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MACABRE: A Journey Through Australia's Darkest Fears
Explore Australia's dark literature past, present, and future all in one landmark anthology! From the very earliest colonial ghost stories through to grim tales of modern life, Macabre will take you on a journey through the dark heart of Australian horror. With classic stories from Australia's masters of horror alongside the best of the new era, Macabre is set to be the finest dark fiction anthology ever produced in Australia.
672 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
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About the author
Angela Challis
6 books2 followersAngela Challis is the editor of Shadowed Realms online magazine and several anthologies including the Book of Shadows series, Shadow Box, and Macabre: The New Era in Australian Horror. Her projects have been nominated for the Ditmar award, the Tin Ducks, and the Australia Shadows award. Angela is a committee member of the Australia Horror Writers Association and a tireless supporter of dark fiction in Australia.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 24, 2010
MACABRE: A Journey Through Australia's Darkest Fears is one hell of a volume. Literally. It's like a brick...but a brick chock full of great horror fiction.
Editors Angela Challis and Dr. Marty Young have put together an extra special anthology here. The book is exclusively an Australian endeavor, charting the change of the genre over the years. This is the big selling point of this collection in my eyes. The editors did not simply put out the call for submissions or do a year's best. This book has been thoroughly researched and it shows. The stories are arranged chronologically, and the first piece, Fisher's Ghost: A Legend of Campbell Town is dated 1836.
To be honest, this bothered me, at first. I'm not really a fan off pre-20th century horror as it can be thickly written, too flowery, or simply just lack a plot. The stories featured here, despite their age, were great and written with a certain contemporary feel.
This book took me a long time to get through, choosing to dip into for a short story every now and again. Obviously, I can't comment on every single story featured, but there wasn't really a story that was poorly written or off the mark.
It sucks that our very own Necrotic Tissue will be running against MACABRE for the 2010 Shadow Award for best publication, as MACABRE really is a monster. I also have to thank Angela and Shane for getting my copy signed by oodles of the writers at Worldcon this year. Makes this fine collection a cherished gem on my shelf.
If you want to spend some of you hard earned cash on an anthology (and in this day and age you really are spoiled for choice on that score) I can highly recommend MACABRE. It oozes quality on every page. This was no slapdash anthology thrown together. Come on, it's been nearly 200 years in the making! You don't even need to be Australian, Just buy it and enjoy it. Well done, guys. A standout book. Top marks.
Editors Angela Challis and Dr. Marty Young have put together an extra special anthology here. The book is exclusively an Australian endeavor, charting the change of the genre over the years. This is the big selling point of this collection in my eyes. The editors did not simply put out the call for submissions or do a year's best. This book has been thoroughly researched and it shows. The stories are arranged chronologically, and the first piece, Fisher's Ghost: A Legend of Campbell Town is dated 1836.
To be honest, this bothered me, at first. I'm not really a fan off pre-20th century horror as it can be thickly written, too flowery, or simply just lack a plot. The stories featured here, despite their age, were great and written with a certain contemporary feel.
This book took me a long time to get through, choosing to dip into for a short story every now and again. Obviously, I can't comment on every single story featured, but there wasn't really a story that was poorly written or off the mark.
It sucks that our very own Necrotic Tissue will be running against MACABRE for the 2010 Shadow Award for best publication, as MACABRE really is a monster. I also have to thank Angela and Shane for getting my copy signed by oodles of the writers at Worldcon this year. Makes this fine collection a cherished gem on my shelf.
If you want to spend some of you hard earned cash on an anthology (and in this day and age you really are spoiled for choice on that score) I can highly recommend MACABRE. It oozes quality on every page. This was no slapdash anthology thrown together. Come on, it's been nearly 200 years in the making! You don't even need to be Australian, Just buy it and enjoy it. Well done, guys. A standout book. Top marks.
December 9, 2024
This is an absolute must-own anthology for anyone with even a peripheral interest in the history of Australian horror. This book includes tales representing dark writings from Australia's Colonial times, Modern era, and contemporary times, with the contributor list reading like a 'Who's Who' of not just Australian horror, but of Antipodean literature in general. Now sadly out of print, but absolutely worth tracking down.
March 1, 2011
A long and comprehensive collection of stories by Australian horror writers dating back to the 19th century. Lots of good fiction with some real stand-out stories, such as "Her Collection of Intimacy" by Haines and "Monsters Among Us" by McDermott.
November 22, 2017
This anthology is massive but absolutely worth reading from cover to cover. It spans the whole history of Australian horror writing, with an incredible depth of authors, styles and subjects. You don't need to be an Aussie to appreciate it, either. The tales within are world-class.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews