What I'm Reading: Northern Nights

I have a review of an anthology that I think your patrons will be clamoring for-- because it has a NEW story by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. The review is up on Booklist Online, but here is the draft and more information.

Northern Nights
Edited By Michael Kelly
Oct. 2024. 298p. Undertow, paper, $19.99  (9781988964478). 

First published June 20, 2024 (Booklist Online).

Award-winning Editor, Kelly presents 20 brand new tales of Canadian Horror. Inspired by Tor anthologies from the mid 1990s [Northern Stars and Northern Suns], which featured the best speculative fiction from Canada, Kelly asked bestsellers like Silvia Moreno-Garcia to newer award-winning voices like A.C. Wise to emerging writers such as E.C. Dorgan, to give him a dark story that would both pay homage to those classic volumes and serve as a showcase for the varied Canadian Horror landscape of the 21st Century. The stories themselves range from creepy to visceral, as two standout stories showcase– David Demchuck’s deceptively atmospheric “The Black Fox'' and Premee Mohamed’s abjectly terrifying, “The Night Birds.” While fans of some of the bigger name authors will be clamoring for this book, it is also a great choice for those who enjoy themed, Horror, anthologies, especially those focused around an identity, featuring original stories by current authors such as Never Whistle At Night edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. and Out There Screaming edited by Jordan Peele.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Strong Sense of Place, range of fears, theme anthology

Further Appeal: First and foremost, this anthology was very fun to read. I got to encounter stories from authors I knew and new to me authors all united by their Canadian settings. The introduction by Kelly was also excellent as it firmly placed the entire volume in its place, explaining how Canada Horror is unique.

Yes people will want to read it because of SMG's story, which is very creepy and worth the price of admission, but there is so much more here that readers will appreciate.  

The Tor anthologies that inspired Kelly all gathered reprinted stories. This anthology is remarkable in that Kelly commissioned all new stories. 

Finally, Kelly is an excellent editor and as head of Undertow has been responsible for publishing critically accmailed and award winning books most notable collections by Cassandra Khaw, Tobi  Ogundiran, and Premee Mohamed.

Further Readalikes: This is for fans of themed anthologies or Horror with a strong sense of place, especially those collecting original stories. Anything published by Undertow should also be considered; in fact, use this as a chance to browse their site and order more books but them. The 3 I mentioned have all been singled out for and/or won MAJOR speculative fiction awards. And those links go to my reviews in the trade journals of them.

I also think fans of The Hideous Book of Hidden Horrors edited by Doug Murano would also be a good readalike here (another major award nominee and winner by a small press)