Excellent selection of Gemma Files short stories. She's great as always, and this is a wonderful introduction to her work.

I've been seeing a lot of people mention Gemma Files in horror lately, and was intrigued but overwhelmed by her body of work and unsure where to start. Then Exploring Dark Short Fiction #7: A Primer to Gemma Files popped up on NetGalley and I was saved!

First we get Files's abbreviated autobiography, then several of her short stories followed by short, insightful commentary from Michael Arzen. An essay on why Gemma Files matters in the greater scheme of things, an interview with her, and an essay written by Files herself on her trademark twist on epistolary fiction.

If it sounds academic (and it is), it's also incredibly accessible and engaging.

The stories are pulled from throughout Files's career and broad range of horror and dark fantasy, showing the scope of her work. A full bibliography is included at the end, because after this sampling you'll definitely want more. I'm glad I got the opportunity to read this, and I'm going to keep an eye out on the rest of the Exploring Dark Short Fiction series as well.

Exploring Short Dark Fiction #7: Gemma Files by Eric Guignard is a thoughtful and engaging deep dive into Files’ work, offering analysis, insights, and a selection of her chilling stories. It’s a great introduction for those unfamiliar with her writing and a rewarding exploration for existing fans. The combination of fiction and critical discussion makes it both an enjoyable and educational read for horror enthusiasts.

Speaking of experimental film, I also wanted to use this space to very quickly plug the new Gemma Files primer out from the wonderful Dark Moon Books and available to buy now.

http://www.darkmoonbooks.com/Primer_7.html

For those unaware, Gemma Files is the author of a great variety of horror and genre fiction, most notably ‘Experimental Film’, an almost biography wrapped in neo-folk horror and with an interest in film theory, history, and criticism. It is a wondrous tome of a text and well worth anyone’s time.


This short, sharp, and yet fairly comprehensive rundown of File’s work focuses on her short fiction, including an excellent new piece written just for this text, with commentary from Dr. Michael Arnzen interjected to illuminate any missed themes or ideas you may not have considered. A bibliography, biography, and interview pad out the text and offer some contextual roots to the darker stories of Files.

Perfect for a beginner.

Read ‘Experimental Film’.

Includes selected short stories by Gemma Files , an author I am not familiar with, followed by short comments after each story as well as some commentary about the writer. There is also short interview as well as a author giving explanation of how she wields her craft.

I was not able to find any joy for Gemma Files writing or her stories. I do not want to give the impression that her writing is bad, it is anything but. Her style reminds me of old "B-movies" where a character sits and tells a spooky yet cautionary tale to a the audience. Not bad, just not to my taste.
I found the style hard to get excited about and kept losing my attention.
Just not for me but I still recommend you give this a try.
It's hard to find a collection from an unfamiliar artist that gives a good sample of their work, but this does.

Thanks to @netgalley and Dark MoonBooks for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Thanks to the Publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

What a great idea! These are selected short stories by Gemma Files (whose novel Experimental Film has been on by TBR for years), followed by short comments after each story as well as some commentary about the writer, a short interview and an essay about her craft by herself. Perfect primer, really.

The stories are amazing, I loved the writing style that was often unexpectedly gentle and pretty without being purple and hit hard when needed. Each story had it's very own style and tone which I thought impressive. Who knew I could be interested in and feeling for undead cowboys?
Extra bonus points for The King in Yellow reference!

I was hoping for a little more academic approach on the commentary for my own sake but I think the included commentaries etc. are a great starting point for discussion in class (or bookclub?) or simply to get the private reader thinking. Again: Fabulous idea!
I will try to read more of this Primer series with authors I haven't read yet and absolutely will read more by Gemma Files.