Out There Screaming edited by Jordan Peele (Picador, £20)
“I view horror as catharsis through entertainment,” says writer-director Peele (Nope, Get Out) in the foreword to this impressive American anthology. The 19 contributing Black authors offer a wide range of literary nightmares, varying in subject from the horrors of slavery and segregation to ancient evil spirits and newly minted monsters. Tananarive Due takes the violence directed at civil rights protesters in Alabama as her focus, while both Chesya Burke and Maurice Broaddus draw on earlier years, when lynch mobs might only be defeated with supernatural aid. Nnedi Okorafor depicts a conflict between old Nigerian customs and modern American life; Nalo Hopkinson taps into Caribbean folklore, and Erin E Adams draws on her Haitian background. Others turn to science fiction: Lesley Nneka Arimah’s tale of an alien invasion is memorably weird and terrifying, as are Terence Taylor’s vision of a near-future prison run for profit and Justin C Key’s story about new types of human beings. Every piece is strong and memorable, making this not only likely to be the best anthology of the year, but one for the ages.
A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand (Sphere, £16.99)
Shirley Jackson’s iconic creation in The Haunting of Hill House has been described as “the modern prototype of the haunted house”. Commissioned by Jackson’s estate, Hand’s latest novel is far more than a mere sequel or updated rewrite. The “hauntings” in the 1959 novel consisted of traditional manifestations: knockings, inexplicable sounds or movement, a cold spot. Readers today expect more from a malevolent structure, and Hand offers plenty of fresh creepiness. In both novels, the emotional focus is on the people and their reasons for staying in the house. Here, instead of drawing a team of psychic researchers, the isolated old house on a hill attracts playwright Holly Sherwin, who imagines it will be the ideal creative retreat where she and her partner, along with two actors, can develop her new play about a 17th-century woman accused of witchcraft. Like Hill House itself, this accomplished tribute stands alone: disturbing and unforgettable.
Lamb by Matt Hill (Dead Ink, £9.99)
At the start of this unsettling novel set in a bleak near-future Britain, long-distance lorry driver Dougie kills himself in a public protest against losing his job to driverless vehicles. Struggling to cope with his loss, his widow, Maureen, sinks into confusion and paranoia, and their teenage son Boyd’s life becomes a daily nightmare as he struggles to care for his mother and remove the rancid-smelling mould that is overtaking their house. The story behind his mother’s gradual disintegration is revealed as we learn something about her background. This SF/horror hybrid shares some of the themes that power Frankenstein: fears about scientific overreach, experiments in the creation of life, and the responsibilities of parent and child to one another, alongside urgent contemporary concerns about the destruction of the natural world. The result is a disturbing novel that’s humane and weirdly beautiful.
My Brother’s Keeper by Tim Powers (Head of Zeus, £20)
Powers is a master of the “secret history”, weaving real figures and events into fantastic, supernatural tapestries. Having previously written two vampire novels featuring 19th-century English poets, here he turns to the Brontës for a gothic tale involving a dark family secret, werewolves, a pagan temple to Minerva on the Yorkshire moors, and a dreadful creature underneath a slab in the parish church. The Brontës – especially Emily and her dissolute brother Branwell – come to life on the page, historical details effectively turned to the service of fantasy, making for an exciting and highly entertaining tale.
• Lisa Tuttle’s My Death is published by NYRB. To support the Guardian and the Observer buy a copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.
