This collection of horror is a mixed bag. A few pieces stood out as truly excellent, among them "Swanskin" by Alison Littlewood and Simon Bestwick's M. R. Jamesian "We All Come Home." Other authors had good ideas but couldn't figure out quite what to do with them, as evinced in C. J. Tudor's "Butterfly Island," in which the ending feels unsatisfactory. I was horrified and appalled, though, by Michael Marshall Smith's "It Doesn't Feel Right," which uses stereotyped symptoms of autism to represent monstrosity among children. I am autistic, and I strongly recommend that this chapter be removed from the volume. It is exactly the kind of misrepresentation that so many of us in the SFF community are working against. Otherwise, it's a fine if not stellar collection.

Another short story book. Different authors some I've read before some I haven't. As with most short stories some were better than others. All were a good read though.
If you like short stories this book is for you. Enjoy!!

Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for an early release of this book.

3.5 stars.

After Sundown is a collection of horror short stories made possible by Flame Tree Press. It collects 20 stories with a focus on new/emerging talent (four of the stories were found by using an open submission format). While there are some familiar names on this list (Ramsey Campbell for one), it is an admirable goal to showcase newer talent in such an open ended and flexible genre. Taken as a collection, it's a bit of an uneven ride. Some stories are fantastic throughout, if a bit derivative at times. (I'm certain I've read at least two other horror stories with the same premise as "Creeping Ivy" but it's still an effective trope.) However, there are a few that fall short of the mark by either not packing enough scares or ending abruptly right when something of interest happens. While an abrupt ending is a common theme in horror, it always works better when it's justified and feels believable.

While genre fans may not find much that is new in this collection, it is still a fun read that is easy to pick up and read in small bursts.

**Thanks to Flame Tree Press and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.**