The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2016 Edition

September 12, 2016
This collection, thematically dark though it is, contains multitudes that stretch the breadth of the fantasy and horror genres, from dark historical pieces of fantasy (Angela Slatter's "Ripper," which follows a young woman in male disguise as she investigates the Jack the Ripper murders in a delicately magical historical London) to the eerie and terrible (Kaaron Warren's "The Body Finder," in which a man is murdered as he searches for corpses to set their spirits free). Caitlin R. Kiernan's "The Cripple and the Starfish" meanders without ever really finding its way, and Kai Ashante Wilson's "Kaiju Maximus" by explores a very interesting world but does not quite resolve itself. By contrast, Gemma Files's "Hairwork," which chronicles a woman's horrible revenge against the family line of the man who enslaved her, provides consistent chills and a strong finish. This anthology is best approached with a pick-and-choose attitude by readers who are willing to sift through the hefty volume to find the best shivers.