Horror Library: Volume 7, Reviewed

In Horror Library: Volume 7, edited by accomplished anthologist Eric Guignard and published by Dark Moon Books, the reader is treated to a wealth of stories from some of the best authors working in the genre today. Story subgenres range from sharp social horror to thrillers with a supernatural flair. The seventh volume of Horror Library is one of those rare collections where there’s something for a diverse array of readers, without missing a beat in the ground it covers. Even the stories that may not be your cup of tea—for me, those would be thrillers—craft and creeps make for an enjoyable reading experience all the same. 

Horror Library: Volume 7, like Professor Charlatan Bardot’s Travel Anthology to the Most (Fictional) Haunted Buildings in the Weird, Wild World, also edited by Guignard and published by Dark Moon Books, certainly has earned readers’ praise. The Horror Library serves as something of a sampler of the genre for readers, dedicated to including some of the most thought-provoking short material in the genre. Guignard took over compiling and editing these anthologies as of Volume 6, and his dedication to craft and diversifying the field continues to shine through. Many of the stories in this collection lean more into supernatural, dark fantasy, or speculative horror, making this a real treasure trove for those of us who never got tired of ghost stories or myths. 

Though all of the stories in this collection were enjoyable, to one degree or another, these stood out in particular:

Death Republic - by H. Pueyo

A new kind of virus–where people lose the fear of death–plagues the planet;

Pretties/Serpent by - Baba Jide Low

A young woman gets a job that demands much more from her than her body and her time; 

The Kid in the Ambulance - by Suki Litchfield

An EMT encounters both a kid who needs help and an unwanted revenant from his past;

Skandalopetra - by Rex Burrows

A Greek diving tradition that ties a grandfather’s wealth to his grandson’s future goes terribly awry; and 

The Key to Mabella - by Terry Dowling

When a cemetery caretaker inherits his boss’s old job, he finds there’s one extra key to the tombs and no explanation. 

Along with explorations of the supernatural, Dark Moon Books’ latest anthology also features stories that explore the horrors of the human body. In “Ring Rust” by Gene O’Neill, a boxer contends with the fact that his injuries are starting to catch up with him, but in a way you wouldn’t expect. In “Just Keep Walking” by David Afsharirad, a father goes in search of his daughter during the apocalypse, but the journey transforms him in more than one way.

Dark Moon Books specializes in collections of speculative horror and dark fiction, and Horror Library: Volume 7 is certainly an installment in that tradition that deserves to be celebrated. If you’re looking to find new horror authors to enjoy, if not immerse yourself in a new anthology, the seventh volume of the Horror Library is an absolute must-read.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Article written by Laura Kemmerer

Laura tuned into horror with an interest in what these movies and books can tell us about ourselves and what societies fear. She is most interested in horror focused around the supernatural, folklore, the occult, Gothic themes, haunted media, landscape as a character, and hauntology (focusing on lost or broken futures).