Heartwood - A Mythago Wood Anthology edited by Dan Coxon

Publisher - PS Publishing

Published - Out Now

Price - £15.99 paperback or £2.99 ebook via https://pspublishing.co.uk/heartwood-a-myhago-wood-anthology-ebook-ed-by-dan-coxan-6426-p.asp

As the pre-mythagos in each of our heads will naturally vary according to our experience, so the wood would manifest differently were new people to spend time among its trees. What then might we see?

Commemorating the 40th anniversary of Robert Holdstock’s seminal fantasy novel Mythago Wood (winner of the World Fantasy Award and British Fantasy Award), Heartwood for the first time opens Holdstock’s world to other writers. From new tales of Ryhope and Oak Lodge to strange encounters with mythagos further afield, this groundbreaking anthology revisits the old pathways and cuts new tracks through the undergrowth, drawing ever closer to the mysteries of Lavondyss—the Old Forbidden Place at the heart of the wood.

The concept of ‘thin places’ is fascinating that people believe there are certain landscapes where our world and something more spiritual are much more intertwined. Go into a forest get away from the path and very quickly you can sense you’re much further away from the twenty first century than you expect. Fantasy has long been fascinated with the idea of some places being turned into magic and one key book often cited in Robert Holdstock’s Mythago Wood where a place known as Ryhope Wood drew the attention of strange entities known as mythagos. To celebrate the book’s 40th anniversary Dan Coxon has edited a new anthology with a great selection of authors to tell new tales using the idea of this world. I’ve never got round to reading Mythago Wood but I hugely enjoyed this collection. It explores the magic of such places and also the impact on those transformed or left behind by them in many fascinating ways. A touch of magic hiding in plain sight.

Among the many stores I enjoyed were

Transient in Green by RJ Barker - a gritty take of a criminal on the run for attempted murder. Our main character runs into the woods and finds shelter but Barker cleverly weaves into a modern take something very old. A recurring theme of the collection is stories echoing others and the reveal as to where this one is going is very well played.

Paved With Gold by Adrian Tchaikovsky- I loved a story that also plays with an anthology’s concept and rather than woods which recurs many times this time we go into London. Our main character is a group constantly seeking these kind of places and the experiences they offer and it turns out even a London had places of myth and magic on its streets. Poetical, creepy and a fascinating blend of folklore and history this story is a delicious trip in many ways.

Here Be Monsters by Tim Waggoner - takes us to woods in Ohio and presents a tale skipping between future and past of one family. A tale of a missing sister is being explored by her brother. The magical power of such places carries dark secrets but this story goes in different directions. Not all horrors will be magical

Raptor by Maura McHugh - a gorgeous poetical tale of an artist arriving at a new place for inspiration. Time is here fluid, fairy tales from the 20th century cast echoes in the future and other worlds cross ours with similar characters. I loved the strange atmosphere this creates that can be both creepy and empowering.

Horsey Horsey by James Brogden - a man gets his experiences of a strange encounter in the North Sea. A coastal tale of magic, monsters and definite horror unfolds in an epic fashion.

The Crossing Place by Paul Kane - this story really works due to the character work as we meet a couple falling in love and at the same time the aftermath of grief. Lost time, lost chances and pain get experienced and at the same time after many tales of horror this offers something possibly hopeful.

What Happened To The Green Boy? By Gary Budden - this explores how the 21st century may table tales of disappearing in the woods - a crime/horror podcast of course! But I loved the humanity as a key witness here also unpacks a troubled teenagers life and look at it now ugh an adult perspective. A gorgeous story to read as it mixes so many emotions together.

The Dog On The Hookland Road by Justina Robson - neatly placed with the above as a core theme here is also here used very differently to tell another beautiful story. Here our narrator’s mother disappeared when she was a teenager and now after many years her father has passed away, as she unpeels the mystery of the family home and the strange woods and Black Dogs of the area it also explored her own life and the distance she has made between the world. The ending is mystical, heartfelt and poignant.

Into The Heart by Allen Stroud - an unusual spin as our main character is here a scientist and just possibly an amoral one. Her desire to capture and test one of the entities in the woods drives her to break rules but is perhaps also out of her depth. I loved the approach of someone trying to explain the unexplainable and how that itself may be part of these area’s own plans. The switch into horror is very well handled.

Lovely, Dark And Deep by Lisa Tuttle - a very interesting story within a story format of a young woman remembering her student when she protested against a building development that she now finds never existed. The building of the mystery, the strangeness and danger of the woods is well handled and then we watch her return for answers and things get even stranger. A lovely weird tale to savour.

Mad Pranks And Merry Jests by Jen Williams - a young woman is take I to the woods by an entity calling himself Puck. Fans of fantasy should enjoy this monologue telling us of of his many names and the strange tales we walk through on this journey but there is a growing sense of something dangerous getting near too and this is a very well told dark tale.

Calling The Tune by Lucy Holland - a very unusual tale mixing a familiar folk tale with a much older historical setting and the juxtaposition works to remind us stories always have echoed forwards and backwards.

The Known Song by Aliya Whiteley - a gorgeous dreamy tale of strangeness as a young woman and the man she meets in the woods start to echo into a particular kind of myth worth waiting for the reveal.

Knight of the Air by Gareth Hanrahan - I over this final tale of a middle aged man and his new historical hobby focused on WW2 airfields suddenly finding the woods nearby are even stranger. It’s a breezy tale mixing humour with horror and acts as a great bookend to these tales.

Even for those of us who have not read Mythago Wood there should be plenty for us to enjoy as it’s a highly inventive and well told set of tales all making us remember why we all dream that one day even if it turns out wrong we all would like to know magic is real. It’s highly recommended