The Mammoth Book of Halloween Stories (2018) edited by Stephen Jones
Prologue
Readers unfamiliar with The Mammoth Book of Halloween Stories may prefer to read these notes only after reading the anthology.
The Mammoth Book of Halloween Stories (2018) edited by Stephen Jones, is a pleasing and densely packed seasonal gift for readers who enjoy the intersection of Halloween and all the varieties of horror media.
A supposed Halloween fact: that the day realizes a thinning between our reality and another. That on the night of 31 October, insights and encounters both weird and uncanny are on the menu for a few. Most of these experiencers will wake on 1 November, and most of them will move on. Only a handful will die or disappear.
It's how the individual writer handles this and other old Halloween shibboleths in their art is what makes stories in The Mammoth Book of Halloween Stories so fascinating. Not all the stories are effective; but often, their failure has more to do with narrative and stylistic choices than with the choice of Halloween as a plot component.
“October in the Chair” (2002) by Neil Gaiman: The year's twelve months hold their tenth meeting of the year in this polished and clever tales-within-tales story. October ultimately tells his peers about a boy who runs away from home, only to face a someone or something somewhere.
Setting: A campfire gathering in a grove, with a sense of timelessness.
Characters: The twelve months of the year, personified.
Halloween seen as: A time for storytelling and reflection, with a hint of the uncanny.
Style: Philosophical, allegorical, with a touch of dark fantasy.
Point of view: Third person, observing the gathering. First person as seasons narrate their anecdotes.
Jay
27 September 2024