As with any anthology series, you expect some of the stories to be great, some to be mediocre, and some to be downright "not-for-you." This holds true to this anthology as well. In my opinion, some of the best and most disturbing stories are loaded in the front of the book, followed by a decline in shock and fear factor, then rising back up toward the end to leave you with a strong entry in Stephen Graham Jones' "Teeth." Keep in mind with a book that is focusing on psychological terror, you will have several subjects that can trigger you (ex. murder, incest, sexual abuse, etc.). Many of the tales are meant to keep you thinking and stay in your mind like a hungry tick. Namely, for me, "The Pelt" by Annie Neugebauer, "A Sunny Disposition" by Josh Malerman, "The Donner Party" by Dale Bailey, and "One of these Nights" by Livia Llewellyn. With that said, I was disappointed in a few that, not only did not have an affect on my psychological well-being, but were riddled with grammatical errors that I hope were just an unfortunate corruption in the file being uploaded/downloade0d (A Lovely Bunch of Coconuts - multiple spelling and grammatical errors. Ex. "-finished distributing trophies among the [risoners-" page 275 per the file). Overall, the book is definitely worth reading for the amazing stories that it contains, even if they're sometimes sandwiched between a couple that keep your sanity intact.

Twenty-one stories by many of my favorite horror authors?!? I was definitely all in when I saw this book. I absolutely loved these stories! Honestly, I could not pick a favorite because they were so different and made me feel different things. I do enjoy an anthology from time-to-time because sometimes you don't want to read a whole novel. This anthology definitely fit the bill and now I have some new authors to follow!

Thanks to Netgalley I managed to read this ARC ahead of publication. Due to be published on 10/09/24.

I love horror but hadn't read anything for a while so thought a collection of short stories would be a good reintroduction to the genre!

These are absolutely brilliant. Some more captivating and intriguing than others. 21 short stories in total by a range of different authors.

I particularly enjoyed that a number of stories detail women as the aggressor showing that females can be much deadlier than the male - and often more calculating! Bait is a good start to the collection and has a vigilante type that dishes out cold justice. It kind of sets the tone for the book where you learn quickly not to take anything for granted and things aren't all what they might initially seem.

There's a collection of killers, ghosts and cannibals here! A great anthology of horror 😁

I love thrillers and psychological horror.

My favorites from this anthology:

LD50 by Laird Barron

Trigger warning for animal abuse.

This one was a little crazy, revenge tale. I loved the retribution the female protagonist gets.

Cavity by Theresa DeLucci

I loved how this was set up in short little paragraphs about how she meets each murderer. Even some great statistics. Did you know people, on average, meet 36 murderers in their lifetime?

The Wrong Shark

I happen to adore the movie Jaws and this story includes lots stories about the shooting of the film and facts about sharks. Of course there’s some trauma and I twist at the end.

Like most anthologies this had a mix of stories I loved and stories I found okay, I didn't dislike any I just feel if they were a bit longer it would have helped.

Thank you to Netgalley for the arc!

I actually ended up DNFing this one which with short stories collections and anthologies I try really hard not to do. What I did like about it was some of the stories plots were interesting, and I saw the potential. If the story was just a tiny bit longer they could've been really good and something I would've enjoyed. I just think psychological horror just isn't for me. But I do think people who enjoy psychological horror would really enjoy this. I prefer books with more outward and obvious horror if that makes sense. I also think some of the stories didn't go as far as I wanted them. I did enjoy some of the stories that I did read but unfortunately most of them just weren't my favorite.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

“Fears: Tales of Psychological Horror” edited by Ellen Datlow:

“Fears” delves deep into the human psyche, exploring the darkest corners of our fears and anxieties. The stories are not just about supernatural entities or grotesque monsters; they are about the horrors that lurk within us and around us. 

Datlow’s curation is impeccable, with each story meticulously chosen to evoke a sense of unease and terror. The writing styles vary, offering a rich tapestry of voices and perspectives.

Among the standout stories is Stephen Graham Jones’ contribution, which masterfully blends psychological horror with a touch of the supernatural. Priya Sharma’s tale is another highlight, offering a haunting exploration of familial bonds and the darkness that can fester within them. 

“Fears: Tales of Psychological Horror” is not just a collection of scary stories; it is a profound exploration of the human condition. Datlow has once again proven why she is considered the gold standard of horror anthologists. 

Trigger warnings: if you are a fan of this type of book, you will likely enjoy it, however if this is your first foray into a book of this type, realize this contains tales such as a mother drowning her children and other relatives (alive) in a tar pit, a grandfather telling a child how he pulled out his wife's eyeballs to put them into his own empty eye sockets (also when she was alive) and much, much more.

There are a lot of great editors that play in the science fiction, fantasy, and horror sandbox. But are any of them as consistently brilliant at crafting genre anthologies, as consistently brilliant at attracting the very best authors and building drool-worthy tables of contents, as Ellen Datlow? No. She’s the very best, as Fears: Tales of Psychological Horror amply demonstrates.

When it comes to Fears: Tales of Psychological Horror, you should definitely take the word Horror in the title seriously, because these stories are one gut-punch after another. There’s not a supernatural entity to be found here, just human being inflicting violence, terror, and depravity upon each other. Some are over the top in the horrors they display, and some are quiet, subtle shockers—both types of stories are equally disquieting, equally disturbing. When it came to choosing the contents of this book, Datlow did not fuck around.

While every story in the anthology has something to recommend it, here are a few that were standouts to me, and your favorites may be totally different than mine. Most of the stories were new to me, but the two I had read before happened to be two of my favorites, so let’s start with those.

Singing My Sister Down by Margo Lanagan—This brilliant piece of anthropological fantasy was my introduction to the extraordinary Lanagan, and it’s a shattering study of a family caught in a cultural trap they cannot escape. I’ve read this story half a dozen times, and I get something new from it every time.

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? by Joyce Carole Oates—You’ve probably read this at one time or another, it’s one of the most taught, most anthologized stories in history. It still packs as much punch as it did when it was published in the sixties. A chilling study in power dynamics coercion.

Bait by Simon Bestwick—The first story in the collection, about a young woman who’s not what she seems, it lets you know exactly what you’re in for.

A Sunny Disposition by Josh Malerman—Old, frail Grandpa Ray gives his young grandson a peek behind a very dark curtain.

Back Seat by Bracken MacLeod—I said above that every story here is a gut-punch…this one made me put the book down and go for a walk. Crushingly sad and hopeless.

One of These Nights by Livia Llewellyn—Two teenage girls and a public swimming pool in the summer are the ingredients for this twisted little tale.

Cavity by Theresa Delucci—The life of one woman connected, in one way or another, to thirty-six murderers. Told in cold, clinical, matter-of-fact detail that makes it shockingly powerful.

Unkindly Girls by Hailey Piper—What happens when you discover a devastating family secret? What do you do?

Teeth by Stephen Graham Jones—Hard-boiled crime fiction shot through with a queasy kind of horror, proof that Jones should maybe write more crime fiction.

Those are my favorites, but as I said, there’s not a clunker in the bunch. Fears: Tales of Psychological Horror releases September 10th, and is available for pre-order now. Don’t miss this one.

I love short stories and anthologies. Even the best author must flex their writing skills to deliver quality short stories. In less than a usual chapter length, they must introduce us to the characters and their communities/ back stories, commit to an "event" and then solve it, all while keeping the reader engrossed and flipping pages. I often find that an author will switch genres in an anthology, which gives me an even better appreciation for their talent.
Many have a similar theme with the writers giving their story an unusual “spin” to meet the theme’s intent without copying each other. It is not unusual to find a true gem mixed in with the overall excellent stories, making anthologies a triple threat/ treat.

Fears: Tales of Psychological Horror is a great compilation of short stories that will stick with you. I couldn't tear myself away from the pages.
I really enjoyed A Sunny Disposition, The Donner Party, and Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been.
Like any compilation, there will be some less enjoyable stories. There wasn't anything wrong with them, I just didn't connect with White Noise In A White Room and Singing My Sister Down.
Overall, I give Fears 4 out of 5 stars.
Thank you to Netgalley and Tachyon Publications for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

Nice collection of stories by some of my favorite writers. This also introduced some new writers to me. I especially enjoyed "My Mother's ghosts" and "Teeth." Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Ellen Datlow is a name that is almost synonymous with interesting, solid anthologies that contain a mixure of known and unknown authors, a high bar for quality, and interesting themes that add a lot of variety to seemingly narrow fields, and her upcoming anthology Fears: Tales of Psychological Horror is no real exception. Mixing stories from known titans like Laird Barron and Stephen Graham Jones with any number of less known authors (including one who is listed as "more of a reader than a writer), Fears focuses, as the title suggests, around psychological horror, and that range allows for a lot of range. There are supernatural tales here, of course, including some genuine knockouts - Carole Johnstone's “21 Brooklands: next to Old Western, opposite the burnt out Red Lion” delivers one of the most unsettling sequences in recent memory as a family deals with an invasion during a power outage - but Fears has much more to its contents than traditional horror. Margo Lanagan's "Singing My Sister Down," for instance, revolves around the slow execution of a family member, all witnessed by her family who is attempting to turn her death into a celebration of life; Dale Bailey's "The Donner Party" is a wicked piece of social satire whose psychological screw-turning comes with a hefty dose of class warfare; Bracken McLeod's "Back Seat" works every bit as well as a look at surviving on the margins of society as it does a heartbreaking tale of a ghost looking for justice. There are a few oddities here and there, of course; while no one would argue that Joyce Carol Oates's "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" isn't a classic, it still feels like an overly familiar tale to show up here. Similarly, Charles Birkin's "A Lovely Batch of Coconuts" introduces the Holocaust into the book, feeling out of place in terms of subject matter and tone, especially coming in the midst of more psychological horror about broken people. Fears isn't entirely essential, I'd say, but neither will you regret your time here. It's a solid, varied collection that eschews normal boundaries, as typical for Datlow, and in doing so gives you not only a great range of authors, but also a set of stories that show just how much you can do with a single concept.

I feel very mixed about this collection. I thought it was interesting but it loses you at some points. All in all, I would reread it. 3.5/10

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Some of the stories in this book were scary. Some were not. Some were just confusing, and one was riddled with typos and mistakes.

This could be an amazing book with the removal of some of the stories.

This collection of previously published shorts is full of big name authors in the horror genre writing bleak stories about killers with no remorse or logical motivation. Highlights include "The Wink and the Gun" by John Patrick Higgins and "My Mother's Ghosts" by Priya Sharma--both fantastic--but the others are pretty consistently disappointing. It's a scattershot approach, including everything from a slightly worn classic from the sixties to forgettable ephemera published in 2022. Even the typically superb editor's introduction seems half-hearted in this collection of mostly mediocre fiction.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Tachyon Publications for the ARC.

I. LOVE. ANTHOLOGIES.

That's all there really is to it.

I am so thankful to Tachyon Books, Ellen Datlow, Netgalley and all the wonderful contributors who wrote stories for this anthology. I CANNOT wait until publication day -- September 10, 2024.

Some of my favorite writers and authors contributed stories to this collection, including Josh Malerman, Hailey Piper, Stephen Graham Jones, Carol Johnstone, and so many more. Regarding psychological horror, these writers knew how to pack a punch. I couldn't get enough and look forward to the following anthological collection.

This book was a reminder of the power of a great editor. I thoroughly enjoyed this anthology. It starts off super strong and kept me intrigued through the end. Like any anthology, the mix of stories has some real gems and some I’ve already forgotten; however, the writing and skill is superb of all the included authors. I am a huge fan of psychological horror and would definitely recommend this to someone looking for bite-sized chunks!

What constitutes psychological horror is pretty subjective. While many of the stories selected for this anthology were arguably solidly in that realm, there were a number of tales that felt to me like they didn't solidly fit into any particular subgenre of horror, so they were classified as psychological horror just to fit the book. Other than maybe the entries by Josh Malerman, Haley Piper and one or two others, there really weren't any stories in here that stood out to me, at least in a good way. I've enjoyed many anthologies edited by Ellen Datlow, but this was not one of the better ones.

A journey ‘cross an aluminum tinged landscape, spattered with blood, brutalized with suffering and the memories thereof. 

A journey as gleefully thrilling as shocking. 

Come along, see the world through the eyes of murderers and all around bad people. 

You might cringe, might have to keep or force one thing or another down — hopefully not fleshy bones — but you’ll have a blast all the same. 

Seriously. 

Last time I had so much fun reading about the terrible, horrible, no good, just bad bad bad some people do? Hard to say. I mean, being a horrorhound, that’s kind of a daily, to an extent. 

But still.

Fears: Tales of Psychological Horror delivers, and keeps on delivering. 

Here is the world where mysteries start to haunt you, and the longer you stay, the more haunted you become. 

Here, if you don’t know the steps, don’t know the dance, well, it was nice knowing ya?

Here, fairytales and life are one and the same, as nasty and bloody as anything. 

Here, in the land of murderers and Starbucks, you never know who you might meet. Thought it may just be your very own murderer. 

Here, the faces are masks and the dead are wanting. 

Here, you’ll be shaken, like me, to your core. But, you’ll savor it. You, too, will hunger, want more, much more. 

So throw your keys into the river — they’ll only end up there anyway. Let’s go for a ride. Let’s take a tour of fears.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Fears: Tales of Psychological Horror.

Anthologies are a mixed bag; rarely do you enjoy all the stories. If you're lucky, you'll like one or two.

If you're really lucky, you'll like more.

I've read anthologies edited by Ms. Datlow before so I knew this anthology would feature quality work from talented, quality authors.

Not surprisingly, some stories are better than authors.

My faves were Pelt, Back Seat, LD50, The Donner Party, and Cavity. The stories feature the kind of horror we should be most afraid of than zombies and ghosts: humans.

I look forward to reading more anthologies by Ms. Datlow.