Review: Halloween: Magic, Mystery, and the Macabre edited by Paula Guran

Halloween: Magic, Mystery, and the Macabre edited by Paula Guran is an anthology of 18 tales ranging from the simply magical to the horrifying about my favorite holiday. There is an excellent selection of writers. Some of the authors included are Caitlin R. Kiernan, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Steve Rasnic Tem and Melanie Tem.

I really liked all of the stories, but I still had a few favorites. My favorite magical tale was "For the Removal of Unwanted Guests" by A.C. Wise. When a witch moves in unbidden, what would you do?

As for a mysterious story, perhaps you could call, "Long Way Home" by Jonathan Maberry a mystery. A soldier returns home after war on Halloween, but the town is not quite the same.

And for the macabre, Maria V. Snyder's tale, "The Halloween Men," takes place in a city where you must wear a mask every day of the year except Halloween. For an excerpt of this tale you can check out the author's page.

This book is perfect for the Halloween season. I would recommend it in particular for fans of dark fantasy because most of the tales do seem to have a darkness to them. All of the stories are well written.

I give this anthology 4 out of 5 stars.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased opinion.