When Things Get Dark

When Things Get Dark edited by Ellen Datlow is a magnificent anthology of short fiction inspired by Shirley Jackson. While a reader does not necessarily need to be familiar with Jackson to appreciate these stories, I do think that readers who have read her will get more out of this collection. Like Jackson's works, many of these stories are loaded with mystery, ambiguity, and the appearance of the supernatural. Most are superbly written. This is one of the strongest horror anthologies I've read. I was going to list my favorite stories, but honestly it's almost all of them. The final two - Tiptoe by Laird Barron and Skinder's Veil by Kelly Link - were particularly great! This is an excellent short story anthology. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️