Anthologies are tough for me. The dips in the selection tend to color my experience. Evenson's "The Glassy, Burning Floor of Hell" and Birnie's "Dollface" are definitely worth checking out though.Maybe 2.5 stars.

I picked this up as a new anthology that I didn't know anything about other than that it was to be weird and dark, and I believe it's mostly lived up to that premise. As with most anthologies, there were some great stories and some that weren't right for me. I find that I have a hard time with the more experimental or daring narrative styles as I either get too confused or not invested in what's going on.My favorites were probably Brian Evenson's "The Glassy, Burning Floor of Hell" (the opening

An anthology of dark short stories that, for me, was hit or miss. Some offerings were more compelling to me than others. My favorites included "The Glassy, Burning Floor of Hell" by Brian Evenson, "The Somnambulists" by Simon Strantzas, "A Coastal Quest" by Charles Wilkinson, "Workday" by Kurt Fawver," "Camera Obscura" by C.M. Muller and "Lacunae" by V.H. Leslie.

There are a few pieces in here that will stick with me for a long time. More than the entire story, there are places, scents, feelings linked to my own memories and as odd as it sounds - levels of humidity about this book that have staying power. A great collection with few soft spots.

Another fine addition to one of my favourite anthology series. I enjoyed the great majority of the tales with just a couple that didn’t hit the spot for me. Standouts were the stories by Brian Evenson, James Everington, Simon Stranzas, Allison Littlewood, VH Leslie and Sean Padric Birnie.

Competent.

This anthology of modern weird fiction gives us stories that are relevant and fresh. All of the stories have something to offer it’s just down to personal preference which ones work for you. Highlights for me include stories by V.H. Leslie, Brian Evenson and Sean Padraic Birnie.The Glassy Burning Floor of Hell by Brian Evenson - 8Too Wild by Kay Chronister - 7Tattle Tale - by Carly Holmes - 7The Somnambulists by Simon Strantzas - 7The Sound of the Sea, Too Close - by James Everington - 6Hungry G...

The uncanny and weird, there will be tales bewitching with maleficence, macabre and poet prose, tales within a prism of deciphering and ones with trepidation in a hypnotic tale, many with melancholy and haunting Intriguing seconds of entertainment.The reviews for stories that worked for me:The Glassy, Burning Floor of Hell by Brian EvensonIt’s a place called Twin Peaks..Midsommar, no, but...“Why not? It would be a vacation, a chance to get out of the city.”A strange lodge, an uncanny encounter i...

A fine and varied collection of recent short stories by some of horror's most acclaimed names as well as a few new to me. While there were a few stories here that did not work for me at all (most notably "The Quiet Forms of Belonging" by Kristi DeMeester and "Workday" by Kurt Fawver), I believe that was due as much to my personal taste as to any particular author's failings (some voices just do not work for me but I know they are interesting and effective for other intelligent readers). Stories

Pros and Cons. I read the hardback edition (which wasn't listed in Goodreads at the time of this review), so I'll start by congratulating the editor for making such a nice step forward with Undertow Publications. Now I wish all my previous books from UP were also in HB! Overall, the editing and cover design of this issue were incredible, so hats off for that.As for the stories, not much to criticize, and plenty to rave about. Some home runs, some plodders, and only a few duds.My favorite story w...

This book itself I shall now put in my satchel. It deserves it. Or I do. And I know it will keep coming back. Each of its disarming stories a precarious step over the next lacuna…or do all people become overgrown hobbling dolls as in the Everington – Evenson’s self meeting self?The detailed review of this book posted elsewhere under my name is too long or impractical to post here.Above is one of my observations at the time of the review.

Shadows and Tall Trees is the title of the seventh chapter of William Golding’s modern classic Lord of the Flies. It is a particularly unsettling section of the book, haunted by a sense of lurking, undefined danger and by the disturbing realisation that evil but may be lurking within each and every individual.This baggage of associations makes Shadow and Tall Trees an ideal name for editor Michael Kelly’s anthology series of weird fiction, published by Canadian press Undertow Publications. The s...

Loved this collection of strange horror stories that unsettle and unnerve the reader. Everything feels a little off and unusual and a fine collection of authors is assembled Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...

Another solid volume of weird fiction in this award-winning series. Highlights for me were Brian Evenson's 'The Glassy, Burning Floor of Hell', James Everington's 'The Sound of the Sea, Too Close', and Sean Padraic Birnie's 'Dollface'. Plenty of fine writing to suit all tastes, though, as long as you like your short stories strange and unsettling.

“Perhaps, I thought, we were all hungry ghosts; empty spirits with no real destination, no purpose, no controlling impulse other than to feast while we could.”—from “Hungry Ghosts”*The eighth volume of Undertow Publications’s Shadows & Tall Trees series is full of eighteen weird, dark, and beautifully written short stories. My favorites in this installment are as follows:In “The Glassy, Burning Floor of Hell” by Brian Evenson, the workshop Hekla attends is stranger than anything she”s ever dream...

This anthology series has really come into its own and this eighth outing is exceptional. While I am tempted to use the term “solid,” this book is filled with ephemeral spaces and deep shadows that we feel are full of lurking fears, but can’t quite confirm. While a few stories failed to land with me, nearly all left a lingering sense of unease and dread. Recommended for all those who like to linger in the Weird.While I don’t love the title for “The Glassy, Burning Floor of Hell” by Brian Evenson...