Ellen Datlow, Gavin Link, and Kelly Grant (Editor), The Year's Best
Fantasy & Horror: Twenty-First Annual Edition (St. Martin's Press, 2008)
It's no secret that October is my favorite month of the year. The leaves start to turn, pumpkin pops up in just about everything sweet and savory, and Halloween caps everything off. This year things are even better, with the release of the newest entry of The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror series, and it starts the month off with wonder and magic. Looking for something to amaze, thrill, or scare you? Chances are it's in here.
I'm hearing a bit of harrumphing from the folks in the back, so I'll explain myself. There are forty tales collected here, approximately twenty fantastic and twenty horrific (though there's a bit of overlap; I'll get to that in a minute) but the hidden treasure of these collections are the overviews of the preceding year in each fantasy and horror. The summations this year encompass just about anything someone with a love, or even a passing interest, in these genres could hope for. Books, movies, graphic novels, even music; if you're looking for something particular, or just want to try something new, the editors do a brilliant job of briefing their readers on the good stuff from the past year. The summations do have a bit of overlap, but that's because today's fantasy and horror have so many different sub-genres it's hard to file things neatly. Paranormal romance or dark fantasy? Supernatural thriller or horror? Steampunk or urban folklore? My mind reels at all the possible ways to describe the tales in these genres. And don't even get me started on Hollywoods fear of the "horror" tag. "It's not horror, it's a psychological thriller!" Yeah, with a guy that eats folks with fava beans and a nice chianti. But that's another soapbox for another time. So don't limit yourself to just the fantasy summation, because something may strike your fancy in horror (or vice versa). And everyone should take a look at the graphic novels section, a truly underappreciated art form that has branched out well past its dimestore pulp beginnings.
I mentioned they've got a section on music, and for those readers who are scratching their heads trying to figure out if "Music of the Fantastic" is a summation of bad goth with some Harry Potter tribute bands thrown in, let me ask you this: have you ever had music transport you to somewhere you've never been? Or perhaps have a tune pull you back to a time in your life long past? There you go then, that's magical, isn't it? And I'm not just saying that because Charles de Lint's picks all sound pretty damn cool. Use these summations as a personal reading list, a "what do I read/listen to next" suggestion box, or just do what I do and highlight the titles that strike your fancy so you can get a quick glance at 'em before your next trip to your local bookstore or music shop and put the whole of the movie selections into your Netflix queue. You'll have your Halloween reading, listening and watching all wrapped up for you.
For most readers of these collections, the stories are the thing, and I have to say that as much as I love the summations, I looked forward to seeing the picks for this year. And they don't disappoint. I'll give you a taste of my absolute favorites, and let the rest of 'em speak to you directly when you grab a copy for yourself, okay? Like the pushers on the street are always sayin', the first one's always free, But you'll want more. Everyone always does.
Daniel Abraham's "The Cambist and Lord Iron: A Fairy Tale of Economics" is worth the price of admission alone. It's a brilliant weaving of old fashioned fairy tales with modern day cost/benefit analysis. Stay with me here, 'cause you really don't want to miss out on this one. The idea seems outrageous but the story is so well done that it has the feel of a classic in the genre. Nice work, and the story starts this collection off with a bang.
Gary McMahon's Thomas Usher, ne'er-do-well ghostbuster and protagonist of "Hum Drum" is a character I'd like to see more of. Luckily "To Usher, the Dead" will be coming out next year, and if "Hum Drum" is any indication, it'll be a knockout. With a whisper of Harry Dresden or Rachel Morgan but a gothic style all his own, Thomas Usher is definitely a character to keep track of. Read "Hum Drum" and see what I'm talking about.
"House of Mechanical Pain" gets my Best Damn Title designation, and the story more than stood up to the promise of that titlating title. A modern day gothic with a strong "Fall of the House of Usher" vibe to it, Chaz Brenchley's story puts a bit of a twist on the decrepit splendor of the filthy rich. "Mr. Poo-Poo" is another title I love saying (mostly because I'm five years old and scatalogical humor is still firmly within my bailiwick), and this story of a bland man's fervent belief system that makes his quest for heaven a living hell for the woman he sets his sights on is one that had me shuddering well after its final page.
Delia Sherman's "The Fiddler of Bayou Teche" and Elizabeth Hand's "Winter's Wife" are modern-day folktales -- a Cajun/Creole trickster tale and Icelandic respectively -- that pulled me so deeply into their worlds that I had to shake myself afterward. Both are not to be missed, and if you skipped ahead after "The Cambist" to get your hands on these two, you'd be glad you did. "The Boulder" is another Icelandic tale I thoroughly enjoyed reading, and it makes a great next chapter for those who like to skip around rather than read these collections straight through.
There are many different spins on the trickster tale in this year's collection. Holly Black's "Reversal of Fortune" trailer-trash protagonist gets a huge thumbs-up, as does the pun in the title that reveals itself as you read. But the one that will stick with me the longest is Kij Johnson's "The Evolution of Trickster Stories Among the Dogs of North Park After the Change." What would happen if dogs could suddenly talk? And their intellect was on par with our own? This story collects many different dog-tales while also telling the story of a human girl who isn't afraid of facing those we consider beneath us. As she tries to understand and help them, the story all but demands introspection: how far do the boundaries of love go? Would you stand up in times of crisis, or stand aside? "The Evolution of Trickster Stories" is the final tale of this collection, and its echoes can be felt by anyone who has ever known or loved a "pet."
I could go on about the amazing storytelling in "The Tenth Muse," or how I had to stop in my tracks during "The Gray Boy's Work" to simply soak up the little pieces of amazing scattered throughout. How the explosive finish to"A Thing Forbidden" left me wide-eyed, or that the collection's gross-out tale "Valentine" chilled me to the bone. But you get the general idea. I've said before that the problem with this series isn't that the stories are going to be atrocious, it's deciding which particular stories to mention. Scratch that. My new problem is what to say that I haven't said before. YBFH 21 is just as amazing, the stories just as well chosen, as the yearly entries that have preceeded it.
Poetry serves to remind me of how stupid I truly am. I'm getting better at getting deeper than basic enjoyment of this art form. Even so, this year's poetry selections are a glaring reminder that I still have work to do, since some pieces seemed to elude my ability to grasp anything beyond their basic lyrical beauty. But should that stop you? Oh hell no. Let these short tastes of the weird and fantastic wash over you, and see what images they leave with you, if you dare. For example, Catherynne M. Valente's evocative "The Seven Devils of Central California" is a tale -- or are they seven tales? -- of dry, depleted riverbeds, greed and broken promises. Ellen Griswold's "Monkey" and Sonya Taffe's "Follow Me Home" look at war from different, yet similar, angles, and will give those with a true love of poetry something to dig into with their beautiful style. "Troll," by Nathalie Anderson, is my favorite of this collection, perhaps because this poem paints images that I could readily understand, since who among us hasn't been on the receiving end of someone so rude they seem unearthly? Or perhaps because her use of words to flesh out her meaning is wondrous to behold.
The editors dole out the good stuff by the bucketload, still, it's almost too soon when the last page is turned. There are plenty of fantastic things to stir your imagination, as well as those that bump in the night and slither in the darkness for those who, like me, love a good scare this time of year. Let yourself dig deep, throwing yourself into this fantastic collection of . . . the fantastic.
