Status Updates From Hark! the Herald Angels Scream

Hiking Through - Michael Koryta

A man reeling from heartbreak sets out on an immense trek through the Appalachian trail, where he encounters a ghost story in the flesh, so to speak.

Home - Tim Lebbon

A dystopian Earth, centering the last known man alive. Had shades of dark fantasy for me, and while this is spoiler-y, I do think it adds to the enjoyment of the story to approach it with the understanding that the MC is old Saint Nick himself. I enjoyed this one.

Honor Thy Mother - Angela Slatter

A disrespected mother prepares to reveal her true colors to her ungrateful children. Another "Good for her" story. 👏🏽

Yankee Swap - John M. McIlveen

A brutal spin on the Yankee swap, or White Elephant game. Unhinged and in the vein of Saw, this one was nasty, fast -paced fun.

Doctor Velocity - Jonathan Maberry

A dystopian feeling setting, featuring a jaded artist desperate to feel inspiration. While well-written, the fact that this was a story that was a part of a world featured in one of Maberry's series was glaring, and I couldn't help but feel that I was missing context by not having read the other works.

Farrow Street - Elizabeth Hand

A young American woman is alone in London for Christmas, with the city largely closed down for the holiday. She stumbles upon a mysterious place filled with an assortment of people... this one felt at once Dickensian and Lovecraftian to me.

The Second Floor of the Christmas Hotel - Joe R. Lansdale

2 old friends reconnect and reminisce near Christmas. After one relays a harrowing experience at an abandoned family hotel to the other, they decide to revisit the hotel together... this was a descriptive and intriguing story that had me saying, "Good for her."

Snake's Tail - Sarah Langan

Abnegation. This story examines human nature and features changelings, old gods, cycles of death/destruction and rebirth, much like the ouroboros, infinitely consuming its own tail.