Shunned Houses
Katherine Kerestman and S. T. Joshi, Eds.
WordCrafts Press (September 21, 2024)
Reviewed by Carson Buckingham
The first thing I want to say is that I was delighted to get a review copy of this book, and I was convinced, having glanced at the TOC, that I would love it to death.
However…
In an anthology containing 44 stories and poems, many from heavy hitters in the genre, I was dismayed to find that I only really loved about one-quarter of them. Though I can appreciate the literary value of and usually adore the stories/poems written by the likes of William Hope Hodgson, Algernon Blackwood, H. P Lovecraft, Ambrose Bierce, John Greenleaf Whittier, Robert Frost (??–because when I think horror, oh, yes, I think Robert Frost), and Guy de Maupassant, the stories and poems included were more quaint antiques rather than scary stories I was expecting. I felt like I was back in English literature class, where only the tamest of work from these literary giants was selected to preserve our delicate high school sensibilities.
Where is J. Sheridan Le Fanu’s “Squire Toby’s Will”? M. R. James’ “The Haunted Doll’s House”? Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher”? E. F Benson’s “A Tale of an Empty House”? And who can forget the haunted office in Melville’s “Bartleby the Scrivener”? And why in the world pick “The Inn” by de Maupassant when you have “The Horla” by the same author? In short, the stories included from classic horror literature could have been better chosen by the editors. The anthology would have been scarier if they’d just given their selections more thought.
That being said, there were eight short stories and five poems that I really loved. They are as follows:
(POEM) “A Haven for the Homeless” by Frank Coffman—This is a clever parody of Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” poem. Well done.
(POEM) “The Haunted Palace” by Edgar Allan Poe—because who doesn’t love Edgar Allan Poe?
“Empty Bottles” by John Shirley—examines the soul-destroying addiction the human race seems to have to phones and electronics. This would have made a great Night Gallery episode.
(POEM) “House of the Lost” by Ian Futter—A wonderful poem, dreamlike and eerie, that sent shivers down my spine.
(POEM) “House” by Rebecca Fraser—a spooky poem that tells us what a haunted house is made of.
“A Life in Rocks” by Jonathan Thomas—an eccentric bachelor’s rock-collecting hobby runs out of control.
“Shave Your Bounty” by Michael Aronovitz—Saltwater Sam is a spirit that haunts any building with the word “Sunset” in its name. A man who lost his wife and daughter plays a dangerous, high-stakes game of cards with this ghost. A superb idea, well written.
“Misery Cottage” by H. A. Manhood—A man stops by a farm to get a cure for his ailing horse and meets a farmer with a small daughter whom he is willing to sell for 50 pounds. And wait until you read the reason. Terrific story.
“The Space” by Jacob Mason—When remodeling a nursery, a couple finds a dozen large photographs behind one of the walls they’ve demolished. But these aren’t just any ordinary photographs…
“Three at a Table” by W. W. Jacobs—A sailor recounts an eerie story about a disfigured boy. A nice twist at the end.
“The Red Ensign’ by Tony LaMalfa—Two friends hike the Appalachian Trail and get separated. It is a tale of possession and terror.
(POEM) “The Cellar” by Lori Lopez—You’ll remember this poem every time you go down into the basement. Perfect.
And lastly, my favorite story of them all:
“The House at Black Tooth Pond” by Stephen Mark Rainey—A creepy story of two brothers and an abandoned house…or is it? One brother is obsessed with the place and visits it often…but why? Once you read this story, you’ll never hear a whippoorwill’s call the same way again. The smooth, unsettling way Mr. Rainey develops his stories always makes me picture Bela Lugosi conducting the Boston Philharmonic. This was brilliant.
In conclusion, I must say that different stories/poems in anthologies, especially one as large as this, appeal to different people, and you may find that this is true for you.
For me, this anthology just barely makes 3.5 stars out of 5—and that’s the fault of the editors, not the authors.
