WITCHCRAFT SHORT STORIES Edited by Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane (BOOK REVIEW)
An impressive new anthology of horror stories exploring what it means to be ‘witch’, including the rediscovery and reclaiming of that power, its links to nature, and witchcraft mythology from around the world. Award-winning anthologists Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane have commissioned and chosen an outstanding selection of tales, with contributions from authors including Ally Wilkes, Eliza Chan, Angela Slatter, Gabriella Buba and Lisa L. Hannett. Five brand new stories have also been selected from a popular open submissions call.
The full list of featured authors in this book is: Eugen Bacon, David Barnett, Melissa Bobe, Gabriella Buba, Mark Chadbourn, Eliza Chan, Aveline Fletcher, Helen Grant, Muriel Gray, Kay Hanifen, Lisa L. Hannett, Damien Kelly, Amanda Mason, Alison Moore, Buhlebethu Sukoluhle Mpofu, Angela Slatter and Ally Wilkes.
Flame Tree Beyond and Within short story collections bring together tales of myth and imagination by modern and contemporary writers, carefully selected by anthologists, and sometimes featuring short stories from a single author. Overall, the series presents a wide range of diverse and inclusive voices with myth, folkloric-inflected short fiction, and an emphasis on the supernatural, science fiction, the mysterious and the speculative. The books themselves are gorgeous, with foiled covers, printed edges and published only in hardcover editions, offering a lifetime of reading pleasure.
The first thing you notice about this book is that it is beautiful. A gorgeous old-style hardback, it reminds me of the coloured Andrew Lang Fairy Books from my childhood, glistening slightly as it encourages you to crack open the cover and see what delights lie within.The second thing I noticed was the lineup. From favourite authors of mine such as Ally Wilkes and Mark Chadbourn to a host of brand new names, the editors have done an amazing job in compiling some of the best ‘weird’ writers working right now. Those who understand what magic means in the 21st century.
Because this is an anthology about witches and fairytales, yes, but it’s also deeply modern. I think most readers will find a story that resonates with them in particular as the book crosses so many continents and settings, from the traditional Scary Woodlands of Europe to the historic Philippines and back to modern America. It was easy to visualise the woods of my own childhood, familiar path fading away into the trees as I realized how little it takes to become lost; an apt metaphor for this book!
I love anthologies that take an idea you believe has been done to death, only for multiple authors to breath new life into it, showing why the fairytales have always been so relevant. Stories advising us to Fear the Witch are as old as humanity, and this book reminds us why that is. Whether we relate to the witch for the way she acts or if she truly is a supernatural threat, this is about the Other, the Dark, the creeping dread of the unknown that trickles through our hearts when we realize that civilization is a fragile eggshell that can’t always be relied upon to protect us.
My favourite tales here are at once similar and yet different, showing the difficulties and power of being a woman. ‘Apotropaic’ by Ally Wilkes speaks of the circular nature of humanity and storytelling both, as the same problems rise again and again, with each generation forgetting the lessons of the one before. ‘What Bones Remember’ by Buhlebethu Sukoluhle Mpofu transcends boundaries as it ties the witch to crucial roles within life and death. Both show that sometimes you have to take the monster’s place as the very thing you once feared in order carry on some very necessary (if unspoken) roles in your society, no matter where or when you may be.
After all, most genre readers know that the wickedest of all creatures is humanity. This book isn’t about whether you’re a Good Witch or a Bad Witch – more that you understand Why the Witch is still here and needed.
Witchcraft Short Stories is available now from Flame Tree Press, you can order your copy on Bookshop.org
