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What the #@&% Is That?: The Saga Anthology of the Monstrous and the Macabre
Fear of the unknown--it is the essence of the best horror stories, the need to know what monstrous vision you're beholding and the underlying terror that you just might find out. Now, twenty authors have gathered to ask--and maybe answer--a question worthy of almost any horror "What the #@&% is that?"Join these masters of suspense as they take you to where the shadows grow long, and that which lurks at the corner of your vision is all too real.
Includes stories by Laird Barron, Amanda Downum, Scott Sigler, Simon R. Green, Desirina Boskovich, Isabel Yap, Maria Dahvana Headley, Christopher Golden, John Langan, D. Thomas Minton, Seanan McGuire, Grady Hendrix, Jonathan Maberry, Gemma Files, Nancy Holder, Adam-Troy Castro, Terence Taylor, Tim Pratt, An Owomoyela & Rachel Swirsky, and Alan Dean Foster.
Includes stories by Laird Barron, Amanda Downum, Scott Sigler, Simon R. Green, Desirina Boskovich, Isabel Yap, Maria Dahvana Headley, Christopher Golden, John Langan, D. Thomas Minton, Seanan McGuire, Grady Hendrix, Jonathan Maberry, Gemma Files, Nancy Holder, Adam-Troy Castro, Terence Taylor, Tim Pratt, An Owomoyela & Rachel Swirsky, and Alan Dean Foster.
368 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2016
43 people are currently reading
838 people want to read
About the author
John Joseph Adams
303 books975 followersJohn Joseph Adams is the series editor of BEST AMERICAN SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY. He is also the bestselling editor of many other anthologies, such as ROBOT UPRISINGS, DEAD MAN'S HAND, BRAVE NEW WORLDS,WASTELANDS, and THE LIVING DEAD. Recent and forthcoming books include WHAT THE #@&% IS THAT?, OPERATION ARCANA, PRESS START TO PLAY, LOOSED UPON THE WORLD, and THE APOCALYPSE TRIPTYCH (consisting of THE END IS NIGH, THE END IS NOW, and THE END HAS COME). Called “the reigning king of the anthology world” by Barnes & Noble, John is a two-time winner of the Hugo Award (for which he has been nominated nine times), is a seven-time World Fantasy Award finalist, and served as a judge for the 2015 National Book Award. John is also the editor and publisher of the digital magazines LIGHTSPEED and NIGHTMARE, and is a producer for Wired's THE GEEK'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY podcast. You can find him online at www.johnjosephadams.com and on Twitter @JohnJosephAdams.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
October 30, 2017
Horror is not really my genre, although I use Halloween each year as an excuse to stretch my boundaries a little bit. Short stories aren’t my preferred format either, so I expect for horror aficionados who enjoy short fiction, this would be an excellent anthology.
As promised in the introduction, each story in this volume eventually has a character who asks, “WTF is that?” As usual with short fiction collections, some are better than others (and not always the ones that you would expect in either the good or bad categories). By and large, the pieces tended towards the playful rather than tremendously scary, which a casual horror reader such as myself can appreciate.
As promised in the introduction, each story in this volume eventually has a character who asks, “WTF is that?” As usual with short fiction collections, some are better than others (and not always the ones that you would expect in either the good or bad categories). By and large, the pieces tended towards the playful rather than tremendously scary, which a casual horror reader such as myself can appreciate.
August 21, 2017
After the first half of this Anthology I was wondering when I`ll get to the really good stuff.
And after five or six very good stories in a row at the ending of this one I thought that there`s your answer.
But overall I felt very disappointed and I could only conclude to some things.
1. I really don`t like Laird Barron. It has the right ideeas, I loved the first page of the story, but after that it was hard to get in to it. As it is usually with his work.
I liked the ideea of Scott Sigler story, but other than that like I said, the first half was not so entertaining.
2. The editors have made a strange choice, all the stories have in them "The what the F is that?" question. I was really annoyed by this repetition.
I enjoyed and I guess I could give a four stars rating to:
Desirina Boskovich - Down in the Deep and the Dark - At a weeding ceremony a kid releases an ancient monster.
Gemma Files - Ghost Pressure - A lithuanian curse it`s upon us.
Nancy Holder - The daughter out of darkness. Why it`s good? Nyarlathotep that`s why!
Adam-Troy Castro - Framing Mortensen - This is the answer of what`s the worst that you could do to your enemy. A surprisingly good story. I must confess that I didn`t expected this text from Castro.
Terence Taylor - The Catch - The only story with a serial killer that I remember to have really enjoyed. Good ideea.
Tim Pratt - Hunters in the Wood - A lovecraftian version of Hunger Games.
Castleweep - Alan Dean Foster - A little gem about a mystery African Castle. We need more stories about the life on the black Continent.
Some others ok stories,
Seanan McGuire - #Connollyhouse#Weshouldntbehere about a haunted dark house,
D.Thomas Minton - Now and Forever, a monster haunts the members of a ship,
Cristopher Golden - The Bad Hour, a village with a strange malady,
Scott Sigler - Those Gaddam Cookies, one of the most original ideeas, a berrie born monster.
Twenty stories. Seven I`ve enjoyed alot. Four were almost there.
Not a bad one in the end. Better than others made by more famous editors, having in mind that Adams wasn`t one of the original editors. But I think that a three stars rating or maybe three and a half it`s a good score for it.
And after five or six very good stories in a row at the ending of this one I thought that there`s your answer.
But overall I felt very disappointed and I could only conclude to some things.
1. I really don`t like Laird Barron. It has the right ideeas, I loved the first page of the story, but after that it was hard to get in to it. As it is usually with his work.
I liked the ideea of Scott Sigler story, but other than that like I said, the first half was not so entertaining.
2. The editors have made a strange choice, all the stories have in them "The what the F is that?" question. I was really annoyed by this repetition.
I enjoyed and I guess I could give a four stars rating to:
Desirina Boskovich - Down in the Deep and the Dark - At a weeding ceremony a kid releases an ancient monster.
Gemma Files - Ghost Pressure - A lithuanian curse it`s upon us.
Nancy Holder - The daughter out of darkness. Why it`s good? Nyarlathotep that`s why!
Adam-Troy Castro - Framing Mortensen - This is the answer of what`s the worst that you could do to your enemy. A surprisingly good story. I must confess that I didn`t expected this text from Castro.
Terence Taylor - The Catch - The only story with a serial killer that I remember to have really enjoyed. Good ideea.
Tim Pratt - Hunters in the Wood - A lovecraftian version of Hunger Games.
Castleweep - Alan Dean Foster - A little gem about a mystery African Castle. We need more stories about the life on the black Continent.
Some others ok stories,
Seanan McGuire - #Connollyhouse#Weshouldntbehere about a haunted dark house,
D.Thomas Minton - Now and Forever, a monster haunts the members of a ship,
Cristopher Golden - The Bad Hour, a village with a strange malady,
Scott Sigler - Those Gaddam Cookies, one of the most original ideeas, a berrie born monster.
Twenty stories. Seven I`ve enjoyed alot. Four were almost there.
Not a bad one in the end. Better than others made by more famous editors, having in mind that Adams wasn`t one of the original editors. But I think that a three stars rating or maybe three and a half it`s a good score for it.
May 16, 2016
I loveeee this! All 20 stories are amazing and I really enjoyed it starting out with Laird Barron who sets the tone to the book. If you can't handle his story than this book isn't for you. Perfect Lovecraft horror with a unique title branching off of a meme. Good and creepy all the way through, crude and gory and true to its creator.
All these writers need to come out with good horror novels soon because the world is in need of new horror novels!
All these writers need to come out with good horror novels soon because the world is in need of new horror novels!
November 7, 2016
Of the anthologies I've bought over the years, this is my favorite, by a mile. The only one that comes close is 'Press Start to Play', which has the same editor.
Fun fact: I picked this up at LA Comic Con (formerly known as Comikaze) when I saw John Joseph Adams and 'Press Start to Play' at a booth. He was selling anthologies two-for-$10. I grabbed this one and some other general sci-fi anthology book. I wasn't too excited about that other one. Sci-fi is sci-fi is sci-fi.
This puppy here excited me. I don't read horror, but the editor was a boss.
The stories in this collection all feel like they could be their own novels. They feel complete-yet-not. There are questions at the end of each story--each and every one!--that the authors trust us to figure out on our own. There's a genuine satisfaction that comes after every entry. Not even 'Press Start to Play' could muster that continuous quality.
At the same time, no one story seems to stand above the rest. I recall in PStP, Cory Doctorow's 'Anda's Game' stood out so hardcore that it eventually was adapted into the gorgeous graphic novel 'In Real Life' by Jen Wang. In this anthology, each story is so different--perhaps owing to a looser connecting theme--that there can't be a clear 'best work'.
Great authors, great editor. Yaaaaaaas.
Fun fact: I picked this up at LA Comic Con (formerly known as Comikaze) when I saw John Joseph Adams and 'Press Start to Play' at a booth. He was selling anthologies two-for-$10. I grabbed this one and some other general sci-fi anthology book. I wasn't too excited about that other one. Sci-fi is sci-fi is sci-fi.
This puppy here excited me. I don't read horror, but the editor was a boss.
The stories in this collection all feel like they could be their own novels. They feel complete-yet-not. There are questions at the end of each story--each and every one!--that the authors trust us to figure out on our own. There's a genuine satisfaction that comes after every entry. Not even 'Press Start to Play' could muster that continuous quality.
At the same time, no one story seems to stand above the rest. I recall in PStP, Cory Doctorow's 'Anda's Game' stood out so hardcore that it eventually was adapted into the gorgeous graphic novel 'In Real Life' by Jen Wang. In this anthology, each story is so different--perhaps owing to a looser connecting theme--that there can't be a clear 'best work'.
Great authors, great editor. Yaaaaaaas.
July 20, 2017
I have read another short story horror compilation book...!! AAA! Basically, twenty authors were asked to provide a short story that had to be so horrific, that at some point in the story it must be asked, "What The Fuck Is That??!" Right? We've all been there, right? So scared crap-less we have to utter that phrase in horror, when we get scared. It just pops right out, we have zero control. It is right up there with, "Oh my god!!" These can often be said together too. I. Digress. Ha ha!
Beautiful cover, drippy red reflective font, nice touch. Loved ALL of the stories, but a few were some of my faves. "#CONNOLLYHOUSE#WESHOULDNTBEHERE" by Seanan McGuire: LOVED it! The whole story of ghost hunting on TV live, all told in Tweet form. "THOSE GADDAM COOKIES", by Scott Sigler, and "WE ALL MAKE SACRIFICES. A SAM HUNTER ADVENTURE", by Jonathan Mayberry. All I can say is this book has been as addictively good, as most of the other compilations I have been reading lately. You will get hooked too!! Just warning you; can't stop at one...!
Beautiful cover, drippy red reflective font, nice touch. Loved ALL of the stories, but a few were some of my faves. "#CONNOLLYHOUSE#WESHOULDNTBEHERE" by Seanan McGuire: LOVED it! The whole story of ghost hunting on TV live, all told in Tweet form. "THOSE GADDAM COOKIES", by Scott Sigler, and "WE ALL MAKE SACRIFICES. A SAM HUNTER ADVENTURE", by Jonathan Mayberry. All I can say is this book has been as addictively good, as most of the other compilations I have been reading lately. You will get hooked too!! Just warning you; can't stop at one...!
August 17, 2017
So, I should probably start by saying that I don't think I really liked this book all that much, but I gave it a three star rating because I'm honestly not sure how fair my not really liking it is, how much it has to do with the quality of the book itself, or how much it's just me.
One thing to know about before getting into this book: These aren't monster stories. Oh, there are certainly some monsters to be found in many of the tales, but there are also ghosts and other things, even an (almost) purely human serial killer, although that tale does take a somewhat monster-ous turn by the end. I was, for whatever reason, expecting something more in the vein of John Langan and Paul Tremblay's monster anthology Creatures. When you see that "Anthology of the Monstrous and the Macabre" tagline, they're really leaning hard into that "and the macabre" part, so you're as likely to find ghosts and witches and whatnot in here as you are monsters. This is one of those things that isn't actually a criticism, but took me by surprise, and may have affected my enjoyment, so, y'know, heads up.
Broadly what that means is that this is an unthemed horror anthology, ranging, as the book's description has it, "from irreverent humor to straight out horror." This may also explain something of my difficulty with it. While I'm cool with the idea of an unthemed horror antho, the stories here sometimes felt jarring in their tonal differences., their jokiness giving way to gore or terror in ways that didn't always work for me. Which should probably come as no surprise, given the book's title and origins.
Originally a gag internet meme, the book had its beginnings in Mike Mignola's cover for the Harper Perennial edition of Tales of H.P. Lovecraft, edited by Joyce Carol Oates. Someone had taken the cover and replaced the title with the words "What the fuck is that," along with a supposed blurb from Stephen King saying, "I don't know what the fuck is going on." In his introduction to What the #@&% Is That?, Douglas Cohen, one half of the book's editorial duo, goes into the evolution from that meme to this book, which is predicated on the idea of not only using that as an actual title, but the gimmick that every story within its pages has to have a character say some variation on "What the #@&% is that?" (Possibly due to its origins in a meme about a Lovecraft book, many of the tales herein eventually wander into Lovecraftian territory, sometimes elegantly, sometimes in a somewhat more ungainly fashion.)
Which is all an extremely long winded way for me to say that I was expecting a book with the subtitle "Anthology of the Monstrous and the Macabre" to be more my thing (because really, what could more aptly describe "my thing," whatever it is, than those words), but this one wasn't. However, it might well be yours. There are plenty of good stories in here, including tales by some of my own perennial favorite authors like Amanda Downum, Gemma Files, and the aforementioned John Langan. A few other favorites by authors with whom I am less familiar include Maria Dahvana Headley's "Little Widow" and Isabel Yap's "Only Unclench Your Hand." Deserina Boskovich's "Down in the Deep and the Dark" was really well written and I was very into it, especially since I, myself, have vacationed in Eureka Springs, Arkansas several times and knew exactly which hotel had been repurposed for the story's setting, but the ending ultimately didn't work as well for me. And I was expecting a story called "Framing Mortensen" to deal with photographer William Mortensen either explicitly or obliquely, so this Tales from the Crypt-ish revenge story took me by surprise.
Speaking of Tales from the Crypt-ish, that nicely describes the book's final story, "Castleweep" by Alan Dean Foster, perhaps better known for his sci-fi movie novelizations. The story's plot would have been right at home in an EC horror comic, but the phenomenon it describes is by turns so potent and absurd that the tale winds up being a very striking note to end on. While the story is about as "straight out horror" as horror gets, its central conceit would feel right at home in a work of Bizarro fiction, yet loses none of its power (and, in fact, probably gains some) for all that.
One thing to know about before getting into this book: These aren't monster stories. Oh, there are certainly some monsters to be found in many of the tales, but there are also ghosts and other things, even an (almost) purely human serial killer, although that tale does take a somewhat monster-ous turn by the end. I was, for whatever reason, expecting something more in the vein of John Langan and Paul Tremblay's monster anthology Creatures. When you see that "Anthology of the Monstrous and the Macabre" tagline, they're really leaning hard into that "and the macabre" part, so you're as likely to find ghosts and witches and whatnot in here as you are monsters. This is one of those things that isn't actually a criticism, but took me by surprise, and may have affected my enjoyment, so, y'know, heads up.
Broadly what that means is that this is an unthemed horror anthology, ranging, as the book's description has it, "from irreverent humor to straight out horror." This may also explain something of my difficulty with it. While I'm cool with the idea of an unthemed horror antho, the stories here sometimes felt jarring in their tonal differences., their jokiness giving way to gore or terror in ways that didn't always work for me. Which should probably come as no surprise, given the book's title and origins.
Originally a gag internet meme, the book had its beginnings in Mike Mignola's cover for the Harper Perennial edition of Tales of H.P. Lovecraft, edited by Joyce Carol Oates. Someone had taken the cover and replaced the title with the words "What the fuck is that," along with a supposed blurb from Stephen King saying, "I don't know what the fuck is going on." In his introduction to What the #@&% Is That?, Douglas Cohen, one half of the book's editorial duo, goes into the evolution from that meme to this book, which is predicated on the idea of not only using that as an actual title, but the gimmick that every story within its pages has to have a character say some variation on "What the #@&% is that?" (Possibly due to its origins in a meme about a Lovecraft book, many of the tales herein eventually wander into Lovecraftian territory, sometimes elegantly, sometimes in a somewhat more ungainly fashion.)
Which is all an extremely long winded way for me to say that I was expecting a book with the subtitle "Anthology of the Monstrous and the Macabre" to be more my thing (because really, what could more aptly describe "my thing," whatever it is, than those words), but this one wasn't. However, it might well be yours. There are plenty of good stories in here, including tales by some of my own perennial favorite authors like Amanda Downum, Gemma Files, and the aforementioned John Langan. A few other favorites by authors with whom I am less familiar include Maria Dahvana Headley's "Little Widow" and Isabel Yap's "Only Unclench Your Hand." Deserina Boskovich's "Down in the Deep and the Dark" was really well written and I was very into it, especially since I, myself, have vacationed in Eureka Springs, Arkansas several times and knew exactly which hotel had been repurposed for the story's setting, but the ending ultimately didn't work as well for me. And I was expecting a story called "Framing Mortensen" to deal with photographer William Mortensen either explicitly or obliquely, so this Tales from the Crypt-ish revenge story took me by surprise.
Speaking of Tales from the Crypt-ish, that nicely describes the book's final story, "Castleweep" by Alan Dean Foster, perhaps better known for his sci-fi movie novelizations. The story's plot would have been right at home in an EC horror comic, but the phenomenon it describes is by turns so potent and absurd that the tale winds up being a very striking note to end on. While the story is about as "straight out horror" as horror gets, its central conceit would feel right at home in a work of Bizarro fiction, yet loses none of its power (and, in fact, probably gains some) for all that.
October 31, 2019
actual rating: 2.5
Often I look at an anthology on my TBR and go 'why is that even there' and the answer is usually 'because Seanan McGuire has a story in it'. I should really learn to just read her stories and skip the rest, but I guess it takes me a long time to learn things. I was also looking forward to the Grady Hendrix story but ended up not even finishing it. Oh well. A decent enough idea for a collection - although I'm glad they branched out beyond just Cthulhu related stuff. I am so sick to death of Cthulhu - but really none of the stories stood out to me in any special way. Seanan's was interesting both in that it was written entirely in tweets and also that I feels like an inspiration for In the Shadow of Spindrift House, which she published as Mira Grant earlier this year.
★★★ generally enjoyable or at least interesting, read the whole thing
FOSSIL HEART, DOWN IN THE DEEP AND THE DARK, ONLY UNCLENCH YOUR HAND, LITTLE WIDOW, NOW AND FOREVER, THE DAUGHTER OUT OF DARKNESS, FRAMING MORTENSEN, THE CATCH, #CONNOLLYHOUSE #WESHOULDNTBEHERE
★★ boring or annoying, probably skimming or stopped halfway through
MOBILITY, THOSE GADDAM COOKIES, THE SOUND OF HER LAUGHTER, THE BAD HOUR, WHAT IS LOST, WHAT IS GIVEN AWAY, GHOST PRESSURE, HUNTERS IN THE WOOD, THE HOUSE THAT LOVE BUILT
Did not read:
WE ALL MAKE SACRIFICES: A SAM HUNTER ADVENTURE - I don't know this character or series and it was rather long. Just didn't have the patience.
CASTLEWEEP & WHOSE DROWNED FACE SLEEPS - These were the last two stories and also rather long. Read the first few pages but honestly I was just entirely burnt out at this point. I wish someone could just put together an engaging anthology.
Often I look at an anthology on my TBR and go 'why is that even there' and the answer is usually 'because Seanan McGuire has a story in it'. I should really learn to just read her stories and skip the rest, but I guess it takes me a long time to learn things. I was also looking forward to the Grady Hendrix story but ended up not even finishing it. Oh well. A decent enough idea for a collection - although I'm glad they branched out beyond just Cthulhu related stuff. I am so sick to death of Cthulhu - but really none of the stories stood out to me in any special way. Seanan's was interesting both in that it was written entirely in tweets and also that I feels like an inspiration for In the Shadow of Spindrift House, which she published as Mira Grant earlier this year.
★★★ generally enjoyable or at least interesting, read the whole thing
FOSSIL HEART, DOWN IN THE DEEP AND THE DARK, ONLY UNCLENCH YOUR HAND, LITTLE WIDOW, NOW AND FOREVER, THE DAUGHTER OUT OF DARKNESS, FRAMING MORTENSEN, THE CATCH, #CONNOLLYHOUSE #WESHOULDNTBEHERE
★★ boring or annoying, probably skimming or stopped halfway through
MOBILITY, THOSE GADDAM COOKIES, THE SOUND OF HER LAUGHTER, THE BAD HOUR, WHAT IS LOST, WHAT IS GIVEN AWAY, GHOST PRESSURE, HUNTERS IN THE WOOD, THE HOUSE THAT LOVE BUILT
Did not read:
WE ALL MAKE SACRIFICES: A SAM HUNTER ADVENTURE - I don't know this character or series and it was rather long. Just didn't have the patience.
CASTLEWEEP & WHOSE DROWNED FACE SLEEPS - These were the last two stories and also rather long. Read the first few pages but honestly I was just entirely burnt out at this point. I wish someone could just put together an engaging anthology.
October 13, 2018
This was a solid collection, although much less cosmic horror-centered than I was expecting, which was a bit of a letdown. Still, it was an overall enjoyable read, and there are two stories in particular that I highly recommend.
The first is Seanan McGuire's "#connollyhouse #weshouldn'tbehere". Although I'm a fan of McGuire, I have to admit that I was a bit wary of this one. I mean, a horror story told in tweets? Sounds gimmicky and trying too hard to be "current," even if it is from a great author. So imagine my surprise when it turned out to be the scariest story in the book, and that was largely due to the format. Tweets may not be able to give us all the details, but it's clear throughout the story that something is very wrong at Connolly House, and not knowing what exactly is going on just adds to the horror.
The other is "Framing Mortensen" by Adam-Troy Castro, in which a man traps his archenemy within a painting and uses his art skills to torture him. This is the second story of Castro's that I've read, and both have been highly original and imaginative. "Framing Mortensen" just confirms my belief that he is an author to follow.
The other stories range from decent to good; the only one I'd recommend skipping is Simon R. Green's "The Sound of Her Laughter," which barely fits the theme and reads like a sci-fi B-movie (and not in a fun way), and perhaps Amanda Downum's "Fossil Heart," whose protagonist I found very difficult to emphasize with, but who also wasn't despicable enough to actively root against (until maybe the very end). A few other stories start strong but fizzle towards the end, but are overall still worth reading.
It may not have been exactly what I was expecting, but What the #@&% Is That? is a good read if you're looking for a collection of weird, inventive horror stories. If that sounds interesting to you, check it out.
The first is Seanan McGuire's "#connollyhouse #weshouldn'tbehere". Although I'm a fan of McGuire, I have to admit that I was a bit wary of this one. I mean, a horror story told in tweets? Sounds gimmicky and trying too hard to be "current," even if it is from a great author. So imagine my surprise when it turned out to be the scariest story in the book, and that was largely due to the format. Tweets may not be able to give us all the details, but it's clear throughout the story that something is very wrong at Connolly House, and not knowing what exactly is going on just adds to the horror.
The other is "Framing Mortensen" by Adam-Troy Castro, in which a man traps his archenemy within a painting and uses his art skills to torture him. This is the second story of Castro's that I've read, and both have been highly original and imaginative. "Framing Mortensen" just confirms my belief that he is an author to follow.
The other stories range from decent to good; the only one I'd recommend skipping is Simon R. Green's "The Sound of Her Laughter," which barely fits the theme and reads like a sci-fi B-movie (and not in a fun way), and perhaps Amanda Downum's "Fossil Heart," whose protagonist I found very difficult to emphasize with, but who also wasn't despicable enough to actively root against (until maybe the very end). A few other stories start strong but fizzle towards the end, but are overall still worth reading.
It may not have been exactly what I was expecting, but What the #@&% Is That? is a good read if you're looking for a collection of weird, inventive horror stories. If that sounds interesting to you, check it out.
July 28, 2020
3 stars only because 2.5 isn't an option. Some good stories in here but also several that seemed to be trying for too much existential abstraction. As well as what felt like authors who had their own preachy agendas to advance.
December 22, 2016
The stories that work are really very good, but the anthology overall is very uneven. While the theme is amusing - I don't think it was strong enough to wrap a full anthology around.
I especially liked Seanan McGuire's "#CONNOLLYHOUSE #WE SHOULDN'T BE HERE" which managed to give me chills with only a series of tweets.
I especially liked Seanan McGuire's "#CONNOLLYHOUSE #WE SHOULDN'T BE HERE" which managed to give me chills with only a series of tweets.
Want to read
November 21, 2016Read Scott Sigler's story 11/20/16. Great! Left me hungry for chocolate chip cookies!
February 2, 2017
Some stories were pretty good, some I didn't like that much. But overall it was a fun collection of WTF IS THAT?!!!!
March 27, 2020
This 2016 anthology from editors John Joseph Adams and Douglas Cohen showcases twenty short stories from twenty different authors, and each one is guaranteed to have a character ask the phrase "what the #@&% is that?" At the same time, most readers will read these stories and probably ask themselves the same question. Without becoming too derivative or homogeneous, this collection delivers twenty unique pieces of weird fiction, many of which dips into the realms of cosmic (or Lovecraftian horror). Others are more gothic in nature. A couple of these are science fiction. A couple are fantasy. Some stories are more literary than others. But all of them offer a touch of the surreal. It's bound to lose many readers, but for me this turned out to be a perfect selection.
Of course, some stories elicit more excitement than others. I'm largely unfamiliar with all of these authors, save for Alan Dean Foster, probably the most accomplished of the lot. The other writers are no slouches though, and many have impressive resumes. I appreciate the craft that went into most of these stories--there's a familiar pattern that emerges, in which each story sets up characters, tensions escalate, something bizarre is discovered, then there's an unsettling payoff.
My favorites of this collection include Scott Sigler's "Those Gaddam Cookies," Christopher Golden's "The Bad Hour," D. Thomas Minton's "Now and Forever," Grady Hendrix's "The House That Love Built," Adam-Troy Castro's "Framing Mortensen," Terence Taylor's "The Catch," and Foster's "Castleweep." Jonathan Maberry's "We All Make Sacrifices" is listed as a "Sam Hunter Adventure," which is a series I'm unfamiliar with--turns out it's about a werewolf PI. I gotta say though, I was genuinely hooked by its voice and content. Out of all these stories though, it is Seanan McGuire's "#connollyhouse #weshouldn'tbehere" that unsettled me the most--it's written entirely as a Twitter feed, but it plays around with the timestamps and hashtags to underscore a paranormal threat, and I'm personally awed that McGuire crafted the story so effectively using such minimalist techniques. Just about every story utilizes good narrative voices and structure to present unique ideas, and sometimes different techniques. Some of them are so fantastic they could make your head spin. All of them are quite edgy in terms of content and language. Many showcase mean-spirited characters, but I never reached a point where I wanted to punch any of them--most of the authors succeeded in finding balance, resonance, and depth to make even the cruelest character relatable.
Even the stories I liked less are pretty noteworthy. Laird Barron's "Mobility" has one of the strangest finales of the lot--it has to be read to be believed. Nancy Holder's "The Daughter of Darkness" bears some of the strongest Lovecraftian parallels, albeit without copycatting--it's quite effective. I can't help but to admire the characters and prose involved with An Owomoyela and Rachel Swirsky's "Whose Drowned Face Sleeps"--this piece oozed potent emotion and imagery. Amanda Downum's "Fossil Heart," Simon R. Green's "The Sound of Her Laughter," Desirina Boskovich's "Down in the Deep and the Dark," Isabel Yap's "Only Unclench Your Hand," Gemma Files' "Ghost Pressure," Tim Pratt's "Hunters in the Wood"--all of these have their inherent strengths in their respective stories, characters, and prose, even if I found them a little less exciting. That only leaves Maria Dahvana Headley's "Little Widow" as my least favorite, but it's probably more the case that I failed to grasp its meaning (although I do have to say, I found it rather disjointed).
There's a little bit of everything, but it's a largely dark and macabre collection with a lot of surreal twists and unusual monstrosities that will likely get under your skin. Some stories pack a surprising emotional punch, and others yet are just perfectly-paced. I found myself looking forward to reading each new selection, and I came out of most stories pleased. It's just the perfect blend of literature that's sometimes challenging, sometimes inspiring, but always fascinating.
9/10
Of course, some stories elicit more excitement than others. I'm largely unfamiliar with all of these authors, save for Alan Dean Foster, probably the most accomplished of the lot. The other writers are no slouches though, and many have impressive resumes. I appreciate the craft that went into most of these stories--there's a familiar pattern that emerges, in which each story sets up characters, tensions escalate, something bizarre is discovered, then there's an unsettling payoff.
My favorites of this collection include Scott Sigler's "Those Gaddam Cookies," Christopher Golden's "The Bad Hour," D. Thomas Minton's "Now and Forever," Grady Hendrix's "The House That Love Built," Adam-Troy Castro's "Framing Mortensen," Terence Taylor's "The Catch," and Foster's "Castleweep." Jonathan Maberry's "We All Make Sacrifices" is listed as a "Sam Hunter Adventure," which is a series I'm unfamiliar with--turns out it's about a werewolf PI. I gotta say though, I was genuinely hooked by its voice and content. Out of all these stories though, it is Seanan McGuire's "#connollyhouse #weshouldn'tbehere" that unsettled me the most--it's written entirely as a Twitter feed, but it plays around with the timestamps and hashtags to underscore a paranormal threat, and I'm personally awed that McGuire crafted the story so effectively using such minimalist techniques. Just about every story utilizes good narrative voices and structure to present unique ideas, and sometimes different techniques. Some of them are so fantastic they could make your head spin. All of them are quite edgy in terms of content and language. Many showcase mean-spirited characters, but I never reached a point where I wanted to punch any of them--most of the authors succeeded in finding balance, resonance, and depth to make even the cruelest character relatable.
Even the stories I liked less are pretty noteworthy. Laird Barron's "Mobility" has one of the strangest finales of the lot--it has to be read to be believed. Nancy Holder's "The Daughter of Darkness" bears some of the strongest Lovecraftian parallels, albeit without copycatting--it's quite effective. I can't help but to admire the characters and prose involved with An Owomoyela and Rachel Swirsky's "Whose Drowned Face Sleeps"--this piece oozed potent emotion and imagery. Amanda Downum's "Fossil Heart," Simon R. Green's "The Sound of Her Laughter," Desirina Boskovich's "Down in the Deep and the Dark," Isabel Yap's "Only Unclench Your Hand," Gemma Files' "Ghost Pressure," Tim Pratt's "Hunters in the Wood"--all of these have their inherent strengths in their respective stories, characters, and prose, even if I found them a little less exciting. That only leaves Maria Dahvana Headley's "Little Widow" as my least favorite, but it's probably more the case that I failed to grasp its meaning (although I do have to say, I found it rather disjointed).
There's a little bit of everything, but it's a largely dark and macabre collection with a lot of surreal twists and unusual monstrosities that will likely get under your skin. Some stories pack a surprising emotional punch, and others yet are just perfectly-paced. I found myself looking forward to reading each new selection, and I came out of most stories pleased. It's just the perfect blend of literature that's sometimes challenging, sometimes inspiring, but always fascinating.
9/10
February 2, 2017
John Joseph Adams does it again in "What the #@&% Is That?: The Saga Anthology of the Monstrous and the Macabre", a superlative collection of top-notch talent writing original work, all with the tagline found in the title.
As anthologies go, this one was really strong. I can't say I enjoyed all the stories equally - some were simply written in a style which I did not care for, or did not enjoy - but whether I "liked" the tale or not, is irrelevant. The sheer quality of writing in each work is top-shelf stuff across the board.
In absolutely no specific order, my favorites in the collection included:
- THE SOUND OF HER LAUGHTER by Simon R. Green
- THE BAD HOUR by Christopher Golden
- #CONNOLLYHOUSE #WESHOULDNTBEHERE by Seanan McGuire (Must read for narrative structure alone!)
- WE ALL MAKE SACRIFICES by Jonathan Maberry
- GHOST PRESSURE by Gemma Files
- CASTLEWEEP by Alan Dean Foster
As anthologies go, this one was really strong. I can't say I enjoyed all the stories equally - some were simply written in a style which I did not care for, or did not enjoy - but whether I "liked" the tale or not, is irrelevant. The sheer quality of writing in each work is top-shelf stuff across the board.
In absolutely no specific order, my favorites in the collection included:
- THE SOUND OF HER LAUGHTER by Simon R. Green
- THE BAD HOUR by Christopher Golden
- #CONNOLLYHOUSE #WESHOULDNTBEHERE by Seanan McGuire (Must read for narrative structure alone!)
- WE ALL MAKE SACRIFICES by Jonathan Maberry
- GHOST PRESSURE by Gemma Files
- CASTLEWEEP by Alan Dean Foster
February 28, 2023
This collection included a wide variety of authors included, so I’m just gonna touch base on my absolute favorite stories from the book:
-The Bad Hour, Christopher Golden. A short about a vet looking for a missing friend who is also a vet. An unusual town, and a horror that should have been left undisturbed. A solid five stars, and I’d LOVE to see this one evolve into an entire novel.
-What is Lost, What is Given Away, John Langan. A class reunion, a disgraced teacher, and horror on a scale no one will believe. Four stars.
-Now and Forever, D Thomas Minton. Cosmic horror, and insanity meet in one man’s quest to save his family in a horrible turn of events. Four stars.
-Ghost Pressure, Gemma Files. A care team for end of life care, settling into a new region. A patient with wild stories, and an ending that will make you doubt everything your parents ever told you. Five stars.
All in all, a fun and quick read.
-The Bad Hour, Christopher Golden. A short about a vet looking for a missing friend who is also a vet. An unusual town, and a horror that should have been left undisturbed. A solid five stars, and I’d LOVE to see this one evolve into an entire novel.
-What is Lost, What is Given Away, John Langan. A class reunion, a disgraced teacher, and horror on a scale no one will believe. Four stars.
-Now and Forever, D Thomas Minton. Cosmic horror, and insanity meet in one man’s quest to save his family in a horrible turn of events. Four stars.
-Ghost Pressure, Gemma Files. A care team for end of life care, settling into a new region. A patient with wild stories, and an ending that will make you doubt everything your parents ever told you. Five stars.
All in all, a fun and quick read.
May 18, 2019
A friend of mine is going through the process of downsizing their library and this was one of the books they passed on to me. The idea for this short story collection came from a meme, which was based on the cover art used for a collection of tales written by HP Lovecraft.
It's a solid collection of stories, my one critique is that the endings often seem rather abrupt and rather than leaving me wanting more, they leave me wondering what I just read. The story that stands out for me is "The Catch" by Terence Taylor, which was extremely well written and fully formed.
I have not read many short story collections, but have been meaning to change that. So this was a great opportunity to get things started.
It's a solid collection of stories, my one critique is that the endings often seem rather abrupt and rather than leaving me wanting more, they leave me wondering what I just read. The story that stands out for me is "The Catch" by Terence Taylor, which was extremely well written and fully formed.
I have not read many short story collections, but have been meaning to change that. So this was a great opportunity to get things started.
August 8, 2018
I love anthology books. You never know just quite what you're getting yourself into. They will be filled with stories ranging from good to bad and everything in between. And since it's all short stories, if you don't like one, the next is just around the corner. They also give you an excellent idea of whether or not you'll enjoy other works from a dozen or so authors you may have never read before. Such a joy!
In this case, the book's stories revolve around creature features. Some are mundane like werewolves or Cthulhu. Others are bizarre and imaginative (my favourites). If you want some crazy horror, this is the book for you!
In this case, the book's stories revolve around creature features. Some are mundane like werewolves or Cthulhu. Others are bizarre and imaginative (my favourites). If you want some crazy horror, this is the book for you!
July 19, 2019
I loved most of the stories that were in this collection.
They were interesting, fun, and had way more diversity than what I was expecting. I'm really used to reading horror stories that deal with straight white men (not that this book doesn't have any stories about straight white men), so it was a breath of fresh air to run across stories with gay women of color, gay men, children and other usually ignored demographics in the lead role. It definitely introduced me to a few authors that I would love to follow any of their other works.
The only negative thing I would say is that I didn't find any particular story terrifying. That being said my partner did so take that as you may.
They were interesting, fun, and had way more diversity than what I was expecting. I'm really used to reading horror stories that deal with straight white men (not that this book doesn't have any stories about straight white men), so it was a breath of fresh air to run across stories with gay women of color, gay men, children and other usually ignored demographics in the lead role. It definitely introduced me to a few authors that I would love to follow any of their other works.
The only negative thing I would say is that I didn't find any particular story terrifying. That being said my partner did so take that as you may.
March 26, 2023
…..
…..
As a terribly potty-mouthed fan of the macabre, how could I resist this premise~every story in this collection of monster tales contains the exclamation, “What the #@&% is that?” This is absolutely, beyond any doubt, the most appropriate and realistic line that could be included within every story in a collection about fiends, demons, assorted deep ones, and elder things out of time and space. Brilliant!
There are tales of paralyzing terror or deep despair to sarcastic wit and laugh out loud humor. I particularly enjoyed escalating tweets of “#connollyhouse #weshouldntbehere”, the heart-stopping action and irony of “Now and Forever”, and the neat switch on a usual victim in the cult tale, “Little Widow”. But, dare enter and you’ll find your own favorites,
IA! IA! Cthulhu fhtagn, indeed!!
…..
…..
…..
As a terribly potty-mouthed fan of the macabre, how could I resist this premise~every story in this collection of monster tales contains the exclamation, “What the #@&% is that?” This is absolutely, beyond any doubt, the most appropriate and realistic line that could be included within every story in a collection about fiends, demons, assorted deep ones, and elder things out of time and space. Brilliant!
There are tales of paralyzing terror or deep despair to sarcastic wit and laugh out loud humor. I particularly enjoyed escalating tweets of “#connollyhouse #weshouldntbehere”, the heart-stopping action and irony of “Now and Forever”, and the neat switch on a usual victim in the cult tale, “Little Widow”. But, dare enter and you’ll find your own favorites,
IA! IA! Cthulhu fhtagn, indeed!!
…..
…..
August 5, 2017
neither great nor terrible, the collection's kind of a mixed bag. even the lesser stories are pretty entertaining, but there's the rare story which really grabs the reader and leaves a distinct memory. thinking back on this, there's just a vague recollection of a lot of lovecraft homages, which get a little tiresome. "#CONNOLLYHOUSE#WESHOULDNTBEHERE" is the best story in the collection, managing to be absolutely terrifying and conveyed entirely in tweets, a combination which is both amazing and impressive, as well as surprising.
January 21, 2019
As this book is an anthology, my rating is a compromise. Of the 20 short stories, I loved 6: Only Unclench Your Hand by Isabel Yap, Little Widow by Maria Dahvana Headley, #connollyhouse #weshouldntbehere by Seanan McGuire, The Catch by Terence Taylor, Hunters in the Wood by Tim Pratt and Whose Drowned Face Sleeps by An Owomoyela and Rachel Swirsky. A few of the others bored me to the point where I put the book down and didn't want to pick it up again, and so it took me six days to get through it.
May 26, 2021
Wish I could have enjoyed this more. I loved the idea of an anthology with monsters and the phrase "what the fuck is that?". Really clever in my opinion and certainly had me excited to see when the question would appear and for what purpose. Stories I enjoyed: Mobility; Those Gaddam Cookies; The Sound of Her Laughter; Down in the Deep and the Dark; What is Lost, What is Given Away; We All Make Sacrifices; and The Catch. I mostly wanted to read this for the Grady Hendrix story but I didn't care for it.
July 15, 2022
Since I'm a sucker for a good short story, I always enjoy an anthology. This one caught my eye, based on the premise and a few familiar authors (Grady Hendrix, Christopher Golden, Nancy Holder, etc). Most of the stories were good, there were only really 2 or 3 (out of 20) that I felt were blah. My favorites included: "The Sound of Her Laughter", "Down in the Deep and the Dark", "What is Lost, What is Given Away", "#ConnollyHouse #WeShouldntBeHere" and "Framing Mortensen".
January 3, 2025
"Twenty stories, and in every story, one character is guaranteed to say, 'What the #@&% is that?'"
You get whats on the label with this one. I have been chugging through this on and off since 2017(?) mainly at work between customers. Some of the stories are really good and real page turners others even now, going on 8 years later, I can only remember them as slogfests that only made the cut because they added "the line".
Its really a mixed bag. I would feel bad for deterring anyone from reading it because the good stories were really good, but the lows really drag this collection down.
You get whats on the label with this one. I have been chugging through this on and off since 2017(?) mainly at work between customers. Some of the stories are really good and real page turners others even now, going on 8 years later, I can only remember them as slogfests that only made the cut because they added "the line".
Its really a mixed bag. I would feel bad for deterring anyone from reading it because the good stories were really good, but the lows really drag this collection down.
July 30, 2017
Solid anthology. Overall a lot of good writing to pick at.
I'm not going to call out any stories as bad. There were a few torture porn stories in here that I wasn't all that excited about, but they fit the theme and were readable.
Recommended: Laird Barron's story and Whose Drowned Face Sleeps.
I'm not going to call out any stories as bad. There were a few torture porn stories in here that I wasn't all that excited about, but they fit the theme and were readable.
Recommended: Laird Barron's story and Whose Drowned Face Sleeps.
May 15, 2018
Sometimes it isn't the book, it's the reader. I didn't enjoy the read, but it wasn't the worst I've ever read. I personally don't think they were written badly, or that the stories weren't developed or stimulating, but instead it is that I am perhaps not the audience that would compliment the collection.
February 17, 2019
Overall I really enjoyed the stories in this anthology. Laird Barron is becoming one of my favorite horror authors and I was introduced to a few others I plan on checking out. There was one story I felt didn’t fit at all, it was fine, but overall boring & very predictable.
October 17, 2022
Like most anthologies, there were hits and misses. Loved the concept of authors using the phrase "What the (fill in the blank) is that?" at least once in their story. My favorite story was The House that Love Built by Grady Hendrix.
December 1, 2016
I only read two of the stories:
"The house that love built" by Grady Hendrix
"We all make sacrifices: a Sam Hunter adventure" by Jonathan Maberry
I liked them both very much.
"The house that love built" by Grady Hendrix
"We all make sacrifices: a Sam Hunter adventure" by Jonathan Maberry
I liked them both very much.
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