Unspeakable: A Queer Gothic Anthology edited by Celine Frohn
I would like to thank the editors for an advance copy of this collection in exchange for a fair and honest review
Publisher – Nyx publishing
Published – Out Now
Price - £9.99 paperback £4.59 Kindle eBook
Unspeakable contains eighteen Gothic tales with uncanny twists and characters that creep under your skin. Its stories feature sapphic ghosts, terrifying creatures of the sea, and haunted houses concealing their own secrets. Whether you're looking for your non-binary knight in shining armour or a poly family to murder with, Unspeakable showcases the best contemporary Gothic queer short fiction.
Even dark tales deserve their time in the sun
Fear happens to us all. But what makes us scared and how we react to it will always differ. I have talked many times over the years about the importance of representation - seeing yourself in a story makes a huge difference; and for a others a chance to take a trip in someone else’s life perhaps helps our own understanding . In Unspeakable – A Queer Gothic Anthology edited by Celine Frohn I got a great opportunity to read eighteen horror stories featuring queer characters in a range of familiar and unfamiliar settings. It’s a delightful and varied collection and well worth picking up
Amongst the stories in this I loved are
Let Down by Claire Hamilton Russell – This opening tale helps set the tone for the collection with more realistic take on Rapunzel. The horror comes from seeing how the curse has physically affected her body and attempts to rescue her. Here our hero is a non-binary knight. Well-paced; great sense of tension and two great character studies.
Moonlight by Ally Kolzow – Probably the most gothic of the tales in the collection. A wonderfully tragic atmospheric tale of two women trapped in the past and a huge weird house for love. I loved the build up of language and the sense of mystery about why these women were stuck here. Love can be painful.
An Account of Service at Meryll Point – as recollected and set down by CL – a servant recounts a household that had a long running mystery of a women trapped in a tower despite its affable host. A smart and clever mystery with a heartfelt resolution.
The White Door by Lindsay King-Miller – another standard twist upon a classic theme as the roguish narrator Margaret arrives to find fresh work for herself (and possibly a few romances) but finds the Duke’s castle is full of sickness and his beautiful wife lies dead. Margaret finds herself compelled to seek revenge but an even darker path beckons. Some great reveals and loved how this played with the classic format.
Doctor Barlowe’s Mirror by Avery Kit Malone – This story takes us into the world of science going too far as young Matthias increasingly finds himself entranced by a strange black glass mirror that can show him potential new futures for him and his handsome employer. But reflections cannot always be trusted. I loved the weirdness of this tale as Matthias’ reflection is quite ambiguous in its intentions – friend or foe?
The Moon in the Glass by Jude Reid – One of my favourites in the collection a young bride is shocked to have found that her sister in law apparently committed suicide on her brother’s wedding day. A family secret is about to be unearthed as her spectre keeps appearing in her eyes (plus a huge moon). Great build up; a twisting plot and delicious reveal of character’s true intentions.
Hearteater by Eliza Temple – A man who is not a man knocks at the door of a woman is not a woman in a strange house far from prying eyes. Monsters lurk everywhere in the woods, but the two characters strike up a growing friendship despite a desire to hide each other’s secrets. I loved how this story plays with what we think the mystery to be and also challenges our perception of who actually is monstrous. A great tale
Homesick by Sam Hirst – My absolute favourite in the collection. A ghost is getting bored in the afterlife having now read all of her books (true horror) and forever feeling trapped in the site o the old family home. Finally, another ghost arrives, and she offers new books and perhaps a need to finally see the world. Two ghosts on a quest around the world and discovering each other and sharing life – it was beautiful and fill of joy with just a twist of melancholy. An excellent story.
Rodeo by Ryann Fletcher – this is a much more passionate tale of a young daughter of a preacher man bewitched by the glamourous woman seen in the rodeo. Their attraction is instant and the danger they are in is high - a sharp twist of southern gothic. The tale’s resolution may be hopeful or downbeat…
Taylor Hall by Jen Gilfort – Another of my strong favourites in the collection explores a house of secrets. Kit needs a new lodger to pay rent in her strange huge and mysterious house. Emily is exciting, beautiful and inquisitive so why is Kit hiding the real reason for the house being so noisy and reluctant to share anything about herself. Secrets can be painful, and the truth is always going to come out. I loved how I ended up caring about the two leads and hoping they could finally sit down and talk…amongst other things.
The Ruin by E Saxey – two men meet and fall in love at a book club exploring the end of the world. Why these subject appeals to them both is a worrying development and our narrator gets worried he has enabled rather than helped his lover. Open ended and probably the most chilling story in the collection.
It is a wonderfully smart collection. I think my quibble is they are not all gothic in terms of the classic sense of lots of atmosphere and the landscape creating the tension. But this is a great smart and varied selection of supernatural tales – some light, some dark, some tragic and even some hopeful. Strongly recommended
