Review: Lycanthropic legends unleashed in a superior anthology
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 22, 2012
An American Werewolf in London is my earliest horror memory; and although there will always be a place in my heart for that flick and others such as Hammer's The Curse of the Werewolf and 1975's Legend of the Werewolf, I tend to find the whole werewolf sub-genre a little tired and with the influence of the Twilight series, the credibility of these cursed man-beasts has suffered even further.With that in mind, I was a little hesitant when it came to reading Best New Werewolf Tales Vol 1...I decided to set aside my own opinion on the sub-genre and give this book a chance since the contributors to this collection of short stories is incredibly impressive and includes some of the best established and new writers in horror right now who have a clutch of awards and plaudits to their names including: Jonathan Maberry, John Everson, Michael Laimo, Rob Rosen and Douglas Smith.Best New Werewolf Tales Vol 1 comes with 20 short stories, some of the highlights for me were the following:Jonathan Maberry kicks off the book in style with a private investigator/ horror mash-up that really works in Like part of the Family.In Baby, James Roy Daley ramps up the horror and takes the sub-genre in a direction that I don't think any film would dare to go.David Bernstein's The Trojan Plushy is a dark tale demonstrating the lengths a desperate man will go to in order to find justice.John F.D.Taff takes werewolves to the dog pound in Three Dog Night and unleashes the power of man's best friend.William Meikle melds genres together in Hairs and Graces, giving a fantasy horror twist to a private detective tale.An internet shopper gets more than he bargained for in T.J.May's Unlucky Moon.... and I guarantee you that you'll never have read anything like David Wesley Hill's SQ 389!Although this book quite clearly has some big-hitting authors attached to it, its real strength lies in the unique nature of each story. As I have already stated, I find the sub-genre revolving around lycanthropy quite tired and many films/ books simply feel like retreading old ground. That is not the case here at all. The majority of the stories here are exceptional takes on the classic werewolf archetype and run the gamut of all that you could expect from the sub-genre and then some; including directions you may never have considered! From wild and slavering manbeasts to anthropomorphic cults, historical horror, the lengths some will go to in order to sate their loved ones needs; to murder mysteries in a contemporary setting. Undoubtedly, gorehounds will not be left disappointed since no werewolf story is complete without painful transformations and flesh being torn asunder by beastly claws and teeth!My main criticism of the book is that I found some of the stories were too bizarre for me. This does not mean that I disliked the work but perhaps that I can only suspend my disbelief so far, even when it comes to horror! However, there is no question about it, there is definitely a story in here to cater for a multitude of tastes.Best New Werewolf Tales Vol 1 will appeal to everyone from the connoiseur of the genre to the more casual fan. Its anthology layout makes it incredibly easy to read and dip in and out off; and as such, is suitable for everyone from fervent horror bookworms to more relaxed readers.