A Good House for Children by Kate Collins (Serpent’s Tail, £14.99)
The isolated old house on a cliff in Dorset was never Orla’s dream, but her husband Nick is sure it’s the best place to raise their two small children: she agrees, before realising he plans still to work in Bristol all week. Back in 1976, Lydia has no desire to leave London, but accompanies her grieving, recently widowed employer for support, as nanny to her four children. The dream house in the country is a fictional standard for illuminating the realities of women’s domestic life; when the dream turns to nightmare, it’s the perfect setting for horror. This accomplished debut works on both levels as it tells two stories separated in time but linked by situation. Atmospheric and beautifully written, it builds slowly but surely into a terrifying ghost story.
White Cat, Black Dog by Kelly Link (Ad Astra, £20)
Her first collection since 2015’s Get in Trouble, this is Link’s most direct engagement with the fairytales and folk legends that have always inspired her work. The seven stories display the author’s inimitable blend of fantasy and realism: psychologically acute, funny and horrific by turns, they range from far-future SF in the Iain M Banks mode to ghostly romance. All involve journeys, relationships and a search for something or someone important. Individually, they are as intense, absorbing and weird as the best dreams.
The Curator by Owen King (Hodder & Stoughton, £14.99)
Set in a capital city in the aftermath of a popular revolt against corrupt leaders, this unusual fantasy from the son of Stephen begins like an alternate-world history, with the rich detail and varied cast of characters giving it an almost Dickensian tone. The ruling classes have fled and society is to be remade. Dora, previously a maid, is given a new job as curator of the Museum of the Worker. Her lover, Robert, was formerly a student and is now a lieutenant in the people’s army. Dora loves her new role, and works to restore the shabby exhibitions, but something terrible is happening in the former foreign embassy nearby; there are screams in the night. Gradually the more fantastical aspects of the city come to the fore: cats are everywhere, worshipped by some while others fear them as embodiments of Satan. When a ship vanishes from the harbour, rumours spread that it is gathering souls of the dead. A tempting brew of realism, fantasy, whimsy and terror.
The Space Between Us by Doug Johnstone (Orenda, £9.99)
The Scottish crime writer turns to SF with an entertaining, fast-paced story of first contact. Unusual lights are seen in the sky over Edinburgh, and troubled teenager Lennox, heavily pregnant Ava and suicidal Heather suffer catastrophic strokes – then wake up the next day in hospital, recovered. Hearing of a strange sea creature washed up on the beach near Heather’s house, they are drawn to investigate. Soon they’re on the run, together with the alien visitor, pursued by police, Ava’s abusive husband and sinister-looking government agents. The premise is not new, but it’s well told, with relatable characters and important themes making for an emotionally engaging read.
