Here Be Monsters - An Anthology of Monster Tales

An interesting collection, book-ended by author M.T. Murphy that offers some fun and ghastly (in a good way) reads throughout. The TOC looks like this:

M.T. Murphy - Blackmail.
S.M. Reine - Something Wrong.
India Drummond - The Reaver.
Anabel Portillo - Lux.
Jeremy C Shipp - Figs.
Samantha Anderson - Deals and Demons.
Sara Reinke - Periphery People.
M.T. Murphy - Spider Bag.

I found the editing thread in this anthology a bit odd – perhaps it is just me but I am used to a more traditional single editor compilation and presentation versus the presentation here. That said it still works – well-written tales that offer the “normal” twists (Deals and Demons) to the not so “normal” twists (Lux).

The books cover is exceptional – love the mood but a bit deceptive for those vampire lovers, though if you read the fine print you will know (who reads fine print these days)? The art that sits at the end of the anthology seems misplaced and an afterthought BUT I must say that Alissa Rindels’ Midnight Requiem is exquisite – it may have sealed the anthology for me.

Odd to is there is no publisher listed – at least that I could find.

So, the gem in the bunch here is “Lux.” A dark and malevolent tale of a lost soul strung up for dark dreams, monsters and horrific truths to slap at like a human piñata. I relish in the darkness of this story. The underbelly of evil itself resides in Anabel’s twisted muse, a muse I would like to get to know. An assassin, curator or victim – which is the real protagonist here … witty and twisted is this futuristic-horrific drama worthy of novel status not short.

Reinke’s “Periphery People” was well crafted and visionary. Her words are descriptive to the point of being cinematic but not so that the scene is hers, it definitely belongs to the reader. I adore Mel (Melanie, a lovely name, less shortened); she is a wonderfully crafted character who I actually cared about. All in all a nice soul eater tale with a not so ordinary plot providing another reason this anthology is a “yes!” on the library list.

Some not so exciting things in this TOC but overall – yeah, good read. It is still a wonder, the mind behind the anthology and the purpose but perhaps reading over the TOC lends a clue …