4.5 rounded up

Anything with Ellen Datlow's seal of approval is okay in my book, and when I saw some of my favorite reviewers eagerly anticipating this read on Twitter, I requested faster than pretty much every title this year. I was thrilled to be approved and quickly dove in,

A collection of stories inspired by Shirley Jackson. Need I say more? From haunting to eerie to downright terrifying, there is something for every reader.

Some of my favorites included:

Funeral Birds – M Rickert: An offbeat tale of compulsion, jealousy, and love that gave me serious Poe vibes as well as Shirley Jackson. I enjoyed this one.
For Sale by Owner – Elizabeth Hand: One of my favorites. A mysterious house and a group of friends determined to do something fun. What could go wrong?
In the Deep Woods; The Light is Different There - Seanan McGuire: A story of recovery and community with a twist. Really enjoyed the voice
A Hundred Miles and a Mile – Carmen Maria Machado: I will literally read a grocery list if it's written by Machado, and this story didn't disappoint
Quiet Dead things – Cassandra Khan--Loved the atmosphere and the vivid imagery. Creepy, brutal story with Lottery vibes
Money of the Dead – Karen Heuler: Interesting premise. Loved the mystery and reminded me of Vivarium
Take Me, I am Free – Joyce Carol Oates: This story of a mother and child's heartbreaking interaction will stick to your bones
A Trip to Paris – Richard Kadrey: No spoilers for this one, but I think of it frequently. Great imagery and voice
The Party – Paul Trembley: Loved this apocalyptic relationship
Special Meal – Josh Malerman: Harrison Bergeron meets 1984. Literary and compulsively readable. One of my favorites in the collection
Sooner or Later, Your Wife Will Drive You Home – Genevieve Valentine: Excellent creepy atmosphere and character development in a short word count
Skindler’s Veil – Kelly Link: Loved this one. No spoilers, but I'll definitely be re-reading this one

Huge thanks to Titan Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

When Things Get Dark edited by Ellen Datlow
I give this Anthology 4 stars

Shirley Jackson is a seminal writer of horror and mystery fiction, whose legacy resonates globally today.
This anthology, edited by legendary horror editor Ellen Datlow, will bring together today’s leading horror writers to offer their own personal tribute to the work of Shirley Jackson.
Featuring Joyce Carol Oates, Josh Malerman, Carmen Maria Machado, Paul Tremblay, Richard Kadrey, Stephen Graham Jones, Elizabeth Hand, Kelly Link, Cassandra Khaw, Karen Heuler, Benjamin Percy, John Langan, Laird Barron, Jeffrey Ford, M. Rickert, Seanan McGuire, Gemma Files, and Genevieve Valentine.

This book contains 18 short stories influenced by Shirley Jackson’s writing style.l loved being able to sample the brilliant writing of so many different authors all in one sitting.And they’ve definitely managed to pull it off…. l was left feeling I’d experienced that deep chill,a spooky hidden dark side that leaves you to interpret it in your own way.An unsettling domestic horror mystery vibe.
With thanks to Netgalley,Ellen Datlow and Titan books for my chance to read and review this book.

Disclaimer: ARC via Netgalley.

Most people in the United States have read Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” or perhaps her novel, The Haunting. But Jackson wrote so much other work, including works about her children. In the Ellen Datlow edited When Things Get Dark, the contributors pay homage to Jackson by using, in many cases, both her supernatural and home themed writing.
As with any collection, some stories stand out more than others, but this is Datlow edited collection, so there isn’t a bad story in the bunch.
My favorites include:
“A Hundred Miles and A Mile” by Carmen Maria Machado, a story that at first seems to be about a woman in therapy but becomes much more. It is one of the stories that plays more with the question of ordinary.
“Quiet Dead Things” by Cassandra Khaw at first seems like it is directly channeling “The Lottery” but it isn’t really. It, like Elizabeth Hand’s “For Sale By Owner” works because you can actually see it happening. Hand’s story builds slowly and surely to its horror and works very well in terms of the ending. Hand’s story works in part because she doesn’t explain everything. Something that Stephen Graham Jones’ “Refinery Road” and “The Party by Paul Trembly also make excellent use of. All three stories work because of the detail given to the relationships that exist at each story’s core.
“Hag” by Benjamin Percy is a well written story set on an island. Percy not only works in horror but also very good familial relationships and dynamics. “Funeral Birds” by M. Rickert makes wonderful use of character and event.
Datlow says in her introduction that the purpose of the collection was to present stories that “distill the essence of Jackson’s work into their own work, to reflect her sensibility” (loc 105), the authors have succeeded at this brief.


NOTE-Review will be posted on publication date on GR and Blog.

This might be the short story collection I've been waiting years for.
I'm a self confessed not-a-fan of short stories,yet I keep trying,as each has at least one story you rate very highly.
This book was full of stories I rate highly,each seemingly the perfect length that I didnt feel it was lacking in depth and detail.
Whilst I wouldn't say they were particularly horror,they were dark and quirky enough to keep me happy.
Added bonus,that I now have a list of new to me authors to investigate.

Some good stories here, a lot definitely draw close comparisons to Shirley's work. Don't go into it expecting every story to be a horror story like I did though, as some are just standard drama.

This was my first anthology. And to be honest I've never read Shirley Jackson before so maybe that was my problem. I just found most of the stories to be hard to follow and just not my style in general. I have a feeling if you love Shirley Jackson you would love these stories, there are many well-known authors who contributed and I was excited to read what they had. I didn't actively dislike this book I just didn't love it. There was definitely an unsettling feeling while reading the stories, but there was no clear cut explanation, and maybe that was the whole point.

Editor Ellen Datlow commissioned short stories inspired by Shirley Jackson's writing. This is a fine collection of short stories which dare to go where Jackson went, the authors have created a collection which have a sense of Jackson at their heart. Jackson didn't fit into one genre, she created her own and with that we get a blend of mystery, unease, the possibility of horror, literary, characters who are aware something isn't quite right. With When Things Get Dark we get a great selection of stories by a group of authors, some you will recognise others will be new to you, but that's what's great about this type of collection, you get to discover some great new authors.

Thanks to Titan and Netgalley for giving me the pleasure of reading and reviewing this collection.

A lovely collection of short stories that give that Shirley Jackson feel. I enjoyed it. I did read out of order a bit, skipping back and forth between different stories. I enjoyed seeing the different writers style reflected. Very nice collection!

Taking Shirley Jackson's stories and subjects as an inspiration, veteran short story editor Ellen Datlow commissions new stories from some of the best speculative fiction writers alive today.

This new anthology is largely successful in serving as a companion to Jackson's oeuvre, and the authors here achieve to distill the essence of what made books like "We Have Always Lived in the Castle" and stories like "The Lottery" classics. There are a couple of categories in which one can group the stories in this anthology; one being the reappearance of the dead like in Karen Heuler's "Money of the Dead" in which a residential building continues to lose its tenants in mysterious ways but still they visit those left behind bringing their anger with them; another story in this category would be M. Rickert's "Funeral Birds" in which a nurse still sees one of her deceased patients and doesn't seem able to shake her presence off. Richard Kadrey's "A Trip to Paris" has a not-so-good person as a protagonist who sees a mold patch in her wall with very familiar silhouettes. Another category in which some stories fall in is the "Closed Community story", for example Cassandra Khaw's "Quiet Dead Things" in which a gruesome murder occurs in a small community and its inhabitants chose to close it down to foreigners, while the one foreigner already living inside becomes the target of hidden xenophobia; another story that fits the category is Benjamin Percy's "Hag" in which a reporter tries to track down a story in a maritime town in which she lived long ago but that now seems to have become the nest of a cult. There is also room for stories about the everyday life and its subtle uneasiness like Joyce Carol Oates' "Take me, I'm Free" in which a little girl is accused of all the trouble the mother has endured and the "problems" her birth has brought her; Genevieve Valentine writes in "Sooner or Later, Your Wife Will Drive Home" several vignettes depicting the dangers a woman faces every night when traveling alone and which, weirdly, are all somewhat related to cars; Gemma Files writes in "Pear of Anguish" about a girl dealing with adolescence and the lure that a mysterious girl who practices witchcraft represents. But there is also outright horror and fantastic stories like Elizabeth Hand's "For Sale, by Owner" in which a group of elderly ladies break into a house in the woods and two of them find a supernatural power within; Jeffrey Ford's story "The Door in the Fence" is about a strange neighbor who doesn't seem to age that that reappears throughout the narrators' life looking fresher and fresher. Two of the best stories in the anthology and original in their themes are Josh Malerman's "A Special Meal" in which an alternate world has mathematics banned and those that can do them are punished; and Kelly Link's novella about a young man does a girlfriend a favor and goes to guard a remote and hidden house where the rules are not letting the actual owner in and opening the kitchen door to all those who knock.

While in theme there is a subjective collective echo that makes some stories' premise familiar--and the fact that most of the protagonists are women--, it is the prose of all the writers gathered here that make each story a standout on its own. These stories deal with human characteristics and feelings, and leave the cheap jump scare in the background. This anthology is classic horror in its appearance, but in the inside has modern sensitivities with standout prose. Shirley Jackson would've been proud.

I am an enormous Shirley Jackson fan and have had this book on my wishlist since it was announced. The line up of authors included in the collection are stellar, and it's impossible for me to pick my favourite story from them all. I loved them all, if you are a fan of Jackson this is a must-read.

OMG thank you so much to lo the amazing authors who wrote these super creepy short stories for this book! I enjoyed it and it throughly freaked me out and scared me all in the same sitting. Well done!

Thank you to publisher and NetGalley for sending me the ARC of this cool book to read!

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for a copy of this book to review !

When Things Get Dark
by Ellen Datlow

A collection of short stories in tribute to and inspired by the amazing Shirley Jackson.

This disturbing assemblage of frightening tales was fabulous. I was so thrilled to receive my copy and I will most likely read it again. Shirley Jackson is an amazing author and any story inspired by her would be difficult not to like.

Written by respected authors, each installment has it's own signature style yet blends with Jackson's in a way that is truly unique. Many a yarn will leave the reader purposefully in the dark without a concrete conclusion, giving horror fan lots to smile about.

Typically with short story collections, I will skip at least one or two. I enjoyed every one included in this anthology. Great authors, scary stories, an all around fabulous book.

5 Stars !

Shirley Jackson is one of my favourite authors, so I was keen to read this anthology of short stories inspired by her writing.

The stories included are:

Funeral Birds – M Rickert
For Sale by Owner – Elizabeth Hand
In the Deep Woods; The Light is Different There - Seanan McGuire
A Hundred Miles and a Mile – Carmen Maria Machado
Quiet Dead things – Cassandra Khan
Something Like Living Creatures – John Langan
Money of the Dead – Karen Heuler
Hag – Benjjamin Percy
Take Me, I am Free – Joyce Carol Oates
A Trip to Paris – Richard Kadrey
The Party – Paul Trembley
Refinery Road – Stephen Graham Jones
The Door in the Fence – Jeffrey Ford
Pear of Anguish – Gemma Files
Special Meal – Josh Malerman
Sooner or Later, Your Wife Will Drive You Home – Genevieve Valentine
Tiptoe – Laird Barron
Skindler’s Veil – Kelly Link

Eighteen in all, with some really interesting authors, who are respected in the genre. I found the first few stories really engaging and particularly liked, “For Sale by Owner.” Another favourite, quite near the beginning was, “In the Deep Woods; The Light is Different There.” I flagged slightly in the middle, although obviously which stories/authors you will like personally, is very subjective. Towards the end, though, I really found myself engaged again. “Money of the Dead,” was very creepy and I really enjoyed “Special Meal,” and “Skindler’s Veil.”

Overall, this is a really enjoyable collection and many of the stories do have the atmosphere that Jackson evoked. The everyday becoming suddenly threatening, for example. It is a joy to see her writing given this tribute from today’s writers. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

I've read some fine horror short story anthologies lately and When Things Get Dark: Stories Inspired by Shirley Jackson is one of them. Anthologies are often all over the place, with both good and only okay stories, but every piece in Dark was entertaining.

We always have our favorites and I'm no exception. My second favorite was "Hag" by Benjamin Percy, although I didn't quite understand why the townspeople dressed up as seagulls. I mean, I can see myself dressing up as a seagull, in fact, I'd like to dress as a seagull, but the townspeople really didn't have to flit around as gulls in order to chunk visitors over a cliff. (I don't chunk anyone over cliffs when I'm dressed as a seagull. I have other reasons.) I did enjoy the story.

My absolute favorite was Kelly Link's Skinder's Veil because I want to housesit that yellow home in Vermont. It was like a really cool dream with the most remarkable characters coming and going. A bear who tells stories! I always wanted a friendly bear whose ears I could tweak and it wouldn't eat me. Well, in Link's story I was able to live out my dreams.

Ellen Datlow was the editor and she's known far and wide as a icon in the horror world. She picked some dandies for When Things Get Dark. They are all good and you don't have to dress up like a seagull to read them, unless you want to.

Thanks to Netgalley and Titan for allowing me to read an advance reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Una buona raccolta, per essere un'antologia multiautore, con alcuni ottimi racconti (Seanan McGuire, Joyce Carol Oates), alcune conferme (a me Kelly Link e Stephen Graham Jones non piacciono, posso mettermi il Cuore in pace) e una scoperta: Genevieve Valentine, che ha scritto un racconto inatteso e inquietante. Spero di legegre presto altro di suo.

This was such a phenomenal book, I can't praise it enough. I can see exactly how each and every one would be inspired by the great Shirley Jackson! It started off with one little odd story, and grew and grew into some of the strangest, disturbing and compelling reads! Thank you so much! I can't wait to purchase this in a physical copy!

Thank you to NetGalley for When Things Get Dark: Stories Inspired by Shirley Jackson.

I love anything dark and scary so I was excited when my request was approved.

My pet peeve with anthologies is similar to how I feel about a box of chocolates: I usually only end up liking a few chocolates (stories.)

For the most part, all the stories were well written by respected authors of the suspense and thriller genre.

But, I thought most of the stories weren't creepy and morbid enough. Perhaps that's the point; it's just supposed to make you feel unease and unsettled, not full out horror.

My favorites are "Money for the Dead" and "Skinder's Veil."

Fans of Shirley Jackson or anyone looking to read something kinda spooky but not downright scary would enjoy this anthology.

An excellent anthology of short stories. I rated each story individually for an overall combined score of 4.05 which I am rounding up to five.

1. Funeral Birds by M. Rickert -5/5 This story most definitely invoked the spirit of Shirley Jackson.
2. For Sale By Owner by Elizabeth Hand -5/5 A group of friends explore an old vacation home near a lake.
3. In the Deep Woods; The Light is Different There by Seanan McGuire -4/5 This is beautifully written. I hope I never have to spend the night in a wardrobe.
4. A Hundred Miles and a Mile by Carmen Maria Machado -4/5 A lovely story based on the quote “cup of stars.”
5. Quiet Dead Things by Cassandra Khan -3/5 A town closes its borders after a murder and xenophobia runs wild.
6. Something Like Living Creatures by John Langan -5/5 I can’t say much without giving too much away, but this story was very enjoyable.
7. Money of the Dead by Karen Heuler -5/5 Neighbors in an apartment building find money outside their door. Very creepy.
8. Hag by Benjamin Percy -3/5 I enjoyed this one, though it felt a bit longer than it needed to be.
9. Take Me, I Am Free by Joyce Carol Oates -4/5 A look at the relationship between a mother and her daughter.
10. A Trip to Paris by Richard Kadrey -3/5 A woman deals with mold in her home.
11. The Party by Paul Tremblay -3/5 I had a little difficulty keeping Jacqui and Jeanne straight because their names are so similar.
12. Refinery Road by Stephen Graham Jones -2/5 This story didn’t really seem to fit with the theme of the anthology. I didn’t get Shirley Jackson vibes from it.
13. The Door in the Fence by Jeffrey Ford -5/5 A wonderful take on the Fountain of Youth.
14. Pear of Anguish by Gemma Files -5/5 Wow, this was one of my favorite in the anthology. A story of a friendship between misfits.
15. Special Meal by Josh Malerman -5/5 This story had the spirit of the lottery.
16. Sooner or Later, Your Wife Will Drive Home by Genevieve Valentine -4/5 I did not want her to get out of that car!
17. Tiptoe by Laird Barron -3/5 A thoroughly creepy tale about a man and his father.
18. Skindler’s Veil by Kelly Link -5/5 I would love to housesit for Skindler.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this ebook in exchange for an unbiased review.

For her latest anthology, Ellen Datlow said that she was looking for authors and stories that were heavily influenced by Shirley Jackson and not tales that were mere copies or pastiches of Jackson's work. And I would say in those regards she was extremely successful in bringing together a collection that was inspired by Jackson's style.
For the most part, the stories all have a sense of 1940s-60s Americana, though sometimes a spoiled or sinister slice of that pie, whether or not they were intended to take place in that era.
The first two stories by M. Rickert and Elizabeth Hand definitely have the SJ vibe to them and read like they could have been written by her.
Seanan McGuire's entry has strong SJ vibes applied to a different kind of tale.
"A Hundred Miles and a Mile" by Carmen Maria Machado has an SJ aesthetic, but was a really odd and abrupt story.
Cassandra Khaw's "Quiet Dead Things" is a bit whimsical yet brutal, and also went in a weird direction.
John Langan's "Something Like Living Creatures" was a sucker punch of a story. Just when it started to take shape, it ended in shocking fashion.
Karen Heuler's "Money for the Dead" was one of my favorites. It was one of the more horrific tales that played out like a Twilight Zone episode.
Benjamin Percy's "Hag" was a mounting sense of dread and impending doom from the beginning. It had notes of "The Lottery" and The Wicker Man in it, and was suspenseful and frightening throughout. One of the best in the book.
"Take Me, I Am Free" is a short entry from Joyce Carol Oates, and typical of her, stuffed with more bleakness than five pages should hold.
Full of impending dread, Richard Kadrey's "A Trip to Paris" felt like "Macbeth" via SJ.
As usual, Paul Tremblay produces a story that gets you right into it with character depth established in mere paragraphs. But the ending of "The Party" left me wanting to know so much more.
Stephen Graham Jones was more accessible than usual for me, but as usual, elements of his story left me confused.
Jeffrey Ford's "The Door in the Fence" chugged along as strange but intriguing, but fell flat with a bizarre ending.
Gemma Files's "Pear of Anguish" I just couldn't finish. Unlike most of the stories which showed some restraint, this one did not, and felt out of place in the book.
Josh Malerman has what is arguably the most powerful story in the anthology with "Special Meal" that reads just like classic horror/Sci-Fi of SJ's era.
"Sooner or Later, Your Wife Will Drive Home" by Genevieve Valentine had an interesting idea, but ultimately didn't pay off.
I've never been a big fan of Laird Barron, but I found "Tiptoe" to be the most accessible story I've read by him, and one that I actually liked a lot.
The final tale, "Skinder's Veil" by Kelly Link, is the longest (as is often the case in anthologies such as this) and one of the best. It starts seemingly as some type of ghostly/supernatural tale but soon evolves into a weird and wondrous adult fairy tale.
Whether you're a fan of Shirley Jackson, the individual authors in this book or just some good ol' fashioned horror and dark fantasy, When Things Get Dark is a great read. 4.5/5*

Well done! A collection of tense tales in the great style of Shirley Jackson! Each one grabs you and pulls you in - and often leaves you there, as it should be! A delight - and a scare - all in one!