The year's best dark fantasy & horror, 2017 edition : The Year's Best Dark Fantasy Horror, #8

The supernatural, the surreal, and the all-too real . . . tales of the dark. Such stories have always fascinated and modern authors are carrying on the disquieting traditions of the past while inventing imaginative new ways to unsettle. Chosen from a wide variety of venues, the stories for this eighth volume of the series include sinister fairy tales, dreadful new legends, and spooky tales sure to spur the shivers. Encounter the eclectic terrors of today, frightening glimpses of bleak futures, and alarming considerations of the past. Welcome to the best of dark fantasy and horror. Not Afraid of the Dark by Paula Guran Seasons of Glass and Iron by Amal El-Mohtar The Future is Blue by Catherynne M. Valente Grave Goods by Gemma Files The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle Our Talons Can Crush Galaxies by Brooke Bolander An Ocean the Color of Bruises by Isabel Yap The Iron Man by Max Gladstone The Blameless by Jeffrey Ford Birdfather by Stephen Graham Jones The Jaws That Bite, The Claws That Catch by Seanan McGuire The Rime of the Cosmic Mariner by John Shirley Fairy Tales are for White People by Melissa Yuan-Innes Lullaby for a Lost World by Aliette de Bodard The Finest, Fullest Flowering by Marc Laidlaw Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik Grave Goods by Priya Sharma Braid of Days and Wake of Nights by E. Lily Yu Wish You Were Here by Nadia Bulkin Only Their Shining Beauty Was Left by Fran Wilde The Line Between the Devil’s Teeth (Murder Ballad No. 10) by Caitlín R. Kiernan Photograph by Steve Rasnic Tem Red Dirt Witch by N. K. Jemisin My Body, Herself by Carmen Maria Machado The Sound of Salt and Sea by Kat Howard A Dying of the Light by Rachel Caine Postcards from Natalie by Carrie Laben As Cymbals Clash by Cate Gardner The Games We Play by Cassandra Khaw Bright Crown of Joy by Livia Llewellyn Mommy’s Little Man by Brian Hodge A Fist of Permutations in Lightning and Wildflowers by Alyssa Wong Surfacing by Lisa L. Hannett Meet Me at the Frost Fair by Alison Littlewood Haunt: Under the House by Michael Wehunt Whose Drowned Face Sleeps by An Owomoyela & Rachel Swirsky When the Stitches Come Undone by A. C. Wise The Red Forest by Angela Slatter The darkness creeps upon us and we shudder, or it suddenly startles and we scream. There need be no monsters for us to be terrified in the dark, but if there are, they are just as often human and as supernatural. Join us in this outstanding annual exploration of the year's best dark fiction that includes stories of quiet fear, the utterly fantastic, the weirdly surreal, atmospheric noir, mysterious hauntings, seductive nightmares, and frighteningly plausible futures. Featuring tales from masterful authors and talented new writers sure to make you reconsider walking in the shadows alone... Contents 7 Introduction: Not Afraid of the Dark (2017) by Paula Guran 11 Seasons of Glass and Iron (2016) by Amal El-Mohtar 25 The Future Is Blue (2016) by Catherynne M. Valente 43 Grave Goods (2016) by Gemma Files 62 The Ballad of Black Tom (2016) by Victor LaValle 120 Our Talons Can Crush Galaxies (2016) by Brooke Bolander 123 An Ocean the Color of Bruises (2016) by Isabel Yap 134 The Iron Man (2016) by Max Gladstone 144 The Blameless (2016) by Jeffrey Ford 156 Birdfather (2016) by Stephen Graham Jones 180 The Jaws That Bite, the Claws That Catch (2016) by Seanan McGuire 191 The Rime of the Cosmic Mariner (2016) by John Shirley 204 Fairy Tales Are for White People (2016) by Melissa Yuan-Innes 213 Lullaby for a Lost World (2016) by Aliette de Bodard 219 The Finest, Fullest Flowering (2016) by Marc Laidlaw 225 Spinning Silver (2016) by Naomi Novik 248 Grave Goods (2016) by Priya Sharma 258 Braid of Days and Wake of Nights (2016) by E. Lily Yu 276 Wish You Were Here (2016) by Nadia Bulkin 291 Only Their Shining Beauty Was Left (2016) by Fran Wilde 302 The Line Between the Devil's Teeth (Murder Ballad No. 10) (2016) by Caitln R. Kiernan 311 Photograph (2016) by Steve Rasnic Tem 317 Red Dirt Witch (2016) by N.K. Jemisin 333 My Body, Herself (2016) by Carmen Maria Machado 338 The Sound of Salt and Sea (2016) by Kat Howard 347 A Dying of the Light (2015) by Rachel Caine 370 Postcards from Natalie (2016) by Carrie Laben 381 As Cymbals Clash (2016) by Cate Gardner 387 The Games We Play (2016) by Cassandra Khaw 400 Bright Crown of Joy (2016) by Livia Llewellyn 419 Mommy's Little Man (2016) by Brian Hodge 427 A Fist of Permutations in Lightning and Wildflowers (2016) by Alyssa Wong 436 Surfacing (2016) by Lisa L. Hannett 446 Meet Me at the Frost Fair (2016) by Alison Littlewood 457 October Film Haunt: Under the House (2016) by Michael Wehunt 475 Whose Drowned Face Sleeps (2016) by An Owomoyela and Rachel Swirsky 492 When the Stitches Come Undone (2016) by A.C. Wise 511 The Red Forest (2016) by Angela Slatter 7 • Introduction: Not Afraid of the Dark • (2017) • essay by Paula Guran 11 • Seasons of Glass and Iron • (2016) • short story by Amal El-Mohtar 25 • The Future Is Blue • [Garbagetown • 1] • (2016) • novelette by Catherynne M. Valente 43 • Grave Goods • (2016) • novelette by Gemma Files 62 • The Ballad of Black Tom • [Cthulhu Mythos] • (2016) • novella by Victor LaValle 120 • Our Talons Can Crush Galaxies • (2016) • short story by Brooke Bolander 123 • An Ocean the Color of Bruises • (2016) • short story by Isabel Yap 134 • The Iron Man • (2016) • short story by Max Gladstone 144 • The Blameless • (2016) • short story by Jeffrey Ford 156 • Birdfather • (2016) • novelette by Stephen Graham Jones 180 • The Jaws That Bite, the Claws That Catch • (2016) • short story by Seanan McGuire 191 • The Rime of the Cosmic Mariner • (2016) • short story by John Shirley 204 • Fairy Tales Are for White People • (2016) • short story by Melissa Yuan-Innes 213 • Lullaby for a Lost World • (2016) • short story by Aliette de Bodard 219 • The Finest, Fullest Flowering • (2016) • short story by Marc Laidlaw 225 • Spinning Silver • (2016) • novelette by Naomi Novik 248 • Grave Goods • (2016) • short story by Priya Sharma 258 • Braid of Days and Wake of Nights • (2016) • short story by E. Lily Yu 276 • Wish You Were Here • (2016) • short story by Nadia Bulkin 291 • Only Their Shining Beauty Was Left • (2016) • short story by Fran Wilde 302 • The Line Between the Devil's Teeth (Murder Ballad No. 10) • (2016) • short story by Caitlín R. Kiernan? 311 • Photograph • (2016) • short story by Steve Rasnic Tem 317 • Red Dirt Witch • (2016) • short story by N. K. Jemisin 333 • My Body, Herself • (2016) • short story by Carmen Maria Machado 338 • The Sound of Salt and Sea • (2016) • short story by Kat Howard 347 • A Dying of the Light • (2015) • novelette by Rachel Caine 370 • Postcards from Natalie • (2016) • short story by Carrie Laben 381 • As Cymbals Clash • (2016) • short story by Cate Gardner 387 • The Games We Play • (2016) • short story by Cassandra Khaw 400 • Bright Crown of Joy • (2016) • short story by Livia Llewellyn 419 • Mommy's Little Man • (2016) • short story by Brian Hodge 427 • A Fist of Permutations in Lightning and Wildflowers • (2016) • short story by Alyssa Wong 436 • Surfacing • (2016) • short story by Lisa L. Hannett 446 • Meet Me at the Frost Fair • (2016) • short story by Alison Littlewood 457 • October Film Haunt: Under the House • (2016) • novelette by Michael Wehunt 475 • Whose Drowned Face Sleeps • (2016) • novelette by An Owomoyela and Rachel Swirsky 492 • When the Stitches Come Undone • (2016) • novelette by A. C. Wise 511 • The Red Forest • (2016) • short story by Angela Slatter Macabre meetings, sinister excursions, and deadly relationships; uncanny encounters; a classic ghost story featuring an American god; a historical murderer revived in a frightening new iteration; innovative Lovecraftian turns; shadowy fairy tales and weird myths; strange children, the unexpected, the supernatural, the surreal, and the all-too real ... tales of the dark. Such stories have always fascinated us, and modern authors carry on the disquieting traditions of the past while inventing imaginative new ways to unsettle us. Chosen from a wide variety of venues, these stories are as eclectic and varied as shadows