stories. Not bad. Was it the best horror of the year? Eh, that's always debatable. What I enjoy about anthologies is the fact that I probably wouldn't have read any of these stories, were it not for the fact that they are collected here. Cool beans!

Review Copy

What is horror? Horror is disturbing, it makes you uncomfortable, it doesn't always go boo! and scare you silly. Each year Ellen Datlow picks and chooses from short stories published in anthologies and magazines to assemble in one massive volume. Much like any awards show you may not agree with all of her choices. But, there is always plenty of good reading if you're willing to open your mind and try.

There were only a couple of stories that really weren't to my taste. And for some reason there were two stories missing from my edition. Hopefully, the missing stories will appear upon publication - they did show up in the acknowledgements.

A nice touch was Honorable Mentions. It's nice to have a lead on more authors/stories as many in this book were unknown to me. This was a great read that's well worth your time and money. Give it a go.

What a wonderful collection of horror stories. There are some really great jems in here, written by some truly talented writers. I enjoyed every single story, which is surprising considering I usually don't enjoy every story in collections like this. But I liked them all!

I love short horror stories and although I have not read all 11 volumes of The Best Horror Of The Year, Volume 11 stands out as my favorite among the few that I have read. There are stories that are quite disturbing (Thumbsucker by Robert Shearman and The Donner Party by Dale Bailey for example) and stories that are frightening (Milkteeth by Kristi DeMeester) But my absolute favorites were those that featured people away from their homes facing strange customs such as in "White Mare" by Thana Niveau When a father and daughter claim an inheritance and get caught up in a tradition far different than the Halloween festivities they are used to at home, and Golden Sun where a family on vacation will be forever changed.

There is something for every horror fan in these pages whether you are looking for thrills, scares or scifi.

A great compendium of the best horror of the year profiling authors that may not be as known. A very good collection!

There were quite the variety of horror stories in here! Although I wasn’t a fan of a number, I did find some standout stories that really tickled my paranormal horror fancy. If you enjoy horror, you’ll likely enjoy the variety of stories in this collection and find some personal favorites.

I read The Best Horror of the Year every year and was happy to get volume eleven early from NetGalley.

Some personal favorites: "Golden Sun" was a great story, a collaboration by Kristi DeMeester, Richard Thomas, Damien Angelica Walters, and Michael Wehunt. "Painted Wolves" by Ray Cluley and "I Love You, Mary-Grace" by Amelia Mangan both originally appeared in an anthology titled In Dog We Trust, which I'll be sure to read after this. Other favorites were "Thin Cold Hands" by Gemma Files," "You Know How the Story Goes" by Thomas Olde Heuvelt, "Back Along the Old Track" by Sam Hicks, "A Brief Moment of Rage" by Bill Davidson, and Girls Without Their Faces On" by Laird Barron. "Thumbsucker" by Robert Shearman was also memorable.

This is a great book for anyone who loves horror stories. There are some great authors in this collection. Well written and entertaining.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this collection of stories. A lot of my favorite authors. Some that are included that the stories stood out for me were....Joe Hill, Kristi DeMeester, John Langan, Gemma Files, and Siobhan Carroll. Definitely a must read for horror lovers. These books make great gifts!😉