Of The Flesh : 18 Stories of Modern Horror

Of The Flesh

18 Stories of Modern Horror

I was drawn to this horror anthology because of the variety of the featured authors, and the fact that most of them have a “literary” following beyond the circle of horror enthusiasts. A case in point is Mariana Enríquez, shortlisted for the International Booker Prize in 2021, who contributes a somewhat comedic story about a young man who discovers that a cult is growing around his dead mother and her “incorruptible body”. It is not the only featured work to revolve around “bodies”, usually in the context of critiques of misogyny and capitalism. Indeed, most of the items have a contemporary, social edge to them and veer more towards the weird/speculative end of the horror spectrum than towards the more traditional supernatural horror of ghosts, monsters and haunted houses. This is an intriguing mix of tales, which could draw readers who do not usually follow horror.  Here’s the full list of authors and stories:

·      Susan Barker – Fight, Flight, Freeze

·      J K Chukwu - Flight 2212

·      The Fruiting Body - Bridget Collins

·      Mariana Enríquez (translated by Megan McDowell) – Daisies

·      Michel Faber - The Broccoli Eel

·      Lewis Hancox – Sketchy

·      Emilia Hart - Apples

·      Ainslie Hogarth –Waffle Thomas

·      Robert Lautner – Shade

·      Adorah Nworah - The Smiling African Uncle

·      Irenosen Okojie – Rosheen

·      Lucy Rose – Carcinization

·      Lionel Shriver – Going Large

·      James Smythe – BobAJob

·      Lavie Tidhar – Fairies

·      Francine Toon – Ghost Kitchen

·      Evie Wyld – The Old Lion

·      Louisa Young – Mouse

Format

384 pages, Kindle Edition

Published

October 10, 2024 by The Borough Press