Mike’s Reviews > The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror, #11 > Status Update

White by Tim Lebbon: 4/5 This story was very well-written - it's probably the most authentically atmospheric story in here. I also liked the protagonist. There were enough horror cliches and interchangeable side characters to prevent this from getting a 5/5, but I'd probably call this the best story here.

Aftershock by F. Paul Wilson: 4/5 Kinda predictable, but well-written, with an interesting premise.

A Fish Story by Gene Wolfe: 2/5 Too short to make any real impact.

Jimmy by David Case: 1/5 (DNF) Confusing, racist, badly-written, cliched.

Naming the Dead by Paul J. McAuley: 3/5 Well-written I guess, but pretty predictable, and a bit hard to follow. I'm putting it as a 3 instead of a 2 mainly because I know I dislike this genre, and the story is probably better than I'm tempted to give it credit for.

Burden by Michael Marano: 3/5 Not a very good use of second-person, and overall just kind of didactic. But it's at least well-written and somewhat moving.

The Ballyhooly Boy by Graham Masterton: 2/5 I guess it was well-written, but it was very cliched, and not at all scary.

Welcome by Michael Marshall Smith: 3/5 The writing was pretty bad, and the ending felt like a cop-out. But at least the main character held my attention.

Lulu by Thomas Tessier: 4/5 I have no idea what this story was doing in a horror anthology, but it's actually pretty evocative and well-written.

Just Like Eddy by Kim Newman: 2/5 I guess it was a pretty good idea, but the joke wore thin on me pretty quick, and the plot wasn't very engaging afterwards.

The Long Hall on the Top Floor by Caitlin R. Kiernan: 3/5 Not at all well-written, but I actually liked the characterization and the atmosphere a lot.

The Stunted House by Terry Lamsley: 1/5 I didn't hate this one exactly, there's just a strong lack of things that work. It's not scary, the writing is hella awkward, and the main character isn't well-developed. There's no reason to like this story.

The Entertainment by Ramsey Campbell: 3/5 Another confusing one, although at least this one had some atmosphere and weirdness.

Harlequin Valentine by Neil Gaiman: 4/5 Excellent story with a fascinating main character. My only problem with it is that it's too short.

Unhasped by David J. Schow: 3/5 I like how this story began, but the ending ruined it. The twist was incredibly cheap, and it felt like a disappointment compared to the buildup of tension.

The Emperor's Old Bones by Gemma Files: 2/5 This was just confusing, no way around it.