Body Shocks

Starred review from May 24, 2021
Hugo Award–winning editor Datlow (Edited By) brings together 29 spine-tingling tales of body horror to terrify even the most seasoned horror reader. These visceral works take myriad approaches to the genre, but all revel in the grotesque possibilities of the human body. “The Old Women Who Were Skinned” by Carmen Maria Machado is an eerie, cautionary fable about the pitfalls of vanity. Terry Dowling’s stomach-churning “Toother” follows the grim exploits of a serial killer who collects the teeth of his victims. The woman in Kirstyn McDermott’s “Painlessness” feels no pain when injured and makes her living giving men an outlet for their violent fantasies. In “The Lake” by Tananarive Due, a woman metamorphoses into a predatory sea creature. A confectioner transforms his fiancée’s ghost into delectable treats enjoyed by the Parisian elite in Lisa L. Hannett’s grossly gluttonous and deliciously weird “Sweet Subtleties.” Cassandra Khaw’s intense “The Truth that Lies Under Skin and Meat” follows a werewolf who takes distinct pleasure in devouring her victims, much to the dismay of her handler. And Simon Bestwick’s bizarre alternate history “Welcome to Mengele’s” takes readers into a Nazi doctor’s movie theater where patrons watch their sickest fantasies play out on screen. These wholly original and truly chilling tales are not for the faint of heart.

Starred review from May 21, 2021

The stories in the latest collection edited by horror veteran Datlow run the gamut from ethereal creepiness ("La beaut� sans vertu," by Genevieve Valentine), to haunt-your-dreams gross-outs ("Welcome to Mengele's," by Simon Bestwick). One has even been made into an episode of Hulu's series Monsterland ("You Go Where It Takes You," by Nathan Ballingrud). There are some absolutely stellar stories that will follow readers for days, and not a single dud to weigh down the collection. John Coulthart's interior illustrations of anatomical mysteries add to the overall ambiance. Contributors include all the big names in body horror as well as some lesser-known authors, making the collection a must-have for body horror neophytes and experienced readers alike. VERDICT This authoritative collection is a must for any library, as an introduction to body and extreme horror for readers and librarians alike. Recommend to readers who love horror stories that make their skin crawl while they read about skin literally crawling.--Jeremiah Paddock, St. Petersburg Lib., FL

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 1, 2021
The emergence of body horror from a gross-out trope into a thought-provoking subgenre is one of horror's biggest trends. Multiple award-winner Datlow has worked her way through previously published stories from across the dark fiction landscape, uncovering the breadth of these horrific tales. The 29 stories here represent moments across the spectrum, from violent and visceral to uncomfortable and quiet--alien rape, a person who can change their skin, parents who use their kid for blood, an uncontrollable fungus. These tales will burrow under the skin, leaving a lasting impression like the back-to-back blows of "Natural Skin" by Alyssa Wong, a psychological gut punch about the commodification of young women's bodies, and "The Lake" by Tananarive Due, a tale of physical transformation that is both terrifying and freeing. Marked by a diverse table of contents and illustrations that enhance the conflicting emotions of unease and wonder that lie at the heart of the appeal of body horror, this is an anthology that readers will inhabit, and when they ask for more offer The Rust Maidens, by Gwendolyn Kiste (2018); Tender Is the Flesh, by Agustina Bazterrica (2020); or The Cipher, by Kathe Koja (1991).

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