A World of Horror edited by Eric J. Guignard, illustrations by Steve Lines

Dark Moon Books, 2018

ISBN-13: 9780998938325

Available: Paperback, hardcover, Kindle edition

A World of Horror includes twenty-two dark and speculative fiction stories written by authors from around the world, each presenting the legends, monsters, and myths from their homelands. The book presents a vast array of diverse tales that will linger with the readers after consuming the tales between its pages. Guignard includes an introduction regarding cultural diversity in fiction, recognizing that representation is powerful and long overdue. There is a wide range of storytelling in this book that hold all the genres of horror or speculative fiction, and what they do to the genres are incredible. The following are only a few of my favorites from the anthology.

Two stories from authors hailing from South Africa are must-reads in this anthology.  “Mutshidzi” by Mohale Mashigo tells the tale of an African teenager who raises her younger brother and must run the household after their mother dies. She begins to see and hear things that remind her of her mother, but there is so much blood. In the speculative fiction piece “Chemirocha” by Charlie Human, a South African pop song is personified, and how it needs to survive. While not in essence a horror story, it can bring up in the reader a bittersweet memory of that one song that may have affected them in their lifetime.

“One Last Wayang” by L. Chan from Singapore struck a particular chord for me, as my grandmother in-law gifted three wayang puppets to me several years ago. Wayang is a form of puppet theatre that makes use of shadows cast by the puppets to tell a story. Isa’s grandfather tells him of his youth living in a tight knit community, of the hardships they faced, and of the traveling entertainment that would pass through the village. One particular wayang troupe put on a mesmerizing show, and the shadows seemed a bit too real to have been created by the wayang puppets. What follows is the grandfather’s horrific discovery. Without giving anything away, I have a different feeling about the wayang puppets sitting in my office now…

In Thersa Matsuura’s “The Wife Who Didn’t Eat”, a modest Japanese farmer’s prayer to the gods comes true for a bride who was as hardworking as he is, and who doesn’t eat anything. The gods see fit to answer his prayer, but he later discovers the truth about his dutiful wife. I loved the language and twists in this story.

People with disabilities in horror fiction usually take the form of the villain or monster, but Dilman Dila, from Uganda, brings us the story of Agira, a crippled hunter who is shunned by his village but is the only one who can face the “Obibi”.

“Honey” by Valya Dudycz Lupescu is a story from Ukraine with the fallout from the 1986 Chernobyl disaster at its center. Luba Ivanova has stayed in her home, even after the evacuation and warnings about the environment and dangers that living in her home could entail. It’s years later and she opens her home to urban explorers who regularly make their way to the Chernobyl site. What they find in the forest outside her door is something they could never dream of seeing in their lifetimes, and they never get the chance to tell the world about it. Luba never minds this ritual of delivering the last meal to her guests, with the exception of the most recent visitor. He reminds her of someone she once knew. Will she let him wander out in the night after their meal?

There are so many more stories in this anthology I could discuss, but I don’t want to give too much away. Guignard’s selections are powerful, and the authors each bring unique tales from regions some of us may never have explored before. I find myself wanting to read more by those who contributed to A World Of Horror. I have a feeling you will, too.

Highly recommended

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker