Neil Gaiman’s “Closing Time” features in new horror anthology

By John Freeman on July 2, 2013

A short story by award-winning British comics writer Neil Gaiman features in Hauntings, a spine-tingling horror anthology published by Tachyon Publications and compiled by Ellen Datlow, an acclaimed editor of the genre that collects the most chilling ghost stories from the past 25 years.

The human obsession with the mysteries of the afterlife is explored in these supernatural tales of haunted houses, lost souls, unexplained phenomena, and “good” neighbours.

Neil Gaiman‘s “Closing Time” is a troubling tale recounted by an elderly man on a cold drizzly night in London while Joyce Carol Oates‘ “Haunted” is a chilling story of two young girls drawn to abandoned houses and what they find in one.

Francis Wardwell is eager to inform readers that everything they think they know about ghosts is wrong in Peter Straub‘s “Hunger: An Introduction,” and George R. R. Martin‘s “Remembering Melody” stresses the importance of keeping promises – no matter the consequences.

Fans of a good ghost story will find this collection the ideal go-to for chills, which also includes “The Horn”, short story from Doctor Who script writer and ace British horror writer Stephen Gallagher, first published way back in 1989.

New York-based editor Ellen Datlow has been editing science fiction, fantasy, and horror short fiction for almost thirty years. She was fiction editor of OMNI Magazine and SCIFICTION, and has edited more than fifty anthologies, including the horror half of the long-running classic Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror series, and is continuing to edit the Best Horror of the Year series.

Ellen has received nine World Fantasy Awards as well as the Bram Stoker, International Horror Guild, Shirley Jackson, and Hugo Awards. She is the co-host of the Fantastic Fiction KGB reading series, a legendary nexus of genre fiction luminaries and new talents.

Here’s the full list of included stories:

Ellen Datlow – “Introduction”
Pat Cadigan – “Eenie, Meenie, Ipsateenie”
Dale Bailey – “Hunger: A Confession”
E. Michael Lewis – “Cargo”
Lucius Shepard – “Delta Sly Honey”
David Morrell – “Nothing Will Hurt You”
Caitlin R. Kiernan – “The Ammonite Violin (Murder Ballad No. 4)”
Joyce Carol Oates – “Haunted”
Elizabeth Hand – “The Have-Nots”
Neil Gaiman – “Closing Time”
F. Paul Wilson – “Anna”
Jonathan Carroll – “Mr. Fiddlehead”
Terry Dowling – “The Fooly”
Paul Walther – “The Toll”
Simon Kurt Unsworth – “The Pennine Tower Restaurant”
Connie Willis – “Distress Call”
Stephen Gallagher – “The Horn”
Michael Marshall Smith – “Everybody Goes”
Richard Bowes – “Transfigured Night”
James P. Blaylock – “Hula Ville”
Jeffrey Ford – “The Bedroom Light”
Gemma Files – “Spectral Evidence”
Kelly Link – “Two Houses”
Adam L. G. Nevill – “Where Angels Come In”
Peter Straub – “Hunger: An Introduction”

• More about “Hauntings” on the Tachyon Publications web site

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.