Publishers Weekly
★ 08/23/2021
Winner of Multiple Hugo Awards, Datlow (Final Cuts) brings together 18 outstanding, atmospheric horror shorts from some of the biggest names in the genre—including Carmen Maria Machado, Stephen Graham Jones, and Joyce Carol Oates—in tribute to the work of Shirley Jackson. A trio of women explore a house with a bizarre secret in Elizabeth Hand’s “For Sale by Owner.” Cassandra Khaw’s “Quiet Dead Things” traces the fall of the sleepy township of Cedarville following a rash of inexplicable deaths. In Karen Heuler’s “Money of the Dead,” a grief-stricken woman buys back the spirit of her son from the afterlife. Benjamin Percy’s “Hag” tells of one woman’s reckoning with a cult on an isolated island. Each of Datlow’s chilling selections successfully honors the spirit of Jackson’s writing, suffused with both the darkest of human emotions and the terror of the supernatural. Any fan of Jackson’s oeuvre will delight in this anthology. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
Bram Stoker Award® Superior Achievment in an Anthology 2021
This is Horror Best Anthology 2021
Shirley Jackson Awards Special Award 2021
"This compilation of stories that make the mundane seem terrifying is chilling and uncanny, offering tropes that will be familiar to readers of Jackson’s work (witchy women, eerie suburbia) but with unique touches that could come only from these individuals authors." - New York Public Library Best Books
Other stories are equally memorable, but for me, the outstanding one is Skinder's Veil, a breathtaking blend of fairytale, dream and reality by the incomparable Kelly Link. – The Guardian
Featuring short stories inspired by Shirley Jackson (aka one of the best horror writers ever) and written by today's greatest authors of the same genre, this collection is one-of-a-kind. — House Beautiful
A joy for Jackson fans, but no Jackson knowledge is needed to enjoy this anthology. A gem in its own right. – SFX
This anthology is the perfect example of how a vision in the right hands can produce amazing results. Every story captures the essence of what it feels like to read Shirley Jackson’s work. – LitReactor best of 2021
"A truly spectacular and creepy collection." — The Colorado Sun
"Fascinating, a mix of dark humor, pastoral gothic, and intimate character sketches, very much of a similar flavor to Jackson’s works, but distinct to the authors you know and love." — Tor Nightfire's best collections of 2021
This is an absolute treat whether you’re a Shirley Jackson nut or not. — Den of Geek best of 2021
Perfect to dip in and out of as the nights draw in – Culturefly
18 outstanding, atmospheric horror shorts from some of the biggest names in the genre ... Any fan of Jackson’s oeuvre will delight in this anthology. – Publishers Weekly starred review
In short, another great anthology assembled by Ellen Datlow. – Horror Tree
No one consistently delivers like Datlow does. – Horror DNA
When Things Get Dark encapsulates much of the Shirley Jackson thematic universe—fatalism, fear of abandonment, women on the brink of madness, the duality of architectural symbols. Datlow has assembled a reliable cadre of contributors to carry out the daunting task of blending the Jackson aesthetic with their own distinct styles. The result is an often unsettling collection of top-notch tales that explore the darkest corners of the mundane, teasing out the anxiety, terror, and neurosis from the ordinary that Jackson was a master at conveying in her work. – Dark Scribe Magazine
This anthology is classic horror in its appearance, but in the inside has modern sensitivities with standout prose. Shirley Jackson would’ve been proud – Last Sentence
Compiling a short story anthology that caters to a wide audience’s taste is no small feat. Ellen Datlow has done a brilliant job ... Whether you prefer your creepiness level at one or eleven, with a good dose of blood and gore or just with a hint of psychological suspense, you will find a favourite which appeals to your taste in this collection. – Crime Fiction Lover
Unsettling, disquieting, even disorienting... This collection is special. Somewhere, Shirley Jackson is peering over those glasses of hers, one eyebrow raised, a sly smile on her lips – Dave Writes and Draws
Even the most voracious of readers is sure to be swept away by the sheer magnitude of talent on display in When Things Get Dark.
– Phantastiqa
Datlow did it again... every piece was entertaining – Happy Horror Writer
If you are looking for an overview of what the current literary horror world looks like, this is a fantastic example
– California Reading
[A] successful endeavour that shows just how much of an influence Shirley Jackson had with her writing – Zachary Houle
A thrilling encounter with the uncanny courtesy of the some of the best contemporary horror writers. – End of the Words
From haunting to eerie to downright terrifying, there is something for every reader – Mandy McHugh
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this anthology [..] so I have no hesitation in recommending it. – Stephen Bacon
These stories really linger in the back of my mind - like they're creating a space of their own in my memory – Girl Who Reads
Hands-down, my favorite anthology I’ve ever read. – Quaint and Curious Volumes
Library Journal
09/24/2021
Legendary horror editor Datlow's new anthology is replete with stories inspired by Shirley Jackson, from the likes of Paul Tremblay, Joyce Carol Oates, and Laird Barron. It includes more than a dozen tales of the macabre, each one showcasing the author's own unique interpretation of Jackson's themes, with more modern sensibilities. Notable entries include Seanan McGuire's chilling "In the Deep Woods; The Light Is Different There," about children who become aware that bad things happen in life and women who enter into marriages they think will be for the better only to learn that nothing could be further from the truth. "Hag," by Benjamin Percy, focuses on a family with a rental property in Cape Cod and a reporter named Ellie who has come to town from Boston to investigate a murder, one of several that occurs on the coast of Maine. It's soon revealed that Ellie has a more personal connection to the murder than she initially let on. Oates's "Take Me, I Am Free" starts off with a mother complaining to someone on the phone that her daughter is perverse and hides her true nature but that no one else sees it. "Skinder's Veil," by Kelly Link, explores territory that will be familiar to academics struggling to finish dissertations and doing their best to cope with unpleasant roommates; then it turns into a "fairy tale gone horribly wrong" scenario when the protagonist agrees to go housesitting in Vermont. VERDICT This solid anthology contains quiet horror takes on the themes and motifs that often appear in Jackson's work.
