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A review by geve_
Best Horror of the Year: Volume Ten by Rebecca Lloyd, Marc E. Fitch, Mira Grant, S.P. Mikowski, Kaaron Warren, A.C. Wise, Inna Effres, David Erik Nelson, Carole Johnstone, Stephen Gallagher, Brian Hodge, Carmen Maria Machado, Orrin Grey, Kelly Robson, Sarah Read, Mark Morris, Tim Major, John Langan, Philip Fracassi, Rich Larson
3.0
Totally fine collection. Nothing great, nothing extremely terrible as has not always been the case for these collections, so I guess that's good. Some of these felt very similar to each other, like there was a theme or something. Also a lot of rehashing of the same old story, some in attempted creative and new ways and some just honestly not.
Better you believe: Probably the best story. I didn't even love it, but it was solid, well told and kept my interest. Wasn't a ground breaking ending, but it was totally fine. I'd probably rate this 3.5, maybe 4.
Liquid air: Boring and confusing. 1.5 star
Holiday romance: Guy goes to a beach he visited as a child (not the last story with this plot point) and has a confusing situation with his memories and body parts matching his DNA washing up on shore. No explanation as to how the police just know it's his DNA. Also wasn't a very good story. 1.5
Furtherest: Story where people visit childhood beach... Childhood memory story. Totally neutral. 2 stars.
Where's the harm: Visiting childhood home in order to sell after death of parents, obviously childhood places and memories are a major theme in this collection. This one was weird and I didn't love it, but it was at least interesting. 3 grudging stars.
Whatever comes after calcutta: Kinda funny and weird. I would have preferred less political commentary, but I liked this one. 4 stars.
A human stain: person visits old friend at his estate to care for his troubled nephew after loss of parents. Weird enough to keep my interest. Totally fine, 3 star.
The stories we tell about ghosts: ghost hunting app that kids use to scare each other. It's difficult to get tech to work well in stories, and it doesn't here. 1.5
Endoskeletal: short and superficial, feels like a writing warm up exercise or something. 1.5
west of matamoros, north of hell: I was actually staying in matamorAs when I read this one in a hotel. I didn't notice the spelling difference, as I was listening on audio, and also I was in PA. Anyways, this was a long story that I didn't love all of, but it was very well written. Was annoyed at the sideline only woman character. When all the men, who were equals in the band, had comments and inner thoughts, she had none. She really only exists to be the target of rape, or for the main character to have to protect. Very lame. If it wasn't for that, this owuld have been a much better story, but fallingon the tired old trope of man having his whole identity based on protecting the woman he loves, no thanks. Men have more depth than that guys. Would have been 4 stars, but probably at best 3.
Alligator point: short, not really horror, but I did like the story. 3 star
Dark warm heart: stop with the wendigo stories. Also stop with the stories about how men just HAVE to hurt women and the people they love, and the people they love have to sacrifice themselves for the men. Guys, guys, please stop with this nonsense. 1 star
There and back again. What did this have to do with the hobbit? Annoyed at the title. Story was fine, ending kinda let down. 2.5
Shepherds business: kinda bloated story about postpartum. Writing was fine, just story let down. 2 star
You can stay all day: tiger girl zombie apocalypse about how animals are just sooooooo much better than people. I hate stories about zombies that drag the realization about what the zombies are on forever. We, the reader, all know, you the writer knows, waiting for the stupid characters to catch up is not enjoyable. It's a zombie story, not war and peace, just get to it. Also cringe animal girl ramblings. 1 star
Harvest song: kinda weird, ptsd soldiers going to find alien honey. This was ok. 3 star
The granfalloon: Well written but honestly boring. 2 stars
Fail safe: This one was almost great. Concept could have been cheesy, but honestly pulled it off until the end. It was totally fine. 3 star
The starry crown. You know, if i just explain this story, it sounds like it could be fun, but it wasn't. I don't know why it was written the way it was, just not an enjoyable read. Also the ending was dumb, like why tf would you end it that way. 1 star
Eqalussuaq: Good concept, bad ending. I was really enjoying this one, but the ending was a real let down for me. 2.5 star
Lost in the dark: What is with John Langan and self inserts? At least this one was a true self insert, like name and all. I dunno, it just dragged for me. Loved the concept, but the story itself was hard to get thorugh for me. 2 star.
Better you believe: Probably the best story. I didn't even love it, but it was solid, well told and kept my interest. Wasn't a ground breaking ending, but it was totally fine. I'd probably rate this 3.5, maybe 4.
Liquid air: Boring and confusing. 1.5 star
Holiday romance: Guy goes to a beach he visited as a child (not the last story with this plot point) and has a confusing situation with his memories and body parts matching his DNA washing up on shore. No explanation as to how the police just know it's his DNA. Also wasn't a very good story. 1.5
Furtherest: Story where people visit childhood beach... Childhood memory story. Totally neutral. 2 stars.
Where's the harm: Visiting childhood home in order to sell after death of parents, obviously childhood places and memories are a major theme in this collection. This one was weird and I didn't love it, but it was at least interesting. 3 grudging stars.
Whatever comes after calcutta: Kinda funny and weird. I would have preferred less political commentary, but I liked this one. 4 stars.
A human stain: person visits old friend at his estate to care for his troubled nephew after loss of parents. Weird enough to keep my interest. Totally fine, 3 star.
The stories we tell about ghosts: ghost hunting app that kids use to scare each other. It's difficult to get tech to work well in stories, and it doesn't here. 1.5
Endoskeletal: short and superficial, feels like a writing warm up exercise or something. 1.5
west of matamoros, north of hell: I was actually staying in matamorAs when I read this one in a hotel. I didn't notice the spelling difference, as I was listening on audio, and also I was in PA. Anyways, this was a long story that I didn't love all of, but it was very well written. Was annoyed at the sideline only woman character. When all the men, who were equals in the band, had comments and inner thoughts, she had none. She really only exists to be the target of rape, or for the main character to have to protect. Very lame. If it wasn't for that, this owuld have been a much better story, but fallingon the tired old trope of man having his whole identity based on protecting the woman he loves, no thanks. Men have more depth than that guys. Would have been 4 stars, but probably at best 3.
Alligator point: short, not really horror, but I did like the story. 3 star
Dark warm heart: stop with the wendigo stories. Also stop with the stories about how men just HAVE to hurt women and the people they love, and the people they love have to sacrifice themselves for the men. Guys, guys, please stop with this nonsense. 1 star
There and back again. What did this have to do with the hobbit? Annoyed at the title. Story was fine, ending kinda let down. 2.5
Shepherds business: kinda bloated story about postpartum. Writing was fine, just story let down. 2 star
You can stay all day: tiger girl zombie apocalypse about how animals are just sooooooo much better than people. I hate stories about zombies that drag the realization about what the zombies are on forever. We, the reader, all know, you the writer knows, waiting for the stupid characters to catch up is not enjoyable. It's a zombie story, not war and peace, just get to it. Also cringe animal girl ramblings. 1 star
Harvest song: kinda weird, ptsd soldiers going to find alien honey. This was ok. 3 star
The granfalloon: Well written but honestly boring. 2 stars
Fail safe: This one was almost great. Concept could have been cheesy, but honestly pulled it off until the end. It was totally fine. 3 star
The starry crown. You know, if i just explain this story, it sounds like it could be fun, but it wasn't. I don't know why it was written the way it was, just not an enjoyable read. Also the ending was dumb, like why tf would you end it that way. 1 star
Eqalussuaq: Good concept, bad ending. I was really enjoying this one, but the ending was a real let down for me. 2.5 star
Lost in the dark: What is with John Langan and self inserts? At least this one was a true self insert, like name and all. I dunno, it just dragged for me. Loved the concept, but the story itself was hard to get thorugh for me. 2 star.