The holidays are a special time, aren't they?
Easter. Armenian Christmas. Hallowmas. All Souls Day. Lantern Festival. Tomb Sweeping Day. Children's Day. Ascension Day. Ash Wednesday. Pentecost. Boxing Day. (yes, I've done my hasty goddamn research)
Holidays, these. Sacred, all...
In a normal, well ordered universe, holidays are a lovely event. A time for celebration, mirth, warmth. Laughter and breathless anecdotes weaving through the pleasant tinkling of tiny glasses and clanking brown bottles. A lighted hearth, a backyard barbeque, a laden table surrounded by family, friends, and other loved ones. Shared times of collective goodness, all bound up in that all-important element of stolid TRADITION.
These are our holidays. They bring us a sense of stability and security. A normalcy in an increasingly confusing world.
But, to be frank, in the realm of The Weird, this won't do. Won't do at all.
Much like Hitchcock sought to bring horror to the mundane and everyday occurrences (such as innocuous flock of birds, or an innocent shower), so too do the writers of The Weird seek to undermine even the most blessed and innocent holiday. We want to bring Horror to your Holidays. And I think we have.
As we approach the Christmas, Hanuka, Kwanza, and a variety of other Christ/Santa/Father Christmas/Winter Grandfather holiday celebrations, it only seems fitting that Miskatonic River Press release their long await anthology, Horror for the Holidays, edited by renowned editor/writer and caretaker of The House of Secrets Scott David Aniolowski, which is now available for pre-order here. MRP Head Tentacle Tom Lynch just shared that print runs start early next week. So let's move those appendages, okay squids?
Take a gander at this impressive, recently released table of contents, and shudder at the collection of award winning and critically acclaimed scribes who have chosen to thumb their noses and other pointy bits at holiday conventions:
Horror for the Holidays
Table of Contents
Introduction by Scott David Aniolowski
TALES OF ROSH CHODESH
The Tomb of Oscar Wilde by W.H. Pugmire
TALES OF VALENTINE’S DAY
Love and Darkness by Oscar Rios
Be Mine by Brian Sammons
TALES OF PASSOVER
Cthulhu Mhy’os by Lois H. Gresh
TALES OF EASTER
And the Angels Sing by Cody Goodfellow
The Last Communion of Allyn Hill by Pete Rawlik
Mrs. Spriggs’ Easter Attire by Joseph S. Pulver Sr. and Tara VanFlower
Seasons of Sacrifice and Resurrection by Adrian Tchaikovsky
TALES OF MOTHER’S DAY
Mother’s Night by Ann K. Schwader
TALES OF THE FOURTH OF JULY
Free Fireworks by T.E. Grau
Doc Corman’s Haunted Palace One Fourth of July by Don Webb
TALES OF VJ DAY
Translator by James Robert Smith
TALES OF HALLOWEEN
Hallowe’en in a Suburb by H.P. Lovecraft
Moonday by Will Murray
The Trick by Ramsey Campbell
TALES OF THE DAY OF THE DEAD
El Dia De Los Muertos by Kevin Ross
TALES OF GUY FAWKES NIGHT
Treason and Plot by William Meikle
TALES OF REMEMBERANCE DAY
The Dreaming Dead by Joshua Reynolds
TALES OF THANKSGIVING
Entrée by Donald R. Burleson
TALES OF YULE
Keeping Festival by Mollie Burleson
Wassail by Tom Lynch
TALES OF CHRISTMAS
Krampusnacht by Joshua Reynolds
The Christmas Eves of Aunt Elise by Thomas Ligotti
Letters to Santa by Scott David Aniolowski
Keeping Christmas by Michael G. Szymanski
The Nativity of the Avatar by Robert M. Price
In "Free Fireworks," I imagine it will look something like the above, and possibly the below, with a little added twist...
Happy Holidays, Weirdlings. Make it a bit brighter by bringing home some sacred Darkness, as it's all about the Balance.
So looking forward to reading your story, and also your tale in MONSTERS AND MORMONS.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Brother Wilum! Your tale "The Tomb of Oscar Wilde" sounds absolutely delicious, and sets the mind a-racing.
ReplyDeleteI'm lining up with some major, MAJOR names in this folio (including yours), and feel blessed and honored to populate such a star-studded ToC.
I'm not familiar with "Monsters and Mormons," but think the title/concept is fantastic. I'll be looking for it, to be sure.
I had a BLAST reading and assembling this anthology, and I hope readers enjoy it as much. There is already discussion of doing MORE HORROR FOR THE HOLIDAYS for next year, if the reception of the first one is good.
ReplyDeleteThis looks amazing, looking forward to picking my favorite story to read for each holiday. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteKeep those discussions going, Scott, until they reach a favorable end, for both writer and reader. :)
ReplyDeleteAgreed, David, and you're welcome. Thanks for the interest.
I can't wait for this book - the toc line-up is amazing. I'm going to post a link to this blog post (1) because I'm too lazy to do a blog post of my own, and (2) because you SAY IT ALL so well! This antho's gonna be mind blowing!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lois! Agreed, the ToC is something dark and wonderful to behold. Scott's orchestrative alchemy is most impressive.
ReplyDeleteTo say that I'm excited to both be in this antho and to crack open its spine would be an egregious understatement.
The first picture looks really scary ..
ReplyDelete