'The Ghastling’s thirteenth issue features tales of strange visitors, unnatural children, canny and uncanny animals and lost souls trapped between our world and the next.
'Includes stories from William Burton McCormick, Kaitlynn McShea, Lena Ng, Damien B. Raphael, Megan Stannard, Emily Ruth Verona, Beanie Aurora White, Nick Ryle Wright and Ann Wuehler.'
I received a copy of book thirteen of The Ghastling as part of my subscription to the horror themed book box The Abominable Book Club, and was instantly drawn to its bold, eye catching cover. I'd never picked up a short story magazine before, but a quick flick through the pages of this book instantly had my interest, as it's variety of contents and punchy interior design made it something I knew I was going to be reading very, very soon.
The Ghastling was created back in the much cheerier and more hopeful days of 2014 by Rebecca Parfitt. A biannual short story magazine with a bent towards the creepy and the classical, it captures the feel and style of the Penny-Dreadful's.
This issue is packed with a host of interesting stories, and begins with 'Grubble' by Damien B. Raphael, which tells the story of a young woman discovering a doll made of straw in the woods. This living doll feeds on fabric and clothing, and begins to grow; but when the young woman tells her mother about her new friend she's faced with a truly horrifying reaction.
'The King of the Rats' by Lena Ng is a story that I definitely wished I'd read in another room of the house, as my own pet rats were watching me at the time and made me feel a little uneasy. It tells the story of William Hughes, a doctor who receives a letter from an uncle he's never met, asking him to travel out to his country home so that they can discuss some important paperwork and secure an inheritance for William. But once he arrives at his uncles home he discovers something sinister lurking within.
Readers are transported to the small town of San Miguel E Grande in Mexico in 'Mojigamgas' by Kaitlynn McShea. Artist Alonso works hard to create his giants for the local festival, creating some of the best around, and is overjoyed to discover that his wife is expecting their first child; but their lives take a dark and tragic turn when the next festival comes around.
'Slack Water' by Megan Stannard follows the spirits of two young women who've lost their lives to tragic circumstances, whose bodies now reside deep in the canal, waiting to be discovered. Despite never knowing each other in life, these two women have become friends in death, and their darkly comedic tale will have you wanting to spend more time with these two young women.
Ann Wuehler's 'Jimmy's Jar Collection' sees bored teen Park spending time with her cousin Jimmy in the local cemetery, where the young lad has a collection of jars filled with strange concoctions. Jimmy claims that these are his ghost lures, and that with just a bit of patience and luck he's able to draw ghosts into the jars and trap them. At first Park doesn't believe a word of what he's saying, but then she begins to notice that they might not be completely alone in the graveyard after-all.
If you ever wonder what your pets are looking at when you catch them just staring at nothing, or barking at something that isn't there 'The Dog Lives In This One' by Emily Ruth Verona answers these questions. We even get the story from the point of view of a good doggy who protects their owner from the things that inhabit their home with them.
'Unlucky For Some' by Nick Ryle Wright tells the story of Charles, a bingo caller who used to be the fun, much loved host of the local bingo hall, but things have changed. The hall has been taken over by a big firm that doesn't like his way of doing things, the personal touch is gone and he doesn't enjoy the work anymore, and his partner has moved on without him when he doesn't want to do something with his life. Charles sets out to try and do something better with himself, but sometimes that's easier said than done.
'1000 Rabbits' by Beanie Aurora White takes readers to a small town where the Father Yakob sets out to bring good luck to the people by killing and skinning 1000 rabbits before the end of the year. However, once the 1000th rabbit has been skinned his daughter begins to see a strange boy appearing round town, and bad things start to happen. Perhaps Yakob has brought his town the exact opposite of good luck with his bloodthirsty goal.
The final story in the collection, 'The Bell Keeper's Tale' by William Burton McCormick takes readers to the port town of Riga, where a bell keep tells us about the strange hauntings that take place within the walls of his old church, and the strange things that happen to those that try to stay within its walls overnight. When strange figures appear in the church he suspects they may be supernatural beings.
One of the things that's absolutely wonderful about this book is the sheer variety to the types of stories on offer here. Some feel like Gothic stories, things from hundreds of years ago, whilst others feel incredibly modern, and take a new approach to their narrative. Some show us the less frightening side to the supernatural, whilst others are designed to chill.
I was deeply impressed with not just the quality of the words within the book, but the entire design. The editorial team have done a wonderful job of creating something that feels a bit special. The illustrations and artwork throughout not only compliment the stories, but help to evoke the pulpy, newspaper-like Penny Dreadful's, complete with mock advertisements.
If you've never picked up a short story magazine before, but are considering doing so, I'd definitely say that The Ghastling is well worth a consideration.
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