What I'm Reading: The Black Maybe

In the most current issue of Booklist, I have a review of another first time in English collection from Valancourt. As usual it is excellent and you should buy it for your collections. [Click here for more reviews of titles in the Valancourt World Horror series. ]

The Black Maybe: Liminal Tales

by Atilla Veres

Oct. 2022. 310p. Valancourt, $29.99 (9781954321694); paper, $17.99 (9781954321700). 
First published September 15, 2022 (Booklist).

Veres, Hungary’s leading Horror author was first brought to the attention of English speaking readers in the critically acclaimed Valancourt Book of World Horror Stories Vol 1. With his first full length English language debut, a collection of original stories situated at the sensory threshold where dread teeters on the precipice of terror, Veres presents 10 tales covering a range of  Horror subgenres, united by an unnerving, matter of fact narration, contemporary settings, and a quick flip from mundane to sinister. Set either in urban city centers, like the creepy found document framed “Fogtown,” featuring an obscure but possible deadly band, or rural locales, such as the immersive and beguiling “Return to the Midnight School,” where what appears to be zombie story grows into an original, weird, and disquieting nightmare. Horror master, Steve Rasnic Tem, who writes the introduction, is a great read alike here, but the feel of Veres’ stories also share a lot in common with Asian Horror creators such as Nadia Bulkin or Junji Ito.

Further Appeal: This book was just shy of a star review. I would give it 4.5 stars. The story I call out above pushed it to maybe a star. I hope that story is read by a lot of people. It blew me away with its originality and how it made me feel. I am purposely being vague so you can experience it with no context, too much context would ruin it.

What I think readers will enjoy about these stories the most are the unnerving, matter of fact narration and the contemporary settings. Yes, these tales are set in Hungary, but they are mostly set now and western readers will not have trouble orienting themselves. I also loved how every story seemed normal or predictable until it wasn't.

Three Words That Describe This Book: matter of fact narration, unsettling, translation

Further Readalikes: One of my all time favorite Horror books is The Caretaker of Lorne Field by Zeltserman, and the Midnight School story is a great readalike for this, but then when I thought about it more, I think Zeltserman in general I an excellent readalike author as he uses the same unnerving, direct narration that makes everything that is happening, no matter how scary, seem "normal."