No doubt horror fans look forward to each yearly installment of this particular Mammoth series, and volume 12 should please them immensely. As usual, the collection begins with editor Jones' comprehensive precis of the year in horror, which covers new novels, movies, and television shows, keeping buffs updated on all the latest work in the genre. Then comes the meat of the book: noteworthy new stories from such hardworking and often acclaimed horror hands as Kim Newman, who boasts several entries, including "Castle in the Desert," the story of a man who goes to rescue his former stepdaughter from a gang of vampires, with help from an expected source. In Mick Garris' "Forever Gramma," a young boy is disturbed to see that his town's general store owner is still fixated on the boy's grandmother after her death. In "Bone Orchards," Paul J. McAuley tells the story of a man drawn into a young girl's murder after encountering her ghost. And those are just for starters. Ghoulish fun.

Book Description
The acclaimed collection of contemporary horror fiction, this year's Best New Horror again showcases the talents of the finest writers working the field of terror. Sifting through the year in horror, award-winning editor Stephen Jones has chosen the year's best stories by the old masters and new voices alike. The latest volume of the Best New Horror series features stories by Ramsey Campbell, Dennis Etchison, Tim Lebbon, Kim Newman, and horror movie director Mick Garrick (adapter of the upcoming film of Stephen King's Desperation), among many writers. As a bonus, there is Jones's always-informative overview of the year in horror, making this a truly state-of-the-dark-art annual.

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