It's time for 3 Picks! The feature where a spotlight author shares their three book recommendations within a given category that they should know a thing or two about.
This week's 3 Picks features author and editor, Kenneth W. Cain. Kenneth is known books such as the dark fiction collection, Embers, best seller A Season in Hell as well as his forthcoming title, From Death Reborn.
Kenneth Cain also does tons of editing work for noted horror publishers Crystal Lake Publishing and Silver Shamrock Publishing among others as well. Kenneth knows a thing or two about story collections and anthologies. So, it is with that in mind that we turn to Kenneth Cain for his 3 Picks for Horror Anthologies worth their weight in gold.
Here's his 3 Picks:
Pick 1: After by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling - This anthology has a wide range of stories, many of which really hit the right tone and feel for what I like in horror, including some fun takes on well-used themes. “After the Cure” by Carrie Ryan was most excellent.
Pick 2: Chiral Mad 2 by Michael Bailey - If you know me, I’m quite fond of charity, and Bailey has worked hard to put out some incredible anthologies for a great cause. This one is chock-full of great stories by some of the best in the business, as are all of his anthologies. “The Great Pity” by Gary Braunbeck blew me away.
Pick 3: 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill - I’m a huge Joe Hill fan, and not because of who is father is. This collection contains one of my favorite stories, “Pop Art.” There’s a lot of subtext in that story, and some great lessons in how to write a good story. So many excellent stories.
Honorable mention (and only because I haven’t gotten around to reading it yet, despite having read many of the individual stories): The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu. I stumbled upon one of Ken’s stories on a podcast I listen to, and it blew me away. So naturally I sought out his work, and I found a literal treasure trove of amazing stories. So, while I wouldn’t classify his work as being full-on horror, it has a quiet dark side to much of it I feel would qualify it as dark fantasy, which is good enough for me. “Paper Menagerie,” which has a paranormal aspect to it, is a favorite that I’ve read over and over.
There you have it, a treasure trove of horror anthologies that pack a lot of punch. Kenneth W. Cain has poured over many horror anthologies so he know's a good one when he reads one. Be sure to check these titles out when you need a fix of horror shorts.
What are your 3 Picks for must read horror anthologies? Let us know in the comments below!
To find out more about writer and editor Kenneth W. Cain visit kennethwcain.com
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