The Best Horror of the Year, Volume 2 »

Legendary editor Ellen Datlow, winner of multiple Hugo, Bram Stoker, and World Fantasy awards, joins Night Shade Books in presenting The Best Horror of the Year Volume 2.

Publishers Weekly

Prolific anthologist Datlow continues her fine showcase series (originally part of the long-running Year's Best Fantasy and Horror) with 17 scary stories published in 2009. Perhaps the creepiest is “each thing i show you is a piece of my death,” in which Gemma Files and Stephen J. Barringer collect e-mail and other documents about a mysterious naked man who crashes the sets of movies and TV shows. Michael Marshall Smith's “What Happens When You Wake Up in the Night” is a classically creepy tale, and Stephen Graham Jones offers a twisted take on snake-oil salesmen in “Lonegan's Luck.” There are a few underwhelming choices—notably Nina Allen's weak “The Lammas Worm”—and readers of Datlow's other anthologies will see many familiar names, but overall, this is a worthy addition to the series. (June)

Summation 2009 Ellen Datlow 1

Lowland Sea Suzy McKee Charnas 31

The End of Everything Steve Eller 49

Mrs. Midnight Reggie Oliver 59

each thing i show you is a piece of my death Gemma Files Stephen J. Barringer 77

The Nimble Men Glen Hirshberg 103

What Happens When You Wake Up in the Night Michael Marshall Smith 113

Wendigo Michaela Morrissette 119

In the Porches of My Ears Norman Prentiss 133

Lonegan's Luck Stephen Graham Jones 143

The Crevasse Dale Bailey Nathan Ballingrud 165

The Lion's Den Steve Duffy 179

Lotophagi Edward Morris 201

The Gaze Dogs of Nine Waterfall Kaaron Warren 213

Dead Loss Carole Johnstone 229

Strappado Laird Barron 241

The Lammas Worm Nina Allan 255

Technicolor John Langan 281

Honorable Mentions 305