Shadows & Tall Trees 8

Shadows & Tall Trees #8

by Michael Kelly (Editor), Brian Evenson (Contributor), Kay Chronister (Contributor)

Praise for 'Shadows & Tall Trees'

SHIRLEY JACKSON AWARD-WINNER (Vol. 7)

WORLD FANTASY AWARD FINALIST (Vol. 6)

"Michael Kelly's Shadows and Tall Trees is a smart, soulful, illuminating investigation of the many forms and tactics available to those writers involved in one of our moment's most interesting and necessary projects, that of opening up horror literature to every sort of formal interrogation. It is a beautiful and courageous series."

-- Peter Straub, author of Ghost Story

"Shadows and Tall Trees epitomizes the idea of, and is the most consistent venue for weird, usually dark fiction. Well worth your time."

-- Ellen Datlow, Best Horror of The Year

Alison Littlewood - Hungry Ghosts

Brian Evenson - The Glassy, Burning Floor of Hell

Carly Holmes - Tattletale

Charles Wilkinson - A Coastal Quest

C.M. Muller - Camera Obscura

James Everington - The Sound of the Sea, Too Close

Kay Chronister - Too Lonely, Too Wild

KL Pereira - You, Girls Without Hands

Kristi DeMeester - The Quiet Forms of Belonging

Kurt Fawver - Workday

M. Rickert - The Fascist Has a Party

Neil Williamson - Down to the Roots

Rebecca Campbell - Child of Shower and Gleam

Seán Padraic Birnie - Dollface

Simon Strantzas - The Somnambulists

Steve Rasnic Tem - Sleepwalking With Angels

Steve Toase - Green Grows the Grief

V.H. Leslie - Lacunae

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Weird Fiction, Anthologies, Fantasy

229 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 3, 2020

About the author

Michael Kelly is the Series Editor for the Year's Best Weird Fiction, and author of Undertow and Other Laments, and Scratching the Surface; as well as co-author of the novel Ouroboros.

His short fiction has appeared in a number of journals and anthologies, including All Hallows, Best New Horror, Black Static, Dark Arts, the Hint Fiction Anthology, PostScripts, Space & Time, Supernatural Tales, Tesseracts 13, and Weird Fiction Review.

Michael is a World Fantasy Award, Shirley Jackson Award and British Fantasy Award Nominee.

Reviews

[Janie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An anthology of dark short stories that, for me, was hit or miss. Some offerings were more compelling to me than others. My favorites included "The Glassy, Burning Floor of Hell" by Brian Evenson, "The Somnambulists" by Simon Strantzas, "A Coastal Quest" by Charles Wilkinson, "Workday" by Kurt Fawver," "Camera Obscura" by C.M. Muller and "Lacunae" by V.H. Leslie.

[Marie-Therese · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fine and varied collection of recent short stories by some of horror's most acclaimed names as well as a few new to me.

While there were a few stories here that did not work for me at all (most notably "The Quiet Forms of Belonging" by Kristi DeMeester and "Workday" by Kurt Fawver), I believe that was due as much to my personal taste as to any particular author's failings (some voices just do not work for me but I know they are interesting and effective for other intelligent readers). Stories that unequivocally did work for me include Brian Evenson's "The Glassy, Burning Floor of Hell", Carly Holmes' vivid piece of prose poetry "Tattletale", Simon Strantzas' Kafkaesque "The Sonnambulists", Charles Wilkinson's Aickman-like "A Coastal Quest", V. H. Leslie's timely, deceptively layered "Lacunae" and Sean Padraic Birnie's darkly humorous "Dollface". Somewhat less wholly convincing to me but still very worthwhile reading, Rebecca Campbell's "Child of Shower and Gleam" and KAy Chronister's "Too Lonely, Too Wild" introduced me to two talented authors I plan to look out for in future.

So, this is yet another enjoyable entry in what has been a consistently fine series. I look forward to seeing what Michael Kelly finds among "shadows and tall trees" next year.

[Ends of the Word · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shadows and Tall Trees is the title of the seventh chapter of William Golding’s modern classic Lord of the Flies. It is a particularly unsettling section of the book, haunted by a sense of lurking, undefined danger and by the disturbing realisation that evil but may be lurking within each and every individual.

This baggage of associations makes Shadow and Tall Trees an ideal name for editor Michael Kelly’s anthology series of weird fiction, published by Canadian press Undertow Publications. The series is now in its eighth instalment and having devoured this latest volume over a weekend, I feel I have joined – alas, quite late – just my kind of party. This collection, in fact, is characterised by fiction which could presumably count as “horror” but whose terrors are more elusive than the mainstream fare.

The opening story – The Glassy, Burning Floor of Hell by Brian Evenson – provides a perfect example of what one should expect. Hekla, the protagonist, unwillingly joins a spiritual retreat or workshop in a remote house outside the city. The initial pages suggest that this story will pan out into either a haunted house or a typical “slasher” scenario. What we get, however, is something much stranger and nightmarish. This is not the only story with a surreal, dreamlike atmosphere – another one is The Somnambulists by Simon Strantzas, featuring a hotel powered by dreams.

Conspicuous by their absence are the well-established monsters of the horror genre: there are no vampires, no werewolves and no malevolent clowns, although Dollface by Seán Padraic Birnie features what appears to be an evil doll. Ghosts do appear, but possibly not in the guise one would expect. Alison Littlewood, fresh from her supernatural/timeslip novel Mistletoe (my review here) contributes Hungry Ghosts, a tale set in contemporary Hanoi and inspired by the Vietnamese festival of the dead - a familiar premise is made stranger by the unfamiliar context. A Coastal Quest by Charles Wilkinson is a bittersweet story of a woman escaping an oppressive household, doubling as a tale of ghosts. In Camera Obscura by C.M. Muller, a city photographer shoots a derelict farmhouse haunted by a supernatural being. It’s an entity which borrows as much from Scandinavian folklore as from classic ghost stories, giving this piece a folk horror feel. The same atmosphere permeates Down to the Roots by Neil Williamson, about a high-flying businessman who returns to the small Scottish village of his childhood.

Previous volumes of Shadows and Tall Trees have won prizes and accolades. Peter Straub (no less) has described it as “a smart, soulful, illuminating investigation of the many forms and tactics available to those writers involved in one of our moment’s most interesting and necessary projects, that of opening up horror literature to every sort of formal interrogation”. This volume is, indeed, a cross-section of the contemporary wealth of innovative horror writing. Editor Michael Kelly’s judicious choices ensure that the anthology comprises a variety of subjects, as well as different styles and approaches. Some stories, for instance, set out to be original in form and structure. Tattletale by Carly Holmes has the punch of flash fiction – it’s over in a flurry of dark, violent metaphors. KL Pereira’s You, Girls Without Hands delivers its potent feminist message in six, very brief chapters. The Quiet Forms of Belonging by Kristi DeMeester adopts a style close to prose poetry, rich in metaphors and images which seem to be taken from dark fairy tales. Workday by Kurt Fawver is a Chine-Mieville-like critique of capitalist society, in which increasingly urgent anonymous warnings delivered to the employees of “Corivdan Incorporated” urging them not to attend the corporation’s holiday party because they are “in grave danger”, are countered by reassuring emails and memos issued by management. The piece has no characters, no dialogue and no narrative in the usual sense of the word, consisting solely of these sparring exchanges.

The contemporary feel of this anthology, however, is not based only on originality of form but also on the timeliness of the subjects. This is indeed proof that genre fiction is no mere escapism (although there would be nothing wrong with that) but can also be the means to address burning issues and concerns. Thus, the eco-Gothic The Sound of the Sea, Too Close by James Everington references climate change, global warming and the rise in sea levels; the darkly comic The Fascist has a Party by M. Rickert parodies a recognisable President, who remains unnamed in the text (and will remain unnamed in this review); Rebecca Campbell’s Child of Shower and Gleam portrays the suffering of an abusive relationship. One could also mention Lacunae by V.H. Leslie, whose musical subject makes it one of my favourite stories in the anthology. The young wife of a composer past his prime takes him back to a remote Scottish island. The landscape had purportedly provided the inspiration for his best-known work and the couple hope that his talents will be rekindled. We discover, however, that not only was his famous composition co-written but his (uncredited) first wife, but also that its haunting theme and unusual structure were wholly her creation. Classical music is passing through its own #metoo moment, with powerful figures unmasked as sexual predators and its ‘traditional’ white male canon increasingly put in question. “Lacunae” fits the mood perfectly. It chimes in with Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir's recent Oscar-acceptance speech and its tribute "to the girls, to the women, to the mothers, to the daughters who hear the music bubbling within...please speak up. We need to hear your voices"

Whilst one appreciates and admires the “timeliness” of these stories and their subjects, it would be wrong to overlook the intrinsic capacity of horror and the Gothic to address “timeless” fears. Pieces like Sleepwalking with Angels by Steve Rasnic Tem, about an old widower who is succumbing to dementia, or Steve Toase’s Green Grows the Grief which presents us with a woman whose sanity unravels following the death of her father, are a reminder that some terrors never change. Loss, pain, growing old, mortality – throughout the ages, these shadows have stalked our worldly existence. Stories might be a way to exorcise them.

Shadows and Tall Trees is a superb collection. It feels like taking a trip outside reality, only to come back and perceive it with brighter, sharper edges.

[Bill Hsu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Anthologies are tough for me. The dips in the selection tend to color my experience. Evenson's "The Glassy, Burning Floor of Hell" and Birnie's "Dollface" are definitely worth checking out though.

Maybe 2.5 stars.

[Suz Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Perhaps, I thought, we were all hungry ghosts; empty spirits with no real destination, no purpose, no controlling impulse other than to feast while we could.”—from “Hungry Ghosts”*

The eighth volume of Undertow Publications’s Shadows & Tall Trees series is full of eighteen weird, dark, and beautifully written short stories. My favorites in this installment are as follows:

In “The Glassy, Burning Floor of Hell” by Brian Evenson, the workshop Hekla attends is stranger than anything she”s ever dreamed before.

“Too Lonely, Too Wild” by Kay Chronister tells of a woman who wanted to be a witch like her grandmother, but instead was cursed to be a wife.

“Hungry Ghosts” by Alison Littlewood involves a visitor to Vietnam unaccustomed to the local traditions, which give her a taste of the supernatural.

“You, Girls Without Hands” by KL Pereira is an ode to reclaiming one’s power.

In “The Quiet Forms of Belonging” by Kristi DeMeester, a woman may lack the gifts of her sister and father, but possesses a strength all her own.

“Workday” by Kurt Fawver provides proof that the corporate world cares more about success than the welfare of its employees.

“Child of Shower and Gleam” by Rebecca Campbell shows how a little girl opens Lynn’s eyes to a frightening reality for her and her newborn.

“Green Grows the Grief” by Steve Toase looks at how a women handles her grief after the loss of her father.

I was super excited to read this volume, which is packed with storytellers who regularly appear in “Best of” anthologies. These stories are unique and completing and transport the reader to strange landscapes.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to Undertow Publications for providing an Advance Reader Copy.

*Please note that my review is based on uncorrected text.

[Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

The uncanny and weird, there will be tales bewitching with maleficence, macabre and poet prose, tales within a prism of deciphering and ones with trepidation in a hypnotic tale, many with melancholy and haunting Intriguing seconds of entertainment.

The reviews for stories that worked for me:

The Glassy, Burning Floor of Hell by Brian Evenson

It’s a place called Twin Peaks..Midsommar, no, but...“Why not? It would be a vacation, a chance to get out of the city.”

A strange lodge, an uncanny encounter into realms, dreams and zones, all the weird lucid tales of fiction Evenson is known for conjuring that may have you thinking about in your quiet moments.

“It began with Hekla’s sister, who had always been, so she liked to style herself, a seeker. There was a workshop she was dying to attend, with a guru of sorts, concerning attunement. But it took place some distance away, far outside the city. Would Hekla accompany her? It was a long way to go and she didn’t want to make the drive alone.
“Not really my thing,” said Hekla.
“I’ll pay your way,” said her sister.
“You’ll share my room and I’ll cover the workshop fee. It’s in a place called Verglas lodge, out in the middle of nowhere: birds, cows, trees, probably. Come on, it’ll be fun.”

Too Lonely, Too Wild by Kay Chronister

Bewitching, marriage, birth, and finding ones inheritance of maleficence, all in its own course of time carefully walking with new and old visitors into the night behind the prism of the White House with the unravelling of one woman’s complexities.

“I wanted to climb up into the hills and disappear from the eyes of everyone who knew I didn’t inherit Grammy’s witching power. And he wanted a wife. What did any man want?”

“The white house was shrinking, squeezing tight until I was pulp and dead broken seeds. I felt my head bumping the ceiling sometimes, my feet pushing through the floorboards into the foundation. The hallway was a crawlspace; the bedroom was a snake hole. Deep in the folds of my quilt, I wished to hibernate the winter through. I scarcely slept at all.”

Tattletale by Carly Holmes

Reader is juxtapositioned amongst scenes of the young and bullying of another with a tail, macabre poetic prose with a short potent tale.

“Tattletale, prattletale, nasty lying rattletail.”

“Don’t touch the tattletale, the twitching, scratching rattletail.”

“Look at the tattletale; that spike, that stab of rattletail. The whip of muscle in its rippled sleeve of skin birthing from her spine, arching over the cobbles of her back and then springing round.”

The Somnambulists by Simon Strantzas

A hotel inspection and experience with an encounter of the familiar and unfamiliar for Seymour one to be taken into the periphery of his senses with all weird and unusual of this unique hotel. Original storytelling with a protagonist in a prism and cycle of deciphering things.
Interesting story from an author i will be reading more works of in the future.

“Nothing about the Hotel Russo appealed to him. It felt impermanent; transient. There had been a gas station on this street corner a few days earlier. What happened to it, and how did the Russo get built so quickly? Seymour did not remember seeing permits or builders, and yet here it was, erected so swiftly it was a blur. Something about the place made his whole body tense. Some sense of familiarity he couldn’t put into words.”

The Quiet Forms of Belonging by Kristi DeMeester

Belongings and possessions, kin, sisters and father captive in a home by certain forces evoked with surreal gothic artistry.
A ballad of poetic telling of two sisters through transpiring ordeals and happenings within this original and memorable crafted vortex of a tale.

“Now, she is only entropy. A chaos of veins and bone. Discolored flesh.”

“the walls were listening, holding their breath, and waiting for a single offering.”

Camera Obscura by C. M. Muller

Intriguing trepidation in a hypnotic tale with wonderful prose.
Location The Kolsrud place, the dilapidated, be there specter or some folklore, there is a man in his craft and art capturing them, transforming to black and white, new forms of art with something new an interloper.
A portrait photo, beauty or grotesque, one welcomed or unwelcomed.

“The mechanical whirr, strangely enough, seemed to belong to this environment. If he closed his eyes, Haugland could nearly convince himself he was listening to the hidden clockwork of the world.
Haugland plucked a length of tall grass and stuck it between his lips, savoring these final moments. Even now he imagined the details slowly mirroring themselves to the dry-plate: it was a composition of crisp black and white beauty that in many ways was more powerful than the original landscape itself. Film images had the potential of outliving their real-life counterparts, and digital photos were ephemeral. Haugland’s work would be preserved long after these farmhouses deteriorated and became dust. He supposed this was part of the reason he afforded the project with so much reverence.”

Sleepwalking with Angels by Steve Rasnic Tem

Melancholy abyss of waiting for an end for our main protagonists life, telling in his pains and haunting hours into the night, a potent lucid and unmissable worth, psychologically and emotional weighed, loneliness involved and death awaiting.

“A memory stands somewhere in the room waiting for your acknowledgement. For the longest time you’ve resisted looking, but this effort costs you more than you can say. Closing your eyes doesn’t help. That’s when the recollection burns the brightest.
You value your solitude. It’s impossible to be yourself around other people; you always find some role to play. You crave those moments when you’re missing, when no one is watching, where nothing you do is a mistake.
But you clench your teeth every time you go to bed alone. Falling asleep is like a dive into the abyss. Your adult children say they are worried about you. You could take care of things yourself if they would only give you time. For now, you sleep with your back to that side of the bed.”

“You haven’t told them how the bed creaks at night, how the mattress shifts, and the covers pull away. How every mysterious draft comes with a whisper attached. How someone on that other side has grown cold and needs your warmth.”

“Both the walls and your skin resemble old newspaper. But in every lustrous surface: a piece of silhouette, a hint of eye, the suggestion of a moving form. Some of these reflections are not yours. Walking through this house has become an exercise in disintegration. You grow weary of the flies and stink.”


Review @ More2read

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This anthology of modern weird fiction gives us stories that are relevant and fresh. All of the stories have something to offer it’s just down to personal preference which ones work for you. Highlights for me include stories by V.H. Leslie, Brian Evenson and Sean Padraic Birnie.

The Glassy Burning Floor of Hell by Brian Evenson - 8
Too Wild by Kay Chronister - 7
Tattle Tale - by Carly Holmes - 7
The Somnambulists by Simon Strantzas - 7
The Sound of the Sea, Too Close - by James Everington - 6
Hungry Ghosts - by Alison Littlewood - 6
A Coastal Quest - by Charles Wilkinson - 8
Girls Without Hands - by K.L Pereira - 6
A Quiet Form of Belonging - by Kristi Demeester - 7
Workday - by Kurt Fawyer - 8
Camera Obscura by C.M. Muller - 7
The Fascist Has a Party - by M. Rickert - 8
Child of Shower and Gleam - by Rebecca Campbell - 6
Sleepwalking With Angels - by Steve Rasnic Tem - 5
Lacuna - by V.H. Leslie - 9
Down to the Roots - by Neil Williamson - 6
Dollface - by Sean Padraic Birnie - 8

[Christi Nogle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very nice group of stories! Some favorites were "The Glassy, Burning Floor of Hell" by Brian Evenson, "Workday" by Kurt Fawver, "Child of Shower and Gleam"by Rebecca Campbell, "The Quiet Forms of Belonging" by Kristi DeMeester, "The Somnambulists" by Simon Strantzas, and "Down to the Roots" by Neil Williamson. I am looking foreward to reading the earlier volumes of Shadows & Tall Trees.

[Ross Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fine addition to one of my favourite anthology series. I enjoyed the great majority of the tales with just a couple that didn’t hit the spot for me. Standouts were the stories by Brian Evenson, James Everington, Simon Stranzas, Allison Littlewood, VH Leslie and Sean Padric Birnie.

[Runalong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this collection of strange horror stories that unsettle and unnerve the reader. Everything feels a little off and unusual and a fine collection of authors is assembled

Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...

[Chris Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pros and Cons. I read the hardback edition (which wasn't listed in Goodreads at the time of this review), so I'll start by congratulating the editor for making such a nice step forward with Undertow Publications. Now I wish all my previous books from UP were also in HB! Overall, the editing and cover design of this issue were incredible, so hats off for that.

As for the stories, not much to criticize, and plenty to rave about. Some home runs, some plodders, and only a few duds.

My favorite story was "The Somnambulists" by S. Strantza. Probably one of the coolest stories I've read from this author. Well laid out, the perfect amount of oddness and suspense, all wrapped up with a delicious ending.

I absolutely loved V.H. Leslie's "Lacunae". The author took her time with this story, but she did such a subtle, yet great job with portraying scenes and settings. I was "in the story" within the first paragraph, and I never fell out. Well done.

Only two stories from this issue seemed not worth the read for me. I didn't care for M. Rickert's "The Fascist Has a Party", only because it seemed out of place in S&TT. Although clever, and very well written, the implications behind the story were way too obvious. I do prefer my genre fiction without present day politics. That said, I probably would've appreciated reading this story in a different publication. Something a little more raw and in your face, like Neon Magazine.

I hate to say it, but my least favorite story was "The Quiet Forms of Belonging," by Kristi DeMeester. This piece seemed a little too superfluous and overwritten, such that whatever story the author was trying to convey got jumbled up in a forced narration. I've seen this style of writing from this author before. Sometimes she pulls it off. Other times, not so much.

Refusing to end on a bad note, two other stories were well worth the read. I really liked Charles Wilkinson's "A Coastal Quest." I've read a lot from this author, and his style tends to be very dry and cerebral; which is great, but in small doses, and only when I'm in the mood. You can't read this guy's work if you're too tired, because you'll miss everything. But this story, however, was a nice, easy read, and well written.

Finally, Birnie's "Dollface" was a great way to complete this issue. Although the ending fell a little flat, the voice, dialogue, imagery, and events within this story were very well done, and at times fantastically funny. Also, the style reminded of some of Robert Shearman's stories, which is never a bad thing.

All in all, another success for Undertow Publications. Hardback cover, great editing, and a good dose of weirdness. Definitely worth the buy.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

This anthology series has really come into its own and this eighth outing is exceptional. While I am tempted to use the term “solid,” this book is filled with ephemeral spaces and deep shadows that we feel are full of lurking fears, but can’t quite confirm. While a few stories failed to land with me, nearly all left a lingering sense of unease and dread. Recommended for all those who like to linger in the Weird.

While I don’t love the title for “The Glassy, Burning Floor of Hell” by Brian Evenson it’s delightfully claustrophobic and full of unsettling disassociation. “Too Lonely, Too Wild” by Kay Chronister is a delightful witchy tale. “Tattletale” by Carly Holmes is an evocative prose poem about childhood cruelty. “You, Girls Without Hands” by K. L. Pereira is another evocative short prose poem full of smoldering. “Sleepwalking with Angels” by Steve Rasnic Tem would fit with his night doctor collection released last year with it’s aging and lonely parents. “Workday” by Kurt Fawver is extra resonant right now with the need to sacrifice the workers to “restart the economy.”

[David H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up as a new anthology that I didn't know anything about other than that it was to be weird and dark, and I believe it's mostly lived up to that premise. As with most anthologies, there were some great stories and some that weren't right for me. I find that I have a hard time with the more experimental or daring narrative styles as I either get too confused or not invested in what's going on.

My favorites were probably Brian Evenson's "The Glassy, Burning Floor of Hell" (the opening story and honestly quite creepy), Kurt Fawver's "Workday" (hilariously told through memos and emails), M. Rickert's "The Fascist Has a Party" (honestly just sad these days), Simon Strantzas's "The Somnambulists" (a dream hotel that's just a dream, right?), and Rebecca Campbell's "Child of Shower and Gleam" (which was just great).

[Des Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book itself I shall now put in my satchel. It deserves it. Or I do. And I know it will keep coming back. Each of its disarming stories a precarious step over the next lacuna…or do all people become overgrown hobbling dolls as in the Everington – Evenson’s self meeting self?

The detailed review of this book posted elsewhere under my name is too long or impractical to post here.
Above is one of my observations at the time of the review.

[Dan Coxon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another solid volume of weird fiction in this award-winning series. Highlights for me were Brian Evenson's 'The Glassy, Burning Floor of Hell', James Everington's 'The Sound of the Sea, Too Close', and Sean Padraic Birnie's 'Dollface'. Plenty of fine writing to suit all tastes, though, as long as you like your short stories strange and unsettling.

[Lydia Peever · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a few pieces in here that will stick with me for a long time. More than the entire story, there are places, scents, feelings linked to my own memories and as odd as it sounds - levels of humidity about this book that have staying power. A great collection with few soft spots.

[Revjim1968 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Competent.