'A chilling horror anthology of 18 stories about the terrifying fears of isolation, from the modern masters of horror. Featuring Tim Lebbon, Paul Tremblay, Joe R. Lansdale, M.R. Carey, Ken Liu and many more.
'Lost in the wilderness, or shunned from society, it remains one of our deepest held fears. This horror anthology calls on leading horror writers to confront the dark moments, the challenges that we must face alone: hikers lost in the woods; astronauts adrift in the silence of deep space; the quiet voice trapped in a crowd; the prisoner, with no hope of escape. Experience the chilling terrors of Isolation.'
Isolation is a key component to horror. Whether it's being stranded in a remote location, living alone in an old house filled with strange noises, or having to face a monster all on your own, it's a big part of the genre. And it's probably the thing from horror that most of us will have to content with at some point in our lives; especially over the last few years. Humans thrive on companionship, and even the most introverted person will need someone once in a while. Facing horror alone is something that can be more frightening than the horror itself, and Isolation: The Horror Anthology understands that. Collecting together eighteen stories from some of the best writers in the genre, this book has a huge variety of tales on offer.
The book begins with the story 'The Snow Child' by Alison Littewood, and perfectly set the tone for the entire book. Telling the story of a woman travelling home to spend some time with her mother, it covers isolation in a number of ways. The two of them are living in a cabin the middle of the woods in winter, away from other people and away from help. But the woman is also isolated from her mother, with their relationship having been strained to near breaking point, even when they're together she's practically alone. And these are ideas that will end up being repeated across multiple stories in this book, that even when you're not physically alone, or if you're in a location where there are others around you, you can still be incredibly isolated.
Littlewood's story has some incredibly creepy imagery in it too, with ice children surrounding the remote snow covered home, a mother becoming increasingly detached from society, and the vastness of the countryside around her all adding together to make some vivid images that are designed to unsettle. It's a good choice to have this as the first story in the book, as it draws the reader in with its very normal, relatable set-up, and before you know it it's changed from this story of a woman trying to reconnect with her mother into something much more twisted. And by then you're hooked, you want to read more, and you have the rest of the book waiting for you.
'Solivagant' by A.G. Slatter is a supernatural story where the isolation and the horror don't come about from the monstrous creature at the heart of the tale, but instead are because of an evil that will be unfortunately recognisable to many people. The story is about Kitty, a young woman living in a small town under an assumed name, working in a local grocery store, doing her best to get by, but making no friends and no connections. She wants to, but she can't because of her boyfriend, her abusers, Cinna. Cinna is a vampire, and takes a great deal of pleasure in the pain that he spreads. Having groomed Kitty when she was younger, sucked her in to a life that she doesn't really want, he's kept her young for years whilst keeping her in misery.
Whilst the fact that Kitty's life is being controlled by an undead being, it's an isolation that does effect far too many people in the real world. Domestic abuse is one of the most isolating things that a person can go through. Surrounded by other people, but unable to get close to anyone for fear of what might happen if they do. It's a very visceral story underneath it's supernatural coating. One that I think will get under the skin of a lot of readers.
'The Peculiar Secclusion of Molly McMarshall' by Gwendolyn Kiste stands out because it's not written like many of the other stories in this book. Split up into transcripts of security camera footage, descriptions of missing posters, and extracts from articles, it tells a story through snapshots that build a bigger narrative as it unfolds, revealing a truly creepy series of events. It makes isolation feel different, like an insidious infection that can spread and infect.
The story tells us about Molly McMarshall, a young woman who went into her house one day and never came out again. Standing alone in her window, watching the world outside, everyone could see Molly was still alive, but she never moved, never stopped to sleep, and never left her house. When people begin to worry about her try to get her to come out, to open the door, but she refuses. All attempts to get in are met with failure. But when people begin to notice a strange, dark presence standing behind her, it becomes clear that there's something truly awful in there with her.
Joe R. Lansdale's 'The Long Dead Day' is one of the shorter stories in the book, but also one of the saddest, and you very quickly come to care about the people in it. Set in a zombie apocalypse, it follows a man as he learns that his young daughter has been bitten by one of the undead, and what he chooses to do when he discovers this. I don't want to say much about it so as not to spoil it, but Landale does a lot of character and world building in a very short space, and you end up coming away feeling like you've read a much bigger story.
Another zombie story from the selection (there are a few) that takes a different approach is 'Second Wind' by M.R. Carey, which is set in a world where people come back after they die, as either ghosts or zombies. It's not a zombie apocalypse or anything like that, just that some people die, but carry on. The story follows Nick, a highly successful stock trader who ends up dying young thanks to his high pressure, high intensity lifestyle. Luckily, he's prepared for the eventuality of coming back as a zombie, and has a plan in place to keep himself preserved, and locked away from the rest of the world so that he can keep doing the things he loves. However, when a homeless woman ends up getting inside his carefully constructed hideaway, he begins to change his outlook on life....well, death.
I really enjoyed this story, thanks in part to the fact that the horror elements kind of took a back seat. The supernatural was a part of it, and the story wouldn't exist without them, but at its heart it's a story about people. Nick has never needed people in his life, and never considers needing any kind of connection now that he's dead. The relationship that begins to form between these two people is the highlight of this story, and it makes it stand out as perhaps not really a horror story, but a nice human story set in a more extraordinary world.
'Friends for Life' by Mark Morris tells the story of Daniel, a man living alone in the pandemic shortly after the death of his mother. Having never really been one to socialise much or spend time with people outside of work, he's come to realise that his life is getting a bit lonely. But when he sees a flyer for a local meet and greet group near his home he ends up giving it a shot and actually starts making some friends. As he gets to know the people there he begins to relax, and makes some genuine connections. But when he ends up going on a trip with one of the group things begin to take a sinister turn.
This story is super creepy in a way that you don't get enough of. It's a folk horror tale in the vein of The Wicker Man, and even though at a certain point you can see the turn coming you end up reading on hoping that Daniel will realise just what kind of story he's in. There's something super creepy about small villages and old traditions that this story absolutely nails. And whilst the horror doesn't happen in isolation, Daniel is very much preyed upon and drawn in because of his isolation at the start, and ends up as the only 'sane' person come the end, standing him alone in a sea of horror.
There are many more amazing stories in Isolation: The Horror Anthology, with stories that cover apocalypse scenarios, haunted houses, frightening dreamscapes, and hospitals to name but a few. there are stories by Jonathan Maberry, Brian Evenson, Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ, Michael Marshall Smith, Lynda E. Rucker, Marian Womack, Nina Allan, Ken Liu, Owl Goingback, Ramsey Campbell, Paul Tremblay, Laird Barron, Tim Lebbon, and Lisa Tuttle rounding out the collection.
If you're a fan of horror this book will appeal to you for sure. It has a huge variety in styles and genres, and you'll find stories that delight, disturb, and challenge in equal measure.
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