The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror 1999: Tenth Anniversary edition (Mammoth Books) [Paperback]

Almost single-handedly, Britain's most celebrated horror editor Stephen Jones has kept alive and in vibrant health a rich tradition of the very best in shorter macabre fiction. The fact that every leading writer in the field in this country (and abroad) is keen to write for his anthologies is, of course, an undeniable asset. The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror series is probably the most keenly awaited annual event for aficionados of terrifying tales. This 10th anniversary edition had to be both a celebration and a summation of Jones' sterling work, and it's pleasing to report that it turns out to be precisely that--and more. All the most accomplished practitioners of the art of chilling the blood are here: Kim Newman contributes a wonderfully unsettling piece in A Victorian Ghost Story (a clever riff on the tradtional flesh-crawler), while the blood-boltered grisliness that is Christopher Fowler's speciality infuses his splendid Learning to Let Go. Some of the great American practitioners are here, too: Harlan Ellison and Peter Straub both contribute chilling tales, while the much-loved necrology at the end of the book lists all the practitioners (in every medium) gathered up by the Grim Reaper.

The greatest achievement of this collection is the sheer variety of the tales: Jones and his writers demonstrate that horror can reside not only in the traditional haunts (creaking houses and dank cellars) but also in very contemporary settings. In fact, it's this conscious attempt to keep horror relevant to today's world that may be Jones' most singular achievement. In any case, this is an essential purchase for those who enjoy that crawling sensational at the back of the neck. And a first-time reader will, without doubt, soon be looking for the earlier volumes. --Barry Forshaw

"The most valuable horror book of the year"

'From its inception, the Best New Horror series has been an invaluable resource for all of us who believe in the genre; proof that the reports of horror fiction's demise are premature, and the old beast has life in it yet'

'... an essential record, invaluable and irreplaceable, of modern horror fiction in all its range and variousness'

'I enjoy reading Best New Horror at least as much as appearing in it. Each Volume seeks out excellent work that I'd never otherwise see'

"the usual inspired mix of prime fiction from established names"

An annual collection of short stories and novellas of supernatural and psychological terror by authors such as Ramsey Campbell, Harlan Ellison, Christopher Fowler, Neil Gaiman and Tanith Lee.

Stephen Jones has won more awards for editing horror and fantasy than anyone else in the field. A full-time movie publicist, he has edited and written more than forty books. He lives in North London.