Subterranean Press, of the lovely editions, has also been producing a magazine for a few years. Originally it was sold by the issue, but starting about a year ago, they put a version for free online. They do also produce a print edition, which usually sells out. This anthology is a collection of the best of the Subterranean Magazine, and contains eleven original stories by various authors. It will be available next month.

The eleven tales contained herein are labeled ‘dark fantasy’; two, I would label more as science fiction, and in another I don’t remember any actual fantastic elements, but otherwise the label is accurate. Authors include ones who have had novels published by Subterranean Press such as Joe R. Landsdale and Tim Powers and authors who have not (to my knowledge) such as Patrick Rothfuss and Rachel Swirsky. A full list will follow the end of the review.

A few stories stood out for me. One of them was the last story, “The Road to Levinshir,” by the aforementioned Patrick Rothfuss. It involved a Traveler (gypsy-sort) and a tribe; I’m a little loath to tell more, or else I’ll give the twist in the story away. It’s definitely dark; there’s (off-stage) rape, murder, and dismemberment. One of the things I definitely liked about the story is that it covered a bit of what-happens-after. The ending gave hope, and made the story dark fantasy instead of out-and-out horror. It’s the longest story in the volume, but not by much.

I very much enjoyed Mike Resnick’s story, “Alastair Baffle’s Emporium of Wonders.” The main character was ninety, although a good deal of the story was told in flashback. Alastair Baffle is a magician of the stage variety; his store sells tricks and treasures. Nate Silver (the main character) and Maury Gold (the best friend) met at that store back when they were children. The store still exists, seventy-eight years later. Overall, this tale was probably the lightest in the volume, but primarily I liked it because it felt like a storytelling yarn told by someone’s grandfather. Mr. Resnick’s voice was outstanding.

I’ve enjoyed Caitlin R. Kiernan’s work before, as well as Kage Baker’s, and both of their stories were lovely as well. Ms. Kiernan’s luminous prose, combined with the unlikely story of a dancer with artificial, steam-powered limbs, set her story (more of a vignette) apart. Ms. Baker, author of the “Company” series, pens an odd ghost story with a great setting. Poppy Z. Brite’s story of a man who was always an outsider and the trauma of Hurricane Katrina is evocative; Joe Lansdale’s pied-piper-like story is deliciously horrific, and Rachel Swirsky’s “Monstrous Embrace” was two parts story to one part poetry.

The two science-fiction stories include Mike Carey’s “Face,” which was in letter format and included a nice meditation on human/nonhuman rights, and Tim Powers’s “The Hour of Babel” included time travel and interdimensional aliens. To round it out, we finish with Darren Speegle’s “The Monstrous Miss Teak,” and William Browning Spencer’s “Penguins of the Apocalypse.” The latter wasn’t nearly as whimsical as the title, although I enjoyed it. Mr. Speegle’s tale was not to my tastes, but it was certainly innovative; other readers will probably find the animated doll as creepy as I did, but it may turn them off less. His language was lovely, though.

Overall, it’s a lovely and varied collection, with an intriguing cover (provided the final cover is the same as the ARC). I’d recommend it to fans of any given author; chances are, any reader will discover someone new. 5/5 stars.

Table of Contents:

– “The Gulf” by Poppy Z. Brite
– “Alastair Baffle’s Emporium of Wonders” by Mike Resnick
– “It Washed Up” by Joe R. Lansdale
– “The Hour of Babel” by Tim Powers
– “Monstrous Embrace” by Rachel Swirsky
– “The Lunatic Miss Teak” by Darren Speegle
– “The Steam Dancer” by Caitlin R. Kiernan
– “Penguins of the Apocalypse” by William Browning Spencer
– “Caverns of Mystery” by Kage Baker
– “Face” by Mike Carey
– “The Road to Levinshir” by Patrick Rothfuss